Chapter 7: ESP Test

“Tell me Claudia, what’s the most important thing for a magician?”

            “Master, aren’t we called witches?”

            Master flicked me on the forehead with a great force, even against a child, he was ruthless and I rub the red mark left on me. “When you’re in front of me, call us sorcerers, now answer the question!” I pondered a bit before I answer, but he flicked me again saying I take too long to answer.

            “Is it the amount mana we have?”

            “Wrong.”

            “Is it the ability to manipulate mana?”

            “Wrong.”

            “Is it the ability to understand the nature of the world?”

            “Hmm, partly right, but guess again!”

            “Muu~ I don’t know what else.”

            “How pathetic”

            If I didn’t know what master’s personality was like, I probably would have felt discouraged by his words and cried on the corner. “Listen well my pupil, the most important things for a magician is imagination.”

            I must had a dubious look that time since master scowled and grab my face with full force, “What’s with that face of yours, you don’t believe your own master?” he had irritated tone and his attitude was no different to a street crook.

            “That’s not it, I just never thought Master would say the most important thing would be imagination, it doesn’t fit your image.” I was quite a blabbermouth as a child; my Master couldn’t help but tighten his hand on my face.

            “Let me enlighten you my pupil, in general I would say knowledge is the most important thing for us magician. As you already know, to understand the nature of the world and its element is what makes us capable to manipulate them. However, without imagination, the knowledge of us insignificant being would remain stagnant, forever satisfy in our own little world.”

            “The world is full of unknowns,” he added, “do not believe only to what you see and hear and explore the unknowns to your hear content!”

            “I understand master!” probably.

            “….but master”

            “What is it?”

            “Can you let go of my face now?”

#

Groups of people were huddling together toward the courtyard. There, four boards showed the list of students of the class they would take the ‘special’ exam they were about to undergo and the map to it as well. I held my mom’s hand fearing I get separate and washed away by the crowds of people.

            The place we are at was Praetor Private Academy & Institution. Today, the exam they’ll face will reveal the moment of truth for most people. Government all of the countries had issued that at the age of six, it’s  mandatory that after we enroll to our designate school, we would take the ESP Aptitude Examination to test whether we are the chosen one or not.

            I felt the my mom’s hand became wet from sweat, she tried to put on her poker face, but however you look at it she’s even more nervous than me. After she took me to my exam class, she crouched so she would face me and told me that I shouldn’t worry whether I have the ability or not. You would think that after giving birth two exceptional daughter she would expect the same thing from me, but she treated me the same as my sister on their fated day, neither giving up the hopeful nor the inauspicious chances I have. I smiled and hug her tight, “Don’t worry mom, I’ll be fine no matter the result.”

#

Sixteen sits were prepared outside the room with our admission number attached. When I sat on my arranged sitting, I was greeted from behind by a few friends from preschool. “So you got in, congratulation!” I said in advance, they congratulate me as well then we started to chitchat to waste time before the exam starts.

            I wonder because of that that I didn’t notice, when I turned to my side I met a blond hair girl, with upturned hazel eyes, pale white skin, thin eyebrows that almost look nonexistent, dry lips, and distinctive cheekbones.

            I was surprised to see Loranne Hustlesky next to me; you might remember her as the girl who sat in the corner, but I remember her as someone who loves to be in the corner. Seriously, whenever it was time to study, storytelling, bedtime, or recess, I rarely saw her anywhere but at the corner somewhere. I even thought she might have a corner fetish.

            I saw the group slightly scowled at her appearance but try to ignore her, “So Corner Girl got in as well,” said Boy A with indifferent tone. “Yeah, I’m surprised, this might even be the first time I saw her anywhere but the corner,” Girl A added. “I won’t be surprised if she has power to move people into corners.” the others laughed at Girl B statement. “If she has powers though,” Boy A reminded.

            “Now I’m nervous if I’ll be able to ace the test.”

            “That’s true, being an espers is what everyone aiming for.”

            “But Claudia will surely have one!”

            “That’s true for Claudia.”

            I sat up straight when hearing where the conversations was flowing, “Wait, why would you think that?”

            “Of course, both your sister are talented espers, it’s only natural you’d be one as well!”

            Heyheyhey! Don’t make up weird expectation and don’t look at me with that envy + awe look you have with me. I also want to be one as well; the chances are still 50% like the rest. Crap, these guys just thinks I’m being modest even if I say it.

            The door from the exam room opens and a teacher here came out holding a walking board. Probably because I hadn’t expected it, no—in truth I have no way of expecting it. The man with a light brown hair, matching brown eyes, wearing a pair of glasses, and broad unshaved chin.   He had the demeanor of a strict responsible adult, but you could say that was also his charm that corresponds with his good looks.

            Father!!!

            I wanted to shout that but I kept my mouth shut, because he’s not just my father, he’s the father of my past life.

            That man explained the exam procedure so we 6 years old could understand easily. I was staring at him dumbfounded that I could only take in half of what he had said. He called out a name and the boy from the left corner sit stood up and nervously came inside.

            There were sixteen people in total; we waited for about three minutes when the boy got out looking dejected. “Looks like he was normal” whispered girl A from behind me. The next name was called and after three minutes the next name was called again, it took another five minutes before the second one that got in exited from the next door while gazing with joy at a bracelet he hadn’t worn before. I know then he succeeded on being an esper.

            I waited for roughly 20 minutes before my name was called, six people had got in before me and only two got out with a bracelet on hand.

When I think about getting an unfamiliar power called psychic, I got excited. Unlike those fiction stories where a person could invoke their power after an ‘awakening’ or they could wield it from the time they were born, in reality, those cases were rare that you could count by hand. In this test, after the computer deemed we have the aptitude to be an espers, it will also include the process of brain usage expansion, which invoked a person’s innate ability, at the same time, scanning what kind of ability the person had acquired.

Though when I say acquired, it didn’t mean we could automatically use our powers. That’s where the intuitions come in that helps us grow our ability. If a 6 year old could easily their power just as they got it, it can create quite a ruckus. However, there are some exceptions (*cough* sisters *cough*).

I took a deep breath to calm my excitement, and finally—I went to that room. 

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