Proem

Chapter 8

Z groaned as he came to, black and gray colors swirling around him. He gulped, feeling a fresh sting swaddle his skin. He gritted his teeth. Aalto. Dammit. The bitch must've messed with the shower.

The boy slowly sat himself up, his arms brushing against the softest sheets he had ever felt. Soft sheets? Was he in a bed? Puzzled, Z inspected his surroundings.

He was in a large room with laces of green vines crawling up the walls and blooming into lilac wisterias. A small bookcase and reading chair stood to his left, while a nightstand topped with an intricate lamp was found on his right. The wall beyond the nightstand was made entirely of glass, allowing the moonlight to bathe the room in a soft glow.

Z eased himself off the bed, gently stepping into the white fur slippers stationed next to it. He peered out the window, struck with the familiar scene of nature surrounding the room.

An evergreen forest extended for miles, stocked to the brim with exotic animals who enjoyed a sheltered life within the estate of the Phyllis. In the distance, Z could just barely make out a large cabin made of trees cut down to form a clearing.

The sight made Z shiver. He rubbed at his arms uneasily trying to settle the goosebumps that had formed. He didn't think he would ever come back to this place.

The door clicked open, and Z whipped his head around to stare at the two boys who entered. He snarled, lunging towards the shorter of the two. Unsheathing a hidden dagger from the folds of his pants, Z gripped the back of Aalto's neck, pressing him against the dagger that was now biting at Aalto's throat.

The boy yelped in alarm, raising his hands in surrender. Aalto glanced at Icarus uneasily, who sighed exasperatedly, "Let him go, Z."

Z didn't do anything to show he had acknowledged Icarus's presence. He kept a trained glare on Aalto, who gulped as the steel glinted. Watching Z anxiously, he hissed at Icarus, "I thought you got rid of his weapons!"

The Tipu ignored him. "Z, please. Let him go and we can talk."

Reluctantly, the cold metal backed off Aalto's throat. The blonde let out a breath of relief as Z stepped back.

Z's gaze warily flickered between the two boys. He narrowed his eyes at them. "What is the meaning of this? Kidnapping is illegal, you know. So is trying to disintegrate someone."

Aalto scoffed, rubbing at the spot where the dagger had scraped him. "Yeah, and so is murder." He pursed his lips, looking somewhat apologetic. "And the acid wasn't strong enough to disintegrate you. It was just supposed to knock you out."

Z mocked Aalto's scoff, crossing his arms menacingly. "Yeah? It hurt like a bitch for a mere sedative." He scowled, turning his face away from Aalto. "And I didn't murder anyone."

"Really?" Icarus butted in, staring at Z with an unreadable gaze. Z winced, averting his eyes to the fancy silver rug beneath his feet. The white-haired boy pressed his lips together tightly. "Aalto, leave us."

The Wai glanced at him curiously, but obediently stepped out of the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Icarus stepped forward, gripping Z's chin to force him to face him. The other boy resisted, swinging his head around to glare at the green vines decorating the walls. Icarus scoffed, letting go and crossing his arms. "You can't even look me in the eye."

He snatched the dagger out of Z's hand with a scowl. Icarus turned away from him, declaring, "You have no money and no powers. It takes four weeks to walk from here to the examination site, and there are only four days until the exam begins. I advise you to sit tight until it's over."