The Tracker Hive Academy Year One - Avery Song Page 0,38

late at night, but it was a twenty-four-hour gym and had cameras. Nothing to worry about."

Looking at the ceiling, I closed my eyes. "I knew something was off the moment I walked into the change room, but I ignored it. Temporarily, of course. Even then, I was a peculiar individual who loved to be challenged. That moment was no different than facing a person in a one-on-one battle."

Lowering my head and opening my eyes, I stared at the many lines engraved into the bench.

"I got onto the bench, just as I am now, and asked the gentlemen what he wanted with me. He said if I let him do whatever he wanted and didn't scream, he wouldn't hurt me. A simple threat, easy enough. It made me laugh because I found it hilarious. An older man thought I'd abide by his threats? I carried all the elements. I may have been tired, but I was ready to take him head-on before the proper authorities arrived."

I took a deep inhale, letting it out slowly.

"That's when things got interesting, to say the least. The lights flickered on and off and the air seemed non-existent. I struggled to breathe, and I had to fight the pressure that was trying to crush me. I screamed so loud, but no one could hear me. My voice was sealed into the air bubble this guy had put up. The lights went off, and the room got so cold. At one point, I actually thought I was going to die. I should have done what he wanted," I confessed.

Shadow Jade slipped off the lockers, landing on the bench and standing before me. I lifted my hand up and patted her head soothingly, assuring her that I was perfectly fine.

"It was the first time I'd experienced fear since I was eight years old. Pretty sad for a twelve-year-old girl to go through, but again, I wasn't your usual kid. The fear made me angry. I disliked being stuck in the situation with no adult to save me. It reminded me of all the other helpless situations I'd been in when I was homeless and not a single adult stopped and helped me. I was street scum, and even after Alaric adopted me, I still had that mentality drilled inside me."

Shadow Jade lifted her hand and patted my head, causing me to giggle.

"That night, in the bubble of silent chaos, I told myself I'd have to get myself out of another situation, and I did. I let my elements unleash and overcome the man who was doing his best to overpower me. Long story short, he was in a coma for six months and was arrested when he woke up. He was trying to capture me and sell me on the Black Market like many others had tried before him. It was written in my file that I had panic attacks and hallucinations. You know, the whole mental health, PTSD stuff that comes when you experience scary events that should never happen to begin with."

Shadow Jade hugged me, holding me tightly for ten seconds before she faded away, returning to her dark state inside me.

"I never updated the file when I got over my fear. After that situation happened, I forced myself to go to that very gym, at the same time, and sit on the very bench where it all happened. I'd ride through the panic attacks, silence my screams, and rock myself back and forth. I did that for about two years until it got easier. As you can see, I'm not affected by your attempt, though you're missing the wind, the pressure-sucking thing, to really get it right. Only the Council has the specifics of what happened, but I never mentioned the air pressure that silenced my screams, and that's why you guys assumed that bringing me to a change room and turning the lights off was all that would be needed to push me into a panic attack."

With a snap of my fingers, the lights fluttered back on, revealing the four guys who were so enthralled by my story they hadn't realized I'd exposed them.

"Aren't I an awesome storyteller?!" I clapped my hands in excitement.

The four of them blinked, and Zackery ruffled his hair. "That...wasn't what I expected."

"I don't think anything she does is close to the 'what to expect' department," Zion admitted.

"Hmph," Zeus muttered. Zeke walked over to the bench and jumped onto it. He faced me, his eyes scanning mine for a long