The Rise of the Dark Sun

Chapter V

We were ordered to report to the "assembly" as soon as our last class ended. I didn't have my last class with Ava, so I worried for her. Zachariah, however, had the same class as me. When they made the announcement, he asked me if he could sit with me. My heart was beating a mile a minute and I couldn't seem to talk, so I just nodded. He had been acting so strange and tense as we entered the auditorium. I had never seen him that way before. He was usually so carefree and calm. I looked around for Ava as we marched down the steps, but she was nowhere to be seen. I hoped she was with Cronus, at least. And where was Burnly? My classmates began walking down the rows and sitting down in the chairs, whispering to each other and glancing at the stage. I was beginning to get tense myself, and I had felt stupid for agreeing to sit the Zachariah. There was an empty chair next to me and I crossed my arms and slumped into the chair, taking a deep breath. I felt claustrophobic. I felt sick.

I turned to see my brother slipping into the chair next to me. I looked at him in surprise, but relief. He smiled at me, taking my hand and squeezing it. He turned his back to me and continued his conversation with his friends. I sat up in my seat, moving to the edge as the lights dimmed. A few lights sparkled onto the stage in different directions. The stage was dead-center of the room. The chairs surrounded the stage. I looked past the lights at the crowd and tilted my head to admire the marble stairs that lead down to the stairs. Galeidia was a wealthy city, and it was shown in all of our public facilities, even in the outer core. The floors were marble, the railings were a cold silver, and the chairs were held together by a black metal that was covered by blue velvet cushions. Looking up at the ceiling, or even on the walls, sapphires twinkled like the stars. Silk cloths were hung across the top and on the walls. It was a beautiful auditorium. Focusing on the details distracted me, so I let my eyes wander. They fell upon the man that was climbing to the stage.

This is it, I thought, this is the day I cannot be hidden anymore.

I felt numb. I swallowed hard and faced my attention to the man as he raised his hands for silence. He was a handsome man, but also very plain. He had white hair, though he was not old. He wore all white, just as the guards had. You almost couldn't see him with all of the bright lights, but his dark skin caught the eyes of all. He held his arms out as if he were trying to hug all of us at the same time.

"It is such an exciting day!" he exclaimed, his eyes glowing with excitement. Dramatically he let out a sigh and clapped his hands together. He looked all around the room with a menacing smile. His smile didn't make me feel safe, though I'm sure it was meant to. His smile didn't make me forget what his uniform stood for.

"Welcome, welcome everyone! My name is Clouis and I am here to discover who you truly are," he smiled, "however, today is also the day that our government will be able to witness some of the strongest young adults we have!"

I shuddered. No more hiding.

"I know I stand in the center of a very powerful group of people. I am honored to be here with you today to discover your talents. We must see how strong you are!"

This was not good. I needed to get out of there. I was so anxious.

"Uh, excuse me, but why are you doing this? The third sun hasn't even risen yet," someone asked from across the auditorium. Clouis whirled around, still with a smile on his face, and clasped his hands in front of him.

"It is essential to know how much control you have of your powers. We do not only want to test how powerful you are, but also how you control your gifts. The third sun will be here before you know it, and we want you to be prepared," he said.

It was a nice way of saying, 'because the Mazmurox are coming to kill you.'

Cole nudged my arm with his elbow. Get out of my head, then!