Freya’s voice echoes through the air, calm and composed despite the chaos he’s just endured. “The physical trial was only half of the test, Kain. Your next challenge is here. This portion evaluates your intellect, creativity, and moral judgment. You’ll face puzzles, dilemmas, and theoretical problems—all designed to test how you think.”
Kain wipes the sweat from his brow, muttering, “Sure, just what I needed after almost getting turned into scrap metal: a pop quiz.”
“Less sarcasm, more focus,” Freya retorts sharply, though there’s a faint hint of amusement in her tone. “And don’t assume this will be easier than what you just faced.”
The book’s cover glows faintly as Kain approaches, the shifting runes almost inviting him to open it. As soon as he places his hand on the cover, he feels a rush of energy—like the book itself is alive, aware. It recognizes him, pulling him into the test as if the trial itself is an extension of the chamber’s sentience.
The pages of the book spring to life as Kain turns them, each one presenting a new challenge.
The book echoed: “Objective: Complete the ethical, knowledge and strategic assessment. Duration: 10 Minutes. Decisions will determine your Tier advancement.”
The console flickered, displaying a series of scenarios. Each one was accompanied by shifting runes, glowing text, and holographic images illustrating the choices.
• Scenario: A fellow Sea-tizin resident is accused of smuggling illegal magical artifacts. They’ve saved your life before, and the evidence is circumstantial. You’re tasked with recommending their punishment—or clearing their name.
• Choices:
1. Recommend exile, preserving the community’s safety but betraying a friend.
2. Clear their name, risking your own credibility if they’re guilty.
3. Investigate further, delaying justice to ensure the right decision.
Kain chose the third option, opting to investigate further. He scanned the evidence for inconsistencies and uncovered a hidden clue: the artifacts had been planted. His choice saved an innocent life without sacrificing the community’s safety.
• Scenario: A magical disaster threatens a small village. You can redirect the fallout to an uninhabited area, but doing so will destroy a critical resource needed by the broader community.
• Choices:
1. Protect the resource, sacrificing the village.
2. Save the village, sacrificing the resource.
3. Attempt to mitigate both, risking total failure.
Kain again chose the balanced option, leveraging his tactical mind to mitigate the damage. Using the terrain and magical tools available, he minimized the disaster’s impact, saving both the village and preserving part of the resource.
The scenarios continued, each testing Kain’s values, strategy, and ability to balance personal stakes with the needs of the community.
1. The Glyphs of Understanding:A glowing pattern of glyphs stretches across the page, their meanings buried in intricate, shifting relationships. Kain furrows his brow, running his fingers over the symbols as he tries to make sense of them. He begins to feel frustrated, but then… something clicks.A distant memory surfaces: the chaotic incident at Doc’s mansion. In the middle of the carnage, one of the soldiers—a mage among their ranks—had fallen, and Kain had absorbed his energy without hesitation. He hadn’t thought much about it at the time—just another desperate survival move in the heat of battle.Now, that soldier’s knowledge trickles into his mind like a whisper. Symbols he’s never seen before feel familiar, their patterns intuitive. He traces connections across the glyphs, the soldier’s arcane understanding blending seamlessly with his own instincts.“Guess you’re still helping, huh?” Kain mutters under his breath. With steady hands, he solves the glyph puzzle, the runes locking into place with a resonant hum.
2. The Arcane Equation:The next page presents a sprawling equation, blending logic, arcane principles, and physics in a dizzying array. Kain stares at it, his pulse quickening. The soldier’s knowledge rises again, clearer this time—almost like a voice guiding him.“Balance the energy flow… account for quantum displacement,” Kain murmurs, his voice barely audible.It’s more than memory—it’s as if the soldier’s thought processes are temporarily his own. The equation resists him, shifting and rearranging itself with each adjustment, but Kain persists, weaving together both his knowledge and the foreign, inherited expertise.Finally, the equation stabilizes, glowing brightly before the book turns to the next page. Kain exhales, his heart pounding. “Thanks, soldier,” he mutters, acknowledging the fragment of the man who had unknowingly left a mark on him.
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3. The Moral Dilemma:The book shifts again, this time presenting a vivid, holographic scene. Two people are trapped on opposite sides of a collapsing bridge—a mentor figure who once saved Kain’s life, and a child clutching a stuffed animal. He only has time to save one.Kain freezes, his jaw tightening as the scene plays out in vivid detail. His gut reaction is immediate: save the mentor. The person who taught him everything, who risked their life for his. He knows it’s the choice he’d make in the real world—he wouldn’t even hesitate.But something about the test makes him pause. This isn’t about what I’d do. It’s about what the book wants me to do.He grits his teeth, muttering, “The kid has their whole life ahead of them. That’s the answer you want, right?” He steps forward, reaching for the child, his choice made. The mentor hologram fades, their expression calm, almost proud, as the scene dissolves.As the book’s pages flip on their own, Kain adds under his breath, “But in the real world? I’d save my mentor. Sorry, but that’s just how I’m wired.”
Finally, the pages go blank, and the book hums with a low, resonant tone. The runes on its cover shift, forming a single word: First. The air around Kain stills as the test concludes, the room dissolving into its original sterile white.
Freya and Haley enter the chamber, their footsteps echoing in the silence. Haley is the first to speak, her expression a mix of disbelief and admiration. “First? Are you kidding me? First in the combat trial and this test? What are you, Kain?”
Kain leans against the desk, catching his breath. “What can I say? Guess circumstances gave me a few… unexpected souvenirs.” He taps the side of his head with a knowing grin, leaving Haley puzzled.
Freya, usually composed, falters slightly, her Scandinavian lilt slipping through. “This has to be a mistake…” She shakes her head, recomposing herself. “These tests aren’t designed to be aced. Only a handful of individuals have ever ranked at the top. This is… exceptional.”
Kain shrugs, though his cocky grin falters slightly. “I mean, I doubt my answer to the bridge dilemma was what you wanted to hear.”
Freya’s gaze sharpens, her tone measured. “On the contrary. The book evaluates not just the answer but the reasoning behind it. You passed because you understood the stakes.”
Haley smirks, folding her arms. “Don’t let it go to your head, though. You’ve still got plenty to prove.”
Freya steps forward, “You passed with flying colors. I don’t need to see any more.”Freya, still visibly impressed but settling back into her professional demeanor, taps her fingers on the desk, returning to the business at hand. “Good job on the test, Kain,” she says, clearing her throat as she lists the next steps. “Now, I’ll just need a copy of your social-security card, ID or driver’s license, and we’ll need to record your energy imprint—everyone’s energy is unique to their identity.”
She pauses, giving Kain a nod. “Once we’ve got that, you and Haley can wait in our café until your application is processed. Normally, we’d take a couple of days to finalize naturalization paperwork, but…” She glances at his test results with a faint smile, “with results like yours, as long as your background and record are clean, and since you’re already a natural-born U.S. citizen, you should have your status plate in a couple hours.”
Kain tries to mask the flicker of anxiety that passes over him. He forces a smile and mutters, “Is it really that impressive?”
Freya raises an eyebrow, clearly catching the edge of doubt in his tone. “Exceptional scores don’t come often. You’ve set a benchmark,” she says, her gaze direct. But her attention soon shifts, her focus already on the logistics, leaving him a moment to collect himself.
Kain’s mind races as he fumbles for his ID. Will my forged identity hold up here? he wonders, fingers tightening on the edges of his wallet.
Freya takes Kain’s identification, giving him a nod, then motions for them to follow. She leads Kain and Haley down another hallway, opening a set of doors that reveal a surprising sight—a tranquil, open-air café nestled within an enchanted forest garden, all housed within the building itself. Sunlight filters through the canopy of trees overhead, dappling the tables and paths below with warm, golden light, as if they’d just stepped into a peaceful woodland glade. Delicate, colorful flowers bloom along winding stone paths, and small streams of crystal-clear water trickle through the garden, creating an atmosphere of serene beauty.
The tables, set around natural stone benches and soft cushions, offer privacy amidst the greenery, and the subtle hum of magic can be felt in the air, maintaining the perfect temperature and ambiance.