Celeste~

Had messaged both Chloe and Rain but they were both still tired and going back to sleep. I still needed carbs though so that meant I was going to have to go down by myself.

They were serving breakfast at this time as per usual. The dining hall was more packed than usual, probably because everyone wanted to converse about what happened yesterday.

I noticed more eyes on me than usual today, courtesy of my fight of course.

I tried to ignore the eager eyes and just grabbed my food as best I could. I walked over to the array of foods and picked my usual plain meal.

I sat down at a corner far away from the main tables and began to eat. My mind couldn't help but wonder to Caspian, where was he? and why did I hardly see him throughout this whole thing until yesterday. I'd be lying if I said that my eyes didn't begin to search for him the moment I went outside my room. To no avail though because he was nowhere to be seen.

"Hey there, I saw your fight yesterday and I just had to come up to you to congratulate you!" The blonde lady who was now in front of me said in her high-pitched voice, clearly seeing me sitting by myself as an opportunity to speak to me.

"Thank you, tried my best after all." I tried to fake engagement but all I wanted to do was sit and eat in silence.

"Yeah, it was totally cool as fuck! You're strong as hell! So what power is it that you have, electricity? Energy? just power?"

Jesus fucking christ. "Just energy."

2:30pm

After that interaction was just a series of people congratulating me, which was funny considering I didn't actually win anything. And yeah that was another thing, I hoped to god that anyone else didn't pick up on that. I didn't have the mental power to continue that fight purely just for their entertainment. I was avoiding going to that silly gym area and it was for a reason.

I haven't seen Caspian since the fight either.

Chloe and Rain exited from their slumber and met me downstairs to grab their food, Markan got here before them and was with his friends again.

"So, you guys ready for the challenge today, what is it again the Harmea one?" Chloe said.

"Yeah, I'm not too worried, we don't have to do anything physically at least. Y'all ever tried any psyche training?"

"Nah, don't know anyone that I trust with powers like that. What about you?"

"Yeah, my mum can convince people, mostly humans to do small things. Used it on me until I became immune so there's that."

"Lucky you, I've never done anything like that, would love to though but considering what challenge is next I shouldn't speak too soon."

The only experience I had with psychic powers was my own.

Confirming my suspicions Rain said, "It's not as fun as you'd think, depending on how weak or strong your Harmea is it can really hurt."

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"Pain, ew no. Damn, and you thought physical challenges were enough, Harmea hurts too?"

"I mean coming to think of it, it kinda makes sense you know, it takes a toll on your energy, it takes you further than the disarray you feel when your starving or how tired you feel when your sleep deprived, It's a direct attack on your psyche."

"Well when you put it like that it makes sense."

*Students, please prepare as your next Trial awaits. All students must listen closely for information. This Trial is different from the last two, while they were both physical based challenges this one is instead about the strength of your mind. Some of you may have had experience with this kind of practice previously while some have not at all, what I would like to tell you all is that this difference in knowledge will not affect your place at Blue Phoenix Academy. Further instructions will be given to you by your instructor. For now, please follow the guide into the rooms down the hall.

"Well, that's us"

"During this Trial, I will bring forward a few practitioners who have psychic abilities and they will attempt to use them on you. You must try your best to deter these attacks. Just try your best and don't think about it too much."

Don't think about it too much, how helpful.

"You ready?" It seemed like that wasn't even really a choice considering she had already waved them over to come to us. I nodded anyways and waited for them to come.

The first one will use simple Alay magic to try and make you do something. Alay was the magic that allowed someone to control what someone did, said, wanted, and remembered.

We were in another all-white room again, they really seemed to love this insane asylum theme. The man who was standing up and peering from the left side of the desk placed an apple on the table. Okay cool. "For this first part I need you to simply not eat the apple, you don't have any allergies or anything do ya?" I shook my head and the first man in the row stepped forward. He just looked at me and before you knew it I felt it. That overwhelming urge to eat the fucking apple.

It consumed me, it took over every fibre of my being the desire was so intense I could barely take it, it was torture.

My hand moved when I didn't want it to, my mouth watered when I wanted it to stop, During this whole thing they must have placed a Timer on the corner of the table because I hadn't noticed it before. I was at a minute by now but I didn't know if that was good or bad, didn't really care to be honest all I wanted was that apple.

That fucking apple.

I lasted about 3 minutes before I gave in and ate it. I didn't know if the practitioner upped the magic or if the desire increased with time itself but it just got more and more intense as we kept going. First I wanted the apple, then I needed it.

After that they made the second practitioner try to make me say something. This one was weird, it was hard to make someone say something they didn't want to say, so hard that it couldn't just be a power on its own. The whole premise of that skill was putting someone in a different state of mind, a trance of some sort. With that one I lasted about 2 minutes, the instructor who had been here the whole time was wacky and weird in her appearance with her red Chucky the clown-like hair so it wasn't a surprise that her looks matched her personality. The task was to not say I'm an ugly loser which, of course I would have had to of said at the end.

I think part of the reason I gave up so early was because in my fight to not say those words, she was giggling at half finished sentences which ended up making me laugh too.

They tested my ability to remember what I actually saw next. They showed me a video and a practitioner came and used his magic on me, this time I could barely feel the effects. I didn't even know if he had done anything. I told the instructor what I had seen and she'd left it at that. I didn't even know if I had done it right or not but I guess only time would tell.

"That's all for today, there are no immediate issues with your Harmea or your psyche overall, you're free to go."

With that, I'd left. I was too focused on the challenge ahead to even realise how fucking drained I felt. My body felt as if it weighed a thousand tons and my head felt so cloudy I could barely think straight.

I noticed that not everyone had finished at the same time, people were leaving but not in the crowds they came here in. I messaged both Chloe and Rain but they didn't reply, I assumed that they were just still finishing off their Trial so I went about my day. That was until I saw him.

"Celeste?"