The Cardinal

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1 

Sasha's POV

Air rebounds back to my face as my breath leaves my mouth in hitches. My arms and knees are hurt and swollen from wandering on them for nearly two hours. The cold steel gets warmer as my clothes cause friction. It is either the vent pipe I am currently in gets smaller and smaller with every minute that passes or I am claustrophobic. Who could know that the brilliant plan of Hunter -the prodigy of our mini team in his own words- would go wrong. I am way behind our schedule and his communication set has been sizzling since I swam across the River. He estimated that I would be by the center of the Academy by now and have made my way towards the technology lab to "borrow" some necessities. However, life is full of surprises and sneaking in to the Academy took longer than expected.

It is funny to look back on the events that unfolded during last year. Maybe I should start telling from the beginning.

***

Bang! Bang! Bang!

I slowly open my eyes since my eyelids are screaming in riot due to the brightness of my room. They feel heavier than usual because of the whole studying I did last night for the Test. According to rules, you can't study for the Test. Not that it is banned but because it varies for everyone and each Test is different from one another. After you meet your supervisors, everyone is taken to a room and electrodes are linked to your mind to conduct the waves your subconscious, in other words, "Depth" emits. Test doesn't assess what you can memorise and how well you are at Calculus. These types of information are already provided by your pre-Test educators. Test assesses how you cope with your own self. Your emotions, reactions and decisions in given circumstances which are created by your deepest fears, secrets and insecurities. Two weeks after the examination, you receive your results on a report card. You are not just given a score out of 100. On your card, your dominant personality characteristics are displayed as well and according to these dominant features, you are given some occupation options and faculty suggestions. You are free to choose any but generally it is suggested to choose the one your pre-Test educators confirm. 

As I said, before, there aren't a lot of sources you can use while getting prepared. However, in the black market, there are some dealers that claim to have a drug that activates and triggers your subconscious while you are almost-totally awake. My friend, Lisa told me about how it helped her. So, I decided to give it a chance. I really need to get a good grade from the Test, since I managed to hurt myself in the very first race and failed to make my childish dream of getting accepted to the Military department of the Academy - Phoenix Legion - come true. 

I am not oblivious to the fact that I am more advanced than most of my competitors. Most of the poor who lives on the other side of the River don't have access to the pre-Academy program. I have a tremendous head start but it only makes me feel even worse.

I had been on drugs for several hours, but I can hardly remember some foggy pieces of what I experienced. Don't get me wrong. I am not complaining. Even this small bit of information about the unknown suppresses the nausea I feel when I think about the Test. Like everything beautiful in the universe, it comes with a price as well. For instance nobody warned me about the disheveled aural abilities and an excruciating headache that makes me understand what would happen if someone decided to blast a nuclear bomb inside of my skull.

As the throbs get more prominent, it gets harder to distinguish the noises coming out of the door from the drums playing in my ears. I decide to get up and find my parents. Just when I was about to open the door of my room that leads to the hall, it opens abruptly, making me jump back with fear.

There stands mom and dad. They wear the same terrified expression on their faces. Mom embraces me tightly and tells me in a low voice that she loves me more than anything. As she retreats reluctantly, I slowly turn to my father, expecting a reasonable explanation. My mind is still cloudy but I know something is wrong. The people at our door isn't just a neighbor in need of help or the guardians on the beat that detect if every citizen obeys the curfew.