Key of A.C.E

Chapter 4

November 5th 2012- London

The Key was something that even the scientists didn't understand. Its power was powerful, too powerful and that was never going to make any of the elfins happy. Halflings were perfect. They were overpowered and not accepted in any era of society. And they made the perfect test subjects.

Adeline sneezed as she left the dorm. She headed to the cafeteria where she saw Erika and Max talking. Picking up her own tray, she randomly selected her breakfast and sat down beside them. "Hey."

"Morning. Any more memory visions?" Max asked.

"Nope. How 'bout you? Any more 'Paper cuts that take too long to heal?'"

"No... And I don't think that's a good think. Do you know how often I get paper cuts?" Erika replied. "And if Cecilia gets her emotions back, she won't make us clothes. She'll be pushy, stubborn, and moody all the time. Like before."

"Cecilia was moody? That'll be a sight to see," Max commented.

"She was someone to be feared. Can you imagine her once she gets her emotions back? She'll murder me! And I won't be able to heal fast enough!"

"I forgot to ask, what's your exchange, Erika?" Max asked.

"I lost my will to live." She smiled as if it was nothing.

Max's eyes widened. "So, like you're... trying to kill yourself?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "Though it hasn't been going very well, you know, my Exchange." She shoved a spoonful of food into her mouth. "The only reason I'm preventing myself from doing something flashy is because the attention will fall on Cecilia and Adeline and they would murder me. Just because I can't die doesn't mean I can't feel pain." She shoved some more food in her mouth. "It's the opposite for Cecilia."

"Let me guess. She can't feel pain because she doesn't have any emotions?" Max said. Erika nodded.

"I wouldn't kill you," Adeline said. "I would just hurt you, very, very badly." She smiled. "Besides, you should have a little bit of will to live now that our exchanges are getting weaker."

Erika shrugged. "A single tear, a faint vision and a paper cut that took too long to heal isn't much evidence of weakening Exchanges."

Max nodded. He saw Axel and Cecilia talking and waved at them. "Morning. Any progress with the key extracting machine?" Max asked. Cecilia shook her head. "How long are you planning on hiding for? Sooner or later, you'll have to graduate and leave school. And start working, look after yourselves."

"Maybe we don't have to," Cecilia commented.

"Please don't tell me you plan on living at the lab all the time," Axel mumbled.

Adeline smiled sheepishly. "Well. We kind of thought we would extract the key by then, but if we have to, we might do just that."

"Please don't," Axel said. "Living in an abandoned school building with mould and rot? That won't be good for anyone." Adeline opened her mouth to speak before nodding and smiling at them.

Adeline stood up. "Well then. I better go write down my dream in case it was another memory." She waved before heading to her dorm.

She stepped into the small room. She froze as she saw a girl with reddish brown hair that was tied into twin braids, and dark skin which reflected the sun's rays, standing at the other side of the room. The girl's orange-red eyes didn't move from Adeline's brown ones, making her feel uncomfortable. Adeline stepped back, surprised, finally snapping out of it. "Miss Renaud," she heard Mrs Belpois say. "This is your new roommate, Lucía Serrano. She's a year younger than you but I hope you'll get along well. And I expect you to tell her all the rules and make her feel welcome." Adeline nodded, still surprised.