Novels by Shalom

••••••I head towards the elevators. Michael waits outside, looking equally drained."Hey, how did it go?" I ask."Three targets, and I couldn't reach the yellow spot" he replies, shaking his head. "Didn't expect it to be that tough."I nod sympathetically. "Same here."We exchange weary smiles and head towards the main hall. The atmosphere is tense, filled with anxious chatter.Claire sits alone, her expression serene. I consider approaching her but decide to give her space.Mia's voice echoes through the intercom. "All examinees, please report to the main hall for the announcement of exam results."The room falls silent, anticipation hanging heavy.Mia stands at the front, a holographic screen behind her. "Welcome, everyone. The exam results will now be displayed."The screen flickers to life, listing names and ranks.My heart races as I scan the list.Gasps and little cheers erupt around me. Some faces fall, while others beam with pride.I search for the names:North Davison: Rank

••••••Mark places his phone down, stares at Tengen for moment."Let me hurry and beat you so I can get back to work""What?! You don't stand a chance! You're already losing""Really?! Let's see what you got""Alright, let me show you what this blind dude can do. Check ball"Mark grins. "You're on!"•••••••30 minutes earlier"Time expired. Task incomplete. You hit 3 out of 6 targets" the AI announces."Not bad North, you almost got it. Your determination is admirable" Diana says with a smile.No.. that was bad. I sucked."Thanks" I reply with a low voice."So, you are given 5 minutes to rest. After that, we'll test your physical strength and endurance" she says, then hands me a water bottle.••••••A while ago."Task complete. You hit 6 out of 6 targets. Time elapsed: 10 minutes" the AI announces."Good job, Larson! You finished before time" Will, the guide says, handing Larson a water bottle."Well, it wasn't that hard. If I really wanted to, I could have finished sooner" Larson say

•••••"Alright, kindly step into the circle. The timer will start 5 seconds after you're in"I take a deep breath.*I got this.*I step into the circle, grab the floating staff. The suit makes it feel real, the gloves have some magnetic properties, so my hands does not close completely.I stand 5 feets away from the holographic trainer, and wait for it to begin. Suddenly, it flickers and takes my form, then a staff forms on his hand.*Oh.*A drop of sweat forms on my face as the clock goes down to 3 seconds before the session starts. I stare at Diana, then back at the trainer.It then begins.I hesitate, unsure to move. The trainer charges forward, its staff flashing in a blur of light. I flinch, raising my staff in defense. The impact shudders through my arms, and I stumble back.Breathing heavily, I know I have to fight with everything I have.••••••"Time elapsed: 5 minutes" the AI announces.I force myself to move, swinging my staff widely. The trainer parries each strick with eas

•••••We follow her to a separate building. A building still connected to the main building, but had more floors. Over 15 floors. She leads us to the lobby at the ground floor."Each floor has doors labeled with a number. Kindly locate your room door, a guide is already waiting for you. From number 1-25 on Floor 1From 26-50 on Floor 2From 51-75 on Floor 3From 76-100 on Floor 4From 101-125 on Floor 5From 126-150 on Floor 6From 151-175 on Floor 7From 176-200 on Floor 8From 201-225 on Floor 9From 226-250 on Floor 10From 251-275 on Floor 11From 276-300 on Floor 12.The elevators can carry a maximum of 25 people. There are currently 5 elevators. So you guys will go in sets" she exclaims.We begin moving, locating our doors. It takes a while, but Michael and I finally reach our doors."See you on the other side" I voice, a little bit anxious."Yeah!" Michael replies.I walk into my room and a see a lady. An Avatar just like Mia.She has white long hair with light blue eyes. She w

••••••"So, the exams are today, huh?" Tengen utters, then fill his mouth with a spoon of ice-cream."Yeah. Over 300 Avatars and 207 Kaleekis. Both from our Sector and Sector B" Mark replies, face down on his phone."That's nice. Hope they will come out well"" 'Nice'? No, that's barely enough numbers""It's better than none. Remember, it's quality over quantity. And I feel like this generation is special""Let's hope so"Tengen smiles. "Yeah" "Your sister is taking the exams, I'm sure she'll do well""Yeah... She'll be fine. So far the newbies I met all showed potential. So, I'm sure they'll all do well" Tengen says, then fills his mouth with a bigger chuck of ice-cream."Next time, let people responsible for the first interaction, do their job. If you decide to go again, I won't follow you" Mark says, his voice laced with annoyance.Tengen smirks. "Huh? Common, it was fun""No it wasn't. Maybe for you it was. But for me it was a drag""Ugh, you're no fun! And why haven't you touche

••••••As we stepped into the building, we immediately get struck by its serene atmosphere. The interior is sleek and modern, with soft and calming colors.We get greeted by a friendly receptionist with a warm smile."Welcome, your name please" she voice softly.We reply."North Davison""Michael Gadreel" "Okay! North and Michael," she says, checking through her computer. "Welcome, please come this way"She lead to us a sleek, modern desk, where we dropped our phones. Then she hand us each a small black wristband. "Please wear these wristbands at all times during the exams. They will track your progress and monitor your vital signs"We take the wristbands and place them on, feeling a slight tingling sensation as they synced with our bodies."Thank you," she says. "Now, please proceed to the examination area"We follow her directions to a large circular room filled with other new Angel Avatars. Few looks nervous, others determined, while few showed no emotions.We recognize none of t