CHAPTER 14

Jasmine had decided to wake up at seven in the morning— which was an appropriate time since the group was supposed to leave at nine. Packing had been quick but unfocused. The girl had to decide which books to bring, take a few uniforms just in case she needed them, and last but not least, her toiletries. All in all, it was hard to fit all of that in her pockets and her hands.

Jasmine made her way downstairs toward the research center’s lobby. She hadn’t been there a lot since she had first come here, so it was still unfamiliar. Jasmine bit her lip and adjusted her grab on her clothes, making sure not to drop anything. The floor had just been cleaned, so the white tiles were slippery. The girl exited the building and looked around. She was ten minutes early, which was a surprise even to herself. Her steps felt smooth on the hot asphalt, it felt like a new beginning. She turned the corner and entered the parking lot.

General Loeb was outside, along with Doctor Biermann. They were speaking. Jasmine noticed Biermann’s face as she approached them. The man looked like he hadn’t slept all night, but there was also something else about it. She flinched as she noticed the four cars lined up perfectly in front of them— the same type of car that had brought her here. Black, nondescript SUVs with windows so dark she couldn’t make out anything inside of them. Around the cars were men and women wearing dark suits along with dark sunglasses and earpieces. They were a little intimidating to Jasmine, but she quickly resumed walking and met with the two men.

“Ah, Jasmine, you’re the first one to arrive. How surprising.” Doctor Biermann said, yawning. “I expected it to be Agnes.”

“Good morning to you too, Doctor Biermann. Help me with these?” Jasmine said as she presented her belongings to him.

“Ah, I see you made sure to ransack the place.” The man said as he grabbed her books. “But if you’ll excuse me, I was speaking to General Loeb?”

“She can stay.” Loeb said firmly. “This concerns her after all.”

Biermann sighed. “Alright, Jasmine. There was— is— an attack going on right now.”

“In Adelind?” Jasmine exclaimed, feeling her heartbeat quicken.

“No, in Preusal.” The General clarified. “But what’s important is that Firestarter finally showed herself. The city is ablaze.”

“W—what do you mean ablaze? Who’s this Firestarter?” Jasmine said, stammering.

“The fire Elementalist I showed you a few weeks ago? That’s her code name, and now we’ve confirmed that she’s here.”

“Is that where we’re going then?” Jasmine asked, feeling her palms wetting.

“Of course not—”

“We’ll talk about this when we’re in Adelind and after you’ve met Marshal Gessner.” Loeb interrupted him.

She said nothing after that. A few minutes later, Veronica arrived with Franz, and Agnes came last. None of them had packed anything. The group made their way to the cars, but they were stopped by the agents in black suits.

“Two metahumans per car, please.” One of the women said.

Jasmine looked around, somewhat confusedly. As if he could sense her bewilderment, Doctor Biermann stepped in.

“These are TIA agents— they’ll be driving and escorting you to the capital.”

“Fuck me…” Agnes mumbled, looking at them.

“Is General Loeb coming then?” Jasmine asked, observing him. He was speaking to one of the TIA operatives.”

“Yes, he is, but later. He called for a convoy— can’t fit all of his men in these cars.”

Agnes hugged Jasmine from behind, settling her head on her shoulder. “You want to ride with me, Jazzie?”

“Jazzie?” She responded, frowning. “What’s— you know what, leave it. I’ll ride with you.”

“Yay! See you guys later.” She said, waving at Veronica and Franz.

The girls entered the vehicle. Agnes whistled as she settled in the backseat. Jasmine could understand why, the car was much more spacious than it looked from the outside. The girl couldn’t help but worry about the attack in Preusal. She hoped they’d hear more about it soon. Biermann opened the trunk and threw her things inside, and soon enough, they were off. Jasmine was surprised— she hadn’t even gotten the chance to say goodbye!

The two agents in the front weren’t saying anything, and Jasmine would have felt a bit awkward speaking to Agnes when they could hear everything they were saying—

“So, how long’s this car ride?”

Jasmine snapped her head toward her friend incredulously.

“What?” Agnes continued. “Did I do something?”

“You’re— you’re good.” Jasmine answered with a sigh. “From what I remember, it should be around two to three hours or so? Depends on if there’s traffic as we get closer.”

“Cool, I can’t wait. Are you okay, by the way? You seem pretty tense.” Agnes asked.

“I’m good, I’m just nervous.” She lied. “New beginnings, and all of that, you know?”

“Hmmm, suspicious.” The girl said, squinting her eyes. “You’re lying.”

“You can tell?”

“No, I couldn’t, but now I know you were. Spill.”

“Darn it. Fine, the MSA—” Jasmine looked at the agents to see if they reacted in any way. They didn’t. “attacked Preusal, a coastal city down south. Not only that, but it’s the fire Elementalist leading the attack.”

“Fuck…”

“I tried not telling you.”

“You should have told me and everyone else. We’re on the same team.” Agnes said, raising her voice slightly. “I really hope we won’t be fighting this soon, I— I don’t—”

“I get it, I’m the same as you. The real thing is far more terrifying than some random training where people don’t attempt to murder you. But don’t worry, we’re still going to Adelind, we won’t be fighting yet.”

The conversation died down, and Jasmine leaned against the car seat, looking through the window. The highway appeared much busier than it had been when they first brought her to the research center. Vehicles passed her by the hundreds, it was as if life was beginning again. The road felt far too smooth for what had probably been a war zone a year ago. Had someone died at the very spot they were in? Probably. Actually— definitely. The mad king’s last stand had been in Adelind, and so this road must have been extensively used military-wise.

The drive was mostly dull. She just looked at the hundreds of miles of farms and the occasional store or restaurant. Eventually, their speed slowed, first slightly, and then to a crawl. Jasmine considered opening the window and peaking her head outside to see if she could identify the problem, but she stopped herself. She wouldn’t be able to fix it anyway. The girl sighed as she rubbed her eyes— she was getting tired. The car was driving through suburbs now, around Lake Adelind.

“What’s the holdup? I can see the city from here.” Agnes said, clearly irritated.

“You’d think people would want to get away from Adelind with the MSA attacks,” Jasmine said. “but it looks like it’s the opposite.”

The TIA agents stayed silent, not answering any questions they had. In fact, Jasmine was starting to believe they weren’t allowed to speak to them. Eventually, small neighborhoods and suburbs became skyscrapers, businesses, and stores. Jasmine was finally back to her country’s capital, for better or for worse. The car drove through the city center as they made their way toward what Jasmine assumed would be the National Assembly. She had been wrong, however, and the SUV made its way over to another government building.

The royal palace— now renamed the presidential palace, stood tall near the center of the city. Massive gates barred the car’s entry, each with a golden eagle affixed to them. The pointy tips of the gate were golden, and a wall surrounded the entire property. As the four cars drove through the gates, Jasmine was blown away by the beauty of the building. The palace had been built out of limestone hundreds of years ago, and the walls were supported by pillars adorned in gold. On the roof flew their flag, one horizontal red and white stripe along with a golden eagle in the center. The driveway extended for a hundred feet, and a giant fountain stood in its heart.

Despite living in Adelind for a large part of her life, Jasmine had never been this close to the palace. It stood there, in heavy contrast to the modern structures surrounding it as a testament to the city’s long history. The four cars parked at the palace’s entrance, then shortly afterward, all of the agents and the metahumans stepped out. Jasmine had been amazed, but Franz and Agnes were gobsmacked. Even Veronica seemed to be enjoying the experience. Jasmine exhaled as she almost forgot to breathe. There was something about standing next to a building of such historical importance that gave her goosebumps.

Some TIA agents stayed behind, but the majority escorted the group into the building. The halls were lit by chandeliers and the walls were pure white and gilded. They walked on a yellow-white carpet as they went up two sets of magnificent stairs. The rest of the ground was made of wood in an almost hypnotizing pattern. The walls were adorned by the paintings of old kings, royal families, and historical battles. They walked deeper into the palace, going past a dozen generations and lifetimes in the process— generations of a family that had ended in blood.

Eventually, the group stopped next to a wooden door— not as grand as others they had seen. This one was modest and small, almost too normal to be fit for the Presidential Palace. The TIA agents, ever so stoic, now seemed somewhat nervous. One of them knocked at the door, and a single muffled word was heard.

“Enter.”

The man breathed hard as he opened the door and led the metahumans inside. The room was much more modern than what Jasmine had seen in the palace. The floor was tiled instead of wooden, the walls were plastered and simply beige. A man sat at a desk, alternating between browsing through paperwork and typing on his computer. His hair was short and black— no, it was dark brown. He was clean-shaven, but a small mustache stuck to his face. The man’s eyebrows were thick, almost a unibrow, and he wore a black military uniform.

“Marshal Gessner.” One of the TIA agents declared as they all saluted. Jasmine, not wanting to offend the man that had saved her people, did so as well. Only Agnes stared and did nothing. “The metahumans have arrived.”

Marshal Gessner looked up and looked at them for a few seconds. His stare was imposing. It was as if by looking at Jasmine and her friends, he had already learned everything there was to know about them. He abruptly got up and—

He beamed.