Chapter Three

Elex

Elex watched as Zeraphina placed the unconscious girl on the white sandy beach. The pull of the whirlpool had knocked the girl’s hood off. Her short platinum blonde hair spread out on the warm beach sand. The flow of the water hadn’t affected the others at all. They all still had their hoods on. 

The girl’s amber eyes ripped open as Zeraphina helped her put her hood on. A frown formed on her small triangular face as she glared at Zeraphina.

“Who are you?” the girl attempted to stand up straight and coughed out some water instead.

“I am Zeraphina Ashlore” 

“And I’m Elex Sylvaine”

“Oh! I can’t believe I got saved by the stuck-up princess and stupid prince.” 

Elex tried to ignore the familiar insult. But it hurt more coming from someone he barely even knew. 

“That was me. I saved you,” the blue-eyed guy they had met underwater, or Mr.Nameless, informed the girl.

“Are you a prince too?”

“No,” He replied. 

“That’s not that bad I guess.” The girl muttered.

“Wow! Ungrateful much,” Zeraphina snorted

“That’s funny, coming from an Ashlore,” The amber-eyed girl scoffed.

“Can you guys not fight and focus on more important things like surviving this disastrous test?” Elex grunted

“Sure. Do you have any idea where we are? Or about how we ended up on a forest-covered island from a glacier in just a few minutes? Or how the ice cracked?” Zeraphina replied

“Wait! Where’s my pouch?” The girl asked, frantically searching for her waist pouch. 

“Here,” Elex picked it up from the sand and handed it to her. The girl snatched the pouch and opened it. She took out a weird rectangular device.

“Is that a Camera?” the blue-eyed boy (or Mr.Nameless as Zeraphina likes to say) asked.

“A what?” the girl replied

“Nevermind” the boy looked away 

“This is a Light Gatherer. It helps us see through the fog. I made it so that my dad could reach home safely at night. Nights tend to be foggy where I come from,” the girl explained. 

“You made it? That’s so cool! How does this work?” Elex asked 

“It works just like it sounds. Fog scatters the light that falls on it. When you click this button the Light Gatherer gathers that light and captures a picture of our surroundings without the fog,” The girl eagerly explained 

“Wait, so it was you who flashed that blinding light before the ice broke?” Mr.Nameless asked

“That was me. But I had nothing to do with the ice breaking. I think the Light Gatherer should have captured something the moment the ice broke,” the girl told 

“So, can you check what happened? Zeraphina asked

The girl pressed some buttons in the device and scrunched her face, “Ugh! It is not working! I think all the water damaged it,”

“Can you fix it?” Zeraphina asked 

“Not now. I don’t have the supplies I need,”

“I guess you’ll have to go home and fix it then,” Mr.Nameless said.

“That is if we survive,” Zeraphina emphasized 

“I can’t believe the empress would just leave us stranded on this island,” Elex said. 

“I can,” the girl grunted

“What do we do now?” The boy asked 

“I don’t know, Mr.Nameless. What can we do?” Zeraphina whined 

“We could explore the forest, ” Elex suggested 

“Better than just sitting around and arguing,” The girl tied her waist pouch on and walked towards the forest 

Silence loomed over their small group as they walked deeper into the dark forest. No one uttered a word. 

Elex had spent all his childhood exploring the endless, beautiful forests of Everkeith. But none had ever felt so dull.

There was no sight of any creatures in the forest. Elex scanned the forest and kept his ears open to any noise. But all they were surrounded by was silence, no chirping birds, no croaking frogs, not even an insect buzzed.  

“I don’t think we should go any deeper,” The boy told 

“I don’t think we should either,” Zeraphina added 

“Is it just me, or does this forest get creepier and creepier as we go?” Elex said 

“Creepier and darker. There is like zero light in here,” The girl told 

“Ya, the forest canopy blocks all light. It is one of the darkest forests I have been to. And that’s a lot coming from someone who lives in Everkeith,” Elex squinted. 

“I think the sun should also be set by now. It was noon when we were in the desert,” Mr.Nameless informed. 

“I am starving. I haven’t eaten anything after breakfast,” The girl told

“Me too,” 

“Same,”

“I haven’t either,” 

“I have some snacks, but I don’t think there’s enough for all,” Elex said 

“I have some as well,” the girl informed 

“I didn’t bring any,” Zeraphina grunted 

“I can share…my parents forced me to take a lot of food,” Mr.Nameless offered. 

“Thanks,”

“Do you have any weird device that could provide some light Miss-I-Hate-Royals…what was your name again? ” Zeraphina asked the amber-eyed girl.

“In case you forgot Pretty Princess, we peasants aren’t allowed to disclose our identities. But you guys can call me Ora. Lady-Cool is also an op–,”  

“Shhh. Can you hear that?” Mr.Nameless boy whispered

Elex jerked his head up as leaves crackled in the distance. 

“Hello? Who is that? ” Ora turned around and asked 

Elex’s blood ran cold as Zeraphina screamed.

A loud thud followed the scream. 

Zera

Zera’s world blurred as a massive masked figure pounced on her. She struggled to breathe as the figure–who happened to be twice her size– pinned her to the ground. She thrashed around in an unsuccessful attempt to break free of the guy’s vice-like grip. 

“Get off of her!” Ora shouted as Mr.Nameless pulled the figure away from her 

Kick. Kick. Kick. 

The figure grunted as she kicked it right in the stomach. Mr.Nameless took the chance to shove it away from Zera. 

Zera lay there, puffing and panting, before she remembered the figure hadn’t gone. Mr.Nameless helped her get up.

“Watch out!” Elex shouted

Zera turned around to see Endora land a punch on the figure’s jaw and single-handedly knock it out. The figure disintegrated as soon as it hit the ground. 

“What the heck?” Zera exclaimed

“Great! People are waiting to attack us here. As if trapping us on a deserted island wasn’t enough.” Ora complained

“Does anyone have a torch? In case there are more attackers, at least we’ll be able to see them this time,” Elex said 

“I do,” Ora took a ball out of her waist bag and pressed a button. 

The ball lit up and floated in the air. It looked like they had their mini-moon. 

“Did you make that too?” Elex asked 

“Yes,”

“Do you think someone’s watching us?” Mr.Nameless interrupted. 

“Now that you say it out loud, I do too,” Zera replied 

“I think we should go back to the shore,” Elex said

“Do you know our way back? Cause I don’t,” Zera told. 

“I do,” Elex replied

“Then lead the way. I do not want to stay in this forest for even a second,” Ora replied 

Everyone followed Elex. 

Zera had never felt this vulnerable before. Chills ran down her spine with each step she took. But she focused on other things like passing the test, imagining her parent’s faces as they realized their little princess was not so fragile anymore, Davina– Zera’s sister–  trying to mask her joy with sarcastic comments, Ora and Elex’s faces as they find out that the prideful princess indeed had a reason to be proud of. 

The thud-thud of feet behind her shattered Zera’s castle in the air. 

“Are we being followed?” The footsteps echoed louder and faster, confirming Zera’s doubts

 “Run!” Ora dragged Elex – who had frozen in terror– and ran forward. Mr.Nameless and Zera followed. 

Elex

None of them dared to look behind. They kept on running. One step after the other. One foot in front of the other. 

Elex ignored the aching pain in his legs and the drop of sweat trickling down his spine. He focused on his feet gliding across the ground. On the cold air that stung his eyes. On the thousands of trees that appeared like huge blurry blobs through the corner of his eyes. The Light Orb floated in front of them, leading them forward. Ora’s tight grip on his hand dragged him.

Nameless’s and Zeraphina’s footsteps click-clacked behind them. So did the chasers. 

The forest got thicker and thicker. Each tree seemed like an obstacle in its race to safety. 

“Ouch,” Ora moaned as she tripped over a tree root. 

Elex tightened his grip on her hand, preventing her from falling face-first onto the sandy forest floor. 

“I… can’t run…anymore,” Mr.Nameless puffed and panted

Click. Swish. 

A green object went flying toward the chasers. 

Clang. 

It landed on one of their chests. Before Elex could blink an eye, the chaser’s body disintegrated like the previous one. 

A girl ran towards where the chaser had disintegrated, picked up the green object–A folding fan – and put it back in her pouch. 

“Whoah! Did you do that?” Ora asked 

“Yes…” The girl glanced at the floating orb of light with wide black eyes. 

“Thank you for saving us, ” Ora replied 

The girl cracked her knuckles. “Aren’t two of you royals?”

“Yeah. I’m Elex Sylvaine from Everkeith,” 

” I am Zeraphina Ashlore, the princess of Senozyne,” 

“So…” The black-eyed girl hesitated, “Do you know how to go back?” 

“Nope. We don’t,” Zeraphina rolled her eyes 

“Oh. So what are you going to do then?” The black-eyed girl asked 

“No clue,” Elex replied 

“We were going to get out of this forest but..” Mr.Nameless told.

“Do you know the way out?” The girl asked 

“I can find it. I’m good at tracking through forests,” Elex said 

“Can I tag along then?” The girl asked 

“Sure. The more the merrier, or in this case, safer, I guess..” Ora replied 

“Thanks,” 

“Now, what are we waiting for? Lead the way, Elex,” Zeraphina declared. 

Endora

Pop. Pop. Pop. 

Endora sighed. At this point, she doubted if Elex knew the way back. Either her doubts were correct. Or the forest made her lose all sense of time and direction because she felt like they had been walking for eternity. 

Elex seemed confident he could find a way out. But she knew he was relying purely on instinct. And while his family is well-known for their tracking skills and forest survival, Elex did not seem much like a royal. He lacked the prideful demeanor and confidence of someone used to getting their way. For a prince, he seemed far too timid and scared. But maybe it was because of the situation they were stuck in.

Zeraphina, on the other hand, was every bit of a spoiled princess. She complained an awful much about the heat and the walk. 

Their new fan-throwing, the black-eyed companion, was quiet and compulsively cracked her knuckles. She was the most mysterious person Ora had ever met. 

And then there was Mr.Nameless. He was observing the others just like Ora was doing. Something about him seemed similar to her. He seemed to be a master at the art of pleasing others. Of ignoring the scornful looks and snide remarks that society threw at him. Maybe he was an outcast too. 

Pop.Pop.

The sound of the black-eyed girl popping her knuckles filled the creepy silence. Endora had gotten used to it by now. 

But it seemed like Zeraphina hadn’t.”Ugh! Can you stop?!” She snapped

“Sorry.” 

The girl awkwardly crossed her arms.

 She hadn’t uttered a word ever since they started walking. She kept fidgeting and took heavy breaths every once in a while. Endora could understand her nervousness.  

Mr.Nameless yawned. “Are we there yet? I feel very sleepy,” He said. 

“No. But we’ll get there soon,” Elex replied 

“But what’s the point of getting there? Even if we do, we have no clue where we are and how to get back home. All we can do is maybe sleep away from this creepy forest,” Endora questioned

“For once, I agree,” Zeraphina informed. 

” So basically, we are doomed,” The black-eyed girl summed it up.

“Great,” Elex added

“Amazing,” Mr.Nameless topped it off 

“Don’t you guys find it weird that we have been in this forest for so long and are yet to see even one other person,” The black-eyed girl said 

“Yeah… there were thousands of teens back in the desert.” Mr.Nameless agreed. 

“And this island isn’t that big,” Elex noted 

“It is weird,” Zeraphina admitted 

“There were many people here when we first arrived on this island,” Ora said.

But there were even more people in the desert. Endora left that detail out. Their group didn’t need any more reasons to panic. 

Pop.Pop.Pop.

The black-eyed girl started cracking her knuckles again.

Endora sighed. They all walked ahead, ignoring their worries and the threatening silence. 

“Is that a greenhouse?!” Elex rushed forward

The group sprinted ahead. As they moved forward, the trees became weirder and weirder. They seemed to form all kinds of odd shapes. The crooked branches twisted and twirled around each other, forming circles. Their roots looked like hands reaching out to Endora. The more Ora looked at them the creepier the trees got. 

But the group kept marching forward which was very stupid of them. 

As they neared the greenhouse, Endora’s hair stood on end. 

There was a circle deep within the forest where nothing grew. 

And in the middle of it sat an enormous glass structure. Vines wrapped around its domed roof. And the elegant gold framework made it seem out of place. The loopy gold details gracefully curled around the door and roof. But the tempered glass panels and overflowing vegetation brought the eerie vibe back. 

There was an aura of mystery around the greenhouse. Endora liked nothing about it. 

Talon 

As he entered, Talon soaked himself in the warmth of the greenhouse. The sun had set hours ago. And the forest was as cold as it was creepy. 

Ora’s light orb floated in the center of the greenhouse. Talon viewed the untamed plants crowding the greenhouse in the moonlight. 

“It seems like no one has been here in an eternity,” Prince Elex was much less brave than the rest of them. 

“How come none of the other teens found it? There were so many of us!” Princess Zeraphina exclaimed 

“I have been wondering the same. Where did all of them go? ” Talon asked 

“No clue. But I bet they are not safe either,” Ora answered 

“Has anyone ever disappeared after the test?” Talon asked again

“NO! There is no way that could happen! I would never have come if—”. Prince Elex cleared his throat. “I mean, it has been going on for the past eight years. And I have never heard such a piece of news.” 

“Yeah. My sister, Davina, went to the test three years ago and she was fine. She didn’t tell me anything about the test when I asked. But she still seems to be her usual annoying self.” Surprisingly, Princess Zera chose not to taunt Elex for his frightened demeanor. 

“I am sure they are safe. After all, the empress wouldn’t put a group of thirteen-year-olds in anything too dangerous, would she?” Prince Elex said 

“Well, it seems she has. We are on an abandoned island in the middle of a creepy forest, hiding away from chasers. Doesn’t seem so safe, does it?” Ora replied 

“Don’t judge too soon. And don’t say it out loud. Don’t you know questioning the Empress is treason? Pretty sure that’s the last thing we should be doing right now,” Princess Zeraphina informed 

“She’s right. Let’s focus on finding our way back, shall we?” Talon agreed 

“I think we should stay here for the night and figure out how to escape in the morning,” the black-eyed girl said. 

“She’s right. It’s way too dark outside,” Ora agreed.

“So let’s settle here then,” Prince Elex cleared out some of the overgrown vegetation and sat down.

“This place is massive and full of insects,” Ora noted as she roamed to find a clear spot.

Crack. 

Talon turned around to find Ora stumbling back.