Chapter 9

"I'll go first!" Lolita said excitedly as she summons her magic hammer.

"Hey!" she yelled across the cavern. "These strings aren't weak, yeah?"

Angela nodded in response.

"Okay, here I go!" Lolita yelled in excitement as she jumped onto her huge hammer and slid right across the lake of scorching hot magma. Her voice echoed throughout the place. She snapped her fingers as she jumps off and landed on Harley's side safely.

"Thanks, mate!" she said as she pats Angela's shoulder. Harley smirked for he had never expected Lolita to think of such strategy. He is impressed, he must admit.

Next is Nana. She felt her heart beats faster as she draws near the strings. She summons her boomerang, wanting to do the same as Lolita. It was a bit dangerous but she managed to cross safely in a short span of time.

"Okay, here I go," she said to herself but before she could slide towards the safe haven, Harith pushed her boomerang as he stands beside her. He had his arm around her shoulder for support which made Nana feel safe as they stride away.

"Thanks," Nana said as they step onto solid ground.

"No, thanks for the ride," Harith replied.

"It's so gay of you to leave Chang'e behind," Harley snorted as he shook his head in disappointment.

Harith looked behind and saw Chang'e who looks like a scared cat in the middle of a pit of fire. He was too caught up in thinking of Nana's safety that he forgot there was another girl with them.

"I got to admit my mistake there, sorry," he said apologetically.

Chang'e was left alone and fear is visible in her eyes. Her knees wobbled for she does not know what to do. She has no magical hammer like Lolita, nor does she possess a magic boomerang like Nana.

"Chang'e, come on!" Harley yelled but the black-haired girl shook her head with her eyes starting to well-up with tears.

"You've got to trust me on this! If something bad happens, I'll surely save you!"

Chang'e gazed at Harley, thinking if he's serious or not. She saw his sincerity which gave her a bit of courage. She lets out a sigh and pushed herself to walk by the strings. Every step she makes, her heart beats faster and for an unknown reason, she felt like something unpleasant is about to happen.

Angela suddenly loosened the strings when she was at the middle which made everyone panic. Chang'e's  screams filled the cavern as she falls down and the scorching heat coming from the molten rocks starts to burn her skin.

"Damn you!" Harley cursed as he manipulated the strings against Angela's will and used them to hold Chang'e in mid air.

"Harley," she cried. "I don't want to die yet."

Lolita pushed Angela down and didn't let her move. The human doll seemed unaffected for she still released another set of strings and cut the ones holding Chang'e.

"Save her or I'll kill you!" Nana yelled as she summons her weapon, threatening the new girl.

"I shall let her live if she gets me a sample of that flowing venomous exousia," Angela said as she tightens the grip of the strings that holds Chang'e.

"Please stop! It hurts!" Chang'e cried out. The strings start to cut through her skin. And what even makes her suffer more is the string that is surrounded around her throat.

"What the hell are you talking about?! That is a flowing molten rock! Not an exousia or whatever you're talking about!" Harley snarled in anger. Plus, he has never encountered what exousia is.

"An ignorant human like you couldn't tell the difference. Tell her to fill this container with exousia and I shall let her live," Angela proposed a deal.

"Do you think we'd trust you?!" Harith said as he kicks the container away from Angela's grip.

Angela loosened the strings and Chang'e is now falling nearer to the flowing  exousia. The closer she gets, the more toxic air she breathes. Her eyes grew red due to the contact with the toxic air.

"Fine!" Harley agreed with gritted teeth for he was left no choice, so Angela got ahold of the the black haired girl once more.

"Wingardium leviosa," Harley mumbled as he made the container levitate in midair and gave it to Chang'e whose body is now safely wrapped by the strings.

"Fill the container with that flowing thing. Hurry up!" Harley said and Chang'e immediately followed. Angela lowered her so she could reach the exousia. The poisonous air reached her nostrils, making her feel weak and dizzy. But she still reached out and dipped half of the container to the exousia until it was full.

"I...I filled it up," she said weakly. Angela lifted her up and immediately snatched the container from her.

"Are you okay?" Nana asked but before she could reply, Chang'e suddenly lost consciousness.

"She's cold," Harley said when his warm hands touched her bare skin. What even angered him is that Chang'e's once pinkish lips is now turning blue. Her white complexion is slowly growing pale and her breathing became slow.

"Look what happened to her!" Harley yelled as he gazed at Angela who is under his spell of stupefy. The container that was filled with the exousia is no longer with her.

"Episkey," Harley casted a healing spell, hoping that it's strong enough to heal his colleague. But unluckily, it's not working.

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath. "Let's re-locate. I can't cast a healing spell with this kind of environment."

Harley stood up and carried Chang'e on his back.

"What about her?" Nana asked as she pointed at Angela who is still immobilized.

"Let her be," Harley replied and lead the way. Angela stared at the group of teenagers walking away from her.

"Octopus is founded," she said as the device implanted beside her ear is blinking in green light.

"Good job, Angela," Dr. Baker said at the other side of the line. "Nephila and Octopus shall be brought to the laboratory in a short while."

"Is that a good news?" Mr. Ton asked who just came in and overheard what Dr. Baker said.

"Yes, Mr. Ton," the doctor replied as he cuts off the connection. "Angela will soon bring the exousia and everything shall go the way as planned."

"Exousia?" the CEO asked in curiosity.

"It's a venomous yet powerful chemical that can only be found under the sands of Egypt. Angela had encountered a possible mage that can join in the squad," Dr. Baker replied.

The CEO thought for a while and another question came to mind.

"What is a mage doing in Egypt?" he asked.

"The only way to enter that ancient place is through the Enchanted Forest. He must be on an adventure," Dr. Baker concluded.

Mr. Ton smirked and said, "He sounds interesting. Call me if the squad is finally complete."

As Mr. Ton leave the laboratory, Dr. Rooney came in.

"Doctor, I've prepared the tubes. Angela only needs to come back and she'll finally be equipped," he said as he handed the documents to his partner.

"The experiment is going smoothly," Dr. Baker said in relief.