Mark woke up at 4:30 in the morning. He still can't seem to grasp all that happened yesterday but one thing is clear to him; there is no more turning back. He summoned his demon to caress it, trying to make himself, feel better a bit. Satisfied, he then stood up from bed.
All that he has dreamed off since he was young is all right before him but he doesn't seem so happy. He now wished it was merely a dream but as he walk towards the closet and opens it, the military clothes, his demon, the room, everything is as real as the pain the he still feels in his heart.
'At least I am fighting for something, am I not?' Mark tried to console himself as he removes his military school uniform which he slept on and changed into casual clothing.
He absorbed his demon and went out of his room. As always, he walked towards the canteen to get a glass of water.
"Good morning kid! Need a glass of water?" The chef greeted him and as always, he is carrying a cauldron with him and is walking towards the cooking area.
"Yes Mr. Anderson and uhmm...just freshening up." Mark walked towards the water jug as the chef disappears to the room behind the counter and got some water.
He looked around expecting to see Myrtle but she seem nowhere in sight.
"Uhmmm...didn't Myrtle come here this morning?" Mark spoke as loudly as he can to catch the attention of Mr. Anderson inside the cooking area.
"Nah! I didn't see her come. Perhaps she's preparing for the trainer's challenge later!" The Mr. Anderson's voice is still as loud as when he greeted Mark this morning.
'Oh yes this is the start of our real training as cadet summoners.' Mark thought as he empty his glass.
"I heard you're teaming up with May's younger brother lad! Well l can say you've got quite a good ally there. Except of course it is better if it would have been Myrtle." Mark stayed silent not sure of what to make out of Mr. Anderson's words.
A few seconds later, Mr. Anderson came out of the cooking area holding a bowl of soup with his left hand.
"Here you go lad!" Mr. Anderson cheerfully walked towards Mark and then leaned near him and whispered. "Eat that special porridge I made for you lad! Consume it quick before someone else comes, I made it just for you!"
The soup's aroma is greatly delectable. He can't seem to distinguish the spices but they are surely mixed in a perfectly tempting blend.
Mark filled his spoon and gently blew on it to make sure it cools down. He took a sip and indeed, it made all his sorrow turn into delight. He finished his fill just in time for the breakfast bell.
The chef quickly got Mark's bowl after setting all the dishes in place. The canteen area was slowly filled with students. Mark sat with Simen's company and had fun simply chatting while eating with them.
James miraculously joined them but remained silent all throughout the chatters.
Now it's time. Each student went back to their rooms to gear up for their first challenges. After this challenge, they would finally be given a weapon of their own to be used on their upcoming missions. James, Mark and Lyra decided to meet up at the front of the elevator.
After taking a thorough morning shower, Mark wore his uniform as quickly as he can.
It was a new uniform other than their usual class fashion. It was placed on his bed the moment he entered his room yesterday with a note that it will be his uniform for this day.
The uniform is composed of a black fitted t-shirt with a deep v-neck partnered with a pair of black rothco emt pants secured with a charcoal web belt with silver tip and buckle.
On top of the the t-shirt is a short sleeved black field coat, made up of leather, that perfectly fitted him.
Finally, to complete the setup, he wore a black recon boots over black military boot socks on both his feet.
Once he finished setting up, he went out of his room to meet up with Lyra and James near the elevator. James was already there with Simen and his team with him. James had almost the same uniform as Mark except that his outer garment is a grey fighting load carrier vest. Simen had a black compact carrier vest as his outer garment same as Sean but his is of navy color. Alfredo had the same outer garment as Mark but Alfredo's is of olive green color matching his olive green rothco emt pants.
"Now where is that stupid Lyra! I told her to be here in just 20 minutes!" James complained while alternately scratching his head and looking at his SAT's digital clock.
"Well who gave you the authority to boss around?" Lyra came with an army green sleeveless military jacket, perfectly fitted to reveal her feminine shape. Her bottom is a pair of camouflage army cargo skinny pants secured with a grey web belt with gold tip and buckle.
Before James can retaliate, the elevator door opened and Simen quickly hopped in. "Come on guys! Let's not make our trainers wait. Who knows what they would do to us when we got them pissed off!"
The James defiantly hopped in followed by Alfredo and Sean, then Lyra and lastly, Mark.
Lyra quickly pressed B21 button while Alfedo pressed B23. The elevator went up with everyone seem to be so silent. The elevator opened at Basement 23rd making Alfredo, Sean and Simen exit the elevator.
"Good luck guys!" Simen gave them a sloppy salute as the elevator door closes.
Mark smiled at him, but both Lyra and James seem to still be caught in their silent war.
The elevator finally opened for B21. All seem to breathe in synchrony before taking their exit.
The floor opens to a very beautiful large garden with the floor covered with bermuda grass. Flat limestones, with various shapes and sizes that can accommodate two feet of an average adult are lined with two inches interval from the opening of the elevator door to what seems like an old bungalow house.
The limestone path is lined on each edge with erysimum 'bowles' mauve', each with an opening at the middle of the path.
The bungalow house is surrounded with narcissus 'ice wings'. At the right side of the garden is a round fountain with the water bearer's sculpture at the middle, where the water flows from the water jug of the sculpture.
Mark, having been to the place earlier that month knew that the entrance to May's office opens with an underground stairs at the right side of the fountain however, only May would be able to open the path.
"Welcome to my domain Team Four!" May's voice can be heard from a loud speaker echoing within the room.
"Quickly enter the bungalow house for your first challenge awaits there! Move quickly for time is ticking!" With that, the three ran towards the house. James opened the door and they went in to yet another large room about 70 percent the size of the garden outside with a very high ceiling.
About a hundred black large baskets hang on the ceiling through white ropes. The baskets are perfectly arranged in rows and columns with barely three inches of proximity from each other.
A few inches under the basket is an net made up of weaved electric lasers with a very small hole just enough for a human fist to get through without being electrocuted.
"One of those baskets up there contains the key to that door at the end of the room. Find that key and proceed to the next level." May spoke with her usual strict tone.
"The electric lasers weaved on that net has a power of 10,000 volts of electricity enough to kill your demons. So don't ever think of making one getting past there to see where the key lies..." May's speech was cut short by Lyra who got excited in solving the first challenge.
"Well that's easy!" Lyra summoned her Ent and commanded it to stretch its arms with each branch to go through the holes on the net and reach a basket. "Let's overturn each basket to see where the key is." Upon touching a basket, part of the thread that held it exploded and snapped making the basket fall to the net. The basket was obliterated upon contact revealing an over-sized metal capsule.
Unsure of what happened, Lyra made her Ent retreat its arms.
"It would have saved you trouble had you let me finish my instructions!" May shouted with an angry voice causing a deafening sound that made the three cover their ears.
"Ok now listen. That metal capsule contains at least a level ten up to a level 12 demon on it. It would just be a matter of minutes before it escapes the net and falls to the ground unleashing the demon. The baskets are all filled with sensors that would make the thread that holds them snap upon contact. Only one basket has the key and the rest are filled with those capsules!"
With that revelation, Lyra was suddenly shocked with fear. Had he touched another basket, two of those capsules would have fallen if it's not the key.
The metal capsule now slowly escapes the hold of the net by absorbing the electricity and slowly making a way through.
"One last thing. Those threads are not strong enough to hold the heavy metal capsules. If I'm not mistaken, you have at least thirty to forty five minutes before all the baskets with the metal capsule fall down. That's all I have to say. I hope to see you in my office soon, if you can survive the challenges." With that, the metal capsule finally fell to the ground quickly summoning a Yeti the moment it made contact.
"Look what your idiocy done! We would have just been figuring out what basket to choose but now, we have to do that while fighting that Yeti!" James shouted at Lyra who snapped from her state of being shocked.
"Well I'm sorry I just wanted to get over with this challenge as quick as I can!" Lyra shouted back placing both her hands on her waist.
"Look out!" Mark shouted at the two of them while running away due to the Yeti trying to smash them. James ran as well but Lyra seemed paralyzed with fear. Mark pulled her out but it was futile as Lyra's Ent was able to block the Yeti's smash anyway.
The Yeti however, simply grabbed the Ent with its other hand and threw it away across the room.
"Avery!" Lyra shouted with sympathy seeing her Ent being thrown away and badly hitting a wall then fell down.
"James I need your Arach quick!" Mark summoned Frost while running away with Lyra who became the target of the Yeti.
James hesitated a bit but later summoned his Arach. "Aim for the Yeti's head!" Mark shouted making James command his Arach to shoot webs at the enemy.
The Yeti however, was able to simply retract the webs with its bare hands with ease. The Yeti's attention then switched to Jame's Arach running after it.
"Hey you tricked me!" James complained while running and commanded his Arach to climb up the wall.
"No I have a plan! Just trust me please!" Mark shouted commanding Frost to attack the Yeti.
"That plan better be good! Or I'll smash your face if ever we come out of this alive!" James finally stopped running with the Yeti being distracted by his Arach. His Arach is at a height that is impossible for the Yeti to reach. The Yeti however, kept punching the wall creating a vibration that shook the baskets and gave James' Arach difficulty in maintaining its grip to the wall.
"Quickly with your plan or those baskets will surely fall down in less than thirty minutes!" James shouted with nervousness in his voice.
Frost finally went close the Yeti and tried to attack it from behind but the Yeti's senses seem so sharp that before Frost can make his move, it was helplessly thrown back with a powerful kick.
Avery attacked from a distance with its arms formed like a whip to hit the Yeti. The Yeti simply grabbed the whip shaped branches then pulled them hard, causing Avery to be thrown towards the Yeti which it met with a strong punch.
James' demon tried to shoot a couple of webs at the Yeti's head but again, it crushed the web with its bare hands.
Such an enemy with formidable strength and very keen senses. How can the three be able to deal with it on top of their race with time itself?
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The story will be action packed from here on. Brace yourselves to the real adventure!
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Next Chapter: Let's Work Together!