Aira

Seeing my parents..it changed me.

Well, no. This whole test has changed me. I feel like I'm back to normal. In my parents arms, knowing that this is going to be okay.

"Are we going home?" I ask.

"Honey, you need to stay here. To help. You're one of the idols," my father says.

"You're going to be okay?" I ask.

"Just fine." My mother smiles.

I'm upset I won't be leaving, but it's what I expected. I can't just go back home. Plus, my parents are alive. I didn't know where they were and if I would ever be able to see them again.

I look over at Lana, who's holding her brothers hand while talking to her parents. Juris is talking to his older brother, and they all laugh. I look at Paytah.

"Hold on." I tell my parents. I walk over to Paytah, who's sitting down on the bench. He's leaning against the wall, crossing his arms, eyes fixed ahead.

"Hey." I say.

"Hey." He says.

"You can tell me." I blurt out. Paytah looks me right in the eyes, and sighs a little.

"I had a foster family, but," Paytah sits up, twiddling his thumbs. "they gave me up. I mean, who wants a murderer as a son."

"Don't say that." I say, but I feel numb. We are murderers.

"I get it, though." He says, nodding like he's trying to convince himself that it's true. I've never seen him so-desperate. He's trying to tell himself that it's okay, but it's really not.

"That's not okay. They are your family-"

"Well, they aren't." Paytah says.

"Will you tell me what happened to your real family?" I ask. His noise twitches, but he nods slightly.

"I had a family. They could still be alive. But I wouldn't know."

"Where are they?" I ask.

"With the other water elements."

I freeze, not quite getting it at first. Why would his parents be there? But then it clicks. I've heard stuff about transfer kids. They have it rough, with their families giving them away and never quite having a home, never feeling like they belong in their true element.

Paytah was supposed to be the water element.

"How did-"

"I was four," Paytah says. "My parents just, I don't know, didn't care."

"That.." I don't know what to say. "It-"

"Sucks. But I was young, got over it." He says casually. He glances over at my parents. "I'm gonna be seeing you for a long time, go spend some time with your parents." He says, forcing a smile.

I force one back.

"If you want to talk, feel free to rage to me," I say, and he smiles, for real.

    I talk to my parents for a bit, but it turns out we have to go through some more stuff again. Our family is staying in rooms here, to keep them safe. But we can't see them much.

The others and I follow Hanson to another room, one with a woman already waiting in it with guards. She's...muscular. Her dark hair looks choppy, her arms twice the muscle as mine.

"Guys, this is General Gale, the main leader in this army we are making. Two of you will be working physical, two of you in the lab working mentally. Gale will choose who's she wan-"

"You." Gale points to Paytah right away, which doesn't surprise me. "And you." She points at Lana. I'm glad, I don't think I could run or work out any more.

"Juris and Aira, you'll be working in the labs." Hanson says.

"Are people coming here?" Paytah asks.

"People are waiting for us." Gale says.

"What?" Juris asks.

"Yes. We have to leave this building. Your parents will stay here. But we-we are going to the government." Hanson says.

"The government?" I spit out, "why?"

"People who are on our side are already there. Plus, we have the government on our side. They want us to go there."

"When are we leaving?" Lana asks.

"Now. Let's go." Hanson says.

It happens fast, what just happened. We just got back from witnessing people dying, we saw our parents, and now we are going to the government.

I'm tired.

But we make our way to the vehicle outside. It's sad that we have nothing to pack, but all we really have left is ourselves.

"Well, more work. This is just fantastic." Lana says as we all get settled in the van.

"Lana, it's war. We work to kill." Paytah says.

"We already killed people."

"Shut up." Juris says.

It goes silent. I look at the others, staring at their hopeless faces. All that we've been through, just to go into war?

"At least we're together." I say.

"No, their splitting us up." Lana says.

"I'm sure we will all be together a lot anyway," Juris says.

Silent. Again. All the way until we get to the government. I've never seen this place, only the people that work there see it. It's large, white, elegant. Seems weird that we would be planning a war in here.

We all get out and stretch our legs. Hanson and Gale lead us inside.

"There's a training spot in here and outdoors. You two will be there for the majority of your time." Gale looks at Lana and Paytah.

"And you two will mostly be inside." Hanson smiles at Juris and I.

As we walk in, people are everywhere. Some are cleaning, others are walking around in papers, others are chefs hustling around. We walk through, seeing the cafeteria and different rooms where you can just sit.

"Juris, Aira, these are your rooms," Hanson says, pointing to two separate doors. "Paytah, Lana, you will be rooming with your squad."

"We aren't going to be together-"

"Hello." I jump at the unfamiliar voice and turn around.

It's a woman. But she could pass as a young teenager. Her thick blonde hair in a bun makes her look younger, I guess. Or maybe it's the brown-gold in her eyes. Hell, it's got to be her smile. She stands there, looking elegant but powerful.

And then I realize it.

She's the president.

We never really see the president, people rarely know who it even is.

"Guys." Hanson says. "This is President Rose Jackson."

••••••

Hey guys!

So sorry I've barely been posting, finals and school is killing me😭

Plus I'm sorry this chapter is hella boring. But it'll pick up!!

Please vote, comment, and share with a friend :)

Thank you!

-grace