The commander's hands gracefully slid behind his back, an authoritative gesture as he locked his unwavering gaze on Tess. "Ah, typical teens," he mused, his voice carrying a tinge of disappointment. "Worrying about irrelevant things and ignoring the detriment one right before your eyes."
His head remained motionless, but his piercing eyes roved across the assembled group. "Your fellow cadet's foot could have been sliced right off!" His words reverberated through the space, creating a faint echo that emphasized the gravity of the situation.
Zack's brows furrowed with the unwanted attention around his embarrassing fall.
"Fortunately," the commander continued, his voice lowering to a more intimate tone, "the cadet's lightning-fast reflexes averted a potentially gruesome incident." A hint of admiration laced his words.
Zack's lips curved into a self-assured smile upon receiving the commander's compliment, and he casually slipped his hands into the pockets of his sweatpants. Tess couldn't help but cast a begrudging glance his way, her eyes filled with mixed feelings.
Was that it? His ability is being swift? A lingering doubt stemmed from their encounter the day before, when she had him up against a wall.
The commander blew an ear-piercing shriek from his whistle and it got her to switch her focus.
The commander's whistle pierced the air with an ear-splitting shriek, snapping Tess out of her contemplation, redirecting her focus. "Cadets, fall back in line!" his authoritative command boomed, prompting them to scurry together and swiftly reform their ranks. With measured steps, he paced back and forth along the line, attentively scrutinizing their legs.
"To prevent any further unfortunate incidents, for which I shall not be held accountable," he declared, his voice carrying a note of stern resolve, "all training involving gloves will be postponed until further notice."
His unwavering gaze remained fixed on Tess until he came to a halt, positioning himself directly before her. Sensing his presence, she averted her eyes, unable to meet his piercing gaze. The pain reminded her she could not move her eyes to see inside her head. It would have been good since she wanted so badly not to see his face.
"First things first, cadets, we shall warm up," his voice resonated through the room, accompanied by a subtle chuckle that held an air of mystery.
Tess couldn't help but wonder what lay behind that enigmatic laughter. Following his lead, they obediently trailed behind him, passing through the grand double doors. Like a line of dutiful children, they maintained their order as he guided them towards an elevator.
With a swift press of a button, he initiated the elevator's ascent before any of them had fully stepped inside, his destination remaining a tantalizing secret. The doors obediently parted, granting them passage after a brief moment of anticipation. One by one, they followed in the commander's footsteps, entering a spacious chamber that lay beyond.
The room contained only a handful of identical machines, standing like sentinels in the expanse. The commander led them towards one of these contraptions, deftly inputting a code into a holographic screen. In response, the semicircular space at the center of the machine emanated a vibrant green glow, while a symphony of lights illuminated a pathway leading towards it. The atmosphere crackled with anticipation and the promise of what lay ahead.
Casting a quick glance over his shoulder to ensure they were all present, the commander confidently strode along the illuminated pathway, vanishing through the pulsating expanse. Intrigued, Tess and her fellow recruits exchanged glances before unanimously deciding to follow suit.
Stepping through the ethereal portal, they found themselves instantly transported to a place basking in warmth and sunlight. It was a picturesque setting nestled beside a towering mountain, though it appeared they were nowhere near the top.
"I'm going to make this easy for you," the commander announced, his hand casually resting behind his back while the other slowly reached for the whistle, anticipation hanging in the air. "For today only you'll be jogging from the middle of this mountain instead of from the bottom to top."
Without granting them a moment to voice any objections, he blew into his whistle, the sharp sound signaling the commencement of their run. The recruits fell into a disciplined line, one after another, as they swiftly set off on their course. Tess found herself momentarily left behind as she rolled the sleeves of her sweatpants above her knees.
It was a habit she acquired during her time at her Academy. It annoyed the MS officials who were in charge of stamina classes and became instinctive after many repetitions. Plus she was used to running in shorts, unlike the pants that brushed against her legs like curtains.
The commander began to blow into his whistle non-stop like a raging maniac as he approached her. A flicker of panic sparked within her, and she darted forward to catch up with the rest, casting a fleeting glance over her shoulder to catch sight of his painted face. He ran alongside them, deliberately maintaining his distance at the rear, silently orchestrating their movements.
The sun was merciless as it cast its blinding rays down on them and their bodies began to heat up. They knew they were still at Primus. Even at their distance, glimpses of towering spires and majestic structures could be seen, their lofty heights cut off by a sprawling expanse of protective walls. There was even the one with the red flag.
The wall stood at the edge of grounds that dropped to great heights. It was as if they built the place at the edge of a dried-up waterfall.Jet tunnels and windows of various shapes and sizes, normally concealed behind cascading water, now appeared minuscule from their distant vantage point. Apart from the grounds enclosed to signify Primus property, there was an absence of buildings or any signs of life for miles on end.
Tess divided her attention between the path ahead and the captivating scenery. She concluded they were nowhere on GeoSaun, the supercontinent. The only place on GeoSaun void of life for miles was in the middle—but it was uninhabitable since the events of the second Apocalypse, Jorah-Reign.
This realization provided a plausible explanation for the eerie absence of cell phone signals. Even within the confines of their living complex, the restrictive Wi-Fi protocols prevented their precise locations from being traced. In this unfamiliar territory, Tess couldn't help but feel like a toddler encased in an extreme safety mode, shielded from the unknown.
Memories of Jeremy's unopened box flooded Tess's mind, a constant reminder of their severed communication and the countless times he had burnt her. She couldn't take it anymore and not being able to contact him about whatever was in it would be worse. It was better not to open it, she concluded.
As she continued her ascent, the breathtaking view of Primus became obscured, shielded by the mountain's winding path. Stepping into the refreshing shade on the side opposite the scorching sun, Tess felt a momentary respite. With her legs getting used to the terrain, she began to take notice of her immediate surroundings.
Curiosity beckoned her closer to the edge of the path, the fear of a seemingly bottomless pit momentarily forgotten. To her astonishment, she discovered houses nestled below. Her brows knitted together in confusion, an expression of disbelief etching itself onto her face.
A myriad of peculiar rooftops adorned these unconventional structures, their odd shapes capturing her attention. Squinting her eyes, she sought confirmation that the tiny, moving dots of people with their eccentric hair colors were real and not a mere mirage induced by the heat. The buildings continued until they vanished into a vast expanse of trees that stretched as far as her gaze could reach.
Perplexity consumed her. Where the hell was she? She veered from the edge to head back in path with the others. If that wasn't an island like Zack presumed, finding a boat and swimming the hell away from here sounds less dumb than it did the prior night. Why did she ever find that idea funny?
The furrows above her brow deepened as she noticed Lanse veering out of line, determined to lead the pack. While they weren't racing, there was no way she would allow herself to remain at the back with him taking the lead. Quickening her pace, Tess propelled herself forward, determined to overtake her fellow recruits.
Please review this book on Goodreads >> https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/180877366-dark-of-the-world
Get Book 1 of this story on Kindle >> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C84RMC8C