"Too slow."
"Too weak."
"You left your side wide open."
"I could shatter your nose from this angle."
"That Labrys is not a bat. Stop swinging it like you're trying to swat a fly."
Kiah collapsed on the ground as Eden struck her gut with the blunt edge of her dagger again.
"And you're dead."
'For goodness sake. Can't a girl catch a break?'
Kiah groaned, rolling to her side. Every muscle in her body screamed in agony after taking various hits from Eden. If she'd been serious with her blade, Kiah would have been carved into pieces by now.
Eden had dragged her out of bed early in the morning. They'd had a quick breakfast before she took Kiah out of the facility, to some deserted rooftop on an abandoned high-rise for training.
Five hours of non-stop sparring later, Kiah was sprawled out, bruised, gasping, and soaked in sweat under the blazing sky.
"If you can't land a hit on me, you're useless against those degenerates." Eden stood over her, arms crossed.
'They are zombies,' Kiah grumbled internally. 'How bad could they be?'
She coughed, clutching her ribs as she forced herself into a sitting position.
"I need a break."
Eden shook her head.
"You don't get breaks."
"I'll die."
"You'll die either way. Stand up."
Kiah groaned and slumped forward.
"At least let me get a sip of water first."
Eden thought about it for a moment before muttering:
"Fine."
Kiah let out a relieved smile before reaching for the can of water from her bag, chugging it down like a starved animal. Water had never tasted so good in her entire life.
She was so hungry that eating the blob of despair from the cafeteria didn't seem too bad.
"You've had your water. Now stand up."
Kiah suppressed a curse as she grabbed her Labrys from the floor and used it as a support to push herself up.
She thought her new strength was something to brag about, but compared to Eden's, it was laughable.
She had to give it to her.
Eden's slender body was packed with more power than a professional wrestler on steroids. And even after hours of combat, she had not broken a single sweat. Her dark skin still gleamed under the sun, smooth and untouched.
Kiah's grip tightened at her side. Enough was enough. She was tired of getting her ass whooped. She was ready to finally land a hit on Eden and end this nightmare training.
Without warning, she charged.
She aimed straight at Eden's throat, the sharp edges of the Labrys slicing through the air.
Eden smirked. Her red eyes gleamed as she tilted her head, just enough to let the blade miss her by a hair. Her legs swept up for a kick to Kiah's abdomen.
But Kiah was ready this time. Like hell she would fall for that truck for the seventh time.
She twisted, narrowly dodging the kick, and swung her Labrys towards Eden's exposed side. This was it. She was going to land her first hit.
But to her shock, Eden ducked. She dropped low with inhumane speed and swept Kiah's legs right out from under her.
*Thud*
Kiah slammed into the ground, the wind punched from her lungs.
She lay there, staring up at the sky, certain it was mocking her.
"I quit." She spat.
A pause.
"You did good."
Kiah's eyes snapped to Eden's, scrambling to sit up.
"But I still landed on my butt."
Eden clapped once.
"That's enough for today. It's not as if you can learn everything in a day. This is only the basics. We don't have much time. There are other things you need to learn besides fighting."
Kiah groaned, her voice bitter. "Really? Like what?"
"Survival skills. You need to know first aid. Which areas to avoid during the test. How to study the terrain. And most importantly, what types of food to bring."
Kiah frowned. "I don't see why that's important. It's just one night."
Eden sighed. "I guess you'll understand better after experiencing things for yourself."
Kiah looked at her curiously before sighing, too. "I know you're just trying to help, and I'm sorry for behaving like a brat. I'm just so tired. But I am grateful for your help."
Eden sat next to her on the ground, her tone softening.
"I understand, and I'm not offended. I just want you to survive."
A beat of silence passed before Kiah spoke up again.
"If the test is that dangerous, why do they send us then? What's the point?"
Eden shrugged.
"To test your loyalty. To see your instincts under pressure. Or maybe they just want you to taste the harsh reality of the world we live in. Who knows? However, everyone who survives the test returns mature and wiser. So it's effective."
"You think?"
Eden nodded.
"Not many people make it back, but those who do are motivated more than before to rid Duskworn of filth. Every single person knows what they are getting into, but they still do it because of what the organization stands for. It gives them hope to be better. It's the only shot they've got. The only shot we've got."
Kiah stared at her for a moment, sobered.
They sat in silence after that, both lost in their own thoughts.
***
Three days passed in a flash.
Now, it was the day of her test.
Under Eden's guidance, she had taken enough sleep during the day since the test would last all night. Her body still ached, but it wasn't that bad.
Her backpack was packed with essentials like medicine, a first aid kit, canned food, bottles of water, and a flashlight. Eden had helped her double-check everything.
Earlier that day, a strict lady came to her room to inform her that she was only allowed to take one weapon with her.
Of course, she chose her Labrys.
After bathing, she dressed in boots, dark combat trousers, and a plain grey top. Dark coloured clothes were best to stay hidden.
Her backpack was strapped to her shoulders, as Eden had told her to prevent her from misplacing it during a fight. Losing it would put her in a sticky situation.
Evening arrived, and it was almost time to leave. But first, she had one stop to make.
She found Killan in the mechanic garage, talking to someone. Thorne.
Both men looked up when she entered. Thorne's face immediately went hard, his expression unreadable.
She ignored him.
"It's almost time for my test. I came to say goodbye," she told Killan.
"Never say goodbye. It's bad luck," Killan replied softly, rolling his chair forward. "This is my apprentice, Thorne. You will be working with him when you return."
"If she returns," Thorne muttered.
"Don't be so harsh, boy." Killan shot him a look.
Thorne only shrugged, clearly not giving a damn. He gave her one last cold glance before striding out of the room.
"Don't mind him. After Ella's disappearance, he has developed quite a temper."
"It's fine."
She brushed it off.
Killan drove his chair to the back of a cabinet and returned with something on his lap. He stopped in front of her and handed it to her.
"This is a stun gun. It's not as effective as a real gun, but it can slow those things down. Keep it on you."
Kiah gazed at the gun. It was similar to the one Thorne had shot her with when she arrived. Her bones still remembered the pain. It would be useful.
"I thought we could only carry one weapon. I chose the Labrys."
"Nobody follows that rule. You should never rely on one weapon in a fight. It's like relying on a single tactic in war. You'll lose. And losing meant certain death. That's rule number one." He said.
Kiah nodded and tucked the stun gun carefully into her belt. It made sense. She had also thought the rule was stupid. What was the point of taking one weapon to a fight with beings claimed to be stronger than them? What would happen if she dropped her Labrys? Then what?
She shared a few more words with Killan before leaving, going out to meet Eden.
Eden strapped two daggers into her boot immediately after she saw Kiah.
"But they said one weap—"
"Nobody follows that rule." Eden cut in. She held out a dark pad and strapped it around Kiah's forearm. "This will protect your arm from bites so that you can keep their teeth from your face."
Kiah looked at the black pad. She tapped it and found out it was made of some kind of hard material.
"Thanks."
"Good luck."
Eden took her out from the base, and they got into an aerodynamic car, which Eden called a pod. It was smooth with a curvy body line and had two large, enclosed wheels with glowing inner rings.
It was magnificent.
Knowing it was probably one of Killan's creations, she was more excited to finish the test and start training under him.
They arrived at a station.
Kiah waved at Eden before walking over to a gathering group. Ten participants in total. These were the people she had to survive with. Fellow aspirants.
There were six boys and four girls, including her. They were all around her age.
The station was tense as they waited for departure. No one introduced themselves, so she didn't bother. Instead, she named them in her head based on their hair colours. Bluey. Pinkie. Yellow. Brownie. Blondie. Orange. Red. Blackie. Purple.
Soon, a large capsule descended from the sky in front of them. It looked like a caravan that kept hovering just above the ground.
The door slid open, and they entered, one by one.
Inside were twelve seats, six on each side, facing one another. Everyone took a seat at random.
The door hissed close.
A mechanical voice rang out.
[Welcome, aspiring rebels. Buckle up.]
An automated voice came.
They all did as told. Kiah's hands clenched in her lap as the capsule rose steadily into the air.
When those doors opened again she'd be in the middle of nowhere.
And the test would begin.