"Are you ready?"
Amelia opened one eye, looking to the foot of her bed. He stood there, looking almost impatient, running a hand through his hair. Yawning, she threw the duvet back and swung her legs over the side of her bed. The setting sun creaked through the rotting shutters, dull light making the room just visible. Amelia Darkenholme, fitting with her character, did not have a room in the novice dormitories. Shortly after she arrived at the school, some five years ago, she found an old room on the third floor, behind the staff staircase. The paintwork was chipped just about everywhere, the lights didn't work, it was awfully cold in the winter and there was what Amelia suspected were birds living in the boarded up chimney. Nevertheless, she found it preferable over sharing a room and, over the years had managed to personalise the room. She'd covered the bleak walls with postcards, newspaper cuttings and pictures, the rotten armchair was covered by a blanket, and there were books covering just about every inch of floor. These books were in piles of what Amelia liked to think was an organised mess. Now awake early for the missions, the draft hit her as she stood up, biting at her bare legs, arms, stomach and just about anywhere that wasn't covered by her underwear.
"Are you ready?" he repeated again, watching her cross the room and poke at her neat piles of clothes.
"You know," she said, as if she hadn't heard his question, "That is the first time you've said a word to me." She shivered and pulled on her black pants slowly, her muscles still stiff from sleep. She threw him a look as she bent over, offering him a smile; "I like your voice, though."
"I thought it was time," he spoke, his voice deep and soft. He was still frozen by the bed, watching. She pulled on a strapless black top that zipped up at the front. It was extremely tight and ended just before her hips – typical fighting gear; it was compact and kept itself out of the way. After she'd pulled on her boots, she tiptoed to the other side of the room, across the creaking floorboards and to the mantelpiece over the old fire. She picked up and hairband and shoved her hair into a ponytail effortlessly. "So," she said her back to him as she slid two swords into their sheaths. The pair sat comfortably strapped across her back; "what's your name?"
Amelia spun on her heel and eyed him questioningly. His dark eyes danced anxiously; "Nate."
His name hung in the air as they simply stared at one another, Amelia frozen mid action. "Well," she smiled, stuttering slightly; "that's a start."
She pulled on her fingerless leather gloves and clasped her hands together. "I've got to go," she said gently. She moved past him and to the doorway, "I guess I'll see you later then?"
He returned her smile expectantly, "See you later."
The sky was a fading orange when Scarlett stumbled out of the building lazily. She stretched, clumsily fiddling with the straps on her weapons belt and walking in the general direction of the woods. It wasn't that she'd being sleeping a few minutes earlier; she just didn't appreciate being dragged out of her bed at such a ridiculous hour. Several other students, who clearly were thinking the same thing, were milling around the entrance to woods kitted out in combat gear and shuffling around restlessly. Floria was just in front of her, opting to wear a leather cat suit and black hair pulled tightly into a bun. Despite her professionalism, Scarlett noticed she was still wearing all her jewellery. She approached, glad to catch her on her own.
"Hi," Floria mumbled, nervously clasping her hands together; "prepared?"
Scarlett shrugged; "As we'll ever be, I guess."
Floria eyed her suspiciously without turning, coughing over the awkward silence. "Listen," she said, lowering her voice; "I know Winters told you about...when I travelled back."
Scarlett let out a relieved sigh. Since the head teacher had found her in the infirmary, she hadn't breathed a word to anyone about Nate or her feelings about reliving the experience.
Floria put a ringed hand on Scarlett's left arm hesitantly, which was shrugged off and she let it fall. "Is that why you're here?" she faltered, "The school, I mean?"
Scarlett, looking directly in front of her into the trees, shook her head. "No, I'm here as a punishment."
"A punishment?" Floria questioned, she knew she was being intrusive but the words were stumbling out of her mouth before she could stop them; "Sending you to the school your brother died?" She coughed again. "A bit harsh, isn't it?"
"Tell that to the Chamber."
"The Chamber?" Floria's voice was louder than she'd intended, shock flashing across her eyes; "Jesus, what did you do?"
"What about the Chamber?" a familiar voice came from behind Scarlett, "planning on breaking the law or something?" She turned to see Samuel, hands stuffed in his pockets, looking like he'd dressed in a hurry and still with a bedhead. She squinted as she looked up at him and he grinned, reaching out and tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. She batted his hand away.
"Mind your own business," Scarlett retorted.
At that moment, a shimmer caught both their eyes and they spun to their right. In front of them, Arthia was making portals, enough for one for each team. They glistened, silver bubbles several feet in the air giving only blurred images of the other side. Scarlett and Samuel exchanged glances as if to say: this is it.
They watched as more groups of students materialized out the doors whilst the rest of the school slept, queuing up to be allocated to a portal. Without so much as a word from Arthia, the teams were sent off one by one. They formed a single line and when Jake appeared, he touched Floria's shoulder. "Hey team" he greeted, making his presence known, "we having a pep talk?"
Floria snorted quietly, "I think 'get in, find the portal and get out' should cover it." Without turning around, she could feel his eyes burning into the back of her skull and she wanted nothing more than too bat him away. Why did he feel the need to stare at every girl with a pulse? She thought. It was so intimidating and she hated that he could make her feel like that just by being around. Irritably, she took a step away and closer to the portals. As if on cue, Arthia's voice boomed towards them; "Team seven."
The four shuffled their way closer to the portal Arthia was standing by, a collection of stopwatches hanging from the nook of her elbow. She reached for the one labelled 'seven' and held it ready to start.
"Everyone here?" she counted them quickly and looked down at the watch, "Set." Scarlett gulped and bent her knees and arms. She was at the front of the queue, ready to jump. Arthia pressed the timer, "GO."
Scarlett jumped.
Several thousand miles across the ocean, Samuel rubbed his forehead which was now covered in a layer of dirt and bleeding. He grumbled and pulled himself into a sitting position. He tried to shake of the nausea bought on by being flung to a different location at the speed of light. He still hadn't bought himself to open his eyes.
"Everyone okay?" he called out, squinting. With his hands he could tell his immediate surroundings seemed to be nothing but concrete. He could smell dirt and hear the nose of water somewhere far away. As his eyes adjusted he saw he was in an empty building with extremely high ceilings, perhaps a warehouse of some kind.
"Well," he heard Jake's voice echo across the room, "I'm alive at least."
Samuel closed his eyes again and swallowed deeply. He still felt incredibly sick.
"Hey," he opened them to see Scarlett in front of him, holding out a hand, "first one's never easy."
He took her hand and stood up slowly; "you've been in a portal before?"
She nodded; "Oh yes."
Now he was standing, he was sure his first thought was right and that they were in a warehouse. It was desolate and clearly extremely unsafe. It was also daylight here, something he'd gotten so used to not seeing that he stared out of the smashed windows in awe. "I know," Scarlett whispered beside him. He gave her a momentary glimpse: she had her eyes closed as the sun illuminated her face. Her skin was like porcelain, so beautifully pale. He wanted to touch it, but he remembered what Floria had told him in a stolen corner of the infirmary, just minutes after he'd bought Scarlett in a week ago. All in good time, he thought.
He turned away and saw Jake across the space. His gear was torn at the left knee, but other than that he seemed perfectly fine. "Have you seen Floria?" he shouted, his gaze darting around.
"Here," a voice responded from their left, "just give me a sec-"
They heard Floria before they saw her. She was clattering in the room next door and into sight, limping slightly but otherwise untouched. She batted her dark hair out of her face. "Ready?" she asked when she was just a few feet away.
Scarlett nodded; "So what's the plan?"
"I don't think we should split up," Floria said, adjusting her weapons belt with what looked like a great deal of effort. She winced inwardly.
"Agreed," Scarlett confirmed.
"So let's search the building," Samuel took the lead, sulking off to the right. The building was clearly only one floor, though there was nothing to say how large it was. Each room was similar, a high ceilinged, empty concrete box, that showed no sign of life or a portal for that matter. It was clearly abandoned and perhaps near water, as the sound of waves colliding against rocks was impossible to miss. They were all silent, splitting up whenever they entered a new room.
"Scarlett?" Floria whispered. She approached Scarlett in a forgotten corner of one of the rooms which they'd figured out was once a storage unit. She touched her arm; "About earlier…"
Scarlett looked up from the floor, frowning; "what about it?"
"Well, your brother died in the school-" Floria hesitated. She was standing uncomfortably. Eventually she sighed; "Well, do you see what I'm getting at here?"
"The Bound curse?" Scarlett suggested blankly.
Floria raised her eyebrows and then turned around; checking none of the others heard them. "I'm not saying it's real-"
Scarlett was expressionless; "Then what are you saying?"
Floria bit her lip; "Maybe you should talk to-"
"Amelia?" Scarlett interrupted, again. Floria let out a low laugh and smiled with relief. She wiped her sweaty palms on her trousers; "So you've been thinking the same as me?"
Scarlett nodded and lent into Floria, lowering her voice; "There's no reason we should be thinking this, but something's not right," she hissed, "Do you think she knows he's my brother?"
"To be honest," Floria shrugged; "I'm not even sure she knows he's dead."
"Keep going;" Daniel urged. Mark was in front of him, running through the desolate airport which they'd figured out was in Montreal, USA. Mark paused and waited for Daniel, who was falling behind, carrying an unconscious Amelia over his shoulder.
"You go on;" Mark said, "I have an idea." Blue mist unravelled out of Mark's palm, creeping along the floor and realising a toxic gas in the room they'd just come from. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Daniel hissed in his ear, adjusting Amelia's weight.
With his free arm, Mark stretched it in front of Daniel to stop him moving forward; "They can't follow us now."
Daniel shook his head; "This could kill them."
"If Lucia wants to fight dirty," Mark sneered, "then we will." The gas crept all the way down the corridor, slithering under the cracks of nearby doors.
"But-"
"Look," he barked; "First they get Amelia, whose next? You?" He shook his head, "No, I'm not going to let that happen."
Daniel gulped and quietened, patting Mark's arm; "Okay," he whispered.
Stumbling, the pair made their way through the airport in a bubble of uncomfortable silence.
"Behind you!"
Scarlett ducked and crouched on the floor. She pulled a blade out of its sheath and held it out in front of her defensively. With her free hand she sparked electricity from her fingertips and shot it out towards where the noise was coming from. It crackled against the steel pillars with immense power, shattering the closest set of windows with a thundering crash. Now crouched next to her, Samuel whistled. "So that's your speciality?" he breathed with a smile; "Miss 4.6."
Scarlett turned to him, her face plastered with a grin. She nudged him playfully; "you think that was impressive?" she questioned; "You ain't seen nothin' yet."
Footsteps pattered behind them and Floria threw herself down next to them; "Any idea what that was?"
"Not human," Jake contributed, joining them.
Scarlett hesitated, "They wouldn't…set demons on us, would they- this early on?"
Again, Samuel whistled; "Let's hope not."
Their eyes wondered to where the attack had come from just a few minutes ago. It had been a hissing sound that had warned them, shortly followed by some kind of pellet firing which they hadn't figured out yet.
Jake set out a low breath and put his gun away; "Come on," he said; "let's keep moving."
Nodding, Scarlett tore her eyes away from the direction the attack had come from. The four of them moved their way into the only room they hadn't been in yet. Sure enough, it was just as empty as the rest of them. What was different about this room, however, was that there was a large steel door in the centre of the far wall. "Hell yes!" Samuel cheered, picking up his pace and running across the room. When he reached it, after a few moments of tugging, he pulled it open. A sea breeze hit them at a gushing speed, causing them all to take a step back.
In front of them stood a footstep's length of concrete and then it dropped straight down into a brown, choppy sea that was thrashing against the building and splashing Samuel's ankles. Ahead of the sea was nothing. No land, no boats or even sunshine, nothing.
"Oh shit," Jake cursed. His gaze was fixed on the vast sea to their right, where, about a quarter of a mile ahead, was a glistening glass portal, positioned half in the water and half out.
Floria sighed; "So;" she said; "Who knows how to swim?"
