It had been almost a week since the encounter with the Mach Stallion and from then onwards, the academy has been working students to the bone in all aspects of their studies. A few days later after their hellish academy session had come to a pause, the students while fatigued from the past weeks activities had managed to carry on with their daily activities, ever more so freely than before. They converged in groups all across the academy's compound, sharing in their woes and new experiences when suddenly, a broadcast, an announcement began echoing.
"All final year students are to gather at the academy training field. I repeat, all final year students are to report to the academy's 4th training field."
Before long, all the students had gathered at 4th training field as requested. The 4th training field was wide, much like a plane wooden field, with its interior similar to the Owl Meditating Chamber. Anxious, the students stood, waiting while bickering among themselves.
"What could all this commotion be about?" He said staring at the platform 8 feet above their head.
"Man these sudden surprises have to stop." Khay cried out.
"Probably something related to recent events. I mean it has to be." She stressed with a dead beat look on her face.
"It could be what Kobby was warning us about during our last dinner together." Khay said with a lax tone.
"Yeah, he wasn't kidding. It's just been one thing after another since then." Lilith added.
A sudden silence reigned the training grounds as the microphone whined.
"Can I have your attention students!" they all looked up at the platform elevated 2 meters above them. "First off, to begin, I commend you for keeping up with our unannounced and sudden fast paced curriculum over the past few weeks. You make me proud."
He cracked a faint smile as he pinned up his glasses, his eyes, gleaming with confidence."
"Now I know by now, most of you have noticed some changes, it'd be hard not to, and without a doubt have questions that you want answered, and I promise I'll answer you all when the time comes… But! Until that time arrives, we will tackle the more pressing issues; the main event for this sudden assembly today."
He grabbed hold of the platforms wooden guard and starred silently at the students from above the platform for a while. Then the teachers present on the balcony were quite as ever and had a feel they've never had to them before, the silence almost choking the air.
"You'll be taking a series of tests."
The final year students began to wonder, murmuring amongst themselves, Was this it? The rumored final year test, the deciding factor, the test that determined what the rest of your life would be. The ultimate impromptu test.
The principal sighed. "Don't worry. It's nothing that serious, need I remind you, it's just your standard test to determine a few things and let you know where you stand. And most of all lets us know that you'd be safe on your own." The murmuring quieted down, then. "Right. So without further delay," he turned to his left. "Miscovan." He calmly addressed.
Miscovan took to the mounted microphone on the rails.
"There is going to be two tests. To kick it off, you'll be starting with the Elemental Affinity test, followed shortly by the last and the most tasking of them all, the Beast Integration Strain test."
The students murmured in response, chattering amongst themselves.
In light of current events, the academy had already set up a section to supervise the tests the students were to undertake. Sooner after the announcement, they were led to 3rd training ground, which was an open ground much like a stadium without all the grass.
Oueus; Reus' brother led and grouped the students. He had those that knew not what elemental they were affiliated with sent to Lina and Mai and to those that were downright sure and ready for the Beast Integration strain test; he ushered them to follow him.
Among the determined few waiting to take the Elemental Affinity test were Khay, Trilith and Lilith and sooner joined by Han Jun and his not so talkative brother, Lui.
"So this is finally happening huh… we're finally making it out of the academy." His tone, quite taken aback; almost as if he was going to miss this place. Han cried out.
"You sound like you're almost going to miss this place Han." A feminine voice responded.
"Mira." Han addressed. "What's the student body president doing here? And shouldn't you be over the Beast Integration Strain test grounds?"
"That's one too many questions Han, I came to see my favorite; handy-counsel."
Mira commented. "But what's with them though? Most people are so excited about this but you three in particular don't look so good, did someone die?'
"…."
"Come on, don't look so down you three, this isn't like you at all." Yet the trio stood silently with a sad demeanor. Lilith's eyes gleaming with despair and hopelessness as she stared at the ground.
"Hey… you guys... what's wro- -" Khay and Trilith left the scene before Mira could even finish her sentence.
"Han, Lilith. Is there something I'm missing?" But she was met with no reply.
"Come on guys, at least say something."
Han suddenly turned to go after Khay and Trilith but Lui stopped him, grabbing him by the shoulder.
Lilith sighed deeply. "You know… 'I'm not sure if you know but those two... I'm sure you've heard."
"What… I heard rumors about how bad things happened before you guys both came to Dolrea, Khay's was the night of the red moon. And yours was the ice storm. It's crazy how some people connect it to you somehow and used to blame you for it. Even if it is you, it shouldn't be like that"
"Yeah, it was so bad that an order had to be issued, the night of the red moon is almost a taboo no one talks about that one was serious, thankfully, the ice storm, people just let that die out. In any case, it hasn't really been welcoming for them." Han added.
"I didn't know that…" Mira said.
"Ever since then, they'd just been fitting in how best they can. Doesn't make it any easier when…"
"There was a time, we tried the affinity test, we were just kids. It did give a glimmer of hope to everyone that tried. But in the whole academy, there were just two people who got no positive result." Lilith cut to the chase.
"You don't mean to say…" Mira let out.
"Unfortunately, that was the case. They have trouble focusing their zhin. That's why they didn't say anything. They're concentrating."
"That's a lie right?" Mira cried out.
"It's not, Mira." Han affirmed. "But you know," He faintly giggled in disbelief. "There's no way those two will have trouble concentrating their zhin. Not after all these years."
"Definitely." Lilith assured.
She stared on softly, she knew the situation all too well and she wished it was truly just as Han suggested but then she'd be deceiving herself, because she knew, she knew all too well this was not the case.
"10 years ago, after that horrible incident at the academy, imagine, kids who are not liked very much by their age mates and even adults, ridiculed for not having something everyone else did. It was so serious that Auntie Chislon and our mother sought out a specialist. They both went through training by this specialist, but to no avail. But it didn't stop there, another specialist was called for, trusted than any other. After his hellish training on Khay and Trilith, the verdict was painful for him, but it was without a fact what had been concluded. Khay and Trilith could never wield the elements of nature. The whole thing was really difficult for me to watch from the sidelines. As we grew, I read books and did research on how to help the two but found that all the research I was doing rested on the findings of this specialist."
"Maybe he was wrong. What was his name and why was he so credible?"
"It was Llah Sawaco. The Avatar of Fire." Lilith replied, wiping away the tears that streaked down her eyes.
"But they never let it get to them you know, even if it did, they'd never show it. I know them that much."
"To be entirely honest with you and much respect to who Llah Sawaco is, I don't fully believe that verdict. I mean, you can't let some verdict ruin the life you could have right? To top it off, you know what the so-called specialist said? He said… they would become a laughing stock of the society, wherever they went, they wouldn't amount to much."