It all happened in an instant.

Manroe threw a dagger and it hit Miss Gen, then next thing I knew a force had thrown me against the wall.

I felt the force of the impact as pain travelled across my back and shoulder. I landed on the floor, feeling my muscles ache and hearing the groans of the other girls nearby.

I could see Miss Gen kneeling while clutching her stomach a few metres away from me, her breathing was laboured and her posture slouched.

Manroe grinned wickedly at her, "I suggest you go get that checked soon, there was poison in that dagger," he said as his features became distorted and unfocused.

We watched in fear as Manroe dissolved and before us stood what looked like a man, he had yellow hair, steely grey eyes and pale skin. He watched us with a smirk as the color drained from Miss Gens face.

"How did you get here, Colia?" Miss Gen was shaking in rage, but started coughing violently after that outburst.

His smirk only grew in size, "Now, now, do you really want to die a quick death?" he taunted.

From the corner of my eye I saw something move.

In an instant, the Colia had wrapped his hands around Jessica who was stealthy trying to reach for her weapons. She was thrown past me and landed painfully on top of a table, her groans of pain resounded throughout the room.

He was in front of us again in a split second. "The Ocrians and Ocans arent the only ones known for speed," he smiled with triumph.

"I'd suggest that no one tries to reach for their weapons," he warned, his eyes skimming through everyone and finally landing on me.

He raised his eyebrow in bewilderment but looked away before I could understand the meaning behind it.

"How did you get in?" Miss Gen demanded, only to cough violently after.

He gave a hearty laugh and looked at her pitifully, "You really should be saving your strength, unless you want to meet death that bad. After all, I'm a shape-shifter, getting into this building isn't that difficult of a task. You humans are feeble creatures after all."

He laughed even harder, "To think you had even considered taking us by suprise, only to have the tables turned on you."

His words caused her to get up in anger only to fall down under her own weight, her body immediately convulsing.

He grinned watching her wither on the floor and then his attention focused on us.

"How about we play a game?" He suggested, none of us responded and so he continued.

"You see, my kind has apprehended the entire place with the help of the Dés, but were not cold creatures so well allow you to try and save your leaders along with the one we found with injuries." My blood ran cold when I thought that they had Jade in their clutches.

"Obviously, we wont make it easy for you and you'll be fighting against either one of us, let's see who you will be able to save." He said, vanishing into thin air.

My body moved before I could even think, and I sprinted towards the healing quarters, but I didnt make it far as something collided with my body.

"Don't act rash Cecile, we need a plan of action to save everyone," Sylvia spoke with urgency.

"We dont have time to wait, she's injured. We need to save her!" I yelled.

"So is Miss Gen and Mr. Manroe could be too, but we can't just blindly rush without thinking of a plan. She's my best friend and every part of me is screaming to just run down and save her.

But if I do that, it might only lead to unnecessary causalities. We need to be smart about this, and as the leader I have to make the decision of putting my feelings aside and thinking things through." Her body shook and I could see it was killing her inside but I was impulsive and pushed her off.

"Cecile!" she yelled, chasing after me, and I could hear Aria not far behind.

There was a loud crash behind me, dust and debris flew around me. I coughed a little and squinted my eyes to see with my guard up but what I saw caused all the blood in my veins to run cold.

A Dés had its tail embedded in Aria's chest. My heart rate accelerated and my head started pounding.

Aria coughed weakly and I watched with fear as blood poured out from her chest and mouth.

The Dés smiled wickedly and removed its tail from her chest, she fell limply to the ground and the creatures tail morphed into legs.

My head was spinning and my ears were ringing, I couldn't fathom that my best friend, whom I'd spent majority of my life with, was laying still before me and Sylvia was knocked out a few inches away from her.

I should've listened.

Had I not been impulsive everyone would have been alright, but now they're hurt. My body acted before I could comprehend or decipher my actions. I let out an ear splitting scream, my mind going blank.

The Dés seemed to freeze up in fear, with tremendous speed I was in front of the creature.

I grabbed it by the throat and started squeezing, easily lifting it off the floor. It hissed distastefully and swung its now morphed tail at me but I grabbed it with my other hand and tore it off its body.

The creature let out a cry of pain and I said my final words to it, watching as fear filled its yellow eyes.

"Exafanízomai," with that one statement the creature before me turned to nothing. I was surprised at the occurrence but I didn't have time to comprehend what happened due to the worry that edged my heart over my two friends.

I took one step towards them but I felt my body immediately lose all its strength and collapse on the floor.

My vision faded in and out but I refused to fall to darkness. I crawled until I was able to reach Sylvia and Aria. Aria was the worst of all, I immediately tore some fabric off my gear, grateful that it seemed she was still alive and that the wound was not directly where her heart should be.

With adrenaline pumping through me, I dragged both girls and myself through the halls, hiding anytime danger was apparent.

I reached the healing quarters, only to be filled with even more dread. Torn furniture, broken items and blood spluttered all over was what greeted me.

The stress and fear had finally taken a toll on me and with the adrenaline gone, I fell while still holding both girls and succumbed to the call of darkness.

A figure with kind beautiful orange eyes stared down at me. She was by far the most extraordinary woman I had ever seen. Her skin shone just like pearls her long pale blue hair blew with the gentle wind and her lean, delicate face shone from her inner beauty.

She seemed to shine from within, like a candle had been lit inside her. I was laying on her lap as she just stared, lost in her mind for a brief moment.

I gazed around me and realized I was in the forest, I immediately tried to get up but she held me down as my body cried out from that slight movement.

"I am trying to heal you child. Please try to relax," her words soothed me, as her fingers delicately touched all my bruises and anywhere I felt pain. I could feel my strength coming back to me.

"W-why are you helping me? I'm sure you know that I am among those who have attacked this place," I asked as she put me in a seated position, gliding her hands from my shoulder to back, healing the last area of pain.

She turned me around and I was now face to face with her overwhelming beauty. "Because the forest chose you my dear. It does not see you as a threat and I can see it in your heart that you are kind." She said smiling.

I shook my head, tears threatening to spill forth when I imagined my friends and everyone's state of wellbeing, "The forest made a mistake. It chose someone completely useless," I voiced my opinion.

She let out an adorable laugh and looked at me cheerfully, "Nonsense child, the forest knows all." She got up and pulled me up with her.

"I healed your two friends before you, they should be fine and back in their bodies now." Words cannot describe the immense joy that bubbled up within me upon hearing those words.

The tears I was so desperately trying to keep in check finally spilled out, "Thank you s-so much," I cried out, the tears gushing out like a floodgate.

She pulled me into her arms as I cried even more, "I can see you have been through stressful times my dear and I know that it will be even more difficult to make a decision moving forward, but I know that you will make it to the right choice," her words of wisdom caused a prickle in my heart.

"I feel it would be easier if you would just tell me which path to take," I laughed sadly through the tears. She pulled away from me and gave me a sad smile, "Unfortunately I cannot do that, the choice is yours to make."

I laughed bitterly, "I had a feeling you'd say that."

"Trust your instinct. The answer is within you." She smiled knowingly, "Now you must be heading back, I was able to heal you by detaching your inner being from your body, since I have healed you once you enter into your vessel, the pain and wounds will disappear," she explained.

I couldn't thank her enough but there was one thing I wanted to know before leaving, "What are you?" I asked softly.

She smiled widely at me, "I am a Cruaz," the name registered in my mind and I looked at her in confusion.

Nevertheless, I returned the smile and turned away feeling my inner self slowly live this place.

Had I the courage to turn back, I would've seen the tears that were flowing from the beautiful lady as she stared at me affectionately.

My eyes snapped open and I took a large breath as if I had stopped breathing. I started coughing from the amount of air I had inhaled, but I did not miss the looks of relief that came over Aria, Sylvia and all the other leaders.

Aria immediately latched onto me, her body shaking as tears spilled forth, "Don't ever scare me like that." I hugged her back just as tightly, "like you are one to talk," I countered, as tears of my own escaped.

"I am so sorry for my foolishness," I said looking at Sylvia and all the other girls, "I got you guys nearly killed," I sobbed even more as the girls crowded around me.

"What matters now is that you all are alive," Rachael looked at me in understanding, Jessica nodded her head and gave my hand a squeeze, "The safety of you guys matters, just use this experience as a lesson and learn from your mistakes," she assured.

I seemed to be getting a lot of guidance and words of wisdom lately.

"Hearing how you struggled to get us to the healing chambers after we lost consciousness, I'd say you really did learn from your mistakes." Sylvia gave a small smile.

"I am terribly sorry." I apologized yet again for my actions.

"Don't worry about it, the battle was fierce but we got the elemental of the Dés atleast," Aria smiled.

I tried to act happy, but with my emotions and mind still puzzled about everything, it was hard but thankfully no one noticed.

We were all talking about the recent invasion and I was glad to hear that Miss Gen was given treatment and she was resting along with the subordinates and Manroe.

I gave a sigh of relief upon hearing this, "Then I guess I'll go check up on Jade after this," I said with a laugh, but everyone around me tensed up.

I could see Sylvia hug her body tightly and everyone else not daring to look me in the eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked apprehensively, sensing the change in everyone's demeanour.

"Can someone please tell me why you're all acting like this?" I asked as my breathing getting laboured.

"Cecile," Aria called my name, causing me to look at her with urgency, but my heart was not ready to hear the words that came out of her mouth.

"Jade is gone."

××××××××××××××××

Yes, believe it two updates in one day:)

As I said I'll be working hard during this break to get this book close to the end.

Looking forward to reading your comments on it;).

Until next time my warriors.

Mercy💜