The Hunter Academy

~Çhapter Twęnty-Ønę~

I could barely move my arms to write the day after the obstacle course. This was kind of a problem since I had all my language classes on a Wednesday and I had to make notes.

We had to learn languages since we'll have to travel all over the world. I already knew a lot of the languages we had to learn and since I was apparently quite a linguist, Wednesday's were easy for me.

I was about to walk to the lunch hall when someone grabbed my arm. Judging by the large, rough, calloused hands I guessed a boy grabbed me. I acted on instinct and drove my elbow backwards right into their stomach, effectively winding them, before bringing my leg up and kicking them in the Crown Jewels. I turned around and gasped when I saw who it was.

I bent down next to Zac and helped him standing up.

"Sorry. Oh god I'm so sorry, Zac," I continued fussing over him as he leaned against the wall holding his Crown Jewels and trying to get his breath back.

"I'm fine," he said but it wasn't very convincing considering his voice cracked."I'm good," he said this time more convincingly.

"Okay," I breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was going to show you something," he hissed through his teeth and managed to stand up properly."Damn Archer what does Lucas teach you?"

"Sorry, Zac, but it's kind of your fault for scaring me, seriously don't just grab me and not expect me to retaliate," I pointed out and he looked thoughtful for a moment before sighing and hanging his head down.

"Okay I guess I shouldn't have just grabbed you but I really wanted to show you something...well two things actually," he looked up and smiled before grabbing my hands and dragging me through the school.

"Where are we going?" I asked as he led me through the school and down a set of stairs.

"Do you trust me?" He asked.

"Who are you now? Aladdin?" I asked and he gave me a pointed look making me scoff."Of course I trust you."

He  nodded."Good."

We were well below ground now as we walked down a third flight of stairs.

"Aren't the Sub-levels off limits?" I said as we walked past a locked metal door.

"Yes but this isn't one of the Sub-levels, it's just the entrance. See," he said while pointing to an elevator."That leads to the Sub-levels."

"So why are we here?"

"Well I discovered a secret passage that ended up here and I usually take it from the other end to here but...eh there's a first time for everything."

There was a metal door on our right that had a metal flap on it that could be opened to be a window as well as a little slot that reminded me of a mail slot in people's doors. There was a metal lock on the door and I was about to ask about how we were going to get past when Zac pulled out a lock pick and knelt down in front of the door.

"Are we seriously doing this?" I said and he nodded.

"I promised you a secret passageway and now you're getting one."

"Yeah but there's no way you can pick the lock, the school would've ensured-"

I stared in shock as the lock popped off and Zac pushed the door open.

He smirked at me."What were you saying."

I rolled my eyes as Zac stepped into the room. I followed him and examined the room. It looked like an old classroom, a teachers desk, tables for students, a chalkboard, bookshelves and a tapestry at the back showing the original five Councillors. It looked like a really old history classroom.

Zac sauntered over to the tapestry and pulled it away from the wall, revealing a wooden door. He simply pushed it open and gestured inside.

"After you."

I raised an eyebrow at him but stepped forward and into the tunnel. Inside it was dark and cramped but it was still okay to walk in. Every so often I would step in a cold puddle of water or walk into a spider web, in which case I would freak out.

Eventually we reached the end of the tunnel and stepped into an underground room.

It looked like a safe room, there was two sofas facing each other with a coffee table in between and a small kitchen area, there was a door that lead to a small bathroom and another that lead to a small bedroom filled with six bunk beds, but what caught my eye was the curtain in the corner of the room.

I walked over to it and pulled the curtain away to reveal a ladder. Zac smirked and started climbing the ladder.

"This is the best part," he said and continued climbing the ladder.

I was about to climb up after him when I hesitated. I looked around and a number of questions blossomed in my mind but I knew I wouldn't get any of the answers; maybe later but not now.

I sighed, I really shouldn't follow Zac blindly, before I reluctantly climbed the ladder because it was either that or head back the way I'd come and take that chance that I might get caught by a teacher. I would be in heaps of trouble for being near the Sub-levels.

I climbed up to the top and through the hole in the ceiling. I checked my surroundings and my lips twitched up into a smile slightly.

"No way," I said and Zac laughed.

"Yep."

"An entire safe room was under us while we studied!"

I sat down at the table and grazed my finger across the under side of it. Sure enough engraved in the wood was my name as well as Zac's.

There were little study areas like this all over the edges of the library but this little area was ours. What are the odds that the safe room was under our study area? What if there's one under every little study area?

I turned around to see Zac pushing a square over the little hole in the floor we'd come through.

"Zac you've outdone yourself," I said and he smirked.

"I know," he said smugly.

I rolled my eyes."You are just the most humble person I've ever met," I said.

"Aww shucks you're making me blush Archer," he said and fanned himself with his hand.

I hid my smile behind my hand and got up quickly."I need to study."

"For what?" He asked and followed me into the labyrinth of books."I'm keeping track of your grades and your doing fine in everything but Chemistry."

"It's nothing," I said, lying through my teeth.

"Come on tell me Archer," he said and bumped my shoulder playfully.

I sighed."I'm looking into the suicide missions," I said and he nodded slowly.

"Okay you'll never find those in any books but you can research the Council and we have the computer suite, those should have records of the given missions," he smiled sneakily at me."We could break in and steal the records."

I froze and went rigid. I took deep breaths as the image of the laptop screen flashed in my eyes. I closed my eyes and tried to regain my composure. I looked at Zac.

"Don't ever break in anywhere. Okay Zac, if you ever think about breaking the rules please just don't," I said and he looked strangely at me but nodded at the grave look in my eyes.

"Okay."

"Okay," I echoed quietly and swung on my heels, looking for a book on the Council.