The Oblivious Warden of Ghavary

I didn't mean to make a scene at the Opening Convocation. When my entrance artifact exploded, painting me in glowing black soot in front of the entire High Conservatory of Ghavary, I just smiled, wiped my goggles, and took my seat in the lowest rank. I was simply grateful it hadn't caught fire! I had no idea my cousin Javya had rigged it, nor that she possessed a parasitic System demanding I fail every major Inquest to steal my destiny. The Conservatory is notoriously eerie - corridors shift, spectral horrors roam the courtyards, and the exams are deadly. But to me? It's just a strict curriculum. When Javya locks me in the flooded botanical wing with a shadow-beast, I assume it's a surprise practical exam and excitedly document the creature's diet. I never despair, which means Javya's System is starving. What my cousin doesn't know - and what the parasite never told her - is that her cheat comes with a hidden, irreversible time limit. As I happily study my way to the pinnacle of the academy, Javya's countdown ticks toward zero. But what happens when the desperate parasite realizes its host is out of time?