Inside the Parthenon

I don't know why Laurent hid everything from me. I don't know why he's too afraid of bringing me to a place that feels like a second home. 

I don't get him. 

We were scattered in front of the Academy's huge steel gate as several eyes started to glance at me. I can feel bewildered stares everywhere. I pouted and keep my head low, cursing at whoever made this white suit. I was the only one wearing it and it was too flashy on top of that! 

"Hey, keep your head high. You're a celebrity here." Levy held my chin up and linked her arms at me as we walked like fashion models around. I don't know what in the world we are doing. 

"Tier Three, please line up!" Levy and I quickly lined up. My forehead creased as I saw a mysterious floating door ahead. A guy with specs was waiting beside the door, a bunch of keys hanging on his arm. The line moved as students started to enter the door. 

"Why not just go straight inside the academy? What's with the weird door?" I asked Levy who was in front of me. 

She chuckled as she started stretching. "We can't go inside that easily. Starting from the gate, there's a wide barrier surrounding the academy." She suddenly picked a pebble and played with it, a mischievous grin pasted on her face. "Do you want to see?" 

"Ugh, maybe?" She threw the pebble in the air and my eyes widen as an iridescent wall started to resurface, stretching widely until my eyes couldn't see. 

"Levy Howl! You, again?!" The guy in specs yelled angrily at Levy, making her frowned. 

"Sorry, I got too excited!" 

Levy feels like the type of student who always breaks the rules.

As we got nearer in front, I started breathing heavily as my heart thumped wildly. My hands started to get cold. I don't know why, but I was feeling nervous. 

"By the way, why do they give us different keys?" I asked as the guy in front was handing the keys one by one and I could tell they were all different from each other. 

"The keys will lead us where we're meant to be." 

"What?" 

"Of course, Levy Howl." I didn't even realize we were already in front. The guy gave Levy a brown key as he stared at her intensely. 

"Hello, Sir Vein. Looking hot today aren't we?" I stared in awe as she still have the guts to give the guy a flying kiss. She even winked at him! I can't help but burst into laughter but I immediately shut my mouth tight as he glanced at me with a deathly glare. 

"Sorry, sir" I glanced at him from head to toe. He really is good-looking.

 "Hey, stop checking me out." He mumbled making me avert my gaze as fast as a lightning. 

Levy was already holding the doorknob when she turned at me. "Harper, goodluck!" She cheered on me and went inside the door. I took a peek but all I can see was darkness. 

"Name?" Sir Vein I presumed, asked.

"Harper Williams." I responded as I smiled widely, nervous but excited as to where the door will lead me. He handed me a white key, my surname 'Williams' was carved on it. I was about to enter when he mumbled something. 

"Don't be too excited, you could die." 

"What?!" I was about to retreat when he pushed me inside. 

I found myself swirling inside a whirling vortex. The next thing I knew, I was kneeling on the cold ground, my stomach churning as I started to vomit. 

"Ooh, that's gross!" 

A familiar voice made my head turn. It was Levi Howl. He was wearing a brown suit and black pants. 

I stood up and inhaled all the fresh air I could inhale.

That was torture! 

"If Killian and Levy were here, the gang would be perfectly complete." I turned my head and saw disheveled hair, a pair of emerald eyes. Flynn Silver. He was wearing a dark violet suit and the same black pants. 

"Where are we?" I asked.

There were huge tall pillars everywhere. It looks just like the Parthenon, but the place was completely intact. Our eyes simultaneously darted in front as three students walked inside. My eyes widen as I saw Levy, leading the two boys behind her. 

"Levy!" I waved at her and was about to go near when Levi grabbed my arm. "You can't befriend the enemies! Be professional, Harper!" 

My eyes furrowed as I looked at him with a what-are-you-saying face. "Last time I checked Levy was your twin!" 

"Harper, we're in a battleground, this is a bloody war." He lazily responded making me more confused. 

"The test will about to begin, now listen to me closely. I have a plan." Flynn whispered. 

"Test?! I didn't even revie-" Levi put his arms around my shoulder as we leaned closer to Flynn.

"Just listen to the smart guy." Levi complained as he covered my mouth. 

                                                          ///

 "You better do this right, Harper." Levi mumbled making me roll my eyes. 

"What if we lose?" I asked Flynn as my heart started to beat fast. I was soaked in a cold sweat as anxiety devours me. 

He explained briefly that this is an exam to test our abilities. The three of us were designated as a team, means we're going to be in the same class after this, along with three other students who are currently being tested right now in another place just like us. 

"If we lose, we'll be left stranded inside the dark dungeon for three days. There are beastly monsters there, we need to kill them if we want to avoid getting injured. We'll feel the pain but they can't kill us there. The dungeon was supposed to strengthen weak students in a violent way." I gulped as he explained. 

"And one last thing," Flynn sat on the cold floor and closed his eyes. 

"you will lose your ability inside the dungeon." 

It felt like a cold bucket splashed at me. One step inside the dungeon, I'm certain I will die. 

Laurent told me that what makes me keep living was my power. My first chamber already closed making me die, and if my second chamber does, 

"and so will I." I muttered under my breath.

"What?!" Levi asked as he started to focus on his right hand, a pebbled started to move rapidly on his hand. It shifted into a huge hammer as he swung it, making it rapidly move in a circular motion. 

Why does it look familiar? 

"I'm the King of Asgard!" He yelled and lunged at the enemies. 

I started running towards the corners and let a dark chain come out from my right hand. I was doing my role perfectly fine, running here and there, trying not to get caught when Levy popped in front of me. 

"Hi, Harp!" I screamed at the top of my lungs when she threw a metal spiked ball at me. I quickly crouched down and my eyes widen the moment I saw it hitting the wall, making a huge crack. 

"I AM SO DEAD!" Screaming, I started to run around every corner, my dark long chain making a low screeching sound as I dragged it around. Levy was behind me, grinning as she pull the metal spiked ball behind her. I was almost finish running around on every corner when she suddenly tug my chain, making my body slammed on the ground. 

"Oh, no!" I got dragged along with my chain!

I used my left hand and released two chains to attack her. Using one of my chains, I slap her hand which kept pulling my chain from my right hand. 

"Ouch, Harper!" She complained irritably. I ran backward as I let my chains from the left move rapidly, attacking her. The chain from my right just made faint noises as I drag it around. 

My eyes darted on my team as sweat covered my face. Levi was in the middle, fighting the two guys alone and Flynn, the busiest among us was quietly sitting on the ground, his eyes were completely closed. 

I exhaled heavily as I finish my long quest. I stopped running and focus on Levy. I waved my left hand and my chains wrapped around her. 

"I caught one, threw the others at me!" I yelled at Levi. His huge hammer shifted into a rope and he managed to tie the both of them. He tossed them in my direction, I caught the guy with pointed ears but failed to catch the other one. He shifted into a rat, making it harder for my chains to grab him. 

"A shapeshifter? Oh, come on!" I complained. Levy and the guy I caught started to squirm and move. Levy was using a saw, trying to cut my chains while gritting her teeth, the other guy using a sharp vine formed like an ax as an attempt to escape. My clenched fist started to tremble as I was nearly reaching my limit. 

"I'm done!" Flynn announced as the three of us regroup in the middle. But we were left dumbfounded when the rat stopped his tracks in front of us, his eyes glowing silver. From a little rat, he slowly shifted into a huge dragon. It roared loudly, our hair flew violently with the harsh cold wind, the place shaking slightly. 

"RUN!" Flynn's voice echoed, making me run for my life. I left Levy and the guy still bounded in a corner, the chain in my left hand getting longer as we dashed towards the exit. 

"Run, Harper, run!" Flynn yelled at me as he and Levi started getting ahead of me. The distance was getting larger, the dragon almost reaching me. I was feeling weaker and weaker as time passes. 

The marble floor cracked continuously as the huge dragon behind us ran his way towards us. It made me stumble on the floor, my head turned and saw the dragon, its mouth widely open. 

I screamed at the top of my lungs and I almost got grabbed if not for Levi who quickly carried me like a sack, dangling on his shoulder. I saw his hammer quickly turned into a cart and he hurriedly put me inside, pushing the cart as fast as he can. 

"The dragon's going to spit fire!" Panic took over me as I scream as hard as I can. 

"Flynn, do something!" Levi desperately yelled as he pushed the cart. I covered my eyes but my fingers were far apart as I witness how the dragon exhaled heavily and expelled a large mass of fire. 

We almost got burnt alive when Flynn waved his hand and a barrier emerged, shielding us from the intense blazing fire. I gasped for air as the scorching heat was still reaching us. 

"Harper, now!" 

We made it out alive, but the dragon was about to leap in our direction. Flynn's signal made me move quickly, standing on the cart, I let go of the chain in my left hand, the one binding Levy and the other guy. 

While standing outside, I saw a full vision of what Flynn had planned. My chain were all tied on every corner, on every pillar, creating a rectangular shape enclosing the whole place. 

Flynn started chanting, the dragon about to get outside, roaring intensely making a deafening noise. 

"Faster, Flynn!" Levi shouted, tensed by the whole situation. 

Just as the dragon was about to step outside of the temple, Flynn finally completed his chanting and a huge barrier surrounded the place, making them caged inside. The dragon's body slammed on the barrier as it tries to escape. 

Levi slumped on the ground as sweat covered him. He chuckled crazily as something slowly materialized in front of us. The floating door. 

We made it. 

We won.