𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐒

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏

Nylah
——————

I stood in line shaking with sweaty palms.

I looked behind me and saw a line that went on for miles. There were people of all shapes, sizes, and races.

We were all here to take The Determination Exam. People all over the world are gearing up to take it right now.

Essentially you practice for it every 3 years starting at age 10 then at 13, 16, and at age 19 you finally take the actual exam.

I just turned 19 last month and have I been studying for this exam on my own time? Yea, like hell.

The year is 2060 and society is split up into different groups, or factions, based on people's "magic" abilities. People say they automatically knew what faction they belonged to growing up, but I think that's cap.

There's the Healers who specialize in helping heal others through special remedies. They're essentially the doctors and dentists of this new age but use a lil bit of magic. The Makers are our inventors and creators. Then there's the Readers who are empaths. They're able to feel what other people are feeling and adjust their feelings or other people's feelings. The majority of them are also skilled in mind reading.

When you're 10, you train for the exam by dabbling in a bit of everything to see what your "calling" is which I find a waste of time because I guess apparently people already know.

My dad is a Reader and my older brother (who's now married with kids and living across the country) is a Maker with his nerdy ass.

And then there's my mom. She passed away when I was 5 so I remember her a little, but not much. I don't know which one of the 3 factions she fell in because my dad never really discussed it when we were growing up.

I personally think I'm a Reader although I'm not even in tune with my own emotions really.

"Move up." A voice behind me said in a rude tone.

I looked back and saw a boy I remembered going to school with.

His eyes lit up once he recognized it was me.

"Oh shit. Hey Nylah. My bad. Just kinda anxious. Didn't mean to go off on you like that."

"All good. I get it. What do you think you'll get on the exam?" I asked while moving forward a little bit and looking at the guards who were reading people's chips in order to check people's identities.

"I think a Maker. It runs in my family for generations. My great great great— like 90x great grandfather created the time machine."

"And how successful was he with that?"

"Not very successful, but I'm hoping to figure that out someday."

Does this dude not realize that if time travel couldn't be figured out by 2030, then why the hell would it be figured out now?

"That's cool." I fake smiled.

"Yea." He nodded. "What about you? What are you tryna score?"

"Reader."

"Oh cool. Don't know much about them, but I'm sure you'll get what you want."

"Thanks."

"Mhm."

I turned back around and sighed to myself. I know he means no harm and doesn't wanna admit it, but the Readers are seen at the bottom of societies totem pole. The Healers are top notch and the Makers are "middle class" I guess you could say.

That's why he doesn't know much about them. He never cared to learn about them.

The line took awhile to actually move, but once I got to the front I became even more nervous.