The Wolf Society

Chapter 8: Unending Nightmares

                  I sat in the cafeteria, picking at food with a fork, the other initiates still being unusually quite towards me. The rumors that had been spread had obviously left an impact on them. How? I wasn't sure. What made matters worse was that I would have to train with them today, accompanied by General Aquarius who screamed his ass off at them. Standing wearily, I threw my tray into the garbage without a second thought towards the full plate, before flipping around, and preparing to walk back to the table.
                  I was stopped in my tracks by the sight of Seph, who gave me a sly smirk. Glaring at him, I prepared to push past, before he spoke. "There's my favorite slutty little whore." I stopped dead, staring into the abyss of his narcissistic gaze as the initiates turned to watch what was happening.
                  "Shut up, Seph," I snarled softly, attempting to push past him, but instead found myself shoved to the floor, pinned by Seph.
                   "I heard you do-" I cut him off, slamming my fist into his face, and shoving him off me, before I snarled, pinning him with my boot, before grabbing a butter knife out of the baskets of silverware, and slamming it into his side, making him yelp out of sheer pain.
                    "If you ever, ever, talk to me like that again, I swear to god I'll slit your throat personally." I mimicked his sly smirk, before turning back to the completely silent cafeteria, and storming back over to my seat, slouching down into my chair, only to be met with the shocked gazes of the initiates. I quickly noted Sloan leaning against the wall in the far side of the room, meaning he most likely had witnessed the entire scene. Furrowing my brow, I turned to the initiates.
"What the hell did Maria tell you all?" There was a moment of silence before Zamora finally spoke. Her voicing of the rumors was accompanied by many hidden glares as if they were telling her not to speak. But she spoke anyway.
"Maria told Damon, and Damon told us." She paused, allowing a moment of silence before continuing. "Damon said you... were chosen for the Testing." I visibly flinched at the mention of Damon's name, my mind flying back to when I'd watched him bleed. When I let him rot. My thoughts were cut off by Maria speaking once more.
"He said you were the only one chosen, that you were chosen because you... slept with General Aquarius to get ahead." My eyes widened at the words, at how absolutely absurd that was. "He also said that you slept with the two Testing officials that came, so you'd pass the tests. I never believed any of it." I blinked, before finally speaking.
"Damon and Maria were chosen for the Testing. Both are-" I paused, before forcing the words out of my mouth. "Maria was redirected and Damon is dead." I said the sentence swiftly and quietly, before watching their expressions shift as they looked at me. There was no time for another word before Sloan was yelling across the room.
"Get your lazy puppy asses up and get over here." There were multiple groans as we all stood, stepping over to Sloan.
The initiates stood in line, a lake, shimmering and beautiful in its purity sat in front of us, surrounded by thick, bushy green trees, their leaves swaying gently in the wind. Sloan had a large chain in his hand, a 40 pound weight sitting on the end of it. "One person will be chained, the other will have to save the person. If the rescuer fails, than the chained person dies." He said the words emotionlessly. "Adelina and Seph will go first." A now, somehow, fully healed Seph gave a sly smirk, before it disappeared from his face immediately. I was certain Sloan had witnessed the scene in the cafeteria, so why was he doing this?
"Adelina, you're chained." I looked into Sloan's eyes for a second, his meeting mine before he led me to somewhat of a cliff, that if jumped off would lead right into deep water. I closed my eyes as he bent down, wrapping the chain around my leg, and locking it into place. Surely, after everything, I would not die today. The thought circled in my head before Sloan handed me the weight, giving my hand a quick reassuring squeeze before it was time to jump. Seph gave me a fake loving grin, and that was all I needed to know that he was untrustworthy.
"Well? Jump little girls." There was a moment of hesitation, before I closed my eyes shut, and stepped off into the abyss of water.
I was met with inky blackness, bubbles coming up around me as the layers of water shifted. Until I touched the bottom, and sat, waiting for help to come. The sand moved around me, creating clouds of dirt and shielding my view. I was already nearly at the point of fighting to reach the surface, to breath in the air. I couldn't see the chains in front of me. I was unable to see anything. And so I began fighting the weight, attempting to swim when it was completely worthless. Taking in an accidental gulp of water, I began spluttering to no end. Until all my strength had left me, until I was kicking an struggling against the weight with almost no power. Screaming, even though there was no one to hear. Watching as my father appeared in front of me, as I fought to escape. He wasn't real. He wasn't real. And then the darkness turned even darker.
                       My eyes darted open, lashes parting as water immediately made its way up my throat, coming out in pained coughs as I fought for the uneven ragged gasps that came with air. I was completely soaked, my body resting on a large rock. Above me, was an also soaked Sloan, and the initiates that gathered around with worry etched into their faces. Seph was no where to be seen. My breathing began to even as I slowly sat up, feeling a surprising sense of weakness.
                       "If any of you make me get soaked again, I promise you can all go follow Seph. Redirection isn't fun, puppies." Seph was redirected. I didn't understand. Sloan knew Seph wouldn't help me, so why would he partner us up and make me the one being chained? I let my gaze flow over the initiates, for I wasn't sure if even Seph, the narcissistic,selfish idiot who nearly killed me, deserved the pain that came with redirection. If Maria, who was only trying to get ahead, or Enzo, who attempted to kill me, deserved any of it.
Sloan had ordered me to go to my room, change, and come back. I didn't. I ran through the forest, damp black hair flowing behind me. My clothes stuck to my skin as I darted ahead, forcing my tired legs to move. Then I saw them. I saw what I'd ran out here for. A group of 4 soldiers marched ahead, and being dragged between them, attached to chains, was Seph. He was limp, meaning he was clearly unconscious. Crouching down, I swiftly crept behind the group, for I had made my decision towards the problem in my head. Seph did not deserve this. None of the initiates did, no matter how selfish they became, for they were all simply attempting to get ahead.
                     My breath came in, deep and calm, to my surprise. I narrowed my icy blue eyes, and before I could get my rage under control, I leaped onto a soldiers back, choking him before backing off and sweeping his feet. Seph dropped to the ground limply as the remaining 3 soldiers charged at me. I slammed my fist into the elders face at an impossible speed, surprised in my own abilities. I soon realized that I had not just knocked out the oldest, but all of the soldiers. How? I didn't know. I didn't have time to dwell on it. 
                     Seph let out a groan, slowly cracking his eyes open as I stood in front of him. His eyes trailed up my body before reaching my face. "I suggest you leave before the others show up." I smiled, a fake sweet smile, before stalking off into the forest, ignoring his shocked expression.
                     I was cut off on my way to dinner by an enraged looking Sloan, who threw us both into a much smaller room, furnished with chairs, couches, and a coffee table, he slamming the door behind us.
                    "I just received news from the officials that Seph didn't make it through redirection. Would you by any chance know where he could be, Adelina?" The way he said my name sent a shudder down my spine as I looked up into his chocolate brown eyes.
                     There was a moment of silence before I finally responded. "I couldn't." I murmured, pushing the two simple words out my mouth. He nodded at me, before speaking.
                      "I know." The words were surprisingly soft coming from Sloan, and it only lasted a second before his face hardened. "The Testing Officials are losing their shit. There's going to be a meeting. They're going to interview every initiate using a truth serum. You won't be able to lie." I blinked as fear rushed through me, as I began to wonder if I was about to become part of the redirection system. Sloan swiftly took a small vial out of his armor, holding his hand out to me. I gazed down at the tiny bit of shimmering purple liquid resting inside. "Drink it before they interview you." I nodded, for there was no more explaining needed, before I took the vial held in the palm of his hand, and slid it into my pants pocket. "Now get out, puppy." He said this with an amused tone. I let the hints of a smile creep onto my face, before it disappeared, and I slid out the door.
"The General can't protect you forever, darling." A wicked smile from my father as his eyes bore into mine. "It's only a matter of time before you bring him down with you." The smirk only grew wider as he cupped his hand over my cheek. I slapped it off with disgust, my eyes narrowing. "He's hiding something from you. Something important." He hissed, circling me as if I was the prey once more.
"You're insane." I growled, although doubt coursed through me. Was Sloan hiding something? "Am I?" He said softly, watching my expression for clues on my thoughts, before speaking the words that shocked me deeply. A prophecy.
"Every 300 years,
An empire shall reign,
And with it a girl,
Who will bring peace, or pain.
Faster, And Stronger than any other,
When war comes, there shall be one."

Hey! Thank you sooooo much for reading! It means so much to me. Please vote if you can, and leave any feedback. If you're confused about the ending, I promise I'll explain it all next Chapter haha. I really hope you all enjoyed this.. and if you didn't, please tell me why lol. 😂thanks again!