The Forgotten Ones

The Test

"Where are we?" Jay asked.

"I like to think of this place as hell. Only darkness thrives here. And you dare shed your light in here, Prince Jay,"

"How do you know me?"

"How won't I know you? Your family, your ancestor, is the reason I'm here,"

"I don't know what you're talking about,"

"Of course you don't. They don't raise you to know the truth. You believe that Neo-Earth is different from Old Earth right?"

"Yeah. According to the stories, I agree that,"

"The stories were shit. You were raised by a lie and a bunch of liars. Nothing is different. We all remain the same. We still isolate people if they are different from us. We treat them differently even if they're one bit different from us,"

"No. I don't believe that," Jay spoke, being fixed with his beliefs.

"Wake up, Jay. Didn't you see what they did to those who were improper? They decided that these people can never be as good as them. They never thought to at least give them a chance,"

"The world is better if there are no humans around," He continued to speak. "They were the reason for the world to end once. And who's to say they won't end it again? They can never be trusted with power of any kind. You have been living a lie your whole life, Jay. Open your goddamn eyes. That's why we exist, to create a haven for the outcasts,"

His words had an impact on Jay. Jay thought about what Damon spoke and realized that these weren't the delusions of a mad man. It was the truth.

"Where's Alexa?"

"You don't have to worry about her. She's a tough one. Too bad you guys are not together,"

"How do you know about us?"

"Jay... We are everywhere. Nothing happens beyond our sight. Think of us like the puppet masters. We control each string orchestrating different events across the 4 clans,"

"Like what?"

"I'm afraid that's gonna have to wait. Come one now. They're waiting for us,"

"Who?"

Jay's cuffs were removed. He had the chance to knock out Damon but something in him made him resist it.

"Why can't I move?"

"You move as I decide," Damon spoke.

Jay followed Damon like a loyal dog following his master. They walked through the darkness, cold streaks of air blowing below the knees. Vision was barely possible.

"Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see,"

As they stepped out, the bright light blinded him for a while. The sound of an eager crowd rushed through his ears. It was a gladiator match. Sort of.

"A gladiator match? You're kidding me right?" Jay asked.

"No no. This isn't a gladiator match. This is a test. For you..."

"What test? Jay asked, curiously.

"No more questions. Hope I'm right about you,"

He regained control over his body. He walked out further. Only one entrance. The way he entered. Damon sat among the crowds.

"LET'S BEGIN SHALL WE? He shouted.

"YES," The crowd replied.

"Who wants to go first?"

A woman stood up and entered the rink.

"Look. I don't wanna fight you. Sooo....," Jay spoke, alerted by her dominating looks.

"I don't give a damn. I'm doing this for the good,"

Jay thought this was a standard one-vs-one fight. Oh boy was he wrong. Jay got a closer look at the rune of the girl. It began to glow. Her body began to glow. She was an Ace. She blasted Jay with a strong beam of energy that he flew back to the entrance, hitting his head on the door. He was in pain. But that lasted only for a minute. He got up and walked towards the woman. She blasted another beam but he successfully dodged that. With each dodge, he got closer, and with each beam, she got weaker.

Eventually, she became so weak that another beam would've made her unconscious. He took advantage of that and knocked her off.

The crowd cheered for him. Their cheer didn't sound like support for a winner. No. It was the support for him... Him only. Soon, another man stood up and entered the arena. He was a Jack. Jay dusted off the sand from his shirt and stood in a fighting stance.

The two fought, attacking, dodging faster than they breathed. Each attack was met with a block and a counter-attack. Both were tired, but they kept on continuing. Even then, the crowd never cheered for the opponent. They cheered for Jay. The opponent had the last strike and knocked Jay off. But Jay rebounded, dashing at the opponent. The opponent struggled. They were both now weak. One well-timed strike could end it. Jay took it and knocked him out.

The cheer intensified. People whistled and chanted his name in unison.

"Let the last contestant come forward," Damon announced.

The girl sitting beside Damon stood up. She slowly stepped down and entered the arena. Her rune was that of an Ace. But her face was of someone close to Jay.

It was Alexa. She was the last contestant. Her eyes glowed yellow, and so did her hands. She had no expression on her face. It was like she never knew who Jay was.

"Alexa. You don't have to do this,"

She didn't speak anything. She fired a beam of energy directed at him. This caught him off guard. Her beam was more powerful than the first opponent's. His hand burned as he foolishly tried to block it. He was sent flying back with tremendous force that he should've been dead. But he was stopped just before hitting the arena wall. It was Damon who stopped him through his magic.

Damon dropped him. There was a small trace of fear in his eyes. Damon questioned his choice based on what he saw. But he didn't give up. Jay looked at him and nodded a thanks.

Jay decided to tire her out. He dodged each beam till he got closer. But something was amiss. She wasn't exhausted. She didn't get exhausted. Jay got close to land a punch but it proved useless.

She erupted a shockwave knocking Jay unconscious. The crowd was hushed. The hope from their faces vanished.