Chapter 22

The students began to disperse as the guard approached Evelyn's dorm.

"What's going on here?" the guard asked, his voice stern.

Evelyn quickly explained the situation.

The guard listened, his face hard. "If you want to fight, do it in the gym," he said. "But killing is prohibited. The victim should be brought to the Manager's office when she's okay." He turned and walked away, leaving the students in silence.

Moments later, Selene, Vivian, and Logan appeared at Evelyn's dorm.

"What happened?" Selene asked, with her playful smile adorning her face.

Evelyn sighed. "I explained already," she said, exasperated. "Miss Angry Saint here tried to blame us."

The silver-haired girl glared at her. "Who are you calling 'angry saint'?"

The pink-haired girl groaned as she sat up, pressing a hand to her head. "What happened?" she muttered, her voice weak.

The silver-haired girl knelt beside her. "Who did this to you?" she asked softly.

"I didn't see his face," the pink-haired girl admitted.

Evelyn frowned. "How do you know it was a guy?"

"His hands," the pink-haired girl said, "and his voice."

The silver-haired girl's expression darkened. "What did he say?"

"They were talking about getting rid of the gifted so they could dominate the giftless in Phantom Edge," the pink-haired girl explained.

Logan's brow furrowed. "They?" he asked.

The pink-haired girl nodded. "I heard two voices."

Evelyn crossed her arms. "One of them must have the power to manipulate his surroundings or... maybe he can pass through walls." She shrugged. "If they want to get rid of the gifted, why not face them head-on?"

"Because he's a coward," the silver-haired girl replied, her voice bitter.

Evelyn smirked. "Fair point."

Logan frowned. "I thought they would stay low after what they did to Leah."

Evelyn thought for a moment. "They probably want to hurry things up. We only have two months here."

Everyone except Vivian looked at Evelyn, startled.

"Two months?" Logan asked, confused.

Evelyn blinked. "What?" she asked, taken aback by their reaction.

The silver-haired girl folded her arms, raising an eyebrow. "How desperate are you to get out there that you want to become an assassin in two months?"

The pink-haired girl, still recovering, added, "It takes two years to complete Phantom Edge."

Evelyn turned to Vivian for confirmation. "Vivian, you told me—"

Vivian raised her hands. "Don't look at me. I was told two months too."

Suddenly, a loud ding echoed through the room, and in an instant, everyone found themselves standing in a vast forest. Above them, the Manager sat in a floating chair, watching them with a calm smile.

"I know most of you have questions," he began, his voice echoing through the forest. "Even though this is only the second day, you won't be taught anything this week. Everything you do will be used to evaluate you, and you will be divided into groups according to your strengths and weaknesses."

The Manager's smile grew as he added, "From what I've been hearing, some of you have already started forming your own groups. That's not how it works here."

Selene and Vivian exchanged a glance and both turned to Logan.

Logan sighed. "I had no idea."

The Manager sat above them on his floating chair, arms crossed, his voice echoing through the forest. "For this test, you are to reach the other end of the forest. You have until sunset tomorrow. Don't worry about your stomachs—there's food scattered around. However, be cautious of the traps." He waved dismissively, then disappeared.

As soon as the Manager vanished, chaos erupted. Some students darted off toward the other end of the forest immediately, using their gifts to gain an edge. A few took to the skies, while others sprinted with supernatural speed, already leaving the slower ones behind.

Evelyn crossed her arms, watching the fray. "I'm guessing we're going to draw them out."

The pink-haired girl frowned. "How are you going to do that?"

Evelyn smirked. "You've got gifts, right? Use them like you normally do. He'll come after you again."

The pink-haired girl groaned, looking pale. "I lost a lot of blood after the attack. I don't think I can use my ability—"

Elena interrupted calmly, "Do not worry. That has been taken care of. Your attackers might not be able to see us within the forest." She motioned toward the sky with her hand. "I suggest we go over the forest."

Logan nodded. "We'll also be able to avoid the traps that way."

The silver-haired girl's eyes narrowed. "I'll beat them to a pulp when they come for us."

Suddenly, a shimmering portal appeared, and three boys stepped through. One had striking blue eyes and black hair, another had familiar silver hair and eyes, like the girls, and the third had crimson eyes and dark hair, with strange writing or a tattoo etched on his face.

The crimson-eyed boy approached the pink-haired girl with concern. "How are you doing?"

Evelyn's gaze shifted to the silver-haired boy. She raised an eyebrow. "Are you 'Miss Saint's' brother?"

The silver-haired boy blinked in confusion before he realized she was talking to him. "Excuse me, are you talking to me? And who's 'Miss Saint'?"

Evelyn gestured toward the silver-haired girl.

The boy burst out laughing. "Her? Saint? Sierra can never be a saint."

Sierra glared at him. "You're lucky Emily isn't at full health."

He stopped laughing but smirked. "Yes, she's my sister."

Emily stood up shakily. "I can walk." She began introducing the boys. "This is Alex," she pointed to the crimson-eyed boy. "And that's Lucas," nodding toward the silver-haired boy. "And Jacob," motioning to the boy with striking blue eyes.

Jacob, with a mischievous glint in his eye, turned to the group. "If I burn the trees, we won't have to worry about the traps. We could just walk freely."

Vivian frowned. "And what about the traps underground?"

Jacob shrugged. "Lucas will freeze them."

Sierra rolled her eyes. "We still can't just walk all the way to the other side."

Vivian's expression hardened. "You all can stay here and talk. I won't fall behind." Without waiting for a response, a gust of wind cleared the leaves as Vivian was lifted into the air and propelled forward by her wind ability.

Selene huffed, her pride bristling. "I hate losing to her." She glanced in the direction Vivian flew. "So, I'm going to...whatever." With a burst of speed, she vanished, leaving behind only a faint blur.

Logan floated into the sky, following after them. He gave a nod of acknowledgment before flying away.

Evelyn sighed. "And there they go." She squinted into the distance where they disappeared.

Sierra crossed her arms, clearly irritated. "Aren't you going to follow them?"

Evelyn shook her head. "I'm not with them. And before you ask, I'm not interested in staying with you guys either. But I'm happy to help anytime." She smiled brightly.

Emily opened her mouth to speak, but Sierra cut her off with a dismissive wave. "Not interested. Shoo."

Elena, crouching beside a tree, placed her hands on the bark and began absorbing its energy. The others watched in awe as the once lush and vibrant trees shriveled and died, their energy flowing into Elena. Simultaneously, Evelyn felt the surge within her as Elena tapped into her nature ability.

With a flick of her wrist, Evelyn summoned wooden planks from the forest floor, shaping them into the massive form of an elephant. Elena controlled the gigantic creature while sitting on its back. Evelyn reached to sit beside her with the help of her vines.

The five remaining friends stood in silent awe as the massive wooden elephant began to move, shaking the ground beneath its feet.

Emily, her eyes wide, glanced at Sierra with a smug smile. "Still think it's a bad idea to ask for help?"

Sierra scowled but said nothing, watching the elephant move farther away.

Evelyn, mentally connected to her soldiers, whispered to them through her thoughts. "Number Two, Number Three, follow them. Don't let them notice. If the attacker...or whatever they are...goes after them, let me know."