"Pleasure to meet you Logan and Jinn. Guess we're a team for this 'test.' Any idea how long this is gonna be? I wanna nap," Nixon questioned, yawning. Logan and I exchanged a look, then returned to stare at Nixon.
"You're rather chilled for an entrance test and to answer your question, we have no idea," I commented, staring at the other side of the room.
Three guys were standing over there, talking amongst themselves. Two guys looked similar, both I presumed were Korean simply from their complexion while the last individual I couldn't tell what he was exactly, but I figured he had to be mixed of African and either Caucasian or Asian descent.
Logan and Nixon followed my gaze; I saw the two similar looking guys held gold wands and the taller mix guy had a red wand like me, minus the gold.
"This is gonna be an interesting fight," Logan commented, straightening his posture as he stretched.
"Better than waiting in line," Nixon commented and yawned again.
"Did you even sleep?" I asked him, noticing the dark circles cradling his eyes.
"Took me three days from where I live to get here. Pain in the ass really. I'll take a nap when we get assigned our dorms. Let's make this quick for the sake of my sanity," Nixon encouraged. I nodded, sliding my wand in my front pocket, just in case I needed it.
"You don't need your wand?" Nixon questioned, looking amused. I shrugged.
"We'll see," I replied. Logan moved to stand between us and I had to hold back my chuckle. My girly side thought it was cute that he was getting all jealous over me. Or it could have been the male half of me, I couldn't really tell the difference at this point.
I was excited about this test, curious as to what requirements would have to be met. I figured we'd be fighting one another for sure, but I couldn't calculate how a quick fight would determine our casting skills.
The front doors to the gymnasium closed, catching our attention. The intercom above came on, making a beeping noise before a voice came through the speaker.
"Good afternoon. Welcome to the entrance test for Brighten Magic Academy. This examination will determine the following: your rank placement, estimated magic level, dorm placement, designated partner, designated group, and four club options to apply for. Please take note, cheating is NOT allowed. Your wands whether used or not will limit your magic usage and will inhibit you from using spells not approved for entrance level fights. When the bell rings, the winners will be determined. The test will last for a total of five minutes. Begin."
"Wait… what?" Logan asked.
"No wait time,” the mixed guy huffed, approaching our group with the two others following him. We stood facing each other, wondering exactly what we had to do.
"Are we supposed to fight each other?" one of the two similar looking boys asked. He had dark purple hair, unlike his close counterpart who had navy blue hair.
"If we had to fight one another, they wouldn't have put us in teams of three,” he spoke calmly but looked nervous.
"You think they would give better instr-" the taller guy began, but was cut off as our bodies began to float upward.
"Huh?!" I called out, my body feeling as light as a feather. Logan and Nixon exchanged looks before grabbing each other’s hand and then reaching out to grab mine. Nixon's hand reached mine first, stopping me from drifting further apart from them. He pulled me to them and Logan grabbed my other hand. Then, we all looked up at the approaching ceiling.
"Why did they get rid of gravity?" I asked.
"I don't know. I don't get how this is a test." Logan looked perplexed.
"Who knows how to use wind?" Nixon wondered. I lifted my gaze to stare at him; his eyes were focused on the ground below.
"Why? Jinn is good at it," Logan confessed. I gave him a look but didn't argue. I could easily support us if I had to, but I didn't see why we'd need the wind element, to begin with.
"They're gonna change the environment. Be prepared and try not to get separated," Nixon instructed.
"Have you done this before?" I asked. He lifted his gaze to meet mine. Instead of their original black appearance, his eyes were red, little black magic circles floating in his irises.
"Nope, but I have a good hunch what we have to do to win and I really want to finish so I can take a nap." He gave me a small grin and I smirked, feeling his words were absurd but my instincts told he knew exactly what he was saying.
"WATCH OUT!"
All three of us looked to our left to see a row of flaming arrows heading our direction. The other three guys were further up, avoiding the onslaught of arrows but if we didn't move quickly, we’d be pierced by them in seconds.
"WIND!' I commanded, and our bodies were lifted further up, narrowly avoiding the arrows.
"Are they supposed to be helping us?" I asked.
"I doubt it, but we gotta try and survive this first," Logan suggested.
"Jinn!!" Nixon called out. We both turned to stare at Nixon who was looking up at the ceiling. We both gazed up and saw a formation of needles appear, one row at a time.
"Fuck!" Logan and I cursed together.
"WIND!" I commanded again, using my magic to pause our ascent. Before we could take a calming breath, our bodies began to plunge to the floor as if gravity had been turned back on.
"SHIT!" We all cursed and could hear similar curses echo through the room as we all fell towards the floor that began to pool with steaming hot lava.
"ICE!" Nixon chanted. A large magic circle formed in the middle of the room, immediately creating a layer of thick ice which did a good job at stopping the lava’s progress, but would injure all of us when we fell.
"WIND!" I tried to summon enough wind to catch all of us but it only slowed our fall.
"LEVITATION!"
Our bodies stopped inches from the ice. I glanced over at the dark purple hair guy who had shouted. He lowered us to the ground and we quickly got up, using magic to stabilize our footing.
"Are we working together here?" I asked, staring at the three who exchanged looks.
"We might as well. I really doubt this test is about us facing each other right now," the navy blue haired guy declared.
"Fuck, BOULDERS!" the tallest male announced, pulling out his wand and pointed to the right. We all pulled out our wands, working together to create a giant shield to protect us from the approaching onslaught of oversized rocks.
The icy surface beneath us was already beginning to melt from the intense heat below.
"We need to get back in the air," I declared, staring at the weakening ground. The guys noticed my gaze and huddled around me.
"Plan?" Nixon asked.
"We need to be in the center of the room," Logan pointed out to the ceiling. We looked again to see the needles were lowering.
"Alright, so we have to support ourselves in the middle of the room long enough to survive the remaining two and a half minutes. No problem,” the tall guy declared. His brown short hair began to glow gold as he closed his eyes in concentration.
"Huddle around Maximus," Purple Hair ordered, gesturing to Maximus. We did as he instructed, huddling around Maximus, who lifted his wand up.
"Bubble of Protection and Flight!" He cast the spell and two oversized blue magic circles materialized, one above us and the other below. Water shot around us, circling around until it created a bubble. We were lifted into the air right as the ice began to crack; it fell into the hot lava that began to rise as we lifted upward.
We reached the middle of the room, hovering between the lava that was still rising and the ceiling of nails that began to lower down towards us.
"Uh, GUYS? Aren't they supposed to stop?" Blue Hair asked.
"Ya. They should, but they don't look like they are," Purple Hair chimed in. Logan and I exchanged looks and immediately moved to opposite ends of our little bubble.
"What are you two doing?" Maximus asked, his voice sounding strained. I noticed the beads of sweat already forming on his forehead and I had to remind myself not to bite my lip o
ut of nerves.
"Purple and Blue! Help Maxi maintain the bubble," I ordered. Purple and Blue stared at one another before looking back at me in confusion.
"Purple?"
"Blue?"
"Maxi? Who the fuck you calling Maxi?" Maximus huffed. I growled, glaring at the three of them. "JUST DO WHAT YOU'RE TOLD!" I snarled, my irritation at its peak. We didn’t have time for this. They shut up, immediately going to do as I instructed. I looked back to Logan who nodded at me. Nixon looked between the two of us and yawned.
"So… do I just stay here and look pretty for all of you?" he questioned.
I shook my head. "No. I need you there. You'll understand when we start," I assured, wanting him to stay in the middle but move forward to the bubble so that he, Logan, and myself would create a triangle shape.
He shrugged, twirling his wand in his fingers. "Alright, Boss." He yawned again, looking unconcerned and moved up to the spot I indicated with my finger. I nodded, gesturing with my wand to Nixon and with my left hand at Logan.
"Nixon, point your wand to Logan and Logan, point your wand to me. We need to make a triangle shield outside of the bubble. I'll then use magic to solidify it before the nails reach us," I instructed.
"Why are you making a triangle shield when we have a bubble?" Blue Hair asked.
"Because a bubble can't survive those sharp pointy nails approaching us, Kage," Purple acknowledged. Kage blinked, looking back up at the needles that were getting closer and closer.
"Good observation, Zane,” he admitted.
Maximus rolled his eyes, panting as he continued to try and hold the bubble spell. "Would you two focus?! I'm dying here and I believe Jinn over there was the one who figured that shit out before your 'observation.' Jinn, hurry the fuck up!"
Zane and Kage moved to stand on either side of Maximus, Zane on his left and Kage on his right. They pointed their wands up and magic circled beneath them while they shot out a stream of magic that hit both sides of the bubble and began making their own barriers around it.
"You two ready?" I asked. My magic was already beginning to pool into my fingers and I didn't need my wand to help with creating the 3D triangle that I already vividly imagined in my head. They both nodded and Logan's eyes began to shift to orange as a large gold magic circle formed beneath him.
Nixon yawned and mumbled a word under his breath; a large red magic circle appeared beneath him and his hair began to glow to pure white. I had to take a second to appreciate how hot he looked before quickly shaking out of it. Concentrate Jewel! I mean Jinn… oh this is getting pathetic.
"Guys! I don't think Maxi can hold this for much longer," Kage cautioned. I glanced at Maximus, who was gritting his teeth and his body was shaking.
"Don't call me Maxi!" he growled but his exhaustion was apparent when he had to catch his breath. Holding six of us in the middle of the air took a large amount of mana in a very short time.
"We can try to hold it up but I don’t think we’ll last the final thirty seconds," Zane pointed out. I glanced at the clock that surprisingly hadn't been melted by the lava that was pooling at the base of it; ‘60 SECONDS’ was on the display.
"Hold it as long as you can. Maxi, pull out. Logan, create a triangle around us. Nixon, after that, do the same," I commanded.
They all got to work and after fifteen seconds, Maxi pulled out, kneeling to catch his breath. Zane and Kage grunted, the loss of magic from Maximus taking its toll on both of them. I continued letting the magic pool in my left hand before channeling it into my wand that began to glow.
I could feel the magic begin to vibrate through my body, showing signs in my eyes that I was sure were bright red and my hair that always alternated between purple and red when I conducted large spells. My arm with the dragon tattoo grew hot and I knew I could complete the spell I wanted to.
I'd read in my father's journal that he’d once experienced something similar. It didn't matter if we recreated a barrier with a simple triangle or a bubble. The combined power of the needles laced with piercing magic and the intense hot lava that would cancel out our simple spell, we'd be toast.
The needles would pop the spell, breaking the bubble barrier's hold and we'd fall into the burning lava, which would kill us all. But if I created a triple triangle barrier in a shape of a circle magic incantation, I'd be able to continuously allow my magic to flow long enough for the timer to clock out.
Logan and Nixon established their triangles and I glanced at the clock. Thirty seconds. Let's try this out!
"TRIANGLE!" I shouted, letting go of my hold on the magic in my left hand. A gold stream of magic shot out of my hand, creating another triangle, initiating the inner star symbol I needed for the magic circle. I noticed the others’ astonished faces and how they exchanged glances. I figured it was because I hadn't needed a magic circle to stabilize the spell, but we'd deal with that aspect later.
My face dripped with sweat from the intense heat that was beginning to hit us from below as the lava was inches away from the bubble floor. I took a calming breath, closing my eyes and envisioning the outer circle I needed to create to protect all six of us. I imagined the line of the circle beginning above us, right where Maximus, Zane, and Kage stood, then began to go around from my side to wind below us, reaching the halfway point and before going back up to where Logan stood and reaching the middle again.
Now, my hand holding the wand felt hot as the wand attempted to hold the enormous amount of magic I was demanding. I gritted my teeth and stood my ground as the magic circle in my mind completed, each point of the triangles meeting the outer circle and finalizing the spell.
"CIRCLE!" I shouted, initiating the magic spell. I opened my eyes in time to see Kage and Zane pull back their magic, falling to the ground. Logan and Nixon were struggling to keep their triangles up.
"Fifteen seconds!" Kage announced. I glanced at Nixon who looked like he could handle the remaining seconds needed, his magic flow still strong and stable. However, I saw that Logan’s stream of magic was beginning to flicker. His worried expression and uneven breathing told me he wasn't going to last; I nodded in understanding.
I closed my eyes, imagining a red triangle to replace Logan's, needing to add a little more magic to balance his triangle with Nixon's that was still solid.
"TRIANGLE!" I commanded, opening my eyes to see my vision come to life as a second stream of magic left my wand and created the triangle in time for Logan to pull back his magic. The lava reached our waist, the steaming hot molten liquid attempting to burn through the magic circle that held us in a secured sphere, but it did nothing but sizzle the surface.
"Five seconds!" Zane declared and I closed my eyes, hoping to hold everything together for the remaining seconds. Even though the lava wasn't touching our flesh, I could still feel the immense heat and that, coupled with the abundant amount of magic I was using, caused dizziness and shortness of breath.
I didn't know if I'd make it, but then I felt a small surge of energy begin to pool through me, starting at my arm. I opened my eyes slightly, noticing the small trail of strings that came from Nixon's hand while his wand continued to expel the stream of magic to hold his triangle in place.
We stared into one another’s eyes and the buzzer went off. I mouthed 'thank you' to him and he nodded in understanding before we both glanced down to see the lava beginning to lower. We looked up and the ceiling began to rise back up and then vanished when it went back to place.
"Wind," Nixon said softly; a green magic circle formed above our sphere and the soft breeze helped direct us slowly to the ground. When we landed and I knew it was back to normal with no lava or ice waiting for us to lower our guard, I pulled my magic back, canceling the spell.
I sighed, having to remind myself to maintain my male appearance as I caught my breath while the room continued to spin. I stood my ground, noticing Logan's concerned gaze as he readied to rush over here but Nixon frowned, taking a step forward.
"Don't show any
other weakness. They're still assessing us," Nixon whispered low enough for only us to hear. Maximus exchanged looks with Kage and Zane and he rose back up.
We remained silent and I let my eyes close and concentrated on controlling my breaths, remembering the breathing exercises from my yoga sessions.
"Jinn?" Nixon questioned.
"What?" I asked, opening my eyes again to meet his blank stare. Even with his expressionless face, his eyes still showed a hint of unease.
"Look like you need a nap,” he mumbled, glancing away.
I grinned at the comment. "I agree with you there," I replied, sliding my wand back into my pocket.
It had done its purpose but it was more of a hindrance than a benefit in my opinion. If I hadn't needed to channel the magic through it for the exam, it would have been a lot easier to create the sphere and distribute my magic accordingly. I hated using them but everyone thought they were cool and gave you a boost of power.
To me, all they did was withhold the magic you could produce and control simply with your mind and your hands. The wand wasn't the host of your power, your body was. Learn to use your body correctly and then you're a walking magic conductor, ready to compose a symphony of spells.
The beep of the speaker went off and a male voice came on the intercom. "Congratulations teams. I'm one of the witnessing professors here at Brighten and I'm very impressed with your collaboration. You are the first set of teams to set aside their differences and complete this test as a unit. The purpose of this test is not to determine what one person or a designated team can accomplish, but what can be done when people work together. You have all passed. Please head to the door that will open on your left and then you will be given your timetables, blazers, and keys to your dorms. Thank you for an entertaining performance," the older man’s voice declared.
I glanced around the room, trying to find where the booth was located which allowed them to watch the whole trial, but was unsuccessful. The door to our left appeared and we began heading towards it. I waited for Logan to reach my side and we both lingered at the back of the line. Maximus took the lead with Zane and Kage following and Nixon in the middle, a little closer to us.
REFLECTIONS OF YOU (Brighten Magic Academy Book 1) Page 9