The Calling

by Destiny Hawkins

  Artemis’ laugh echoed around the room, making me feel helpless. “You remind me so much of myself sometimes.”

  I blinked, trying to focus on the monster in front of me.

  “Do you know of what I had to go through to get to where I am now?” Artemis twirled the rod in his hand. “I was born as a Kali and am the only one in a council. The others are all Vexes. My father says that it was the discipline that kept me in line, and I completely agree with him.” He stopped twirling his rod and brought it up to my face with the tip pointing right in front of my eye. “And he had many ways of disciplining me. One method was blinding me. How many times do you think that he’s blinded me in four years?”

  I was staring directly at the iron tip. It was still hot, as if he was continuously heating it somehow. “I don’t－” I panted. “I don’t know.”

  Artemis pulled the iron away from my eye and leaned it back on his shoulder. “Five hundred and forty times. That’s how many times I’ve been blinded by my father.” He started circling me again. “After a while, I knew that I would heal again, so I lost the fear of being blinded. That’s when he would get creative. Breaking bones, isolating me…He did all of that to make sure that I was disciplined.” I loudly gasped as the rod was placed against my upper back and made a sound that I didn’t even recognize. It was as if I had screamed so much already that my voice had become hoarse and raspy. “And I remember every single method of torture that he used.” He dragged the rod down my back, breaking through the skin. “I plan on using them on you, little Rayah. I already know that this method of torture will be my favorite.” When he pulled the rod away, I was relieved, but then was struck with a steely force against my ribs that knocked all the air out of me. I was afraid to move or even inhale in fear that they would crumble and fall apart.

  I swallowed, holding back a scream in my throat. I wanted to wail, sob, and completely break down, but instead, all I could do was take quick breaths through clenched teeth. Tears built at the corners of my eyes, but didn’t actually fall until Artemis was facing me again

  Artemis grinned, his eyes still cold. “Now you look ready. Excuse me, I’ll be right back.”

  When Artemis left, I let my head drop. I wanted this to stop. I needed it to. I needed to get away. I can’t stay awake…Artemis…is going to be upset…

  “Rayah?” I heard Soren’s voice.

  I opened my eyes to see Soren leaning over me with a worried look in his own.

  “Rayah, what－” He gently touched my face with his fingertips, his breath quickening, and his eyes rapidly roaming over my beaten body. “What happened to you? What’s going on over there?”

  I couldn’t really speak but assumed that I was in the same condition that I was in back home. I felt like it. “S…oren…”

  “Rayah.” Soren frowned, his eyes flashing a bright rageful green. “What is he doing to you?”

  My eyes were blinded with tears. “It’s almost…over.”

  Soren was panting now and roughly shoved his hair back. “Don’t go back there. Stay with me.”

  I knew that I wouldn’t be able to do that once my eye sight started to blur. “Soren.”

  He cupped my face when he realized that I was growing unconscious. “Rayah! No, no, no, stay here. Try and stay here.”

  “I…can’t.”

  “Yes, you can,” he echoed, his voice distant now.

  “C…can’t.” Looking up, I noticed that the top of Soren’s tent was glowing white…and then I smelled something burning.

  And then I heard screams.

  “Where’s Racer?!” Psycho roared.

  I blinked, noticing that I was back at the school, but not in the P.T. Room. I was lying on my back being moved on something with wheels, and lights flashed by as I was rushed down a hallway.

  “What happened to her?” someone asked, sounding urgent.

  “I took pain testing a little too far,” Artemis said through gritted teeth. “I’m assuming that she’s suffering from massive blood loss?”

  “No…she can’t heal…ribs…lung.”

  “Will she…Okay?”

  “Have…remove…so…heal…”

  I noticed that I was having a hard time breathing, and then, slowly, everything faded into black. There was no Soren, no Artemis, and no world. Just pure darkness…but I didn’t mind.

  Chapter 9

  “Revenge doesn’t always have to be directed to those that once hurt you, but their loved ones instead.” — Sandra

  When I woke up, I was back in my dorm. The sunlight shining in through my window blinded me momentarily, but then my eyes adjusted, and I let it warm my face. The room temperature was warmer than usual, but I figured that Carmen came in and turned it up due to my cold skin.

  I was relieved that pain testing was over, but it still brought sadness to my heart knowing that I have to experience that again next month. I didn’t want to suffer anymore. I just wanted to be free with Soren and the villagers.

  “Soren…” I couldn’t remember much but believed that Soren was in danger. Psycho was there the last time I jumped.

  “Who’s Soren?” I heard Carmen ask.

  I slowly pushed myself up on my elbows to find her sitting at the end of my bed with her back against the wall. My mouth parted as I took in an unfamiliar version of her. Her curly blond hair was out of its bun and resting on her shoulders, and she wore her blue leather suit only on the lower half of her body with the sleeves tied around her waist. There was only a black sports bra to cover her breasts, while the rest of her torso was revealed. The sight of her at the moment would be considered unappealing to mostly everyone outside of this dorm, but I found her to be in her most beautiful form. Wild even.

  Carmen leaned her head in my direction with lowered lids. She was exhausted. “Rayah?”

  “Oh.” I blinked a few times. “Just－ He’s no one.”

  I could see that Carmen didn’t believe me but was relieved that she didn’t ask any more questions about him. I couldn’t bring myself to tell her about the Wild Lands, and I definitely couldn’t tell her about my powers. I was too afraid.

  “Well, how do you feel?” she asked.

  I slowly pushed myself up into a sitting position and let out a breath of relief when nothing cracked. I was healed, which for once I found weird. Yes, I was a fast healer, but bones were broken and those took at least two days to recover. I assumed that I’d only been asleep for a day, so this couldn’t be right. “Fine?”

  Carmen took a deep breath with a slight smile on her face. “That’s a new record of healing for you. When I asked, they said something about your ribs crushing one of your lungs. It wasn’t as serious as it could have been, which is why you lasted so long through pain testing, but then you went out after a while, because you couldn’t heal.”

  I frowned. “Why couldn’t I?”

  Carmen licked her lower lip. “I guess they had to do some sort of work on you. Surgery maybe? Either way, they were able to do what they needed to in order for your body to start healing in that area. Everywhere else though, you’re bruises and cuts have vanished. I guess you’re only able to heal the small things, but the bigger problems need some assistance.”

  An image of Artemis with my blood on his face and hands flashed behind my eyes, and I rapidly blinked, as if I could blink the images away.

  “Rayah? Are you okay?” Carmen asked, resting her hand on my ankle.

  “Yeah.” I opened my eyes and pulled up a fake smile. “I’m okay. I just—I’m okay.”

  Carmen sighed, knowing that I was lying to her again, but she didn’t push the subject. She just turned her head to face the mirror across from her, then slowly, her face dug into a frown. “I hate him.”

  I looked down at my legs. “I do too.”

  When we heard a knock on my door, we both turned to look at it in unison. I was about to get up when Carmen slid out of the bed with a frown plastered on her face. Carmen was the only visitor I had that could ente
r the dormitory, so whoever was outside of my door, most likely, was someone that was going to ruin our peace with unpleasantries.

  Carmen pressed a button on the keypad next to the door, and when it opened, her shoulders dropped. “Oh, hey.”

  “Is Rayah awake?” It was a familiar voice, but my brain couldn’t put her voice to her face. “I was just stopping by to see how she was doing. I uh... saw her being rushed to the Medical Sector.”

  Carmen looked back at me over her shoulder, leaving enough room for me to see that it was Lithaly standing outside of my dorm. “Yeah, she’s up.”

  Lithaly’s worried eyes brightened when they landed on mine, and then she grinned. “Can I come in?”

  My eyebrows furrowed, and I scooted back to pull my knees up to my chest. “Sure.”

  Lithaly looked Carmen up and down in question, then entered my dorm while looking around. “I see you don’t like to have much color in here, Nully.”

  Carmen frowned at Lithaly’s back but didn’t say anything and went back to sitting at the end of my bed.

  I chuckled. “Maybe I’ll put some color up once my powers surface.”

  “Please.” Her eyebrows furrowed as she looked around again. “We’re allowed a few pictures on the walls. Maybe these plain walls are sucking all the color out of you?”

  I cocked my head to the side. “I never thought of it that way.”

  “See? That might be the problem solver right there.”

  We both chuckled, and then became awkwardly silent. I considered her a friend, but only in class. I never thought of us actually forming a regular friendship, which seemed to be something she’d be happy to accept. People didn’t check up on others because they disliked them, but because they cared for them.

  Lithaly licked her lower lip before biting down at it, “You know, you scared me a little there. When I saw you being rushed to the Medical Sector, I wasn’t sure if you would make it out of there.”

  “She’s not as weak as you may think she is,” Carmen snapped.

  Both Lithaly and I turned to Carmen in an awkward confusion. I knew that she was protective of me, but Lithaly wasn’t a threat in any way.

  “Oh, well,” Lithaly laughed nervously. “I know that. She nearly beats me every time that we fight each other, but I mean…” she turned back to me. “You were bleeding everywhere, and you were so pale. I tried to follow you into the Medical Sector, but Major St. James made me stay back.”

  Carmen rolled her eyes. “So, how’d you get into this dormitory?”

  “I’m on my friend’s visitors list.” Lithaly’s smile began to fade. “Well, I just came here to check on you. I’m glad that you’re okay.”

  “Thank you.” I offered her an apologetic smile. “If you don’t mind, I can add you to my list.”

  Lithaly grinned. “Yeah, I’d really like that. Maybe I can help you decorate your room.” She nodded before backing away. “Well, I’ll see you during combat training.”

  I nodded back, and when she was gone, I turned to Carmen with wide eyes.

  Carmen’s eyebrows furrowed. “What?”

  “What was that?”

  “Nothing.” She crawled up next to me and dropped her face into the pillow. “You know I don’t trust anyone with you.”

  I chuckled. “I see. Well, you don’t have to worry about Lith. She’s one of the nicer people here.”

  Carmen moved to her side with her back against the wall. “Yeah, well if you say so.”

  I scooted down and lay my head back onto the pillow.

  “You should get more rest before tomorrow. Just in case you’re not completely done healing,” Carmen suggested.

  “Yeah.” I was way ahead of her, exhausted already. Going to bed early wasn’t an issue though. The sooner that I fall asleep, the sooner I get to see Soren.

  I hope he’s okay…

  —

  Three nights passed. Three full nights and not one time was I able to jump to the Wild Lands. I was pissed, and the last image that I had of Soren wasn’t helping with the panic and anger building inside of me. All I remembered was seeing his sad face, and then white fire burning through the top of his tent. I needed to know what was going on at the village, if there was even a village left. What if Psycho killed everyone?

  “Are you okay?” Carmen asked, sitting across from me during lunch. She looked down at my tray of food, noticing that I hadn’t taken a bite of anything, and then brought her eyes back up to mine.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I mumbled, still staring down at my tray. I felt somewhat as if I’d explode. Why couldn’t I jump back to the Wild Lands? That was my real home, and now my body was keeping me from it. Something within myself had gone wrong, and I couldn’t figure out what.

  Carmen sighed. “What’s wrong with you? You need to eat.”

  Everything. “Nothing.” I continued to play in my beans with my spoon.

  “Stop lying to me,” she demanded. “What is wrong with you?”

  I growled. “I said nothing, Carmen. Just leave it alone.”

  A few people at the end of the table looked in our direction, but then went back to talking to each other once they noticed that nothing was happening.

  Carmen leaned back in her chair. “It’s just…The past few days you’ve been like－”

  I lifted my head to look at her. “I said that I’m fine, Carmen.”

  “But you’re－”

  “Carmen,” I tried to say softly, but my voice shook with aggravation. “I’m okay.”

  I stared at her for a moment longer but quickly turned away when her eyes widened. She must’ve saw something that she shouldn’t have.

  I stood from my chair with my head lowered. I needed to get out of here fast, or else I’d be done for. The security officers wouldn’t hesitate to shoot me if someone pointed out my glowing eyes or my black ones. Hopefully, they were just black, making them harder to notice.

  I was just about to push my chair in when Carmen spoke. She was so calm about it that she threw me off guard. “Rayah, look at me.”

  I shot my head up, but then my mouth dropped when our eyes met. I was so used to her telling me what to do that when she made a command, I instantly did as I was told. Regret filled me, but then it melted away when her expression shifted into confusion.

  “What is it?” I asked, releasing the breath I’d been holding.

  Carmen bit her lower lip and squinted, but then sighed. “Nothing. I just thought I saw something.”

  My eyebrows furrowed. “Oh, probably not, but I’m just not feeling well, so I’m going to get some rest.”

  Carmen didn’t respond. She just sat back with her arms folded and her eyes piercing into mine. This was the last person that I’d ever be able to get anything by. Just because she didn’t ask directly or even pushed the matter didn’t mean that she wasn’t skeptic. My friend was too smart and knew me better than anyone.

  “I’ll see you later,” I said before grabbing my tray and walking away. I could feel her eyes on me all the way to the trash can, but then eventually started to feel everyone else's eyes on me as well.

  When I turned around, I ran directly into Sandra, who just so happened to have a tray full of food in her hands. The food side of it slammed into my stomach, and as I stepped away, she shoved it against me.

  “Watch where you’re going, Null,” Sandra said with a smirk on her face.

  I sighed and frowned as the tray dropped to the floor. The lunch room was quiet, but I could still hear a few snickers here and there. Everyone else was just waiting on me to retaliate. To see the Null try and put up a fight.

  I looked down at my stomach and noticed the beans and white mashed potatoes dripping down my suit.

  “Well?” Cleo stepped up beside Sandra. “Aren’t you going to pick that up? You’re the one who ran into my friend.”

  “She doesn’t have to pick up anything,” Carmen said, stepping beside me with napkins in her hand. “Here.” She handed the napkins over to me
and turned back to Sandra and Cleo with narrowed eyes.

  Cleo’s smile faded, but Sandra only sneered. “Oh look, it’s the Null’s replacement for a mother.”

  I balled my fists at my sides and clenched my teeth. I wanted to punch her or make her regret her words, but instead, I did everything in my power to keep calm.

  “What Rayah? It’s true, right? You can’t have visits because you aren’t a level six yet.” She leaned in closer. “And I’ve been told that your next leveling is your last try.” She laughed and stood upright again. “Poor girl. Using your friend as your mommy.”

  My chest vibrated as the hot energy inside of it shot into my shoulders, and then down my biceps. I tightened my fists while trying to hold my powers back, but all that did was make them push harder. I wanted to explode. I wanted to pummel Sandra, but I couldn’t. For the first time I was fully aware of my energy shifting through my body, but I couldn’t use it because I was afraid of what color may have come through.

  “Let’s go, Rayah.” When Carmen grabbed my shoulder, I jerked away. I didn’t mean to, but my body reacted before my brain.

  “You look like you want to do something, Rayah,” Sandra said, stepping in closer to me. “So, do something.”

  I raised my chin and stared into her eyes. She wasn’t intimidated by me, and I wasn’t intimidated by her. Still, I wasn’t thinking when I spoke next, like someone were speaking for me, and after what I learned about myself it was probably the dumbest thing I could’ve ever said. “Duel me.”

  When Cleo burst out laughing, Sandra shot him a warning glare, causing him to shut his mouth with a clomp. She turned back to me. “Fine. But loser goes to solitary for a week. We can run that by the referee together.” She gave a smug smile. “I look forward to our duel. We can have it set up first thing tomorrow.”

  “Tonight.” I wanted to take my anger out on her, and I wanted to do it now, but mostly, I just wanted to put her in her place. It probably was a bad move due to my condition, but I needed this. Sandra had been pummeling me since we were kids, and I rarely was able to fight back, but this time, I was going to show her what I was made of. “I can have it set up for rec. time. After classes.”