The Key of Astrea

Final Test

The skylight painted the gym floor in shifting hues of blue light. Along the walls were tables adorned with fruits, vegetables, cheese, crackers, and meats. A buzz of excited conversation filled the space. The contestants formed a line that led away from the testing-room door. The gray uniforms were first in line, while Jenny and the other white uniforms stood near the back.

"I carried that in." Kensei pointed to a massive pedestal in the center of the gym. Kett'l and Thork'l stood on either side, and the newly crafted Riftkey rested upon it. Around them were four guards in black uniforms with handguns hanging from their belts.

"Patience, everyone, please." Lin Song stood at the head of the line and held the eager recruits back. She wore a loose white shirt with floral embellishments on its wide sleeves. "We'll begin testing at 07:00."

The clock on the wall read 06:56. Kensei stood on tiptoe and counted the number of people ahead of them. "We might not get our chance until lunchtime."

"If we're lucky," Billo said.

"Don't worry," Adriana said. "There will be plenty of time."

"I hope so." Jenny popped a blueberry in her mouth.

At 07:00, Lin turned and addressed everyone in line. "The time has come to put your skills to the test. May the best Æon win."

Lin opened the door and Sadi stepped inside the maze room. Four large screens displayed a live feed of each maze. Lin walked up to Jenny and the other white uniforms. "I'm sorry that you four got the least amount of time to practice, but I want you to know that I'm proud of you. You've each made such excellent progress."

"Thank you, Lin," Jenny said. "Has there been any word from Lance?"

"No." Lin looked back at the entrance to the gym. "I can't believe he would miss the testing."

"He'll turn up," Adriana said.

"Yeah," Kensei said. "I'm sure he'll want to see who gets the Riftkey."

"Yeah..." Lin pondered. "Well, good luck! Not that you need it. You all will do great"

Lin walked over to the pedestal and talked to Thork'l and Kett'l. Meanwhile, Sadi worked her way through the first maze. Her efficiency impressed Jenny. Sadi soon completed the perception test, then the radiation maze by freezing all the water. But, she struggled on the electromagnetic test and failed to complete the gravity maze in time.

The scoreboard updated as Sadi exited the room. She'd earned 435 points, a new high score. Jenny's heart sank. How am I supposed to beat that? It was more than twice her own score of 198.

"Damn," Kensei said. "That's a high bar."

"Don't worry, we can do it," Adriana said.

"You can do it." Billo looked at Adriana. "I'm sure."

After Aindriu's test, he left the maze room and approached them. Jenny's muscles clenched in preparation. Leon screeched at the muscular man. Aindriu pushed between them and assembled a cracker sandwich from the snack table.

"Your pet really doesn't like him," Adriana whispered to Kensei as Aindriu walked away.

"Yeah, I can't guess why," Kensei said sarcastically.

"Maybe Leon knows something we don't," Jenny said.

* * *

It had been three hours since they'd entered the gym. The butterflies in Jenny's stomach grew more restless after each challenger. She struggled to keep doubt from her mind, but it kept creeping in. It didn't help that Sadi's pale face grew smugger as each recruit tried and failed to surpass her.