Karst was a man with a knack for getting on people's nerves.

Although, he didn't so much get on them - as jump up and down with steel-toed boots.

It was the way he smiled.

Too many teeth were involved, and his grin was just a bit wider than you would have liked. Smug. That was it. He was perpetually smug. Teeth gratingly so.

Fyn hated it.

He stood opposite Karst as the man sat behind his little plastic desk. Unfortunately, despite standing, Fyn was barely taller than the man sitting down. He felt a sudden impulse to straighten his back and stand a little taller.

Karst's grin widened as if he knew what Fyn was thinking.

"ugh…" Fyn groaned. "Let's just get this over with."

"Nice to see you too, mate." Karst leaned back in his chair with his arms crossed.

Pulling out a flimsy chair, Fyn sat at the desk, staring up at the bearded giant. Karst stared back, his brown eyes hypnotically unwavering.

Eventually, Fyn spoke. "I'm not drinking any of that green shit," he said. "I know it's just an excuse for you to use your abilities."

Karst ran a hand through his thick beard. "Hm… getting smarter already, I see. Although considering where you started… that shouldn't be too hard."

Fyn took a deep breath and imagined things that didn't make him want to leap across the table and strangle the big man.

"But that's not exactly true. This stuff is super nutrient dense." Karst flicked the side of one of the glass bottles, which gave off a sharp ring. "All I do is accelerate the rate at which their bodies absorb those nutrients, stimulate muscle growth, etc."

Fyn eyed one of the bottles and picked it up. The green gunk inside was as thick as cake batter and peppered with dark chunks. He raised it to his nose and sniffed it.

A pungent, earthy aroma assaulted his nostrils. It smelt like someone had blended a herbal remedies store and strained the whole thing into a glass bottle.

"Shouldn't it work on me too, then?" Fyn asked skeptically.

Karst splayed his hands widely. "I don't see why not. If anything, it will work better for you. Your body should be able to distribute everything far more efficiently than I could."

Fyn nodded and lifted the bottle to his lips. Remembering Grant's advice, he pinched his nose and downed the whole thing in one go. It wasn't the worst thing he'd ever tasted, but that wasn't saying much. Fyn had eaten literal garbage before. And not the nice kind of garbage that comes in plastic bags, either.

He gasped as he finally managed to force down the thick green potion. It had been like drinking herbal cement. After gathering himself again, Fyn looked back up at Karst.

"So why did you call me over?" Fyn asked. "You could have just left this stuff in my room this morning. Oh yeah, since you mentioned it - why the fuck were you in my room?"

"Room? What room?" Karst asked, a smile tugging at the edges of his lips as he deftly sidestepped Fyn's question. If deft, in this case, meant with the grace and subtly of a drunk elephant.

"The one you left the note in, you fucking pirate."

"Oh... That room. Yeah... I may have found my way in there. But hey, I knocked, and you didn't answer. What was I supposed to do?"

Fyn massaged his temples. "Knock. Louder."

"Well, I'll know for next time," said Karst.

Fyn stared blankly at the big man as though he had just proposed they ignore their overbearing parents and run away together. "Fine. Just tell me what you need from me, and I'll go."

Karst sniffled and rubbed his nose. "From a friend? No! I don't need anything from you; think of it more like a favour, eh?"

Rubbing his forehead, Fyn gestured that Karst continue.

The big man smiled and leaned in closer, his cologne assaulting Fyn's nostrils like mustard gas. "It's about the test in two weeks."

Fyn's demeanour switched, suddenly becoming serious. He glanced around, checking that no one was nearby. Jackson was looming over Grant in the distance, and the other three were too exhausted to eavesdrop, collectively drooping over pieces of gym equipment like wilted plants.

"What is it?"

Karst looked at Fyn speculatively. "You've seen them, right?"

"Who, my new friends?"

"Yeah. Be honest with me... Do you think they'll pass?"

Fyn frowned. "That depends on what the test is. I mean, if you can work your magic and get everyone in shape physically, I don't see why we couldn't…"

"What if there was a test that heavily relies on teamwork? How do you think they'd fare?" Karst asked grimly.

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"Not great at the moment," said Fyn. "If they could use those abilities they aren't supposed to have yet, then we might have an edge. But... I'm guessing that nobody is meant to know they have said abilities, right?"

Karst nodded. "Not until people like them become more common. Right now, it would be... dangerous, to say the least."

Fyn nodded. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to fill me in on what's going on?"

"As long as you promise to keep it a secret amongst us friends."

Fyn's smile was so forced that he looked like a tax collector who'd been told to give out rebates. "Of course... buddy."

Karst slouched back in his chair smugly. "Well, since we're such great pals and all that, I don't see how telling you could hurt. It relates to your mission anyway, so you would probably have found out soon regardless."

"Yeah, yeah, what is it?"

Karst grew quiet, almost sinister. "Have you noticed the number of breaches increasing recently?"

Fyn frowned and then nodded. "There was one on my way here, actually. Nothing major, I think, but still..."

"Well, that's happening across the board. Every planet, every country, every city. Ten years ago, Dublin had maybe one or two Breaches in its vicinity a month. Now, it's more like ten."

A lump filled Fyn's throat. "The Blight are getting more aggressive?"

"Yes, but that affects more than just the number of attacks. We've noticed that, recently, the volume of students accepted into the various academies has gone up, almost doubling, in fact. As has the number of humanists. This is happening across the board."

Fyn's lips had gone dry, so he licked them nervously. "What does that have to do with those lot?" He gestured behind him to the struggling kids.

"It's simple, really. I'm sure you've realised this, but now, humanists aren't the only ones who can awaken on their own. We aren't sure how this relates to the increased number of attacks, but we do think they're connected. It seems like somewhere up above, tides are shifting and dragging us along with them."

"And you want me to find out what's going on?" Fyn asked his mind busy processing what he had just heard.

The big man looked at Fyn grimly. "Yes, among other things."

"So, I get that, long term, I'm supposed to help those kids graduate and find out why things are changing. But... what do you want me to do about this whole test thing?" Fyn asked after long consideration.

"Simple," said Karst. "I need you to learn how to fight and then make sure they can pass that test no matter what. Get them chatting, get them friendly with each other. You'll need some trust to develop if you want to get through the final entrance exam."

"Are you nuts? How am I supposed to learn how to fight in two weeks?" Fyn hissed.

"So, what if I am?" Karst grinned. "Everyone with ambition is at least a little crazy. It helps reality go down easier. Besides, don't act like what I'm asking isn't doable. You're probably the person most suited to learn any martial art form on this planet."

Fyn scowled but couldn't disagree. His body was perfect for fighting, and his mind was like a steel trap. He would only have to experience a move once to get the gist of it.

"I can't just learn how to fight out of thin air, though. I'll need someone to teach me."

"Yeah, yeah," Karst waved a hand dismissively. "We've already got someone who can do that. Big, bald and bright red. I think you two have already met, actually."

Fyn slowly turned to glance back at Jackson. "But I'm already physically stronger than him. What use will he be as a teacher?"

Karst laughed excitedly. "I guess you'll just have to see."

***

Fyn hit the ground so hard he could taste it. His body left a deep impression on the meticulously maintained lawn, like a snow angel.

Jackson stood over him, his vast body eclipsing the setting sun like a towering mountain of muscles with a bald head at its peak.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" He asked gruffly. When it was just them, he spoke much softer. Perhaps he was tired from yelling all day.

Fyn spat out a clump of dirt and rolled over onto his back. "I agreed to this."

Jackson grunted and bent down, hauling Fyn to his feet. "Go again."

In the distance, Fyn saw Mallory and Kinsley lying beside each other on the lawn. It looked like their bodies finally gave out on their way back to the house. Further along, he could make out Grant – who was rushing back out of the manor towards the collapsed pair. He seemed to be carrying a plate of food in either hand.

Fyn licked his lips, tasting dirt and blood in equal measure. "Let's do this," he grumbled.

Jackson took three steps back and bent low, his arms almost dragging along the ground. "Watch closely, or I'll drop you even harder this time!"

The giant moved with frightening grace. His steps were light and unpredictable. One second, everything about his body would suggest he was going to go in a particular direction, only for him to lunge at Fyn from a completely different angle.

He closed the distance between them instantly, bearing down on Fyn like a charging buffalo.

Fyn's breathing and heartbeat slowed as he concentrated as hard as possible. Everything seemed dull compared to Jackson, who had become the ultimate focus of Fyn's attention. His eyes strained to capture every minute twitch and gesture, hoping to dissect the giant's plan before it came crashing down on top of him.

The first thing he noticed was the most obvious. Jackson's feet were wide apart, and his centre of gravity was low. This suggested he wanted to use his vast size advantage to wrestle Fyn to the ground. From there, it was obvious who would have the advantage.

Too obvious.

Fyn had been tricked like this before. Instead, he looked for other, less immediate tells.

The big man shifted his weight mid-charge, twisting upright and leaning forward at the very last second, with his arm lashing out like a whip. The sudden change was so electric that Fyn barely had time to react. All he could do was step back and sway to the side, hoping to dodge the fist he felt would inevitably be coming his way.

A split second passed, but the punch never landed. Something in the pit of Fyn's stomach lurched as he realised Jackson had missed the timing for the punch. 'He's going for something else!'

The big man kept moving forward, harnessing his momentum to spin and lash out with a kick that could have chopped down trees.

Fyn threw himself to the ground, feeling the foot rush over his head like a scythe. Once again, he tasted dirt. Except this time, he had meant it.

Face down on the grass, he could only make out Jackson's remaining foot. It was already moving, adjusting the huge man's weight to let him dive on top of Fyn, smothering him.

Desperate not to get crushed, Fyn pushed down against the ground, springing up with almost impossible speed. There was no way Jackson could land on top of him now...

A fist like a sledgehammer hit Fyn on the side of the head. For a brief moment, his vision went dark as every thought fled his body. All that existed was the pain from being punched and the stinging realisation that, once again, he had been tricked.

He landed back on the dirt, head spinning.

Footsteps approached, and soon, Jackson loomed over him again. His towering form seemed to grow taller each time he bested Fyn, like the unassailable walls of a great castle.

"What did you do wrong?" His voice came from above.

"I… I'm not sure," admitted Fyn.

"It was the same thing you've done every time, Fyn."

"W-What?"

"You don't attack. You always try to avoid the fight."

Fyn's stomach lurched.

"No one wins a fight by running, Fyn."