Chapter 40

At an island that was surrounded by other islands, we see Team Thunderbird fighting a giant octopus in an underground cave as Ava had her familiar Roc, a rock golem, defending her. Nora had black googles on and a bandana over her face as it looks like a beak. She jumped up high in the air as a tentacle was swung at her. She then threw multiple tranquilizing darts at the octopus's body. Levi ran to the body as his limbs were wolf like. The octopus swung one of its tentacles down on him, but Levi dodged out of the way and threw more darts. The octopus started to get drowsy, until Roc charged and tackles into it. He knocked the octopus into a wall, knocking it unconscious as the three regroup as Ava had two keys tied onto her belt.

"Okay, that was unexpected." Said Levi.

"Quite. But it looks like we have to swim. I hate getting wet." Said Nora.

"We have no choice. Let's get going." Said Ava.

The three of them took of their coats and swam in as they were swimming through a tunnel. Ava then summoned a large seahorse as she got on it. Levi and Nora grabbed onto the seahorse as they quickly moved on. All of the teams were being watched by the crowd as they patiently were waiting as Merlin was sitting down with the headmasters, looking a bit worried.

"Is something the matter?" Alastair asked.

"You seem worried." Said Jorge.

"Well, I made sure that these challenge would test every student. This test is supposed to test their survival skills in a random environment. But for the last key, it will test their mental strength. And not everyone has a strong will." Said Merlin.

The headmasters were surprised at Merlin as we see Team Salem arrive at the top of a mountain. They had walk up some stairs as they saw the key in the middle.

"About time." Said Yuan.

"Do you think it's a trap?" Daniel asked Ana.

Ana kicked a random pebble upwards and quickly grabbed it with her hand. She then tossed it in front of her as went across the ground and nothing happened.

"I don't think so. But be on guard." Said Ana.

The three of them walked together as Ana was in range of the key. She held out her hand, until they all felt a random pulse. The three of them had frozen in place as we enter Ana's mind as everything was foggy and endless. Ana looked around as she was alone and was trying to figure what was going on. Until she saw a younger version of herself when she was a little girl.

"Won't lie. This is new. Can you help me get out of here?" Ana asked.

"Yes. But you'll have to relive some things." Said younger Ana.

Everything went dark as Ana looked around and then saw a screen in front of her. She looked through it as she was a little girl and learning how to shoot with her father. More screens showed as Ana walked by the others as there was one of her learning how to fight with Van. Another was her learning to control her life force for the first time. Another was her first time killing an animal with her repeating shotgun. Another was her first time killing someone with a knife as she had been attacked. It then showed that it was a demon who attacked her, but she was shaking as her hands were covered in blood.

"Anastasia Van Helsing. Born and breed to become a hunter. Just like her mother and father. As well as your grandfather, and his father and his father. Until we reach to the one who started it all. Abraham Van Helsing. For years you had to uphold the family reputation because you were a direct descendant of his. And for that, so much was expected of you. People avoided you because you were so perfect. But just like any girl, you just wanted a friends. But you believed you had to perfect." Said Little Ana.

We then see Ana spend most of her life alone in school and even at home. She was forced to train and improve herself as she had little time for herself.

"Isolated from others because you were of the greatest breed of hunters. But you did have your brother, Abe. But at some point, you convinced yourself that you had no time for family. And you left him alone. And because of your training went so well, everyone just ignored him and since he was deemed useless. While you had to be perfect. I have to get better! No, it's not enough! I must become a perfect hunter!" Said Little Ana.

But Ana smiled as the memory screens went away as Little Ana stood in front of her.

"I thought I had to be perfect It became an obsession, because I didn't want fail my parents. I thought it would make things better because I had nothing else. But it was thanks to someone special to me. Where I found my real purpose in life." Said Ana.

Another memory screen showed as we see Ana being picked up at her school. She opened the door and Abe was already there, sitting normally and nervous as he looked at her. Ana got in as the car drove off and they both were quiet.

"H-How was your day?" Abe asked.

"Fine." Ana responded.

"Oh, that's good." Said Abe.

Abe then pulled out a comic book from his bookbag as Ana noticed him reading from it.

"Shouldn't you be reading from something more educational?" Ana asked.

"Uh, maybe. But I love this series! It's about this guy called the Huntsman. And he helps people and even monsters. It's really cool. Here look!" Said Abe as he showed her.

Ana looked and liked the art style as she and Abe spent most of the car ride talking about the book. They soon arrive as Abe was still talking happily as Ana only listened.

"And right now in recent storyline! He's facing his main enemy who turns out to be his sister!" Said Abe.

"W-What!? I didn't see that coming." Said Ana.

"I know, right!?" Abe replied with a smile.

"You know a lot, huh? You must really love this series." Said Ana.

"Yeah. Besides the action and the crazy stuff that happens. I like how he inspires others to do better, you know! I want to be like that someday." Said Abe.

Ana found it incredible that a fictional character could inspire Abe, yet not being real. She read the comic and saw the main character was not perfect, but kept doing the right thing no matter what. We then see her at school and being herself; smart, confident, but distant with others. But she then remembers what Abe said as she notices some of her classmates struggling with their work. She gets up from her seat but was hesitant. But she walks over and talks to them. And as time goes by, Ana slowly becomes a well-known person at her school as many girls look up to her and most boys end up liking her. And her relationship with Abe became better as they spoke more often. Ana for once in her life was happy and felt she had purpose.

"People are lead to believe that being powerful, popular or rich is what everyone should achieve. But it's not. I found what matters to me most are those who I care about and the friends I make along the way. It's odd, but it's the simple things in life. That gave me purpose. And I want to help those find that purpose as well. That's why I helped them, my team. Helping others just feels right to me. Great, I'm just rambling on about my past. How long am I supposed to stay here?" Ana asked.

"Not too long." Said Little Ana.

Ana snapped out of the spell and saw that she was free. But saw that Daniel and Yuan were stuck in the spell. She turned towards the key but noticed that it looked transparent. Ana was confused as she looked at Daniel and Yuan.

"I guess it's a spell that demands all three of us to snap out." Said Ana.

Merlin leaned forwards, tapping his finger on his chair as the other headmasters looked concerned as well.

"This is taking a while." Said Clair.

"Why did you choose this kind of spell, Merlin?" Alastair asked.

"Because we all must fast our own demons on way or another. And all of our students must know how it feels to struggle mental. Because there are enemies who won't hesitate to toy with their emotions." Said Merlin.

"I guess your right." Said Jorge.

"Better now, than during a dire situation." Said Clair.

"I guess we will have to wait and see what happened." Said Alastair.

We then see a forest that had a small mountain in China as Yuan was standing on a branch. A younger version of himself jumped down next to him and told him to follow him. Yuan did so as they arrived at a cave that was the home to a village of monkeys. They were going around their own business, like normal people as Yuan looked around in surprise, until he stopped. He froze as he saw his younger self run up to his mother as she was with two other kid monkeys. They looked happy as Yuan started to let out tears.

"Everything was so nice, huh? But you had to disobey your mother. She did tell you to always stay close to the cave." Said Younger Yuan.

We then see Yuan playing with his siblings as they were far away from the cave. But they were being followed by a group of hunters with rifles. A net was shot at his siblings as they were caught and he was startled. He saw the hunters run at him as he ignored his siblings and ran away as he headed towards the cave.

"You lead them to our home." Said young Yuan.

"Stop it." Said Yuan.

"And you were so cowardly. You forgot about your brother and sister. And ran away to save yourself!" Said young Yuan.

"Stop it!" Yuan yelled with his eyes closed and his hand on his head.

Everything had went black, but once he opened his eyes. He opened them to the sight of his entire village had been either killed or captured by the poach hunters. They took away their bodies and drove off with the captured as Yuan watched his family be taken away as he was left all alone. Yuan fell on his knees with his hands on the ground as he started sobbing.

"It was all your fault. It's sad to know that they didn't make it either. To think that the descends of the troop Sun Wukong lead were hunted down. But you didn't stop there." Said young Yuan.

Time passed as Yuan traveled alone as he stole food from merchants and even watched martial artist training from a distance. He miskicked them as he soon learned how to fight. He even learned how to change form by accident as he could turn human. He would be thirteen as he lived how he wanted in a town. He would always be chased by people he stole from as he ran and climbed up small buildings with ease.

"Thanks for the spare change, good sir. See ya!" Said Yuan as he ran.

"You can back, thief!" A man yelled.

Yuan would hide in the crowd as he accidently bumped into a girl who was pretty and the same age as he was. He became flirty as he fixed his hair. But he girl giggled and kept on walking as he watched her leave, while staring at her bottom.

"You were just a waste of space. Another thief who would never be missed." Said young Yuan.

"But I met her…" Said Yuan.

Yuan noticed a Buddhist walk pass him and saw that he had a large pouch. Yuan couldn't resist as he made his way to the Buddhist and quickly pickpocketed him.

"Too easy." Yuan said to himself.

"I agree. And my, you have a large pouch as well." Said the Buddhist who turned out to be a woman.

She was a middle-aged woman who looked kind as she had a smile on her face.