Children of Elisium
Chapter 9: A Planned Surrender

373 woke up with the sound of high-pitched bells harassing her ears.

Her entire body felt as heavy as her eyelids. She wanted to keep her body inside the warmth of her covers and on the soft mattress of her bed. The girl swung her legs to the side of her cot and leapt off before she succumbed to her fatigue. She didn’t sleep well – the roller-coaster ride she had yesterday still hadn’t completely faded from her system. But she didn’t want anyone to notice she was staying out later than she should.

Especially not now, not when Michael was trying to replace a way to get her outside of Elisium.

The brown-haired girl changed with the rest of the students, ate breakfast, took a bath, and headed off to her classes like any other day. And just like any other day, she let her mind wander to the new spells she wanted to try out, the demon in the secret room that had a special seal on the floor, the youth with red hair and multi-colored eyes, and the boy called Salamander who had a talent of healing and fire.

It was only when she and the rest of the students in her class had moved to the wide sparring area of Elisium that 373 forced herself to focus on the present. A lot of eyes were on her, observing her every move. The scene was so different from what she was used to a few weeks ago. Her black orbs remained focused on the book in her hands until a shadow loomed over her.

373 looked up.

A tall dark-skinned girl with burnt umber colored eyes and jet-black hair split into twin braids was looking down at her. The other girl had long limbs and was an entire foot taller than 373. The small girl recognized the other girl.

Zain Amina. Number 124. Class Aquarius. Aged 11.

Rank: 1.

The little girl blinked and set her book down. Her rank had fallen from 10 down to 12. The person at the top of the list couldn’t possibly be challenging her, right?

The tall girl spoke to 373 with a smile. “I would like to challenge you to a fight.”

Okay. She was challenging her to a fight.

373 blinked. “Why?”

“I want to know… just how strong you are,” the girl replied.

Without warning, the older girl’s body burst into flames as she lunged towards 373. The grass on the area became brown and singed as they came in contact with the girl’s flames. The little female moved out of the way and leapt for the empty spot a good distance away from Zain Amina. But as soon as 373 maneuvered to the place she wanted to go, the black-haired female was right in front of her with a sparks of lightning dancing in the older female’s hand.

“Fulmen!” Zain Amina dispelled the flames around her and sent her fist flying towards the little girl’s face. On instinct, 373 bent her knees and the fist shrouded in lightning narrowly missed her face.

For once, 373 was thankful that she was short.

The smaller female cast fulcio on her entire body without uttering the incantation and ran towards the center of the open area. Zain Amina went after her. Each of the dark-skinned girl’s steps was equivalent to four of her own. With a well-cast fulcio and her longer limbs, the taller girl was able to catch up to 373 within a few breaths. A barrage of fists laden with thunder came crashing down the little girl. 373 sucked in a breath and cast the simplest barrier spell that she could think off.

Lightning and pure energy met. Small explosions echoed every time the attacks met the barrier. Before the barrier could break, Zain Amina jumped over the barrier and threw herself in front of 373 like a predator zeroing in on her prey. The smaller female jumped backward, skidded on the grass while bringing green stalks along with her. 373 didn’t waste her time and ran.

Crazy!

The girl fought head on like she was crazy! 373 never paid attention to how her other classmates fought because it never really concerned her. But now that she was on the receiving end of Zain Amina’s offense, the small female cursed her blissfully ignorant self that chose to bury her face in books rather than paying attention the people around her.

The older female was faster and more powerful than the rest of her peers. It was accurate to say that Zain Amina was on another level than all the children in their class. The realization made 373’s heart beat frantically in her rib cage. Her body felt hot as she observed the tall female’s movement.

‘If Zain Amina was strong, then what about me?’ 373 thought silently.

For the first time, 373 found herself smiling in the middle of the match. Her opponent stared at her with a confused look before charging towards her fearlessly and haphazardly. 373 saw Zain Amina running towards her as red flames ignited the grass with each of the dark female’s footsteps. Sparks danced around the girl with dark black locks as she charged towards 373.

The idea that Zain Amina was strong, made the little girl feel jittery. She felt an odd feeling welling inside of her, like a fuse had been lit in the depths of her chest and had set off a chain reaction throughout her entire body. Each muscle of her body felt taut while her blood raced through her veins in anticipation.

It wasn’t a bad feeling.

She liked it.

And because she liked the feeling rumbling in her chest, 373 decided to take the match seriously.

Very seriously.

Zain Amina once had a family.

Her mother was a woman who was reckless and loud. Her father was a fighter with crass language and pride that couldn't be matched. Both were similar in how they loved being right and drowned themselves in alcohol until they passed out. But the similarities between her parents ended there.

There was never a peaceful day in their small home. The crashing and the screaming in their house would usually last from sunrise to dawn. After one fight, they had both agreed to end their relationship and abandon their child to start anew – like nothing had happened between them. And at seven years of age, Zain Amina had found herself abandoned her in a dark alleyway far from the little sleepy town of Amaryllis with nothing but the clothes on her body and a hat on her head.

After 24 hours, Zain Amina realized that she had been discarded like a piece of trash that had no place in the world. She had turned into a tin can that the older homeless people had played with and kicked around until they had enough. It was only when she had turned nine years old that she was taken off the streets and into the haven that was called Elisium. The moment Zain Amina set foot in the paradise she was brought into, she promised herself that she would do her best. She promised she would do what she could to repay the people of Elisium and to make the adults happy.

At age 10, she had risen to the top of her class. In the last year, she had kept that rank with little to no difficulty. When the adults told her that she would be able to go to the Sanctuary if she defeated 373 in a battle, she didn’t think about it and immediately agreed. Facing someone 11 ranks below her wasn’t much of a challenge. Zain Amina believed it was going to be an easy win that was going to make the adults so proud of her.

But as she stared at the girl whose deep obsidian eyes were fixated on her brown ones, Zain Amina couldn’t help but wonder if her opponent was as weak as the adults said she would be. 373 had dodged all of Zain Amina’s attacks. And in the middle of their match, the smaller female had flashed her a smile that made the hair’s on Zain’s neck stand on end.

For the first time in the two years she had lived in Elisium, Zain Amina found herself unable to think. The dark-skinned female could feel the sweat dripping down her back along the edge of her spine. For a moment, she was frozen. Then, her instincts kicked in and told her to charge towards the smaller female.

Zain Amina pushed herself to her peak state and used her long legs to kick of the dirt and head straight towards 373. The girl with brown eyes and a dark complexion gathered energy around her entire body, cast her strongest Ignis, and set herself on fire.

The closer Zain Amina was to 373, the smaller 373 looked. The grin fell off her 373’s face and the younger girl’s expression turned serious. The little female gathered energy on both her palms and prepared to cast a spell. She was an image of perfect calm as she stood with her feet apart and both her hands dangling at her sides. Unlike the surprised girl who could only dodge Zain Amina’s spells, 373 seemed to have changed into someone unrecognizable.

Zain Amina continued to advance towards her fearlessly like a battle god – unafraid of everything in her way. When the other female was only a few steps away from her, 373 rolled on the ground and touched the grassy field. The energy around her stirred as the wind seemed to become sucked towards her position. Zain Amina recognized the spell. The complexity of the spell unfolding in front of her made Zain Amina’s heart flutter.

Aer Gurges? Zain Amina’s eyes widened in surprise. She snapped out of her amazement and without wasting a single second, she sent a well-aimed kick towards 373’s face. 373’s right hand went up to block Zain Amina’s attack. Flames danced as they got caught in the whirlpool of air. But the velocity of the vortex only got stronger and Zain Amina found herself being pushed backwards.

The older girl was too busy trying to stay rooted to the ground. She didn’t see how 373 had used her other hand to gather a fist full of soil and throw it towards the taller girl’s direction.

Gusts of air carried the grains of stone and earth. Zain Amina could only close her eyes as the particles reached her face. In that moment, 373 chose to close in. Lightning cackled and hissed before Zain Amina. The dark-skinned girl blindly jumped sideways to evade the attack. Brown hands frantically brushed the particles away from her eyes. When Zain Amina finally opened her brown orbs, she wanted to vomit a mouthful of blood at what she saw.

373 was standing at the exact spot where she had been, a fulmen spell in one hand and an ignis spell in the other. Although both spells were basic spells everyone in Elisium knew, to be able to cast, control, and disperse two spells at the same time was a feat no one had achieved. And yet, 373 stood calmly and did just that. What was more infuriating was how the child quickly dispelled both spells like it was the most natural thing in the world!

The ignis spell on Zain Amina’s body burned even brighter as she turned and attempted to attack the other female. This time, 373 didn’t stay put. The moment Zain Amina took her first step and put her foot down, 373 had disappeared before quickly reappearing at her right side.

“Fulcio.”

“Aer Gurges.”

With a single leap, 373 had managed to close the distance between her and Zain Amina. In that short frame of time, the smaller female cast a spell. Gusts of wind roared and sent Zain Amina soaring through the length of the wide field. Zain Amina tried to get her bearings in mid-air and managed to brace her feet on the wall. She bent her legs and propelled herself towards the small girl who was standing still and looking up at her with eyes glinting in laughter.

Again!

Zain Amina launched herself towards her opponent, her flames growing brighter and more unstable. Her heart beat grew frantic as the seconds passed. More sweat poured down her back drenching the back of her shirt. But 373 disappeared just like she did last time. And unlike Zain Amina’s head-on and direct approach, 373 moved tactically –choosing to attack from the sides or from behind.

An Aer Gurges struck Zain Amina from behind. It wasn’t as strong as the first Aer Gurges 373 had cast, but it was enough to kill the flames on her body and send her rolling to the ground.

“Face me seriously!” Zain Amina gritted her teeth as she stood and glared at the girl with black eyes. Unbearable frustration welled in her chest. She couldn’t accept being toyed with – not like this, not after all the effort she had put in to be number 1!

“Are you sure?” The little girl quirked her head to the side innocently. And with a nod, she said, “Okay.”

In a split second, 373 was before her.

Zain Amina didn’t have time to be shocked.

A fist was heading towards her at an amazing speed and Zain Amina raised her arms to block it. After she deflected 373’s attack, Zain Amina sent an attack of her own which 373 dodged. They attacked, parried, and exchanged blows while their pace slowly increased. The destructive force behind each spell became more powerful. The gaps between each attack decreased.

Until suddenly, Zain Amina couldn’t match the tempo.

A fulmen spell caught her off guard and Zain Amina crashed to the floor in pain. With difficulty, she forced herself off the floor and continued to attack 373. But every time she would try to cast a spell, 373 would attack at that exact moment and interrupt her cast.

Uncertainty clouded Zain Amina’s heart. The longer the battle drew out, the more panicked she became. Among the five most fundamental spells they had been taught, 373 had only used Aer, Ignis, Fulmen and Fulcio. On the other hand, Zain Amina had used almost every spell in the book and she knew more spells than anyone in her class! The more she thought about 373’s skill, the more her heart raced in her chest. What Gabriel Fernandez said was true.

373 was a monster.

373 was a threat.

Zain Amina gasped as she tried to catch her breath. 373 also stopped a good distance away from her, dark eyes studying Zain Amina with a sharpness that made the other girl take a step back. Zain Amina took a glance at the teachers that were watching at the side and her mood dropped. She had been and had always been the object of the adult’s pride and excitement. But now their fascinated gazes weren’t on her: they were on the little female who was fighting against her.

The attention and love of the adults – the slot for Elisium’s Sanctuary – those belonged to her! Zain Amina gritted her teeth. The dark-skinned girl still had the strength to attack. She still had an ace in her sleeve. Zain Amina still had her most powerful spell. She doubted the small fragile-looking girl could do anything to counter it.

Zain Amina’s lower lip trembled. She didn’t notice the tremors, but the girl in front of her did. The energy around them fluctuated. The loose rocks on the surface of the ground seemed to hum and resonate with the fluctuation. Their teachers cried in alarm. Within a few breaths, a strong barrier isolated Zain Amina and 373 from the rest of their peers. In the next moment, the ground beneath them shook as Zain Amina cast her spell.

“Mutatio Terrae!”

The effect of the spell was instantaneous. The floor below them warped and turned into a treacherous landscape. A patch of land erupted and turned into a valley of thorns and crags. And because Zain Amina couldn’t control the spell properly, the ground beneath her feet shot up and changed into an unstable platform that she struggled to maintain. Beads of sweat formed on Zain Amina’s forehead. But because Elisium had given her a second chance in life, Zain Amina didn’t mind risking her life to prove herself in Elisium.

That was her resolve.

A patch of earth rose up like a wave and turned into jaws that threatened to consume everything in its path. A mix of gasps and screams echoed in the hall. The teachers present fortified the barrier around the students and themselves.

Human instinct was funny thing. Whenever an imminent threat would present itself to animals, it would trigger a fight-or-flight response almost instantaneously. But it was different for humans. Some humans would choose to fight. Others would choose to run or secure their safety. A number would turn stiff and motionless at the sight of danger. And a minority felt nothing at all.

But 373 didn’t run, didn’t show any hint of freezing up, didn’t seem ready to fight to the death. Even when the smaller female could feel the bloodlust behind Zain Amina’s attack, the girl didn’t bat an eyelash. She just stood there, waiting for the attack to hit her. And when it came, she calmly wove through the teeth-like mounds of earth towards the platforms of uneven ground like it was child’s play. Her eyes were filled with so much life. It was almost as if she was enjoying the battle and every second of it.

Panic settled in Zain Amina’s bones. She tried to widen the distance between herself and 373 by changing the landscape more and more. However, 373 advanced steadily while evading all the attacks sent her way. As soon as the tall dark-skinned girl was within her range, the little female began gathering her energy to cast a spell. It was the beginning of a spell Zain Amina couldn’t recognize, not even after she had almost completely memorized the books in all their classes. Without thinking, Zain Amina flung out one attack spell after another while her Mutatio spell was still in effect.

Zain Amina’s concentration became a mess. The ground beneath them trembled as the Mutatio spell started to fall apart. The older female’s attack spells created a cloud of smoke and dust which hid 373 from view. Zain Amina stayed alert, her brown eyes shifting left to right frantically as she searched for the little girl. Her feet were still firmly planted on her makeshift pedestal, but her heart thumped in her chest as cold sweat trickled like a waterfall on her back.

A single fireball whizzed towards her with an accuracy and speed Zain Amina had never seen before. Using the direction of the fireball as her reference, she ducked and lunged forward towards the girl hiding behind the fog. Zain Amina cast fulcio to increase her speed, rearranged the ground beneath her feat, and haphazardly threw herself in the dust cloud she had created. As soon as she did, she realized she had made a mistake.

The next second went by in slow motion.

Zain Amina was keenly aware of how both her knees were bent as a single lightning bolt flew straight past her towards the fireball that was right behind her. The two spells collided and caused an explosion that pushed the dark-skinned girl forward. She lost control of her most powerful spell and the pedestal she had struggled to maintain crumbled beneath her feet. Zain Amina was falling fast towards the treacherous landscape she had created with the spell she knew she couldn’t control.

With a sigh, Zain Amina realized she was probably falling to her death.

And she was going to die in the treacherous jaws of rock and soil that she had formed with her own spell.

While the brown-eyed girl was still in a daze, 373 appeared in front of her. A small voice whispered something as 373 stretched her small pale hand towards her and cast a spell. The words were said softly they were almost inaudible yet Zain Amina heard them clearly. She knew exactly what 373 had cast.

It was Mutatio. Mutatio Terrae.

The words left the little girl’s lips and the ground heeded her call. 373’s Mutatio was quick and quiet, much like the little girl. The ground shifted with a low rumble and shot up towards the two of them. Earth formed a sturdy arm and a palm made of loose soil and grass that cushioned the two girl’s fall. The hand formed by 373’s spell set the two children down on the ground slowly. When Zain Amina’s feet finally touched stable ground, she realized that the field she had turned into a mess had once more become a flat stretch of land.

Her brown eyes met a pair of obsidian orbs. And for a moment, an odd sensation crawled into her veins as she felt those deep dark eyes staring into her thoughts.

“The Sanctuary… isn’t beautiful,” 373 said, her voice low and her words cryptic. When the porcelain skinned girl looked up at Zain Amina, the smaller female’s gaze was full of worry. But as soon as 373’s gaze swept towards the teachers observing the fight, the frigid cold that was contained in her black eyes sent a shiver down Zain Amina’s spine.

With a blink, the smaller girl’s iciness had gone. Her gaze turned apathetic. And the next words that left her mouth were loud and clear enough for the entire class to hear.

“I give up.”

The adults and the students watching the fight were stunned. One of their teacher’s quickly approached them, his hands and feet fumbling in shock because of 373’s announcement.

“But why?” The teacher’s face was flushed as he tried to reason with the smaller child. “You can’t give up! You won! What about your slot for the Sanctuary?”

“I cheated,” was 373’s reply. After a breath, she added, “I should be disqualified.”

The adult’s jaw dropped. “…what?”

“Playing dirty is against the rules.” 373 stated. It took Zain Amina a few seconds to realize that she was referring to the time when the little girl had thrown soil to her face. Technically speaking, 373 had lost the match the moment she decided to fight underhandedly. But the adults had let them continue the fight like nothing of the sort had happened. So why was 373 bringing it up now?

The little girl didn’t wait for the rest of the room to catch up with her thought process and made her way to retrieve her book and leave the open field. The class of Aquarius and the teachers present fell into an awkward and stupefied silence. Some mouths hung open. Others were frozen shut. While they were busy trying process what had happened, 373 had silently packed her things and had left the room.

A few coughs were heard in the hall and the seconds ticked by like nothing had happened. The teachers called over a few higher ranking Spellcasters to restore the field to its previous state. The fights continued. The adults recorded the wins, losses and draws for the day as the children’s ranks were changed. On paper, Zain Amina had won and had kept her number 1 spot.

Yet everyone who had watched the entire match knew – even Zain Amina herself knew – that the little girl had won.

And she, the girl ranked number 1, had lost.