The next morning, a heavy silence hung over the students gathered outside the training room. No one said anything. No one smiled. They stood in clusters, all exhausted and all at least a little afraid.
Leon and Isla stood together and looked at the others.
"There were well over 150 students on the first day range," Leon said softly. "Now, we are at barely 70."
Isla crossed her arms and though her face hardly showed it, her voice had an edge. "Not to say I'm surprised. This training feels like a bad place to be, not training."
At that moment, Finn appeared beside them, pale sweat dripping from his face, his eyes shinning wide with tears as he held Leon's arm with a vice-like grip.
"I... I can't do that again. I was shaking and almost threw up just thinking about the bugs crawling all over me."
Leon frowned but didn't pull away from the grip. "Because I get it. I hate them too. But we have no other options. We either do this or quit."
Before Finn could respond, the door lightly creaked open with an aged groan, and Darius Sir stood on the threshold, that same royal smile spreading across his face that made everyone uncomfortable.
"Welcome back, students," he said cheerily, completely ignoring the glowers directed toward him. "I see we have fewer faces today, which is good. That means we are getting closer to knowing who actually has what it takes to compete." The students walked in slowly, fully aware of their surroundings, and as if they had stumbled into a trap. Darius waited for the last student to stretch one foot into the room before he shut the door and set a timer for thirty minutes.
"Your exam begins now. Good luck," He said, and happily detached himself from the students.
The students took their seats, forming rows, each student closed their eyes, and began to meditate. The room fell silent. For the first five minutes, it remained silent.
Then it began.
A faint rustling; a soft tickle against the skin; students shifted in their seats. Then, eyes popped open in horror as bugs - centipedes, cockroaches, beetles - began to crawl on their bodies. Some students had lizards creeping up their backs. Others had small snakes slithering past their ankles.
Panic erupted throughout the room; students screamed shortly thereafter as they activated their powers instinctively. However, the moment they activated their powers, thick roots sprang from the floor and walls wrapping around every student in the exam room. The roots quickly wrapped around the students, preventing them from using their powers while pulling them out of the exam room.
Darius stood on the balcony, arms crossed, betraying no emotion.
Fanny clenched her fists, unable to ignore the slimy bug crawling on her neck, her breathing shallow, lips quivering. One lunged across her cheek, then crawled down into her ear.
She lost it.
Eyes shot open, fire exploded from her palms, and the bugs flew scattered — it was too late.
Roots snagged her and pulled her away.
Finn shook uncontrollably, sweat drenching his forehead. He sat frozen until a fat lizard crawled into his pants. His jaw clenched. He twitched.
Then the lizard wriggled higher.
The spark ignited.
"NOPE!" he namasted out loud, blasting himself in an explosion of energy that ripped his pants apart.
Darius waved his hand and roots pulled Finn out before he could blow up the door.
"Maybe you want to go get some new pants," Darius said logy as Finn in now agile arm flailed the pantless distance between them.
Finn left covering himself with both hands, blush spread up his cheeks in an awkward heat of shame.
Now only two students were left: Leon and Isla.
Darius leaned over, watching.
Leon was as still as a statue but internally, he was screaming. There were bugs crawling on his arm, there was a snake crawling on his back, it then curled around his neck. He couldn't breathe. He tried to mentally push it away — but made himself stop.
The snake started to cross his face, tongue flicking near his eye. Leon's muscles tensed, his jaw clenched.
Then, it coiled around his head.
That's it. He lost control, and with one sharp tug he threw it off with his psychic energy.
Darius sighed. "I thought he might have a chance."
Shoots came up from the ground and slowly raised Leon up.
"You did well. Better than most. Don't give up," Darius said as Leon was raised out.
Leon nodded weakly. "I won't."
Inside, Isla was as stiff as a rock. Her breathing was calm, her face serene. Bugs, lizards, snakes - they were like air to her. Nothing interrupted her.
Leon could only watch outside with disbelief. "She's... completely relaxed."
Darius's brow began to furrow again. Leon could see that the timer still had five minutes. Then, something strange started happening. There was a soft yellow glow beginning to shimmer around Isla's body.
Darius rose immediately and turned off the timer.
"Isla has passed," he said.
Gasps were heard around the room.
"But she's still got time to spare!!"
"Maybe she passed early because of her noble blood," someone whispered.
Leon stepped forward. "No. That aura... it only comes when someone achieves total control in their mind. In other words, that kind of mental harmony. This means Isla has moved on into a new realm of mind control."
Everyone's mouths dropped open in astonishment. Even Finn and Fanny didn't make a sound!
Isla slowly opened her eyes. She was slow to stand, but her movements were fluid and regal.
"How do you feel?" Darius asked.
She looked down at her hands and stared thoughtfully. "I feel... strong. Clear. Like I have received something new."
Darius smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Isla, you haven't just received a passing grade. You achieved a new threshold. You don't have to continue with this training. But you may want to come to inspire your classmates. Just don't jump into the next level right away."
"Why not, sir?"
"Your body and mind need time to recalibrate. If you push too fast, it can harm you. Also, we are not quite ready for the next training level. We thought it would take longer for someone to reach it."
Isla nodded. "I understand. I will come back tomorrow to help others."
As she walked out, Fanny dashed up to her and wrapped her in a hug. "I knew you'd crush it! You are a beast, girl!"
Day 3 of Training
The students tried again — Leon, Finn, Fanny, and the rest. One by one, they failed.
Isla was the only one to succeed.
Day 4 of Training
Same story.
One Week Later
Things started to change.
The students had stopped flinching at the touch of bugs. Lizards crawled across their knees, and snakes were draped across their shoulders. But they stayed focused.
Leon was still while a snake traversed across his chest.
Then, an aura of deep purple appeared around him.
Darius moved slowly from his seat and smiled, but then it went away. The energy that was around Leon was powerful... and not stable.
Inside Leon's mind, there was a voice — low, oily, dark.
Why fight it? Embrace it. Show them your power. Burn them.
Leon's fingers twitched.
But then — he took a deep breath. And the voice disappeared.
Just close by, Finn illuminated with a bright orange light. Fanny glowed with a crimson red light.
Darius shined. "Yes! They're finally breaking through."
But from across the room, other students were glowing -- blue, pink, green.
By the time the timer went off, thirty students had passed.
Darius turned to them. "You have done well. You are ready for the next stage."
"Is Isla already up there?" somebody asked.
"Yes. She is waiting. You can rest if you feel you need to -- or you can proceed radio on to your next challenge."
Leon, Finn and Fanny and the others choose to continue.
As they approached the next training room, Finn whispered, "Please let it be someone nice this time. Maybe Edric Sir, he's cool."
Leon laughed. "Here's hoping."
Then someone yelled.
"Wait -- is that Isla?!"
They ran ahead.
Isla was lifeless, pinned down by a huge boulder.
Leon eyes widened in horror. "Who the hell landed that on her?!"