Night eyes

1. Waiting for a verdict

Dart
Anxiety is killing me.
One after another, almost everyone of my, now former, classmates have entered the office of our prince for the last evaluation. Many came out satisfied, others were angry or disappointed.
I hope that they managed to be admitted and the reason for their disappointment is the person the ended up with. Probably, after a couple of missions together, they’ll be happy again.

Another guy exits the door and, before leaving, signal to the girl at the end of the room to come in. Without her, there are only nine of us left waiting. I’m the next one. It won't be long. Soon I’ll know if I passed the written, psychological, physical and natural exams. I’m fairly confident about the first three but the last one is a mystery. Given my family, I shouldn't have any problems, but there’s always the risk of a genetic defect. It’s not common but not so rare either. And, even if I passed the test, I could end up with the wrong person. The best thing would be to end up with Kitsuka. Unfortunately, be in a team with her is impossible due to her nature. Although nothing stop me from dreaming. It would be nice to travel together. A real blessing.

Finally, the girl exits the room and it’s time for me to enter. Okay, I need to stay calm…everything will be fine. I enter the office and sit on the chair in the center of the room. In front of me, seated behind a large desk merged with the floor, there is Holzegeist Orente Root. The third son of the king, the prince of Livingroot, my teacher, and practically my second father.
<Hello Dart, is everything alright?> he asks, calmly moving papers and registers on the desk.
<Yes, I'm a bit anxious about the results and a bit melancholic about leaving the Academy, but I'm fine> I reply.
Holzegeist gives me a reassuring smile <You can rest easy. You passed the psychological exam with flying colors and, in the physical exam, you received more than excellent grades. In the written test, there were some gaps, but you passed with a good margin. As for the nature test...> the prince pauses for a long moment. Could it be that I didn't pass? <I don’t have magic?> I ask uncertainly, feeling the ground disappear beneath my feet. Holzegeist shakes his head. <No, it's not that. You have magic flowing in your blood without a shadow of a doubt.> A weight immediately lifts from my shoulders. I have magic. I HAVE MAGIC! I almost want to jump for joy. <However> Holzegeist continues ominously, <we don't know what kind of magic it is. Madam Amal couldn't see anything about your power. It's quite common for magics that change the qualities of materials or manipulate light. According to the records, even your mother's grandfather had received this result, and it turned out he could accelerate others' metabolism. Anyway, Madam Amal had no trouble finding your Catalyst, so there's no doubt about your magical abilities.>
<Who is it?> I ask suddenly <It took some time to find a name for the person described by Madam Amal. He wasn't anyone from the academy, and no one in the committee knew him. I recognized him by pure chance. He was born here but left the city several years ago. He is currently in the library of the Eye of Berguten. His name is Nepto.> explain the prince.
A guy who left the city and who knows the prince despite not attending the academy. He doesn't seem like just anyone. <Can you tell me what kind of person he is?><Of course, he's a somewhat eccentric guy whom I've helped and who has helped me in the past, despite being your age. He's one of the so-called Ink’s Son. I don't know if you've ever heard of them. They're special people, many of whom are part of the Eye. They're all orphans and have peculiar, let's say bizarre, ways of reasoning. You can ask them about any topic, and they'll be more prepared than the average person, but they can't excel in anything except one thing, in which they are the absolute best.>
<What do you mean with <>they can't excel in anything<>?>
<For unknown reasons, they have a limit to the degree of learning almost any subject and technique. They can train and study indefinitely, but they will never surpass a certain level. We can say they can learn anything in a very short time but will never master it. Well, except for one thing, as I mentioned before.>
<What is it?>
<That change from person to person, almost like magic. I already know what he excels in, but I won't tell you. Discovering it on your own could facilitate the Awakening. In any case, remember one thing: although he can reach a good level of skill in practically everything, there are still a few, albeit very few, things in which he is almost totally incapable, like any human. Your task as his Catalyst is mainly to help him in those things. Remember, only when two people are together can a person show their true abilities.>
<Thank you, but do you think he'll agree to come with me?>
<If I offer him the right bargaining chip, he'll be the one to force you to take him with you. After the interviews, I'll send you instructions on where to find him and how to convince him. Now go home, rest a bit, and then pack your bags. Tomorrow you might already have to leave to join him.>As I leave the room, I signal to the next person to enter. The person Holzegeist described seems scary. Extraordinary, but above all, scary. I hope everything will be fine between us.