Chapter 5: Arden

We arrived at what looked to be a large temple. It would look more like a castle if it weren't for the shrine sitting in front of it. I approached the shrine where there were letters, fruit, and other offerings placed inside the wooden structure.

"Is this the Seraph Academy?" I asked. It was a dumb question, but it didn't look like a school.

"Yes, Seraph Academy is a broad campus of several buildings, but it operates under the guise of a temple." He passed me, leading the way up the stone staircase. He turned to his side slightly, seemingly waiting for me to follow. I trailed behind him, attempting to keep up with his long strides. When we reached the top of the staircase, a large man in a black suit emerged from the building.

Leon waved casually as if the man didn't look like the terminator. "Hey, Dalton! You made it."

The older man approached us and he was the textbook definition of intimidating. His expression was in an almost permanent frown.

"You must be Arden Gray." He said, his voice a raspy sound.

"Y-Yes." I stammered, cursing at myself internally for stuttering. "Nice to meet you, sir."

He grunted and moved to the side. I glanced at Leon who smiled reassuringly before leading the way into the temple building.

The inside was pitch black, but I followed behind the two men anyway against my better judgment. I followed the sound of their footsteps, expecting to see some form of light soon but it never came. Then suddenly, I couldn't hear their footsteps anymore.

"W-Wait for me!" I tried, but I received no response. "Leon? Dalton?"

Nothing. My voice slightly echoed as I called out to them, so the room we entered must be large. However, it was impossible to tell the size with how dark it was or even where I was exactly. Fear began to settle heavily in my mind, and I spun on my heel to leave, but there was no door or any indication of light from the outside world.

What was going on-

Rows of torches suddenly lit up from the walls of the room, flooding the darkness with orange light. I scanned the room quickly, observing the door behind me, the shrine in front of me, and the red carpet beneath. Weapons lined the walls from swords and metal shields to even a bow and arrow. I was standing in the middle of it all, accompanied by neither Dalton or Leon. They were nowhere in sight. Was this some sort of prank?

Before I could ponder further, a rumbling sound emerged, shaking the room. I watched in shock as a Spirit emerged from the shrine. It looked like a bear but was rotting from the inside like a zombie. Its footsteps shook the temple, and I screamed as the creature charged toward me like a rhino. I ran. It was the only thing I could think to do.

The Spirit roared as it chased me around the large room. My ears rang from the noise and I felt blood pulsing in my ears. Adrenaline pumped through my body as I grabbed a shield off of the wall, spinning around and shielding myself. It promptly slammed into the shield with its head, knocking the wind out of me. I dropped to my knees as I tried to catch my breath, but the Spirit smacked the shield out of my hands and rose to its full height.

Without thinking, I reached for the next weapon hanging on the wall. It looked like something Grim Reaper would use. I quickly gripped the handle of the heavy weapon with both hands before swinging the curved blade into the stomach of the beast. It roared in response, swiping its long claws at me, but it leaned back too quickly, falling onto its back before its claws could make contact with my face.

My chest was heaving as if I had run a mile, and I dropped onto the floor, staring at the motionless Phantom. What the fuck just happened?

"Congratulations!" It was Leon's voice. He emerged from the shadows like a ghost, clapping slowly. "You passed the test."

Test? He lowered down to his knee until we were at eye-level. "Are you okay, Arden?"

I couldn't speak even if I wanted to. My mouth was dry and my lips quivered. Even my hands shook. I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back tears. Suddenly, I felt gentle hands brush up against my own, and I opened my eyes, watching as he held my hands in his. His hands were much larger than mine, and it felt oddly comforting.

Someone nearby cleared their throat. It was Dalton, who held a clipboard and scribbled down on it. Was this really just a test? I shifted my gaze back onto the Spirit who slowly dissipated into thin air before my very eyes.

"You have completed your first official expulsion, Miss Gray. We test every new student to gauge their level of combat skills, so you may think of this as an entrance exam or aptitude test."

"More like hazing." Leon mumbled under his breath, which garnered a sharp look from Dalton. "But you showed that you have guts, Gray. Good for you."

He rose to his feet and offered a hand, which I took sheepishly. I clearly didn't know what I was getting myself into. Was it too late to turn back? Either my face was too readable, or Leon had the ability to read minds, because he smiled to himself.

Leon and Dalton led me through a door that was less dubious, but I felt on edge, anyway. Leon was pretty convincing about trusting him, but I knew next to nothing about him and this supposed Organization. I clenched my fists. Still, it was better being here in a random location than around people I cared about and risking their lives.