Days of yore
Lue remembered the feeling of her blood rushing to her temples, the tightness in the pit of her stomach...
---A MONTH BEOFRE THE FINAL INVITATION LETTER---
Lue slumbers are filled with disturbing dreams. Her going to the domains, leaving her mother behind. She bolt up screaming for her life as in the Cadet test she exploded into a million little piece of light.
Dawn is breaking through the windows. The Vistancia has a misty, haunted air that day. Her head aches and she must have bitten into the side of her cheek in the night. Her tongue probes the ragged flesh and she tastes blood. Its the day of the Cadet test. The Apocalon entrance exam, more precisely it is a test given to all the tenth graders to determine their acceptance into the Silver domain elite school called Apocalon.
They call it the golden opportunity to be with the domain class and a ray of bright future with better education and right support. They always heard how grand, how majestic their domain school is.
Anyways, Apocalon entrance exam consists of a written test and a practical test, with the latter being more important of the two. During the written test they have to score above 53 out of 100to pass the test. Following the written test comes the practical test, during the practical exam candidates conduct mock battles in replica urban settings. Examinees have to pass each exam separately and if you failed anyone or got disqualified in any of them, you are signed as failed. The test happens once a year, students take every measure to pass the test, but just giving your best is not everything, because these tests are not easy, as many dose not even pass the written test.
The bell rang, it was time for the first test. The written exam. The first thing that hits them when they entered the gigantic hall is the smell- disinfectant, bleach, too much of both, as if they have not open the hall for months and to get rid of the gray surfaces of all stains and scents, as if to scrub away the room's history. There are no windows, just blaring artificial light that makes you squint. Filled with a desk with a blank bolter on it had a pair of armchairs with worn out leather straps around it. A black and white printed paper was placed at the side beside a miniscule bouquet of white alyssum. Above the fancy desks, a chromatic dance of red shades in the opulent gray. All the students settled according to their allotted roll numbers.
Right in front they made a little stage out of ply of a timid, bluish, pale light which almost instantly when they look blended with the diffuse lighting that was flooding the room, coming from the numerous lights on the ceiling, tingling and hanging. A table kept on the stage, it had a big electronic box through which they monitor all of the students and a mic on the left. Almost concealed, lying under the table, a pile of books about the history of Ellesmere.
Lue takes a deep breathe and makes sure her mind is not wandering again. None of them moved a muscle. Lue could hear her own heartbeat; and she could even hear Eve's nervous breathes whose sitting in front of her. Two sets of footsteps were coming towards her. One was heavy and slow; the other seemed quicker and lighter. Lue looked up, they were the invigilators distributing the sheet in which they were supposed to write their answers. It was a rectangular sheet consisting of eight pages. A few moments later, the lady sitting on the front desk, after re-adjusting her mic said, "Its nine 'o' clock now. You have time till twelve 'o' clock. Do not try to do anything hilarious, because you know we will catch you instantly. You shall begin now." she completed with a half-hearted smile.
"I am good, yea, of course I am, I feel right in my bones that I got more than it takes to make it." Lue mutters to herself and started off writing the answers.
There was a steadiness to Lue, as if all the storms in the world were a whispering breeze as she was there.
There was a chilling sensation coming from the front.
"Ah! it is sooner than I thought," Lue said to herself, and continued writing totally ignoring the sensation.
In that cold vibe she is a heart-seeking rocket flames lighting up the wintry vibe. Eve, she is like a snapshot out of time. Her chestnut hair blowing as she runs her fingers through them, her youthful face furrowed as she is looking towards the paper. She glanced around the room, most of them are writing, other's are sighing or chewing their nails. From under long chestnut bangs shone eyes the color of wet earth, she cracked her knuckles and finally started writing.
The future is something which everyone reaches at the rate of sixty minutes an hour, whatever they do, whoever they are.
It felt like, it got over in a snap. Three hours went by just like that. Though the classroom walls are bare, the windows are large. That was the very first time Lue felt relived to be in the classroom. The examination hall just felt like a testament of disarranged mind, a chaotic display of memories of the past.
Lue settled herself on her desk, watching Eve coming through the door, closer and closer, with the biggest sigh of the century she asked, "How did it went?"
"I guess, as usual, I will pass with zero difficulties. Though I might not get full, last few questions were tricky. You say, how was yours?"
"Don't even ask, i-"
"Aight! not asking you!! You can tell me when you are ready," Lue said, with the most innocent smile.
"Have someone ever told you that you are annoyingly annoying." Eve said, in the most simple manner. Well, it was quite weird to Lue when Eve is normal.
"alright! alright! how was your exam miss Eve?"
"It was good," Eve said while smiling, as her eyebrows go up and down, "well, anyways, what weapon you are going to use?"
"Weapon...hmmm...it is a secret and you will know tomorrow anyways right?" with a change in tone Lue continued, "or are you scared of me? that I might beat you up."
They both exchanged glances, talking with hand gestures, they both laughed out loud.
Lue never really felt that her home actually feels like 'home', but with Eve, there something magical, it is unknowingly warm, it is where she belongs, with Eve it feels like an actual 'home'. Lue did not wish to leave yet, just a little bit more. Her pink lips curved, it was cold and lovely as frost on a windowpane, but her smile never reached Eve's eyes.