THE NEW EXAM

The day was surprisingly calm. After all those experiments, unfortunately we did not even discovered my ability and I am starting to lose hope, starting to grasp the fact that maybe I am just ordinary. I was placed here by mistake and I wasted all of those years in this stupid school. Well at least, maybe the school won't make place me in a hidden room with tubes attached all over my lifeless body since I'm ordinary. It took me quite a while to arrive at my destination, to arrive at our dorm room. I am slightly hopeful that maybe Theo's plan worked somehow? I mean I am willing to do whatever it takes just to stay here, to stay here with my friends.

I took a quick detour after our little failed experiments session. I went around the campus to see if there's any signs of a basement in this new building. I got suddenly curious after all those tests my friends have done to me. Why is this school so addicted to know if you're an Extraordinaire or not? They don't even have the ability to tell if you're an Extraordinaire right away, you have to take numerous tests to prove to them you are gifted and take another test to prove to them that you are worth the resources this school has given to you. They even created a chart of the most strongest Hellvanian Extraordinaire for some reason.

I arrived at our dorm room with eyes half asleep, I couldn't bother taking off my dirty shoes and crashed down the soft bed. I managed to open my eyes one last time to check on Theo and James who were vast asleep and then I let myself succumbed to tiredness and fell asleep.

****

I woke up to the sound of a blaring horn that echoed and pierced my ears. I joulted up and looked around to see what was happening. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that it's the day I dreaded the most. The day of the Hellvanian Elite Exams.

I quickly ran and woke up the still sleeping Theo and also the still sleeping James, thankfully they woke up immediately. They hurriedly put on some clothes and I hurriedly ran to the bathroom and washed my face with some cold tap water. James who was usually the first one to wake up grumbled, probably because he didn't woke up first. As we walk out our dorms and into the open field where the teachers are waiting for us, we noticed a quite amount of black suited men with guns, some are walking around and some are standing beside our teachers. Maybe they upgraded to a better security unit?

"Good morning Hellvanian Elite And Extraordinaires." Our principal greeted us with a warm smile. We greeted good morning back.

"You may wonder my dear Hellvanian Elites and Extraordinaires, who are these men? Don't worry, they are just here to help you on completing the Hellvanian Elite Exams. They are friendly I promise you that." Our principal explained in soothing voice. He always use this voice whenever there's something different and he needs to explain and reassure us.

"Since we are in a new building, and is starting something new. Me and all of the teachers and school administrators have decided to... update the usual Hellvanian Elite Exams." He added. What does he mean update the Hellvanian Elite Exams? The original ways of the exams is brutal enough, are they going to make it even more hard and brutal?

"You can take it away Pave." He said to a man as buff as Batman's enemy, Bane. He stood mighty in front of us, he gives off this intimidating aura. Funny how I can imagine seeing some dark aura surrounding him.

"Thank you Mr. Principal." He said. His voice perfectly encapsulates his physical body. His voice, low and growly voice that you can barely recognize what he's saying due to the low-ness of his voice.

"Good morning Hellvanians. It's good to be here." He stated. We politely greeted him good morning as well.

"Since we don't have anymore time, let's cut to the chase." He said, somehow I can feel something off. I can feel deep in my gut that something horrible is gonna happen. Is this probably my ability? To sense something odd or terrible happening in the near future? I mean it's a lame ability if you ask me but if this is somehow my ability, I'll gladly take it rather than no ability.

"I was informed that one of you here has not been able to discover his ability for years now." He commented. I immediately felt shivers down my spine, although he's not directly looking at me but somehow I can feel his intimidating presence surrounding me. I feel targeted, like a deer on a hunting season.

"So we're gonna up the stakes. This is the new Hellvanian Elite Exams." The terrifying man pushed a button that I didn't even noticed he had been holding it the whole time.

The ground beneath us quaked and I can hear some students gasping out of shock. The ground opened up and revealed to us where we're doing the exams. Just like some science fiction novel or movie, a battle arena appeared out of the ground. Huge metallic walls surrounded us and caged us in, it zigzag and created an intricate designs and patterns. Corners, edges, and borders were made, it was as if it's a maze.

"Wait a minute." I said to myself as I started to realize what was about to happen but was cut off when the man announced what I think was gonna happen.

"This is The Maze. This the first test out of three tests. The Maze will test your critical thinking skills, your reaction when you're dealing with stressful situations, your speed and agility and your knowledge you have accumulated over these past years." He explained.

"You'll start here and will work your way to end of this maze by answering questions placed by every route you take. Note that every route you take has different questions and it's difficulty depends on what the computer. You'll be either in groups or solo, it's up to you if you would like to go solo or in groups." He continued to explain.

"Also, take note. You can die in this exams and we do not care if you do. We have added numerous deadly experimented creatures lurking in these walls and they are not giving you mercy when you encounter them." He added, it scares me to see no reaction on him when he said we can die in this test. We're just kids! I can hear numerous gasp and murmurs around me when he announced our possible gruesome fates.

"You MUST REMEMBER this my dear Hellvanians. "LIFE" is brutal, and you're all lucky to have incredible abilities and now is time to use it." One of our teacher said.

"What happened to them." James suddenly asked.

"Yeah, they changed." I replied.

Our principal moved forward, he took looked different from the man before. Gone was that old man happily greeting us good morning earlier. Are they pretending to be this maniacal? Or is this what they're planning all this time? I immediately thought of those dead seniors we saw inside that basement.

With a dead face our principal announced, "Let the Hellvanian Elite Exams. Begin."