"Come on, girls. Another few miles to go!" Dominica was leading the run today. During the first few hours of training, they did a circuit, with 2 people doing weights, 2 people doing technique training, and 3 people running for cardio health. Oralie, one of the younger members on the team, moaned as Dominica increased the pace.

"Give us a break, Nica!" She yelled from the back of the pack, still keeping pace and panting heavily. The newcomers always have the hardest time when they've been chosen for a team. Adjusting to the heart-pounding workout that came with being on a top team.

Cosimia dropped her weights for a second, checking her wristband tracker. There were still 8 minutes in this rotation. Her muscles were screaming from the physical exertion but she lifted the weights again and continued to lift them, letting her tired arms drop to her sides as she released.

Cosimia had been thinking much about how to escape the rings, but she couldn't find any weaknesses that the rings could possibly have. The books she had borrowed, while wonderful, weren't giving her anything on how to leave. She could ask the librarian but she didn't want to trust a man who could remember everything, and who could potentially tell someone about her plan.

"I know that face, Cosi. What's on your mind?" Airlia skipped up to her, swinging her weights like they were made of nothing.

"Nothing important." Cosimia set her weights down on the ground and wiped her forehead with a cool towel. Airlia hummed suspiciously but left. She would love to tell her friend about everything but Airlia talked to everyone, whether they wanted to hear her ramble on about Goddess knows what or not. She didn't want to take any chances. Oralie leaned forward, resting her hands on her knees.

"Thank the Goddess that's over." She gasped, slowly trudging to the cool-down station. They had a five-minute break before the next rotation started. Cosimia took her place on the track, shaking her arms and jumping lightly on the ball of her feet. Freda crouched next to her, tying up her black and red hair into a messy bun, stray pieces of black hair poking out from the bun. The rotation started and Cosimia leaped forward, keeping her strides long and her pace fast. The purpose of training rotations was to strengthen your endurance and speed so she had to make sure she was pushing her limits. As she neared the end of one lap, she saw a scrawny, mouselike girl scurrying towards the track, eyes darting back and forth fearfully.

Cosimia veered off the track, slowing her pace as she neared the girl.

"May I help you?"

"U-um, your mother has asked for your presence, Hun-Huntress Nedias, along with all the 10th years." Cosimia unfolded the paper, recognizing her mother's handwriting. She looked at the girl again who was visibly shaking.

"Thank you. You may go." Cosimia hadn't even finished before the girl ran off, clearly relieved to leave. Oralie came up behind her, glaring at Cosimia.

"Well, that wasn't very nice. Did you see how scared the little girl was? You could've at least smiled." Cosimia turned to her and raised an eyebrow, just like Mother did. When she had become Huntress three weeks ago, she had begun practiced Mother's faces, trying to look as intimidating as she did.

"Why are you standing here, talking to me, when you should be over there, bench pressing?" Cosimia pointed to the empty bench press table. Oralie didn't answer and ran back. Cosimia fingered the slip of paper, wondering what could possibly be so important. Usually, her mother handled everything without help. Why would she need all the 10th years?

She pressed the amplify button on her wristband and clapped.

"Shower off, ladies. We have a meeting."

The Minerva Conference Room was probably the biggest room in the whole tower. A large, inviting theater setting, with levels of seating depending on your position in the Elite. The Commandant sits on the first level along with all the 10th years. Solis had been gone since the Trials and gray, murky light streamed through the honeycomb glass. Cosimia took her seat in the middle of her friends, in an elevated seat meant to showcase her authority. Mother smiled at her before scanning the room for empty seats.

"I'm sorry for the short notice, but I have decided to assess this... interesting situation with the opinions and ideas of all the Minerva. Your voices, as much as mine, are valued." She nodded sharply at the stocky, statue-like guard poised at the entrance of the conference room. He jogged out along with a few of the other guards positioned around the room. 

Mere minutes later the guards burst into the room, dragging a limp, stick-thin man behind them. Airlia winced as they dropped the man and watched him fall to the floor in a heap. The Royal Guards were trained to have no mercy, to rid themselves of emotion so they weren't particularly kind to people like this man. Cosimia did have some pity deep down inside for the poor man who had to face the immense scrutiny of the Minerva. The man hacked into his tattered sleeve, a wet and guttural sound. He reminded her of the librarian except this man looked like he was balancing on the thin, almost invisible line between life and death. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin was mottled with scars and marks. When he turned towards Mother, she showed no sign of any feelings. Just looked at him coldly with her piercing, sharp yellow eyes.

"What were you doing in the front of the Minerva Elite Tower?" She demanded and narrowed her eyes as the man fidgeted.

"Trying to get in." His voice was raspy so Cosimia could barely understand what he was saying.

"Why?"

"I needed to give the Commandant information," He grinned at Mother crazily, making him look like a madman. "I'm assuming you are the Commandant?"

"You assumed right," Mother glared at the odd man. "I don't know who you are and I have no intention of knowing. You are going to leave now because my students don't need their heads filled with thoughts that aren't true." Mother sat back in her chair. The man shuffled around to face the Minerva.

"My name is Manai, and I'm a scholar. I've come here to inform you about a great event that could impact Saturnus in a way that could be fatal." The guards stalked forward, grabbing the man's small shoulders roughly.

"Wait!" Cosimia said and stood up. Manai grinned slowly to himself. Mother turned to her, eyebrows furrowed.

"Why do you want to hear this man's theories, Huntress Nedias?"

"Will it hurt to hear what he wants to say?" Cosimia gulped at her mother's prying eyes and stood straight, remembering what Mathias had told her about confidence. Mother conceded, sitting slowly. She crossed her right leg over the other, waving to the guards to leave the man. They threw him forward and resumed their position.

Manai dusted his dirty shirt, legs wobbling.

"You must be Huntress Nedias. Wonderful performance at the Trials, I will say." Cosimia raised her chin, making sure to keep eye contact.

"I kept you from being thrown out so we could hear what you wanted to say. Not to make small talk. I'll give you one more chance, or you will be gone." She pursed her lips and waited, hoping that the decision to keep this crazed man here was a good one. She didn't want Mother and the other Elite to believe that she wasn't right for the position of Huntress.

"A legendary event, known as the Unbalance is going to happen in approximately 2-6 years, Huntress Nedias. It happens every million years and has led to the destruction of many ancient cities. During that time period, all the boundaries protecting all the planets in the cosmos will extinguish for a period of what I'm guessing about 14 hours. During that time anyone or anything can enter of exit the planets with no restrictions. My guess is that one of the planets will invade us because Saturnus is a very sustainable and useful planet. I wouldn't be surprised if they did. So, in context, we are all doomed!" Manai erupted into tiny peals of laughter, keeling over as he laughed uncontrollably. Mother eyed the man suspiciously.

"Get him out of here." In a flash Manai was gone, leaving the room thick with tension and doubt, wondering whether to believe the man or not. What he was saying sounded completely made up. How could they prove that the Unbalance was a real thing if it last happened almost a million years ago? The room buzzed with nervous energy and Cosimia could see an anxious spark in her mother's eyes. Her friends talked in hushed tones, obviously nervous. But Cosimia had a sinking, stomach-tightening feeling that what Manai said wasn't false.

Later that night Cosimia was wide awake, thoughts of the Unbalance plaguing her mind. Even though the Minerva were on the edge after Manai's entrance, Cosimia saw this as an opportunity- a chance to escape. If this really was true then she couldn't treat it as some silly fantasy. The Unbalance could possibly destroy Zorias or even Saturnus. As Huntress, she couldn't let that happen. And if it meant leaving her planet and all she had ever known then so be it.

She knew that the best time to leave would be now but she was coming up empty-handed in all the books she had read. She had to face it-what if there wasn't a way to leave? She had put off that question for a long time but after learning about the Unbalance, Cosimia didn't know what to think.

Mother would say to ignore him, to move on, she thought bitterly. But Cosimia wasn't the type of person that could pick up their life and move on. No matter how much she tried, she couldn't stop thinking about how much confidence Manai spoke with and how much he knew about this. It was clear he had done some research so why shouldn't she believe him?

Cosimia sighed and sat up, looking at her city which was shrouded in darkness. The Minerva were sworn warriors, dedicated to protecting Zorias at all costs. So how could she, or any of the Elite, believe that the Unbalance was false if they had no proof? They had to believe it so they could prepare for whatever destruction it would bring, right? Cosimia let her head fall into her hands. She knew she wouldn't be able to concentrate tomorrow morning if she kept thinking these thoughts, so Cosimia lay back down and forced her eyes close. At least there were a few things she still had control of.