The Test 5

Even with my inexperienced eye, I noticed the dungeons were only begging to be cleaned and rebuilt. The prisoners were given no beds, and the only resting place they achieved were occasional places in the corner of the dungeons that were clean of cobwebs and dust. The air was tight, and dust traveling to one cell to another could be seen clearly, like large groups of individual dust particles migrating like birds through the open room. 

The guards tightened on grip, making sure I was uncomfortable as they escorted me to the cell White desired. It was a straight hall, cells on the side, cells that held mournful, but innocent-looking criminals practically bathing in the dust of their eternal nightmare of a cage. The worst part was that they were locked in, destined to die there, until they rotted to mere dust, and only then would the guards remove them from the abyss of despair, to somewhere better, to somewhere happy.

"Where are you taking me," I asked, trying to sound threatening and maybe even dangerous. When the guards didn't answer, I forced myself to control the growing anger inside me. The guard's armor was made of borazon. There wasn't a place in their body that wasn't covered with armor. Their helmets were made of a different substance. It was separate from the armor, made with steel, with only hints of borazon here and there.

That was their weakness.

Borazon couldn't be fought with-it was a stubborn material. However, steel was more fight able, more vulnerable. If I were to escape, I had to remember this faint yet important detail, the weak point. 

As the guards approached my cell, one of the guards spoke with a deep and scary voice. "You'll be sharing the cell with some others." The guard told me. 

As they approached my cell, I gasped when I saw who I shared a cell with. My heart beated hard and fast. My brain felt as if it was melting. It was a sight I would never forget.

Celeste, wrapped like a blanket in mother's arms, in the only corner of the cell that resisted from dust and cobwebs. As Celeste sobbed into mother's safe arms, mother glanced at me, and slowly peeled Celeste away.

Celeste saw me, and she departed from the warmth of my mother and pressed herself against the cold bars of the cell.

"Celeste! Mother!" I cried, attempting to tear myself away from the guards. The guards tore open the cell and threw me inside. As soon as the cell bars closed, Celeste embraced me, crying, her tears wet and cold. As we wrapped each other in our arms, Mother joined in, grasping both of us. For once, I finally felt safe, locked in the arms of mother and Celeste. I wanted to stay there forever, but I tore myself away.

"Mother," I said, unexpected tears traveling down my cheek, and mollifying the strength in my words, "this is all because of me."

Mother cupped my face, wiping my tears with her thumbs. "No, Aspyn, it isn't," She whispered softly, soothing not only my tears, but my despair.

"What do you mean?" I said, my voice barely a whisper, "The test-it didn't-"

"We know," Celeste said, in between tears. I squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry, Celeste," I apologized. 

"It's not what matters now. Aspyn, you need to escape."

"E-escape?" 

Celeste could only give me the faintest hint of a smile.

"Aspyn," Mother whispered, "you have to leave."

"To go where? Why would I leave you behind?" I said stubbornly, confused by their words. Mother barely smiled. "If you stay, then things will never go right. For our family. For you."

"I don't care about what happens to me," I gave myself a warm hug, "If Celeste, or you, Mother, gets hurt, I'll never live to forgive myself." I knew, if I left them, there would be an eternal emptiness that would live inside of myself. After the death of father, I made it a vow that I would put my life in front of the lives of Celeste and Mother-all the family I had left, I had to protect, even if I wasn't too good at it. 

Not as good as father had been.

Celeste moved in front of me, so she could look me straight in the eye. "I know, it's hard for you," Celeste reassured, "but I know that if you stay, we'll all die anyway. Just go, Aspyn. Mother and I will find a way out, but you need to escape."

"But how?" I murmured.

Mother took off her necklace.  It was a Mystic Topaz Gemstone that adorned the gold chain in hung from. The most priceless thing our family was lucky enough to own. It was given to her by father, one day before he took the test, and ever since she had always worn it and kept it safe. 

Besides that, gold was approximately the most priceless material on Earth right now. Scientists learned to reproduce every other mineral, but gold remained hard to reproduce, and if gold was sold somewhere, it was mostly bought by the richer families, those who didn't live in small villages but in big, large, eye-catching cities.

Mother reached out, grabbing my hand, and tucking the necklace inside it. She looked bare without  it's untouched gold chain resting on her neck. 

"Why?" I asked, feeling the gemstone with my fingertips.

"This isn't only a necklace," Mother said. She took the gemstone, and played with it, and soon it opened like a case, and inside rested a miniature key. 

I let out a small gasp when I saw it.

"This key can open any lock. It's priceless, the last key in the world that has such power," Mother held the key to the only light in the room, "Use it to open the cell. To escape.

"Mother, I-"

"No," Mother closed the gem once again and adorned my neck with the necklace, tucking the key safe in my palm, "Celeste and I will be alright."

"If I go," I responded, "I will come back. As soon as I find a way, I will rescue you, mother. I promise."

"I know you will," Mother said, giving me a quick embrace.

"I'll always look up to you," Celeste said, wrapping me in her arms. 

"I'll always be proud of you," I replied softly.

I pressed the key into the lock, making sure no soldiers were present. As the cell door creaked open, I glanced one last time at Celeste and mother before escaping.