THE DOME

PRESENT DAY, 2022

Elise POV

Hannah’s voice was shrill as she argued with Sophie, their words echoing off the walls of the glass room. I felt a wave of nausea wash over me as I listened to them bicker, my head pounding in my chest. The smell of disinfectant and stale air was overwhelming, and I longed to be back outside in the fresh air.

“Ice? ICE!!!!! Wait wait wait, Me? Elise? My power is Ice? But... how? Holdup, how do you all even know this? I just woke up”

I struggled to sit up, my limbs feeling heavy and sluggish. My head spun as I tried to focus on the six people gathered around me. I could feel a strange sensation in my hands as if they were tingling with energy.

From the back of the room, a soft-spoken girl with dark hair and glasses finally broke her silence. She sat at a desk, engrossed in a book, her presence almost overlooked in the chaos. “I wouldn’t want to bore you with all the technical details.”

She explained, her words infused with a hint of curiosity. “In summary, a test was carried out and the results confirmed your abilities. However, the test is just theory. You still need to activate and train your abilities, or they can become dormant and non-functional.”

Out of nowhere, a voice interjected, offering a hint of sarcasm and scepticism as he ended his silence.” In other words, you can either train or the only ice you will be making is a single snowflake”

“Trent! Be nice. She just woke up from a coma”

a girl buried behind her book chided, her voice softer but exuding patience and understanding. The mysterious Trent appeared irritable, though his familiarity remained elusive.

Sensei stepped away from the window, joining us with a tone of gratitude. “Thank you Max for that explanation.”

The weight of Sensei’s words pressed down on me, urging me to make a choice.

“So, Elise, you have a choice to make. Would you rather live a normal student life without knowing how to use your abilities or, train with us and we will help you regain your memories?”

The words that came out of Sensei’s mouth gave me a lot to think about.

Do I want to live a normal life never knowing what I could do or join them, learn about my abilities, and get my lost memories back?

Looking across the room, everyone’s faces expectant of the choice I have to make.

“So, Elise my dear, what choice have you made?”

I knew in my heart what I had to do. These people were my friends for four years before the explosion happened, I will do all I must to regain those memories we shared. Who knows? These abilities of a thing could make it even more fun and dramatic.

“I mean, I’m already here, might as well ‘discover’ myself. I’ll join whatever this is. Count me in.”

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

The response elicited an enthusiastic, almost suffocating embrace from Hannah. She squeezed me tightly, her gratitude overflowing.

“YAHHHH! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! Elise is joining us! No, takebacks, okay? It’s going to be like back in...”

“Hannah, please release Elise. The poor girl is out of breath. And your vines are hurting around her”

Sensei gently warned, a smile playing on her lips. As she slowly lets go of me, the retracting vines leave faint imprints on my arm.

“Welcome to The Academy. Think of it as a normal high school but with ability training”, said Sensei with a firm handshake.

*Bells ring*

“That’s our cue. We’ll be on our way to our dorms now, Sensei.”

Hannah bows and pulls a boy, who has been silent all this while, along with her as she makes her exit. The girl, still buried in the book and Trent bowed and left without a word.

“Sophie, I believe Elise should be sharing a room with-“, Sensei said while glancing around the room, “Max, who has already left. It seems like I might have to trouble you a bit. Please, show her to her room, will you?”

“No problem, Sensei. I know how Max can be when she is into a new book.”

Sophie sighs and shakes her head.

“Let’s be on our way now, Elise. It’s getting late. You need your rest for tomorrow’s activities. Goodbye Sensei”

She takes a bow and leads me out of the room.

As we walked down the hallway in silence, I contemplated the day’s extraordinary events. The discoveries, the pivotal decisions, the emergence of new friends, and the quest to recover my forgotten memories—all seemed surreal and overwhelming. Lost in thought, I barely registered when we halted at our destination.

“This is the female dorm. Although you might see some guys going in and out, it’s allowed. A lot of rules have lessened ever since we gained power. All the school buildings have been renovated, so it will be a bit confusing to get around. But there are direction signs at every corner,” Sophie reassured me, pointing to a green arrow sign with “FEMALE DORMS” written on it.

Relief washed over me as I contemplated the openness of the new world before me, as opposed to the strictures of the past. The chance to explore, to adapt, and to belong beckoned.

Sophie guided me through the dorm’s reception area and ushered me into an elevator.

“Your room is on the 5th floor. All 5th years are on that floor, including yours.”

The fifth floor of the dormitory greeted us with its own distinct scent, a mix of familiarity and novelty. We made our way down the corridor and halted at a door adorned with name tags.

G5AB

Max Nattwin | Elise Redfox

“This is it, Elise Redfox. If you ever need assistance, my room is just down the hall, G5B. Get some rest; you have a busy day tomorrow.”

Sophie offered a reassuring touch on my shoulder before saying goodbye. As she retreated, I watched her recede for a moment before turning my attention to the door before me.

I took a deep breath and pushed it open, revealing a dim room illuminated by a solitary table lamp. The light cast elongated shadows, and a figure was hunched over a book, engrossed in their world.

“Hello? Max? I’m Elise... we met earlier...”

Silence hung in the air, a stark contrast to the lively interactions in the hospital room. Max’s concentration seemed unbroken, buried in the pages of her book.

With limited illumination, I examined the room’s contents. It was divided into two distinct areas. One side remained vacant, featuring only a bed and a wardrobe, while the other was engulfed by an unruly library of books, their stories waiting to be unravelled. Barely visible amidst the sea of tomes was a bed that hinted at Max’s mysterious existence.

I gravitated towards the empty side, selecting comfortable clothing from the wardrobe, and venturing into the attached bathroom for a refreshing shower.

Gazing at my reflection in the mirror, clothed in fresh attire and cleansed by the shower, I tried to reconcile my new reality with the fragmented memories that clung to me.

“I’ll be fine. Just take it one step at a time. It’ll all be fine.”

Returning to the room, I realized the corner lamp had gone off, plunging the room into darkness. Max had apparently gone to her bed, her attention still held captive by her book.

“Good night... Eli,” I whispered, touched by the use of the name that resonated with a sense of belonging.

Acknowledging the moment of serenity, I replied, “Good night, Max,” and allowed sleep to carry me away, into the realms of the unknown.

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