Chapter 13
3715words
That voice back in Professor Kane's classroom... I know it wasn't just in my head. I felt it, the words crawling across my skin, sinking into my bones like cold iron. I don't know if my mind is finally breaking from my pathetic life, but... those words, they felt important.
Whatever, I need to be focusing on the next class, Teamwork and Leadership, with Coach Olivia.
When I pushed open the large double doors of the gym, I was met with a large opening. The gym is shipyard-sized, big enough to hold a fleet. The walls are lined with holo-panels, which are used to create cities, battlefields, or any other place that Coach decides to create. It is basically a large arena. The Simulation Grid stretched out like a blank steel canvas.
And along the walls, lined in perfect rows, stood the training bots. Matte-black and motionless for now. But the second the simulation started, they'd come alive, shifting, camouflaging, even copying powers from the class. Some could transform into anything; it doesn't matter what it is; it can transform into anything.
I gripped the straps of my bag tighter. I'm not looking forward to whatever activity Olivia has planned for us today.
Walking further inside, I felt the weight of every gaze settle on me. They were already murmuring, their voices low but loud enough so I could hear them.
Oh look, the Nathanial's toy is here.
Whatever we're doing today, she won't survive it.
How does she even have this class when she doesn't have any powers?
I ignored them all like I always do.
After everyone arrived, the coach, a very fit woman, walked over to us.
"Alright, listen up. Today we will be doing snake ball, form your teams and pick your leader for them. It will be teams of two." Coach Olivia said.
Everyone instantly formed teams, and as much as I hate this, I had to join either team. I looked to my right and saw Nathaniel quickly forming his team. It was typical; everyone wants to be on Nathaniel's team. That's a no. I look to my left and see Skylar Stoll, Sofia's boyfriend. I'll go with him... I suppose he's the best choice for right now. As I walked to Skylar group, I can tell many of them were judging me.
"Skylar, let me join your team."
Skylar, looks down at me with disinterest but not hate... strange.
He sighed, folding his arms.
"Alright, we need someone to carry anyways."
I nodded. Being the carrier is no different than what I do in school life, always at the beck and call of someone else.
Looking over, I can see Nathaniel watching, staring at me. He smiled at me. He's planning something.
Coach blew her whistle.
"Alright," she called out. "You know the rules. Work as a team. Protect your leader. Victory is earned either by capturing the Snake Ball, eliminating the leader or eliminating the entire team's members. Injuries are acceptable, but keep them minor, if I see blood on my floor, you fail. Abandon your teammate without clearance, you fail. Betray your leader, you fail. Leave anyone behind, you fail."
She turned on her heel, her coat swishing as she strode into the glass observation room overlooking the gym. Without another word, she pressed her palm to the control panel, and the Simulation Grid rumbled to life.
The bleachers and stage sank into the walls. Shutters slid over the windows, blocking out light. The hum of machinery filled the air as holograms flickered to life.
We stood in the middle of a dense, neon-lit cityscape, towering buildings, blinking signs, dark alleyways, and narrow streets filled with glowing obstacles.
"You have an hour to complete your task," Coach said over the intercom.
"Okay, here's the plan." Skylar gathered the group close, his voice steady but urgent. "Two scouts for the ball, the rest of us hold the streets. Slow them down, block their paths. Agreed?"
A low rumble of agreement passed through the team, though I could see the unease in their eyes. None of them wants to face Nathaniel if they cross paths with him. The simulation's neon skyline flickered above us, painting the cracked pavement in shifting hues of blue and red.
Skylar's gaze snapped to me. "Slyvian, you're fast, even without powers. You're scouting."
"..." I nodded.
"Jade, you're with her," Skylar continued, pointing at the tall girl with red eyes that practically glowed against the neon light. "If you find the snake ball, you cover her. If you see Nathaniel, run; if you can't, then fight if you must."
Jade nodded. "Done."
Skylar turned to the rest. "Everyone else, hold the streets. Block their paths, force them into tight spaces where they can't move easily. Don't engage unless you have to, just slow them down. And most importantly, watch out for Nathaniel, don't let him get inside your head."
The air thickened at the name. Everyone nodded again, more reluctant this time.
I followed Jade into the narrow alleys in silence, the city simulation buzzing with artificial life. Neon lights flickered overhead, simulated pedestrians and hovercars glitching in and out of existence.
I glanced at Jade from the corner of my eye. She wasn't tense, but she wasn't relaxed either. Focused. Calculating. Just like her mother, Coach Olivia Knight.
"We should move faster," she murmured.
We're picking up the pace. The distant sounds of footsteps and muffled voices echoed through the simulation, signaling that the other teams were already making their moves.
You ever played Snake Ball before?" Jade asked.
She clicked her tongue. "Didn't think so. Stick close and don't slow me down. I don't like to lose."
We walked through the alleyways, slipping between simulated dumpsters and climbing over low walls. The city stretched ahead, like an endless maze. We heard shouts, impacts, sparks. A fight was already breaking out behind us.
A sudden noise made me stop. Jade froze beside me.
A shadow shifted up ahead. Then another. Two figures. Gunther and Koa.
"Great," Jade muttered. "The loudmouths, who think they're reincarnated brothers."
Gunther cracked his knuckles, his hand already morphing into blade-like claws. "And mommy's little superstar."
"Move out the way, we're getting the snake ball." Koa said.
"And you think announcing it is gonna make me step aside? That's cute." Jade scoffed.
"Nah, I just wanted to see if you'd do the smart thing for once." He smiled. "Guess not."
Gunther lunged, straight at me. Instinct screamed, but Jade intercepted, tackling him hard. His claws scraped sparks off the holographic ground.
"What do you think you're doing?! Coach said minor injuries." She grabbed his collar.
Gunther let out a low chuckle, unfazed. "Relax, superstar," he sneered. "I wasn't gonna kill her. Besides I knew you would tackle me."
This left Koa for me.
I tried to brace, but he was too fast—his fist slammed into my stomach, pain detonating through me like fire. Air fled my lungs as I crumpled to the pavement.
Gunther's laugh cut through my ringing ears. "See? Dead weight."
Jade's response was instant, she slammed her knee into Gunther's gut, he choked, doubling over. Then she elbow into his back, sending him sprawling to the ground.
Koa barely had time to react before Jade was on him next. She knees his crotch, he grunts in pain, but without hesitation, whipped around and dropped Koa with a crushing kick to his temple.
She pulled me to my feet "You good?"
I nodded, I stood up and rubbed my stomach, the pain was still there but it doesn't hurt as much when Nathaniel...
"Let's go before they wake up." She said and walks down the alley. Jade and I went inside a simulated building.
Meanwhile.
Skylar and the rest of the team clashed with Nathaniel's in the streets, blazing fireballs arched over rooftops, and explosions rippled through simulated cars. Ice spikes erupted from the ground, sending multiple students flying. A boy with silver hair split into four copies of himself, swarming Skylar's team, while another girl rained down bolts of lightning that shattered simulated glass and fried the boy's copies of himself.
And the bots, lined along the walls at the start, now swarmed in every team. They shifted, camouflaged, took any form, mimicking students and ambushing them mid-fight. One unfolded into a tall mech, grabbing a student and hurling them into a building that shattered into code.
"The snake ball should be here." Jade said.
"You won't be leaving with the ball."
Nathaniel.
He stepped from the shadows, his team spilling in behind him. Jade tightened her stance.
"Guess Skylar couldn't keep you busy," she spat.
"A distraction was all I needed," Nathaniel said calmly, though his eyes never left me.
"Your team can't beat me, Nathaniel." She said. "Leave or do I have to knock you out like your little puppets?"
"Puppets? You wound me, Jade. They act on their own. I just give them a little push of direction." He said.
"Yeah, like a snake charmer," Jade said.
Nathaniel turned his gaze to look at me. "You look like you're in pain," he noted.
My fists clenched at my sides.
Jade exhaled through her nose, clearly losing patience. "We don't have time for your mind games, leave, I won't tell you again."
Nathaniel didn't even look at her. His gaze stayed locked on me. "Mind games? You haven't seen mind games yet." He said darkly and shift his gaze to Jade. Gesturing his hand towards her
"Get her." He commanded.
Then, four from all at once rushed towards Jade; they all used their powers.
"Great," Jade said and lunged towards them, using her powers. A helmet formed over her face, and horns protruded from the forehead of the helmet. Then a shield appeared on her left, and a spear appeared in her right hand. Her shield deflecting a hail of fireballs as her spear lashed out like lightning. The sound of fists meeting flesh, powers colliding, and simulated glass shattering filled the air.
And Nathaniel? He didn't join them. He walked toward me.
I stepped back. My fists clenched. What am I suppose to do against him?
"Running away already?" He smirked.
He reached for me, but... I swung, it was wild... desperate. My knuckles grazed his jaw.
Did I just hit him? For the first time?
His head turned slightly, his smirk didn't leave his lips. No. He smirked wider and his eyes looked... crazed.
"Brave," he murmured, catching my wrist effortlessly. His grip tightened. "But useless."
I didn't think of the next move, but I twisted, kicked at him, even tried to knee him just like how Jade had done it to Koa, but he blocked everything I threw at him, it's like he knew what my movements were before I made them. I can feel the heavy feeling in my chest, my body screaming at me.
"You should know better by now," he chuckled, voice calm. "You can't fight me, you're weak."
Still, I tried. I don't know where this feeling is coming from, but it's telling me that I need to win. My fist slammed into his chest, weak, but it landed. His smirk widened.
"Ah," he smirked wider, a hint of red on his cheeks "That fire. I see it in your eyes."
His hand lift, going straight to my forehead. No! I won't let him! Before he could touch my forehead, I yanked free and bolted into the flickering maze of corridors. My lungs burned, but I ran. I had to.
The glow of the snake ball pulsed ahead. Green, coiling, alive.
I dove for it, snatching it into my arms, only for the walls to ripple and warp. The light in the ball dimmed. Nathaniel stepped through the distortion like a ghost.
"Did you think it would be that easy?"
I twisted, trying to break free, but his grip only tightened. His strength wasn't just physical, it felt like an anchor, pulling me down.
"You always do this," he said calmly. "You always want to run."
I swung the ball like a weapon, smashing it against his chest. He barely staggered. His hand clamped down on my shoulder, heavy as chains.
I struggled, but his voice slid into my skull. "Run all you want. You'll always obey."
His hand lifted again, his fingers brushing my hair back. Then I watched as his fingers were about to touch my forehead. No...no! I don't want to feel that pain again!
Then, steel split the air.
Jade's spear slammed between us, sparks flying. She shoved Nathaniel back, her armor blazing red. "You lose Nathaniel."
The suffocating pull vanished. My arms trembled as I looked down, the snake ball was real, solid, glowing like a serpent of green light... I actually won something?
The simulation froze. Then dissolved.
The shutters rose, the gym returning to itself. Coach Olivia's voice spoke through the intercoms. "Skylar Stoll's team wins."
Skylar and the group cheered loudly. Some were on the ground, holding their sides. I stood there, gripping the snake ball, barely registering the cheering around me. I really won something, for the first time in my life.
Jade walked up beside me, lowering her spear, her armor and weapon dissolved into nothing. She didn't say anything at first, she gave me a nod.
"You did well for a dull blood." she said.
I felt Nathaniel's eyes on me, so I turned around. He smiled, the same fake smile he does when he is thinking.
Coach Olivia clapped her hands together, her voice cutting through the gym.
"Alright. Quiet down." She eyed the students sprawled across the floor, some groaning, others still unconscious on the ground. "Some of you need to work on not getting your asses handed to you. Pick up those who need to go to the infirmary. Those who aren't badly injured hit the showers.
They started picking themselves up, some glaring, others looked defeated. But Nathaniel remained where he was
His smile turned into a smirk. It's not forced, not one of irritation, just calm amusement.
"Guess I'll have to try harder next time," he mused. "I won't play around with you again." He says while looking straight into my eyes.
Then he walked past me, slowing down just enough to murmur under his breath, "Enjoy your little victory."
Then he was gone, going straight to the boys' locker rooms.
Suddenly, I felt someone's hand on my shoulder a little too hard. It was Skylar.
"You survived mundie. Congrats." He chuckled and walked away to shower.
I walked to the girls' locker room. I passed many girls who were undressing. Undressing in front of others is uncomfortable to me, so I just went straight to the showers. Undressing in the shower.
This is what I like about school, since I was never allowed to shower back at... home. I get to shower here at school. The plumbing at the apartment isn't good anyway. Plus, since I don't have soap, the showers here at school have a system where if you touch one of the buttons on the wall, a fragrance will start to fill whichever smell you choose. I, for one, always choose the pomegranate and red spider lily smell. I like the smell of it.
As I showered, I can feel my hair cling to my body. The bruise on my stomach is a deep purple, already spreading green at the edges. The water stung as it hit. I pressed my finger into it, not hard enough to worsen it, just enough to feel the ache.
I leaned my head against the tile, the scent of pomegranate and red spider lily filling the steam. My mind wandered to everything that has been happening in my life so far.
Throughout my entire life, I had one repeated cycle: wake up, clean, make sandwiches, pass Or'dara, go to school, face Nathaniel, attend class, go back home, face mother and whichever boyfriends she had, and repeat.
That was the cycle. My cycle.
But ever since I turned seventeen, the cycle started to change. The voice. The boy. The sculpture. Mother with that box. And Blinding Sun.
It's like something new is happening every day. I don't know why all of this is happening. I can't say that I'm... liking the change, but why is all of this happening?
The hot water cascaded over my body. I closed my eyes. The sounds of the water filled the air, drowning out the noise in my head. But the whispers from earlier, the haunting voice in my mind, still lingered.
I exhaled shakily, trying to shake the unease creeping up my spine.
When the water shut off, I stayed where I was, standing in the steam, staring at the tiles until they blurred. Outside, the other girls laughed and gossiped, their voices bouncing off the walls. None of it was about me this time. Still, I felt like I was being watched.
The bruise on my stomach throbbed in rhythm with my heartbeat.
After dressing in my uniform, I kept to myself, avoiding Blinding Sun whenever I caught sight of him. Every corner I took, I would find him searching for me. His very presence annoys me. But, I made it through the day that way, holding my silence until the last bell.
But when the final bell rang, I dreaded walking to the front gate. And still, I had to.
Nathaniel was waiting there with Andrew, Sofia, and Olivia Carven.
He stood casually, hands in his pockets, talking to Andrew like nothing had happened. His expression was relaxed, amused, like he'd already forgotten everything in the gym. Sofia and Olivia were chatting too, though when they noticed me, their expressions soured.
I hesitated in the doorway, tightening my grip on my bag strap. I wasn't in the mood for whatever came next.
For a moment, I thought about staying behind, asking Mr. S'dala for help, or just waiting until they left. But I knew better. Since he is waiting at the gate, it means he's waiting for me. Nathaniel wasn't the type to leave because I wanted him to. He'd drag me out if he wanted me badly enough.
So I walked forward.
His eyes locked on me the instant I stepped into the light. His smirk deepened.
"There she is," he said, spreading his arms like he was welcoming an old friend. "Took you long enough."
I didn't respond.
Andrew grinned, hands laced behind his head. "You slow or something?"
Sofia said nothing, only glaring at me. Olivia, usually all cheer and smiles, looked at me with open disgust.
"I've decided to take you with us. So, let's get going. I don't want to waste more time than we already are," Nathaniel said. He pressed a button on his key. An expensive car swooped down from the sky and hovered in place, its doors opening with a smooth hiss.
Everyone piled in without hesitation. My hands gripped my sleeves as I forced myself to follow, sliding into a seat beside Nathaniel, it was the only one available.
"Greetings, Master Nathaniel," the android driver said, its voice metallic but polite. "Where to today?"
"Prosperity Plaza. My father's company," Nathaniel ordered.
The car hummed to life, rising smoothly off the ground as the doors sealed shut. I kept my gaze forward, arms crossed. My stomach still aching. The seats were too soft, the interior too polished. This was luxury. I wasn't used to it. I wasn't comfortable with it.
Nathaniel leaned back, stretching as if he owned the sky. "When we get there, we'll change clothes in the bathrooms," he said, glancing at me out of the corner of his eye. "I hope you brought something good to wear."
Again, I didn't answer.
The city blurred by through the tinted windows, skyscrapers, neon billboards, streams of flying cars. Prosperity Plaza was the heart of it all. Reserved for the powerful. The untouchable. People like Nathaniel.
"Estimated arrival in ten minutes, Master Nathaniel," the android chimed.
"Perfect." Nathaniel's fingers tapped idly against the armrest. He looked bored.
Minutes later, the car descended onto a private landing pad, its engines quieting with a soft hum. A massive skyscraper loomed ahead, all reflective glass and sharp edges. The LeCrane Industries logo glowed across the front like a beacon of wealth and control.
Andrew hopped out first, stretching. Olivia followed, smoothing her uniform. Sofia tossed her hair with an unimpressed scoff.
Nathaniel moved last, deliberate and calm. He noticed I hadn't moved.
"Are you waiting for an invitation?" he asked.
I swallowed a sigh and stepped out. My shoes hit the polished pavement, and wrongness bloomed in my stomach.
I don't belong here.
The glass doors slid open automatically. Inside, the lobby gleamed, clean lines, cold efficiency. Employees moved with purpose, glancing at Nathaniel before quickly averting their eyes.
He walked in without hesitation. We followed.
At the reception desk, an android greeted us with a polite nod. "Welcome back, Master Nathaniel. Your father is expecting you in the executive wing."
"Of course he is," Nathaniel muttered, like it was an inconvenience. His sharp gaze slid to me. "Go get dressed. Meet me back in the lobby."
I hesitated. Just a second. Then I forced myself to move.
Simulation Grid: The Simulation Grid is the heart of the Cyrus Academy gym, a vast arena that can shift into anything, a city, a battlefield, etc. Its holo-panels bend light and matter together, creating environments so real that every step, every sound, every breath feels alive.
Snake Ball: Snake Ball is one of the Academy's most notorious team-training activities. Teams pick a leader before starting, and the Simulation Grid transforms into a cityscape filled with obstacles, enemies, and traps. Hidden somewhere in the maze is the Snake Ball, a glowing green holographic sphere with two red beams for eyes. The first team to find and capture it wins.
