Chapter 13

CARINA'S POV

"Your practical exam will be a Battle Royale!" he declares proudly from the stage, the lights in the hall dim save for a single Limelight shining down on the good Professor "...The exam is simple, the Gems on your broche represent a point system, and each of you is to steal the pin of a fellow student and accumulate your points, the top 20 at the end of the exams move to the last stage of the examination, It should go without saying but, you are not allowed to remove or hide your brooches, the different colors represent different scores that correspond with your placement on the exam, 2-10 have Golden Gems which represent 50 points, number 1 has a black gem which alone is 100 points, 11-20 have silver Gems which represent 40 points, 21-30 have Bronzed gems which represent 30 points, the rest of you all have blue gems which represent 1 point..."

1 point?! That didn't sound fair at all, the dissatisfaction was clear on the faces of all my fellow students but none dared to complain

"...You are allowed to use any means necessary to steal the gems from your fellow students and present them at the end of the exam.."

A delicate vine-covered hand rose from the crowd

"Do you have a question?" the professor asked the girl and all eyes in the hall turned to face her

"When you say by any means necessary do you mean ANY means necessary?" rising from her seat her voice soft as a bell she spoke, her skin a shade between porcelain and soft pink, the parts of her that weren't covered by her marshmallow like dress were covered in vine-like tattoos, nothing I had ever seen before, her hair was a range prismatic colors which changed depending on what angle you looked at her, her appearance embodied whimsy, but something about the way the words left her mouth sent a cold chill down my spine

"So long as the heart of the student is still beating, then Yes Miss Kouris, any means necessary"

Kouris? as in Dorothea Kouris? The Number 1 ranked Dorothea Kouris?

She seemed pleased with the professor's remark, a small smile tugged the corner of her lips curling it up into a sneer, she was beautiful, her eyes big and wide holding pools of molten gold, and her small build made her the poster child for innocence, but at the very moment seeing the way her eyes lit up at the free reign the professor had just handed, I didn't want to know what thoughts she hid behinds those big eyes

"Does anyone else have any questions?" the Professor asked and was met with silence, I suppose Dorothea's question put everything into perspective

This wasn't a battle royale, it was a Hunt, a hunt where who was the hunter and who was the prey was left to be decided

"Then I take it that is all for introduction, I wish you all the best of luck, Your Practical exam will last 1 hour starting now" That was the last thing I saw, with a snap of the professor's fingers Felicia Vanished from my side, one second I was sitting in a hall next to her the next I am standing in the middle of a wasteland, torn up tarred roads, dilapidated buildings, Trees that looked like they were torn right out of the ground and left to wither away as hollow trunks and the faint smell of soot

"Aah!!!" a blood-curdling scream rips through the air followed by a violent blast that shakes the Earth sending rubble flying everywhere

I duck in time for a chunk of debris to fly over my head, and the screams of agony Intensify as explosion after Explosion rumble, lifting my head off the ground in desperate need of solace I see what looks to be an old pre-school building, not thinking twice I dash towards my run down shelter dodging whatever debris flew at me, I didn't think it was possible but I could hear my heart hammering in chest

I make it into the building running into the first classroom I found slamming the door shut behind me, leaning my back against the door which I'm sure did little to protect me, judging by the bombs like thunder and the violent lights colouring the sky this door didn't stand a chance

I felt my body slide down the door till I was on the floor, unsure when my legs gave way beneath me, my breath was labor, my hair had broken free letting loose strands hang around my face, my vision blurred by a cloud of dust, I need to get myself together, I try to bring a hand to my chest but it wouldn't listen, my body betrayed me, my hands shook furiously by my side as I watched them feeling a bitter smile curl at my lips

I knew this would be dangerous, I thought I was prepared, I thought wrong, I was in over my head but it's too late turn back now, balling my hands into fists I force myself to stand, the dust that filled the room turned into a full stand storm as another explosion tore through bringing with it a gust so strong it pushed me back, I cover my eyes on instinct, when the dust cloud died the metallic smell of blood clung to the air

The fear returned anew, unsure what force guided my legs to the window till I was staring at a massacre, blood painted the once green fields, splattered over the rocks and up the side of the school, I steady myself on the windowsill my body staggering as my eyes found there in the distance, a severed arm, up in the sky enclosed in a large red halo was a clock with the numbers 56:16, with the seconds counting down

I needed to get out of here!!

"Hello," said a voice behind me so sickeningly sweet betrayed only by the pungent smell, I didn't need to turn, I already knew that voice

"Hello" the strength of my own voice surprised me, I replied firmly as I turned around like a person who wasn't about to collapse from fear, Dorothea stood by the door, her formerly white dress ruined, blood dripping from her right hand as she clutched 4 brooches in a bloody fist, a splash of blood across her face, she looked like she walked out of a slasher movie and yet I managed to hold her gaze, Felicia would be so proud

"You're the Leblanc child aren't you?" she asked innocently, too innocently, it was terrifying in itself

"That I am, and you're the number one" I replied my eyes settling on the black broche gem placed neatly on her dress framed by 7 others, 2 golds, 4 silvers, 1 blue counting the other blues she had clutched in his fist that totals 12 in 4 minutes

Did she ambush a group of students? when did she have the time to do that?!! we just got here!!!

"I've always wanted to meet a Leblanc..." she says inching closer to me and forcing me to move back my eyes darting around the room desperately searching for my escape "...it's a shame we have to meet this way, I was hoping we'd be friends" she launches herself at me claws shooting out of her free hand swiping at my face, if not for my training with Felicia she would have torn my head clean L

I duck letting her hands fly over my head using that chance to propel myself forward running past her out the door down the corridor, barely two steps out the door she appears in front of me with that same indifferent smile across her face, her eyes hollow of remorse and a soul!

"Stay still would you, I don't want to hurt you" she swipes at me again this time with both hands I jump back missing her claws by a hair

"Vasparos" I scream a spell Felicia thought me, one of the First few I got right, I feel the magic sizzle under my skin making its way to my feet, and the magic hums as It comes to life jumping out the window soon I was running across the field in a flash the world around me passing in a blur, I dare one glance over my shoulder to see Dorothea looking straight at me her head cocked to the side an unreadable look on her face

I needed to get as far away from her as possible, I ran across the field, leaping over rubble the trail of blood seemed to follow me, seemingly endless, the landscape was a mess, torn down buildings, barricades made of bushes, violent dark clouds in the air, and the smell of blood, in the distance I see some students battling, screaming at the top of their lungs as they shoot spells at each other

This was madness! What kind of exam was this?!, I wanted to slap myself across the face as the realization finally hit me, this was an exam, and I didn't get a single brooch, I was going to fail

Why did Felicia think this was a good idea? Why did she think I was ready?! Why did I think I was ready?!

At that moment I hated myself, I hated this stupid school, I hated the Professor, I hated Felicia, I hated that I had to do this but I hated Mario most of all, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for him! He took everything from me if I wanted to get it back I had to get into this stupid school, I'd be damned if I let a psychotic Powerpuff girl stop me

Collecting my thoughts I dig my heels into the ground feeling my body jerk violently at the sudden break, lowering myself to hold balance I turn my body around and launch myself in the opposite direction towards the large group of students

I needed to focus, I had one single point Broche, Dorothea had 12 including her judging by the mess she left behind that was 11 fewer people for me to worry about, I counted a total of 9 unconscious students I ran meaning all the others had looted the most they could and ran off, to stay in the clear I just need at least 100 points to place in the middle so either 3 gold Brochures or 2 Silver 

I can do this, I just need to jump one of the students when they least expected it, this exam was one hour, I look up at the big clock in the sky, the number read 37:13, that gives me plenty of time, I can do this, I can do this

"Hello," said a soft voice to my side before her legs connected to my stomach hitting me with a force so strong it sent me shooting across the field, my back slamming into a tree, my body pinned as a searing pain threatened to consume me

Tears sting my eyes as I struggle to pry my eyes open, Dorothea walks towards me from the distance her hands folded neatly behind her, and on her back were two giant,..... Wings?

The pain must be making me delirious yet amidst that deliria all I could think was, How was she able to touch me?