After school, the sky had turned into the deepest shades of orange. Fast parted ways with Lena and headed toward the imposing grey building in the city center: the Municipal Testing Center. This was where every high school senior faced the anxiety about their future, and where their destinies were determined.
The interior resembled a sterile laboratory. There was a faint scent of ozone in the air and a never-ending digital hum. Fast handed his ID to the clerk at the registration desk and began waiting for his turn. The teenagers around him were talking excitedly; some were showing off by conjuring small sparks at their fingertips. Fast just kept his hands in his pockets, watching the numbers light up on the digital screen on the wall.
"Next: Fast. Test Room 4, please."
Fast took a deep breath and entered the room. In the middle of the room, resting on a transparent pedestal, stood the famous Measurement Sphere, looking like a galaxy trapped in glass. The sphere was equipped with advanced biosensor technology; its primary purpose was to verify whether a supernatural ability existed within the person upon contact.
The test official gestured while checking data on his tablet. "Place your palms on the sphere and release your mind. Just focus on the flow within you. If it's there, bring that power out."
Fast approached. He placed his palms on the cold glass surface. He closed his eyes. He summoned that invisible power, that "spark," just as he did every morning. Seconds passed. The room fell into silence. Fast expected to feel a warmth under his hands, or to hear a burst of energy. However, the sphere remained as silent and dark as a block of ice.
Seeing no data flow on his screen, the official set the tablet aside. His voice was monotonous and emotionless. "Still no reaction, kid. Your body has reached its limits, but the awakening hasn't happened. I'm sorry, no supernatural ability was detected."
Fast bowed his head as he pulled his hands away from the sphere. The disappointment felt heavier than he had expected. Just as he was about to turn around and head for the door, the lights in the room flickered with a sudden voltage fluctuation. The official's tablet was suddenly flooded with uncontrollable data, emitting a piercing, high-pitched warning sound.
"SYSTEM CONFLICT: ANALYSIS CANNOT BE COMPLETED - ABILITY: PRESENT"
The official froze in place. He quickly swiped through the tablet screen, but the codes were flowing at an unreadable speed. "This... this is impossible. The sphere didn't react, but the core processor says there's something inside." He turned his gaze to Fast; this time, his look held deep confusion and a slight sense of unease. "The system can't define what it is. It doesn't say what your ability is, only that it is there."
Fast stood there, frozen. The sphere behind him was still dark, but that single word on the screen echoed in his mind: PRESENT.