-CHAPTER FIVE-
•Restricted•

After training all morning, the remainder of the day was class work. Like I said before, this isn't your typical school; the classrooms were like no other, and most of them were filled with very unusual things. The elemental classes were very different in appearance but they just liked showing off their creativity. Ms. Pixieflower, the Earth element teacher, has her whole room filled with rocks, vines hanging from the ceiling, blooming flowers, and a waterfall right behind her desk. All her students call her Mother Nature. Other clan teachers were just as creative, some even silly, but when it came to teaching there was no time for fun and games.

All clans are assigned to different areas in the academy called sectors; that's where they did their work. During all hours, no clan is allowed to be in another sector other than their own. Anybody who opposes the rule will be punished severely. The last time someone broke the rules they ended up in the Grand Arena fighting a Cyclops; no one heard from him again.

As you already know, there are six major clans, each set to a certain part of the world. Despite there being six clans, there are seven sectors in the academy: Supernatural, Evolution, Vampire, Shadow, Transformation, Warrior, and Restriction-the clan-less outcasts, also known as mixed breeds. Students who possess immense power and rare abilities never before seen are put in the restricted sector. If you enroll and your powers are rare, you're either put in a sector with the clan closest to matching your abilities, or your put in restriction just to be safe. You would think being a part of Restricted was an honor-the thought of everyone knowing your powerful beyond measure should have been great, but trust me, it's not as nice as you think it might be. All the members of Restriction are hated and looked down upon because of something they had no control over: being born of multiple clans' abilities-they were the ultimate weapons.

During the clan wars, nearly three decades ago, clans were intentionally mating with members of another clan, hoping to mix their powers. This reckless act soon backfired and caused more damage than they may have intended. But there was more to it than just mating; a pair of ruthless vigilante's found out a way to transfer powers through a special ritual. So, as a way of putting a stop to the dangerous breeding, a law was passed and signed by the Councils of each clan, stating that neither clan shall mix their bloodline with another clan other than their own. As time passed ways of spotting a mixed breed became easier. After the ritual the person is marked with a strange mark that looks like it had been burned into their skin-an eagle with red wings. If anyone were to break law, the penalty is death; for them and their family.

****

The time winded down and the sequence of the countdown continued. James made his way down the Hall of Valor. He stopped at the seven gates that led to each of the sectors; each gate was engraved with a special symbol that represented their power:

o Supernatural: An eye that followed your movement

o Evolution: A brain, which glows when it senses an Evolution member

o Vampire: Bloody fangs that secrete blood overtime-a massive burden on the maintenance crew.

o Shadow: A hologram that faded in and out

o Transformation: A wolf howling at a full moon

o Warrior: A fiery skull and crossbones

o Restriction: The red-winged eagle that was also burned into their skin

James took his turn through the eyeball gate and teleported to the Supernatural sector. The halls were swarming with other students racing to class. James made his way to his first class: Possession101 is what the golden plaque read. He gave a little sigh and walked inside. The room looked twice as big on the inside, you would the complete opposite if you saw it from the outside.

"Everyone take a seat," said Ms. Nightgem.

Ms. Nightgem is your typical all-around fun, loving teacher. She's average height with curly black hair, glasses; she always wears a necklace with an orange gem attached to it. She was always nice until you gave her a reason not to be.

Everyone settled into their seats, screaming and hollering in the process.

She took off her glasses and yelled, "Quiet down!"

The class got silent immediately.

"Thank you. As you've already been informed, the test is right around the corner, so I've decided to teach you guys a more advanced form of possession that I've developed myself."

The class raged on with excitement. James sat at the back of the class to avoid being seen by the teacher; she would always choose him for a demonstration to help explain how to do something. You would think he was her assistant from the all times she's called him down to the front.

"I'm going to need a volunteer." She scanned the room; everyone turned around as if they already knew who she was looking for-which they obviously did.

"Ah, James Nightfury, would you like to volunteer?"

"Not like I have a choice." He mumbled.

He rose from his desk and walked towards the front. Everyone watched him as he passed by; some were happy with his presence and others looked as if they were trying to kill him with their eyes (which they could do). He made it down the short flight of stairs and stood next to Ms. Nightgem.

"Thank you for volunteering." She turned towards the class with a big smile on her face.

"Now, the first step to this trick is to find who you want to possess. Anyone would be fine, but the best choice would be to pick someone who would benefit you the most. So take James for instance he's highly skilled, fast, and intelligent; he's someone I would enjoy possessing."

James started to feel uneasy. It seemed as if Ms. Nightgem was giving the class advice to take over his body.

"Does anyone know when a person is truly dead?"

A red-haired kid raised his hand and said, "When their heart stops beating?"

She shook her head, sincerely. James mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that, Mr. Nightfury?"

He spoke up. "When you lose your mind, body, and soul."

She clapped and patted him gently on his back. "Good answer, James. I'm glad we're on the same page, because that's exactly what this demonstration is about."

James' eyes widened. "You're going to kill me for a demonstration?!"

"Only for a second, silly." She giggled.

James stepped back, refusing to do as she asked.

"No?" Ms. Nightgem said. "I guess I have to do it by force."

Half of the class was afraid of what might happen and others scooted up for a better view. James and Ms. Nightgem locked eyes.

"Make you're move, James," she said, with an evil tone. James backed away into a wall and Ms. Nightgem rushed over to him. She focused deeply on his eyes as if she could see through them. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head; veins covered the white surface.

"Give me you're soul!"

Her eyes left James paralyzed; his eyes rolled back and he fell to the floor. The students were startled and Ms. Nightgem was enjoying every second of it. She laughed and an evil grin sat upon her face. Suddenly, that all came to a stop. She started shaking uncontrollably and her veins were popping out of her neck.

"What's happening to me?" She screamed.

A voice deeper than hers spoke.

"You're not taking my soul!"

"James? How did you-I possessed you." She ran into her desk, knocking everything onto the floor.

"I'm highly skilled, remember."

Ms. Nightgem struggled in the fight to keep control of her body. The whole class stood on their feet. Ms.Nightgem fell to the door and a dark aura leaked from her necklace; the fumes entered through James' nose. His eyes shot open and he stood back up.

"Did you kill her?" Someone asked.

"Just for a second." James said with a grin. He rolled his eyes back to where they belong and his hazel eyes returned. He touched the orange gem that hung around his teacher's neck and the dark aura flowed from his fingertips back into the gem.

Its orange shade shined bright and Ms. Nightgem woke up, gripping her necklace; she desperately gasped for air.

"You!" Ms. Nightgem yelled as she struggled to stand. "Take a seat. Now!" Her voice was shaky like she was about to cry.

"I'll stand." James had anger in his voice.

She grabbed her phone off of her desk and dialed. The dial tone must have been too loud for her ears because she jumped each time she mashed a number.

"Hello, Ronald; I'm sending a student to you." She was sweating hard and she was shaking so bad that she could barely hold the phone up to her ear.

"I-I can't explain what happened." She shot a quick glance at James then averted her eyes.

"Yes, sir." She hung the phone up and pointed towards the door. "Leave my class, now!"

James left the room silent as he walked out. This wasn't the first time a teacher had sent him to the principal's office, but that didn't make it any easier each time he visited. He passed through the portal leading to the Supernatural gate and spotted two students standing in the Hall of Valor. One of them recognized him and quickly rushed over.

"Hey." The boy said, as he signaled for his friend to come over. "We saw you fighting in the armory this morning; you're really good."

"Thanks."

"Don't mind me asking, but is something bothering you?"

"Is it really that noticeable?"

"Yeah, kind of."

"I've just got a lot on my mind."

"I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe we can help you."

James sighed. "I don't see how you're going to do that."

"You'll see." The boy stuck out his hand and told James to grab it.

"What are you going to do?"

The boy smiled. "You can trust us."

James was cautious as he took his hand; an image popped inside his head and James and the two people were standing in a completely different place.

"Where are we?" James said.

"You tell me; it is you're memory after all."

"My memory?"

They were standing on top of a hill standing in a field of sunflower; the wind gently hitting their face as they gazed at the sunset. There was a man and two boys; Principle Ronald, James and William. They were young, enjoying the day with no worries, and no problems just living it up with all their hearts content.

"How did you-?"

The boy grabbed the girls hand and pulled her closer.

"I possess Retrocognition-the power to see the past, and she possess' Precognition-the power to see the future. I'm Argo and her name is Julia."

"Nice to meet you." James noticed that she wasn't speaking.

Is she, you know?"

"Oh no, she can talk she's just gets a little shy around new people sometimes; she'll open up a little more eventually; she just has to warm up to you first."

She waved a little and then hid her face in her rainbow blanket.

"I'll take your word for it." James examined everything around them. "This is really cool; what clan are you guys from. I've never seen anyone with the power of time-travel before."

Argo frowned. "We actually don't have a clan."

James stood confused. He took a look at them and noticed their arms; they were marked with the red-winged eagle.

"So, you two are-?"

"Yes, we're Restricted, or mixed breeds; that's what everyone seems to be calling us lately."

James felt bad. They were young, too young to even know what happened all those years ago-the reason they are treated so differently.

"I could talk to Principle Ronald and see if you guys could get transferred. For all we know, you guys could be Supernatural."

"That's very nice of you. We actually just came from his office; we weren't sure about this test at first, but we want this to be our last year."

"Wait, you two signed up for the exam?"

"We're going to give it a shot. It's our only way out it seems."

James let go of his hand and they returned to the present.

"I can help you guys get of out of here."

"Really, you'd do that?"

Julia tugged at his shirt.

"Wait, what about the rest of our sector; what will happen to them?"

"The exams are tough from what I've seen, but if they're willing to take the risk I'll try my best to make sure you guys make it out safely."

Julia looked back up at James and gave him a hug.

"Thank you," she said, pushing back tears of joy.

The sound of static amped and Janice the morning announcer spoke.

"James Nightfury, you are needed in the office. James Nightfury."

James sighed.

"Must be urgent. What did you do?"

"I killed my teacher."

"Oh. Uh...well we'll let you go. I guess we'll be seeing you soon."

"Yeah. See you guys later."

James watched them as they passed through to the restricted sector, thinking about how he was going to help them all. With that thought on his mind, he continued to the principal's office. It was a long walk, but he finally arrived.

He knocked two times, and with a deep voice Ronald said, "Come in."

James entered the room and sat in a cushioned chair. Principal Ronald sat in his chair, facing the window, looking down at the courtyard.

"Why were you sent to my office, James?"

He hesitated. "Ms. Nightgem tried to kill me and take my soul; all I did was stop her and returned the favor."

"You killed her," he said, sounding a little impressed.

"Don't worry. I gave her back her soul."

"That's not what's bothering me. I was told this was the first time Ms. Nightgem had taught you guys how to take souls during possession."

"Yes, sir."

"And when she was trying to take over you're body, what did you mean when you said you stopped it?"

James remained silent. Ronald quickly spun around in his chair and slammed his hand on the desk.

"Explain!"

James looked away.

"I don't know. I just broke the link somehow."

"Do you understand what you have done; no one has ever broken Ms. Nightgem's possession link. Her eyes are truly remarkable. They're even greater than mine; they're her legacy."

His voice was low and he sounded worried.

"James, you're one of gifted academies brightest students; you're a good kid and you're beyond gifted-I can vouch for that, but you've got to learn how to contain all that power or else you're going to draw a lot of unwanted attention. That's the last thing you want before an exam."

"I understand. I'll try my best, sir."

Ronald nodded. "I'm impressed by how much you and William have grown over the years. I have no regrets for letting you two enroll; you both have been a fine addition to the academy, I'm not sure how much longer I have here."

"Wait, you're leaving?"

"It seems I might have to. A few complications have arisen."

"You don't have to leave; I can help you with whatever it is, sir. Just let me know what's going on."

"Believe me, having you at my side would be great, but unfortunately, this is something I have to do alone. I can't risk getting you or your brother involved in something like this."

"You can't just leave though. Who's going to watch over everyone?"

"Crowley is next in line to take my position; he may be the only one who can serve as my replacement." But...I do have someone else in mind if they want the position."

Ronald looked James right in the eye.

"Only one person truly deserves this honor."

"What are you saying? You think I'm the right person for this?"

"Only time will tell."

"But-."

The bell suddenly rang, meaning it was time to change classes.

"You should get to class." Ronald said, adjusting a pile of paperwork.

"Right." James rose from his chair and headed towards the exit.

"Oh, James, one more thing."

"Sir?"

"Try not to kill you're next teacher, will you?"

James gave a little grin, then hid it behind a mask of curiosity. He nodded and opened the door; Crowley stood in the doorway with Jennifer by his side. She looked upset and exhausted, and she had a small bruise upon her cheek.

"Hey." James said.

She looked away like she didn't recognize who he was.

"Shouldn't you be heading to class, troublemaker?" Crowley said, with a harsh tone.

They entered the room and Jennifer whispered, "I'm sorry," as she passed James. The sound of her tired voice bothered James. He watched them sit, and then closed the door behind him, as he walked out.

James rushed back to the Hall of Valor with Jennifer on his mind. A few minutes later, he arrived at his next class.

Summoning101: "Where you're greatest fears and allies come to life", was posted on the door. James entered and a black tiger tackled him, knocking him onto the rough carpet; it growled loudly and showed its big vicious teeth.

"Cocoa, down." Mr. Athos said.

The tiger growled one last time and returned to its master.

"Why are you late, James?"

James brushed himself off as he stood back to his feet.

"I'm sure Ms. Nightgem already told you all about it."

Mr. Athos walked next to James and whispered in his ear.

"I am fully aware of what happened in her class. I wouldn't want to have a repeat of that incident. As you clearly saw, Cocoa is very hungry and we wouldn't want you to end up being her next meal, would we?"

James smacked his lips. He tried his best to hold in any smart remarks that might lead to another classroom disruption.

"No, sir."

"Good. Now, if you don't mind, take a seat."

Despite being extremely frustrated, James sat and joined the rest of the class.

Mr. Athos--the teacher that was more popular with the girls than most of the younger guys. He dressed, and even acted like a teenager. He had dark blonde hair and a small beard. He was both the strictest and the most immature teacher Gifted Academy has ever had. Not sure how you can be master both of those two things at the same time, but he made it look like child's play. Every day of the week you could spot him wearing some kind of plaid shirt with a tie and skinny jeans. His immaturity was a big concern, but say what you want, he was the best at what he did; he had a way with beasts-a true beast-master.

"Like any other day, I'm going to be teaching you more about summoning." Athos said, adjusting his tie.

"I need three students to come to the front and summon anything you want, as long as it fits in this room. We don't want another accident like last week do we, Thomas?"

A boy in the corner of the room buried his head in his hat as nearby students laughed.

"Enough. Where are my volunteers?"

Everyone was anxious to be called on. The same red-haired kid from Ms. Nightgem's class raised his hand and rushed to the front.

"Ah, my step-son, Xavier."

"Nobody cares, and I already told you I don't use that name," he replied, with a temper.

"Well it beats being called Mcduff."

"That's my last name and that's what I go by." He said, growing even more irritated.

"Sure, kid. I need two more people."

A shaky hand made its way into the air.

"What a surprise. Vanessa come on down."

A shy girl with glasses and joined Mcduff in the front.

"I need one more." He paced back and forth for a moment; as expected he stopped at James' desk.

"Since you're so full of energy today, how about you show the class one of your many talents."

James looked around at everyone staring down at him.

"Maybe someone else should give it a try."

Athos chuckled. "That's funny because it wasn't a request. Get up."

James rose from his desk and slowly walked over to the other volunteers; the tiger growled louder, the closer he got.

Athos handed each of the volunteers a knife. "Now, summon your beasts."

The other two students went first. They pricked their finger with the knife. The blood trickled down their fingers and into the palm of their hands. The Supernatural symbol embedded within illuminated and began to burn through their skin; they quickly slammed their hands down onto the floor.

"Summon!"

Their hands acted as a branding iron used on livestock, leaving a fiery symbol in the carpet. The fire rose and their beasts were created from the lingering flames. A bear with golden eyes, and black and silver fur stood next to Vanessa, and a gargoyle, flapping its wings, hovered next to Mcduff; nothing but dead space surrounded James.

"Today, Nightfury."

Without a care, James carelessly threw down his hand. His fire blazed and his creature appeared.

The room stood silent for a second.

"What the hell is that, James?"

James looked down and spotted the dead rat, laid out on the carpet, next to his feet. Everybody pointed and laughed at his unpleasant failure.

"I'm very disappointed in your performance, especially since people refer to you as one of the most skilled Supernatural students." Athos joked. "I'm not impressed at all, kid."

"May I take a seat?" James asked, as he kicked the dead rat away.

"Sure. It's the least I can do for you since you just embarrassed yourself."

James crossed his arms as he took his seat. Their laughter didn't bother him; he knew what he was capable of doing.

"Now that that's over with we can continue."

Athos examined the ferocious bear and the gargoyle and clapped sincerely.

"Impressive. They'll work perfectly."

Athos picked up the dead rat off the floor and tossed it to Cocoa; she swallowed it whole and showed off her big teeth afterwards.

"Now, listen closely; I want you two to create a beast link between you and your beasts. I'm sure Ms. Nightgem has already taught you guys something very similar-I'm referring to the spirit link, which allows you to speak and "trade places" with lingering spirits."

The entire class had their full attention on his lecture. Not one student dared to break focus.

"The beast is used a different way but it has the exact same concept; the only difference is, is that the beast link can only be used on a compatible beast; preferably the beast you obtained at the Choosing of the Beast Ceremony."

****

The Choosing of the Beast Ceremony, or CBC for short, is a one-time event only hosted for the Supernatural students. It's a tradition each year for new students to find a beast that they are compatible with in every way-physically, mentally, and spiritually linked with. The name of the event may lead you to believe that the students get to pick whatever beast they may desire, but actually the beasts are the ones who are pressured with the decision of picking their life-long companion.

****

"Once you have your compatible beast I want you to visualize yourself as the beast, looking down at yourself."

Vanessa and Mcduff faced their beasts, staring deeply into each other's eyes. They focused all their power into their hands and touched their beast; they experienced a quick jolt and both beats swapped eyes with their companion.

"Nicely done," said Athos. "Go on; try out your new bodies."

Vanessa played with her new claws and struck at the air ferociously, Mcduff flapped his wings as he flew around the entire room above everyone's heads. Their beasts watched from their new humanly vessels, as their masters went wild.

"Okay, you two. Return to your bodies."

They returned to their beasts and switched back to their original bodies.

"That was fun." They said.

They're legs suddenly gave out and Athos caught them both just before they hit the floor.

"There's one more thing I forgot to mention-the side effects of using the beast link. Summoning is the most dangerous ability we possess, no doubt it, but the beast link makes it even more dangerous; it puts a lot of strain on your original body, making you exhausted faster the longer you use it."

"Then why even consider this a helpful lesson if just using it could kill you?" Someone asked.

"Nobody likes a smartass, Thomas. Like I was saying, before I was rudely interrupted, with practice you can learn to control how much strain is put on your body."

Vanessa raised her hand.

"Yes, Vanessa."

"What if we're killed while we're inside our beasts?"

Athos looked toward a framed pictures on his desk. He knew the issue would be brought up.

"You won't return to your body and your beast will fuse with it, causing it to turn into a crazed monster."

The picture showed him and his twin brother before a tragic accident decades ago. The monster, alone, went on a rampage during one of the first exams ever created; it killed an entire group of students, and nearly destroyed the academy. If it wasn't for Ronald and the ultimate sacrifice Athos made, Gifted Academy and most of its students and staff wouldn't be here today.

"Well, I think that's it for today." Athos stood there rubbing his eyes; because of the empathy link they shared, Cocoa felt his sadness and she rubbed her head against his leg, trying to comfort him.

"This may be the last time I see some of you but I wish you guys luck in the exam; make the Supernatural clan look good."

The bell rang and everyone made way to the door. They had smiles on their face despite knowing that at any moment their gifts would bring nothing but chaos to others around them. Some people believe power is the key to order; a way to make a difference, but that wasn't the case in this situation. The Supernatural clan, one of the most feared and acknowledged clans in Veritas, also bared the greatest burden that no other have ever experienced.

Can they beat their cursed fate, or will they fall prey to the darkness?