The applicants stood before a strange construct, made of brass and crystal. Eyes traced out different aspects of it, most following a set of cables that ran from the construct to a strange panel that a group of proctors gathered behind. A handful of other people were already there, operating whatever this construct was and staring intently at one side of the panel.

“You have all shown some matter of skill to have made it this far, but of greater importance were the displays of perseverance and clever thinking.” Roderick’s tone seemed congratulatory, though his eyes seemed focused on Bird more often than the Weird would have liked. “Rarely is a simple task truly simple, and as alchemists you will find that much of your work will be in pushing the boundaries of current knowledge. This means making tools work for situations they were not meant for, pushing the limits of materials, and potentially dangerous experimentation with mana.”

Bird definitely felt like that last one was definitely aimed at him. Still, he was there because he had passed the practical exam; the high from that was keeping him going. The group around him was small; most had either been unable to get some kind of alchemy functional, or hadn’t been able to deal with the stress and adapt..

“This is the final part of the exam, but allow me to congratulate you all in advance. This has no bearing on your acceptance to the Goldwind Alchemical Academy. The written and practical exams have proven that you all have a working knowledge of alchemy and the ability to push it forward.” Excited murmurs broke out through the exhaustion of the group. Bird felt someone clap him on the shoulder, but by the time he turned the other applicant had already turned their attention elsewhere.

Bird’s reflex was to celebrate as well, but it just sort of died out halfway. He wanted to enjoy the moment, but he couldn’t help but feel disconnected from the small bit of revelry.

Roderick kept his features schooled as the group celebrated itself for a moment. Their day wasn’t over, but the relief this moment brought was often what carried them through the rest of it. Applicant Barda seemed somewhat reserved, but by Roderick’s reckoning he had also been the most concerned about his presentation in the practical exam. Unorthodox, but effective.

Part of his methods were why several proctors had been eager to move on to this final exam. He raised his hands and quieted the assembled, trying to contain his own excitement.

“Now, this final exam is simple. You will step forward and place your hands on the central crystal.” Roderick gestured towards the construct, stepping forward to demonstrate. “This simply tests for natural magic in the body and displays the results on the screen over there. You all are welcome to gather behind it with the proctors to watch the results; screens are a relatively new construct developed at the Academy and I’m sure you’re all interested in seeing new alchemy.”

Bird had to meter his pace in going over. The excitement and drive to see something that was new even for Goldwind was high, but the need to not stick out more than he had was more pressing.

It was a little cramped with everyone crowding behind the screen. Bird couldn’t see all the details from the distance he had to keep, but it seemed like one side of the box was a pane of glass of some kind, with different images displayed on it. Someone asked a question about it’s functioning, and the answer felt notably simplified in referencing programmed illusionary alchemy, augmented by different inputs.

Roderick called their attention to the screen, and then placed his hands on the crystal. The screen didn’t change immediately. It took perhaps five or ten seconds for a small section of it to flash red. A small bit of text seemed to appear in another, vaguely stating a lack of natural magic. Roderick seemed unfazed.

“All things have some level of mana in them, or at the very least the ability to conduct it. Natural magic, in laymans terms, describes a heightened base level of mana in an individual. This level is typically of sufficient levels to impact their magical talents, or to provide a unique ability of some kind.” One of the non-proctors near the screen explained as much, pointing to the red section of the screen, “As you can see, Roderick does not have natural magic. He is one of the Academy’s finest Regulators, however, so don’t let a lack of natural magic discourage you. It’s actually quite rare.”

That’s interesting, Bird thought to himself. What did rare mean up here in Goldwind? In Lowmyre Calamities weren’t common, but it wasn’t exactly hard to find someone with one.

Natural magic, he corrected himself, not a Calamity.

The first applicant stepped up and placed their hands on the crystal, waiting the agonizing seconds to find out if they had an unknown talent. Bird watched a lot of hope drain from their face as the screen flashed red and the result was called to them.

In general he saw a mixture of fear and hope on many of the faces around him. Snippets of conversation told him there were some common folk here hoping they could have been a little special. A few noble folk annoyed they weren’t. Bird felt some ill sensation building in his gut as the conversations passed around him. He had heard that it was good to have natural magic in Goldwind, but to actually see disappointment when they didn’t have it was strange. After all, it was sort of like dodging a bullet depending on your situation in Lowmyre.

“Applicant Barda?”

“Yes! What?” Bird snapped back to reality, realizing he had zoned out. “Sorry, I was lost in thought.”

“Quite alright. Please step up to the construct.”

The first step was like triggering a landmine. Bird felt a thousand anxieties hit him before the second footfall; what it this machine could tell he was a Weird? What if his magic showed up differently somehow? No one else had shown magic so far, what if it brought more attention to him?

He reached towards the crystal, hoping that he could keep his gloves on for it. No one seemed to correct him, so he just pushed on.

It was oddly warm, like a stone near a hearth that had been soaking up a fire’s warmth through the night.

“Do I need to do anything else?” Bird’s voice shook just a little. Maybe only he could hear it. Gods, he hoped that only he could hear it.

“No, just…” Roderick trailed off, looking at the screen. “Applicant Barda, could you remove your gloves and try again? It normally doesn’t matter, but the construct doesn’t seem to be able to read things.”

Fuck.

“Alright.” Bird was standing more or less alone, so he just made a conscious effort to keep his mouths closed. He caught a glimpse of his wrists as he pulled the cloth away, making a point to keep those facing the ground as well.

He was mildly more comfortable once his hands were actually against the crystal; there was no way to see his palms. Then, he waited.

“Interesting.” It was a sentiment that Bird heard several times from several people. It did absolutely nothing to comfort him.

“Do you have the results?”

“Yes, though the construct may need some maintenance.” Bird quickly slipped his gloves back on, trying to not be too obvious as he made sure there was a clear path to the door. Most attention seemed to be on the screen, so he felt decently confident that no one had seen anything weird. “Well, assuming the readings are correct, you do have natural magic. It seems congruent with patterns related to sensory enhancement.”

“Like, hearing?” Bird rounded the screen to take a look. So much of the information made no sense to him, but he watched the corner that had turned red for everyone else flicker between green and blank.

“Yes, it could be why you were able to hear things with the equipment that we weren’t.” Roderick began pointing out things on the screen, most of it flying squarely over Bird’s head. “I don’t want to hypothesize without more information, but it may be prudent for you to explore this with a specialist to determine if it can be better defined.”

“Why is it flickering like that?”

“It shouldn’t be.” One of the operators spoke up, kneeling at the base of the screen and checking cables. “It should display either green or red, a positive or a negative. We’ve seen some flickering between the two when a person has very little natural magic, but it shouldn’t be displaying green and flickering to blank.”

“Why?”

“Because it should be a binary system, with two results and only two results. If it’s flickering back to a neutral state it means something isn’t connected properly.” He waved it off, muttering something about needing an excuse to tune the machine anyway.

Bird wanted to ask more, to find out more about his Calamity, but it would be riding a very fine line between learning and being exposed. It was infuriating to see so much information related to him and not be able to understand any of it.

“Well, make use of it as you can. It certainly helped you get here.” Roderick smiled, turning to address the entire group. “Congratulations again-”

Bird faded out a little as he spoke, going through what was likely a traditional welcome to the academy. The stress of the last few days had seen him dissociating more often, and he was starting to hate it with renewed vigor.

It wasn’t until he was standing in front of the front desk again that his mind came back to the present. The attendant, who Bird had managed to hear being called Stevenson, was handing him a small parcel.

“Do you have any questions?” Stevenson was just as chipper as he had been before the exam.

“A little of everything.” The sheepish response came with a fair bit of color in his cheeks, though Stevenson seemed unperturbed by it. “A lot has happened today, I don’t know where my mind is. Could you say that again?”

“Quite alright.” He motioned to the parcel, and specifically a number written on it. “This is the number that will be on your room in the dormitories. There is information inside about where to go to get robes tailored for you, as well as a small stipend that all students receive. There is also a handbook for the rules and practices of the Academy which you are expected to familiarize yourself with. Beyond that, it’s mainly just small booklets of information regarding locations on and around the grounds., as well as how to begin attending lectures.”

“Pretty comprehensive?”

“We try. Once you locate your room and leave any belongings, use the map to find the Dalanth Hall. A few members of the Assembly like to welcome new members of the Academy. That should be happening here within an hour or so, so don’t delay.”

Bird thanked him and left the next student to get their parcel, heading out the doors towards the main courtyard that he had entered into. He realised a few paces into the journey that it likely wasn’t the right way, and quickly dug through the small box to try and find a map.

The Dormitories were situated along the edge of the Academy, adjacent to the northern cliffs. Were it not for the instructions scrawled on the back of the map, Bird wouldn’t have guessed all four buildings were the Dormitories.

He checked the number and instructions again. 3321. That meant the third building, third floor, and the room marked 21. Straightforward enough, he supposed. There were maroon robes moving all around him as he neared, some moving towards and others away, but it seemed like he was actually seeing the students in true numbers now.

There were some passing looks that made him nervous, but he did his best to believe it was just because he didn’t have a robe, and that he must stick out as a new student. It was either that or let the gremlin in his head convince him that people were seeing him as a Weird.