"The king's daughter then, it must be delightful to have everything ".
Sky's thoughts surfaced as she heard them.
Elena's silver eyes scaned the attendants in the hall while walking and two maids accompanied her. She didn't stop, but kept going and went behind the black sign's door.
The waiting time extended almost for ten hours, which drained everyone energy and patience as they started to loose the track of time.
Everyone were depressed, except for Sara who was sleeping like an infant on the floor, hugging her bag as a pillow snoring loudly. Seeing this some of them chuckled and some sat on the floor chatting.
" I admit she has the guts, this is just mere torture" Said Sky.
" You know, you could had avoided all this if you asked Dante to help you getting an invitation".
Natalie said rubbing her sour legs. Looking at her friend who sat on floor like the others she replied:
" If I did that won't you be lonely? Plus, I am sure he has a lot of trouble of his own and I don't want to be a burden anymore ".
Lifting up her head, Natalie gased on Sky whose eyes were dim while drawing a faint smile. She then looked back at Sara, and smiled.
" I don't think he would ever think of you as a burden, Sky".
Sky nodded with same expression muttering hazy words.
" I know, but it's better this way ".
Suddenly, ...
"Sky Logan, Natalie Clover..." .
At last, Sky heard her's and Natalie's name along with three other people. They stood up when the man who called pointed for them to follow him.
" Finally! Our turn.." Natalie whispered with excitement.
Going behind the yellow signed door, their foot steps echoed through the narrow pathway while following the man to get to another hall, and stood infront of five closed doors, waiting for the man's instructions.
"Each one of you will step inside a room behind each door. There, you will meet up with your first and second examiners, good Luck " .
Sky nodded at Natalie with a nervous smile, taking a deep breathe then entered the room next to her.
Behind the door, the first thing she sighted was a pitch-black haired woman, she had a bule eyes and dressed in a tight black suit coated with a wine colored jacket, seemed familiar to Sky.
"Good mor.... , well it's almost morning, right? Come and lay down here ".
Awkwardly, Sky stepped forward, then reclined on what looked like a lab's bed. Looking around the white roof and walls room, there were werid devices and machines at every corne, both giant and small. They made some unpleasant noise. Sky noticed the projected wide colored screen infront of the bed.
Nervously, her forefinger started to tab the edge of bed as an involuntary movement. Her eyes followed the woman who came close holding some papers. Instantaneously, she dragged a wheeled stool to the left side of the bed then sat down.
"So Sky from the Logans family..." The woman stated then tittered gazing at her.
" Why nervous? Don't be. For your first trial, we will check your soul core status... with this device right here..." pointing with a feathered pen to the machine infront of them, and added:
"If it's completely developed, then congratulations, you won't have problems to pass. Quite simple, right?"
The woman did all the talk, while Sky stared at her and to the big robotic arms, carved with 'G' symbol on its side.
"Alright, I need you to close your eyes tightly and never open them till I tell you to do so. You may feel like your body is burning but try to resist the need to get up, deal? ".
"Quit simple my foot!" Sky outcried in her mind , then she asked:
"So... will it hurt?"
"Not as much it will hurt me seeing you in pain,, but I grantee, it's in a bearable range."
In empathy, the woman claimed, yet quickly changed her tone.
" So! Are you ready?"
She wasn't totally comfortable about this examination, but had no choice but to follow her instructions. She then surrendered and closed her eyes.
In a seconds, a feeling of warm sensation diffused through and inside her chest. So far, it wasn't bad as she thought, she felt like floating in endless space. But not even a half minute passed and Sky's screams filed the room.
She felt like her whole body was on fire, she was like burning alive. Her mind was a mess, she wanted to jump out and run, but resisted as she was told; and almost opened her eyes if not for the woman kept reminding her to not to no matter what "I wasn't told that it will hurt like this !!" Both her body and her thoughts were loudly screaming in pain.
Five minutes of sustaining the unbearable continues pain, the heat finally regressed. Her small body was shaking and trembling, she huffed and puffed heavily trying to catch her breath.
"It's alright, you did well, I was afraid you will get blind if you opened your eyes suddenly".
Sky ignored the woman's words leaning aside with foggy vision, whilst get the wet sensation on her cheeks, her eyes were closed but shed alot of tears.
Seeing this, the woman got up and walked to face the wide screen, taping and analyzing while humming.
"Oh..that a really bad news"
Sky twitched, lifting up her head and turned back to the woman, concerned on what she had heard.
"Wha...what? Did I...did I fail !!"
Busy with thinking, the woman put on different expressions one after another on her face. She sat again next to sky.
" Did you get into some sort of accident when you were younger? "
Sky was puzzled, confused with this sudden question, she wiped her cheeks thinking about it.
" I think so, maybe? I don't remember exactly what happened, but my parents told me that I was attacked by a wild bear in forest ".
"Oh... I see. And how old were you?"
"Eleven.. I guess".
Sensing something wrong, she asked:
" Why...are you asking? Is it something serious?"