From the principal's narration, Melvin was able to deduce that there was indeed a change, only that it looked as if it were unnoticeable.
Instead of buildings with overgrown grasses or net-like cracks, broken or damaged technology, and so on, it was the appearance of "something," according to Edrin.
Something that had brought upon the world, Flux, which caused everyone to fall into a slumber. Only to wake up five years later to…
Melvin sighed.
Only these so-called smart madmen and the awakened teenagers seemed to have been affected by what happened, as the former served as regulators of the latter.
To make the matter worse, Edrin had even told him that all they did was guesswork.
Guesswork?!
That was really insane, considering these teenagers had their lives on the line. But he couldn't blame them, though; after all, it was better to move from the known to the unknown.
Melvin believed that although it had been guesswork all these times, there was still a fraction of hope beckoning. The fact that they were able to regulate these kids with magical affinities meant they were moving.
Perhaps…
"What are you thinking?"
Sitting by the side of Melvin in the limousine as they traveled the tarred road was the principal, Edrin. Ever since they entered the vehicle and began their journey to the academy, Melvin had not been himself.
At least, from his posture while sitting and the consistent tapping of his hands on his lips, Edrin was able to tell that the poor, teenage boy beside him was drowning in the sea of thoughts.
On hearing the principal's voice, Melvin jolted and turned sharply, opening his mouth to speak.
The first thing that crossed his mind was to lie that he wasn't thinking anything. But from his encounter so far with the principal, he could tell how observant the man was.
And the last thing he wanted was to give a stranger the impression that he lies. Besides, he also wanted to lessen the burden of the worry in his mind.
"I still don't understand, if all these so-called smart madmen, if all you people did was guesswork," Melvin began, illustrating nervousness with his hands as he spoke. "Are you… I mean, what is the need in gathering people like me, in gathering the awakened teenagers, all in the name of regulation?"
Edrin gave out his usual, strange chuckle. He must already find this poor boy before him interesting.
Although Melvin happened to be the last teenager who had been affected by Flux to awaken, he was the second kid among all the teenagers they had gathered to question him beyond all he was supposed to tell.
The first teenager, a girl, had not been as intense in interrogations as Melvin, but she had left a remarkable impression on Edrin. The principal tried to convince himself that the two kids, among others, already showed promise.
"Everything we did was guesswork," the principal began. "Until we found it."
Melvin narrowed his eyes, giving the principal a sharp look. "Found what?"
Edrin's eyes gleamed faintly in the brightly lit inside of the limousine.
"A testament."
The word landed heavy, like a stone dropped into still water.
Melvin had many questions he wanted to ask. Was that "something" the principal talked about the testament? No, for all he knew, testaments come in a written form.
So, it should be a letter.
With that in mind, Melvin asked the next question he thought was supposed to.
"What did the letter say?"
The principal gave him a surprised look, then turned to the other side, facing the window beside him by the left. "Did I say it was a letter?" he asked and, without waiting for an answer, added.
"The testament is something that predates our understanding of Flux. Something that suggests that whatever had happened to us was never an accident."
Melvin nodded, expecting more words from the principal.
"And that is why we are preparing these teenagers with magical affinities, people of your kind, to find out more about this testament."
For one, Melvin learned that he had guessed wrong about the testament. The testament was not a letter, but a thing. He couldn't help but imagine what this "something" the principal kept yelping about was.
How gigantic is this mysterious thing? Is it even that large? More importantly, what was this thing that was capable of bringing into the world a strange phenomenon?
Melvin turned again to face the principal, who was looking out through the window.
"What is this—"
"You will find out soon enough," Edrin interrupted calmly.
***
The next stretching moments after that dialogue with the principal came in a pensive silence.
Melvin turned to his right side, looking out through the tinted glass window of the car. For the first time in his life… his life after regression, he was setting his eyes on landscapes, neon buildings, and business compartments made up of lined-up towering buildings.
There was one more thing troubling his mind, and he didn't plan to let it linger. It was okay if the principal thought of him as a troubling nerd.
'I'm not a nerd.'
The important thing is that he will get to be cleared. He hoped so.
With his eyes still settled on the relative buildings they passed, he asked.
"What do I have to do with them?"
Edrin turned to meet the back of the poor boy.
"With the Awakeners," Melvin continued. "You must have known my affinity. Why hide it from me?"
Everywhere became eerily silent, except for the dull hum of the moving limousine.
Melvin had turned to meet the gaze of the principal.
Even Vale, who was gracefully handling the steering wheel, turned his back and lingered a piercing gaze on Melvin.
The principal studied Melvin for a long moment—long enough that doubt began to creep into Melvin's chest.
The boy wasn't sure he was going to believe whatever reply the principal would give him. This particular moment wouldn't have even existed if the system that had come to his rescue was alive.
'I hate this life.'
Melvin suddenly mused without knowing "why".
That was when the Principal shook his head.
"That," Edrin said, "is the problem."
Melvin's heart sank.
"You woke later than all others," Edrin continued. "Your Flux was detected, undeniably so. It runs through your veins as clearly as it does theirs."
"Then why—" Melvin was cut short.
"But no magical affinity manifested," Edrin finished. "No elemental alignment. Nothing we could analyze."
Melvin felt the weight of those words settle into him. His expression turned grim as a subtle, sad feeling washed over him.
He pushed his head back, resting it on the comfy surface of the limousine's cushioned seat, and shut his eyes.
'So, I'm defective… again.'
Melvin began to reminisce about his ugly life in the previous timeline. When others awakened, he hadn't even shown any promising sign at all. He had to live through all the thorns and prickles of life to survive.
And when he thought there was going to be hope… his life had ended faster than he wanted it to.
Now, perhaps due to the system's intervention at the door of his death, he had somehow regressed and is among the awakened who got affected by the flux of this world.
Yet, no magical affinity to prove his total belonging to the group. Who knows how life will treat him when he gets to the academy?
Just then, Melvin felt cold hands rest on his shoulder. He opened his eyes and turned to find that the principal had advanced closer to him.
Confusion set in as he acted instinctively, shifting further to the door beside him.
But the next words of the principal seemed to comfort him a bit.
"And that," the principal said, "is why we are taking you to awaken your Affinity."
At the mention of those words, Vale suddenly stirred the wheel, drifting the limousine into the left side of the road junction.