Anya opened her eyes and found herself in a pure white room.
The walls and the floor were soft. They felt padded to her touch.
A loud voice blared through the room:
"YOU MAY LEAVE UPON THE CONCLUSION OF THE TEST!!!"
This would be the first of many, after all, they were in something resembling a learning facility, at least outside of this tower.
The feeling Anya got in here was that of a concentration camp of some kind.
She felt assured that people were killed here.
However, she was unnaturally calm. Like nothing could hurt her.
The floor opened and through a hole, a man strapped to a chair was lifted up.
"What is the test?" She asked herself.
"USE THE VILLAIN PROVIDED TO TEST YOUR ABILITIES!"
It was a place meant to help the participants gain control of their newly acquired powers.
Before they did, they wouldn't be let outside.
It is said between staff-workers that there are some still trapped in the tower to this day.
- - -
Returning to before Jin woke up, after the first trio selected by the Conman completed their mission, Azalea and Aurelio became a lot more determined.
Gone were the brats that complained about being selected.
It was as though they were fully intended to be chosen again to make amends for something.
Nevertheless, Anya was happily strolling through the corridors.
"Lalalala~!"
Her destination was Yuna's room, though she didn't know where it was.
After a long trek, she arrived back where she began, in front of the infirmary where Jin was asleep.
Anya was sure Yuna would come to visit him but somehow she kept missing her.
However—
"Oh! Hi there, President~"
Yuna was quietly being accompanied by none other than—
"Yui."
Anya said, staring right back into her bright red eyes.
"Pfft—"
Yui held back a laugh for some reason.
"What are you doing with Yuna."
"We were just going to go visit this Jin fellow."
Yui didn't smile often, at least not to Anya's knowledge.
So why now? Something is very wrong here.
"Hey, Yuna. Are you ok? She isn't bullying you, is she?"
No response. She was vacantly staring straight forwards.
Anya placed her hand on Yuna's shoulder.
"Hey...."
Nothing.
The students weren't aware of each other's powers just yet. The class was actually split in two groups. The ones who hid it, and the ones who didn't.
"What did you do to her?"
Anya was usually not the type to give someone a venomous glare.
This was very different.
"Hehe..."
Yui giggled.
"I am doing it to you now too."
What was she talking about? This conversation was barely even 2 minutes long.
What could she have done?
Wait... Anya was unable to move now.
"You are really dumb, you know that?"
Taking away her ability to move on her own.
It was a clear infringement of her freedom.
"If you stop, I will forgive you this one time."
Despite the threat, Yui looked unimpressed.
"What are you gonna do? Cry? Like you did back then? You are so dumb."
"You know why I cried."
"Yeah, it was a really dumb reason. You should be embarrassed."
"I am not."
Yui shrugged.
"Either way, it is all over now. You have a pretty basic power don't you? Better than nothing."
She was talking as though she was an object.
Suddenly the air around them turned scorching hot.
It became difficult to breathe.
"Please endure it only for a bit, Yuna."
Before Yui was able to think about doing something about it, an explosion of flames erupted from Anya, knocking them both to the ground, each to opposite walls of the corridor.
"I have to burn out those eyes off her head."
Without hesitating, Anya reached out to grab Yui's head.
"Wha— WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!! THAT HURTS!!"
Yui's face was bubbling under her skin the closer Anya got.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
Yui then remembers.
"The collar! No way they will let this happen!"
*clack*
Anya's choker dropped to the floor.
"No way..."
The heat simply melted the mechanism.
Just how hot was Anya?
In her mind that sounded wrong.
A last giggle before Yui's death, or so she thought.
*OOOOOOOAAAAAAAAA*
The alarm began to ring.
It was the first time she heard something that loud.
Yui looked up in hopes Anya stopped, but she was undeterred.
"Excuse me, but those eyes... they have to go."
"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!"
Before Anya managed to scoop her eyes out, a fire extinguisher suddenly popped out of the wall, held by a mechanical arm. It was similar to the one that gave them the serum back then.
*Fwooosh*
- - -
There used to be a great year-long war between the two nations of the world.
Technology progressed far enough to allow monorail trains to be built to anyone affiliated with the World Union which allowed easy travel between nations and thus, peace. Of course it had it's downsides but the positives outweighed them greatly.
Due to said union, the northwestern monarchies felt threatened.
They did a union of their own and created the Claudestine Empire. The emperor would be selected by the council of Royals. Said council is said to be the cause of the war.
It is said that due to jealousy over of the World Union technological progress, the Claudestine Empire began their attacks.
Their tech was slightly behind, but they were ruthless.
Many lives were lost, tech was stolen.
During these times, two military officials risked their lives and successfully ended the war, making both parties sign a peace treaty.
Said treaty would ensure sharing certain resources.
Nevertheless, said heroes would eventually marry and their union would give birth to a girl who would sign into the Hero Integration Program with her parents' blessing.
Her name was—
- - -
The corridor was covered in white smoke.
Yui was crawling backwards out of there.
"I am alive... hahaha..."
She touched her face.
"My eyes are fine... ugh"
She felt her charred skin on her cheek.
"You are insane!"
"That's rich."
Anya walked through the smoke towards Yui.
"Those eyes are evil. I can tell."
"S—STOP MOVING!"
Anya kept walking.
"WHY ISN'T IT WORKING?!?!?!"
"Ahh..."
Anya smirked.
"You are trying to take control of me, is that it? How useless."
Yui breathed heavily, the smoke burning her throat slightly.
"Evil like you must be exterminated."
A massive flaming orb formed in Anya's hand.
"You... you told everyone you just create a bit of fire..."
"Yes... it is a bit more than that."
It was like a miniature sun. It was so bright, it was blinding.
She was like the incarnation of a god, that is how she seemed like to Yui.
"Be better in your next li—"
Anya's back was pelted with darts.
*Thud*
She collapsed to the ground face forwards and the ball of flames dissipated under her body, shooting meager flames left and right.
Yuna rubbed her eyes, finally awake.
"Where am I....?"
As she navigated the mist, she saw her newly acquired friend, Anya Ansel.
On the ground.
Those darts...
"Oh no..."
Of course she would recognize them.
"Is she dead?"
Yui asked.
Why was that platinum blonde girl there?
Her eye color was different from the last time they talked.
So red... either way:
"Those are just to stun her... what did she do...?"
Yuna tried to help Anya up but some soldier looking men quickly marched in and took Anya away.
"Ehh?"
"Hey."
Yui called out to Yuna, making her turn around.
"Um.. what was your name again?"
Yuna asked.
"Shut up."
Yui grabbed Yuna's head. They stared deep into each other's eyes.
Once more, Yuna's gaze dropped, looking at nothing in particular.
"See? It works... why didn't it against that crazy woman?"
Yui's thoughts ran rampant, but one idea she would land might be the solution.
The difference in situation.
Next time, she would try to stay calm.
Yui grinned.
"Let's meet that fat guy."
Yuna nodded.
- - -
"ANYA ANSEL! TO COMPLETE THE TEST YOU MUST END THE LIFE OF THE VILLAIN."
Anya glared at the ceiling.
"I won't be staying here if this is a den of evil!"
She looked at the man tied to the chair.
"I can't believe you want me to kill someone..."
She walked over to him to release him from the chair.
"Are you hurt?"
The man shook his head.
"No.. thank you."
"Are you really a villain?"
He shook his head again.
"I don't have any powers!"
She opened up his arms, like a man who had nothing to hide.
"Then let's get out of here."
The man looked unsure.
"But... wouldn't that make you become a villain... then?"
"Nope. If this place is evil, my parents will swiftly uncover it. They are a pretty big deal. If they know something happened to me, this place goes down."
She said with a bright smile.
The man felt reassured.
"Is that so..."
He smiled back.
"What is the plan now?"
"Well, first off..."
She placed her hand against the door. It began to glow bright.
However, it wouldn't melt.
"This might take a while..."
"ANYA ANSEL!"
That voice blared again.
"THE MAN YOU ARE HELPING IS A VILLAIN! WE RECOMMEND THAT YOU TEST THE EFFECTS OF YOUR ABILITIES ON HIM TO ASSESS YOUR OWN LETHALITY!"
"Stop asking me to kill innocent people..."
She mumbled to herself.
"THAT MAN IS NOT INNOCENT!"
They heard me? she thought.
"What do you mean...?"
She turned to the man.
"What is the voice talking about?"
The man looked somewhat reluctant to share his story but it didn't seem like he cared about keeping it hidden.
"While I don't have powers, I am not exactly innocent..."
"Oh?"
The man's gaze turned downwards as he recalled his past.
"I.... needed money once. So I bet on a horse race... just this once. I paid someone to give the other horses bad feed, except for the one I bet on. I made millions... but they found out pretty quickly, and.. here I am."
He looked ashamed but smiled.
"When I get out I hope to make amends. No one died, just so you know."
"Well that isn't too bad... I don't see why you were brought here..."
"HE IS LYING TO YOU!"
"What?"
The man flinched for a moment but still, he didn't look scared.
"WHILE SOME OF IT IS TRUE, THOSE HORSES DIED. HE ACTIVELY PINNED THE CRIME ON THE JOCKEY HE PAID OFF AND BRIBED THE JUDGE AND JURY TO FIND SAID JOCKEY GUILTY. SAID JOCKEY WAS PAID TO GIVE THE HORSES A NEW TYPE OF FEED. HE DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS POISONED. HE WAS SENTENCED TO 3 YEARS IN PRISON. DUE TO THIS, HIS FORMER FRIENDS ABANDONED HIM. SAID JOCKEY WAS SAID TO HAVE BEEN A VERY PASSIONATE MAN, CARING A LOT ABOUT THE HORSES. THEIR DEATH AFFECTED HIM MORE, IS A LIKELY REASON WHY HE ENDED HIS LIFE AFTER BEING RELEASED. HE WAS RELEASED AFTER ONLY 1 YEAR OF IMPRISONMENT AS THE INJUSTICE CAME TO OUR ATTENTION DUE TO SOME BELIEVING IN HIS INNOCENCE DESPITE THE EVIDENCE. EVERYONE AFFILIATED IN THIS CASE OF CORRUPTION HAS BEEN PUT TO JUSTICE.
Anya stopped heating up the door.
"I am sorry... I didn't think all that would happen just because I made him give the horses bad food.. honestly I didn't know it was—"
*FWOOOOOSSHHHHH*
A massive red orb engulfed the man, leaving only a pile of ash.
"All evils in the world must be exterminated."
She walked away from the door.
"Sorry voice, I won't doubt you next time."
Anya had a bright smile on her face.