Damien stood in a dimly lit chamber, the flickering candles casting eerie shadows on the walls. He raised his hands and the air seemed to vibrate with anticipation. A low hum filled the room, growing louder until the shadows themselves appeared to merge into a figure.
"Baxia, father." Damien called out, his voice calm but with a hint of urgency visible in his tone.
The figure became more visible, taking on the form of a tall, imposing man with eyes that burnt like embers.
"I sense urgency in your summons, explain." Baxia's voice was like thunder, shaking the very foundation of the chamber.
Damien took a deep breath, "Father, I'm confused. Jasmine doesn't seem to possess any special abilities or pose a threat. Can you enlighten me on why she's the target of this mission?"
Baxia's expression remained mysterious, but a smile formed on his lips. "Ah, Damien, you'd be surprised what lies beneath the surface. Jasmine may seem ordinary, but she's the key to unlocking a powerful secret, one that could change the course of the future." He paused for a while, then sighed. "But I'm too tired to explain today. I know this isn't why you summoned me here, so speak your mind, Damien."
"It's about the scorpion venom poison," Damien replied, his voice direct. "I need to know more about it. How do I cure it?"
Baxia's smile grew bigger, intertwining his hands together. "Hm… the scorpion venom poison? Let me guess, the girl is infected by it?" he asked, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Yes, father," Damien answered, not feeling the need to lie. "
"Why do you want to cure her?" Baxia's voice took on a sinister tone. "We want her dead," he growled, his voice growing louder. "She's a threat, a burden, an obstacle, our weakness, a risk."
As he spoke, his voice awakened the elemental forces, and the air crackled with energy. Lightning flashed, illuminating the dark chambers, followed by a deafening sound of thunder. The earth under their feet trembled, but Damien's face remained serene, his eyes unwavering.
Baxia's gaze narrowed, searching for any sign of fear or weakness, but Damien's expression remained unchanged. It has come true, the fear Baxia always had in his heart - Damien becoming as strong as he was. That's when reality kicked in. He regretted every day he trained his child. Now, this orphan child could defy his orders."
Baxia took a deep breath, calming himself down, and everything settled. The chamber returned to normal. "On second thought, don't kill Jasmine. Bring her to the demon realm instead. After studying her, we can kill her"
"Understood, father,"
"Don't call me father," he spoke, though but Damien's expression, which had turned from emotionless to sadness, he felt a pang of guilt. "In jest, I say."
"Back to the point. Before I give or tell you anything about the poison, I would like you to promise me one thing" He paused glancing at Damien who raised his brow. "You must not give her the antidote until the last day of the poison effect."
Damien looked confused. "But why father?"
"Heed my words, young devil." He smiled. "When you come back to report what you've observed, I'll enlighten you on everything and why the girl is the target of this mission"
"Okay," Damien nodded, and then Baxia gave him a bottle.
"What's this for?" Damien asked.
"The antidote. "
"How do I use it?"
~~~
Meanwhile, Jasmine laid down on the floor, her sword plunged into the sand. The exam was so exhausting. She thought to herself, recalling how her teammates struggled to wash just a cloth. Turns out those were not just cloth. It felt like they had a mind of their own. And those things she killed didn't even look like beings. They look so weird.
"Jasmine" Her train of thoughts was interrupted when Beatrix called out. "I've been looking for you! Why are you still here? We're about to leave, and Professor Flynn has something to say."
"Oh, I will be there in a moment," Jasmine replied, attempting to stand up. But felt a sharp pain at her hip.
" Are you okay?" Beatrix asked, noticing Jasmine's struggle.
It was the poison. The pain of the shadows embrace is back. She couldn't see well, her head began to spin, and nothing felt right. It was as if she wanted to faint but couldn't. It was as if the poison wanted her to feel the pain endlessly.
Still, Jasmine summoned the courage to stand up. "I'm okay," she lied, and they both went to assemble with their respective groups.
"As you all know, I'm a demon and we don't like to drag things out, so I'll get straight to the point," Professor Flynn announced. "The ten teams that got passed this exam, I hope you're prepared for the last one - Unity by Strength. This exam is extremely dangerous, so whoever wishes to back out now can leave." He scanned the crowd, and to his surprise, none of them wanted to quit, which brought a tear to his eye.
During the last admission, only four teams managed to stay, and they admitted just twenty candidates. There weren't many candidates last time, and he must say, this is the bravest group he's ever seen. He wished he could admit all of them at once, but that was nearly impossible.
The candidates all headed back to their dorms and leaders did the same. The leaders were really happy that they could hold the exam out of the real exam area without any disturbance.
Beatrix escorted Jasmine back to the door of the human dorm since she knew she couldn't venture further so as to avoid trouble with the humans. "I'll leave now, take care,"
Jasmine waved at Beatrix because it was hard for her to even say a word. She dragged her feet as she trudged towards the dorm.
Upon entering, she saw Amanda and Ruby packing their bags to leave.
"Oh, Jasmine, you're here!" Lydia said with excitement, but Jasmine's expression remained grim. Just the thought those 3 made her blood boil.
"We're so happy you're alive. We were frightened when you fainted," Amanda said, rushing to hug her. Jasmine felt like punching her in the face but restrained herself, her sadness deepening.
"Sadly, I and Amanda won't be able to take care of you since we've been eliminated…We'll leave you in Lydia's hands. We'll be off now." Ruby smiled as she and Amanda prepared to leave. "Mind seeing us off?"
"No! Jasmine can't... it's been an exhausting day. She needs to rest and have a bath" Lydia said, not allowing Jasmine to respond.
As they left, Jasmine collapsed onto her bed, feeling lethargic. The poison's effects would worsen in about five hours, and she couldn't shake off the worry. Suddenly, a noxious gas filled her nose trills. she looked up and there she saw the room engulfed in a thick, poisonous smoke. Her body felt numb, and she couldn't move.
Panic set in as the room grew hotter, like it was on fire. She ripped off her outer clothes, desperate to cool down. On her knees, she clenched the bed sheets, her scream a heart-wrenching cry of anguish. She begged for the darkness to take her, but it never came. The pain only intensified, becoming unbearable. Was she going to die?