Class 11-D was silent as the bus sped them further and further away from Echelon Academy.

The route they were taking was deserted despite the tarred road.

There had been some buses driving along the road when the journey had started but now it seemed like they were alone.

Completely alone.

Mr Ryco sat with three State security officers at the front of the bus.

Miss Heaven sat in the first row. Her presence daring anyone to make a sound.

Yesu sat at the back seat, by the window.

She kept her eyes on the glass, watching. At the beginning of the trip, the road had been surrounded by dense trees.

Now it was just barren land speeding by.

Finch was right next to her. Sleeping with a hand to his chin.

Yesu glanced at her backpack. She hadn’t been surprised when they were told to bring only essentials.

She was used to it anyway. Keeping personal belongings and carrying them wherever she went.

The empty lands gradually faded into vegetation again.

Yesu’s eye lids were heavy.

She yawned, eased into her seat and let herself doze off.

***

Yesu woke when the humming of the engine ceased.

Her eyes opened slowly.

Around her, students were already stirring.

Some had stood from their seats. Others were peering through windows.

Quiet murmurs spread throughout the bus.

"Is that it?"

"We’re here?"

Yesu rubbed one eye and turned toward the glass.

Trees.

Endless trees.

The forest surrounding Echelon was large, but this was something else entirely.

The vegetation was denser.

Darker.

Older.

The trees seemed to press against one another until there was barely any space between them.

The bus door folded open with a hiss.

"Off." Miss Heaven ordered.

Nobody hesitated. Students filed out one after another.

The moment Yesu stepped onto the ground, she looked up.

A fence stretched across the forest.

Massive.

Towering.

Metal poles rose high into the air, supporting layers upon layers of reinforced fencing.

It continued in both directions for so long that the end could not be seen.

Several students stared.

Others exchanged uneasy glances.

Then their attention shifted to the enormous gate ahead.

A black sign hung above it.

ZONE 25

It looked simple. But it was intimidating.

Nobody spoke.

The state security officers began moving.

"Follow."

The students obeyed.

Miss Heaven walked behind the officers.

Mr Ryco remained at the rear, ensuring nobody strayed.

The huge gate stood open.

Class 11-D passed through.

The sound of metal echoed around them.

Then the bus behind started moving.

Several students turned.

The vehicles drove away without slowing. Without waiting. Without looking back.

The bus disappeared around a bend in the road.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the class.

The realization struck many of them at once.

There was no way back.

Not until the Trials were over.

"Move." Miss Heaven said coldly.

The students quickly continued forward.

Beyond the gate stood a large facility made of concrete and steel.

Functional.

Black transport vans were parked throughout the compound.

Soldiers moved constantly between buildings.

Armed. Alert. Busy.

The state security officers escorted the class to the entrance and stopped.

Without another word, they turned around and left.

Their assignment was complete.

The students watched them go. Then followed the soldiers already waiting at the entrance into the building.

The deeper they went, the quieter the class became.

Miss Heaven and Mr Ryco remained behind.

The students noticed and became anxious.

Now there were only soldiers. Only unfamiliar faces. Only orders.

The atmosphere grew heavier.

Eventually, they reached a corridor where a soldier stood waiting.

"Male students. Left." He pointed. "Female students. Right."

The class split immediately.

Yesu followed the girls.

The compartment they entered was large and brightly lit.

Rows of racks lined the room.

Camouflage uniforms hung neatly from each one.

Two-piece tactical outfits.

Jackets. Trousers. Boots.

Every jacket bore the same marking.

11-D.

Printed across both the front and back.

The girls stared.

Some looked excited. Others looked nervous.

A few simply looked confused.

"Change into them." A soldier instructed before leaving.

The room immediately filled with movement.

School uniforms came off.

Tactical uniforms went on.

Students transferred personal items between pockets.

They automatically removed the gold name tags from their academy shirts and attached them to their new jackets.

Yesu looked at hers.

Then looked at the jacket.

After a moment’s thought, she shoved the name tag into her pocket.

And continued dressing.

***

Class 11-D assembled outside the facility shortly afterward.

The students stood in loose formation beneath the afternoon sun.

Soldiers moved about the compound in the background, paying them little attention.

Mr Ryco stood before the class with a clipboard tucked beneath his arm.

Miss Heaven was beside him.

He glanced in her direction.

"Would you like to conduct the briefing?"

Miss Heaven didn’t even spare him a look.

"No."

The answer was immediate.

Mr Ryco nodded as though he had expected nothing else.

He stepped forward.

"The Mid-Semester Trials will consist of Relic Hunting."

Every attempt at side talk evaporated.

The students straightened.

"Points will be awarded based on two factors."

He raised two fingers.

"The number of relics collected." A finger lowered. "And the quality of relics collected."

The second followed.

Mr Ryco reached into a pouch attached to his belt.

When his hand emerged, he was holding a metallic object.

A silver token. Roughly the size of a person’s hand.

Its shape resembled a dragon’s scale.

The metal glimmered beneath the sunlight.

Several students leaned forward.

"This," Mr Ryco said, holding it higher, "is a Scale. The relic you will be hunting."

The students studied it carefully.

Mr Ryco lowered his hand.

"Different directives will be issued throughout the week."

He paused briefly.

"As today is the first day, your directive is Acquisition."

A few students exchanged glances.

"Your objective is simple. Enter the trial grounds. Locate and collect Scales. Then find your assigned base and secure it."

He looked across the class.

"The base must be secured by seventeen hundred hours."

Silence followed.

Then almost instinctively, students glanced at their watches.

Two thirty.

A few faces immediately changed.

They had barely two and a half hours.

Some looked nervous. Others began calculating.

Routes.

Distances.

Search time.

And definitely competition.