M3RG3

Sneak Peek!

"Line up in single file!" One of the instructors barked, his voice stern and harsh. We all obliged, shuffling left and right until we formed a straight single file.

"I will be doing a roll call," the instructor continued, turning on his rectangular device. "Astrid!"

The name they had given me still felt strange to me. Still, I snapped my head up, nodding at the instructor solemnly. "Here."

"Cassandra!" He barked. The confused girl's head snapped up, briefly nodding before lowering it again.

There were eleven of us in total. Despite our obvious differences, we were somehow connected; The confused looks and the inquisitive stares. We all had no idea who we were, where we were, or what we were doing here. One by one, we responded to our given names, still confused and puzzled. Soon, the roll call was finished as we continued to awkwardly stand, awaiting their orders.

"Return to your rooms immediately!" Instantly, I was dragged away roughly, forced to take long strides to match my accompaniment.

"The more you struggle, the more you get punished." The person dragging me lowered his head till his warm breath brushed my ear menacingly. "We are the Security and we do not tolerate disobedience."

"Where am I?" I twisted and craned my neck to get a better look at my surroundings. "I don't recognize this place." Blonde strands gently fell to my eyes, obscuring my vision. I shook the strands away, refocusing.

"You belong to the Republic and you will treat them with respect." The Security snarled before jamming my thumb into a mysterious contraption nailed to the door. "If you want respect, you need to earn it." He twisted the doorknob, opened the door and shoved me in, slamming the door two seconds later.

The interior was well decorated. The navy-blue mat beneath me felt comfortable to stand on as it curled and squished around my toes. There was a massive bed in the centre, the two pillows sky blue, the mattress a darker shade and the blanket the colour of the night sky. The walls were creamy white with an oak table placed in the corner. The dark blue curtains were drawn tightly, so tightly that no light filtered in.

A caramel coloured bag was carelessly hung to a chair, the contents inside threatening to spill out. I swiftly unhooked it, depositing all of its materials onto the bed. The strange device the instructor was using tumbled out, followed by a variety of art supplies.

From charcoal pencils to gel pens, acrylic and watercolours, this bag contained everything an artist needed to draw their deepest inspirations.

A massive vanity mirror leaned between the bathroom and the bedroom, followed by a closet coated in a fresh layer of white paint. My clothing was simple enough: A plain blue T-shirt and navy blue jeans. The stranger in front of me, however, was too beautiful to be true. Blonde hair tumbled to her back, almost gleaming under the white light. Her face was defined and her features were in flawless proportion. Her skin was almost porcelain, translucent, but glowing and radiant at the same time. The most shocking thing was her eyes, sky-blue in colour, filled with a sense of richness and fullness that I had never seen before. Everything about her was beautiful, and it was almost impossible to realize that this stranger was me.

The art utensils were itching to be touched and used. I picked up the sharpened charcoal pencil, twirling it in my fingers before nipping a piece of paper from the bag. Somehow, my hands seemed to know exactly what to do. They easily sketched out the defined jaw, the upturned mouth, the nose, and the wide blue eyes. As I added more hues, tints and shades to my drawing, it became more lifelike and similar to what was in the mirror.

Two hours later, my left hand was cramping as I stretched it out, gently using my other hand to brush over the fragile piece of artwork. Afterwards, I slipped the piece of paper in between the table and the sheet of glass above, hopefully keeping it in a pristine condition.

When the doorbell rang, the same forty-year-old man stood, a welcoming smile plastered on his face and his hands clasped together tightly. His hair was no longer dishevelled and was carefully gelled back to maintain a professional appearance.

"Hello, Astrid. My name is William, and I am a senior in the Republic." He shook my hand, his crystal blue eyes interlocking with mine.

"You along with ten other members have been chosen to join a programme called the Merging Process. We will be assigning different classes for you to further sharpen your skills and abilities. Afterwards, you will be given a job and a chance to move up the Republic hierarchy. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me."

He continued smiling, his eyes wandering until they stopped on my device on the table. "That's your Tabloid. You can communicate, research and basically do everything with it. It's very efficient, useful and practical."

"Since you don't have any questions, I believe that it's my turn to ask you." He nodded his head at me, his eyes clearing to a cloudless blue sky. "What is your name?"

"Astrid." William nodded and stared at me again, his eyes turning into a sharper shade of blue.

"Where are you from?" He interlocked his fingers, maintaining his sharp and penetrating stare.

"The Republic." This was the only place I knew, so it had to be my only answer.

"Do you remember anything apart from the information we gave you?" William's smile no longer felt warm or welcoming. He continued to scrutinize me, drilling me for more information.

As my mind searched for anything, anything beyond today, William continued staring at me, eyes as sharp as icicles.

Nothing. I jolted back to reality, shaking my head. "No."

"Feel free to walk around the hallways. These people are your classmates and you may be studying certain subjects together. That's all for today." He sent me one last practised smile before leaving.

I waited until his footsteps faded. Then, I opened the door, stepping out into the hallway.

This place was quiet. This place was foreign. This place was unknown. This place could be dangerous.

"Hey." I spun around, surprised. The boy seemed to blush slightly before running a hand through his tousled chocolate brown hair. I did my best to smile, although it came out more like a grimace.

"Hey," I replied. "What are you doing here?"

"Same question." He was wearing the exact same thing as me: T-shirt, blue jeans. His chocolate brown hair was ruffled slightly under the wind like a horse's mane. When he finally had the courage to stare at me, I zoned in on the most striking feature: His eyes. One was grey, and the other was a warm brown.

"I guess it looks a bit weird." He frowned, fidgeting with his fingers. "I'm actually a bit scared that people might call me a freak."

I automatically straightened my back, sending him an empathetic smile. "Don't be. I never wanted to look this way as well." I stuck my hand out. "I'm Astrid."

The boy deliberated before clasping my hand in his. "I'm Magnus."

A tingle, so sudden, so foreign, danced at the back of my mind. I blinked, shoving the strange feeling away. Magnus continued standing there, slightly confused.

"I'm sorry," I apologised politely. "What were you saying?"

"I was saying-" The tingling feeling was back, increasing to a maximum. It was no longer just a tingle. No, it was a roaring wave, threatening to swallow me whole. I forced my lids to stay open before the wave swallowed me into darkness.

A/N: So one of you guys has given me an amazing idea for the final bonus chapter, which will be out next week. Please note that this chapter is not one from the sequel, but it does bridge into the sequel. Also, I apologize. I've kinda been procrastinating for the sequel (My friend's killing me for it), but I will do my best. There's a lot of stuff we want to work on and change, plus I'm not finished with the entire thing yet. Please bear with me!