The city is buzzing below at the return of the summer residents. Zen stumbles up the stairs to his apartment, the headache growing with each step. The mind wipes are getting harder and harder to bounce back from, his memories fleeting. He needs to get his thoughts straightened out before the interview. Things never end well when the mind starts to fall apart. He wishes he could remember what happens in the interviews. He can’t have much time left before they find him and force the issue. His cover may finally be blown.

He’s made it to the fourth floor. Zen falls into the door as he searches for the keys. Please don’t let them be left behind. He just can’t seem to focus. Change falls to the ground as he digs through his pockets. It seems like hours pass by the time he finds the key. He rams it into the lock. Half jiggling half turning the key. The door flies open. Zen tumbles onto the floor.

The little black book. He needs to find it. How did he forget about the book? Without the book there’s no way he’ll pass the test. He just wishes he could remember where it is or what is written in it. Time is running out. This is not going well.

Zen shuffles through the trash, knocking over stacks of paper. In the middle of the papers on the floor he spots it. The tiny black book. He snatches it off the floor, trying to remember how long it’s been since his escape from the compound. As he goes to open the book a small bracelet falls out. The thick black band seems familiar. Along with the small charm that hangs from the middle of the bracelet. He’ll figure out what it means later. He slides it in his pocket as a stack of papers falls over. After this meeting he really needs to clean up the apartment, his shift here almost done. He thinks. Flipping through the pages of the book is clips of his life from the last five years, but more importantly there’s a list of instructions. The whole reason he has fled Var, returning to the apartment. Without this he is sure to fail the test.

A shrill ring reverberates off the walls. Zen looks around for the source. A green phone bounces on the screen of a laptop, crap. He approaches carefully, trying to figure out where to place the book. Which pages to keep visible. He sits it to the right of the laptop out of view of the camera. He tries to puff up before answering the call.

He blinks, staring at the screen not sure what he is looking at. Why is there a white capital r floating on his screen. Did he not get to the computer in time to answer the call? The red light glows next to his camera.

“Hello? Someone there?”

“Took you long enough to answer. The elders aren’t happy about your little jail break you know.”

“Who is this?” The letter disappears, replaced by black haired girl.

“It’s Raven. The letter didn’t give it away? To think you’re this out of it and you’re running around. You know you have pass the knowledge test after a mind wipe. Now let’s get your test over with Mr. Runaway.”

“Why you? Can’t the elders do it?”

“Of course not. You know they spend most of their time in the board room. I’m not happy about this either. As third best agent I have better ways to use my time. Now tell me what a Psyren is.”

Zen can’t remember. He lays his head in his heads, trying to steal a glance at his book.

“They’re magic users. Once part of a secret coven who worshiped the creatures they are humans cursed by the creatures. They can control memories, manipulate emotions, create seals and open the gate into the Abyss.”

“Good. Now sit up! You don’t take anything seriously. An Astro?”

“Also part of the secret coven. They are able to communicate with the creature, come and go from the Abyss as they wish, and in rare cases they can see the future. The more powerful ones are unaffected by the Psyren’s magic.”

“See was that so hard? Congratulations on being the second person in our ranks to reach seventeen without losing their sanity with all mind wipes. Try not to run off next time.”

The screen goes black. Zen lets out a sigh of relief. Somehow he’s able to get through the quick test unnoticed. He thought he was caught for a moment when she yelled at him. Now he just needs to piece the rest of his memory back together before anyone else calls. If anyone realizes he’s hacking it Var will lock him away or whatever they did to the Death Walkers who were no longer useful. The other problem is his other side is trying to rise up and take over. It’s taking advantage of his mind being so clouded. He’s not ready to become a creature. Zen remembers enough to know what happens when a Death Walker loses their human side to the creature blood.

He slides onto the couch with the book flipping through it. This may be the last chance to study and he needs to rebuild his memories before the next test happens. There’s no way there will not be more fallout from his breakout of the Var base. It’s unheard of to leave before they deem you fit for the field. Even someone with his bloodline can’t get away with some things.