Chapter 12: Glimpse of the Past

 The first time I was able to use magic after I stumbled upon a magic tool. It was box half buried deep inside the forest I used to play in. The curious little girl did the obvious thing. She took it home.

            Inside the small box was an antique pocket watch, at a glance it looks like a cheap bronze watch, but for any child, such a rare seen thing is equal to a treasure. A magic circle was carved at the back of the pocket watch. I was only a clueless girl without knowing what magic was, not to mention if I could use it. That watch however, as long as it is in the hand of a magician, it could activate itself was how it was design. That’s why, I didn’t realize the mysterious incident was because of me.  
                It all started when a stable boy happens to find a few gold coins underneath a hay stack. He took it for himself without questions. The rumor last for a few weeks. The next incident was an ordinary village girl, also found a few gold coins from the village’s well. Things became escalated when another villager found gold from the tree he was growing in his yard.  

    You would think people would feel blessed, but such illogical phenomenon happening would give unease to the people. The people blessed with gold were happy, but when only one of them died in an accident. The gold became known as the ‘Cursed Gold.’

    Maybe one of them had coincidentally witness me playing in the stables, doing my chore in getting water, or sneaking into the neighbor’s yard to get some fruit.  They realized I was the one who made the gold. To be precise, I turned whatever I touched into gold coins. The catch was it could only work on a matter never been touch before, so if the watch had turned wood into gold before, it couldn’t turn it again.

      The worst day happened when I was playing inside the woods, only to trip, fell, and lay unconscious. When I woke up, the moon had rise on the night sky and I rushed back home with the image of father lecturing me for hours.

       When I got back, I saw people huddled around a house that was burning. The wooden shack began to crumble and the fire envelop it while giving warmth in the cold night. I stood there without understanding what happened, is that my house? was the first thing I thought. The people yelled about how dare someone hid a witch and even raised one.

         I wanted to call out to the villagers, asking them to put out the fire, saved my father, and ask  why they were angry. However, even the young me knew it was pointless, and if they knew I was here, I’ll die.

             That’s why, I ran away.

             Without knowing where to go, without anyone to rely on, I ran without care, I wanted to run not only from the village but probably from reality as well. I ran for hours until I lost consciousness. Perhaps luck had helped me avoid the wild animals as I slept undisturbed, but the night continued to harass me in my dream as well while my body was struck with unbearable coldness. Every time I woke up, I could only hug my knees and cried silently in the dark. My father died because of me, that's what I understood. I cried myself to sleep while being lulled by the forest’s voice.

  I woke up the next day after I heard a scream not too far away.

  It woke me up real quick, and in the present, I still ask myself why I followed that scream that time than avoiding it. There was a woman hugging her child, she seemed to be coming back from picking up herbs, and a brown bear was closing in on them. I of course, with my childish sense of justice, wanted to help them, but what could a 9-year-old child do against 3 feet bear. Just as I was about to run back, there was a ‘clinck’ sound and I look to see the bronze watch fell next to my feet.

  Anger rose inside of me at that watch for destroying my life, and at myself for picking it up. I picked up the watch with resolve of throwing it away, the scream of the mother was getting louder, begging anyone for help.

   I looked toward them once more and saw the child crying in her arms, for a moment, I saw my own reflection on her when a crazy thought cross into my mind. I slide down the short cliff and shield the mother and daughter from the bear, “Hurry and run away!”

  I put the watch near my heart; the magic circle dimly shone and sucked something within me. The moment I use this watch, I would always faintly feel weak, but right now, I have to stay strong. Sensing the danger, the bear came rushing at me. It then turned gold from a single touch from me; cracks began to appear from its surface, which then breaks apart into hundreds of gold coins.

   Relieve washed over me and my knee gave in. The fear still lingered inside, but it was set aside when I knew the watch had helped me save lives. Just when I was about to check on them, a rock flew over to my face, a strong force hit my forehead and blood started dripping pass my cheek.

            “Stay away you Witch!” the mother shouted at me with blatant fear on her face, she was even more scared of me than the bear. Her daughter had a complicated face, not knowing why her mother was afraid when they were saved. My face must have turned expressionless at the time, I wasn’t angry nor sad, I felt mostly tired and convinced my power turned me into a monster.

            The bushes rustled, the three of us look to find another bear came up to us. The mother quickly turned tails and ran away with her daughter. Only I sat without any strength to move, because I had used the watch at a bear once already, I can’t use it to another one either.

            If I die, will I be able to see father?

            More tears ran down my expressionless face, I had already given up everything, yet I dared myself to peel my eyes open until the very end. That’s why, I was able to witness it. The wind started to gather around the bear, and in three seconds, the bear was cut to pieces. The head, legs, and torso was cut apart, and few blood splattered on to me. Am I hallucinating? my forehead still stings so without a doubt, I wasn’t dreaming.

            I heard the branch crackled from stepping. A man in black cloak, ginger hair, sharp blue eyes, broad cheeks, and a scary complexion. “Finally, breakfast!” that was the man’s first sentence.

            He slide down smoothly and as if he noticed for the first time a girl lay on the ground looking at him with dead eyes. he was taken aback seeing a calm child with pool of blood everywhere, he then took notice the scattering gold coins on his feet, with a glance he knew these coins were the result of magic.

            “Ah, so a fellow comrade, were you abandon because of what you are?” he made a smug look and his tone would make anyone irritated, but I kept on looking at the dead bear, and only kept looking at its death. The man’s smug look turned irritated and turn his back from the corpse. He gently touched my forehead and softly whispered something, a warm light wrap around his hand and I soothing feeling came to me, it felt nice and warm. The pain on my forehead was gone and the expressionless face I had finally broke.

            The man chanted another spell while he kept his hand on my head. “So that’s how it is,” he said with a sigh. He gently patted my hand with a soft sad smile, “It must have been a shock for you, realizing you were different, but trust me on this, you’re not a monster nor are you alone.”

            At his words, I began to cry once more. I jumped at his chest and cried with all my might unlike before. The man had a complicated face without knowing what to do, “I’ve already known this but I really am weak against a child.” He patted my head softly at first, but because I kept crying for 15 minutes nonstop, he might have gotten irritated. He pushed me away and pinch my nose hard, “Stop your freaking crying, it’s noisy and annoying, don’t think I’d spoil you for long brat!”  I was surprised at his turnabout attitude and had stop crying in reflex.

            Afterward he collect his bear meat after draining the blood, and pocket all the gold coins. He went back to the self-made camp and had me follow him. He let me took the time to sort out my thought and the situation that happened to me.

            “Uhm—”

            “What is it?”

            I was very hesitant to ask, but it was something I needed to know. “What am I?”

            “You don’t know, didn’t you hear what that mother called you?”

            "A—a witch?”

            “I’m not fond of that word so I called myself a sorcerer. In other words, people who could do magic and other witchcraft. That watch by the way, that’s a magic tool right? Only a sorcerer can use it, so without a doubt you are one of us.”

            “One of…us?”

            “Right, I should also make it clear the two options you have right now.”

            “Options...you say?”

            He held out two of his fingers in front of me as explained, “First, you could choose to live your life normally as a human without ever touching anything magic related. If you choose that, I’ll take you to a different village that would take care of you.”

            “Second, choose the path of a sorcerer. If you do, you live your life in discrimination, no place will accept you once you’re found out, and you live most of your life hiding what you are. Even so, we magician are forbidden to hurt humans, only a fool would do that.”

            “Why is it forbidden?”

            “We don’t have the right to cause harm to human when we ourselves choose something they despise. They should have understood the consequences the moment they become a sorcerer, at least to me that is.”

            “Then why do you become a sorcerer even though you live a hard life?”

            That man put his hand on his bearded chin and started thinking, “Hmm, it just happens.” Two of us were silent until I tilted my head and confirm without mishearing his absurdly simple answer. “In short since I can use magic why not learn it, living that way is tough, but it’s not like I learn it to be liked or anything, I learn it because I want to.”

            “Then…do people often tried to kill you?”

            “Yes, more than I could count.” His words made me shuddered, but I open my mouth to ask one last question “Is it worth it, being a sorcerer?” another silence envelop them. She thought the man didn’t want to answer her so she didn’t press further, but unexpectedly he continued.

            “I don’t know who said it, but magic is said to be another word for miracle. Performing miracles with your own two hands, I don’t think there’s any life more interesting than this. Besides as long as I don’t get caught, they can try to kill me as much as they want” he said the last part with a laugh.

            As I looked up to him with deep thoughts. It didn't took long to made my decision when I rather follow him than being sent to an unknown place when who knows the same thing could happen again. I sat in front of him and bowed my head to the ground. I don’t know what kind of face he had then, but I’m sure he was bewildered. “Please take me as your disciple!” I kept my head down until he gave me his answer, but the silent went for the longest this time. 

            “Won’t you regret it? you’ve already experience the pain as a sorcerer.”

            “I…I don’t want to live my life hating what I am and others who are the same, and I don’t want to regard myself as monster. That’s why please take me as your disciple, I can only ask this to you my life savior.”

           "Also I...I want to live a life where I could help people with my powers"

          "Are you an idiot? Why would you try to help those who tried to kill you?"

            I didn't answer him immediately, but with my quivering my voice I answered him. "If I live a life where I could die anytime, then I want my life to be something worthwhile to die for. Even if they fear or condemn me, I think it's a life I want to choose."

           When I thought about the mother and daughter that survived, there was a warm and relieve feeling inside me. Although I got hit in return, I don't want that to deny my true feelings, I can only accept the kind of existence I am. 

            That is what the small saintly naive me had thought.

           "For a brat, you sure know how to talk" My head was still down in the ground, but I look up after hearing a loud laughter from the red haired man.

            “My teaching is difficult you know.”

            “I’ll endure.”

             He held out his hand and I instinctively took it, “My name is Chester Rolex”

            “Claudia Oriente”

             That was the beginning of our story. 

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This was the longest chapter I made, I even took an all nighter hahahaha. ENJOY!!!!

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Chapter 11: Another Reunion

The start of all things trouble was in the end of semester of my second year and witnessing an extortion. I felt a deep compulsion seeing a pathetic fifth graders ganging up on one girl. It was after school and I got lost—long story—only to find those four behind the school building.

 If its few girls ganging up on a girl is one thing, but three guys ganging up on girl is shameless! I was on the verge on cutting off all sense and had them be my guinea pig on the new spell I’ve been working on.

 However, there’s no way I can use magic here and without magic. I’m basically powerless, beside’s other than emergency or class session. It goes both way with them since if one uses their ability to a certain capacity, the bracelet will record the brain wave and let the board know, which could get you suspension.

 My mind was thinking of a way to get her away when one of the bullies yelled at her, “You’re just a second year brat, don’t you think we could put up with your snob attitude Hustlesky!”

 When they called out her name, my eyes darted on the girl. Short blond hair, pale skin, hazel eyes, without a doubt it was Loranne Hutslesky. Other than me, the only other person from my preschool who was an esper was Loranne, not only that, she was rumored to be a prodigy among prodigy.

 From that one sentence and her personality, I could guess she was being silent as usual causing misunderstanding that she was looking down on her senior in the same ability class, resulting to this situation. Loranne kept looking at the three, looking disinterest. There were no emotion in her eyes and she kept silent as usual.

 Wait, now that I think about it, have I heard her talk? I know she can talk and I’ve seen her talk before, but why can’t I remember her voice? Just when I was stuck in my own mind, I heard her voice just as I was hoping for, but rather than a voice, it was a moan.

 One of the bullies grabbed her by the arm and pulling her in a rough way. There was a snap sound in my head and I screamed. The three bullies was stunned and look my way, but by the time they did I had already passed them and pulled Loranne away. They’re head must be processing what just happened.

  Bad news was, one of them was quick to catch and was gaining on us. No choice, without looking away I utter a chant softly.[Wind, gather, scatter, thwart my enemy and aid my ally]

           Wind started gathering around us and at the end swept the many leaves from the ground and obstructing the bullies from following. Once we reached the gate where there were people even if they caught up, they wouldn’t cause a riot here. I turned toward Loranne who was heaving heavily, she always looked pale so I had the idea she wasn’t good at sport and the like so I guess I was right.

Thankfully, there was a vending machine near the gate so I bought a bottle of lemon tea and gave it to her, “Here, drink.” She didn’t say anything, hesitating, she took it and gulp it down while making a weird sound.  “Thank you” she finally voiced out her mind.

   I blinked several times after hearing her sincere tone. Her eyes soon looked away but glances at me from time to time. Could it be, she’s just shy and not good at words? Thinking that, I smiled at her saying it’s not a problem. It was only for a moment but she slightly smiled.

  “It’s about time my father picked me up, what about you?”

  “Hmm…I…go home…alone…” her voice was small that it was hard to pick up. “How do you get home?” I asked. “I walked….house is close.”

    Knowing her house is close by seemed fine, but I’m still worried for a child to walked home alone, I might trouble my father but I think he wouldn’t mind much. “Let me take you home then,” this time, Loranne blinked a few times at me with a gaping look, “if it’s close like you said, I’m sure my father wouldn’t mind, and I’m worried after what happened to you back then.”

Loranne looked like a lost girl, her eyes darted everywhere without knowing what to say. I looked out from the gate and saw a dark blue SUV with a familiar plate number. “My father’s car is about to arrive, let’s go.” Since she was hesitating so much, I grabbed her hand and drag her with me.

As expected, my father said it was okay and it took only 10 minutes by car. Her house was a two story apartment, it was the first time I saw a worn out building, and the weed was about to reach one meter in height. Loranne thanks us for the ride and my father even offer to bring her back any time since it’s not far and it’s on the way.

  She tried to deny but since I thought it was a good idea, I insisted on her that we should. We went on leaving her outside her home, without realizing the smile she had on her face after she felt warm feeling in her after a long time.

#

The weird thing afterwards, Loranne became attached to me.

            Before and after school she would come looking for me like a puppy finding its owner, whenever it’s lunch time she would come eat with me—sometimes with Eric as well—and insisted on having me taste her lunch. It seemed she prepared her own lunch and wanted my opinion. She still rarely talks but I could somehow guess from her actions.

            Then one day-as I had anticipate-the three seniors confronted me. Taking a good look on them, one has a spiky black hair, pointed chin, flat nose. The other had bald hair, droopy eyes, and a plump face. The last person has scar across his eyebrows, large built for a kid, short brown hair, and thick eyebrows.

  I twitched further that they choose to ‘talk’ with me while I was alone. These guys are seriously annoying. “You guys are annoying.” Ah, I said it aloud.

            They were in the middle of talking with me after they ‘led’ me at the back of the school building, but they stopped and began to glare at me. “As expected as that girl's friend, you’re both brats who couldn’t learn to respect their senior.”

            A strange emotion was stirring among my annoyance from them the more they talked and I sneered. “Ha! Respect? Respect isn’t something you ask, it’s something you earn idiots, but it’s not like a bunch of brats could understand when you ask for respect after ganging up on one girl, do you even know shame?”

            The look of those boys as their jaw drop was quite hilarious, but their expression washed over with rage. They held me by the collar and started shouting to not get ahead over myself just because I had no powers and yet studied with ability users. Their words didn’t reach through me and instead the memories of my past started floating instead.

            The image of people circling around me, laughing and yelling vulgar words at me as I put up with them bashing and kicking. What have I ever did to you! Is what I always shouted but none ever reached them. I felt the most despair when I witness the people around me tortured because of me, and I couldn’t do anything.

            He began to loosen his grip on me and shuddered. Escaping my notice were black tendrils began to enveloping me, but it disappears the moment one of the bullies was kicked aside, pushing along the other two boys. “What the hell you people being noisy!” My attention went side way toward an open window.

            Without looking at myself, I knew my eyes were wide open and my body was froze from surprise. I had intend to find him in this world knowing he might have reincarnated as well, but my heart wasn’t prepare to see him again so soon. With the same sharp nocturne eyes, the same red hair, the same arrogant tone, he appeared.

            One of the bullies—who got nosebleed by the way—got up and wanted to rebuke, but seeing the red lily pin on his collar showed he was a first year from the middle school branch. As expected, they wouldn’t want to anger a senior. His words went stutter and without saying anything proper he drag his two friends away.

            Jeez, how weak willed were they.

            I was left standing without doing anything; I turned toward the boy from before who was yawning and slip out from the window. He turned to look at me and I couldn’t help but jolted seeing him. “Are you all right?” rather than a caring tone, he asked with curious tone instead, he didn’t seem he had any intention on saving me as well.

            However, hearing his voice, water began to break from my eyes. The boy cool expression turned dumbfounded and confused, not knowing what to do. I didn’t want things to become awkward so I held back my tears as much as I could while voicing out thank you to him but sadly it didn't work out so well. 

            I'm so glad to see you again, Master....

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Chapter 10: Praetor Academy & Institution

Praetor Academy & Institution a school for both the power holder and the powerless. Other than the fact they had institution especially made to grow the esper’s ability, all students are given the same treatment and education value.

            Praetor Academy is a large school with the size around 300,000 meters square, including the research facility that’s part of the institution, the school has buildings for Elementary School to High School—Praetor also has its own university but in a different district—there’s also the dormitory and in addition, a hospital.

            Yes, you didn’t read wrong—a hospital.  

            According to my knowledge, this place can already be considered as a small town.

            There are approximately 3600 students, 140 teachers, and 800 researchers and other staff. There are 10 classes, for the normal students, the class is divided into class A, B, C, D, and E. On the other hand, the esper class is divided into Class 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and S. The last class looked confusing doesn’t it? Let me explain.

            In this school, our class also acts as our rank. With our power just awaken, the rank doesn’t mean much for us, first year. However, we are still divided according to our ability’s potential. Our school respect and encourage the growth of our ability, but that didn’t mean the ability itself could be useful. Some of what I could point out as example is the ability to decide the numerical value of a human strength by force, in other words, the ability to become a human punching meter. When I heard it such ability exist, I can only say my condolence to whoever had that ability.

            There are times that useful ability couldn’t grow depending on the person, for example, Beth’s telekinesis at best could lift a marble table afloat, while others might have problem lifting a plate.

            Putting those as factor that determined our class from the lowest 1 to the blessed 5. Class S is a different matter though, they are considered to be on par with class 5 but all of them are disabled children. There are those who are blind, deaf, mute, having lost a limb or two or even suffering autism. Researchers are still investigating why those who are disabled have more prowess as an esper than regular people do.

            Right now, I am sitting at the back at Class 1 and the 19 other sits were half filled. Sadly, all of my preschool friends didn’t pass as an espers, and when I tried talking to them, I got the feeling they were being distant. Scratch that, they were being distant. I could partially understand them though, it’s one thing if I have any powers, but telling them I have an unknown power sounds like an excuse to study with the espers.

            It’s the same with the others in my class, but they act more suspicious of me and some just don’t know how to approach me—I feel like a wild animal—I was prepared something like this would happen, but as I thought I want to cry.

            The days went on normally, for us espers while the normal students study five days a week, us esper have six with a day to study and cultivate our talent. The subjects were those I’ve more or less grasp in my days studying this era common sense and knowledge. 
            By the day my peers learn to use their powers, I was left on my own.

            At first, I spent most of the time with the researchers, trying to figure out what kind of power I had looming secretly in my brain with curious look I deem lecherous. Then, one of them suggested I should observe the other esper as it might invoke a similar looking ability. Hearing his suggestion, I ran off without a second thought. You should try being the subject of all those middle-aged old man looking at me as if they want to dissect and examined every inch of my brain.

            It was suffocating, my thanks to whoever suggested the observation.

            Unlike the classroom, the research rooms are divided according to our ability class.  My classmates although their powers were deemed not so great, all of them were interesting and I had fun observing them. One has the ability to detect metal; another has the ability to change one’s own temperature, and my personal favorite, the ability to grasp the food’s ingredients. One mouthful and he could tell up to how many grams of sugar they put in.  

            Moreover, I ended up getting along with Eric, a boy with the power to detect lies. He had a chocolate colored skin, emerald eyes and perm black hair, apple cheeks, and an up turned nose. He was dazzlingly cute, and he never mind me whenever I came and we started to talk a lot more in class.

“Eric, you can tell lies right? Can you try that with me?”

 “Sure, I don’t mind.”

 “Okay, I’ve put a dead cockroach in my sister’s room as a prank.”

 “True.”

  “I have secretly raised a pet before it ran away.”

 “True.”

 “I cheated on my admission exam.”

 “False”

  “I don’t want to be your friend and I think you’re ugly.”

   When I said that, Eric cutely blushed and looked away. Aaah, this is bad, I’m weak against such a cute innocent kid, I bet once he hits puberty he’ll break the hearts of so many girls.

It’s only been a few days, but with no luck or any signs of some sort of awakening, I began to not anticipate any latent ability I might have. Thinking about it carefully, shouldn’t it be because I used magic that the computer couldn’t calculate my ability. This is bad, and ESP test couldn’t be retake because the second time could affect the real result.

Other than my ability’s power, I should say I don’t have much to worry about with my peaceful school life.

At least, for a year that is. 

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Chapter 9:Choices

After that one explanation where my brain is deemed unknown, I pressured him for details but instead, he had kicked me out of the room. I looked at the clock and barely five minutes had passed, even though it felt like hours inside my dream. I paid no heed from my friends call and head toward the parent’s waiting room where my mother was.

            When I got back, my mother had a glad expression I was back, but when she saw me without the bracelet, she made a sympathize look. I wonder if she’s trying to come up a way to cheer me up?

            Oh, I haven’t explain about the bracelet, have I? Once you are recognized as an esper, you’ll be given a bracelet that lets you monitor our brain waves, meaning it will monitor the usage and growth of espers. Each bracelet has it ID Code that helps serve to identify the owner even if you lost it.

            Getting back to where I am now, when I told my mother about being sent to the principal office, she had a very puzzled look but we went there together in the end. The principal office was put on the ground floor next to the administrative room and the restroom. My mother knocked on the door; the moment a sound that said ‘come in’ we let ourselves in.

            The principal turn his chair toward us revealing a bit of bewildered look, surely he hadn’t expect an examinee to came in at this time. He asked us to take a sit and asked what’s the problem. In closer look, the principal was a man in his late 40s, he had a heavy gray mustache and beard, gray eyes, mottled skin, a fair crisp hair. His back was slightly slanted, while wearing a brown tick coat, you couldn’t quite tell his build.  

            My mother explained what I told her and gave him the hard drive along with the letter handwritten by Mr. Dalton. He took the hard drive and display the content with his computer. Occasionally, he would knit his eyebrows and murmured ‘I see’ while listening to my story.

            When he grasp the content of the hard drive, he started clearing his throat and looked at me with curious eyes before he turn to my mother and started explaining. “Ma’am, I’m sure you’re confused of the turnout event, but first, let me make it clear that your daughter is not in any sort of trouble at all, so be at ease. Second, well how should I began explaining this—from the result of the ESP test, your daughter certainly have what it takes to be an esper, and as you know, if you pass the test then with the help of our nanotechnology to expand the usage of the brain parts and acquiring the latent ability hidden in us. However, even after expanding the usage of the brain, doesn’t always mean you’ll be an esper. At the very least, you’ll only be more perceptive, and the computer will deem you normal. From your daughter result, after expanding her brain usage, the computer couldn’t seem to grasp the ability your daughter had acquire either that or there was a miscalculation—which is unlikely—and your daughter doesn’t have any power at all.”

            The two of us could only quietly listen to him, then mother asked, “Then what would become of my daughter here?” the principal caressed his beard and pointed out two choices available for me. “One, you could choose to study with in the institution starting at Class 1, but our renown teacher would not be able to help you much as your ability is unknown. Second, you could study normally at the academy.”

            I pondered a bit about the choices, while I can learn with the other esper kids, as long as I don’t know my ability, no one would be able to help raise its skill and I would forever be at the bottom of the class. Not only that, as someone who is different from the other I would be talked of the subject most of the time. Kids from the institution would look down on me while kids from the academy would envy me instead, creating a harder environment for me to socialize.

            Am I going to be scrutinized all over again? If I had to pick, I’d rather be in the academy. However, because I had remembered ‘that’ conversation with Master, the choice was clear for me from the start. 

            A magician needs to explore the unknown to my heart’s content—isn’t that right Master?

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Chapter 8: Unknown

There was only one person who greeted me inside, my fathe—I meant my previous father urged me to come further inside. The room was a small white space, there in the middle of the room, there was a giant capsule attached to a computer that showed something like graphs. “Get inside the capsule” he said flatly. I did as he told me, while he adjust the sit inside the capsule and had me put on a ring on my head while typing something in the computer, I tried striking a conversation, “Sir, may I ask what’s your name?”

            The typing stopped and he turned to me, “Charles Dalton” and continued typing. Stoic! Too stoic! Against a child shouldn’t he act more friendly, that serious part of his hasn’t change even now. “All right I’m going to close the capsule, once you’ve been induced with sleeping gas, the examination will start.”

            Eh, what? The exam start as I sleep, what’s with that? No wait, he did say something about a capsule and sleeping drug when he started explaining before, damn, I miss the important details!I was so surprised who he was that I hardly pay any attention.

Once the capsule was fully sealed, there was a sound of gas releasing inside and my consciousness started flowing away.

#

I woke up to find myself in my parent’s room. There was no one there and I headed toward the dining room as usual. “What was I doing? When did I get back?” somehow without thinking much, I did the usual routine I had every day even with questions filled my head. Even though there wasn’t anyone in the house, breakfast was served for five people on the table.

            I pulled out my seat then hesitated when I felt something isn’t right, I looked around the house carefully for something out of the ordinary, then I realize Galbraith’s bowl wasn’t there. I didn’t know why but I felt this is the right track, I went up to the drawer where his bowl was and after taking it out, the surrounding changes.

            The next place I was at was the circus. The place was noisy of cheering people, I was at a huge tent, and hundreds of spectator circled around the stage. There was an elephant dressed in gaudy way and a white lion on top of it. The lion leaped and went through a fiery ring that was hanging in a beautiful arc, and up above there was a trapeze, swinging from side to side like those you see in movies.

            I was entranced by the spectacle, but I wasn’t able to look long enough before shuddering when I saw fire enveloping the ring the loin had jumped through. “What am I supposed to do next?” I asked to myself. I tried looking for something unusual, while the spectators seats were made of concrete, mine was the only one made of wood.

            I tried to look underneath and found a few things: a knife, a small package, a bag of potato chip, and a phone. I was supposed to take only one so I took the package. The moment I took it, the man that was part of the trapeze swings toward me while upside-down, he took my hand and forcibly pull me and join the act.

            The place doesn’t have a sense of reality so I knew all of this weren’t real, but it didn’t stop me from getting confused. I held on to that man’s hand while dangling few feet high away. I was pissed that I was drag here out of my will, so I climbed his body toward the bar and jumped out when we were on the edge. It’s not real anyway so there’s no fear on being reckless.

            When I jumped out, the next place I was sent by the streets, the wall was the only thing keeping me from being swept by the pedestrian that crowded the streets. Most were headed toward subway, I was reluctant whether to go with the flow but in my head, I knew I had to find a man and gave him the package I was holding on to.

            The first thing I thought it was really a pain finding someone in this crowd, so my eye caught a woman who was part of a charity group, encouraging people to sign up a volunteer group. At the edge of the street corner there was a clock showing three minutes before twelve, I also knew if I don’t give it to him by noon, everything will end.

            Don’t ask me how I know, I just do.

             So I came up to her and had her let me borrow her loudspeaker, attached to the package there was a card that had the picture of  as shield with the face of a lion, biting of a snake and a sword cross behind it, it was the proud symbol of my school.

"PLEASE COME AND GET THE PACKAGE FROM PRAETOR, I REPEAT PLEASE COME AND GET THE PACKAGE SENT BY PRAETOR!” the information in my head didn’t specify if I should be discreet so any way of sending it should be fine. A few crowd stop to look at a small girl shouting about a package, yet only one-man came up to me, I knew in a glance this was the man.

             When I intend to give him the package and be done with, when the crowd decide to resume their trip, one man stood still, watching me. His eyes and features were hidden with his hat, but I knew that he was bad. Therefore, I took the hand of the receiver and ran toward the subway. The other man followed just as I thought and was hot on out tail.

            I had him rushed inside the station despite the warning from the guard and kept pulling the receiver. Even with so many crowds, the man kept track on us, I guess a girl pulling an adult does make us stand out.

            That’s why, when I waited for the subway train to pour out waves of people, I shoved the receiver inside and pulled a bystander toward another train. Thankfully, he followed me until we get on the train.

            I was already out of breath and the man walked toward me while looking around for the receiver. Sadly, he wasn’t here, knowing I did something, even when hidden behind his hat, I felt the angry gaze he had at me. He had a murderous aura, but it wasn't enough to intimidate me, thinking that I don't want to back down from him. I stretched out my hand at him, I didn't know whether it would work or not in a place that's not even reality, so without much thought I went full power. 
I imagined the air reverberates from the palm of my hand, wait, I changed my mind, I imagined it swirling clockwise from the palm of my hand, I added some heat to increase the pressure. While I waited for him to get closer, I chanted my new imagine spell.
[Wind, heed my call, churn your spirit, and reveal your might, Air Blast]
Remember when I thought of going full power? Bad idea....
Inside such a small space, the moment I release it, everything turned to chaos. Not just the Chasing Man, all the other passengers were pushed from spell and some even went flying. Me? Well, the stupid thing that happened was, I was pushed back by my own spell and hit my head, afterward everything went blank. 

#

The moment I came to, the capsule began to open itself and I got of it. That was a weird experience, I didn’t remember half of the things I did but I do remember I was aware of my dream. I believe that's what they call lucid dream. I turned toward Mr. Dalton, his mouth was half opened, his glasses was loose, but his eyes looked partly serious and partly confused. “Mr. Dalton” I called out to him and he turned to me after fixing his expression.

            “Is something wrong?” I asked, but he kept silent and instead took out a pen and paper and pull out a small hard drive. He gave the letter and the hard drive to me, asking me to meet up with mother, go to the principle office, and give it to him.

            “Wait, what about the test, did I pass? Did I get some kind of power?”

            Mr. Dalton had an unease look that didn’t know how to answer, no way, I didn’t get any power, seriously? When he looked at me feeling dejected, he told me what the result were.

            “Unknown.”

            “Sorry?”

            “Whether you are normal or an esper is unknown, either there was a miscalculation or you have power that the computer cannot analyze.”

            “…………………………..eh?”

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