-CHAPTER TEN-
•Path of Evolution•

Rose POV (Point of view)

The Forbidden Forest--the wasteland of Veritas. I've been studying it since I was ten years old--a period in time when Veritas began to drastically change. I knew all that I needed to know plus more, but would my Intel alone be enough to ensure my clans survival?

As we traveled down the mysterious path I decided it was a good time to look over my research of the forest. Over time, I've recorded everything I have ever learned or developed in my black journal: Inventions, blueprints, monsters, and possible ways to enhance my powers.

"So, you're the legend everyone's been talking about. Rose Parker, right?"

"That's what they call me."

"Wow. It's an honor to finally meet you in person. Hi, I'm--"

"Nathan Hawk, son of the legendary bowman Percy Hawk. I saw you take that shot at Casper earlier; I see your father's good genes were passed down to you --very impressive."

"Thank you. I try my best to keep the name of my family alive and well."

"I tried that once before; it's a tough thing to do."

I focused back on my research. The forest was quiet, a little too quiet; I wanted to be ready for anything.

"Uh, Rose, no offense but why exactly do they call you a legend?" Hawk asked.

I sighed and bookmarked the page in my journal.

"Well, the elders of Evolution believe I may be the key to transforming the entire clan."

"But to transform the clan would mean that you'd need to be--"

"The Evolution Council, yeah, I know."

"You're going to be the next Council? But you're still so young; you would be the youngest member to ever be a part of the Council. Do you think you're ready for something like that?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be. This is a once in a lifetime thing; I don't see how anyone could pass up an opportunity like that."

I opened my journal and flipped through the pages until I found the section that contained my inventions.

"Aren't you worried about the danger that comes with the job?" Hawk added.

"I've been in danger since the day I was born, and 17 years later I've still managed to survive. Walking on the street these days is just as dangerous as anything else; so, why be afraid to take a risk?"

"Good point."

I examined a sword I designed; it was made of polished bronze gears that rotated like clockwork and the blade was made of pure titanium. A beam of light shot onto the page as I turned the dial on my custom-made wristband; it scanned and copied every detail of the sword like a 3D printer.

I kneeled down and shined the beam onto the ground. The sword slowly began to materialize, molecule by molecule, until it formed into the exact replica of the original design.

"Now, that was cool."

"Thanks. The research team asked me to design a few prototype weapons; this is the latest one design. You like it?"

"It looks awesome. I do a little tinkering myself from time to time."

Hawk reached for his bow and showed it off to me. He let me hold it in my hands. I took the time to examine every aspect of it; I didn't miss a single detail.

"The design is good: light, firm grip, obviously more advanced than a regular bow, but there's still room for improvement. An invention is never finished. As my parents used to always tell me: "Everything is a prototype in the eyes of a true inventor". There's always a way to improve something no matter how advanced it may already be."

"I'll keep that in mind," he replied. "Besides becoming the next Evolution Council, what else do you have planned?"

"Honestly, I'm not completely sure. I want a husband, kids--you know, the typical teenage girl fantasy; however, I've devoted my life to re-inventing our clan, also assuring that one day the Gifted can co-exist with the falsely-accused mixed breeds."

"That's a dangerous debate to present to the world. Just bringing up the subject could result in a war. This affects us all, you know that right?"

"I'm aware of that. I've already taken everyone's lives into consideration and that's why I decided to stand alone at the trial."

"Woah! That's crazy even for someone in your position. There's no telling what the Council might do to you if they find out you believe in co-existing with the mixed breeds."

Hawk was silent for a moment. I looked over the members of our clan; most were young and had little experience with live-action combat; we practiced the majority our fighting in computerized simulations. We only shed blood when we absolutely need to. "Brains over Blood", that's our motto.

"Whatever you decide to do, Rose, just know many people will support your cause, myself included, but some may not speak up for what they believe in because of the fear of what might happen if they do."

"I understand. I appreciate your concern and I'm thankful for your support."

"No problem."

I pulled up a hologram of the forest; I managed to hack into the academies system before the exam started and found a pool of unknown information along with an interactive map of the Forbidden Forest. Some may see it as basically cheating, but if you had any kind of sense you would know that you have to come prepared.

I searched the area that we were traveling in. The intel mentioned there was a village coming up ahead.

"Ready your weapons everyone. We might have stumbled onto something."

We reached the village and found several huts scattered around in a field of what I think used to be dandelions.

"I heard fugitives used to hide here to escape special forces. Do you think they made it?" Hawk said.

"It's possible but I don't see why anyone would come here to hideout. Things don't usually end well in a place like the Forbidden Forest."

I knocked on the door of one of the huts; no one answered. Nearby we spotted a run-down temple that looked as if it had been abandoned centuries ago. We approached the temple's massive golden doors; they were cracked, a large claw mark showed evidence of an attack. I assumed they were struck by a rage-filled beast.

"Maybe we shouldn't go in." Hawk suggested. "Someone, or something could still be lurking around."

"We'll never know unless we see for ourselves. Plus, I need to do more research on this place while we're here."

"You must have a death wish."

I turned towards the group and studied each member. They looked exhausted. They aren't used to the harsh conditions the forest presents.

"Everyone take a break you deserve it. I'm going into the temple to run some scans but I need a few people willing to assist me. Any volunteers?"

Without hesitation, two boys in the back of the group quickly raised their hands and rushed to the front of the crowd. The sight of them changed my mood instantly.

David and Kenny Macklemore--the young related prodigy's who prefer not to use their knowledge for productive things but for idiotic and childish things like highly advanced pranks. David was the "thinker" of the two; he always had his mind set on pulling off the next greatest prank of all time. Kenny, the younger brother, had brains but not enough to think on his own, he dealt with more of the hands-on operation of the charades. They weren't much of a problem separate, but nonetheless they were the ones that others tried their best to avoid.

"Why am I not surprised? What kind of trouble are you going to get into today, I wonder."

"We have no recollection of causing any type of trouble," David grinned. "We're just two guys looking for some action and adventure."

"Yeah, just a little adventure." Kenny added.

"This isn't a game you two, this is serious. We're only going in for research purposes; don't mess with anything."

They stood tall like soldiers and saluted as they walked in ahead of me. I sighed and thought to myself, "I'm going to kill them."

"I should probably come with you guys." Hawk said. "You might need some backup."

"Sure, sounds like a plan. Everyone else, try to rest as much as possible but keep watch for anything suspicious. We're not the only ones running around this forest."

The four of us entered the mysterious temple, unaware of what could have been inside. The first room we stumbled upon was a dining room, a mess hall others would call it, filled with long tables and chairs; the attire was ruined and the furniture was all flipped over and destroyed.

"Those tables are big enough to seat a family of twenty; that's a lot of mouths to feed." Hawk said.

"It's possible, but if so, where is everyone now? Judging from the mess and the claw mark we saw on the front door, I'd say they were attacked, but I don't see a body or an ounce of blood in sight."

"Hey, guys! I think I found something." David yelled.

He pulled a rusted switch that sat on the wall. A loud hum echoed, bouncing from wall to wall, and a secret stairway opened up next to him. We rushed over to it and took a peek inside. It was pitch black; I could hardly see anything, if nothing at all, and the smell that lingered towards our noses was horrible.

"What do you think is down there?" said David.

"Only one way to find out."

I was the first to walk down into the darkness; Hawk and the others followed behind. We reached the bottom and my pants were completely soaked. The powerful stench grew stronger the further down we went. Kenny found a torch along the walls and lit it; the light revealed everything around us.

"At least we know why it smells in here now," he said. "We're in a sewer."

"Well, can we hurry up?" David said. "The smell is killing me and my new Nikes are getting ruined."

"Trust me, we won't be here long." I reassured them.

We traveled down the passageway examining the weird symbols and abstract paintings on the walls.

"It looks like these guys were some type of cavemen or something close to it," said Kenny.

My wristband suddenly starting beeping; each second the sound got a little weaker than the last--the battery was starting to run dry.

"Damn. We may have to cut this search short and head back. Can't get any work done with a dead scanner."

"Hold that thought." Hawk said, pointing towards an opening up ahead.

"Let's go."

From a distance you couldn't tell, but once we got closer we found a room; it was circular, and its height was massive. I flipped a switch on the wall and multiple lights instantly turned on; oversized computers and TV screens covered the walls.

"Geez, when did cavemen become so advance?" David said to Kenny, with sarcasm.

"Ah, bite me."

Kenny circled around the entire room touching every screen in sight.

"Look at all this tech. Who were these people?"

"I don't know, but I think I like them already."

I took out my journal and flipped through to a blank page. I began to record new Intel on this mysterious temple and its secret underground lair.

"This place doesn't make sense," said Hawk.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, if this place was invaded why would they leave all this tech behind. And the bigger question is: how does it all still work?"

"I'm not sure. The only explanation I can come to, is that the invaders claimed it as their own."

"Who though? The forest has always been off-limits until today. Come to think of it, that's kind of strange, right?"

"Now that you mention it, it is pretty strange that we're allowed to wander the Forbidden Forest, especially since it's the cursed land of Veritas. I know it's supposed to toughen us up and teach us how to survive, but how will that help if we all just end up dead?"

"I know what you mean. Weren't we supposed to go to the Bone Valley instead?"

"Yeah, but that ended up changing when...when Crowley became the new principal."

Hawk looked at me. I could see the concern in his eyes.

"Do you think that...maybe--?"

"No way. He couldn't have. Crowley is a pretty terrible person at times, but there's no way he would have purposely sent us hear to put us all in danger...right?"

I spoke highly of Crowley without hesitation, but part of me wasn't so sure he deserved such high praise.

"Wait, do you remember the Countdown Ceremony. Crowley said that we would be taking the exam in the Forbidden Forest; he didn't seem happy to hear that Principle Ronald quickly changed his mind. I remember him saying: "Multiple "restrictions" had arisen". I wonder what he meant by that."

"Only one way to find out. We got to have a talk with our new principle."

"Sounds like a plan, but first let's just worry about getting out of this forest."

I swiped my hand across the enlarged computer and the screen lip up. A list of names popped up onto the screen; I noticed that some of the names were people I knew personally from the Gifted Academy--the restricted students.

"Why are they on here?"

The list went on and on--it seemed as if it would never end. I quickly stopped as I spotted Charles' name, along with my own. I pulled up both our links and all our information was revealed: our clan, height, weight, and known powers--someone was running a background check on us; why would anyone need to know so much about us?

An email popped up onto the screen. Driven by curiosity, I opened it. It read:

I see you've already found your way to the base. You work a lot faster than I thought; I knew you'd be the perfect person for this job. However, we are far from finished. I need you to track down the Restricted ASAP and bring them back to this location; they shall not pass this test. I've also updated the list; we may need to take care of a lot more people than expected. And when you find our little friend...take care of him quickly and then get back to the other task at hand. Those gems will be mine.

-Anonymous

"What's that?" Hawk asked.

"I-I think it's a hit-list; someone wants the Restricted dead, along with me."

"What? Let me see."

He examined the list and looked back at me, worriedly.

"Who do you think is behind this?"

"I'm not sure, but whoever they are they have allies. We have to watch ourselves. They may already be looking for me, and I doubt they'll hesitate to eliminate anyone who stands in their way."

I transferred the information to my wristband and shut off the computer. I noticed a laboratory sealed off on the other side of the room. I approached the door and noticed a fingerprint scanner--possibly the key to opening the door. I stuck my hand on it and the system said access denied; an alarm rang right after.

"Shut it off!" David yelled.

"I can't the system locked itself!"

There was a whistle in my ear, and an arrow suddenly shot into the scanner; the alarm shut off and the doors slid open.

"You're welcome." Hawk said, as he walked passed me and entered the lab.

The boys followed behind him; Kenny gave a round of applause and David snickered under his breath.

The room was huge. There was maps covering the walls, an alchemy table, weapons, and test tubes filled with unknown substances; it reminded me of home, minus the blood-covered operation tables.

"What were they doing here?" Hawk said.

"They were doing experiments, and by the looks of it, they failed...repeatedly."

I stood over a table painted completely red with blood. I wiped my finger across it and to my surprise it stuck to my finger--the blood was fresh. I quickly stopped moving and studied the room quickly, trying my best not to seem too suspicious.

"Hey, did you find something?"

I put up my hand, letting him know to be quiet. I continued to scope out the room. Kenny and David were rustling through drawers; I wanted to warn them to be quiet, but I didn't want to direct any attention. I followed a trail of blood, with my eyes, to different areas in the room, until I spotted a weapons rack--the footsteps ended there. I looked back over towards the boys and noticed a sudden ripple.

"David, Kenny! Watch out!"

They both turned around unaware of what was behind them. "What?"

The ripple suddenly vanished.

"What's going on?" said Kenny.

" Just get over here, quickly!"

They began to walk towards us, but then suddenly stopped where they were.

"What are you waiting for? We have to go."

Kenny and David just stood there and didn't say a word. They began to swing wildly at the air as their faces started to turn purple.

"No!" I rushed forward and an unknown voice spoke out.

"Come any closer and they're dead."

I quickly stopped, trying my best to keep calm.

"We don't want any trouble. We were just passing by when we noticed the temple."

"You were just passing by? Don't you know this is the Forbidden Forest? Why are you people even here?"

"We're from the academy; this was the chosen setting for the survival exam."

"That's impossible. The Council would never make the mistake of sending kids here; it's suicide. Wait...I know what's going on now; you must have been sent here to kill me, too."

"What are you talking about?"

"Don't you dare try to lie to me! I know an assassin when I see one, but you guys...you're not as sly as the last group."

The man sounded like he was losing it, like he had lost all contact with reality. I used my telepathy to speak to Hawk indirectly.

"Hawk, It's Rose."

"Rose!? Who is this guy?"

"I don't know but we have to save David and Kenny."

"What should we do?"

"I have an idea just get your bow ready."

"He's cloaked. How am I supposed to hit someone I can't see?"

"I'll take care of that. As soon as you see an opening take the shot."

"Right..."

I noticed a rack of filled test tubes sitting on the shelf behind them. I slowly tried picking them up with my mind but it was no use; I was too far away from my range limit. I had to get closer if I wanted to get ahold of it. I tried to inch a little bit closer towards them but each time I moved he seemed to tighten his grip around their necks.

"Who's trying to kill you? Who would have sent us?"

"The man is like a walking plague; infecting and killing everything in sight...you all know him well, but not as well as you may think."

Was he insinuating that there might be a killer in the academy? Who could it even be?

"We didn't come here to kill you...Mr.....whoever you are."

"Is that right? So, tell me, why is you're little friend clenching his fingers tighter and tighter like he's starting to regret a decision that was made; and why is he so anxious to grab his weapon? You have to be more discreet than that, son. And you, you've become very talkative...is it because you actually care, or is it because you're trying to buy yourself some time?"

"What are you-"

"Don't waste your time trying to deny it. I know every move you're going to make before you make it. I'm sure you're a smart girl, so I assume you know when you're in over your head."

He was trying to mess with our heads; there's no way he could read us that easily. The rack began to wobble the closer I got. Only a few feet and then we could attack. I took a quick glance at Hawk; he was sweating and his palms were shaking uncontrollably.

"He has a good reason for being afraid, as do you."

I ignored his remarks and kept easing forward and finally got in range.

"I tried to warn you, kids...I guess you must learn the hard way."

I grabbed ahold of the rack and shoved it down towards the boys. The test tubes shattered upon impact of the invisible man. The boys took that opportunity to escape his clutches; quickly dropping to the floor gasping for air as the man tried wiping away the liquid substances. His body was exposed but his face was hidden behind a black mask.

"Hawk, take the shot!"

Hawk took an arrow from his quiver and lined up his shot. Just before he let it go, the man gave a suspicious chuckle.

"Wait, don't!"

Before I could stop him from shooting, the arrow had already been released and was heading straight for the man. The arrow was precise as always; it was a perfect shot but then things suddenly took a frightful turn for the worst.

The man quickly grabbed Kenny by his shirt; the arrow continued to fly and instead of hitting the man, Kenny was used as a human shield and the arrow pierced straight through his frail chest.

"No!" David stood up and the man knocked him unconscious with one punch.

I couldn't believe what I had saw. I didn't speak, I didn't move; I could hardly even breathe. Hawk rushed forward with his bow and rapidly shot a barrage of arrows at the man.

"Die!"

An unseen force stopped the arrows mid-flight and they all went flying back in the opposite direction; Hawk dodged as many as he could just before one pierced through his leg.

The masked man picked up David by his leg and threw him with ease. Hawk tried catching him but just got swept off his feet instead.

"Rose!" He yelled, aloud to me; everything just sounded like a long echo.

"Rose! You have to focus!"

My vision became clear again; I could see the man for a second just before he vanished again. I couldn't see him so I had to rely on my sense of hearing to track him down. The wheels on the beds next to me squeaked and I saw the ripple. I quickly flipped through my journal and stopped on a prototype gun I had been working on.

"Rose, look out!"

I cut my head quickly, and the man was right behind me. He slapped the gun out of my hands as I tried to aim; it slid away underneath one of the beds. I threw a quick jab; It connected but it didn't seem to bother him. I ducked and dodged as long as I could but, like always, good things must come to an end.

He faked a punch and as I tried dodging, he kicked me backwards into the wall; the impact was so brutal that it knocked what little breath I had left out of me. Without a second wasted, he grabbed me by my neck and slammed me onto a blood-covered bed.

***I took a hard fall against the concrete floor that knocked what little breathe I had left out of me. I was down but I continued to go for his legs.***

"You're persistent, I'll give you that." He strapped my arms and legs down, keeping me trapped where I laid "But that only gets you so far. He cocked back his arm and I turned my head, nervously. I could sense the pain before he even touched me. Just as he was about to swing I heard a scream, and I was suddenly free. I arose to the sight of the man drenched in a pool of electricity; Hawk stood over him with the gun pointed directly in his face.

"It seems I've run out of bodies to hide behind." He joked.

"Shut up!" Hawk leaned down and hit him in the face with the gun; blood slowly started pouring from his nose. I assumed it was broken by the sound of it cracking so loudly.

"Don't say another word! I am so serious."

He spit up blood onto the floor and studied Hawk with a grin on his face.

"You're still shaking, kid. This must be your first time killing someone... well..."

Hawk gripped the trigger a little tighter.

"Never mind..."

David finally woke back up; but the first thing he laid his eyes on was Kenny's lifeless body. He didn't cry, and he didn't respond to the sight in any way. He grabbed a sheet off the hospital bed and covered his brother's body. I stood to my feet and approached Hawk.

"Help, David. I'll take care of this."

I knew how badly he wanted to put the man out of his misery. He was hesitant at first but then he finally handed it over.

"Is it okay if I say something?"

"Is it something that'll get you killed?"

"Oh, I'm sure you're going to want to hear this."

"Alright...what is it?"

The man slowly reached into his pocket. I made sure to keep the gun aimed at him at all times just in case he tried to pull a fast one over on us again. He dug around until he finally pulled something out; it was small and shiny.

"What is that?"

He tossed it on the floor next to me and it rattled against the floor. I picked it up off the floor; it was a badge. The label was golden and there were a few words embedded in silver; it read: Jack Russell-"Order of the Elites".

Jack Russell was once a member of the Evolution clan that had been recruited into the Order of the Elites at the age of twelve--the youngest member to ever join.

"Do you really think I'm dumb enough to believe that? There's no way you're the Jack Russell. You're an Elite member?"

"I guess you have to see it, to believe it."

He removed his black mask and revealed himself. Every feature matched the description; from his perfectly tanned skin, all the way down to the star-shaped beauty mark underneath his left eye.

"Ta-Da..."

"That's impossible. If you're the real Jack Russell, what am I thinking about right now?"

"Are you serious, kid?"

"Very..."

I stared anxiously awaiting his response.

"Fine..."

He studied me for a second.

"You're thinking I can't be telling the truth, because the all-powerful "God of knowledge", Jack Russell wouldn't be laying prey to a bunch of academy kids; you're also thinking about a boy named Charles, I'm assuming he's your boyfriend. And...wait...ah, now you're thinking of shooting me in the face for reading your thoughts. Interesting; I actually kind of struggled to read you that time. You must be a member of Evolution...the more intellectual half, like myself."

"I'm Rose Parker."

"You? You're the legend; the one who was foretold to come to us by the Oracle?"

"Yes, but that's beside the point. Let's say you are who you say you are...where are the others?"

He looked away for a moment and didn't say anything.

"Hey...did you do something to them?"

"Of course not; what kind of person do you think I am."

I took a glance back at Kenny's body shrouded in sheets.

"Look, I'm sorry. I truly am. I didn't think things were going to end this way. When you're on the run from assassins for so long it gets hard to trust people, especially someone crazy enough to come into the Forbidden Forest. I would never hurt my team. They were practically family."

I was skeptical at first but I'm actually starting to believe he is who he says he is.

"All the members were reported missing two days ago, but now I find you and the others are still missing. What's going on?"

"You said we were reported missing a few days ago...that's only partially true."

"What do you mean?"

"The Elites haven't been missing for just a few days...we've been M.I.A for over ten years."

"What? How's that even possible? You're mission was announced in the paper; it said that you guys were going away and that it would be awhile before you returned."

"Wait, do you have the paper still?"

"Yeah..."

I turned the dial on my scanner but it didn't work-the battery had finally died.

"Here use mine."

Jack took off his scanner watch from around his wrist and handed it to me. It felt lighter and way more advanced than mine-which was obvious considering I got the idea to make one from him.

I placed my finger on the dial and all my files appeared. I shuffled through a mountain of files until I found the old newspaper; I pulled it up and the members were shown, along with the Council. By the way Jack was looking, I figured he wasn't too happy to see them.

"Is something wrong?"

"I-I can't believe they actually went through with it." He began to choke and spit up more blood onto the floor.

"Who did what? I don't understand."

The Elite members that you guys have been hearing about are fakes...all of them."

"You're kidding, right?"

"You can either believe me, or don't. It's as simple as that, but I'm telling you they're fakes; created to keep up appearances to cover up the truth of what really happened all those years ago."

"So, what really happened?"

"Basically, we were given a mission, but little did we know that we were being led into a trap the entire time. I don't know exactly who setup the attack, but I'm sure I have a pretty good idea."

"Well, who is it."

He shook his head at me.

"It's not that simple. A trap was secured in my body that was set to trigger the moment I begin to speak of the person's name, along with a deadly toxin that I've managed to treat, but not completely cure. I don't have much longer before I end up like the rest of my team."

"Don't say that. Is there a way to stop the toxin from spreading?"

"If there was I haven't found it; plus it's been residing in my bloodstream for over ten years. My entire body has already been infected. Over the years I've only managed to subdue the effects rather than actually remove them."

I slowly felt myself starting to cry. I had finally gotten to meet one of my role models and now he was dying right before my eyes.

"Hey, it'll be alright.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a napkin; he handed it to me and I wiped away my tears.

My tears dropped down onto the watch Jack gave me.

"Here you go." I started to take it off but he stopped me.

"You know, I'm not going to have another chance to give you a gift for your upcoming Councils ceremony. So, I thought I'd give it to you now."

"You're letting me keep your watch...the very first scanner watch you successfully made?"

"It's all yours."

I was happy to be given such an amazing gift, but I didn't feel good taking it from him.

"Thank you, but I can't accept it."

"Trust me. It's okay. What use do I have for it now anyways, right?" He smiled, but I knew he was hurting inside.

"Thank you, Mr. Russell."

"I'm glad you like it, but there is one more thing I wanted you to see."

He reached out to me and I helped him to his feet. He walked off towards the entrance and waved his hand in front of a textured panel along the wall that had the symbol of the Elites branded on it. The panel rose and a red button was revealed. He smashed it in and the entire wall began to sink down into the ground, revealing four animal-like totems with glowing objects upon each one.

Hawk quickly rushed to my side.

"Are those--?"

"Looks that way. This must be the gems that person is trying to find. What's so special about them?"

"These aren't just ordinary gems; they each hold a piece of an old friend's soul, along with their many powers."

"Whose soul is inside of them?" I asked.

"The one and only Queen of Veritas, Veronica Valor."

I observed the gems up close; there were four gems: one red, blue, green, and yellow. Hawk went to grab one and Jack slapped his hands away.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

I didn't notice at first but they were sitting on pressure plates that were attached to wires running along the walls. At the end of the trail was, what I had assumed to be C4, and there was a lot of it.

"This place is rigged."

"Of course, we couldn't just allow someone to come in and take our stuff. We made it as a fail-safe plan in case none of us survived to pass the information along."

"So why show us?"

"Because, I need you three to deliver these for me. The only person who can unlock their true potential is the son of Veronica Valor--James Nightfury. I was supposed to deliver these myself, but as you can see I've been too busy trying to stay alive. James may not know what it all means at first, but trust me, he is the key."

"That's going to be a problem. We can't exactly give it to him until we finish the exam; we don't know where he is and there's some kind of barrier stopping us from going off our path."

"Yeah I had a problem with those too, but I made something that I think can get rid of it. Here..."

He threw something my way and I caught it; it was a strange-looking pen with symbols wrapped around it.

"What's this?"

"A plasma laser pen I made in my spare time. It was the only way I could gather resources for my experiments. Now, you guys must take these and go. You don't have much time before this place goes up in flames."

Hawk wrapped Kenny's body up in the sheet and threw him over his shoulder. David still hadn't responded to his little brother's death. He approached me and stood at my side, staring blankly at Jack.

"My friend, I am deeply-"

"Save it." David interrupted, "Don't even waste your breath. You may be referred to as the God of knowledge, but your nothing special; your nothing but a murderer in my eyes. I don't care about what happens to you here."

I didn't stop him from letting out his anger. I know exactly how it feels to lose someone dear to you.

"Give him the gun, Rose. He has to be the one." Jack said.

I hesitated. David took the gun from my hands and switched it to electricity only; he shot quickly and zapped him with enough volts to temporarily paralyze him.

"Ah!" Jack yelled as he dropped to the floor.

"I won't kill you, because that's not what I do, but what I will do is, is let you burn with the rest of this place. I hope you rot in hell."

David grabbed the gems and placed them in his a small pouch; the pressure plate activated and the wires slowly retracted back to the main computer; the countdown sequence until the final detonation had begun.

"Come on, Rose. We have to go."

Jack stared at me with a slight grin. You should get out of here while you can."

"What happened to you, Jack?"

"The forest...it...it changes you; this place should never have been created. Watch over your friends and show everyone that Evolution is the best clan in all of Veritas."

With those words being said, I rushed out behind Hawk and David and we made our way through the sewer. Seconds later, the ground and the walls began to shake aggressively; the entire temple was beginning to collapse around us.

"Do you smell that?" Hawk said.

"It's a sewer; we already established that."

"No, it's something else, like a burning smell."

David tapped me and turned me around; the torches were beginning to fall from the walls and into the contaminated water, but instead of being extinguished, it began to leave a trail of fire. I quickly dipped my fingers into the liquid and took a sniff.

"Guys, we need to go like, now!"

"What's the problem?"

"That's not water, its gasoline."

The trail of fire grew with seconds and quickly spread around the tunnel and into the rigged room of explosives.

"We're not going to make it," said David, "This tunnel is filled with gas and if we're still here when it blows, the blast will burn us to a crisp."

"Quit talking and run!"

We desperately fought our way through the rising gasoline levels and quickly bolted up the stairs; we reached the top and I pulled the switch, closing off the secret passage. The floor suddenly began to rumble; the bombs were beginning to detonate one after the after. We raced for the doorway. An unexpected blast from underneath us shot through the floor and blew the tables and chairs across the room, nearly taking me out in the process.

"We're almost there," Hawk yelled, "Just keep running." Hawk managed carrying Kenny, but I noticed that the weight was beginning to slow him down. I could see the light emerging from outside the temple doors. We were nearly there.

Without warning, the floor began to collapse at a faster rate. The ground up ahead was completely destroyed and a spiraling inferno shot up in front of us; we were trapped, coming to a stop at a blazing pit of fire.

"We're trapped! Now what do we do?"

The adrenaline rushing through my body worked its way up to my brain and allowed me to think at a quicker pace; my mind was working at the speed of a super computer. I grabbed ahold of a table with my mind and held it over the edge of the pit.

"Get on!"

They quickly jumped on to safety. I managed to hold out for the moment but I slowly began losing my focus; I wasn't used to carrying so much weight.

"Hurry, Rose; the table is starting to catch fire!"

I rushed to the pit as quickly as possible. Just before I could jump, a heatwave shot up from the pit and put a wall of fire between me and the table; my path was completely blocked. I didn't have much time left. I had to make a choice: either they make it or none of us would. I could see that Hawk understood the situation. He threw me his bow, the quiver holding his last two arrows, and a bundle of rope.

"You better make it out of here. The clan needs you."

He encouraged me to keep trying even when I had thought about giving up; it was a nice feeling.

I nodded with confidence. "I'll see you on the other side."

I took control of the table, and guided them over the pit. When I knew they had made it safely across I didn't waste any time standing around. I grabbed the supplies Hawk gave me and quickly made a few adjustments to his bow; I improved the sights, and tampered with the design of the arrows to increase their penetration. I tied the rope to the end of one of the arrows and shot it into the side of a nearby table; I did the same thing with the last arrow but on the opposite side. I checked to make sure it was secure and then wrapped the rest of the rope around myself; my eyes began to burn after coming intact with the massive cloud of never-ending smoke.

The temple was falling apart more and more each second, and the destruction was only getting worse. The place was covered in fire and there wasn't much of a floor left to stand on. I hooked Hawk's bow onto my vest and then took control of the table; I lifted it up into the air and used all my power to force it forward; I held on tight as it jerked me over the fiery pit. My body filled with more adrenaline along with fear as I looked down at the concrete being turned into lava; my heart was pounding like a drum set. More rubble from the ceiling fell downward and splashed down into the pit; lava shot up towards me and stuck itself to the rope. I tried to get rid of the flames somehow, but the fiery liquid quickly spread, until the rope gave in and snapped.

I began to free-fall. The heat was overbearing and it consumed me; it felt as if the heat had skipped my skin and went straight to roasting my organs. As a last resort I pulled the table underneath myself and planted my feet. I caught sight of the table on the other side of the pit, and within that instance I ran to the edge of the table and took a desperate leap forward, hoping I wouldn't fall to my death. I buried my head inside of my hood as another gust of fire shot up in my direction; I panicked as my clothes were covered in flames.

I passed over the pit and crashed down on top of a nearby table; my impact broke it in half and the fire surrounding me continued eating away at my clothes. I quickly rolled around without end, scared that this was going to be the way I was going to lose it all. During my panic attack something had fallen on me and the flames had suddenly died down. I rose to the sight of a fire blanket around me and Hawk standing over me with his hands out.

I tried my best to catch my breath after my moment of fright. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me just yet." He said, helping me to my feet.

Suddenly, another bomb had unexpectedly detonated; the blast of the force was so great that it pushed the lava up from out of the pit; it quickly started to began to flow in our direction. Without a moment wasted, I dived out of the broken bits of wood and Hawk and I made a run for the door. I couldn't help but look back but after I did, I started to wish I hadn't; the lava was rushing like it had somewhere important to be.

"Don't look back. Just keep running."

Members of Evolution were standing on the outside of the door, encouraging us to hurry. At that point the heat was literally eating away at my shoes. To our surprise another blast was triggered and the lava, along with us, was pushed forward into the air by the massive force. We flew out through the temple doors, transitioning into a rough landing onto the decayed grass.

We were both panting heavily; grateful that we had escaped the fiery hell. They closed the doors to the temple, but a little of the lava managed to escape and set fire to the field; it managed to burn down the huts and all the remaining grass surrounding them.

"Are you guys okay?" They asked, as they helped us up.

"I suffered a few burns and it feels like I might have broken a rib or two, but I'll be fine. I'm just glad to finally be out of there."

"Did you find anything?"

I wanted to tell them about all the stuff that we found, and that we had found the missing icon of Evolution, Jack Russell, but I just couldn't find a way to break the bad news to them.

"Just a bunch of symbols and old ancient script; it wasn't worth the loss we had." I replied.

Hawk waved his hand in the air and everyone gathered around us. He let everyone know to acknowledge me. I struggled as I tried standing to my feet.

"As you may already know, we lost a member of the team--Kenny Lancaster. We stumbled into a trap and Kenny ended up being an innocent casualty."

Hawk was shaking, and I could see that he was fighting the urge to cry in front of everyone. At that moment I wasn't as strong as he was; my tears fell as I got ready to give my speech.

"Kenny was a troublemaker...he was constantly causing problems, but he was still a kid regardless of anything; and he didn't deserve to die at such a young age. We managed to carry his body with us and we intend to give him a proper burial.

"David's strong we can't deny that, but in the state he's in right now, I wouldn't say very long before something happens to him, or before he starts to lose control.

"Like Jack?"

"Precisely..."

I handed him back his supplies and patched up my ruined clothes.

"Now what?"

"Now, we got to get off this path. Everyone in the forest might've heard that explosion and we can't risk being here when they show up."

I held my arms out in front of myself and started walking around until I stumbled onto the invisible wall. I reached into my pocket, pulling out the pen Jack had given me. I aimed it at the barrier and removed the cap; instantly, a beam of hot plasma was released and it cut into the barrier, making a passage big enough for everyone to walk through.

"Okay, everyone, let's move out."

It was at that moment, finding David became more important than finishing the exam; returning him to our group was now our top priority. Everyone gathered their supplies and then I led Evolution onward on the new path. The test had just begun and our numbers were already being reduced. Who knows what we're going to run into next along the way. I only hope whatever it is, that we can overcome it.