CHAPTER 2
939 Words
**The children of the Immortals**
Mother ruffled my bed as tears streamed down her face, gathering my belongings with trembling hands.
"Be good out there, Summer," she said, her voice breaking. I just watched her, knowing it would be a long time before I could come back—especially since I wasn’t heading to the world of humans anymore.
I smiled at her.
"Don’t smile at me, Summer. It makes me miss you even more."
"But I’ll come back, won’t I?" She didn’t answer for a long time. The immortals had taken over our town, leaving only a few humans behind. Most of the remaining population had some kind of extraordinary ability.
"You’re turning twenty-one, Summer. I don’t trust you being alone out there." Her tears fell harder, her hands trembling as she folded my clothes.
"Why do you still look so beautiful even when you're sad?" she muttered, her voice filled with worry.
"You’ll be moving to the city soon, won’t you, Nanay?" I handed her a necklace given to me by an immortal friend.
The friend wasn’t human; she could fly, a skill she claimed could be learned.
"What is this, daughter?” Mother asked, her teary eyes meeting mine as I gently wiped her tears away.
"Keep it safe. As long as it’s in your hands, no harm will come to you," I said, swallowing hard.
"Your real parents were truly kind-hearted," she murmured. Nanay had told me before that both my parents were immortals who entrusted me to her care because my life was in danger.
"I’ll come back for you, mom.”
“Hurry up in there!” A man with a sword barged into the room, his presence as commanding as a soldier’s. But he wasn’t human—he was an immortal, wielding powers far beyond human capability.
Mother stammered, "Y-yes… almost done."
She pulled me into a tight hug. "Whatever happens, Summer, don’t trust anyone. Do you understand?"
I frowned.
"These immortals… they don’t spare anyone, not even their friends. When it comes to power, they’re worse than wild animals." She gripped my hand firmly.
"And, summer don’t look into the eyes of those with yellow irises."
"H-huh?"
"They are the most powerful of all—worshiped as gods and goddesses."
Before I could ask more, the man yanked my mother by the arm and flung her against the wall.
"Nay!" I screamed, tears streaming down my face as I saw her unconscious body crumple to the floor.
The man grabbed my hand, and with a single step, we were in a place I didn’t recognize.
"Wh-where am I?" I asked, but he pulled me along, and with another step, we were in a room filled with people.
Everyone turned to look at me. Even the man who brought me bowed his head.
“She’s one of us,” he said.
*One of them?*
The room was packed with young men and women, all bound to chairs like I was. I hadn’t even noticed my wrists being tied.
We were all forced to sit still as a woman with striking beauty—like a goddess come to life—stood in the center. Her presence demanded reverence.
She paced around the room, her golden eyes scanning every face. We sat silently, our mouths gagged.
"You’re free to go," she said, and the men who had brought us disappeared one by one. The remaining captives, mostly young women like me, shivered in fear.
My heart pounded as the golden-eyed woman approached the person beside me. She seemed calm but held an air of danger.
“What can you show me?” she asked, her voice cold. She removed the gag from the other girl’s mouth.
With just a glance from the golden-eyed woman, the girl collapsed, unconscious.
When her gaze landed on me, her expression shifted to curiosity. Her delicate hand touched my arm.
“And you? What can you do?” She pulled the gag from my mouth.
I flinched, unsure of what to say.
Her demeanor changed as tears welled in her eyes, and she gently touched my face.
“You are a rare beauty,” she whispered. “Your glowing skin… the power radiates from your very presence.”
I swallowed hard, her words echoing in the silent room.
"But your beauty will be your undoing," came a voice.
A man suddenly appeared, his presence commanding. He was older, with a neatly trimmed beard that framed his stern face.
“Do you know what makes her dangerous?” he asked the woman. “Her beauty alone could kill you.”
The man turned to address us all.
"You’re here to train, to strengthen your powers. We immortals are your allies." His tone was calm but unyielding.
“This place is a school, and we train the young to enhance their abilities. You’ll be assigned rooms equipped with everything you need. Every morning and night, you’ll train.”
His gaze bore into mine, sending a shiver down my spine.
“Fighting. Killing. Survival. These are the stakes here. We don’t tolerate weakness, nor do we coddle the fragile.”
He smirked.
“You’re here because it’s your duty as immortals. Prepare yourselves. Soon, you’ll see the rest of the school and meet your classmates—or should I say, your rivals.”
The room fell silent, his words weighing heavily on all of us.
“In this world, only the strong survive.”
What is happening? Did he just say we’re supposed to kill each other? Are we really expected to fight to the death—with the people around me?
- Writer
