Test

Walter was in a terrible mood, right in front of him, his classmate became the 4th awakened in the city in the last 500 years, which suggests that statistically, Walter's chances of a successful awakening are almost negative. Yes, from the point of view of probability theory, he has a chance, but...

"Ugh..."-he could only sigh and enter the testing room, there were four doctors waiting for him and there were 8 racks with some devices.

"Name?"- one of the doctors asked without even turning in his direction.

"Walter Sligo..."-the gloomy guy said.

"Well, Nancy, help him pass the test!" -he said, turning to his colleague.

"Yes, come here." -the girl turned to Walter, calling him to one of the racks.

"..."- Walter came over.

"Give me your hand!"- she said, the guy obediently stretched out his hand, the girl put his hand on the device, then pressed some button and Walter felt a prick- " Scanty compatibility with the Essence of a Warrior. Let's go to the next counter."- the girl immediately said.

"Scanty compatibility with the Essence of a Cryomancer... "

"Zero compatibility with the Essence of a Duelist... "

" Zero compatibility with the Essence of a Berserker..."

"Scanty compatibility with the Essence of the Shadow... "

"Zero compatibility with the Essence of the Pyromancer... "

" Zero compatibility with the Essence of the Flash..."

" Scanty compatibility with the Essence of the Mentalist..."

" The subject Walter Sligo does not have sufficient compatibility with the Essences of Awakening."-Nancy said in conclusion.

"Go and call the next one!"- said the doctor who asked Walter about the name.

All Walter could do was put on a grim expression and leave the testing room.

When Damiano saw the grim expression on the face of his friend, he did not ask why he is so gloomy, and called him through the chip-assistant, so as not to break the build, and gave him the comforting words-"It's Nothing, I have failed too, but this version of the future is not the end!"

"..."

"You know, my dad has a bottle of 30-year-old cognac, we would be able to drink it..."-Damiano continued.

"We are still schoolchildren... "

"We finish school in 2 weeks, and besides, we are already adults." -said Damiano.

"I've never had a drink before..."

"Nothing, rely on your brother!"

"How can you help me in this matter?"- asked Walter in surprise.

"Um..."- Damiano himself did not know how to teach someone to drink.

"That's a jerk..." - Walter smiled, then broke the connection- " But he's right in some ways, the world has not come together like a wedge on this, I can always find something else."- after such thoughts, Walter mostly got rid of regret.

.

.

.

When Walter was about to leave, he saw at the exit of the school teachers of Cispata, he kindly smiled and beckoned to him with a finger-"You don't worry, I'm sure you will not be lost even if you become awakened, you can still use your mind in order to help the country!"

"Thank you, teacher Chispas!"-sincerely thanked Walter.

"Hey, brother, why didn't you wait for me?"- Damiano's voice came from behind Walter- "Let's go faster before my father comes home!"

Walter smiled awkwardly at the teacher, who only said-"Go."

When Walter and his friend left the school, Damiano asked-"So, what do you think about cognac?"

Walter wanted to send his friend away, but he saw Anaz Rethel, who woke up, and he felt lousy again and replied-" Why not? "- he answered Damiano.

"That's our way!" -he laughed.

While they were walking home, Damiano was talking enthusiastically about something, Walter only occasionally nodded or grunted, pretending to listen to his noisy friend, but in fact, he was still trying to get used to the idea of the impossibility of waking up.

"Okay, there's no one at home, I'll open it now!"- said Damiano, not finding his parent's cars near the house, after which he gave an order to the chip assistant to open the door, inviting Walter into the house.

"Let's go to the gym!"- Damiano called him, Walter came in and, without taking off his shoes, went to the hall, he knew the layout of the house well, at the same time Damiano went towards one of the rooms.

Walter entered the hall and sat down on a large leather sofa, leaning back, staring at the ceiling.

"My father will swear, but I can tolerate it for my brother's sake," Damiano laughed, carrying two snifters and a beautiful crystal bottle in his hand. Walter sighed and looked at his friend. Damiano did not wait long and, putting the snifters on the table, uncorked the bottle, after which he smelled the smell that came out of the neck-"Smell!"-he brought the bottle to Walter's nose, he unknowingly inhaled deeply, which made him shudder in consequence.

"Haha!"-Damiano laughed and began to pour the drink, after which he pushed one of the snifters to Walter- " Well? Let's drink!"

Walter took the snifter in his hand and clinked glasses with Damiano and, without hesitation, drank it all in one gulp.

"Aaah! Aah... aah..."- then he began to swallow air with his mouth.

"Oh, you! You don't know how to drink such exquisite drinks!"- Damiano said, he, unlike Walter, drank slowly, a couple of sips.

"I told you I've never had a drink before!"-Walter said.

"Yes, you can not justify yourself! I'm not sorry."-Damiano saw the condition of his friend and poured him another drink, at the same time asking- " What do you think to do after you finish school?"

"Previously, I would have immediately started going to university, but now... I think it's worth serving in the army..."-Walter said.

"To the army?" -Damiano was surprised.

"Yes, have you heard about the latest events at the front? If this continues, then in a dozen years the Mirans will reach our planet. " - said Walter.

"Is that the only reason?" asked Damiano.

"No..."- Walter was silent for a while, after which he continued- "I've never shared this with anyone before, but I've always wanted to go to the battlefield to help the Federation," Walter said, slowly taking a sip.

"If you really want it, then I will support you, but please don't die there… You remember my uncle, don't you?"

"You mean Uncle Canwood?"

"Yes, he served in the army for almost 20 years, but when the Mirans came... Neither his experience nor his devotion to the country helped him survive, not even a body was left. It happened two years ago, we were burying an empty coffin, and I wouldn't want to go through something like this with you..."-Damiano said.

"Why didn't you tell me about Uncle Canwood?"- asked Walter, a veil was already beginning to cover his eyes.

"..."

"Now I understand why you took a week off 2 years ago. But don't worry about me, I don't mind dying for you, for my mother and father, for my country. As people from the First Era believed, a man should die with a sword in his hand. If I die in this way, then promise that you will not shed tears at the funeral, but only drink to me and laugh heartily in your usual manner. " - Walter said somehow distantly.

"Don't you dare say that! Never! Do you hear me? Don't ever say those words to me or anyone else!"

"Huh, apparently the cognac hit the head!" -Walter joked, realizing that his best friend did not understand him.

"Well, what should I take from you? It's your first time drinking..."-Damiano was saying, but suddenly there was a loud explosion, and the ground shook, causing Damiano, like Walter, to fall to the floor.

"What the hell is this?!"-Walter exclaimed, regaining his balance, his gaze rushed out of the window and what he saw left him speechless, the whole city was on fire, here and there columns of smoke stretched into the sky, and a fairly large Miran's cruiser was flying in the sky. Walter, on his knees, stared out the window-"This is the end! " - it was this thought that was endlessly repeated in his head, while he looked at the devastation outside the window, and the intoxication disappeared as if by hand.

"Wow! Walter, help! " he heard, turning around, he saw that a chandelier had fallen on Damiano's leg after the explosion. The young man pulled himself together and went to help his friend, the chandelier turned during the fall, which caused one of the components to pass through Damiano's thigh. Walter, panicking, tried to lift the chandelier.

"Aaaaa!"- his friend screamed in pain, which made Walter wake up and try to act focused and rational.

"Chip, how can I help Damiano?"-he tried to ask chip, but the answer he received clearly did not satisfy him.

"You don't have access to this information!"