Kiran takes a step back. "This… feels off"

Brain-Lady looks at Kiran. "Are you okay?"

"Yes… I just… don't like this."

"Okay. Can I look at it? I won't try to open it. I should be able to get some residual energy from it to determine your desire. It will help me confirm your gift."

"Sure… but don't do too much. Something tells me it might be dangerous."

Brain-Lady looks at Kiran, who's focused on the lock. "Hmm. Such a strong survival sense. This kid definitely passed The Trials."

She steps closer to the lock. "I promise I won't do something extreme. For now, I only want to look at it." Brain-Lady stares at the black lock with silver engravings. "Do these symbols mean anything to you?"

Kiran peers closer. Several silver lines flow around the keyhole up towards the top. "No… I don't recognise them."

"Hmm. Maybe a specific Trial had these markings. Mind if I touch the lock?"

Kiran feels cold, but clenches his fist "We came this far haven't we? I… also want to know what my desire is." He nods. "You can touch it."

Brain-Lady reaches out her hand. "I wonder what this boy's desire could be with his gift. He could activate his gift without knowing his desire, but can't recall activating it. This is so exciting!"

She smiles as her hand is millimetres away from the lock. "But I don't remember this lock being this big a few seconds ago…"

The lock has grown over 50 times its size. She takes a deep breath and steadies her body. Her fingertip taps the lock.

"CHASE THE LIGHT! CHASE THE LIGHT! CHASE THE LIGHT!"

The words echo loudly across the entire Soul Psyche. The sound bangs against Brain-Lady's ears over and over again. The water they stand on rapids around them. Wave's crash and the whole area vibrates.

"What's going on?! Kid?! Are you okay?!" Brain-Lady turns to look at Kiran.

"NO!!!!" Kiran hunches and holds his head. "NO PLEASE! PLEASE STOP!"

"CHASE THE LIGHT CHASE THE LIGHT CHASE THE LIGHT" The sound bangs around.

Brain-Lady blocks her ears, but the sounds pierce through. "What a strong reaction! I need to-"

"CHASE THE LIGHT KIRAN!!" A shockwave bursts from the lock.

Brain-Lady shoots from her couch and crashes into the wall of the office. "Holy! I got sent out from his Soul Psyche." She takes deep breaths.

Kiran runs towards Brain-Lady. "Brain-Lady! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, kid. Don't worry. I'm always prepared for something like this." She rubs the back of her head. "However… I've never had such a strong pushback. Was that his mental energy shooting me back? But his gift is physically based… Maybe if he was a manipulator…"

Brain-Lady puts her hand on her head. "Give me a second… my head is ringing a bit." She thinks about the words said. "Chase the light?" She taps her chin. "Hey, kid. Your name is Kiran, right? Did you hear anything at all just now?"

"H-Huh? My name is Kiran… but I didn't hear anything. But… my vision disappeared, just before you touched the lock."

Brain-Lady keeps thinking. "Interesting. So he didn't hear that at all?"

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

She looks at Kiran. "What did you see?"

"It's hard to explain. But… it felt like I saw someone hurting someone else… I think… I think I saw that bald man hurt Easton."

"I see… that is when you activated your gift."

"I activated my gift? How? I don't know what it is."

Brain-Lady stands up and dusts herself off. "Tell me, do the words 'Chase the Light' mean anything to you?"

"W-Well… not really. I don't know what it means, but I've heard it a few times. Actually… that's what I heard when I woke up on the beach. I must not stop chasing. But I really don't know what it means."

"Okay. Go sit down. Give me a moment to process what has happened. I think I know your gift."

Brain-Lady sits at a desk. She taps the desk and a large blue holographic screen appears. She rushes through lines and lines of information. She pulls information and sits it on one side as she continues to look through multiple files.

"What's this?" asks Kiran.

"These are numerous Arkodians my guild has evaluated. I am cross-referencing the information I picked up in your Soul Psyche with others who were similar."

"Why are you doing that?"

"Gifts in Arkodia share some resemblance. There is a similar desire, feeling, or emotion. Even that lock in your Soul Psyche. It's not the first time I've seen it." She recalls the moments Kiran activated his gifts. "I'm sure I know what his gift is, but let me make sure."

With a few more taps, the blue screen closes.

"Okay. I've checked my notes, and I'm certain I understand your gift." Brain-Lady sits in front of Kiran.

"Understand my gift? But I don't even know what my desire is."

"Me neither. However, your gift is movement-based with what happened in your Soul Psyche and the 'chase the light' phrase. You seem to be able to teleport. It matches the 'chase' description."

Kiran looks down and thinks. "I was in front of Garnett quickly and somehow hit the bald man when I couldn't move." He rubs his chin.

"Teleportation… but I don't know how I activated it even."

"Do you know how most people activate their gifts?"

"N-No…"

"Initially, it's through understanding their desire. As OmniOne's 4th law states, one's gift shall strengthen if your desire is manifested. There is a strong emotional connection to that. It's highly hypothesised that Positive Energy activates your Soul Potential Energy to create your gift."

Brain-Lady opens her palm, and a blue screen appears before her. The light shines from her wristband. It's the same star Kiran saw at Kura, with his low ratings. "I think you aren't able to tap into that Positive Energy, but you have managed to pull from it somehow."

Kiran stares at Brain-Lady. She raises her eyebrow. "Is something the matter?"

"I don't know what Positive Energy is."

"They should've explained this to you at your guild. Well. The human body is a complex organism. 5 energies are working simultaneously…"

Brain-Lady starts explaining various topics about the energy of the human body. Kiran quickly gets overwhelmed with the information. Fact after fact goes through one ear and out the next. He turns into a ghost.

Brain-Lady notices this. She coughs before explaining again. "It's basically positive thoughts. Very philosophical. It's something unique to us humans."

"So positive thoughts can help me activate my gift?"

"Yes and no. Your body is not that simple. It will know if it's real or not. Possibly one flaw of OmniOne's creation. Otherwise, there wouldn't be Negative Energy."

"N-Negative Energy?"

Brain lady puts her hand on her head. "Did he even miss that part when I explained it?" She removes it. "Just think of it like bad thoughts, trauma-type stuff. That's what analysers and scientists have theorised about those locks, like the one we saw in your Soul Psyche. It blocks Negative Energy. Well, it's already, sort of, proven." Brain-Lady has a sly smile on her face. "Running tests on that is a bit unethical though… due to OmniOne's laws…"

"Is something the matter Brain-Lady?"

Brain-Lady coughs. "No. Nothing. My mind just went elsewhere." She taps on the blue screen in front of her before it switches off. "I have done everything I can kid. At least you know you have a teleportation gift, and you can activate it. Only you can figure out how."

"Thank you Brain-Lady!" Kiran clenches his fists tightly. "I might not know my desire, but at least I can use a gift! Like Garnett! And that Tasha girl! Now I need to figure out how to use it…"

"Most red-ranks know what their desires are and what their gifts are. They can't activate it, so don't get your hopes too high. You still lack the Soul Potential Energy needed."

This statement shoots like an arrow through Kiran's heart. "R-Right…"

"You may go. There's nothing more to be done here."

"Okay! Bye, Brain-Lady! Thank you again for your help!"

Brain-Lady watches Kiran excitingly leave. She sits a bit in her mind. "So one with tremendous Physical Energy, and one with a vast space for Mental Energy, yet both have trouble accessing their Soul Potential Energy? My my, red-ranks are becoming more and more interesting each cycle."

Kiran rushes out and closes the door. He sees Easton still standing at the window.

"Easton! Easton! You won't believe what Brain-Lady told me!"

Easton doesn't react to Kiran, but this doesn't stop his excitement.

"I have a gift!"

This breaks Easton from his concentration. "What?! A gift?! You have a gift, red-rank?!"

"Yeah! She says it's teleportation. But I don't know how to activate it…"

Easton stares out the window with his mouth half-open. His eyes sink into his head. "E-Even this red-rank… I-Impossible…"

"Uh, Easton… are you okay?"

"H-H-How…" Easton falls to his knees. His hands quiver. "I-I can't believe this… I am… actually a red-rank." He falls to the floor.

"Easton! Wake up!" Kiran leans down to him and shakes him. Eaton doesn't react.

"I need Israr! Oh, wait. Where is Israr?" Kiran looks around. Easton lies still.

Almost like calling him, Israr appears behind Kiran from a different hallway. "Hi, Kiran! I'm here. I see Easton is doing well." Israr nervously laughs. "He'll be fine Kiran. Don't worry. Besides! I have something that will cheer you both up."

Both of them look at Israr.

"I have a mission to do, and I want you two to come along!"