My hand glazes the outer Resan of the wall, it was a disgustingly powerful amount of energy, my fingers were moving against their will in defiance against the power. I could feel my face turning into a grimace, my upper lip quivering at the amount of force I am pushing onto the wall.
31.
5 seconds remaining.
12 pass.
Bloody... push through!
Veron shouts over to me. "Calm yourself, let yourself be a catalyst for the Resan, not a force against it!"
I breathe in, trying to let myself be calm enough to try and intake this Resan and let it sweep over me instead of againstme.
2 seconds remaining.
Cayus also chimes in. "Deep within yourself is a reserve, call upon it, feel it rush to your fingertips, then your arms. Surround yourself in it, Gian!"
My mind dawdles down, deeper and deeper, I can feel something reminiscent of a prison within myself, it holds a magical energy. Was this Resan? My stomach contorts and twists, trying to force this central point of energy outward towards my fingers. I'm still struggling against the wall, but I had not crumbled. I will not crumble.
5.
1 second remaining.
As the energy pools around my fingers I feel myself slipping through like butter, I think back to Grok'on, that ogre of brutish strength, then to the man with the white hair. I attempt to combine both, that white haired man definitely had a good grasp of Resan to be able to slip through. Everyone is watching me now, all of those who had passed were on the other side with elated breath, I could hear everything. Their hearts beating, the linen waving on the floor where they sat.
I brace myself and push through, my muscles are beyond fatigued, my body is fighting telling me to just give up and crumble, and yet... an epiphany. The Resan, it seemed to open up for me, to allow me to pass.
Test is now over.
13 pass.
I'm thrown to the floor on the other side of the wall, panting deeply trying to catch my breath after being exacerbated.
I made it. I did it.
My fingers clasp on the floor, shaking with the sheer amount of fatigue and power I have exerted in the few seconds that I felt, but that previous epiphany had given me a lease on how to utilise this power. I could control where it went, I saw what I could do with it. This was enough for me.
The man who conducted the test finally claps his hands together in applause. "Well done, well done, thirteen of you! Wow, what a culling, I must say. The largest group but full of the weakest lot of you. One hundred thousand, down to thirteen. The other groups did much better. Or maybe, I was a little too harsh," He knocks his head playfully with his fist whilst sticking his tongue out. The man with the yellow jacket was an arbiter of destruction, his power spoke for itself. His hair matched his jacket, both in a hue that resembled that of a dandelion.
He points to the door that just appeared out of nowhere at the end of the room, "Now off you go, the lot of you! You did good, you'll go far if you made it through me." He waves playfully at us, all of us stand up and begin to move in a cohort towards the door that appeared, onto a new test I'd wager. But that would be far too cruel, then again, this academy is full of cruelty from what I have seen. Almost one hundred thousand students just lost their chance of being admitted for the year, all at the whim of this one proctor.
I feel a pat on my back, it was Veron, he was smiling giddily at me. "Well done, well done! You did great back there, close call too."
I smile back at him, "Thanks man."
We continue walking as he clasps my shoulder, some of his Everi brethren also made it when I wasn't focusing, oddly enough, most of the people who passed were the people in our cabin on the way to the academy. Call it a coincidence, but I don't think coincidences are things that truly exist in this world. Regardless, we make our way through the door.
We made it through and I am met with a grand sight, black marble floors designate our paths forward. The walls are plastered with gold, embedded within them are amethyst crystals. It was a long pathway that led onto a larger room, much like the courtyard that we were first thrust in when we first made it into the academy.
In here I saw the remnants of what remained. All thirteen of us made it into this room, and there were hundreds of students still here. I look up at the dome shaped roof, attached to the top was another magical counter.
342 students remaining.
Three-hundred? We only had thirteen. Were we truly the weakest of the bunch, or were the other proctors much more lenient with their Resan? Whatever the reason, we had made it, and it was no coincidence. We did it out of our own merit. As the door shuts behind our group the counter shifts and turns; out comes a replitilian looking humanoid, his scales were that of fire, black marks covered him occasionally like the ash that comes from the flames. He breathes deeply and bellows out the next portion of this test.
"Well done, yee who hath come this far. Now the real test shall begin. We shall find out who amongst thee hath the most potential. We shall be delving deep into your every psyche, knowing your ceiling, your potential. We will call upon you in groups, until then, rest. You have earned it."
What a strange prose. And discovering our potential? So if it isn't up to snuff, we'd be mercilessly kicked out? This truly is Hell.
The first group is summoned. A list of names shifts onto the counter that had returned, Group A. They walk into the door that had also twisted, shifted, and appeared into place. A few hours pass, I kill time by playing with my fingers, taking time to also attempt to coerce this energy within me to do what it did in the previous test. To be able to see it again.
Gods, I'm hungry. My cravings have gotten worse ever since expending so much energy earlier, and going on without a taste of foo-- blood, has been harsh. The thought of food in my head has been replaced with blood, my instincts dictate that it would provide me with the most vitality. I desire it so deeply.
The team comes back out, the double-door shifting open and creaking as it opens. Half of them returned. The others had failed?
321 students remaining.
The next group goes; this cycle continues and continues. Group B, C, D...
Another few hours pass by, or at least I think they have. Time really meant nothing right now, the room was dark, and this dome had no sign of time.
172 students remaining.
The next group comes, Group P. Cayus and Veron were summoned this time. Elisandre had already passed, although that was no surprise, she easily tackled the last challenge elegantly. I should ask her for tips when I next meet her. If I next meet her. Even Gregin the dwarf had passed, although he wasn't apart of our first initial group with the Resan wall. They walk and I bid a solemn nod over to Veron, I wasn't worried for him, quite the opposite. I felt bad for whoever was in his group if anything. And Cayus, well, Cayus was the first to pass the test, he should be able to pass easily.
More time elapses, I'm stuck within my mind, Cayus and Veron exit. They had made it.
131 students remaining.
Group Q:
Gian, Endric, Alzender, Roaethm, Indre, Orin, Insander, Sandae, Grok'on.
The list went on for a few more names, but that was me. It was my time.
Now I had to prove my worth.
10
Our group huddles together and move past the door, Veron smiles at me and nods, his way of acknowledging I will make it, as I did to him. I know not what awaits me ahead of this door, but whatever it is, I must win.
The sound from the main courtroom dome was gone when we passed into the door, everything was silent. All I heard now was the trudging of the group that makes its way over to the next zone.
We made it into a large room, although nowhere near as large as the previous one where the students were waiting to be called upon. This room was also dark, the black marble had stretched across the walls this time, within this room was a mechanical contraption. It was shaped like an orb, emitting latent Resan constantly, this aura was much like the one I was faced with earlier in the first trial. This orb stood on a pedestal that was melded into the floor, purple and black in colour.
We all continue our pace towards it, waiting beside it was another person. Among first sight I could tell, they were strong. That experience in the first trial had given me an insight into how to get a feel for this power, Resan. And this person was positively resounding in it. We all keenly approach, we were excited, yet the air was thin here. The faces of those who accompanied me were ripe with anxiety, Grok'on on the other hand seemed unbothered.
The person unveils their hood revealing the face of a woman with auburn hair, her eyes were a mixture of blue and green, resembling the very seas themselves. "Welcome, here we will test your strength, your potential, and your worth."
We all writhe slightly, I see a familiar face also make their way around to us. It was the man who was our proctor for the first trial, he was still wearing his snake pattern yellow jacket. He stood by the woman with auburn hair, joining them were other proctors that had overseen the rest of the students. They all had smirks on their faces, they were either happy to see our potential, or happy to see our failure. Maybe the faces of those who passed the previous test and fail this one were of pleasure to them.
The woman with auburn hair speaks up once more. "Now, we will need our first volunteer, you will place your hand upon this orb and begin to partition you Resan into it, then we shall see all that you are, and will be."
"Let us put this game to rest." Grok'on grumbles and stomps his way over to the orb. He places his huge hand onto it and effortlessly begins to pour his Resan into it. I could see the movement of his Resan, I'm not sure if that was normal, but I could see it. The orb shifts and changes, the woman then circles around Grok'on, he was gigantic, but this woman extends her arm over to his back and runs her finger down his spine horizontally and then vertically. Written in pure Resan a figure would appear behind Grok'on.
Grok'on.
Ogre.
Total Resan: Low.
Physical Attributes: High.
Potential: Medium.
What does that mean? The orb then begins to change and whirl, the colour deepens and malformed, it turns into a deep hue of red and amber. Even our previous proctor whistles proud with the result.
The woman chuckles softly, "How fitting, fire. Well done Grok'on, you pass. Please wait over yonder." She points over to a room that was blocked off from this main one. How did he pass? What sort of criteria was this?
This woman turns again and then ushers a girl named Orin to come to the orb. Orin complies, she places her hand onto the orb and begins to pour her Resan into it. Orin seemed like a nice girl, she looked human to me. Nothing out of the ordinary. The same thing happens to her too, a figure appears behind her when her back is etched with the finger of the proctor.
Orin.
Human.
Total Resan: Medium.
Physical Attributes: Low.
Potential: Medium.
That seemed around the same as Grok'on? The orb begins to whirl again, this time the colour shifts into a light blue resembling cyan.
The proctor nods satisfied with Orin's results. "Ice it is. Proceed to the waiting room. You have passed."
Orin exhibits a squeal of joy and she hops over to the waiting room to join Grok'on. While she goes another joins and steps up to the plate. This time it was a boy named Endrick, he was stout and large. He too was a human, I find it hard pressed anyone could match Grok'on's physical attributes, but Endrick looked athletic. Endrick was a rather peculiar looking person, his hair was a shade of purple, his eyes matching the hue of his hair.
He puts his hand onto the orb and it also begins to shift around.
Endrick.
Human.
Total Resan: High.
Physical Attributes: High.
Potential: High.
What a resounding result! This person was one to watch out for...
The orb changes into a colour, the hue cast off this time was one of maliciousness, it was purple. It felt strange to even be in a room full of this Resan.
"Gravity, unfathomable. You have passed with flying colours Endrick."
Endrick just offers a solemn nod like this was all apart of his vision, he was cocky in the fact that he was strong, that much was easy to gather. He joins the rest in the waiting room.
Another comes up, and does the same as the previous hopefuls.
Roaethm.
Human.
Total Resan: Low.
Physical Attributes: Low.
Potential: Low.
The orb didn't even shift colours or change, it remained a stagnant black. The woman shakes her head, visibly displeased with the results that had been put before her. "You have failed. This is no place for you."
He breaks down into tears, he begins to plead for another chance, but it is rejected. His body would begin to disappear into different particles of Resan, being physically rejected from the academy at this point.
How ruthless.
"You."
She points at me...
I take a deep breath and then walk towards the orb, my hand is trembling slightly but I must steady myself and remember what happened when I first used Resan. Breathe, breathe.
I find that source again, deep in the pits of my stomach and let it roll out into my fingertips, pretending like it is water and I am pouring it out into a container. The orb reacts to my Resan accordingly and the figure pops up as the proctor etches her finger upon my back.
Gian.
Vampire.
Total Resan: Low.
Physical Attributes: Medium
Potential: ...