Corvus hesitated as he opened the door, but he still did it. Inside, the room was quiet except for the soft beeping of machines. Elijah and Yuro were lying on separate beds, and the sight of them hit Corvus like a punch. Elijah looked so thin it was as if there was nothing left of him but bones, his skin pale. Yuro was covered in bandages. The worst part was the hole in his chest... It was clear how much he had suffered. "No... this can't be real," Corvus muttered, his voice shaking. He stepped closer to Elijah, his fingers trembling as he reached for him. Then, the sound of the monitor changed. The beeping stopped and became one long, flat tone. Corvus froze as the line on the screen went straight. "Elijah..." Corvus whispered as he fell on his knees. His voice was barely a whisper, "No... why..." A light appeared above Elijah's body; a faint brown glow, warm and gentle. It was like a human figure, but then it's a soul. "I had to protect my son for once..." Elijah's voice echoed quietly. "I'm sorry, Corvus. Live a good life..." The glow slowly faded, disappearing into the air like it was never there. Corvus' hands were trembling, his eyes dark and full of grief. "I should've protected him..." he said, guilty. He stood up, carefully lifting Elijah's body in his arms. His movements were slow. Without saying a word, he carried Elijah outside. Once he was there, Corvus gently placed Elijah down on the ground. He clenched his fist and hit the ground, using his powers to create a hole. His dark energy wrapped around Elijah's body like a cucoon as he placed him into the grave. When it was done, Corvus closed the ground again with his powers. He stood still for a moment, staring at the place where Elijah was buried. "I'll carry this pain... for you," he whispered, a tear sliding down his cheek. "Rest in peace..." he says as he walked away, going back to the others. "I wanna die," he thinks.
Corvus heads back to Xuria's house. Silverwing looked at him as he came back in. "Are you o-" he stopped speaking as Corvus walked away from him. "Leave me alone," he said, disappearing into one of the rooms in the hall. He slammed the door after he got in. Silverwing has a worried look on his face. Julia: "It's gonna be alright. Let him calm down." Maggie looks at Silver. "She's right! Corvus is very kind, let him rest!" she yelled. Corvus heard it. He buried his face in his hands. Who am I... Am I really kind after all? Did I deserve all of this? I've killed people... Why? After almost winning a fight... Their lives were lost. The fight was lost too. Did I not do good enough? All because of me... He laid down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. It was quiet... He heard nothing other than his heart. The door opened. Maggie came in. She closed the door and approached him. "Are you okay?" she asked, frowning. Corvus studied her state. Fully covered in bandages and casts... How cruel. "I'm fine," Corvus lied, having a black expression on his face. Maggie flicks his forehead. "It's clear as water that you're lying," she reacts, rolling her eyes. "You're... A great person. Existing in this world isn't a sin. Make use of it, leader!" Maggie says before leaving the room.
Maggie heads back to Xuria. "Is... There any way I can train to become stronger in this house?'' she asks, leaning closer. Xuria looks at her with an are-you-okay look. "You're still inju-" before she could finish her sentence, Maggie interfered. "No! I want to train! Right now!!!" she yells. Xuria sighs. "Follow me, Magnus," she says, moving a closet. A stairway led to deeper. The blue lights go on. Maggie saw multiple doors. All of them had a different type of difficulty on it. 'Super easy' to 'Nightmare'. "Which do I have to finish first?" Maggie asks, turning to Xuria. Xuria points at another door, it didn't have anything on it. "This one is for people who are injured but still want to train... The difficulty in this room will rise higher every time you defeat an opponent. It wont be hard, you can stop it by pressing on a red button," Xuria explains before Maggie enters the room. She got blinded by the steam for a moment, but then it slowly disappears. The door closes and a system window appears in front of her. "Welcome, it's time for your training, Miss. How many opponents would you like me to spawn each level?" A monotone voice says. Maggie presses on '3'...
Xuria went back upstairs. "Well... How about you help me make dinner?" she says, looking at Julia. Silverwing tilts his head. "What should I do...?" he asks, bored. Xuria chuckles. "There isn't much... To do here. Just choose a room and decorate it however you want," she says, pointing at the hall. "Make sure you don't wake the monster up," Xuria warns, winking at him. Silverwing nods and glances at Corvus' room before he enters a room 2 doors away from Corvus. All there was in the room was, a white bed, 2 closets on the side of the room, a desk next to the bed and a window. "Boring... Let's give this room a make-over!" he says, his eyes glowing. Silverwing uses his magic and colors the walls. They were silver now. "Looks a lot better than before..." he says, sighing. He adds a bit of decoration to it and plops on the bed. What's Corvus thinking about right now... Or is he asleep? Silverwing clutches the pillow tightly. Lauren appears next to him. He sits down on the bed. "How's life?" Lauren asks, smiling at him. Silverwing's eyes light up.
Maggie pants as she reaches level Medium. The cast on her arm broke, falling on the ground. "Would you like to continue?" the monotone voice asked. Maggie takes a deep breath. "Yes... I do..." Maggie answers, trying to catch her breath before the bots spawn. She looks at the first one... He kicked her on the side of her head... The metal made a loud sound. Red lights start appearing, the bots disappear. ''Brain damage is getting high! Please leave!'' the monotone voice yelled. Maggie sat there, against the wall. Blood covered her face. "I... I want to... Continue..." Maggie says, trying to stand up. She falls on the ground, not moving anymore. I want to make sure I can protect people I love... Maggie fell asleep. The red light kept flickering, after a moment, Xuria came in the room. "What happened?" she asked the monotone voice. A girl with the body of a robot appears. "I thought I pressed on Medium but it was Har-" the girl answered, shrugging. Xuria clenches her fist and slaps the girl. The girl's cheeks turn red in an instant and she tears up. "I'm sorry! Please forgive me...!" the girl answered, crying. "Leave..." Xuria orders, her voice became deep. After the girl disappeared, Xuria lifted Maggie and left the room...
Xuria heads upstairs, looking at Julia. She was still cooking, just like Xuria expected. "Another injured one..." Julia says, sighing. Xuria puts Maggie on the couch and puts a blanket over her. She sits on the ground. "Wake me up when Corvus comes out of his room," Xuria orders, falling asleep with her head close to Maggie's shoulder. Julia smiles and then looks at Maggie. She feels a hint of unease, Maggie's eyes open as she noticed that Julia was looking at her. Julia frowns. "How did you..." Julia asks, before she finishes her sentence, Maggie already closed her eyes. Someone who got hurt like that... Wouldn't even make it out alive... Just who are you? Are you human? I don't think so... I'm definitely right. Julia gulps and then continues cooking. Maggie stares at the ceiling. I'll get stronger... I'll protect everyone who's important to me... No one will die... Not on my watch. I know they're stronger than me but... I'll get to their level someday.
Heroes' Exam... The men and women were seperated, both in different rooms. Some of the people that wanted to do it quit after they heard the steps. There were multiple tests, speaking of...A physical test... Then they will measure your magic power level. After that, the heroes will fight monsters to show their abilities and what they can do. Last one, where no one will get eliminated... Tournaments will start where heroes go against each other. The queen, king, prince and princess will be chosen after the tournaments. The other heroes will stand beneath them. A man with black hair and red looks at Dante. "What were you doing on the battlefield?" the man asks, studying Dante. Dante feels a hint of unease. "I wasn't doing anything other than teleporting them here..." Dante answered, looking away. "Woah, you should be strong then," the man reacts. "I'm Kaelus, nice to meet ya, kid!" the man said, a smile on his face. Kaelus reaches his hand out to Dante, waiting for him to shake it. "I'm Dante," Dante answers, putting on a forced smile. "What's your magic?" Kaelus asks, frowning. "Teleportation, what about you, sir?" Dante answers. "Berserk," Kaelus answers. Dante has a confused look on his face. "Berserk is a magic power thats similair to the devil's. It's weaker, but when using it, you'll lose control... I rarely use it but this time, when I fight the devil king, I'll exceed my limits," Kaelus answered, determination in his eyes. Dante gulps. This man is dangerous.
Meanwhile in the girls' room... Suzuki sighs as she ties her hair in a ponytail. Her green hair kept getting in front of her eyes, which annoyed her. A girl with dark blue hair, her hood on, white eyes, dark blue skin color looks at her. Suzumi couldn't see her face. "What are you looking at?" Suzumi asks, rolling her eyes. The girl looks away. Suzumi stands up and grabs her collar. "I asked you a question..." Suzumi says, veins popping out of her neck. The girl opens her mouth. She blows, shockwaves appearing out of her mouth and Suzumi crashes onto the wall. Blood dripped from Suzumi's head. "You damn...-" Suzumi cursed, standing upright. "Earthqu-..." before Suzumi could finish her sentence, a woman came into the room. "Ladies, please do not break anything. Apologize to each other," the woman says, looking at Suzumi and the girl. The girl sighs, but then apologizes. Her voice was soft. "I'm sorry..." she said, turning around to face the wall. Suzumi sighs and pulls the blanket over her. "You didn't say sorry yet, Suzuki," the woman said, tugging the blanket away. "I'M SORRY, OKAY?" Suzumi yelled, annoyed. The girl chuckles. "Let's play a game, miss!" she suggests, smiling.
Kaelus looks up as he hears a loud 'bang' from the room next to them. "I guess girls are worse than guys..." he says, looking at Dante. Dante nods and munches on a cookie. "Who's fighting anyways? That sounded very dangerous, you know?" Dante asks, curious. The door opens. A girl with black long hair in a ponytail and brown eyes comes in. She had her pillow and blanket in her hands. "What is a girl doing here?" a boy with ginger hair asks. "I'm staying here. Too chaotic over there," the girl says, pointing at the room next to this one. She puts her pillow on the ground and pulls the blanket over her head. The boys look at her with a surprised expression. They didn't expect a girl to just barge in like that. A man with grey hair and a beard comes into the room. "Mina! Go back this insta-..." the man stops talking as he doesn't see the girl. "Come on, I'm not here to play hide and seek," he says, sighing. He kicks the blanket away, but then... He sees the girl, a pistol was in her hand. "Leave me alone... Jeez..." she says, pointing the pistol at him. The man sighs. "Whatever, don't cause any trouble here," he says before leaving. "And put that pistol away..." he says, "Before I do it with force." He looked at her one more time and then left. Mina puts the pistol back in her pocket. "It wasn't even loaded... Right?" a little boy with black hair asks her. Mina narrows her eyes. "How did you even know?" she asks, glaring at him. "Your hand was trembling," the boy answers, pointing at her hand.
Suzumi grits her teeth as the girl puts the cup of hot green tea on Suzuki's head. "You-..." Suzumi yells as she grabs another cup and spills it on the girl. "I win!" she shouts as grinned. "The score is 7-1..." the girl says, blankly staring at Suzumi. "What's your name?" Suzuki asks, leaning closer. "Keira," the girl answers. Suzumi squints her eyes. "You look... Weird," She reacts, pointing at Keira's looks. Suzumi: "Are you really a hero... Or are you here undercover as a villain?" Her voice was deep, the sentence echoing in Keira's mind. "I have no bad intentions, miss," Keira says, unfazed. Suzumi smiles and goes back to her bed. Liar... You're not a hero at all, you monster. She falls asleep. Keira's face darkens, but she hides it with a smile. I'll make sure you don't get into my way of killing my idol... She smirks, chuckling. Corvus... I'll find you soon, my love... I can't wait to kill you... Keira feels a hand on her shoulder. It was a girl with ginger hair and red eyes. "Let's play that game..." the girl orders, making no room for an argument. Keira nods and sits. In the blink of an eye, the girl already took a cup and put it on Keira's head. "I thought you were faster..." the girl says, sighing. Keira smiles. "I haven't started yet, miss..." she says, her voice turning into a deep, cold one. The girl chuckles and shakes her head. "I didn't either..." she reacts, clapping.
Kaelus crossed his arms. "There aren't much old people... All I see are young talents," he says, studying everyone in the room. The most of them were minding their own bussiness. He looks at the little boy. "Are you old enough to be here?" Kaelus asks, frowning. The boy looks at him with his deep blue eyes. "I'm 9! Old enough to take care of myself!" he shouts, angry. Kaelus has a look of regret in his eyes. "I'm sorry, nine," he apologizes. The boy grits his teeth, his face becoming red. "My name isn't 9! I'm 9 years old!" he yells, correcting Kaelus. A guy with white skin tone and black slicked hair mumbles something. "Be quiet... I'm trying to sleep..." he says before closing his eyes again. The little boy blinks multiple times. "Who are you?" the boy asks. The guy didn't answer, silence filling the room. The boy crouches next to the guy and peeks a bit under the blanket. The guy opens his eyes and looks at the boy. "Can't you leave someone alone IN PEACE?!" the guy yells, annoyed. The boy tilts his head and frowns. "You're the only one tal-" before the boy can finish his sentence, the guy grabs his collar. The guy's face was pale, eye bags under his eyes. "Is there anything you want?" the guy asks, annoyed. "Ew... You're ugly," the boy says, a disgusted expression on his face. Kaelus spits his water out and starts laughing.
The girl looks at Keira's hands. The moment Keira holds a cup, she covers it. Keira grits her teeth and takes the left cup... She throws it at the girl. Lava appears in front of the girl, making the cup disappear. "That was a bit unfair..." the girl says, sighing. "You should improve," the girl says before standing up. She leaves the room, leaving Keira there. Keira looks at the spilled tea on the ground. Why are there strong people here... They could've been heroes a LONG time ago... Just how hard will it be... But I still can't fail... I'm still getting him... Keira lays down on her bed and falls asleep. She feels someone's eyes on her... She looks to the left and then sees 2 glowing yellow eyes glaring at her. The girl had black hair, with a bit of white at the end. The girl was using her magic but Keira didn't feel anything at all. As if the girl's power level was below 1. "What..." Keira mumbles, confused. "Whirlwind?" the girl asks. Keira narrows her eyes, suspicious at the girl's reaction. "How did you know what my magic was?" Keira asks, studying her. "When you were blowing... No one noticed but... There came a whirlwind out of your mouth, which made Suzuki crash," the girl explains. Keira nods in acknowledgement. "What's your name?" Keira asks, reaching out her hand. The girl shakes her hand and then looks at her. "Sera Holden," she answers. "Keira Neril," Keira says, smiling.
Meanwhile in another dimension... Xian looks around, just to find himself in a rather weird place... There was a golden chair in front of him, it looked more like a throne. The room had yellow walls, a white door and there were paintings on the wall. "Welcome..." A figure in yellow says, after a few moments, a man with blonde hair and golden eyes was sitting on the throne. Xian gasps, backing off a bit. "Who the hell are you?" Xian says, regaining his composure. "I'm... Nobody," the man answers. "What do you mean... Nobody? Is that even a name?" Xian says, frowning. The man smiles at him. "Just call me master," the man said, chuckling. Xian: "Why would I?!" Nobody sighs. He stands up and walks to Xian. "I'll train you, rest for now... Your brother is safe," the man says, putting his hand on Xian's shoulder. "Hey! Wait!" Xian yells as he grabs the man's wrist. "Atleast... Tell me your name... And how I got here," Xian orders. "If I didn't find you, you would've been dead. My name is... Felix," the man answers, smiling. Xian's eyes start glowing. Ties come out of his hand, surrounding Felix. The man looks at him and opens his mouth. "You can't beat me yet..." Felix says, cutting the ties easily. Felix's eyes start glowing. Ties come out of his back, nearly choking Xian as he wraps them around his neck. "You can't do this yet, can you? Your training will start tomorrow, tell your brother," Felix orders before he moves a painting and leaves. Xian sits down... How did he have the same magic as me and Marco... why was he talking about training me... I'm so confused.
After a few moments a door appears. Xian opens the door. He had entered... Something like a mansion. On the door next to Xian's room there was written "Marco" Xian opened it, just to find Marco sleeping on a bed. Xian sits down next to the bed and looks at Marco. How would he react... Would he even believe this... I thought I was dead. How did he even save us in the first place? It's almost like... He knew we were somewhere. Where did we get sent before? Was he copying my ability or... Does he really have it? Xian flinches as he feels a hand on his shoulder. "Are you okay?" Marco asks, sarcastic. Xian nods and stands up. "We're uh... Gonna get trained by some guy," Xian infroms. Marco: "Where's Dante...?" Xian takes a deep breath. "Heroes' exam, I think," he answers. "And who's the guy you were talking about?" Marco asks, curious. "I don't know, he said his name was Felix," Xian answers, shrugging. "And you trust him?" Marco asks, tilting his head to the side. Xian: "Yeah, he even used our ability..." Marco's eyes narrow. "Are you sure he's not putting on a mask?" he asks, suspicious. Xian sighs but then nods. "Why would he? I mean... If it wasn't for him we would've been dead by now. "We wouldn't," Marco answers, scowling. "You trust people too easy, Xian. We're not getting out of here anyways. Close people will end up betraying and their actions will... Hurt more than it's supposed to," he says before heading back to sleep.
Xian leaves Marco's room. Why doesn't he believe me... Does he even remember what happened back then? The reason we're here? He takes a deep breath and knocks on Felix's door. "Come in," a voice from behind the door answered. Xian tries to open the door but it wont. "It wo-..." before he could finish his sentence, Felix shouted: "Use your ability!" Ties came out of Xian's back. He tried to pull the door... When he was about to give up, a purple aura surrounded the ties. Slowly, the aura went to the doorknob, breaking it. Xian's eyes widen. What was that just now... Felix smiles at him. "You learn fast," he reacts, patting Xian's head. "What... Can you explain?" Xian asks. Felix: "Sit down first." Felix walks to his desk and sits on the chair behind it. Xian sits down on the sofa next to a bookshelf. "You might've thought... Why did an ability like this one exist?" Felix asks, making ties with electric appear out of his fingers. Xian: "It's still weak though..." Felix chuckles. "It isn't, atleast if you haven't mastered it. Tie is the only ability that has 2 awakenings. All the other ones don't have one or just have one. The ability is passed through generations, it's wielders will always choose the path their heart desire. So that means... You and your brother. Just follow your heart... The answer will be right there," Felix says. "That isn't enough information..." Xian mumbles. "If you get the first awakening, I'll tell you everything... Atleast everything that I know," Felix says before leaving the room. "You should eat soon!" Felix yells, putting his hands in his pockets.
Xian looks at the place where Felix stood. Passed through... Generations? Is it even a real ability to begin with? What if Marco's right...? Will Marco even become a hero in the first place? He looks kinda... Mad. He usually doesn't say these things too... Maybe because we got seperated from Dante. I don't know. It doesn't matter, he'll get over it soon. Xian leaves the room and heads to the dining room. There were lights everywhere. Felix was leaning on the counter, looking at Xian. "Took you long enough!" he reacted. Xian sighs. "Yea, I did take long," he agrees. Felix laughs, his voice echoing through the mansion. Felix points at the table. "Eat up before it gets cold," he orders. Xian frowns as he looks at the table. There was soup, which had a crimson color, like blood. The other dishes had meat. "What... Is this?" Xian asks. "Eat it up, don't ask!" Felix says, reassuring him. Xian takes a sip of the soup and spits it out. Xian lets himself fall on the ground and puts his hand on his neck. "T-this is... Disgusting..." he says. "W-what is this...?" Xian asks, trying to recover. "Blood from... Other people," Felix answers. "W-who..." Xian asks. "Tie users who died before you," Felix answers, smiling.
Marco stands up and punches the wall. I'll get out of here... I'm not staying here with this cursed man. Xian... I hate you. You really had to believe him... I'll kill him. I'll make sure nothing is left but ashes. Why did you even trust him in the first place?! It's not like he's gonna return us or anything. He's probably too weak to do that anyways. Marco moves a painting and walks down the hallway. He stops as he sees Xian and Felix there. "You, old man. Fight me, if you're ready to die," he orders. Felix has a smug grin on his face. "You're challenging the wrong person here, sweetheart," Felix corrects, taking his hands out of his pockets. Marco: "No, I want to fight you. Do you not exist or what?" Felix chuckles lightly, silence filling the room. "Is this a place suited for fighting?" Felix asks, pointing at the kitchen and table. Marco shakes his head. "I don't care where we fight. Atleast were fighting, it's all that matters," Marco scowls. Felix: "Too confident now, aren't we!" Marco clenches his fists. Ties appear out of Marco's hand. "You're consumed... By hate," Felix says, punching Marco's face. Marco's nose starts bleeding. Xian hesitates but drags Felix away. "Um... Let's train instead," he suggests, trying to get them away from each other. Felix stares at him, his face darkening. He quickly regains his composure and smiles at Xian. "Yeah! Let's go!" Felix says, walking away. Marco grits his teeth. "Don't ever interfere again. It's our fight, not yours...!" Marco yells at him. Xian takes a deep breath. "Follow your heart," he says before disappearing in the hallway.
Maggie woke up after Xuria. Xuria looks at Maggie. "Slept well, sweetheart?" Xuria asks. Maggie nods and stands up. "Can I go back to tra-..." before Maggie could finish her sentence, Xuria shakes her head. "Wait a week. Then you can," she says. Maggie has a disappointed look. "But... But..." she stutters. "No butts. I meant what I said," Xuria says, punctating her words. She stares at Julia... "Take care of her while I'm gone... Just for a bit," Xuria orders before entering Corvus' room. Maggie throws the blanket away. "Don't you dare tell her that I'm going back to training!" she yells at Julia before entering the training room again. Julia grabs her wrist. "Fight me instead... Let's have fun, covered in blood!!!" she suggests, a sadistic smile on her face. Maggie has a disgusted look on her face. "Umm... Why do you want to fight an 8-year-old...?" she asks. Julia nods and pulls her to another room in the hallway. The room was empty and fully white. "Just fight me... Don't hold back, sweetheart..." Julia motivates. Maggie takes a deep breath. She nods and gets in position. "Amy... Queen of the sacred winter... Lend me your strenght!" Maggie shouted, a blue light filling the room. After the light disappeared, Maggie looked like a whole other person. There was a blue emerald on her forehead, white lines connected to it, leading to her hair. Her hair was fully white, her eyes were light blue. She had a coat on, the words "Magnus, Goddess of ice" written on it with fancy handwriting. Snowflakes were forged on her dress. She had blue and white striped gloves on, and a white crown on top of her head with diamonds on it. Julia has a wicked grin on her face. "Hit me, Maggie... As hard as you can, even if it will kill me!!!" she yells, licking her lips. Julia's fists turn golden. "Show me what you got, kiddo!" she yelled, punching Maggie in the stomach, but she didn't budge... Instead, she kept looking down at Julia.
Xuria closed the door after she entered Corvus' room. Xuria: "Well... Are you gonna stay here thinking about yourself or will you get up, huh?" Corvus continued staring at the ceiling. Xuria puts her hand on his forehead, he tilts his head to her. "Go away," he ordered, his knuckles turning white. Xuria stands up. "Water bubble!" she yells as a water bubble appears around Corvus, lifting him in the air. She grins, squinting her eyes. Xuria: "Can you get out of it?" Corvus glared daggers at her. His face darkens before he stands straight. A dark aura surrounded him. The bubble got bigger, as if it was forced to. Corvus looked like a demon... Again. They both hear rustling. Not in the room. Close to it. It was outside of the base. Someone started crying. Xuria de-activates the bubble and heads outside. Corvus follows her. A kid with spiky black hair and red eyes was on the ground, covering his face. A man with grey long half-up hair and black eyes stood in front of him. The man had a sword in his hand, a bit of blood on the tip of it. For a moment, Corvus saw himself in the boy. Without thinking, he delivers a punch to the man's guts, his bones breaking with a sickening crack. The man clutches his stomach and winces in pain. After a few moments, he disappears. The boy looks at Corvus, shocked. "I wont hurt you..." Corvus says, smiling. He reaches his hand out to the boy. The boy takes his hand and stands up.
"What's your name?" Corvus asked as they made their way back to Xuria's base. The boy doesn't answer him. "What are your goals?" Corvus asks, changing the subject. The boy's eyes start shining. "I want to... Be a villain," the boy answers. Xuria breaks character. "You're a funny one! Villain, you say? Great dreams... Join us... Villain's Empire. Your dream is waiting for you... Yes or no?" she asks, a wide grin on her face as she looks at the boy. He raises his eyebrow in confusion. "Devil's empire...?" he mumbles, trying to process what's going on right now. Xuria sighs. "An empire for villains!" she says, pointing at Corvus. Xuria: "He's a devil so we called it the devil's empire... If you want, you're welcome. We destroy heroes... For fun!" Corvus chuckles. The boy looks at his hand. "But I don't want to hurt anyone..." he says, his voice lower than a whisper. For a moment, Corvus saw himself again. As if this guy was a copy of himself. "You're not hurting us. We're strong enough... To take on anything!" Corvus yells, heading into the base. Xuria just shrugs and waits for the boy to enter. She closes the door. A grin appears on her face. "The heroes' fall... It will be real soon~..." she murmurs, licking her lips.
It was quite chaotic in the dining room. Heroes were laughing out loud and making jokes. Some of them were fighting, while the others were watching. Suddenly, a cough was heard. "Everyone, please take a seat and STOP fighting. I repeat... Everyone, please take a seat and stop fighting," a monotone voice said. Everyone sat on one of the chairs and waited for the next order. Someone opens the door. It was a man with blonde shining straight hair and golden eyes. It was the hero, Julius. Lots of gasps were heard. Julius scrapes his voice. "Good evening, beloved rookies. I probably don't have to introduce myself. Let's get straight to the point. Just an important thing... Every round, someone will get eliminated. So... 3 of you will be the unlucky ones. Give it all you got tomorrow... I'll be watching. Please enjoy your meals," he says, before bowing and leaving right away. Kaelus smiles. "I finally got to see him!" he says, chuckling. A guy with a blue mullet and light blue eyes scowls. "Why isn't he fighting? Is he scared or what?" he says, rolling his eyes. Some other guys next to him start laughing aswell. A girl with two blonde pigtails and curtain bangs glares at the blue-haired guy with her green eyes. "He'll be the one saving your ass when you need it, lowlife," she said, crossing her arms. The guy looks at her with a disgusted expression on his face. "Who the hell invited a barbie doll?" he asks, mocking her.
The girl stands up abruptly, making her chair fall. "What did you just call me?" she asks, clenching her fists even tighter. The guy puts his hands in his pockets. "What are you gonna do, huh? Dress up for me?" he says, laughing. The girl puts her hands on her shoulders. Slowly, she floats up, almost reaching the ceiling. It stops, a light shines. It came from the girl. Flowers appear, covering her body. They were roses with spikes next to them. "Roses... Ambush," the girl whispers, making the roses head to the guy. They stopped right before his eyes. Before the guy could move, one of the roses entered his right eye. "Your eye looks... A lot prettier now... Do you need another one? Would suit you well... But let's see if it gets stained with your blood too..." she whispers, a white rose coming out of her shoulder. It faces the guy, aiming for his left eye. Thud... The guy fell on the ground. There was a mound of blood under him. A robot came in and carried the guy. "Cheyon has been eliminated, 5 points for Diane," the robot says before closing the door. The girl slowly got back to the ground, her hair full of flowers. She shakes her head and it disappears. Some people start clapping. A woman with a cigarette in her mouth smirks. She had tanned skin and light brown wavy hair, reaching up to her waist. Her eyes had a honey brown color. "Well done... I like that," the woman said before letting a puff of smoke out of her mouth. Diane looks at the girl. "Thanks," she said before munching on bread. It was silent. Everyone just ate their food. Sometimes, people started whispering, but it stopped a bit after.
The men and women went to their rooms. It was time to introduce yourselves. A guy with long grey hair and a beard opens the door of the men's room. "Line up," he orders, leaving no room for arguments. A guy with a mask on his face wearing a black and purple hooded cloak that reached till his ankles was first. "Name, age and magic. Fast," the grey-haired man asks. "Joker, 25... Magic power is mimic," the guy answers. The man writes it down. "Next..." the man asks. A kid with black fluffy hair and dark blue eyes looks up at the man. "Kaito, 11 years old... Magic power is invisibility," he says before laying down on his bed. The man nods as he writes it down. "Valentino, 19 years old. My magic power is love," the guy with red wavy hair and pink eyes says, smiling. "Lucien, 16 years old. Magic power is telekinesis," a boy answers. He had blonde and black ombre hair and blue eyes. "Dylan, 16 years old. Magic power is blades," a guy with brown hair and brown eyes answers, rolling his eyes. On his hips, 2 daggers were strapped. "Zephyros, 18 years old. Magic power is sand," a guy with blonde hair and yellow eyes answers. "Lucius, 16 years old. Magic power is telepathy," a boy with orange and black ombre hair and orange eyes says. He was probably Lucien's twin. "Enzo, 20 years old. Magic power is erase," a man with a deep voice says. His face was burnt and he had black hair with grey eyes. A man with tattoos on his arms, black wavy half up hair and magenta eyes puts his hand on Enzo's shoulder. "Archer. 34 years old. Magic power is crystal," he says. A little kid with black hair and spring green eyes tugs on the grey-haired man's sleeve. "Florian, 9 years old. Magic power is metal," he says. The man puts Quinn's hand away and ruffles his hair. A boy with purple hair, a bit of golden sprinkles on it and purple sleepy eyes steps forward. "Miguel, 15 years old... Magic power is solar," he says, yawning. It was Dante's turn. "Dante, 15 years old... Magic power is teleportation," his voice was firm. Kaelus smiles. "Kaelus, 32 years old. Magic power is berserk," he says quickly, not wanting to attract attention. A guy with long white hair and grey eyes puts his headphones on. "Hudson, 23 years old. Magic power is sound," he says before dozing off. A boy with dark green hair and brown eyes puts his hands in his pockets. "Narumi, 13 years old. Magic power is rock," he says, running a hand through his hair. The guy with white skin tone and black slicked hair looks at the boy with his eyes. He had eyebags under his eyes. "Isaac... 27 years old. Magic power is vampire..." he says, slowly flying to his bed right after. A guy with red hair and crimson red eyes was leaning on a wall. Jason flicks his forehead, knocking sense into him. "Oh... Jeff, 27 years old. Magic power is blood," he answers. The man nods and leaves the room.
In the women's room... The man entered. "Line up, please," he orders, not that strict. "Name, age and magic power. Make it quick," he says, looking at Keira. "Keira, 16 years old. Magic power is whirlwind," she says, bowing and then stepping back. After her, there was a little girl with black short hair and yellow eyes. She was holding a doll. "I'm Skylar... 7 years old. My magic power is dreams," she says, grinning. A woman with green long hair and brown eyes steps forward. "Suzumi, 25 years old. My magic power is nature," she says, bowing. A girl with curly white hair and ethereal yellow eyes was sitting on a cloud. She had a bit of cotton in her mouth. "Cotara... 17 years old. My magic power is cotton," she answers, looking at a girl with red curly hair. She had white angelic eyes and a lollipop was in her mouth. "My name is Sugara, I'm 19 years old. My magic power is candy," she says. Cotara and Sugara sit on the bed. A girl with short purple hair, 2 black horns on her head. She had purple eyes and some kind of monster above her shoulder. The monster looked like fire, but it was blue and purple. It had robotic eyes. The girl had a book in her hand. There wasn't a title on it. "Arachne. 19 years old. My magic power is soul," she says, walking away right after. Mina steps forward, her eyes gloomy. "Mina, 16 years old. My magic power is... Guns," she says. The man frowns. Before he could ask anything, she had a gun in her hand. She walked away. Sera looks at Keira before turning to the man. "Sera, 18 years old. My magic power is gravity," she says before sneaking behind Keira. Diane rolls her eyes. "Diane, 19 years old. My magic power is flowers," she answers, her voice monotone. A girl with long, silky brown hair and yellow eyes bows. "Celine, 15 years old. Magic power is shape shifting," she answers, respectfull. The man nods in acknowledgement. A little girl with auburn hair and orange eyes looks up at the man. He was towering over her. "Valerie... 8 years old. My magic power is healing..." she answers, her voice low. The man pats her head before looking at the other girls. 6 more people... A girl with ginger long hair and and crimson red eyes steps forward. "Iris, 19 years old. My magic power is lava," she says curtly. A girl with black hair and grey eyes. "Cassandra, 16 years old. My magic power is... Illusion," she says after thinking. 2 little girls run to the man. They were holding hands. One of them had a black short hime cut, the other one had a white short hime cut. Their left eye was black while the other one was white. The girl on the right had a star tattoo on her left cheek. The girl on the left had a star tattoo on her right cheek. "Umeko and Amako! 9 years old! Toxic and Venom!" they say, enthusiastic. A woman with blonde hair and dark blue eyes steps forward. "Zara, 20 years old. Magic power is sparkles," she says, her hair glowing. The last person... The woman with long brown wavy hair and honey brown eyes. "Athena, 32 years old. Magic power is... Smoke," she answers, shrugging. The man nods and leaves the room.
The girls just stare at each other awkwardly. "So... What are we doing now?" Zara asks, staring at the wall. Mina already wrapped her blanket around her. "Sleep, please!" Mina yells, falling asleep quickly. Umeko looks at her, and then at her hand. She points a finger at Mina. "TOXIC FO-" before she could finish her sentence, Athena puts Umeko's finger down. "We're not here to hurt each other. Not so nice, sweetheart," she says, smiling as she crouches to the girl's length. The girl gasps. "I t-thought that was a bad person!" she exclaims. Mina throws her blanket away. "THATS RIDICULOUS!!! IM HERE TO BE A HERO I THINK?" she yells, clearly shocked. Athena coughs. "Well... Yelling at an 8-year-old. How smart of you!" Athena compliments as Umeko tears up. Mina's face softens. She stands up and lifts the girl. "I didn't mean to, okay? It's just... Not nice," she says, a disappointed expression on her face. "I-I'm sorry..." Umeko says, looking away. Mina sits down. Amako looks at Umeko. "Are you crying?" she asks, taking a closer look. Umeko feels a chill run down her spine. She buries her face in Mina's shoulder. Her tears were gone. "No, I'm not! I'm fine!" she says, smiling at Amako. Amako nods and then lays down on her bed. Athena lits up her cigarette and puts it in her mouth. "Anyone strong here?" she asks. It stays quiet. Suzumi just stares at her. "How can WE know. I know most of us probably never really use it to begin with. Atleast we know our power levels..." she says, shrugging. "What's your power level then?" Athena asks Suzumi. She thinks for a while... "11. That's my power level," she answers. "How about you, huh? Lower, right?" Suzumi asks, smiling. Athena smirks. "Maybe... Let's just say it's 9,5," she says, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand. Amako waits for Umeko to come to her. "Imagine having a 9,5 as power level when you're 32," Cassandra says, grinning. "Even a 16 year old has more than that. I'm a proud level 12," she says, looking down on Athena. "Are you looking for a fight?" Athena asks, her fist covered in smoke. Even though she was still smiling, she was clearly annoyed.
It was chill in the men's room. Everyone was just playing a game. You'll have to do whatever someone says with your magic power. "Create a flower!" Kaito says, pointing at Archer. He has a troubled look on his face. "U-uh... A flower..." he mumbles. He makes a circle with his hands. Slowly, magenta colors come out of his fingertips... After a few minutes, there was a crystal flower in his hands. It was little, but you could see it. "My turn..." he says, smirking. He's probably up to no good. Kaito gulps. "Don't do anything cr-..." before he could finish his sentence, Archer spoke. "Leave the room, find Julius and scare him," he orders. He knows Kaito's power is invisibility... Kaelus puts his hand on Kaito's shoulder. "Good luck mate," he says, trying not to laugh. Isaac grins. "Go on, big boy," he says, mocking him. "Show us what your 'magic' can do," Jeff adds, a wide grin on his face. Kaito shakes his head. "No... Nope... Not today," Kaito denies. Archer stands up and grabs his head. "Order is order," he says before giving him a throwing him outside of the room. "We'll be watching!" he yells before slamming the door shut. "A little too strict on him, aren't ya?" Kaelus reacts, chuckling. Dante stands up. Kaelus looks at him, confused. "Checking up on him," he says before a portal appears in front of him. He enters it...
Athena waits for the girl to reply. Her eyes were filled with rage. "Level... 9? You're not level 9..." she mumbles. Slowly, Cassandra moves her hand... Left... Right... Left... Right... In front of Athena, a picture of a woman with short brown hair and cyan eyes appear. There was a wound on her stomach, slowly bleeding. The woman was wincing in pain. She was in a dark alley, all alone. There was a phone next to her. A ringtone was heard, but the woman didn't pick up. She couldn't pick up. Athena clenches her fists... The woman's eyes close, she stops breathing. Voices overlapped in Athena's head. "Why didn't you save me..." "I hate you..." "You're not my daughter..." "I wish I didn't give birth to you..." It kept going. Someone punches Athena in the face, sending her flying to a wall. "Enjoyed it?" Cassandra asks, smirking. Athena starts laughing as blood gushes from her forehead. "Blood..." she says as she touches the wound. She looks at her fingers. Tears start dwelling in her eyes. "My blood..." she says, punching Cassandra. Cassandra had moved to the side, dodging a life-threathening punch. Air blows softly in Cassandra's face as Athena's fist misses her by an inch. Athena's eyes were glowing. The room fills with smoke... Athena punches Cassandra, her skull cracking. Cassandra bumps into Skylar as she tries to stand up. Skylar falls on the ground, squinting her eyes. Before Cassandra fell on Skylar, Cotara makes a cloud appear under Cassandra. It slowly lifted her up. Cotara walks to Cassandra and carries her. The cloud disappears. "Going to the nurse," she says before leaving the room with Cassandra in her arms.
Kaito wasn't seen, but Dante could feel his presence a few steps away from him. Kaito slowly opens the door to Julius' office. Julius looks up, but doesn't see anyone. He decides to ignore it. Dante peeks from the opening... Kaito was next to Julius... Kaito accidentally let out a low growl, Julius tilting his head to the side. Dante covers his mouth, not wanting to make a sound. Kaito slowly crawls behind Julius... After a few minutes, he stands up and jumps on Julius. "BOO!!!" he yells, loud and clear. Julius didn't say anything... Instead, he kept staring at Kaito. "Are you supposed to be here?" he asks, smiling. "I... Uhh... Had to a-ask something..." he stutters, trying his best to lie. Julius waits for Kaito to ask his question, his arms crossed. "Actually 2 questions... What do points do and... Will someone really get eliminated every round?" he asks, his voice low. Julius grimaces. "Points decide whether you become king, queen, prince or princess. As of now... The only 2 people that have points are... Diane, 5 points. Athena, 8 points. Points only count if it's a fight out of anger. If you kill someone, its just 5 points. If you injure someone, 8 points. If you kill a monster in the second test, 10 points. If you get first place in the physical test, you'll get 10 points aswell. And... The worst person in the round will get eliminated, yeah. They're either gonna... Work with the heroes' association or redo the exam after a year. If you fail, but prove that you're stronger, you will be able to continue," he explains, tapping on his desk with his index finger. "Was that it?" he asks, standing up. He stretches a bit, his lean figure revealed for a bit. Kaito shakes his head. "Thank you, sir Julius!" he says, saluting. Julius laughs, his voice soft. "No need for all that, Julius is fine," he says, brushing it off before opening the door. Dante already left. Julius pats Kaito's back as he walks past. "See you around, hero," he says, winking. Kaito pauses... After a few minutes, he continues walking.
It was quiet... No one spoke. Not like they dared to. "What's your real power level?" Suzumi asks, looking into Athena's eyes. She hesitates before speaking... "I don't know. My parents never told me," she says, shrugging. Suzumi smiles at her. "They will measure it anyways... Don't worry!" she reassures, her hand on Athena's shoulder. Athena runs a hand through her hair. Suzumi sits down on the ground. Sugara crouches next to Skylar, concern etched all over her face. "Are you okay?" she asks, holding Skylar's hand. Skylar looks around, trying to find her doll. When she doesn't find it, she tears up. "Don't cry!!!" Sugara says, her white eyes glowing. She makes a lollipop and gives it to Skylar. "I'll find it for you, I promise!" she says before standing up. Her eyes scan the room. After a few minutes, Cotara sees that Amako was sitting next to the doll. She approaches them. "Can you give the doll?" she asks. Amako looks at the doll and then at Sugara. She picks up the doll and hands it to Sugara. "Thank you!" she says, smiling at Amako before turning away. Skylar looks up as she notices Sugara had the doll in her hand. Sugara puts it in front of Skylar. A wide smile appears on her face, her eyes shining. For a moment, her eyes had an purple color, but it disappeared right after. Sugara stands next to Skylar, ready to help her with whatever she needs.
Valerie was staring at the ceiling. She looks up as the door opens. Cotara came back with Cassandra. She looked completely fine now. Probably got healed by someone with magic... Or else she wouldn't have been here. Cassandra glared at Athena. Perhaps... It was already 11 PM. Silence filled the room, nothing other than soft breathing was heard. Cassandra fell asleep right after she pulled the blanket to her chin. She saw Fianna's father in her dreams. "You have to be perfect... Even if you will hurt everyone. There are no excuses... I want you to be 'PERFECT'. You can't live without lies. Be a hero outside, a monster inside, Fianna. If you're not... I wont accept you as my daughter. You were born to be a masterpiece, so don't disappoint me. Be yourself and fight for your freedom. This world can be yours, Fianna," the father said, looking at a little girl with purple hair and green eyes. It was Fianna. She just nodded. "A hero outside... A monster inside... Is it me?" she asked, her voice soft. It was different from the Queen Fianna. "If you don't... Your little sister will do that for me," he said, pointing at a baby in a mother's arms. She had black short hair and grey eyes. The mother put the baby on the ground. After that... The father stabbed the mother. "This is what you have to do, Fianna... Now, kill me. Do it again. Do it to everyone," he says before handing her the bloody knife. Fianna stared at it for a while but then... She killed the father. The baby started crying. Cassandra wakes up, breathing heavily. "Are you okay?" a voice next to her whispered. It was Valerie. She put her hand on Cassandra's forehead. "Did you have a nightmare?" Valerie asks, leaning closer to her. Cassandra shakes her head. "I'm fine," she said, looking at Valerie. "Tell me if anything hurts okay...?" Valerie says, holding Cassandra's hands between hers. Cassandra smiles. "Yeah, sure!" she says, patting Valerie's head. "We're gonna finish the exam together, okay? Promise?" Valerie asks, a wide smirk on her face. Cassandra hesitates for a moment but then talks. "Promise!" she exclaims. Valerie nods and heads back to her bed. "Maybe... Being a hero isn't that bad..." Cassandra thinks before falling asleep again.
Kaito got back into the room. "I thought he was a strict person," he says before taking a deep breath. "It's gettin' kinda late eh?" Hudson notices, looking at the clock. Jeff blankly stares at Hudson. "It isn't late at all..." he says, rolling his eyes. "Maybe because you take afternoon naps," Florian denies before crossing his arms. Kaelus: "I just hope SOMEONE doesn't bite us while we're asleep." Isaac has a shocked expression on his face. "I would never do that..." he says, smiling. Joker laughs, disturbing their talk. "That's hilarious! You're a vampire, you definitely have bitten someone!" his mask kept changing emotions. Sometimes its smiling, sometimes its sad. Miguel sighs, clutching his arm. "Is there a doctor here?" he asks, yawning. Archer grins. "What hurts?" he asks, looking into Miguel's eyes. Miguel pulls up his sleeve, revealing a huge wound. Enzo points at Miguel. "Come here..." he orders. Enzo examines the wound and then breathes in. His eyes start glowing. "Erase..." he mumbles before letting his fingers slide over the wound. After a few moments, the wound had disappeared. "Anything else that hurts or not?" he asks, his voice clear. Miguel shakes his head. "I just realized the first test is tomorrow..." Lucius mumbles, about to bash his head. "Go to sleep, everyone!" Archer says before standing up. Florian doesn't move. Archer grabs his collar and drags him to Florian's bed. "Delivery," he says before throwing Florian on the bed. "WAI-" Florian yells before he hits the hard steel. He winces in pain. "It's just steel, can't hurt," he says, shrugging. Florian kicks Archer. "I'm going! Chill out!" he says before heading to his bed.
Everyone gathered outside. The heroes were wearing tracksuits. Some of them were white and the others were red. A man with a mustache and black hair coughs before speaking. "Ladies and gentlemen... I hope you all slept well, since we're starting today. Please take a water bottle first. The first thing that you're gonna do is... Run a marathon. After that, you will carry weights... For the two rounds, if you get first place, its 10 points. Second place is 7 points. Third place is 5 points. Fourth place is 3 points, fifth place is 1 point. Remember, women and men winners are seperated. Are there any questions?" the man explains. Valerie raises her hand. "Who will get eliminated?" she asks, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. The man grins. "The person who gets low scores for every subject of the test," he explains before turning around. "Julius is watching, and other heroes too. Do your best," he says. He left, leaving them all there. A referee steps forward. "Whoever uses magic will be disqualified," he informs before pointing at the start line. There were 2 running tracks, 1 for the men and 1 for the women. Everyone was ready...
(Next chapter will have full heroes' exam!!!)
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