- 1st August 2138, Late Morning, GCA Campus Apartments, GEI Central -
It felt unusual being in a room full of people I didn't know. Akin to being transported to a world unknown. Like a raw vegetable in a fruit salad, I felt out of place. I didn't know how to act or what to say. I just wanted to get on with things. A majority of my classmates had strange haircuts or colours, in comparison to my relatively normal oil-black locks... Some of them were even talking to themselves! As with many things in the world, inevitability is an unavoidable constraint we abide by. Such in that somebody was desperately trying to capture my attention.
The blue-haired woman was talking in a peculiar, high-pitched voice. Her odd eyes wide and wild, and her dishevelled hair was standing on end. She seemed to be in some sort of crazed trance, or maybe she was just unstable. This was, of course, Sika, the insane girl I'd met just yesterday.
"HEY Heeeyyy ERIK!" She shouted frantically in her familiar yet frenzied tone.
I'd hoped our unusual interaction in the elevator was a result of nervous excitement on her part. Unfortunately, I looked to be wrong in my judgement.
"Siska, please lower your voice." A voice whispered tensely from my right-hand side. It was a timid-looking girl.
"AWWW, ok Minny!" Siska said, a sad tone to her voice.
She had a reserved appearance, with brown hair that was pulled back in a neat bun with an ornate hairpin fastening it, and she carried herself with an air of dignity. The uniform of GCA fit her general outlook to a tee. She seemed like the type of person I'd get along with rather well, so I introduced myself.
"I'm Erik," I said, quickly and bluntly to the girl.
Brushing her bangs to the side, she replied. Introducing herself "I'm Minerva Nyarla."
Such an uncomfortable conversation, It's not going anywhere. I'll try to engage it a little more.
"I have a Singularity," I stated, gently placing my hand onto the skin and bone surrounding my eye.
"OOH REALLY? CAN we see it!" Chirped Siska.
Minerva nodded gloomily in confirmation.
"Sure," I said in a confident tone, promptly forming a yellow blaze around my eye.
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[Name: Minerva Nyarla]
[Age: 16]
[Singularities]:
-[Aspect of the Three-Lobed Eye]
-[Blessing of Chaos]
[Attribution]: Conjury
-[Rank]: A
-[Affinity]: Blight
[E-Signature]: 208B
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Before I could even dwell on her profile, in what looked like an act of lunatic fervour. Minerva seized my shoulders, carefully looking at my left eye. Closer up, her dull eyes looked like a still world of xanthous fervour. A dimly lit carnival of unusual colours, suspended in amber.
"Aspect of Yellow? Impossible, you're ju-"
Minerva was quickly cut off by the door opening. The teacher had arrived.
She was wearing a long, flowing floral dress that reached down to her ankles. Her lustrous hair red was pulled back into a tight bun, a pair of glasses resting on her crooked nose. She looked like she meant business, while also giving a friendly outlook.
All the eyes on her, she began.
"My name is Starla Blume. I'll be your tutor for the Casting Arts."
After a slight delay, an almighty cheer could be heard from around me. The class had erupted explosively into an emotional dance of jubilant glee.
"Now, in my humble opinion; The best way to learn is to actually do something. Class, follow me." Blume stated, pointing to the door.
-------:-
After about 5 mins of walking, we reached a large and airy room, with a lofty ceiling. The mighty walls were pale and metallic, the floor was covered in shiny metal-adorned linoleum. There was a line of illuminated windows along one side of the room, and several doorways leading off to other parts of the building. At one end of the room, there was a stage, with flowered curtains drawn back to reveal rows of chairs and benches. At the other end, there were several sets of double doors which led out onto a terrace overlooking the school grounds.
"Today we're going to learn a fundamental casting technique."
{Zeigen} Ms Blume pointed her finger upwards as she chanted, a glinting ball of technicolour energy appearing at the point of her index finger. It looked akin to a golfball-sized star blazing furiously on her finger. The entire class anxiously watched in awe, even Siska was silent akin to a mouse.
"Zeigen is a modular spell that forms a simple energy construct of your elemental affinity."
"I should teach you how chanting works. There are two types of spellcasting, manual and automatic. If I focus my energy to a point on my other finger, expanding it to a ball."
She pointed her other index finger up as a ball identical to the one on her other finger appeared. She continued.
"This is much more difficult but easier to modulate. You shouldn't try it yet. Chanting was a gift to us, humans, from the Extrinsic ones, for so long. I think Alastar called it generational cybernetics or some archaic term like that." She mused. Forming the second ball into a rapidly spinning basketball-sized construct. To the collective admiration of everyone watching.
"Of course, all casting is dangerous if used recklessly." She said, flinging the second ball at the wall. It exploded into a beautiful aurora of colour, leaving a shallow crater in the wall. Ms Blume blushed, "Don't worry the hall has a self-repairing feature like our bodies do."
Instantly dismissing the other ball, Ms Blume went to sit on a chair. Pulling out her InfoComm. "Go crazy guys, just don't hurt each other. Consider this self-study."
I found an obscure corner by myself to practice. Happy the teacher had provided us with the freedom to study as we wished. I could already hear various cries of {Zeigen} around the room, followed by expressions of disappointment.
Seeing that I had peace to myself, I chanted {Zeigen}. I felt my blood rushing with an extraordinary feeling. I felt a surge of power through my veins and arteries, pathing my entire circulatory system. It was exhilarating and empowering, and I knew that there was no turning back now. This raw power was addicting, yet difficult to control. A few faint sparks and wisps of vibrant purple mannifested at the point of my finger. But to my chagrin, it didn't lead to a stable orb of energy.
I looked around the room to see similar cases to my own, with people almost summoning various balls of different colours and compositions. I invoked my exalted sight in a fierce blaze of yellow to see if I could glean any critical information from people's failure to use the technique.
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[Spell: Zeigen]
[Affinity: Any]
[Rating: D]
Form an orb of affinity
based energy.
"Pondering my orb."
================
-------:-
Around 30 mins had passed. A familiar face stealthily approached me. Easily recognisable by his pitchfork, it was Travis Haver. Farmer boy. At the tip of his finger was an orb of corresponding parts blazing inferno and dazzling light. A carnival of fire and light. His face a canvas with a dumb grin painted upon it.
"Ayup Erik, look a' this here ball." He pointed to the radiant orb on his finger with his pitchfork's shaft.
I suppose S-class potential wasn't a joke. This naturally made me wonder if anybody else in the class had succeeded yet. Looking around, my suspicions were confirmed by various crowds of 4 or 5 students around a single person. It was a wonder Travis had managed to escape whatever frenzied crowd had formed around him.
{Zeigen} I chanted again, experiencing a similar feeling in my blood to before. Unfortunately to no avail as the various wisps and sparks of purple faded before even forming a coherent and stable orb.
"y' havin' trouble pal?" He inquired politely, a gloomy look on his face. "I can help y' if y' wan'"
While my pride would be wounded merely asking him for help, I looked around the classroom to note more and more people succeeding in summoning their energy spheres. It was probably in my best interests to learn this as soon I I could. So I bit
"Sure. I keep getting close, but can't keep it stable." I said, hoping he'd get it done quick.
"When yours truly did it' a tried t' push the fizzy feelin' out mah finger like this' kinda like a soda."
He instantly summoned 2 more balls, one of resplendent light and one of chaotic flame on his middle and ring fingers without even chanting. What a beast of a person. This boy was something to strive to beat.
I tried imagining what he'd remarked as I chanted {Zeigen} yet again. This time the feeling in my blood felt more visceral. I tried directing it towards my finger like envisioning a can of soda shaken violently. Feeling it working until a huge BANG struck my ears. Dazed, I fell to the ground.
My vision slowly filled with black spots. Like a vignette, growing until I fell to the ground precipitously. I'd lost consciousness.....