HYDE'S POINT OF VIEW.
The silence of the small bathroom is a welcome change from the turmoil outside.
However at closer glance, I see just how dirty, stained and grimy the toilet is.
I shudder as I approach the potty hesitantly, pulling my pants down, I carefully lower myself.
-I am being absolutely meticulous not to touch anything-
The stench nearly chokes me, as I hunch over feeling incredibly cramped and nauseous.
-I remember the embarrassing first encounter with Lord Fenice-
I gulp hard as my system refuses to activate.
-Is it nausea that is making me unable to function properly?-
I bite my lower lip as a bead of sweat forms on my forehead;
-BANG, BANG!-
"How long is it going to take you?!" I hear Mic bluster as he continuously rams on the door.
I sigh heavily;
-So these inhuman creatures spend less than a minute in the restroom huh?-
I stand erect and pull my pants up.
-If they're killing me then they better be fast with it-
HYDE'S POV END.
*********
CAMADA'S POINT OF VIEW.
As we make our way through the obscure landscape.
-I can't help thinking that we're being watched-
More importantly, we simply cannot seem to return back to where we left Taki and Sesugh.
"Hey... it's almost like we're going in circles, I'm almost certain that we passed this boulder before" Yal comments as he looks up at the sky thoughtfully.
I sigh heavily and touch my forehead.
-My head has suddenly started spinning and a certain kind of nausea soaks my consciousness-
I turn to Yal to see if he's going through the same effect.
Just at that moment, he slumps to the ground.
-What is going on?-
All energy is drained from my body as I collapse.
*********
"I welcome you all to the last stage of Screening 2!"
I wake up to an earsplitting voice.
I lift myself up from the ground and look around me.
There are bodies scattered everywhere, and the environment seems to be;
-A small patch of land surrounded by fiery sea-waves-
Instantly, I am thrown into confusion;
-Panicked confusion-
Then we all see it;
The grey canvass of the sky splits open and a dizzying colour of darkness bursts right before our eyes as grotesque forms emerge.
-They are possibly up to a hundred beasts-
Humane screaming and yelling overcomes the eerie grunts that the creatures echo.
The voice chuckles;
"Now, now don't be frightened...once you're able to kill all the beasts here, then all of you can be let out... I can even let you out if you're through by today"
Everywhere is thrown into chaos as the reality of our announcer's words dawn on us.
-What if we're unable to kill all the beasts here?-
I span my surroundings analytically.
-We are probably about thirty humans in number-
The creatures do not waste time to pounce.
Bodies drop all around me and my heart flutters as a beast launches its claws by my ear.
-I leap away just in time barely escaping this by the skin of my teeth-
The monster hurls itself at me.
I gulp hard as another comes at me from behind.
I leap away with a spin and the creatures collide into each other.
-I launch my raised dagger with all my strength and drive it into the creature-
It roars and strikes at me, I jump away but not fast enough to avoid my cheek being grazed.
I fall to the floor with a thud,my dagger knocked out of my hand, a beast from nowhere jumps itself at me.
-This is the end-
I shut my eyes tightly.
-SLASH-
I open my eyes to see Sesugh tackling the creature.
Sesugh incredibly weakened by his injury is unable to keep up with the beast's pace.
It shoves him to the floor and flattens him with vicious pounding.
It is about to dig it's claws into him.
I leap onto the it's back, it becomes disorientated and roars, I stab into its eyes from behind.
It yelps and falls to the floor.
But another one has come upon me;
My body becomes numb as several creatures close in on me.
-WHAT IS THIS NIGHTMARE?-
CAMADA'S POV END.
THE HOODED ONE'S POINT OF VIEW.
"YOU MANIAC! DO YOU REALLY WANT TO KILL THEM ALL?!" Gazo explodes in absolute exasperation.
I laugh sardonically;
"This way, we might not even need a third screening... we're going to determine for sure who's worth being our student..."
Gazo glares at me terrified;
"But they could ALL DIE!!!" he roars.
"Just trust me, even if just one person emerges...it will all be worth it" I peeve simply.
He sighs heavily and shakes his head;
"Why did I even ask this maniac for help?" He mutters to himself.
Then he ceizes into a violent feat of coughs.
I regard him;
"Oh dear, I hope that isn't contagious"
He glares up at me as he wipes blood off his mouth;
"Just shut up"
I smile to myself.
-SILENCE-
"But the Reverred never agreed to this kind of homicidal arrangement, who knows how they'll react if all their applicants die?" he muses while hugging himself tightly.
He turns to me sharply;
"How do you think they can survive this without their abilities activated?"
I chuckle;
"That's what I want you to see... anybody who can break into the barrier and manifest their abilities is simply a prodigy... and worth being trained"
He cocks his head sideways;
"The barrier designed to make it impossible for applicants to manifest their abilities has been tightly designed by The Barrier-Mage, nobody without prior knowledge can possibly...-"
-SLAM!-
The doors to Gazo's work chambers are flung open and she marches in seething with rage.
"Gazo... what did you tamper with?" She groans in frazzlement.
I regard her with interest;
A tall, elegant woman with chestnut brown hair that has been pixie cut, and an elegant, yellow dress of fine satin, she walks confidently and with gravitas.
-This is the Barrier-Mage in question; a god-standard Mage with a title of Great-Mage-
Gazo's pale face turns even more white as she steps up to him.
"W... what are you talking about Seema?" he stutters obliviously.
She groans as she inches in to drag him by the ear;
"I'M ASKING HOW HARD YOU MADE THE SCREENING THAT THE STUDENTS ARE SOMEHOW BREAKING THE BARRIER AND MANIFESTING?!!" she roars.
-How intriguing; my plan worked after all?-
Seema turns to me and curtly bows; "Upper Mage"
I nod in acknowledgement.
She turns her attention back to Gazo;
"What you're doing is disbalancing everything! Nobody is meant to be able to manifest abilities without going through the system!... isn't that what we're making the rest of the world believe?!" She bellows;
"What were you thinking...? Your foolish actions could give those youngsters silly ideas!" she sighs heavily.
Gazo is visibly beside himself with fright.
-This is all so interesting-
"Fix this...as it is, I've lost all control over the barrier I built in your realm" she turns her nose up dramatically and struts out of the room.
Gazo turns to me, he is whimpering;
"Please just... take pity on...on me" he trembles.
"You're not doing anything wrong, the applicants are simply surviving" I whisper.
He bites his lower lip;
"How can I trust you?"
I chuckle as I lean in to pat his cheek;
"You have no choice to trust me... accomplice"
He shudders at my words.
THE HOODED ONE'S POV END.
CAMADA'S POINT OF VIEW.
A burst of blinding light emerges from my body, I feel a gentle wave of heat wash over me, my senses have suddenly been perked, my perception high.
I look around to see the beasts backing away.
I gaze down at my illuminated hands;
-And a feeling of familiarity douses my consciousness-
I crouch to pick up my previously discarded dagger;
-I am amazed because as soon as it contacts my skin, it begins to shine as well-
I smirk;
-Energy fills me up-
I dash towards a beast head on, driving my weapon into it.
The creature shrieks horribly.
-The damage is a lot more than normal-
Feeling confident, I spin around to stab at another beast.
It's dark, spiky flesh flakes off as the steel collides with it, it roars, scrambling to counter-attack me.
I glide away just in time with a stealthy spin.
For a few seconds, my eyes span across the battlefield.
-It appears that I'm not the only one who has discovered some hidden talent-
We push back against the monsters with extraordinary, new-fangled ability.
This battlefield is a canvass upon which fiery ambition, raw passion and dewy strength is awakened, only the resilient will stand till the end of the day.
A beast hurls itself at me but right before it reaches me, it is yanked away by an unanticipated vine?
I turn to see Taki retrieve the vine back to herself, smiling broadly.
She briefly flashes a thumbs-up at me and turns to evade a beast's attack.
I chuckle;
-I feel on top of the world-
CAMADA'S POV END.