They made a left turn and were surprise to see that the roots of trees from the ceiling, was blocking their path. Ema handed her bag to Jeff, unbuckle her light sword from her black belt and went to work. She cut through the forest of tree roots with a magnifying grace.
Jeff held the touch light but was surprise at the weight of her bag. It was as though the girl came with all her belongings. He didn't want to comment on that, or the way Ema moved with the blue light sword as though they were one and the same person. Her leather jumpsuit brought out her body curves, smoothing her shoulder blade, in a torso almost like the number eight.
"I never knew my real parents; It has always been from one foster home to another" Ema said without pausing "I couldn't live in any of those homes because I always ruin valuable stuff and get into fights. All the people I have lived with, none of them cared about my well being. I couldn't bear the brunt of fury from my foster parents anymore, so when I was shipped like a goods to the fifteenth foster home, I ran away and have been living in the street ever since." Ema sliced through the brown forest, pouring her anger on the roots.
"Sorry about that, children living in foster homes should be treated with much care and respect."
Ema didn't spare him a glace. "I wish it were so, If given any opportunity to choose" she continued "I prefer my life in the street to staying in one of those homes where pets were of high regards to us humans."
"So why did you come to the academy" Jeff asked. Ema didn't answer the question immediately. If for anything, her shoulder seemed to drop with sadness.
"I wanted somewhere to keep the memories away, anything to occupy my mind. To keep those lustful eyes and salivating drunk-jawbones away from my memory. I can still see all their faces –"
Her voice was suddenly deep and her whole body was now glowing red. Jeff took a step back and watched her clear the road with inhuman speed. The whole place glowed with red from Ema's body and blue from the light sword. The dark cold tunnel; was filled with the noise from the light sword against tree roots, and echoes of the tree roots landing on the dark muddy water. It only took minute; Ema cleared the barrier blocking their path and was panting softly without breaking a sweat.
"I'm sorry if I unwind a healing wound." Jeff said guiltily. He was watching Ema now, off the trouble a teenage girl could face, sexual harassment was the worst of them all.
"So how come you were granted entry into the competition, who signed your undertaken?" Jeff asked, hoping that would keep the past pain at bay. He remembered how Matt's mother had refused to sign the undertaken for him. Matt, as ambitious as he was, had forged his mother's signature and had partaken in the racing exam without her consent. His mother was less furious when she learnt that he came third and had won the family a new house, but she was delighted when Matt told her that he would be leaving for the academy. It's one less stomach to feed, she had said.
"In Zapper city" Ema said "We don't pick random people; in fact we compete for it. It's called preamble, where about three to five people forms a racing crew and compete with other crew. The best among them are granted automatic entry to compete for the Heroes academy exam. Pinna happened to be our leader then, she was quiet amazing."
Ema extinguish her light sword and collected her bag from Jeff. Her reddish glow had long ebbed away and the darkness of the night had returned. She flashed her touch ahead and took the lead again without pausing to look at Jeff who stared at her with wild mouth.
"So that's the reason the red's has been on racing history for centuries?" Jeff asked raising his left eye brow with admiration.
"Maybe" He heard Ema said.
They walked dipper into the night and somewhere ahead, they saw tongue of tiny lights, pouring into the tunnel. The route of the tunnel ended here and unlike the inner parts, this place was dry and had green grasses of different height, forming a circular growth just where the circular rays of light filtered in. The air was refreshing too, with no hint of humus or decayed grasses on it.
"I will go first" Jeff said and climbed the slippery moss ladder not minding the angry glare Ema was shooting his direction.
Rich gold light were pouring in from the bars of the metal door. Jeff pushed it with all his might, and the door cried with loud cracking sounds that echoed through the tunnel. He climbed out and scrutinized the place and Ema followed suit. They were in a forest, covered with rich green leaf and vegetations. The rising sun was just over the edge of the earth and the lovely whispers of birds filled the morning.
"Hmm" Ema inhaled "A breath of fresh air"