"ArtificialHuman1082. Awaken." a deep male voice called out.
Aelin slowly opened her eyes. Though it was clearly the same Aelin, she looked rather shorter and younger. Her hair wasn't exactly as long but she looked rather pale and skinnier.
"It's time for training." the voice continued.
Knowing she had to obey, Aelin slowly sat up from her bed before allowing herself to slip down and onto the ground. Though she was still tired and exhausted, she knew her energy would recharge just after breakfast… if she even was able to reach it.
. . .
As Aelin was gathered up with the rest of the artificial humans, who were forced to join a faction just to be tested before being released in the real world, today was the day. Whereas the Final Ataraxia Exam would happen. Where only the strongest would live. Though Aelin had already been ranked much higher compared to many of the other artificial humans, her survival rate was much higher than most. But society is cruel. No matter the difference. Human or not, even those who weren't considered human had their own judgment upon each other.
As Aelin grabbed her breakfast, she was served a tray of well cooked mashed potatoes and chicken as it was going to be the last meal she would eat before the exam. Though approaching the cafeteria, Aelin had already known where to sit. Not with the crowd, but with another girl around her age. A girl, with light blonde hair but harmless and warm purple eyes.
"Sorry I had to make you wait, Fae." Aelin said, sitting down next to her.
"No it's okay, Aelin. I'll always wait for you." Fae smiled gently.
Back just hours before the Final Ataraxia Exam, Fae and Aelin had met in the same unit and luckily ended up in the same assigned rooms. Though they had met because of Aelin's attempts to protect the harmless Fae, they had grown into becoming best friends who promised to reach the end. But maybe… it wouldn't work.
. . .
The memory seemed to glitched, fading out. Before, Fae's gentle smile tried to remain but such memory failed. There Aelin's eyes met with a frown full of regret. For an attempt to look at Fae's eyes, Aelin noticed how dull they had become than her usual warm and sparkling eyes. There, the two stood next to each other, facing one another as their freedom was just meters away from them while the night darkened the skies. The Final Ataraxia Exam was almost at its end.
But just hours. Moments. Moments before they were going to be free. Out of this hell hole, something felt off.
Before Aelin could shout, she felt her body being forcibly pushed back. Her breath was stolen as her "heart" skipped a beat. She could see within her vision as she had fallen back. But the words echoed into her mind endlessly. Though aimed for insult, the tone was full of regret and sadness…
"You lied to me…"
There Aelin fell meters from the cliff, her hair covering her face as it raised high from the rash winds. But before she could scream from fright, Aelin's already injured body from trying to survive the cruel exam was suddenly pierced through the chest by a heavily sharp tree branch from her back.
. . .
What did I do… no… I know what I did. I shouldn't have gave you false hope. Hope that would never come true… but we were all so young. What would the point be to continue living there wasn't hope… I wish I could go back in time… to say how sorry I am. For giving such false hope.
False hope, you say?
… Who are you?
I am you. Wishing to go back into time? Why do you want to waste such a wish for that?
I made a mistake.
But those are just mistakes. Do they not give you the will to try again?
I'm going to die.
But do you want to?
…
Answer me. Do you want to?
I don't want to.
Then don't sorrow. You may cry for your mistakes, but that will soon shrink and you will grow. Do not wish to go back in time. Wish to continue to live.
I want to live. I want to live!
Is that so?
Yes. I want to live. To protect those. To live on for those who even disliked me. To live on for all those children who lost their lives trying to survive in this stupid exam!
As you wish.
What—?
. . .
Aelin's eyes slowly opened, her vision was heavily blurred but she came to soon realize she was on her knees. Though her body felt incredibly stiff, pain was only at slight ease. Her eyes widened, remembering what she was told before waking up. In a desperate attempt, she slowly stood up while the winds roared. Instead of grass, she was met with snow. Winter.
Slowly rising to her feet, Aelin began to realize her body glowing a golden color. The tips of her fingers and feet glowed much brighter, as if a barrier had wrapped around her. Even though Artificial Humans were made to resist extreme heat and absolute zero, whatever caused her to glow was not apart of the system.
But before she knew it, Aelin's injuries from the exam began to fade as if they were being rewinded to ever existing as the stab wound on her back now became a scar. But it soon shifted into a rather golden mark. Chronos' Mark.
A second chance… she thought.
Her will to live flamed and blazing, Aelin clenched her fist as she slowly made her way through the endless forest. Free from the exam, and starting a new journey as a whole…
. . .
Aelin's eyes snapped back, staring at her pocket watch that was reflecting her bright blue eyes, she stared forward. The shadows continued to cloud over the City of Reverie but Aelin and Zale were now on their way to put a stop to this. Once and for all.