The Black Pawn • The first book of the Black Academy Series

16. Stage Five

THE BIRDS WERE SILENT. The forest blurred under her feet. There were cuts on her arms and face. Not because of a spar. But because of the damned trees in the forest. Her lungs burned, and her mind was clear. The fresh air hit her in the nostrils.

Thwack! She clutched her nose in pain, "Oh damn it!"

"What is wrong with these plants?!"

A branch had suddenly flown out at her and nailed her right on the nose. The tip of her nose was red as she glared at the plants around her, "For god's sake."

She rubbed her face before she started walking again. The air was colder. She didn't have any time to waste. October was starting. It had brought autumn with it.

It was the fifth stage of the Selection. And she'd had it with the task already. The fifth stage was designed to test the stamina of every student. And the best way they had found to test that was an obstacle course on steroids.

They had to run through the maze-like forest, yes many charms had been added secretly in the forest, especially for the task, and they had to find flags attached to some trees. There were more than enough for each student participating to get one.

But, of course, it wouldn't be a task of the Selection without a little bloodshed. (A lot actually.) To make it better, if you happened to stumble onto one of the charmed fighting areas you'd be bound there unless somebody got trapped too. And if somebody did, you had to kill them. It was the only way to get out. If you didn't then you'd be stuck in the charmed areas, and you would be left there.

And obviously, the werewolves would be set free, just for the ones stuck.

She had not encountered one of the fighting areas yet. She'd heard some people get trapped. She'd heard some die. She had worried about if it was one of her friends or not.

The objective was simple. You were to just run. Run for an hour and make it alive. If you didn't? Well, sorry to hear about that. Azalea continued to run and made it into a clearing.

The dust was flying everywhere as she entered. Her suspicion flared when she noticed it. She froze. Suddenly a sitting figure appeared out of nowhere. Azalea groaned as she understood.

It was the damned trap.

It's like the universe hates me, The figure sitting had noticed her, First the plants now this.

He was standing. He was tall and daunting. His weapons took her attention. Black ninjatos. His face was covered with a scarf, Genius idea, why did I not think of that?

She could've not eaten a thousand little bugs and tasted the love of trees, but she had not thought of an ingenious scarf.

"Azalea Selene."

He knew her. She knew him. She nodded at him, "William."

They knew each other because they were in the same class. They had fought against one another enough times for her to skip her comments. He charged at her without a second thought.

She barely had any time to get her weapons let alone get into a defensive stance. She staggered back, her behind met with the barrier of the charm. Pain. She couldn't scream. She would distract herself from her opponent's swing.