EQUINOX || The Catalysts Series, #3

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This time, there is no privacy.

No separating sub-rooms, no individual-basis lineups, no personalised government representatives.

It's just one plain room with the group of supposedly purple coded students from the last stage, and Viktas and one other man—the one who'd guided them in.

The first trials stage was unfiltered too, but not in the way Lena now experiences. Back then, there were objects in the room, and robots to supervise the process. This time, they stand in an empty space awaiting instructions from the intimidating head of the authorities team sent to Arcane Academy.

"For you passive talents," Viktas begins, eyeing them one by one, "there will be two parts to this stage. One, we will test for the existence of a passive talent—meaning we will be making sure you're not using your active talents while this set of trials is taking place. Two, your ability class will be measured simultaneously, for the passive part of your abilities. It'll be taken into consideration and averaged with the active part of your abilities.

"Because of the variety of abilities in this City... we will have to split you, again," Viktas explains, his rough voice hinting exasperation at the complexity of ability classifications. "Carlos, if you please."

The bronze-skin man holding the tablet—Carlos—pulls out a holographic screen before them, as wide as the room. The blue screen contains the names of all students present right now, and a line in the middle splits the screen into two sections so that the names either fall on the left or the right.

Viktas continues, "As most of you might already know, a passive talent is something rare even among ability users. It is a form of your own abilities that do not require activation and does not drain you because it is a secondary ability, just like an extension of you. Some of you may not even realise you have it in you, especially the first years or newcomers. This stage's objective will be to test that and find out your true potential.

"We have classified you into physical and mental types—the simplest way to do it. Physical names are to the left of the screen and the mental on the right. For the sake of transparency of this stage, allow me to have one of each group to demonstrate how it will work. Caelus?"

Lena can almost feel his resigned obedience and inner rebellious question—"why me?"—through the tight air as he crosses the room and meets Viktas at the front. And yet, part of her was already expecting him to be chosen—if not for his status as Ace in this Academy then as someone who somehow has a tense relationship with Viktas, who is apparently enjoying this.

The two trade eye contact, and without warning, two strong whips of purple energy are unleashed from Viktas. It catches Caelus off guard because right before they hit his passive barrier, the two energy beams drift and circle around, intending to strike at the side. An invisible wall stops the energy midair, two forces colliding, the purplish power sizzling and finally dissipating.

Only at that very moment Lena realises another purple lash is suddenly suspended in front of her, slapping against invisible air and struggling to break through to her and the student beside her.

Lena breathes out slowly, her eyes widening at the almost impact if not for Caelus' active conjuration and fast reaction. It happened too fast and simultaneously when all eyes were focused on the two direct attacks from Viktas toward Caelus. Even Carlos, one of the government supervisors of this stage of the trials, is stunned by the sudden display of power and exchange of abilities.

Viktas, the source of all this, manages a sly quirk of his lips. His posture did not change one bit even as he uses his abilities, his hands folded nearly behind his back. "Now that, is a display."