The tables in the hall are silver, to match the rest of our surroundings. So sometimes if you are really tired and you walk in you cannot distinguish the tables from the walls and floor, which kind of sucks. Adding to that, they look terribly uncomfortable though to speak they are the complete the opposite! The floor is always delicious! It definitely lives up to its looks! Definitely. I place my folk down beside my plate and wipe my mouth with my napkin trying not to breathe it in as I laugh with Jadis, May and Marigold. Suddenly Marigold's eyes soften and turn into the smirky type of eyes, as she does so I feel a warm hand upon my shoulder, I turn slightly and say "Hey"

"Hey, you coming?"

"Yes of course, oh wait, May I?" I ask the girls who have become rather giggly.

"May I? Oh lala! You go GIRL!" Jadis mocks.

"Don't get too kissy, you might just faint without having any intake of breath for a while" Marigold laughs as she says this and May is next to speak.

"Don't worry babe, we're sure he will take good care of you, if you get my drift" she winks, and I find it is my turn to laugh. I look to James who is blushing slightly and the girls find this cute so laugh even more. Taking into consideration his state I mouth to the girls to stop.

"See you girl"

"Have fun!"

"Cheeky"

The girls have a little conversation to themselves as we leave. The doors of the dinner room swing back on their hinges and slowly close, once sure that we are far enough away, James says: "Are they okay?"

"Is that sarcasm I hear sir?"

"Obviously" he smiles "I don't think I have ever seen a girl so keen to get away from her friends before"

"What do you mean by that?" I ask.

"Just the way you looked at me, and so badly wanted to kiss me"

"Hey! It's not all about you, you know!"

"Yeah, I know, but you did want to kiss me"

"Maybe a little"

"Do you still want to kiss me?"

"Perhaps" my cheeks flare up.

"Aw are you embarrassed?" He mocks.

"No!"

"Yes you are"

"Am not!"

"You are"

"Am not!"

"Oh you so are!"

"Am NOT!"

"Well then, if you don't find that embarrassing then what is there to not embarrass you, then this won't bother you one bit!" James wraps his arms around my waist and hauls me up behind his back and places me sideways so that my head is by his left elbow and my legs to his right elbow.

"James!"

"Yes, is something the matter?"

"You are, you are-"

"A delight, precious, beautiful, hot? How kind of you to say so, got any more?"

"You are impossible! And a poo!"

"Why thank you, they have a very good complexion you know!"

"James!"

"Yes petal?"

"You are such a douche!"

"Thank you!" He smiles and continues walking with me upon his back.

It has been three days since the water tank test and we had already begun brutal training for our next challenge. Well at least the big challenge.

"You must remember that it is a test of your physical strength, how you work under harsh and dangerous conditions. Fail to survive, you fail the test, fail the test and your gone." It was at this moment that I tuned back into Theo's 'pep talk'. At this particular point we are all trying to memorise the assault course as it will be a part of our final challenge. Each challenge is connected to make the final challenge, to prepare us for the surprise one which we will be completely oblivious to. A tall broad shouldered man stands beside Theo, one that I recognise from photo graphs in the training rooms.

"This is Slim. You may recognise him from pictures. This is due to the fact that Slim is very high up in the ranks here at BlueBlood. Anyway, Slim shall be assessing you, informing us of weather he thinks you are suitable to stay until the end. Once that decision is made, he will help as much as is allowed, in order for you to graduate. Slim will do all he can to help. As will I." Theo steps to the side to allow Slim to take the centre stage. His voice is low and manly.

"Show me what you're made of." Is all he says. He folds his arms over his chest and quirks an eyebrow, inclining us to get to work.

We set to training straight away. Each assault course is the identical. This is the order:

1) Begin with challenge one - Vapori - to defeat and kill it showing all the skill you can muster.

2) Run towards box, box will take you down to the silver corridor - run down corridor towards clear doors which in case a large set of swimming pools.

3) Dive into pool and search for the object of your challenge - "You'll know it when you see it!" - Theo's reassuring words of wisdom.

4) Resurface and run down the opposing silver corridor where a red button will be situated in the centre, push it down hard to stop the clock and whatever else is involved in challenge two.

It seems simple enough, though I can't say I am not a little afraid, due to the fact that we have no idea what we are going to be facing once we enter that water. Who knows what deadly thing could be waiting for us. All I know is that once in the only goal is to find the object and get out as quickly as I can.

At the present moment I am beside the pool with a timer, whilst James is in the pool searching for the piece of ribbon which I threw in as the 'object'. So far he is doing well. A reasonable time. Or so I think. He resurfaces and takes in a huge gulp of air clutching the purple piece of ribbon.

"You're turn, the ribbon is purple again, are you ready?" James says through breaths.

"Yes."

"5, 4, 3, 2, 1, GO!" As soon as I Hear the syllable 'g' I am already diving into the pool. The cold water washes over me like an icicle. Immediately I begin to scan the pool for the purple piece of ribbon. All of Theo's extra advice is echoing through my mind.

"The object will never show up, it will never reveal its location unless you force it too" I continue looking, "It could be staring you in the face, it could be a slightly darker shade of blue, it could be a tile, or it could be something far more obvious that sparkles like a ring." As this last thought crosses my mind I spot the ribbon and make a dive for it, as I do I realise that I can barley feel my feet due to the coldness. None the less I still dive for it. Grabbing it I make a break for the surface, the air is somewhat warmer yet colder at the same time.

James clicks the stop watch and smiles.

"Well how did I do?"

"Pretty well, take a look for yourself!" I go to take the stop watch but something feels odd, like someone just walked over my grave. So I turn out of instinct to see an unfamiliar set of eyes watching my every move.

"Iris, it's just Slim, he was watching you for the while time that you were under that water you know

"Really? It kind of feels like they are boarding right through me, trying to work out my existence, that's why I felt slightly uneasy then. It feels as though that I am constantly being judged and assessed. Do you ever feel like that?"

"Yes I do, and it is because we are." His words make me realise that I am not the only one to feel this way, for anyone who Slim sets his eyes upon they all seem to suddenly become wary of their actions and movements, he has what seems to be an invisible power that takes over every body and their emotional states. Slim turns away, as he does a mental lift has been lifted, it seems as though he really does have that invisible power, he has a presence unlike any other that is neither good or bad, but yet is still both terrifying and exhilarating.

The next few days seem to wash over like a summer breeze, fast and furious. "Students of BlueBlood, our newest sector of cohorts has joined, purple group. Be wary if you see them, do not interact with them and stay to yourselves and rooms. Orange cohort, your challenge will begin in just thirty two hours, you have trained hard, so have a nice rest and be at the waiting posts just four hours before, to ensure that you are equipped and know exactly what it is that you shall be looking for. Good luck." The announcement ends and all is silent in the training room once more. I must say all I want to do right now is to swim. I have the urge to test out my strength one last time before the examination, before it is too late to fail. As I go to dive in a cool hand rests in my shoulder, it startles me and so I breathe in heavily and quickly.

"Iris, you are not allowed to, they are prepping it, if you would like to do some extra training, then the purple zoned pools are open." My head is turned slightly at an angle and as I correct myself the hand is gone and so is the deep voice, creepy. For some reason I cannot see him, Slim. It must have been Slim. You know the first time that I had to remain under the water, hold my breath and search at the same time was chilling. I had no idea what to expect, how to expect it, though as more and practice was squeezed in, it sorts of became like a seventh sense. Just a little extra added to the whole not breathing under water skill.

Our thirty-two hours dispersed so quickly, it was as if we never had them. I find myself sitting alone in the silver benched area, in my black costume, hair tied back, flippers, goggles, a dagger, and rope all by my side. I am breathing, trying to calm my nerves with every breath, a familiar face appears from around the corner and walks slowly up to me.

"James what are you doing here?"

"Wishing you luck before you go, why else not?"

"You will get caught you know that?"

"Not if I am as quick as a cheetah I won't be!"

"Well, I guess this is it"

"Iris, please enter the box, within the time period of thirty seconds, take all of your possessions that are necessary and await your last instructions."

"See you on the other side" I say.

"Iris, wait." James places a hand around my neck and kisses me on the lips. "Good luck, see you on the other side." He smiles and runs back the way he came, leaving it to me and the box.

"This is your physical strength challenge. Vapori to the pool. Good luck candidate." The voice diminishes, as I step out of the box the only sounds are of my own breath and the pounding if my heart in my ears like a drum. The klaxon sounds implying that the challenges have begun. Not to soon after that Very familiar growl sounds and before I know it I am attacking the creature out of natural reflexes. It seems to be so much easier to stab this thing than it did the last twelve other times, twice in the challenges and the other ten during training. I use its mouth to climb up upon its back, as it sways out of uncomfortable feeling, I wrap the rope around its neck, restricting its neck movement, drive the dagger through its loose scale and wait for it to sway to the ground. The fight does not end there, no of course not, I still have another challenge to complete. One down, one to go. I think go myself as I run towards the box and allow it to lower me to the corridor, I barley let it reach the ground as I scramble out over the top, and sprint towards the clear doors. My awareness of the clock is terrifying.

I open the doors with such a force that they make a loud banging sound as I run into the room, pulling my goggle on over my eyes, the rope is still bloody from the Vapori's blood, I care not, so tie this around my waist and shove the dagger in between one of the knots. I pull on my flippers at such a force I am sure to have some form of rubber burn. The water is like a huge force of iciness hitting me full on in the face, it consumes every inch of my body, despite the pain of the water I begin to search frantically. Object, object, it is not always what you expect. A loose tile. It could even be ribbon. It could be purple. Never obvious, could be in front of my eyes. Iris keep looking. Come on. Iris. Come. On. I keep telling myself. Then I see it, a piece of red ribbon with the Vapori's ugly face upon it. That must be it, it has to be. I dive down even further, failing to realise the real depth of the water and the length in which I Have swam, my ears pop but I don't care, I can't fail this challenge as well, I must get it, I must. The ribbon is rather difficult to pick up so I Use the end of my dagger to hook it upon it and draw it close to my chest. Though this moment of relief is short lived due to a strange ripple coming from the opposing direction. One that I did not make. And I know that this cannot be good. A serpent like creature appears from the depths of what seems to be the loose tile which I had originally mistaken for the ribbon. It looks oddly like the Vapori, though an underwater version and much smaller. Without legs but more like a snake. Out of shock, I almost inhale a gulp of water. Though I stop myself just in time and think. Dagger. I follow the disgusting creature, and momentarily I forget that I am in a challenge that I am being time restricted. All that matters is that I rid the world of this retched creature once and for all. It swipes its tail around my back causing me to be flung forward and thrown up against the wall of the pool. I let out some valuable breath and attempt to fight back, it is failing, and then I remember that I have the rope. I struggle ti untie it, and grab the tail of the serpent, it folds back in on itself and bites my arm, a scream rips from my lungs and stab a hole right through the serpent. I dare not wait to see if it is dead not, no I resurface and run down the silver corridor towards the red button despite my pain. The tail grabs me by the foot causing me to fall painfully upon my face in the corridor, it drags me back towards the water "I refuse to be defeated you creature!" I scream and twist the tail back on itself much like I did in the water, it writhes as I stab it again with my dagger, yet it takes that so I use my nails instead to rip off two of the scales, the tail goes slack for a few seconds. And km these few seconds I scramble to my feet and make a break for it. Second time lucky. I will push that button. I will. I slam my hand down upon the button and wait for the words. They don't come so I punch it and this time they are to be heard.

"Iris, challenge physical, complete. You have passed. Please enter the box situated to the right and find yourself where you started. In the waiting room of silver." It was over. I could hardly believe my ears. Over. Finished. Done. Now all I have to do is collect my time and clean my stupid wounds. I am met with the gazes of Salem and Theo; Salem is the one to speak.

"Well done missy. Impressive."

"Yes, Iris, well done" Theo says, his eyebrows are furrowed and he seems rather jittery.

"Well? How did I do? Did I fail and I was told that I passed? Do I Have to do it again?"

"No Iris, you do not, you did rather well, you passed with a distinction, you don't have to do it again. At least for the time being. You passed with the time of eleven minutes and thirty-two seconds exactly. Congratulations".