Arcanum

"Miss Patel can you wake up???" An unknown feminine voice spoke to me. I reluctantly woke up groggily opening one eye slowly, my eyes were hit by a blinding white glare, "what the hell?" I cursed as it caused me to instinctively slam my eyes shut. I naturally tried to rub my eyes, but my hands were restrained like I was cuffed down to a chair. Fighting the glare I forcibly opened both my eyes, as my vision slowly adjusted to the brightness there was a robed figure with strikingly long red hair a few paces in front of me, the walls are pristine white emitting a white glow that made it impossible to grasp the shape and the size of the room.

"What the F? This isn't my room!" I blurted out in confusion. Instinctively I tried to jump to my feet, but my body and my hands were totally restrained. Instantaneously looking down I'm still wearing my pyjamas, but I'm seated on a chair immobilised with nothing physically restraining me. Keeping a watch on myself, I tried to move again.

'What the F, why am I paralysed from the neck down what the hell is going on?' I thought to myself. I turned my attention back to the red-haired figure, I saw a young woman of Asian descent, I can't quite put a finger on it, but being in the presence or acknowledgement of her existence made the hairs on my arm and back of my neck begin to stand on end.

"What the F is going on, why can't I move?" I barked at the red-haired woman.

"Miss Patel if you would just calm down and let me explain the situation, it may put you at ease, you may address me as Scarlet." She calmly replied.

"What the F are you talking about, where am-"

I suddenly couldn't talk, I felt my mouth moving but no voice could be heard as if I was suddenly mute. At that moment I noticed that the room was completely silent, with no sounds of wildlife, and no sound of a draft or wind outside. Looking around there are no visible windows or doors.

"Please Miss Patel you are the last candidate I need to deal with and once this is done, I can finally rest, so I will very much appreciate it if you don't interrupt me," Scarlet replied.

She proceeded by lifting her left hand with an open palm, and suddenly out of thin air, a large opened book appeared in the air and landed in her hands.

"So it says here you are Emilia Patel, born in London, Indian descent, 23, recently graduated top of your class in law school with a job offer from the top 3 law firms, currently single, vegetarian, oh this is interesting your family history and information seem to be blacked out...." Scarlet asked with a raised eyebrow.

'How the F does this book know so much about me how did it just appear out of nowhere! What is Arcanum? Maybe if I pretend they have the wrong person they might just let me go or release me.' I cautiously swivelled my head from side to side gesturing no that she has the wrong person.

Scarlet raised an eyebrow, "interesting because you defiantly look like we have the right person," as she turns the book showing me the pages. The writing was illegible, but there was a picture of me on my graduation day, out with friends and even a picture of me on my birthday. Slamming the book shut, "Anyhow since we are here now I might as well explain to you what's going on. As stated in Act 19.5b any person showing the potential to harness Arcanum will be conscripted and trained to harness and manipulate Arcanum to defend the governing body or state that person is assigned to" Explained Scarlet.

'Arcanum isn't that a blanket term for something to do with magic? what the hell does that have to do with me? And what does she mean by conscripting to a state? United Kingdom doesn't have a compulsory enrollment into military services and how the F did the book appear out of thin air.

"- your current ability to manipulate Arcanum will not be tested but your potential to harness Arcanum will be tested as this will accurately represent your potential, once examinations are complete you will be ranked against all the other candidates today and will be assorted to the correct facilities to receive further study and training, although this will be the very first time for you to harness Arcanum please be aware you should try and perform to the best of your ability. your rank does usually reflect which institute chooses you. Now you may ask any questions you may have." Said Scarlet, patiently waiting for a question.

"This is not even funny, I don't even know what the hell you are talking about or why I am even here I'm not Emilia!" I retorted angrily glaring at her. 'What the hell suddenly I can talk again, what on earth is happening?'

"As explained earlier in act 19.5b you have shown the ability to harness Arcanum and thus have been conscripted and as a result, you are here." Replied Scarlet unfazed by my attempt at being threatening.

"What the hell is this Arcanum you are talking about and don't I get a say in any of this?" I asked scarlet calmly.

"Act 19.5b is different, where as most students apply to the institutes you on the other hand have been picked due to your potential and thus here we are now. Now Arcanum is the energy that is all around us, rare individuals are born with the potential to harness and manipulate it Arcanum, which is why this process is so important, as an individual showing the potential to wield Arcanum is highly sort after and with correct training and guidance use their gifts to benefit the world." Scarlet answered.

"Well, you got the wrong person! I'm not the Emilia Patel you are talking about!" I argued back.

"Miss Emilia Patel, I assure you this process has been running for centuries with no incident of mistaken identity, and in the off chance you are the first mistaken identity we have procedures in place to deal with such accidents." She calmly answered my question.

"Okay, say if I was this girl called Emilia you speak of please can you explain in detail or demonstrate what Arcanum is?" I questioned.

"Hmmm, we still have some time left I'm sure I can show you something." Answered Scarlet.

Scarlet proceeded by tossing the book into the air.

"Well… I can show you something, but you need to promise me that you won't tell anyone this happened," Scarlet requested speaking in a much quieter voice.

"Um sure" I agreed

She lifted her right hand pointing towards the wall to my left, palm facing down holding out her four fingers with her thumb tucked under her palm. Some sort of supernatural energy began to coalesce around the tips of her fingers that began to illuminate red and orange before four red beams shot out from each of her fingertips hitting the wall she pointed at, even being a few meters away from scarlet and the impact zone being even further away, I could feel my skin drying up from the extreme heat the four beams were emanating.

"This is called Fire Beam extremely potent spell. Harnessing Arcanum may differ from individual to individual, some use it to enhance their physical abilities, whereas some like myself harness it for spells, there are too many for me to list." explained scarlet.

"What the?" I gasped in a mixture of shock, confusion and amazement over what I just witnessed. Everything in my mind is telling me this can't be real, but I felt the heat and I see the scorch marks left where the beams impacted the wall. What the hell is going on? It closely resembled a magic spell that I've read in fantasy books, but magic isn't real its complete fiction.

"This can't be real I must be in some wacky dream!" I said.

Scarlet slowly walked towards me, with each step my body started to feel hot, I could feel my forehead begin to sweat, my hands began trembling more and more intensely with each step, I could feel my heart beating fast and faster, every instinct and fibre in my body was telling me to run. She bent down so we were face to face, I could see her more clearly she had extremely dark black eyes barely being able to see the pupil in the middle of the iris, coupled with her soft facial feature and a smile she seemed extremely friendly, but what does my body make me feel like I need to run for my life. She moved her right hand towards my head, I slammed my eyes closed turning my head bracing myself. I felt a blunt impact on my forehead like an extremely painful flick, painful enough that I was sure it would leave a bruise. I opened one eye cautiously, seeing her walking away from me and my body started to slowly return to normal with each step she took, I instinctively tried to rub my forehead to help but my hands were still paralyzed.

"Do you still think you're dreaming?" She questioned.

"I don't think so." stuttering as my body is still recovering from this strange influence she emits from just being in proximity of her.

"Good, then we are at an understanding, shouldn't be long now before you'll be called into the examination room" she replied and started to pace from side to side.

Just as I was going to ask another question, a strange glowing blue light manifested in the air beside Scarlet drawing a large oval at least 6ft tall, upon completion the inside of the oval looked as if It was another location like a portal in a sci-fi movie, revealing an eerie stone hallway lit with torches leading to a set of large double doors.