Chapter Three

"Alexander Gray please step forward" This was the first time my name sounded like a bomb blast to me. When I heard my name I was suddenly frozen on the spot. I was so scared silly, my body was shaking so much that it was totally visible to the others around me. I started hearing whispers from others but I still could not find the courage to move my legs. It was like my body was been controlled by someone else.

My heart was beating so fast that I felt my heart was going to break out of my chest and land in my palms. I tried to summon all the strength and courage in my body to move but it felt like my body wasn't my own.

This was the first time I could not control my body. Even when I was taking a beat up regularly I don't fall mute like this. This was totally embarrassing to the top. Some kids around even started laughing.

As I was finding the courage to move I heard a voice in front of me "Don't worry you are going to make it through".

Just like magic I suddenly felt control over my body instantly, all my fears were gone, I heart beat was calmed, my nerves that were running wild calmed down.

"Thank you Corey, I would definitely not fail" I said to Corey with heartfelt thanks.

His voice had just released me from my desperate plight and this was so wonderful for my heart. I would forever be indebted to him.

I took the a bold step forward and another and another until I go to the platform and the person attending to us was quite angry with me and he cursed.

"Do you think I have all day here? I still have to go to other places to get new ability users to their various location and a person like you wants to water my time. You are just as pathetic as you look. Just hope you don't get a useless element else you would find it difficult in life".

Throughout when he spoke, I didn't even recon with whatever he said, I just gave him my hand like I didn't have the energy to listen to him.

He rudely grabbed my hand and placed the machine on my hands. It was like a huge metallic wristband, it had a slot to input the black power stone. Under the machine was a thin needle that would insert the awaken serum and the machine would direct it to the core in your body to awaken your ability. Some persons have cores that are already open. People like Corey already have open cores and some have cores that are still close so the serum would stimulate the core to awaken and open up.

In school we were taught the major two ways to get one can get an ability, one was to awaken it naturally by yourself or be born with one already awaken. They who had to awaken an ability or were born with one were called the gifted ones. They were always stronger than the others, they grew with speed and did not stop growing. They had wider prospects than others. The also had a chance to gain another ability if the awakening machine was used on them in the future just like my father.

The second way was to use the awaking machine where the serum would be injected into your system to stimulate the care and awaken your ability. This was used because majority of the population did not have the ability to awaken on their own the awakening machine would just lead you to you potential and unlock the doors to your ability.

The machine had three indicator lights that would indicate that the serum has been injected and the ability is in the process of awakening. First the blue light indicates that the serum has been injected into the system, the green light indicates that the core has been opened and the light for acknowledgement that the ability has awaken is the awakening light around the body of the ability holder. The final light which is the yellow light indicates that the person has no core or the core is damaged that it can be awaken anymore. There have been special cases like this so it wasn't kind of new or old anymore to the students wanting to get an ability.

Though one may use the awakening machine to awaken his element doesn't meant they are weaker than the gifted but sometimes they are even better than the gifted. So sometimes it depends on the hard work of the person involved.

That's why a grading system was implemented. The system had a grading from Grade 1 to Grade 5 and each grade having sub levels from Level 1 to Level 10 under each grade.

Grade 1 to 3 were seen around but Grade 4 and 5 were hidden from the public knowledge. Once on is able to break from grade 3 to 4, the military would immediately pick that person out of the public and specifically train them to become a destructive weapon for them.

Growing from one grade to another was like scaling the heavens. Most times many don't even get to touch the next grade before they die. Some don't even leave the grade they were when they awaken with. This also implied to the gifted. May of they stay stuck one the same level for years.

Before one grows from one grade to another, he must have undergone a lot of torments, must have endured a whole lot of battles and bloodshed or must be extremely lucky to grow.

I was till deep in my thoughts forgetting I was awaiting my awakening. Was brought back when I hear the administrator exclaim in shock "No element? That's not possible. I think the machine is broken". He checked the machine and changed to another power tried again and the result was the same. Instead of the machine to give a green signal light that it had connected with the ability it showed yellow which meant that the body was empty without an ability or my core has been destroyed. He was as shocked as much as I was.