Things became slightly awkward after Laine's birthday. Neither her nor Joe could meet each other's line of sight. Laine did her utmost to avoid him throughout their day-to-day lives and only interacted when she needed to out of embarrassment. Joe went about his days trying to stay out of sight from that day on. He left for class alone and came back home alone. Aside from breakfast and dinner, Joe spent all his free time studying in his room.
By the end of the second semester, Joe had read through all textbooks and syllabi for every year of schooling he had remaining. He even took the finals for every year and placed first in the entire school. Having excelled as far as he could to this point academically, Joe turned to physical training. He now spent the entire day in deep meditation trying to understand the magic coursing through him to its fullest.
Having technically already graduated from all his primary schooling, Joe no longer had to attend classes. He was stuck waiting for the next two years before he was of eligible age to take Ziaga Military Academy's entrance examination. Still, he refused to be idle. He had made a vow to himself that he would not break. A vow that encompassed every individual in their small home. Even if Laine truly despised him after what had happened, he would still do everything he could to protect her.
With all the common knowledge and theory, he had absorbed from his tireless studies, he now wanted to better prepare himself for the brutal training the Academy would put him through. Every book or article he read followed the same basic principles of how to improve your control and strengthen your power. Your strength was not set in stone. It was difficult but it was possible to improve yourself.
The simplest method was prolonged, repetitive use of your power. As a physically awakened, this meant grueling physical training. He began to wake up just before dawn, getting dressed in relatively loose-fitting clothing, and leaving the house. He would run as fast and hard as he could manage. Full throttle the entire time. The first week of this left him gasping for air after collapsing in the middle of town. Gradually, he began drawing closer to home before collapsing.
After week two, Joe was consistently returning home just as the girls were finishing their breakfast. While Sarah and Laine finished getting ready for their classes, Joe was devouring his meal. Before the girls would return to the kitchen area, Joe was already gone again. Not a day went by where Joe wasn't off training somewhere. A local park he turned into his own personal strength training area before any children returned from school. Various roads around their district nearly sprouted groves in the pavement where his feet beat against them each day.
This routine continued for two relentless years. That January, Joe woke up even earlier than usual. He silently dressed himself and grabbed the bag he had prepared the night before making his way outside. Anything he wouldn't be needing in the near future was left in his room with a simple note.
I've gone to the Academy. I'll be back at the end of the semester.
Fourteen words were all that remained of him in that room. The idea of saying 'goodbye' and seeing the saddened looks on Allison's and Sarah's faces felt awful. He wasn't overly concerned about Laine's reaction. After all, she likely still hated him for the events two years ago. Not once did the concept of failing to be accepted into the Academy cross his mind. For him, the next five months would be spent on the other side of the city away from the life he had grown accustomed to in these past years.
Even with his enhanced and trained body, it still took nearly two hours for Joe to jog his way before Ziaga Military Academy. Being not only a military academy but the pride of Verdantia, the imposing walls stood nearly fifty feet high. Should war reach the city, this campus would serve as the primary strategic position for defense. To match the location's importance, security was more tightly run here than any other location in the city.
The written portion of the entrance examination was held at various locations throughout the city. Only by passing this was Joe able to obtain a temporary entry pass into the campus grounds. Using this pass, potential cadets were instructed to proceed to the Academy for the final portion of the examination, the power evaluation. Every person that had passed the written examination was required to have their actual strength measured. This was to ensure no false admittance was issued. After all, lying about your strength in this world, would likely get you killed.
After presenting his pass to the standing sentries, Joe followed the given directions through the academy. His destination, the Administration building. It took nearly twenty minutes of continuous walking for Joe to finally arrive before a tall, matte white building. The base of the building resembled the glossy texture of marble but with a purer ivory tone.
For this portion of the examination, participants were divided into groups of six. Having left as early as he had, Joe was one of the first to arrive, which landed him in Group One. The attendant working at the desk handed him a blank, black card before directing him through another set of doors. Another half hour passed before the entirety of Group One was called into an adjacent room.
In total, twenty participants stood in four columns of five. At the front of each column stood a midnight black, crystalline sphere. Above the spheres was a vibrant blue screen. All present had every nerve on alert. None missed the sound of a door sliding open from the side of the room. From which, a five-foot eight inch, middle-aged man entered. Despite his apparent age, his broad shoulder screamed of his years of military service.
"My name is Alaxander Merril. I am the Primary Support Instructor of this institution as well as the examiner of this test. All of you here have already passed the written portion of the test. Those of you that pass here as psychic awakeners will be under my direct supervision. Before you, are Amorite spheres. Unlike the versions of Amorite available to the open market, these are far more accurate in reading your strength and do not degrade with use.
One by one, you will place your hand on the sphere and channel your inner power to it. The result will be displayed on the screens above you as well as your full names as registered at birth. Should your results appear in red, you have failed to meet our minimum standards. You are to immediately return to the lobby where a security escort will remove you from the campus. The minimum score to pass is one hundred. Begin!"
At his command, the first four placed their palms on the sphere and circulated the power into it. It became quickly apparent that around half of the attendees failed to reach the minimum requirement. Group by group, the line hastily moved forward. Gazing up at the screen, Joe took note that more information was displayed than what was explained. Name, age, gender, power level, and finally the awakened path of their energy was on full display for every individual in the room. Being placed last in his column, Joe witnessed the results of every other participant except the three testing with him. He quickly realized that he was nothing special. He may have awakened at a base of one hundred seventeen but the other participants that had passed were either a close equal or several dozen levels stronger than him.
As the second to last group finished, a collective gasp resounded throughout the room. Before them stood a five-foot six inch, silver haired beauty. Above her, the screen displayed her results. Two hundred eighty-nine. The only participant thus far to breach the two hundred power level. Also on the screen was her name, Clarrisa James.
With a slight sense of defeat, the three remaining participants stepped forward along with Joe. After the results appeared, Joe stood frozen. The other participants believed he was caught off guard by his power level which reached eighty-four points higher than he had initially awakened at two hundred one. They were wrong.
For the past eight years, Joe had tried and tried again to remember one crucial fact of his existence. Every time, that fact alluded him. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't remember a single, specific name. One the screen before him, that fact was quite literally spelled out for all to see. None of the other potential cadets had noticed.
The one thing Joe had been fighting to remember was his full name. A name that carried the weight of his deceased parents' lineage. A name that should have raised far more questions than his power level to all onlookers.
Joseph Merril