Dodging Bullets

The recruits gathered at the last zone, anticipation palpable in the air as they prepared for the agility test.

"All right, recruits. In this test, there will be red lasers pointing at you before shooting a small paint bullet. Your goal is dodging as many shots as possible before you get hit," the captain explained.

"Just like the other tests, the order will be from the last one at the speed test to the first," a staff member instructed.

A short time later, a tense recruit stepped into a room whose interior could not be seen from the outside.

To their surprise, the captain remained with them, his presence intensifying their unease. Nervous glances were exchanged among the recruits, worried about performing poorly in front of him.

However, the captain approached Kayden instead of focusing on the ongoing test, causing several recruits to look at him with envy and resentment.

Kayden ignored them, as he wondered what the captain's purpose was.

The captain, on the other hand, glanced at them as he chuckled. "If you have any problem with this and want me to talk to you personally too, you can start by having three perfect scores," he said, making those recruits look away in shame.

Then, he turned his attention back to Kayden, "It seems you are doing quite well," he commented.

Kayden shrugged as he nodded, "It's not that hard, sir."

The captain burst into laughter at Kayden's answer. "I wonder what your peers would think if they were to hear you. If looks could kill, you would probably die several times over," he said, leaning forward slightly.

Suddenly, the captain's tone shifted, his gaze piercing as he posed a peculiar question to Kayden. "By the way, Kayden, have you been having any strange thoughts lately?"

The question left Kayden confused, who asked, "What do you mean with strange, sir?"

Staring him in the eye, the captain replied, "Strange, as in unknown memories surfacing in your mind. Images of unfamiliar people and places, akin to fleeting dreams."

As Kayden heard the captain's words, chaos erupted within his mind.

'Does he know of my dreams about the ruined palace? How?!'

Kayden could not find a way in which the captain could have discovered about his dream.

The idea that the captain could read minds crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it.

Even though he did not know if such a thing was possible, Kayden was sure that the government of a country on Earth, a planet that had just gone through the Awakening, did not have the means for it.

He was utterly bewildered, hesitating whether he should tell the captain about it.

'No, this could be a coincidence, I shouldn't reveal my secret to anyone, especially after considering that it somehow could be a priceless treasure and my ticket to the top.'

"No, sir," Kayden answered, making his best attempt to look puzzled.

The captain scrutinized him for a moment, his eyes narrowing, before offering a smile. "I see," he replied, concealing his disappointment behind a facade of normalcy.

"All right, I will see you later. Good luck with the test." The captain left the place, and Kayden's body was finally able to relax from the tension he was under.

Time went by, while Kayden remained deep in thought. Eventually, his turn came.

He entered the room, observing its interior. It had large dimensions, with gray cement walls, full of small holes. The ceiling was also significantly high, creating quite a spacious room.

"The test will begin now," a sound echoed through the room, causing Kayden to sharpen his senses.

He focused on his surroundings, waiting for the first laser to appear.

Finally, he noticed how a red light was projected, pointing to his chest. He quickly moved out of the laser's path.

Bang!

In the blink of an eye, a small projectile shot through the air, penetrating the space Kayden had occupied just moments before. It collided with the opposite wall, leaving behind a vibrant blue stain as evidence of its trajectory.

At the same time the bullet hit, another laser targeted him, this time in his right leg.

Bang!

Just like the previous one, the bullet went through the air before slamming into the wall.

As time elapsed, the intervals between shots diminished. Kayden found himself confronted with a barrage of bullets, requiring him to move with swift, calculated movements.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Multiple bullets were fired toward Kayden, who bent stiffly as he moved to the side, narrowly dodging the three projectiles.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Having lost track of time, Kayden moved swiftly again, barely dodging bullets as he gasped.

The relentless gunfire left him breathless, making it harder and harder for him to catch his breath as he wondered how much time was left before the test was over.

With each passing minute, exhaustion began to grip Kayden's body, beads of sweat dripping down his face.

His eyes widened when he saw five of the red lasers pointing at him.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The five bullets were fired, piercing through the air from different angles.

He moved at high speed, turning into a blur as he dodged the bullets.

The first of them grazed past his shoulder, missing him by just a millimeter.

The second one passed by his tight.

The third almost hit his head.

The fourth passed between his legs.

Kayden leaned over to dodge the fifth.

Bang!

He did not move fast enough, and a sudden impact seared through his back as the final bullet found its mark.

"Damn it!" He cursed. 'Who on this base could dodge that?!'

"The test has finished."

Kayden heard the voice of the staff member before the door opened. As he stepped out of the room, the other recruits, who were looking at the door, were surprised to see the paint stain on his clothes.

They tried to hide it, but Kayden could see the joy on some of their faces, as if it made them extremely happy that he had finally failed to get a perfect score.

Kayden snorted, causing the happy expressions quickly change to fear.

'The ones that look at me with joy are those with the worst talent, as they know they will never be able to match me,' Kayden thought, without paying more attention to them.

The captain came back, drawing everyone's attention.

"Good jobs, recruits. The test is finally over," he began, some of the recruits breathing in relief. "I will show you now your results, and how they compare to the other recruits in the base. Follow me."

He started walking toward the entrance as the recruits came behind.

Eventually, they arrived in a dimly lit room with chairs and a large screen on one of the walls.

"The screen will show your final result in yellow on the left, followed by the scores of the different categories, which will be in white and following the order in which you did them."