[Arc 1] Academy Admission Test Form

The morning light slipped through the window, across the stone floor.

Siddharth blinked his eyes open. Birds chirping.

He sat up slowly, rubbed his eyes, and neatly folded his blanket — a habit instilled in him since he was five.

Without wasting a moment, he went straight to the bathroom to get ready. After that, he walked to the kitchen, grabbed his breakfast, and finished it quickly without saying a word. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he headed off to school.

Not that he talked much anyway — but today, the silence felt different. Both his mother, Nidhi, and his father, Karm, noticed it, but neither said anything. They assumed he would forget about it, like he always did.

“Do you think we should talk to him again?” Karm asked, a slight sadness shadowing his face.

“Don’t remind him of that,” Nidhi replied softly. “He’ll forget, like he always does.”

2.1

Siddharth reached the school gate, lost in thought.

What can I do to get into that test? I don’t know anything about it... I shouldn’t have ignored the showcase after all.

As he walked in, he spotted Aradhya standing at the gate, as if waiting for someone. Does she always come this early? he wondered. She turned and greeted him with a cheerful, “Hello! Good morning!”

It startled him. What? Is she talking to me again? he thought. What does she want now? I could just ignore her... pretend I didn’t see her even though I know she knows I did.

He walked past her, not saying a word. She didn’t seem to mind and casually walked alongside him toward the class.

This is so irritating! I’m here to focus on how to get into the academy, and now I’m getting distracted by her? Pathetic!

“Why don’t you talk?” Aradhya asked out of pure curiosity.

He ignored her completely and upon reaching, he entered the classroom as if nothing had happened, heading straight to his usual seat — the back-left corner. The classroom had three columns and five rows of desks, and he always sat at the far end of the left column.

No one really sat with him — he was too quiet, too distant — but this time he made sure to place his bag on the seat beside him, just in case she tried to sit there.

Luckily, she didn’t bother him during the classes, which relieved him.

---

During lunch break, as always, Siddharth sat by the window, staring outside, his mind wandering, while half-listening to the pointless chatter of his classmates. In the middle row, around the center, a group of three boys and one girl were talking animatedly.

“Whoa! How can you copy someone’s handwriting so precisely?” Raju asked, amazed.

“Well, it’s natural for me,” Sam replied smugly. “I’m just good at it.”

What’s even the use of that skill? Siddharth thought, watching them.

“Nah, I’ve got something better,” said Lalit, grinning. “I just learned how to control telekinesis — I can lift this pencil with it!”

Is that really better? It’d be cool if he could use elemental telekinesis... no wait, I guess this is the basics. So, I’ll need to learn that too, right? Siddharth thought, suddenly more interested, his eyes fixed on Lalit.

Lalit squinted with effort, and the pencil wobbled into the air, lifting about 3–4 centimeters before dropping again.

“Haaaa... Ugh, this is so hard! I’m gonna poop myself!” Lalit groaned dramatically, drawing laughs from the group.

“That wasn’t what I expected,” Varsha chuckled, “but if you improve, you could actually take the test when you grow up.”

“Yeah! You might even beat the older guys who take the test!” Raju added.

Siddharth stood up and walked towards them and asked, “Can you teach me how to do that?”

The group went completely silent.

“You can speak?” Sam asked, eyes wide with disbelief.

“What kind of question is that?” Siddharth shot back. “And I wasn’t talking to you. I asked Lalit — teach me how to do that.”

“I... I don’t think I can teach you,” Lalit stammered. “I don’t even know how I did it myself... I just did.”

“Really?” Siddharth muttered. That’s bad then... Guess I’ll go to the washroom, he thought, and walked away.

---

On his way back, Siddharth’s thoughts drifted, how would the world feel... once I learn telekinesis?

The idea lingered in his mind like a whisper of destiny. But just as he approached his classroom door, another thought slipped in, more grounded yet equally bold.

Even if my parents didn’t let me take the academy admission test... I can still take the form home—just to see the instructions. No harm in knowing what it takes.

Without wasting another second, he turned and headed toward Miss Dhwani’s office. But fate, as usual, had other plans.

Aradhya stood in the corridor with her friends. She spotted him instantly.

“Where are you going?” she asked.

He didn’t want to talk. Not now.

“Why do I have to tell you?” he snapped, his tone sharper than he intended.

“I... I was just asking…” she stammered, shrinking back a little.

“Can’t you just leave me alone?”

Her lips parted, but only a nervous, “Never mind... sorry...” came out.

“I was going to take the academy admission test form,” he muttered anyway, almost annoyed at himself for telling her.

“Wait, really?” Her eyes widened in surprise. She knew that his parents are strict about this.

“Shut up!” he said coldly, brushing past her.

“Oh...” Aradhya didn’t say another word and just watched him go.

“Whoa! He spoke to you?” Archita blinked in disbelief.

“I’m more surprised he lost his cool. He’s usually so quiet… never angry,” Varsha added.

“Same…” Aradhya nodded slowly.

“What’d you do to piss him off?” Archita asked.

“I just... asked a question. I wasn’t trying to annoy him. I just wanted to be friends, that’s all...” Aradhya said, trying to explain even to herself.

“I thought you loved him?” Archita raised a brow.

“I do... I even told him. He rejected me. So, I thought… maybe we could still be friends, if nothing else…” she said softly.

“Ugh, forget him. He’s not even that cool,” Varsha scoffed as the bell rang, and the three of them headed to class.

---

Shifting to Siddharth who reached the office and found Miss Dhwani at her desk.

“Miss Dhwani? May I come in?” he asked, voice steady.

“Of course, Siddharth,” she smiled.

He stepped in. “I want the academy admission test form. Could you give me one?”

She paused. “Did your parents agree to let you take the test?”

Should I lie...?

He hesitated, eyes briefly darting away. “Uhm... I... I’ll ask them today.”

There was a silence, just a beat too long.

She looked at him closely, “…yeah? Alright,” she said finally, and handed him the form.

“Make sure both your mother and father read it and sign at the bottom. Once that’s done, bring it back to me—I’ll sign it next. You have 15 days.”

“Yeah,” he said, taking the form and leaving.

As he walked back to class, guilt gnawed at him.

Damn it. Did I really just lie? Was it necessary? I mean... I do lie sometimes, but nothing major. People think I’m this super-sincere guy. But was this crossing the line? I can’t even tell…

Still... I did it. No point in regret now. I’ll find a way to get in. I have to.

2.2

As the school bell rang, Siddharth didn’t waste a second. He rushed home with a clear goal burning in his mind.

I have to do something about this… but how do I convince my parents?
They won’t listen. Why am I even thinking about it?
The real question is—what is this test really about? I’ll figure out how to convince them later.

He reached home, bolted straight into his room, and locked the door. He shut the wooden flap of the window, drew the curtains, and flicked on the lights.

“Siddharth? Aren’t you having lunch?” Nidhi called out.

Who cares “I’m not! I’ll eat later when I feel like it!” he shouted.

His tone caught their attention.

“Did he find something? Why’s he suddenly acting so excited?” Karm asked, puzzled.

“Maybe he learned something interesting at school that got him thinking?” Nidhi guessed. “At least he’s not angry like before.”

“You were right… he really did forget about what happened last night,” Karm said, relieved.
“I was worried for nothing.”

They smiled at each other, reassured, and went off for their afternoon nap.

Meanwhile, Siddharth opened his bag and pulled out the form. He sat down at his table—the one his father had specially built for him—and stared at it with a mix of anticipation and anxiety.

---

He started reading everything in his mind so that no one else can listen.

Candidate information… that’s not important. I need details on the academy first.
Base telekinetic exposure, if any… nope.
Reason for applying… optional. No reason. Just for fun.

Declaration of consent and risk acknowledgment…
Alright, this might be it.

“I, the undersigned, understand that the academy admission test is designed to assess the potential for advanced telekinetic learning. I acknowledge that—”

Argh, what the heck is that?!
Oh wait…

“I hereby accept that if I am injured, mentally harmed, or—in rare cases—deceased due to any unforeseen or circumstantial events during the test, the Academy bears no legal or moral responsibility.”

Why do they have to use so many complicated words? Is this even meant for someone like me to read?
Though… I get what it means. Leaning back on his chair.
To put it simply, if I die there by accident, they won’t be held accountable. Hah. I wonder how many people actually died there. And how easy would it be for another candidate to kill me?

Seems like there are challenges where we might go up against each other… or worse, challenges we simply can’t complete—
Drowning? Falling? Some kind of mental breakdown?
This is big. Definitely important info…

But this isn’t going to stop me. I’m going to learn elemental telekinesis no matter what. I just need to find a way.

He skimmed the remaining lines.
Signature and some extra notes. Who cares?

Focus. Think. What can I do to—

A thought struck him.
Wait... Sam.
He could mimic handwriting, right? Would he be able to replicate this form’s writing…?

---

The Form's look


Academy Admission Test Form – Year 327

(For age 5-19 years)

Candidate Information
(To be filled by the candidate with the guidance of a parent or teacher)

Full Name: ______________________________

Date of Birth: ___________________________

Town/Village: ___________________________

Current School Name: ____________________

Age (on day of test): ____________________

Primary Guardian (Name & Relation): ___________________________

Basic Telekinetic Exposure (if any):
(Optional – for observational purposes only)

Reason for Applying (Optional):

Declaration of Consent and Risk Acknowledgement
(To be read aloud and signed by all involved)

I, the undersigned, understand that the Academy Admission Test is designed to assess the potential for advanced telekinetic learning. I acknowledge that the nature of the test may include mental, physical, and emotional challenges not publicly disclosed.

I hereby accept that if I am injured, mentally harmed, or in rare cases, deceased due to any unforeseen or circumstantial events during the test, the Academy bears no legal or moral responsibility.

By signing below, I confirm that I am participating voluntarily and have been guided and informed by a responsible adult.

Signatures (All Mandatory):

Candidate: ______________________

Mother: _________________________

Father: __________________________

School Teacher / Guide: __________________

Academy Test Conductor: __________________

Important Notes:

Arrive at the designated test center before sunrise on the scheduled day.

Carry no personal belongings except your identification token.

Do not discuss test details with anyone before or after the test.