The entire space was empty. It left him wondering if the [Telepath] was really alright or if this was just another part of the test.

Melmarc looked at the door once more, wondering if at any point in time it was going to open.

Sitting forward, he rested his arms on his knees and sighed deeply. He was hungry, not necessarily starved, but hungry. It was interesting considering he hadn't eaten all day. It was common knowledge that strong Gifted didn't need food like the un-Gifted, but they could still be starved to death, though. It was the reason Gifted teams often carried rations into portals.

Ark had been gone for a while now, his interview taking longer than Melmarc had thought it should. The interview for the girl before him hadn't taken this much time.

Bored, and not really having anything to do, he checked the time.

Ten, he thought, momentarily ignoring the message notifications on his phone. Ten in the night.

They'd had them here all day, going through the tests. With the constant presence of light throughout the entire day, time had passed, and he hadn't known when it had gotten dark.

Looking up from his phone, he checked on the wall again. It was still just a wall to him, a wall he would have to walk into at some point in time.

Well, I'm not going through it now.

With that thought in mind, he opened his messages. There was one from Delano talking about how the rumors at school was that he had become some S-rank Gifted and that was the reason he had not returned. He also had his eyes on a girl and was determined to get a girlfriend before the term was over.

Good for him, Melmarc thoughts as he typed a quick reply.

If you can't find a girl with a fixation on conspiracy theory, he typed, maybe tone down on the conspiracy theories when you're talking to girls.

All girls think that conspiracy theories are sexy, Delano typed back immediately. They just pretend not to. Also, now that I don't have you two giants walking with me, they'll realize that I'm actually tall.

You're average height, give or take, Melmarc typed back, swiping out of the chat to check on his other messages.

There was none from Patience's number. Looking at the absence of a message made him remember how he had been looking at him after the combat test. He felt a little bad. If she really thought of him as a friend, then he could only imagine how bad she would've felt knowing that he had come to attend her school without so much as letting her know.

We were even chatting last night.

From what he knew, a lot of people would see it as him avoiding them and not having any interest in them. He couldn't confidently say that he thought of her as a friend, but it was not as if he was not interested in being her friend.

Note to self, apologize when next you see her.

That done, he opened the message from Pelumi. It was simple, with an undertone of worry that he might have been imagining.

They told us to return to Grace Hall and come back tomorrow, she said. I really hope there's no problem.

One of their [Telepath] contracted madness, Melmarc thought.

As for his response, he typed, I'm sure everything will be fine. I'm just here waiting for my next test. I'm the last one.

He swiped out of their chat to find four messages from Delano. The boy was talking about how he was tall for his age, which Melmarc didn't think was true. He also rambled about how he was actually a sexy boy, which caused Melmarc to grimace. Then he talked about how he was a catch.

A new message came in from Delano just then.

I will not be ignored, Melmarc Lockwood!

Melmarc couldn't stop the chuckle that slipped from his lips.

Yes, my sexy lordship, catch of all catch, sexiest among men, he typed. Standard of all heights.

Delano's next message was simple. '…'

It was followed by another.

This is why you ain't got no bitches.

Melmarc snorted, smiling at the message. You ain't got no bitches, too, Tallest of the talls.

He swiped over to Pelumi's message.

I got food to eat, got some snacks, too, she typed. I'm guessing you haven't eaten all day. Want me to get you something before you get back? Just let me know when you're back and I can bring it over. Ark, too.

Melmarc thought about it before shaking his head. If she could get him something to eat by this time of the night, then he was fairly certain that by the time he and Ark were returning, they could also get something. There was no point in stressing her when they could get food for themselves.

Nah, he replied. We're okay.

"Melmarc Lockwood."

The words echoed through the room as if spoken from all sides. The tone was gentle, casual, even.

Got to go, he typed. It's my turn.

He swiped over to Delano's chat.

I'm going to spread rumors that you aren't Gifted, you're just doing time in juvie for streaking in a military zone. It was Delano's last message.

Melmarc's jaw dropped momentarily at it before he shook his head.

You unravel conspiracies, you don't make up lies, he replied. Anyway, got to go, I've got to do something important.

Delano's last message came in just before he locked his phone. It was early enough for Melmarc to read it.

Like jump off a plane?

Pocketing his phone, he got up from his chair and walked over to the wall. I guess I'll also have to talk to him about that one.

When Melmarc walked through the wall, it rippled around him. Yet, it felt like walking through mist. He felt it lick against his skin as he passed through it.

The new room was simple, nothing unique standing out about it except for the four simple tables in front of him and the four people sitting behind it.

His attention went first to the dark skinned man with blonde hair and green eyes. There were two reasons for this. The oddity of the colors on a person was… intriguing. And everything looked natural even if out of place. The second was the mana particles that clung to the man's hair.

Magical enhancements? Melmarc wondered as he walked up to the chair he believed was for him to occupy.

He'd never seen mana particles so attached to anything before.

Placing a hand on the back rest of his seat, his attention moved over to the second most interesting person in the room.

A-rank [Speedster], Travis Barfort. He was unique for how his class functioned, focusing more on reaction speed than movement speed.

Melmarc took his eyes from the former Delver, looked down at the chair, then back at the people he assumed were his interviewers.

"May I?" he asked.

The lady present, seemingly the oldest of the group, nodded, then gestured at the chair. "You may."

Melmarc sat down. "Thank you."

Something about the woman looked strict, not cruel or heavy handed, just strict. She would be nice to you until you did something that you were not supposed to do. Besides the blond-haired man, the woman, and Travis Barfort, there was a man who was bald.

Hopefully, Ark wasn't rude to them.

Melmarc knew that Ark had a thing against being ganged up on by adults. At least that was what he described disciplinary committees as—a gang of adults. He knew such settings made Ark want to fight back in whatever way he knew how to.

"So," the bald man began. "My name is Jack," he gestured to the dark-skinned man, "he's Mr. Isaiah. She's Mrs. Payton, and on the end there we have Mr. Travis."

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Melmarc nodded. "I'm Melmarc."

All four interviewers nodded. Melmarc hoped it meant that he was doing alright. The little things mattered in meetings, first impressions and things like that.

"Are you hungry, by any chance?" Payton asked.

Melmarc nodded. "But I can wait until I get back to my accommodation. I'm not that hungry."

"Are you sure?" she sounded motherly. "Or did you eat before the test began."

Melmarc shook his head. "I was too nervous to eat. I didn't think the test would take this long."

"It wasn't supposed to," Isaiah said.

"Regardless," Jack chimed in, "we apologize for it. It was not our intention to starve you kids."

Dissonant.

Well, wasn't that interesting? Now it was going to be difficult to trust Jack even if he was good-natured.

"With that out of the way," Payton continued. "This is the last test. When you take the exit you'll have an assortment of meals to pick from. Once you make your order, it should be waiting for you in your room by the time you get back."

Melmarc was glad to hear that. He didn't have enough time to enjoy the satisfaction before the room was filled with the sounds of papers turning as the interviewers looked through the documents in front of them. It was an interesting choice considering most places used laptops to read through pieces of information.

"Unfortunately," Mrs. Payton began, "we weren't able to get very much out of your session with the [Telepath] so we don't have much to work with on that note." She looked up from the documents in front of her. "Would you mind educating us on what happened?"

Melmarc shrugged. "I signed the consent form, got asked a few questions, then before the session was over, I think something went wrong because the [Telepath] seemed to have a bit of a health issue."

Dissonant.

The thought was very mild, not as determined as it usually was. Melmarc wondered if it was because none of the things that he had said was a lie while he had said them to intentionally misdirect from the whole truth.

"Any idea why that happened?" Jack asked.

Melmarc thought about it for a moment. "I've often been told that I have a complicated mind?"

Dissonant.

Again, he had said the truth. Again, the dissonance was not so loud. Melmarc came to the conclusion that if people answered questions like this, then he would most likely be unable to pick up the dissonance.

Dad probably still could, he thought, judging from what Uncle Dorthna had said about him being able to tell if a housefly was dissonant.

The look on Jack's face said that he had already guessed it. The looks on the faces of the others gave Melmarc the impression that they also thought the question was irrelevant.

"Would you say, in your honest opinion, that you were hiding anything during the test?" Isaiah asked.

Melmarc thought about Veebee, the demi-god, the other world that Veebee had taken him to. In the end, he nodded.

"There were a lot of things that I did not want to reveal."

"Would you say it is important for the school to know these things to better educate you?" Travis asked.

Melmarc shook his head. "No."

"Then I don't see any problem with that, let's move on to other questions."

Melmarc looked at the man. A former Delver like him probably understood a thing or two about having memories he didn't want people having knowledge of. Memories that he wanted to keep to himself.

The others looked at him but did not argue. Instead, Jack spoke once more.

"We saw your sparring match with Devin in the beginning," he said. "Will it be safe to say that you are interested in joining the combat team?"

"I am," Melmarc answered.

"And do you think that your actions during the match were befitting of a member of the combat team?"

"Devin is a member of the combat team, and my actions were far more civilized than his."

"I see." Jack flipped through the pages of his document. He paused on a specific page. "Broken ribs and punctured lungs. Those are the injuries that you inflicted on the boy."

"Similar injuries he inflicted on the other intakes," Melmarc pointed out, unable to be apologetic.

Travis' gaze moved to him. "So, it was justice?"

"In a manner of speaking."

The others opened their mouths only to be silenced by Travis' raised hand. "Explain."

"Before the sparring competition, he threatened my brother—"

"You brothers are quite obsessed with each other," Jack muttered under his breath. It was low enough that it would normally pass as incomprehensible, but in a room filled with Gifted, Melmarc doubted there was anyone that didn't hear it.

Jack paused when all eyes turned to him. He had the decency to look chastised.

"My apologies," he said with a gesture, and he looked like he meant it. "Continue."

Melmarc did.

"He threatened my brother, then went ahead to bully the intakes," he said. "It was punishment for his actions as well as a motivation."

"Motivation?" Travis asked.

"To be gentler in the future."

"So, you are in support of bullying the bullies?" Mrs. Payton asked.

"Oh, God, no," Melmarc answered, appalled by the implication. "I'm in support of punishing bullies."

"And you felt it was your place to punish him?"

Melmarc pursed his lips in thought, even though he didn't have to think about it. "Let's put it this way," he said. "I was in a test, and I had just seen what he had done to those before me. The truth is that if I had not done what I had done, he would've done it to me. I've experienced enough bullies to know that I would rather have the bully gasping for air than be the one gasping for air."

To his surprise, Travis nodded as if he agreed. "Understandable."

He was not the only one that looked surprised.

"What about the other test, the third one," Isaiah explained. "It says here that you and your brother claimed that you could escape. The test is designed for you to be unable to escape, to help you understand the kind of person that you are when stuck in a desperate situation, hence the question of why you could not escape. Care to tell us how you escaped?"

"I don't mind," Melmarc said. "I was stuck in a dark room with my brother and he got rid of the place."

Mrs. Payton's brows furrowed. "You two were in the room. Together?"

"Together."

Melmarc got the feeling that they were not supposed to have been together.

"That is certainly interesting," Isaiah said. "Moving on, why do you want to school in Fallen High?"

Mrs. Payton and Travis did not look like they were ready to move on, but they did not intrude on the change in topic.

"I like Fallen High," Melmarc answered. "My dream has always been to be a great Delver and I was fortunate enough to be Gifted. It would only make sense that I should apply to the school that I believe gives me the best chance of achieving this dream."

"Fallen High is also one of five other schools considered the best in the country," Isaiah pointed out.

"And I applied to all of them," Melmarc said before he could stop himself. Delano had always pointed out how his trait of telling the truth before thinking about it was not a good thing.

"If you applied to all five," Isaiah said, as if he had just caught Melmarc in a tight spot, "why should Fallen High believe that you want us and aren't just trying your luck around?"

Melmarc took a deep calming breath and let it out. "Because while I want Fallen High and have always wanted Fallen High, it does not mean that Fallen High wants me. I've known Fallen High all my life and have wanted to school here for just as long. But Fallen High didn't know of my until my application passed their front desk. To me, Fallen High is one in a million. To Fallen High, I'm just one in a million. That's why I applied to the other schools, too."

"That does not explain why Fallen High should believe we are special to you," Jack said. "It only points out why you applied to other schools."

"Well, I'm here, aren't I?"

"Explain." Travis didn't look like he was even paying any attention. If anything, Melmarc was beginning to think that the man was serving as some kind of buffer between him and the interviewers. Right now the man was making him clarify what he was saying.

So, Melmarc did.

"I got admitted into all the top high schools in the country," he said simply. "But I'm here."

The interviewers fell silent for a moment as they went back to looking through their documents. At this point, Melmarc was beginning to think the act was nothing but that, an act.

"Your brother is very interested in the school," Jack said after a while.

Dissonant.

The dissonance did not surprise Melmarc. As far as he knew, Ark was good with attending any school. If anything, he had a strong feeling that Ark was only attending Fallen High because he was attending Fallen High.

"And you two have proven to be quite close during this test," Jack continued. "I'm curious to know what you will do if your brother decides that he doesn't want to attend Fallen High anymore."

"I'll find out why."

"But will you leave?"

"I don't see why I should."

Jack nodded as if Melmarc's answer was proving some kind of point for him. "And what if he asks you to leave?"

Melmarc had no idea why this was a question. Were they testing his loyalty?

"If he does, then he and I are going to have a long conversation about why he would make such a request of me—"

"A reasonable answer—"

"—Then I'll leave," Melmarc finished.

Jack paused, jaw hung open as if he could not believe what he had just heard. "I thought we were your dream school, though. And you're telling me that you'll just leave?"

Travis coughed into his hand. It was the kind of cough that you used to conceal a different sound. The exchange had probably gotten a chuckle out of him.

"Yes," Melmarc said, answering the question.

Jack was in disbelief. "Why?"

"With all due respect, sir, while Fallen High is one in a million, my brother is one." He took a deep breath as he realized he had just started the path to botching his entire admission into the school. "Compared to my brother, Fallen High is just one in a million."

Silence settled on the room like a physical thing. In Melmarc's eyes, it was as if even the mana particles had come to a standstill in anticipation of the result of his words.

"Any more questions before we round up?" Travis said, breaking the silence.

"Yes, please," Mrs. Payton said respectfully, while Jack continued to look shellshocked. "Mr. Lockwood, do you want to become a Delver?"

Melmarc nodded. "I do."

"Why?"

"My home got attacked when I was a child," he said. "My mom was hurt, and I was hurt. I have always admired Delvers and the sacrifices they make to keep us safe. After the attack, however, I didn't just admire it, I understood it. I don't know what inspires people to become Delvers, but I know that I don't want anyone to experience the fear and pain I experienced, ever."

"So you fancy yourself a protector?"

"No, ma'am. I fancy myself a soldier in a war."

Travis watched him. The former Delver just stared. "Becoming a Delver comes with sacrifices, Mr. Lockwood," he said.

Melmarc looked at him, met his gaze. "Some people have to make those sacrifices so that others don't make them."

Travis nodded in acceptance.

"Two more questions and we're done," Isaiah said, his tone shifting to something casual. "Who's your favorite Delver?"

Melmarc shook his head. "I don't have one."

He paused. "Well… that's definitely interesting. All the kids we've interviewed have had one. Even your brother."

Melmarc smiled at that. "Let me guess, he said Dark Mist."

Travis chuckled. "That he did. Don't tell him I said this, but I had the chance to work with Dark Mist once or twice in the past, and your brother is nothing like him in personality."

Melmarc did not doubt that for a second.

"Now, then," Travis continued, "I'll take the last question, then you can be on your way."

"Okay."

"What would you do," Travis asked, "if you could either watch your brother die to save the world or save your brother and watch the world burn?"

Melmarc paused before he could answer the question. He already had the answer, but the question was a heavy one. He wanted to be sure he was willing to give it. Some truths had far more weight to them than most.

Ark versus the world.

Fuck.

…

Twelve o'clock in the middle of the night and instead of sleeping, Okoro was reviewing interview tapes, two to be precise.

Delet, vice principal of Fallen High, stood beside him in the tape room sipping a cup of coffee.

Delet looked up at the wide screen in front of them where Okoro had up two videos next to each other.

"Definitely brothers, huh," he muttered before taking a sip of his coffee.

Okoro could not disagree. He pressed play and both videos resumed.

"What would you do," Travis asked, "if you could either watch your brother die to save the world or save your brother and watch the world burn?"

The moment the words left his mouth, both brothers had different expressions. Ark Lockwood grinned so cockily he looked like a villain. Melmarc Lockwood looked torn and chastised for a moment. He at least had the decency to look like he was thinking about it.

In the end, they both gave the same answer. Word for word.

"Let the world burn."

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