ForestLands Institution

Chapter | 40√

Abhay wasn't Abhay but Akshay who had taken up the duty to be a spy at forestlands at his mother's request. He wasn't a level two like he had made everyone believe. He had worn a ring that was made by a very powerful witch to lower his powers when he went to check his level. He had already had the training to become a powerful Elementalist and attended the military at age fourteen. He would be joining the Supernatural Force after their mission here is completed.

Akshay met the group as everyone started exiting the training room, after being dismissed later on.

"I'm sorry," He said genuinely, "I didn't mean to betray you guys. I had to leave the group as I suddenly grew suspicious of Lloyd for a moment. I wanted to be closer to the group to figure him out. I couldn't tell you guys without revealing my true identity."

He held both his ears. "Please forgive me."

Makena took hold of his hands and brought them down before entwining their fingers together. "You don't need to apologize. We understand. You are still our friend after all."

The others voiced their agreement and Akshay smiled.

A voice coldly interrupted their moment. "How sweet."

Leia was right being them, fists clenched and eyes red with barely controlled rage. "So you have been using me all this time." She addressed Akshay. "You played with my feelings so you could get to my brother."

Nadia looked from Leia to Akshay who seemed to have lost his sense of speech. His mouth kept opening and closing.

"Say something, you bastard!" Leia yelled.

"Leia listen-"

She lunged at him and landed a punch on his face but he barely even flinched. This seemed to anger her even more that she started hitting him in the chest - angry tears streaming down her face - until he grabbed both her hands.

"Leia please calm down!" Akshay said.

Nadia raised an eyebrow at the pain in his voice. So he has feelings for Leia after all.

"I hate you," Leia said lowly. Akshay quickly let her go as she had burnt him.

Leia spun around and stormed down the hall.

When Akshay finally regained his composure, he made to go after Leia but Makena stopped him.

"Don't you dare go after her?"

Now Akshay looked torn between the two.

Jia stepped out of the hall for a moment. "What is going on here?" She asked no one in particular. She then noticed the distressed state of her son "Akshay?"

He shook his head and managed a smile that resembled a grimace. "It's nothing ma."

Jia raised an eyebrow when Makena stomped off at that moment.

Awkward  Nadia thought.

Nadia took her bath when she got to her room and went to the wardrobe to get changed. She took a plain red dress out of the forestlands uniform T-shirt with trousers that were in the wardrobe. She was about to close it when her eyes caught on the boots she had worn during the attack and quickly recalled the note that Principal Victoria had given her.

She had fallen into the water that day, so she wasn't quite sure it was still intact. She reached into the boot and to her surprise, it was still there and very much intact.

She unfolded it.

A number.

Nadia the room and went about asking people if they knew where Jia was. Someone told her she was in the living room. It was Jia's space from 6 pm till eight the next morning.

Elijah and Bryan were with Jia when she got there.

They looked up at her.

"Sorry." She had barged in. "I didn't know you were busy," Nadia turned to leave.

"No it's alright," Jia uttered. "They were just about leaving."

Nadia sat on the mat and placed the note in front of the woman. "Principal Victoria gave me this during the attack. She told me to call it when I get to safety."

Jia studied the number. "Do you know who it could be?"

Nadia shook her head. "No, but it's surely someone who can help."

"It will probably take weeks for us to make preparations for someone to go to the nearest town." Jia's words left Nadia feeling dejected.

"I can make a portal," Elijah interjected.

They all stared at him.

"What?" He asked, puzzled.

In a low tone, Bryan voiced, "You mean you could have just gotten us out of the attack the whole time?"

"No oh," Elijah quickly defended. "I just can't wave my hand and it will appear. I will need some few items to make it happen."

"Can you find them here?" Jia inquired.

"Definitely."

"U didn't know witches could do that," Nadia said. "Makena never said so."

"Not all witches and warlocks," Elijah told her. "Just those that come from the first line of witches," he said proudly.

Jia told Elijah, " You can meet with Jeremy tomorrow so that you could go get the items."

She waved her hand dismissively. "Now get out. I would like to have some rest."

Nadia smiled at Bryan on the way out but he just walked past her, brushing his shoulder roughly against hers. Nadia sighed 8n defeat. Guess she is still his least favorite person.

Ahryan walked into the room of his boss. His boss was seated on his gold throne, body shrouded in shadows. The light coming from the single window in the room illuminated everywhere except the area where his boss was.

On the right side of the room, the second in command - Mr. Asole - ate strawberries, lazily reclining on the only sofa in the room.

Ahryan told his boss, "we have lost three more of our subjects. The remaking students might not be enough to perform all the experiments on."

"Hmm," his boss's deep voice reverberated through the room.

Ahryan's jaw ticked. "That's all you're going to say?"

It was quiet for seconds then Asole said, "Watch your tongue not."

"I'm sorry," Ahryan was far from apologetic, "but everyone is getting restless. When are we going to attack? Why are we playing dumb? We know where they are. If we keep stalling any longer, we will keep losing our lab rat and-"

The boss stood up from his throne and into the light revealing the features of Maximilian, the owner of the perished Forestland Institution, the one who had developed the resistance.

"Relax Ahryan. It will be utterly boring if we attack right away. I'm rather interested to see how they will rescue their friends. Jia has always been quite entertaining," Maximilian took a strawberry from Asole and pushed it between Ahryan's lips.

After eating the fruit, Ahryan stated, "My cousin Faryal. She doesn't get hurt."

"Please," he added.

"Sure," Maximilian said, already going back to his throne. "As long as she doesn't get in the way."

He sat on his throne, back in the comfort of the dark, and clasped the half-heart attached to the chain around his neck. Wistfully he whispered, " I can't wait to see you again, my dear Jia."