Chapter One

"Sage Jada Cordell, come here right this instant!"

I continued sketching despite the voice of my foster father echoing through the house. I didn't do anything wrong, so why should I be punished?

"Don't make me bring your filthy dog into this!"

Crack!

I chucked my broken pencil at the wall and snapped the sketchbook closed with enough force to move a mountain. "Fine, I'm coming!" I yelled, hopping off my mattress, "There's no need to bring Ugine into this!" I marched out into the hall and to the stairs, stopping at the top and looking down at my guardian, "What do you want?"

"Don't you dare talk to me like that Young Missy." he said, shaking a finger at me, "Especially not when you came home late from school for the third time in a row! Care to explain yourself?"

I huffed, "I already told you I had to tutor someone!"

"That's really interesting." he said, his face turning a vibrant shade of red, "Because I called the school today and they told me that you didn't have good enough grades to tutor a preschooler, let alone anyone in your grade! You had detention, didn't you?!"

I clenched the hand rail on the stairs, my knuckles turning white, "Alright, fine. Say I did have detention. But it wasn't my fault! Sandy Marcus was being an idiot and someone had to set it right!"

"That's no excuse!" he exploded, "Your school didn't have a detention program until you joined! They created one just for you! I cannot put up with this behavior Young Lady! One more mess up and you'll have to go back to the foster center to find another set of parents, do you understand?!"

"Well good riddance to all of you!" I screamed, turning on my heel and storming back to my room, slamming the door behind me. "At least I know someone cares." I said to my Rottweiler Ugine, who was sitting on my bed. "You won't send me back will you?"

Ugine cocked his head to the side and looked up at me with his big brown eyes.

"Thanks Bud." I said, scratching him behind the ears. "Now I gotta hurry and get ready for school so I can leave this hell of a place as soon as I can."

"....and without doubt we believe, That we'll live forever without grief, If we swear loyalty to the land of Braneve!"

Everyone sang the National Song with vigor and happiness as always. There was an applause that always broke out, then everyone sat down, and began to listen to their teacher. But the teacher didn't begin talking in a dreamy voice as usual. Instead, he spoke with a strong female voice; the voice of our leader, Cathleen Morsie.

"Students!" he said, "There is a rebel among you! Someone who doesn't follow me! Retrieve that person and bring her to me!"

In perfect unison, everyone turned to face a girl with black hair and blue eyes. (Yep, that's me, I'm the rebel.) Then, with inhuman agility, they all lunged for me. I tried to fight, but millions of hands were grabbing at me, and soon I was buried in the crowd. I could still hear a voice calling my name.

"Miss Cordell! Miss Cordell!! Sage!"

I woke up, the dream fading, but the voice lingering. "Miss, Cordell…." The teacher said, tapping his piece of chalk on his hand, "Tired are we? Would you like to go home and sleep instead of educating yourself then?"

"I actually would, thank you." I yawned, standing up and heading for the door.

"Stay here!" my teacher barked, so I grudgingly turned around, "School is for leaning, not sleeping. How about you catch up on your missed work in detention?"

I suppressed a groan and stomped back to my seat. My dad is not gonna like this. This is the third detention I've gotten this week. And it's only Monday. I should probably stop falling asleep in class….

Ring! At the sound of the bell everyone hopped out of their seats and ran for the door. I almost made it out, when Professor Hoolay called my name. "Sage Cordell!"

I muttered something to myself then walked up to my teacher. "Yes?"

"Detention starts right now in Mr. Darkling's room. You will stay the whole time, got it?"

I forced a smile, "Right." I said, then ran out of the room before he could say anything else. With a huff at the knowledge that Professor Hoolay was watching me, I began walking to Mr. Darkling's classroom.

"Ah, Miss Cordell." Mr. Darkling hissed when I walked in, "I was expecting you."

I looked around the classroom and realized that no one else was here. Not that it was unusual, I was always the only one in detention. I walked over to the furthest desk from Mr. Darkling, and flopped down.

"Today for detention," Mr. Darkling said, "You will be writing lines."

I was used to writing lines. I did it almost every day. I accepted the paper and pen that Mr. Darkling gave me, and I began to write. I will pay attention to my teacher when he is speaking. Over and over.

I was bored. Really bored. I looked up at the clock. I had been here for ten minutes! If this was one of my usual detention days, I would be here for another hour and fifty minutes. I looked back down at my paper. I had to get out of here! Without really thinking, I raised my hand, and yelled, "Mr. Darkling! I have to use the restroom!"

"It can wait." Mr. Darkling said, without looking up from whatever he was looking at.

"No it can't! Really, it's an emergency!"

"I doubt that." Mr. Darkling said, still looking down.

I huffed, then stood up and ran out the door, yelling, "It is really an emergency!"

"Sage!" I could hear Mr. Darkling yelling behind me, but I didn't stop. I slid around a corner and out the front doors. Yanking my backpack off my back, and unzipped it and pulled out two dense black orbs. I slid around another corner into the parking lot. I then dropped my backpack and chucked the black orbs as hard as I could.

They soared far, then crashed through the windows of a bright orange hover car, shattering them. "Score!" I yelled, then ran behind a distant tree. Breathing heavily, I reached into my pocket and pulled out a metal remote. I ripped off the plastic cover, and slammed my palm into the big red button. Throwing the remote aside, I covered my ears and braced myself.

There was a giant boom, the crash of metal, and several car alarms went off. Someone screamed, and I could hear the familiar voice of Professor Hoolay yell, "My car! What happened to my car!"

I snickered. I was gonna regret this later, but I might as well enjoy it while I can. Who needs rules anyway? And plus, maybe this will be enough to get me kicked out of the school!

With that thought rushing through my head, I turned around and ran right into a fuming Professor Hoolay.

"Well, well, well." He said in a pleased and almost creepy voice, "Look what we have here. Miss Cordell, please follow me."

He didn't need to offer it, because he just grabbed me by the ear and dragged me there anyway. It was so worth it. I thought, turning my grin into a fake grimace before anyone saw.

We marched for a surprisingly long time, passing Professor Hoolay's office as we went, and not even stopping for a second. I wonder where we're going then. I thought, remembering to struggle for Professor Hoolay, just to make it more difficult. Just then, with another firm tug, Professor Hoolay yanked me into a room that I've never been in before. The restricted room. Oddly enough, it was unlocked, so we just walked right in.

It was a room so brightly lit that I got a headache. Everything was white, even the light, and there were lights on every surface possible. Professor Hoolay pulled me over to a corner and threw me down on a hard white chair. "Stay." He commanded, then stomped out of the room.

Well obviously I wasn't gonna stay. I hopped out of the chair, and pressed my ear to the door. I waited for the sound of footsteps to die down, then turned the doorknob. Or at least I tried to.

"Locked!?" I yelled, "How on earth did he lock this door? He didn't even have a key!"

I turned around and flopped on to a much comfier looking chair. Actually, it was more like sitting on a cloud. It was the softest thing I've ever sat on. Someone really important must have to sit here, or else the school wouldn't spend money on it.

I sat there for a while, wiggling my toes and looking around at all of the white things. Suddenly, the door flew open with such a loud bang that I jumped. Standing in the doorway was a very pleased and very familiar woman.

"Hello." She said. That's when I noticed that she was holding a clipboard, "You must be Sage Cordell. I've heard so much about you! My name is Cathleen Morsie, and I am here to interview you."