Chapter 26

A loud clap breaks me out of my thoughts.

“This is so exciting,” Joy said, bouncing over to me, “let's get to picking classes.”

“But don't I need to use that artifact you mentioned before?” I asked, still reeling from what they just told me.

“Well it's highly likely that the artifact won't work for you,” Marcus said, noting down something in his book, “powers like yours haven't been seen in a very long time and an artifact made within the last three centuries wouldn't be able to gauge it.”

“Oh, so there's no way to confirm that my ability is the “adaption creator” that you said?” I asked, hoping there was a way to confirm it a hundred percent. I feel much better with certainties than unknowns.

“Hmm,” Ester hums in thought, “as of right now the only way to confirm it is to try and use it to do what the “adaption creator” can do.”

“But for that to happen,” Marcus adds on, you need to be able to access it, which as of right now you can't.”

“So, we'll help you pick your classes and then as you go through this transitional period you'll be able to gain the access you need to try it out.”

“Really?” I asked, excitement leaking into my voice.

“Really,” Joy confirms, “now let's get your classes set so you can get started, yeah?”

“Yeah,” I said smiling, feeling a little more at ease.

I've always excelled at school so if doing well in my new classes will help me be able to understand and access my ability, I'm ready to give it my all.

Joy grabs my hand, pulling me over to a long wooden table in an adjacent room, Ester and Marcus follow.

Sitting me down, soon several books land on the table before me on their own, opening to specific pages that show different course names and descriptions.

“So, we have the core classes that you need to take regardless of ability,” Marcus explains, “they are combat training, strength training and Intro to the Otherworld.”

“The first two are self explanatory," Ester continues, “Intro to the Otherworld, will go over shifters, the different races, abiliting basics and history and most importantly our rules and why we keep ourselves secret from humans.”

I nod as I read over the descriptions of the first three books, I note the different weapon sketches in the combat training book.

“Um, am I really going to learn how to use a sword?” I asked skeptical, i mean it's not like people use swords anymore, why would i need to know that.

“You will be taught how to fight with several weapons and how to fight bare handed,” Joy replies smiling at me, “it's pretty fun actually, and I mean you never know when you need to protect yourself.”

“Okay, but a sword, in 2025?”

“Yup, but you'll also be trained with modern weapons too, so don't worry,” Joy continues smiling at me as she moves three more books before me.

I'm not really worried, more like I feel like I'm in another world. How can this be my reality now?

“Alright, now we get into the fun classes that you can pick and choose from,” Ester said, pointing out the three new books, “History of abilities, is one that we always highly recommend, for you it would be perfect.”

“It would give you a more in-depth and detailed look into every known ability and a deeper history about them,” Joy continues.

“The next is…”

Soon I'm lost in a sea of books and different class information that it all becomes a bit overwhelming. I found out that there are a total of six electives that I can choose from.

History of Abilities

Practical and Impractical Ability Uses

Mates: Combat & Ability Utilization

Solo Combat & Ability Utilization

Ability Cultivation: You and Your Ability Become One

History and Ritual Rites of Mates

To be honest I wanted to take everyone besides the ones about mates because I really have no idea why I'd need to know anything about that. I mean what are mates even?

Anyway, Joy and the others said it would be best to take those as well because they held a lot of important information about shifters and it was critical to know now that I was part of this world.

Once I have my classes picked out, I'm feeling pretty good about everything. I finally feel a bit centered for the first time since Lucius told me about having an ability.

The following day Lucius meets me at the A Class testing and combat training facility. Today I have to put through the ringer to find out what level my strength, speed, and agility are at before I can start my strengthening and combat training classes.

I quickly changed into the training uniform that Lucius gave me and met him out on the training grounds.

I feel a little uneasy being somewhere new and immediately having to be tested. Usually I don’t find tests daunting, instead I thrive when it comes to tests but today's tests are on a whole nother level.

When I stop to stand by Lucius my eyes land on the intricate obstacle course in front of me. We have balance bars, spring boards, parallel bars and a bunch of different items in the clearly laid out path

“Alright, so this is the test, it’s pretty straight forward,” Lucius explains to me, waving over another tall, muscular person dressed in a school designated training uniform for teachers.

“All we want to see is how fast you get through the course, how easily you can clear obstacles, as well as how strong you are as you clear the course.

“Understood,” I said, nodding at both Lucius and the training instructor that joined us.

“Alright, get into the starting position.”

Without another word I hurry over and bend down, securing my feet on the turf as I position myself to get the best push off once the timer starts.

“Go,” Lucius shouts out.

A second later I shoot off the starting line. I quickly propelled myself over the crates and somersault over the stack of mats.

Hitting the spring board I quickly grab the highest parallel bar, pulling myself up until I'm standing on top, then jumping over to the lower one, quickly repeating until I land on the other side.

Back to a run I quickly make my way over the balance beam and climb the artificial rock wall, making sure to make quick steady moves.

I use the large rope to jump down then run the last bit to the finishing line. Both Lucius and the instructor clap as I bend over gasping for breath.

“Well done,” Lucius said, smiling softly at me. The sight of it does something funny to my heart.

What the hell was that?

Before I can think too much about that weird sensation the instructor's voice cuts in.

“Indeed, you definitely have a good handle on your agility, going off of adaptability and the manipulation of the terrain gives it a solid six.

“That’s good?” I asked unsure how they went about scouring this test so wasn’t sure if I should be proud of myself or not.

“It is, all three categories are out of six, six obviously is the highest.”

“Awesome,” I said beaming.

“Your strength is not that bad, I’d give it a three at most, but that’s pushing it, same with your speed.”

As the instructor reads out those scores I deflate. I’ve always prided myself on acing tests and never being behind anyone if I could help it.

But here I am with only one passable score out of three categories.

“I agree with instructor Hanson's scores,” Lucius said, my heart stinging hearing that from him too, “so we’ll just have our focus be on speed and strength, but make sure to keep agility there as a useful tool to boost the others.

With that my assessment test ended. With those scores it’s not surprising that about three days in I collapsed on the field because I over did it.

My need to be at the top of anything school related seems to be a near fatal flaw of mine. Yet, when I said that to Lucius when he rushed over to check on me, his dark icy gaze could have caused a blizzard to appear in Hawaii. He was very pissed and he made sure to scold me for well over an hour and a half as I rested in the infirmary.

After that incident, Lucius made sure to come and visit me more frequently to make sure I wasn’t over doing it.

His guidance was also a big help but I quickly came to realize that whenever he was around that weird fuzzy feeling in my heart appeared.