CLOUD 9INE

9

Quintus. Mom. Dad. All of them on the wall. The plaque under them read "1 Day".

Tetra stared at it from the couch. Eyes glossed over.

They were there, but not there. Just an image on the wall. A shadow of their former selves.

The apartment she got was nearly the exact same as her original one. The only difference was that they weren't there to share it. Even the view felt familiar. The wind whipping around the building reminded her, though. This time...she was gone too soon. Not Grandpa or Grandma.

She was alone.

*****

Tetra shook her head, previously lost in thought. She focused in on Rob, who had returned to his stage.

"This test is simple," he announced. "If you have a wholly pure soul, which means you are of one being, you get to stay. Any weird people with mixed DNA somewhere in them aren't allowed to stay. Hopefully, this will tell me what's wrong with that weird girl." Evyn glared at him and her eyes glowed brighter.

The desks vanished and a small crowd of 100 looked at him blankly. Ava inspected Evyn's new hands with wonder, and Tetra hugged Lo again, shivering in his arms.

"Okay, starting up the anich now." He pulled out a small remote-like device and pressed a button on it. A low hum was heard. Tetra felt the sound rattling her brain; intruding in her mind.

Images began to flash past her eyes. A demon girl. A flaming purple sword. A girl with green skin and white hair. She began to seize up, completely unaware of her surroundings. 

Just as quickly as the flashing images began though, they stopped. She saw Evyn and Lo standing over her with worried looks on their faces. Then she sat up.

"How long was I out?" she asked them. 

"You just passed out," Evyn said, the look of worry still evident on her face.

Tetra stood. "I'm probably fine. It's just whatever machine he's using."

"Nobody else reacted like that though, Tet," Lo told her. "I didn't mean to drop you...I panicked."

Tetra put her hand on his shoulder. "It's okay."

He gave her a half-nervous smile and turned to look at Rob again.

Nothing happened for a few minutes, but then one by one, people began to simply evaporate. Sporadic screams were heard every time someone dissolved. Rob looked at each disappearance with a humble smile on his face.

Tetra and her friends, however, stared at Evyn, wondering if she'd disappear like the rest. Evyn's expression was unchanged though.

When the dust settled, only 25 people were left standing, Tetra and friends included.

Rob's jaw dropped and he pulled out his clipboard. "So...the girl has a pure soul, interesting. Well, you remaining survivors, you get to stay in Cloud 9. Thank you for participating. You may exit thataway." He waved his pen and drew a glowing door on the far side of the arena.

The last survivors began rushing to leave the arena, nearly clambering over each other to escape.

Evyn and the rest were about to go with them, but Tetra raised her hand. The door felt...off.

"Don't go in that door. Something's wrong with it."

Ava gave her a stare. "Girl, what?"

"Just trust me." Tetra looked at all of them. "Please."

Lo nodded and so did Evyn. Ava just sighed. "Okay, fine."

So they waited. When the last participant got through the door, Rob waved his hand and the door collapsed in on itself. He chuckled to himself, then cast his gaze upon Tetra and her friends.

"Looks like you passed the test, lucky humans," he said in a low voice. His boisterous tone was gone. "I don't know how you did, but you beat me. So, I will let you go." With a wave of his hand, they all poofed to the outside of the arena away from the crowds and landed on the pier.

Ava collapsed because she'd been separated from Evyn. Lo fell into Tetra, but got up hastily and was seemingly blushing.

Tetra just stared into Lo's eyes. He had treated her differently than before. Did he...

"Guys?" Evyn interrupted Tetra's thoughts. The crimson color had traveled up to her biceps and the purple color was halfway up her long hair. She started hyperventilating. "What's happening to me?"

Ava pointed to Evyn's left arm. A small tattoo seemed to start forming on her shoulder. The shape wasn't clear though. Evyn looked down and tried to rub it off, but it didn't go away.

Ava grabbed both of her hands and looked her in the eyes. "It's going to be okay, alright?"

She felt her arms. "Her skin feels firmer and her nails aren't really nails anymore. More like...claws."

Evyn sighed. "I must be cursed."

Ava furrowed her eyebrows. "You still feel like you. Even if you are cursed, you're still our Evyn." Tetra and Lo nodded in agreement.

"Thanks guys, but what do we do now?" Evyn looked over the water. Her purple eyes flashed brighter. "All those people will suffer just as we will. And they don't have Tetra for the final trap."

Lo looked to the sky. "We save them. Stop Rob, and free Cloud 9."