It took Dae thirteen minutes and twelve seconds to clear the test. His records on the mock exams had all exceeded an hour. It wasn’t that his abilities were lacking, they just took time. Unlike other elemental Espers, Dae couldn’t create metal. All he could do was manipulate it. 

The training grounds were built to mimic the scene of a disaster, but due to budget limitations a good portion of the scenery was plastic, not metal as it would be in the field. Dae’s instructors reassured him that this would be taken into account when calculating his final score but they still forced him to dedicate hours upon hours to strategy for finding as much scrap metal as he could. 

Normally this meant meticulously removing screws and bolts from machinery and melding them together into some kind of weapon. Dae was meant to rely on physical strength and combat prowess more than his ability since it relied so heavily on what materials were available.

None of that had mattered this time though. As soon as the buzzer started and Dae heard the first shuffling footsteps of the simulated gate-beasts he was off. He could feel his ability in a way he had never been able to before. It was like all of the metal sang out to him, radar waves broadcasting their exact location. As soon as Dae called out to them they responded. 

There was a weapon in Dae’s hand before he even had time to think. He held a spear resembling the ones used in whaling back in the day. His buzzing senses sent out a hum of energy, once again resonating with every speck of metal in the building. He felt the rebar under the concrete like divining rods, drawing him towards his prey. 

Just as the scent of his adrenalin drew the creature towards him. 

He spun on his heel and hurled the spear towards the simulation. Which this time took the form of a headless bear covered in twitching eyes, slobbering mouths, and wet noses. 

Pierce the flesh

Shatter the core 

The words sang to him, joining the chorus of humming metal and the beat of his heart. 

His spear found its mark, lodging itself deeply into the creature's side. It let out a litany of shrieks from its assorted maws and began to barrel towards Dae. Dae simply stepped aside and turned his focus to the spear, shaping it into something new to suit his needs. 

He flattened the spear's rounded handle and pressed the bottom edge into a sharp blade running the length of the weapon. All he had to do was force it down. The creature was cleaved in two, nothing more than a log being split into suitable firewood. Floating in the center between its two blood halves there was a glowing cube. This cube was the facility's approximation of the cores that powered the gates. Always found in a monster or hidden behind various traps and puzzles. Once the core was destroyed the creature would melt into dust and the gate would close.

Dae reached out and plucked out the cube before the creature could regenerate too much. It had already started to pull itself back together, sending out tendrils of sinew to pull the sides in. Dae flicked his hand to rid it of the blood and viscera before closing his fist around the cube and crushing it. 

The faux gate-beasts body began to drift away in a pixelated haze and Dae could hear the inspectors approaching him. 

The anger that had been coursing through him so strongly had been excised through his battle and all he was left with were the after effects of the guide floating away from him like wisps of smoke. 

An instructor, a middle aged woman with salt and pepper curls and dark eyes patted him on the back. As he turned to her she held out a new watch. Government issue, given to all Espers upon their completion of their classification. It had more functions than the trainee watch currently adorning Dae’s wrist. 

The trainee watch was mostly only used for short range communication with instructors and monitoring of vitals. Dae was sure he’d taken a course on the functions of the new watch he was currently strapping into place but he couldn’t remember a thing as the screen showed him a single sentence. 

Welcome Deadalus Kane S class esper

Long suppressed memories bubbled to the surface. A guide writhing on the floor of Dae’s living room. My fault. Dae’s mother’s cold glare. My fault. Liquid metal pooling into the shape of a cookie before melting through Dae’s clenched fist and hissing when it hit the polyester carpet. 

Dae’s mind could only come up with one response, “Mom’s going to be so disappointed.” 

Any confidence or righteous indignation drained out of Dae. Suddenly he was seven years old again, being told to prepare for an unknown visitor. The only person who ever came to the Kane’s home was the Esper contracted with Helena Kane, and she never came inside. Dae had never seen her. 

Something in Helena’s voice had been bad. It wasn’t her tired bad or her angry bad. It wasn’t a bad that Dae had experience with. So Dae didn’t know how to avoid making it worse. 

The front door groaned as it swung inward and Dae jumped. 

Dae approached the hallway. He poked his head out and saw his mother leaning against the wall with her eyes closed. She reached a hand behind her head and tugged a hair tie out of her dark wavy hair. Dae watched, mesmerized as it spread out along her shoulders. 

Before Helena had gotten the exclusive contract with her Esper, she would have Dae brush her hair. She’d set him up on the couch and sit in front of him. He’d eagerly take the brush from her hands and set to work gently untangling her curls. 

Helena Kane’s hair was beautiful, Dae thought so anyways. He loved how soft it felt and the way it smelled like strawberries all the time. When other people told Dae he looked like his mother he would smile and run his fingers through his own hair, only to be disappointed each time at how different it felt. 

In the hall, Helena’s eyes opened slowly. She looked towards Dae and gave him a tired smile. It was a bad smile. The tired kind of bad. She held a hand out and gestured for Dae to come to her. He took a deep breath before stepping out into the hall. 

The moment Helena saw what Dae was wearing she scowled. Dae flinched and darted back into his room. He pulled off the reflective Esper-in-training vest and tossed it under his bed carelessly. 

“Daedalus, why were you wearing that?” Helena’s voice was strained. Also bad. The angry kind of bad. He stepped back out and looked down at his feet anxiously. 

“I’m sorry.” 

Helena sighed and walked towards him. She pulled him into a hug and he buried his head in her stomach. The scent of menthol overpowered the strawberry smell of her shampoo. Even more bad. Pain bad, hurting and aching. Dae wondered if she had to do more work to get home early. Dae wondered if it was his fault. 

“I’m not mad, kiddo. I’m just tired.” 

Dae nodded against her, he’d already realized that. Helena took Dae’s shoulders and pushed him back. She looked him over and hummed to herself. Dae hoped it meant she was happy. She didn’t say anything. Dae waited. 

“Would you like to hear a story?”
Dae nodded against her shirt. He didn’t dare look up at her, afraid to confirm why she trembled against him. 

“There was once a scorpion,” Her hands cupped Dae’s face and she tilted his gaze up towards her. He met her gaze and watched as she searched his face for…something, “The scorpion wanted to cross a stream. But he couldn’t swim.” 

She turned his head back towards her body and looked up, away from him, “The scorpion approached a creature who was an amazing swimmer, a frog, for help. The frog looked at the scorpion suspiciously. It asked the scorpion how it could be sure the scorpion wouldn’t sting it.” 

“The scorpion told the frog that it would be foolish to sting the frog since that would kill them both,” Dae’s fingers twitched anxiously and his mother gently placed a hand over his. 

“So the frog agrees. But they only make it half of the way across the river, can you guess why?” Dae, who hadn’t realized he’d been holding his breath, coughed and breathed in raggedly. 

“The scorpion stung the frog?” Dae said it hesitantly, hopeful that he was wrong. But Helena smiled down at him bitterly and nodded. 

“The scorpion stung the frog. And as they both began sinking into the water the frog asked why.” 

Dae moved away from his mother. He pulled his knees up to his chest then peered at her over them. She sighed and leaned forward, brushing her fingers along Dae’s face. Some of her hair fell down across her face, casting more shadows and making her look even more tired. 

“The scorpion said ‘because it is my nature,” Helena straightened up and looked at Dae. He met her gaze even as he withered under it. 

Her eyes lifted from him and surveyed the room. She pressed her lips together, also bad. Dae looked at the room, tried to see what she saw. 

“Would you like it if I made us cookies?” 

Dae blinked up at his mother like she’d turned into a gate beast. She grinned at him and laughed softly. Dae cautiously joined in. A light tittering ready to fade the moment Helena showed any sign of displeasure. Instead, she pulled him off the couch and into another hug. 

“Can you tidy up while I cook?” Dae nodded eagerly, “Someone very important is coming today. I need you to be on your best behavior.” 

Dae nodded again, more serious this time. Helena walked over to the coffee table and picked up two metal marbles. She eyed them then looked at Dae. His lip started to quiver as she held them out to him. She dropped them into Dae’s trembling hand. They felt heavier than Dae remembered. 

The entire time Dae cleaned he wondered who their guest would be. Helena had never baked for anyone before, not even her Esper. Whoever this was had to be more important than her Esper. 

At the time Dae’s Esper classes had only just started talking about the classification test. Dae had learned that Esper’s abilities could be measured and graded. He wondered if the Esper coming had a better grade than Helena’s Esper? The thought scared Dae. Helena’s Esper already made her so tired. Would it be worse with this new Esper? 

Dae’s mind started spiraling. His skin felt itchy and there was a pounding sound in his ears. He sat on the couch and tried his best to do the breathing activities they taught at his Esper classes. Each inhale felt like needles traveling down his throat. Each exhale felt like drowning. 

A warm sugary smell broke through Dae’s building panic. He looked towards the kitchen in a daze. He could see his mother leaning against the kitchen counter and licking cookie dough off a spoon. She looked happy. 

She was humming to herself and her eyes were closed as she savored the taste of the dough. Dae felt himself relax as he watched her. The song was one she’d hum to Dae during long trips to training centers. It had an upbeat tune and repetitive lyrics. Sometimes Helena would substitute her own just to make Dae smile. 

The oven beeped and Helena stopped humming. Dae, who had turned around to rest his head on the back of the couch, watched her pull the cookie sheet out only to turn it around and put it right back in. Dae’s brows furrowed and he hummed in confusion to himself. 

“Why?” 

Helena turned to Dae with gentle consideration. She pointed at him with the mixing spoon she’d been holding in her mouth, “The heat is coming from the back of the oven, so I have to turn them to make sure they cook evenly.” 

She put the spoon back in her mouth and pulled up something on her watch. Dae observed her carefully. He took in her every movement. It was the first time he’d gotten a glimpse of this version of his mother. Coming home early, baking, even the softness and singing. Everything felt foreign and achingly familiar at the same time. A taste of something Dae didn’t know he was missing. 

When the timer went off again Helena pulled the cookies out. She organized them on a plate Dae had never seen before. It had snapdragon and anemone flowers around its edge. Helena set it on the coffee table in front of Dae. 

Dae reached out to take a cookie but Helena caught his wrist and clicked her tongue. He looked up at her nervously and she rolled her eyes. 

“Congratulations.” 

Dae looked up at the instructor speaking to him, a shorter man with balding hair and an  amused smile that made Dae think of 609. There was no doubt in Dae’s mind that the guiding he received was the only reason he was able to perform at this level. 

“While you don’t seem to have any injuries I’m sure you’ll need some guiding so feel free to report to our med bay. We’ll give you around four hours to recover then you will need to report to the main offices for assignment. You’re the first of this batch to present as an S class so you will have plenty of offers, I’m sure. Please keep in mind you will only be allowed to be stationed in high gate activity areas due to your ability level so feel free to start looking around at the cities you might be able to live in.” The male instructor handed Dae a pamphlet. 

Dae looked down at the collage of various cities’ downtowns and attractions plastered across the pamphlet and flipped it to scan through the list of cities. The closest one was a two hour flight away. He felt his heart sink. 

The woman whose hand was still on his shoulder began to pat his back. 

“Are you ok sweetie, you look pale. Do you need someone to take you to the medical unit? Don’t worry we have plenty of guides on standby for testing days. I believe we even have our own miracle working today.” She smiled at him reassuringly but that only made guilt gnaw at him. 

“Do you mean that universal guide?” 

“Oh you’ve met 609! Wonderful!” She clapped excitedly, clearly expecting Dae to join in on her excitement. 

“Have you heard of total drain?” 

“Because it’s my nature.” 

The words drifted around the memory of an older guide’s face twisted in pain at momentary contact with Dae’s vessel. Dae’s hands shook, remembering the look on the 609's face as he explained what this center, what these exact instructors had done to him. Dae needed to get away from 609.

“I don’t need any guiding. Can I go straight to the main offices?” The woman frowned at him and asked Dr. Cunningham, who Dae realized was standing among the instructors, to come and check him out. 

The doctor shrugged and shook his head in disbelief at the other instructors, “He’s fine. It’s like he never used any powers at all.” 

It took Dr. Cunningham voicing this for Dae to realize exactly how good he was feeling. The doctor was right, none of the typical exhaustion or strain plagued him. He felt like he’d just been on a leisurely jog. Nothing more than a pleasant thrum of adrenaline buzzing through his veins. 

“You sure are something Mr. Kane.” The male inspector spoke again, eyeing Kane in a manner all too similar to how Mac’s mother had earlier. 

Dae shrugged, “I guess it was just a good day, sir.” 

The instructors laughed and Dae tried his best to press down his anxieties about the future.