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The group followed the man cautiously. They were fifty in total, mostly from the Haven. The man in the military uniform didn't even bother to look at them as he walked nonchalantly, while they followed without saying a word.
They came across a large metallic steel door that towered over them; by rough estimate, it must have been at least twenty meters high.
The man casually walked towards a small podium hanging by the side. Reaching it, he placed his palm on the small compartment atop it.
In sync, a beep sound resonated, accompanied by the complex movement of gears in the machine…
With another beep sound, the door slid open.
"Stay with me, and don't bother to touch anything," the man finally said after all this time. His voice was calm, but anyone hearing it would understand the threat behind his words.
As they stepped in, the whole hall lifted up, revealing what most would call a 'wonder.'
Blue intricate patterns designed the wall, giving the whole room an ethereal feeling. High pillars stretched up, holding the walls together, and the ground was soft to step on, almost like foam, as their feet sank slightly into the floor with each step forward.
"In this room is where you'll each be getting your abilities. As you know, the military is always one step ahead of every other powerhouse in the cosmos," he said, his tone carrying a hint of pride as he walked closer to a device hanging gracefully on the wall.
"Before you all got into this academy, you were studied and observed," he continued, opening a small compartment on another side of the wall.
"We made sure to know all about you. You might even say we know you better than you know yourselves." As he kept uttering these words, his voice became more distant, as though he was enjoying the fear on all of their faces.
Who wouldn't be scared? He was practically saying they'd been watched without their permission.
Kane and his friends felt the weight of his words more than the others. His words reminded them of someone they'd met not too long ago.
Miss Lena…
What she said must really be true then. They have been watching our every move, every single one of them, Kane's mind was all over the place.
Even if what he thought was seemingly the best thing that happened, something still bugged him.
If they knew about us being able to draw energy directly from the Essence stone, why didn't they take us in from the start? Why did she tell us to hide it from the academy itself, when they were one body?
Nothing was making sense—the woman from before, the soldier's words, and now this.
Is it a matter of hierarchy? Maybe the lieutenant isn't within the ranks of knowing about us yet.
But his train of thought was cut short as the lieutenant's voice boomed again.
"You might wanna step back a little," he commanded, and they instantly did as he instructed.
With a light flick of his wrist, a wall at the far end of the hall started disassembling itself. A gust of wind shot out, startling everyone, but the lieutenant was unfazed.
Finally, the wind had settled, and they could see what was inside.
"A shelf…" a boy muttered.
"Not just any shelf," another person from the crowd blurted out.
"Hubs. They are all power hubs."
Like a bullet train, reality hit the group. In front of their eyes were the very things they'd been dreaming about all their lives. It was so close they felt as though they could already feel it in their palms.
"What are y'all waiting for?" The lieutenant gestured, and they walked in with him.
The man walked up to a podium in the middle of the room, and everyone gathered around him. He tapped his com, and a holographic display of names appeared. One by one, he started distributing the hubs to them.
A few minutes passed, and Kane and his friends finally held their hubs—a medium-sized, cube-like material that glowed with a dark grey color. Intricate designs covered the whole box, making it look even more mesmerizing.
Everyone's eyes shone with happiness, pride, and, most of all, a sense of accomplishment. After all, this was D-day—the day they'd all been waiting for.
"You've all been given a particular type of ability," the lieutenant announced. "It's called 'air manipulation.' It's a common ability, but it can prove deadly in skilled hands."
"To gain this ability, it's quite simple. All you have to do is place your right palm on top of the cube and wait a few seconds. The energy contained inside will automatically transfer into your body. The process can be… a bit painful. No, actually, it's the worst kind of pain there is."
He paused, a faint smirk appearing on his face. "But fear not. It's going to be worth your while."
He turned to leave, adding, "I'll be just outside. If any of you need help, don't hesitate to call."
With that, he stepped outside, leaving them in silence, with only each other and their hubs.
Everyone just stood there, glancing nervously around. The excitement of finally becoming ability users was tempered by the lieutenant's warning. His description of the pain had left them hesitant.
That hesitation was shattered when a girl finally activated her hub. She instantly dropped to her knees, a scream escaping her lips as the agony overtook her. Her pain-filled face showed everyone just how intense it was. Seeing her go through it, others quickly followed suit, and in a matter of seconds, the room was filled with screams.
Meanwhile, Kane and his friends stood off to the side, staring at each other, uncertain.
"Do we really need to do this?" Leo whispered. "I mean, the dude isn't even here to check, so what's the point of risking it?"
"You might be right, but what if the lieutenant has a way of confirming if we really got abilities?" Liam countered. "I don't think they'd just take our word for it."
"Liam's right," Kane agreed. "We'll have to trust Miss Lena."
They nodded, their resolve hardening. Adjusting the rings on their fingers for reassurance, they placed their palms on the hubs, holding their breath as the box opened.
"Here goes nothing," Kane murmured.