~~(Caleb)~~

We approach the building, Jared with an excited bounce in his step, me dragging my feet, far from prepared for this. I'm only here because Teacher and Grant both want me here, and I doubt the instructors here will let me just live here as a shelter.

Jared reaches the entrance first, but waits for me there, opening the glass doors when I arrive, the two of us entering the building and looking around the lobby. Jared only looks at it casually, but I immediately take it all in, assessing the surroundings.

Couches and armchairs fill the entrance, a table here and there, with magazines and vases with plants scattered on them. The furniture appears sturdy, probably to minimize damage in minor altercations. Two halls branch away from the lobby, one on the far wall, and one on the end of the wall to the left, when entering. A counter runs the length of the wall to the right, stopping at the entrance to the hall on that wall. A few potted plants stand in corners, a cactus standing on the counter beside the computer monitor.

Immediately, I identify the green and orange cactus as an ilusia needle, a rare breed of cacti that produces a syrup that can be used to erase recent memories. The fact that they have one just sitting out in the open tells me that they're confident in their security, considering the cost of one half the size of the one sitting there. Teacher told me that they have a barrier that prevents monsters from getting in, but what about human threats?

A woman in her thirties sits behind the counter, tapping away at her computer, looking at us only briefly when we enter. Her dark brown hair pinned up in a bun, and brown eyes sharp and alert, the woman looks like that of a soldier to me – strict, professional, and dangerous.

I'm a bit hesitant to approach her, but Jared walks right up to her, a big smile on his face.

“Jared Fuller, ma'am!” He greets the woman behind the counter with a sloppy mock-salute. “Reporting for training!”

“And you?” She looks at me, voice sharp and quick, gaze filled with danger, making me jump the moment her eyes meets mine “Name, boy.”

“C-C-Caleb R-R-Rivers, ma'am!” I stutter in response, taking a step back.

“The boy Colonel Reynolds recommended,” her tone softens and she nods her head slightly. “He said to expect you a session sooner. Down the hall ahead. Dorms and classrooms are upstairs, but you won't be using those until training begins tomorrow. Until it does, your squads aren't determined, and therefore, you won't have room assignments. You will be sleeping on the floor of the cafeteria tonight. Go on ahead.”

“Okay!” Jared exclaims, then starts down that hall.

I give the woman a quick bow, then slowly walk down the hall, nervous of what lies ahead.

~~(Kieran)~~

A powerful presence woke me up. Two powerful presences, actually, but one overwrote the other, and it feels oddly familiar. Irina seems to still be alive, her life force strong, but the presences have passed on into the other part of the building.

She would not let someone pass by her so easily, so they truly are threats to us. Especially if they are cocky enough to leave her alive, but restricted.

Irina Males has worked for the GSDF for nearly twenty years, now, starting when she was only twelve years old. Her power is not especially powerful, but she is still considered S-Rank. She can read people's strengths, as well as their power levels, through their auras. Though she has a support-class ability, she is a powerful asset to the training facility.

A long time ago, an unknown entity spelled the facility so that it could only be entered through the front doors, the identity of the magician long since been forgotten, with facility designed more than two hundred years past, updated when needed. So long as she or one of us other guards stands watch, no threat could enter.

After all, despite only having a support-class, Irina Males is ranked as a Colonel in the GSDF, and possesses the highest seniority and authority within the facility. She has been through many battles and wars, and quite capable with each of the four swords, twenty-eight daggers, nineteen knives, and fourteen guns concealed beneath the counter or hidden on her body.

At the same time her power allows her to know of any threat entering the facility, it allows her to give an assessment to the staff of the power levels of new recruits.

If she is alive, and those two forces are passing by, they must have bound her or something, to prevent her from giving a warning to the others. Though all of our instructors are S-Ranks and I'm a minor, I'm the most powerful.

Age means experience, but does not always means power. Sometimes, the youth have been through more, and when they did, they came out stronger. Forged in fire, but not in the flames of a candle.

Calmly, I pull on some pants. I wear black skinny jeans, black combat boots, a black leather belt, a black t-shirt with a black leather jacket over it, and then hook my silver chain to my left beltloop and the one behind that one. Pulling on my bracelets, I make my way downstairs and out of the staff quarters.

At fourteen, I am often underestimated. The few who know who I am do not do that. In fact, they fear me. I am more powerful than any of the other staff here, and choose to act as the night guard. If there is someone capable of taking down Irina, then they're a threat, even if the others can handle them.

When I step into the lobby, she's staring at her computer, but very much mobile and conscious. Did someone alter her memories?

“Your presence is as unnerving as always, Kieran,” Irina states without looking up from her computer. “I'm guessing you were woken by their presences?”

“You let them through?”

“They're new cadets,” she nods, then reads me their files and gives me her own assessments.

Jared Fuller, twelve, an Elemental B-Rank with the power to manipulate any metal, as well as holding whatever properties of various metals he wished, able to react at a moment's notice. He will likely be an A-Rank by the end of basic training, and S-Rank by the end of the two years of training all recruits go through. Cocky and arrogant, he believes that all those who are weak are inferior and useful only for breeding and labor. The boy ran away from home, defying his parents' orders to stay in his sheltered life.

Caleb Rivers. The most unusual recruit she has ever seen, though his name sounds familiar to me. He can't be the same one I'm thinking of, as that one died years ago. Shaking my head, I tune out the memories and listen to Irina.

His file, supplied by the Colonel Grant Reynolds himself, claims he is extraordinarily weak, and has never revealed what his Gift is. It also states that he possesses a high affinity for magic, taught it by a mysterious teacher the retired Colonel had never met, or even caught a glimpse of. Scared in combat situations, and easily buckling under pressure, Rivers stands far from being ideal candidate.

And yet the retired Colonel recommended him simply because a few monsters attacked the town they were in, supposedly to chase after the boy, and Reynolds wants him at the facility for no reason other than protection.

Grant, unlike Irina, could not read the boy's power. She knows that even though Rivers's file claims he is weak, the strength of Rivers's Gift surpasses that of any of the retired S-Ranks that run this facility. In fact, she has never seen an S-Rank with that level of power before.

Not even me.

And Rivers, true to Grant's word, possesses an extraordinary amount of magical power. He likely does not even know what he can do, he is that powerful.

Maybe he did survive? I'll investigate at a later time. If they're recruits, then I'm going back to bed, once she finishes her little 'chat'.

This year will be interesting, indeed. Irina will need to word her report without making it seem as if the boy is powerful. Grant informed her that he refuses to use his Gift, and that he fears fighting. If she claims he is powerful, the instructors will be harsh on him at first, believing him to be holding back.

They have no idea what they are in for, she concludes. This session's batch of recruits is highly unusual. Forty boys and girls between the ages of eleven and fourteen, with a wide variety of abilities and personalities, as well as their fair share of issues. Yes, that happens every session, but this one definitely takes the cake with the extremes that present themselves in the forms of Caleb Rivers and Jared Fuller, among a few of the others. We typically only find one new recruit per session, if that, already at C-Rank with their Gift.

Irina smiles to herself, probably at the thought of the adventures that will soon occur, wondering how the boys and girls will change. Rolling my eyes at her, I turn around and make my way back to bed. Hopefully, their presences will not continue to interfere with my sleep during their training.

~~(Jared)~~

Caleb lagged behind me on the way to the cafeteria. It's not much, honestly. A buffet-style serving area which reminds me of school cafeterias lines one wall, with the tables in the center part of the room seating roughly forty boys and girls around our age, all of them wearing black cargo shorts, black combat boots, and sky blue t-shirts.

Against the far wall stands a man wearing the same outfit, only his shirt is black instead of blue. He's tall and imposing, his brown hair cropped short, and his brown eyes watching everyone, snapping to me as I enter.

He waits until Caleb's in the room before speaking.

“Fuller! Rivers!” The man barks, causing Caleb to jump as we look at him. “You will find a change of clothes on the table behind you! Dress in them immediately, and leave your current clothes on the table!”

I immediately change, removing my clothes and pulling on the uniform the other recruits are wearing. Caleb hesitates, and I realize that he's shy. At the same time I come to that realization, the man does.

“Rivers!” The instructor barks. “You must get over your shyness! Undress and get dressed now!”

Caleb nods shakily, then begins to undress, but his fingers fumble as he tries to pull his shirt off. I yawn and stretch, and as I do, the buckle on the instructor's belt liquifies, sliding off, then reshaping as it flies to my hand.

“Excuse me, sir!” I hold the buckle up. “But I found this buckle, and I was wondering if you might know who it belongs to?”

“Give that back!” the man orders.

“Oh, it's yours?” I ask. “Sir, you really should take better care of your buckles, else they might just abandon you.”

“Give it back, Fuller!”

“Give what back?” I ask as the buckle reshapes itself, becoming a rabbit. “This is yours? I figured you were a manly man, but it appears you're into bunnies!”

“Fix it and return it, now Fuller!” The man orders sharply.

“Aw,” I mock him, nearly every eye in the room on me. “Is the wittle man upset his bunny's gone? Does the wittle man want his bunny back?”

“You are not off to a good start, Fuller!”

“Only messing with you!” I grin, tossing the rabbit up and down, then to the instructor.

He attempts to catch it, but the rabbit melts through his fingertips, falling down to his waist and resuming its position and form as a buckle, though with a rabbit-like shape.

“This isn't amusing, Fuller!” The instructor snaps.

“To you, maybe!” I flash him another grin. “But it got everyone's gaze off Caleb, didn't it?”

All eyes turn to Caleb, who now stands dressed in the uniform, having changed as I screwed with the instructor's buckle. His face turns a deep shade of crimson, and I step forward.

“I'm Jared Fuller,” I introduce myself. “Elemental, B-Rank, can manipulate metal, non-restricted. If any of you are stronger than me, don't expect to be for long.”

“A metal Elemental, huh?” A boy around year older than me stands up. “I'm Owen, an electric Elemental. C-Rank. I think we'd make a pretty good team.”

“Maybe,” I can already see the possibilities of our teamwork. “But only if you can keep up.”

Owen has white-blond hair and electric blue eyes, and I can sense the energy within him, but faintly. I've only recently started sensing the energy levels of others, and Owen's is stronger than any I've managed to sense before, probably because of his ability.

I take a seat by Owen and the other strong recruits, waving Caleb over, but he finds a seat by himself, away from the others. He'll warm up to me, he's definitely powerful.

“Hey, bunny-buckle!” I call out, and the instructor ignores me. “Who's Colonel Reynolds?”

“What's your interest in him?” The instructor asks. “If it's for a history lesson, you'll hear all about him in those after basic training ends.”

“So he's famous?”

“You could say that,” he nods, just barely. “Colonel Grant Reynolds is a retired S-Class Superhuman agent of the Global Supernatural Defense Federation who passed up a promotion to be a General six times before retiring several years ago. His Ability is defensive enhancement, and he can become virtually indestructible. He's one of the most powerful Superhumans to ever exist.”

“So the fact,” I say. “That he recommended Caleb to the federation means that Caleb's, like, crazy-strong, right?”

“Perhaps,” the instructor says as gazes turn to the quickly reddening boy. His shyness is adorable. “That will be seen tomorrow, when training begins. We will place you into squads based on your strengths. The stronger you are, the stronger your squadmates will be, so that the strongest are together, and the weakest are together.”

After that, many of the recruits want to talk with Caleb, trying to discern his Ability, but he does not answer, saying that he prefers to not use it. Not long after our arrival, dinner is served, a hot meal that reminds me of lunches in a school cafeteria, though just a little bit tastier.

We continue to mingle once dinner concludes, and not long after the sun sets does the man – who has yet to introduce himself – send us to bed, the tables in the cafeteria moved aside and thin mats placed out on the floor for us to sleep on.

I try to get some sleep, and while everyone else sleeps easily, I'm used to comfortable beds. Plus, I'm not far from Caleb, who tosses and turns on his mat for almost an hour.

Then, he suddenly bolts upright, looking around before fixing his gaze on the moon, its cool, silvery light passing through the window, washing over his pale face.

“Save you?” Caleb whispers.

There's silence as he stares at the moon.

“I can't understand you,” Caleb whispers. “You're not clear.”

He frowns, and a tear starts to stream down his face.

“What?” Caleb asks quietly, looking around nervously.

I pretend to still be asleep, but he continues to listen to this voice.

“What?” Caleb whispers as he tries to decipher what was said.

The only explanation for this I can think of is that Caleb's some sort of psychic, and someone's trying to talk to him, but can't be made out clearly.

“I can't understand you,” Caleb whispers. “Not well. What are you saying? I can't train my powers, I screw things up. They died because of me.”

At this point, Caleb's sobbing, but he's trying to be quiet. At least he hasn't woken anyone up. I'm starting to change my thoughts on him being strong. Lucky, probably, but not strong.

“Don't go!” Caleb whispers, reaching out with a hand. “I don't understand you! How did demons trap you? How am I supposed to save you?”

Caleb breaks down completely, curling up into the fetal position as he cries himself to sleep. A few moments later, I feel a dark and ominous presence and freeze up, my body filled with an inexplicable terror.

Why am I scared? And of what? What manner of being can get past the supposed S-Rank guard of the Alzir Branch, yet remain unseen? I'm able to move my eyes around, and yet cannot see anything. I can sense them, though. They're wearing metal. Iron belt buckle, and a silver chain on their hip. They're walking over to Caleb. The chain and buckle drop down, as if they're in a crouch. I can't see anyone. I can't use my Ability. Even if I could, they would probably unleash some sort of nasty horror on me for attempting to do something.

A few moments later, a chill goes down my spine. I'm already frozen, yet whatever is there, whatever is going to hurt Caleb, knows I'm awake. It's as if they're looking right into my eyes.

Their gaze remains on me, and now I really wish I could have awakened my aura sooner. I found out only a few days before leaving about auras, and no one taught me how they worked or how to awaken them. The intruder is definitely using their aura to do this to me.

Now that I'm able to think and push back against the fear with my mind, I realize that this presence disturbs the sleep of the other cadets. They're shifting, muttering, whimpering. Were I asleep, I'd probably be doing the same. I can hold out mentally, but had I access to my aura, I'd probably be unaffected by this. Or maybe they'd just increase the intensity, so as to cripple me.

Caleb's not affected by it. He's sleeping, even if not peacefully, but his movements haven't changed from when this being entered the room. Caleb was having bad dreams, and after the gaze leaves me, he calms down, he still. For a moment, I think he's dead, that whatever it was killed him, but then realize that he's still breathing – it's just calmed.

This being of fear, whatever it is, soothed Caleb's dreams? Why?

~~(Kieran)~~

Night watch is boring. Not much happens, not now that the reputation of a powerful S-Rank who can take on any foe who tries to break in went out and the rumor was proven true. Two years ago, a force of six S-Rank magicians and Gifted attempted to break into here during the night, using powerful magic to conceal themselves, with the aim of killing the instructors before they woke and kidnap and sell off the youth.

They never made it past the lobby, and I was out back when they entered. The staff and students woke up to the screams, and all rushed down to see what was going on. I suppose I could have done it quieter and cleaner, but I was dealing with an injured wolf, and didn't want to bother diverting too much focus from him.

Ever since then, all attacks come while I'm sleeping.

So instead of bothering to wait in the lobby, like I'm supposed to, I make my way into the cafeteria, where the cadets are sleeping. It's not uncommon for me to leave the lobby completely unattended, so it's not like they'll yell at me.

Tonight, I want to investigate the boy.

When I enter the cafeteria, I notice one of the boys sleeping uncomfortable. That wouldn't be different than normal from anyone sleeping in my presence, what with my aura wrapped around myself, but he was sleeping roughly when I entered, not after.

The only cadet here with a traumatic past is Caleb Rivers, so I make my way to the boy with bad dreams, and when I crouch down, I see a smooth, gentle, worried face framed by blond hair. As I crouch down to confirm my thoughts, I sense someone looking at me, which shouldn't be possible. My aura completely affects someone's perception of me, as well as bends light around me.

When I turn around to stare at them, I realize why. It's the Elemental boy. Fullmetal, or Metalfull, or whatever it is. I don't bother remembering names unless they're important. Caleb Rivers is an important name to me, from when I was younger. He's probably sensing the metal on me. If I exuded even a fraction more of my aura, he'd be unable to perceive it at all. I use more of my aura when others are awake, as I don't like being seen.

I turn back to the boy with nightmares. The blond hair with that name only makes me think he is who I think he is, but that's impossible.

I place my hand on his head and close my eyes, and immediately, I feel myself repelled by a powerful force.

It's him. He's the Caleb Rivers from six and a half years ago. I was seven, he was six. He's the only person who can resist me like that, even while asleep. He has an impenetrable mind. Were he awake, he'd see right through my aura, unaffected by the terror it instills, or the sense of unease, depending on my mood. It's usually just unease, though it's in the terror mode right now.

Caleb Rivers, my childhood friend. He survived the Alkran City Takeover, just like me. Everyone said I was the only survivor. They confirmed his death. I confirmed his death.

But how? He was an only child, so it can't be twins, or something like that.

He must have used his Gift. It was fun, playing with him and his Gift back then. He created all sorts of amazing places for us to play with. The kids at the orphanage loved him, he was a bright and cheerful kid. We envied his power.

During the attack, my brother was killed. At the same time, Caleb used his power. I felt it flux. It's the reason I have the powers I do. I was born with the Elemental Gift of Light and Shadows, a dual-element. I was A-Rank. My identical twin brother, who had albinism, was a natural S-Rank, a Special who was ranked at B-Rank among Specials, with his power over Perception itself.

When Caleb flexed his powers, it merged my dying brother's aura and power into me. Caleb must have tried stopping the fight, tried stopping death.

It isn't until I snap myself out of my memories that I realize Caleb's breathing has calmed down. After repelling my mind, his calmed, as his dreams likely became tame. I make a note to try again tomorrow night, to see if his mind will calm for him, so he can sleep easy. From the report, he fears fighting. If he's exhausted, he'll never get over that fear.

I wish I could talk to him now, but I'd rather let him sleep. Besides I'm not sure what I'd say. It's been six and a half years since I last saw him, and I've already mourned him. For him to be alive is a miracle.

That done, I return to my monitoring of the facility's entrance, knowing that in the morning, Fowl will hose the recruits down.

~~(Jared)~~

With an icy shock, I wake, finding the instructor who was in here when we arrived hosing us down. I scramble to my feet as he moves on, and within a minute, we're all awake and dripping wet. Except, I notice, Caleb. I watched as the instructor sprayed past him, and Caleb's eyes shot open before he did and moved out of the way.

Did he subconsciously hear the instructor's thoughts, and wake in reaction to the rest of us yelling from the cold and just react instantly?

The instructor orders us to move the tables back into position, then eat breakfast. When we finish, we're to meet him out back.

Caleb is the first to move, grabbing one of the tables from the wall and wheeling it back into position before lowering it. Once he does that, the rest of us get moving. We're cold and wet and miserable, but we're also hungry.

“How'd you keep dry?” One of the boys sneers at Caleb. “Did you suck off the instructors or something? This is my second attempt at basic, and they never show mercy to anyone.”

Caleb looks at him with a little bit of fear in his eyes. Why won't he defend himself? It's just words, it's not like they can hurt.

“Well?” The boy asks, backing Caleb into the wall. “What's the secret, huh? I got injured the first time and had to wait until this one to resume, and I ain't gonna put up with the bullshit they give us. If you've got a way to avoid getting punishment like that, then I want in on it. I'll even protect you, if you can get them to lighten it up on me.”

“If you're in this twice,” I tell him, once it's clear that Caleb's just going to be terrified. “Then you should know the tricks and tips. Shouldn't we ask you what to do?”

“Do as little to piss them off as possible,” The boy glares at me. “Because they look for every little reason to come after you and punish us all,” he turns his gaze back to Caleb. “So? How did you do it? How did you talk them into keeping you dry?”

I can understand being a coward, but Caleb is just ridiculous.

“Magic,” I answer, and Caleb freezes up. “He's both a Superhuman and a magician. He probably used magic to dry himself, or to keep the water from hitting him, or something.”

Let them think it's magic over his Ability to know it was coming. I can use that to my advantage. Special-type Abilities are rare. If he's truly able to manipulate time, I'll be able to use that to my advantage.

Besides, I'm still unsure on if he's a Time or a Perception, so I'd like to figure that out, first.

That satisfies the other boy, who backs down, and everyone finishes setting up the tables, then we make our way to the food. The cooks don't say a word about what happened, even though they had to have witnessed the entire event.

Caleb gets pushed out of the way by some of the others as he tries to get into line, eventually giving up and waiting for everyone else to go through. What a weakling. To have thought he was strong. Sure, his Ability is powerful, but he's got no guts or courage.

No sooner do I think that than his gaze meets mine. I nearly drop my tray when we lock eyes, and he looks away. Someone bumps into me, and I glare at them, then take my seat, Owen taking a seat across from me. He's dry.

“How are you dry?” I ask.

“Electricity,” he grins at me. “Useful for more than just shocking people who are wet. Controlling the amount I use, and where I put it, I can heat up the water without damaging my skin or clothes, effectively drying myself off. I haven't gained full resistance to shocks yet, so gotta be careful. Wish I had magic like Rivers, being able to stay dry or dry myself without fear of shocking myself would be awesome.”

“Yeah, it would,” I flash him a smile, shooting a look back to Caleb. “Shame he's such a weakling, he'd be a powerful Superhuman if he showed just a little bit of aggression or assertion, I'm sure of it.”

Plus, when he looked at me, I felt as if he knew what I thought. Can he see a few moments into the future and hear thoughts? One's a time power, one's a psychic power. There's no known cases of anyone having two different Ability Types. If he somehow did, it would explain why I don't know which.

The moment I think that, a chill runs down my spine. I look around the room, first looking at Caleb, who's sitting by himself at a table in the corner of the room, but he's not looking at me. That feeling remains, a feeling of foreboding, of darkness.

Suddenly, I remember last night. The thing that caused us to all have bad dreams, which locked me in place in pure fear. That thing that calmed Caleb down. It's here, it's in the room.

“Shouldn't you be sleeping?” The instructor who's been leading us enters the dining room, and the feeling fades. “As talkative as ever, Kieran.”

“Kieran?” Caleb's head perks up when he hears that name.

“Kieran, sir!” The instructor snaps at him. “He's the night guard of this facility, and an S-Rank Superhuman who prefers us to be called Gifted! All of you would do well to never cross him – he's the only known case of a Superhuman with two Abilities, and he's S-Rank in one and S-A in the other!'

S-A? He's got a Special-Type Ability? And he's reached A-Rank among the Special Abilities, too. He truly is powerful.

That explains how he was able to get past the night guard – he is the night guard. Why was he interested in Caleb? And why did Caleb react to that name? I look over at the weakling, who's disappeared.

“Everyone outside!” The instructor yells. “Breakfast is ten minutes, and ten minutes only! Move!”

We all hastily rush outside, where Caleb and the boy who attacked him are both waiting. When did they come out here? Caleb's trying to ignore him, but the other boy is taunting him, calling him a coward.

“Today!” The instructor yells. “We are going to assess your Abilities! Not just your Abilities, but your strength, your speed, your stamina, your might, your courage, your aggression, and many other factors! We will then rank you, and place you into eight squads of five! You will be assigned with others of similar rank, with the top students in Squad 1, and the worst in Squad 8!

“For now!” He yells. “Line up in eight lines of five! Now, cadets!”

We all scramble to obey. I make it to the front of a line, directly in front of him.

“I am Colonel Fowl!” He finally introduces himself. “I am an S-Rank Transmuter with the Ability to transform my body into a variety of different animals! I am the Head Instructor, and thus, in charge of your training! I will also lead your physical fitness and combat trainings!”

“I am Colonel Sparks!” A woman approach us with a man at her side, and they take their places to either side of Colonel Fowl. She's got platinum-blond hair and electric blue eyes. “I'm an S-Rank Elemental able to harness fire, light, and electricity! I am the Head Ability Trainer!”

“I am Colonel Garth!” The other man introduces himself. He's got light brown hair, dark brown eyes, and tanned skin. He's massive, and looks tough. “I'm an S-Rank Enhancer capable of enhancing various attributes, namely my speed and strength! I am ranked fourth among all the Enhancers of the GSDF, and I'm in charge of your Superhuman training! This is your knowledge of Abilities and how they work, as well as how to counter them! I'm also in charge of history and languages! You will all leave this training with a partial mastery of another language!”

“Sir!” Caleb quietly calls out from the back.

If I can barely hear him, then there's no way the instructors did.

“Speak up if you have a question!” Colonel Fowl snaps, his gaze turning to Caleb.

“Sir!” Caleb repeats, louder this time.

“Speak, Rivers!”

“What if you already know all languages, sir?” Caleb asks.

“Do you honestly expect me to believe you are capable of speaking every language, Cadet?”

“Sir, yes sir!” Caleb answers Colonel Fowl's question looking scared.

“Wait!” Colonel Garth holds a hand up, stopping Colonel Fowl from speaking. “Cadet Rivers! How do you possess the capability to speak all languages?”

“I'm a mystictongue, sir!” Caleb answers.

What the heck is that?

Colonel Garth walks over to Caleb, and we all watch as he strikes up a conversation with Caleb in some foreign language. I think he switches it once. After about five minutes of that, Colonel Garth looks at Colonel Fowl.

“Eighteen languages,” Colonel Garth says. “He spoke all eighteen languages I know, including two that only eight people in the world even know exist, and he spoke them with accents that I can only judge to be native. He's a mystictongue.”

“I've never met one in person,” Colonel Fowl narrows his gaze at Caleb. “Cadet Rivers! Mystictongues are magicians! Are you a magician or a Superhuman?”

“Both, sir!”

“Then what's your Ability!”

“A curse, sir!”

He views his Ability as a curse? That's not unheard of, but it's not common, either.

“Tell me what your Ability is, Cadet!”

“I've never told anyone, sir!” Caleb responds. “I do not use it, sir! I am here under the recommendation of Grant, and only because he wants me here, sir! I have no intention of using my Ability or fighting, sir!”

“Then you will fail this training!” Colonel Fowl snaps. “What's your Ability, Cadet? You will answer me or-”

He cuts off, snapping his gaze up to the second floor of the facility. We follow his gaze to the window he's looking at, but there's nothing there, other than an open curtain.

As we look back to him, I notice that Caleb's gaze is fixed firmly forward, and he looks a little scared.

“Never mind!” Colonel Fowl shouts. “First part of your testing! Put on the backpacks sitting against that wall, and follow me! Jog, don't walk!”

We all walk to the wall of the facility and pick up the backpacks, which feel weighted to me. I open mine up and find brick weights inside. They are weighted. It feels about ten pounds.

I pull on the bag and begin jogging, following Colonel Fowl into the woods. Colonel Sparks runs along the middle, and Colonel Garth sticks to the back of the group, to make sure everyone jogs and no one strays.

I'm almost at the front of the run. Colonel Fowl is just barely keeping ahead of me, and I realize that he's changing the pace based on the person in front, who's managing to keep up with him. I don't think the cadet in the lead realizes that the person behind him, the one in front of me, is trying to outpace him. Colonel Fowl definitely noticed, I'm sure.

Caleb matches the instructor's pace, no matter how much the larger man increases it. The kid in front of me, the one who pushed him around earlier, starts to lag behind, but manages to keep his pace ahead of me.

The jog lasts forever, especially on this rough terrain. Why did he want to take us for a jog through the woods as part of our assessment? That makes no sense. I was expecting something like treadmills and weights and combat simulations. This feels more like training than testing, especially with the bag feeling heavier as time goes on.

When we finally return to the yard, Colonel Fowl orders us to line up in rows in the order we arrived, putting Caleb first, the other boy second, and me third, standing at the front of the middle line, just like before.

When everyone else has arrived, I've managed to catch my breath, but the instructors don't wait for the last of them to.

“Pushups! Now!” Colonel Fowl orders. “Don't stop until I tell you!”

I drop and begin my pushups, noting everyone else doing the same. Twenty-four pushups later, Colonel Fowl orders us to stop, and I let myself drop to the ground. My last streak was twenty, so that was rough. I'm not much into fitness, and think I should have waited a little longer before coming here, so I could get into better shape. My arms are sore just from that.

“Nine!” Colonel Fowl yells. “The one who did the least, but lasted all the way, managed nine! One of you only managed one before giving up!” Probably not Caleb, though he's probably exhausted as well. “Then there's one of you who managed to do four hundred, eighteen pushups! We worked for two minutes! By the end of this training, I want each of you able to do four hundred, eighteen pushups! This is the standard I'm setting, and you will meet this, or you will fail!”

A lot of the cadets groan, but all I can think about is how is that possible?

As I start to sit up, I notice Caleb standing at attention.

It was him?

Then it hits me.

The same thing that affected us in the cafeteria last night and this morning: aura. Caleb wasn't bothered by that aura last night, which means that he's had aura training before. He must have utilized his aura to do pushups faster.

Performing physical training while utilizing aura is believed to be able to increase one's natural strength, speed, and senses. Caleb must have been doing that since he was little to be able to do that many. And doing it heavily, too.

Colonel Fowl is insane if he believes we will do that.

We're only given a momentary respite before we're ordered to perform situps. Colonel Fowl runs us for two minutes again, and once again, Caleb scores higher than any of us by an impossibly high margin.

Immediately after, we are each given a rubber training knife with orders to brush the edge with a red paint that won't dry quickly. Once we do that, we're paired up with another cadet and set to fight for one minute, rotating four times, so that each of us fights five cadets. Once that concludes, we fight with our bodies alone for two minutes against five cadets.

Following that, we're ordered to put on the weighted packs and begin running again. They feel heavier, but weigh the same. Exhaustion is getting to us.

This time, Colonel Fowl leads us down a different path, and we arrive at an obstacle course. Those of us scoring first, physically, are sent first, after we shed our packs.

It beings with a brief run to a sloped wall that we must scale, and when we reach the top, we have to cross a rope line over a large, muddy puddle. I grab the rope and try to crawl across it, swinging around and ending up facing the sky, crossing it like that.

Briefly, I'm aware of Caleb speeding along the rope, as if unaffected by exhaustion.

At the end of the rope, we drop down and crawl under some posts and barbwire, which hurts. It takes me a minute to figure out how to get detached, too. That done, we have to cross a series of suspended poles that are supported with posts too close for us to duck under, forcing us to climb over each one. They're not spaced far apart, either, which only makes it more difficult.

Then, we have to climb up a rope wall, cross monkey bars, and then crawl down a sort of ladder-like wall, at the bottom of which, we're greeted by a small pool, past which is a small stretch of land with the finish line at the other end. As I'm reaching the end of the wall, I notice Caleb already on the other side of the line.

How did he move so fast? He can't have used his aura alone for that, could he?

Dropping into the water, I let out an involuntary gasp, forcing myself to the surface for air.

“Cold!” The cadet between Caleb and me exclaims as he leaves the water.

The water is freezing! I quickly swim across, making it to the other side, and climb out, sprinting across the field to the finish line, where I'm allowed temporary respite from this cruel course.

That was frigid water, even though the air is warm out. They've got to be using magic or something for that.

We rest until everyone has arrived, then pull our packs back on and follow Colonel Fowl down the path. The other boy has given up on trying to place in front of Caleb, which I think is better for him. I doubt anyone can.

I doubt Colonel Fowl could stay ahead of him, if Caleb chose to actually kick his ass into gear and take off.

When we arrive back at the facility, we're wet, we're cold, we're miserable, and we're given ten minutes for lunch, which consists of ham and cheese sandwiches, a banana, some carrots, and water.

As soon as lunch is finished, we return outside to test our Abilities, three more Colonels awaiting us.

Colonel Smoke has fiery orange hair and hazel eyes, and is an Elemental who can manipulate fire, light, and shadow.

Colonel Terrier has brown hair and eyes, and is a Transmuter who can transform into various types of canines. He's not very talkative.

Colonel Thompson has brown hair and blue eyes, and is an Elemental who can manipulate the elemental of stone, as well air. He can also manipulate iron and various alloys of it, though comments that he's never managed the alloy I wore on me when I arrived.

I feel naked without that metal, but know I have to go without for the sake of training. It's a rare and expensive alloy, and I hope they give it back when we're finished with this.

They start with Caleb, as he's been placing first. Colonel Thompson stands in front of him, ordering him to utilize his Ability in every way he knows how, and to attack him if needed.

Instead of complying, Caleb freaks out, backing up with his hands held up in fear, refusing to use his Ability.

“Tch,” Colonel Fowl clicks his tongue. “Freaked out in the simulated fights earlier, and freak out at the thought of using your power. I want to know what Colonel Reynolds was thinking when he sent you here! Cadet Marks! You're next!”

The boy who's been staying ahead of me walks forward, taking a deep breath, then putting his palms together. As he pulls them apart, a metal staff forms between them. He grabs it from the air and attacks.

I fought him during the knife and martial arts simulations earlier in both sets. He was pretty skilled, and kicked my ass both times. I don't have too much combat training, and not placing first of everyone is going to bother me.

No matter, as I'll no doubt rise to the top, where I belong.

Cadet Marks strikes hard and fast, and Colonel Thompson defends himself, even when the cadet switches to a sword, pushing his palms together with the staff between them to make it disappear, then pulling them apart to recreate the staff.

“C-Rank!” Thompson says after finishing the fight. “If you don't work on doing it quicker and creating more types than just wooden and simple metal weapons, then you'll never reach B-Rank! Cadet Fuller! You're next!”

“Close combat isn't everything,” I say as Cadet Marks moves away.

Instantly, the buckles on everyone's belts detach themselves and fly forward, reshaping themselves and developing razor-sharp edges, and Colonel Thompson dodges the first volley of attacks, barely avoiding the third, and taking four hits from the third. I watch, only moving to watch as he avoids my attacks. The strikes didn't make it past his defenses, even with the sharpness of the blades. He truly is powerful; I made it past the defenses of an A-Rank Enhancer who specialized in enhancing his resiliency to physical attacks when I was only a C-Rank.

“Tag!” He yells, jumping back, and Colonel Sparks steps forward, raising her hands up, and the forty-some blades cackle with energy, stopping in the air.

Any attempt I make to strike Colonel Sparks is stopped by her energy. She's dispelling the energy in the attacks. That shouldn't work, this isn't a psychic Ability. I'm not launching them, I'm directly controlling them.

For the first time, I'm facing an opponent who has a counter to my Ability, and it makes me excited.

“B-Rank!” She snaps, and I stop the attack. “Though you're damn close to A-Rank, don't think it means you're better than the rest! By simply imbuing your metal with electricity, I could take complete control over them!”

That's what she was doing? Damn! I need to figure out how to counter that.

The rest of the cadets go, fighting against one of the instructors. I take note of only the strongest.

Owen is classified as C-Rank, which he told us yesterday, after his fight with Colonel Sparks.

A boy of thirteen with ginger hair and green eyes named Eric Vance is scrawny, but able to enhance his strength and resiliency. He's also powerful, and goes head-to-head with Colonel Thompson. Then again, the instructor is holding back, so even with Vance's enhanced speed, the Colonel is clearly the superior in the fight. He's a C-Rank, and will likely be in the top. Most of the cadets are F, E, or D.

There's one more C-Rank among our cadets. He's quiet and shy, but it fits his power. He can weave light and turn himself invisible. When he's in that mode, even Colonel Thompson struggles to keep track of him, though the moment the cadet strikes, Colonel Thompson reacts with lightning-quick reflexes.

I have no doubt the five of us will be the top team. We make up most of the physically stronger cadets, as well as all of the stronger cadets.

I watch as Cadet Hills finishes the fight, turning visible once more as Colonel Thompson declares him as C-Rank. They probably knew that from our files, not from the fights. Cadet Hills has shaggy brown hair and gentle blue eyes, and it looks like he's trying to hide behind his hair.

Shy, but deadly, just like from my favorite stories and shows. That's pretty nice.

At last, we're allowed to rest, the instructors telling us to stay in the yard as they go inside. They leave us alone for an hour, then order us into lines, this time arranging us on our own. Caleb is put in the back of the line all the way on the right, when facing the same direction as us. I'm placed in the front of the line all the way on the left, with the other strong cadets behind me.

“For the next hundred days!” Colonel Fowl yells. “These will be your assigned squads! You are placed in these squads based on a variety of factors, including your own level of power, your control over it, your rank, your willingness to fight, your skill in combat, your physical fitness, and a variety of other factors! For the most part, we've placed you based on your level of combat power! The cadet at the front of your line is the captain of your squad! All activities will be done in these squads, and the stronger squads will receive lighter chores and duties than the weaker squads! Your room numbers are the same as your squads! No naughty business, for the squads with females!

“Squad assignments are permanent!” He yells. “Unless I decide to change them, which I never have! Dinner! Today, you may take as long as you like, but know that you have the rest of the day to complete your assigned chores! Check the bulletin board in the dining hall for your squad's chore assignments! Dismissed!”

We make our way into the cafeteria and get food. I lead my squad to the front of the line, and everyone makes way for us. The fact that I mess with their belt buckles helps enforce that we go first. After that, the squads go in order of number, with Caleb's squad going last.

The fact that he was in the back of the line tells me that he was ranked as weakest out of all of us. I'm not surprised by that anymore. I thought he was strong, but he's just a coward. No wonder he wove magic to turn himself invisible two nights ago – he wanted to avoid the conflict altogether.

Dinner is spaghetti with meatballs, pudding, garlic bread, and salad, with milk and juice to drink. We devour it and go back for seconds, not bothering to talk, then check out the bulletin board.

Squad 1 Chores: None.

Of course we're exempted – we're the best.

~~(Caleb)~~

“Laundry duty,” Nick Jones, captain of my Squad, groans. “And bathroom duty. And kitchen duty. Seriously?”

“We're the weakest squad,” I state. “It's only natural that they'd give us the nasty jobs no one else wants.”

“We have to clean laundry, the bathrooms, the cafeteria, the kitchen,” Nick looks at me. “And seriously? You're easily the strongest, physically. Why are you so scared of fighting? What's your Ability?”

“You're my captain,” I say. “But not my boss. I'll get the laundry in the wash, then get started on the dishes. They're duties I'm used to.”

“It'll take the team to do the bathroom and the cafeteria,” Nick states.

“To do it quickly, maybe,” I counter. “Do one, then the other. I can handle starting the laundry on my own, as well as the dishes.”

“You're a magician,” he says. “I heard that little conversation. Got a spell that can help us?”

“You're aware,” I take a deep breath, doing my best to not freak out and give in to him. I hate confrontation, and he clearly wants to start a fight with me. “That most magicians can barely do parlor tricks, ever since the Calamity, yes? A simple cleaning spell isn't easy for most to do. And if I could use my magic for it, I wouldn't.”

“And why not?” He asks.

“Because we're constantly being watched,” I remind him. “And there's a reason they want us to do these. It's not to cheat and get it done immediately. If we use magic to take care of the issue, then they'd just punish everyone, and it would make the others hate us more than they do just because we're the weakest. I'm considered the weakest due to my inability to fight or use my Ability, but that doesn't mean I'm unintelligent. I've been taught for years how to use my head. I'll get started on the laundry.”

I turn and make my way up to the dorms, feeling my skin and clothes become clean as I do. Maybe I do know a few spells that could assist us. Honestly, I could just weave a spell and finish an entire task in minutes.

But what I said will happen if I do that. They'll punish everyone, and then I'll get treated even worse.

As I collect everyone's dirty laundry from today, my team showers and changes into fresh clothes, then I collect those as well, leaving them wondering when I washed up and changed.

In the laundry room, I open the closet and note that the bleach and the laundry detergent look almost the same, but are in different boxes. Both are a white powder, though the detergent is more powdery than the bleach, and the bleach emits a faintly more pungent odor and takes on a slightly more crystalline appearance than the detergent.

As I'm filling the first washer with Squad 1's clothes, I sense a presence behind me; a mind that, while I can enter, is scrambled. Teacher is immune to my passive territory, and only one person I know of could affect my Ability to perceive their thoughts, even through the passive territory.

“I thought Perception was John's Ability.”

“Gift.”

I turn and face Kieran. He's dressed in black skinny jeans, a black buttonup, and black sneakers, a silver chain looped from beltloop to the one behind him. Underneath his shirt, which is buttoned-up, he's wearing a plain black tee. His arms, much like mine, are smooth, devoid of hair. It makes him seem younger and more childish, than he really is.

His azure eyes show a darkness within, but not an evil kind, just a troubled past, something traumatizing.

“How did you survive?”

“You.”

“I didn't save anyone,” I shake my head, backing up until I hit the washer. “I killed a lot of people, Kieran. I didn't save anyone. I couldn't save anyone.”

“You saved me,” he states.

“No, I didn't!” I protest. “I killed everyone! It's all my fault, Kieran! I used my power, and everyone died! I couldn't save anyone!”

“You saved me,” he repeats. “It's because of you that I'm alive.”

“And because of me that everyone else died!”

“False.”

“No, it's not!”

“Yes, it is,” he says.

“I-”

“Was six years old,” he interrupts me. “You were six. Six. Years. Old. I was seven. We're twelve and fourteen, now. We're older, more mature. We can see things we couldn't see before. Back then, you didn't kill them all.”

“Yes, I did, Kier-”

“No,” he interrupts again. “You saved me. John was killed by a monster in the attack. As he was dying, you flexed your power. You tried to stop death. Instead, his aura and power, instead of dissipating, flowed into me. I gained his power in that moment.

“When that happened,” he continues. “I gained John's Gift. That allowed me to weave a barrier of perception around me and meld into shadows using his and my powers, and that is how I escaped. I believed you dead. Everyone did. There were no reports of any other survivors. How did you survive?”

“I...” I try to think, but I can't. “I killed everyone!”

“Get over that,” he snaps. “You didn't kill anyone! You simply couldn't save anyone! There's a difference!

“How did you survive?” His voice returns to his its soft, calm state from before. “I could only survive because of the dual Abilities. None of the demons or monsters noticed me as I fled.”

“I,” I take a deep breath, trying to remember. “I don't remember. I was there, and then...I was waking up at the orphanage. They found me in the woods, I think. It was hundreds of miles away, and I somehow ended up there. No one knew what happened to me...”

“So it happened to you, too,” he mutters, and I stare at him as he remembers that I can hear everything within my passive territory. “I got out of the city, ran through the woods, and then woke up here. The only thing I remember from right before I passed out was a cool, soothing sensation, as well as your power.”

“I didn't do anything!” I exclaim. “I used it, and then everyone died, and no one lived, and the monsters almost killed me when it failed, and then I passed out!”

“That's the weird part,” he frowns. “The Invocation I heard – it wasn't yours. Yours was always a little funny. This one...this one was different. It was 'Reality bends to my command' – a statement, not an exclamation.”

“You said,” I frown. “That it was a cool, soothing sensation? Did it...feel childish? Like a protective brother?”

“Yes,” he answers. “I've been through many records, and have yet to figure it out. No one knows of someone with your type of power with that Invocation, either. Promise me something, Caleb.”

“What?” I ask.

“Learn to fight,” he requests. “Don't hold back anymore. Get over your fear of fighting. Something bad is coming, I can sense it. I'm not sure what, but I believe we'll need a powerful warrior.”

“Do you...do you remember,” I take a deep breath, deciding to confess something to him. “When I told you I could hear voices in my head?”

“Everyone called you crazy,” he nods. “But not us, we thought it was cool. I wished I could hear voices. It's not the voices of others, but some other voice, it was always the same one.”

“I couldn't hear it after the battle,” I look down. “But I started hearing a new one. The last year or so, his voice has been missing entirely. I don't know what happened. Then last night, I heard him. He was garbled, rushed. I couldn't make his voice out. He said something about being captured, and that I've got three years, I think. He something about three years. He told me to train. That was the one thing I could make out clearly.”

“A different mysterious voice?”

“It's the moon,” I look at him.

“The moon?” He raises an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Yeah,” I nod. “His light feels different, too. Ever since he stopped talking to me, it's as if his light isn't as comforting.”

“Your best friend and the moon are telling you to get over your fears and fight.”

Kieran doesn't say anything past that, just stares at me with his intense gaze. I look away after a few moments, and he sighs. I know what he's saying. I should really get over my fears.

But I can't. It's hard. Anytime I try to fight, anytime I attempt to use my Ability, I freak out. I start to relieve the battle, the death, the horror, the blood, there was so much blood, so much screaming. Burning fle-

“Caleb!” Nick snaps me out of my thoughts, and I jump, looking at him. “Thought you said you could handle this? You've only got one load in! And you haven't even finished putting that in!”

Nick's eyes dart around the room, but not as if to see what happened. Something's put him on edge. What?

“Sorry,” I apologize. “Give me a few minutes, I'll be out, I was just talking with Kieran.”

“There's no one here,” Nick snaps. “Don't try making me think the night guard would bother with you, either.”

“I weave my power of perception into my aura,” Kieran tells me. “He can't perceive I'm here. Your passive territory negates this, since while it can affect what you see, you don't see with just the five standard senses,” there's a slight ripple around Kieran, and he looks at Nick. “I'm standing right here.”

Nick jumps, turning pale as a ghost when he sees Kieran, who was standing right beside him. To most people, Kieran's dark eyes on his expressionless face, combined with his attire and jet-black hair, would be unnerving.

“He was speaking with me,” Kieran says. “Give him a few minutes to finish getting this ready. He'll do the dishes when he finishes, then finish the laundry,” Kieran turns to look at me. “Remember what I said, Caleb. Do what I said.”

There's a ripple around Kieran again, and Nick jumps. He must have wrapped himself in his aura, and the ripple is the effect taking hold. Other than that, I can't tell a difference.

Nick just gives me a 'the hell?' expression.

“That's the night guard,” I inform him. “He and I are old friends. I'll be out in a few minutes. Sorry for taking so long, he was telling me something.”