A hush lingered after the red-haired boy stepped back into the line. The air was thick with tension, the kind that made every heartbeat sound too loud.
Then, breaking through it like a beam of sunlight through storm clouds, came a voice.
"Guess it's my turn, huh?"
Heads turned as a boy with bright blue hair and warm brown eyes strolled forward, hands tucked casually into his pockets. His grin was wide, disarming, so out of place it almost felt unnatural.
He stopped at the center, rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish laugh.
"Theo Wist," he said brightly. "Nice to meet ya."
A few people blinked. Was he… introducing himself?
Even Void's gaze flickered, the faintest hint of amusement tugging at the corners of his lips — though it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
"You seem… confident," Void said, voice low and smooth.
Theo shrugged. "Confidence? Nah. Just trying not to freeze like the others."
The assistants exchanged uncertain glances but said nothing as one gestured toward the machine. The sensors hummed to life once more, the treadmill lights pulsing like the heartbeat of some waiting beast.
Theo stepped onto it, bouncing slightly as if testing its rhythm. "Alright then. Let's give this baby a spin."
"Begin," Void ordered.
The treadmill surged forward — faster, faster. Theo's feet hit the belt in smooth rhythm, his movements light and quick. He didn't have the raw aggression of the red-haired boy before him; instead, he ran with an easy grace, like it came naturally.
The numbers flickered across the console.
It finally landed on 8.6. Gasps rippled through the line.
Theo's grin widened. "That's gotta earn me a cookie at least."
A few of the other recruits actually chuckled. Theo had somehow loosened the tension that had gripped everyone since the trials began.
"Who is he… his speed is even above the other two," one of the test-takers whispered.
"Ouch! Why did you hit me?"
"You idiot! Weren't you listening? He's from the Wist family, known for their wind abilities," someone explained, smacking the poor guy on the head.
The machine beeped as it slowed to a stop. Theo hopped off, barely winded, brushing imaginary dust off his clothes.
Void studied him for a long, unreadable moment.
Theo proceeded to the next trial, still wearing that sunny grin. Yet for a brief moment, his brown eyes flickered — sharp, calculating beneath the cheer.
No one noticed.
---
Theo stepped back in line, the crowd cheering him on. His performance had been nothing short of stellar.
He scored 8.3 in the strength test, 8.1 in endurance, and 8.2 in magic capacity.
His results left the spectators eager for the remaining four who had yet to display their abilities.