When he felt the meteor around his grasp, Adam found it to be more than enough to kill him if it had impacted. Its trajectory could not be denied.

He was confused as to why the branchmaster would go to such lengths, ignoring for a moment the absurdity of magic being able to summon a meteor to hurl down from the sky above. He thought that he was here to prove himself worthy, not fight for his life.

It could be argued that Adam did not fight for his life in the situation he was in. However, his life was, for all intents and purposes, in the line if he had not made an effort to defend himself.

The hundreds of metal shards could have killed him with a dozen stabs, or few if they stabbed him through an artery, his heart, or his head. The meteor, on the other hand, could have killed him outright if he was significantly weaker.

And that did not sit well with Adam. In fact, the realization that the branchmaster was more than willing to gamble with his life stoked a smoldering fire within him. He frowned. No, he glared.

A mound had formed below where the meteor crumbled into a million pieces. It was a charred hill of melted and fused rock, hissing with heat that was now fading away into the air.

Adam walked, and his stride was filled with purpose. He climbed up the mound, ignoring the heat that hissed underneath his feet, and crested the hill. Smoke enveloped him as he rose, but it did not bother him in the slightest.

He stood at the top with a fierce gaze, looking down on the man that had pushed him this far. He did not just want answers, but he also needed them to calm himself.

Why?

Why would Carnos try to murder him? He didn't understand. His telepathy showed him that the branchmaster was calm and serious, prone to spikes of emotion that occasionally broke through the hard exterior, but he did not sense any overt history.

Was Carnos good at hiding his intent? Adam wondered, but he had little time to consider the possibilities. He'd rather have an answer from the man itself, even if it meant showing his displeasure.

Adam was whisked away into this world after his parents fought and lost their lives trying to protect him. He wasn't about to get pushed around and bullied into submission or used for the whims and plans of those who thought themselves above others.

Carnos and the others watched Adam as he stood in the distance. To them, the young man appeared like a shadow in the mist, shrouded by the smoke that rose from the remains of the meteor. Carnos himself took a small step back but kept his calm, analyzing Adam with keen eyes that had seen many strange things before.

But Adam was none of those things. He was a young man with great power the likes of which the Tapestry had not yet seen. But more important than that, he was a child who was still grieving deep inside.

Adam walked again, and this time the others flinched. The air around them thickened as the ground beneath started to tremble then shake. Small pebbles and rocks began to float into the air, spinning randomly in place as a strong wind began to blow.

Carnos frowned, and his calm mind began to break. Adam detected hints of surprise and fear within him, but he still did not detect the hostile intent that he was sure resided within. He needed to shatter his facade. He needed him to be honest.

Adam walked, and as he walked the ground cracked under each light step. The wind grew stronger as he strode forth, turning into a whirlwind that surrounded him like a shield of air. Dust and debris soon marked the gale, but a few pebbles remained suspended in the air, lingering as if the wind was but an illusion.

Dasha and Ruk watched with surprise and growing anxiety as the tornado that was Adam made his way towards Carnos. The branchmaster tried to show himself as calm and unaffected, standing firm and unmoving against the battering winds and quaking ground. He did not take another step back.

But his mind betrayed him. It cracked further, revealing the suspicion and fear that he himself buried deep within, thinking that only he would ever know.

Adam's frown deepened as he felt these emotions from within Carnos' mind, but he was unprepared for what he would uncover next.

As Adam was only a few meters away, he finally saw through the facade of calm, and found a man wrought with concern and disapproval, with care and dread. A man who was desperate to save Adam's life

What?

Adam paused in his approach, barely sparing Carnos from the outer bands of swirling dust and debris. The anger within him evaporated upon seeing the genuine concern that was buried underneath the facade of calm and cold.

It did not make any sense. Adam could not understand it at all. If Carnos was so concerned about his life and safety, then why did he do the literal opposite during this trial?

Then Adam spoke, his voice still amplified by whatever spell that Carnos had cast. His words were brought through the howling wind, though it was distorted, it was still understandable.

"Why?" Adam asked. One word. A simple and straightforward question.

Carnos raised his chin, barely squinting his eyes as if to show that he did not need to see through the whirlwind. He then lowered his head, bowing low to stare at the ground instead.

"You're gonna die if you go down this path." Carnos answered.

Hearing that he would die if he continued with his application did not stir Adam as expected. In fact, he did not care about it that much at all. He was too focused on knowing his reasons, and Carnos' answer did not reveal anything. The implications of it, however, threatened to call back his anger.

"That does not answer my question, Mr. Carnos. I came to you and your guild with the intention of joining you honestly and fairly. The fact that my registration was rushed did not bother me much since I understood why, but I cannot understand why you'd put my life at risk," Adam said with a rising voice, "You said that I'll die if I continued. So, is that why you wanted to kill me yourself?"

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Carnos did not flinch at the accusation, though his mind was torn between offense at the accusation and regret from the fact that it seemed to ring true. However, his underlying reason was still the same. In some twisted way, he cared.

But that did not excuse him for what he had just put Adam through.

The wind died suddenly, causing the dust and debris that once swirled alongside the whirlwind to fall back to the ground in a rain of clattering stone and dust. Adam appeared before Carnos and the others. His clothes were clean and tidy, barely a wrinkle or a smidgen of dirt on his person.

Adam was fine, shielded from the elements that buffeted Carnos and the others mere moments before. They did not see it, but the psychic barrier and forcefield that surrounded his person were at their most potent. He had called upon his physical psychic defenses when the meteor neared, trying to make sure that if his telekinesis failed, he'd still have a last layer of protection. This protection was the reason why he did not even flinch when he walked over the charred remains of the meteor.

Adam raised his hand and formed a simple yet threatening gesture. His hand was formed in a way that looked as if he was holding a cup, or rather, a neck, and Carnos finally flinched physically at the motion.

Dasha's anxiety turned to alertness as she quickly took several steps into the open field, stopping only when Carnos raised an open palm in her direction. Ruk, on the other hand, had a frown on his face. Adam felt the orc's mind and knew that the large green humanoid was focused and committed, but no longer amused.

The tension that had disappeared from the air returned. Adam mustered his power once more, feeling his reach focus on the man in front of him. He allowed his telekinesis to sweep over Carnos, wrapping him around an invisible hand that stood poised to do the unthinkable.

Adam frowned, but it was not a glare of anger. It was a warning. He allowed Carnos to feel the psychic power crawl all over his skin, pricking at his senses. He felt the rising concern and fear in Carnos mind alongside the realization that Adam could do more than just stop and deflect.

Then Carnos spoke, braving the open threat laid before him. "Your power is not magic. I do not sense any mana in the air, nor from you, and yet I feel it on my skin, coiling around me like a snake. You have a talent that is unlike any other, and that is precisely why you will die sooner or later if you continue with your application,” Carnos said before sighing away a heavy chest, “You are foolish and young through no fault of your own, gifted with a power unlike any other. But once word comes out that you can do what you’ve just done, then others more powerful and sinister than I will seek you out. Once they do, they will either ask for your services, fealty, or carve you up for their twisted needs.”

Carnos was being extremely blunt, and Adam appreciated it. The psychic young man wanted the truth and needed the reality of this world to be revealed to him in detail. He needed to know what he could face in the future, what dangers laid within, and how high his guard should be.

From the looks of it, he needed to always be on guard. He needed to keep his powers a secret. Knowing this, Adam began to think that maybe his registration was a mistake after all. However, he had already shown a significant extent of what he could do. And Adam knew he could have done more if not for the promise that he was merely going to defend himself.

But as he pondered about his situation, he realized one crucial thing. If word of his psychic power still got out through no fault of his own or others around him, then those around him would be dragged along with. He suddenly remembered that tragic day when his past caught up to him. He realized then that sooner or later his secret would leak out. In spite of his best efforts, as long as he had these powers, there would always be a chance that trouble would eventually find him.

And when it does, people die.

“I don’t want to be alone.”

Adam looked at Carnos who was still wrapped around his telekinetic grasp. The branchmaster stood unmoving, barely lifting a finger after being surrounded by psychic power. Adam looked at the man’s eyes and saw someone who knew this world. A man who believed in the words he had just told.

Adam lowered his hand, freeing Carnos from his influence. As he did, the air thinned and thawed, freed from the weight that had befallen it. Adam then lowered his head, looked at his feet, and cried.

At that moment, Adam once again felt his misery. As he wallowed in the darkness of his newfound reality, a life derailed by tragedy and pain, he wanted to stir himself away and disappear. He had promised his power that he’d do good, but now he doubted if he had the strength to keep it.

It dawned on Adam that he was a danger no matter where he decided to go. Still, he could still choose to be his own person and forge his own path. By joining the guild, he’d be brought under their supervision and protection, diminishing the risks and hazards that surrounded him.

That said, could the guild be trusted?

Just as he was about to turn away, a shadow loomed over him, and a firm hand landed on his shoulders. Adam looked up and saw Carnos standing before him with understanding behind his eyes and a smile that silently told him that all would be okay.

“Why don’t we go back inside, Mr. Adam?”

Adam wiped away his tears and nodded, setting aside his grief once more. Maybe he wouldn't be alone after all.