The Island

Prologue

Prologue

Every school's emergency assembly had the same message, the same threatening undertone. An unsettling woman in a sharp suit stood behind the podium on the stage, with a dozen large framed bodyguards lining the edge. Every word she spoke hung over the unsettlingly silent crowd of children.

"Good afternoon children, we are from the headquarters of The Island. We have come to tell you about the role you will be playing in this year's experiment. Every one of you gets to experience something incredibly unique for this generation." She spoke softly but with an underlying tone of authority. She was a tall woman, possibly in her mid-forties. Her dull hazel eyes scanned the room with hawk-like precision. Her inky black hair was a stark contrast to her fair skin "Tonight all of you will be interviewed to discover what skill is most suitable for you. Your families are aware of this development." A second announcer came up, a man this time, so similar to the women they could easily have been twins.

Three large crates were hauled on after him, each shaking slightly. "There will be three people from all participating schools with three major powers on the island," The man said, gesturing behind himself, "However, if one of the Gifted does not use their powers regularly, they will turn into what we like to call the Demented, observe." The first cage's cloth was removed and a sea of gasps and screams followed suit.

With the cloth gone, a boy just around the children's age was revealed, curled into himself, his eyes burning with hellfire, his hands and feet were both chard black, curved horns stuck out from his head, his hands had black talons where his nails should have been, and gouge marks littered the cage floor. A guard walked up to the cage, one hand on a gun in its holster on his hip whilst the other gripped on to a baton. He swung the baton hard against the bars, startling the boy before causing his new primal instincts to pounce at the bars, revealing large, bat-like wings, black at the bone and a deep brown everywhere else, His veins were visible in the light of the stage lights.

As he lunged, teeth bared and saliva dripping from his newly grown fangs, but before he could reach the guards' baton, his flesh began to smoke. Pure fear flooded his eyes as his skin erupted in flames, soon consuming his body and wails of pain left his darkened lips. A bright flash blinded the students, and when they regained the ability to see, a pile of ash lay in the cage, in the shape of his entire body, the outermost ashes burning with a blue flame.

There were many screams and cries of fear, people were shouting at the odd people who had just so obviously killed a living being in front of them. A few either fainted or sat frozen, staring at the scorched cage floor. The guard carrying the baton swung again causing the noise from the disturbed student to silence.

"That was a Demon, fire powers. Next, an Ice Phoenix" the woman and the man at the podium seemed unfazed by the strange creatures, bored almost, whereas the guards seemed a little uneasy. A funny contrast in almost any other situation but right then and there it made everyone in the room feel a chill of fear.

The contents of the second cage were revealed, a small frost coated the floor around it and icicles were stuck to the bars. it was a girl this time, she was much smaller in frame and stature but she scared the children nonetheless. She had long and what would have been flowing platinum blond hair had it not been frozen into her scalp, her striking blue eyes looked glazed as if a miniature snowstorm of pain and torture was trapped inside. She was as pale as snow and her fingertips and toes were a painful blue colour, her body looked undernourished but when she shook the bars of the cage with as much force ass the muscular boy before it made you think twice.

Her wings were sharp and frozen, icicles jutting out of her back, elegantly draped behind her. She looked almost like a mythical creature, a fairy perhaps. She had ice scales lining her neck, arms, and calves, the lighting bounced off of them making it look as if she was glowing.

The same guard from before stalked over to her cage, his baton heated from the flames of the first demon, he quickly jabbed at her wings with his baton, shrieks of pain and suffering could be heard throughout the hall, almost human cries left her lips before he pushed it all the way through her torso, ending her pain with blood dripping from the corner of her lips and her already dull, glazed over eyes fell deeper into peacefulness.

As the heat from the baton touched her, her once beautiful ice and wings melted into a large puddle behind her, scales slowly turning in droplets of water and her hair became damp from the defrosting. Her blood mingled with the water had created a pool of deep pinks and reds.

As if it were her last wish her water and blood began to completely freeze the cage containing her body, ready for her eternal sleep. More murmurs rippled through the crowd as the third and final cage was revealed. However, people stayed silent at its contents. It almost felt wrong to gasp at that moment due to the utter fear and power the creature radiated.inside was a boy, no older than twelve. Instead of thick bars, his containment was a large, glass cube preventing contact with the outside world. His eyes were an endless sea of black, no light remained or shone in his eyes. Every part of them was just a deep inky black. shadows danced around him, purples and gray mingling to create intricate patterns in the air surrounding him.

He had deep and dark circles under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in weeks. His wings looked similar to a raven, ebony feathers ruffled as he looked at the crowd. While the others death had been quick this one appeared to be slowly being turned into a husk, it started at his feet, and slowly started to make its way up, when it got to his throat his eyes widened and he started to use his black arms with talon-like nails to claw at his neck, as if his throat was closed over and he was making a new airway. When the process finished, a mummified corpse fell to the ground, his face caught in a permanent scream, eyes sunken and glazed over. The shadows, however, didn't disappear, instead, they ricocheted off the glass walls, making strange screeching noises, until they threw themselves back into the husk, reanimating it, the boy lurched forward, gasping, clutching his stomach as he coughed up blood and his features returned to resembling a life of sorts, he then curled into a ball, and the cloth was again thrown over his cage by a concerned and hurt looking guard. The raven-haired man in the suit shook his head and stepped up to the podium. "That was a Wraith," he said, not explaining its powers "You will be staying at the school overnight. Report to your homerooms within the next ten minutes. Hopefully, you have someone you trust in your class. A shoulder to cry on if you will." Both announcers grinned, and people started shuffling out. Still silent, tears streaming down the faces of many. They spoke in unison, causing everyone to stop walking, flinching at the hit of enjoyment or pleasure from their fear "Welcome to the Island."