Institute of Whispers

12

"Where the hell am I?" Malakai asked again.
"The viewing room, I was ordered to keep you here." Blade had sat next to Malakai, facing a glass window that overlooked a stage from the side. The room itself was gigantic. The last thing he remembered was laying down after waiting for Danielle to fall asleep.
"Okay, so why am I here then?" Malakai scanned the room they were in, only a few chairs could fit in this room, the two of them in here already felt full. Only one way in and one way out.
"Just wait, it'll start in a sec," Blade sighed.
"Where is she?" Malakai stared at his comrade and he only nodded towards the window. Malakai followed his direction.

A door had opened and Malakai watched his cousin jump into the room. He called her name but there was no reaction. "She can't hear you. You cannot interact with her until she's done," Blade advised.
"Is this her test?" Malakai realised. He didn't think she could take it here in a frickin' castle. He saw only a nod from Blade.
"Where is everyone else?" Usually these tests attract a whole crowd.
"People would rather enjoy their weekend than watch someone be tossed around," Blade smirked. Malakai nodded with a  smile, remembering his own test.
"If only Zade could watch this, he would just point out everything she's doing wrong, then throw her back in training." Malakai pondered.

When the body behind the curtain turned to dust, Blade stood up and pressed into his ear, talking to his radio, "Where did it go?"

Malakai stood up now and tried to get closer but he could only see front of the stage and the rest of the room was too dark. He watched Danielle stare out into the emptiness but it wasn't empty anymore.
"Oh shit, are they part of it?" Blade only looked back at him, listening to whoever was on the other end of his ear piece. He saw a slight shake of his head.
Malakai pushed passed him and tried the door, locked. He whipped around and Blade was on full alert. He had his gun out and swung at the window with the butt of the gun, but only bounced.
Malakai pulled his phone out but saw there was all of a sudden no reception, "Is it actually them?"
A pause.
Blade looked back through the window, "I believe so, they somehow got into the simulation. This is a very real situation now. I don't know how but-"
"Fuck!" Malakai paced back and forth, raking through his hair with his fingers. He stopped in front of the door again and pushed a handful of air at it. Then the window but it only gave Blade a shove back from the affect.
"Who were you talking to and how?"
"Her Second. It's through old technology, embedded in our uniform. It would work even in the desert. Only for the higher ups." Blade sat back down, feeling helpless. Malakai joined him. All they could do is watch. Malakai silently tried to reach his cousin but nothing, as if their connection was cut off well before this.

~

"Why are there so many god damned doors?" Zade ran past door after door in many hallways and walked up way too many stairs as he followed Kelly.

As soon as they emerged from an alleyway beside the castle, Zade felt a disturbance in this realm. The pair had rushed to the castle. The guards were nowhere to be seen.
Kelly managed to unlock the door to the throne room when they saw fire. They ducked into the shadows, hoping they weren't seen. The castle's vines pulled them gently to its walls from their arms, ensuring they were hidden then released them once it was clear of their immediate danger.
The fire in the Throne room didn't spread thankfully but when the Fae Queen was only standing them, almost shaking with anger, Zade knew to keep his mouth shut.
Kelly flicked her wand and the fire was washed out, "Is she safe?"
"She needs to be put in- now." The Fae Queen stormed towards a door behind the throne and Zade and Kelly followed.

The Queen's Second was just coming out of a room when they came to a halt. Her Second nodded to the Queen, "Blade has Malakai. She's been injected with the serum, she'll come round soon."
"Where are they?"
"This castle will do everything it can to hold them back. Unfortunately it cannot stop them, I just hope they do not interrupt this process." The Queen stated.
"So you don't know where they are?" Zade pressed again. He cannot let them touch Danielle, whatever it cost him. She wouldn't be able to fight them, let alone one, when it took everything he had to kill one of them last time.

He watched the Queen close her eyes, her face scrunched then relaxed, "She's giving them the run-around. She won't let them teleport within a fields distance..." she whispered.
"Is that why we had to run...geez," Kelly whispered to herself. Then Queen sucked in a breath, "She can't hold them off much longer," her eyes flicked open, "Let me hold-"
"No, I will stay. Her Mentor must see it to the end. Kelly, if I may request something before you leave," The Queen's second nodded away from the group and the two went towards the room she came out of.

"So you're making her do the Test?" Zade stated.
"At her rate, her fate was going to be decided by them. I cannot stand by while they do this to her. You understand, yes?" The Queen side-eyed Zade. He knew. 100%. He had only hoped she would have decided sooner but unfortunately it came to this.
"They typically go for an hour, we can't hold them off for that long Saph," Zade informed. The Queen only nodded her head, "Go down this hallway, do what you must but she cannot know the difference in her reality."
Zade had already started jogging in the pointed direction and reached the doors before she finished her sentence.