Ai Mori
"Upon completion of the Awakening, each of you will be given four tokens." Ai heard the Councilor say, though his mouth wasn't moving. A moment later he spoke, repeating what she already heard.
Around her ghostly after-images of people danced around them, their bodies following not long after. So maybe not after-images but… before images?
The spirit had awakened something in her, overwhelming her senses. Her mental balance began to teeter and she clung with trembling fingers onto the shores of sanity.
It was only through deep breathing and focus that she regained control. She looked around at the dozens of others who had already been awakened. Some of them looked as scared as her, others confidently wielded their new abilities, turning stone to sand, breathing fire, turning into mist and flying around.
Ai took notice that their belts glowed at different intensities. Those who had just received their powers had crystals with a bright shine, while others who had been "experimenting" had worn theirs down to a matte finish until their abilities failed.
The glow of her own belt faded by the second. She could feel it. A power within, separate from her normal energy, leaking like a punctured gas tank.
With a stutter, the crystal faded to darkness. The after-images around her disappeared.
She took a breath, relieved. That was too much and she was happy it was over.
Now that she had a moment to focus on something besides the informational overload, she could feel the knowledge she had obtained. A scroll found only in her mind. With a mental effort she unfurled it.
Foresight (Innate)
Ai was familiar with most languages, but this was one she had never seen, yet still, she understood it.
This power allowed her to view the near future. If she was reading this right, it would constantly drain her reserves while active. Controlling it became her number one priority.
She glanced at Alex, he was "experimenting" along with everyone else. A pair of candle sticks he found spun in lopsided ellipses in front of him.
"Nice job!" He said to the air, before turning to her with a look of pure joy, "Isn't this awesome?"
Ai wasn't so sure. He was either ignoring the room around them or doing his best to distract her. This place still stank of death. The human body was a septic tank of noxious odor wrapped in a pretty package. Though she had to admit the smell was far less intense than it should be. A magical effect of the castle perhaps, or the will of their hosts.
"Yea…" Ai replied with a half smile, not nearly as enthusiastic. "Awesome."
The councilors were going over the rules of this "competition". Ai was dubious as to how apt a term that was for this death game. But still, she took careful note of every word. If the consequences of failure were death, she was going to win.
Not that I need the extra incentive, she thought bitterly.
Ai's focus was interrupted by someone to her right. A girl who had just awakened, short hair, skin as dark as night and teeth filed down to points.
She clutched at her head, a silent scream caught in her throat.
Then power poured out of her in a surge. Ai watched with horror as tendrils of jet-black energy erupted from her.
They plunged into the corpses around her.
A moment later the dead began to stir.