"I'm so dead," Adam muttered in despair as his mind shut down, refusing to process the situation anymore.
His face was so pale that his transparent skin almost vanished.
He just stood frozen where he was, in front of the desk, with a blank stare, waiting for his executioner to find him.
He had no doubts that in a world of magic, he would be found out instantly if people knew what to search.
But what could he do? His only possible interactions were with the baby, and he doubted that putting his finger in his mouth would do anything to help him with his plight.
He couldn't even understand a word from the language they were speaking.
So, he resigned himself.
*****************
Alina trembled as the alarm resounded, her eyes darting left and right, trying to understand why the guards were suddenly so serious. Her heart pounded with dread as she lamented her bad luck.
She was only a modest woman to whom life didn't smile much. Her parents died a few years ago, only leaving behind the old house she lived in.
She worked an exhausting job in a farm nearby, tending to the cattle and cleaning their living space daily.
Despite the challenges of her demanding job, she found herself grossly underpaid, trapping her in a dilapidated home within a daunting neighborhood, all while raising a baby at the tender age of seventeen.
Sadly, she was only one out of many in that situation. But she still did her best to live her life with dignity, refusing to work in places some would call dirty.
Not dirty in a physical way. After all, she was already cleaning animals' poop. No, in a moral way.
She refused to stoop low enough to become a brothel's prostitute even if she could earn much more money due to her beautiful face.
As to why she had a baby at such a young age, let's just say that due to her naivety, she got taken advantage of by a man who promised her many things to hoodwink her.
She thought she had found the man of her life. That they would live together until death did them apart, but reality was a cruel teacher.
The moment she showed signs of being pregnant, the man abandoned her, saying that he was going to buy milk. It was the last time she saw him and why she raised her son alone.
After reminiscing briefly, she focused on the room, noticing that two couples, three women including her, and their babies were confined in the guard station.
Soon after, a guard in his forties with a veteran vibe walked to them from an office in the back of the station.
This particular guard differed from the others by his equipment. He wore a cape embroidered with something akin to a coat of arms above his uniform, and a metallic brooch was pinned on his chest.
The coat of arms was divided into two parts. One half represented a forest, while the other represented a river. The brooch had the form of a flower under a crown.
She noticed some white hair sprinkling his short black hair as she gazed at the fit man. He was 1.74 meters, an average height.
He sat in front of them before explaining why they were detained with a grave voice and a serious face.
*"One of your babies triggered our spell, meaning he is special. Our task is to locate those special babies and bring them to the capital city. They'll attend the country's most prestigious school until they turn thirteen. Then, they will have their talents and affinity tested. Then, we will send them to the academy that is the best suited for them, considering the results to learn magic and eventually join the royal army. It's an opportunity many would kill to have. That is why we ordered every parent to bring their newborn baby today."*
*"My baby is really unique! The most special in the world! I'm sure she is the one you are looking for! Please test her first, officer, you will see. Haaaa, I will finally leave this place and live in the capital."*
A poorly dressed woman asked, her eyes full of hopes and dreams of living a lavish life in the capital.
Her scrawny body looked as if it would be sent flying by the wind if it blew too hard.
Alina couldn't help but notice that her gaze was weirdly shifting from one of the couple's baby to a place right above her from time to time.
*"Sorry to disappoint you, but if your baby is really a special one, we will offer monetary compensation and prohibit you from having any contact with it for the rest of your life. I don't want to waste time explaining the details to you. Just know those are royal orders. No one in this country can go against them. Let's proceed with the examination."*
Uncaring that he broke the woman's dreams in a few sentences or about the ugly look plastered on her face, the officer sat behind one of the five desks used to conduct the examinations and signalled one couple to approach.
Alina knew from experience she would be called second to last. It was easy to guess, really. The richer you looked, the earlier you would pass.
It was an absolute rule in this village, maybe in the world. But she wasn't sure since she never left.
She noticed the examination process did not change at all. The only difference was that the babies were examined one after the other to isolate the right one.
She wondered what she would do if her baby stood special. Would she let them take him away from her?
After all, she was genuinely attached to him. He was the only comforting thing she had left in her life.
She really didn't want him to be taken away from her. She even felt ready to fight the country to keep him by her side.
However, she also understood she couldn't offer him one-tenth of what the officer promised: a free ticket to join the most mysterious, powerful, and influential people in the world, the mages.
Moreover, it would be one recognised and accepted by the country, which was the prerogative of the nobles since they were the only ones who could send their children to the academies.
As a poor commoner, she wasn't knowledgeable enough about those things, but she heard rumours about some people being called rogue mages.
They were lucky individuals who learned magic in the wild. Either by finding a teacher somewhere or by stumbling on some undiscovered legacy.
Those mages went unrecognised by any nations and were even pursued relentlessly. They lived in the shadows and, most of the time, used their powers for illegal purposes.
She also heard they were loners who didn't trust anyone and were highly dangerous individuals who didn't hesitate to kill for benefits.
That's why the kingdom encouraged its citizens to denounce rogue mages to the closest guard station. If the information provided led to the arrest or killing of one, you could even get a monetary reward.
So, was a life with her really better than what was promised by the kingdom? Her head knew the answer, but her heart didn't want to listen.
While she pondered, the examination proceeded in silence. The first baby didn't make the alarm ring. The second didn't either.
However, twenty seconds after the third baby's turn, the alarm resounded.
With a smile, the officer addressed one of the two couples.
*"Congratulations, we confirmed your baby is special. Please head to the office at the back."*
Alina sighed, not knowing how to feel. On one hand, she was happy she wouldn't be separated from her baby. On the other, she felt sad he wouldn't benefit from all the advantages advertised by the officer.
However, as she stood up to leave, the scrawny woman, who didn't have her child examined yet, screamed.
*"Wait, wait, you haven't examined my baby yet. She is special, I'm telling you."*
The officer gazed at her with an annoyed face, sitting back. *"Might as well examine the last two, even if the odds of finding two summoned in this shithole are close to zero."* He muttered before signaling Alina to approach.
With a heavy heart and still not knowing if she preferred to stay with her baby or let him leave with the promise of a better future, she walked to the desk and put him on it.
Every second passing by felt like years to her. Her emotions were in turmoil. However, after a few dozen passed, she resolved herself.
She wouldn't let them take her baby, not even for all the world's money. She knew it was the wrong decision, but losing him felt like losing a part of her own body... Forever.