𝐂𝐀𝐍 𝐈 𝐓𝐑𝐔𝐒𝐓 𝐘𝐎𝐔 + sokeefe and horror

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗: the day things changed

It was on a particularly rainy day (a Friday, actually) that things began to change.

The first sign was the guards. There were barely any, and they were all extremely tense and anxious-looking. None of them spoke a word, and all walked in tight, stiff strides.

The second sign was when, following the dull hours at the training center, they were escorted back to their prison cells instead of to the cafeteria. Biana hammered on the door and yelled, "HEY!" but nobody came.

The third sign was when the alarm started blaring.

It was in this moment, when red lights started flashing and a horrendous, shrieking alarm sound echoed through the cells, when Keefe was really scared. Because the guards instantly yanked the door open, looking every bit as panicked as Keefe felt. 

"Come on!" One of them cried. "Let's go! Move it!"

"No." Keefe said suddenly. "No. We're not going anywhere."

The guards turned to look at him with an expression of pure disdain. One of them, the one with the spear that crackled with electricity, approached him in a defensive stance. 

"Come on." The person - who was a teenage boy - said in a husky voice. "We don't want to hurt you. But we will."

"No!" Keefe cried again, backing up. "We! Are! Not! Going! Anywhere!"

The guy's position shifted slightly, but as he was preparing to lunge, Moexii slammed a fist on the back of his head, and he crumpled. Then, as though it was a perfectly planned assault, Linh trapped the oldest man in a wave of water, where he thrashed and struggled. Biana turned invisible and launched herself at a girl who looked about eighteen. The girl shrieked, but quickly crumpled as well. Fitz closed his eyes and screamed into their brains, GET DOWN!

They all ducked, which was good, because at that moment, Tam released a thick wave of shadows, which pinned anybody it touched to the floor. It was all guards, of course, and although they screamed and protested, they were all quickly knocked out.

Linh suddenly screamed and made the wave of water she'd used to trap the man disappear. The man was crumpled, his eyes closed, barely breathing.

"Oh my god, did I kill him?" She cried, tears beginning to pour from her eyes.

Tam leaned down and checked his pulse. Then, he kicked him to the side and wiped his hand on his clothes as though it was dirty. "He's alive. Unfortunately."

Linh and Moexii looked relieved, while everyone else was noticeably more disgruntled. They scooped up the guards weapons and keys. They also put on their thick silver robes and tucked the hoods over their heads. They slammed the door closed before the guards could wake up.

"See how they like it." Fitz mumbled, glaring at the ground.

The rest of them nodded in agreement, but they didn't speak anymore as they rounded the corridor.

They walked quickly and with purpose, and nobody questioned them. Finally, they arrived at the throne room. The door was locked.

"Of course!" Dex cried suddenly, and quite loudly.

Loud enough to make the rest of them shush him and glance around furtively to see if anybody had seen.

He pulled a few copper wires out of his pocket, sealed with what looked like mashed potatoes, and started tinkering furiously with them. After a few seconds, he said, "Stand back. This might be big."

Then he tossed the cubes at the door.

---

Big wasn't a word to describe what had happened. It was humongous. The doors had been blown up, and there was a ditch about five feet deep where they used to be. Several marble floor panes had cracked and the entire thing smelt like smoke. Thankfully, their was no one around. But the sound of the explosion - and the echoing footsteps from opposite corridors - made it obvious that they might be soon.