The Prospects atop the rocks were still and silent as they took in the man’s words, confusion etched onto their faces before realisation dawned upon them.

The crash and everything that had happened afterwards, the academy had set it all up, it had all been a test.

“HOW COULD YOU?” someone shouted with righteous anger, “THERE WERE CIVILIAINS ON THAT TRAIN! PEOPLE DIED” They continued as anger and disgust started to well up in several others as they thought about what they had been through.

“Really? I can’t see any civilians around here” The man said as he raised his hand and a glowing ball of white light flickered into existence above his palm, it radiated power and before Bryn knew it, the man that was standing next to him, a person who had helped him move one rock after another since nearly the beginning, took on a ghostly visage before he faded into motes of light and joined with that glowing orb.

People all around Bryn suddenly started to burst into light one after another, some went stoically whilst other went with a laugh and a giggle. Realisation dawned on him before he turned his head to where the unconscious little girl had been placed with the rest of the injured, he watched as the girl that had been asleep the entire time, now stood with her father, giving Bryn a smile and a wave as she disappeared into motes of light.

The number of people in the room had in an instant had been reduced to a fraction of what it was.

“What you have just witnessed is an ability of a Ghost Caller, those people that you fought to save were but echoes of people that have long left this world for the next”. “I think you all need to understand something about the World that you are about to enter” the man spoke to the crowd, “Powers that you have only dreamt about are now within reach, the line between what you once considered reality and fantasy has been erased”

“Once you become a hero and start to take on missions, a little train derailment will be the least of your worries, you may have to face vast armies or unstoppable plagues, there is a lot of bad in this wide universe and if there is one thing that you should learn from your time at the academy, your survival is no longer guaranteed…for that is what it means to be a Hero” the proctor said before he turned his body and waved to the passage behind him, A Black and white rose that acted as the Sigel of the academy clearly embroidered on his back.

“Beyond this path lays the second stage to the exam, only those who have passed the first stage may carry on, for those who failed your entrance in to the academy ends here” The proctor said before moving to the side under the uncomprehending eyes of the applicants.

“You mean we didn’t all pass the test” a person gathered up their courage and called out, the proctor chuckled, only stopping when he realised that it wasn’t meant as a joke and then he got angry.

“Of course not!, This is the Black Rose academy your applying to, only those that are deserving of being taught are worthy to attempt the next stage, and HAH!, from how you acted within the test, I would say less than half of you have proved your worthiness” The proctor said and scoffed as he glanced to a few members of the crowd.

“But we all made it out!” an applicant shouted out in anger but his words caused the callous proctor to get serious, his anger only growing.

“The first stage of the exam was never meant to test whether or not you could take a hit and get back up; it was to test how you would react when things don’t go your way!” he said as his eyes scanned the applicants before landing on two people in particular, the two people that had broken out into a fight when the train had first derailed.

“Those of you who have passed the first stage demonstrated the core values of what it truly means to be a Hero, whilst the rest of you, you demonstrated the values of those that we use our abilities to protect” the proctor said before softening the glare he was giving before looking across the crowd, “ and I’m sure if you all think back to how you acted, you’ll know whether you deserve to walk down this hallway or not” he said before going quiet and allowing the applicants to think back on their actions.

It was a few moments later when the first applicant made their move, it was Alexa, she crossed over the top of the rock pile and made her way to the pathway before stopping before it, but unlike what Bryn was expecting, she did not stop before it, she continued her stride as if she had no doubt.

The barrier briefly flickered into existence for but a moment, flashing a light blue, but like a bubble popping atop her skin, she broke through without any effort required.

The applicants took Alexa’s show of passing as a sign of good fortune, one person after another climbed over the rock pile hoping to be the next one through.

Some passed through the light screen freely whilst others faltered as it turned crimson and barred their way, ending their hopes of entering into the academy there and then.

Bryn stood before the light screen and thought about the proctor’s words, the train crash may not have been his fault this time, but he knew that people were targeting him and he still got on that train.

‘Am I truly worthy of being a hero if I risk the lives of others to save my own’

Armani tapped him on the shoulder before giving him a smile and thumbs up before passing through the screen without a shred of hesitation.

“Don’t think too hard on It “he called out from the others side.

“You cannot focus on that which cannot be changed, only on what still can be” Bryn spoke under his breath and relaxed as he thought about the words Armarni had said. He couldn’t change the past, but if he was able to obtain the power he sought at the academy, he would be able to change the future.

He passed through the barrier and caught up with Armarni and Alexa on the other side.

“Took your time” Armani called out jokingly whilst Alexa smiled, “didn’t realise you were so dramatic” she said as she joined Armani in teasing him.

“Har Har Har, very funny” he said as his watch began to be beep alongside several of the other applicants in the room, Bryn looked around questioningly before asking the other two “what’s going on?”

Alexa and Armani looked away from their watches where they too had received several messages before answering, “looks like they blocked outside communication inside the room and now that we’re out we’re getting all of the messages that were sent to us whilst we were in there” Armani said before going through his messages as he walked towards stage 2.

Bryn browsed through his messages but after he looked at the number of unknown contacts that had sent him a message, he realised why his was beeping several times more than anyone else’s and had yet to stop.

His number had been leaked and people were sending him hate mail.

It only took Bryn looking at a few of them before he took the watch off his wrist and threw it on the floor, stomping on it for good measure., he had only looked through a few of the messages he had received, but the pure filth that he had been sent was abhorrent.

Alexa and Armani looked at him as if he was crazy, but before he could answer he suddenly felt someone pull on his hood.

Bryn pulled it back on as quick as he could but as he turned around he saw the teen who did it scowl at him before lazily replying “sorry, thought you were somebody else” he said before moving back to the people he was with.

Bryn angrily watched him go but the anger quickly faded and was replaced with fear as he saw that several people were suspiciously looking at him whilst talking secretly to their friends.

He looked back to his broken *phone* and realised what all the messages were about, he turned around to speak to Alexa and Armani but…they were gone.

Bryn cursed himself for being surprised that they would leave but when he thought about it, what did he really know about the two, he had known them for less than a day, why would they stick around with him after finding out who he really was.

The past few hours had made him forget, he was on his own now, he couldn’t trust anyone.

After a few minutes of walking, they had made it to the end of the pathway where a large industrial room lay in wait, it was all but bare except for the rest of the applicants that had gotten there ahead of him, oh, and a tear in space that showed another land and place on the other side.

Bryn recognised it as a gateway, a type of magic only available but to a few of the most powerful Guilds. Before all of the recent events had happened Bryn had seen similar gates within the broadcasts of the Heroes he used to watch.

Standing in front of the gate was the proctor for the second stage, and much the like the first, she too was wearing a pearlescent white jacket with the symbol of the Academy on her back.

“Congratulations are in order, for to be standing where you are right now, means you have demonstrated the true values of what heroes aspire to be”

“Behind me, as you can see, is a gateway to another world, and, it is also the location for the second test” she said to which a few began to mutter in surprise and excitement, a feeling that Bryn too felt.

The idea that he would be stepping upon different land under a different sky, sent his heart a flutter, if only he wasn’t worrying about what the people around him were planning to do to him then he could enjoy it.

“Whilst it might look like this world possess scenic views and lush forests, a perfect place for a picnic with your girlfriend if you will… this world in in fact a death trap!”

“…each and every creature that lives there is a predator and they have perfectly evolved to become the apex killing machines of that land and make no mistake…they are stronger than you”

“…you may want to ask if it is so dangerous over there then why is the test is being done there.”

“Well, it’s for exactly that reason!”

“In your career as a hero you’ll be put in situations far worse than this and have to come out on top, this test is designed to give you a little taste of what’s to come and to make sure we are not wasting our time teaching you”

“The aim of the test if for you to safely make it to this gateways counterpart that is currently floating within the centre of the valley on the other side”

“Let this be a warning, trust nothing whilst you are on the other side, not the plants, the tree or even the water, and especially, do not enter the tunnels that lead underground, for those are all but certain death” she said as she looked into the eyes of each and every student to make sure her point was put across.

“BEGIN!” the proctor shouted and those closest to the portal took a wary first step towards it before breaking into a run.

Bryn was caught up in the middle of the group as he ran with them, but as he approached the portal the people in front of him disappeared one after the other as soon as they came in contact with the gate, they never showed up on the image that was projected on the gateway so they must have been transported out of view.

Touching the gateway was a strange sensation in Bryn’s opinion, one second he was within a concrete room and the next he was under a bright blue sky that had two moons visible in the middle of the day.

A lush forest lay below him; he was stood atop a large boulder that was protruding from canyon wall that from what Bryn could see surrounded the entire valley.

From a glance, Bryn could make up the general outline of the valley, the outer layer which took up the majority of the valley was overgrown with a lush forest, it grew out of a mostly gentle incline that dipped towards the centre of the valley where the 2nd layer of the valley was, and it was a vast lake.

A deep crystalline blue, the sun reflected off the still water and made it shine like it was made out of sapphires, even from a glance Bryn could tell that this layer would be the most dangerous to cross, for if what the proctor said was the truth, there was no way there wasn’t something living in there with a taste for young boys and girls.

The centre of the valley looked like it would be a difficult climb, but the outcropping rock didn’t look particularly hazardous, it would only be difficult if like the lake, something hunted within the mountainous area and tried to attack them as they climbed the rocks to reach the gateway that glowed from atop them.

Looking from right to left, he could see a few other boulders with other applicants atop them, some had immediately made to get off whilst others were taking in the view just like him, or maybe not.

An arrow lodged into the canyon wall beside him, it had only missed him by a few inches, Bryn wondered for a second whether it had been shot by some enemy they would have to face within the forest, but not, it had been shot by the contestant atop the closest boulder.

“Crap!” Bryn called out as he realised what was going on, he turned to where he had seen the other contestants and sure enough, a few of them were heading in his direction, not all of them but enough of them to make sure he knew that he stood no chance in a straight up fight.

The calls and messages they had been receiving after the first test were from the family and factions, telling them who he was and issuing the order for his head, now they were coming at him with the intention to kill, but if brought fought back in their attempt, did he had the resolve to kill them if it meant saving his own life?

It was one thing for a person to say that they would, but it was another thing to actually do it.

No time to think, Bryn jumped off the side of the boulder as it was only a few meters up and was something he could land without hurting himself before doing the only thing he could do now that he was back on solid ground, Bryn ran!

Bryn ran into the forest as more people showed up in the distance, heading down the incline as he dodged past one tree after another.

In the distance he could hear more people shout out, asking where he was but he had no time to think about that.

*THWIP*

Bryn suddenly ducked and slid along the forest floor on his back as a sword was slashed out at him by a person who had been hiding behind a tree.

Seeing that he had failed, the would-be attacker charged forth once again, stabbing into the ground as Bryn repeatedly rolled away one time after another before spinning on his back and kicking his attacker back.

Before his attacker could try again, Bryn had flipped himself back on to his feet and took off running again, several other people ran past the attacker as they watched Bryn escape into the dense forest.

“Tch” the attacker angrily said before motioning to join up with the pursers but stopped as they realised that they were stuck in place, looking down revealed a vine had unknowingly wrapped itself around his ankle.

Before they could even attempt to cut it off, they felt an unstoppable tug on the vine before they were dragged off into the distance, even their panicked scream was muffled out but the brush on the forest floor.

“Crap, crap, crap” Bryn repeatedly cursed as he ran as fast as he could, dodging trees, rocks, swords, arrows and all manner of other harmful goods as he tried to put some distance between him and the group but that was something easier said than done.

More and more people were joining up with the group as he ran further into the forest, and the most dangerous part was that the people that were joining the group weren’t joining up with those that were trailing behind him, they had rushed on a head to cut him off, literally.

The further he ran into the forest the more he realised how much of a death trap it was, vines randomly shot out of the trees as they tried to ensnare him and his pursers, the fauna and flowers that he ran by would sometimes breathe out a poisonous cloud that would knock out any careless enough to breathe it in or get shot by the thorns projected by the deadly flowers.

The number of people that were chasing him was constantly being dwindled down, but more and more people that had been transported further away would just replace those that had been lost.

Bryn could see the tree line break in the distance and light shine through what had been relatively dark thanks to the forests canopy.

Bryn broke through the tree line after a quick moment of shock, took two large steps before jumping with all his might.

Bryn hovered freely in the air, floating for but a moment before gravity had him crashing back down to earth.

Water splashed against his legs as he landed in the gradual waterfall that was essentially a natural slip’n’slide, his legs gave out beneath him as his velocity sent him sliding down the inch or two of flowing water that lined the moss-covered rock.

A quick glance behind him showed that he wasn’t the only one stupid enough to take the leap as several prospects jumped from the tree line onto the rocky Slip’n’slide, some crashing and being swept away whilst others landed with perfect balance and took off after him as if they were going for a walk in the park.

“What the hell are they, ninja’s?” Bryn said as he watched the movement of those that were able to remain on their feet and were catching up to him with every passing second.

Using a combination of skating atop the shallow water and kicking off the few rocks that jutted out of the flowing water that were free of moss, Bryn’s assailants covered the distance but Bryn was barely managing to keep one step ahead of his pursers via his graceless dodging.

Bryn repeatedly fell and slid on his back and legs as unlike his pursers, he couldn’t just keep his focus on staying up right, each time one of his pursers got close enough to him, they would not hesitate to attack, even if they lost their own balance in the attempt.

In a brief moment of respite Bryn could see that the waterfall was getting thinner but flowing faster, he didn’t understand why as he could see the forest line jut back up directly in front of where it was flowing but as he got closer he understood why.

At the end of the waterfall, the water flowed into a deep dark hole, no doubt the same type of hole the proctor had classified as essentially ‘certain death’.

With little choice else, Bryn jumped over the large hole at the last second but just as he jumped over it and was heading back into the tree line, his ribs cracked as a giant of a man crashed into his side, spearing him and sending the two of them tumbling across the forest floor before coming to a stop within a small clearing.

“Argh” Bryn called out in pain as his ribs flared in pain, the mystery attacker had gotten him in the same place where he had hurt himself during the first stage of the test.

Opening his eyes, they quickly went wide as he saw an axe falling down atop him.

*BANG*

The axe impaled the ground and its wielder gave a scornful look towards Bryn, only to be replaced with a dazed and unconscious look as the persons eyes rolled into the back of their head once Bryn had finished kicking them in the face with his back still on the floor.

‘One down, twenty odd to go’ Bryn thought as those that had been chasing him caught up and moved to surround him, they were all breathing hard from the chase but one look at them and you could tell they hadn’t given up yet.

Bryn stood within the centre of the encirclement and entered into a fighting stance, his eyes sharp and anger mounting “Bring it!” he shouted and they were only too happy to comply.

“Ahh!” several shouted as they charged, slashing and stabbing as they drew close enough but Bryn had unknowingly been preparing for this all his life, he was like a leaf on the wind, untouchable to all that tried.

Dodge, duck, dip, dive and dodge again.

Bryn slid past one person after another, counter attacking only when he could or simply moving in a way that made them get in each other’s way if there was a chance, but even as his skills got sharper the angrier and more desperate he got, he couldn’t avoid it all.

His parker had already been shredded and his skin was full of bloody nicks that he had been unable to fully dodge within the first minute of the brawl.

“Ahh!” Bryn screamed out in pain as he received a slash down his back, he turned in anger, his eyes bloodshot with rage. The one who had attacked him looked petrified by the monster that stood in front of him and whilst he thought about running away his body wouldn’t move!

Bryn reached out and grasped a hold of his head before leaning back and smashing the boy’s face in with his own.

The boy collapsed to the ground in an unconscious wreck.

Bryn was quick to steal the blade from him as he fell and slashed widely, pushing back everyone that had moved in to attack whilst he was occupied with the now unconscious and weapon-less boy.

*CLASH*

*CLASH*

*CLASH*

Bryn used the sword to block several of the bladed weapons that attacked him whilst striking out with his fist but as he was about to dodge a girls thrust, his foot gave out beneath him and the girl drove the rapier straight through his chest.

The clearing went quiet as if they were all surprised that they had managed to succeed, and when Bryn looked down to his ankle he could see why they had, they had gone full Achilles on him.

Someone had shot an arrow through his ankle.

The girl taking her chance whilst he was distracted pulled her blade out and jumped back from within his range and joined the several others surrounding him, the one who had shot him through his ankle had taken his sudden lack of focus due to the pain from the sword being removed to lodge another arrow in his shoulder.

If Bryn had to hazard a guess, he would assume that the archer didn’t have the heart to kill him themselves, but were fine with leaving him defenceless so others could slaughter him instead.

His injured leg gave out under him and Bryn was forced to take a knee, stabbing the sword he stole into the ground to stay upright as he panted.

Exhausted and in immense pain, it took a great deal of effort to not pass out there and then, but he knew that if he gave in, then everything was over and he would never open his eyes again.

It was obvious that he was on his ‘last legs’ but as the close combatants around him motioned to go in for the kill, they stopped as they felt the pressure that Bryn was giving off.

They couldn’t help but think it was true what they say; a wounded animal was the most dangerous when backed into a corner.

“He’s a monster” someone in the surrounding crowd said.

“How is he still alive with his body like that?”

“He isn’t human”

“WRONG!” Bryn shouted out in anger, he may not have heard who said it exactly but he looked in the direction it was spoken from as if he did, “I am a human!”

“You are a monster! A demon destined to destroy, to wreak havoc and commit wholesale slaughter…just like your father” someone shouted out in spite, but even in Bryn’s half-conscious state he could tell there was more to it than that, there wasn’t only hate in that persons voice, there was pain.

The anger from his eyes faded as he looked towards the direction of the person who spoke and he could immediately tell who it was that had spoken; it was a girl with a bow in her hands and tears running down her cheeks.

“We don’t get to choose who our families are” Bryn said sympathetically as he looked for the first time at those around him.

Some, like he had expected, showed no emotion, they were here on orders from their families or whoever they worked for, but the others, they may as well have worn their hearts on their sleeves.

“What do you want from me?” Bryn asked as he looked at the dirty floor below him, his blood beginning to pool out beneath him.

“Do you want me to repent for my crimes?”

“Do you want me to apologise?” he asked earnestly.

“Do you want me to beg for forgiveness?” he asked questioningly.

“…Because… I won’t!” Bryn said as he struggled back to his feet, his action scaring those that surrounded him in to taking a step back.

“…I…Have committed no crime”

“I was not the one who attacked Hong Kong!”

“I AM NOT MY FATHER!” Bryn shouted at the top of his lungs for the entire world to hear. “…and I …do not deserve this” he gently cried out as he spoke with steely eyes.

Several of the people at the clearing were shocked by Bryn’s display of emotion; they had only ever thought about him as being a monster, they had been swept up by the media and the stigma attached to the ‘Fallen Hero’ they had forgotten that what they were truly doing was judging a boy for the crimes of his father.

They were treating him as if he was the one that had killed all of those people but if the rumours they had heard growing up were anything to go by, he hadn’t even been born yet!

Others though, they were there on orders and as such, “let’s kills this fucker and get back to the exam”, did not give a shit about his sob story and moved in for the kill.

They separated themselves from those that had faltered on what they thought to be a righteous path and moved forward to finish the job, it would be a lie to say that some of them thought about calling out, asking whether this was really the right thing to do or not, but in the end it didn’t really matter, for actions speak louder than words, and they all remained silent and motionless.

Step by step they moved towards Bryn, and with each step it appeared that hope was one step closer to being lost, but just as all hope seemed gone, Bryn’s fate took an unexpected turn.

A small, glass vial fell with a thump on the muddy ground before rolling towards Bryn’s Feet, a small spark flicked within its liquid core once before an almighty explosion of light and smoke exploded within the clearing and plunged it in to a grey haze.

Everyone who remained in the clearing was in a state of confusion as nobody could see through the Smoke once their sight came back, some called out asking as to where Bryn was but they had all been turned around as they hid from the initial smoke bomb.

“Run!” Bryn heard as someone whispered into his ear, but as he looked around nobody was there, only the shadows of the other applicants as they wandered lost within the mist.

Bryn stumbled for a few feet as he moved to get away but as he thought about running a question appeared in his mind, where would he run to?

As soon as he got out of the mist they would know where he was and thanks to his injuries, it wouldn’t even be a challenge to catch him again.

No, he needed to go somewhere where his injuries didn’t matter; he needed to go somewhere where they would not follow.

Bryn’s eyes widened as an idea appeared.

It was crazy, damn well stupid to be honest, but it gave him what he currently lacked, a shot at living through the day!

The mist parted before him as he made his way out of the clearing and before he knew it, he had made it out of the mist and before the black hole that led deep underground.

Without a second thought, he stepped in and plummeted into the dark unknown below.

The Administrators of the exam had said that to enter was ‘essentially certain death’, but that was still one step up from ‘certain death’.

The walls of the hole were slick and moist thanks to the creek that fed into the hole, only the first 20-30ft of the hole was sheer, after that the water seemed to pool as it began to incline before turning into what Bryn could only describe as the scariest waterslide he had ever been on.

The stone walls of the hole had been worn smooth thanks to the years of water flow, but even the slightest of turns jostled Bryn’s wounds, the sharper turns sent had him colliding into the rock where the arrows that still hung from within him were sheared and broken off.

Faster and faster, he went as the water began to pick up in speed, there was all but no light and yet Bryn could somehow see what he was approaching.

“No, no, no, “Bryn Called out but there was no stopping what was to happen next.

The tunnel came to an abrupt end and Bryn was shot out into the open air of the cavern the creek fed into.

Bryn crashed into the river below, diving deep within it thanks to the speed and height he fell from.

Seconds passed as Bryn’s exhausted body floated within the cold darkness of the river, he could feel a gently pull as his body was drawn towards the fast-flowing current of the river that led further underground, but after everything that he had been through, he didn’t have the strength to fight against it, he was at the very edge of consciousness already, only barely able to hold on.

With weary eyes and a cloudy mind, Bryn used the last of his strength to look for a way out, but there was none; there was the only the darkness which was all encompassing.

His eyes drew weary as his mind began to fade, his life becoming but a candle flame about to go out as it burnt away the last of its oxygen, but as that flame was about to flicker out of existence, a flash of light shone in the darkness.

His eyes widened for but a fraction of a second, hope resurfacing, but when the flash did not return that hope that had sprung up died, his eyes closed for what could be the final time of his short life.

Bryn’s body continued to float with the darkness, drifting deeper into its embrace, the scant bit of light visible fading as his body sank into the depths below.

The flicker of light returned and was joined by hundreds, thousands of other flashes, the bright cerulean light that appeared with each flash drew closer as whatever it was that caused the light was heading in Bryn’s direction.

The growing light irritated Bryn’s eyes that had grown too used to the dark, he stirred awake but whilst he may have received a second chance, his body was still too tired and weak to stay awake.

His mind was at the edge of going back to sleep for the final time when his arm flared in pain, his eyes opened and widened in shock as a flash of light that was on him swam quickly away.

Bryn looked around in panic but all he could see was several hundred flashes of light that swirled around him like a cyclone.

His eyes hurt but as soon as they adjusted from the darkness to the light he realised what was going on, and in doing so, wished he had simply died peacefully in the dark.

The flashes of light were coming from eel like creatures with a long mane growing from their heads and back, it was that mane from which pulses of cerulean light sprung, and from the looks of it, the eels desired to feast upon his flesh before he sauntered off to his next life.

The school of eels that had been circling him started to test the waters after the success of their brother and randomly dove in to take a bite of Bryn’s succulent flesh.

Bryn writhed in pain and swung out with his fists in an attempt to ward them off, in doing so he realised that he was still tightly clutching a hold of the sword he had stolen from one if his attackers, and strangely enough, the blade of the sword had begun to glow in a soft light.

His attacks were weak and slow, the water resistance making his attempts to defend himself all but useless.

He could do nothing to stem the tide of flesh tearing bites.

He felt a pull on his back and swung around to attack but realised that it wasn’t an attack by the encroaching creatures, but that he had drawn closer to the current and its pull was getting stronger.

In the distance he could see why, another tunnel branched off from the river and was sucking in water like it was nobody’s business.

Without much choice, he could only leave it down to luck whether this new tunnel would be his salvation or his doom.

Bryn pushed his weary body as he swam towards the current, the creatures of the river all the while circling him as they took one bite after another.

With a sudden and intense pull Bryn entered the current and was pulled into the branching tunnel, he had escaped from the creatures but for only the moment it took for them to decide to join him within the current.

The tunnel twisted and turned, his body bounced and collided from the rocky corners before he reached the end and was shot out into cavern much like before, only this time there was no river, but a lake as still as a mirror and to his luck, in the centre of which was a small island with a tower of rock that jutted out of it.

Bryn impacted the lakes surface and it felt like he had collided head on with concrete, his body flared in pain again, but this time he was prepared for it and was able to overcome its protest when he willed himself to swim towards the island.

His head breached the surface and he greedily sucked in as much air as he could, but no matter how good the fresh air felt, he knew that he did not have the time to dwell within the sensation as with a quick look behind him he confirmed the luminescent creatures had followed him down the waterfall, he swam with what little energy he had left, hoping to reach the island before they reached him.

Bryn’s hand clawed the sand as he crawled out of the lake, his body exhausted and covered in open wounds; he turned his head to the water and saw lights flashing around the island with such speed it might as well have been a racetrack.

“Finally,” Bryn weakly muttered as he lowered his head and rested it against the wet sand, his chest bellowed and his eyes closed in exhaustion.

His body demanded rest and he was only more than happy to give it to it.

Only, the world had other plans in store for him.

“OW!” Bryn called out in pain as one of the creatures took a bite out of the back of his leg, Bryn rolled on to his back and shuffled away, but as he got a better look upon the creatures that had been hunting him, he realised that he had made a mistake, they were not eels.

With long serpentine bodies and flowing cerulean mane, the creature walked atop four scaled legs, its serpentine snout long and full of razor-sharp teeth.

No matter how he looked at it, and no matter how small it was compared to what he had imagined them being in his mind, he had no doubt that what was stalking towards him, could be nothing else but a dragon.

One after another, these foot long dragons crawled out of the water and stalked towards Bryn, who by now had realised that the thousands of lights flashing in the lake, represented a dragon in wait.

With no time to waste Bryn climbed to his feet and limped further onto the islands whilst using the sword as a cane to help him move as his bloody leg were dragged across the floor as he fled, he climbed atop the rocks that lay beyond the sand, swiping at the dragons which got too courageous or drew too near for their own good.

None of his attacks had however contacted the approaching dragons, and Bryn could tell from the predatory looks in their eyes, that they knew he was on his last legs and soon they would be able to feast.

“Fuck you!” he screamed out in anger as he slashed with renewed energy, forcing the closing creatures to jump back in fright.

Buying himself a few seconds, Bryn tucked the blade between his belt before climbing up the side of the rock column that made up the centre of the island.

It was only a few meters above the sand, but every bit of distance he could get between himself and the lake where these creatures seem to spawn, was distance that he would gladly take.

His body may have been broken, but the adrenalin pumping through his veins kept him moving until he reached the top.

Standing haggardly atop the rock column, Bryn watched with dismay as the little dragons clawed their way up the rock with ease; it appeared they were just as at home climbing as they were swimming in the lake.

“Shit” he called out as the first crested over the edge, only to be quickly sent back either hiding or tumbling back down the rock as Bryn slashed out with his pilfered blade.

“Argh!” Bryn shouted in pain as one of the dragons he missed launched itself and bit deeply into his already injured shoulder.

Bryn stared down at the beast as it single-mindedly gnawed upon his flesh, oblivious to the potential counter attack heading its way.

His anger rising, Bryn reached out and grabbed the dragon by the back of its neck, he squeezed until it released its grip upon his shoulder before holding it in front of his face.

The beast chomped and clawed as it tried to release itself but it was on no use, Bryn stabbed his blade into the ground before grabbing a hold of its head and coldly snapping its neck.

The dragon lay still, motionless, dead.

Bryn chucked it behind him where it fell to the ground below, bouncing off the sand before landing on the edge of the lake.

“COME ON!” Bryn shouted out in unbridled anger but the horde of dragons upon seeing their dead brethren, took a step back.

For a single moment, Bryn thought finally, it was over, they were going to give up, he had the hope that he might actually get out of this alive, but a light that was incomparable to the small dragons started to shine from beneath the water.

Seeing it out of the corner of his eyes, Bryn turned around and saw a ball of light appear in the middle of the lake, it grew brighter and larger as the dragon that it belonged to grew closer to the surface.

*BANG*

The beast breached the surface and shot out of the water, it flew through the air and clasped a hold of the rock before shooting up it as fast as lightning.

The dragon was several times the size of its smaller brethren, several times the size of Bryn himself and from what Bryn could see, several times as angry as well.

It reached the top in seconds, its taloned claws cutting deep into the rocky surface as its serpentine body writhed as it circled around it prey.

Its eyes were sharp and teeth glistening, it repeatedly bit the air in front of Bryn whilst growling to show off its obvious rage.

Bryn knew that this newcomer wasn’t something that he could ever hope to fight against, its talons were long and sharp whilst its scales were thick and metallic, he wound be lucky if his pilfered sword was able to scratch them, never mind pierce through them into the flesh below.

Finally, it had happened.

He was alone, outnumbers, out of hope, and out of options.

His chest felt hollow and stomach churned, his body was numb but his mind raced, even after everything that he had gone through, he was still unwilling!

*Bad-dump*

He had already lost everything when the news of who his father really was came out

*Bad-dump*

He was unwilling to lose his life here and now

*Bad-dump*

What right did these worms have to threaten him!

*Bad-dump*

They were but mindless beast living hidden in the dark

*Bad-dump*

He was descended from what the dark feared!

Bryn collapsed to his knee as his heart beat a mile a minute, its every pulse rippling through his skin and shaking his body until somewhere deep inside of him, he felt a wave of power pulse with a single desire, it wanted out.

“AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!” Bryn bellowed as his head shot up and faced the ceiling, it was a shout that in times gone by would have construed a battle cry, his right eye turning black with a golden iris in its centre, white chitin started to spread down the side of his face whilst the makings of a single horn grew atop it.

Hearing Bryn’s battle cry, the horde of small dragons fled into the water whilst the larger dragon remained frozen still, its large predatory eyes now focused entirely on Bryn not for the anger of before, but in weary apprehension.

In the larger dragon’s books, Bryn had just elevated himself from an intruder to a challenger.

It looked on as the world started to warp around Bryn as the power he emitted bent the air around him; he rose to his feet, his movements slow and clumsy.

Whether he was still conscious at this point was questionable, but the feeling he gave off now, was different to the Bryn of before, a malevolent aura now encased the boy, the demon they had all feared him to be was now fighting for control.

Bryn moved towards the dragon, his pilfered sword dragging along the stone top barely within his grip, but as he drew closer a golden light starts to shine from below his tattered top and drew his attention, but before he could focus on it, the atmosphere changed and the world turned silent as the air within the cavern visibly quaked and a source of light comparable to the sun rose from below the surface of the lake..

The world remained silent for several more seconds as a being that could no longer be considered just a dragon rose from the lake, its body dwarfed the previous dragon Bryn had considered large, it was to the point that when it had fully emerged, its long white beard was dripping atop the lakes surface, its head bowed as it looked down at Bryn who was still atop the rocky outcrop.

In Bryn’s eyes, as he looked upon the sculpted and muscular body of the dragon, its glistening scales and long sword like claws, all hope was truly lost.

The being before him was unto a god, and he was but awaiting to be smote.

Alas, the being before Bryn had other plans.

“Enough!” The elder Dragon roared as its eyes darted to the lone dragon that had remained, its head dropping respectfully as the larger dragon’s eyes bore into it, all of the dragon’s previous anger and bloodlust was akin to having been put on a boat to drift down stream, never to be seen or heard from again..

It turned to face Bryn, space seemingly shaking and jarring in protest to its immense power.

It stopped and stared, taking in Bryn who knelt in growing pain, his face and eye transformed into something demonic whilst a growing golden light shone beneath his battered t-shirt.

The dragon looked past the power the boy emitted, and the golden light that seemed to repress that which was trying so desperately to escape from him, and looked over Bryn’s battered and beaten body.

It did not take much of the elder dragon’s impressive intelligence to figure out what had occurred within its realm and let out a small huff of annoyance in the direction of the small dragons that were curiously watching from the water’s edge before scurrying away in fear, but the question remained, why was the boy here in the first place.

“What are you doing here human child” the elder dragon asked as it lowered its eyes down towards where Bryn’s body sat crumpled atop the rock pile, his hand still grasping his chest in pain.

It took a light slap of the mid-size dragons tail who had become a lot more confident now that its elder had shown up to wake Bryn from his stupor.

Seeing the colossal dragon looking down upon him, its previous words appeared within Bryn’s head and he quickly stammered out “I…I... I’m here for the exam” Bryn said as if he actually expected an ancient and other worldly dragon that lived deep underground would know what he meant, but surprisingly, it did.

“I know you’re here for the exam human, I’ve permitted the academy to use my Territory for a long time now but this place” the dragon gestured to the surrounding cave, “… is my home, and as such was classified as, how did they put it, ‘certain unquestionable death upon entry and is therefore off limits”, so the question still stands, why are you here?” the elder dragon said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, but as Bryn heard its words, it did become obvious.

The proctors for the exam had said the holes that led underground were certain death not because they were so dangerous, the many, many small bites across his body proved that they were in fact dangerous, but because they didn’t want them to enter this dragon’s territory as per their contract with it.

Thinking as to its question, Bryn huffed in pain as the light emitted from his chest, but as he thought as to all that had happened, he could only put it one way, “I was facing the end either way, might as well risk the unknown in hopes of clawing out a win”

Bryn could feel the dragons judgement as it looked down upon him from above, but in the next, it breathed out softly where upon Bryn was buffeted by a heavy wind, with his eyes closed shut, by the time the wind had died down, the wounds upon his body were rapidly closing shut, the chitin upon his face cracked off and fell to the floor like dried clay, and the golden light that shone from his chest had gone silent.

Shocked, Deo looked over his arms and body as before his eyes his body was reborn anew, his focus only shifted as the dragon spoke, “You Humans never seize to amaze me, such weak creatures but such a strong will to survive” it said as its body began to sink into the lake water.

“Stop acting like a child Aurei” it said to the dragon whose head was still lowered, “we follow the words of the contract, take the human to the valleys centre, his survival here means he has passed the test” it said with one last look to the young dragon that had died to Bryn’s hands upon the shore, what passed for eyebrows upon its face cocking in surprise as all that remained was cinders, but then its head was gone, its massive presence hidden beneath the surface of the lake.

The dragon rose its head from off the ground before moving before Bryn and gesturing for it to get on its back, Bryn still shocked by the sudden turnabout, played with finding a spot he could sheathe his sword on his body but with very few options, he decided to quickly rip what remain of his coat and wrap it around his waist, securing the sword within as he did before mounting atop the dragons back, his hands grasping a hold of the dragons cerulean mane.

With a weary apprehension Bryn held on tightly as the dragon rose and moved closer to the edge, it remained still for a second as it subtly turned its head to see Bryn and Bryn’s face fell as he already knew what the petty dragon had in mind, “Don’t you dare” Bryn tried to call out but it was of no use, the dragon leapt off the rocky outcropping and dived through the air, Bryn’s panicked scream trailed through the air before the two slipped through the water like an oil-soaked knife.

With eyes closed and breath held, Bryn tried to hang on for as long as he could, but as his breathe timed out he opened his eyes and he stared in wonder as the two swam though an underwater cave that was filled full of beautiful luminescent plants and breath-taking Aquatic life.

His mouth open in awe of the wonder but as Bryn realised his mistake, he was shocked to discover that like the magical sight around him, he had somehow magically no need to hold his breathe, he could breathe underwater without fear!

With nothing more to concern himself or worry over, Bryn urged the river dragon to go faster! To swim like a rally car and go through every nook and cranny, to see all the wonders there was to see and discover that which was unknown.

His eyes were opened to the world below the surface that he never knew existed, but like most things in life, everything that has a beginning also has an end.

Their journey had ended once they had reached a pit that connected to the centre of the valley, atop of which lay the exams finish line and the gate back to Earth.

The dragon stopped at the entrance to what could be considered a submerged well, Bryn let go of its main and swam towards the hole, he turned around once, but the dragon merely urged him on with his head before swimming off and disappearing into the distance.

With the dragon gone, Bryn no longer had a reason to waste time, if anything he was now running out of it as it was no doubt the abilities of the dragon which let him temporarily breathe underwater.

Bryn scraped and clawed at the sides of the narrow passage as he headed towards the light at the end of the tunnel, he could feel the need to breathe again grow larger as he grew nearer, until finally he burst through the water’s surface, his hands held onto the tunnels sides whilst his eyes remained glued atop the gates visage.

Exhausted, soaked and somewhat humbled, Bryn passed through the gate and appeared within a large stone room with many places to sit, but very few actual people within.

In fact, as far as he could tell, there were no other applicants here; there was only him and the proctors.

He was the first to arrive.