Trigger Warning

Seven

(7 years earlier)

They had been led to a gymnasium in the underground of the secondary housing building. The entire way down the elevator, Amara listened to other Ren testers talk about how they had never been in the underground.

She was slowly picking up how the hierarchy worked. Depending on the strengths determined by your test, you were selected to work in either the underground or City portions of their blocks in the city. Those that worked City were mundane. Amara noticed quickly that the teenagers who had never been below ground did not seem as calm about testing as those from underground families.

She regarded the two boys standing in front of her. She had overheard the tall brunette talking to a shorter girl in the elevator about how cool it was to "finally" see the underground. Next to him was Riot, who Silas had introduced her to. While the brunette was taller, he was scrawny. Amara figured she could snap him like a twig if she so desired. While Riot, who she had been told grew up in the underground, was full of dense, lean muscle.

Dismissively, Amara shifted her gaze from the two boys in front of her to where Kara stood in front of the bleachers.

Kara looked out across the group of them assembled before her. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest as she stared at them all coldly. The light behind her cast her face a dark shadow and turned her body into a silhouette. The outlines of the weapons hanging from her belt unnerved some of them, pulling the tension in the room taunt.

"We don't believe in hypotheticals here." Kara's voice echoed off the acoustic tiles set in the high ceiling of the gym. "I won't lie to you, this week of your test will be the most physically and emotionally straining thing you've ever done. Those defense and offense classes most of you were put through as children are just that: Childsplay."

The group went quiet. She'd been looking to gain their attention and it worked. Everyone wanted to know what was about to happen.

She glanced over towards where Amara stood with her allies. "Silas," Kara said, "Would you mind coming forwards to demonstrate?"

The Ren boy sighed, tossing his jacket onto the bleachers, then made his way to her side. "Whatever you say, Kar." he winked.

Kara laughed, "Oh, I am going to enjoy this."

Then her hand flashed out, dragging her blade across his throat. His body spun with the impact, blood streaming from the gouge in his neck.

A small blonde girl screamed, toppling backwards into Amara, who shoved her away with minimal effort. The girl landed on the ground and scurried away from the scene, but no one else moved, too shocked to breathe.

Silas was on the ground, blood pooling around his head as he shook. He hands were on the injury, clinging to whatever life was left in him. Amara watched in horror, a scream caught in her throat, hands balled into fists at her sides.

Kara stood above him, watching as blood coated his fingers and stained his hair. Then she looked up at a girl with dark hair standing close to the event, Roxanna was her name. Kara pointed to her and said calmly, "Heal him."

Roxanna didn't move, just remained paralyzed, her eyes wide.

So Kara, grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her towards the boy writhing on the ground. She repeated herself louder this time, "Heal him or he'll die."

All at once, realization flooded Roxanna's face and she wrenched her arm from Kara's grip. She dropped down next to Silas and moved her trembling hand over the pool of blood, eyes squeezed shut. Her hand pulled back slowly into a loose fist and the blood on the floor receded back into his body. Silas was still, eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling.