Test POV

I should have been more careful, I know, given the circumstances. But it had grown into a habit of mine to view going into the forest late in the evening as safe and reasonable. After all, unlike in the city we barely had a crime rate.

No one got mugged, or beat up (except anyone who dared to get between Storm and her beef meat, or Leif). And.. well.. do you really have anything to fear in a forest when you are aware of the most powerful creatures there?

I knew Grenendaris, and while I know he didn't exactly keep a special eye out for me, knowing how strong he was, made any possible threats here seem less scary. And Drapus.. well, what could rival a dragon wolf in these quiet woods?

Anything that could convince me I was safe, that I wouldn't be forced to fight, I'd take.

But habits can be dangerous, especially after the events of this morning.

"Drapus!" I called out, looking for a glimpse of silver fur flashing through the bushes or trees. "Where are you? Come on, it's late!"

Was it already the period of the blood hunt?

I'm thrown to the ground as something knocks the wind from my lungs. I'm expecting to see Drapus' mischievous furry face with a wolf grin. But instead I see a traitor.

"Sward?" I squint against the shadows of unravelling night to see him clearer when I see a figure emerge from behind.

I find myself staring into a void. A tunnel so familiar yet foreign.

I'm staring into my past.

"Why you?" I hear Sward grumble, still holding me down. "Of all possible people to meet in this place..."

"Who is this?" The man I only knew as the boy who changed everything asked my former student and friend. He seems to recognise me. "Oh. Well isn't this.."

"You sold me." I relay. "You took away 4 years of my life to be subjected into a lab of selfish scientists."

"It didn't matter in the end either way." He whispered to himself, a sort of sad statement of fact he had to repeat to himself.

"I'm not.." I sigh, trying to identify exactly what I was feeling. "I'm not festering with anger over the past, but I haven't exactly forgiven you. Yet, I heard you assaulted a 13-year-old girl, who did nothing but ask you if you were new in town. That, is why I suggest you leave this place before I notify the people around here."

From his calm, collected gaze, I realised he was inspecting me, as if he had not heard a word I said. A unsettling feeling sank in my gut.

"You know her." It wasn't a question. It was a statement. I could almost hear the workings of his mind as he pieced together the information he had gathered. I didn't like the unheard sound of it.

He turned to Sward then back into the shadows of distance in the woods. A lump caught in my throat as I recalled the path to my hell.

"F-2, was it?" The single letter and number in that simple sequence shook me to the core. The name the scientists referred to me as for those horrid 4 years. 

Sensing what his superior intended, Sward stood behind me, stopping my inching backwards.

"If I'm not mistaken," I could detect a smile on his face in the semidarkness. "You were the first time they tested "Core reconstruction" on. And that the only reason they failed in your case, was there being too much of that dosage."

"And since the tech we'll be requiring for the connection transfer will need something to run on.."

~ ~ ~

Leif POV

"It's already morning!" I look to Storm, brimming with worry. "Test hasn't come back yet!"

"Relax, Leif." Storm repeats those two words for the three hundredth twenty sixth time. I counted.

"Drapus is probably on a blood hunt again. You know how long it takes him to track that crazy fur ball down once that starts." Storm rationalises. "Geez. You woke me up.. again.. for this?"

"Won't your mom be worried you sleeping here?" 

"Eh. Trust me, compared to finding me on Mr Codder's rooftop, I think Test's house is a safe place to sleep in her book." Storm reassures. "Anywho. She'd expect me to leave early to go beat up some trees- rocks, in preparation for the tournaments happening this morning."

Oh.. the tournaments. I completely forgot about the small battles that would be brought to each town or village, no matter how small. To fighters like Storm and Sward, it was a fun way to meet other young fighters from around or afar. But Mrs Landon told me once it was the government's way of keeping note of all the fighters or power born in the more rural areas. She said things with the government and power born were still quite tense since the first two wars.

"Hey, since you're.. equipped.. with technically a weapon, and took down Sward.. you kinda have the basics to join me!" Storm sat up from the couch, her hair sparking with her excitement. 

"W-Wait.. but.."

"But what? This is the perfect chance to test out what that Gremlin er is really capable of!"

"Gemalinder." I interjected.

"- And, you'll be forced to learn how to defend yourself from a variety of fighters!" Storm's charcoal eyes were glowing with eagerness. "No one like Sward or that Ginn person would be daring enough to go against you once you get the hang of it and master your powers! You can kick his butt with me! Get your revenge!"

"I don't know.." 

I felt awful when I hurt Sward. Even from the shallow cut Gem gave him to disarm him.. Could I really hurt another person?

"Leif, some people, like Mrs Landon are nice people, yes. But most people.. well, they're bad. They'll hurt you Leif. All they want, is to use you." I heard Wither speak up. "Like Alan Orvil."

I forced myself away from recollecting that portion of memory. I could not bring myself to remember. I could not bear to recall how confused and betrayed I had felt, helpless against his kind words that turned to anger, all to probe me to his desires.

How.. Wither had felt.

"I can't let that happen to us again, Leif." Wither murmured. "I can't let anyone do that to us again. We can't be helpless ever again. And that means we have to get strong."

"And you did promise her."

Yes.. I did.

Looking to Storm's sparkling eager eyes and feeling Wither's presence close, I sighed, submitting to my fate.

"Okay. I'll have to do it at some point either way. So why not now."

"That's the spirit!" Storm grinned, slapping me hard on the back, causing me to stagger over. "To kicking that Ginn person's butt!"

"To never being at the mercy of someone else." Wither chipped in her toast.

To my promise to Linda.