CHAPTER 27: CH 27: CARA.

"So, are you ready to train, Aemon?"

Aegon ignored the consistent name change and turned back to the field not far away from them now.

After taking his last deep breath he clenched his fists and proceeded towards the others.

"Alright, you pathetic bunch," Collins’ voice rang out, slicing through the murmurs like a tired guillotine, "gather together and pretend you actually want to live past the next two weeks."

Aegon scanned the field — faces he recognized, faces he didn’t. Each one looked either half-asleep or already regretting life choices.

Aegon took a few steps away from him, trying to avoid any association.

The other students stopped what they were respectively doing and turned to him— including Mirage.

Aegon moved ahead of Mr Collins and clustered with the rest of the awakened.

Mirage said nothing, but it wasn’t his usual silence— this time, it was more like he was carefully observing than tired.

"Alright, I need you to look around you, between yourselves—" Collins’ voice echoed out, "—you all are the literal bottom of the barrel."

’Really don’t think you should be saying that to students.’

"You’ve all seen the list on Aethera, and you also know it was compiled by the academy— it wasn’t their intention to shame any of you.

The only reason that list was ever created was for us to know the few who would need more attention for survival aka you sad bunch.

But since the leak, everyone now knows where they stand—"

"And when we catch the perpetrator they will be severely punished."

Mirage added before shifting focus back onto his mug.

Collins’ took one more look at them— eyes darting across the field.

He wanted to have a mature conversation with these people but their attention was scattered, either by their feet or his weird voice or anything else...

In short, they were teenagers.

He drew a long weary breath, then dragged a hand down his beard. He had to find a way to speak with them and have them understand.

He knew what he had to do... And he hated it.

Collins’ turned to Mirage who couldn’t look less bothered.

"I hate these kids."

He mouthed to himself, making it low and inaudible.

"How many of you want to be like Nightwalker?!" Collins’ reluctantly asked, "Raise your hands if you want to be like Nightwalker."

He waited for their reply. After seconds of staring at each other, some finally began to raise their hands in affirmation.

Aegon didn’t— unlike most— if not all— of these awakened, he actually knew who Nightwalker was. But not fully.

"Alright, lower your hands." Collins continued, "And how many of you want to live?"

"..."

The confused glances intensified— his question even catching mirage off guard as he lowered his mug and narrowed his gaze.

Aegon raised a brow at him, trying to decipher his plan or what exactly his purpose for asking that was.

But he was still the first to raise his arm to the air in ratification whilst avoiding the eyes of the group.

Then they followed his lead— few at first but inevitably everyone raised their arms.

"Good." Collins’ said flatly, "You can drop them now.

So, not everyone wants to be Nightwalker but everyone wants to live. But you all realise that none of you are going to achieve either of those things if you don’t survive the next trial.

I’m not going to fluff the situation— you all suck. Like you all suck pathetically bad, like so bad it hurts. But that doesn’t mean you can’t survive the Adept Trial."

"And how do we fight anomalies when we can channel little to no Aether?"

A student asked aloud.

"And you think survival is about brute force? I promise you it isn’t. You’re not all going to reach Nightwalker, I’m incredibly sure of that but you could all still survive.

Once you survive the Adept Trial, there’ll be a notification that’ll pop up before you just before the Ascendant Trial and it’ll ask you if you want to continue or not.

At that point, it’s your choice on what you choose to do from there but until then... Let’s hope you make it till then."

He took a step back and stole a glance at Mirage— who continued the address.

"Over the next two weeks your tasks will vary and intensity — from simple to difficult tasks and scenarios but today’s simple.

Your only task for today is to takedown a fellow Novus awakened student."

Aegon folded his arms. ’What are the chances it’s Micheal?’

Mirage and Collins’ exchanged strange looks, turning to the sky and watching their wristwatches as if waiting for something... Or someone.

The murmurs fizzled out fast — fear does that when a teacher starts looking at you like you’re already a corpse. Now only leaving the silence of the night, and the crash of the water waves.

~BOOM.~

Like greased lightning too fast for the eye to follow, something cratered the field— between the Novuses and their teachers.

The earth quaked underneath their feet and rattled them all— leaving dust surging upward.

Too hazy to make out what— or who— had just landed before them but they readied themselves.

Some had their skin hardened, some eyes already glowing with intent while others... Others like Aegon could do nothing but clench their fists and hope for the best.

The dust finally started to settle— the first thing seen were the two narrow, angular slit-like eyes that glowed with a certain white light.

It was low but only for a second as the figure began rising to it’s feet.

Standing at about 6 foot tall, a melange of sleek black and red metallic alloy— golden inlays running along its sides that shimmered with circuitry.

Bulky yet streamlined aerodynamic design that seemed to rip through the air like paper.

The HUD helmet slid smoothly back into the neck of the suit revealing a girl about their age— blood red eyes like sapphires, short burgundy black hair and a look that hinted she enjoyed this way too much.

Instinctively, the other Novus took a step back— they could feel it too, the amount of Aether that glowed through that suit and dialectically running through her.

Mr Collins stepped forward again, resting an arm on her suit’s shoulder. "Cara, you’re late."

She shrugged, "Come on, Dad. The suit’s still new."

Collins’ faced the tensed awakened.

"This is my daughter, her name’s Cara Collins and she’s in Mechania Faculty—

• · ─ ·✶· ─ · •

Number Five, Cara Collins

Faculty of Mechania | Affinity: Mechaniaflow

Aether Control: Exceptional | Survival Chance: 94.7%

• · ─ ·✶· ─ · •

— and your task for tonight is to stop her... Without being impaled.