Novel & Cerita The Testing

A person just needs to be with other people. Before long Carla is leading Hetty and I to the lab for testing, I'm assigned to Cognition today. They test us in several ways; cognition, cardiac endurance, muscular endurance, muscular strength, physical health, supernatural senses, and wolf connection. I don't have my wolf spirit yet, so I usually get a free day until she shows up. If she shows up. I know the goal of all this. Beck talks to me about it.

"I've heard you're excellent at strategy." There was something in his tone. Not quite mocking, but not entirely sincere either. Like he was testing to see if I would take the compliment at face value or read the implicit critique underneath—that strategy is fine but incomplete. I shook his hand. His grip was confident. His eyes were intelligent in a way that was irritating. "And I've heard you're occasionally creative," I said, which was deliberately cool and set the terms immediately: I was the lead here, and he was supporting infrastructure.

Thin lines etched into the floor glowed faintly. “What does this test measure?” Alex asked. “Stress response,” Rachel said. “Bond elasticity.” Brian stiffened. ❄️ “Elasticity?” “How much pressure the bond can endure before it snaps.” Alex’s heart raced. “You’re testing our breaking point.” Rachel didn’t deny it. Alex stepped onto the platform anyway. 💭 If I refuse now, they win. The room dimmed. A soft hum filled the air as the system activated. The pressure came slowly at first—not dominance, but distance.

He should just become Ian's stepping stone instead. I waved goodbye to Shirley and turned around. I walked toward the exam hall with a cold expression on my face. The moment I rounded the corner, I immediately took off the glasses to inspect them. The left side of the frame was noticeably heavier than it should've been. Running my fingers over it, I felt a tiny bump and a barely visible hole. I snorted before putting the glasses back on. 'Why isn't Keith here yet? Where is that idiot?' Hearing the thought, I looked up and spotted Ian standing outside the exam hall. He was looking around anxiously.

I said, finally looking up. And just like I had predicted, Elder Mira addressed it the next morning before the day's briefing began. "It has come to my attention that accusatory rumors are circulating regarding certain candidates using enhancement magic or receiving unauthorized assistance." She scanned the room, her eyes settling on our faces one after the other. "All candidates are subject to testing at any time during this program. Any candidate who wishes to volunteer for immediate testing may do so." I lifted my hand before she finished the sentence. The testing took forty minutes.

I walked over and took the seat, my curiosity already stirring. “What are we working on?” I asked. He leaned back slightly, folding his arms. “I’ve been working on a drug for some time now,” he said. “Today, I want to run some stability tests.” That immediately caught my attention. “Stability testing?” I repeated, my eyes lighting up slightly. He nodded once. “I want to analyze how the compound reacts under different conditions;temperature variations, light exposure, and time.” I leaned forward just a little. “Sounds interesting.”