The Hunter Academy

~Çhapter Sįxty-Føur~

The dining hall was busy - everyone was passing notes and screaming, you know, the usual.

Our Mid-terms were next week and everyone was freaking out. I hadn't even realised until Victoria had made her little speech.

I sipped my drink and scrunched my eyebrows, kissing my teeth. Julian has said this drink was nice - it was disgusting.

I took a slice of cheesecake. Our table was so quiet, so tense. There had been no retribution. We were expecting... something.

Mrs. Riley looked a bit pale and tired, she was pretty quiet today too, but she winked at us when we walked in, so, we can't really tell if that is real or a facade.

"What are we going to do?" Julian blurted our suddenly and glanced over his shoulder.

I followed his gaze and saw him gazing at Jackson as he laughed at his own table.

Artemis shrugged. "Depends doesn't? I have no doubt that Vixen over there knows we were at the Sub-levels. Hell, she probably knows we've both seen Silvana.

"If she comes after us then we'll have to make a Plan B or whatever, but for now, I propose we study for our Mid-terms; we can't stop this evil witch-"

Lucas coughed. "She's a not a Witch, she's a Hunter."

"-if we've been kicked out the school."

Zac snorted. "Yeah, two Councillor's children and a daughter of the most famous Hunters in history, you're definitely going to get expelled."

I shrugged. "Well, it's not very likely we'll be able to do this without you."

Julian threw a price of chocolate at Apollo and he easily caught it.

I tilted my head. "I thought cats couldn't eat chocolate, the theobromine would kill them."

Artemis shrugged. "He always eat chocolate, he used to steal from my secret stash. He ain't dead... yet."

Zac smiled and threw his arm around my shoulder as I was about to protest about the issues with that. "It's cool, Archer, no worries."

No worries.

No worries?

No worries!

I'm pretty sure I was glaring at him. He started spluttering. Zac's eyes widened as he held his throat and sounded like he was choking.

"Hold on!" Lucas reached for Zac but was bounced back. "Chase take off the shield!"

"I'm not doing anything!" I shouted back.

We were making a scene. My best friend was choking.

Zac was on the floor now.

"Chase Blair Archer!" Artemis shouted.

"I-I can't!"

Oh God.

This bubble in my chest was expanding so quickly, it was like I was the one choking for a moment.

"Stay calm and breath," Julian said soothingly but as soon as he touched me he flinched away. "She's burning up, actually not burning - she's ablaze."

Everyone was panicking, everything was chaos.

I felt a cool blast hit me... but it didn't hit me. I could feel the chill but only a chill, not an absolute freeze that would leave me frozen on the floor.

I glanced around and saw that I had another shield but this time around me. There was an invisible circle encompassing me with a star of frost lined up with Julian.

I glanced at Zac, still unable to breath, before frost encased the sphere I was trapped within.

The frost disappeared.

Julian stared, wide eyed, shocked, that I had not collapsed to the floor with pneumonia and frost bite.

Artemis pounded on the shield, but not break it, oh no. She was getting my attention.

Energy weapons began to flicker inside the sphere.

I was shaking. I was burning up. My vision was blurry.

There was screaming.

The small figures of Energy became solid - solid knives.

They appeared and the shield opened. They flew at Artemis.

She emitted darkness and it leaked in until I could see nothing - nothing at all - except the curling Shadow Vapour.

I felt a hand grab my shoulders as my legs began to quake violently under me.

The hand was wrenched away from me. The shadows disappeared.

Artemis was flat against the wall of the Dining Hall. She was out.

More pounding as spots began to fill my vision.

"Chase!" The grey eyes and short black hair. "Your Individual Abilities should negate each other if you consciously use them together. Use them both!"

I nodded but my movements were slow and sluggish. I moved my hands and focused.

A hilt and a blade. A hilt and a blade.

Something ghosted in my hand. My arms were about to crumble as they trembled.

I scrunched my eyes shut and I felt something in my hands, it flickered but stayed.

I couldn't open my eyes. I couldn't even walk.

I stumbled forwards and sliced my sword downwards. I continued forward and felt a pull of power.

I threw my sword and the pull of power disappearing.

There was coughing and spluttering, questions and answers.

My legs buckled and I fell on all fours, panting.

Foggy images and blurred voices, people were touching me and hauled my upwards.

"Get... med... Harper..."

It was worse then any darkness.

It consumed me so wholly and completely that I couldn't remember who my name, I couldn't remember what I looked like. I couldn't remember anything.

It felt like I was nothing.

Nothing at all.