Chapter 5: The Test

I don't know exactly how long we've been walking, but we somehow ended up walking through an abandoned train station that led us to a hidden tunnel. At the end of the tunnel is a hole in the wall big enough for only one person to crawl through one at a time.

"Ladies first." Alaric gesture for me to enter first.

I looked at the hole and then back at Alaric "Find it."

He furrowed his eyebrows "Find what?"

"Your mind. Clearly you have lost it if you think I will willingly crawl in there. You guys brought me here, you go first." I said backing away but was halted by a hard chest.

Jonah looked down at me "There is nothing to be afraid of."

"Oh yeah, then why don't you do the honors of going first."

Jonah and Alaric glanced at each other before I knew it was being lifted into the air. I started to put up a fight "Ouch, got dammit Livia stop pulling my hair. Alaric don't just stand there help me."

Alaric tried to pry my hands out of Jonah's hair, but it was to no avail "Livia, stop kicking me."

I could hear the other guys laughing in the background, but that was the least of my concern.

With a finally push they got me into the hole "Why must you be so difficult?" Jonah asked while panting.

"But I don't-"

He glared at me "Livia I swear to god!"

I succumbed to my fate "Out of all the ways to die, death my mysterious tunnel is how I'm going out. Good job Livia."

I climbed out of the small space and turned around to see if the boys were coming "Hello?" but I didn't hear anything, I was alone. "What kind of sick joke was this?" I begin to frantically look around until I saw a message on the wall.

New gate: that through J. passed by, will come I what still R. corner the round west hidden moon path that in last when road may R. wait east of the sun and Tolkien them a day at last, I shall.

"Who in the hell do they think they are, the Justice League? Who even writes cryptic messages anymore?" I asked myself while trying to decipher the message.

The more I read it the more it changed. I noticed that a few characters stood out the most, "J.R.R. Tolkien, is that a name? Why does it sound so familiar? I know I have heard that name before...Tolkien Tolkien Tolkien. Ahh! The English writer and poet John Ronald Reuel Tolkien."

'…Still round the corner there may wait

A new road or a secret gate

And though I often have passed them by,

A day will come at last when I

Shall take the hidden paths that run

West of the Moon and East of the Sun.'

by J.R.R. Tolkien

This was the final verse he wrote in The Lord of the Rings ~ The Walking Song.

"The new road could be a metaphor for a new path or destiny. The Walking Song was a song about the roads that go ever on until they return at last to the familiar things they have always known."

"…And though I passed them by, a day will come at last when I shall take the hidden paths that run West of the Moon and East of the Sun."

"In fairytales 'East of the Sun and West to the Moon,' often refers to place or a world that is difficult to reach. Sometimes the path to your destiny is unseen, it feels untouchable difficult to reach." I walked into the darkness, something I am remarkably familiar with.

When I was I younger I feared the darkness. I used to wake in the night and wish for the sun, the darkness worried me. My imagination supplied many bloodthirsty beasts to lurk beyond the range of my vision. But now I embrace it. The night provides cover, a strong protective arm from those same monsters, but now those monsters have faces. They are the ones with their guns and official badges, the ones who can be judge, jury and executioner in the name of freedom, the ones that harm the weak, torment the innocent and steal from the poor.

Now I am at the end. The only thing standing between me, and my destiny is a locked gate and in front of it is a pillar stone with a Moon and Sun crescent engraved in it along with another message.

"The path you see leads to your purpose hidden within your wounds"

I caressed the stone, suddenly a blinding light emerged from it temporarily blinding me. Then I heard several voices echoed in my ear as visioned cleared "Hello Livia Moon, this is a message from the Originals. Congratulations on deciphering the message. Sometimes the road we take seems like a new path in our lives, but most times that path is familiar but was forgotten. That’s why we the Originals have developed a haven for the forgotten called the Forgotten City. It is surrounded by four cities that serves as a camouflage or barrier from onlookers. The citizens of the Forgotten City welcome the lost, the broken, and the forgotten. The citizens of the Forgotten City welcome you, Livia. Congratulations once again and welcome to the Forgotten City." The gate opened revealing another tunnel but at the end of the tunnel I saw a light. A light of promise, protection, and possibilities.

Crossing the threshold, I entered a room with floor-to-floor windows. Walking closer to the window I was met with the most beautiful site; it almost looks unreal. The ground below me was alive with lights, like someone had taken a handful of glitter and thrown it as far as the eye could see. It was too dark to make out individual buildings, but the lights were enough for me. I sighed, amazed at the view laid out before me.

"Where are we?" I was so fascinated by the city that I didn't notice the boys walking behind me.

"It's beautiful isn't it." Malakai said suddenly standing next to me.

I jumped, startled by his sudden presence, but then I remembered how they left me alone "What was the big deal of leaving me alone like that!" I said with every kick.

He ran away shielding himself "You have a bad habit of kicking people."

"Yeah, and you want to know what else I have a bad habit of doing?" I asked while taking off my shoes ready to through it at any part of his body.

Percy backed hugged me "Woah calm down Liv Liv we had no choice but to leave you alone and let you find your own path."

"There are a few rules we the citizens of the Forgotten City have to follow and not disclosing the main city is one of them." Heath filled in.

Alaric ruffled my hair "Yes miss kickboxer we have rules.

1. Everyone must respect each other.

2. There is no violence within the city that's outside the rink.

3. Most importantly you must never disclose the location of the city.

Breachers of these rules will face severe punishment. Level one breachers is put on probation, the perpetrator(s) will be temporarily banned from all access of the city for a certain amount of time. Level two breachers will be exiled and all memories of the city will be permanently erased. Level three breachers will face execution. Though this may seem extreme everything we do is for the safety of our people, the lost, the broken, and the forgotten."

Asa spoke looking out on to the city "So, because we aren't allowed to disclose this location to anyone, we couldn't just walk you through the front door while holding hands. But there are loopholes well at least for us."

I looked at him confused "Why are you guys an exception to the rules?"

"It all started with Malakai and then the rest of us joined later. Believe it or not the world we have created is only five years into development."