Her face sparked something when she looked up at us; her eyes moved towards me as they scanned my face. Familiarity hit me like a jolt but I couldn’t place it. I knew her. I remembered her... but from where?“Hey! You're the girl from the party."Her eyes widened as her mouth fell open; then she smiled at me without making a sound.“How have you been?”“That’s what you're gonna ask?” My head tilts to the side to get a clear view of her face. "You lied about studying at our university." She didn’t try to refute what I said.“Are you guys not hungry?”Aeron adds before shoving Paige aside with force, then moves. That’s her name, isn't it?“C’mon Paige, we have to show this guy the"It’s best to think that the scope he means is the base. Paige smiled at me but said nothing. Then she turned to follow Aeron, and I did too.....As Alan walked into the dining hall, he saw it was crowded. Some people looked like kids, others were teenagers, and a few seemed like adults. He felt kind but ch

My face throbbed against the cold floor. I stayed there, flat on my face, waiting for the heavy pain to stop. Ten minutes passed while I just lay there. Suddenly, a flashback of Aeron telling me not to be late hit me. The pain instantly cleared. I had to get myself together.“Now what to do….” I rubbed my sore jaw and scanned the room I had slept in. “Yes!” I snapped my fingers. “Bathroom.” I rushed there for a warm bath. Then I remembered—I had no clothes and no soap. A smile grew on my lips. I thought about how I could use this to bother Aeron. I turned on the shower to start my day. . . . . .I followed the lady who came to pick me up. She was short and looked maybe fifteen. Her glasses were way too big for her face. Her hair was pulled into a ponytail, and she had many freckles. She didn't look at me once. She just kept writing in her notebook.We reached two heavy doors. “This is where you take your combat classes. It is your first class,” she said. She didn't glance at

I ran at him with everything I had, a loud cry tearing out of my throat. He stood with his hands up in a fighting stance, but as soon as I got close, I dove straight for his legs. I grabbed them both and shoved him down onto the boxing bed. I sat on his chest, using my elbows to pin his rock-covered hands to the floor. I swung a punch right at his face, but my hand snapped. I heard the crack. My eyes widened. The rocks weren't on his hands anymore—they were covering his face. That was it. He could only harden one part of his body at a time. He hadn't learned how to use it everywhere yet. That was my chance.Just as I thought I had a lead, he wrapped his legs around my neck. He squeezed me, trying to strangle me. I clawed at his legs, but he was too strong. My vision blurred as I was forced down onto my back. I hammered my fists against his legs, just trying to breathe. He tackled me hard into the bed and climbed on top. Fists began to rain down on my face and stomach again.I started t

I barely remembered leaving Ability Proficiency Class.The hallway blurred as I walked. My legs moved, but my mind stayed stuck back in that room with the scorched floor tiles, the scent of ozone and something else… something buried inside me that had almost broken free.I didn’t understand what had happened. One second I was about to get fried, the next everything stopped. And for a terrifying moment, I felt… limitless. It was gone now, whatever it was. Shut down like a flicked switch. It was Probably the collar.I clenched my fists, jaw tight. Damn thing was suffocating, I can’t just help it .But I didn’t have time to figure it out. Not here. Not yet.I turned a hallway and ran into a crowd gathered near the infirmary. Most were whispering, peeking through the glass window. I caught one phrase over and over again:“She’s awake.”“Cherry is awake “.“ was she sick before”“ I heard she saw some visions or some kind of shit” That last voice was a little bit aggressive I edged clos

“Are you out of your mind or something?”Max growled at me, his eyes wide and wild as if he were about to go crazy.“I’m going to challenge him.”“You are going to challenge Eden Bricks?” Max couldn’t believe the words rushing out of my mouth. “Was that the reason you asked me to show you the practice room?”I knew it sounded crazy. Earlier today, I had practically dragged Max out of his class just so he could show me where the students gathered, and he had led me here the practice room. When I told him why I actually needed it, he flared up like a frantic hen.“Eden Bricks isn’t weak, Alan!”“I wasn’t looking for someone weak, Max.” I turned to stare at a huge guy with bulging muscles. He was doing a strange, dancing yoga which seemed odd for someone standing at 5’10”. I glanced back at Max, who threw his hands up in a dramatic gesture of defeat.“Okay! Fine!” He began to glance everywhere but at me. “Do what you want to do; I’m not stopping you.” He folded his arms tightly across his