Equilibrium

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

My element is fire; and I couldn't be happier. Fire is passionate, energetic, and powerful. It is a force not to be reckoned with, and now I'm part of that force.

If I had let myself have a preference for an element, it would have been fire. I'm ready for whatever comes my way.

This doesn't seem real. I've known this day was coming my whole life, but I didn't know it would feel like this. I wear a face of confidence and another name is called.

"Alisha Arai" spits out Senator Antony.

A cute girl with bright blonde hair, with sky blue eyes, walks up to the stage. She takes a vial, not the one farthest, nor the one closest to her, and drinks.

She rises from the ground, little by little, and seems weightless. After a few more seconds, she comes back down. I can tell she is proud of her new found element.

"Air!" I hear come from Senator Antony's lips.

"What an astounding turnout," he begins, "these four Ascending Alchemists will now be put in a university that best suits them. Thank you, that is all."

With that, we are escorted back stage and all put into a limousine. Brook and Alisha sit towards the back of the limousine and don't talk much. I don't either, until Tyler starts a conversation with me.

"That was incredible." he says.

"Definitely, the way that water just came to you really was amazing." I reply.

"Nah, you three's elements looked so cool. I love water, but it doesn't seem like I have as much control over it."

"It'll just take time. I don't even know how I did that." I state. Well, that's partially true.

I know some about my element, all the elements actually; but that's only due to my secret studies, and I definitely don't have a full understanding.

Our conversation doesn't seem to veer away from this one topic: the elements. It's as if the topic itself is so tremendous it has its own gravitational pull, and our conversation is stuck in orbit.

We are driving for a long time, at least two hours. Finally, we are all brought to a huge building. Inside is a beautiful theatre. We are told to take seats, and so we do. It's packed with teenagers my age; all Ascending Alchemists I presume.

Brook goes to sit with some earth Alchemists. Alisha sits with Tyler and I, with Tyler in the middle.

A short, plum man comes on stage. It's scary to see him walk, at any second I'm afraid he'll fall and keep rolling, never to stop.

"Welcome, and congratulations." he says. Some Ascending Alchemists, like me, just wait for his next line. Others start hooting and screaming with excitement.

I see such a variety of people. People with glasses and a pile of books, people with tattoos everywhere, even people with a mix of both.

When the crowd settles, he goes on, "As you all know, you will now be sent to a University that we believe best suits you. We have already looked at each of your histories, elements, personalities, skills, and brains. Considering all these components, we have selected Universities for all of you. Now, there are just over a hundred of you; so you'll have to be patient. When I call your name, remember the University I assign you to."

He will waste no time. He begins calling off names and universities to go with them at a fast pace.

Caleb Flemming, a tall, nerdy boy near me is called. I remember meeting him once and he had a very big ego; I'm sure having an element will only increase that ego.