I awoke in my bed. I was getting sick and tired of blacking out all the time. I removed the blankets and tied my hair up. I found a note on my dresser telling me to meet in the “Strategy Room,” wherever that was.

I put on some slippers and followed the map and found myself standing in front of a steel door. I knocked on the metal and it slowly opened up, squeaking as it did so. I walked inside, where Mother, Father, Brooklyn, Morgan and August were sitting, obviously waiting for me to arrive.

The walls were all metal, scattered with blueprints, newspaper articles, maps and notes. The other side of the room was a large screen, filled with charts, radars, and a GPS. There was a long metal able running through the middle where everyone was waiting.

I took a seat and looked down, waiting for them to speak.

“We all fell asleep as well,” Morgan stated. This reassured me, let me know I wasn’t alone.

Mother Nature stood up and let her hand graze gently across the large screen, pulling up a new map. There were several circles, some in different colors.

“This,” She said, pointing to a blue dot, “Is the Vepo Cavern, where you were before. Here,” She pointed to a yellow circle, “Is your next destination. To find August’s elemental source, you must go to Asia. Atop Mount Everest is a hidden structure within the clouds where no man has ever gone before. There you will find the source, but it will be much easier to retrieve than Brooklyn’s.”

I examined the rest of the map, where there were dots of all colors. A green one was inside the Amazon. Flora, I thought. I assumed the indigo one in Antarctica was Caldwell’s and the one running along the equator in Africa was Sol’s.

“How will we get to the structure?” August asked.

“Well, you will travel to the top of the mountain via your personal transportation. I have new pills for you to take, which will allow you to reach the highest clouds. Once you do, just follow the storm.” With that, Mother Nature gave us the pills and a slip of paper. She sent us off to retrieve it.

“Mount Everest” I said clearly, and just like before, I found myself on top of the mountain. But the others were no where to be seen. Thunder screamed from the sky and electric bolts struck the rocky landform. I waited for the others to appear, but after several minutes, they were no where to be seen. I tried contacting them through my bracelet, but it was just giving out choppy, muffled words with were indecipherable. I shut it off and called out there names. No reply. My ears began to ring and my muscles throbbed. I quickly took the pills before my lungs got any tighter, and I was finally able to breathe and hear clearly. I yelled for them once more, this time hearing their distant voices. We’re up her Kenzie! They said. Mother said the pills would take me up there but how? I thought for minutes and minutes, before I finally had an idea.

I jumped up, and my feet were lifted high off the ground. I shot straight upward and landed on something hard. A cloud, ironically. But where were they? I still heard their voices, but they were no where to be seen. I followed the echoes of them, along with the lighting, which was barely visible in the distance. I tried contacting them again, but the same muffled noises came out of my bracelet. I conned towards the lightning until it became larger.

Soon enough, I’d reached where it was. I assumed it was the source. It was a dark yellow and shot quickly. I waited more for the others, but the voices were still far away.

A raspy voice filled my ears. “The lightning,” is whispered, over and over again.

My arm began to ache. No more than ache, a searing pain shot through it, pounding my skin from the inside. My hand slowly pushed forward, reaching toward the lightning, which had now turned black. I tried to resist, but it was no use. I lost control of my arm, and my fingertips slightly touched the lightning bolt. The clouds turned dark and the ground beta to shake. My friend’s voices then turned to screams as I fell to the ground, banging my head on a jagged rock.

~

I woke in a dark room. The smell of mildew filled my lungs and a water leakage dripped in the corner. I was on the cold stone floor, dressed only in a white tank top and some black yoga pants. My hair was tangled and draped on my back, and my head was pounding. I touched my hand to my skull and when I pulled it away, blood covered it.

I suddenly felt really nauseous and turned over. After getting rid of my lunch, I lay back down and reached to my bracelet, but my wrist was bare. This is when the situation hit me. I had no contact to the Order. I was in a mysterious place without my gear. And my blood supply was possibly dropping rapidly.

The room was freezing cold, so I flicked my fingers and grazed them across my skin, slightly setting it ablaze. Heat filled me, and I felt somewhat better. The flame vanished when the metal door creaked open, letting in a little light. Three dark figures filed in, and my worst nightmares then became true.

They were dressed in cloaks that covered their bodies, and once the hoods were removed, my breath caught short.

No. Don’t show any sign of fear, I thought to myself. I took a deep breath and focused my gaze on the snake eyes that stared grimly at me.

“Welcome, MacKenzie,” Anubis’s voice echoed off the walls. I said nothing.

“Oh come on, dear, lighten up!” He said, laughing a laugh that sent mini spiders up my spine.

“Hello,” I managed to croak out, my voice cracking.

“Ha! She’s scared!” A witch like cackle escaped Mara’s mouth. Even Adriano’s stone face formed a sneer smile.

“I’m not scared,” I said, more firmly this time.

“Well then,” Anubis said, pacing the room. “Oh! Where are my manners! Mara, why don’t you get our guest a seat?” With that, she walked in carrying a chair. I was expecting some sort of electrical chair, but instead I sat down in an old creaky wood one.

“Now that we are all settled, lets make sure you don’t try and leave soon,” He said, swirling his wrist. A shiver ran through me, and I was stuck to the chair. I struggled to stand up, but it was no use.

“Now MacKenzie, we are going to ask you some questions. You can either answer with truth, or things could get messy.” Adriano said.

I made no expression, instead just stared into the walls.

“When did you discover you first had a power?” Anubis asked, his tone not so friendly anymore.

“A while ago.”

With that answer, a piercing pain shot through my legs, like someone was cutting the skin open from my thighs to my toes with a push pin. I gasped in response, but tried to stay strong.

“How long ago, exactly?” He asked sternly.

“Half a year ago.” I said, bracing for any more pains. My legs still seemed perfectly fine on the surface, but were pounding on the inside. Blood continued to fall drop by drop out of my scalp, fortunately not making rapid pace.

“Good. Who is the most important person in your life?” He asked.

I pondered this for a moment before responding. “My family.”

The pain returned, only this time more intense, like scissors were being dragged through my skin. I clenched my teeth and groaned.

“One person.” He stated.

“My mom!” I shouted.

Even more pain through my legs, this time like a knife. I balled my fists and yelled out.

“Sol! Sol!” I yelled his name angrily. Where were they? Where was my bracelet?

It stopped.

“Thank you. What are you using to help control your element?”

“What do you mean? My brain! My hands!” I said.

“Unless you’d like us to cut out your brain and limbs, I suggest you give us a truthful answer.” He said, sending the same pain through my legs and the pushpin feeling returned to my arms.

“We know someone or something taught you to control Fire.” Adriano said.

“Delia!” I yelled as the pain became worse.

“Good girl. Why are you and your little friends collecting your elemental source?” He said.

“I’m not telling you,” I said with my teeth clenched.

I screamed at the pain. But there was no way I could tell them! But it was too much. I broke down in tears.

“To kill you!” I cry out, praying that the torture will end soon.

“One last question. Where is your elemental source, MacKenzie?”

I stared into the dark eyes of Anubis, a man so insane, so broken, that he is doing this.

“I don’t know,” I whispered.

“Lies!” He boomed and the pain seared down my spine.

I arched my back as I whimpered out.

“I don’t know!” I yelled.

“Well that’s a shame. I guess we’ll have to find out ourselves,” Anubis said calmly, looking to the others.

“MacKenzie, we have all the information we need. But we have one last request for you,” Adriano said. “Do you mind created a fire for us? Its quite chilly in here.”

I glared at the sick people standing before me. The pain slowly rose through my body as the minutes passed by, as they waited for their so desired fire. I gave up, and shot a spark out of my  nail and created a small fire in the middle of the chamber. I was weak, and as soon as I found out they were no longer holding me in the chair, I collapsed onto the floor, breathing heavily.

I looked up to see Anubis creating smoke circle around the fire, swallowing it up. He breathed it in, then marched over to me. He stuck my with a dagger, drawing a small amount of blood, and placed that on his tongue as well. Confused at the purpose, I rolled over and closed my eyes, careless of what was to come next.

“Oh MacKenzie, I think you’ll want to see this.” I looked toward them as Mara lit a match and handed it to Anubis.

“I am going to set this whole building on fire, do you mind?” He said, keeping his eyes on me.

“You can’t, its stone.” I said hoarsely.

“I can set anything on fire, I control fire.” He boasted. “Unless you’d like to put this match out for me.”

I concentrated on the flame and snapped my fingers, which usually puts out flame. But it remained flickering in the low light. I attempted to create more flame but it was no use. I couldn’t control it.

“Thank you for playing our little game.” He said, chuckling.

Anubis pulled his cloak back on and brought the others with him and out the door. A few minutes later, the room erupted into flames.