Chapter Text
Evana Holloway had never seen a world without a fence around it, she knew there was one beyond the trees, obviously. She’d been told about it enough times- told that it was filled with destruction and despair, that she was lucky to be in such a safe, loving place; that’s what everyone said. She wasn’t so sure. If it was so bad, why would anyone stay there at all? Why wouldn’t they all form their own communities outside of the public? It just didn't make sense.
“You’re staring again.”
Evana blinked and looked away from the window, pushing her ginger hair away from her eyes.
“I’m not.”
The blonde girl sitting across from her raised an eyebrow. “You are.”
Evana glanced back at the window. Beyond the glass, the trees stretched endlessly into the distance, dark green and dense enough that she couldn’t see more than a few metres into them.
“I was just looking, Bianca”
“At what?”
“Nothing.”
Bianca rolled her eyes. “You always say that.”
Evana huffed faintly. “Maybe you ask too many questions.”
“Maybe you don’t answer enough.”
Before Evana could respond, the bell rang.
Around them, chairs scraped against the floor as the other children began gathering their things. Conversation died almost immediately when someone appeared at the door – a keeper, that’s what they call the guards here – Evana and Bianca included.
“Training grounds. Five minutes.”
Nobody argued.
Bianca stood, slinging her bag over one shoulder. “Come on.”
Evana stayed seated for another second, looking through the window.
The fence was barely visible between the trees.
She wondered how far it went. How long she would have to walk to leave Eden. Eden was an interesting place, surrounded by the trees of the Appalachian Mountains, with nobody around for miles. She was told tales of monsters and beasts from a young age, ones with 8 legs, and some with none, lurking in the dark forests at night, waiting for somebody to go out there, waiting for something to sustain them.
At Eden, everyone was split into classes, determined by their abilities. There were the Elementals – people capable of manipulating things like fire, lightning, earth, water, ice or air. The Psychics had abilities relating to the human mind: telekinesis, telepathy, mind control, illusions, and anything else that affected thought. The Enhanced had abilities that altered their natural capabilities, like flight or super strength, while Morphs could alter or transform their physical forms.
Then there were the Energists, capable of generating, manipulating or absorbing different forms of energy; the Manipulators, who controlled specific forces or properties such as gravity, magnetism, sound, darkness or light, the Biotics, whose abilities affected living organisms, and finally the Spatials, whose abilities related to space or time, including teleportation, portals, time manipulation and temporal perception.
Evana was an Energist, though unlike most of them, she also had telekinesis. That meant extra classes, extra training and considerably less free time.
At certain points in their lives, there were these things called trials; they would be given tasks lasting hours, or even weeks. Evana had only ever done two trials. When she was ten, she and a group of eight other children her age had to go out and survive three nights in the forest with a bag of supplies each.
Four didn’t make it back.
Nobody mentioned them after that.
After the first trial, the groups got more specific; the strongest were all placed together, and so were the weakest. When she was thirteen, she had her second Trial. Five days in the forest, one bag of supplies to share between them.
All eight of them came back.
That was when they became Group One. Bianca and Evana had been together in the top group since they were ten, along with six others. In these groups, there was one of each class: an Elemental, a Psychic, an Enhanced, a Morph, an Energist, a Manipulator, a Biotic, and a Spatial
The groups were supposed to be balanced. That was what the Keepers always said, anyway. Each ability had its purpose, and each person had their role to play. Nobody was supposed to be more important than anyone else.
But everyone knew that wasn’t true.
Some abilities were more useful than others.
Some people were stronger.
Some were faster.
Some healed wounds that would have killed someone else, while others could cross half the forest before anyone had time to react.
And some were simply better at surviving.
Evana’s group had been considered the best for five years.
Group One.
Eight children who had been put together after their first Trial, each representing one of the eight classes.
Bianca was their Elemental.
There was Rowan, their Psychic, who could get inside someone’s head before they’d even realised he was there. Their Enhanced was Jordan, who could also manipulate plants. She was the kindest of them, the one who considered who she was hurting before doing it.
Marlowe was their Morph, though Evana had never quite figured out all the things he could turn himself into. Lillian was their Manipulator, and Evana knew never to trust her with a secret. Elliot was their Biotic, always fixing up their wounds after training, and their Spatial was Orla—
“Evana.”
She looked up.
Bianca was standing in the doorway, staring at her impatiently.
“Five minutes,” she reminded her.
Evana glanced at the clock.
Three minutes had already passed.
“Right.”
She grabbed her bag and followed Bianca into the corridor, setting off to the training grounds.
The training grounds were already crowded when they arrived. Groups were scattered across the various sections, each wearing the same dark training clothes, each being watched by their assigned Keepers.
Evana spotted the rest of Group One almost immediately.
Marlowe was sitting on the ground, his hair changing colour as he fiddled with something between his fingers. Rowan was arguing with him about something, though Evana couldn’t hear what. Jordan stood nearby, watching the two of them and occasionally interjecting.
“Finally,” Lillian called when she spotted them.
“We weren’t late,” Bianca said.
“You were.”
“We still have two minutes!”
Evana smiled and dropped her bag beside the others, and for a moment, everything felt normal.
Then she looked past the training grounds; the forest waited on the other side of the fence.
She knew what lived there.
She’d seen them before.
She knew which sounds meant to run, which meant to hide, and which meant that they weren’t all going to bed that night.
But the forest wasn’t what interested her anymore.
It was the other side of the fence.
The place she’d never seen, the place everyone insisted was worse.
“Evana?”
Evana looked back at them to find all seven of them staring at her expectantly.
“Sorry, what?”
Bianca frowned. “She’s been like this all day. Did you sleep last night?”
“Yeah.”
Rowan tilted his head. “Liar.”
Evana shot him a look. “Shut up.”
“You know I can tell.”
“That’s not how telepathy works.”
“It is when you make it this obvious.”
Jordan laughed quietly. “Just leave her alone.”
“Thank you,” Evana muttered.
“I didn’t say you weren’t acting strange.”
Evana looked at her. “You too?”
“You keep staring at the forest.”
“I like... trees.”
Marlowe snorted. “You’ve lived here since you were three.”
“And?”
“And you’ve had twelve, almost thirteen years to get bored of them.”
“Maybe I’m appreciating them.”
“Maybe you’re losing your mind,” Lillian said.
“That’s rich coming from you.”
Lillian smiled innocently. “See? She’s fine.”
Before Evana could respond, a sharp whistle cut across the training grounds.
Every conversation stopped.
The Keepers had arrived.
Each of the groups formed neat, organised lines. Conversations ceased almost instantly, bags were left neatly beside the benches, and everyone stood with their hands behind their backs.
Evana fell into place beside Marlow, with the rest of Group One lining up beside them.
The Keepers walked slowly between the rows, checking each group before moving on to the next. There was never any need for them to shout. They rarely had to.
Evana kept her eyes forward.
She could feel Marlow glance at her.
“Don’t,” Evana whispered.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“You were going to.”
Marlow smiled slightly but turned his attention back towards the front.
A Keeper stepped forward.
“Today will be a team exercise.”
Evana’s stomach tightened; team exercises were never as simple as they sounded.
The Keeper turned towards the forest.
“Each group will enter the eastern sector. Somewhere within it is a target.”
He paused.
“Your task is to locate the target and retrieve it, we will know when you are done.”
That sounded simple, Evana thought.
“There are three conditions.”
The courtyard went silent.
“First, you may not cross beyond the marked boundary.”
Evana glanced towards the trees.
“Second, you may not lose a member of your group.”
Her eyes narrowed. That would be easy enough for their group. Others maybe not.
“And third—”
The Keeper looked down at his clipboard.
“The target will be moving.”
Someone near the back of the lines muttered something.
“You will have one hour.”
Another Keeper stepped forward and opened the gate in the fence.
The sound of it unlocking seemed far louder than it should have.
“Begin.”
The groups broke formation.
Group One didn’t.
Not immediately.
Evana looked around at the others.
Jordan was already studying the tree line. Rowan’s eyes were moving across the other groups, watching where they were heading. Lillian was counting something under her breath.
“Three routes,” she said.
“Left,” Jordan replied.
“Agreed,” Rowan said.
Bianca looked towards Evana, and Evana nodded; that was all it took for them to set off. Jordan moved first. Marlowe followed, changing his appearance to something that would blend in better than an afro before disappearing between the trees. Orla stayed close enough to the group to move them if necessary. Elliot remained in the centre, protected from the front and back, while Bianca and Evana took either side.
Lillian walked beside Evana.
“They’re going to send something after us.”
“Obviously.”
“You sound disappointed.”
“I was hoping for something interesting.”
Lillian smiled.
“Give it five minutes.”
From somewhere deep in the forest came a sharp, unfamiliar cry.
Everyone stopped; Jordan looked around.
“That’s not one of ours.”
Evana stared into the trees. They all knew it was one of the monsters, probably a less deadly one, but they could still get injured nonetheless. None of them had any intention of finding out exactly how dangerous it was.
Jordan crouched slightly, her attention fixed on the ground ahead. She was listening more than looking, taking in every tiny movement around them. “It’s close,” she said quietly.
“How close?” Bianca asked.
Jordan tilted her head, concentrating. “Fifty metres. Maybe less.”
Rowan glanced back towards the direction the other groups had gone. Most of them had already disappeared between the trees, completely unaware of what was moving somewhere nearby. “They haven’t heard it.”
“Then we keep moving,” Lillian said.
Evana frowned. “Shouldn’t we warn them?”
Lillian looked at her as though the answer should have been obvious. “And waste time? We have one hour, and we don’t even know where the target is yet.”
“They could get hurt.”
“They knew what they signed up for.”
Evana didn’t respond. She knew Lillian was right. The training exercises were designed to test them, and every group had been taught what to do if they encountered something in the forest. Still, knowing that didn’t make it any easier to leave them behind.
Another cry echoed through the trees.
This time it was much closer.
Jordan immediately stood, her expression changing. “We need to move.”
The group shifted almost instinctively. Bianca moved towards the front, ready to deal with anything that came too close, while Marlowe slipped further into the trees, his appearance changing as he went until he was almost impossible to distinguish from the surrounding woodland. Orla stayed close to Elliot, keeping herself in a position where she could get them out quickly if they needed it, while Rowan continued watching the area around them. Lillian stayed beside Evana, already studying the possible routes ahead.
“Left,” Lillian said.
“Right,” Jordan corrected.
They both looked at Evana.
For a moment, she hesitated. Jordan had the better sense of the forest, but Lillian was better at seeing the bigger picture. Another rustle came from somewhere behind them, followed by the sound of something moving through the undergrowth.
Evana made her decision. “Right.”
Nobody questioned it. They turned together and disappeared deeper into the forest, moving quickly but quietly.
Evana glanced over her shoulder once.
Nothing.
Just trees.
She turned back and nearly walked straight into Jordan.
“What—”
Jordan raised a finger to her lips.
Everyone had stopped.
Evana looked around. Jordan was staring into the trees to their left. Rowan had gone completely still, his expression suddenly serious. Even Marlowe had returned to the group.
Nobody spoke.
Then something moved to the left of them in the bushes.
Nobody moved.
The sound came again, quieter this time. Leaves shifted, branches bending beneath something’s weight. Evana could hear her own breathing, suddenly far louder than it had been a moment ago.
Bianca raised one hand, signalling for everyone to stay where they were. Jordan remained completely still, her eyes fixed on the bushes. Rowan looked towards the others, then back towards the movement, as if trying to work out whether there was more than one thing out there.
Marlowe slowly stepped closer to the group. “I don’t like this.”
“You don’t like anything,” Lillian whispered.
“I like plenty of things.”
“Name one.”
“Not now.”
Despite herself, Evana almost smiled.
Another branch snapped.
This time, it was closer.
Bianca’s hand began to glow faintly with heat. Evana felt the familiar warmth gathering beneath her skin as she prepared herself, while Orla shifted slightly closer to Elliot.
Jordan looked at Evana.
“It’s watching us.”
Evana frowned. “How do you know?”
“Because it isn’t moving.”
She was right.
The bushes had gone completely still.
Whatever was hiding there had stopped.
“What is the target anyway?” Evana muttered, eyes locked on the bushes.
“Something they think we can find,” Lillian replied.
Evana glanced at her. “Helpful.”
“You asked.”
Rowan frowned, looking around them. “They didn’t give us a description.”
“Exactly,” Lillian said. “Which means we’re supposed to figure it out.”
Jordan slowly straightened. “Or it’s obvious.”
“Nothing in here is obvious,” Marlowe said.
A branch shifted.
Everyone’s attention snapped back towards the bushes.
Evana lowered her voice. “Maybe that’s the point.”
Bianca looked at her. “What?”
“The target.”
She looked between the trees, trying to make sense of the exercise. They had been told it was moving, but they hadn’t been told what it was. They’d assumed that meant they would have to track something through the forest.
But what if they weren’t supposed to find it?
What if it was supposed to find them?
Evana’s eyes narrowed.
“I think we’ve already found it.”
Nobody spoke for a moment.
Bianca slowly looked towards the bushes. “You think that’s the target?”
“It would explain why they didn’t tell us what we were looking for.”
Lillian’s expression changed slightly. She looked back towards the path they had taken, then towards the trees ahead. “And why they gave us an hour.”
Rowan frowned. “If it’s the target, why is it hiding from us?”
“Maybe it’s supposed to,” Jordan said.
Another rustle came from the bushes.
This time, Evana saw something move between the branches.
She couldn’t make out its shape. It was too low to the ground, and whatever it was had stayed almost completely hidden beneath the undergrowth.
“How are we supposed to retrieve something that doesn’t want to be retrieved?” Marlowe whispered.
Lillian gave him a sideways glance. “You’re the Morph.”
“I’m aware.”
“Then go get it.”
“I was thinking more along the lines of you getting it.”
“Why?”
“Because I like being alive.”
Bianca snorted quietly, but Evana didn’t take her eyes off the bushes. Something was still there. She could feel it somehow, the same way she could feel energy gathering beneath her skin when she used her abilities.
“We’re not chasing it,” Evana said.
Lillian looked at her. “Then what?”
Evana thought for a moment.
“We make it come to us.”
Evana reached a hand towards the bushes, her fingertips glowing with a faint pink hue. She focused for a moment, feeling the energy inside whatever was hiding there. It was a lot—far more than she had expected.
“Its got a lot of energy in it,” she said, lowering her hand slightly. “I say we tire it out. Then we can split up. Half of us keep it moving, the other half lures it into a trap.”
Lillian considered it for a moment before nodding. “We’d need to know what it can do first.”
“Which means we let it show us.”
Bianca glanced between them. “And if it’s stronger than we think?”
“Then we change the plan.”
Rowan smiled slightly. “There’s the Evana I know.”
Evana ignored him, already looking around the forest. “Jordan, can you find somewhere we can trap it?”
Jordan scanned the trees, then pointed further ahead. “There’s a clearing about thirty metres east. Steep drop on one side, thick brush on the other.”
“Perfect,” Evana said. “Orla, you stay with Elliot. If anything goes wrong, get him out first, we don’t want to risk someone getting injured without him to heal them. Marlowe, I want you on the other side of the clearing. Don’t engage unless it follows us in.”
Marlowe nodded.
“Bianca, Rowan, you’re with me. We’ll get its attention.”
“Me and Jordan are sorting the trap, i assume?” Lillian asked, Evana nodded in response
Lillian smiled. “Finally, something interesting.”
A low rustle came from the bushes.
Evana turned towards it, the pink glow returning to her fingertips.
Evana inched forward, the pink glow returning to her fingertips. She focused on the energy inside whatever was hiding there, expecting to find the faint, scattered pulse of an animal.
Instead, there was a concentrated mass of it.
Far too much.
“It’s got a lot of energy in it,” she whispered.
The bushes suddenly went still.
Evana stopped.
Slowly, something pale shifted between the branches.
A long, crooked limb emerged first, its fingers curling around the trunk of a tree. Another followed, then another, each impossibly long and thin. The creature pulled itself from beneath the bushes with an unnatural, almost spider-like movement, its body staying low to the ground.
Nobody spoke.
It was larger than Evana had expected.
Its pale skin stretched tightly over its frame, ribs and joints visible beneath it. Four elongated limbs supported its body, each ending in hooked claws that dug into the earth. Its head was almost featureless at first glance, until it lifted it towards them.
Its mouth opened.
Too many teeth.
Bianca’s hand immediately began to glow.
“Don’t,” Evana whispered.
Bianca looked at her.
“Not yet.”
The creature remained perfectly still, watching them.
Rowan’s eyes widened. As the creature suddenly shifted its stance. “Move.”
It lunged.
Evana threw out her hand. A burst of pink energy struck the ground in front of it, forcing the creature sideways. It landed on all four limbs and immediately spun towards them, claws scraping against the earth.
“Now!” Evana shouted.
Bianca sent a wave of heat across the creature’s path, forcing it away from Elliot and Orla. Jordan and Lillian sprinted towards the clearing, branches twisting aside as she moved. Rowan stayed just behind Evana, watching the creature’s movements while Marlowe disappeared into the trees.
“Keep it moving!” Evana called.
The creature followed exactly like she’d wanted.
“It’s working!” Bianca shouted.
Evana glanced towards the creature, it was already slowing, its movements not as quick as before
“Keep going!” She shouted,
Bianca didn’t need telling. She threw another burst of heat across the creature’s path, forcing it to veer sharply to the left. Jordan was already waiting there, using the surrounding plants to narrow the path and leave it with fewer directions to run. The creature hesitated for barely a second before launching forward again, its long limbs carrying it through the undergrowth with frightening speed.
“It’s getting slower,” Rowan said.
“I know.”
“Then we need to hurry.”
Evana looked ahead. Through the trees, she could just make out the clearing Jordan had found earlier. Lillian was already there, crouched beside the thick brush at its edge.
“Thirty seconds!” she called.
Evana nodded and turned back towards the creature. It was still following them, but its movements had become increasingly uneven. Each time it changed direction, it took longer to recover. Its breathing had grown louder, echoing strangely through the trees.
“Almost there,” Evana muttered.
Bianca glanced at her. “You sure this is going to work?”
“No.”
Bianca stared at her.
Evana grinned faintly. “But I have a plan B.”
“You don’t have a plan B.”
“I’ll think of one.”
“That’s reassuring.”
They reached the clearing.
Jordan immediately moved aside, giving the creature a clear path forward. Bianca followed, and Evana slowed just enough to make sure it continued after them.
The creature emerged from the trees.
For one brief moment, it stood in the centre of the clearing, its pale body almost completely exposed beneath the grey daylight. It looked exhausted now, its limbs trembling slightly as it watched the group.
Then it moved. Lillian manipulated the light, making it think there was only one way it could go – straight into their trap.
“Now!” Lillian shouted.
The trap snapped into place. Jordan twisted thick vines around the creature’s limbs, anchoring them against the surrounding trees as Lillian manipulated the light around it, leaving the creature with nowhere obvious to escape. It thrashed against the restraints, its long limbs twisting violently as it tried to find a way through.
“Hold it!” Evana shouted.
“I’m trying!” Jordan called back, tightening her grip on the vines.
The creature suddenly pulled against them with enough force to make the branches bend.
“Jordan!”
“I’ve got it!”
Evana stepped closer, raising both hands. The pink glow around her fingers intensified as she reached for the energy inside the creature. She could feel it immediately, concentrated beneath its skin like a second heartbeat.
“Evana, careful,” Rowan warned.
“I know.”
She began pulling.
The creature’s movements slowed almost immediately.
Its struggles became weaker, its head dropping slightly as the energy drained from its body and gathered around Evana’s hands in faint pink wisps.
“It’s working,” Bianca said.
Evana gritted her teeth, continuing to draw the energy away. It was far more difficult than she expected. The creature had an enormous amount of it, and even after everything they’d done, there was still enough left to make the vines strain around its limbs.
“It’s got more than I thought,” Evana muttered.
“Then take more,” Lillian said.
Evana glanced at her.
“I’m trying.”
Its eyes fixed directly on Evana, and despite having almost all of its energy drained away, it didn’t look afraid, it just looked angry.
Evana’s hands lowered slightly.
“Why is it looking at me?”
Rowan stepped closer, his expression suddenly uncertain. “I don’t know.”
“Can you get in its head?”
“I can try.”
Rowan closed his eyes, reaching out with his mind. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then his expression changed.
He stumbled backwards.
“Rowan?” Bianca asked
He opened his eyes.
“It’s not an animal.”
Evana frowned. “What is it?”
“I don’t know.” He looked back at the creature. “I couldn’t get in.”
“That’s impossible.”
“I know.”
The creature suddenly pulled against the vines again. Jordan struggled to keep them in place as several of the roots began to loosen from the ground.
“Whatever you’re doing, do it faster!” she shouted.
Evana turned back towards it, reaching for its energy again.
The moment she touched it, something felt wrong
The energy wasn’t simply moving through its body.
It was reacting to her.
The pink glow around Evana’s hands flickered, and the creature’s entire body tensed, Evana suddenly felt a force pushing her back, she gets hit by a blast and stumbles back
“What happened? Are you okay?” Bianca asked.
“im fine... I don’t know what happened.”
The creature lifted its head higher
Its mouth opened, but instead of the strange cry they’d heard earlier, a low sound came from its throat.
Almost a growl. Then a sharp whistle sounded from somewhere nearby, the creature immediately stopped struggling as three keepers approached.
“Congratulations, Group One,” the first Keeper said. “You were the first group to capture the target.”
Jordan released a breath, allowing the vines to loosen slightly.
Lillian looked towards the Keeper. “That was the target?”
“Yes.”
She glanced at Evana, nudging her shoulder. “Told you.”
Evana barely heard her.
She was still staring at the creature.
Something about the way it had reacted to her didn’t make sense. She looked down at her hands, where the last traces of pink energy were fading from her fingertips.
“Evana.”
She looked up.
The Keeper was watching her.
“You sustained a minor impact. Are you injured?”
“No.”
“Good.” Rowan placed a hand on Evana’s shoulder, murmering a brief “you okay?” to her, she responds with a nod
The Keeper’s eyes remained on the two for another moment before shifting towards the creature. Two of the other Keepers moved forward, securing the vines around its limbs with thick restraints. The creature didn’t resist anymore. It simply watched them, its head still raised, its strange, almost featureless face pointed directly towards Evana.
She felt a chill run through her.
“Is it supposed to do that?” Rowan asked.
The Keeper glanced at him. “Do what?”
“Stop fighting the second you whistled.”
“That is part of the exercise.”
Rowan frowned. “Right.”
Evana looked at him, noticing the uncertainty in his expression. He had tried to get into the creature’s mind earlier and failed. Rowan wasn’t someone who easily admitted when he couldn’t do something.
“Can I ask something?” Evana said.
The Keeper turned back to her. “You may.”
“What was it?”
“A target.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
The Keeper was silent.
Evana glanced at the creature again. “What is it?”
For the first time, something changed in the Keeper’s expression. It was barely noticeable, but she caught it.
“You don’t need to know.”
“But—”
“Training is over.”
The Keeper turned away, signalling for the others to begin moving the creature. Jordan released the vines completely, and the group began gathering their supplies.
Evana didn’t move.
The creature was being dragged towards the trees, its long limbs scraping over the forest floor as the Keepers pulled it along. Just before it disappeared between the trees, it turned its head.
Their eyes met.
Or at least, Evana thought they did.
She couldn’t see eyes on its pale face, but somehow she knew it was looking at her.
Then it was gone.
“Evana!”
She turned to see Rowan waiting several feet away.
“You coming?”
“Yeah.”
Evana took one last look towards the trees before following her group back towards the training grounds, she told herself it was just another part of the exercise, but she couldn’t stop thinking about the moment she’d touched its energy.
Because whatever had happened between them hadn’t felt like an attack.
It had felt like recognition.