"So do Mark and Jac have something going on?" I ask Brent as we both sit at the breakfast joint the next morning.

"No, but he seems to think so." He snorts, "Even after massively failing to make her jealous last night."

"What do you mean?"

"When he took the floor with you," he takes a huge bite off his turkey sandwich as he continues, "He was trying to make Jac jealous."

"What?" I yell in disbelief, knocking my smoothie over Brent's plate in the process. I hastily regain my composure and apologize.

"Uh...it's alright," Brent tries to rinse out his sandwich before suddenly looking up at me, "Did you think he likes you or something?"

"No," I answer quickly, my face flushing, "Not at all."

So Mark was using me. That's what the bastard was 'sorry' for.

Interrupting my fuming thoughts, a public announcement blares out throughout the whole of Elysium.

"Rachael Hills to report to the Headquarters NOW."

I freeze till the announcement blares out again confirming what I just heard. Brent and a few other Recruits glance over at me. I get up and start walking over to the Headquarters as fast as I can, whilst my heart thuds against my chest. Whatever could they want from me?

A man in a suit escorts me up to an office on the highest floor of the Headquarters. A middle aged woman in a tight white suit and a few other Helpers were sitting around a desk.

"Rachael Hills?" She asks in a low, sophisticated tone.

"Y-yes."

She takes in a deep breath. "You have been brought here to be notified about a grave issue. Your body hasn't been found."

"What?" I ask, confused.

"You see, when you die, we bring your soul into the Elysium -  which is visible to the other souls in the form of your body itself; but your mortal body rots back in the real world. But surprisingly in your case, your soul never left your body. Your soul has been brought into The Elysium along with your mortal body, which thus was never found in the mortal realm. The humans have declared you 'missing'.

"Are you saying I'm," I gulp, "not dead?"

"Technically. You can only die when your soul escapes the body. Your soul shares a strong affinity with your body. Our Revivers brought you into the Elysium before it could quite leave the body."

"Well, how about zapping me back to life then?"

"We can revive you from life, but can't send you back into it," she answers coldly, keeping her beady eyes fixed on mine, "You will be under strict supervision, Rachael. We have never had a live Recruit before. It might affect your Elysian powers and abilities. For all we know, you could be a threat to us."

She glances down at the watch on her wrist, "Right. You may leave for your training now."

I nod and hastily make my way out, still trying to make sense of the situation.

Okay, so my soul is still in my body. I am not dead. I have life within me. Could I really be a threat to the Elysians?

I enter my private training joint which is a big white padded room with a metal table in the centre. I take my seat in a high cushioned seat a few feet before the table. Yvette, my trainer, was waiting for me in her leaning chair, feet propped up on the table. She cocks her head towards me, "You're late."

She's probably in her late twenties, with short pink hair and a brow piercing.

"Sorry," I reply, "Got stuck at the Headquarters."

"I heard. You're not dead." She smirks, putting her feet down and sitting up.

I raise my eyebrows at her. "How did you – ?"

"Oh, you're a pretty big deal up in the Headquarters," she cuts me off, "Anywho. Did you practise using your power?"

I nod, "But I didn't make any progress."

"Here's today's task." She points to a lone red apple resting squarely in the centre of the table, "Move it with your mind."

I stare at it with all my might. Nothing happens. I sigh and turn to Yvette.

"It's not working."

"Just wanting to make it move isn't enough, kid. You have to tell it to move. You have to focus all your concentration on it, get under its skin and force it to move. You have to communicate with the object."

How do I communicate with an apple? This is ridiculous.

After a few minutes of vain trial, Yvette gets up.

"Alrighty," she says, "You need a simulation to warm your mind up."

"A what?"

She puts a strap on my arm and joins a padded wire from a huge machine to my forehead.

"This will create a virtual reality in your mind," she says, "Good luck."

She presses something on the machine and I feel my senses dim to black. As I jerk my eyes open, I realise I'm no longer in the training room but in a park. Warm sunlight peaks through the birch leaves and birds are chirping somewhere. Little kids are playing around. Suddenly I realise I have something held in my grip. A gun. I calm myself down, reminding myself that it is all up in my head.

I start walking through the park. I remember this place. It's where Rowan and I first met.

A smile spreads unknowingly across my lips until I come across something that makes me freeze in my tracks. My insides make a sudden flip.

On a bench right in front of me, are Rowan and Andrea - making out passionately; oblivious of my presence. Watching the two people I love most in this world betray me sends waves of angst down my spine.

"It's not real," I chant to myself, but as I turn, all I see are several pairs of Rowan and Andrea kissing. They are everywhere – on the benches, under the trees, on the warm grass, on the swings. I watch their lips work fast, smooth and sloppily over one another. I see the affection with which they hold each other and the pure pleasure on their faces as they kiss each other. 

I feel the sharp pangs of pain in my gut intensify. 

My hold on the gun tightens and I feel like crying. I turn away, but find myself face to face with Rowan and Andrea, hands around each other.

Rowan smirks at me.

"You really believed I loved you, didn't you Rachael?" he says, "Andrea was the one I always wanted. She was so much more beautiful and smarter than you. Sadly, you never took the hint even after months of dating."

"Truth is, we are better off without you," Andrea says, tightening her grasp around Rowan's waist and leaning on his shoulder, "Always knew we would be. You were a pain for everyone around you. Momma and Dad didn't want you either. We wanted you gone from our lives, Rachael. Forever."

"Shut up!" I scream at her.

"Who in their right mind would even want to be around you?" Rowan says, his chocolate brown eyes looking down at me with disgust, "You're stupid, weak and ugly. I only stuck around because I pitied you."

"But now," Andrea flashes a wide smile, "With you gone, we can actually breathe."

She looks up at Rowan and he grabs her waist affectionately before pulling her into a kiss.

"No, no, no, stop!" I yell and throw the gun at them with all my might.

Just before it hits them, I open my eyes to find myself back in the room with Yvette. I was perspiring and my heart was hammering against my chest. I look at the table and see the apple tilt and quietly fall to one side. My breathing slowly comes down to normal.

I'm astonished at my own self. I couldn't believe I threw the gun at Rowan and Andrea. I know they were betraying me, but I could never imagine hurting them.

I step out of training with my mind whirling in fear and confusion. Am I really turning into one of these Elysians?

I approach Mark in the club that night and ask him to take me out. I'll probably feel better if I'm out there in the world. When I see Andrea in front of my eyes I'll know that she is the sister I've always loved and the simulation meant nothing.

Late that night, after escaping out of the Elysium, I sit in Mark's car as he drives me to my house. As we reach, I tell him to wait for me and rush upstairs into Andrea's room. I flop down by her bed and heave out a sigh. She was sleeping peacefully, curled up in the sheets. After the racing thoughts in my mind have calmed down, I slowly get up.

Just as I'm about to leave, I notice a figure lying by Andrea on her bed. I walk closer.

It was the figure of a boy, the sheets reaching up to only half of his bare chest. 

Those toned arms. The messy flop of sandy hair. The freckles covering his face.

Rowan.

**A/N**

Thoughts on this chapter? Tell me in the comments! ♥

Just wanted to tell you guys - the giant catastrophe called 'my exams' are here, so updates might be a little slow.

Thank you so much for reading!

Love y'all!♥

~Mandy.