5 Selection

I turn back looking at Tim with an expression of confusion. Tim peeped passed me to look at Caroline and responds with a frown on his face.

"Caroline, what's wrong?" I asked completely worried for her.

"I was chosen to go to the Fighting Pits." She sobbed.

"This can't be right this is totally wrong, can't we talk to someone to change or something?" I said looking at Tim.

"Sadly, she was chosen, there's no way to change it." Tim quietly answered.

"Please can you talk to someone? Maybe your headmaster or maybe Scarlet?" I frantically questioned.

"I can try but I can't promise anything I don't really hold any position in Atlantis." Tim hesitantly agreed, as he stood up and started jogging through the crowd.

I didn't know what to do or even how to start comforting Caroline. So I decided to hug her as she cried. Several minutes passed as Caroline slowly calmed down, "stay here I'll try looking for someone." Caroline nodded in understanding, I immediately stood up rushing in the direction Tim headed, and I desperately searched for him among the crowds. He was nowhere to be seen, I began looking for someone without marking on their hands. Everyone in the hall seems to have markings. I searched for several minutes unable to find anyone without markings, defeated I made my way back to where Caroline was, making my way back through the crowd I felt a hand grasp my wrists hard enough to force me to turn around.

"Hey guys look it's an F-Ranked must be one of the weakest this year!" A female voice shouted laughing with her group of friends.

I turned to her full of rage, my anger now boiling up inside me, I knew these types of girls, dealt with them all through secondary school, I'm so done with this teenage bullcrap, "Bitch I don't have time for this." I used my other hand and ripped her thumb from my wrist, feeling the bone in her thumb crack in the process, she let out a small scream of pain and instantaneously released her grasp, I turned and carried on returning to Caroline.

"Bitch you broke my thumb, do you even know who I am?" I heard her shout.

I see in my peripheral vision a shadow behind me getting larger and larger, I defensively turn around to see what's approaching me, I was petrified as one of her male friends is extremely close to me with his sword held high ready to cut me. The world slowed as I began regretting how I dealt with the situation, is this really going to be the end of me? I closed my eyes ready for my inevitable death. For the first time in my life, I was face to face with death, it was terrifying I wasn't ready, I'm still young I have so many years left to live.

"Is there a problem here?" I heard a familiar voice speak out in an angry tone as a wave of fear engulfed me like a tidal wave.

I slowly peaked, opening one eye to see a crowd has gathered to witness the commotion. Scarlet's very distinctive red hair was in between us holding the sword by the blade with one hand. The young man fell to his knees trembling, "I'm sorry Scarlet" in an almost inaudible quivering voice the young man begged.

"Did you know the number one rule in Atlantis states I am permitted to use lethal forces if anyone threatens the life of a student of Atlantis?!" She shouted as she effortlessly crushed the blade with her bare hand sundering the sword into two pieces. The young man now trembling uncontrollably and crying into the ground begging to be spared. "And you Princess of Arcadia! If you think your royal blood makes you exempt from our rules you are horribly mistaken! Now get the F out of my sight RIGHT NOW!" she ordered. The young man quickly scurried away on his knees into the crowd, but the princess was unfazed by Scarlet's threat and just shot a glare at me and casually turned and walked away. "And everyone else gets to your assembly rooms now!" she ordered the crowd. The crowd took a step back in fear, I staggered back falling on my bum as my legs gave out trembling uncontrollably, her anger strangely emitted and extreme scorching heat, it felt different this time her presence was overwhelming I felt like was a small mouse suffocating and burning in a sea of flames.

As the crowd dissipated so did the heat and fear, Scarlet turned around smiling at me as always, "I came here as quickly as I could, some student called Tim said you were in need of help, but I didn't expect you needed this sort of help" Scarlet beamed, it felt extremely uncomfortable as she was still a complete stranger to me with the most terrifying aura I've ever felt. She held out her hand to me to help me up, her hand was completely unscathed from catching and crushing the blade. I gestured to her that I'm okay as I slowly got up on my own while my body slowly recovered.

"You really ought to be careful Emilia we won't always be around when you're in trouble" she beamed.

"Ummm, next time I'll try not to cause a commotion," I replied.

"Great so what is it that you needed help with?" She asked.

"Ummm scarlet maybe you could help a friend of mine." I hesitantly questioned, her smile dulled as if she knew what I was going to ask her, she began looking at the floor avoiding my eye contact. "Well, my friend got chosen by fighting pits of something." I hesitantly explained, and her smile turned to a frown.

"I'm so sorry but once the selection process is done, it's final. Even I can't change or interrupt the process, I am so sorry!" She quietly replied

Wow, the way Caroline spoke about her I thought she would have at least been able to do something. "Are you sure? There is absolutely nothing you can do? Tim and Caroline told me you're Atlantis' 2nd highest Ranked student and never lost a fight." I questioned.

"I'm so sorry, I really wish I could help" She quietly answered.

"Well…. Is there any chance you can go see her? She was absolutely excited when I told her that I met you earlier today." I requested.

"I'm so sorry but all Eshia students have already left." She replied

Hopelessness washed over me, my arms went limp. The only person I made a connection with is now gone, and there was nothing I could do to help her. A tear started to roll down my cheek. Scarlet immediately approached me to wipe away the tear and hugged me. Her attempts at comforting me kinda helped me forget about Caroline, as my body now reacted violently to her being in contact with me, all I wanted to do was to break away from her and run. She lifted my head to meet hers, "I can't promise that we can do anything but I am certain Paul and I will do everything in our power to help her"

"Thank you" I quietly whimpered.

"Let's get going we are running late." Politely requested. As she turned and started walking in the direction the crowd did.

Maintaining a small distance we quickly walked to the closest door, entering into a smaller room filled with many students each with letters ranging from A-C on their left hand and on the other hand a symbol identical to the one on mine.

Scarlet turned around, "Stay here and just follow the headmaster's instructions." Scarlet instructed smiling.

"Okay, sure." I hesitantly agreed

"Stay safe and don't get into too much trouble!" Scarlet joked. As she made her way to the front of the room, the crowd parted for her as if they seemed to also feel the fear that I do. Looking towards the headmaster I froze in absolute shock and confusion as she went and stood next to someone that looks identical to my Ex-boyfriend Paul.