Tar waited as his words sank in. The recruits reacted mutely, clearly in states of shock at the challenge he’d just issued. The stakes had been raised immeasurably. Whatever illusion they might have had about this being a fun excursion was replaced by the crushing weight of unexpected responsibility.

  Alarm made Sam’s breathing shallow, and his lungs burned. Tar’s use of the word champion stuck out to him. Could his metaphorical shoulders cope with the weight of being a champion for humanity? The idea seemed a little preposterous.

  Tar renewed his speech. “And so from here on, this is the covenant we make with each other. I help you. You help me. As we embark on this endeavor together, keep this ever present in your thoughts.”

  In other words, he’d bound the thirty-three souls present to him in a way that went beyond contracts and promised rewards. If they pursued freeing themselves from this yoke, they’d be risking Earth’s future. This is unfair. Resentment shoved aside Sam’s other emotions. Tar had deliberately engineered this situation. He could have leveled with Earth right from the start, helped its people understand and prepare for a still far-off entrance into galactic society. Instead, he’d used humanity’s ignorance to extract his own benefits. Man of business, indeed.

  Tar brushed his hands together, signaling a shift in tone. “We’ve covered the who, what, where, when, and why. Let’s move on to the business of ‘how’ now, yes? First things first. You will be grouped into cohorts. Eight to be precise. Seven groups of four people, and one group of five. The reason for this is simple. Over these next few weeks, you’ll be competing in our own version of the Starlit Arena. The Sanctum Arena, if you will.”

  He pointed to Mim and Wendell, who had wordlessly joined them, his expression shading a hint of resignation. “My compatriots and I have diligently designed a series of challenges for you all to face as groups. The math is simple: those who win will be rewarded. We all know the value of incentives in motivating success. At the conclusion of our mock contest, the group at the top of the standings will be the A group. Upon participation in the actual Arena, the A group will be entered into the more elite rounds and have the chance to earn themselves incredible prizes.” And earn Tar incredible renown, Sam mentally inserted. “If you think my prizes are good, wait until you see what you can win at the Arena.

  “The cohorts have been decided randomly. With one allowance. Our friends from the USA will remain together in a group, specifically the group of five. This may seem arbitrary, but we have our reasons—which we hope you will refrain from questioning.” Tar’s eyes twinkled as he gestured toward where Sam, Nadia, and Win sat. Sam’s ears burned as the room’s collective gaze focused on them. “Time will tell whether their familiarity serves as an advantage, or the opposite.

  “Mim, please hand me the list again. Wonderful, here we are. Belonging to the first cohort are Matteo, Kenji, Chioma, and Mirai. Next is . . .” He continued to read until only five people remained. Sam, Nadia, Win, a woman from Colombia named Camila who Sam hadn’t interacted with yet, and . . . Elias.

  Nadia cocked her eyebrow at him. He shrugged. It seemed useless to speculate just yet. Tar unceremoniously announced them as the final group.

  “With that, let us adjourn. Your training schedules will be in your apartments. First order of business, meet with your new teammates. Take some time to get to know each other and discuss your strengths, as well as anticipate your weaknesses. Discuss your strategy to work together to improve. For those that have questions, you’re welcome to ask when the time comes. Which isn’t now.” Tar smiled waspishly and made for the room’s exit.

  The noise and chatter that had been suppressed by his presence immediately erupted.

  #

  The room steadily emptied as the members of the various cohorts—why had Tar chosen a word that conjured business school graduate students with designs on becoming titans of industry?—found each other and then departed to look for a place to meet privately. Figuring it would be easier for Camila and Elias to come to them, Sam, Win, and Nadia stayed where they were.

  Camila was the first to approach. She was of average height and athletic build, with wavy brown hair that hung over her shoulders, and smiled kindly, if with a certain reserve. She greeted them and shook their hands, her skin warm despite the general chill that pervaded the station.

  Elias walked over deliberately, his feet in lockstep and his eyes focused on a point above them. Sam offered him a small wave, to which he nodded and stood silently.

  Camila kicked off the conversation. “So, we are the special group? That means everybody will be looking to see what we do.”

  Win let out an audible breath. “You’re right. The other cohorts will be comparing themselves against us. No pressure, right?”

  “Great. I don’t even like these two. Is it too late to ask to change?” Sam looked toward the door, where Mim had just exited.

  Camila looked concerned, while Elias just stared at him. Oh, well, I tried.

  “Ignore him. He’s lucky we let him stay with us,” Nadia said. “Should we go back to our apartment? I wouldn’t mind a break after standing for that speech.”

  Not long later, they found the apartment view today to be dominated by one of the moons. From Sam’s research in the library, he knew that the hazy orange-tinted atmosphere signified it was Titan, Saturn’s largest. Doubtlessly his favorite because the surface remained mysterious and hidden. What surprises might await visitors?

  A single sheet of paper lay on the counter. Nadia read it aloud, and they discerned it was their schedule for the week. Mornings would see the larger group together for training sessions, while afternoons were set aside for cohorts to break off and practice on their own. Mim would be visiting each cohort once during the week to observe their progress and provide more hands-on guidance. Saturday was marked in bold as the Sanctum Arena First Round, with instructions to meet in the hangar. Oh, and dress warmly.

  “No rest for the wicked. Our idyllic days are over,” Sam remarked, wistful.

  The worry lines on the sides of Camila’s mouth deepened. “Why is Tar pushing us so hard? Everything he said about needing to help Earth, is it true?”

  Nadia lightly scoffed. “He’s bluffing. He just wants us to work harder. Which is fine, because that’s what we’re going to do anyways.”

  “But Camila makes a good point. Telling us all of that, what is his purpose?” Win stuck a finger in the air, as if testing the direction of the wind.

  “He’s impatient. Watch his movements. He stalks around like he can barely restrain himself.” A voice from the figure nearest the window. Elias. Sam looked at him in surprise. He speaks.

  Sam’s anger he’d accrued during Tar’s speech bloomed again. “Exactly. Nadia and Win, this is what we talked about. We already couldn’t trust him, and now he goes and lays the fate of the planet on us. Why is he only sharing this information now? What else is he hiding from us?”

  Nadia ground her feet into the floor, and her eyes flared. “We don’t need to trust him. Whatever is going on in the galaxy is not our concern right now. Let’s focus on ourselves for the time being and we’ll get to worrying about Earth later.”

  Sam let out a heavy breath. He recognized Nadia’s point. Tar was a ball of yarn. Pull on a thread, and you’d barely begin to unravel the question at hand.

  Seeing no response from Sam, Nadia said, “Could we start by talking about our strengths and weaknesses? I actually think it will be a good trust-building exercise. Because whatever else we might make of Tar, he’s not wrong that we need to learn to work well together.”

  Sam was curious to see how the others reacted to Nadia’s assertiveness. For himself, he was content to take a back seat if Nadia chose to assume the mantle of leadership. He’d become captain of his basketball team because the others asked him to; he possessed no innate need to be in charge. He admired his sister’s drive, rather than finding it threatening. Why waste time being competitive with your own family? They needed to have each other’s back; nobody else would. Of course, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t still viciously make fun of her, or vice versa, at the appropriate times (which was often).

  This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

  No protest emerged. Win had puppy dog eyes—Sam’s mouth twisted in rueful sympathy—Camila had drawn inward, and Elias remained stoic and unreactive.

  That was enough for Nadia. She clasped her hands together. “Great. We should start by going in a circle clockwise from me. Dig deep, eh? No point in staying strangers. We’re about to be with each other day and night.” She looked around and then settled her gaze on Sam. “Oh, what do you know, Sam is up first.”

  Sam twisted his mouth in a pretend grimace. “Thank you, sister, it’s an honor. Hmm. I’d say I’m good at helping others. I am . . .”—what was the right word?—“proud of that.” He felt his cheeks warm. “But I’m not always great at asking others for help.”

  Nadia nodded. “I can verify that. His coach often said he didn’t pass the ball enough.”

  Sam closed his eyes and groaned.

  “Hey, you asked me for help, right? That turned out well.” Win gave him an affirming nod and was so earnest that Sam couldn’t help but give him a grateful smile in return. “As for me, I have a good memory. Great for tests and remembering useless trivia.” He paused and rocked his head from side to side. “I don’t do well though when presented with a problem I don’t understand. I don’t give up easily.”

  Camila looked to her side and saw she was next. “Thanks . . . uh, Nadia. This is a hard question for me. I’m a good athlete. I run track and field. Or at least, I used to.” Her lips tightened. “And, well, I wish I had more faith in myself to make the right decisions.”

  Nadia reached out and laid her hand gently on Camila’s. “That is something we all struggle with.”

  Camila smiled weakly at her but didn’t withdraw her hand.

  Elias cleared his throat. Since he had only just spoken for the first time in Sam’s presence, this would be interesting. His voice was deep. “My strength is my resiliency. My weakness is what I will not do. What I refuse.”

  Enigmatic. But he spoke with a faint wobble. Or did Sam imagine it?

  “That’s . . . great! Cultivating an air of mystery?” Nadia mimed jabbing Elias with her elbow.

  Elias kept staring ahead. Sam didn’t blame him. Okay, Nadia, reel it in.

  Nadia took it in stride. “That leaves me. As you might have guessed, I am an extrovert. But I don’t like being told no, and there are times I overstep. So please, if I ever do that, let me know.”

  “We’ll be sure to do so,” Sam said, earning a roll of the eyes from Nadia. He looked at her with fondness though, and the eye roll was half-hearted.

  There was a knock on the door. Camila was the closest and walked over to open it. “Oh, uh, come in?”

  Mim gingerly stepped inside, her face as unreadable as before. She stopped at the junction between the kitchen and the living room, seeming slightly far away. “I won’t be long. I’m making sure everybody knows about their affinities. Most of you have gathered some understanding of the concept, and now is the time for more formal instruction so that you might properly plan as a team. The entrance exam served dual purposes. Confirming you have adequate aether sense and stress testing you so your affinity would come to the surface.” She pointed at Sam. “Yours is one of the easiest to identify. Do you know what it is?”

  Sam looked down at his hands. “Lightning?”

  Mim nodded. “Close. And if it’s easiest to think about it that way, you’re welcome to do so. More accurately, it’s electricity. In Xarlogic, you’re known as a scintillam. This affinity is neither common nor rare. It’s a good one for competing in the Arena, great at both offensive and defensive techniques.”

  Sam nodded appreciatively. Not bad.

  She continued. “Each affinity has its roots in a form of energy. Aether is boundless, but our means of interacting with it is to shape it into energy.”

  Sam leaned forward, doing his best to keep up.

  “I understand humans have some limited conception of energy and have developed certain classifications. Our affinities reflect our relationship with the world around us, and so most of yours should be recognizable to you because it’s easier for your minds to understand. In truth, there are many types of energy you’ve not yet discovered. Some of you may stumble upon them in the process of your growth, but if not, the Arena will open your eyes.”

  Sam tilted his head. “How is electricity supposed to reflect my relationship with the world around me? I’m on a computer all day?”

  Mim let out a dry laugh. “Oftentimes, there is a genetic component that creates a predisposition. A few of the most famous families in the galaxy have carefully cultivated hereditary affinities. Or yes, it might be from participating in specific activities, though I’d hazard that it goes beyond the use of tools. Of the scintillam I’ve known in the past, a fair number have been inventors or explorers. It could also be tied to your personality, which gets into the realm of metaphor, and I will leave that to you to puzzle out.”

  Sam didn’t know what to make of that. If his affinity was genetic, he’d have no way of knowing. He was hardly an inventor or explorer. And his personality . . . was he stormy? Quick to temper? Not particularly, or so he hoped.

  She turned to Nadia. “You’re an interesting case. Some affinities branch into what are called expressions, meaning that the base type of the energy is the same, but how you tap into it differs. Many have a disposition to an expression, but that does not mean they’re limited to that expression. Your affinity is well-known, if rare, but I’ve never come across your particular expression before. Any initial thoughts?”

  Nadia shook her head. “I honestly don’t know. Being able to influence people doesn’t really line up with what you’re describing.”

  Mim nodded with excitement. This was the most animated they’d seen her. She was enjoying herself. “It’s unique, so I wouldn’t have expected you to guess it. It’s magnetism, or magnes. While you’re at the Legion stage—yes, I see your confused looks, we will get to it later—you shouldn’t be able to use it the way that you are. Your expression focuses on the power of attraction and provides you an extreme predisposition for the sixth step, the ability to manipulate the emotional state of other beings. That can be highly dangerous if you’re not ready for it. One of the reasons I came here is to tell you that you’ll be joining me for private lessons.”

  Nadia nodded slowly, like she’d partly anticipated this, and otherwise didn’t react. Mim had delivered both good news and bad, and the latter filled Sam with dread. He hoped Mim had the means to adroitly guide Nadia through the perils she’d alluded to.

  Mim let the moment pass and turned to Win. “You have one of the most common affinities, but a popular one, given its versatility. Have you figured it out already?”

  Win drummed his thighs. “Yes. Being able to move at super-speed made it a bit obvious. Kinetic? But isn’t that a broader category that would normally include types like electricity?”

  Mim gave him a pleased smile. “Correct. Celeritas. And should you get powerful enough, mastering kinetic energy would make you formidable indeed. But while you’re still at this stage of The Path, it may be more useful to think of it in a limited fashion, in your case the ability to affect motion. You’ll get further focusing on one specific expression rather than experimenting with a lot of different ones.”

  Win nodded thoughtfully. Satisfied, Mim then arrived at Elias, who had stayed characteristically quiet. Sam noticed a flicker of anxiety cross his face.

  Mim sighed. “To be honest, I had hoped we wouldn’t have a recruit with this affinity. I don’t say that flippantly or to make you feel bad. Having such a destructive affinity is not a reflection on you. But galactic society may not always see it that way. Are you comfortable sharing with the group?”

  The group waited with bated breath. Avoiding any eye contact, Elias stonily said, “Radiation.”

  Okay, so? Sam looked to Win for reassurance, but Win’s face had paled. Elias dropped his head, and an awkward silence stretched out.

  Eventually, Mim supplied the context. “Radiato. Specifically ionized radiation, causing radioactive decay. One of the most purely destructive forms of aether. Masters of radiation are some of the most terrifying opponents in the Arena because they can knock you out before you even know what happened.”

  Taking her words in, Sam looked over at Elias in surprise, a pang of sympathy rising in him. Others might have received this information with excitement, learning of such potential fighting prowess. Elias clearly did not feel that way. This is not what he wanted. Sam couldn’t help but wonder why.

  Mim continued. “It’s extremely hard to defend against. For the same reason, it’s particularly difficult to train somebody how to use it properly, without causing harm to themselves or others. I frankly questioned Tar’s willingness to recruit you, because while you could be a fiend in the Arena, getting you fighting ready would require resources that we don’t have. Well, except that apparently Tar anticipated that and provided the one type of help that could be available to us. Which brings us to our last member of the group.”

  Mim made a final turn, looking now to Camila.

  Camila blinked. “Oh? I don’t understand, Proctor.”

  Mim held a palm up. “Just share for now your affinity and I’ll help connect the dots for everybody.”

  Camila looked up in thought. “During the exam, I asked the voice . . . I mean, Mega . . . what my affinity is and it said I have a light affinity. During the combat test though, it seemed useless, until I accidentally used it on a tree sapling. It appears I can use it to energize growth.”

  Mim nodded appreciatively. “Exactly, and going one step further, to reverse damage. If the tree had been ancient and decrepit, you could have restored it to glory. This is the healing expression of the light affinity, lux. We don’t normally bring pure healers to fight in the Arena so your task will be to also develop offensive skills. For now, though, you and Elias make a necessary pairing. You will need to work together in order to fully benefit from this training.”

  Camila took in Mim’s words and then slowly extended a hand to Elias. “Partner?”

  Elias accepted her handshake without comment. Sam felt a twinge of relief. Both might have been lost and isolated on their own, but with any luck, this group would provide an adequate home.

  “We put the five of you together because Camila and Elias will need extra support, so that offsets the advantage of having a fifth member. Of course, my expectation is that this team will reach the top of the standings because, with enough hard work, there is no reason you shouldn’t. Please rest tonight. You’re going to need it.”

  Mim exited, leaving silence in her wake.