by Elle Grace
“Okay. Goodnight Viola.” I said as I turned and left.
17
Viola
7am 8th September 2025
“I’m nervous.” I finally said it out loud as everyone left the room. James remained back tying his shoelaces. He looked at me for a moment. I was not sure if he was taken aback by my confession. He regarded me for a moment.
“I think we all are, and we have been here a few months training. You’ve had like three days.” He shrugged, looking away. It almost felt dismissive.
“I suppose.” I muttered a little defeated. James got up and sat on the bed next to me. He grabbed a hold of my hand and held it in his. Turning my hand over and placing his fingers to my wrist. Pausing a second. I watched him frowning at what he was doing.
“I would say your heart seems like the right amount of nervous to me. I would be more worried if you weren’t nervous. Anyway, you are trying with us today so you can see you have nothing to worry about.” He tried to reassure me. “None of us know what we are doing anyway.” He smiled and put his own around my shoulders giving me a sideways hug. I let my head fall on to his shoulder for a moment.
“Was it strange coming here?” I asked him.
“From my home kingdom you mean?” He frowned.
I nodded and he thought for a moment.
“Sorry if it is too intrusive.” I added.
“No, it wasn’t. Well it is strange because it is different, and I was not sure what to expect. My father has a lot of respect for the Inperium as an organisation, so I think my view of the place was a little bit skewed before I got here. He was always meant to come here and do some service time but his father who was king at the time died unexpectedly and my father took over the throne early.” He said.
“Will you rule your country some day?” I wanted to know everything about James.
“No definitely not. I am the second son and my older brother has three sons of his own, so they are all in line before me.” He answered.
“Did you want to rule?”
“No.” He answered strong.
“I see.” I paused for a moment.
“It is too much pressure and too many decisions; I’m just not cut out for it.” He answered filling the silence. “You ask a lot of questions.” He smiled.
“Sorry.” I mumbled.
“No, don’t be. I like it.” He stood up. “So, Miss Hart what about you? How are you feeling about this place now?”
“I mean I’m still not the biggest fan…”
“Understandable.” He added.
“And I have had injuries here than I have had all my life.” I glanced at my shoulder which was feeling much better.
“I feel like there is a but in there somewhere.” A grin appeared.
“But…” I exaggerated the word. “I feel like I have met some cool people and found out some stuff about myself that maybe I was always missing and never realised it.”
He nodded and just looked at me.
“That’s pretty deep for 7am on a Tuesday.” He laughed and I joined in, feeling my worries for the day slip away.
18
Viola
8am 8th September 2025
I walked into the gym I had been training with Colt for the past couple of days and felt like rabbit amongst a pack of wolves. The other hybrids all stood up against the wall watching the human recruits. The humans rallied around Lance, being intimidating and play fighting with each other. They looked like any single one of them had the same muscle mass of all of us combined. Lance stood out, lanky and thin.
“Are you joining us today, Mutt?” He asked walking up to me once he had realised, I had graced them with my presence.
“Yes, it seems so.” I answered quietly.
“That is brave the day before your trial. Hoping to get out of it by being too injured, are you?” He asked looking me up and down.
“I’m sure I will be fine.” I spat wanting to smack him.
“I asked her to join us.” Colt placed his hand on Lance’s shoulder threatening as he turned him around. Colt made Lance look even weedier. I noticed Colt had no shirt on and it was the first time I had really appreciated his toned muscular physique. He looked like he had already had quite the workout, sweat beaded all over his skin. I wanted to reach out and feel the muscles on his chest, but I held myself back and shook it off. A moment of weakness.
“Welcome all.” He said. “Today is the final session before your trials and tests tomorrow. We are going to treat it like a warmup for tomorrow. A little bit of practice combat, a little bit of physical exercise and then you guys can go and get some rest. There is not much more we can teach you now that will improve your performance tomorrow.” He said and I gulped. I felt like I knew nothing.
“Let’s play winner takes it all.” Lance suggested. “You know as a warmup.”
“It’s not really a warmup Lance.” Colt warned.
“You said I could pick some of the warmup activities.” Lance whined like a toddler being denied his favourite snack.
“Fine then.” Colt shook his head, clearly, he was not a fan of the idea, but he had to give into Lance. “Pick someone.”
“Viola.” Lance smirked.
“Someone else.” Colt snapped.
“No, it will be good for the Mutt to see what she will be up against in her trial.” Lance argued and Colt shrugged.
“Fine.” He waved him off. “Who is going to fight her?”
Lance looked around and picked the four most burly looking people.
“You need five.” Colt corrected.
“I’m going to go.” Lance sneered. “In fact, I will go first. In the box mutt!” He barked at me and I obliged unsure as to what was going on. “Come on girly, show us what you got. Winner takes all.”
“What are the rules?” I asked.
“I have picked a team and you fight each opponent until you are the last one standing. If you beat five you win. To win a fight all you have to do is get them outside of the box.” He informed me, pointing at the lines. It seemed simple enough. “The winner takes it all!” He laughed.
“What do you mean winner takes all?” I questioned, knowing the prize was not being injured.
“Well I’m going to win, so I can take whatever I want.” Lance sneered looking me up and down, licking his lips theatrically and I knew what he meant.
“Lance don’t be vile.” Colt said aloof. “She’s a Mutt, anyway, why would you want to?”
“How did she taste when you kissed her?” Lance jeered and part of room laughed. I did not dare to look at James.
“Like crap.” Colt muttered.
They both laughed and I wanted to sink into the floor although I suspected Colt’s laughter was not genuine. I just wished he did not act that way around Lance, after all the conversations and apologies it felt like a betrayal. Doe gave me a sympathetic look.
Lance stepped to join me in the box and as a whistle blew, I threw a high kick his way and sent him flying straight out of the box and halfway across the floor. I was completely unsure as to how I did it. The move and the power behind it were completely foreign to me. It had just been instinctual. Everyone watched me with their mouth wide open. Colt frowned at me but hid a small smirk. Lance got to his feet swearing and muttering. He shouted orders at the human recruits and the next guy riled himself up to get into the box, he had seen what I did to Lance, so he was more prepared. As he entered, he swung several punches at me. I quickly realised he was big and slow. I figured I could keep dodging his hits until he grew tired. I stepped out of the way of one particularly forceful punch and he stumbled forward and flat on his face straight out of the box. Lance shrieked at him and ordered the next person in. This time it was a female. She was quick on her feet and knocked me to the floor quickly. I hit the ground hard.
“Get up!” Colt barked at me. I did as I was told and shakily got to my feet.
The second I was up she smacked me straight in the nose and I fell backwards,
blood exploding out of my face. I could only watch as Colt quickly ran out of the gym door.
It all went dark.
I came to, minutes later. Tristan knelt beside me.
“Hi Vi.” He said gently. I moved to sit up and he helped me. My head throbbed and I could see blood on my shirt from my nose. “You took quite a hit.”
“I think I’m okay.” I squinted a little hoping my headache would subside.
“Can we get on?” Lance was being impatient. “We have a lot to do today.”
Tristan looked at me and I nodded. He helped me to my feet.
“Just take it steady, okay?” He added and I nodded in agreement. “I will pop by later with some healing tonic for you, so you are all fixed up for tomorrow.” He smiled and I thanked him. The other hybrids rallied around me.
Tristan walked away from me and stormed over to Colt. Anger in his eyes.
“Why did you let him do that to her, Colt?” Tristan shouted at him. I think he probably did not want us to hear but he was just too angry to actually care.
“She needs to learn, and I had no choice.”
“Learn what? That she is here to be a punch bag or to amuse you and Lance?” He shouted; we were all listening.
“It doesn’t amuse me.” Colt mumbled.
“In two days, I have had to treat her for more injuries more than most of the other recruits put together. So, I suggest you stop getting her hurt. Else I will start doing the same to you and you aren’t a Mult so no quick healing magic for you!” Tristan finished his telling off.
“Okay.” Colt muttered and went to walk away.
“No not okay, treat her better. She is still one of the team no matter how much you hate her breeding. You have been spending too much time with that twat.” He pointed at Lance and then he turned and left. Colt stared at me from across the room. Sadness and guilt in his eyes.
19
Viola
6am 9th September 2025
I was stood in front of the mirror dressed in my new attire and honestly, I felt nervous, but the uniform I was wearing seemed to be able to hide my fear. I smoothed down the dark scarlet camisole, it clung to my curves. The uniform certainly extenuated my figure. My hair and makeup looked good too. Doe had helped me after we were told to make ourselves look presentable for the Board. I was starting to like this version of myself.
“Are you ready?” Colt asked, he knocked at the dorm door and entered the room. I was on my own. The others had all be told to meet outside. I was glad of the moment of peace to clear my head.
“As ready as I will ever be.” I sighed again. He looked me up and down pausing for a moment.
“You…erm…look… good.” He said awkwardly, trying to make me feel better. He was just trying to reassure me without trying to give me the wrong impression. “Thanks.” I was equally as awkward; I was not sure how to be around him. Especially after how Tristan had torn strips off him the day before.
“Come on, we have to go.” He opened the door for me. We walked up the stairs and out of the building where the others had gathered.
“I have to go join the others for the procession Viola, will you be ok?” He asked. I frowned at his sudden change in attitude towards me.
“What procession?” I was confused.
“It’s tradition.” He murmured and rolled his eyes. “You just need to wait here and follow with the other candidates.” I nodded.
William appeared from around the corner. His hands clasped behind his back and his poise strong. He wore his usual old-style Victorian style clothing. It really did age him. Tristan followed behind him. I was beginning to question Tristan’s role at the organisation. He seemed to be involved in a lot of things. Too many contradicting things.
“My, my, my you all scrub up so well.” He said to all of us. “Viola you look much better than the mess you were the other day, you honestly looked like a street urchin.” He grasped my arm and pulled me away slightly. “There’s some people here to see you, I need them to be invested in this project my dear and a lot of them are here specifically to watch your performance. They were more than keen to hear of your progress after they found out that we had located you. Now Tristan I think it is time you went up and introduced yourself to the Board and took a seat. We are looking to begin promptly.” William physically dismissed Tristan with a flourish of his hand and I rolled my eyes at the pretentiousness. Tristan nodded and moved quickly out of the way, he glanced at me and gave me a look that both told me what he thought of William and wished me luck. “Now Viola, I’m looking for a good show in there. I need these people to be impressed. If you can give it a little bit of theatrical value that would be fantastic.” He gave me a pat on the shoulder, it felt slightly patronizing and not very genuine, before he strode off down the gravel. I was not even sure what he meant by theatrical value. A small group of people marched towards us. A single drum beat the step that they walked. It was like a death march. As they passed us, we seemed to join them and continued the march through the gardens to what seemed like the centre of the campus. I walked at the back confused by it all. When we stopped, we were in a part of the grounds I had not yet seen. In front of us sat an arch way. I could see the gardens the other side through it. I raised an eyebrow. It seemed pointless in terms of where it had been placed. There was a raised platform to the left of it which was decked out with chairs and older people. The other side, William stood on a different platform, looking prideful. The arch itself was very interesting. It looked like it was made of a slightly opaque crystal or a rare marble. I had never seen anything like it before. It was covered in symbols.
“Welcome everyone to this year’s trial ceremony. We are excited to see some new faces and some old ones undertake this tradition and sacred trial and prove themselves worthy or our organisation. Without further to do, let us begin.” He said loudly. “As I read your name please step forward and commerce your trial.” He spoke to the candidates. “Viola Hart of Munduus.” He read from the paper and I stepped forward. I did not want to go first. I did not want to go at all.
“What do I do?” I whispered to James who I had just noticed was standing next to me.
“Do you not know?” He whispered back and I shook my head. It had not been covered in my version of training. He frowned at me. “You go and cut open your hand and then you place it against the wall of the arch. Then the portal appears.” He said it as if it was normal like he was telling how to use a self-checkout machine in a supermarket.
I stepped forward nervously. The people on the platform watched me. I did as I had been instructed and used the small blade that sat in a bowl by the arch. I placed my bloody hand to the stone, and it sparked to life. A blue wall of what looked like viscous water danced across the archway. If I had not believed in magic before that moment, I certainly did after I saw it. Next to the podium a screen burst to life showing the shimmering liquid. I wondered if they would be able to see what happened beyond the arch on the screen. As the drums sounded in the distance, I entered the shimmering blue wall of water not knowing what was to come next.
✽✽✽
As soon as I entered it was pitch back. The shimmering blue wall had disappeared behind me and I was left on my own not know what was going to happen next.
A clacking sound was distant, and I frowned trying to get my eyes to adjust to the lack of light faster. There were clear shuffling footsteps getting closer to me and I realised the clacking sound was a walking stick on the stone floor that appeared beneath me. Shadows ran around me whispering, I could feel the air move as they passed close to me. They all suddenly stopped.
“Welcome Miss Hart. We were wondering when you would be here.” An old voice croaked as a hooded figure stepped forwards.
“Who are you?” I asked suspiciously.
“I am the Founder.” He stated.
“The Founder of the Inperium? That Founder?” I questioned.
“A version of him, yes.” He said.
“I suppo
se that makes sense.” I muttered to myself. Nothing made sense at this insane place, I thought to myself.
“I have to ask you a couple of questions.” He forged forward.
“Okay.” I said. Trying to get a better look at his face which the hood completely covered.
“Do you undertake this trial on behalf of the Inperium, to serve them as the organisation sees fit?” He began.
“Yes, I suppose…” A gong sounded in the distance.
“The trial will tell us all your true breeding. Do you understand?” He only wanted a yes.
“So, I will know what part human I am.” I had my own questions.
“Yes, you will, but it comes at a cost.” He said, talking in riddles.
“Which is?”
“Not for me to say.” He was being cryptic.
“Okay.” I rolled my eyes.
“It is time for you to begin then, Viola.” He announced.
Instantly my surroundings were transformed. The Founder was gone. A room materialized around me, it was old and dusty, the wallpaper hung off the wall in places and the sofa was unlovingly placed threadbare. A fireplace stood, but not proudly. The floorboards were stained and the rug that had once covered them was bunched up against the wall.
Three doors sat along that wall. They all looked the same apart from symbols that they had on them. One looked like a dagger, one looked like a snake and the last one I recognised as the Imperium symbol. All three of the symbols looked familiar to me. I wondered if I had just seen them in Tristan’s books or before that. I chose the door with the Inperium symbol and walked in. I was not surrounded by a room like I had expected but a vast green plain.
The ground rumbled beneath me; something was coming. I dived out of the way as trees rose from the ground around me and shot up into the sky until I was surrounded by a dense forest. It seemed like thousands of them. Everything was green and mossy, and the air smelt damp. I could barely see the sky for the trees. A loud noise surrounded me. I was not alone. Faces appeared around some of the trees, I could barely make them out. I had been spotted. People begun to step out of the trees all around me, but they were not people. Their hands looked long from a distance and I knew they were claws. Their faces grew grotesque as they stepped into what little light there was between the trees. I was unarmed, this was not going to end well. I took a deep breath, the air filling my lungs was wet and stale. The creature things were charging towards me and I turned to run. I ran as fast as I could, and it seemed like the forest would never end. I looked behind me after a short while to see that nothing was chasing me. I slowed to a stop and looked around, more concerned than ever. I tried to catch my breath. I had never been a runner. Something hit the ground and as I turned to see it, a creature tried to slash me across my abdomen. I fell backwards. The wound seared hot. Crawling and clambering to get away. I got up and started running again, managing to find a small clearing with a little lighter. Creatures circled the clearing and stood in the dark, not daring to enter the light. That is when I realised some crucial information about the forest and the creatures. They only existed where the darkness was. I ran over to the closest tree and began to climb it. A skill I never knew I even had. Leaving the clawed creatures on the forest bed. As I reached the top, I looked out at what seemed like miles and miles of trees. The ground rumbled again, and I thought, what next? The forest began to fade, and I hoped that meant the creatures too. The tree I clung to begin to fall sideways but slowly. As I reached the bottom, I stepped off from it gently and as I turned back it was gone. I was in the darkness again. Suddenly an open glass box rose up from the ground and swept me into it. It suddenly sealed and fell to the ground taking me with it. I landed hard and it hurt, that was going to leave one nasty looking bruise. I was kicking trying to get out. Almost immediately sand began to rise from the bottom of the box. It was not sand though, but salt. I could not see where it was coming from. It burnt against the wound on my stomach. It seemed to grow like magic. I was in a salt coffin. This whole trial felt unfair. I could not see what this had to do with working for the Inperium organisation. Surely recruits did not have to escape salt filled coffins often, I thought. I snapped back to reality. The salt was rising fast. I had to stop the salt. I looked at the glass it was not going to smash easy and there were no joins. Suddenly I had an idea. I started rocking the coffin. Using the weight of the salt against it. It was pushing hard but it was struggling to move. I rocked it again harder this time. Throwing as much as I could into it. The coffin rocked upward, and gravity pulled it back down hard. The glass hit the concrete floor just a bit too hard and shattered underneath me. A rather large shard of glass ripped into my arm. I yelped in pain. Blood was soaking the salt. I pushed with much difficulty to get the rest of the broken glass off me as it began to shatter further and stood up. I gently but quickly pulled the glass shard from my arm, cursing as I did so. I was grabbed by both arms and forced into a chair by an invisible power. My wrists were taped to the chair arms tightly and one of them threw a bucket of freezing water over my head. A new scene faded into existence with it. A badly lit room with bare brick walls and no windows. A huge vault door seemed to be the only exit.
