Postulants

In a room where there were several monitors recording in real time the development of the second stage of the ARET entrance exam, there were some men and women dressed in white coats gathered in the place who watched with certain expectations.

- It's been almost three hours and only 36 applicants have woken up ... on the other hand, there have already been four meetings in such a short time! - said one of the men.

- The sleeping gas has a minimum effect of six hours ... in itself all those who have been able to wake up before have already shown a certain resistance superior to the average human. - said a woman.

- So far we have been able to see four different types of abilities, the most common being basic communication with small animals. Although this varies between commanding or negotiating ...

- It's not very strange to see this; on the other hand, the second skill deals with telekinesis ... applicant 8642 has demonstrated a medium range of control by being able to throw three small stones from different angles against applicant 1445 using it as a distraction to escape.

- That girl looks promising ... but not quite comparable with the third and fourth skills ... ignition and fusion ... applicant 2477 has the ability to generate small explosions in anything she touches with a charge time of 10 seconds ... on the other hand, participant 425 has been able to freeze objects she touches with a delay of 25 seconds ... they really are promising ...

- We already have four pre-approved, they just need to get the two codes from other applicants. - said another woman.

Suddenly, a man entered the room; it was a middle-aged man along with a younger one.

- Instructor Gregorio ...

- Focus on applicant 4537. - said the old man suddenly.

One of the screens showed a young man with an eyepatch who was walking around the grounds with apparent tranquility.

- Sir, is there something strange about this participant? - asked a male.

- ...

Without answering his question, old Gregorio gave only a few last words before leaving.

- Don't take your eyes off that boy.

Everyone was a bit worried about this.

It had been almost two hours since he had started walking, but Liam had not found any other person, only small animals and birds passing by.

- Are there really other participants here? I couldn't find anyone ... I don't even know what time it is ... but, by the height of the sun, it must be close to twelve o'clock or one o'clock in the afternoon ...

While he was still mumbling, the boy heard a sudden explosion.

- What is that? - Liam exclaimed before falling silent again.

Having immediately hidden himself in the bushes and trees nearby, the young man became alert, observing all the surroundings. In a moment, he could notice the presence of three silhouettes almost four meters away from him.

- Those are ...

A young man with a girl was in front of another male who had a somber look on his face, it was that boy who had not been alarmed by the penalty explained by the Duchess of Saragossa.

- Hey ... give us your token and bottle of water at once. - commented the proud young man next to the girl who had a shrewd expression.

- ...

The other indifferent man did not respond.

Having provoked them perhaps without hidden intentions in not responding he made the couple run straight towards him to attack him.

Liam was fully aware of what was about to happen.

Out of nowhere, a projectile was launched straight at the gloomy young man who remained indifferent. The sound of the impact seemed to be that of an explosion, but the incredible thing was that, when the dust cleared, the man remained unmoved.

 Immediately, the girl who had positioned herself behind the young man exclaimed - Go!

A sudden lizard that had emerged from the bushes rushed towards the victim. A crocodile was beginning to open its mouth revealing numbers of teeth ready to tear apart. 

"A crocodile! ... Where did that come from!" thought Liam at the sight of it.

But what was more worrying was what was going to happen to the attacked boy.

However, without moving, or being surprised; the grim, scrawny looking young man grabbed with both his hands the mouth of the lizard which had been rendered incredibly immobile by the young man's gripping force.

"What!"

Everyone thought the same as they saw the boy's extraordinary strength and endurance.

- Latina ... get away from him ... - exclaimed the attacker to his companion, because, without delay, he noticed something strange.

That boy, without letting go of the crocodile, did something terrible without any variation in his expression. As if he were going to skin the bones of the flesh of a chicken, the boy opened the lizard's mouth until it showed a crack that then spread throughout its body until it split it in half. A painful death.

Blood spilled all over the boy's clothes and fell to the floor; however, the boy did not let go of every half of the corpse in his hands.

- I'll give it back to you.

 Before he could think, the young man threw each piece of the animal in the directions of his attackers as if they were projectiles.

The speed was impressive; however, the accuracy was faulty. Neither of the two young men was hurt, but they were totally terrified.

Having finished the futile ambush, the grim young man walked first towards the superb male.

- Give it to me. - said the boy.

The subdued man trembling took out of one of his pockets a token with the number 8,002, showing nothing but fear.

- It seems that you also possess superhuman strength ... besides being intelligent in throwing stone with the speed of a projectile ... from now on I will use it too. - commented the young man totally indifferent.

Then he turned to the woman who had not moved; instead, the grass had become damp around her.

- Did you pee yourself? ... Maybe I was too hard ... give it to me ...

The girl shakily handed him her token.

- Well ... 42 and 753 ... I guess that's it ...

Throwing the chips to a distant place where they were lost from sight, the young man gave his last words.

- They are so lucky that murders are not allowed ...

Having said these words, which explained the error of accuracy of the young man's previous throw, he proceeded to withdraw; however, as he walked a few steps, the boy stood still in silence.

- ... There seems to be another one ...

These words made Liam instantly startle.

Incredibly, the young man's expressionless face revealed a faint smile.

- ... You are lucky ... I no longer need to know other codes ... although maybe ...

The atmosphere changed drastically, the feeling in the air was filled with a murderous intent.

Liam was struck down by this terrifying sensation.

The slender boy began to approach towards where he was hiding. It was clear that he had discovered him.

Before he could make a move, a hand covered Liam's mouth. As he turned to see who it was he could tell it was someone he knew.

Renato made a sign for him to be silent. Liam understood immediately.

Out of nowhere, out of the bushes came a squirrel who upon seeing the boy approaching ran the other way.

- A ... squirrel ... maybe ... hahh ....

Sighing, the shadowy male turned and walked away.

It was almost five minutes before they both dared to say anything.

- You... What are you doing here?

- This is how you thank me.

- Anyway, we have to get out of here.

- ... Yeah, but first ... how about we look for the chips on those two guys ... they can't have fallen far.

- What are you talking about?! Didn't you see that guy headed exactly where he threw the chips?! It's sure to be there!

This statement made the young man rethink his improvised idea.

- Yeah... you have a point... so, shall we force that pair to tell us their code?

Liam's face seemed to express that he disagreed.

- Well ... let's go ... - said Renato.

After almost three hours, inside a space surrounded by trees and stones, there were two young people who seemed to have met recently.

The atmosphere was somewhat colder than usual; however, that only made the young albino more alert.

- Do you think having that blade will make a difference? - said a beautiful young woman with black, straight hair who was wearing a sort of blue dress with a light jacket.

- It doesn't hurt to try. - Daniel replied.

The young woman with the expressionless face smiled.

- I see.

The two immediately ran in each other's direction, but the young woman noticed Daniel's hesitation in using the black blade.

She wasted no time, and took the hand that held the blade and with the other she tenderly caressed the young man's face.

A sudden memory flooded Daniel's mind, a scene when his sister caressed him when he was a child, then the scene changed to that view he had at the hotel.

All this made him close his eyes and become confused; the young woman noticed all these openings and suddenly from her hands seemed to come out like a white smoke that began to freeze the young man's face as well as her hand with the blade.

Daniel fell to the floor.

- W-What a cold... it's... what is this?

Keeping his head down watching the shadow of that young woman, a token was thrown to the ground. It was Daniel's token.

- ... When?! ... When?!

- I just need to know your code... now that I know it, I have nothing more to do with you! - said the woman as she walked away.

 As if she had lost all interest in the fallen young man, the woman disappeared from the scene.

- T-This is no good... I-I must... get up....

Without being able to finish speaking, because of the constant cold, Daniel fainted.

It was about 4 pm.

The hours passed and, being almost 10 pm, a young man who was watching news on TV in his room got up having turned off the equipment and went to another room.

Walking down the corridors, the young man wore a thoughtful expression.

"This is strange ... having heard that some acquaintances of Emily's had come, I thought she might get to improve her condition a little; but on the contrary, it seems her behavior has been somewhat strange ... it's as if ... she started to distrust everyone ... Hahh ... well, for this last time, I'll help her ... I don't like seeing her like this ... I also don't think she will last long the title as her sworn brother or whatever they call him ... I also have to go to one last place before seeing Russel."

While Aren was still immersed in his thoughts, another young woman seemed to be in the same thing in the darkness of her room, but with greater intensity.

"Hahh ... hahh ... not again ... those memories ... I don't want to see them again ... I don't want to hear from them ... I thought ... I was over it ... I was, but ... why again ... also, I know I'm being looked for ... Where will they be now? What if they find out I'm here... Noria and Riza... they showed up having been tipped off by Melissa... but wouldn't they have been in cahoots with Marcelo... I can't trust anyone ... they're all just after my father's riches ... someone ... please ..."

It seemed that the thoughts consumed the young woman and drove her to utter despair, but a glimmer of hope freed her mind. The door to her room was knocked and within seconds, although she had not been told to enter, a young man entered with an answer.

- Listen ... after thinking about it, I'll accept your request ... that of becoming your sworn brother or something ... but first ... what?! - Aren spoke automatically, but, seeing Emily's expression, a shiver ran through his body.

A slight smile accompanied by eyes that expressed relief, but certain hidden intentions of obsession was what Aren could notice.

- Emily?

Turning on the lights, Aren confirmed what he could notice in the darkness.

"That look...I've seen it somewhere before...this isn't right at all...what happened?"

The young woman who was starting to tear up wiped herself and calmed down.

- ... Thank you for answering me ... I am happy that you are helping me again ... then, tomorrow we will go with my uncles to the notary's office.

- Wait... before that, I was going to tell you that I will be busy tomorrow. I'll be leaving early.

- Huh? ... What do you need to do? ... Can't you do it here? ... If it's something you need to buy or do outside, you can tell me and I'll tell my uncle to take care of it.

- No... this is a personal thing I have to do... so, I'll see you tomorrow afternoon... rest well.

- B-But ...

Emily did not insist any further, for she had noticed the way he was behaving. That being so, Aren left the room and closed the door, but his day was not over yet, someone was waiting for him outside the young woman's room.

A young woman with light brown hair was leaning against the wall near the door.

- ...

- I need to talk to you about something... let's go to my room.

The coldness in his body vanished and was now embraced by a warm fire; all this made Daniel wake up.

When he opened his eyes, he noticed a starry sky and a bonfire rising its smoke towards that sky.

- W-Where am I... ? - he asked out of inertia as the young man got up.

- Looks like you had a bad time, huh? ... We found you all stiff ... we thought you were already 'cold'. - Daniel heard that familiar voice.

- Don't worry ... looks like you won't catch a cold ... you're really lucky we found you, Daniel. - said another familiar voice.

When I saw who they were, they were sitting around the campfire Liam and Renato.

- Oh ... it's you ...

- Is that the thanks we get? - commented Renato sarcastically.

Liam sighed.

- Continuing with the subject ... What happened to you? - Liam asked.

A silence was heard.

- ... I was attacked ... by a ... girl ...

Renato's exaggerated laughter was heard all around.

- Can't you shut up?! - exclaimed Liam.

- B-But ... a girl, really, man? ...

Daniel looked embarrassed.

-What does it matter? We're all applicants, aren't we? We're all supposed to have the skills to take this test. - said Liam.

- Yeah... I guess...

- People... don't you think the smoke attracts other people?

- Yes, but there are three of us... besides, if we didn't do it you would freeze. - replied Renato nonchalantly.

Suddenly, a sound of rustling branches was heard. Several footsteps seemed to be heard near them.

- The three of us can do it, can't we, Renato? - commented Daniel sarcastically.

- You know... I am human, I can make mistakes...