A lil' chat

"Time up," the control centre announced. "For those of you that are still attempting the test, we are sorry but you are expected to come back next year for you awakening test. Thank you."

Out of the total of about 1000 people that took the test only about 50 made it out, intact with about a 100 or more awakened gravely injured.

Medical personnels dispersed all over the place, gathering bodies and attending to people's medical needs.

***

Beep beep beep.

'Where am I?', Xavier slowly opened his eyes.

He scanned his environment before deducing that he was in a hospital.

A nurse came in, gasped when she saw him conscious before calling the attention of the medical chief.

When the doctor came in, he ran some tests to check if he was responding fine.

"He seems alright to me," the doc said. He directed his speech to Xavier this time and said " You'll be alright. In a few days you'll be fully healed and be outta this bed."

"Okay, Doc," Xavier replied.

Just then, another nurse, Mrs Aisha came in a panting tone like she had been running and whispered some words into the doc's ear.

The doc turned to Xavier and said " I am sorry for this inconviniency but you will be having an early discharge. Someone very important would like to see you."

"Who's that?"

"The General."

"Why?"

"He will let you know when you get there."

They pulled out all their testing equipment from him and placed him in a wheelchair.

"Mrs. Aisha will lead you to his tower," the doc said.

Xavier gave an little nod, still anxious of what the general may want with him in particular.

When they got to his tower, Mrs Aisha clicked the doorbell twice and waited for some seconds.

They weren't welcomed by the general but by a young looking man. His face was kind of pale and his eyes looking blood shot.

He too was in a uniform resembling that of the general.

He was the General's right hand man, Commissioner Ren.

"I'll take it from here," the man said as he took the handle of the wheelchair from Mrs Aisha before fully dismissing her.

He pushed the chair into an elevator which took them up to the General's office.

As the doors of the elevator was opening into his office, fear and anxiety peaked.

Comm. Ren pushed him to the centre of the of the spacious office before letting go and moving towards the desk infront.

The general was seated on his desk.

He gave a skeptical look at Xavier - he was scanning his status.

He saw the look on Xavier's face and tried to leak out some tension by giving a loud questionable laugh.

He quickly ceased and snapped his finger at Ren.

Ren swiftly waved his arm in the air as dark vapour could be seen overwhelming the space around them as it formed a soundproof and opaque void in which they were in.

"Okay, now that that's done, tell me, what's your name boy?", the general spoke in a fatherly manner.

"X..Xav…Xavier sir!", he managed to spit out his name while still maintaining formality.

"Xavier. That's a nice name. Tell me where are you from?"

'Oh crap. He want to know where I'm from.'

"..."

"I'm still waiting."

"Aedes city, sir!"

"Aedes city, I don't think I know that place. Your one of the merge-intakes, right?"

"Yes sir!"

"Maybe you'll tell me about your world one of these days."

The general was trying to clear the anxiety in the room, but it was creating a regressive effect which was quite obvious from the way Xavier reacted.

"Listen Xavier, do you know why I called you here?"

"No sir. I don't think I do?"

"You don't. Do you remember your awakening test, two days ago?"

Memories of how he fought against the shade rushed into his head as well as some other memories that didn't seem like it belonged to him.

"Yes, I do."

"If I must ask, weren't you suppose to defeat the beast before you awaken but our data revealed that you did the reverse. Might I ask why?", he shot a firm stare at Xavier awaiting his response.

'Oh, men I'm done for.'

"Sir, with the limited time range and the condition associated with my test, it was all I could think of at that moment. I didn't intentionally attempt to break any rule, it was more of a do or die affair at the time."

"Again, it was found that the chamber that you were found in erupted with a very explosive spell, if I might ask, how were you able to muster such an attack with an immature soul core?"

"I really don't know. I just found it necessary to defeat the demon and the power just surged. I was only just trying to finish the test, sir."

There was a brief silence after Xavier gave his response.

"Ok, I think I understand. Desperate times call for desprate measures. You were only trying to survive. I like that determination. And technically you did awake and defeat the beast, though not in the right order but nevertheless still achieved. Well done champ."

'Huu! So I'm in the clear.'

"But note that this action won't go unpunished. I will think of a suitable punishment for you by the end our discussion."

"Now that that part of the talk is over, I would like to know more about you."

"Yes sir."

Xavier and the general talked for sometime. The two really bonded in that father-son kind of way.

***

"So this Millo kid got so that provoked. Way to stand up for yourself," the general said as he laughed at Xavier's tale. "That was a nice talk, hope to see you rise to the top."

The general snapped his finger at Ren, who had been on the listening to their little talk all the while.

The commissioner walked up to Xavier and layed his hand on his head. He was casting a healing spell.

He felt energized and reinvigorated. He quickly got up and atrched his limb a bit. The scars on his face began to fade out, he was good as new.

"There, all better," the general said.

He gave Ren the final signal and he waved his arm and dissipated the dark void around them.

"Xavier Von, you are dismissed," the general said with returning formality.

As Xavier turned and was about turning the door knob, the general spoke " I almost forgot. For those of you that passed the awakening test, you will be having you orientation tomorrow. So got ready. You can meet the rest of your mates that passed as well in the school hostel before you are officially given a house of your own."

"Ok, thanks for the info."