Nero stood next to Rowan, scanning the crowd of students carefully. Some seemed excited from the second assessment, while others appeared even more pale.
"What was the first assessment about?" Nero asked Rowan.
"They got a close look at our powers and graded them at the spot. The highest grade we got was a four, and it was from that girl over there," Rowan said, motioning his head toward a bald-headed girl. There was not a strand of hair on her face, too, but she looked nothing short of an angel.
"What grade were you?"
Rowan ducked his head, "It's nothing serious like hers. What about you? What's your grade?"
Nero shrugged, "I didn't really take the first assessment,"
"Oh, that explains it,"
Before Nero could inquire about more, the earth began to tremble. The earth started to writhe, the lines in the cracked surface widening, then it split even further apart as dust and pebbles were sent flying about.
Before anyone could react, jagged walls of earth and twisted metals erupted from the ground, tearing through the landscape. It rose with unnatural speed, interlocking and forming an intricate and complex structure.
The walls blocked out most of the little sunlight left before an invisible force slammed into everyone. One moment, everyone was exchanging bewildered, scared glances at one another and the next, they had been flung at different directions separated by the rapidly growing labyrinth.
Nero opened his eyes and found himself lying on the ground. Everything had settled, but he was stuck within the walls of the maze, alone.
Then, the bizarre voice of the little girl echoed across the walls, "This is your second assessment. Each of you is expected to defeat at least three infestations. Once you do, a door will appear and you'll be transported straight to the academy. If you don't, you'll either be killed or you stay hidden for days with no food or water to sustain you," The voice then changed to that of the first time, "If you do manage to run into one of the minor threats, you either run or fight. Killing one minor threat is also a ticket to the academy. There are no rules in this test, and I'll be waiting for you in the Academy,"
The place went silent, and Nero frantically searched around him for anyone. He had no idea what ' Infestations ' or ' Minor Threats ' meant, nor did he have any clue of the kind of power he possessed.
Super strength? Super hearing? Heat powers? Ice powers?
There was a sudden explosion from a distant part of the maze, and Nero dashed toward the danger waiting for him there, in hopes he would run into someone.
He couldn't be alone.
He turned multiple corners, running with no focused direction. He followed any sound, any echo, any slight trembling of the earth till he finally came across two students.
Luckily, one was Rowan and the other was a guy he didn't know. Rowan stood a few feet away from the guy, clutching an injured abdomen, shaking with fear, while the other guy stood his ground, facing a creature that was bigger than him.
It was the most bizarre thing Nero had ever seen. The creature didn't have any solid form, and its body kept changing and projecting like it was made entirely of dark liquid. Plus, it appeared to be... decaying.
There was a cloud of toxic spores falling all over the space, and the air was thinner here.
"You're of no use," The boy said to Rowan, a look of disgust in his eyes, "You must be a 0.5 grade. How pathetic,"
The boy jumped into a sprint, approaching the creature in a movement that looked almost careless. The creature moved too, but it wasn't as fast as the boy. A part of its body projected sharply, aimed toward the boy, but he easily skipped out of the way.
Once he was close enough, both hands stretched out, and a green, viscous liquid came raining out of his palms and fingers. It emitted smoke, and the second it touched the creature... its body simmered and melted.
Acid?!
The boy dodged another desperate attack and kicked up off his feet, his spring higher than expected. Nero's eyes widened, watching the boy in midair now spraying acid mercilessly all over the wailing creature till every part of it was melted on the ground.
The moment it died, the cloud of raining spores dissolved into nothing and the air became breathable.
Then, the boy ran off, leaving Rowan behind.
Nero stepped out and ran to Rowan, who was still bleeding, "Ouch," He moaned.
There was a tear on the side of his abdomen, "How did you get injured?" Nero asked, using both palms to apply pressure to the wound.
"I need a healer," Rowan groaned, "Are you a healer?"
"Uhhhh, I don't think so," Nero replied, "Have you defeated any... infestations so far?"
"I can only use Telekinesis, and these walls are far beyond what I can move,"
"Telekinesis? That's so cool!"
Rowan looked up at Nero like there was something very wrong with him, "What are you doing here?! Have you killed anything yet?"
"I haven't run into any!"
"You haven't run into...? That's impossible, you must be very lucky. The Infestations are literally everywhere. The only way you wouldn't have run into one till now is if..." Rowan's eyes suddenly broadened, terror blooming in his eyes, "Shit! It's been following you! Silver, it's been following you!!"
"W...what are you saying?" Nero asked, confused.
"The Infestations can sense the presence of a minor threat, and they keep away from them. If you haven't been attacked by an infestation...,"
As if to prove Rowan's point, a figure began emerging from the shadows. Where no light touched at the far end of where they both stood, a vaguely humanoid entity unfolded. It appeared long and elongated with extra-long limbs ending in claws that dragged across the grim stones of the earth. Its skin was entirely black and sleek.
Two glowing red eyes pierced the gloom, blooming with intelligence that sent chills down the spines of the two teenagers.
Waves of fear washed through them, and stark terror. They couldn't move, couldn't breathe. Just trembling in the face of a demonic body that had materialised out of nothing.
And they called this...a Minor threat?!
Then, a sound rippled through the silence. A low, guttural growl carried the weight of ancient malice. The sound vibrated through their chest, carrying a primal warning that spoke of hunger...and death. It clawed at their very courage.
"We are dead," Rowan mumbled.
Rowan's voice helped Nero snap out of his ' Scared to death ' Trance, and he glanced back to see if there was a quick road of escape. If he sprinted on his own, he could maybe, barely, outrun this demon, but what of Rowan?
In the presence of danger, every part of him yelled at him to run away and forget everything else. The horror was suffocating, and he wanted to be rid of it as soon as he could.
"Can you move?" Nero whispered to Rowan.
"I think so,"
"Good," Nero couldn't believe this, "I'll distract it while you make a run for it,"
Rowan snapped his head back at Rowan, shocked, "What?"
"We can't both die here!"
"What grade are you? You have to be at least a three to be able to face that thing, and your quirk needs to be sufficient to fight against it," Rowan said, shaking his head, "I'm not going. You have better chances of survival. Plus, if you die here and I survive, your clan members are probably gonna come after me. I'm not dealing with that kind of messed up shit!"
"On my count, you run the other direction, and I'll run toward it."
"Are you even listening to me? We won't survive!"
"I, 2,...,"
"Stop...,"
"Go!"
Rowan panicked. Both boys were off their feet, running in different directions.
The Threat stood as a horrifying silhouette against the dim light, its red eyes flickering, never leaving the white haired body approaching him stupidly.
One moment, it stood there with a silent promise of violence.
The next second, the figure was nowhere to be seen. Nero thought it disappeared, but he just knew that wasn't the case.
"Shit, I really am dead," He murmured to himself, just as a solid, brutal force jumped in front of him and slammed into his chest.
It felt like he had been struck by a runaway train, stealing the air in his lungs. The ground beneath Nero vanished, and a disoriented rush of air whipped past his face as he was propelled backwards by the very impact with alarming velocity. Everything around whipped past him... before another shattering impact arrived.
Rowan staggered as he ran, glancing behind him for a moment to see what was going on, only to catch a blur moving past him, right before a body collided with the wall at the other end with a sickening thud.