Level 5

• { 39 } •

I inhaled a light breath. If I had been afraid of the emotionless state before, I was even more so now. I could've died.

I guess it wasn't as harmless as the Professor had made it out to be after all...

"Is that all, Cassie?"

My eyes snapped back to Professor Rosewood's. "Y-yes. Yes, that's all. Am I free to leave now, Professor?"

She nodded. I bowed my head to her and left the room, slightly wobbly at first but I forced my walking to be steady and eventually made my way back to my room.
After the keycard to unlock the door out of my clothes, I tapped it against the spot where a doorknob was traditionally situated.

As I entered the room, I was not expecting the burst of confetti that exploded in my face.

"SURPRISE!!!"

I spat out the confetti that had entered my mouth and looked around the room, completely bewildered. My eyes had again changed colour, to light yellow in my astonishment.

My best friends lined the room, along with a few other Shapeshifters, Superheroes and Spies I knew. Jade was in the front, holding what looked like a rocket launcher. But she picked up another one (that was lying on the floor next to her) and pointed it at me; another spray of confetti to burst in my face. This time I didn't even blink, I was too busy glaring at Jade, who was laughing hysterically.

People began swarming me from all angles.

"Hey Cassie!"

"How was the test Cassie?"

"What did you have to do Cassie?"

"I bet you kicked a-"

"What was it like Cassie?"

"What was in there Cassie?"

What spells did you use Cassie?"

"What took so long Cassie?"

"Were you cool?"

My eyes darted between people rapidly; I couldn't focus on anyone's questions due to the sheer amount being thrown at me.

Suddenly, there was a hand on my shoulder. "I'm glad you made it out safely."

I turned to see it was Fred. For the first time since before my test, a smile broke out on my face. These were the words I had needed to hear.

Some fuchsia decided it wanted to be present in my eye colour, but I smothered it down before it could.

"Thanks Fred," I said. He smiled back like he understood.

My attention was diverted as I was bombarded with a hug. The short strands of black hair that ended up in my eyes told me it was Jade.

"I'm so glad you're okay! You were in there for so long, I almost doubted you," she said with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. "You almost doubted me? I'm insulted."

Peter suddenly appeared with a hand around Jade's waist. "Hey Cassie," he said with a nod. I grinned back at him, cracking his 'serious' expression.

Marie came up with a cheery, and slightly superior, expression. "Unlike Jade, I never doubted you would come back." She said as a greeting. She had gotten much better at hiding her emotions, but I thought I still detected a hint of relief at seeing me.

"C'mon!" Jade cried excitedly, gesturing for me to follow her to the back of our room. "We smuggled some cake from the cafeteria!"

"How did you even manage that?" I asked in awe. "The cafeteria lady has eyes like a hawk."

"Super Spy, remember?" Jade said like it was obvious. I had to hide my smugness; despite proclaiming herself to be a 'Super Spy' already, I knew Jade still had a lot of trouble with reading people, which was one of the essential aspects of being a Spy in the first place.

Sadly, I may need to work on that with her, lest she get kicked out of the school...

That night we enjoyed smiles, laughs, and stories together, but every time someone brought up what had happened within my test, I deftly dodged the subject. I didn't want to bring the mood down; everyone looked so happy anyway. Especially since training may no longer be an option with Professor Rosewood watching me, and I knew my friends looked forward to it so...

In our moment of joy, none of us noticed the hologram of a crow watching the outside of the room, waiting for any evidence of its master's suspicions.

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A/N

Hey guys, Night here!

Sorry about the short and moderately paced chapter! But don't worry, lots of good stuff is coming up.

So... how was the chapter? Any theories?

• What is your opinion on the emotionless state, and do you think Cassie will ever encounter it again?
Is it possible she could use it?

• How about training sessions? Should Cassie and her crew continue them, or are the risks of being caught too high now?

• Whose hologram crow was that watching their room, and who does it belong to?

Let me know your theories! I would love to hear from you guys, especially those silent readers ;)

Don't forget to leave a Vote! Such support means a lot to me.

And always remember,

Keep on dreaming!