《Guide To MMO》 ALBUM 1: Perception 1: SONGBOY // ??? // ??? // ??? Starring ??? Featuring ??? // Clich¨¦. The definition: primarily in the context of literature, it is a word that describes an overused trope, something done so much that it¡¯s become boring or at least well known. The synonyms: overused, overdone, banality, commonplace, platitude, unoriginal. A reader¡¯s connotation: a damn boring story, and if not heavily justified or one of the best written stories out there. It really fluctuates, it does. Context: who the hell is that girl standing in my bedroom doorway? Last night was all normal. Everything was normal. The year was 2023, the 28th of August at about 8:00 on a Sunday night, Pacific Time in America. There was an average Asian-looking middle school boy sitting on the edge of his bed with a large tablet in hand, that¡¯s me. My Bluetooth speaker was playing beside me, not loud enough for my dad who was talking downstairs on the phone to hear it, nor my mom at the dishes grumbling about her irresponsible and lazy children. I listened to pop music of all kinds and languages, funky songs, power music, emotional songs, game music, as long as it had depth, I was vibing¡­ that would end the list of preferences. You might be able to guess that I¡¯m a music kind of guy. My little sister who was two years younger than I laid in the other room, her room, just across from mine. She could hear my music, and I could hear hers. K-Pop music loud enough for the neighbors to get angry. No, she couldn¡¯t understand Korean. That¡¯s all she¡¯d been listening to ever since my cousin introduced it to her. We were supposed to be asleep by about now for school tomorrow. Well, she was supposed to be asleep, at least. I got to stay up later because my school day began a good while after her¡¯s. I am a very lucky kid. I¡¯m lucky that I¡¯m so average. I glanced down to my lap. Notifications were popping up on my tablet constantly. Those were my two best friends arguing. They were asking for my opinion, but I didn¡¯t respond. I was too busy planning out my novel. Yeah. I¡¯m also a words type of guy. Actually, I dabble a lot in the broadest of places. But first, a story¡­ in a story? Storyception. The worst, and also the best part, is that everything is a clich¨¦, a blatant ripoff of the biggest genres and their classics. An easy story to write would make for an easier story to tell. A video game interface and magical abilities? Check. Modern school setting with an arbitrarily modern name? Check. Bullies, rich kids, and a faithful friend to the end? Double check. I smiled and shook my head as I backspace a few lines out. Then I went back to the top to review what I had written so far. Cedrance Manamune, the main character. I coughed once. What a horrible name. I¡¯d need to come up with a better one next morning. He needed his abilities. Next. Serene Goldwin¡­ placeholder name. Sounded cool enough¡­ Ughh. This was boring. These names were just so weird. What about the guilds for all the heroes and agents? Holimont, Silverdawn, Wings¡­ these names definitely had to go. What¡¯s a synonym for guild? And dude, there was literally zero plot¡­ I slammed my hand against the bed in frustration, chilly from the constant air conditioning running throughout the house. This night, it all felt real. Everything was right. So, what about the next morning? What makes this story so interesting? I had a false fantasy. The morning was, to say the least, unreal. That¡¯s the antonym for real. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. I wake up. When the hell did I fall asleep? My eyes aren¡¯t awake yet, they¡¯re very closed. I¡¯m hugging my plush pillow that smells like my sweat, the scent of lemons and lilac. Oh, lemon and lilac? I must still be asleep then. I smell like dog hair and warm boba milk tea. This is a nice scent, though. I sniff again. What¡¯s my shampoo? It¡¯s vanilla, right? Damn. I don''t remember a day when my nose wasn¡¯t stuffy in the morning on one side. It¡¯s refreshing. The sun is streaming through my windows. Who sleeps with their blinds open? The neighbors will look at you while you change! I never open my blinds. Whatever. My bed is nice and cool, the perfect temperature against my skin. I think I¡¯ll stay asleep¡­ What? My bed doesn¡¯t feel that nice. It¡¯s always warm around my spot when I wake up, and I¡¯m always sweating at least a little bit. And are these my blankets? They¡¯re usually really heavy and warm to compensate for my skinniness. They aren¡¯t light and fluffy. My watch uncomfortably rubs against my huggy pillow. I don¡¯t have a watch. This isn¡¯t my bed, is it? I bolt upwards in my bed and gasp silently. Oh, I¡¯m awake. I¡¯m awake, right? My eyes wander around a gorgeous, spacious room bathed in the golden early sunrise through the floor-to-ceiling sleek windows that fit the back wall. I¡¯m in the back corner of my room, a nightstand to my right with a digital clock and a cup of orange mystery liquid. There¡¯s a huge desk setup with music recording equipment and instruments in the corner near the door on the opposite side of the room in the middle most area of the wall, and in the corner beside it are chairs and a TV. The laundry is neatly folded and sat against a drawer and dresser each with 6 cabinets. For such a luxurious room, everything fits perfectly. Everything feels right. This is not my room. This is not my house. But this is definitely my fantasy. This is looking to be a good lucid dream. On the wall to my left is a mirror with portraits of people and things I didn¡¯t recognize. I slide out of my bed in my pajamas. I don¡¯t ever wear pajamas. The floor is nice and soft against my bare feet. I walk over to my mirror. And gape. Who are you? The boy in the mirror is older than me, around high school freshman age. He¡¯s around my height, maybe more, about 5 foot and a half or less, long legs and bright skin, and definitively boyish features. His hair is dark, but not totally black, and he also has tinges of white and grey at the ends of his hair, which sweeps across into a paintbrush just above his left eye. Even so, I think the unkempt hair looked nice, maybe a tad emo, frayed and slightly wavy. He¡¯s better-looking than me, and also is Asian, but I can¡¯t put my finger on what. A butter color Japanese city boy, an inauthentic Korean K-Pop idol-ish lookalike, but most of all like an unsmiling but friendly character who''s just popped out of a webtoon. Maybe a slightly depressed one with this kind of hairstyle. In a sense, he¡¯s a side character at best and a fine looking extra at worst, more on the striking-hot than cold-handsome side. Good genes, that¡¯s what he has. The boy doesn¡¯t have pimples. I¡¯m jealous. A glance around the portraits tells me that he is the guy in some of the photos. I raise my arm, and the boy in the mirror raises his arm. I poke my cheek. He pokes his cheek. ¡°That¡¯s so clich¨¦,¡± I whisper, then almost stop myself from clutching my mouth. As a teen, I don¡¯t have the best singing voice, even though I love to sing. It¡¯s not like I voice crack, I almost never. Puberty didn¡¯t do that much to me, and if it did it did it really fast. At least, the beginning stages went by quickly, like voice and growth spurts. Don¡¯t get any misunderstandings, I¡¯m definitely not done. But I love singing. And his voice is beautiful. A tad dramatic to say beautiful, but there is no other way to describe such a melodic voice. It was bright and tired, calming but evocative, clear but intoxicating. I test it again. ¡°~Ahhhh¡­¡± It would make professional singers jealous. And I am in his body. I am scared to misuse his voice, so I stay quiet. What a wonderful dream. The thought passes by, yet I feel absolutely unaffected. Maybe it¡¯s all of those fantasies and isekais I¡¯ve read, but it simply feels¡­ normal. It feels good, almost. Huh? Normal? Isn¡¯t this a dream? What an unrealistically real dream. I yawn, it definitely feels like I¡¯ve just woken up. My eyes are clear. I usually wear glasses, but I can see from my end of the room to the trophies on the stand in the other corner, trophies of instruments I¡¯ve never played before. Instruments that were sitting in my room. Am I a genius? Finally, I look outside the window and almost fall on my back. Instead I fall on my rump. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ beautiful,¡± I mutter. A vast cityscape spread before my eyes, graced by the rising morning sun. Impressive looking skyscrapers and towers loomed over the city, shimmering in the colors of the rainbow. No one building looks the same, from the sweeping sides and tapering edges to the bright displays and the¡­ concerning amount of weaponry logos. But oddest of all is the lack of pollution in the air. It¡¯s the first time I can see the stars in the morning sky. It is the kind of urban metropolis that only the future can possibly hold, and only the past could have imagined. The words ¡®urban fantasy¡¯ float around in my head. Looking out my window, it feels like I am at the top of the world. It all went down, down, down, to the bustling of the waking people. My room is at least on the 50th floor of some building. My watch suddenly beeps, shocking me from my trance. I look down at it and tap it on. Suddenly a hologram opens in front of my face. The interface of the smartwatch clearly shines in front of me. I blink. Holy crud. ¡°I¡¯ve definitely seen this before,¡± I breath. I scan it top to bottom. Everything was just like on a phone screen, all the apps I could want were there. A reminder pops up. [Double D-Day] What is that supposed to mean? ¡°Hey Mr. Dreamyhead, you got a great imagination. But what the actual hell?¡± I click off and go for the door. If this dream is going to end soon, I might as well explore just a little bit. I yawn again when I open my door. Then I freeze. A girl, about the age of the boy¡¯s body, stands behind glass railings. The awe is painted onto her light complexion and pretty face looking down. The ends of her shoulder-length black hair are dipped in white paint. Under her nightgown hides an obviously well toned and strong body, unlike my own. Her energy screams ¡®protagonist material¡¯. But was she the boy¡¯s sister or something? How could siblings have such different vibes? She suddenly turns to face me, hearing the door open. I see her milk chocolate eyes. The girl opens her mouth. ¡°Don¡¯t press yes.¡± A screen with a prompt appears in front of me. At the top is the word Guide. 2 - CHOCOLATE EYES 2: CHOCOLATE EYES // 6:38 A.M. // 8 - 28 - 2023 // Silverdawn Floor 24 - Ato Residence Starring ??? Featuring ??? // The boy at the door beside me was frozen stiff. He looked like me, but definitely in guy form, around my height, maybe shorter or same. Another prompt for a Guide appeared. ======================== Guides(2)//Options: Answer Memory Overtake Will you use a Guide? Yes//No ======================== ¡°Don¡¯t say yes.¡± I blinked for a second as the Guide in front of me closed and disappeared. Then the panic seeped in. ¡°I-I mean¡­ no, never mind¡ª¡± ¡°K. I won¡¯t,¡± the boy¡ªobviously, my ¡®brother¡¯, the Zen from the Memory, interrupted me, his eyes focused slightly at me, but completely not at the same time. Like he was looking at something in front of him that I couldn¡¯t see¡­ then he blinked as I advanced towards him. ¡°Hey, hey!¡± He backed up as I slammed the door behind me, and stopped warily in place when I did as I leaned against the door, an immense relief washing over my mind. ¡°So I¡¯m not the only one,¡± I sighed, leaning my head sideways. Oddly enough, his guard seemed to instantly disappear when I said that. The boy smiled with a vague expression of peace. ¡°I¡¯ve never had a collective dream before. This is a first. Is this really what it¡¯s like?¡± I pinched my eyes together. This guy was clueless. Kind of reminded me of someone. But still, be nice. The person in front of me is a stranger. ¡°Sooo¡­ what¡¯s your name?¡± He started slowly. Definitely reminded me of someone. At least he was straight to the point. ¡°In real life?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± I paused. Saying my name shouldn¡¯t take this much effort. I mused confusedly, ¡°what the heck? Wait, wait, what¡¯s my name again¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ Reyenal Ato.¡± Then my brain almost did a double take. What was that? Reyenal who? ¡°No, no, no, I didn¡¯t mean to say that, my name is¡­ ughh! What is it?!¡± ¡°Just Reya.¡± Was I being censored? ¡°Umm, okay. Reya it is. Cool, cool¡­ actually, what is my name?¡± He frowned, and then suddenly stomped his feet in a fit of sudden anger. I was still in a daze about what had just happened. ¡°This is so weird! I mean, what¡­?¡± He made more angry movements. I think I was understanding a bit now, and I stood up to the boy¡¯s surprise. ¡°Hey, you, stop it,¡± I said, walking over to the bed, ¡°you¡¯re gonna ruin your pretty voice.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not you,¡± he hissed, his eyes following me as I walked behind him and then sat on the edge of the bed, annoyed, ¡°it¡¯s¡­ Zendolyn! Zendolyn Ato!¡± Zendolyn put his hand to his forehead, now exacerbated and almost tiredly sad. ¡°Are my neurons not firing properly? Who is¡­ I might just drink from that cup if this keeps happening.¡± He sighed, and then taking a few steps towards me he sat and fell backwards onto the pillows. I noticed the cup he was talking about on the nightstand, but thought nothing much of it. ¡°I think you get it now.¡± He stared at me, and then slackened, nodding his head in defeat. ¡°Yep.¡± Me too, buddy. Just now, me too. It¡¯s just I won¡¯t throw a tantrum like you. ¡°Hey. Be real. How old are you?¡± I asked, watching as he grabbed a pillow and hugged it while staring straight up at the ceiling. His hair was spread out in a black and white array, eyes were resting bits of coffee on his resting poker face. Someone could mistake him for a celebrity if they squint hard enough. A mask could do wonders on him. He didn¡¯t answer. How much of a stranger was he? ¡°If it helps, I¡¯m a senior in high school. Skipped a year.¡± I looked left a bit, the huge window panels letting in the soft morning light, a majestic gradient of gold and orange and purple meshing together in a breathtaking city¡¯s sight, the one I had just woken up to earlier. ¡°Sounds like someone I know.¡± My interest rose a bit. ¡°Actually, let¡¯s entertain that idea. No names¡ª¡± ¡°We can¡¯t,¡± he said firmly. ¡°Well, no duh,¡± I scoffed, and Zendolyn sat up, still hugging onto the pillow with a slumped back. ¡°Boy or girl?¡± ¡°Girl.¡± I nodded. ¡°Amount of siblings?¡± ¡°Three, including her.¡± We were getting somewhere now. I could feel my excitement rising. ¡°How many pets?¡± ¡°Two dogs.¡± My heart was beating faster. ¡°And any dead ones?¡± He closed his eyes to think. ¡°Uhh, it¡¯s been a second. Mmm, some dead bunnies, fish, aaand I think that¡¯s it?¡± I smiled, ear to ear. This was looking to be a very, very good match. ¡°And how did the bunnies die?¡± ¡°Fox,¡± he turned his head and answered instantly, looking at me in the eyes, noticing my mood getting better, ¡°my older cousin got so angry after his bunny died.¡± This guy knew what was up. ¡°Hey, are you a girl?¡± He stopped, realizing what he said. ¡­ ¡°HAH!!¡± I burst into laughter, and clutched my stomach as I leaned over, oh my goodness, I definitely knew who he was. I definitely, definitely knew who he was. ¡°I have an older and younger brother, but besides that,¡± I grinned, and then clutched his shoulder. He didn¡¯t flinch and only meekly sat there, as expected. ¡°Do you remember when I burned the carpet?¡± A smile, a real smile spread across his face too. Suddenly his arms grabbed my shoulder, and he began shaking me in an absolute expression of joy, and I began shaking him too. ¡°I knew it, I knew it!¡± He yelled excitedly, his eyes lit with pure ecstasy, ¡°Oh my gosh, it¡¯s you!¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah!¡± I yelled back at him in the same fashion, ¡°Holy ****, yeah!¡± ¡°How did you know? No way, you¡¯re so smart!¡± ¡°Like, seriously, your way of talking¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªand yours too!¡± ¡°I swear¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªcarpet? Who knew¡ª¡± It took us a solid moment to calm down, like we usually did every time we did that. ¡°This is kind of a wild thought, but if we just get the other three dunce heads together it might actually be a really amazing dream! God, I don¡¯t want to wake up if I can look like this,¡± he tried twisting me around, and I allowed him and he pointed to the mirror behind me. Oh. My mood slightly dampened. ¡°Hey, cuz, this isn¡¯t a dream.¡± Against my expectations, he let out a long breath, like he had been holding it ever since I walked into the room. ¡°I was almost expecting you to say that.¡± The watch around my wrist suddenly buzzed, and we both brought our attention to it. ¡°Heh, did you get to see what this thing does?¡± I smiled, trying to nudge the conversation elsewhere. He nodded with an odd enthusiasm. ¡°Mine was gigantic, like, that tall,¡± he said, raising his arms apart. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this kind of remind you of anything?¡± Zendolyn perked up. ¡°No way¡­¡± He was so inconsistent on what he could randomly understand tacitly. This one was fast. ¡°Yeah. Guess what else?¡± ¡°School?¡± ¡°Even better,¡± I nodded. ¡°Mmm-magic!¡± I patted his shoulder twice. ¡°Let¡¯s confirm it.¡± Upon tapping the watch, a small hologram appeared over it, pretty much just a phone, except way cooler. I pulled down the notification banner, and then a movement beside me. [Arc - Portal, leave at 8:00 AM] [Arc - Opening Ceremony, at 8:30 AM] Frowning and turning my head, it was a funny sight to see my little cousin with that expression, even if it wasn¡¯t his own face. I teased him, ¡°Scared?¡± ¡°Reya,¡± he responded, now sounding serious all of a sudden, ¡°what if we were transported inside of a book, or a toon, or anime?¡± I guffawed, and then answered as poignantly as possible to match him. ¡°We¡¯re screwed. But hey, don¡¯t you think there would be more than just us two, then?¡± ¡°Well, yeah. Why in the world would you and I of all people be stuck in this random other world? There¡¯s got to be more, and chances are, we know who they are, like what if¡ª¡± I followed his logic. ¡°Then since it¡¯s an academy story, that makes even more sense. No author in their right mind doesn¡¯t just have some sort of convenient way to put characters in relationships with each other, or something along those lines.¡± ¡°And since it¡¯s an academy story¡­ wait¡­¡± then he groaned, and then pushed his head into his pillow, and I also fell backwards with a thump, completely speechless at the revelation. By clich¨¦ standards for a power-fantasy progression, we were going to be here for a while. I was already surprised at how well we were doing mentally, but this was really a hard hurdle. ¡°Just don¡¯t think about it,¡± I said, and then again with more forced conviction. My eyes were still glazed into the ceiling. ¡°Yeah,¡± he nodded with the same dull voice, ¡°I honestly don¡¯t even know what we¡¯re talking about anymore.¡± ¡°You know, I bet there are dungeons and monsters in this world.¡± ¡°And loot, too. That¡¯d be cool¡ª¡± Suddenly, the door swung wide open and slammed into the wall, and a big older woman with a maid outfit barged in. Light and noise streamed in from the below the railings. All the signals in my brain began going haywire and bailing, there was someone completely unexpected in the room and I didn¡¯t know what to do! ¡°Master Zen, wake up!¡± The woman screeched worriedly, ¡°Today¡¯s the day you¡¯re leaving! Did you pack up yet? No boxes?! Pack up, dear, pack up!¡± I and Zendolyn froze in place. ¡°Oh, and you too, sweety Master Reya, give your brother a bit of space. You know what he¡¯s been going through.¡± The siren in my head kept blaring. To my shock, Zendolyn spoke up first. ¡°Auntie Coco,¡± he began with a very warm and relaxed expression unlike earlier, ¡°we were just talking about school. I¡¯ve been trying to keep my mind off of everything, after all.¡± Then she got a good look at the both of us, still frozen to our spots. ¡°Well, well! Did you two make up, after all? I hope you babies are on good terms now,¡± the big woman rushed over to us, and I almost let out a yell of fear as she closed in her bear arms around us in a crushing hug, squeezing him and I and her together. She let go and we both regained our breaths, and Zendolyn¡¯s wholesome facade remained. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll get packing now. Can you get the boxes, Auntie?¡± The woman sucked in a breath, with an almost motherly hand to her heart and an expression that looked like she was about to cry, she nodded furiously, ¡°Yes, of course, darling. I¡¯ll be back as soon as possible. Master Reya, you also need to get ready. Let me get one more hug from you two, my heart can¡¯t handle this anymore,¡± and whoosh went all the air from our lungs. ¡°Now now, you two ready up. I¡¯ll be back in a jiffy!¡± ¡°Auntie, I¡¯ll get started with my clothes then,¡± he said as Auntie Coco left the room in a rush. I turned to Zendolyn, ¡°How did you know her name? Who is she?¡± He shook his head, just as confused and if not more spazzed out than me. His energy from before was replaced with the familiar one that sat in front of me now. ¡°I don¡¯t know. It said Guide, and then I used an Answer. The thing you said not to press earlier. How did you know about the Guide?¡± ¡°Because I used it earlier!¡± ¡°How? With who?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No one.¡± I stood up. ¡°I used a Memory. Gives you a short scene from the past.¡± My brain began dancing again, and I felt a sudden urge to put some distance between myself and Zendolyn. That Memory, I had definitely forgotten about it. What was the keyword for it, again? Oh right. Burdened. Walking towards the door, Zendolyn¡­ Zen only silently watched me. ¡°I¡¯ll begin packing up whatever I have for school. You do that too. I¡¯ll see you in a bit,¡± I headed out the open door. ¡°See you, then,¡± he muttered as I closed the door. // 6:38 A.M. // 6 - 1 - 2023 // Silverdawn Venue Starring Reyenal Ato // ¡°Ready for the party?¡± She asked. Zen nodded. For today he had chosen to wear a grey tee and a knitted faded orange vest under an unzipped large purple jacket with white-lined edges. He had grey long and baggy pants on too. He looked like he was about to go on an outing for a snowy festival at night. He had on a plain white mask. It was too casual. He squeezed her hand as she pushed open the door. The room was massive, filled with cush chairs and clothed tables and the masked people who sat in them. Waiters ran back and forth, delivering wine and food to the guests who sat expectantly. An enormously wide stage filled the whole back of the room. It was the most high-end party taking place that night, reserved for only the Awakened. Reyenal could feel the power radiating from some of the people she walked by. ¡°Look, that¡¯s the Ato children.¡± ¡°That one¡¯s the future of Silverdawn.¡± Eyes burned into the back of my head. ¡°But the other one¡­¡± Words and words flew her way. They stung like wasps. It wasn¡¯t even surprising that those people knew their identities. Reyenal couldn¡¯t tell what was going on behind Zen¡¯s mask. They were animals on display as they walked forward to the stage where she was to deliver Zen. Not everyone gave them attention, but the ones who did pointed and laughed. ¡°Your outfit is catching lots of attention,¡± She said to Zen matter-of-factly. She could hear the sound of whispers scraping even the chandelier above. ¡°Thanks.¡± He let go of her hand and disappeared behind the curtains. Reyenal walked over to the front tables reserved for the participants. Each kid at the table gave her a beady stare. Nameless kids, as countless as the grains of sand on a beach. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Moments later a woman walked onto stage to the microphone. Her heels clacked loudly, silencing the whole room. She wore an elegantly simple dress, a shimmering silver and black like a starry night sky. She looked around at all the masks and dresses and suits below, each a different color and shape and design. The woman spoke clearly. ¡°As you all know, each one of your children has been invited to attend today¡¯s party. In short, all you who have gathered to this masquerade today have come to celebrate the talents of the new generation.¡± That woman was Mother, Reyenal knew. And it wasn¡¯t an invitation to some silly talent show. It was a debut into high society, into the world of power. What better way to show off than this? ¡°I will be your host for tonight¡¯s event. Please welcome our first talent to the stage, Brandon Yue.¡± A polite applause clattered about the room as Brandon walked onto the stage. Reyenal had no clue who he was, nor Angela Hoover who came next. Each next one was as uninteresting as the last. A set of equipment and props would be brought out. The floor would be slightly dented. A few claps. The floor would be quickly repaired along with the props by the team on standby. Idiots would hurt themselves doing flashy moves and would be dragged backstage. Boring. ¡°Ben Roswell.¡± Behind her a large person stood up. She frowned. Ben was a giant of 6 and a half feet, the son and heir of a large corporation. Not that she cared. He was an absolute dunce and a muscle head. No. She didn¡¯t like him one bit. He was Aythe¡¯s goon. ¡°He recently Awakened this year,¡± a kid whispered beside her to another boy. She gave Ben a good look. Thin hair, round face, smashed nose, big enough to stand his own against any other football quarterback or squash them completely. He didn¡¯t even bother to wear a mask. He was the dimgoon to end all goons. The stage trembled as Ben stepped up the stairs. There stood a dummy, waiting for him. It cowered under his looming shadow. ¡°I¡¯ll make this quick.¡± ¡°You may start now¡ª¡± Ben slammed the dummy into the ground and suddenly the earth all in front of him ruptured. Shrapnel flew and the once-invisible protective barriers shined to reveal themselves. All the stray shards bounced off the clear wall that safely encased the stage. It hadn¡¯t been activated once prior to that.
Mountain Rage Cost: 120 MANA
Cooldown: 10 seconds
C // Ben slams targets in an area in front of him dealing high damage. SLAM DAMAGE: 410
First it was the kids at her table. Clap. Clap. Clap. Then the whole auditorium spontaneously erupted into the sound of cheers and applause. Ben stomped off stage and the cleanup and rebuild crew fussed about the stage as Ben¡¯s name passed around the room and echoed off the walls. Reyenal clicked her tongue. Impressive for a kid who just Awakened, she had to give him that. Again another person was called up. And another. And¡­ another¡­ ¡°Aythe Siena, please come up.¡± Reyenal groggily blinked her eyes. How long had she been asleep for? Judging by the obviously ashamed and tired faces at her table, she had been knocked out for a while. Maybe even long enough to skip her own turn. Oh, whose turn was it now? She looked up to see Aythe looking down at her. He was handsome and he knew it. Curly brown hair speckled with gold and grey, and similar eye color. Tall, muscular, classically strong jawline and superior gaze. The eyes behind his decadent black and white mask made him look ferocious, even with a 3 piece suit on. Why was he singling her out? He smirked, but Reyenal didn¡¯t react. His two swords clicked at his sides in their ornate sheaths. A gasp echoed from some of the audience and excited chatter bursted out. Then on stage, Reyenal saw it. A D-Class Bladetongue Raptor let out a low growling sound like plucking muted violin strings. It slowly walked onto the light of the stage and fully revealed itself. It was a raptor with lean and muscular legs, but it had an odd serpentine neck and torso. The danger was not actually in the grasp of the jaws and the bladed tongue but in the agility and flexibility of the monster. It would wrap around its target¡¯s back and strangle them to death. Of course, the bladed tongue did help in gutting its victims. ¡°You may begin.¡± Someone from behind the curtains kicked the butt of the raptor. It screeched and charged straight for Aythe. The raptor bit at him and he sidestepped, and in a sudden whirl of steel the HP Bar of the raptor appeared on a screen overhead. [ ¡®BLADETONGUE RAPTOR¡¯ || HP [ 1706 / 1706] ] Aythe had stabbed it in the throat, and its HP dropped a sizable amount. It oozed a brilliant gold from its wound. Raptor blood was red. [ ¡®BLADETONGUE RAPTOR¡¯ || HP - 520 (30.5%) [ 1186 (69.5%) / 1706] ]
Reaver¡¯s Dualescense
T // Aythe applies Shimmer or Shade to everything he damages, which allows him to activate his abilities. Targets marked with Shimmer deal 20% less damage. Targets marked with Shade take 40% more damage. SHIMMER WEAKENING: 20%
SHADE VULNERABILITY: 40%
It screamed again. The body turned and bit at Aythe¡¯s back, but his body disappeared into a purple silhouette, repositioning behind it like a shadow.
Might and Eminence Cost: 305 MANA
Cooldown: 16 seconds
S // Aythe rips out Shimmer or Shade from a target.
Ghost
Shimmer briefly turns Aythe invulnerable and invisible, increasing his movement speed. After leaving this state, his next attack ignores all defense, is guaranteed to crit, and heals him for a portion of the damage dealt. GHOSTED DURATION: 3 seconds
MOVEMENT SPEED: 430%
HEAL ON CRIT: 65%
The raptor missed. Aythe¡¯s HP Bar still didn¡¯t show. Then his silhouette manifested back into him and he pulled out his other sword. In two quick motions the monster¡¯s HP Bar fell down dramatically. The wounds constantly changed from gold to grey with each swipe of the blade. [ ¡®BLADETONGUE RAPTOR¡¯ || HP - 730 (42.8%) [ 456 (26.7%) / 1706] ] Still, the monster couldn¡¯t even touch him. He was toying with it and making a scene. With a dark ooze of grey bubbling in its throat, Aythe stopped moving a distance away. ¡°Shade.¡± The monster charged, but suddenly its HP fell quickly like poison. [ ¡®BLADETONGUE RAPTOR¡¯ || HP - 201 (11.8%) [ 255 (14.9%) / 1706] ] [ ¡®BLADETONGUE RAPTOR¡¯ || HP - 153 (9%) [ 102 (6%) / 1706] ] [ ¡®BLADETONGUE RAPTOR¡¯ || HP - 102 (6%) [ 0 (0%) / 1706] ] The last bit of health disappeared. In a violent explosion the raptor exploded into the grey oozing substance, which vanished as if it had never happened, leaving the corpse of a raptor blown to bits.
Might and Eminence Cost: 305 MANA
Cooldown: 16 seconds
S // Aythe rips out Shimmer or Shade from a target.
Pulverise
Shade implodes in a target, slowing them and dealing high damage. If the attack deals greater than 25% of the target¡¯s max health, an explosion is emitted from the target that deals medium damage. SLOW AMOUNT: 55%
SLOW DURATION: 6 seconds
IMPLOSION DAMAGE: 450
EXPLOSION DAMAGE: 215
The audience also exploded in cheer and applause with similar, if not better, treatment than Ben. Ben laughed heartily as Aythe sat back down and slapped his back. Aythe was about 5 inches shorter but wasn¡¯t dwarfed in any way. In fact he seemed bigger than all the other talents. ¡°Reyenal Ato, please come up.¡± Mother¡¯s face was completely blank. It was full of expectations. ¡°Reyenal Ato?¡± ¡°Yeah, the one from Silverdawn. Oriana¡¯s kid. She can¡¯t be anything but extraordinary.¡± ¡°Look at her clothes. She looks like a princess.¡± ¡°She looks unimpressive if not for them.¡± ¡°Poor kid.¡± The hushed murmurs licked her ears. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. She could hear everything, the hate, the expectation, the pity. All eyes on her. Reyenal stood up and walked to the right staircase. The audience didn¡¯t clap. They kept whispering. All eyes on her. She reached the center of the stage. All eyes on her. She knew what came next. What she had to do. Mother spoke again. ¡°This will be a duet between Reyenal Ato and Zendolyn Ato, who is backstage.¡± ¡°Zendolyn? That trash.¡± ¡°Pitiful. Sorrowful, little thing.¡± ¡°A duet? First one yet.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this supposed to be an individual show, what¡¯s going on?¡± Click click. The sound of an arrow primed behind her. Reyenal nodded. Zendolyn stepped out from behind the curtains and shot. Ptschww. In a sweeping movement faster than the blink of an eye Reyenal pulled. A bow manifested into her hand with an arrow pulled all the way back and she shot, a missile of fire flew from her bow Flamb¨¦.
Paragon Talent
S // Reyenal gains access to an arsenal of 2 spirit weapons, changing them as she wills. She has a main and off-hand weapon that is always active. The off-hand only grants its affinity to the main weapon.
Flamb¨¦
Reyenal equips a bow. Her affinity changes to Fire which occasionally causes her next attack to burn, dealing damage. ARROW BASE DAMAGE: 400
BURN DAMAGE: 10% of target¡¯s current health
In a collision the arrows met. Flamb¨¦ disintegrated the other arrow and flew straight at Zen¡¯s face. He stepped to the right, like in the script. It had been practiced so many times. He couldn¡¯t mess up now. She ignored all the gasps and voices. All eyes on her. He stepped out into the light and made distance between her. His stance was a tiger about to pounce, an assassin planning his first move. Reyenal¡¯s bow disappeared and she pulled again. ¡°Icicle.¡± A kama manifested in her hand. She pulled it back and above her head as Zen had advised her to. He had said it made her look fierce.
Paragon Talent
S // Reyenal gains access to an arsenal of 2 spirit weapons, changing them as she wills. She has a main and off-hand weapon that is always active. The off-hand only grants its affinity to the main weapon.
Icicle
Reyenal equips a kama. Her affinity changes to Ice which causes every attack to spawn an additional missile, striking the target for a portion of the damage dealt shortly after appearing. Her attacks Frosts the target. All instances of damage increase the amount of stacks. At 4 stacks, the target is shortly frozen and takes true damage. KAMA BASE DAMAGE: 500
ICE MISSILE DAMAGE: 20%
FROST DAMAGE: 5% of target¡¯s maximum health
FROZEN DURATION: 1.5
Smoke plumed from her feet and she dashed forward in the shroud and closed the distance. Zen stood still, priming his crossbow.
Battlesong Cost: 500 MANA
Cooldown: 50 seconds
A+ // Reyenal activates an ability that changes based on the main weapon.
Icicle
Reyenal creates an expanding smokescreen on the ground, and becomes invisible when she is inside the smoke. She is revealed when she attacks or leaves the smokescreen, and she can also see clearly in the smokescreen. It disappears after 6 seconds. SMOKESCREEN DURATION: 6 seconds
She leaped out of the smoke to his left. He pulled out the bow and shot, making Reyenal block and pushing her back, then perfectly sidestepped and pulled the daggers out of his pocket. He threw it at her and she ducked under it. The shroud disappeared as he threw his second dagger. Reyenal parried it and threw it back. With a third dagger he deflected it and sent it into the floor. It was like a beautiful, violent dance, each step and turn practiced, yet graceful and elegant. She dashed forward again with Icicle and swung at him. He ducked under it and stabbed forward at her stomach. She turned to the side and theatrically swung under his arm, making it look as if he was about to be uppercutted. He flipped backward and made another move at her. They went back and forth, perfect partners in sync with each other, mesmerizing the audience. A cadence in each step, predetermined as the last. Another swing, like a martial waltz. Finally came the last bit. He was supposed to fling himself over her with all the strength and mana he could muster. She would swing up at him with Icicle with the edge of it around his neck so perfectly that when he landed they would have made an arc of person, snow, and steel. She would have Flamb¨¦ as her secondary so its incendiary sparks would light up the stage for that dramatic touch. He would land and bow to her at the same time as she swung Icicle behind her in a perfect bow to him. The moment came. Reyenal swung at him and he dodged. Zen leaped in almost a slow-motion somersault over her head. She followed behind him with Icicle. But she moved her arm too much, her arc was too fast. In one quick second her kama swung into his neck and hit his shoulder. He slammed into the floor ungracefully. 2 furious pellets from Icicle¡¯s passive followed behind him and hit him. The burn of Flamb¨¦ began the moment Icicle hit him. Zen¡¯s HP Bar appeared. [ ¡®ZEN¡¯ || HP [ 752 / 752 ] MANA [ 326 / 590 ] ] [ ¡®ZEN¡¯ || HP - 411 (54.7%) [ 341 (45.3%) / 752 ] MANA [ 326 / 590 ] ] Icicle and Flamb¨¦ tore through his health. [ ¡®ZEN¡¯ || HP - 164 (21.8%) [ 177 (23.5%) / 752 ] MANA [ 326 / 590 ] ] The numbers were moving so fast. [ ¡®ZEN¡¯ || HP - 75 (10%) [ 102 (13.6%) / 752 ] MANA [ 326 / 590 ] ] The burn finally stopped. Zen lay there, unmoving. Smoking. Bleeding out on the floor. With one stroke, Reyenal sent her brother¡¯s health down. The standby paramedics immediately took action. They pulled Zen onto a stretcher, with a healer furiously working on him. This wasn¡¯t something a healer could fix alone with just abilities and potions. Screams and gasps erupted from the shocked audience. From their perspective, Zendolyn Ato had just messed up. He had failed their expectations. That¡¯s why he was on the floor. She heard Aythe burst into laughter. No, it wasn¡¯t her fault. It couldn¡¯t be. She was sweaty. She was horrified. She was scared. Reyenal bowed. All eyes on her. =[End of core memory]= =[Returning to consciousness]= (1) Author’s Guide to Understanding: Formatting, Abilities, and Colors Formatting, Abilities, & Colors Hi there. This is your author Polydeuces. In Guide to MMO (MMO for short) you¡¯ll see a few ¡°Author¡¯s Guides to Understanding¡± which will no doubt make you confused if you¡¯re just scrolling, pressing next, and all of a sudden it ain¡¯t the story anymore. Chances are it¡¯s a Guide to Understanding. What is a Guide to Understanding? In short, it¡¯s a chapter dedicated to doing one of two things: explaining concepts (to varying degrees) or summarizing events/characters for convenience/memory sake. How can you tell it¡¯s a Guide to Understanding? This is where the title comes in to the rescue: It will be titled, ¡°([#]) Author¡¯s Guide to Understanding: [Topics]¡±, and not in all uppercases. For example, this Guide is titled ¡°(1) Author¡¯s Guide to Understanding: Formatting, Abilities, and Colors¡±. The one means it¡¯s the first Guide. This is just one of the many examples of formatting in MMO, from the story to the actual visual interest and MMO¡¯s organization in general. Why isn¡¯t this spread out into the rest of the story? Doesn¡¯t this completely ruin the immersion factor? Well, yes. But Guides will only appear BEFORE or AFTER any sort of tense or hype events, so if you come across one chances are things aren¡¯t so intense in the story. All of this stuff would be impossible to sprinkle throughout the chapters without pulling readers out of immersion (I mean, the explanations) as it would make your reading experience a whole lot more confusing. That¡¯s why this Guide is here. Think of it like an info dump or instruction manual that you can always come back to.
Starting things off is a Glossary, basically anything that isn¡¯t going to be thoroughly explained about in this chapter besides now. Info section: This is the segment of text that appears at the beginning of every chapter or after every scene change (aka perspective shift) that gives information about the scene. There are 5 main pieces of information in the info section: Time, Date, Location, Starred Character (Character perspective), and Featured Characters (character appearances). It looks like this: // [Time] // [Day] - [Month] - [Year] // [Location] Starring [Name] Featuring [Names] // Starring means the character whose perspective we as readers are looking through. Featuring means the characters that appear in that particular scene. As an example when it¡¯s filled out: // 10:12 A.M. // 5 - 25 - 2021 // Courthouse ¡ª Havana, Cuba Starring Jimmy Jones Featuring Mary Jane, Joe and ??? // ???: It hasn¡¯t been revealed yet. Targets and Allies: Everything will be considered either a target or an ally. A target is the receiver of any harmful abilities, and an ally is the receiver of helpful abilities. An easy way to think about them are enemies and friends. You hurt enemies and you help friends. It is mainly used to differentiate between good guy and bad guy in ability descriptions (e.g. ally receives heal, target receives damage) Italicized: Anything italicized and capitalized is either a Keyword or a name/location in the info section Keyword: A keyword is basically a word that sums up all of its ¡®parts¡¯ in a single word, a variable so to speak. For example, the keyword for this section of the Guide would be Glossary. Keywords are also usually defined if they are in an ability (e.g. Targets marked with Shimmer deal 20% less damage. Targets marked with Shade take 40% more damage.). Keywords are also usually colored and darkened to make them stand out in the text. Cooldown: An amount of time that passes between after an ability is used and when it is available to use again. Health bars and mana (cost) will be covered in a later Guide.
Let¡¯s move on to Active abilities. Looking at Ben Roswell¡¯s Active ability from last chapter, when he activated his ability, a box appeared:
Mountain Rage Cost: 120 MANA
Cooldown: 10 seconds
B // Ben slams targets in an area in front of him dealing high damage. SLAM DAMAGE: 410
We¡¯ll get to the colors and rankings soon. When you see this box, you¡¯ll know immediately it¡¯s an ability, as it has all four components. In an Active ability, there are four main parts: the Ability Name, the Cost and Cooldown, the Description, and the Values. Generally characters only have 3 or less Active abilities for the sake of keeping things fair-ish. It¡¯s also much easier to remember only 3 Actives, or at least the gist of what they do. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Next, we will take a look at a Passive. Passives are:
  1. Always active and doing something
  2. Always ready to interact with abilities
In some cases, it¡¯s both. Below is an example of the second case.
Reaver¡¯s Dualescense
B+ // Aythe applies Shimmer or Shade to everything he damages, which allows him to activate his abilities. Targets marked with Shimmer deal 20% less damage. Targets marked with Shade take 40% more damage. SHIMMER WEAKENING: 20%
SHADE VULNERABILITY: 40%
When Aythe deals damage to any targets either Shade or Shimmer is applied to them, two Keywords defined as making targets take 40% more damage or deal 20% less damage. These values can be found on the right side in the Values section. It is also a B+, meaning it is well rounded in damage (Shade) and utility (Shimmer) but lacking an ¡°oomph¡± factor. The Ability Name, Reaver¡¯s Dualescense, is colored light red meaning it¡¯s a damaging-type ability (see bottom of page). As you can see, Passives only have three components: Ability Name, Description, and Values. It is missing the Cost and Cooldown. Next, we have Innate abilities. There are no examples of Innate abilities in Ch.2 (Chocolate Eyes), so below is a made up ability which will never appear again for the sake of demonstration.
Smooth Brain
D+ // ???¡¯s intelligence cannot be lowered nor raised by abilities. C // ??? walks fast.
Innate abilities can be described as a talent of sorts. In this case, ??? has 2 Innate abilities being the ability to walk fast and be unaffected by anything that could make them smarter or stupider. Innates are given to characters from birth, so everyone in MMO has an Innate ability, and sometimes they could have multiple. As you can see, there are only 2 components in an Innate ability: the Ability Name and the Description. The last part of an ability kit is the Ultimate ability, which will not be covered in this Guide. Lastly are the grades and the colors. The grading system in MMO is very lenient/generous compared to other grading systems in the genre, and the exactness of how I as an author judge the ability will be shown below the grades: T Foundational Ability F Self-harm; anti-synergy D- Useless D Terrible D+ Situational C- Unreliable C One-dimension C+ Mediocre B- Solid B Strong B+ Consistent A- Balanced A Valuable A+ Bread and Butter S- Dynamic S Nuclear S+ Overpowered V Equally Affects All Here is an ability that can be found in any generic LitRPG fantasy in the MMO format (this is how I envision another person would grade it:
Pulse Arrows Cost: 40 MANA
Cooldown: 8 seconds
D- // The user shoots 5 mana arrows that fly quickly and deal low damage each. DAMAGE: 120
The reason people do it like this is most likely because this ability has an upgrade that is significantly better in their version of it. However, if I was to rate it, it would be an A. Like, a potential 600 damage per cast on such a low cooldown and costing hardly any mana at all? And because it¡¯s an arrow, it¡¯s also ranged and therefore would be a great way to reliably do damage while maintaining distance. You¡¯ll see more of my odd grading system soon enough, for you readers that are interested about it. The colors are last. You can find these colors in an ability, highlighting which specific portion of the ability does what, or telling what the general idea of the ability is depending on the color of its name. Damage Regen Shield Movement Utility Stat Change Multiple Different Effects Other Mana Health That¡¯s all for this Guide to Understanding. 3 - CHILDHOOD FRIENDS 3: CHILDHOOD FRIENDS // 7:39 A.M. // 8 - 28 - 2023 // Oakcrest Plaza Starring ??? Featuring ??? and ??? // I looked out the passenger¡¯s window. The cute little house was slowly disappearing behind us. I wish I had never left there. The two weeks ever since I took over Gwen Olynn¡¯s body had been an absolute pain, but yet I would so much rather be back at the house, and not stuffed with two guys beside me. The moment I woke up that day, I screamed. My hair was near identical to what I remembered in the my own world, straight and shoulder-length, neat raven black hair. But my eyes weren¡¯t supposed to be blue. A petite face and big eyes, I almost swore an eternal love oath to myself when I looked in my little mirror, a mirror I had never seen before. I was a looker. I immediately knew what I was and had a good guess what had happened. I was that one girl from those shounen animes, the one where the plot-armored black-hair-handsome fellow took care (no, no. That wasn''t true. He would watch over her and pet her like a dog while she was taking her final breaths) of her as she lays sick on the hospital bed for 50 damn episodes. And then she would either keel over and die or the hero would find some unassuming miracle herb to save her with all his little sidekicks and minions. With my luck, I¡¯d be taking the first route. And how did I know that I was the chronically sick kid? The moment I got out of bed, I almost slumped over. My head was heavier than bricks and pounded like bongo drums. My ears popped constantly until they faded to a dull ring, and then vile rushed up my throat. And my stomach. Oh, gracious lord, my stomach. ¡ªGurgle. RRRP And by then I¡¯d already seen myself in the mirror. Not a hair out of place. I was dying, and I looked cute doing it. Right then and there I laid back down onto my bed and perished on the spot. It was only by a thread of miracle that my dad walked in after hearing my scream and tugged my soul back into my body. I begged him to let go as he dragged me back. Later that day, while I was sick in bed this itty bitty little boy came into my room. It wasn¡¯t like he was a child, but rather just a really, really short guy. He had very dark, neat and long-ish, almost purple hair and similar eyes. The boy looked to be of Eurasian descent, and wasn¡¯t half bad looking. He also looked like the type of person who could give a professional rapper a run for their money. A puffer jacket loosely hung over his shoulders like he had just taken it off but didn¡¯t know where to put it. ¡°Are you sick again?¡± He said. And that¡¯s when the weirdest thing happened. ======================== Answer Memory Overtake Will you use a Guide? Yes//No ======================== In front of my face, a screen had popped up like the UI for an RPG video game. Answer? Memory? What was a Guide? Back then I had chosen Overtake. My reason? I had stolen a body, right? It only seemed right to give it back. I prepared for the heavens to call me up, but nothing happened. My head turned to the side, even though I was completely still. ¡°And you¡¯re here again, Avil?¡± I said. When I looked up in surprise, I didn¡¯t look up. It was like I was in a really realistic nightmare. ¡°What would you even do if I wasn¡¯t here to keep you company?¡± He said. ¡°Hmm? Wait for Visionaire¡¯s next song and sleep.¡± I hadn¡¯t even known those words, much less wanted to say them. The angels were still not yet here to pick me up. They were running really late. And the words had kept coming out of my mouth. ¡°Hey, why do you keep coming here?¡± ¡°I told you, to keep you company.¡± He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. ¡°Haven¡¯t we been friends since we were like, 2? So you don¡¯t like me being here?¡± I was silent. ¡®No, I want you to leave and I want God to TAKE ME BACK AND WAKE ME UP,¡¯ I screamed. I didn¡¯t scream. I didn¡¯t make a peep. Instead, I sniffed. I remember sweating like crazy, the pain so crazy intense and flaring inside and outside of me and yet she kept on talking almost completely unfazed. ¡°You already know that it¡¯s not infectious. It¡¯s probably my allergies again.¡± ¡°The one where you¡¯re allergic to yourself? You said that yesterday.¡± ¡°We went to the Agent Institute for all that training just for me to be stuck like a little princess in bed.¡± She grumbled. At least we agreed on something. I did look like a princess, and she probably was the damsel in distress ¡°That¡¯s not completely¡­ wrong¡­¡± Avil suddenly muttered. ¡°Huh? You¡¯re mumbling again.¡± Oh crap, Avil, God no. ¡°I said, you¡¯re like a¡­¡± he trailed off. Princess. Just say that you like this Gwen character and move on with your day. Simp. ¡°K, idiot. Get out, you¡¯re giving me a headache.¡± She said bluntly, shaking her head tiredly. She wasn¡¯t wrong, my head was about to split open. No, of course I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. The heavens were playing a cruel prank. I couldn¡¯t move, but I could feel. I couldn¡¯t say anything, but words came out. It wasn¡¯t me moving, and it wasn¡¯t me saying those things though. If the body¡¯s owner had come back to life, then why wasn¡¯t I being spared from their stupid conversation?! Back then I had silent screamed in my head. Now I know better than to use Overtake. My name is Gwen in this world. The tiny kid is my childhood best friend Avil and we are somehow 16 years old. And the hot one¡ªI mean, uhh, what? Oh yeah, he¡¯s Avil¡¯s other best friend. He¡¯s an orphan taken in by Avil¡¯s parents. They are technically brothers. The next day he came again while I was still in bed. Yep. Once a sick kid, always a sick kid. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± Avil pulled open the door. The Guide then appeared again. At the top right corner, 5 days, 47 minutes. I refused to use it. Earlier that day when I had woken up again, I was in full control of Gwen¡¯s body. I used all the precious seconds I could to research about the world on the phone lying beside my head so I wouldn¡¯t have to use another Guide. I was armed with knowledge and the power of the Internet. Teachers lied. Wikipedia was awesome. ¡°Hey.¡± It hit me then that I had no clue about Gwen¡¯s general behaviors. Should I say more? Should I ask him something, what should I do? I didn¡¯t waver a bit, no I didn¡¯t. ¡°What do you think I¡¯m supposed to do when we get to Arc?¡± I asked as nonchalantly as possible. Thank goodness for my insanely good poker face. ¡°Hmm? Oh, Arc. I guess you can, I don¡¯t know¡­ get carried on a stretcher?¡± ¡°I smell sarcasm.¡± I said off the top of my head. It was then that I decided to simply say what came to my mind. Not my body, not my consequences. No stress. ¡°You said you can¡¯t smell things when you¡¯re sick,¡± he replied, ¡°oh, but for your information you smell pretty good.¡± ¡°What was that?¡± I feigned ignorance. Who goes around telling people how they smell? The perverts and the stalkers. That¡¯s who. He came by 3 more times on the 3 following days before he finally stopped showing up. On the 6th day I ¡®met¡¯ Cedrance for the first time. That day I had finally gotten out of bed (with only a mild headache), and as soon as I opened my door my parents shooed me away to Avil¡¯s house next door. I couldn¡¯t even tour ¡®my¡¯ own house. I knocked twice. A moment after Avil answered the door. It was the first time I was standing next to Avil, all the other times I was laying in bed. I knew he was short before, but goodness. The top of his head barely even reached my nose. I¡¯m 5 feet tall. We were both really short. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re not sick anymore.¡± He said blandly. Was he the same boy that was so obviously smitten with me before? ¡°Come inside.¡± Cute was an understatement to describe the house. It was a replica of my own with a slightly different layout, the dining table at the entrance and the kitchen behind it in the other room. Besides that was a rustic couch in the living room that stretched out in front of a mounted TV. On the other side of the wall near the kitchen was the backyard. I was slightly astounded with how big the yard was. It was full of flowers and strawberries and aloes that littered the far back fence overseeing a gorgeous view of the city below. We lived on a mountain, I had realized. I really liked the house; it was home like no other, had a gorgeous yard, a cat named Momo who was on the sofa, and an upstairs area I hadn¡¯t explored yet. I could hear Avil¡¯s parents talking to each other upstairs loudly. The floor plan was similar enough to what I saw in my own; my room was downstairs at my house, and I spotted it in the hall beside the dining room. I opened the door, and then immediately closed it. Hot dude. Looking in my direction. Laying in bed. Huddled like a penguin. Blue hair. I was totally inside some sort of anime. He would be the protagonist. But why was he in Avil¡¯s house? ¡°Hey, Gwen,¡± Avil said behind her. I startled into the wall and yelped. ¡°What are you doing snooping in Ced¡¯s room? You usually neeeever do that.¡± He winked. ¡°A sudden change of heart?¡± ¡°U-uh, I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be in the house today,¡± I lied as convincingly as possible. ¡°Yeah, and he¡¯d be with his girlfriend? She¡¯s out of town and we have barely any time before Arc starts, so why wouldn¡¯t he be in bed?¡± He pressed forward. ¡°I¡¯ve never asked this before, but why do you hate him?¡± I gaped. What¡­? Who could hate such a pretty face? Oh, Gwen, you have bad taste. ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± I said firmly. Play along. If this was an anime, he could definitely hear me right now. ¡°Unlike you, I just find him dull to be around.¡± I tried to keep my face as straight as possible. The screen looming over my head could go jump into a ditch. It showed the same 3 options again, but I ignored it. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Suddenly a screen popped up in front of me. ======================== ¡®Gwen Olynn¡¯ has been rewarded for the following action(s): [Compliment Avil Daniase, Diss Cedrance Manamune] Reward: Guide (1) Amount of Guides: 2 ? 3 ======================== I stared at the notification. Hello? What were these horrendous names? Olynn was okay, but¡­ was this world really that resigned to anime? ¡°Hoho?¡± Avil snickered. He didn¡¯t seem to notice the huge screen in front of his face. He slightly brightened and I realized I was inadvertently staring at him. Clearing his throat a bit, Avil walked away. ¡°Do whatever, I¡¯m feeding Momo. Wakey wakey, you fat mooch!¡± The fat mooch screeched. I was getting mixed signals. Did he like me or not? What¡¯s a notification, what are Guides, what is this anime? I walked around in a daze after that and nothing particularly eventful happened. It was sort of like that for the rest of the week, but I finally figured out a bit about the system. That also meant I had more questions. First was that I couldn¡¯t say anything about the fact that this wasn¡¯t my world, my body, my life, basically anything related to reality. My tongue would trip and a bunch of random words would instead come out, or not even come out at all. Second were the notifications. Later that week I tried doing the same thing, pissing off Cedrance and giving Avil some nice words. I got funny and annoyed looks instead. No notification, no reward. I couldn¡¯t figure out much about it. And lastly, the Guides. Seeing that I could earn back my Guides or wait a week to get another one, I decided to try a Memory, as I already had a vague idea of what an Answer would do. In bed, when I called it out, my head spun in different directions as if a toddler was shaking my brain and eyeballs like a pair of maracas. Everything moved, and I felt my body less and less as the system began counting down. It was a really unpleasant experience. A bunch of screens popped up like the notification inside my head. By that point I had been completely passed out. When the success message finally popped up, it came alongside a keyword: FACETS Facet. That word means the sides of an object. You see one side, but you can¡¯t see the other, because the wall is too long and tall for you to see around it. But if you walk to the end of the wall or climb a ladder, you can see the other facet. My final realization was that Gwen was sick. She was physically sick, to a disgusting amount. And she sickened me. She was a disgusting person. // 7:58 A.M. // 8 - 28 - 2023 // Oakcrest Plaza Starring Avil Daniase Featuring Cedrance Manamune, Gwen Olynn, and Aythe Siena // The sign at the end of the street read ¡®Portal Facility¡¯. Oakcrest was long behind us, as was my month of adapting to the new and unfamiliar world. I was in the middle seat between Ced and Gwen. Gwen looked out the window and said nothing, as did Ced. Besides the obvious height difference, they were a lot more alike than they admitted. And also that Ced was Awakened, while Gwen and I were still plebeians. I comparatively looked like a minion next to them both. I grunted. It was getting awkwardly silent besides the constant sound of the car going forward. It felt like hours had passed when we reached our destination. We reached an entrance gate and showed our identifications to the agents, who wore black uniforms with the crest of Holimont, a silhouette of a rose. Holimont, I knew, was the guild partnered with Arc for its preference of safety and order over raids and fights. They were the strongest guild of law enforcers. Two agents escorted our car into a large building. They stopped us at another checkpoint and we were scanned for harboring demons and checked our luggage and backpacks. Afterwards we finally said goodbye to my ¡®parents¡¯ who had driven us. One of the agents took my parents back and we were led down a hallway. There were many doors, each labeled with a different place. The cameras above monitored us like hawks. I subconsciously held my belongings closer to me. At last we reached the door marked for Arc. It was slightly taller and more prominent than the rest. We walked nervously into the room and saw the huge portal, which slightly shimmered with mana. It was as pretty as the ocean. Not many words had passed between the three of us from when we got into the car to now. ¡°Well, walk through,¡± the agent said, ¡°it¡¯s a seamless entrance from here to Arc. Best of luck, kids.¡± Ced was the first one to go through. He didn¡¯t bring much along with him besides some clothes and his phone. It was as if he disappeared into a distorted lens when he stepped through. Then Ced was gone. Gwen took a deep breath. She gave me a quick glance. ¡°Well?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I nodded. ¡°In a second.¡± She also disappeared into the portal. I was the last one. The agent stood there, watching me. He didn¡¯t beckon me to move forward, he didn¡¯t move at all. His eyes simply were on me. I took a few steps forward, then broke into a sprint headfirst through. I felt nothing as I passed through, but then my eyes were suddenly blinded by an onslaught of light, and then landed on my butt. I sat for a moment. The air felt cooler, though I was still clearly indoors. It was like a very brightly lit waiting room of sorts, lined with rows of chairs and people. Gwen and Cedrance groggily waved at me, also sitting down, and also clearly affected by the change in setting. ¡°Up and moving!¡± Someone, a woman¡¯s voice, yelled in my ear. ¡°You, you, and you, get up! You guys think you¡¯re the only ones just gone through?¡± She sounded like a drill commander, a very scary and angry one at that. The whole room was filled with the sounds of yelling, and looking around there were a few more kids about my age being told off by other instructors. I pulled my body upwards and immediately came face to face with the yelling woman. She was wearing a uniform. ¡°I said, MOVE!¡± I tumbled forward, and so did the others. We were all walking up to a machine beside the exit, and we were also overwhelmed by the suddenness of it all. A flashing red light began probing me as I walked up to the exit door, then turned into a flicker of green. ¡®Approved.¡¯ A woman''s voice sounded from the probing machine. I trudged a couple steps and pushed open the door. Again I was blinded, but this time by sunlight. It shone magnificently against my skin and I felt a tingle of sweat beginning to form around my collar. The air was pleasant, full of the subtleness of a seaside resort. Arc was a huge academy designed to train the prospective Awakened young generation, and was situated on an island in the middle of the Pacific. Someone online wrote that it was as big as San Francisco, and that it had access to dungeons and portals all over the world. Modern defined every aspect of it, from the elegant entrance and the beautiful but lively mall bustling about. In the distance, a large defining arc went from one side of the main buildings to the other, like a glass bridge of sorts. It looked similar to a prestigious university school brimming with state of the art equipment. At least, that was what the videos had told me. Now that I was seeing it in person¡­ ¡°I didn¡¯t think that it would be so fancy,¡± Gwen stood in awe beside me. I could only think of animes that were this impressive. She was staring up at the lecture buildings that resembled something from a college, buildings which were a very long way away and covered by masses of trees and other buildings. How good were her eyes? We had just left the portal room, which was in the middle of the town on the island. It had been built alongside Arc to accommodate the students, who weren¡¯t allowed to leave the island without permission, as well as graduates and simply people. It was a lively area, full of businesses, restaurants and a mall. I was confused on how we would buy anything, though. We had brought no money. Closer to the actual main school itself were the dorms, split into boys and girls. According to many videos and tours, the dorms were tiered: the lower one¡¯s school rank was, the less pretty their dorm would be. However to me the worst dorms still looked pretty decent, with everything one could possibly need. Nevertheless, everything on the island was gorgeous. It would make the richest of rich people feel basic. Maybe that¡¯s what happens when you get accepted into such a good school. I still had no clue what Avil had done or was able to do to have gotten a spot at Arc. Or Gwen, for that matter. Especially Gwen. I pulled my phone and checked the time. 8:12. 18 minutes until the ceremony began. There was a large screen to my left that people were lining up to use. It was a map of the entire island, and the people there were students. I watched a little closer, the person who was using it was trying to figure out how to get to the Square. Luckily I already knew where to go. Glancing around, I realized Cedrance was also in line. Did he not know or something? I went up to him, cutting through a few people who grumbled at me and tugged at his elbow. He didn¡¯t react and kept staring up ahead at the screen. I faintly smelled popcorn in the air. ¡°Hey, wake up Ced. Ced.¡± I finally caught his attention, and he turned to look at me. Well, look down at me. ¡°Bro, did you bring your kid to Arc?¡± A guy in line guffawed. I looked around but couldn¡¯t recognize the person who had said that. He definitely stood out with his extraordinarily curly brown hair, an almost freckled and textured color of sorts. His eyes also stood out with the same prettiness but also with the cool-kid-and-I-know-it kind of expression. And he looked rich. It wasn¡¯t the kind of rich invested into his clothes, but of his posture and almost revealing gym-blessed bod and fit. Cedrance quite literally looked down on me, but it was almost funny how even though the guy stood at Ced¡¯s height he looked down. "He''s a gremlin child as stupid as you." What was with this sudden aggression? ¡°Morning," Cedrance yawned. "What brings you here, Aythe? Can''t find your way around? Me too." ¡°At least you know how much of an imbecile you are.¡± ¡°It looks like you don¡¯t even know how much you¡¯re giving your guild such a bad name.¡± Ced responded indifferently. "Says the orphan affiliated with nothing but mud." Oh, so it¡¯s a Tuesday? "And for the record, I''m better than you. Last year was a fluke. You were practically the teacher''s child." Aythe looked down at me. "Looks like you have a child of your own. Who''d you have fun with? Go play with the kids, you." ¡°He¡¯s not my kid. Avil is my brother!¡± Annoyance bulged in my neck. What was this corny dialogue coming from these two bots? I pulled up a Guide. Answer. ======================== Option 1) ¡°#### off, virgin-### ugly #####, don¡¯t you have better things to do like make ####### lick your ### and **** *******? C¡¯mon, how can a tactless #### like you be the Angels of Crap¡¯s next big thing?¡± Option 2) ¡°Go kiss your daddy¡¯s ### and ask your little info team where to go. Maybe they¡¯ll answer you, like how they warned your latest dead team in that dungeon. Oh wait, they¡¯re idiots and disgraces. Like you, dip####, Mr. Sockets for Jaws.¡± Option 3) ¡°Eat ####, Goldilocks. Ced, come on, don¡¯t hurt his ego any more and let¡¯s go. It¡¯s so fragile that I just sat on it, it¡¯s an accident I swear. Like your daddy¡¯s condom.¡± ======================== I burst out laughing. Avil wasn¡¯t afraid when it came to language. It was hilarious, I fell down in fits of laughter and cackles, oh God I couldn¡¯t hold it back. Aythe looked down at me in disgust, and a few people in line glanced at us. ¡°What are you laughing at, minion motherfu¡ª¡± I cracked. I wanted to say all of it. ======================== Two Guides were used. ¡®Avil¡¯ has used all three Options. Amount of Guides: 3 ? 1 ======================== My mouth began to move on it¡¯s own, and my body language matched the words. Oh, I hadn¡¯t meant to do that. But I didn¡¯t regret it. It was so funny, and it was so real. I was howling in my head as my words came out. ¡°Eat ****, Goldilocks,¡± Avil fired. He was a pro at this. Aythe¡¯s face morphed into a tomato, and Cedrance was clearly horrified. The other kids in line were howling along with me, tears of funny falling wetting their cheeks and dust splotching their faces from falling to the floor, also out of laughter. The moment was more golden than the flecks on Aythe¡¯s hair. ======================== ¡®Avil Daniase¡¯ has done the following actions: [Embarrass and Anger Aythe Siena, Horrify Cedrance Manamune, Protect the Little Brother, Curse Out Aythe Siena, Cause a Scene, Call Out Aythe Siena, Nickname Aythe Siena ¡®Goldilocks¡¯] Reward: Guide (1), Settings Adjustment Amount of Guide: 1 ? 2 NEW Settings Adjustment: ¡®Avil Daniase¡¯ can choose up to 3 Options when prompted with a Catalog. ======================== Another screen appeared. ======================== ¡®Aythe Siena¡¯, ¡®Gwen Olynn¡¯ and other people in line acknowledge ¡®Avil Daniase¡¯ as a threat! ======================== ¡°And sit down, Goldilocks!¡± I hooted, walking away with Cedrance in my arms. He was as stiff as cardboard and followed along, almost fearfully. Gwen, who was in the notification, also walked behind us. I felt her stare on the back of my head like lasers. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I would never do that to you, Ced and Gwen.¡± I reassured them, still giggling. ¡°You¡¯re insane,¡± Gwen muttered. ¡°I heard that,¡± I called back, and she flinched. We walked onwards for a little while. Cedrance suddenly straightened. ¡°Wait one second. No, go to the Square, I¡¯ll find you there.¡± ¡°Hey, what do you mean, are you going somewhere?¡± I grabbed his arm but he tugged away. ¡°I¡¯ll come back in a little bit.¡± He dashed off before I could react. ¡°Ced! Where are you going? We¡¯re already here!¡± I yelled after him. But my words couldn¡¯t catch up to him, and he disappeared behind the bend. 4 - JUDGE AND EXECUTION 4: JUDGE AND EXECUTION // 8:24 A.M. // 8 - 28 - 2023 // ARC Starring Cedrance Manamune Featuring ??? // ¡°Serene!¡± He called. His feet tapped lightly on the grass, the air brushing past his face as he ran. ¡°Serene!¡± Cedrance was sure he had seen her long and faded brown hair passing in the distance with some sketchy figures, a group of girls escorting a very reluctant, almost scared Serene. Cedrance couldn¡¯t recognize any one of them. The shade flickered to sunlight and back constantly as he put on more speed under the trees, sticking closer to the hedges that surrounded the main school campus. Rounding the corner he almost ran into a group of people, who scattered slightly but couldn¡¯t get annoyed, because Cedrance was already gone. He knew she had gone this way¡­ but where were they? Here there were no more shops, and the town and portal room were left far behind. Instead it was like a scenic park that surrounded the outside of the school. Someone suddenly screamed. // 8:27 A.M. // 8 - 28 - 2023 // ARC Starring Serene Goldwin Featuring ???, ???, and Cedrance Manamune // ¡°Like hell I¡¯m going in there,¡± I stared at the door of the public restroom. Suddenly I was pushed forward and tumbled inside, my hands outstretched and caught my fall. I whipped my head around angrily and Melinda slapped me. My cheek was red hot. I understood now. They weren¡¯t my ¡®friends¡¯. Serene, my body, was an idiot for following along with them. That was a stupid Answer. Melinda was an impish looking idiot, a green hoodie and brown hair down to her waist. Rich, popular, annoying, and smelled like makeup. I didn¡¯t bother to learn the names of the 4 other girls standing beside her and sneering at me like buffoons. I rubbed my burning cheek. ¡°So you¡¯re the infamous Serene Goldwin,¡± the bully purred. She looked at me up and down and frowned. That¡¯s right, girl, I¡¯m pretty. I¡¯m richer than you, probably, the roll-your-r¡¯s type of rich. If there¡¯s one thing I knew for sure when I came to this world, it would be that I was downright hot. No ifs, no buts. ¡°What about it?¡± I asked sorely. ¡°How the hell did you get him?¡± Straight to the point, I see. ¡°Why don¡¯t we take this outside of a bathroom?¡± I stood to leave but they barred me. Melinda then grabbed my hair and I gasped as the flaring of pain spiked all over the top of my head, like every pore was on fire. What face was I making right now? A scared one? ¡°Tell me!¡± She screamed at me. ¡°How did you do it, you whore, you bi¡ª!¡± I punched her as hard as I could, and she slammed against the floor. If there was something on my face, it was annoyance. Or anger. The girls behind her gasped and moved to stop me as I stood up and grabbed her collar. ¡°You¡¯re jealous, aren¡¯t you? I¡¯ve seen it time and time again! You¡¯re no different, you¡¯re just scum, after me because he likes me,¡± I spit. Then my back hit the floor again as another girl threw me down. I laid there, dazed for a moment. My head hadn¡¯t hit the floor that hard, thankfully. Her hair was maroon and she had a scar running down her chin. She looked like a monster of a human. She lifted a hand and all the other girls backed down. ¡°Oh, you better say your sorry and your prayer now,¡± the girl lifted her fist. Rage. I didn¡¯t learn martial arts for nothing. Her fist flew and slammed into my jaw, and an agonizing pain coursed through my chin, but I bore through and ducked inwards as she threw her second fist, and I grabbed and hugged on at her left leg as tightly as I could. The girl tried to kick at me, though I held on. Just as she decided to punch me instead, my legs flew upwards and grappled onto her. I gave her a hard kick on the jaw and leaped forward to capitalize as she fell backwards, and then slid on top of her. She had no time to react as my elbow raised and slammed it into her face as hard as I could. A loud crack and groan. I inspected my elbow quickly. Blood. She wouldn¡¯t die, if she was strong. The first bully leaped in to catch me off guard but I turned my head and flung up into her charge, my hair flurrying up and blinding her. Then she fell to the ground hard with a loud crack as I rolled back to lessen the damage. I inhaled quickly the other girls screamed at me, clearly surprised at my prowess. Blood was pounding down my head furiously now. Were they all unawakened? How wasn¡¯t I being blasted yet? More girls closed in. Melinda groaned loudly and face down on the ground. I suddenly had a stroke of genius. As fast as I could, I pounced on top of her and rolled her over so she faced upwards. Her mug was bruised and a streak of blood ran down her forehead. I took her left arm and threw my other leg around it and left my other leg near her spread-out right arm, then laid back so that her arm was on my chest and we laid perpendicular with me on top facing at the ceiling. Then I pulled up slowly. Then she started screaming. She struggled to get me off, and the other girls finally started slamming down on me, but I held on to all their dismay. Blood. ¡°Stop! Please! I give up, I give up! Stop, stop stop! Ow, GOD!! AHH!! PLEASE,¡± she begged and cursed, trails of ugly snot and tears stained her face. My own was stained with blood as they kept punching the daylights out of me, panic and desperation etched into their every clawing nails and frenzied attacks. I would be bruised and scarred for as long as I lived. My hostage plan was going very wrong. ¡°AHHHHGGG!!¡± The girl howled. She was moving more than ever now, and the girls tried to move me but I held steadfast. But I was blacking out. Everything was going wrong. I made my final decision. She would go down with me. How was nobody here to intervene? In the bathroom, six girls were fighting for their lives. With every last bit of strength I could muster, I turned onto my stomach. ¡ªCRRRACK The bully¡¯s scream was deafening as her arm twisted, and bent. And snapped, clean in half. She wailed a horrible, bloody cry of anguish. The onslaught of kicks and attempts to pull me off ceased. The ring in my ear followed the scream, drowning out all the noise around me. My whole face swelled and bled, as did the rest of my body. They had taken care not to kill me, but only that would have stopped me. Breathing was insanely difficult from the snot, tears, and blood, and I throbbed and ached and hurt like never before. It was the worst feeling of my life. The very last sensation of consciousness was the feeling of being picked up into the air. And then I blacked out. // 10:14 A.M. // 8 - 28 - 2023 // ARC Starring Zendolyn Ato Featuring Avil Daniase, Gwen Olynn, and ??? // I didn¡¯t recognize anyone as I walked down with the unawakened group in the sleek white paths in the sweltering heat of the sun. It was as if I was in an extremely high-end mall, except without the shopping and restaurants. Everything here looked like something one would expect from a futuristic academia, from the modernness of the designs to the giant glass doors, and yet there were some recognizable characteristics that made the place also feel like it could exist in the real world like the standard but intimidating looking gym, the vending machines, and the Olympic-sized swimming pool we passed by. The dorms were only ten minutes behind us. Many other students and upperclassmen passed by us, and made me feel very subconscious about myself. Then I remembered that this body wasn¡¯t mine and I felt better. The campus felt so open, and humongous to boot. So many things caught my attention from the obvious portal room to the grand cafeteria in the distance. What would a cafeteria in my world serve? I received a few odd looks as we walked on. It made me wonder what they were thinking about as they set their eyes on me. Then I frowned. Was it the disowned status? Or was I gaping too much? After another minute of quiet steps, we finally stopped at another door. The sign on the wall beside it read ¡°G-Wing, UAH2¡±. Unawakened homeroom. The teacher, who stood at the front, opened the door. He was a tall, strong, and exceptionally clich¨¦-looking character beside with a baseball cap. Looking into the classroom, it was about as I expected: a wonderfully open and large auditorium lined with ascending rows of seats and a long, connected table, as clich¨¦ as I expected it to be. The ceiling lights were bright but there were no windows to see outside. Up at the front was a huge whiteboard and a podium. As I was the last to walk in, the doors closed behind me. I walked up the steps and took my place around the left center, a row where nobody was sitting. It was where I felt was safest. The students in the room had all sorts of strange and defining features that would make the word plain feel like a commodity. Even the very short boy who sat behind me had mid length dark purple hair and large eyes, yet that wasn¡¯t as special as the girl beside him who had pitch black hair. She kept glancing around the room and caught my eyes with her own, a mesmerizing foggy and misty ocean. Somehow they faintly reminded me of something, or someone, and yet nothing at the same time. I looked back to the front. When everyone settled down the teacher began to talk, first by taking attendance. My name was the first. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. ¡°Zendolyn Ato.¡± Everyone turned to stare at me. ¡°Here¡­?¡± ¡°Mason Auric.¡± ¡°Here!¡± ¡­ I was okay. I let out a sigh of relief. ¡°Avil Daniase.¡± The boy behind me responded, ¡°Here.¡± Wait. Say what? ¡°Jennifer D¡¯angel.¡± Avil Daniase? I looked back cautiously. That was the name of one of my main characters. Mini little Avil who went through the puberty to end all puberties. I didn¡¯t expect the purple hair, or the almost gangster-like energy he brought to the room. And if his personality was as I remembered writing, then the girl besides him was¡­ ¡°Gwen Olynn.¡± The girl beside him raised her hand. ¡°Here.¡± Both of them were together. I didn¡¯t know what to think. Gwen didn¡¯t look as sickly as I wrote her to be, and yet she also didn¡¯t look healthy with very pale skin. ¡°Melinda Yeh.¡± Silence. ¡°No Melinda? Alright then, Christopher Yoo.¡± The last hand raised up. ¡°Here.¡± Afterwards the man at the front introduced himself as Professor Justin and proceeded quickly in an impatient tone that he didn¡¯t expect to be teaching this class very long. ¡°Because,¡± he said, ¡°you guys are going to become Awakened soon, with everything we¡¯re going to do to you.¡± A few students shuddered, including me. ¡°Historically this class is always empty after the fourth month or so,¡± he reassured us. He then waved us off and dismissed us to my surprise. ¡°Today was an easy day, and we¡¯ll leave it at that. Tomorrow, though, is a real day. Prepare yourselves, make sure to wear your uniforms, and see you all in class at 8:30 in the morning tomorrow.¡± He quickly rushed out of the room, muttering about an appointment. At that I took it as my cue to leave, but then remembered how people were staring at me earlier. I glanced around me and noticed a few eyes turning back to stare at me. I knew how this game worked. Inhale. Out. I turned around to the pair behind me. ¡°Hey, Avil and Gwen, right?¡± I said brightly and tried a friendly smile. Thank you, pretty voice, thank you. A Guide popped up but I ignored it. ¡°I got a little bit lost when Professor Carmela was talking about the point system earlier. Could you guys help me a little bit, please?¡± I suddenly thought, what if we already knew each other? Did they dislike me? Oh, what have I done? The boy looked back at the girl, who shrugged. He blinked, ¡°Aren¡¯t you Zendolyn Ato? Never mind, your hair and voice make that obvious. Well, you get points from¡­¡± He seemed to know the gossip surrounding me, but didn¡¯t press. I was safe. I swept my eyes around the rest of the room. People¡¯s eyes were averted. We were all unconfident unawakened kids, and earlier I was alone. Crowd interrogation only happens when people have confidence to ask, but now I was no longer alone. Good. I looked behind him and turned to look at the rest of the room. They flinched at eye contact. ¡°Well, thanks, Avil,¡± I said after he finished. ¡°No prob.¡± He probably didn¡¯t understand that he saved me from a sticky situation. ¡°I¡¯m going off to the dorms now to settle in.¡± I nodded at Gwen, who didn¡¯t acknowledge me. ¡°See you guys tomorrow.¡± By then everyone had already left the room and it was just us 3. The loud clacking of footsteps eased the awkward quietness as I left the room. I poked my head out the door. Look left. Look right. No eyes on me. Run. I was completely out of breath as I entered a reception gate that guarded the dorms. I had already caught a glimpse of the tops of them from the outside. It looked like I was going to have a nice stay. Inside, I noticed a few students sauntering around the lobby with three others in the line, the one in front talking to the receptionist, who¡¯s counter was in between two glass doors that lead out to the main area. A mini waterfall bubbled on one side of the room, and the couch and TV were occupied on the other side. How early was I? Everyone else was probably going to the mall and having a blast or earning points. I checked my backpack. No money to speak of. I probably wasn¡¯t eating tonight until I got some points. The first one looked to be around my age, a guy with short and pale green hair. Main character alert. But I didn¡¯t remember writing about such a timid looking guy, though. He seemed to be having the most awkward conversation of his life. The woman behind the counter had a loud voice that carried over to me. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sorry but we don¡¯t have any more options unless you have any points.¡± She explained with a pained face. ¡°O-oh. Okay,¡± the boy¡¯s nervousness was spilling out in his twitching fingers and stuttering breaths. ¡°I understand.¡± Thank you, green head. You spared me from asking myself. ¡°Dean Harvest, please take your watch.¡± I noted the name, then glanced at my own bare wrists. Before leaving, an Agent had confiscated my own watch saying it was the property of Silverdawn. I was so relieved when I heard at the entrance ceremony that students without that watch would be provided one by the school as a welcome gift at any place owned by the school, which was the whole island. ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± he sputtered, then he grabbed the watch and dashed out the door to the main area. The next girl came up to talk to her and I took my place in line. When it was finally my turn, the receptionist greeted me, ¡°Hello, how can I help you today?¡± I pointed at my wrist. ¡°Can I get a watch?¡± She nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll need your name.¡± ¡°Zendolyn Ato.¡± Her eyebrow raised, but dipped back down instantly as if it was just an instinctual twitch. She knew. Her fingers clacked on the keyboard and nodded again. ¡°Please scan your finger on this,¡± she said and placed a small white device on the counter towards me. It looked like a card scanner, except with nowhere to swipe a card and a gray drawn outline of a fingerprint. I obliged and placed my finger on, then suppressed a grunt. A wave of tingling spread from my finger throughout my body and then stopped, as if I had been mildly pulsed with a machine. What was that? ¡°All right, Zendolyn Ato, you¡¯re good to go. This is yours to keep and will not be replaced under most circumstances,¡± she said and placed a watch in front of me. It looked like the same brand that I had before it was confiscated, a little inconspicuous white bracelet except with the ARC logo etched into the side. ¡°Thanks.¡± I picked it up and fitted it onto my wrist, and then headed out the door. ¡°Have a good stay!¡± The sun blinded me for a moment as I walked out, and when my eyes adjusted I gasped. I was definitely going to have a good stay¡­ when I got points. The left side was the shared and true dorms, for the people who didn¡¯t have points and where practically everyone would be staying in the first few weeks. All around me were condos and apartments that gradually got more expensive the farther right they were. There were divides between a few sections, each seeming to be a greater barrier of wealth inequality than the last, and yet I could only see so far. The complex of housing wrapped around the backside of the main ARC campus in an arc-like fashion. A few roads led out to the mall and to the campus, the one I walked on away from one of many gates. A girl passed by on her bike, and I noticed it had an ARC insignia on it. I found it slightly awkward how there were no distinct separations between boy dorms and girl dorms. As I walked across the street to the left shared dormitories, I wondered what my game plan was. I had a few options, but no clue which would be for the best. First I brought my attention to the watch. I swiped up in the air and the screen pulled up. Future technology was cool. Browsing the apps, it was a lot more empty than the one I had at Silverdawn except for the app clearly named ARC. I pressed the app and was greeted by a blank profile page with all my info. 0 points, unranked, unawakened, classless. Then I looked around the options, then clicked Info and scrolled down to Housing. I quickly scanned it. Boys and girls can¡¯t enter the same premises without permission, no adultery, no smoking, no alcohol, blah blah, and then I noticed at the bottom a link, which I clicked and which sent me to another screen that told me where I would be staying. [Room C6, floor 2.] I stopped and looked up. The front of the building simply felt like a hotel. It had no special characteristics, except the very homey vibe emanating from the steps up to the entrance. The comfy lobby was completely empty, and I silently went up the elevator. The door opened to floor 2, a wide hall, the doors separated with wide gaps of open walls. At least we would have pretty decent space in our dorms. C4, C5, C6. Here. Did I get a keycard? Puzzled, I lifted my watch to the lock on the door, which glowed a sudden green and unlocked. Okay, okay. This was cool. I stepped inside and took a deep breath. I decided then that I wouldn¡¯t need to waste points on a better room. This was nice. The room was a standard lodging with an air conditioning unit near the back and furnished with a chair and television on the back wall. To my right was a large closet. There weren¡¯t any windows, but the light compensated well enough for a comfortable atmosphere of freshly laundered sheets and wiped surfaces. There was a nicely large desk for me to work on, and a bed beside it for quick access. I hoped the walls were soundproof though. To my immediate left was a large restroom. I could see the edge of a queen-sized bed from behind the wall, tucked into the inner corner. However what excited me most were the six boxes lying on the floor in front of me. Those were the things I had packed up just before leaving and being disowned. Closing the door behind me, I put down my backpack and pulled off my shoes, putting them both to the side. I kneeled down and carefully ripped open the first box, and then fished out the most important thing. A few papers which had my handwriting, all the important details on Zendolyn Ato¡¯s phone, which included a lot of passwords. It was a horribly intense writing session, but a writer writes fast. I pulled up the screen again and opened a blank document. A holographic keyboard suddenly appeared in front of me. This never happened before, I thought with a surprised smile. I copied all of the information from the paper onto the document, though it felt weird as the hologram had no substance for me to feel the keys. I wanted a laptop. Or a real phone. Ooh, or iPad¡­ nah, too large. Holograms were a little weird. Then I began to transfer all of my contacts onto my new watch¡­ there were only 2. Total. Zendolyn Ato was a real introvert. I was glad that was the case, otherwise I¡¯d have much more people to attend to. And my introverted self couldn¡¯t fake knowing people. The rest of the box was filled with clothes, clothes, and clothes. Next were the other boxes. I wouldn¡¯t touch those, as they each contained a different instrument. A french horn, a keyboard, violin, cello, and a microphone and speaker. I thought about the trophies still in my room, then shook my head and began to move the clothes into the closet. My back ached by the time I was finished, and my arms were sore from the repetitive folding motion. Another fleeting thought. Was I really prepared for ARC? The answer was a definite no, but I didn¡¯t bat an eye and pushed the boxes into the far corner. Done. I looked around and smiled at a job well done. Finally I looked at my watch again for the time. 10:45 AM. My smile dropped instantly and I groaned. Well, if I had nothing to do, I might as well go outside for once, right? Hell no. I crashed onto my bed and stared up. I was bored. My eyes drifted to the door, then back up at the ceiling. I frowned. No. I racked my brain for things to do, how to be productive, and whatnot. Earlier, didn¡¯t Reyenal use a Guide¡­? The ominously clich¨¦ screen appeared in front of me again. ======================== Answer Memory Overtake Will you use a Guide? Yes//No ======================== Curiosity led my mind. ¡°Uhmm, Memory,¡± I said nervously. Another screen began to count down in front of me. 5 4 3 2 I shut my eyes. Then I blacked out. [User input:] ? [Access//Guide] [User input:] ? [Memory] [Accessing core memory of Zendolyn Ato] ?[Randomizing keyword] =[System failure!]= [New user detected] ? [Updating settings] = [Optimizing user experience]= =[System updated!]= =[Attempt 2]= [Accessing core memory of Zendolyn Ato] ? [Randomizing keyword] [Keyword chosen!] SECRET =[Beginning core memory]= 5 - TO IDENTIFY AN APPOSITE 5: TO IDENTIFY AN APPOSITE // 8:33 A.M. // 8 - 29 - 2023 // ARC Starring Gwen Olynn Featuring Avil Daniase, Zendolyn Ato, and Serene Goldwin // Isn¡¯t the teacher supposed to be in the room before the students? I glanced at the watch. Three minutes late. My fingers tapped impatiently against the desk. In front of me was the sound of a synchronized tapping foot against the floor, Zendolyn Ato was not having it as well. Finally the door burst open and Professor Justin burst into the class. He didn¡¯t pant, but his neck sparkled with sweat as he approached the podium. ¡°Hello everyone.¡± His voice betrayed a small amount of tiredness, but he settled in and adjusted quickly. ¡°Does everyone have a watch?¡± He looked around the room, and nobody said anything. ¡°Let me rephrase this, who doesn¡¯t have a watch?¡± Again, nobody said anything. ¡°Good,¡± he sighed, ¡°remember to bring your watch everyday, as we¡¯ll be doing this everyday we meet. Now everyone, pull up the ARC app. It should be telling you right now that class is in session, and an option that says ¡®Attendance¡¯. Press that.¡± I pulled up the app and did as I was told, and so did everyone else all around me in relative silence. When I pressed Attendance, my blank-ish profile appeared like it did yesterday when I checked my room, as well as three options which said Present, Tardy, and Absent. ¡°Once you guys get here, press Present and raise your hand. Once I accept it, you may put your hand down. Most of this is just procedure for making sure the door did its job right.¡± My hand raised in the air. After a moment my watch buzzed slightly, and the screen lit a green that said ¡®Approved¡¯, and my hand fell back down. ¡°Good,¡± he repeated himself. ¡°Everyone¡¯s here. All right, get up, we¡¯re headed for the armory!¡± The sound of rustling filled the room as everyone began to leave the room. A quiet muttering resumed, and Avil besides me got up to do the same. I followed suit and walked down the steps of the staircase. It really felt like I was in some sort of college, but for younger people. A slight zipping noise came from behind me and I turned around, irritated. ¡°Hey, don¡¯t open my backpack,¡± I said with a voice to match my expression. Then I let out an ¡®oh¡¯ when I saw Zendolyn behind me. ¡°Sorry,¡± he said nonchalantly. ¡°It was unzipped.¡± He had a nice singer¡¯s voice, I thought and turned away. Chatter began to rise up as everyone walked out the door and followed the professor. The pleasant sun bathed over our head as we walked. It was a nice break from yesterday¡¯s onslaught of heat. The campus was mostly empty as everyone was probably in class, but then to my right another glass door suddenly opened and another professor walked out. I remembered seeing her at the beginning ceremony, she was the older professor who stood in the back and didn¡¯t say anything. We made eye contact and she smiled. Her face was covered with wrinkles and smile lines. She seemed very nice. I nodded back with my own smile and held back a slight bow. My Asian bones and habits shivered in pain. Then a board of students emerged from the door behind the professor like a wave of hair and faces and clothes and shoes, all mashed into a conglomerate of teens. They were a much rowdier group compared to our hushed class, each person worth a glance, and one girl in particular caught my eyes. The gorgeous girl paced warily at the edges, her silky and off-brown hair fell to her chest. Her minimalistic and fashionable clothes definitely made her stand out, but even more than that was the horribly dangerous face she was making. I caught wind of what some of the girls were saying. ¡°Did you hear¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, Serene, you know, Ced¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Mhmm, shut up. I know.¡± ¡°When I got there, there was still blood on the floor and mirror.¡± ¡°How violent¡ª?¡± ¡°Yeah, they fought so viciously that it flew that far. Isn¡¯t that¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªso crazy!¡± I looked back at the girl they were clearly talking about. Serene didn¡¯t bear any scars, instead she had a ferocious glare that could give scars. They all knew she could hear their every word. They all were cruel. ¡°Wow,¡± I remarked out loud. ¡°The medical care here must be good.¡± ¡°What?¡± Zendolyn and Avil said at the same time. Zendolyn tore his eyes away from a nervous green haired boy and stared at Avil. They both gave each other a funny look. I acutely noticed how short all three of us were compared to most of the other kids. It was a crippling reminder of myself and my friends in the real world. ¡°Never mind.¡± Soon we reached the armory, which conspicuously stood near the training grounds, a massive expanse of dirt, machines, and holograms. Words failed to describe the insaneness and scale of everything, as usual. Well, it made sense that it was so close to the armory. A soft breeze grazed my cheek as the door opened, eliciting many gasps from the students all around, including me. It was menacing to say the least. I was very surprised to know that when I walked inside there was enough wiggle room for me to stretch my arms out and still not hit anyone. The room was huge. The light in the room was a hushed blue, a constant color all throughout ARC and its logos shining beneath each table leaving the ceiling a pitch black. Perfect for setting the grim implications that nobody cared for. Weapons of all kinds were hung on the wall, from impressive greatswords and ¨¦p¨¦es to the bows and guns lying in neat cases. I spotted and walked past whips and rifles, shields and spears, even brass knuckles and knives decorated the walls. It was a full on museum of things that could kill people; clearly everyone knew this as well, as most people kept at least a couple inches of distance back from the display cases. A sudden knocking on the door silenced the whole room of chatter. It was Professor Justin. ¡°Here is, obviously, the armory. In a moment, you guys will all be choosing a weapon. Your first weapon is free of charge, but it will cost a hefty price if you break it. Mind you, these are points we are talking about, not money,¡± he explained clearly. His voice carried louder, ¡°Later on you can use points to exchange your weapon in the armory, rent a weapon, test it, or even buy and gift it. As you guys can clearly see, there is a price tag on these weapons. For now, you guys are only allowed weapons worth 50 points or lower. Any questions?¡± He paused and looked around the room. He seemed to have a habit of doing that. ¡°S-sir, Professor,¡± a girl called out hesitantly, ¡°I have a question. I¡¯ve heard that Ethereal Weapons are sold here. Are they available for purchase right now?¡± This time the older professor spoke up. ¡°Young lady, great question. To put it bluntly, you guys do not have the points to buy a growth-type item, much less one that is so convenient such as an Ethereal Weapon. They cost a lot. 1000 points, to be exact.¡± I shook my head. That wasn¡¯t worth it. That many points, if I remembered correctly, was worth about a hundred grand in real money. 1000 points was enough to live comfortably in the wealthier housing area for about a year or two. Not worth it. ¡°No more questions? Well,¡± the older professor said for the first time. Her voice was high and distinctly southern. ¡°What are you guys waiting for? Go get a weapon, and do be serious and civil about it. When you¡¯ve chosen the right weapon, open the ARC app and raise your watch against the weapon, then accept when it prompts you.¡± Excitement, already present, exploded in one fell swoop of a command. The quietness died to make way for the noise of teens making a huge decision for their future, and realizing the weight of the situation. This was a big, big deal. It didn¡¯t really feel that way for me. I had a sort of disconnected feeling instead, like I wasn¡¯t meant to be here. Or maybe I had just stolen Gwen¡¯s future instead. I watched the room and clearly people gravitated towards the swords and spears. In every fantasy they were always going to be the most popular. But interestingly enough, I saw Avil go the opposite way instead. Now whenever I looked at him, something serious was always going through his mind. Very different from when I first met him, the goofy little kid, to the serious young adult. He was over by the shields and whips section. Zendolyn however made no such hesitation and immediately grabbed a crossbow case which he then took out and unfolded the small equipment in there into the large form of a crossbow like it was origami. He gave it a quick scan with his watch which made a small beep sound, then stuffed it back into the case and picked it up, making his choice with a satisfied nod. The people around him paid no mind unlike how all eyes were usually plastered on him, so it seemed like they knew he was a crossbow user. A few of them rolled their eyes in disgust however. Over at the guns and modern weapons section, there was absolutely nobody. It was completely empty, save for one girl, a girl with luxurious not-quite brown hair and a shining face. I glanced around and noticed everyone placing their eyes on Serene. ¡°What is she doing in the¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªshe used to use a sword, right?¡± A girl beside me muttered, ¡°No way, everyone knows that¡­¡± ¡°She¡¯s unawakened but she¡¯s looking at guns! Is she crazy?¡± What was going on? The kids all around me seemed to have a vendetta against guns. I thought back to my research while I was in bed. Wikipedia, I realized, and then I remembered. Guns were an undesirable weapon in this world. People had swords and bows, weapons of history, because with training and skill one could master the weapon. All weapons of history had a high skill ¡®ceiling¡¯. Guns, however, could not be trained along with the user. Sure, the gun could be aimed better, but then the gun would still have the exact same firepower, with no ¡®real¡¯ effort from the user. According to Wikipedia, in layman¡¯s terms a gun was not a growth type weapon, therefore it was an inferior weapon. According to everyone around her, it was for wusses and weaklings. The room tensed as she placed her hand on a case, then opened it and inspected the gun and rounds. Everyone held their breath, and she looked up, confused by the sudden hushness. Then she noticed the eyes on her and blinked. She closed the case with a loud thud, and everyone released a dramatic exhale, then another gasp-scream as she picked up the gun case. She placed her watch against the gun case, and then promptly accepted the weapon. ¡ªbeep ¡°That crazy motherfu¡ª¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Serene said loudly. This was the first time I heard her voice. It was a loud, strong, and high voice. ¡°You guys know nothing.¡± With that she stomped out of the room. I raised my eyebrow. That was a weird phrase to hear, ¡®you know nothing¡¯. Well, wouldn¡¯t you like to know something, Serene? I¡¯m not from this world. Avil also gave her a glare for some reason, but Zendolyn seemed shocked instead. Then his expression returned to neutral. Everyone¡¯s eyes remained on Serene as she walked out of the room behind Zendolyn, who had already checked out a weapon. I also noticed something that Avil held very obviously, a large shield, and I realized I still hadn¡¯t made a selection as watches began to beep and people began to leave. My eyes darted around the room again. Then I came across a peculiar weapon. ¡°Swift Boots and Buckler? Is this two in one?¡± I stared at it. A small arm-shield and matching boots. I lifted up the bottom. It was studded with spikes. One touch and I knew this was a very hard material, but when I lifted it up expecting it to be heavy, and, well, it was really really light. I took a good look all around me again, but nothing caught my attention like the boots and buckler. With the buckler, I wouldn¡¯t be at such a disadvantage against ranged weapons and could fight back against swords. And with these boots, I could kick the hell out of someone, and the boots would even be good protection for my legs when I went in up close. I thought it over some more. A sword would be impossible to use for a noob like me. A gun would bring too much attention. Glancing at the knuckles section a few had already been taken. If they could use fists without getting attention, why could I use feet? Besides, I knew how to use my legs very well. That was final, then. I flinched when I noticed some people looking my way, but I grabbed the combo of weapons and sprinted out the door. Now that I was thinking about it more, I realized there was basically nothing stopping someone from ¡®accidentally¡¯ severing someone¡¯s arm or killing them. I shivered, and hoped that I didn¡¯t have enemies. When I got out nobody was loitering around, but the sounds coming from nearby to my left made me realize they were probably testing out their weapons in the training fields. I walked around and leaned against the side of the armory building in the cool shade, then pulled off my shoes to put on my new boots. I finished adjusting the straps, and felt a sudden rush of energy. But just then the old professor came up to me as I got up. ¡°Well, haven¡¯t you made a peculiar choice,¡± she smiled. ¡°Swift boots. Usually kids go and choose mighty swords in hopes of finding better ones in dungeons and markets, but you can only find so many boots, eh?¡± I didn¡¯t really know how to respond, so I tried, ¡°Thank you?¡± My toes edged against the inner linings of the boots, but the same odd feeling kept tugging at me. It felt like my own energy was being drained even as I stood still. What was going on? I lifted my leg up, and with astonishment it felt as if the energy flowing out of me and tiring me by the moment was relieved for a single moment, sucking back into me. I wasn¡¯t sweating, but I was definitely on the verge of panting for breath until that sharp and good sensation of energy flowing back in. With a step? ¡°Wait, what are these?¡± I said with difficulty. I lifted my other leg, and then progressed into a stand-in-place jog. ¡°Woah.¡± I couldn¡¯t describe the extraordinary feeling, like moving felt effortless, it felt good even, but if I didn¡¯t I might just collapse out of the effort of¡­ standing still. She chuckled flatly, her voice slightly strained from age. ¡°Bahh, I¡¯m taking your time. I think you¡¯re getting the hang of them already,¡± she waved her hand towards the fields and slowly walked away. I kept my mouth closed with an equally slow nod, my feet lightly tapping against the ground. I was already about to do that. As I entered the field, my peripherals and ears were filled with the sounds of steel into metal, and the distinct shink noise of an arrow hitting its mark. Target dummies made of steel and metal stood in place of targets on the battlefield, each target with a person in front of them slashing and hacking away. They never seemed to break even with the practiced and precise hits of the weapons against them. To her right a guy loudly grunted and fell backwards, sweat covering him like a waterfall. Then he looked down at his watch and nodded, panting tiredly, and collapsed on the ground soon after. I found an unoccupied target and shifted around there, unsure of what to do. I had the boots on, loosely hopping about, the buckler on my wrist, and Avil behind my back wooAHH! If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Hey, why are you doing that?¡± he asked and I flew backwards with a gasp-shout. Quickly I regained my composure. ¡°What?¡± I asked, slightly ticked off. Avil unaffectedly pointed with his shield-free hand at my legs, which were dancing about. ¡°Oh. Nervous energy?¡± ¡°That¡¯s weird,¡± he commented, then he moved to the dummy to her left, unfazed. I watched him stance up to the dummy. ¡ªbeep Avil huffed in and ran, then slammed himself into the dummy with his shield out, then failing so due to his awkwardness in stature and an almost uncomfortable grip of his shield. It was more of a clumsy tumble than a ram charge. He looked inexperienced, I noted, even wincing afterwards and rubbing his shoulder. Wasn¡¯t this supposed to be Arc, where only the most talented come to learn from across the world? Well, the Carmela lady or whatever her name was did say something about diversity¡­ never mind that, how did Avil, how did I, get into Arc? It was getting hard to watch Avil sweat in place, and not being able to question him. I needed to act like I knew him all my life. He yelled and charged back in, his shoulder pressed against the shield and his head tucked in. This time there was a definite bang noise, much louder than before. And then another bang, but not from Avil. And then a hiss in pain behind her as someone dropped a sword, the clattering of steel against ground turned her backwards to a girl on the ground. She clutched at his hand as if hurt. ¡°Hey, are you oka¡ª¡± I looked at the sword on the floor, and felt a sudden urge to throw up. There was a little blood on the sheen of glistening steel. A horrible flood of feelings washed through me. I took a shaky step back, and my next breath was very difficult. My vision flickered. [[It was a dark and humid night. Clouds were painted across the eerie sky, and the moon was nowhere to be seen.]] Reality switched back, every pore on my skin oozed fear of something I didn''t understand, waves of agonizing, bone-shuddering feelings. I didn¡¯t understand. [[There was scratching, there was itchiness, then there were horrible screams. The blood streaked the sky in a beautiful rainbow, every color of red and black. The colors of two faces grinned at me.]] I realized something was wrong as soon as my knees hit the floor, and my hands clawed at the dirt. These weren¡¯t my own feelings, were they? Were the tears that tumbled down in a flood my own tears? Did I accidentally use an Overtake Guide? I had seen blood before, and I was okay. So what was going on? Why the quick gasps, the ringing in my ears, the yelling all around me? [[¡°I didn¡¯t mean to, it wasn¡¯t me, that wasn¡¯t me!¡±]] Was that horrible noise coming out of¡­ me? [[¡°I was inn0%en(, ! swear, G0d, pl#@2e, pl#¡ª¡­¡± Gwen was on the floor, desperately grasping at the ground for something. Anything.]] Each static was like a shock that stabbed the side of my head. [[¡°PLEASE!¡±]] I buried my head into the floor and wailed as Gwen did. It hurt so much. [[¡°I¡¯M INNOCENT! IT¡¯S NOT MY FAULT!! SAVE M¡ª¡±]] I felt someone¡¯s hand tap my shoulder, incomprehensible words in my ear, a shake, each I couldn¡¯t respond to. The crippling feeling, the overwhelming mess that tangled and took over my mind from nowhere, was all I was in that moment. The horrible headache like a drum, the sharp pains in my abdomen, like a wave from two weeks ago had just caught up, and yet I knew that wasn¡¯t the reason. And the noises and visions in my head. Why? What was it? I knew I wasn¡¯t hurt, and that something freaky was going on, and that it wasn¡¯t my fault. It was Gwen¡¯s fault. She¡¯s a liar. It was Gwen¡¯s fault. Each involuntary and wretched gasp, each bullet of sweat told me to, screamed at me, to¡­ to¡­ Was it the thing watching me? ¡­ ¡­ Something was watching me? My head spun in a terrifying arc behind me, past a concerned Avil and the old teacher who tugged at my hands, past the onlooking students confused at my sudden outburst, past¡­ to the shiny screen behind them. [Synchronized] Oh. I understood. // 8:35 A.M. // 8 - 28 - 2023 // ARC Starring Serene Goldwin Featuring Cedrance Manamune // ¡°Stop,¡± I moaned, ¡°please, stop.¡± Stop. Put me down. Let me die. The world was flashing lights. Please, stop it. Go away. The red, the blue, the blood, the wind. Lord, help. Make it stop. ¡°Cedrance, please,¡± I begged. The world was stomping feet. Kill me, now. A screen in the corner of my eye read ¡®Reward¡¯. Damn the screens to hell. His panic and panting intensified, the faint sound of shoes on pavement echoed as my back rested in his arms. It hurt. God. Or Satan. Hurry up. The world was shaking earth. Take me. Anywhere but here. ¡°God, please.¡± The lights dimmed. // 8:35 A.M. // 8 - 28 - 2023 // ARC Starring Zendolyn Ato Featuring Reyenal Ato, ???, Ben Roswell, ???, Aythe Siena, and Cedrance Manamune // The stadium was filled with people and with silence. Every freshman looked down at the center stage, made of tiled and sleek white stone. A fleeting thought. Maybe it wasn¡¯t marble because it kept getting destroyed. That meant it was probably where I would have to duke it out with someone one day, if I survived long enough. The stadium was completely and utterly quiet as if a sense of anticipation had fallen over everyone. The sun pricked my skin. The air smelled like sweat, and tasted as sweet as fear. It was a huge, beautiful stadium to say the least. I could clearly see the instructors and professors at the bottom front row seats. Well, that wasn¡¯t as clich¨¦ as the box way up to the right that had empty seats, most likely a VIP area that had eyes over everything. Sitting in one of the higher seats, I had a vantage point overlooking the entire stadium. Reyenal, who sat to my left, seemed almost unfazed at the grandness of the situation. I poked at her. ¡°Hey,¡± I whispered. ¡°You still haven¡¯t told me what you saw.¡± She didn¡¯t budge, but I didn¡¯t push either. The clacking of footsteps echoed into the audience and surrounded us all of a sudden. My attention quickly turned to the stage. A woman¡ªa woman of a woman¡ªhad left her front row seat and approached the steps to the stage. Her clothes, though that of an instructor, stuck tightly to her body like a second skin. She was voluptuous in figure, a young and tan woman graced with storm-cloud eyes and spun, bouncing brown hair. She knew she was beautiful. Muffled chatter spread throughout the audience and died as fast as it began when she raised her hand for silence. Immediately I disliked her. Tropes blurred through my mind and landed smoothly. She was the seductive and biased young prodigy type. But it seemed like everyone already knew who she was. I glanced to my left and looked away as fast as I could, straight down at my feet. Ew, ew ew ew. The guys beside me were blushing furiously. Ew. A noise like crackling static screeched in my ears as if someone was adjusting a microphone. Looking back up I saw the woman take a strong stance on the floor. ¡°Young talents gathered here today,¡± she began slowly, her voice glassy and classy, clear and sharp, ¡°I am Professor Jennifer Carmela from the Agent Preparations class. Welcome to ARC.¡± A pause of silence. Then the whole stadium burst into cheers and whoops and claps for a brief moment. Professor Carmela continued, and the applause hushed again, ¡°I commend you all for proving that you have the right to study here at ARC. We expect highly of you all. After all, we only accept the best.¡± She looked around, and I followed her gaze but couldn¡¯t pinpoint who she was looking at. Then her gaze fell in my direction and my heart slowed dramatically. Me? I glanced over at Reyenal. Or her? Reyenal stared right back at the professor. ¡°As a welcoming gift, you will each be receiving a holowatch if you don¡¯t have one already. They will be provided at any establishment on this island.¡± ¡°By now, everyone should have a firm grasp on the concept of Awakening. It¡¯s also a clear fact that not everyone is Awakened yet. That,¡± she said pointedly, ¡°will change very soon for many of you.¡± Over in the far end of the stadium, I realized that there were also many people who didn¡¯t look my age. In fact, a couple of them were seniors. I noted a couple distinct badges and uniforms, all of them I had no clue about their affiliations. They were probably Agents or Heroes that ARC invited to attend the ceremony. I also found a couple people with notepads and laptops, like they were taking notes. Were they already scouting us? With what information? ¡°Let me explain the point system.¡± I zoned out, disinterested. I already knew what a point system was, especially if it came from my mind. Actually, the world felt like my dreams came to be. A truly fantastical world that could be the future of the real world under the turning events of catastrophes and creatures. The point system, a classic academia feature taken to a higher level. Money is made irrelevant. For everyone, the power balance starts off on equal footing. Points would be the reward for achievements or any other actions deserving of them, and with points everything on the island was possible. Buying housing, food, tickets into venues, blah blah. I yawned as she continued droning on, and only heard bits and parts of the ranking system. Nothing was sounding very interesting. Maybe my world was a bit too clich¨¦. ¡­ Professor Carmela¡¯s voice boomed. ¡°Finally, I will announce the top rankers from your placement test.¡± Startled, I woke up. My eyes flew around, then I audibly released a sigh of relief. Everyone hadn¡¯t moved from their seats, and everyone seemed bored. Nothing had changed. ¡°These individuals will start with more points than everyone else, as they have demonstrated skill and capability to us. We professors reviewed thoroughly and agreed to each candidate¡¯s placement.¡± A nervous and excited chatter spread across the stadium, and then was silenced by her soft reminder of a grunt. ¡°If your name is called, please join me on the stage.¡± ¡°In tenth place, we have Ben Roswell.¡± Suddenly a huge projection appeared overhead the stage, like a four-sided hologram. On it was a picture of the student Ben Roswell, his ranking, and his age. He was 16 like the rest of us, but he looked like a beast of a man in the photo, all muscular and very stupid looking. At best he looked like a grunt. Because at worst, he was a no namer. Ben Roswell. I didn¡¯t recall naming a character that. After a second I noticed the same person stomping down the stairs to my far right. He looked a lot more impressive in person, and a whole lot more stupid and cocky. A rattling applause broke loose, dimmed by the almost intimidated nature of it. When he reached the stage, Professor Carmela motioned him to take his place nearby her. ¡°Ninth place, Olivia Jones.¡± More clapping. Who was she? ¡°Eight, Julia Kim.¡± Nope. Not a name I remembered. ¡­ ¡°Fourth, Nolan Faust.¡± I sat up in my seat. Nolan Faust? Who was that again¡­ I wandered in my head a bit. He was one of my more forgettable characters, or that¡¯s how I think I wrote him. But the whole point was that I wrote him. He was my character. So who was he? I couldn¡¯t remember for the life of me. Maybe he was one of my first few, uninspired characters. I saw him get up from his seat to go to the stage before I saw the picture. I had a funny thought. Nolan Faust, about three rows in front of me, had the face and build of a main character¡­ of a high school bully-turned-criminal. Yep. That kind of character. First and foremost was that he was very handsome, in a rugged but refined gangster type way. My immediate impression was a buffer and probably taller take on the mastermind of a crime syndicate. That was Nolan Faust. He had relatively short black hair, calculating red-hued eyes that burned with something maybe not so deep as anger, and a very strong and defined body. He would make any athlete jealous with his ripped, well everything. That all screamed suspicious, yet appealing to the untrained eye. But my eyes were trained in weeb. Even yet, everything about him screamed to me that he was something¡­ different. Different. The confidence in his stride. The ease in his eyes. The smirk, the front. Different¡­? Oh. I understood. I blinked down at him as he walked up to the stage. Now I saw him in a new light. Fake. He smelled fake. I¡¯d be keeping an eye out for him. Over at the far side, the recruiters and talent scouts were furiously writing down on paper and screen everything they saw. This was what they were waiting for. ¡°In third place, we have Reyenal Ato.¡± Her face appeared on the screen. I clapped earnestly for her, yet she seemed almost unfazed and almost expectant as she stood up to go down. ¡°Hey,¡± I called to her, but she didn¡¯t look back and kept walking down. Somehow she tolerated all the eyes on her when normally a regular person would have crumbled. Clearly the people here weren¡¯t regular, but she had just come to this world. What did she see in that Memory? ¡°Second, Aythe Siena.¡± I flinched. I had forgotten about him. Aythe Siena was the rival to the main protagonist. Now that I was thinking about it, him being second place sounded about right. I spotted the flecked curly brown hair and the shimmering eyes of Aythe from on the screen to my left, who stood up very tall. He was also very handsome (I was catching onto a pattern), but in a more high-class way that screamed ¡®I¡¯m better than you¡¯, and less mean, and instead mean. His colors were subtle but detailed and complex which conveyed a tone of superiority just as well as his expression showed his thoughts. Even his photo on the hologram showed his ego. When he reached the bottom I already knew the next name that would leave the professor¡¯s lips. ¡°Finally, in first place is Cedrance Manamune.¡± I looked up at the screen. He was¡­ Wow. Wowwwww. ¡°Goddamit.¡± Hot, handsome, beautiful, whatever he was he was a Deity of Desire. Before there had been the sound of swooning girls. Now there was the sound of swooning fanfare, the almost collective thought of ¡°Oh no, he¡¯s hot¡± on a level that not even Hollywood actors or Asian idols could bring, and the screams of the simps. Why? Because my world followed webtoons and manga logic. Actually, the entire ceremony I was scanning the audience for him, a face which stood out amongst the rest. However, I used to have bad eyesight so my discernment skills weren¡¯t particularly developed. I blamed that for the reason I didn¡¯t see Cedrance. But now, I was confused. Where was Cedrance? By this point, all the boxes in my head were being checked off. Not in the audience. Not in the VIP box. No one was standing up. Those were the three boxes. Was he going to pull some sort of tropey clich¨¦ where the protagonist runs in late, possibly with plain toast in his mouth? My patience was growing thin, as was with the rest of the students and people around me evident of annoyed grumbles and muttering voices. Seriously, where was he? ¡°If Cedrance Manamune is not here today, then so be it.¡± I returned my attention to the clearly irritated Professor Carmela. ¡°Cedrance will not receive his points for his absence, but he will still be our first place candidate for this year.¡± And seriously again, this silence was repetitive. A man, presumably another professor, rushed up the stage discreetly behind Carmela and whispered something into her ear. ¡°Oh, yes. Congratulations to our ten top ranked freshmen, and to all you here.¡± She slowly backed away from the microphone, her hands drew together into an audible clap, into two, into applause from the whole stadium. Clap. Clap. Clap. Really, I¡¯m tired of this. And honestly slightly disappointed. 6 - FLAW IN FAIRYTALE 6: FLAW IN FAIRYTALE // 8:33 A.M. // 8 - 29 - 2023 // Arc Starring Serene Goldwin Featuring Cedrance Manamune // ¡ªBeep In addition to these points, the total amount one has ever earned, which also includes the total spent amount, will contribute to one¡¯s ranking. ¡ªBeep The higher one¡¯s ranking, the greater their privilege, and even desirability outside of ARC. I paused the video. Wow. This was boring. ¡ªBeep ¡°Hey,¡± Cedrance said, confused, ¡°why¡¯d you pause?¡± He stopped and nudged me slightly as I sat there, unmoving. ¡°We should finish this now so you can rest later. Didn¡¯t you say you were feeling okay now?¡± ¡ªBeep I glared up at him. The Guide menu appeared, and my frown deepened. My only reward for going to hell floated in front of me. ¡°No.¡± The screen closed, on it my reward of a single Guide. ¡ªBeep He looked more confused. ¡°Sorry?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Never mind. Does this thing ever stop beeping?¡± I motioned my chin to the machine that the doctors had hooked me up to. Something about a heart rate monitor and heart attack. Or something. I wasn¡¯t listening then, but now I had no choice but to listen to the monotonous and constant beeps. It was driving me insane. ¡ªBeep ¡°Shut up.¡± Cedrance shrunk. ¡°Not you.¡± We were silent for a while. My eyes were down at the white sheets resting on my legs. If I looked up I knew I¡¯d see Cedrance¡¯s concerned expression. Man, was I tired of him and his overattentiveness. Even his face, one that was fantasy before was now commonplace, and quite frankly uninteresting. It was the same handsome every day, just a face on a person, a person who so infuriatingly didn¡¯t have a good personality. Cedrance was clearly a good person, but to me, it felt like he was less of a person and more of some sort of knight in shining armor filling a status quo for a story. ¡°You know, you can stop staring at me and just say what you¡¯re thinking,¡± I said finally. ¡°I don¡¯t mind.¡± My gaze landed on him. He nodded with a relieved expression. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Well, probably.¡± His expression dimmed a little. ¡°Serene, I know this might be a bit of a sensitive topic right now, considering, well, you know.¡± He pointed his chin at me. I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s okay now. The healers here did a great¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that,¡± Cedrance interrupted me. He cleared his throat apologetically, and with a little breath, said, ¡°I was going to ask you this earlier, but you were in, uh, a bad mood. What happened earlier?¡± His look didn¡¯t speak of pity or sadness, or anything mostly. Just a desire for the truth, and honesty. I blinked. A heavy clutch of lead grasped at my chest. Sometimes Cedrance could be surprisingly cute, as far as I knew him. ¡°Well,¡± I began, ¡°it started¡­ well enough. They were nice to me, tried giving me some company, cause, well, I was alone. So it was only natural that I returned the favor of being nice back.¡± The story already felt difficult to retell, like the lead was tightening, but I proceeded nevertheless. ¡°And, um, you know¡­ they were¡­ not as they seemed. I thought,¡± I continued, now struggling to speak. It felt like the lead chains were now squeezing the balloon that was my heart, about to burst and splinter. I breathed for unclotted air as casually as I could, the tears visible at the edge of my eyes. ¡°They gave me chocolates, and being p-polite, I tried one and smiled, saying I liked it.¡± Stop crying. I blinked rapidly now, embarrassed, but I kept going. ¡°Th-they smiled too, and s-suddenly I was tired. And when I w-w-woke up¡­¡± Another sob escaped my throat. My voice was at least an octave higher. ¡°They attacked you, right?¡± Cedrance spoke gently, and placing his hands on mine he held them firmly. It was a comfort in the brewing storm of emotions taking over my mind. I gave him a pathetic nod, but he leaned out of his chair towards me. His arms wrapped around me in a sudden embrace. ¡°You deserve so much better.¡± He stayed there for a moment. It felt warm in his arms. I felt unsure of what to do. Then the memories began tumbling. My real memories. First it was one. I hugged my mom after our nightly prayer. She was sad because her uncle had recently passed away. I didn¡¯t know that until later, but in that moment I hugged her because she looked sad. She didn¡¯t cry. She doesn¡¯t cry. I shouldn¡¯t cry, then. Next, my second grade teacher hugging me. Maybe she was sad to let go of her students, each she had seen grow up every single day in her classroom. She wished us all well, and hugged each one like the last. When it came my turn, though it was the same as my peers her farewell hug felt good. It felt special. Maybe it was special. I liked her a lot. Then my dad hugging me, only to lift me up into the air and onto his shoulders. I could see the world, from the roof of my house to the toys downstairs. At the beach he¡¯d do this, we¡¯d run around the sand yelling like warriors and play until my brother gave up, breathless, and my mother gave spankings for dirtying the car. Good days. Then there was an Award Ceremony. It didn¡¯t matter what it was about, just that my friend hugged me for the first time as I lifted my hands up with the first place trophy. In the audience my brother nodded. He never hugged anyone, just nodded his approval. My friend and I celebrated on a call that night. We played video games until her mom shut down her internet. I wondered if the server was still active without me. Maybe I should have treasured when my cousins teased me for writing the name of my crush on the wall in invisible ink. Or when they and my dad cheered as my ping pong ball narrowly made the point as it hit the edge, securing me a win against my grumbling brother, or when I got sick playing basketball with my eldest cousin and stayed at home on a school day, or when my aunt made us boba and all sorts of jellos whenever we visited, or when my dentist uncle cut out my cavity¡­ How happy was I when my whole extended family celebrated as I gifted both my mom and my dad AirPods with my saved money from taking my dad¡¯s spare change? When I finally beat the bullies at handball? On that day, I think my brother cussed them out when they talked trash to me. He was good for something that day, for once. The times when I went to my beloved godmother¡¯s house for parties, I slept as twenty people from my whole family counted down in the living room for the new year. Vacations were wonderful too, spring or fall we always traveled together. Parties, friends, family, crushes, bullies, cousins, my dog,¡­ I¡­ I¡­ I¡­ The tears of regret flooded down my cheeks. It hit me at that moment. ¡°I miss you, Mom, Dad,¡± I cried softly. My chest hurt so much from the memories, crying was a release. ¡°Oh, I miss you.¡± All my built up energy stored from the last few years, stuck inside another world without my family, without a home I could call home, all of it came out with each gut wrenching and ugly tear. ¡°I miss you so much, you don¡¯t even know, I¡­¡± Every hiccup was louder than the last until I was breaking down on the small white bed, with a beeping machine and a boyfriend beside me. I just wanted to go home. I wanted my mom for her love. My dad for his attention. My brother for his affirmation, my cousins for their honesty, my uncles for their joy, my aunts for their protectiveness, my grandparents for their wisdom¡­ should there be a reason for why I should love my family? ¡°I just want you, ¡°Cedrance smiled. I momentarily stopped bawling. Did I say something out loud? I faintly noticed he still hadn¡¯t let go of me. It wasn¡¯t calming, it wasn¡¯t annoying, it wasn¡¯t any feeling, and though as unfeeling to him as I was it felt right. He was there for me. Maybe I should have enjoyed how honestly he smiled when he was with me, or how his arms around me were warm and strong like a shield, and full of care and almost possessiveness. Like how his eyes gave me attention whenever I so much as glanced at him. And maybe I shouldn¡¯t have cried harder when he said those words, how he gave me his shoulder to wail into. Soon I¡¯d run all out of tears, but still then I knew that his arms would still be around me. Clearly, Cedrance wouldn¡¯t run all out of love. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. // 9:41 A.M. // 4 - 28 - 2020 // The Institution For The Gifted Starring Gwen Olynn // Gwen¡¯s hand in the box ruffled and shuffled about and about. Please, please, be Avil. Please be Avil. ¡°Hey, hurry up and choose already,¡± someone called out behind her. ¡°You¡¯ve been at it for 30 seconds now.¡± Embarrassment flushed her face, but she unashamedly nodded her head. Don¡¯t let it show. ¡°Mmm.¡± She pulled out a little paper and unfolded it, closing her eyes she counted. 1. 2. 3. Gwen took a quick huff of breath and looked back down. Then she read the name out loud. ¡°Reyenal Ato.¡± Gwen hid the disappointment on her face with a mask of happiness. Reyenal Ato was second ranked in their year, so Gwen would have an easy time in the test dungeon, smiling much to the chagrin of all the other students vying for her. In the crowd of faces, only one stood out with familiarity, the one who passed by Gwen as she returned back and he walked forward to the box, and gave her a quick face of mixed feelings. A nib of disappointment, a touch of sadness, a hint of envy, a dash of good will. It was acceptance. Avil looked away. Gwen found Reyenal¡¯s hand in the air, and she squeezed through the crowd to get to her, ignoring all the envious students around her. She looked back as Avil reached into the box and pulled out a name. ¡°Cedrance.¡± ¡­ The sound of talking and laughing, spoon and fork against bowl and plate, people all around her. The cafeteria was loud. ¡°Hey, do you mind if I sit here?¡± Gwen looked up from her bowl of soup at Cedrance. ¡°You¡¯ve been doing it for a week already. Suit yourself.¡± She looked back down and frowned as he sat down next to Avil, opposite of her. She took another sip and nibbled on the roasted chicken, which warmed her itchy throat. ¡°Are you still sick?¡± Cedrance asked conveniently. Gwen didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Yeah, she is,¡± Avil said through his food. Gwen didn¡¯t need to look around the room to see the eyes of so many jealous girls on her. Under their facade of polite chatter were the poisonous daggers at her direction. Get away from our Cedrance. Some guys looked her way too. Moreover, they glared at Avil. How did he manage to become the Cedrance¡¯s friend? The first ranker with some no-name and no-life. She spooned more soup into her mouth. ¡­ ¡°Hey, ¡®scuse me, you¡¯re a bit too close,¡± Gwen finally piped up. Lines of sweat stained her PE uniform from the suffocating sun and the people around her. Why were so many of the high rankers sitting so close to her? And only the girls? The bleachers were hot, the excitement of the game was high, and the girls huddling into her almost like predators. Their collective body heat was killing her. ¡°There¡¯s plenty of space,¡± She pointed out. ¡°Please move.¡± The girls around her gave her only sideward glances and she shied into her seat. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± One of the girl said obnoxiously. Melinda. ¡°We¡¯re just trying to get the best view of Cedrance,¡± she giggled, and her words caused the others to make sounds of excitement. ¡°Okay,¡± Gwen furrowed her eyebrows. ¡°I¡¯ll move then.¡± But as she got up, the girls shifted up alongside her and squeezed her in and down even more. It wasn¡¯t just uncomfortable anymore, it was downright painful. ¡°Stop,¡± Gwen managed through her tight lips, and gasped for air through all the shoving. They squished her and pushed her around like some sort of plushy. ¡°Move!¡± ¡°Why?¡± Another girl sneered. ¡°If he looks your way, he looks our way too. Isn¡¯t it a win-win for all of us? Girl, just sit back down and look pretty. Well, I mean, as pretty as someone like you can look.¡± They were so blatant now how much they were picking on her for the past few days. Life at the Institution was becoming hell. Gwen was convinced now that the devil¡¯s minions were girls. ¡­ ¡°Gwen, where were you yesterday? Were you sick again?¡± Gwen haggardly looked up. Avil¡¯s face had an almost, ¡®oh, this again?¡¯ feeling to it contrary to his words. Her head still ached from the sounds of arguing and smells of perfume from the girl¡¯s locker room just behind her. Just as the water dripped from her hair, she bathed in the sun to help dry off and also with two towels, one on the ground already soaked. Should she say something? Did she need to? Then she noticed Cedrance just behind Avil, towering above the small boy. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Yeah, wasn¡¯t feeling good.¡± Not with him around. She wouldn¡¯t say anything except lies. ¡°You¡¯re so wet, though,¡± Cedrance pointed out. ¡°I know the activities today might have been a bit exhausting, but-¡± ¡°I just sweat a lot when I¡¯m sick and tired.¡± Gwen said with a stone face. Did they not hear the the bully-girls cackling loudly about spraying her with water, or the obviously drenched towel just beside her? Noticing her expression, Avil shrugged. ¡°That means she showered and we¡¯re asking her dumb questions.¡± No, Avil didn¡¯t understand at all. Gwen smelled terrible. ¡­ The doorbell rung the familiar chime. Followed by two knocks. Someone answered the door. Father, probably. Gwen could make out a girl¡¯s voice even from inside her room. What was Reyenal doing here? ¡°Excuse me, are you Mr. Olynn by any chance?¡± Her father gave a faint response that Gwen couldn¡¯t make out. ¡°Oh, yes, please,¡± Reyenal replied respectfully, ¡°is it possible that I can see her right now?¡± Refuse. Father, say no. The door closed, and Gwen breathed her relief. Two knocks on her bedroom door to her left. No more relief. ¡°Who is it?¡± she asked tiredly. She was already mentally preparing for¡ª ¡°Reyenal Ato. Can I come in?¡± ¡°Why are you here?¡± I asked her half-heartedly. Maybe she knew I was sick and couldn¡¯t attend as her lecture partner. Was she angry? Was she going to berate me, telling me my worth and how lucky I was to even be partners with her, and¡­ ¡°I¡¯m here to make a deal.¡± Reyenal said something else. Gwen sat up in her bed. // 6:15 A.M. // 5 - 15 - 2023 // Oakcrest Sepulcher Cemetery Starring Cedrance Manamune // It was still dark outside the window, the sound of the engine and somber were the only tangible things in the car. The way to the cemetery always was eerie early in the morning, but calming in the sense that he was letting a part of his heavy heart go to rest. He couldn¡¯t afford to think of it any other way. Mr. Daniase, Paps, looked back solemnly to Cedrance, whose eyes were glazed forward into Ma¡¯s seat. Avil beside him had also come along, but said nothing and was about as still as bones. ¡°Buddy, we¡¯re almost there,¡± Paps said quietly, his voice deep and consoling. Cedrance rustled with the two bouquets of flowers in his hands. Maybe they¡¯d like lilies. He¡¯d never know. ¡°Thank you,¡± Cedrance said quietly. Ma rustled in her seat. ¡°For what?¡± Silence. ¡°For taking me here tonight.¡± He looked back out the window. Twice already he¡¯d seen the sight of the entrance to the cemetery, not more for his fear of the dead and not less for the anniversary of his mourning. And for everything you¡¯ve done for me. He saw Ma¡¯s sad smile through her seat. ¡°It¡¯s only right.¡± Unspoken words filled the car like hunger pangs in an empty stomach, the loneliness of gratitude left to sit on the tongue. Yet even so the lapses of time they spent together, father, mother, son, and brother. They were home and comfort. They were peace and joy. Silence and knowledge of one another filled the gaps of these times, such that Ma knew Ced¡¯s words before he spoke them and the meaning after. Only a mother had this power. A moment resting, then the other of the car clicking unlocked, the door opening Ma first and offering Cedrance a hand. He shook his head and unbuckled wordlessly, and Ma nodded. Nobody followed him. As he walked forward in the dry mist of the dead, Cedrance felt alone; he was alone. But he wasn¡¯t lonely. He looked up. No star had the right to be so pretty on such a sad day. No, the stars didn¡¯t go away, but only lit up the steps ahead to the grave, the cadence of each step on the soft dirt and the miracle of life, of grass, of flowers, all around which shrouded and buried the dead and the thoughts. The grass was a pale blue in the moonlight. Cedrance closed his eyes then. The gravestones around him mattered little yet so much at the same time. Each person there was loved, then taken away by death. Cold, faceless, ugly death. Finally there he stood still, the gravestones at his feet. There were two names. Zoe Manna Noeh Manna Cedrance read them differently. Mom Dad ¡°I swear,¡± Cedrance said slowly, kneeling down to the floor. He shivered not to the morning cold, the breezeless dark, nor the mourning flowers which he rested on the graves. No. ¡°If I ever find whoever did this to you,¡± he shook violently, ¡°I will get my revenge.¡± 7 - SELF WORTH 7: SELF WORTH // 1:13 P.M. // 8 - 29 - 2023 // Arc Starring ??? Featuring ??? // ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, seriously, the Awakening Program just opened up!¡± Regan hopped up and down excitedly like a kid on a sugar rush, and then put her hands over my own, still clutched to the textbook. ¡°Stop studying and let¡¯s go sign up. C¡¯mon, it¡¯s only the first day. We literally just got our books this morning and you¡¯ve stuffed your face into them.¡± She shook her head amusedly. ¡°Like usual, you try-hard.¡± I let out a slight breath. ¡°That¡¯s why I do better than you in school.¡± She snorted. ¡°Bro, do you want a desk job or awesome powers? Not gonna lie, the first option makes me shiver.¡± I scoffed melodramatically and dropped my book into my backpack. ¡°Fiiine, let¡¯s go.¡± Her hand loosened and she smiled, as did I. In the grand scheme of things, Regan and I were definitely insignificant. We didn¡¯t attract much attention, we didn¡¯t do anything too out of the ordinary, we always stay above the teacher¡¯s radar, and our looks were probably overall an average out of ten, considering all of the insane lookers and double-takes that we were constantly walking by¡­ most of this was according to the Memory from last night. Well, I guess I¡¯d rather be me than someone higher or lower in this school¡¯s hierarchy. At least, I¡¯d rather be Kali Lapuz. ¡°C¡¯mon, hurry up!¡± Regan urged me, impatience shaking from her head to her feet. ¡°You already know how fast time goes, especially during our free period.¡± Regan sure was a ball of energy. Regan pulled my arm as soon as I finished stuffing my bag with my things making me yelp, and she ran me to the open doors, dragging my arm along with her. The weather was uncomfortably hot today, and already I felt the sweat in my pits. ¡°By the way,¡± Regan put in as we paced forward, ¡°how¡¯s your hand?¡± My left hand hanging free from Regan¡¯s grip stung a slight bit at the reminder. The band-aid, the giant kind, stuck well enough but was uncomfortable. I still remembered the torture of the healers rubbing alcohol into the wound before doing their thing. ¡°Did I mess up choosing the sword?¡± I muttered to myself quietly. ¡°Huh? Say what?¡± ¡°What? It¡¯s fine, I mean, well¡­ yeah.¡± Regan¡¯s turned to me, her hair reflecting light into mine. Like my own, was cut short just above her neck, with no bangs to cover her windy eyes and bright face. ¡°Then move faster, you sloth! The line¡¯s probably so long right now already!¡± I started forward to match her pace, and yelled back, ¡°We¡¯ll see about sloth.¡± ¡°Bet!¡± The air moved past them like warm jello, and each foot in front of the other was getting heavier and heavier as I grew more and more tired. Finally we arrived, panting, behind a huge line that spanned from outside the cafeteria building under a little overhead pop-up tent. Students were arriving behind them one by one, and the ones at the front were leaving with a paper in their hands and grinning ear to ear. ¡°Geez, I didn¡¯t think it would be this long,¡± I panted, completely out of breath. I was so sweaty from my brow to my pits to my toes, and my face cleanser was all the way back in the apartment, which I probably wouldn¡¯t be coming back to until the end of my shift at the Shiba Tea Shoppe. A breakout was inevitable. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, girl,¡± Regan reached into her little purse, and like she read my mind she pulled out her own face cleanser. ¡°I gotchu.¡± ¡°Mmm!¡± I hugged her, she was a bit less tired than me, though still sweating like a pig. ¡°You¡¯re the best!¡± ¡°I know,¡± Regan snickered. ¡°You better know that too.¡± I groaned and pulled back. ¡°Never mind.¡± She giggled again. ¡°If I remember yesterday, wasn¡¯t this haircut your idea?¡± My own hair stuck out behind my head through a hairband, sticking up almost-spiky style because it was so short, and a swooping bang swept on my forehead. That meant more sweat dripping from my hair, meaning clogged pores and blotchy skin. Oh, the misery of puberty. ¡°So now we''re pointing fingers? Well, your fault for sleeping!¡± Regan slapped my back with a smile and I, now thoroughly annoyed, grabbed her shoulders and pushed my sweaty noggin into her forehead, staring straight at her. She stared back unflinchingly with her unfailing and stupidly annoying smile, clearly repressing several laughs. ¡°How so very gay.¡± Don¡¯t respond to that. ¡°You¡¯re the root cause of why my skin sucks,¡± I said lowly and as menacingly as I could. She leaned in deeper, and then stuck out her tongue. ¡°I brought a face cleanser. You didn¡¯t.¡± She pushed back and finally cracked into fits of laughter. ¡°I win again! Ha!¡± I sighed and shook my head. ¡°Win, my sweaty armpits.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯ve never won against me, ¡®you¡¯re the cause of all my problems, bleh bleh¡¯,¡± she loudly mocked me, her face like that of a duck. ¡°Come back when you¡¯re older and wiser, and think twice before falling asleep in a hair salon.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but to giggle a bit myself. ¡°But it was so boooring. You said so, too!¡± ¡°Meh, at least I¡¯m not rude enough to snore while the barber is snipping at my hair.¡± ¡°You¡¯re plenty rude right now.¡± ¡°And it looks like you couldn¡¯t give half a crap about it. I. Win. Take. The. L!¡± She had a rebuttal for everything, and I rolled my eyes. ¡°You should really consider being an MC or an actor.¡± ¡°Mhmm, I¡¯m so perfect,¡± she grinned obnoxiously. Swinging around my backpack I unzipped it and reached in, pulling out some spare scrap pieces of paper, and held a few to Regan. ¡°I have nothing better to wipe down our sweat, and your handkerchief won¡¯t absorb enough. Take it.¡± She accepted the paper. ¡°Thanks, babe,¡± she said in her falsely sweet voice. ¡°Backetcha, pookie.¡± We shared a laugh. When we finally reached the front the papers were soaked, and we still had so much sweat to spare, the sun was so insanely hot. Why did Arc have to be so close to the equator? The lady sat at the desk looked up, a monitor behind her. She had on a pink top and brown pants, as did all the other people under the tent as uniform, but also with glasses giving her an almost nerdy appearance. Her name tag said Lyanne Bakshi. Regan pushed my shoulder lightly. ¡°You first.¡± ¡°Hello,¡± the woman started. She had a slightly noticeable accent, ¡°I¡¯d like your identification please.¡± I nodded and tapped my watch. It blared on, but then I lowered the size of the screen to around the aspect of a card, then opened the Arc app. I tapped my profile, scrolled past a picture of Kali with long hair, and showed it to the lady. ¡ª¡ª 1 8 2 4 5 5 0 0 1 0 Kali Lapuz | Year 1 | UAH4 Rank 1476 | Rank 7713 Katana | Criminology 101 | N/A ¡ª¡ª ¡°Kali Lapuz, is it?¡± Lyanne turned around to type down something into the keyboard. ¡°Sorry, I cut my hair yesterday,¡± I nervously chuckled. I had no say in all of the information on the card except the katana, and even that I was apprehensive about. Though I had a pretty high rank for an unawakened kid, I was still low enough to be judged. ¡°Oh, no worries, I think you look great with that hairstyle.¡± She waved her hand out exaggeratedly. My worries flew out the window as the lady looked up with a smile, though fake it could possibly be. It was just her job, but still I felt somewhat pleased to be gratified by her. ¡°Kali Lapuz, the Awakening program begins tomorrow after the last class of the day, which should be at 7 PM, and will be at 7 PM every weekday. Eat a light dinner and be sure to show up on time at the Club Streets which is the area just around the Square, meet at the entrance.¡± She pointed her finger behind me in the general direction of the stadium, or what they called the Square. ¡°This is a commitment. You¡¯re sure you want to do this, right?¡± Lyanne seemed to have most of this memorized and said it really fast, but yet tried to make it sound organic at the same time which I appreciated. ¡°Yes, I want to attend the program,¡± I responded. She pointed to my right, another guy with a beige widehat under the tent in the same pink uniform. His eyes were glued to his watch. ¡°You¡¯ll get your consent form from David there and turn it back to him, and take an information sheet on the way out in the bins right there.¡± She beckoned me over to him, and waved me off though politely. ¡°Alright, good luck and see you around, Kali.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, unsure of what to call her. Miss? Ma¡¯am? Lyanne? David noticed me, and then reached behind him to grab a form. He was a pretty scruffy man, but kind of cute, which was to be expected. It seemed like there was also a passing requirement for physical attractiveness during the admission exams to Arc as far as I was concerned. ¡°Here you go, the pen is here too.¡± ¡°Thanks, David,¡± I said, accepting the pen. The consent sheet looked okay enough with no ridiculous clause, so my expression was mostly neutral as I made up a signature for Kali on the spot. I hoped that it wouldn¡¯t conflict too much with her past signatures. I handed David back the form and he placed it on the top of a huge stack, and at the same time handed a form to Regan just beside me, who was quivering with energy. She was always doing that. ¡°Omigosh omigosh, this is it, this is it!¡± Regan squealed as silently as she could manage. Just looking at her I was surprised she wasn¡¯t screaming her head off in delight right now. // 7:00 P.M. // 8 - 29 - 2023 // Arc - Club Streets Starring Dean Harvest // The sun was already dipping below the horizon yet the moon was only a sliver in the sky. A large crowd was gathered just outside the stadium. I stood at the outskirts where I could only see the hair of the people in charge. ¡°Attendance will begin now,¡± the woman named Lyanne announced from the head of the crowd under that familiar tent, her voice amplified by speakers around them. The loud chatter slowly faded leaving behind only hushed whispers. Though it was dark in the distance around us, there was plenty of brightness from all of the lighting fixtures on the floors, walls, and lamps. My watch buzzed and I procedurally followed through. Present, raise hand, down. Finally once she finished taking attendance, the woman started, ¡°I assume that all you here today are unawakened and are ready to begin the Awakening program. If you are Awakened, please leave.¡± Here she paused for a moment, a moment where no one inched even a bit. Lyanne continued, ¡°Now before we begin, I¡¯d like to give you guys a quick overview of the Awakening process. Most of this should be review for all of you.¡± At this point no one was talking anymore, and each person was attentive and listening. ¡°As you all should know, the Awakened are a subset category of creatures that have transcended the humanistic and physical limitations of the laws of the universe, a mutation of their species if you will. Interestingly enough, all of our research related to the Awakening of a homosapien relies on luck. You guys should also know the uncanny but very useful resemblance of Awakening to video games and other online media, and so we aptly named everything after media surfacing on the Internet. Luck is one such factor.¡± Her connection of Awakening to video games caused a surge in excited talking and laughter, the talking and laughter of familiarity. ¡°One of the most notable things each person will get when they Awaken is a ¡®System.¡¯¡± My curiosity piqued and then pivoted into confusion. Huh? Wait, don¡¯t I already have a system? Does that already mean I¡¯m Awakened? ¡°Systems are what provide the Awakened ability, the ability to do in accordance with the descriptor.¡± I don¡¯t have abilities, though? Just as I was about to say something, she raised her finger into the air. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Fun fact, did you know that all Awakened have a relation to their abilities on a deeper level than the usage of said ability? And that¡¯s why we are here today.¡± Clearly not only I but everyone else was more than confused, judging from the whispers. I saw the top of Lyanne¡¯s hair ruffle as if she was shaking her head. ¡°What I mean is that one¡¯s talent, preferences, specialty, or personality will translate to one¡¯s set of abilities.¡± Around me I sensed a sudden spark of excitement. I couldn¡¯t exactly place my finger on what exactly everyone was feeling all of a sudden, just a change in mood, like a spell of revelation had cleared a fog that had been covering our eyes. But not my eyes. I was still concerned about my own System and inability. I raised my hand. ¡°Excuse me¡ª¡± but the chatter around was already too loud for me to be heard. ¡°Hey¡­¡± I faltered. What was I going to say next? I have a System with no abilities? Wasn¡¯t self cultivation the only reason Dean came to Arc? Surely voicing my weakness would only get me kicked out. Why was I here in the first place? Not Dean, but me. The Memories didn¡¯t tell me anything. Then I couldn¡¯t do anything about it. So, I should just follow along. It was the only right option there was. // 7:14 P.M. // 8 - 29 - 2023 // Arc - Club Center Starring Avil Daniase Featuring Gwen Olynn // ¡°Avil,¡± Gwen nudged me, ¡°did you choose yet?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I said lightly. ¡°I still don¡¯t really know, to be honest.¡± Looking at all of the options, I couldn¡¯t see which one was meant for me. Or, which ones were meant for my schedule. ¡ª¡ª Acrobatic || Art || ¡­ Craft || Culinary || Culture || ¡­ Dance || Debate || Deliver || Develop || ¡­ Enrich || Entertain || Explore || ¡­ Facial-care || Family || Film || Fitness || ¡­ Garden || Health || Home || ¡­ Industry || Invent || ¡­ Law || Life || Literature || Love || ¡­ Marksmanship || Martial || Medical || Music || ¡­ Pioneer || Politics || Preserve || Problem-solve || ¡­ Religion || Run || ¡­ Sew || Swim || ¡­ Tennis || Travel || ¡­ ¡­ ¡ª¡ª I groaned loudly. ¡°Maybe I should just take the test.¡± Gwen scoffed. ¡°16 minutes. Time¡¯s ticking.¡± That made me frown. ¡°Did you already choose one?¡± She nodded her head. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°You¡¯ll see.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, Gwen, just tell me!¡± I persisted. Gwen clicked her tongue. ¡°15 minutes, idiot.¡± Dammit. Rolling my eyes, I scrolled to the top of the page to the button that said TEST. Behind me someone let out a sigh of relief. Actually, all around were people making probably the most important decisions of their lives. I could feel the nervous air that surrounded the Club Center like a blizzard. Gwen and I however contributed nothing to dampen the winds of fear. We were also just as stressed, though it wasn¡¯t like we would be all over each other talking about feelings. Without a second thought my finger landed on the button and the screen changed. It looked like a simple form. My name and all my other information was told to have been on recorded, but other than that it kind of looked like a personality test besides the obvious title: Awakening Program - Self Assessment I looked at the first question. ¡ª¡ª ¡®If you lived in a world without the Awakened, what would have been your dream profession?¡¯ ¡ª¡ª My mouth gaped open. Maybe I would have been well prepared if I had properly answered the job forms back in my real world, but hell, I didn¡¯t know how to answer this. With no answers and one obvious option, I opened up my Guide menu. How many did I have left¡­? 3? I looked at the amount of questions on the form and almost toppled off the bench. 40 questions. My eyes peeked over the top of the screen and glimpsed Gwen¡¯s smug look on her face staring directly back into me. ¡°I told you. Chop chop.¡± Man, was I sweating bullets. Maybe the one with better knowledge of this world¡­ or themself¡­? The Guide was blaring and blinding behind my head. I took a short breath, like getting a flu shot. ======================== Answer Memory Overtake Will you use a Guide? Yes//No ======================== Yes. Then Avil woke up. // 11:20 P.M. // 9 - 4 - 2023 // Arc - Housing District Starring Cedrance Manamune // Six days. Every single time he arrived back home, there was this vibration coming from the room next to him. He would come home sweaty, tired, and would desire nothing but silence. But noooo, Ced swore he could hear a tuba honking in the other room. It was anything but silent. Sometimes it sounded like the SWAT team was banging on his walls. And the worst part was that they would continue until three in the morning. Being a slightly insomniac light sleeper was bad enough. But this¡­ This was hell. Six. Days. Lying awake in a bag of a sore body after exhausting activities, and yet never able to sleep more than two hours before habitually waking up. No, it wasn¡¯t a nightmare. It was the hell of being sleep deprived. His patience hadn¡¯t run thin. It was simply gone. // 6:55 P.M. // 9 - 4 - 2023 // Shiba Tea Shoppe Starring Zendolyn Ato Featuring Kali Lapuz and ??? // Three hours into a shift and I was already a complete robot. There was still a crowd outside the front door even though rush hour had passed late into when I began working. ¡°Sorry, Zen, could you take the counter for a moment?¡± One of my coworkers tapped my shoulder, waking me up. She also happened to be the manager. ¡°Kali¡¯s shift is over and you¡¯re next in line.¡± I glanced up at the front almost groggily, pulling the cup out of the sealing machine. Nodding with a tired smile, I motioned the ticket to the coworker. ¡°Ah, then could you take over this order for me then, Maria?¡± I didn¡¯t have the energy to take over the front, or talk to people, or anything. She smiled back and took the little paper. ¡°Of course.¡± Kali looked back at the rest of the barista just as she finished taking a man¡¯s order and spotted me walking towards her, and a look of relief washed over her face. She nodded her appreciation and I took her place at the counter. A few moments later Kali was out of her employee outfit and booking it out the doors like there was no tomorrow. The next person in line stepped up. Customer service mode on. Smile activated. Fingers hovering at the ready. The screen on the little device in front of me was pretty clean considering how many people were walking through the doors each second. There seemed to be no end to the hoard of students and residents. ¡°Hello, what can I get for you today?¡± The guy in front of me took a moment to glance at the seasonals board to his right I had just put up this morning. He didn¡¯t seem like the chatty type, so I indulged in his silence. I preferred not talking anyways. ¡°You¡¯re Zendolyn Ato, right?¡± My smile was still plastered over my face and didn¡¯t falter even for a second. He probably just read my name tag. ¡°Yes, sir. Would you like any recommendations?¡± The guy frowned. He looked to be around my age, or rather Zen¡¯s age. Maybe he went to Arc, but I¡¯d never seen him on campus before. Well, not like I¡¯d remember him. He was even paler than myself, a black hoodie over his head already donned with a cap and hands in his jean pockets like a true introvert. Not a very notable person. No, probably an extra. ¡°Umm, I¡¯ll get a Shiba Matcha.¡± I tapped in the order. Shiba Matcha. Honestly, a pretty good choice, though not one of the seasonals. I guess he just didn¡¯t like the idea of a Pinetwister. ¡°Is 100 percent your preferred sweetness?¡± ¡°75 percent. I¡¯d like brown sugar boba, too, and please make it small¡ªI mean, a small cup.¡± This was a little bit embarrassing. ¡°Brown sugar boba comes along with Shiba Matcha. Also would you like 70 percent or 80 percent? 75 isn¡¯t an option, and unfortunately, our drinks here only come in one size.¡± He nodded unaffectedly. I noticed he had never made eye contact with me once. This one was a force to be reckoned with, a guy whose embarrassment had been neutered. ¡°80 percent, then.¡± ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s it.¡± I turned the screen around to him. ¡°So a Shiba Matcha with 80 percent sweetness. Did I miss anything?¡± He shook his head, ¡°No.¡± Thank you for being an easy customer. ¡°Would you like to pay with card or points? We offer a discount for spending points.¡± ¡°¡­points.¡± ¡°Okay, please move your watch to the screen. Can I get a name for this order?¡± He obliged. ¡°Parker.¡± I smiled and typed in his name wordlessly. S***. I forgot. The villain¡¯s in the house. Parker walked away and the next person came up. My heart was slamming in my chest and my brain was spinning. But I kept on my customer service smile. I hoped I could remember his face the next time we met. ¡­ ¡°That woman was the last one,¡± I called out to the rest of the kitchen, ¡°and it¡¯s 9 now. Time to close up.¡± Many people had already ended their shift by then, so only I and three others were left behind to finish up the evening shift. I was still by the counter, my coworker Maria handed me a mop and a bucket full of water. I frowned but said nothing. She called out, ¡°Good job today, everyone.¡± We responded almost in unison with a ¡®Good job¡¯ of our own. ¡°Make sure to sign the checklist while you clean,¡± Maria said, giving every person something to scrub down the place with, ¡°I want this place spotless. The faster you all work the faster you all can go!¡± I signed up for something like this, didn¡¯t I? At least this place paid pretty well, though it was super popular and exhausting. And, no one judged me for, well, being Zen. At least not that I noticed. Maybe the news had passed a while ago and I was just paranoid. Sniffing loudly as I moved the mop along the floor in the usual pattern, I thought that I was probably right, and it was just paranoia. Though recently I¡¯ve been having peace, the last few days haven''t been nice to me, and neither have my classmates, nor any other class for that matter. Point one, the gym was starting to see some use, and I was probably the only person who went there that hopped off the treadmill five minutes in due to the constant mocking of the low speed setting I was on, how obviously skinny I was, and mostly how not fit and tired my body was. I felt it before, how easily this body exhausted, but holy hell did I need to start working out. Not like I did that in the real world. Point two, I was lonely, and tropes stood to tell that loners had it hard. Really hard. Verbal abuse and harassment, odd pranks meant to inconvenience me, and I honestly had no clue why people even bothered to call me out for random stuff I had no recollection about as I hardly ever talked. What night? One touch? Was there some sort of big red target on my back? I subconsciously itched my back. Nope, no paper that said ¡®punch me¡¯. Maybe I was lucky it hadn''t been elevated to physical confrontations. Point three, I wasn¡¯t attending the Awakening program. I had reasons for not signing up. Very simple reasons, well thought out, and very, very impulsive. Shaking my head, I started on the seats lining the wall even though they were pretty clean already. Whatever, just doing my job. I needed money. Well, points, same thing. I had three reasons again for not attending the program. With points I wouldn¡¯t, I couldn¡¯t, be kicked out of school as long as I ranked high enough. Obvious issue number one. Two, Awakening was a finicky process. I would know. I wrote about it. There was a firm chance that I and I specifically would encounter disaster if ever something wrong happened while I was entertaining the idea of Awakening. Disaster? Trauma. I could become a weakling. My abilities could be terrible. Of course it could swing in the other direction and make me overpowered, but the most likely thing to happen was that the trauma of bullying would kick in, and I, still not used to bad stuff happening to me, would not be able to handle it. Second Awakening was an obvious solution but I simply had no resolve to do that. My mentality did not like the idea of slaving for the slight chance of that, especially because of the hidden requirement. ¡°Alright, everyone did an amazing job today,¡± Maria said loudly and clapped her hands together. In front of her were her cleaning supplies. She clearly hadn¡¯t missed out on scrubbing too. What a good manager. ¡°You can all go home. Your points will be sent to your watch soon, or your money will be sent to your bank account, whichever one you chose. Goodbye, goodnight, and see you all Tuesday tomorrow.¡± I set down my mop and pulled the bucket into the back of the kitchen into the supplies closet. Plus I already had a sure fire way to Awakening strong abilities that applied to me, to Zen and only Zendolyn Ato. If I wrote the system correctly, it was simple. Passion. Stories. And luck. 8 - SOPHOPHOBIA 8: SOPHOPHOBIA // 7:44 P.M. // 9 - 4 - 2023 // Arc Starring Avil Daniase Featuring Gwen Olynn // How did I end up like this? ¡°Big bruther! Hehehe,¡± little Jess whacked me on the head twice with the maraca. The clackling noise was endless and all about combined with the giggles and screams and chaos. It smelled horrible inside the daycare. Laying on the floor, I stared up at the very soft light of the ceiling above that suddenly intensified thirty-folds as another child climbed onto my head. ¡°Aghh! Get of¡ªmmmpphh!¡± A sock was stuck into my mouth making me gag. ¡°Light!¡± The kid on me screeched into my ear. ¡°Shiny, shiny light!¡± The kid directly shined the flashlight into my eyes. ¡°Bro, stooop!¡± I groaned, sitting up and dropping two children still latched to my upper body. One of them, fuming mad because his big doll had begun rebelling, kicked me in the back. ¡°Owww! Hey, what was that for, you?!¡± I angrily turned around. ¡°I, Liam, your master,¡± he began in his pippy voice, ¡°demand that you lay back down!¡± How did I, Avil Daniase, the one who could perform an exorcism on demons with swear words alone, end up as a tired, haggard, lifeless doll for little children to kick around like a soccer ball? ¡°Yeah, lay back down. Now!¡± Another kid yelled at me. One of them growled like an angry puppy. ¡°Do it, nowwwww!!¡± Glancing across the room, I raised my hand in the air, a sign of SOS. The daycare worker caught my eye and waved back with a smile. She seemed to be in a similar situation except with kids crying for milk. Jess whacked me again with her maracas. ¡°Gooo! Everyone, do it!¡± She screamed in her banshee rage. ¡°AHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± The whole of the daycare erupted as five little kids jumped on top of me, pinning me down and sitting on my face and harassing me. Seriously, how did I end up here? My watch vibrated with a notification, noiseless against the war cries and attacks against my helpless self. As the children pummeled me, I couldn¡¯t help but wonder how I was going to survive for the next 15 minutes. ¡­ ¡°You look terrible,¡± Gwen pointed out very obviously. I could barely make out her voice over the children yelling on top of me. ¡°Yeah.¡± I tried to open my mouth as little as possible, afraid of the sock in Liam¡¯s hand. It was like a martian saucer, the ¡®here comes the airplane¡¯ ready to fly into my mouth. ¡°Help.¡± ¡°Ah-ah-ahh, what¡¯s the magic word?¡± She smiled. I could see a sneer in her eyes; she loved what she was seeing. I was furious now, but still I weighed the risks of cussing. Verdict. Don¡¯t. ¡°Please.¡± Gwen snickered. ¡°Louder.¡± I was at her mercy. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± My eyes were almost teary now. ¡°Gwen, plea¡ªMMMPPPPHH!!¡± I spit out the sock that Liam shoved into my face and coughed obnoxiously. ¡°Alright, you brats, play time is over with me!¡± I had had enough. ¡°You guys go play somewhere else while the adults talk. GO. NOW.¡± That should sufficiently scare¡ª ¡ªOOOMPH Jess punched me in the stomach, and I felt a churn. ¡°No! No, no, no!¡± The little gremlin tantrumed. ¡°We tell you when to move, you stay here! Queen Jess orders you to stay!¡± ¡°Yeah, who said you could move?¡± Liam yelled commandingly at me. No, they weren¡¯t scared. But I was beginning to get scared of them. ¡°I did,¡± Gwen put in loudly, turning heads, ¡°so by my command, I, clearly the strongest of you all, command everyone to step aside!¡± Was she roleplaying with them? ¡°Hmm? Who are you?¡± One of the kids asked, confused at the sudden intrusion. Liam, still above me and tending to his sock, squinched his face. ¡°You can¡¯t make me! You¡¯re not my boss!¡± Something crunched really loudly. He stopped, and Jess gasped. And then he made this face, like some sort of primordial fear had been awakened inside of him. Exhaustedly, I lifted my head to see what was going on, and then suppressed a laugh of relief. Gwen had snapped apart two playing blocks beneath her shoes. In her hands were the tattered pieces of cloth. ¡°The maraca is next,¡± she looked at her feet, and then glared at Liam. ¡°And then, you¡¯re next.¡± The kids understandably began to scream, this time in pure and desperate fear. ¡°Monster! She¡¯s a monster!¡± Jess hollered, crying on the floor. Gwen blinked. ¡°O-oh, uh, I didn¡¯t mean for this too¡ª¡± ¡°Alright, alright everybody, calm down!¡± A very large woman came walking in from another room, followed by a hoard of toddlers. The second she stepped foot into the room all of the crying kids swarmed towards her like cubs to a mother. I couldn¡¯t hear the specifics but clearly the ringleaders of my five bullies were complaining to the woman, and I almost flinched when she turned her head my way, still on the floor. And then she glanced at Gwen, who smiled and bowed her head slightly and politely. I could see that Gwen¡¯s neck had suddenly become moist with sweat and her skin had become pale, both a momentary observation. The large woman nodded her head, her eyes clearly thanking us, and then scanned the rest of the room more at all the Arc students who had come along with me, identifiable by the blue lanyards hanging around our necks. ¡°Volunteers, you are dismissed tonight. That¡¯s what I came over to say. Thank you so much, everybody, and see you tomorrow!¡± One by one the students began walking out the door, prying off children, each with bags under their eyes. I was no different. Finally outside the daycare, I didn¡¯t even spare it a second glance. That place was hell. The sun had fallen now, yet the mall was lit with the noise of people having a good time. It was like this everyday. I noticed that the small group around me had stopped moving, but I, not tall enough to see over their shoulders and heads, couldn¡¯t make out why. Gwen tapped my shoulder after noticing my struggle. ¡°Program officials.¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°No prob.¡± ¡°Alright, Sewing group and Family group, you guys know the drill now. If you only chose one, you¡¯re free to go home now.¡± One man said loudly, enough to be heard over the bustle of the night market. Or, well, mall. ¡°For those with a second hobby, we¡¯ll give you 15 minutes of break time.¡± ¡°Arc students, dismissed!¡± He yelled, and everyone scattered off. Gwen dragged me over to the benches near the middle of the street with clammy palms and helped me to sit down, almost shaking as much as me. The flow of people around us was impressive given the current time. ¡°Avil, why did you choose Family?¡± Gwen asked me. Why was she so pale? I shook my head, not even knowing the answer myself. When I was overtaken, Avil simply exited out of the test and immediately chose it. Of all the options! ¡°No, not enough points,¡± I said tiredly, shrugging my shoulders. After the whole fiasco of Cedrance v. Goldilocks, I trusted Avil to make the right decisions. Now my trust, my faith, was almost completely gone. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Hmm? I dunno,¡± I answered her. ¡°Just felt like it.¡± She sarcastically coughed, ¡°Just, ¡®felt like it?¡¯ That¡¯s a load of bull. You, Avil, signed up for Family and Nursing. Are you crazy?¡± Gwen definitely wasn¡¯t wrong to believe that. ¡°Well, childcare volunteering is just for this week, I think. And nursing isn¡¯t even that bad¡­¡± ¡°Liar. I heard from another person that the Nursing kids are being therapists right now. You, of all people, listening to the problems of another person. Ha!¡± She laughed a short one-note. ¡°No, you might actually be insane right now.¡± Was I being too out-of-character? This wasn¡¯t even my choice! It was the safest option, too! Anyone in my shoes would have done the same thing. Guide. Answer. ======================== Option 1) ¡°Gwen, let¡¯s just go get something to eat. We¡¯re wasting our break time.¡± Option 2) ¡°Hey, I¡¯d rather not talk right now. Those kids hurt my jaw. A lot.¡± Option 3) ¡°I think I was just¡­ preparing¡­ for the future.¡± ======================== No. Hell no. I had forgotten that Avil was totally head over heels for this sorry girl. But maybe I was a little annoyed. ¡°Hop off me, you chose sewing. Sewing!¡± I let out the same short mock of a laugh. ¡°You think I¡¯m weird? Gwen, I¡¯ve never ever seen you sew. Never!¡± I yelled. ¡°That¡¯s actually insane!¡± Immediately I shut up. That was a full-on impulsive in-the-moment lie. I had never seen it, but still I don¡¯t know if Avil had ever seen her sew. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. But completely unfazed, she yelled back, annoyed. ¡°I honestly think I have better chances at it than you have at being a nanny.¡± ¡°Hah, rich coming from the girl who never leaves bed.¡± Then I pinched my eyebrows and sucked in a breath. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m just tired from¡ª¡± I completely expected an outburst from her. Anger. Betrayal. Sadness. But instead confusion clouded her face. She was quiet for a moment. And then. ¡°I can¡¯t tell who¡­¡± ¡­ ¡°What?¡± ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m going to get boba before the store closes. Stay here.¡± What? ¡°W-wait,¡± I stuttered, now very scared. Did she know? Did she know that I wasn¡¯t Avil? // 7:04 P.M. // 8 - 29 - 2023 // Arc - Club Streets Starring Dean Harvest Featuring Parker, Melinda Yeh, Serene Goldwin, Lyanne Bakshi, and ??? // I was a bit uncomfortable now. A hooded guy had been following me for a while now as we walked towards the Club Center, wordlessly and inconspicuously looking at the ground, but nonetheless still following me. Even in the whole crowd of moving bodies, he stuck just behind me, never further, never closer. Maybe he didn¡¯t have a friend here¡­? ¡°H-hey¡ª¡± I stopped my sentence dead in its tracks. Why did I say anything at all? I didn¡¯t need to, and I don¡¯t know how to follow that up! The guy looked up at me and I flinched, very uncomfortable now. Wait, where did I see his face before? ¡°Are you¡­?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you the one that tripped into me earlier?¡± His eyes looked me up and down. ¡°¡­!¡± He looked forward stoically. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, Dean.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that!¡± I burst out, drawing a few eyes. My face flushed. Though silently, I could still hear the noise of the hooded guy¡¯s chuckle. Embarrassing. ¡°Really, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he smiled, and then moved up to my left side. He was a little shorter than me, but it wasn¡¯t that noticeable until I was up close. As we followed the path and the flow of the crowd there wasn¡¯t much but the silence of thoughts, though mine loud on my glowing face red in emotion. The night offered nothing but cold air and darkness. The path ahead was lit quite bright though, seeing how we were approaching the Center connected to the side of the Square stadium. The guy offered me his left hand, a dull bronze ring on his finger. ¡°The name¡¯s Parker.¡± I looked at his hand, and it took me a moment to realize that we were shaking hands. ¡°O-oh! Uhh,¡± I offered my right hand. Parker blinked. Wrong hand. My face was really pink now. ¡°I wish I could remember my name. Sorry.¡± We shook and I quickly pulled back. My palms were sweaty. Dean. It was that weird word-editing again. ¡°I¡­ like your ring,¡± I said nervously, but Parker seemed to be looking above my head. Evidently he heard me, as he brought his gaze back down to me. ¡°Wait, what did you say?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Never mind.¡± Was my hair weird or something? A bird above my head? A glance upwards told me it was too dark for me to tell. Maybe it was my green hair. ¡°Huh? Okay.¡± All of a sudden Parker seemed to be in a good mood. The people at the front of the line were now being stopped just in front of the door to the Center by a burly man in bright pink. It was an odd sight to see. The officer said something and the kids at the front gave their hand. It was kind of weird how after receiving the hand, he took it, looked up, and then went back into the Center with the student following suit. Then another officer replaced him, then the next person. Ahhh, this was going to take a while. Good thing I was near the front. ¡°Hey Parker, those guys have the same ring as¡­¡± I faltered, looking at where he used to be. ¡°Parker?¡± Where did he go? I searched for him in the crowd but to no avail. It was hard to find a dark hoodie in a sea of camouflage that was the hair of students. Not wanting to be obnoxious again, I sighed shortly and dismissed him from my thoughts. Whatever, I''d probably see him again. My watch buzzed, but I paid it no mind. As I slowly approached the head of the line, I could make out a little of what they were saying. ¡°Hand.¡± ¡°And, why?¡± The student, a girl of brunette hair down to her waist and a particularly flashy appearance boldly stuck her hips out and assumed a very connotative stance. Her voice was posh, and high, and very, very annoying. The officer sighed with a vacant expression. ¡°Ma¡¯am, please cooperate with me. This is just to assess your potential¡ª¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just,¡± she sassily clicked her tongue, ¡°really, really coordinated sexual harassment. I am not comfortable with this at all! Really? Taking my hand¨Clike, ugh! I¡¯m not some bride, and definitely not for the likes of you guys.¡± Someone beside me muttered under their breath, ¡°Overdramatic, much?¡± ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s Melinda for you. Thinks the world is under her fingers ¡®cause her daddy¡¯s name sometimes appears on the papers.¡± ¡°Who was that again?¡± ¡°Uhh, I think it was¨C¡± They turned their heads as the annoying girl raised her voice again. ¡°You, whatever your name is, do you know who I am? If not, do you know who my father is? Joseph Yeh!¡± I could feel the arrogance in the air when she harrumphed. It tasted thick, slimy, and overcooked. ¡°Girly, no one gives a damn about who your daddy is,¡± a girl from the crowd yelled out to my right suddenly, startling me a bit. ¡°And no one knows who your corny *** is, so get the **** out if you don¡¯t want to be here! Are you gonna call your daddy to pick you up, now, hmm?¡± Another person behind me cracked up, and then began laughing really hard. The already untamed noise grew to a whole chorus, of insults and laughter being shot into the dumbstruck Melinda, purple in the face. My watch buzzed again, but now I was too entranced to pay it any notice. ¡°Serene!¡± Melinda screamed, though only the people at the front could hear her over the laughs, ¡°Don¡¯t butt in, and know your place¡ª!¡± ¡°Which is, need I remind you, higher than yours,¡± she retorted loudly. ¡°Idiot.¡± ¡°Y-you! Whore!¡± She turned around furiously to the now slightly smiling officer. ¡°Just take my hand, whatever!¡± He took her hand and looked up, and then gave her a smile, insulting, but ultimately unassuming smile. The whole of the Club Streets was now flaring with the newest hot gossip. At the front of the line I obediently gave my hand, which the officer took. Was my hair really that weird? ¡°Follow me, Dean Harvest,¡± the man said with a deep voice after a moment. ¡°Okay.¡± Yeah. That was my name. ¡­ As the final people were seated down into an open spot, Lyanne spoke over the crowd from the stage, her voice projected loudly on a speaker and echoed all about the auditorium, the Club Center. ¡°Everyone can hear me, right? Please lower your voices, I¡¯ll be giving you instructions now.¡± After a few moments everyone settled down to whispers. ¡°This program will go through two phases. The first will focus on doing what you enjoy, so to say your hobby. Fun, right? The second one will be left a secret for now.¡± People caught their breaths but otherwise it was relatively silent. Hobbies? My gears immediately turned. Gaming. Lyanne spoke in a rapid-fire manner. ¡°You will be choosing at least one hobby and at most two. Every weekday we¡¯ll meet here at the Club Center every night at 7 and we¡¯ll come here whenever there is an emergency. You¡¯ll be kept updated in the Arc app. Now, please open the app, you should have the Awakening tab now so open that, and then enter the form to make your choice, or choices. You can take the provided recommendations test if you don¡¯t know what to choose. Everyone has until 7:30 to choose, and then the form will automatically close. Get started now, you may go outside if you want some alone space.¡± I preferred the warmth of the indoors so I didn¡¯t move contrary to the others that got up and filed out the doors, past my legs. With a little grin on my face I tapped the watch, and the screen projected a bit too large so I hastily sized it down and toned down the blinding light setting. Others in the room seemed to be having the same issue, and I sighed contentedly knowing I wasn''t the only one. Opening the Arc app, my watch buzzed again as a notification banner fell, and I finally gave it notice. Usually, well actually, never has my watch buzzed this many times. There wasn¡¯t much to compare it to, it was still only my first few days here. I had three unread messages from the same person. Opening the app, at the top was an unknown number. The opening line was vague, so I opened the chat. [Hello, Dean, this is Parker who you just met earlier] I raised my eyebrow. How did he find my number? [I¡¯ve seen you in the news before, and I want to let you know that I feel for you, man] This made me blink, and then silently gasp. I¡­ was in the news¡­? The Memories didn¡¯t show me anything like that! Was it something bad? [Check your pockets. I left you something that you¡¯ll find interesting and useful] Still shocked, a shiver ran up my back as I reached into my pocket instinctively and felt a little card there. When did he put that there? The questions¡­ I didn¡¯t know what to think anymore, so I glanced over the card. ¡ª¡ª Nightingale | -Agent Veronica Hark _ T: ### - ### - #### F: ### - ### - #### ¡ª¡ª Suddenly my head split in two and I keeled over in horrible pain with a quiet gasp. There was something thudding in my head, a dull and soundless noise, like a ringing in triplets, the rumbling of an explosion far away in my headspace. [Feel free to contact the number on the card whenever you like] Oh, it hurt, it hurt so much. [[¡°WHO @%R Y0#?! GET $VT *# MY H¡ê@>!!]] Each ringing was a shockwave that spiked throughout me, back to my brain and then tearing it to shreds and doing it all over again. My heart rate spiked like I was an Olympian sprinter, each little sensation on my skin, my pores, everywhere in the world and yet just me, was thunder. The agony forced a noise out of my throat, but it sounded like no one could possibly have heard me. [[No one heard. Not when th¡ª##############]] Visions filled my head and swamped me in their murky gray waters and mud. I couldn¡¯t breathe. I couldn¡¯t see anything except [[the hand beckoned to be taken. ¡°$#~ h@v# a choice.¡± It pointed behind to the school. Useless, worthless trash. Then to¡ª########. Salvation. Vengeance.]] I screamed and only heard myself in my head. What choice did I have? [Synchronized] A flood of information overwhelmed me and I tumbled forward in my seat to the ground in one quick moment. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s up with you?¡± The girl behind him asked with a concerned look on her face. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m just having a hard time choosing,¡± he waved her off, and she looked back to whatever she was doing. His facial muscles twitched. Now, where was he? He scrolled a little further down, Gambling, Gaming¡­ there it was! His eyes widened, his knee jerked. Confirm. Something pounded in his head. His whole body shivered. He reached up to the corner of the screen to the X button, but then his arm suddenly froze. He couldn¡¯t move it. 7:15 P.M. 7:17 P.M. 7:24 P.M. 7:28 P.M. 7:29 P.M. He¡­ I won the war. I gasped loudly, the air of freedom rushing in, and hurriedly tapped back in and scrolled up. Gaming! Choose! Now, now, load, hurry up!! Yes, confirm! [This site has been automatically closed.] 9 - >1WAY 9: >1WAY // 11:22 A.M. // 9 - 4 - 23 // Arc - Housing District Starring Zendolyn Ato Featuring Cedrance Manamune // It sounded¡­ wrong. The music somewhere in there had this off feeling to it. Ughh. This knob,¡­ left, too far left, turn it back a bit more. 30 tempo, right¡­ Doing this with a trackpad felt weird. Really weird. The music program and laptop I had bought had made my wallet much lighter. I reached my left hand into the bag of potato chips and popped some in my mouth. Barbecue. Mmm. Crunching more, I zoomed in around the weird spot. Fake echoed bass, check, fix the beginning rise. Violin lead. I liked it a lot. Piano cue repetition, mmm¡­ I could make it crescendo more dramatically, I guess. Acapella? Iffy. There was something about it I couldn¡¯t figure out. Replay it again. All together. Click. ¡­ No, that sounded definitely weird. Uhhhhhhh¡­ I tinkered a little bit. Drums, do me well¡­ Play, click. ¡­ Improvement. Yes, a complete improvement. I made quick adjustments to the beat, quieter, echoey, stronger, but still quieter, like a creepy noise in a dark room. And I figured out the problem with the acapella, a weird lapse in the syncopation and chest voice. I needed falsetto for this. ¡°Ahh¡­ mMM¡ªmMM!¡± I grunted out the mucus in my throat. ¡°Ah-ahh, ah-ehh!¡ªAhhhhh~¡­. Mmmmm~¡ªMmmmm¡ªmMM!¡± I coughed again. That was annoying. And hard. I sighed. The humming notes weren¡¯t in my falsetto range. Too low. I pinched my eyebrows together. Autotune¡­? No, no need, I could just¡ª ¡ªBANG BANG BANG! I almost jumped. Someone slammed on the door and my watch buzzed at the same time. [¡®Someone is at your front door¡¯] Well, no duh. A sweat run down my neck. Six days and I¡¯d never had a problem so I always assumed¡­ was the room¡­ not, soundproof? Oh no. I closed my laptop gingerly and slid off my bed. Slowly I approached the door. Maybe it could be delivery¡­? But first off, why, and second, at this ungodly hour of the night? No way. My social battery still hadn¡¯t recharged yet. ¡ªBang One knock. Definitely someone there. And it was probably the person next door. A thought wrestled into my skull. What if I feigned ignorance? I scratched my head and waited for the first ideas to come to my mind. Okay¡­ good thing my hallway light was off, and my lamp was on low. Taking a few quiet steps back, I turned up the lamp to full like I was just waking up, and ruffled my hair which was already well on its way to sticking up from the hour I spent with my head against the pillows. Then I made a rustling noise like getting out of bed, and for good measure I threw a pillow to the ground and pulled down the blanket near the bottom. Plus I was already tired. A messy and tired guy still half asleep and annoyed at the person banging on his door at 11 in the night persona. That would probably be convincing enough, right? I dragged myself to the door, and then audibly groaned with my best impression of someone who just woke up. That was my one chance at a warm up. This had to be perfect. I stood there for a moment, my fingers around the handle. Deep breath. Exhale. Prepare the yawn. ¡­ Wait¡­ what if they recognize¡ªI swung open the door, my thought still only half processed. And in one second it took all of my willpower and self-control not to reel back in emotion. Fear, pride, confusion, awe, anxiety, all of them screamed. Buff God? The young man returned my expressions in a two-step order, impatience, anxiety, determination, and then confusion, surprise, hostility, and calm. ¡ªYaaawwwn. It went through without a hitch. ¡°Who are you?¡± Step 1, avoid the real question. ¡°What are you doing in there, Ato?¡± Cedrance Manamune asked with a deadly patience, a mercy about to snap. Step 1 failed miserably, target has access to name. I masked my shuddering breath with an exasperated sigh. But it was Cedrance. This couldn¡¯t be that hard. But it was Cedrance¡­ ¡°Well, what do you think?¡± I rolled my eyes. First off, not making enemies was out of the deck now, Cedrance clearly didn¡¯t like me. But why, why, why? Why me? But my statement had its merits. He was tall enough to see over my head into my messy room, pillows and blankets strewn everywhere, and well, me. If the walls truly weren¡¯t soundproof, he would have heard me ¡®waking up.¡¯ I probably looked like a disheveled goblin next to him. ¡°Aight, I¡¯ll tell you right now that I¡¯m not in the mood for this,¡± I said and pointed to my face, bearing an annoyed and mildly apathetic, but mostly tired expression, ¡°but let¡¯s talk in the morning when I can keep my eyes open.¡± I began closing the door in an almost relieved state of mind, but then Cedrance stepped forward and caught the door closing in his hand. I was definitely rushing. I tried to pull the door shut but he was clearly much, much stronger so I instantly gave up. ¡°Zendolyn, are you pretending not to know me?¡± He scoffed to my great surprise, effortlessly wrestling the door open. ¡°Well, you¡¯re always pretending.¡± F-first off¡ªwhat?! Stuttering backwards like a dysfunctional machine, I was very confused now. Cedrance wasn¡¯t supposed to be mean, what was this? And why me? Doubt crawled into my brain, but I kicked the doubt in the face. ¡°And you better turn down the noise on whatever you¡¯re doing, because you are disrupting me from getting any sleep at all. Seriously, do you have a tuba in your room?!¡± He had definitely snapped, but then calmed down for a second. No need to be loud in the hallways. I was a bit scared now. A very strong and angry young man just outside my room. He could strangle me right now, and others would probably believe that I started it. But no. I secured the mask onto my face; I¡¯d come this far. Antagonizing the protagonist would be horrible in a regular situation, but¡­ I needed to test the waters. ¡°Look, Cedrance,¡± I pinched my eyebrows together and looked down, leaning against my wall and completely giving up on the door. ¡°I think I know the problem and I¡¯m sincerely sorry about it, but I also sincerely cannot give this up. Really.¡± I flipped the switch inside my brain. What can a protagonist not resist? ¡°Why? All I know is that you¡¯re being a loud and rude nuisance.¡± Cedrance was angry and pushed his head into my doorway, and he wasn¡¯t sparing me. It wasn¡¯t bad as far as anger went, but his character was never supposed to come this close. For everything he was, he wasn¡¯t the sin of Wrath. I would play into that, no matter how scared I was right now. It was the only way, and for Cedrance alone. Looking up, I stared directly into Cedrance¡¯s eyes with conviction, making him flinch. My eyes were wet, not to the point of tears but the hurt on my face was enough. He for sure was and should have been quite sensitive to it, in more ways than one. ¡°I don¡¯t know why you hate me.¡± That wasn¡¯t the question. But it was the best answer. I was quite sure why he hated me this much. Cedrance blinked twice, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion, like a misconception was clearing up in his head. He opened his mouth to say something but I interrupted him. Don¡¯t interrupt my monologue. ¡°Failure, unloved, pitied, disowned, alone, a pretender, I¡¯ve been a lot. And I¡¯m going through a lot right now.¡± My voice was choked with emotion and my posture was pathetic. You of all people should know. ¡°But you know what? I¡¯m always trying to survive.¡± My face was full of pain that I had never felt before. Sympathize with me, hmm? The faces, one¡¯s I¡¯d never made before, somehow came to me naturally. I paused cautiously, certain he understood the message. His face read of discomfort and pity. Clich¨¦s can mean nothing without a story behind them, like how a filter can do nothing to a blank canvas. He didn¡¯t hate me. He projected on me. Now, what if I turned off the filter? Blinking rapidly, I tried a smile. ¡°Sorry, Cedrance, I can¡¯t help you with the noise issue. I don¡¯t know how I can get by without food, let alone a mana barrier.¡± Step 2. Pivot. Act like what I said was a mistake. Change the topic, introduce the need. Sympathize with me, you damn protagonist. You are mine. I need a¡ª ¡°¡­ mana barrier.¡± I blinked. ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Is that it? I¡¯ll get you a mana barrier.¡± ¡­ ¡°Umm, I think I¡¯m going to go now,¡± Cedrance said cautiously. I nodded my head, still unfocused on everything except the dream and a wish come true that had just happened. I was probably staring at him like an idiot. He began to walk back to his room, and before he entered I called out with a manner of respect I reserved for only my parents, ¡°Thank you so much, Cedrance.¡± I had to hold back from bowing my head, but I did smile as best I could with my wetted eyes. Cedrance simply acknowledged me and nodded his head tiredly. Then he closed his door behind him. I also went back into my room. The door shut behind me quietly, and I lowered the hall lights. The pillow on the floor and the blanket on the ground, I put the pillow back in its place for me to lay down, and pulled the blanket back up. The light of the lamp returned back to dimness with a melancholic turn, and the laptop still resting on my bed I put on the desk, pulling the charger from the outlet and plugging it in. I still hadn¡¯t processed what had happened. By the time I was done, the whole room was tidied up and organized. ¡­ It worked. Oh, my, bejeez, it worked it worked it worked it worked!!! If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The post-clarity of me lying on my bed, staring up at the dimly lit ceiling. I just talked to Cedrance Manamune. I just won the favor of my main character. And oh, my, bejeez, I wasn¡¯t going to have to agonize on how to get myself that stupid mana barrier anonymously anymore! Seriously, it¡¯s not like I can just somehow be anonymous, how the hell would I pay for it without the whole world knowing? And it wasn¡¯t like delivery services would just have mana barriers in stock, those things were hard to get! And expensive! Delight tingled all over me, and somewhere in the deepest dark corner of my mind was the anxiety beaten into a pulp and swooshed into a basket. My trust in Cedrance was strong for reasons I couldn¡¯t explain. I was so happy I could scream. And then I screamed, into my pillow and hoping that Cedrance couldn¡¯t hear me. A protagonist can¡¯t resist problems. // 10:14 A.M. // 10 - 16 - 23 // Arc - Practical Testing Block, Site B Starring Serene Goldwin Featuring Cedrance Manamune and Zendolyn Ato // ¡ªPOHKK. One. My watch buzzed. Headshot. Aim, focus. ¡ªPOHKK. I panted. Damn it! The bullet flew just past the now alert bot. Barely inches away! My watch buzzed again, and I glanced down. Time was ticking. Three minutes left. Stowing the gun in the holster I gasped for another breath and stumbled back behind my rock for cover as the last bot began to open fire on me. I flinched and instinctively threw my hands over my head. Those things wouldn¡¯t hurt much, but they would hurt nonetheless, not to mention the fact that I¡¯d lose points. My ponytail was in disarray, and I was constantly eating hair. It stopped shooting. Was it reloading now? I had an idea. Scooting to the very edge of my cover, I flung my hair outwards into the sight of the bot. ¡ªBTT BTT BTT The sound of not definitely reloading and very hostile bullets hitting wood startled me and I flinched in my cover again. Good thing my hair was long. What do I do¡­? Unsure of what to do next, I reached for rocks on the ground and fumbled with a piece, my hand shaking. Would this work? Shimmying to the other side of the rock, or at least far enough away from my original spot, I prepared for the bullets to stop. I had to give it a try. The bullets stopped. ¡­ 2, 1. Now. I threw the rock onto the ground where I had just been sitting, and a small amount of dust billowed into view. The rock clunked onto the ground, making a noise as if I had stamped my foot. Wait three seconds, feign giving it reload time, or any other misleading idea. 3, 2, 1. I stood from my cover and opened fire on the bot, which was trained on the spot where it had seen the dust. The distance to cover to swivel to me was too long before my bullets hit their mark. ¡ªPOHKK My watch buzzed. Headshot. Again. I quickly turned back onto the course upon hearing the sound of metal hitting the ground, sweat dripping down my neck. Looking at the course ahead, I didn¡¯t like what I saw. It was way too open, yet I still couldn¡¯t see the next bots. I didn¡¯t like this test at all. Glancing back at my watch confirmed that there were only two bots left. Past the huge rock, under the leaves, in the bush, ow ow ow! The shade and sun was dazzling, like a scene out of a book. But this was no silly story, it was a test for my life and my grades. Panting, I pushed through the darkness of the shaded brush. Ow, ow. Branches sucked. Leaves sucked. ¡ªBEEP Aghhh! What was¡­ dammit, damn it all! The little red buzzer with the word ¡®Landmine¡¯ taped on innocently popped back up as I lifted my foot. 5 points lost. That was totally all my fault. I cursed, silent enough so the test examiner couldn¡¯t hear me from her station. ¡°This sucks!¡± My groaning turned into focus as I spotted the next two dummies from inside the bushes. So maybe this wasn¡¯t the intended way¡­? Rolling my eyes, I thought to myself again. Everything always seemed to be intended. Breath. In! ¡ªPOHKK ¡ªPOHKK In two successive shots, I let out a breath worth a whole week of practice. ¡ªBEEP Time¡¯s up. The little chicken in my head wondering about the score was too exhausted to poop out any more thought eggs as I sat down hard on my butt. The ground began to rumble, from one end of the massive facility to the other. From what I had seen earlier, it hosted four large platforms like my own. My platform, a jungle arena, began to rise up, and the glass walls surrounding the stages and the audience seated in rows behind them seemed to move down as the very high glass ceiling approached me. I didn¡¯t spare any looks to my audience. It was way too big for my comfort. Go watch the other cages, you sick bastards. I¡¯d have enough people watching afterwards anyways. At the top of the emporium testing cage, I could see the head of the lady in charge peering down at me. We made eye contact, and she feigned disinterest, walking away to an adjacent cage when I waved her hello, still sitting on the ground. Clearly more than just one examiner was watching me. As I neared closer and closer to the glass that threatened to crush me between the ground and the roof, the glass top began to open from the center and retract outwards. The whirring noise of machine and mana in tandem scraped against my ear, and yet was comforting in a sense that I wasn¡¯t going to become a pancake. Now I could finally hear the noise from outside. The loudest were the Terrainers, yelling instructions and whatnot back and forth all over from each end of the facility. They were like a construction crew, organized and highly efficient. They had to do this at least a couple hundred times today, and then for the testing session tomorrow, and then the next. I felt kind of bad for them. A few thuds landed next to me, the crew hopping in from the top and making more sweat trickle down my neck. Sticking those jumps would have resulted in a pancake if I had done that. The trees all about me fell down one by one, a few disappearing like mirages and others falling and then becoming dust. One by one, and then it was totally flat besides for the occasional lump in the landscape. That was probably going to go soon, once I got off¡­ now. The whirring stopped and the machinery made a huge thunk noise as the platforms reached the top. I glanced around, Terrainer, Terrainer, another one, how many are there? Oh, that¡¯s the examiner. She held a clipboard in her hand. The woman lifted her hand into the air for me to see and come to her, but yet it felt like some sort of trance was pulling me her way anyways. Well, if that¡¯s what it took to get me to come, sure. I was getting in some good mental resistance practice too. Apparently, for this examiner it was standard procedure, or so an upperclassman had told me. Directional mind trances. Neat. Disturbing, yes, but cool. Like a hand grasped around my brain, my feet walked towards her as I helplessly worried with all my might to resist, resist! In my periphery the three other kids, dressed in the same blue and white Arc uniform reserved for outings outside the island and practical exams, were seemingly as entranced as I was. A sudden relief filled me when the examiner let go. ¡°Your scores will be posted soon on the Arc app, as well as comments from other students.¡± Her eyes lingered on me for more seconds than I liked, then to the boy on. ¡°To get full marks you must write at least two comments on other students¡¯ exams, the rubric will be on the site. Go on, now.¡± She waved us off to rejoin the audience and we obliged. In the very center, between the four now empty and completely flattened stages was a platform which all of us ran towards. When I finally stepped onto it, the countdown sequence initiated. My watch buzzed, as did the others¡¯ and then a green light lit around the pad. I kept my arms well within the safety zone, and then we were suddenly boxed by a quick contraption and then gently lowered to the ground floor. In essence it was an elevator. When we reached the bottom the doors pulled upwards on all four cardinal directions, labeled by the large neon letter embedded into the Arc logo on the paths. The edges of the path lit green, signaling safety and we parted, a boy and I to the North section while the other two went respectively to the East and South sections. The instructors called out something as a guy with a paintbrush hair and a crossbow entered, and we exited the path past him and out into the rest of the crowd. Cedrance was easily noticeable in the sea of uniforms, simply the best looking one with a hand in the air that invited me to sit next to him. Walking up the staircase, I slid myself beside him and sighed, resting my head on his shoulder. ¡°Great job, Serene,¡± Cedrance smiled, and then returned back to writing on the holographic keyboard. ¡°Thanks.¡± The shape of the stage allowed each section to view two stages out of four, and each stage was currently being set up by the tireless Terrainers. Five minutes until the next four students¡¯ testing began. I had already written a comment before this so one more was all I needed. I checked the unawakened public schedule to see who was next and if they were worth commenting on. [10:17 ¡ª Zendolyn Ato, Denislava Ilieva, Alise Ivanova, Paulo Sousa] That meant to my right was Zendolyn Ato on the Northwest stage and to my left was Denislava Ilieva to my left on the Northeast stage. ¡­ Who were they? The first one seemed to grab my attention more, something about the last name. Ato, Ato¡­ where did I know¡ªoh yeah, Reyenal Ato! That¡¯s the heir of Silverdawn, and¡­ I nervously glanced over at Cedrance''s face, but he didn¡¯t seem to react nor have any bad mood at all. So who¡¯s Zendolyn? A quick search into the students list and I found his profile. ¡ª¡ª 1 2 6 6 0 4 3 9 6 5 Zendolyn Ato | Year 1 | UAH2 Rank 1289 | Rank 7522 Crossbow | Music Composition | N/A ¡ª¡ª His profile¡¯s portrait was the same as the guy I had passed earlier, the same unenthusiastic expression on a pale face and a paintbrush hair, though otherwise he looked eerily similar to Reyenal Ato. She too had that same white-dipped hair and mocha eyes, and features that made them both look oddly serious and calculating. Were they twins? Even so, there were so many people in the North section now, and many were flooding over into the West section too. I tuned out the gossip from the people behind me, loudly yappering about the Ato kid. I didn¡¯t like gossip. Instead I brought my attention to the stages. Most of the stages were out of view as they were too high up, but from the edges of them I still could guess what the theme of the stage would be. For this exam, the overall theme was . It was explained to be the prelude to the exam, as humans were familiar with humans, and familiarity was to be the starting point. Therefore, all of the bots were created with human thinking in mind. From what I figured, this was basically a bunch of assassination missions but with human-like robots. ¡®Patterns in familiarity breed habits to break, so always prepare for the expected and expect the unexpected.¡¯ That was level two. We weren¡¯t quite there yet. Each student was allowed to choose the stage they wanted, and each stage had a different premise. The Northeast stage to my left seemed to have the same forested characteristics as my own stage, Forest. The premise was simply to take out all the targets, the simplest of them all. It was very popular so far. However, the Northwest stage¡­ was different. It wasn¡¯t something I had seen today, and from the lighting it looked like there was some sort of show going on. I could see the backs of a few bots from here. On the list of stages, the only thing that came close to what I was seeing was called Auditorium, which I doubt anyone except this psycho was doing at all. Was he some sort of attention junkie? Soon the projectors would turn on for each stage so we could get closer looks on the methods each student would take. This brought my mind back to my own test, and then I cringed to myself. Everyone probably heard me curse. ¡°Hey Ced,¡± I tried to ask with a straight face. He turned around to me and smiled radiantly. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Did you¡­ umm, when I was¡­¡± My embarrassment flared obviously on my cheeks. ¡°Serene,¡± he let out a short and relaxed puff, ¡°don¡¯t worry about it and just ask. I won¡¯t judge.¡± I paused for a moment, and then pushed myself up to him and pulled his head toward me, so he leaned in. Cupping my hand around his ear, I whispered scaredly, ¡°Did you hear me when I stepped on the buzzer?¡± His ear was kind of pink now that I was looking at it up close. Cedrance caught himself laughing and as I pulled back for a better look at him he was clearly trying to hold one in. ¡°Loudly. Very loudly.¡± I fixed my eyes firmly to the stages, and the creeping feeling of embarrassment prodded at my very pink face. ¡°You told me you wouldn¡¯t judge¡­¡± ¡°You think so? I was just thinking about how cute you are when you¡¯re embarrassed.¡± That caught me completely off guard. I sucked in a shuddering and hot breath. K-keep¡­ staring¡­ forward¡­ maybe don¡¯t be too obvious with that stupid grin¡­ ¡°B-by the way,¡± I started, my voice one octave too high making Ced crack up again. Clearing my throat and still completely hot in the face, I went on, ¡°what are you going to do with the mana barrier I gave you?¡± ¡°Hmm? You¡¯re blushing,¡± he teased me, and then interrupted me before I could be annoyed, ¡°but lately, because of it I¡¯ve been having much better sleep. Thanks a lot again, Serene.¡± He pointed to his face. ¡°Look, no eye bags.¡± I nodded slowly, not really satisfied with the answer, but I didn¡¯t push. If he kept smiling like that I think I would actually go blind. Just as I was about to say something, the projectors turned on and all of the various chatters around me lowered, yet were still quite loud if less obnoxious. ¡°Oh look, it¡¯s about to start.¡± My watch buzzed, and I turned it on. The live footage was being publicly streamed to the Arc app and probably to other online sites, and the past footage for every student was available for download all over the world for everyone to watch and analyze. The initial nerve wracking phase I had when I learned about this had disappeared quickly, but many students very obviously felt the pressure. Of course, not everything was made public and this was one of the few things that would be broadcasted to the world, but it did its job as intended. Early advertisement. The instructors had not been discreet about this. ¡°Serene, are you going to comment?¡± Ced nudged me lightly. I closed the app and opened a document in the browser. It was aptly named [Zendolyn Ato comment - notes]. I pointed to the Northwest stage. ¡°This guy is interesting.¡± ¡°Zendolyn Ato?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± I looked back to the keyboard that appeared in front of me to quickly type down some starter lines. [crossbow user, ~ my height, prob assassin-ish specialization (not confirmed ???) maybe twin to reyenal, high expect cuz popular idk (many viewers), otherwise judge abt/near me cuz marksmen Chosen stage: Auditorium = difficult, complex, one target only (assassination), many bots] My thoughts were vague and half-baked, I didn¡¯t know anything about this guy. I backspaced the part about the expectations and then brought my attention back up to the screens. The test hadn¡¯t begun yet, so the projectors only showed off the stages. I was right about Forest and Auditorium, but in the back two stages were Ice for Alise, a wintry stage with bots using the blinding snowfall to their advantage, and Pier for Paulo, a stormy environment with pirate bots docked at a small pier over water. Each one was unique in their own way, but Auditorium definitely stood out. For one, it was the only stage where all the bots other than the target could not be killed. And two, no one could know the target was dead before the time ran out. ¡ªBEEP Over the intercom, the head examiner¡¯s voice boomed, ¡°Students, you may now begin.¡± 10 - UNWELCOME 10: UNWELCOME // 12:51 P.M. // 10 - 13 - 2023 // Arc - Gym Starring Gwen Olynn Featuring Avil Daniase, Kali Lapuz, Ben Roswell, Aythe Siena, Regan Yglesias, and Cedrance Manamune // ¡°Gwen,¡± Avil panted for breath, and I heard the thump of him falling onto the bench, ¡°are we done¡ª¡± ¡°Are we done?¡± I snapped at him without thinking, and pulled myself upwards on the bar, my arms screaming at me. Easing myself back down, I calmed myself and kicked Gwen out of the driver¡¯s wheel. ¡°Avil, we¡¯re in the lower ranks right now, and our time here is going to be short if we aren¡¯t doing this. I told you this before, but no, we¡¯re not done.¡± I was so sore and I knew this was not good for my body, but I simply didn¡¯t have the skills to pass the exam and that wasn¡¯t going to fly. The past exam recordings showed that much. ¡°After we rest, we¡¯ll go to¡ª ¡°The Training Center,¡± he interrupted me almost automatically. ¡°I know. We¡¯ve been doing this since last month.¡± ¡°And look how that¡¯s been working out for us.¡± I pulled up again, grunting from the strain of effort. ¡°That¡¯s nine,¡± he clapped slowly. ¡°Nice job.¡± ¡°And how much did I start out with?¡± ¡°Seven.¡± I grunted again and pulled with the last of my strength, and then held for three seconds. ¡°Ten.¡± I dropped on my feet in complete exhaustion, and then clumsily dragged myself beside Avil. I sat down hard and leaned my back against the glass wall. A couple people were chilling outside under the shade of the trees that lined the center of the wide path, but otherwise Arc¡¯s streets were mostly empty. The clicking and clacking noises of weights touching against each other, training machines in motion, the soft vrmming of the treadmills and the tapping of feet against them, and the struggling grunts and the smell of sweat permeated the whole gym even through the constant air conditioning. Reaching beside me, I pulled out of my bag a bottle of water and a small towel which I wrapped around my sweaty neck. A big gulp of water later and I stood up. Avil warily glanced at me. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± In truth my knees were on the verge of giving out. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Change out to your practical clothes, we¡ª¡± ¡°Need to practice in it, yes I brought it, and my vest, and my shield, yada yada,¡± he dispassionately stood up and walked towards the locker room to the right. ¡°Just go.¡± Shaking my head I followed behind him. ¡°What does it look like I¡¯m doing?¡± His eyes lazily glanced over two people at the bench press as we passed by. One gave steady words of encouragement and spotted the other who was as red as a plum, pushing upwards with shaky arms. ¡°Not going fast enough,¡± I paced by his side and sped ahead of him. ¡°I bet you just rolled your eyes.¡± ¡°You looked back.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± He sighed with exasperation as I entered the women''s room. Nobody was in there except for one person whom I politely greeted. The girl was quite toned, with a unique and eye-catching hairstyle: swept bangs, short hair, loose bun, she¡¯d been coming here often too. She nodded her head in response, and smiling wordlessly she walked past me into the gym area. I remembered her mostly as the person who caused my Synchronization. Without much thought left I pulled myself into the tight-fitting uniform and zipped up the blue and white second protective layers. As I exited the building I was beginning to get uncomfortably warm in the clothes. Two layers on such a hot day was a necessary evil for the sake of exercise. Avil too walked out with an expression denoting tiredness and heat. ¡°Was that girl there again today?¡± We began walking together. ¡°Wow, you must either be really bored or not tired enough.¡± ¡°Bro, whatever,¡± he said nonchalantly, his face revealing otherwise. ¡°Yeah, she was there.¡± A blaring screen appeared before me, and I stared past it as if it was empty air. ======================== ¡®Gwen Olynn¡¯ has done the following actions: [Supremely annoy ¡®Avil Daniase¡¯] Reward: Guide (1) Amount of Guide: 2 ? 3 ======================== That was also a necessary evil. Gwen knew how to press his buttons. The Training Center was only a few steps away, and we were greeted by the open area under the hot sun almost completely full of people. It was much louder here, the air tasting of the classic blood sweat and tears along with much more violent metal gongs and shinks than in the gym, which now looked peaceful in comparison. The seemingly indestructible training bots were in constant barrage by the students, and over on the other side were the sparring mats. It looked like there were lots of like-minded people here. Training during the day was obviously the correct thing to do before a practical exam, and analyzing footage and studying for the written portion at night was the second best option. Sleeping and eating were the least and the quickest to accomplish on the schedule. ¡°Gwen, let¡¯s spar today,¡± Avil suggested. It was the emptiest area as people were more determined to have a better swing or a better throw or shot or whatever on the bots. But we had been working on that for a while and neglecting our self-defense, so I agreed. ¡°Yeah.¡± We dropped and shoved our things in the nearest locker, and quickly locking it we found ourselves on opposite ends of a mat. Avil¡¯s shield wouldn¡¯t fit so he opted to bring it along with him, and I also brought my boots and buckler too. They laid in the open space behind him and I respectively. ¡°So¡­ weapons or no weapons? Never mind,¡± he shook his head, ¡°no weapons. We need to warm up.¡± He lowered his stance and brought his hands in front of his face, though not yet fists. ¡ªBOOOM! Just as I raised my own fists, a huge boom came from the right and startled me, and I covered my face and ducked as shards of shrapnel whooshed past my head and narrowly missed me. Luckily I heard no indications of anyone being hurt. Looking up in surprise, there was a large cloud of dust billowing from where the explosion noise had come from, the sound of two slashes of steel slicing through air and the iconic clink of swords and metal. A shockwave emanated from it and had me stumbling back, and it completely dissolved the dust and revealed two tall figures in a crater, the larger one leaping backwards from the attack and landing near me far too close for safety. The ground cracked beneath his feat. Adrenaline, instinct, I scrambled backwards. The suddenness of all the noise and spectacle was attracting lots of attention. The one nearest me was a giant of a man, and the area around him was a tattered mess of what once was a practice mat from landing alone. I could only make out a few details of him, a close-shaved head on a body full of bulging muscles and bulk, fists equipped with two spiked knuckles, before he, though traceable with the bare eyes, rushed in again and slammed into the ground with his fist. The force blinded me again with the sheer and raw power and dust. The sound of startled yelps came from around, including from myself. I caught the sneering face of the second guy, brown curly hair tapped with gold sprinkles to complement a devastatingly handsome face and physique, who with an overconfident posture patiently waited for the giant to attack. Somehow this guy looked familiar. A total stranger, but I could swear I saw him before. The twin swords by his side lifted up a bit, poised to act. They both disappeared into the dust cloud. A flash of purple from deep inside the cloud, and then an almost ghostlike silhouette of the second guy emerged, still poised towards the center as a second round of shrapnel flew straight through it. The ghost and shrapnel drifted and flew towards a stunned and horrified Avil, who quickly rushed backwards. ¡°Avil, shield!¡± I yelled, and ducked back for my buckler. His eyes reflected the scary purple of the ghost, and for a terrifying second I thought I didn¡¯t hear me, but then he rolled into his shield and flung it protectively over his whole body and curled up, fitting snugly into his cover. The giant, now fully clear of the smoke, smashed again and again, a purple wound on his forearm, but the damaged area had interestingly developed a grey and smooth steel-like glint and shine that followed the giant¡¯s carved muscles. Those two were definitely Awakened. Small Avil under the shield was a funny sight at first until a bombardment of shrapnel rained upon the shield with a banging noise that awoke inside me a deep panic and fear for him. ¡°Avil!!¡± My eyes glazed over for a moment, the world shook, Gwen [stood there, staring at the altar. The world was black and white. #e&*@&## sprawled across the floor in front of the two portraits. Tears filled¡ª] An overwhelming urge to throw up surged over me. Not now! I weakly lifted the buckler over my head, and the couple clanks against it scared the ever-living heck out of me. I was that close to being hurt badly. Warm hands touched my back between my shoulder blades, and I swerved my head around. It was that girl from the gym, and she kindly but hurriedly reached for my hand and helped me up while assisting me in keeping my buckler over us. When our fingers made contact the urge to barf intensified, and just as it reached its peak it died down to both my confusion and gratefulness, enough for me to talk. ¡°Avil is still there!¡± Panic was in my every breath. ¡°H-he¡¯s going to¡ª¡± ¡°We can¡¯t do anything about it,¡± the girl hollered at me over the noise with a tone of distress, ¡°look!¡± Now I could clearly make out the flurry of blades and fists, flying rocks and danger from their fight, all of it so close, and so so close, to Avil¡¯s small form beneath his cover. Every time he raised his body another rock would be thrown his way, and he¡¯d be knocked back down. And he looked battered. And it looked like everything was coming his way. ¡°Hahaha!¡± The giant roared in delight, smashing the ground again with a tremendous force, ¡°Just one ability! It¡¯s just one ability!¡± The earth shattered and shrapnel flew, and many people were standing and crowding near the front to get some blocking and deflecting practice in, and watch the fight of Awakeneds. She ushered me gently into the crowd which had formed around the spectacle as I watched in horror. Each time the giant went in to attack, the curly haired guy would wait, with Avil just behind him. An explosion, a flash of purple, the ghost, and rocks flew straight through it and bombarded Avil on the ground. And I noticed that each time, each painful time the curly hair and Avil made eye contact, the bastard smirked. The sun glared down on me. This was intentional. My blood boiled but there was nothing I could do. It was too dangerous to intervene. ¡°When are the goddamn authorities coming?!¡± The girl yelled in frustration. ¡°I alerted them after I heard the noise, it¡¯s been too long!¡± ¡°I bet that it¡¯s because of guilds,¡± another girl taller than the one still holding my hand beside her said, almost mesmerized at the terrifying scene in front of her. ¡°Are you ******* excited, Regan?!¡± Ignoring her, the tall girl went on, ¡°Kali, Angels of Justice is five ranks above Holimont.¡± The¡ªKali cursed loudly again. ¡°And they¡¯re in cooperation. S***!! I forgot!¡± ¡°What does this have to do with anything?¡± I screamed, almost drowned out by another explosion. There were so many craters in the floor now, ¡°Avil¡¯s still under that shield, still being attacked, still no authorities¡ª¡± ¡°It means that we have to save him ourselves!¡± Kali interrupted me impatiently. ¡°Do you get it now?!¡± The shock rooted me for a second, and the dawn of understanding made me even more afraid. I knew what that inkling of recognition was now. ¡°That¡¯s Aythe Siena, isn¡¯t it?¡± I already knew the answer. ¡°He¡¯s an *******,¡± Regan confirmed. ¡°You, what¡¯s-your-name, do you know why they¡¯re targeting him¡ªsorry, Avil?¡± I shook my head, ¡°Gwen.¡± Kali nodded. ¡°Gwen, I have an idea¡ª!¡± She seemed to pause in the middle of what she was about to say, her eyes looking past me. I was confused, and almost desperate now. ¡°What? Hey, Kali¡ª¡± ¡°Oh, yeah, we¡¯re good now.¡± All of a sudden Kali¡¯s face was washed with a relaxation, an almost admiration and a deep-seeded joy, one that made Gwen revolt with an all-too-familiar sight, and leaving me completely baffled. Gwen? ¡°He¡¯ll be fine now that¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, I get it now.¡± I tried to keep my face as neutral as possible, though with Gwen in the front of my mind I couldn¡¯t stop her from pinching her brows together. She only got disgusted by one thing in all her memories, and she only dreaded a few things. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Rank 1 is here, right?¡± I sighed with a sudden pivot of tunneled emotions. Gwen hated the look of dreaminess on a girl¡¯s face. It was what took two lives and ruined two others. Regan clapped her hands excitedly. I noticed that she had never shown any apprehension or any other worried expression the entire time. ¡°I mean, Kali¡¯s just always wanted to analyze Cedrance¡¯s fighting style and the other top rankers¡¯ styles in person.¡± A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. Wait, huh? ¡°And you know, she¡¯s totally on to something when she says that his name, Cedrance, even kind of sounds like a fighting style, if ya¡¯know what I mean~.¡± Kali took one look at my face and rolled her eyes, and then smiled, ¡°You think I like him? Hell no, I¡¯m not trying to take someone¡¯s boyfriend! Aaand, the way he fights is so unique, like¡ª wooooooahhh there it is!¡± She yelled as a particularly loud clash of metal resonated from the scene, making me mortified for Avil¡¯s well-being as I turned to watch. My eyes transfixed straight to the sword. Holding off against the vicious double strike of the two maniacs was Cedrance Manamune in the flesh, his sword awash and veiled in a luminous sheen of water and much longer if not double the length of an average sword. It seemed as if even though Aythe and the giant had just teamed up to fight Cedrance, they were already having a difficult time. ¡°What are you doing here, Waterboy?¡± Aythe smiled grimly as leaped back from the giant¡¯s collateral smash, ¡°I don¡¯t think I invited you here to spar with me¡ª¡± ¡°Spar?¡± Cedrance growled, twirling around another stab, and as Aythe feinted in he swept his sword up and caught the giant¡¯s fist, and then ducked beneath the slice, his water sword creating after-images that seemed to parry it. He moved in and then forcefully kicked Aythe in the stomach, making him cough and pushing him back, ¡°All I see is you and Ben disrupting everyone else and attacking Avil, Goldilocks!¡± He dodged another attack from the giant, Ben, and imitated Aythe¡¯s feint from earlier to get in close again, the after-images of his sword protecting him from the recovered Aythe from behind as he also kicked Ben hard in the stomach. Pummel and slice after attack and attack, his water-covered sword rippled against the force of Aythe¡¯s two swords and the giant¡¯s fist combined, each attack trying to force him to step back, but in an almost elegant flourishing way he dodged and deflected each flash of steel in the agile dance of swords. So fast, with Aythe¡¯s frowning brow visibly gleaming and the smoke cleared away each time it appeared with forceful swing of weapons the two looked almost powerless against Cedrance¡¯s spectacular defense. The best part was that the entire time Cedrance stood unflinchingly in front of Avil, who was still under his shield. My heart pounded even though I wasn¡¯t in much danger. ¡°Look,¡± Kali¡¯s eyes were filled with stars and numbers, ¡°Cedrance never attacked them even once with his ability. All of his strokes are fluid like water, just like his sword. Anyways, because Aythe¡¯s swords can¡¯t make contact with Cedrance,¡ª¡± ¡°Then Aythe is basically unawakened,¡± I nodded my head, my eyes still on Avil. My heart pounded. Aythe¡¯s active power seemed to derive from damaging the opponent first, but he hadn¡¯t, he couldn¡¯t land any attacks on Cedrance, so he was powerless. ¡°I doubt any of them are Fully Awakened, or else we¡¯d be seeing more ability usage, and Cedrance¡¯s defense would be less effective,¡± Regan pointed out, unfazed by the rocks flying in her direction and narrowly parried by an ecstatic guy in front of her. ¡°Big guy said so earlier.¡± Fully Awakened? ¡°Yeah,¡± Kali nodded her head as another loud clash rang out, and then turned to me, still completely focused on the fight ahead and Avil on the ground. ¡°Gwen? Are you okay?¡ªYou look so¡­¡± ¡°Intense,¡± Regan finished. I strained to watch each bare drop of sweat from the three, all now very visibly tired. Just not tired enough¡­ Ben leaped in for another attempt at a strike, and both Cedrance and him slammed into each other with faltered breaths, the waves of shimmering after-images now thinning as Cedrance reached his breaking point. Aythe, panting hard, dashed in for another attack, and summoning all of my courage I took it as my cue as both Kali and Regan yelled out in shock, reaching forward to catch be as I pushed through the crowd with all my strength. ¡°Gwen, no!¡± Bursting out into the warring zone, I circled the edge as fast as I could, around the craters, my buckler over my head to block the incoming rocks from Ben¡¯s obnoxious smashing and attacking. Now that I was at the end of what used to be the sparring mat, I was in the danger zone. I was getting a very, very personal close up of the fight, and ducked my head with a stifled scream as Aythe swung out his blade to attack Cedrance, who parried swiftly and then flourished again to block Ben. The thinning after-image of his blade was seriously concerning now, as Ben broke through and pushed Cedrance backwards as he narrowly caught it in time. Falling to my knees, I lifted the edge of Avil¡¯s shield, and reached my hand in to receive a sweaty hand from a shaking Avil. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Avil! Move!¡± He was obviously extremely shaken up, his eyes and body having lost all of the strength that he normally had. As best as I could I lifted his shield with him and allowed him to lean against me, and we stumbled forward towards the crowd. And that¡¯s when I saw Aythe¡¯s eyes on me. He smiled, and a shiver traveled through my whole body. Dammit. I was an easy target to activate his ability, wasn¡¯t I? // 10:40 A.M. // 10 - 16 - 2023 // Arc - Practical Testing Block, Site B Starring Kali Lapuz // At the sound of the examiner¡¯s voice, the door to the stage opened, and I gasped for fresh air as I burst onto my stage. I took a moment to indulge in the relief from the musty smell coming from the pervert who wouldn¡¯t stop sniffing my hair in the waiting room. I first noticed the floor around was simply the barren, unchanged stage. In front of me was a large and cozy townhouse with a front door slightly opened agape. A gate surrounded it along with trimmed bushes and a small garden out in the front, and there seemed to be no way to get inside other than to climb the gate. But I knew that was a trap. The backyard, which connected out to the front, well, I couldn¡¯t see it but I knew it had a pool and a garden terrace. I didn¡¯t pause for long. From watching the screens earlier as well as my prior video analysis on exams that came before me from a year ago, I was confident that I could complete the exam. The intended way was to enter the house, avoid all the traps, and kill all of the bots, or at least that was the most popular way. That, fighting head first, was my weak point. I would win without ever needing to fight the house. It seemed very ordinary, and yet for an exam like this, very extraordinary. It was unpopular, but it definitely wasn¡¯t not picked. The goal was simple: eliminate all the bots inside the house. Why was it unpopular? Because the bots couldn¡¯t fight back. But the house could. My katana hung by my side. Counter-intuitive to bring such a long weapon indoors, but my plan would work. So far I hadn¡¯t seen anyone do it, nor in any of the past exam footage. Slowly pacing towards the gate, I steeled my resolve. The mana-theory book was still fresh in my mind, Theory of Mana. ¡®Mana is a dense second air, and like plants and oxygen, all living creatures exude mana. Breathe in deeply, and feel the dizziness in your soul, the vessel of one¡¯s mana. Focus, and you should notice another heartbeat in tandem with your own which you otherwise wouldn¡¯t notice. That is mana entering your soul, the air of a realm besides the material realm, the mana realm, and air that infects the physical realm to the things around.¡¯ I read the passage so many times I could recite it out loud. My bet was in the hopes that every single word was true. ¡®Though all beings exist in both realms and have mana, only the Awakened phenomena, including monsters and demons, are fully immersed into the realm of mana and can manifest mana into existence, because mana does not collide with existence except through the Awakened.¡¯ To me it made lots of sense. And I also distinctly remembered one piece of information from the instructor earlier, that the bots were mana-sensitive, but here on my chosen stage, they couldn¡¯t fight back, so it was the house that was probably mana-sensitive. My plan was to be as invisible as possible in the mana realm. I exhaled, deeply, and more until I had no more breath. My whole body and mind suddenly felt a strange and uncomfortable feeling of indescribable one-dimensionality. But I was used to this now. I had trained so long for this. And then I ran straight at the gate. Even though all my instincts fought against me to halt before crashing into the obviously inevitable pain, I kept running. And then I phased straight through the gate. ======================== Many people are surprised by your actions! Head Instructor ¡®Penny Farthings¡¯ and many more have taken notice of you. Your popularity rises. Your potential ebbs. ======================== The last part interested me, but I had no time to stop moving. My theory was simple. If mana was a second, breathable air, then expel all the air. The world of mana can only collide against itself unless harnessed by an Awakened. I wasn¡¯t Awakened, and neither did I have mana. According to the playback footage, if I had scaled the gate or entered the house normally, the house would have alerted the inhabitant bots and it also would have begun rapidly firing darts at me, and each dart that hit me would have been a point lost. Even if I never made contact with the gate and vaulted over it, if my feet touched the ground behind the gate the darts would start firing anyways. One, the whole area behind the gate could detect any intruders. Two, science obviously wasn¡¯t capable of doing that, especially because the stage had no electricity to power anything inside. Therefore the house only existed in the realm of mana. It was a glorified metal-but-mana detector. Obviously this wasn¡¯t the case, as the house was made out of mana, so most likely I guessed it detected additional or excess mana. And therefore I and the house would not be able to interact with each other unless I breathed in. Which I needed to do in about twenty seconds. With this firmly in my mind, I sprinted straight into the house and through the door. My feet were phased inside the hardwood floor, and spotting a bot sitting on the toilet behind a slightly opened bathroom door near the entrance, I pulled out my katana and stabbed it, which thankfully pierced through its abdomen. Bots too were made to exist in both realms. Anything in both realms can interact with and be interacted with anything from either realm. Poor thing. It only took a couple seconds of running through the walls for me to figure out that the other bots were probably upstairs, and now I was desperate for a breath. My body screamed for air. I turned tail and ran as fast as I could back outside and straight through the gate again, and then gasped loudly for air, stumbling to the ground. Now I could feel both the dizziness of the newfound mana and the lack of oxygen in my system. It took a minute for me to recuperate, and I put the second part of my plan into action. My second theory: the house could only detect mana over its set threshold. With another breath out, I dashed in and kicked all of my gears and strength into action. This was the part that counted, and no mistakes could be made. Running straight through the gate again, I made a beeline straight for the bot on the toilet. Already I was running out of breath. Not good. I impaled the bot again with my sword and, with surprising ease, I pulled it off the toilet and yanked it. The bot slumped forward and fell to the ground, and impaling it again except straight down I ran forward with my katana-bot mop-like creation, and its head pushed open the door. Nearing my max, I dragged it across the floor at full speed, and its head flew off as it rammed into the door and made it swing wide open. Now outside, I dragged the bot to the edge of the gate, where I knew I couldn¡¯t get it out by just dragging it. It would be stopped against the gate. My heart was smashing against my chest, but slower and slower each time, my lungs screamed, my brain panicked, and with every single last bit of strength I could muster I threw the skewered bot over the fence with my katana still stuck to it. It flew up, up, up, and then reached the apex of its arc just over the fence, and then came down, landing on the top of the fence. My heart sunk deep into my chest as I saw about to slide back into the yard, but then my katana, still in momentum, leaned forward and landed over the fence, dragging the bot over with it. As they both clattered on the other side I gasped for a long-awaited breath, a breath that felt like the best thing in the world, the nervous part of my barely-conscious brain waiting for the alarm to set off. But nothing happened, and everything was deadly still. It worked. I slumped to the floor to regain my energy and bearings. Terrainers use a certain amount of mana to create, anything less was imperfect, a creation of something less, and anything more was too much, a creation of something else. Simply detecting a change in mana wouldn¡¯t work, as mana was always being naturally depleted. If the balance of mana dipped below the threshold of perfection, then nothing should change under the assumption that the detector takes into account natural mana depletion, an imperfect and almost random factor. In that case, replacing mana, or even destroying the house was a solution to pass undetected. And the bot was outside the house. I had successfully replaced the mana. With another elated breath, I raised my hand in the air. Victory. ¡°I¡¯m so smart!¡± A second later, I got up and dizzily stumbled into the house, completely weaponless. Now the third part of my plan, the easiest part. I silently navigated my way to the kitchen which I had scouted out earlier, grabbing hold of the walls and chairs and other things to keep my balance. The kitchen was rather pleasant, nothing too fancy and yet with just the perfect amount of chaos and cleanliness. There was a smell coming from the candles like pumpkins and cherries, probably lit to mask the odor of something still cooking on the stove, and peering in it was some brown-ish murky sauce over a cut of pork, something with a delightfully warm and stinky smell that bubbled and simmered on the low heat. The realism of everything unsettled me. I looked around for something useful, and spotted on a little stand the knives ready for use. I grabbed the biggest knife there. Passing through the dining room, there was a mirror on the close wall that divided the kitchen and table. In it, I could see the reflection of chicken bones on a plate, barbecue sauce, the photo frames around pictures of the bots, and my unsmiling face. I really didn¡¯t like this, no matter how prepared I came in. Walking up the carpeted staircase, I noticed a bot at the top, and a light lullaby playing in the room to its right, and another room behind it that was dark. It was definitely made in the image of a kid playing video games, headphones on, and was staring at a computer completely oblivious to me behind it, watching it solemnly as it held down the mine button. The other monitor played a tutorial to build an automatic two-by-three piston door, and it glanced back and forth. I absolutely despised this test. ¡°Nice world, dude,¡± I muttered. Before it could turn around to face me its head landed on the ground, clean off its body. The door ticked on and off in repetitive motion, still unfinished. I reached forward and clicked the button, turning it off. This was another reason why people didn¡¯t choose this map. It was because the bots in the house acted just like people. We were the intruders, the psychopaths that murdered a happy family in cold blood. I sadly looked at the monitor screen again, the nostalgia hurting my heart. ¡°I¡¯ll¡­ log on later. Haven¡¯t played in a bit.¡± A little noise behind me, and turning around there was a bot on the floor that had fallen back after seeing the child murdered. Its hand was over its chest, and in some sort of epiphanic moment I realized it was hyperventilating. Oh, this was so cruel. My head pounded. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ sorry¡­¡± I said as soothingly as possible, maybe to calm it or just myself, and approaching it shakily it trembled in place on the floor. ¡°F-fast. I¡¯ll do it fast. P-please look away.¡± It didn¡¯t understand me. Why did I say that? Slowly, the bot turned its head away. My lungs couldn¡¯t breathe. I breathed anyway, and my arm swept forward. ¡ªThump Closing my eyes, I walked into the room just around the corner, and then opened again to see a bot laying in the bed. It was asleep, wasn¡¯t it? ¡ªCshhk My watch buzzed, and I looked down. [Target(s) remaining: 1 Time remaining: 5 minutes] I let out a shuddered breath, and followed the sounds of the lullaby, past the two corpses. Corpses¡­ they were bots¡­ No. As I entered the room, thunder dropped. No. The walls were painted pink, and the room was decorated with all sorts of children¡¯s toys. No. In the far back corner was a little cradle. No. No. In the cradle was the last target. No, no, ¡°No,¡± I said, and caught my breath. The child rolled over in its little cradle towards me, and reached its arms out noiselessly. I stared at it. I couldn¡¯t move. The world had turned on me and was mocking me for the atrocities I had committed. A family, though even a simulation, was a family. I could only think about my own family. I could only imagine their faces on the decapitated heads of the bots. Don¡¯t think. I walked forward. Don¡¯t think. I raised the knife. Please. Don¡¯t think. The knife reached its apex. Please. Don¡¯t think. My arms fell down like death. Please. The watch buzzed again. [Your exam is complete and is being evaluated. Please stand by.] I fell to my knees and buried my head into my hands. [Synchronized] And then I wailed. 11 - GOLDEN CHILD 11: GOLDEN CHILD // 9:50 A.M. // 10 - 16 - 2023 // Swamper Dungeon Starring Reyenal Ato Featuring Nolan Faust // This was disgusting. The whole swamp dungeon was up in flames as I panted for breath, so many arrows pelted into each tree turning them into torches that would cause national forest protection services to flinch, and splattered everywhere was the gross swamper mud-like blood. Even though I was inside a dungeon the sun felt too real, so annoyingly hot, and the mud splattered all over the back of my neck served as some sort of pig sunscreen, drying and hardening and cracking, and then moistening all over again as more layers splattered on. Lowering my bow, I scanned the surroundings now cleared of the tortoise-sloth monsters, each a couple arrows sprouting from their forehead and on fire. They had taken forever to kill. I ran off in a different direction towards the sound of fighting. It was definitely hot in my clothes. Out of the random corners of the swamp dungeon, crawling past the bodies of their brethren, more monsters were approaching. Just how many were there? And how do I find the ¡®lost gem¡¯?! The mud-polluted water sloshed as I ran away from the hoard of swampers. Turning back for a second, I recited the motion of shooting an arrow. Raise bow, pull back, thumb against cheekbone, elbow high, and an arrow manifested into thin air. I let it fly, and another, and then another in quick succession, and they each found their mark on one of the monster¡¯s muck-covered shells along with shards of Icicle, landing with such force that it cracked, and I could hear the noise even from a distance away. ¡ªKRRRK The HP bar appeared over its head, a line of untouched green covered with the blue-white of the shield over it. At least one of the arrows was definitely a critical hit, three arrows couldn¡¯t do that much. [ ¡®SWAMPER¡¯ || HP - 2172 (101.3%) [ 2144 (+3188) (248.7%) / 2144] ] I hated those stupid shields! If I had hit the damn face all three times it would have been dead! Adrenaline pumped me as the unfazed hoard mockingly crawled closer, and I shot another arrow into it, but before I could watch its health fall, I myself fell backwards in an attempt at a roll upon hearing a groaning gurgle beside me. Mud splashed all over me as I recovered and blinded me. The sound of another swamper to my right crawling, slowly, but very menacingly at me sending chills up my back. I swiped my face twice to sweep the mud off of me to no avail. It was much much too close for comfort, but just three steps back later and from a bit behind me a large thunderous noise and a flurry of mud spraying everywhere, of a body slamming into wood, and quickly glancing back I heard the sound of my partner splashing into the muddy water with a loud oomph. Finally I managed to get the mud out of my face and threw my hair back. My partner was completely covered in the swamper mud and probably just broke the explosive shell and gasped for breath as he violently lifted his head from the muddy water. [ ¡®PARTNER¡¯ || HP - 1004 (13.3%) [ 5307 (70.2%) / 7560 ] MANA [ 0 / 0 ] ] ¡°Idiot! Go for the head!¡± I yelled, doubting he could hear me with the water in his ears. Not waiting for an answer, I furiously turned to the swamper coming closer to him and primed another shot. Those things were heavy hitters, fat tanks, and explosive turtles. ¡ªPPSSHHT This time it hit one of the monster¡¯s small protruding face completely unprotected by the shell, and then like a match had been struck over oil the swamper lit into flames with a horrible groaning howl.
Paragon Talent
S // Reyenal gains access to an arsenal of 2 spirit weapons, changing them as she wills. She has a main and off-hand weapon that is always active. The off-hand only grants its affinity to the main weapon.
Flamb¨¦
Reyenal equips a bow. Her affinity changes to Fire which occasionally causes her next attack to burn, dealing damage. ARROW BASE DAMAGE: 400
BURN DAMAGE: 10% of target¡¯s current health
The swamper let out a low and gurgly roar of pain as its HP bar appeared, and with the fire¡¯s affinity damage the arrow tore through its health quickly. [ ¡®SWAMPER¡¯ || HP - 778 (38.9%) [ 1222 (+5000) (311.1%) / 2000 ] ] My 2nd shot landed on its shell and was tanked by the shield, as did my third and fourth. [ ¡®SWAMPER¡¯ || HP - 1567 (78.4%) [ 1222 (+3433) (232.8%) / 2000 ] ] A final Icicle shard pelted the monster, and then it froze completely in place.
Paragon Talent
S // Reyenal gains access to an arsenal of 2 spirit weapons, changing them as she wills. She has a main and off-hand weapon that is always active. The off-hand only grants its affinity to the main weapon.
Icicle
Reyenal equips a kama. Her affinity changes to Ice which causes every attack to spawn an additional missile, striking the target for a portion of the damage dealt shortly after appearing. Her attacks Frosts the target. All instances of damage increase the amount of stacks. At 4 stacks, the target is shortly frozen and takes true damage. KAMA BASE DAMAGE: 500
ICE MISSILE DAMAGE: 20%
FROST DAMAGE: 5% of target¡¯s maximum health
FROZEN DURATION: 1.5 seconds
A second later and another shot to the face set it ablaze, and then the ice shattered sealing additional damage to its unshielded health. [ ¡®SWAMPER¡¯ || HP - 712 (35.6%) [ 510 (+3433) (197.2%) / 2000 ] ] They were everywhere, and even if they were too slow to miss with Reyenal¡¯s talent and Memory their heads were just so tiny! ¡°Yo, go find the objective,¡± my partner groaned, having finally gotten up. He went about the same motions to wipe off the mud. ¡°I¡¯ll follow you and cover your back.¡± Shooting more arrows, I was completely frustrated at him, my fingers now blistering. ¡°The hell, bro? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re on right now,¡± I yelled, and then a swamper exploded into mud and smithereens, ¡°you go find it and I¡¯ll cover for you! You¡¯re ******* melee and they explode, what don¡¯t you understand?!¡± Hardly noticeable beneath his mud-covered skin, I could see the redness of his handsome face and the anger in his posture. Past my raw words, he knew exactly what I meant, and his fists tightened around his spiked knuckles. A large swamper was coming his way. I smirked. ¡°Prove me wrong.¡± I didn¡¯t even know his name and yet I knew him inside and out. He was nothing short of the overly handsome and overly muscular big boss, the variety that could be found in any high school fighter read, the top of the food chain. But here, he was not at the top. I was better. He was weaker. And I regretted choosing him as my partner. The violent and tangible air about him tensed, and then in one sudden moment he was in the air flying at the tortoise.
Two Timer Cost: 0
Cooldown: 25 seconds
A+ // Nolan leaps at a target and empowers his next two attacks to deal bonus missing health damage in a small area around the target. The first attack will stun the target and shred their resistances. MISSING HEALTH DAMAGE: 100 + (0 - 250)% based on target¡¯s missing health
AREA SIZE: 3 feet
STUN: 2 seconds
RESISTANCE SHRED: 20%
Like an ugly child receiving a gift the sloth under the shell raised its arms into the air to catch him, but then was slammed straight into the water with a huge splash. [ ¡®SWAMPER¡¯ || HP - 619 (25.5%) [ 1811 (+8505) (424.5%) / 2430 ] ] I couldn¡¯t see the rest of the fight as I wiped off more mud from my face, a recurring theme, but swiftly the tortoise sloth monster was taken care of, a primal yelling and groaning from a student and a monster. My partner hadn¡¯t taken any damage in the excursion. I was slightly surprised at how much he could do with punches alone as well as the accuracy to land them all on the face, but I didn¡¯t let myself show any praise. ¡°Wow,¡± I said dryly, and the bow disappeared from my hands. I clapped slowly. ¡°Great job, buddy. You proved me wrong. You killed one swamper.¡± He glared at me, panting for breath. I wouldn¡¯t have blamed him if he hated me. Even an idiot like him could catch the sarcasm that oozed from my voice. He opened his mouth and bared his teeth. ¡°F*** you. You can barely even kill one,¡± he spit, and then turned away towards another group of swampers. I huffed with amusement and only smiled, not wanting to say anything. Maybe he didn¡¯t see the hoard of swampers earlier, each shot to death via arrows and fire and ice. One way or another, he definitely caught my smile, seeing how the veins crawled up his mud dried neck and triceps and his breathing intensified. Well, that¡¯s all I would prod him. People like him would always repay their grudge sooner or later, so I didn¡¯t have to worry about his usefulness anymore. Not like I worried in the first place. // 10:23 A.M. // 10 - 16 - 2023 // Arc - Practical Testing Block, Site B Starring Zendolyn Ato // Opening the door to the stage made my stomach grip a little tighter, and the crossbow clacked at my side as I firmed my hold on it. It was quite dark where I stood, but I could see a little bit of a staircase a few feet ahead of me up to the backstage from the light pouring out of a door nearby it. To my surprise, a few bots dressed in waiter attires marched past me and out through the doors. I unfroze and sighed in relief. That meant that past the door they went through was the main scene of the map. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. I definitely had a lot to think about, as there weren¡¯t at all many recordings to guide me through this. The door over there was probably where my target was, as that was where the most bots were. I was a little curious about the staircase as where it led was blocked off by a wall, but I assumed it was to the backstage. So then, my destination was probably in front of me¡­ but this Arc uniform just wasn¡¯t going to cut it. I had chosen the Auditorium. The theme was a masquerade with entertainment from food and drink to live music and a rotating performer onstage, the showpiece of the map. The problem was that the target was completely random, and the only thing that set it apart was a white top hat. Once it was killed, no bot could know it was dead until the timer ran out. There were lots of dark crevices on this map, perfect for hiding a body and which the bots never checked, like beneath the cloth over the tables, in a restroom stall, or even pushed over the edge on the balcony. From the very few past recordings I had studied, the suits and masks that the bots wore served as disguises. One recording, the first one ever, showed that if I didn¡¯t take the uniform then the bots would immediately get suspicious of me, and the points would come crashing down on my head. So, I first needed a disguise to get out of the backstage¡­ Without killing any bots. I looked to my left, and then down. An open box next to the flowerpot, with a waiter uniform, just waiting to be worn. A white mask laid on the top. How¡­ very convenient. That first guy was definitely an idiot. Now the only problem was that I needed to change¡­ on camera¡­ Pulling off the outer layer of the uniform, I stuffed it into the box along with the pants and the quiver of arrows. Thank God Zen had thin thermal clothing in his closet, no matter how uncomfortably hot they were to wear. A quick changing session along with a short psychup later, I kneeled down and grabbed two arrows from the quiver. Placing one on the ground, I held the other like a dagger and positioned it just at the tip of the other arrow, and with one quick and precise motion I stabbed down. The arrowhead cleanly broke off and I looked back up, half expecting someone to come check on the noise. Ah. I had forgotten I was still in the safe zone. Grabbing the sharp arrowhead, I stuffed it in one of the pockets on the waiter outfit, and then I put everything else I didn¡¯t need into the box. That included the crossbow. I flinched again as a second round of waiter bots marched past me each holding a platter filled with elegant refreshments and bits of food in ornate little shot glasses, and with quick thoughts flying through my head I realized what I had to do. I tensed myself. It didn¡¯t really matter to me if I had a server¡¯s platter or not. The last one passed by, and one quick glance around confirmed no bot was looking. 1, 2, 3, 4, 2, 2, 3, 4, go, now, don¡¯t, stop, just, go, 3, 4! The front bot marched straight out, the next and the next after following his lead until I finally took the last steps through the door. The light blinded me momentarily. I regained my bearings and immediately pushed myself off to the left as the waiters kept walking forward, and inserted myself behind a tall potted plant beside the stage, the huge curtains beside me taking up most of the room. They were probably large enough for me to fit in any orientation. I didn¡¯t have too much time before the next round of waiters came in, so I peeked around the edge of the pot. There were so, so many bots in suits and dresses, each donned with a mask. On stage the band playing smooth jazz soothed my bones, and the hollow sound of heels and dress shoes tapping against the hard marble, glasses of champagne clinking together, and the creepiness of the creaking dance of the robots. So far, I couldn¡¯t see my target. I was mildly delighted when a voice began singing from the stage, presumably one of the performer bots, to accentuate the jazzy tune. Its voice was that of a woman, a tremolo and rich deep song from the heart and chest, the words crisp and clear as the chandelier that hung above and reflected all of the beautiful lights around in mesmerizing glitter. Ducking under the curtains, I raised myself high enough to see onto the stage, and at the front and center was a bot with a huge dress full of purple ruffles and shiny jewels embedded into the frills, but even with such a pretty dress it was still just a bot wearing a dress. A name tag was attached to the right side of its chest, but I couldn¡¯t really make it out as it wasn¡¯t facing me. ¡°And I¡­ want to fly¡­ with you by my side, oh darling¡ªhow sweet, and honey¡­ dew¡­ that comes from the flowers, as lovely as you, and the sky¡­¡± A slow, steady song, accompanied by a little follow-up tune from the piano. A piece of heaven straight out of the classics, and yet something I had never heard before. It was absolutely wonderful. It reminded me of my dad. But even a music geek knew when to put their head on right. Scanning over all of the bots that I could see, none of them wearing a white hat¡­ I made a little note that I could, in fact, see through the huge glass wall that separated me and the student audience. And then I saw the size of the audience. My heart pounded. Behind the glass, there were no more seats left in the enormous space of the wing, people were sharing seats, I had never been watched by so many people before. And I could tell that all of them were watching my screen. Stop pointing at me like an animal. My heart was drumming, loud and terrible. Pressure crowded all around me, squeezed so tight. It was overwhelming, bullets of sweat traced down my neck and my head clouded in a debilitating fear and panic. I leaned onto the stage wall for balance, so so dizzy. ¡°Oh love¡­ dear darling, my love¡ªso come on! And come here¡­ here¡­ give me your love, and your all,¡ªI want it alllll!!¡± The singer reached the climax of her voice, a brilliant note, and she held it for a moment. They¡¯re watching me, all of them, all of their eyes¡ªif I mess up, they¡¯ll see, they¡¯ll all see, and then I¡¯ll be good as gone. I¡¯ll be destroyed, dead to my world¡ª Breath¡­ ¡­ I took a deep and shuddering breath in. Calm down. You¡¯re on stage now. I was¡­ on stage now. I¡­ needed to be calm. I had rehearsed this so many times. And yet, I had never rehearsed it once at the same time. I stared up at the beautiful ceiling. It smelled like warm frothing butter and bread. The air tasted like sour grapes. ¡°I¡¯ll give you my all¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re prepared,¡± I whispered, unable to hear myself over the drums of anxiety in my head. ¡°You¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°And we¡¯ll show them all¡­¡± I pushed myself off of the wall as the bots began to clap. The clank, clank, clank of robotic hands hitting each other couldn¡¯t bother me more than the lyrics. I needed to get backstage. There was no one here with a white top hat. That could only mean that the bot was either in the kitchen, a server, or worst case scenario, a performer onstage. Breath. The door beside me opened again, and as soon as the last bot walked by I slipped past it backstage, somehow going unnoticed. I was definitely on a timer before the next round came again. I glanced to the right at the staircase, and hastily ascended its six steps to see before me a huge assortment of props and boxes on a raised platform with wheels and a handle like a cart, like they were preparing for a musical or a play. It was probably more so there for a cluttered realism effect rather than real use. Just a few steps to the right from the top of the staircase was a little chair, on it a clipboard. This was risky, but I needed information. The proctors wouldn¡¯t leave me to fail like this. Breath. I made a stealthy dash for the clipboard, my shoes thankfully quiet against the polished floor. Grabbing it, I slid the clipboard off the edge and spun my head all around. The far stage entrance had a whole group of musicians fiddling silently with their instruments, a few bots tottered around aimlessly, more clipboards. Surroundings noted. No one spotted me. Retreating back to the cover of the stairs, I looked at the paper and smiled. Info. Taking a long look of the listed names of the upcoming performers and their songs, the most recent ones crossed out. But with a peek backstage again and making a quick surveillance around the room, I couldn¡¯t see the¡ª Never mind, I saw it. Not too far from me was the hat sat atop the head of a bot, which wore an elegant suit with tapering collars and simple but fancy black pants. Beside it was the back of the dress from the performer bot I had seen earlier. My target slightly turned my way and I hid, but I had already read the nametag. Arnold. My target was named Arnold. I looked back at the clipboard to check again, and caught my breath. B-breath. It shouldn¡¯t have been surprising, I knew it was bound to happen sooner or later. But I still felt my heart drop down to the floor. Arnold was the next performer. This was rigged. ¡­ I squeezed my jaw. Why¡­? ¡­ No, I couldn¡¯t give up. I still had a chance. The atmosphere felt oily. Confirming it with the paper, I delved deep into the pits of my brain. I glanced around the corner again, and quickly found myself panicking again. The performer in the dress was all alone now. Where did the top hat go? I had a realization. Was Arnold already on standby to enter the stage? My eyes widened, I needed a distraction, and quick. Uhh, uhhhhh¡ªoh! Wheels, b-boxes, uhh, clich¨¦s! I-I can do this! Swiftly eyeing the boxes in front of me and imagining the possible scenario outcomes in real time, I moved behind the handle undetected, and with all my strength I pushed as hard as I could on the not-cart aimed to make it turn left into the wall. Then I made a mad but silent dash to the close stage entrance. With a horribly loud squeaking and skidding noise against the wall, the cart came to a steady stop. By then, I had already made it into the entrance, standing right behind my target. The curtain was completely drawn closed, and looking around my target¡¯s shoulders I didn¡¯t see any bots from the far entrance. Breath. This was my one and only chance. I tapped Arnold¡¯s shoulder twice, and it turned around to face me. But it couldn¡¯t. Because it didn¡¯t have a face. Because I stabbed it in the face. In one quick moment with all the speed I could muster I dragged its inanimate frame onto the stage. My hiding spot earlier was quite a good place to hide a body. I dragged it to the edge and then got down as quietly as I could. Arnold at the edge now was much easier to silently place down now as I stood on the lower level. My watch buzzed. [Target neutralized successfully. Task: Do not allow any bots to notice that the target is missing Time remaining: 6 minutes] ¡­ It took a moment before I realized what had just happened. The distraction worked. The target was neutralized. I had just completed an exam that almost guaranteed my failure. ¡­ Holy moly. I sat down hard, and then the sound of the curtains opening filled the entire auditorium. No celebrating. I was still on camera. Now, all I had to do was celebrate in my head and play the waiting game. This was one hell of a stupid requirement. ¡­ Oh, no. Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no. Shoot! My eyes were bulging out of their sockets, and my breathing was ragged again. They would 100% notice if a performer disappeared. In a white top hat. I was panicking my mind out. The difference from earlier? My blood pressure was spiking. I dizzily held my hand against my chest. Yep, that¡¯s a really, really, really fast beat you¡¯re playing, Mr. Drummer. Hyperventilating? Check. Spinning world? Please stay still. I tried to calm myself down, but it wasn¡¯t working. I clenched my teeth together, oh the world was moving so fast. Was calming down even the issue? And even so, there was this undeniable feeling inside me¡­ No way¡­ I shakily touched my face, and all of my brain¡¯s last vestiges of reasoning screamed in horror as the rest of my body shivered in pleasure. Was I just scared? So why was my face so hot? I touched my ears instinctively and held back noises in my throat. Was I blushing? I hoped the audience couldn¡¯t see through the plastic mask on my face. This was definitely a dopamine overload. But¡ªwhy? My body quivered in feelings I couldn¡¯t describe, I was out of breath and my sweat glands were flooding, and just when I was about to burst, the final remaining and sane part of my mind busted into the control room and grabbed the handles. The emotions raged as I pulled off my waiter outfit uncomfortably in the tight space, and then undressed the dead bot beside me. Putting on his clothes, switching the mask as fast as I could to prevent anyone from seeing my flushed face, and donning his hat, I peeked beneath the curtains. A set of marching feet in perfect unison passed. 1, 2, 3, 4. Go, now! I slipped out from under the curtains and zoomed back through the door. Hurry! I leaped up the staircase in two steps. My watch buzzed. Five more minutes. Faster! The crew paid me no mind as they struggled with the boxes and props. They probably had no clue I was a human. The mask helped. As soon as I stepped into the narrow entrance hallway, I could see the whole group of musicians out there, waiting for me to enter. The conductor at the front beckoned me to take my place in the center. My heart pounded in my chest. So loud. A microphone waited for me. Calm. Breath slower. I paused for a moment. Then took a methodical step forward. The next, and the next came easier. I counted my strides across the stage. Everything around had quieted down when I made my appearance. The gorgeous chandelier above radiantly sparkled. Nobody could see my face, still on fire. There was a faint smell of love. The air tasted like luxury. Six steps, total. I breathed again, and then grabbed the microphone stand. Like magic, a quiet keyboard¡¯s steady rhythm to a slow beat and a faint string plucking to carry the tune, the song began. I knew this song so well. My cue. The world held its breath, waiting for me as I held my own. And I sang. ¡°And, now,¡± I started solemnly, ¡°the end is near¡­¡± Zen¡¯s voice, a light and luscious chocolate ganache, now was more of a rich and warm fudge. ¡°And so I face¡­ the final, curtains¡­¡± It was refined, strong, and yet soulful and thoughtful. My eyes closed and my heart was in sync with every beat. I felt it reverberate in me. The lyrics, too, came naturally. ¡°My friend¡­ I¡¯ll say it clear. I¡¯ll state my case¡­ of which, I¡¯m certain.¡± No, I could not replicate a legend¡¯s soul and deep voice, but singing without my own soul was not an option. The audience, of bots and of humans, I could not focus on as certainly as I knew they were focused on me, as my voice and the music was all I could hear, see, taste, smell, feel. It was all of me. ¡°I planned, each charted course! Each careful step¡­ along the byway¡­¡± I breathed in as the violin played its prelude to the start of the end. I wasn¡¯t thinking anymore, I was simply feeling. ¡°But more¡­ much more than this, I did it, my¡­ way¡­!¡± The drum started louder and in dramatic crescendo and fortissimo the horns and winds began playing along with them. The chorus of music filled the Auditorium. ¡°Yes there were times, I¡¯m sure you knew¡­ when I bit off, more than I could chew.¡± The music progressed louder in fanfare and enthusiasm, an accompaniment to the melody that was entering the strongest of my vocal range. ¡°But through it all, when there was doubt¡­ I ate it up, and spit it out!¡± The song slowed back down to its thoughtful verses, a melody which I swayed to as my feet were firmly planted on the floor. What a wonderful world I lived in. ¡°For what is a man?¡± The trumpets blared, ¡°What has he got? If not himself¡­ then he has naught! To say the things¡­ he truly feels. And not the words¡­ of one who kneels!¡± I gasped for breath. ¡°The record shows, I took the blow,¡± my voice was power, ¡°and did it, my¡­ way!¡± My hand unclenched from the microphone, and I relaxed myself as the music made its final stand, horn and trumpet, violin and drums. My watch buzzed, and all of the bots slackened around me. [Your exam is complete and is being evaluated. Please stand by.] One more line. ¡°Yes, it was¡­ my¡­ way¡­¡± (2) Author’s Guide to Understanding: Mana, Will, and Game UI Mana, Will, and Game UI Hello there! Polydeuces here. As you can see by the big bold words just above, this is another Guide to Understanding. In this Guide, there will be no need for a glossary, but there will be very long explanations in its place. Understandably, this is a whole lot of rambling nonsense, so feel free to skip this Guide as this is more for the folks who really try to immerse themselves in the stories they read. I will bold whatever is important for those who are just here to skim.
Game UI: In video games, the way to interact with the world of the game is through the UI, which stands for ¡®User Interface¡¯. The UI in a game is a set collection of buttons, visuals, and indicators that the player interacts with in order to play. MMO¡¯s interface is very similar to that of an MMO-RPG (massively multiplayer online role play game) or a MOBA (multiplayer online battle arena). This means that MMO will feature things such as but not limited to: health bars, abilities, screens. The general guidelines for a health bar are as follows: Ally receives damage = [ ¡®NAME (ALLY)¡¯ || HP - 0 (0%) [ 0 (0%) / 0] MANA [ 0 / 0] ] Ally receives heal = [ ¡®NAME (ALLY)¡¯ || HP + 0 (0%) [ 0 (0%) / 0] MANA [ 0 / 0] ] Ally receives/has shield = [ ¡®NAME (ALLY)¡¯ || HP +0 (0%) [ 0 (+0) (0%) / 0] MANA [ 0 / 0] ] Target receives damage = [ ¡®NAME (TARGET)¡¯ || HP - 0 (0%) [ 0 (0%) / 0] ] Target receives heal = [ ¡®NAME (TARGET)¡¯ || HP + 0 (0%) [ 0 (0%) / 0] ] Target receives/has shield = [ ¡®NAME (TARGET)¡¯ || HP +0 (0%) [ 0 (+0) (0%) / 0] ] Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. 0 is a placeholder. For the notification screens, I have changed a little bit of the formatting: ======================== [Content] ======================== It is now center aligned with a lot more ¡°=¡± signs. This will be updated for the other chapters shortly after this Guide is uploaded. Lastly are the abilities. The abilities will be getting a complete revamp to the way they look, so stay tuned for that. There will not be any demos for this Guide as I am currently in the process of updating all of the graphics, but I promise they will come out soon.
Mana: Pointedly speaking, mana in modern media is the ¡®substance¡¯ or ¡®energy¡¯ that is utilized and depleted in the creation of ¡®magic¡¯, its variations, and its opposites. Though this definition may sound about right on the surface level of MMO, fundamentally it is much different, and therefore, will in fact confuse readers who don¡¯t have an open mind to clich¨¦s. Mana is, in MMO, essentially a second air: like how plants release oxygen into the atmosphere, all organisms (excluding autotrophs) release mana. Mana is created in an organism¡¯s body when they have a ¡®will¡¯, whether it be to live, fight, love, etc. This does not specifically indicate the usage of the respiratory system, but it does help with controlling mana. As a second air, an important but niche take on the classic of mana is the inhalation, or otherwise respiration, of mana. This serves as the foundation of raw mana control (this is a whole different topic for a whole different time, and is exactly what Kali did), mana regeneration, stat growth, Awakening, and a wide range of more conceptual factors like emotions. The mana that is released from an organism or other sources (including but not limited to ¡®abilities¡¯) tend to cling onto surrounding matter (with exceptions). This means that only the area surrounding living organisms or other sources of mana are affected with mana. Unlike atmospheric oxygen, mana has a few key properties and notable differences, such as its high density and tendency to scatter and cling shortly after respiration (with exceptions) and an almost magnetic attraction to organisms with an average to high mana production rate, more so depending on the rate. This can be comparable to the gathering of water in a puddle. Due to its high density, surrounding mana can, as a reaction to a user¡¯s (Awakened) will (please see below, ¡°Awakening¡±), condense into an ability, each different and unique, similar to a chemical reaction. Another interesting property is its incorporeal nature. Mana exists as a medium for action, but can only interact with things that ¡®have¡¯ mana. For example, if a laser beam made of mana was made to not cling onto matter, then in theory it could shoot through walls until it hits something affected by mana. If it was made to cling, then it would hit the first obstacle in its way as the mana coming from the beam would cling onto the matter around, allowing it to pierce through the air and hit the obstacle. With all of the information above and from the earlier Guide comes the conclusions: the Awakened can utilize mana to cast abilities as an expression of themselves, and the unawakened can, albeit with a clear limit, control their mana respiration for better quality of life. When they do use their abilities, they exchange a certain amount of mana and their will.
Awakening and Will: The key difference between an unawakened and an Awakened is the difference in the (quite literally) weight of their power, otherwise known as the will. Otherwise known as the ¡®desire to act¡¯, the concept of will varies from person to person. In MMO, will is most primarily known for its reaction with mana to manifest abilities. The stronger the will, the greater the reaction. Mana is simply a medium for will to act. The will can also do tricky stuff such as mark who is an ally and who is a target; whoever the individual views as an ally will be considered an ally and therefore not be affected by abilities, and vice versa. Therefore, only the Awakened have abilities, which also translates into many things if you think about it a little more.
Because of the wording in this Guide, there is lots of room for imagination and theories. I will leave all of the implications to the readers. 12 - UNQUIET SILENCE 12: UNQUIET SILENCE // 10:09 A.M. // 10 - 16 - 2023 // Swamper Dungeon Starring Reyenal Ato Featuring Nolan Faust // [ ¡®GIANT SWAMPER¡¯ || HP - 824 (0%) [ 0 (247.9%) (+41412) / 16708 ] ] The kama disappeared from my hand as the last of the giant swamper¡¯s health disappeared. Its giant sloth body slumped inwards as the shell fell down on it as I stumbled a couple hasty steps backward, breathing heavily. Dead. My throat was completely dry. The sludgy mud all over me stank like sewage, and my own sweat smelled terrible. The lifeless swamper was bathing in its puddle of muddy blood, the enormous shell over its back covering the body buried beneath, the arms stuck out like it had been flattened. A few steps, like hard and muted stomps, and I sluggishly brought my attention to the top of the shell. From the other side a head of short hair appeared, more steps, and my partner slightly emerged over the top. We made eye contact. Around us was the hollowed cave on the side of the mountain, as flooded as the rest of the dungeon, the home of the giant swamper. Water dripped from somewhere close by, a constant plink of noise. The shade of stone above felt like it could collapse any second, with so many arrows embedded everywhere from bouncing off the shell of the big swamper. It was a painfully silent moment. Everything was dead. ¡°Did you¡­ get it?¡± The ragged and muddy jock lifted his chin. His shirt was torn from being thrown around so much, grabbed by the sharp claws and slammed into every orifice possible of the shallow cave. The guy¡¯s whole top had basically been shredded, leaving the bits hanging on his solid pecs and carved abs, bodybuilder arms hanging from wide shoulders, so long as he was tall and out of sight from behind the shell. A teen¡¯s fantasy. [ ¡®PARTNER¡¯ || HP [ 3102 (70.2%) / 7560 ] MANA [ 0 / 0 ] ] Clickbait for crap. The uniforms were literally made of high graded material, and the webtoon multiverse forgot because of the rule of fanservice: the greater the relevance to the story, the greater the amount of unholy fanart. ¡°Well, do you have it or not?¡± I snapped. Even the slightest change in his muscular posture irritated me. With a wordless and brooding glare, he lifted his right arm, the uniform also tattered there like some sort of rabid animal had come by, and opened his hand in a standing cup. The jewel was as ugly as I expected it to be. It looked like month-old dog feces. Sighing shortly, I curtly nodded my head and then turned away. [Your exam is complete and is being evaluated. Please stand by.] ¡­ It didn¡¯t take long for the extraction team to find us, as we had made it very clear of our presence. Bodies everywhere, sun-dried mud all over the trees, the sickly water irreversibly tainted brown, and an odor that reeked, a trail of gross. I put guard up upon seeing the Holimont rose on their chest. Something inside me told me that they were not on my side, however normal they looked. Just two men and two women, a pair that beckoned for me and the other for my partner. One of the men glanced down at his watch, and then looked back up to address us. ¡°Great job you two. It¡¯s time to head on back. No need to rush, you two can relax now.¡± We walked back in relative silence other than my escorting officer¡¯s confusion on how my partner¡¯s uniform ripped. I warily looked at her back as she led us, the sloshing noise and disgusting smell filling my numb ears and clogged nose. The officers seemed to know exactly where to go even in the midst of a whole battalion of dead swampers and so many random trails of my partner and I searching. And it was¡­ just straight forward. Yeah, okay. Not three minutes passed and we made it to the portal where we had entered, the polluted watery color of copper suspended in the center of a particularly large and very dead tree. Compared to the portal I had taken so long ago to Arc, the dungeon portals were different. Portal transportation for around the world was blue, purified mana. For dungeons, it was raw, unfiltered mana, each a different color that apparently inspired the colors which graded a person¡¯s ability. Different gradients, different purity, different color, different meaning. Rust is dangerous only if it cuts. The woman in front of me stepped aside. ¡°Go. We¡¯ll be behind you.¡± I nodded unfeelingly and stepped through without a second thought. The journey through was harsh, but for my own sake I shouldn¡¯t show weakness. I guess that was my role in the world. The mana fluctuated in a spasming moment, an epilepsy of colors and mana and then light. My grimy shoes touched down on the marble floor of the Arc Dungeons facility, and my eyes adjusted again. Portals were an experience, to say the least. The portal made a sound, almost like a shortened and reversed toilet flush, and my partner stepped through. Realizing he was a bit too close, I moved on towards the nearby benches to take a seat, and a shiver spiked up my body. Though it may have been a relief, the cold air and seat against my dried and cracked skin and in contrast with the mud was already starting to get on my nerves. The sound of the portal and sloshing feet again, I glanced over and from the rippling brown-orange portal came the officers who seemed rather unbothered by the shift. I stood up as the lady furthest left poised to speak, ¡°You two are dismissed now. Remember, you must write a minimum of two comments for your other Awakened peers by the end of this week for full credit. The rubric is on the Arc app, as well as all of the replay footage. Your practical scores will be posted soon. Have a good day.¡± Without another word, they marched out of the spacious room, leaving just my partner and I in awkward silence. Replay footage? I broke the ice. ¡°You surprised me with that last one. Good job.¡± He still didn¡¯t acknowledge me, so I didn¡¯t say anything else. No need to waste my breath on him. ¡­ I waddled into the shower room with my gym bag in hand, still covered head to toe in the mud which was now crusting. The fragrance of shampoo and the sound of chatter echoed along with the clack of my dried shoes. ¡°Heey, stop it!¡± A girl giggled. ¡°Penny!¡¯ The steam was already beginning to dampen the dirt back into mud. I needed to move faster. ¡°Rubia, your hair is so tangled,¡± another girl responded. ¡°Stop moving!¡± ¡°Fine, fine.¡± I set my bag down on a bench and unzipped it, pulling out my clothes and a pair of baby blue slippers, setting them aside, also shampoo and bodywash. I quickly took off my shoes with my feet and reached down to pull off my gross socks, replaced them with the slippers, then with all my things made a mad dash to the nearest empty stall. With the sound of a brush scraping through hair and the constant grunts of pain in the background, I turned on the shower. ¡°Cold!¡± I yelped. I pressed my back against the stall wall to avoid the water and waited for it to warm, and took that moment to realize that the girls had fallen silent. ¡°Was that Reyenal?¡± ¡°I think¡­ hey, is that you, Reyenal?¡± ¡ªCLACK. CLACK. CLACK. Another pair of footsteps came from the hall towards the shower room, the only other noise being from the showers running. ¡°Hey, Reyenal¡ª¡± ¡°Did someone say Reyenal?¡± A different voice, the source of the footsteps. ¡°Like, did you see her? She¡¯s like, actually filthy. It looked like she had been eaten and¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± I tested the water with my finger, ignoring the little gasp of surprise. Good enough. As I eased myself under the cooling water, the girl from the doorway whispered, ¡°W-why are you here, Reyenal?¡± Penny also added in, ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen you shower in public at the Institution.¡± Closing my eyes, I sat down on the little bench and lifted my chin up at the white and steamy ceiling. The mud was washing off so nicely. ¡°It¡¯s because I don¡¯t want to get that ¡®filth¡¯ in my shower,¡± I said as the mud rushed off my skin and clothes, clearing out my clogged pores, it felt so good. This water definitely had something in it. ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± I reached out and turned the knob to stop the running water for a moment, and pulled myself out of the Arc uniform. That thing was going straight to the laundromat after I was done with showering. ¡°Hey, you know,¡± Rubia started, ¡°Penelope here and I were actually watching a bit of your livestream earlier on her watch. You know, it¡¯s kind of funny how you act around high rankers. It¡¯s like you hate them all.¡± I froze. ¡­ Livestream? They¡­ heard me? ¡°O-oh, no¡ªwell, nevermind, no, I don¡¯t,¡± I stuttered, not really understanding her, my brain computing slower than before¡­ well then, might as well go with the flow. ¡°Actually, you know, that guy¡ª¡± ¡°Nolan is totally my type though,¡± the newest girl squealed, now in the stall across from mine, and I held back a cough. I had forgotten his name until just now. ¡°I mean, like, oh, my god, he¡¯s so¡­¡± She paused for a moment. The steam only served to romanticize the mood, which I wasn¡¯t prepared for. ¡°Hot?¡± Penny offered. ¡°I mean, there¡¯s got to be a better word for that,¡± I managed in an attempt to ease the awkwardness. Everyone on campus had at least some level of hotness. I glanced to my right, and then a huge screen appeared. ========================
Vitality (Health Points) Mana
2712 2712
Health Regeneration You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Mana Regeneration
0.0026/s - 0.0002/s 0.13/s
Endurance Strength
27.1 - 1.3 27.1 - 0.6
Intelligence Magic Power
35.8 27.1
Dexterity Movement Speed
27.1 - 0.5 27.1 - 4.1
Charisma Luck
27.1 - 2.8 25.6
Debuffs: Dirty ( -CHR, -MS, -HR ), Tired ( -ED, -CHR, -MS, -HR,-STR, -DEX ) Buffs: Refreshed ( +CHR, + ED, + HR ) ========================
Venerability
B+ All of Reyenal¡¯s stats are shared besides her two Innate stats.
I shook my head with a smile of denial. I was way over the average and yet, I still just looked average. Arc kids were something else. ¡°No¡­ juicy.¡± I knocked over my shampoo bottle in a knee jerk physical cringe, and then began coughing on my spit. ¡°Hey, Reyenal, are you good?¡± Rubia¡¯s concerned voice echoed over. Clearing my throat and hacking out, I put the shampoo bottle back up. ¡°Yeah, all good.¡± ¡°If you say so¡­¡± // 1:12 P.M. // 10 - 13 - 2023 // Arc - Training Center Starring Avil Daniase Featuring Gwen Olynn, Cedrance Manamune, Aythe Siena, Ben Roswell, and Professor Carmela // ======================== ¡®Avil Daniase¡¯ has been presented with a task: [Prove yourself] ======================== ¡°Let¡¯s go, Avil! Move!¡± Gwen yelled at me. My eyes were locked onto the screen straight past her, the vignette of daze from the bombardment of stone discoloring the edges of my sight. She grabbed my arm and pulled me up as I shakily held the shield steady against the tormenting torrent of shrapnel. We leaned into the shield and moved slowly. And then¡­ I saw the sword in slow motion, swinging straight towards Gwen. Her face turned around. Shock. Fear. I pushed the shield forward, and a huge clang pushed us back, me into her. Ced¡¯s water blade swept towards me and parried an incoming slash from Aythe, and Gwen in a spurt of strength pushed me off of her only to then pull me towards her again as more attacks flew our way. ¡°Stop this!¡± Cedrance yelled from beside me, the extreme tiredness apparent from his huffing and sweat. ¡°You guys shouldn¡¯t even be using your abilities here!¡± The entire sparring area of the training center was completely and utterly decimated now. It wasn¡¯t built to withstand the Awakened clearly. ¡°Yap yap,¡± Ben roared, ¡°keep yapping. See what happens!¡± Suddenly a huge wave of sickness overcame me, a pounding in my head. My knees buckled, there were gasps all around as students surrounding the scene hit the floor in my periphery. Gwen too fell down next to me, her chest very uncomfortably leaned into my arm. I tried to open my mouth to say something, but it was completely locked shut, tried to make noise but my throat was clogged. As quickly as everything had started, it had all come to a halt. There were no sounds, the constant noise of metal on metal on stone and screams were all gone, and replaced with the eerie silence of noiselessness. Against my will, the will which I was fighting so hard to get back, my chin lifted up, and then my head turned to face the lockers¡­ and there was someone there. Professor Carmela. I could recognize that face from miles away. Anime waifus danced in my mind, and yet that woman outdid all of them, a perfectly seductive body and a terrifyingly sexy face, the kind that would make any man sell their life for a bit of her love, and the kind that could start wars. I didn¡¯t know much about her other than the fact that her classes were insanely difficult and that every boy and possibly girl had eyes for her. I couldn¡¯t do anything but stare. It was extraordinarily painful. ¡°Everyone here will be deducted 200 points,¡± she said softly, but her pointed cold eyes suggested a different tone as they swept around the scene. Her authority was clear, and it was scary. I barely even had 20 points, but nevertheless I knew this was quite a reasonable punishment. The whole training center was a wreck, each crater in the floor another point lost. Moreover, students definitely weren¡¯t supposed to go around and brawl like a bunch of barbarians. The cherry on top was that no one did anything about it. She gave Cedrance a half-interested look, and then disdainfully glared at Aythe and Ben. Then her eyes landed to a rest on me and Gwen, still somewhat buried beneath the shield. Confusion? And it was completely still for a contemplating moment. Carmela pointed to the general area of the main street around the corner. ¡°Everyone, out.¡± Like a clock had unfrozen, suddenly all around was the noise of people gasping for breath. I could hear the shakiness in some, and fear and confusion and lust and hate and so much more. A quiet murmur floated around, but everyone was too scared to say anything. But I was still stuck. Unmoving. Posted to the floor. I could still feel Gwen¡¯s squoobs on me, and she hadn¡¯t moved either. It didn¡¯t take Sherlock Holmes to realize what was about to happen. We were going to have a talk. Soon, everyone was gone. It was just Ced, Gwen, me, and the two bastards. The two bastards who started it all. The professor sighed, and then waved her wrist. Feeling returned back to my body, and I gasped for air which I realized I hadn¡¯t been breathing, shakily standing back up, and the sound of life returned as we regained our movement. Next to me Gwen also made a noise as she pushed herself up, like a breathless squeaky scream. ¡°T-two hundred!¡± She whispered, ¡°two hundred!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Gwen,¡± I tried to reassure her as I helped her keep her balance, my mind slightly numb from the lack of oxygen. ¡°We¡¯ll find a way to make it up by the end of this year. We¡¯ll manage.¡± Cedrance glanced back at me with a set of sad eyes, which had lost the fuel of rage driving him to fight earlier. His sword by him was no longer enveloped in water, simply just the standard sword. It was for my sake, wasn¡¯t it? I grinned, shelving away all of my feelings again. ¡°Ced¡­ thanks, bro. You really saved me there.¡± He nodded tiredly, but returned my gesture grimly. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that, Avil.¡± His face was full of apprehension. ¡°That¡¯s the Agent Prep teacher. Worry about what she¡¯s gonna do to us.¡± I only politely smiled, holding back my sarcasm. No duh. But, I was on my best behavior just for my savior. My head turned as Professor Carmela huffed in frustration, ¡°Yeah, smile at each other, go ahead. Do you kids know at all just how much trouble you¡¯re in?¡± She spread her arms out to make her point, massive pitfalls in the ground like a storm of mini-meteors had fallen down from the sky. ¡°Miss,¡± Aythe started, his twin swords clicking in their scabbards, ¡°I can assure you we¡¯re friends that just got carried away in the moment¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s Professor, if you¡¯re talking to me,¡± she cut in angrily, slamming her hand with a loud bang into the metal locker. I flinched, and Aythe immediately shut up. ¡°And also, I don¡¯t care. That goes for all of you,¡± she pushed herself off and walked towards us, her pointed finger shaking accusingly. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to make any excuses.¡± ¡°But Professor,¡± Gwen said hotly, ¡°if you check the video footage¡ª¡± The professor turned to glare at Gwen, who shrank under the woman¡¯s stink eye. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you that I don¡¯t care?¡± I felt Gwen sag down beside me. ¡°B-but 200 points¡­¡± ¡°And that¡¯s not all,¡± Professor Carmela went on, but then paused as her watch buzzed, and she glanced down. ¡°Actually, I just read something interesting.¡± She smiled, her eyes twinkling dangerously as she brought her attention to me. I shivered. ¡°You there, what¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°Um, it¡¯s Avil, ma¡¯am¡ªuh, I mean, Professor.¡± She shook her head to my chagrin. ¡°Full name.¡± ¡°Avil Daniase.¡± Her smile grew. ¡°And you, girl beside Mr. Daniase, are you Gwen Olynn?¡± Gwen automatically said, ¡°Yes, Professor.¡± How did she know Gwen¡¯s name? And did she already know mine before I even said it? Or¡­ was she confirming something with me¡­? I looked upwards towards the top edges of the buildings around, and as I was turning around I spotted something on the corner of the turn into the sparring area. A small black lump, standing out from the white tiled walls. A camera. Gwen whispered into my ear, almost making me jump. ¡°You saw it too?¡± My attention returned to the scary woman now watching me, and I slightly nodded. ¡°Well, I take it you two aren¡¯t stupid at all.¡± She clapped her hands twice, and like a lightning strike hit everyone simultaneously flinched and put their hands to their ears. ¡®SIGN UP TO VOLUNTEER FOR THE SAINT HOSPITAL.¡¯ In the voice of the woman, the message rang in my head. The horrible noise kept bouncing around in my skull and intensifying multiplicatively in its echo chamber. Loud. Loud!! LOUD!!!! ¡°FINE!¡± I screamed, and suddenly the noise stopped. I was on the floor again, my knees and hands on the ground, bowing my head dokgeza style. There was a sound like someone stumbling backwards, and I glanced up to see Cedrance, worry plastered in his eyebrows, his hands pulling back as if they were to reach for me. Realizing my position, I stood up as fast as I could, surprised at how easily I did it. No side effects. To my left Aythe stood over Ben, huffing very loudly, his eyes wide open in distress. Aythe looked bored. ¡°Ben, calm down. Stop resisting.¡± Another sound beside me became very apparent, the hyperventilation of the girl from a whole month ago on the floor after the weapon selection. The one who looked and sounded like she had seen a dead body. Gwen hugged her knees tight and buried her head down, completely still, but definitely not breathing normally. ¡°Gwen?¡± I froze, not really knowing what to do. My instincts and thoughts conflicted in my head. She¡¯s not my friend. I¡¯ve known her my whole life. I don¡¯t care about her. We are childhood friends. I¡¯ve only known her for a month. For that month, she¡¯s always been by my side. ¡°Gwen!¡± I got down onto my knees in front of her, now she was rocking back and forth, making sounds like a child wailing silently, a plea for help, and a desperate noise. The message wasn¡¯t even that bad, what the hell is up with this girl? I grabbed her shoulders, she was shrunken into a little ball. ¡°Gwen, it¡¯s okay, just accept it¡ª!¡± She looked up at me, and I flinched at her expression. The hate in her tilted brows, the fear in her rheumy eyes, the disgust in her flared nose, the betrayal on her tightened lips. ¡°I did,¡± she murmured quietly. I doubt anyone but me heard her. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. It wasn¡¯t my fault.¡± Her eyes completely glazed past me, and then she buried her face back into her legs again. ======================== ¡®Gwen Olynn¡¯ wasn¡¯t looking at you. ======================== I turned my head. Cedrance was behind me. 13 - SQUABBLE 13: SQUABBLE // 8:37 A.M. // 10 - 18 - 2023 // Arc - G-Wing, Unawakened Homeroom 2 Starring Zendolyn Ato Featuring Gwen Olynn and Avil Daniase // ¡°Students, open your books to page 12 in the Hypothetical Demon book, the intro section.¡± Professor Justin stood in front of the class with a vaguely bored expression. Behind him, in bold marker was the daily agenda, the Intro to Demons lecture. ¡°It¡¯ll be page 17 for those using the online format, around halfway down. Someone read me the first line and the paragraph after that.¡± He peered up from his notes, and his eyes traveled straight towards me to my exasperation. I turned my head slightly, and wasn¡¯t surprised to see Gwen¡¯s hand in the air behind me. Gwen and Avil were great people. Probably the only ones in the freshman year who didn¡¯t go out of their way to comment on my exam, which had gotten a lot of reception over the past two days. Definitely wasn¡¯t a fan of this unwanted attention. And for starters, why was I even a hot topic to begin with, and for so long? I subconsciously massaged my shoulder, still sore from all of the people ¡®passing by¡¯ and ¡®not watching their steps¡¯. Whatever. My scatterbrain couldn¡¯t give half of the damn that most people would. ¡°Avil, wake up. The Professor¡¯s staring at you,¡± I whispered loudly. Avil¡¯s head was still drooped on the table. He breathed steadily, ear-length hair draped over his face, and he faced to the side not even bothering to pretend he was awake. ¡°Hey. Hey. Wake up.¡± ¡°Gwen, you may start from the words, ¡®A byproduct of Awakening,¡¯¡± Professor Justin readily ignored my failing attempts at waking Avil, as did Gwen, who nodded her head diligently. ¡°Yes, sir. ¡®A byproduct of Awakening was the rise of supernatural forces, including creatures, structures, and environments which defy the principles of nature, yet also abide perfectly to the Earth¡¯s now uncertain laws¡­¡¯¡± She droned on, but Avil¡¯s head didn¡¯t budge at all. His breathing stayed the same, as did the state of his eyes. Completely shut. I sighed, and glanced back down to my laptop. Pressing the Enter key, I started another line of notes. ¡°¡®In today¡¯s modern society, the phenomenon of Awakening created two entirely new sets of lifeforms: ¡®monsters¡¯ and ¡®demons¡¯. Monsters are creatures of Earthly value birthed from mana, which exist in the liminal subspace of both the mana and physical worlds. Demons, however, exist only in the world of mana and interact with the physical world through means of using a vessel with mana.¡± Gwen paused for a breath. This was already getting boring. I turned back around, and this time poked my finger into the base of his head at the swirl in his hair. What the heck did he do to have such silky hair? ¡°Bro. I know you¡¯re tired, but Avil. Gwen is getting to the good part right now. Wake up.¡± I pushed my finger harder, but he didn¡¯t wake up. Well, now I knew that not causing a scene wasn¡¯t an option anymore. Gwen continued, ¡°¡®The subspace which contains monsters, the combination of the physical and mana world, is also occupied by all living creatures on Earth, and therefore meaning possible vessels for demons. However, humans are the primary vessel for demons due to the notion that they are the most intelligent and most capable Earthly species, popularly theorized by Cyril Wright, a renowned scientist most known for pioneering the field of mana¡­¡¯¡± ¡°Hey. Avil. Gwen is leaning down right now. It looks like she¡¯s going to kiss you¡ª¡± I smirked as Avil threw his hands over his head like he was in an earthquake drill with an audible gasp. Gwen also stopped, and hiccuped, looking at me in flustered horror, a blush crawling up on her face. Noticing her pause was a bit too long, I began feeling the eyes of several people on me. ¡°Gwen? Go on,¡± Professor Justin said dully. ¡°O-oh! Yes, sorry,¡± she glared at me, still a bit flushed. ¡°Is there a problem? Ah, Avil. You¡¯re finally awake,¡± the Professor nonchalantly nodded his head. ¡°Was the sleeping beauty the problem, Gwen?¡± She immediately shook her head, unable to hide the pink on her face. ¡°No, I¡¯m doing good right now,¡± she made an attempt at the teacher¡¯s nonchalance, probably because of the class¡¯s attention towards her. It was a weak attempt. What kind of professor was this? No punishment? Eh. No punishment! Avil swatted my hand away, and getting a closer view on his face I saw he was also in the same field as Gwen. Plum pink. ¡°You have a good nap, Mister Sleeping Beauty?¡± I cackled. ¡°Shut up, you d*******,¡± he warily said, his arms still over his head. ¡°Heh. Yesterday, during your exam, didn¡¯t you¡ª¡± ¡°Shut the **** up.¡± Avil clearly threatened to rage. I smiled, but didn¡¯t press him any further, though I half expected him to shoot back. Too many people weren¡¯t minding their own business. To be fair, I had just interrupted the lesson. // 9:40 A.M. // 10 - 17 - 2023 // Arc - Practical Testing Block, Site B Starring Avil Daniase // I knelt down in sprinter¡¯s fashion, my shield strapped to my back. This was go time. The screen still hadn¡¯t gone away ever since that scary day just a painful week ago. ======================== ¡®Avil Daniase¡¯ has been presented with a task: [Prove yourself] ======================== Caged. A bloody fight to the death. Difficulty, medium. All the chances in the world to prove myself. The door swung open and I immediately rushed forward to my target, stanced heavily on the other side of the arena, a cage as in the name, a long and scary spear in its hands. Outside the cage we were being watched by a bunch of other bots. Quite literally we were the entertainment. A few had their hands around the cage bars above us, the platform lowered into the ground for all of them to watch. ¡ªB-BUMP, the door closed. I lowered myself, still running forward, shield at the ready as the target prepared to stab. Left! ¡ªCLANG I pushed the shield to my left, pushed back as the spear glanced off the side. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it Get in closer. You¡¯ve practiced this. Keeping me at a distance, a clash of steel on steel again as I leaned against the force of the stab to counterbalance against the sweeping feint from the bot. It took a few steps to its right, swiftly in pursuit we engaged again, this time it learned a bit. Two steps closer, my heart pounded harder, my breath not able to catch up. Two more steps closer, the bot to my absolute surprise pushed itself up with the spear straight into the ground, vaulting onto me. Responsively I lifted my heavy shield over my head, bracing for the impact, which merely pushed slightly as the spear followed its owner who bounced gracefully off my shield and behind me. I was completely open. With no time to adjust my shield, it stabbed straight at my back, and as fast as I could I jumped to the right. Too slow. The spear grazed my side, the area below my right pit and I screamed. It was agony. That was at least 5 points gone. It oddly didn¡¯t hurt at all. The spear then swung to the side with the momentum, sending me stumbling to the left. Breathing harshly now, I lifted my shield again. This time I learned as well. I didn¡¯t have to be so aggressive, did I? And this is supposed to be human-like, right? I smirked. ¡°Hey, *****! Come try that **** again. You were so weak, my grandma¡¯s wooden spoon could hurt more!¡± The bot was still. ¡°Ugly-***, your mom is a *****! How can you be so ******* ugly?! She beds so many people, at least one of them was the ugliest **** in the world for you to come out like that. So many, in fact, that I had a taste last night, *****! To be honest¡ª¡± The bot dove in for the kill in a violent spur of anger. I surprised myself. That actually worked! Spear on shield, with a huge clang we collided. This time, I pushed the shield with all my strength, and it slid up the bot¡¯s hand and into its face. It was stunned. Now¡¯s my chance. I dropped my shield to move faster, and wrenched the spear from its grasp. My heart was beating, and beating, and beating, a drum and a rhythm set to victory. As it stumbled to take back the weapon, I kicked it in the abdomen, recoiling slightly from the jarring metal. Flipping the spear around as the bot fell to the ground, I quickly walked up closer and took the opportunity to stab down. I missed the heart. Instead, it went into the shoulder, impaling it into the floor. It was stuck, now, struggling definitely but a lot more sluggish. It tried to pull the spear out with its other arm, the speared one completely limp, but I smashed my foot again into its stomach. And again. Good thing the bots didn¡¯t make any noises. I advanced to the head, and with one last kick the throat was smashed. The bot went completely still. [Your exam is complete and is being evaluated. Please stand by.] And then the tiredness caught me. // 1:25 P.M. // 10 - 17 - 2023 // Arc Starring Kali Lapuz Featuring Regan Yglesias // Thank goodness there wasn¡¯t going to be a single class this week. The exams pushed them all aside, from morning to night. Both Regan and I had gotten lucky enough to do it quite early, so our entire week was free. A warm gust of wind blew through my hair, pulled back into a bun, clipped up so it wouldn¡¯t fall over my forehead. Under the cool shade, Regan hummed a little tune to my left, another song from this artist she had recently become obsessed with. ¡°How¡¯s the reception for your exam?¡± I asked her, absorbed in my own reading session. ¡°Not as much as you,¡± she waved her hand easily, ¡°but yeah, 24 comments.¡± I scrolled down slowly on my page. There was a lot, a total of 109 comments on my exam. Most were quite short, though, just fulfilling the rubric of three sentences minimum, identifying something good, something bad, and some advice. And most of them were saying the same thing. Comments were private only to the sender and the recipient, so I doubted that people were getting together to write the same exact thing, except in essence, they were identical. ¡®Kali Lapuz walked through walls and somehow avoided the traps on the house. But, she took her time killing the bots, and doing it faster could have gotten her more points. My advice is that she should be more efficient with her time.¡¯ I shook my head as I skimmed through another comment saying almost the exact same thing. ¡°They¡¯re basically meaningless, or vague at most.¡± I sighed, listening to the tune Regan was still humming. It was pretty. She stopped for a moment, ¡°We just sat down, girl. You¡¯ll find something good in there. I mean, you did do some really cool stuff, I¡¯ll give you that. Like seriously, walking through walls by expelling all of your mana? Genius! See?¡± I smiled slightly, tilting my head towards her. ¡°Yours was awesome, though. I think you pulled the record for the fastest to beat Forest, right? Running through all of them like a piece of cake.¡± ¡°Nah, but that¡¯s all I did, I didn¡¯t choose a ¡®smart¡¯ map like you.¡± ¡°And I didn¡¯t do something as cool as you.¡± ¡°You walked through walls, Kali!¡± Regan flicked my temple, slightly frustrated by my unwillingness to take the compliment. ¡°Girl, you set a record!¡± I responded with equal aggression, though not angry at all. ¡°There! We both did something cool. Now, shaddup!¡± She pulled back and began scrolling again. ¡°Ah. That¡¯s right. I¡¯m done already.¡± I snickered. ¡°And what did you think of them?¡± Then I raised my eyebrow, looking at the screen. Wait, wait, wait. This one comment was particularly long. Like, really, really long. How many paragraphs¡­ this was a whole essay! Six paragraphs of¡­ legit stuff?! She tried optimism. ¡°Mmmmm¡­! They were mostly compliments towards me, the advice was to be a bit quieter, I guess?¡± ¡°And?¡± I kept my tone neutral, still slightly shocked at what I was reading. ¡°Well, there was more, like¡­¡± She paused, clearly wracking through her brain. ¡°Hah. I win, right?¡± She would freak out if she saw this. I was totally wrong. ¡°No! Wait, I mean¡ªthere¡¯s¡­.¡± Regan stuttered. ¡°In. Your. Face!¡± I gloated, and punched her in the shoulder with my free left hand to her annoyance. She harrumphed, ¡°Then since I don¡¯t have anything to do now, let¡¯s read your comments together. ¡°Wait, huh?¡± She scooted towards me and wrapped her arm around my shoulder, pressing closely into me and making herself comfortable. In my panic to close the screen and hide the comment, she yanked my watch hand up and expanded the screen. ¡°Uh¡ª!¡± ¡°Look at this, Kali! What does this look like?¡± Before I could respond, she pressed her lips to my ear, and whispered. ¡°It looks like I just won!¡± Taking much amusement in my freak-out, she pinched my right cheek, and pulled my baby fat, and then let go as I swatted her hand away. ¡°Regan!¡± ¡°Coming into the exam, Kali gave herself a huge disadvantage with her weapon of choice. Katanas are relatively long in nature, and bringing one indoors while knowing full well the size of the house on Villa would clash with the size of the katana immediately set her apart as either an ignorant fool or someone with a master plan.¡¯¡± I blushed as Regan read the beginning paragraph. ¡°Wow, Kali, good for you!¡± ¡°I think you proved your point,¡± I grumbled. ¡°Heh.¡± // 8:47 P.M. // 10 - 19 - 2023 // Arc - Greenhouse Starring Dean Harvest Featuring Parker and ??? // ¡°You know you¡¯re not supposed to be here!¡± I whispered harshly at the figure behind the row of budding pepper flowers. The hose slacked as my arms fell to my side. The industrial lights above washed over everything like a fake sun my rimmed hat covered me mostly from, the air was warm and mildly humid, and sweat dripped down my neck. At least the uniform was kind of nice. ¡°So, what is this white flower plant here? Some sort of medicinal thing?¡± Parker leaned forward, his grey hoodie down around his neck as he uninterestedly sniffed the plant. ¡°I-I¡¯m serious! You¡¯re going to get caught by the people coming around!¡± He didn¡¯t respond, and only glanced up at me. ¡°It¡¯s a Thai chili plant. Bird¡¯s eye chilis.¡± ¡°Have you thought about my offer?¡± He asked quietly. ¡°No,¡± I said firmly. ¡°Anyways, someone is coming¡ªParker?¡± He disappeared again, like that last time. He was one to give me plenty of room and yet still pressure me endlessly. ¡°Hey, Dean!¡± A girl poked her head into my row, her blond hair under her hat curled into her face, and she blew at it slightly. The beige-brown uniform on her had a few frills around the wrists and legs, she looked quite pretty in the denim overalls. ¡°Were you talking with someone just now?¡± ¡°O-oh, Leslie!¡± I smiled at her and shook my head. ¡°No, no I wasn¡¯t.¡± Leslie naively nodded. ¡°Okay! I¡¯m gonna go work on those pea plants over there by the section near the door. See you in a bit!¡± She left, and I sighed shortly. Then I returned back to watering the plants. 14 - PRELUDIUM 14: PRELUDIUM // ??? // ??? // ??? Featuring Parker, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, and ??? // It was quiet. Every eye faced the center as the boss slowly spun around in the seat, the chair creaking and showing its age. The lantern by her feet being the only source of light. It was warm inside, the summer penetrating through the metal walls around. The only noise was from the agitated woman in the center, tapping her foot and slightly pushing against the ground to spin, the scar across her useless eye to her chin standing out even more than usual in the dim illumination. She had a grim visage and an eerie look on her pale face. Her straight brown hair hung down and swayed in momentum as she stopped spinning to face the back of the huge place. Dust was everywhere, the warehouse had been abandoned for years already. Something scuttled across the ground and quickly disappeared. Then she spoke, her head turning around to meet everyone¡¯s waiting breaths. ¡°Spy has reported a 54.7% increase in demonic activity in the past week,¡± the woman noted everyone¡¯s mixed reactions, some without any at all. Her piercing and discerning dark eyes lingered for a moment on a man with a black mask that covered only his eyes. Spy was unsmiling. ¡°And almost all of the activity is coming from one place.¡± A couple people fidgeted nervously. ¡°That¡¯s a suicide mission,¡± a man with a raspy voice spoke up to her right by a large shipping container, pointing out the obvious. She turned again past the man, and then without even acknowledging him she stopped and lifted her chin to a pale boy sitting on a box of knick knacks, her fingers relaxed at her lips. ¡°Echo, status report on your mission.¡± A voice of protest, bouncing around the warehouse¡¯s dark corners, ¡°Boss, he¡¯s still a kid! You gave it to Echo?¡± ¡°Relax, Siren, they¡¯re still dormant,¡± the boss sighed. ¡°And he is the perfect one for the situation. Of course, more of you will be dispatched soon when the time comes.¡± Another voice, the boy called Echo. ¡°Threat level unknown. The security is far too high, there are eyes everywhere. And the other day, more people were brought in for also unknown reasons.¡± ¡°That¡¯s disappointing,¡± she said vaguely and shook her head. Echo frowned, but said nothing. ¡°Secondary objective?¡± ¡°Ah, you mean that one?¡± Trailblazer chuckled, oozing with fake sympathy. ¡°Aw, that¡¯s gotta be hell, mate, ain¡¯t none dumb as bricks as your Target.¡± ¡°He¡¯s refused twice now,¡± Echo sat completely still, but his eyes were pointed in Trailblazer¡¯s direction. ¡°Any developments on the¡­ change, I asked for?¡± Mortar on the other side of the room shook his head, a small head on a giant silhouette. ¡°Kid, the woman¡¯s not got much time to begin with,¡± his deep voice elicited some nods from a few others, ¡°you already know that¡¯s too far, even for us.¡± Echo retorted, ¡°It¡¯s now, or it¡¯s never! Target is going down the route of an Angel if we don¡¯t do anything! If that woman goes in peace, then he loses a grandma, but if we spin that story and make it believable, I told you this before but he is an undeniable asset for us!¡± ¡°And that¡¯s why you¡¯re on the field, Echo,¡± the boss cooed. ¡°We recognize it too. Isn¡¯t that Artifact how I found you? On the bright side, yes, I do agree with you. Now, onto the new tasks I will assign today.¡± Everyone¡¯s faces darkened with her few words, now the mood was completely serious. ¡°Trailblazer,¡± she clicked her tongue, ¡°you will aid Echo in the recruitment mission. Take care of the granny.¡± The man cockily smiled, his darkened and burnt skin hushedly shining as he leaned forward into the light. ¡°Copy that, boss. Can¡¯t let the brat do it alone, eh? Gotta bring in the pro.¡± She smiled wordlessly at him, and then turned around, bringing her leg up and over her other leg. ¡°Mortar, Pixie, Bones, how¡¯s your mission going?¡± A tinkly noise of the little trinkets on the neck of a woman dolled and glammed in a disastrous outfit, like a fairy with a silver tiara and a pink tutu. The woman, a mute, puckered her huge lips together, sucking her white powdered cheeks in gauntly, and nodded. ¡°Good. Your next target will be the son of Wisconsin¡¯s current senator, Jacob Rows, he is currently in incubation. Be quick.¡± The clacking of a head cocking to the side, and the raspy voice of Bones, ¡°Tell me, which demon plagues the child?¡± ¡°Ego.¡± More clacking. ¡°That is dangerous, indeed.¡± ¡°And finally,¡± she swept her hands out and turned her chair back to face the center, straight at Echo. ¡°The rest of you, besides Spy, are headed to Maine. Two fallen angels, one of Betrayal and one of Wrath, are loose and somehow they have gone under the radar. Eliminate the threats. Everyone is dismissed.¡± // 12:33 P.M. // 10 - 23 - 2023 // Arc - Cafeteria Starring Zendolyn Ato Featuring ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, Serene Goldwin and Reyenal Ato // The cafeteria bustled with noise and energy, the smell of good food wafting as I walked tiredly through the glass doors. Each table was filled with people lounging about, food on the plastic platter in front of them, the vibrant colors around, of food and pots and plants against the white ground and walls and booth walls, the giant windows letting in the sunlight from outside. The doors to the cafeteria stayed open from morning to night, for students to go in and out of the ever popular and inexpensive cafeteria. However, there was far more to it than just cheap, because the cafeteria was far from cheap, a point for a meal. If one was willing to pay for a monthly meal plan, the cost would be far less than if they were to eat out at the mall every day, no matter how cheap the place was, for three meals a day, breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The plans were 25 points for a regular school meal, 50 for better food cooked in-house, and 75 for free specials and drinks. An insanely good deal if one stuck to the meal plan to make their money¡¯s worth. Without thinking about leftovers, if a meal at the mall was only one point, even if that food was higher quality and better tasting, the price would add up to about 60 points a month, counting for a lunch and dinner per day. I was doing the 50 point plan for this month, last month¡¯s 25 point plan was and had the quality of what one would expect for an American cafeteria. If I had the option, I would never, ever, go back to American school slop ever again. Plus, I had points to spend. Unlike most people who earned their points with the teachers naturally, I worked four hours a day, six on weekends, for 4 points an hour. I was willing to work for my food. Lately, I had been working too hard. The bags under my eyes left me no desire to have any social interactions today, so I made a beeline to the self order machines. Seeing the huge line at the one near the door I quickly made a u-turn for another machine, and to the next, and then gave up. Each ordering machine had insanely long lines behind them. I sighed, stepping backwards to make way for two students crossing in front of me, and went to the back of the shortest line I saw, behind a relatively fit looking guy in a big white tee and jeans and notably with black-stemmed pink hair, at the end of the cafeteria where all of the old ladies in white chef hats were moving about, order after order and serving up platters efficiently. Late again. I leaned my right shoulder against the smooth and tiled wall, scooting along as the line moved, and a group of four guys loudly chattering behind me, the back of the line. Zoning out, I drifted into my little headspace. The song I had been working on was far too nuanced for a relative beginner at the music software like me. I had an ear for music, a voice for singing, but definitely not an eye for catching kinks in the actual music assembly. Man, did I need to sleep. As I lightly dozed with my eyes half open, I realized that all I could see in front of me was fake leather, the back of someone wearing a slicked brown jacket. I blinked. Was the guy in front of me always that tall? Did he put on a jacket? Did someone cut in front of me? Turning my head around, I immediately understood what had happened. The four guys behind me had turned into three, and were snickering very loudly and openly to my irritation. Then suddenly an arm wrapped around my shoulder from behind to my surprise. ¡°Hey, shorty.¡± ¡°Oi, hands off!¡± I reactively tried to push his arm away, but the guy behind me in the leather jacket was much too large and strong. The noise of talking and eating around me was far too loud for myself to be heard by anyone, and I doubt anyone would have even cared to begin with. ¡°****ing loser, weak **** can¡¯t even do anything,¡± the guy with the lock over me tightened his hold, making my face scrunch in pain, and his friends erupted in even more amused laughter, mocking my attempt at freeing myself. It was starting to get suffocating, the smell of his pits at my head, mushing me with his strength and arms closing in around my neck. ¡°Haha, Kasper, do you really believe that rumor? About this kid? ****ing hell, he doesn¡¯t even deserve to be here, bro,¡± one of the guys moved up closer and poked me in the forehead. All of them were at least a head taller than me. ¡°Ain¡¯t no way, Ethan, this kid¡¯s just an orphan, you gotta be deluded out of your mind to think a scrub like him could even hold a sword properly, let alone kill¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªand you know what the best ****ing part is?¡± The guy holding me, Ethan, interjected. I struggled more, but he only tightened his arm around me, and I was completely helpless. ¡°Unawakened! Ha!¡± The rounds of laughter echoed in the cafeteria, more so from the four laughing in my face, pointing and making a fool of me. Never had I been so humiliated before, never had something gone from a zero to such a painful ten, that I, someone who had spent a lot of time back in the real world doing self defense, couldn¡¯t even pull some extra¡¯s arm off of me. ¡°Tanya¡¯s a crazy ***** if she told you that, man, she¡¯s gotta see for herself what a ****ing loser and runt this little **** is,¡± the guy beside the one named Kyle pulled up his watch, his brown hair sheened in the sunlight from behind him. A gold chain hung around his neck and rested on his cut chest, bare against his rich fit. ¡°Nah, bro, you gotta call her,¡± Ethan guffawed, and I winced as the watch¡¯s screen appeared, blank from my side. Was he going to take a photo of me? Nuh uh. ¡°What the hell is wrong with you,¡± I snarled, ¡°I said, hands off!¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Huh? Is the pipsqueak talking?¡± The third guy who hadn¡¯t said a word the entire time ran his fingers through his slicked hair, his dark and handsome face contorting into disgust as he leaned in closer to me. I choked for breath as my throat was squeezed by Ethan, and then suddenly it felt like my hair and face was being pulled upwards by some sort of unknown force. ¡°Brave of you to even be here, murderer. If I had it my way, you¡¯d be dead on the side of the road by now.¡± Murderer? What was this guy on about?! ¡°Woah, woah! Michael, you¡¯re using your abilities on this guy?¡± Ethan loosened a little, but I still couldn¡¯t do anything about it. My eyelids were being pulled wide open, my hair standing up like I had been shocked by lightning, my lips pulled up, nose flared, all to a painful degree. I was completely powerless. And then¡­ ¡°Hey, you four, piss off,¡± a fifth voice came from the right, and though I couldn¡¯t move my head I recognized the voice. She was on my suspicious list. ¡°And who are¡­ yo,¡± Kyle said slowly, his tone immediately changing to a neutral flatness, ¡°let go of him, Ethan.¡± All of the force pulling my eyes and hair up suddenly dropped, but it didn¡¯t help that I was about to pass out from lack of oxygen. ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡± Ethan yelled rambunctiously over the noise of the cafeteria, not noticing the change in mood. ¡°Kyle speak up¡ª¡± ¡°Let go, Kyle repeated himself warily. Ethan¡¯s pitch changed. ¡°Yo! Are you siding with him? Where are you looking?¡± The guy turned me around with him to the right, and I laid my eyes upon a girl. Arbitrarily pretty was the best way to put it. She looked like a model ripped from a fashion magazine, her off-brown hair and judgemental eyes, a look of distaste on her face at what was happening in front of her. The girl in front of me was someone an author would describe as effortlessly beautiful, just shorts and a shirt and she still pulled it off so well. ¡°Michael?¡± The girl frowned, ¡°Why are you here?¡± ¡°Serene! This is the ****** that killed¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, no, you go **** off, too. Ced trusted you, so I thought you were different, Michael, I didn¡¯t know you believed rumors like that,¡± she shook her head. We stood there, dumbfounded. ¡°Well? What do you think I said?!¡± Serene Goldwin didn¡¯t say much, but when she did there was meaning in her every word. That was one of the few things I wrote for her character. Oh, and she was super wealthy. A recurring theme, for sure. But for me, she was suspicious because she was angrier than I thought she would be. And her gun, definitely her gun. It didn¡¯t take very long for the guys to leave, and as I almost collapsed against the wall Serene took her eyes off of me. ¡°Hi Serene,¡± the white-tee guy in front of me said nonchalantly as if nothing had happened, ¡°took long enough.¡± The guy had a slight accent. Korean? I tried to say, ¡°Thanks for that¡ª¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you¡¯re gonna say?¡± I flinched, and Serene smiled to my surprise, but she wasn¡¯t talking to me. I leaned heavily into the wall to support myself, and breathed harshly. ¡°Oh, and when you texted me, you didn¡¯t tell me it would be Zen.¡± ¡°You really don¡¯t believe the rumors? I texted you because he was here, so you could¡ª¡± ¡°Stop, Jun,¡± she rolled her eyes, cutting in front of me to stand next to the guy, ¡°you know well enough that I don¡¯t care and I frankly don¡¯t even believe it.¡± Maybe it was a good thing that they were ignoring me. Now that this Jun character was looking my way, or well, Serene¡¯s way, I got a good look at his face. I had confirmed that Ced was one hundred percent her boyfriend. So who was this guy? He was very good looking. Another recurring theme, for sure, for sure. While I in the mirror thought myself to look somewhat like a popstar wannabe, this guy was the real deal. An idol-quality face, pink hair which he probably dyed, a dancer¡¯s body, and a radiant smile. Real life people couldn¡¯t be this good looking, it had to either have been my hormone-y teenage imagination, or I definitely was in some kind of toon or anime world. So. Who. Was. This. Guy? He turned back around away from Serene as we neared the front of the line. ¡°Alright then. I¡¯m probably getting the third special for today,¡± he pointed at the menu framed onto the wall. The Arc website had the menu, too, and a very, very long one at that, with food from all around the world, though not at all luxurious or fancy, just quick things to make. Each month, they had a different special, or so I heard from a passerby. Specials were the only things in the cafeteria that costed points with the first and second plan, two points for any of the specials. The third special was jjajangmyeon, black bean noodles. Too heavy for my liking. I was probably going to get the pork tonkatsu again. Actually, maybe some soup for my throat. Ahh, I could make better soup at home¡­ I wanted to go home, to the kitchen. Yeesh, don¡¯t think like that. I subconsciously scratched my head. That¡¯s how all the isekais get sad. I dug through my head for more thoughts, and dredged one out. Isn¡¯t the guy in front of me probably Korean? Koreans have good soup. I¡¯m going to get a tofu soup. Do they even sell tofu soup? ¡°Hmm, actually? I¡¯m gonna try the chicken bowl.¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m pretty sure those bowls are actually inspired from Chipotle,¡± Jun added brightly. ¡°Have you ever been there?¡± ¡°Actually, I¡¯ve wanted to for a while.¡± She shook her head, a little bummed. ¡°Never had the chance.¡± I raised my eyebrow. Wasn¡¯t she filthy rich? ¡°The one here, I tried it yesterday.¡± Jun skipped past that. ¡°It isn¡¯t the real thing, not enough chicken to go along with everything. You know, I¡¯ll take you there if we can get permission to leave.¡± ¡°Really? That sounds good.¡± Serene was quite agreeable, but now I was getting weirded out. Was he¡­ asking her on a date? Was I just paranoid? ¡°Great! Oh, we¡¯re here,¡± he punched in his ID into the little screen as the old lady stood there, a bored look on her face. ¡°What do you want?¡± The woman said sharply. The two of them did their thing, walking away as their orders were taken, and I came up to take my order. A couple of minutes later, I found a seat at a table by the windows and put my platter down carefully as to not spill the soup. The only soup on the menu was chicken noodle soup. As I sat down, my watch buzzed. Someone was calling me. Oh, it was Reya. I picked up the call. ¡°Eh? What do you want?¡± ¡°Bro, your voice sounds kind of hoarse, are you good?¡± The audio was kind of rough, like she was jogging or something. ¡°Mhmm. Eating soup right now.¡± ¡°Cafeteria?¡± I dipped the soup spoon in, and tested it. It tasted like what I expected. Just okay. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost there.¡± She was definitely jogging. ¡°Huh? Okay, suit yourself.¡± The call abruptly turned off, and I sighed slightly, then coughed. My throat still felt pressed, so I took another careful sip of the hot soup. A little sweet from the carrots, a little salty, melding with the flavors of the tender chicken cubes, crunch from the celery bits, I nodded my head and closed my eyes. Later, with the new schedule change, I was going to attend a Refinement class for the first time. Other than my Music Compositions class as my elective, I only took the regular course. Usually, students would join a club or the Awakening program in order to potentially boost their chances at Awakening or to explore their already existing skills. The previous schedule had the clubs at a later time in the day, and the program would take place at night time. For the sake of the students, attending a club was required if one wasn¡¯t already Awakened, however I and many other people had an excuse for not joining a club or the program. We were minimum wage employees. For us, Arc made an exception. Now, with the schedule changing to start the new Refinement classes in the middle of the day in tandem with clubs, most of which were still offered for later in the day, there were no more exceptions and excuses for the minimum wage employees. We were required to take a Refinement class if we didn¡¯t join a club. So I ended up taking the class that was automatically recommended for me on the Arc app. Agent Preparations, taught by Professor Carmela. I definitely needed this chicken soup. My train of thought was interrupted as someone sat in the seat across from me. ¡°Hi, Reya.¡± She was a little sweaty, and swept her arm across her forehead, brushing her paint-dipped hair aside. Reya glanced around, as if scanning the area for nearby people, and seeing that most were already leaving she returned her focus to me. ¡°Hey. Did you hear the rumors about you?¡± I coughed on my soup. A moment later, I shook my head. ¡°No. Well, yes. Kind of. They¡¯re nothing new, if that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering.¡± ¡°Well, no ****, Sherlock, but apparently, Zen is a murderer.¡± I choked again. ¡°Leave the bombs out while I¡¯m eating my soup!¡± She went on. ¡°Here¡¯s something you probably didn¡¯t know, but that ¡®main character¡¯ guy you texted me about¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªyeah, Cedrance?¡± ¡°Shut up. I don¡¯t know where it came from, but Zen killed Cedrance¡¯s parents, and that¡¯s part of the reason why that guy hates my guts. But then, at the same time, none of the kids that randomly come to talk to me believe this rumor, granted the ones who talk to me about this are rich kids with an agenda.¡± ¡°Yeah? And? Why don¡¯t they think so?¡± This was getting interesting. I was piecing things together, slowly. ¡°Here¡¯s another thing you probably didn¡¯t know about. You know on that first day, I used a Memory?¡± This was some news. She was finally going to tell me, after my whole month of hounding her. ¡°Well, I accidentally almost killed you in one hit. I mean, Reya and Zen.¡± My eyebrow raised, but I only nodded understandingly. ¡°Well, Zen is really frail. I literally can¡¯t do anything at the gym without dying for breath.¡± ¡°Which also means that all the rich kids at that event in the Memory know that you probably aren¡¯t capable of killing anything, much less anyone.¡± Did she even hear what I said? Literally anyone who noticed me in the gym would have seen my dying. ¡°That¡¯s insulting.¡± Then she asked a weird question. ¡°Has Cedrance ever seen you at the gym?¡± Okay, she did hear me. I thought for a little moment, a little confused. I thought about telling her that he was in the room beside me even though he was practically swimming in points, but then decided not to. That would only confuse her even more, and it looked like she was onto something. I trusted her to tell me about it when the time was right, and I too would do so. And I wouldn¡¯t pry. ¡°Not that I remember, no.¡± And then I became even more confused as I realized something. That night, when Cedrance was at my door, he was angry at me, but I didn¡¯t suspect it for any other contextual reason than I was being a loud nuisance. But then he also seemed to hold back a more personal anger. Something about always pretending, he seemed to sort of know Zendolyn on a higher level than one would regularly know a friend. Now, Reya told me that people thought I was the reason for why he became an orphan. The thing was, Cedrance¡¯s whole conception was one who wasn¡¯t prone to anger. That was his clich¨¦, which developed further into more and more clich¨¦s than I could ever think of putting together after getting to see him around the school occasionally for a month. The top celebrated freshman of the year, proficient in everything, the best of the best, with a tragic backstory, an orphan taken in by his best friend, and as a side note, very attractive. So, why did he calm down so fast after I put on the waterworks? Why does he hate Reya? Is she truly just a rival, or the sister of his parent¡¯s murderer? Did Zen actually murder his parents? How does he know Zendolyn was a pretender? I should have been questioning this from the start. What was really going on? // 1:24 P.M. // 10 - 18 - 2023 // Arc - Club Center, Sewing Room Starring Gwen Olynn // Finally, a spark of motivation! My fingers quickly pulled in and out, looping the needle back through and twisting it and pulling again. The repetitive motion brought its way down to the edge, where I closed it in with other braids of string around it. I stopped for a moment to inspect my work, and smiled proudly at the little formation of an octopus hat. It was just the front half, but the color was turning out to be a nice combination of red and purple. ¡°Lull-ahh-bye¡­ dream, in, mind¡­ world, of, mine¡­¡± I turned my head, distracted by the girl beside me using the sewing machine. She hummed an enchanting song, one I knew far too well. It was all over my recommended page, the music of Visionaire, his song Lullaby. Maybe she was humming before, but I had been far too engaged in making the octopus hat. She mutter-sang prettily, some of the other girls around echoing her though few in the room, also distracted but not so angry. They were all probably suffering from severe boredom, what used to be study hall time was now more dedicated to helping us Awaken. But unlike them, I was driven by purpose. Not Awakening, though it would be convenient and a definite plus. Before I woke up in this world, sewing was definitely one of my fortes. I had a lot of practice making clothes, but a little octo-beanie was a first for me. I pulled up my screen again for the instructions, then returned back to my work. ¡°The blue bird will soon break, for now it flies away. To clouds who hear its name, the blue bird soars away, in the chase¡­ of freedom! Hear the song, of the blue bird, the lull-ahh-bye, in this fa-iry-tale¡­¡± ALBUM 2: Foundation 15: HINTING INTENTION // 3:01 P.M. // 10 - 23 - 2023 // Arc Starring Serene Goldwin Featuring Jun and ??? // The old professor¡¯s steps were slow, and the students in Unawakened Homeroom 1 walked in relative silence, matching her pace. I scanned the group from the back. Dressed in the blue Arc uniform and battle, the quiet class of kids who had nothing in common with each other except to join their Awakened upper-peers talked little, a couple interactions only to pair up with one another and to never speak again. One perky student stood out though, bright pink hair, an equally bright face and fun personality, a little smile on his face towards me as I beckoned him over. The sun, beating hot on the usual day, was drawn back in place of clouds as if to match the mood, as if to sympathize with us on what was about to happen next. ¡°Jun.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Do¡­ can you be my partner for the project?¡± He patted the sword by his side, and then playfully bumped my shoulder. ¡°Didn¡¯t think you¡¯d ask this soon. Goblin hunting can¡¯t possibly be that hard, eh? We got this.¡± Just as I was about to say something, someone¡¯s high voice from Jun¡¯s right burst in. ¡°J-Jun!¡± A small ginger girl, one who¡¯s name I didn¡¯t remember, with a cute ponytail and a light touch of makeup. ¡°Jun, c-can you please be my partner today?¡± ¡°O-oh, well¡­¡± Jun, equally surprised as I was, struggled to find the necessary words to reject the girl. I was impressed, both with her courage to ask him and her hardness of hearing. Jun and I were quite literally the only people talking earlier. I quickly pulled up a Guide. ======================== Guides(1)//Options: Answer Memory Overtake Will you use a Guide? Yes//No ======================== Yes, and an Answer. Make it quick. ======================== Option 1) ¡°Sorry. He¡¯s my partner.¡± Option 2) ¡°No. Go away.¡± Option 3) ¡°We can always do a party of three.¡± ======================== I sighed at the options. Doing this all the time was getting kind of dull, especially on unimportant conversations like the one I was having now, but I wouldn¡¯t risk the chance of acting odd to random strangers. Acting authentic was reserved for those in my small circle. ¡°We can always do a party of three,¡± I offered quickly and graciously to my friend in need. A flash of emotions on Jun¡¯s face disappeared before I could fully comprehend them, and he strainedly nodded. ¡°Yeah, of course.¡± Out of the corner of his lips, he whispered to me, ¡°Hey, what¡¯s her name again?¡± I shrugged my shoulders and he groaned quietly. ¡­ The earthy and blighted portal spit everyone out, one by one, and it wasn¡¯t long before I was left hacking and coughing at the disgusting fumes of the cave, as were all of the students around me. ¡°Ugghh¡­¡± ¡°Rotten!¡± ¡°It smells!¡± I weakly looked up, my right arm thrown over my nose as if I was about to sneeze, and pulled the gun from the holster on my belt, and it hung low against my left side. The cave already was a magnificent sight to behold, a huge and rocky expanse, eerie blue lights coming from glowing neon pools and puddles below the barely visible giant stalactites speared through the stone walls, dripping the innocuous liquid. An awe struck over me as I looked around, still a little dizzy from the smell, many students were already getting into their small groups and trudging off to find what they were here for. Slowly but surely, students began to leave the area in small groups, leaving the complaints to echo quieter and quieter. ¡°We should go too, Serene,¡± Jun tapped my shoulder from behind. ¡°Ah, yes,¡± I said, but then faltered, unsure of where to go, and then with slight hesitation I simply started walking in a random direction, hugging against the leftmost side. What were we even looking for? Whatever. Anything to get away from the stench. ¡°Hey! Jun, Serene, wait up!¡± The ginger girl, Fanny, chased after us shortly as I kept my pace. Good thing I had paid attention to the names of the people the professor was calling out to go into the portal. Jun pushed ahead of me as did she, both of them with a sword in hand, Jun in the lead and I in the back. ¡°This project shouldn¡¯t take us long,¡± she coughed into her arm, also bothered by the smell. ¡°We just need a couple pictures of¡­ hey, what are we looking for?¡± ¡°Both of you, keep your guard up,¡± Jun said firmly, not responding to the girl. ¡°It¡¯s not bright enough for us to see ahead.¡± ¡°Umm,¡± Fanny interjected with a little bit of confusion in her voice, ¡°wait, then, can¡¯t we¡­¡± She lowered her sword, reaching to her watch, and I scowled. ¡°Hey, didn¡¯t you hear him? Lift your sword up.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it. Sword, up!¡± She looked up at Jun beside her. ¡°Jun, I¡ª¡± ¡°Please. Serene is right, she¡¯s worrying for our safety right now.¡± ¡°¡­ if you say so. Still, what are we looking for?¡± We passed by one of the little glowing puddles, and with slight interest I glanced down at it. And then I noticed a distinct shape, the edges barely tangible but slightly outlined by the brightness of the liquid. Was that¡­ Steel? ¡°Everyone, stop!¡± My heart pounded, now fully aware of my surroundings, or at least the little that I could make out with the dim glowing liquid. In front of me Fanny and Jun came to a sudden and understandably nervous halt at the tone of my voice. ¡°There¡¯s a goblin trap over the puddle! They¡¯re nearby.¡± I spun around and put my back to them so I could defend our flank, in the corner of my eye Jun tensed up, his sword in front of him in a double-handed grip at a strike-ready position. His stance and posture was oddly and confidently straight, his legs apart shoulder-width and his eyes warily scanning. Fanny too had the same straightened stance, but was less impressive given her stature, guarding our side away from the wall. We waited for a moment, a silent second. Then the distant echoes of a shout traveled over to us from another group ahead, and the clanging against stone from somewhere else further away gave me chills. The quietness returned, the anxious moment before battle. My eyes constantly swept back and forth, in a quick motion, and then I realized that there was¡­ less, than there was before. All that had been in my periphery before was a bit of the stone terrain and Fanny. In a panic I swept my head around in search of Fanny, then a small snapping noise of a camera. I laid eyes on Fanny just over the puddle, using her watch to take a photo of the goblin trap over the liquid, and before I could get angry I heard another noise, like a high-pitched growling, like a stomach rumbling. My head immediately turned and I spotted a new pair of sickly orange and yellow glowing eyes in the dark. They were here. Goblins. In the far distance, ahead of us, nearby, the same noise of screeches and screaming and battle ensued, and I forgot about my trigger discipline. ¡ªPOOHK POOHK POOHK I began opening fire, my arm pushing down to stabilize against the recoil of each shot as I heard from behind me a grunt, Jun swung his sword cleanly through a goblin and the horrible screech filled our ears. As the bullets made contact, in that moment, two spears flew out of nowhere towards my open right side, my adrenaline raced and my dodgeball instincts kicked in. I trained for this! I would not lose to a pointy stick! I ducked my head to the side and pivoted around the other one cleanly, and then shot twice in the direction of the spears, breathing with a certain level of difficulty. ¡ªPAHH I was shaking. I shot again, but my aim was off and it hit somewhere far back onto the stone. Oh, my body was just beginning to realize that this was real. I could actually get hurt here. The smell of sour blood reeked and permeated our already shaded vision. Another spear, I took a step backward forgetting about the trap but Jun had also done the same thing and we collided, our backs against each other as he struggled against the force of a goblin. Luckily the spear flew right past, and then another one deflected by Fanny. I needed to get my act together and play my part. ¡°Hold them for a second!¡± ¡°Got it!¡± Fanny cried back. The echoes around the other side of the cave were getting less and less recognizable as the sounds of human speech, and more of the screeches of dying goblins. ¡ªEEEEKKKKHHHH I turned around and pushed off the wall dripping the glowing liquid, and without my support against his back, with a loud grunt Jun stumbled backwards and just before he fell into the trap I yanked his arm over to me, his legs catching up like the dancer he was. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Holding him up for a quick moment, I fired two shots at the goblin, a tooth necklace hung around the creature¡¯s neck and decorating its bare and green chest, the colors barely visible with it being so close to the glowing pool. Its ugly face pulled back and it fell backwards, my bullets were fatal. ¡°Serene,¡± Jun said quickly, ¡°let go.¡± He had a very weird expression on his face, but I recognized the gratefulness ¡°Don¡¯t fall into the trap!¡± ¡ªSCREEEEEEEEE Jun nodded, then a screaming noise, and realizing my back was exposed again I turned to fire another blind bullet, but Jun swept his sword in an arc and cleanly decapitated the goblin running at me. Without acknowledging his attack, I shook my gun to check for bullets in the magazine. I could only guess how many shots I had taken. Maybe three or so left. Two goblins with knives came at me, two goblins with bullets through their skulls, but they didn¡¯t die immediately and just as they were about to turn me into a gutted fish their heads were impaled in a straight skewer. ¡°Thanks again, Jun!¡± And as he nodded his head and returned to block another spear, another was stabbed in the gut by Fanny as she and Jun hustled to protect my back. They breathed harder than I did. ¡°I can¡¯t see them!¡± I yelled obviously, the panic clearly evident in my voice, and shot blindly into the dark. ¡°And I need to reload!¡± The blue pools of light were doing me only a slight favor, as when they disappeared behind the silhouette of a goblin I would shoot in that direction, but by then that goblin would already be in striking distance. A sudden flash of light illuminated the dark from behind me, it didn¡¯t take me long to realize that Fanny was using her watch as a flashlight, and I could see two of the spearmen with several poles on their back behind several advancing goblins, maybe eight more, from all around, knives in their claw-like hands, green from head to toe and pointed ears, dotty and glowing orange eyes, with a terribly hunched back and bony ribs. They were the ugliest things ever, several corpses of them lay dead on the stone floor. The whole cave behind should have also been alit with the watch, but it was like the darkness was consuming the little amount of light that the watch could output. Quickly I smacked the bottom of the magazine on my pistol, and as the bullet casings clacked onto the ground. I pulled another round from my belt and stuffed it into the hot magazine, and then pushed it back into the gun. Two seconds. ¡°Let¡¯s kill them all!¡± I shouted. Jun, in his stationary sword stance once again, immediately went on the offensive, Fanny taking his other side. He stabbed forward and impaled through one of the charging goblins, swiping his sword out of the goblin¡¯s mutilated head. Fanny then rushed around him to the nearest goblin to Jun, also to my absolute horror, completely open to attack. I shot as fast as I could at the spear goblins to disable them from hurting her, my bullets ringing aloud in the cave like a bunch of firecrackers. ¡ªPOOHK POOHK POOHK Hit, injured. Miss. Hit, it¡¯s dead. ¡ªPOOHK POOHK I was sweating beyond control, the constant sounds of screaming and slashing and shooting deafened me. And finally, all of them were dead. ¡°AH!¡± A sudden noise of pain just when I thought I could rest, Fanny¡¯s light shone over Jun, his foot caught in a painful hold between the metal trap. Fanny screamed. ¡°Oh my god! Jun!¡± I was already very dizzy from the overload of sounds and smells, but this dug through my clogged senses and immediately I was by his side, as was Fanny. Even if we didn¡¯t like each other, we were going to help this young man. Without so much as a word to each other, Fanny lodged the butt end of her sword into the trap just next to Jun¡¯s bloody foot, his shoes completely pierced through. I came next, helping his foot out of the shoe, which I knew I couldn¡¯t take out. Jun, the brave soul, did his best to put on his brave face for us, though wincing deeply at the pain. As I helped him out, Fanny took off the top layer of her uniform and folded it into a nice pillowy surface, and though I didn¡¯t understand what she was doing I trusted her in the moment. ¡°Sit.¡± The girl commanded. Obediently the young man sat down, tears close to falling in his eyes. Oh. That was just a pillow for his butt. How¡­ thoughtful. I, too, took off my overlayer with one hand and held his leg up with my other as he sat down, and then a memory popped into my head. It was one of my teachers when I was younger, my Scoutmaster, teaching me how to wrap a wound with a neckerchief. I practiced this on my older brother, as nameless to me now as he was ever since I had come into this world. Well, this jacket was going to have to do the job. ¡°Fanny, hand me Jun¡¯s sword.¡± She unquestioningly gave me the weapon, her face full of concern. ¡°What can I do?¡± The sword was a little heavy, but I digressed and cut off a chunk of the sleeve from my jacket. ¡°Make it into something he can bite. This will hurt.¡± They both flinched, but Fanny quietly took her order. She looked very petite next to Jun, their pretty faces and bodies matching well with each other, and the dim colors of the ginger hair complimenting the pink in the light from her wrist made my own silky hair feel quite bland. ¡°J-Jun. Open your mouth. G-good. Bite down. Good. Squeeze my hand if you need to, I can bear it.¡± No time for useless thoughts. I breathed in. ¡°Get ready.¡± He nodded faintly, and then I started. A muffled yell escaped from his mouth, usually filled with a pretty voice, now in terrible pain. ¡°This will be quick. We need to get you back ASAP.¡± Jun screamed as I began wrapping tightly around the impaled areas of his foot, the blood pouring profusely from the wound, his distress in contrast with Fanny¡¯s red wrists from him squeezing too hard. She didn¡¯t say a word. ¡°You¡¯re doing good. Hold on, and calm down.¡± I was a little bit stressed now. He was breathing way too fast now. I needed to treat him for shock. ¡°Calm!¡± I wrapped the makeshift bandage over his foot, the other end looping around his ankle to support. Finally, I tied the finishing knot around the end, and breathed a sigh of short-lived relief. The jacket was already soaking from the blood, but the pressure of the tightly wrapped cloth would help to stagnate the blood¡¯s flow. ¡°Now, Fanny, let him lay on your lap for a second so his head doesn¡¯t hit the stone.¡± I was going to take the risk. Though I didn¡¯t want the blood to keep pouring through his foot, I needed to get him to stop panicking lest his system shut down, and force his blood to flow. Embarrasedly Fanny allowed his head to lay against her, Jun¡¯s face was very pale, and when I moved over to grab his arm he was also clammy with sweat. Putting my right hand over his him and my left under his neck I began rolling him, back and forth like a rolling pin, a sure fire method of shock treatment. At this point, all I was scared about was the potential infections he could get from this. All I was scared about was¡­ wait¡­ fear? Should I be scared of something? And then I remembered we were still in a dungeon. ¡°Fanny. Get your sword, now!¡± She was clearly tired, and a little bit laxed now. ¡°Alright¡ª¡± ¡°We¡¯re still in a goblin dungeon,¡± I hissed, standing up to their surprise, ¡°at any point¡ª¡± A growl came from further down the cave and I abruptly stood up and primed my gun in its direction. Fanny pointed her watch¡¯s light there, and I could make out a couple shapes. Too many. ¡°Go, go, go! Get your swords! Jun, don¡¯t stand on your bleeding foot!¡± I began shooting at the goblins, and they screeched, and then began to charge. Fanny jumped up, pulling Jun, still barely complicit, gently but frantically up with her, and yanked her sword from the goblin trap which snapped when she pulled it out. Jun¡¯s arm was rested over Fanny¡¯s small shoulders as he leaned against her, and she bore the brunt of his weight, the task of defending him, and finally to point the damn light at the goblins. ¡°I need the light!¡± ¡°O-on it!¡± She was clearly struggling. ¡ªPOOHK POOHK POOHK PAHHH POOHK!! // 10:48 A.M. // 10 - 16 - 2023 // Arc - Portal Facility Starring Reyenal Ato Featuring Cedrance Manamune // ¡°Nice chatting with you, Reyenal,¡± Rubia and Penelope waved their departure. They were pretty, as expected, though I didn¡¯t expect them to have such vivid eyes. Rubia''s was redder than rubies and Penny¡¯s was bluer than sapphires, long and curly hair and a short and straight hairdo respectively. The other girl had already left long before, and I sat and stewed in my thoughts. ¡°Yeah, yeah, see you guys sometime.¡± As their footsteps disappeared, sunk into my arms, and in the same way some realizations had sunken into me. My God, absolutely nothing was happening. Ever since I had woken up, I almost expected to have some kind of task. Was I going to save a kingdom? Slay a demon king? Create a diehard harem, live on a timer, find a way to go back home, anything interesting? No. Not even a single clue. It looked like this world wanted me to just get through school. School. Dammit, what¡¯s so interesting about homework? Fighting for our lives, yes, magic, cool, but why? Actually, why did we even need to do any of this in the first place? Couldn¡¯t Zen and I just quit Arc and go to a regular college for a regular education and live out a regular life? Why were we torn away from our lives in the first place, and¡­ I pinched myself. Don¡¯t think like that. Well then, was there even a task at all? Would one of us just randomly stumble into something, or was some cataclysmic event going to call us to battle? For now, I was just a student. Even so, that wasn''t interesting at all. I was dying from boredom. There wasn¡¯t any drive for me to do anything. The world was already well developed, running like clockwork, smoothly and would probably keep doing so even if I wasn¡¯t around. All of this, to me, meant that I should¡­ live out life, as normally as I could, as faithful to Reyenal as I could. Because, if all I was doing was taking her body from her, then I had to at least give her the respect she deserved. I glanced down at my watch, and looked through my notifications which I had been ignoring earlier. Messages from Zen. [Dont think ive ever told you this before] [This guy is probably the mc of this world] Below that was a photo of quite possibly the most handsome person I had ever seen, and what a crime it was that he was underaged. An obviously blue color scheme going on, he had glossy and stylish blue hair, a great jawline with the perfect blend of anime-like proportions to realistic features, big blue eyes and sharp brows, a perfectly muscular side shot of him, which looked oddly natural in the sense that most people looked like that in this world. I recognized him, though. He was in a few of my classes, the top guy at the opening ceremony, just one rank above me, who didn¡¯t show up to receive his prize, a generous sum of points which had bought me a very nice apartment. Other than that, I knew nothing about him. We never spoke, and it was like he avoided talking with people in general, particularly me, except this one hot unawakened girl who sometimes waited for him by the door of our homeroom. [Did you figure anything out yet about other people like us? Cuz Im sussing two ppl rn] It took lots of willpower to prevent myself from smacking my forehead. I had forgotten. Our theory was too good to be wrong, and the cliches of this blatant rip-off of an urban dungeons and monsters fantasy world only proved it further. I thought for a moment, and then texted back. [Call me] I waited for a second to see if he would instantly text me back like usual, but he didn¡¯t. Letting out a groan, I stood up from the bench, my feet sloshing against the water in my slipper. I was relatively dried up, now. With my bag in hand, I walked out of the shower room, now with a new objective in mind. ¡­ There was no doubt that Cedrance Manamune deserved the position of rank 1 of the freshman year. I paused the replay footage just at the point before his blade¡¯s sweeping motion was about to slice clean off the head of the giant viper, the boss monster of his dungeon. I fell back into my chair, then sighed. And yet, the doubt lingered in my head. This guy could be like me. Leaning forward I grabbed the bottle of tea I had bought earlier, and brought it to my mouth. Barely a few drops left, and I shook my head, then flicked the bottle behind me. The clatter against hollow plastic told me that I had successfully hit the top of the trashcan¡¯s lid, and it bounced off. Well, that was going to be future-me¡¯s problem. Reyenal, the person I had become, was simply overpowered. Her strength, her skills, they were all just made conveniently accessible to me, muscle memory for her, as simple as that for me. Cedrance could be the same. What if, by any chance, a person other than Cedrance was inhabiting his body? Was he using a Guide in this video? I scraped through my head, recalling memories of being in his class. No, I couldn¡¯t tell. I didn¡¯t know Cedrance¡¯s mannerisms, or anything about his past, or even his relationship with me, much less with Reyenal. I didn¡¯t even know if I could draw comparisons between his mannerisms and anyone I knew in the real world. With a face like that, he could have been just about anyone, maybe just himself, and I could never tell otherwise. Unless he told me himself. Well, I was going to get one comment out of the way for the written portion. [Cedrance¡¯s blade dances in beautiful, dangerous, and unpredictable ways, leading a tough game for anyone or anything trying to break through his defenses. Yet, his offense and even his coordination is equally as impressive, shown by a part near the end of the video where he only switches to the offensive when given a chance to capitalize off of his partner¡¯s immobilizing ability. These comments should be leeway into any negatives one may have spotted on watching the footage, yet nothing wrong stands out, enough so to make anyone wonder how much right he can do before it would seem as if he was simply following the perfect step-by-steps of a guide. Meet me next week, Monday, 12:00 PM at the Royal Blue Bakery.] 16 - EXPLOITED 16: EXPLOITED // 12:59 P.M. // 10 - 23 - 2023 // Arc - F-Wing, Refinement Class Starring Zendolyn Ato Featuring Reyenal Ato, Professor Carmela, Cedrance Manamune, Michael, Aythe Siena, and Nolan Faust // ¡°Wow. We¡¯re early.¡± A few eyes turned to Reyenal and I as we entered the classroom, and then they returned back to their conversations. For some reason, most of them were guys, all also early like us, and sitting at the front. The smoldering hot outside air was an absolute pain to walk through having just eaten a bowl of hot soup. But then the draft of cold air conditioning blew into my face as we passed through the door, and all the pain I had was forgotten. The class was buzzing with noise and chatter from all the students around. Reya took the front and took the stairs up to the top level, in the very back. ¡°Zen.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget.¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Yep.¡± Don¡¯t embarrass her. This, she had told me, was our first ever class together. She was in a higher grade than me, so it was only natural that she was more booksmart than me¡­ so her only condition in sitting next to her was to not be stupid. I, on the other hand, sat next to her so I could feel safe from all of the other kids in the room, especially after what had just happened in the cafeteria. High schoolers were scary creatures. We sat down and set our backpacks onto the ground. Unlike in most classes, I was wide awake. My finger tapped against the table silently, my foot against the ground, also silently, a rhythm stuck in my head from last night¡¯s session. I checked my watch for the time. Two more minutes until class started. Then I looked up and scanned the room nervously. There weren¡¯t any familiar faces in the room, not like I¡¯d approach them if I did know them. Most of them were pricks. ¡°Hey, Zen,¡± Reya bumped my shoulder. ¡°Hmm?¡± I wasn¡¯t really listening to her, more on the conversations in front of me. Something about ranks and points? Nah, don¡¯t care. ¡°I forgot to tell you something.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°Hey,¡± Reya said, her voice a little more sharp, ¡°this is serious.¡± I turned to face her. ¡°Yeah, okay. Tell me.¡± Her face was lathered with pity. ¡°Seriously, what?¡± She reached to pat my shoulder. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to introduce yourself.¡± ¡°Yeah, and?¡± ¡°In front of the class.¡± I flinched. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Good luck,¡± she responded. ¡°She¡¯s very harsh.¡± ¡°Wait a minute, is that all you have to say?!¡± Reya gave me a look. And then smiled. ¡°Yep. Time for my little cousin to suffer.¡± I glared at her, not before immediately enlarging my watch into a laptop-sized screen, having left my laptop at home in favor of the portable and light watch. I had enough practice at my extracurricular classes in the real world, and good teachers as well. That was enough for me to¡­ woah¡­ She¡¯s here now. The professor walked into the room, the door closing behind her, her heels clacking against the ground, and like a button was pressed all of the noise came to a halting stop. Everyone huffed up their breath and held their gaze, focused on the gorgeous lady strutting forward in front of them. This was a free gala experience, and the theme was ¡®smoking hot teacher¡¯. Then I realized, wasn¡¯t this the lady from the opening ceremony? Crud, I had completely forgotten about her. She was someone I was supposed to be watching carefully, because she looked like she would be important, as was every other notable person around me¡­ wait, around me? I sweeped over the students again, Cedrance, Aythe, the guy from earlier Michael, even Nolan who I hadn¡¯t seen since the ceremony. This class was the ideal webtoons drama environment, and somehow I had just landed myself in the middle of everything. The professor stepped up to the speaking podium. The woman held no papers and no books, nothing, but her head up high and her body in perfect shape. ¡°Well, looks like we have a new student.¡± And then I shivered again, this time in dread. She wasn¡¯t even taking attendance first? ¡°Do you want me to call on you, or are you going to come up here and introduce yourself?¡± Reyenal slapped my back to my shock, and also pain, and then the whole class turned to look at me at the sound. I kept my face neutral, but beneath the table I made a fist and slammed down into Reya¡¯s thigh. In return she pinched my arm. My face was now struggling to stay neutral. ¡ªBUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP Damn it. I stood up, and she stopped. Without rubbing my arm to show any signs of pain, I steeled myself and began taking the flight of stairs back down. Why the hell did Reya choose this spot for us? Actually, why did I even follow her? ¡ªBUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP Everyone was staring at me, but it couldn¡¯t have been as bad as it was in the Auditorium. I was in the acting zone, my switch was turned on. ¡ªBUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP The professor gave me an interested look as I approached her, with confidence, or as much as I could show without it coming off as hubris, or without giving her anything to put her expectations on. She snapped her finger twice, and I resisted the urge to jump away in fear of the tropes that a sudden tidal wave of energy would sweep me off my feet and throw me into a wall, but nothing like that happened. Instead, all of the guys in class sitting in the front rows instantly raised their hand into the air, each one trying to outdo the other by lifting their hand higher. A few lifted two hands into the air. What was going on? ¡ªBUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP The professor smiled, and then beckoned a student in the second row to come forward. In his excitement I heard an audible, ¡°Yes!¡±, and not a second later he lugged two chairs to the front, onto the stage which I now stood in front of. ¡°Student,¡± her voice rang across the room effortlessly, and I could feel the ears of every man in the room itch with pleasure. ¡°Come up here. Sit down.¡± ¡ªBUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP ¡°Yes, professor,¡± I bowed my head slightly in solemn respect. Zen was my character. As far as I knew, he was a master at acting. That was how I kept my face straight the entire time. ¡ªBUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP But also, Zen was a rich kid. Each judgment of this professor in my head told me that she was definitely a biased teacher, a class and status type, someone who valued image over skill. And as a child booted from the wealthy and well-known Ato family of Silverdawn, there were much too many hurdles for me to cross over in order to perform as truly Zendolyn Ato. ¡ªBUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP Back straight, but head looking somewhat down. Feet firmly shoulder width, chest pushed out with confidence, contrasted with the solemness and purpose in each step. Someone who had only recently fallen, someone who still bore the potential for power and wealth. But most importantly, someone who knew their place. So emotion must never show on my face. I took my seat, placed across from her, facing slightly towards the other students like we were in some sort of Saturday talk show. I had a vague guess on what we were going to do. ¡ª BUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP That didn¡¯t stop my heart from pounding like a bazooka was constantly blowing up in my chest. Already I was dizzy from the anticipation. The professor started first when we made eye contact. ¡°Good afternoon. What is your name, student?¡± ¡°Likewise, professor. My name is Zendolyn Ato,¡± I responded, and then took a second to reflect on what I said. Was the ¡®my name is¡¯ part too long? Should I have been more concise? What was she looking for in me? ¡°My name is Jennifer Carmela,¡± she said colorlessly, and her eyes never strayed from mine for even a second. ¡°You may call me Professor Carmela. It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Zendolyn.¡± She wasn¡¯t as snobby as I expected from her words earlier, and seeing her hand stretched forward I took her offer up and shook. Her hand was warm, her expression was cold, and her hand was almost completely over my own, turned to the sky while mine was towards the ground. ¡ª BUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP ¡°Zendolyn,¡± Professor Carmela continued, ¡°I¡¯d like to know more about you first before we talk about why you are here. I¡¯ve read your resume. It says you are in the Musical Compositioning 101 class with Professor Harping. Tell me more.¡± ¡ª BUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP Hearing that I was in a musical class, some of the students began to snicker. I knew it. This was an interview to assess my worth. She probably didn¡¯t care about class, she knew she was above me and everyone in the room. Her confident aura and unexpressive manners along with her manipulative subtleties told me that much. ¡°Thank you for asking, Professor,¡± I nodded my head, scrambling to think of my next words. The name of the game was confidence. I needed to embellish my bullcrap as much as possible, and leave no gaps of weakness in anything I presented. ¡ª BUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP ¡°Musical Compositioning is a class that tests my creative intelligence to a higher degree than all of the courses I have been placed in, combined. One may scoff at my choice, but I believe it was definitely worth taking as it shows that I¡¯m willing to take harder courses, and maximizing my Arc experience as an unawakened student by indulging in my passions even further¡­¡± Shoot. I missed. Why the hell did I bring up my passions like this?! ¡°Even further?¡± Professor Carmela raised her eyebrow. ¡°Do you have past experience in the field of music?¡± ¡ª BUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP Dammit! Dammit! ¡°No, I regrettably do not,¡± I shook my head, ¡°but I would definitely consider myself to be a talented musician and vocalist. Other than this¡ª¡± I tried to swerve the conversation away from the whole music thing, and luckily the Professor noticed this and didn¡¯t try to stop me. But her eyes did give off a much more malicious look than before. Was that just my imagination? ¡°Zen, I¡¯ll have to interrupt you there. I have another question for you.¡± I held back a gulp. ¡°Yes, professor?¡± ¡ª BUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP Her face changed for a microsecond, and my heart pumped even faster. ¡°Zendolyn. What is it like, being from the Ato family?¡± It was dead silent in the room. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Professor, but I cannot answer that.¡± ¡°No worries.¡± Absolute silence. ¡°Thank you for indulging me as you might your own musical passions. Zendolyn, you may return to your seat now. And welcome to the Agent Preparations class.¡± No one said anything. The only sound was of my feet going up the stairs. A little buzz on my watch, and I glanced down. A notification from the Arc app. [You have been rewarded 50 points from Professor ¡®Jennifer Carmela¡¯] [¡°A pleasure to meet you, Zendolyn Ato. I would like a second of your time after class ends.¡± - Professor ¡®Jennifer Carmela¡¯] ¡ªBUMP BUMP BUMP BUMP // 4:07 P.M. // 10 - 23 - 2023 // Saint Hospital Starring Avil Daniase Featuring Aythe Siena, Ben Roswell, Cedrance Manamune, and Gwen Olynn // I first spotted the front desk clerk peering around his desktop as I walked through the automatic door. The lobby of the Saint hospital smelled like hand sanitizer and disinfectants. Seeing three giants and two dwarves entering, the man nodded as if it was normal for a bunch of students of varying sizes all dressed in the Arc uniform to waltz into a hospital. ¡°Do you guys have an appointment?¡± He asked dutifully from behind a clear plastic screen as I made my way to the table. Naturally, I, the best one of the bunch, was the mouthpiece that spoke for everyone else. Aythe and Ben took a seat on a nearby bench, while Cedrance and Gwen followed up behind me, both of them wearing a light pack. ¡°Yes,¡± I responded promptly, ¡°we¡¯ve been volunteering here for the past week and a half, Wards 104 through 106.¡± Why did Professor Carmela even want us here? Community service? The man nodded his head, his eyes shortly flickering on the two very handsome guys in the vicinity, to Gwen, and then back to me as if he hadn¡¯t been sneaking any looks. ¡°I was informed about you guys earlier. Can you two show me what¡¯s in your backpacks?¡± I took a step back as Ced and Gwen moved forward, unzipping and shuffling through the contents before he satisfiedly nodded his head. ¡°Take these stickers and go ahead. The elevator¡¯s on the left, fourth floor up. Please be considerate to the patients and staff.¡± ¡°Of course. Thanks.¡± I nodded my head politely, and grabbed one after the two had stepped aside. ¡°Guys, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah,¡± Aythe rolled his eyes, attached to the holographic screen on the watch glowing in front of him. He stood up, and then grabbed a sticker and followed behind us with Ben in tow. ¡°We divied up the wards fair and square. Got that, little bro?¡± I refrained from cursing in public. A few people, some older folk and disabled patients with crutches and walking canes were eyeing us from all around the giant room past the lobby. Maybe it was the smell of bad vibes coming from our group, or the eye catchers Cedrance and Aythe, but either way the attention was unwanted. Above was a ceiling of glass over a huge and sleek hallway leading two ways, with multiple rooms and numbers and doctors walking around and generally not paying attention to us, an elevator at the end to the left. Gwen scoffed, but didn¡¯t say anything, while Cedrance gave Aythe the stinkeye. We stepped into the elevator, and I pushed the button to the fourth floor. It was thankfully a wordless and painless ride up before the elevator door slid open, a pale young man with a mask and a blue nurse¡¯s outfit stepped in as we passed him. The hall ahead was spacious, a couple pots and plants for decoration against the sparkling white floor and walls, doors along them numbered . An older man at the very end with a mop and a bucket, the janitor, sweeping the ground peacefully, and no one else was in sight. The man spotted us and greeted us with a short grunt, then returned back to his work as we said nothing in reply. I stopped at the second door to the left. ¡°Here¡¯s where I go,¡± I nodded my head towards the number at no one in particular, but Ced nodded and waved a little goodbye. ¡°Yeah, good luck, Avil,¡± Gwen didn¡¯t stop walking and took a turn to the right, her ward. Cedrance followed suit, he and Gwen shared a Ward. I averted my eyes from them and took a short breath, before pulling open the unlocked door. The sounds of the others¡¯ footsteps faded into the background as instead a collective but faint breathing took over. The room wasn¡¯t inviting, certainly as bland porridge as yesterday, and the air smelled like nothing. A curtain impeded my view to the patient on the other side, as did the other curtains along the row to separate person from person. My unwanted job here was simple. Keep the patients company. With light steps, I walked carefully over to the first patient, the name Jos¨¦ and his permanent medical ID taped to the curtain which I didn¡¯t bother to read. I placed myself at the foot of the bed behind the curtain, and there laid Jos¨¦, a tall and burly man with a head of curly and dark hair, his facial hair growing into an untrimmed beard. His back was raised and almost upright on the bed, uninterestedly reading a book with a blue cover that seemed to depict some sort of romantic novel, the white outlines of a woman¡¯s face near a man¡¯s. Jos¨¦ was a fresh and lovely reminder that not all things in this world were pretty, and those who didn¡¯t fit societal standards could still be ¡®pretty¡¯. I still remembered how yesterday he had told me his symptoms; a feeling inside of his head, radiating pain throughout his body. Upon spotting me his face brightened, ¡°Oh, there you are, Avil! Ha, I was waiting for you, friend,¡± his accent was a thick Spanish or Mexican accent, an ordinary guy like me couldn¡¯t dare ask for the difference. He beckoned me closer and I indulged him, his book dropped down onto his lap ungracefully and papers folded on itself. ¡°Good afternoon, man,¡± I extended a clammy hand, and Jos¨¦ enthusiastically reached out and shook it, his face scrunching into a grin, smile lines all over. His hand was big, but his grip was definitely weak, or weaker than what was expected of his bulky size. ¡°Avil, friend.¡± I pulled my hand pack gently, but still postured myself close to him. His joyful demeanor faded a little bit, and I concernedly nodded my head for him to continue. ¡°Mi mam¨¢, mi Lloronna, Sami y Sa¨²l. You do what I asked, yet?¡± ¡°Mister¡ªsorry,¡± I corrected myself, and tried to think of a way to tell him it wasn¡¯t possible, ¡°Jos¨¦, you left me on a cliff yesterday. So¡­ please, tell me more about your situation.¡± ¡°A cliff?¡± Jos¨¦ shook his head, a little sadder now. Later tonight, I was going to research diseases that could cause emotional fluctuation. However, after a slow second, he eventually nodded. ¡°Well, my friend. Mi familia¡­ could be in a rough situation right now. All I ask,¡± Jos¨¦ implored now, clutching his hands together pleadingly, ¡°is for you to tell them that I will be home soon. Everything will be fine. Please, friend.¡± I tentatively glanced up at the monitor. His heart rate wasn¡¯t high enough to make it start beeping quickly¡­ and that was the only thing I could figure out. I wasn¡¯t a doctor, I couldn¡¯t tell. ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯d like to know where they are¡­?¡± My voice cracked strangely. Jos¨¦ nodded, his hands slackening and his brows relaxing, ¡°I knew you¡¯d come around, Avil.¡± I flinched. No? I didn¡¯t say that! ¡°Ah, sir¡ªI mean, Jos¨¦, you must be mis¡ª¡± ¡°Well,¡± he interrupted me as if I wasn¡¯t even talking. Jos¨¦¡¯s face was blissful, his eyes closed, a smile across his face. Now I really didn¡¯t want to ruin this man¡¯s moment. He must have really been in some sort of pain¡­ But why force this on me?! Suddenly, a huge blue screen appeared in front of me. ======================== ¡®Avil Daniase¡¯ has been presented with a task: [Find Jos¨¦¡¯s family] Current task(s): [Prove yourself] ======================== ¡­ This system was out to get me. A rage built in my mind. If it was going to give me a vague quest and now this, at least tell me what goddamn reward¡ª ======================== Reward for Quest: [Prove yourself] ??? Reward for Quest: [Find Jos¨¦¡¯s family] [Prove yourself] Partial Fulfillment ======================== ¡­ ¡°Avil?¡± I snapped out of my mad delirium. ¡°Oh, did you say something?¡± ¡°Maine, friend. Mi familia lives in Bar Harbor, 391 Main Street.¡± I blanked out. What. The ****. // 4:11 P.M. // 10 - 23 - 2023 // Saint Hospital Starring Gwen Olynn Featuring Cedrance Manamune and ??? // Just another day at the hospital, and as usual something was up with my body. Today, my stomach hurt. I held the door open as Cedrance walked past me. We didn¡¯t make eye contact. Following lethargically behind him, I let the door swing back to a close, the hallway disappearing behind the door. A few stools here and there, a little telephone on a long table with clipboards, a sink, a computer and a telephone, along with more things I didn¡¯t care about. This was the ward I¡¯d be spending hours of my week in for a month. I shouldered my backpack, Cedrance had already walked to the end of the long ward, and a burst of exclamation, recognition, from the woman at the end told me that I had to start soon. ¡°Cedrance! Took you long enough.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, Miss Farah, sorry about that.¡± ¡°Ohh, no worries, your face is all the apology I need.¡± I pulled the backpack¡¯s zipper open, at the top of all my things sat the little octopus hat I had been working on for a while now. The sight of it made me smile a little, the big oval eyes, the colorful tentacles, the poofy headcap. The week I had spent making it perfect. ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°No, no, never mind me. Did you bring the book?¡± ¡°I did, Miss Farah. Unblessed, right?¡± I reached into the backpack again, and scrounged for a second, then pulled out my personal sewing kit I had bought not too long ago, three points. Then I pushed both of the items back into the backpack and slung it over my shoulder. ¡°You remembered!¡± ¡°Well, of course I did. You asked me yesterday to¡­ read it to you. Right?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it¡ª! Yes, yes, please do, Cedrance.¡± I glanced over at where Cedrance was, and only his back was visible as he sat on a stool facing towards the woman. Even his back was handsome. A very defined and muscular back. Without thinking about him anymore, I pulled a stool over, the rolling sound pleasantly silent, and then past the curtain. On the bed was a kid, he couldn¡¯t have been older than twelve. The boy¡¯s tan skin was bubbling with sweat. His adolescent chub still clung to his cheeks, but the rest of his frame was an almost feverish and sickly appearance, bony and tired, but nevertheless he managed a smile when he saw me. ¡°Gwen.¡± I nodded. To my left was the sound of Cedrance¡¯s voice, reading aloud the starting passages to the story. What was the book called, again? ¡°David. Are you feeling okay?¡± He returned my nod. ¡°I was sick yesterday, and my body just¡­ didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Heal? Recover?¡± I filled in the words for him, and he sighed. The boy was definitely young, but like the other people in the room, he complained of having odd waves of pain, starting from the head. ¡°Yeah.¡± This kid was at a fragile age, and sicknesses like what he had could ruin him. I myself sympathized a lot with the poor kid, though. In the real world, I was also considered a sick kid: not allowed to run at PE, so easily ill every other day, doctor checkups here and surgery there, cameras in my body, food problems, that was me. Gwen was, in a way, hardly any different, but her body recovered faster than my own. My adjustment into this lonely and privileged world wasn¡¯t all that bad. I faintly heard Cedrance break his reading voice, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Miss, please keep your hand off of me.¡± But David here in front of me¡­ I couldn¡¯t tell what he was thinking. He spoke like a kid. He acted like a kid. I was oddly aware that he didn¡¯t think like a kid. ¡°Aww, but Cedrance~¡­¡± ¡°You remember last week when you asked for something?¡± The boy, spaced out to Cedrance and the Farah lady, returned his attention to me, and then paused for a second. ¡°Uhh¡­?¡± ¡°Your voice is so sexy, you know?¡± Cedrance paused. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Keep going. It¡¯s nice¡­¡± I shook my head, trying to ignore what was happening over there. ¡°It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t remember. I still made something for you, and just you.¡± I reached forward to bop him on the nose dotingly, but he realized what I was trying to do and pushed his head against the pillow, scrunching his face. I giggled, but pulled back anyway, and then turned around and unzipped my backpack. He interestedly watched over my shoulder, but I waved him to lay back. David obliged, but still frowned, an expression which quickly changed to delight as I pulled out the octopus hat in all of its full glory. ¡°What do you think, David?¡± My smile was even wider now, the octopus hat hanging on my hand like a gauntlet. I offered it to him, and he seemed almost unsure of whether he should accept it or not. What a mature kid. I liked him a lot. ¡°Take it.¡± It made me happy that he looked happy, and I didn¡¯t need any words from him to know that he truly appreciated my gift. The grin on his face was worth it. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You¡¯re welcome¡­ David? David!¡± My eyes widened as he began to cough violently. He folded himself over, coughing and coughing, wet and harsh, it was terrifying. Jumping to my feet, I made a dash for the telephone, but from behind David weakly called out. ¡°No. Don¡¯t.¡± ¡°But David¡ª¡± He coughed again, this time not as strongly. ¡°Please don¡¯t. It happens all the time when you¡¯re not here¡ª¡± David fell back into his coughing fit again. Another voice in the background, Cedrance stopped reading. ¡°Miss Farah, I¡ªI think my partner needs some help over there. Could you please wait a moment?¡± I knew hardly anything about his sickness. I knew nothing about how to treat it. Even so, even if I did know, I was usually on the receiving-end of the sickness, the person who needed help, the one who was sick. Not the one who healed the sick. ¡°Hey, please let go,¡± Cedrance grunted, ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you.¡± ¡°No! You were doing just fine, keep reading, keep reading!¡± The woman¡¯s voice was tight with strain. Strain, and lust. I didn¡¯t know how to help him. ¡°Miss! I¡¯m really serious right now!¡± I was¡­ ¡°I¡¯ve warned you twice now.¡± My stomach hurt. ¡°Hey, David.¡± A cough. ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Do you ever¡­ wish that life could get easier?¡± ¡­ Behind me, I sensed Cedrance¡¯s worried presence. ¡°Are both of you okay?¡± We both turned to look at him. ¡­ ¡°I wish that I wasn¡¯t so sick.¡± 17 - ANOTHERSIDES 17: ANOTHERSIDES // 11:54 A.M. // 10 - 23 - 2023 // Arc - Mall Starring Reyenal Ato Featuring Serene Goldwin and Cedrance Manamune // The noon sun was overbearing as always, but sunscreen and sweating were the least of my worries. I sat on the bench under the shade of a tree. A couple of students, probably juniors who didn¡¯t have a morning period or something, passed by me from the opposite direction of the entrance, deeper into the mall. There in each of their hands, a plastic cup, each a different green and brown with little black blobs on the bottom, ice floating at the top and the recognizable logo of a dog on the side. I recognized them immediately; that was my life blood. Boba. To be specific, it was boba from the Shiba place Zen worked at, which was where those guys had come from. I was more than just a regular there. That boba shop was probably where most of my excess points were being funneled to. Suddenly, I was craving some tea. I stood up from the bench and was washed in the heat of the sun as I stepped out of the shade to the left, and then back into more shade beneath the extended roofing of the mall buildings hugging the buildings on the right side. Dismissively I walked away from the Royal Blue Bakery, the building which I had been sitting, uh, well, camping, in front of. I could probably make it back in time to meet up with Cedrance. My stroll sped to a pace, and then a light jog. Stores left and right, an artifact shop, caf¨¦s, small but chic clothing brands, none of which were called Shiba Tea Shoppe¡­ until I turned the bend finally gave me sight to the biggest and most crowded part of the mall: Mall Centre. Because lunch break was only beginning for most of the freshmen, most of the people, which was a lot of people, were my upperclassmen, or however I was supposed to refer to them given I was probably older than them in real life. In the smack-dab center was a huge fountain of water, a large and polished figure of the Arc logo dribbling water down its side into the basin, occasionally spraying out into a thin mist in the area around the fountain. There were lights at the bottom that accentuated all of its already grandiose and water spraying around in a symmetrical pattern, not to mention all of the coins at the bottom of the fountain. But I wasn¡¯t here for the fountain¡­ there it was. Past the fountain and on the corner next to a charming kebab shop and an adjacent street, the Shiba Tea Shoppe was easily the highlight boba joint in the whole mall. It was kind of impressive to me how Zen had managed to land a job there. There was already a short line by the time I had walked the distance to the shop, short meaning poking out of the shop. On a normal day there were people snaked all the way around the corner, and then back to the front, following the poles and ropes the employees had set up. I checked my watch for a quick second. [October 23, Monday, 11:57 A.M.] Promptly, I turned off the watch. Better not to look. However, the customer service also never ceased to surprise me; it only took around a minute or two to make it to the front of the line, in the beautiful air-conditioned interior with that beautiful homemade-boba smell, and by then I made my order, a Strawberry-Citrus Green Tea with grass jelly and 80% sweetness. Literally perfect for a hot day like today. Another minute later, the girl at the counter called my order¡¯s number and I retrieved the drink. Thanking her habitually, I took my cup, and then began booking it back to the Royal Blue Bakery. I was most definitely late for a meetup that I had set. Weaving past the growing crowd of students and island residents, I didn¡¯t forget to shake the cold cup, even though my past experience as a barista told me I probably didn¡¯t need to do that. Only until I finally got out of the Mall Center and into the First Street did I stop for a second to cleanly stab the straw into the aluminum cover, straying to the center of the street to drop the paper straw wrapper into a trash can. ¡ªkaLING KLING It only took me another moment to walk to the Royal Blue Bakery, and as I opened the door the scent of baked goods flooded my nose, the breeze of air conditioning sucking me inside along with the little jingle from a clattering chime. Buttery pastries, freshly baked breads, brunch options, yummy cake pops, even specially made muffins lined the display cases at the front. The door leading to the room where all of the baking magic happened was ajar, and I could see two people walking around, flitting into and out of appearance. However, someone else caught my attention even more. Usually, the bakery was empty of customers due to the competition and their take-and-leave culture, but today there was someone there, and a notable person at that. Sitting at one of the tables, the one just a table away from the register, a girl turned around to look at me. An absolutely pretty face, her lopsided black shirt hanging off of her shoulder juxtaposing a beige bra strap wrapped on the lower layer, similarly beige and snug arm covers to protect her from sunburns. Even on this horrifically hot day, the girl somehow managed to rock on some light jeans, each color of her clothes added wonders to her stunningly silky and brown-ish hair, a pair of sunglasses resting on her head like a fashionable crown. ¡°Dude, are you a model?¡± I muttered beneath my breath. The girl didn¡¯t respond to me, and just stared at me uncomfortably with a slightly inquisitive look. I glanced at her table and saw nothing on it. ¡°Hey,¡± I said, louder this time, ¡°if you want to get something, just ring the bell on the counter. They¡¯re really nice here.¡± I couldn¡¯t get the feeling that I should know this person out of my head. Other than that was the feeling of the uncomfortableness of her presence. Because this store was so empty, that was why I wanted to bring Cedrance here for a quick talk. Knowing his popularity, the location of the Royal Blue Bakery, and its culture, this was pretty much the only option I had. But it wasn¡¯t like I could force her to leave. The watch told me that Cedrance was a minute late, and I took my time walking over to the counter next to the girl, scrolling through my Insta feed, and then rang the bell. ¡ªCHIII¡­ ¡ªCHI-CHIIII¡­ From the back a guy yelled, ¡°Be right with you in a moment!¡± I abruptly stopped scrolling, and found myself caught in complete shock. All of my muscles tensed up as the ring of a bell from behind signaled someone coming in. ¡ªkaLING KLING A photo of the girl that was sitting at the table just behind me. In it, a knockout-handsome guy standing beside her, a hint of blue in his neat but stylish hair to accent his captivating ocean eyes, standing taller than her and yet holding her close to him as her head leaned against his toned arms. They both had genuine smiles, a bit of light syrup still on the corner of the girl¡¯s cheek, a paper bag hanging from the guy¡¯s hand, his other hand linked with the girl. The caption read: [aren¡¯t these two so cute together?? #Arc #Wholesome #CEDxSERENE #Cedrene #Sereced] I kept myself strong, so that I wouldn¡¯t turn back. I had a feeling that I had an appointment with the person who had just walked through the door, and as well as an idea on who the girl was and why she was here. The door to the kitchen was pushed open by a nice-looking guy in a blue apron, ¡°Sorry for the wait, ma¡¯am¡­ Reyenal?¡± He glanced at the girl behind me, and then the person who had just come in, and his jaw dropped. Before he could say something to get on my nerve, I politely reminded him, ¡°Please keep yourself professional.¡± ¡°Uh-ahh,¡± the guy said dumbly while still staring at them, and then looked back at me pitifully. ¡°So sorry¡ª¡± ¡°Can I get a half-dozen Signature Cookies?¡± I inputted, keeping my face up. ¡°That would be it for me.¡± He nodded his head slowly, and then snapped back into reality in the next second. ¡°Y-yes, Rey¡ªma¡¯am¡­¡ª¡± He was interrupted by the person who had just come in ¡°And can I get two slices of dulce de leche?¡± ¡°Please, make that two separate¡ª¡± ¡°Make those separate orders.¡± Perplexedly I turned to look at Cedrance, and it quickly became a stare. He was everything like I had seen in the photo, and just a bit more. And¡­ how tall was he? How tall was I, really? From the angle I was at, the most I could see was¡­ his glare? Oh, God, why was he looking at me like that? Did I kill his mother or something? I wracked through my brain to find a way to say something, but found myself stumped. I never thought I was ever going to need to use that again. ======================== Guides(3)//Options: Answer Memory Overtake Will you use a Guide? Yes//No ======================== ======================== Option 1) ¡°The **** are you looking at? Go. Go sit down with your honey-booboo, I don¡¯t mind entertaining a doomed romance. I may have words for her as well.¡± Option 2) ¡°Dip****. Tell her to leave, I only have business with you. And you, Serene, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t even try to take him from you.¡± Option 3) ¡°Serene. Your boyfriend is giving me such a scandalous look. What do you think?¡± If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ======================== I hesitated for a second. What really was my relationship with this guy? With no completely safe option, I opted for the third one. I would rather maintain my relationship with him the way it was than risk throwing off whatever story was at play, or at least that was my illogical rationale. My mouth opened automatically, and I could feel my facial expression shift, as well as the tone of my voice turning a little bit more serious. And hateful. ¡°Serene. Your boyfriend is giving me such a scandalous look. What do you think?¡± ¡°No,¡± Cedrance said back in the same tone, ¡°Reya is just seeing things.¡± I caught the emphasis on my name, and the little smirk in the corner of his lips, and figured that there was indeed a correct way to respond to what him. I had just started a little war between him, and I was going to see it through. Whether I won or not was all dependent on the guy in front of me. Well, actually, winning was only a secondary objective. I just wanted some information on this guy, and if he was in Overtake mode or something, like seriously, back off man, who hurt you? ¡°You riiiight,¡± I shrugged my shoulders, completely neutralizing the tense mood as well as returning back to my regular persona. Reyenal was going to be too hard to impersonate. She was too angry, and for what? As long as I didn¡¯t know, I couldn¡¯t continue on as her. Cedrance raised his eyebrow, almost suspiciously as I brushed past him and over to the register, giving a little smile to the slightly stunned guy behind the counter. ¡°Sorry about that, man.¡± I tapped up my watch, ¡°I¡¯ll pay with points.¡± I turned back to smile at Cedrance, Serene looking back and forth at us like a tennis match. Her own expression, unlike the one that I was suppressing, was relatively even and still that same face she had made to me earlier. ¡°Next time, blue boo, take a lesson from your girl and wait in line when someone else is ordering.¡± I watched his face slightly loosen with an oh-so-hot blush, and stop, my poor emotions, stop! He¡¯s not mine, I am a good person, I am no Miss Steal-Your-Man! I tried to hide my screaming brain with an amused puff. ¡°Serene, give him a good tug at his arm next time he goes on like this, a¡¯right? We don¡¯t need any¡­ morons who don¡¯t know how a lines work, in¡­ huh?¡± The itsy bitsy hairs on my arm stood up seeing both of them turn a cherry tomato red, Serene crossing her arms slowly while tapping her finger rapidly against her elbow, steam rising from her head, while Cedrance pulling his eye contact away from me and towards Serene, never able to land on her as if his eyes couldn¡¯t handle the heat. This **** was something out of a romance novel. ¡­ A few moments later, the cookies were in my hand, the slice of cake on the table, and it was just me, Cedrance, and Serene. ¡°So,¡± Serene cut through the awkwardness as well as her slice of cake with a fork, ¡°why did you message Cedrance here?¡± We girls gave each other the look, and she understood as I shook my head. I still couldn¡¯t get over how astutely beautiful she looked, and almost elegant but unruly air as she stuffed her face with the cake. Looks could never define a woman better than the way she ate her cake. My eyes lingered on her. I definitely knew who she was, pretty high ranked for an unawakened, as well as a never-before-seen gun user. To be honest, she was also a very suspicious person. Cedrance sneakily swept off a little bit of cream off her lip with his pinky finger and licked it off. He was in his own world, now. Surprisingly, his mood changed so easily: one second giving me a death glare, the next blushing like a plum, the next being cutesy with his girlfriend. But then his eyes strayed over to me as Serene flinched at his touch. He nodded his head, both slightly aware of his overheating darling and more so of the question she had given me. Now, how was I going to do this? ¡°Well, it¡¯s more or less¡­ to ask you guys a question.¡± It was only supposed to be towards Cedrance, but now that Serene was here, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to ask her as well. As long as I phrased it right. ¡°Cedrance, let¡¯s keep it civil. Your girlfriend is watching.¡± ¡°... right.¡± Cedrance glanced over at her, and she, still blushing, nodded her head as if she knew what I was talking about. So she wasn¡¯t clueless. ¡°What¡¯s the question.¡± He phrased it more in the way of a demand than a question, but I didn¡¯t really care. I didn¡¯t care because my dignity, pride, and literally my safety were on the line with this question. But I wasn¡¯t going to beat around the bush. Maybe it would be better to act as Reyenal for this. ¡°What if I told you guys that people from another world have taken over some peoples¡¯ bodies, and that I was one of them?¡± // 3:37 P.M. // 10 - 23 - 2023 // Danken Caves Dungeon Starring Serene Goldwin Featuring Jun, Fanny, and Serene Goldwin // ¡°I need the light!¡± ¡°O-on it!¡± She was clearly struggling. ¡ªPOOHK POOHK POOHK PAHHH POOHK!! ¡°C¡¯mon, Jun!¡± ¡°I-I¡¯m trying¡ª¡± ¡ªPOOOHK PAHH PAHH PAHHH ¡ªEEEEEEE ¡°I can¡¯t see them!¡± ¡ªPAHH PAHH ¡ªTKK TKK TKK ¡°I¡¯m out! Fanny, can you do it?!¡± ¡°I-I have Jun!¡± ¡°****!¡± ¡°****¡­¡± ¡ªSCREEEEEEE ¡ªClack, clack, chhk ¡ªREEEEEEE!! ¡°W-Watch out!¡± In a terrifying moment I sensed a goblin that had gotten way too close to me as I was reloading, and freaked out. I leaped with the agility of a monkey backwards, kicking something with my flailing legs and falling, slamming into Jun and Fanny¡¯s warm bodies. Their grunts of pain were the last thing I heard before all of my senses suddenly shut off. ¡­ And then I could see again. It was a void of colors, greens, browns, blues, black, golds, reds, and a horizon of more. I tried for air, but nothing, and suffocated¡­ but it didn¡¯t hurt. In fact, I couldn¡¯t feel my clothes, or my body, no beating heart which I was so keenly aware of, nor any signs of life. I couldn¡¯t even count the passing seconds, because I simply wasn¡¯t there¡­ ¡­ The momentum of my impact sent the three of us tumbling to the ground, Jun crying out in pain as we crashed down. There was sound all around us. Explosions in the distance, shocking me to my very core. Thunderous noises, screaming, and voices, all somewhere not too far away. Scraping nylon and fabrics against tough fibers and grasses, panting and slamming and buzzing and screeching and dying. There were also smells. The smell of nickels and pennies, rusting metal and dust and dirt, nature¡¯s blood and human blood and the salty smell of the sea and sweat. Sterilized bandages and decaying bodies and spoiling food, there was a distinct scent of canned peaches. I quickly pulled myself off of Jun, in utter confusion to the sudden change in stimuli. A large military tent, with dozens of seats around a table, dimly lit with a lantern hanging from the top. There were patches and holes all over, barely holding the tent together. Provisions and boxes were also scattered everywhere, piling up to the top. Fanny, too, reacted violently, but to something else, and she began breathing quickly, her eyes flickering back and forth between me and something else behind us. I turned to see what she was looking at and my heart stopped. There a woman was, in a camouflage uniform, from a hat down to boots, sitting in a dented and rusty foldable metal chair, dark circles under her eyes. She looked almost drained of all her life and energy, like a hag her arms hung down and her head was barely up, almost a corpse of the beautiful person that she evidently once was. Her hair was hastily cut short, her pretty features dirtied with soot and dried mud as was the rest of her uniform. She was staring straight at me. I had no clue how to react. I didn¡¯t know if I should have reacted at all, but then she weakly pulled up a gun from her holster. My surprise was short lived, replaced by fight-or-flight. Beneath me Jun trembled in agony as I shot up to my feet and aimed the gun in my hand at her face. ¡°Gun down!¡± I yelled at her. Fanny made a small noise, but I ignored her. The woman¡¯s vacant expression shifted, indicating that she heard me, and she put the gun onto her lap as a sign of peace. Not knowing what to say or do next, the woman started first. Her voice was so small. ¡°W-we need help. What year?¡± Fanny spoke up with a high and terrified voice, ¡°What do you mean, what year?! It was bright all of a sudden, and now we¡¯re here, in some warzone, where are we? Who are you?!¡± The woman looked over to Fanny, and then to Jun, scanning them up and down. Her eyes brightened a little, but noticing his injury, her back slumped to the side. She was clearly also in the same, if not a much worse agony than he was. Her next words were a mumble. ¡°Arc. Dud.¡± I squinted. ¡°And what is that supposed to mean? Talk, or I¡¯ll shoot you. Say something!¡± She looked so sad, so pitiful and so helpless. The woman gave a little sigh, and then a painful breath, and then heaved. And my eyes widened as she spoke. ¡°Serene of an unknown year, I hereby name you the 1045th. What you experienced was the World¡¯s Convergence. This is my report¡­ do well to remember it: I am the 55th Serene. The year is 2035. Catalyst has taken over more than 80% of the overlands, and dungeons have overflown. The Harbingers are all dead, monsters and demons are everywhere. Arc is on its final stand; an estimated 200 unawakened people are still alive. It¡¯s the apocalypse.¡± I didn¡¯t dare to interrupt her, but I fell down onto my bottom, shaking violently. This woman was me. She was Serene Goldwin. There existed more versions of Serene. Jun, too, was at attention, no longer whimpering in pain, rather he gripped onto my finger tightly. What was going on? Serene coughed harshly, and then gasped for another breath as I held my own. ¡°A-and Ced. He is now the official leader of the Ardency, on the fields right now, fighting back hordes of fallen angels. He doesn¡¯t know that I am about to die. And the Visionaire has finally revealed his true identity, but I won¡¯t mess with your timeline too much. Just¡­ trust him. Don¡¯t even try to prevent the First Scene, lest this be the fate of the world.¡± For a moment, everyone was stunned to the floor. Clearly, this woman¡­ the 55th Serene was asking nothing of us and expected nothing from us, even if every evidence earlier had suggested otherwise. Her face was set with determination now. ¡°Before W-world¡¯s Convergence runs out, I will give you all some advice, as you are all no help right now.¡± She faced us with no particular eye on anyone, maybe staring past us. ¡°Fanny. Try your best to stay away from Junseo. It is for your own good.¡± I couldn¡¯t catch Fanny¡¯s reaction as the 55th continued slowly, ¡°Junseo. Make your mother¡¯s dreams come true. This way, you might be able to catch the Visionaire¡¯s attention faster.¡± Jun flinched violently, and I immediately had questions, but Serene didn¡¯t stop. Her voice was fading more. ¡°Jun, unfortunately, I do not remember their names, but make sure Red and Blue die. You must kill them silently. The apocalypse is partly their fault.¡± ¡°And finally, me from my Arc years. I have a lot to say.¡± I nodded my head, and grasped at her hand like she was about to die. ¡°Tell me.¡± She looked down at me, and gave me a grim smile. ¡°Accept your situation. Love Cedrance, and make him stop searching for revenge. And when you find the truth¡­ bury it. Let the murderer live.¡± I was so confused and conflicted. ¡°If you find a girl named Gwen Olynn, ask her for a jacket, and give her a hug. She needs it.¡± She lifted her finger up to Fanny and Jun. ¡°Maybe you two could help with this, but she is a wary girl. Trust me. She is vital for the world.¡± I nodded my head, furiously trying to remember the name that I knew I would eventually forget. ¡°Avil, Avil, Avil¡­¡± I knew that name. Cedrance¡¯s best friend. ¡°Encourage him, yes, but never let him search for his feelings. And if I had a say, Gwen isn¡¯t the one for him. Make sure he grows strong.¡± ¡°Avoid all the guilds that want you. The same goes for you two, and Ced. Do not trust any guide except The Shepherd of Souls. I still don¡¯t even know her name. And the Bloodhound, Nolan Faust¡­ you know him well¡­ fear that man. And Reya. Let her know she¡¯s on the right track, if she ever asks you. I still remember that day¡­ the other Ato, leave him be.¡± I instantly recalled the conversation I had with her just earlier today, but I didn¡¯t interrupt the 55th, who kept going. ¡°This one is very important. Keep your eyes on a boy named Dean Harvest. He will become the Harbinger of Calamity¡­¡± Serene spoke with great difficulty. ¡°Make sure he stays on this path¡­ You will know if you find his grandmother dead¡­¡± I stood up. ¡°Serene? Are you okay?¡± ¡°I know, honey¡­ take¡­ the gun¡­¡± Serene was completely spaced out, and to my horror, began slumping even more in her chair, but I was locked still in fear as she, with the last of her strength, put the gun into my hand, my own gun clattering to the ground, ¡°the last thing you need to know¡­ pray¡­ you don¡¯t¡­ meet¡­ the 2nd¡­¡± And suddenly, I was taken back to the void. This time, there were no colors. 18 - THE UNIVERSAL DESIRE 18: THE UNIVERSAL DESIRE // 2:11 P.M. // 10 - 25 - 2023 // Red Rock - Turtlehead Peak Trail Starring Kali Lapuz Featuring Regan Yglesias, ???, ???, ???, Rubia and Penelope // ¡°Aw c¡¯mon, bro! You go first!¡± I giggled as Regan squeezed from the back to shove Marsh out of his seat by the van¡¯s door. Her arm pushed up against me as she fought to kick Marsh out, and I begrudgingly allowed her to. A cool breeze set into the van. Marsh grunted, holding down on his seat, as two other guys tried to pry his finger off. ¡°Hey, hey hey! Man, really?¡± ¡°Move it!¡± Regan barbarically tore his left hand from its grasp against his seat, and he yelped, making Joshua and the others laugh. ¡°You¡¯re our upperclassman, so it should be you that goes first, eh?¡± Joshua patted Marsh from behind as Marsh struggled against Regan¡¯s and Corey¡¯s assaults. Then I had an idea. Projecting my voice, I pulled the van door¡¯s lever to my left, and it brought everyone¡¯s attention as it slid open. ¡°Hmm, actually? I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Joshua slowed his relentlessness. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Betrayal!¡± Regan screeched, more of laughter than disbelief, though it wasn¡¯t much of a big deal to begin with. I rested my hand onto her arm, still posted on my shoulder now hurting, my other reaching for her opposite shoulder. ¡°Hey, Regan,¡± I sneered. ¡°Betrayal!¡± She repeated again, not really listening. ¡°Get this psycho off of me!¡± Marsh hollered, his buddy Lorenzo, the driver at the front, laughing hysterically. Without a warning, I squeezed on the pressure point on her elbow and near her neck. ¡°Aaaahhh! Oowww, tss, tss, tss, tss! Kali, stahh-stoooop it!¡± Regan made the necessary noises of pain, and then gave up quickly as she caught the smile on my face. She succumbed at the realization of what I was doing. ¡°I think you already know what I¡¯m gonna say.¡± Regan paused as I loosened my hold, and then began making a ruckus again as I squeezed again, Joshua and Corey howling from behind. ¡°Mercy¡ªahhh! Mercy on this poor mortal soul!¡± ¡°Kali and Regan at it again,¡± Marsh sat there in shock, and then I made eye contact with him over Regan¡¯s hunched back. He made a grateful expression. I smiled even wider. ¡°You owe me.¡± Both Regan and Marsh flinched. ¡­ A voice called from nearby. ¡°If you need to use the bathroom, go now! We¡¯ll be leaving for the trail soon!¡± We were the only cars in the parking lot. The morning sun was barely over the mountains in the distance, washing us in its golden shower, the soft desert winds blowing up dust against my ankles. Ashen trees and desolate plants, spiky and unforgiving in shape, littering everything that the sand all around touched. The sound of the other van¡¯s door, a creaking noise as it came to a close and let out the last person. ¡°Why¡¯d you make me go out first?¡± Regan snuck up from behind and suddenly whined in my ear, and I made my attempt to leap away but her arm was too fast, circling around me and putting me into a chokehold, not squeezing but simply holding me still. I gasped, and was suddenly stuck staring at the dusty ground of the parking lot, frantically trying to remove myself, but she held her ground. ¡°Hmm? Someone¡¯s struggling,¡± Regan sadistically pushed her hip into me, being taller than me her hip shoved into my stomach, leaving me breathless. ¡°Mercy¡ªahhck!¡± ¡°Honestly, I¡¯m so glad I got permission from Arc to get us that day off,¡± someone sighed from behind, and then karate chopped Regan who made a squeaking noise and quickly let go. My head spun around to praise my savior, and I was met with ruby red eyes. Oh, I knew who she was! ¡°Thanks for that, Rubia.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Rubia nodded with a little smile. ¡°If she¡¯s out to get you again, make sure to call me up!¡± Another girl came from behind Rubia, putting a hand on the girl¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Were they fighting again?¡± Rubia casually acknowledged her with a shoulder nudge. ¡°Oh, Penny. Nah, with Regan and Kali, you just never know.¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve seen,¡± Penelope added, ¡°these two always get back at each other. So this time I bet Kali started it first.¡± Penelope and Rubia began walking away, and I gaped my mouth open as Regan cackled next to me. ¡°Yep! That¡¯s totally¡ª¡± ¡°No! No, no, I can¡¯t let you guys go thinking I¡¯m at fault, it¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°La, la, la!¡± Regan yelled over my voice, ¡°Kali¡¯s a loser, la la la!¡± I huffed in exasperation, a slight bit of amusement, but nonetheless still ticked. ¡°Whatever.¡± ¡°Heh,¡± Regan slung over me again. ¡°I win.¡± ¡­ Regan inhaled in loudly as if to make a show of it. ¡°Red Rock sure is beautiful, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a lot of rocks.¡± Each step we took billowed dust up into the air behind us. In the end, Regan and I took the front of the hike. Penelope had made it clear that it was supposed to be a punishment, but rather it was refreshing to not be blindly following another person as if it was a group project. Well, it sort of was, but this time we were the leaders. Behind us, the others seemed to be having a good time. We weren¡¯t all that far into the hiking trip, so the danger protocols were still fresh in our minds. Rubia had been very thorough about it, and even though Regan and I were taking a bit of a risk at the front, she trusted us, but not enough to leave us too far ahead. No, she was literally breathing down my neck. ¡°Hey, you don¡¯t need to worry so much, we¡¯re on a public trail anyways,¡± I tried to hint to Rubia, but she shook her head. ¡°An upperclassman always needs to watch out for her juniors.¡± ¡°Dude.¡± She rolled her eyes as I glanced back to her, ¡°I know, I know. But in the end Penny and I will be held responsible if something happens, which, yeah everyone collectively agrees probably won¡¯t. Still. You get what I¡¯m saying, right?¡± Regan inputted sarcastically, ¡°Mhmm, this is for you and not for us.¡± Penelope behind her snickered. ¡°Well, you could think about it that way if it makes you feel any better.¡± I kicked aside a rock, the little trail pack I had brought along was held right against my chest and hip so it wouldn¡¯t bounce and annoy me. I unbuckled it and swung it to the front of my body, unzipping the second layer and preemptively throwing a wet towel around my neck, still dry without water. My hair was all pulled back, the towel was at quick access to wrap it around my head in case I sweated, which was most definitely going to happen given the rockiness and the steepness of the path. I zipped and put my backpack back on as we kept moving at our relatively quick pace. Even in a club, we were Arc students with standards. Along the sides of the hilly walls to our left and right were the studs of rocks and boulders, a canyon leading in one direction to the flatter and leveling expanse ahead. The monotonous orange and gold sands and stones of the desert were beginning to brighten with the rising sun beyond, green finally showing itself into the light with the few cacti and desert shrubbery around us. Finally, the path ahead split into a couple roads. ¡°I¡¯m pretty sure I read something like this on the website,¡± Penelope mused for a moment. ¡°I think they said right is the easiest one, and left is the most confusing.¡± I was immediately a fan of the right side. Less walking, please, my ankles were already starting to become sore. ¡°So,¡± Rubia raised her voice and repeated Penelope for a quick second, ¡°vote of noise. Left side!¡± Many of the guys cheered loudly, along with Regan, but she stopped when she caught my glare. ¡°And right side!¡± I raised my hands into the air and yelled loudly, ¡°Yeahhhhh!¡± And then I also stopped, my cheeks flushed involuntarily. To my dismay, Regan took the opportunity to have fun. ¡°So, looks like Kali¡¯s the only one who wants to take it easy.¡± I could already hear her infuriating witch-laugh in my head as she went on, ¡°What a poor, unfortunate little baby. Maybe she needs to rest her feet or she¡¯s going to get a boo-boo¡­¡ªow.¡± Rubia chopped her on the head again. An instant round of laughter caused me to shrivel up inside. Damn it, I was got good. ¡°Regan¡­¡± ¡ªbudubum, budubum¡­ All of a sudden a tension overcame everyone as a repetitive thumping noise interrupted the silence of the desert. Something was coming from the distance, behind one of the hills. ¡°Hey¡­¡± Joshua vocalized everyone¡¯s thoughts, ¡°did anyone bring a weapon?¡± That small moment when no one said anything was unbearable. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. I offered, ¡°I have a retractable hiking stick in my backpack. Who¡¯s proficient with the sword?¡± A couple heads turned towards Marsh, who tersely approached me. ¡°Hand one over. My abilities need a weapon to activate.¡± I obliged and quickly unbuckled, unzipped, and pulled out the promised stick. Marsh pulled the stick out to its full length. ¡°Is there any way to rig it so it doesn¡¯t break or collapse?¡± ¡°Not that I can think of¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Rubia and I,¡± Penelope added quickly, ¡°we¡¯re ready to use our abilities.¡± ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t worry¡ª¡± ¡°I saw them!¡± A person to my far right, Corey, panting quickly, and startling me as I realized he wasn¡¯t there a second ago. ¡°Around a dozen or so bulls!¡± Did he run all the way around the hill ahead just to scout them out? ¡°Do you know what kind? Regular, monster?¡± ¡ªbudubum, budubum, Bubum His breathing was slowing down, but my heart was still beating fast. ¡°I think they¡¯re Stouthorned Bulls or something.¡± Think, think, think. Kali, think¡­ ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t they avoid us?¡± I asked without believing my own words. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like ¡®avoiding us¡¯, Joshua in the back pointed out, a tremor in his voice. I turned to where his finger was pointed to, and where the growing noise of stampede was coming from. ¡ªBADUM BADUM BADUM Just as Corey had described, a dozen or so bulls headed straight in our direction, hellbent on running us down. How did I know? I just knew that I wasn¡¯t going to be able to dodge them with the speed that they turned around the hill. What Corey had failed to describe was that they were small bulls. That they were Devilhorn Bulls. I was drawing a blank. // 4:54 A.M. // 10 - 25 - 2023 // Arc - Housing District Starring Dean Harvest // I opened my eyes to the blank ceiling above. My room was dimly lit, shadows in the corners where my new mushroom lamp by the left wall couldn¡¯t reach. [¡®Get out of my body.¡¯] I slowly sat up in bed. There was a potted plant on the window still, a little light positioned over it so it would never run out of light. It was still small, barely budding, a wisp of green in the brown dirt and blue pot. Help me. [¡®Why are you still here?¡¯] Pulling my sheets off, I slid out to the left of my small bed, brushing past the potted plant and towards the desk. I pulled the chair out and sat down quietly. The backpack on the desk sat there too, waiting expectantly. I don¡¯t know. [¡®You stole everything from me.¡¯] Reaching into the backpack, I pulled out the textbook. Theory of Mana, by Cyril Wright. Its cover was hard, and clacked against the table when I opened it. I didn¡¯t want to. [¡®You are weak. Pathetic.¡¯] My finger faltered as I flipped through another page. Please stop it. [¡®You¡¯ll be the death of Mother and Father.¡¯] I won¡¯t. [¡®It¡¯s all about you, isn¡¯t it?¡¯] It isn¡¯t. [¡®Then is it for me?¡¯] ¡­ [¡®Is it for me?¡¯] ¡­ [¡®All out of Guides, aren¡¯t you? You¡¯ve relied too much on me. Thief.¡¯] I closed the book with a thud. It was quiet, but so deafeningly loud. [¡®You¡¯re so weak.¡¯] ¡­ I know. [¡®Save Mother and Father. Save Grandma. You have to.¡¯] I know. [¡®Then do you know why you¡¯re here?¡¯] Yes. [¡®Why?¡¯] To Awaken. // 1:13 P.M. // 10 - 23 - 2023 // Arc - F-Wing, Refinement Class Starring Zendolyn Ato Featuring Reyenal Ato, Professor Carmela and Aythe Siena // ======================== ¡®Jennifer Carmela¡¯ has taken interest in you. ======================== Reyenal tapped my shoulder concernedly. ¡°You good, Zen?¡± I faced towards the front as Professor Carmela returned the seat back to its spot, the guys near her sucking in their breaths. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You¡¯re paler than normal.¡± ¡°How can you tell?¡± She whacked the back of my head, and reality settled back in as I hissed in pain. ¡°What was that for?!¡± I whisper-yelled at her, but she rolled her eyes. ¡°Because you¡¯re stupid.¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Honestly, that was the first time I¡¯ve seen her do that.¡± ¡°Students,¡± the professor¡¯s voice quickly drowned out my anger, ¡°did you read the agenda for today?¡± I looked at the board in the back. What was¡­ wait¡­ My eyes bugged out, but I remained silent. I was scared of that teacher. What the hell did Test mean? I shuddered. Professor Carmela lightly chuckled. ¡°Well, Zendolyn, don¡¯t freak out too much.¡± I immediately became flustered when she called me out. ¡­ A minute later, after she had taken attendance, people were filing out of the classroom, led by the professor at the front. As I walked down the stairs I made the unfortunate discovery that I couldn¡¯t see. No, my eyesight was perfectly fine, but I literally couldn¡¯t see anything except for the rippling back muscles of some dude in front of me. I disgustedly took a step back on the stairs, startling Reya behind me, but she quickly understood, and made a huffing noise. The infamous speckled hair of the guy who had wrecked the training center with his buddy, and the handsome face to pair with, I felt out of my league to be in the same space as him. I couldn¡¯t help but notice how his shirt clung to his sculpted body like saran wrap. There was almost no point in wearing a shirt at that point, with how much the shoulders were already tearing through his gym-bro white tank top and golden chain around his neck. I was also keenly aware that he was looking at me. Well, not at me. Behind me. I glanced back to see Reyenal, and then back to Aythe. ¡°Hey,¡± I said. ¡°Can you move? You¡¯re blocking the way.¡± She looked pissed beyond my imaginations. They had a staredown for a couple of seconds before someone called Aythe¡¯s name, and he turned back and walked down the stairs with a cool air to him. ¡°*****,¡± Reya swore. I childishly snorted. ¡°What¡¯s the beef between you two?¡± I didn¡¯t wait for an answer and followed Aythe down, most everyone was already outside and probably leaving without us. In pursuit, she caught up to me and when we walked out the door into the hot air, she said quietly to me, ¡°Every time I have a class with him, he¡¯s always staring at me. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s ****ing wrong with him, but he¡¯s creepy.¡± I took a moment to look around, and spotted the sparkling gold hair turning around a corner past another nearby class, and sped towards it. ¡°Yeah. That sounds pretty bad. What do you think that means, like, clich¨¦-wise?¡± We turned another corner into the main street towards the cafeteria. Reya didn¡¯t answer, so I bluntly gave it to her. ¡°He¡¯s interested. Either because he likes you, or he wants to kill you. Or maybe both.¡± She sighed, patting my shoulder to go faster, the sound of our feet against the pavement coming to a little jog to catch up, ¡°Obviously I¡¯ve thought about that already. And you know what? I think he sees me as a competitor or something.¡± She barred her arm out in front of me to stop me from getting in hearing distance as we slowed to a walking pace, in the blazing hot sun as we traveled somewhere towards the science and security buildings to the left of the cafeteria. A few guys looked up from their watches at us from beneath the shade of the trees lining the middle of the street, probably sophomores on their free period or lazy juniors. I heard some yelling coming from the recently repaired training center behind us to the right, students hard at training, and then a few more yells. A wave of wind swished the back of my ear, and I pushed my hair back down as it attempted to stand up like reeds. It didn¡¯t take long for us to reach one of the research buildings, where we were led inside to the air conditioned facility, a blindingly front desk looking place, except there wasn¡¯t anyone sitting at the front desk. Professor Carmela walked past it into a hallway to the left, a few doors a little agape that I was tempted to pull to a close. She led us into another room, and I couldn¡¯t see anything behind a mass of bodies. As I scooted into the crowd and made a little hop so I could see what was happening, what instantly stood out was the giant empty space in the middle of lots of desks, wires, and equipment. All of it looked science-y and tech-y and also very research-y. Most of the guys sort of clumped up around the edges of the tables, moving towards the side so others could fit in. The girls tried to peek around the guys¡¯ shoulders, but they were too tall, so they resorted to shoving others aside to get a view. Reya fitted in beside me, and she also tried to get a look, but then in the midst of all of the talking and muttering we quickly realized we were stuck in the center. Not trying to cause a commotion, I stayed put and kept my ear out for any audio cues from the professor, which quickly came in the form of her knocking on the wall. Everyone¡¯s voices came to a steady stop, and then the professor began, ¡°Today, we¡¯ll be having a Full Person Assessment. Now, does anyone know what this means?¡± I was baffled now. That didn¡¯t sound like a pen and paper test. If it wasn¡¯t a written test¡­ then was it a physical test? Oh no. I was already a little bit winded from running just that much to catch up to the other students, and now I had to do more of that? Why was Zen¡¯s body so weak? I caught a hand raising high into the air, noticeably much higher than I could reach. That meant someone tall. ¡°Go ahead, Aythe.¡± Really, him? ¡°That means we¡¯re going to be stuck through a machine, right?¡± She laughed a bit, ¡°No, no, not just that. I¡¯ll give you guys a quick rundown of what you¡¯re doing today.¡± I shuddered. ¡°You¡¯ll be having a mock interview, like what Zendolyn went through. He¡¯s exempt from that. Then, you¡¯ll be run through an individual and private potential and ability analysis. After both of these, you will be assigned an individual project to work on, made just for you. If you pass this project, your grade will go up. These are a part of the formula for being a good hire.¡± The class was tense. All of these sounded very important. ¡°Simple, yes?¡± 19 - THE GUNSHOT 19: THE GUNSHOT // 4:15 // 10 - 24 - 2023 // Arc - Starbucks Starring Serene Goldwin Featuring Fanny, ??? and Melinda // I felt terrible. The proud Starbucks logo invited me in, and when I pushed through the door I was immediately hit with a sense of nostalgia and dread. Looking around, the small tables were almost all filled with students, most of them in groups hard at work on the project. The baristas behind the counter bustled back and forth, someone called out an order, and the most prominent smell of coffee delighted my nose. Finally I spotted Fanny over to the left, her handbag reserving my seat. ¡°Hey, Fanny.¡± There were rings of darkness under her eyes, and she hardly acknowledged me as I removed her handbag and sat down in its place, the seat opposite to her. She reached out to take her stuff, and after placing it down relocked her fingers around her frothy cup of mocha ice blend on the table. I didn¡¯t pay much more attention to her as I double tapped the watch screen and enlarged it, pushing it out, and a holographic keyboard appeared in front of me. Now I fitted in with the other students doing just that. The sunlight came in at an angle from the windows, enveloping my arm and lower body in its warmth while the cool indoor air circulated around me. I glanced up at her, she tilted the cup into her mouth slightly and sluggishly. ¡°Fanny, I¡¯ve invited you and Jun to a groupchat and also to the slides. You got a photo, right?¡± She placed the cup back down and nodded, then also enlarged her watch screen. I noticed her fingernails were painted pink. ¡°Hey, about what happened¡­¡± The table shook as I stood up abruptly, and she flinched. I said lowly, ¡°Sorry, I need a moment.¡± Fanny glumly watched me walking over to the line. A minute, and then two. The barista smiled lifelessly at me, ¡°Hello, what can I¡ª¡± ¡°Chocolate cookie crumble,¡± I interrupted her, ¡°venti sized. With points. Serene. That¡¯s it.¡± She frowned at me for a microsecond and then returned back to normal, punching in the order into the tablet. ¡°A venti chocolate cookie crumble for Serene, that¡¯ll be 1 point.¡± I lifted my watch near the tablet, and it beeped pleasantly. Before she could say anything, I walked back to the table where Fanny was still watching me from. She started shyly, ¡°Can we please talk about what happened yesterday? I¡¯m still so confused¡­¡± Her voice faded as she recognized my glare, and her head drooped slightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I said something wrong. But still¡­¡± Fanny seemed to take my silence for acceptance. ¡°That¡­ Serene, the one that claimed to be the 55th version of you, said that it was 2035. That¡¯s only 12 years into the future, and the world is in chaos¡­ but we know what¡¯s going to happen! We can prevent this! We can¡ª¡± ¡°Fanny.¡± I glared at her from the side of my eye, still not completely focused on her but rather waiting for my drink to come out. She stopped talking immediately. I returned my eyes to her, and pursed my lips. ¡°This isn¡¯t something you should go around telling people about. Do you know how much worse things will get if this happens?¡± ¡°¡­ but if we tell them, then we can stop¡ª¡± ¡°And at what cost?¡± I growled. ¡°You think people are just going to take your word for it? No! They¡¯re going to laugh at you, and then they are going to die.¡± Her face was more fiercely bold than shocked, ¡°So? If we have you and Jun spread the word, then they¡¯ll listen! I know it! I know I would,¡± she added, and then cupped her hand around her mouth, a pitiful look sprang onto her face. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry about that, Serene. Oh my god, I¡¯m sorry, I really am. That was insensitive of me.¡± I shook my head, not entirely sure what she was apologizing for, and all of a sudden I wasn¡¯t angry anymore. I had used all of my Guides when I was interrogating the 55th Serene. ¡°No, forget about it.¡± Fanny paused for a moment, and then continued, though now a more careful look in her eyes. ¡°Well, we have to do something, right? She told us so much, we definitely can figure something out.¡± Slowly, I nodded my head in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ve written down everything I can remember.¡± Actually, I could have probably listed them all out right there. There was no way I was going to forget the screams of the battlefield mingling with the smell of the impoverished and the sight of the dead woman laying on the chair. Me. I said lightly, ¡°Do you know who Gwen is?¡± ¡°No,¡± she shook her head, ¡°no, I don¡¯t think so. Do you?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°How about Avil?¡± I nodded my head. ¡°Boyfriend¡¯s brother.¡± ¡°She said something about growing, right?¡± Fanny mused, ¡°And also, something about Gwen and him¡­¡± I cut in. ¡°She isn¡¯t the right one for him, but I don¡¯t think they know each other. For all we know, they met on the battlefield.¡± From the counter one of the baristas called out loudly, ¡°Order for Serene! Serene?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be right back,¡± I stood to fetch my drink, but Fanny didn¡¯t move. Her fingers were making their way towards her hair, curling the hair around in small circles. A refreshing sip of cold chocolate left me satisfied, and I continued talking. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have any lead on Nolan, that guy in 4th place I think, nor the Ato¡¯s, both of them. Well¡­ maybe¡­¡± I pondered for a second. Yesterday, I had in fact met up with the girl Ato, Reyenal. And didn¡¯t she tell me¡­ something about alternate realities? ¡°Oh. I remembered something.¡± Fanny¡¯s focus pulled back down to Earth, and her eyes brightened as I kept going on. ¡°I think we have something.¡± I could sense the bubbling excitement in her. ¡°Really? Really? Who is it?!¡± I filled her in quickly, how she had invited Cedrance and I to a bakery and had told us that there was a possibility of alternate universes out there. With mixed emotions, Fanny decided promptly that she was going to be positive. ¡°Serene, you have to call her up! You have to, you¡¯ve found something!¡± ¡°But no, we¡¯re not on the best of terms. Also, we have more names to get to¡­ namely Jun.¡± Fanny hesitated to speak. A bit of sweat traced down the side of her neck. ¡°Did you know his name is Junseo?¡± I went on obliviously. ¡°I know he¡¯s Korean, but I never thought that Jun was just his nickname.¡± I wondered why, though. ¡°And what was that point about how he had to follow something so about his mom? That sounds important, and it even connects to ¡®him¡¯, whoever she was talking about¡­¡± ¡°Actually,¡± she said nervously, ¡°I just visited him.¡± My face darkened, but before I said anything, she said, ¡°Well¡ªhe¡¯s doing okay, just to let you know! But¡­ yeah, his real name is Junseo. Junseo Park.¡± We were silent for a second. ¡°You did hear what the 55th told you, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Please keep it limited.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t be too mad at you for that,¡± I tried to break the ice. ¡°Did you ask him about his mom?¡± Fanny didn¡¯t respond for a second. Then, started started, and then stopped like a broken toy, and then restarted again as if she was figuring out what to say. ¡°Yeah, sorry. Umm¡­ according to him, his mom was really suffocating. She always called him Junseo, so he hates that name. He told me that.¡± I felt like Fanny was holding something back. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°¡­ she wanted him to become a K-Pop Idol.¡± I was taken aback for a second, and then returned my face back to neutrality. I did always slightly notice his accent, though not that thick, and he had a face, voice, and body to suit. Even his pink hair was idol-quality. It made total sense in my frazzled brain. ¡°And his goal¡ª¡± ¡°Kill Red and Blue.¡± ¡°Do you have any idea at all?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t. You?¡± ¡°No.¡± Another period of awkward silence, the gaps filled in with the ambience of Starbucks, people walking in and out, the sound of small chatter all about. Randomly, I began to think of what had happened in the cave. When we were fighting the goblins, it looked like Fanny and Jun carried almost the same kind of weapon, and they also seemed to have similar fighting stances. So¡­ what was that all about? ¡°Serene, we should start on the project.¡± Fanny took initiative, though a little weakly. ¡°We can worry about this later.¡± I nodded my approval, but then became serious again. ¡°Whatever happened there stays there, do you get that?¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Fanny nodded and then made a squealing noise as an elbow smooshed onto her head, the rest of the arm falling over her head. ¡°Hey, get your hand off me!¡± Fanny bursted out, but was quickly hushed by another hand wrapping around to her face and muffling her. It didn¡¯t even take me a millisecond to recognize the bastard over Fanny, the muscular and hairy arm connected to the muscular and hairy body, a gym fit and more scary muscles. Moving up to her face there was a scar on her chin, a strong jawline, up to her eyes that scowled in shallow hatred, and of course, the spectacularly obvious short maroon hair beyond tangled and inconsistently jagged in the way it hung from her head. She was Melinda¡¯s minion. That meant that Melinda¡­ ¡°Long time no see, *****,¡± the spiteful hissyrat came from behind the large girl. A serpentine smile crept onto her oversaturated face, loaded with layers and layers of makeup. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re any different. Still here, huh?¡± Melinda was the reason why I didn¡¯t like this place. It was here where my drink had been spiked, and it was from here that I ended up in those bathrooms. It was from here that I had been brought to the most pain and humiliation I had ever had the displeasure of experiencing in my life. ¡°Did that leave you with good memories? Did you come back for more?¡± Melinda sneered at me over her nose, wearing that same green hoodie that brought back all of the wrong memories. My anger showed. ¡°You can go **** off and die.¡± ¡°Make me,¡± the bully shot back, a smug look. ¡°Not like you or your dad can do anything to me, the daughter to the DEVO Enterprise.¡± ¡°You¡¯re nothing special,¡± I rolled my eye, my face scrunched up in disgust. Fanny tried to push the big girl off of her, but to no avail. ¡°You¡¯re just one of your dad¡¯s little spawns with the many lucky ladies I¡¯ve heard he beds. What are you, the tenth?¡± ¡°Get off! Get off!¡± Fanny¡¯s cries were muffled by the hand over her mouth, and a few people started to look our way. ¡°Don¡¯t cause a commotion, honey,¡± Melinda growled at me, and Fanny quieted down, her eyes welling up with tears. ¡°And be careful about what you say around me. I¡¯m Awakened now. I know that you¡¯re not.¡± For a moment, I was shocked. Melinda, Awakened? Before me? What the hell was I supposed to say now? I didn¡¯t have any Guides left! ¡°No, I frankly don¡¯t believe you.¡± I tried, but my voice came out quieter than expected. Of course I didn¡¯t believe what I said. ¡°So that¡¯s what you think,¡± the big girl finally said. Up until now, I didn¡¯t even know she could talk. ¡°Well, then, challenge her to a duel. You can see for yourself my master¡¯s power.¡± I forced myself to laugh, and I could see that we were drawing a crowd around us. People outside the shop were watching through the windows, even from the other side of the street students were trying to peer in to see what was going on. ¡°Hah! As if! I still remember how I kicked your ***** the last time we fought, and now you want Melinda to fight me alone? Good joke!¡± No, my pride was on the line. ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± Too many people were watching. Melinda laughed at me, and I lost all semblance of hope. ¡°Good thing I scheduled a reservation in advance. I¡¯ll see you at 1:30 tomorrow at the Square, I hope?¡± She planned this from the start. Too many people were watching. // 1:39 P.M. // 10 - 25 - 2023 // Club Streets Starring Avil Daniase Featuring Gwen Olynn, Serene Goldwin and Melinda Yeh // My laughing was interrupted when a flier hit me in the face. ¡°Woah, Avil,¡± Gwen burst into a fit of giggling. ¡°You¡¯ve been so unlucky today! First you got smooshed by a kid, and now you got slapped by paper.¡± The Club Street around the Square, the arena, was less empty than normal, with people walking around and buzzing with an enthusiasm that I didn¡¯t really catch. It was our open class, our free time to do whatever we wanted as I had recently just dropped my second Hobby of Nursing. It just wasn¡¯t for me. And as for Gwen, she had only chosen one Hobby during the initial selection phase. ¡°What the heck?¡± I annoyedly swatted the flier off of my face, the wind blew harder again, the rattling and shuttering noise of paper as I held it out in front of me. ¡°What is¡­!¡± I scanned through it out of curiosity, though as grumbling as I was. ¡°Travel Club interest meeting on Saturday, anyone can join¡­¡± I read loudly as Gwen peeked over my shoulder, shielding her face from the sun, ¡°even for just the upcoming trip? So does that mean that we don¡¯t have to commit?¡± ¡°Are you interested?¡± She asked, and then read out, ¡°20 point fee, full weekend off¡­ that¡¯s so cheap! And vote on where to go¡­ no way, you literally just told me¡­¡± We gaped at each other. I nodded, a flurry of thoughts pouring out of my head, and an excitement came over me like nothing before, and a sudden sense of motivation was taking over. ¡°Yeah, I did just tell you. That guy in Ward 104, Jos¨¦, and his wish to tell his family a corny phrase. Yeah. Someone heard my prayers.¡± Gwen was still in awe. ¡°Isn¡¯t this like¡­ a really convenient thing that just happened to hit you in the face?¡± ¡°Realistically,¡± I said thoughtfully, ¡°how are we going to convince people to vote for what I want?¡± ¡°Maine, right?¡± ¡°Yeah. Who would want to go to Maine of all places?¡± Gwen rolled her eyes. ¡°You do.¡± I coughed in defense, ¡°It¡¯s for Jos¨¦!¡± ¡°Hah. Sure.¡± ¡°I¡¯m serious!¡± She frowned suddenly. ¡°Do you hear that?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, it¡¯s probably people training again,¡± I entertained her question, not knowing what she was talking about. ¡°Or maybe people are fawning over the handsome and popular guys again. Or girls.¡± She shook her head, slowing down a little in her pace which I confusedly matched. ¡°No, no. It¡¯s like¡­ yelling. Cheering, actually. Yeah, no, something is definitely happening.¡± Gwen began to walk a little faster towards the Club Streets exit around the round bend, but then took a sharp left where a few people were going towards as well. I raised my voice, ¡°Wait, Gwen, why are we in the Square?¡± By now I could definitely hear what she was talking about. Cheering. So loud, in fact, that my words were almost hard to hear. Someone pushed past me and rushed in the direction we were going. I could hear his stomps ascending into the crowd. ¡°To see why there¡¯s so many people here during school,¡± she replied, and as we passed through the lobby towards the stairs to the audience seats, I snuck a couple of glances towards the cameras hung at the front for the indoor spectators. There were so many people in the stands, all of them watching the center stage. What was once a flat stage where the beginning ceremony was hosted all that time ago had transformed into a grassy outlet of flowers, trees, and bushes. However, there was a sort of inauspicious shimmery grey light that coated every surface that didn¡¯t seem right to me. But, this was how the Square was intended to be used: as an arena. There was on one to be seen from the overtop view of the green stage. However, before I could identify the rattling of a bush in the corner of the screen, Gwen violently grabbed my hand and pulled me towards her, making me stumble into her. She didn¡¯t stop, though, and kept running up the now elevated steps completely unfazed as I felt my face flushing in a sudden burst of the heat of sunlight, peeking out from the shade into the crowd of bodies. Everything became louder. There were so many people, so so many people. Freshmen, sophomores, juniors, some photographers and journalists in the far back and near the front and top seats for the best cinematography angles probably for school clubs. It was loud, and yet for a crowd that big it was at the same time awfully silent. It was as if everyone was holding their breaths. Over the top, on the huge box overhead the stage read two names on the huge screens that projected the live footage of a flower field below which I could barely identify beneath all of the trees. [Serene Goldwin vs. Melinda Yeh] Above the box was a floating crystalline orb that I had never seen before, and I guessed it was some sort of Artifact. To my surprise there was a sudden banging noise like gunfire, and then a gunshot from the video elicited a gasp from the audience. At first I couldn¡¯t tell what was going on as Gwen hustled me to an empty seat, scooting past loads and loads of people. Then a tree fell down with someone in it, a really pretty girl in the Arc attire who I recognized to be from Unawakened Homeroom 1, the one who had a gun. Her hair blew around in torrents and strands of partial-gold in the sun as she leaped to the side and grunted from the landing. Then wasting no time, she quickly raised her gun hand forward and straight with her other hand on her shoulder, her head tilted into her hand for the most accurate bullets and her legs positioned front to back, and fired two shots towards a couple of bushes. That was a dueling stance, I noticed. A loud shattering noise followed by a reversed whistle noise from the bullets¡¯ target, suddenly two bullets fired back in quick succession as the girl screamed in a frantic sort of pain, her concentration broken as the whole crowd gasped in realization. She was hit. ¡°Serene!¡± Someone shrieked from a few rows in front, her voice high and her hair a striking orange. ¡°Keep fighting!¡± ¡°You can do this!¡± ¡°Push through!¡± The audience roared. Clutching the wound at her shoulder, there was an audible noise like someone sucking in their breath through their teeth, and then a groan of pain. The crowd gasped again as another person came into view from the bushes in an area that couldn¡¯t be seen. She too wore the standard Arc fit, but looked considerably less generically pretty; still beautiful, but the one now almost now stumbling backwards making huffing noises of pain, Serene, seemed to radiate with beauty. It was like some sort of flowery anime effect. I guessed that she was probably Melinda. Her face was contorted into a disdainful and disappointed look, as if she had almost bitten into a rotten apple, and by her side was a¡­ a gun. She too had a bullet wound that adorned her cheek, below the ear, the bloodstain was still fresh. The screen shifted to a view from Serene¡¯s perspective, her hobbling away and crunching loudly on the leaves and grass as the ominous noise of Melinda¡¯s pursuit followed in her wake. By now the entire crowd was on their toes. The camera turned back to get a look at Melinda, and Gwen beside me tapped my shoulder furiously. ¡°Look, look at her face!¡± ¡°What?¡± I yelled over the people around me. ¡°The wound!¡± Gwen hollered back, an astonished but almost anxious look on her face. Clearly, she was rooting for the underdog. I personally didn¡¯t care what happened, but I followed her gaze anyways¡­ ¡°It¡¯s¡­ smaller,¡± I said slowly. What¡­ how? ¡°She¡¯s Awakened!¡± Her voice lowered as the yells around us turned into murmurs, ones I couldn¡¯t fully understand. I, like a few others, was still very confused. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember that stupid annoying girl with the green hoodie at the Awakening Program orientation day? The one that yelled at the security dude¡ªyeah, that¡¯s her!¡± I thought for a moment back to that day, that horrible day where I lost all of my expectations on the Overtake Guide, and remembered exactly what she was talking about. Up on the screen, Serene raised her arm again to shoot, but then Melinda with more energy than her shot faster. Serene gasped in pain as the camera tilted down, and then the perspective changed again, now to a more side-view. It looked so much more humiliating at this angle. Serene was on the ground, almost crying as Melinda haughtily walked up to her, knowing that she had won the fight. Melinda brought the gun to Serene¡¯s head, whose eyes exhaustedly looked up straight into the barrel. The whole crowd was filled with whispers. Scorn, ¡°I knew it. Serene is ******* trash, and she doesn¡¯t deserve to be here. All she has is her daddy¡¯s money.¡± Amusement, ¡°Told you that Melinda would win. You know, Serene might have had a chance¡­ if she was Awakened, but yeah, no way she stood a living chance in hell.¡± Joy, ¡°Did you see that? I knew that Serene was gonna lose, I knew it! She had it coming.¡± Lust, ¡°Hey, doesn¡¯t she look so bad when she¡¯s bleeding? What, dude? Just look! I know you like what you¡¯re seeing.¡± Desperation, ¡°No Serene, NO!!¡± The orange haired girl was standing up and screaming again. I was slightly annoyed by her now. ¡°You can¡¯t lose, you can¡¯t, you can¡¯t! Think about your boyfriend! Think about Jun! Please, fight back!¡± ¡°How does it feel,¡± Melinda said softly, her voice ringing out over the arena, and everyone immediately shut up. ¡°How does it feel to be on the bottom? Actually, I don¡¯t think I need to know.¡± No one said a word. The camera changed its angle again, now in Melinda¡¯s perspective. Serene¡¯s face scrunched in pain, and then she spit into the ground at Melinda¡¯s feet. Then she stared straight into Melinda¡¯s eyes. ¡°Go screw yourself.¡± An agonizing moment where nothing happened. I opened my mouth to lighten the mood, no way she would kill another person in broad daylight, but then everyone cried out as Melinda pulled the trigger, and my heart dropped. ¡ªBKK BKK Two gunshots. But then everyone gasped again. She was gone, Serene disappeared. The camera changed one last time. Melinda¡¯s face was in stupid shock as she felt the barrel at the back of her head, smoking at the point. Serene stood there, smiling proudly, and with such a scary look on her face that a few people wailed in the crowd. ¡°Got you.¡± And then the crystal orb exploded into a green shower. 20 - REFINE 20: REFINE // 1:31 P.M. // 10 - 23 - 2023 // Arc - F-Wing, Refinement Class Starring Zendolyn Ato Featuring Professor Carmela // My body felt so sluggish after being probed by those scientists. Now was a time of respite in the classroom, where the students around me murmured about their results, but I didn¡¯t want to talk to anybody. As everyone got up to leave, I stayed seated. It was only until Reyenal¡¯s fleeting and worried glance was torn by the closing door that I stood and walked down the stairs towards the waiting and watching Professor. ¡°So it looks like you actually stayed,¡± she said to cut through the silence, ¡°most students when I ask them don¡¯t usually have this much confidence to meet with me, directly one on one¡­ what¡¯s different about you?¡± Reaching the final steps, I made strong eye contact with her, refusing to look away as her stormy eyes probed me. Now there were no other eye-catching or good-looking students in the room to distract me from the full force of her accentuated beauty, and I almost shook in my effort to not look away in distress, in the shame and embarrassment of my own self worth. I stopped at the stage, and observed her. Her shiny and perfectly bouncy brown hair was pulled back so that it didn¡¯t get in the way of her striking gaze and glossy lips that judged every inch of me and left no room for any other lesser thoughts. No, no, get back in the game, Zen. I internally psyched myself up, and answered simply, ¡°I¡¯ve been through worse lectures.¡± She smiled, ¡°It must be your teachers then. Who must be so drawl for you to rat them out, hmm?¡± But her eyes told another story, one I wouldn¡¯t have caught if I weren¡¯t staring straight at them as intensely as I was. There is no way that the Atos spared any second of the day for a child like you. I returned her grin, genuinely, thinking back to how my mother nagged me at home. Then I very quickly snapped out of it. ¡°Sorry.¡± I said shortly. ¡°What did you call me here for, Professor Carmela?¡± ¡°Come up here first,¡± she replied, and briskly walked past me, grabbing the two folding chairs from earlier. I stared at her the entire way as she stepped back onto the stage, placing the chairs down. We took our respective seats. ¡°To answer your question,¡± the professor tapped onto her watch twice, and then spun it around showing me the hologram¡¯s front side. I recognized immediately what was on it. Those were the results I had just gotten back from the assessments earlier. ¡ª¡ª 1 2 6 6 0 4 3 9 6 5 Weight: 54.4 kg (120 lb) | Height: 166 cm (65.4 in) Comment(s): ¡°Unfit, but healthy. Suboptimal BMI and muscle-to-fat ratio. Poor strength and agility.¡± Mana Production: High | Sanity: Stable | Mental Fortitude: Average Comment(s): ¡°Great conditions for Mystery. Seems to have a large pool of mana.¡± Rhetoric: Strong | Preference: Music | Suggestion: N/A Comment(s): ¡°Has a strong presence and a stable voice under pressure.¡± Overall Report, Analysis, and Predictions: ¡°Zendolyn Ato is very likely to become a support-type Mystery class. His body suggests that he would be ill-suited for any long term combat nor melee confrontations, and conversely his mana seems to be in a good position to set him up for success. Zendolyn also has a surprising amount of dexterity in his hands, as demonstrated during testing.¡± Valiance: D+ | Mystery: B- to A | Truth: F ¡ª¡ª I cringed slightly at the rank predictions at the bottom. Wow, I really was an extra. Professor Carmela hardly batted an eye and said, ¡°Just so you know, you¡¯re the only person I¡¯ve ever had in my class that is unawakened. Others have an assessment that looks a little different from yours, including having a class and subclass match.¡± Her words surprised me. ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­ the only unawakened student?¡± My heart thumped loudly in my chest, louder when she spoke again, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I have just as much expectations for you as I have for your Awakened peers. Actually, I was quite impressed by your speaking skills. I¡¯m sure you would be a great politician, but I feel like you wouldn¡¯t like that, yes?¡± I nodded nervously, ¡°Yes, Professor. But¡­ why have I never heard of these tests before?¡± Professor Carmela shook her head, and explained, ¡°It¡¯s like a¡­ a progress report. Nothing more, nothing less. You¡¯re the first person to ask me that. Your other peers in your home room classes will be taking the tests at a different time, but as this is an Awakened class you simply were privileged to be the first few to be tested.¡± She could definitely see my frozen expression, but she didn¡¯t seem to react to it. I focused back to my masked self again as she said sharply, ¡°Zendolyn.¡± I flinched. ¡°There¡¯s another reason why you¡¯re here today. Two reasons.¡± I slowly nodded again, the anticipation rising in my chest. The professor spoke, ¡°Your project will be to attend a gathering of around 300 or more people in Arc and without utilizing the Square.¡± I was completely baffled by how astonishingly un-intensive that seemed, but she kept on speaking, ¡°Now, 300 everywhere else in the world might not be too hard to come across, but here at Arc, you¡¯re going to have a hard time. For this project, you are allowed to use any resources available to you, and your submission will be comprised of a photo and a signature from a professor or a Holimont officer that has also attended the gathering. Don¡¯t worry, they do it all the time; at least 1 supervisor is always required within 250 meters of any gathering of students. It will be due the 22nd of December, on the Friday before Christmas break. Understand?¡± That was only three days before Christmas! I tried to compress all of the information into my head and could feel the holes already forming, as well as ideas, and more ideas. Connecting some pieces together, there was one thing that instantly stood out in my mind. ¡°Yes, Professor.¡± ¡°And secondly,¡± she said, not completely finished with me yet, ¡°there¡¯s going to be a school festival on that same week, and a talent show, and much more.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡­ ¡°On that note, we¡¯re done now.¡± Did she want me to¡­ Sing on a stage? ¡­ I got up to leave, and just as the door was about to close behind me Professor Carmela called to me again. ¡°Hey, Zendolyn. Are you planning on attending the Gemini concert tomorrow night?¡± I paused in place. ¡°Maybe.¡± ¡­ I had another idea. // 2:28 P.M. // 10 - 25 - 2023 // Red Rock - Turtlehead Peak Trail Starring Kali Lapuz Featuring Rubia, Penelope, Marsh and Regan Yglesias // Dangerous. ¡°Run!¡± I screamed, ¡°Those are Devilhorn Bulls! W-we can¡¯t fight those things!¡± I couldn¡¯t fight them. The name instantly turned everyone pale, while the Awakened like Rubia and Penelope looked horrified as they read the ¡®descriptors¡¯ or something that were invisible to us unawakened. We really couldn¡¯t beat three of those bulls, let alone a whole dozen. Not only was their charge almost impossible to dodge because of its ability of maneuvering and turning on a dime, it also had another dangerous ability. ¡°The Landscorched Trail,¡± Penelope whispered beside me. I had only ever seen it in the textbooks, but in person it was so much scarier than in the safety of my dorm. The name exactly described what it looked like, the tanned earth became a bubbling molten red, and then black behind them as they ran towards us. Anyone caught in the midst of the charge would either become kebab, or if they were luckier they would melt to death. Who¡¯s to say that luck was any good? ¡°RUN! NOW!¡± Everyone took off back down the trail, at a pace we had never gone before. Already the tiredness was catching up quickly as I still hadn¡¯t properly rested, but it was this or being trampled, skewered, braised, and then eaten. But the noise of their rampage didn¡¯t seem to quiet down. In fact, it was getting louder with each passing second. ¡ªBADUM BADUM BADUM I was huffing like crazy, my armpits, and forehead, my hair, neck, thighs, toes, everywhere was stained and drenched. My throat screamed for water as the harsh and dust-filled air slammed in with every laborious breath, but still the noise continued from behind. Suddenly one of the guys in front of us stopped and turned around, and to my horror stood firm in place as he gripped his hands together, his legs wide as he took a strong stance on the ground. ¡°Marsh,¡± I panted, and then yelled, ¡°what are you doing?!¡± He responded with the face I had on, but with the more consistent tone of someone who wasn¡¯t nearly as winded as I was. ¡°Kali, I¡¯m Awakened. I can stop them.¡± Marsh was also scared. ¡°Don¡¯t try to be a hero and run!¡± Regan stopped by him, and pulled at his shoulder with a look of effort on her face, but he stood still and stoic, as if unmovable. She grunted, then glancing back and forth rapidly between the bulls and Marsh she yelled in frustration, something I had never seen from her before. ¡ªBADUM BADUM BADUM He was a lost cause. ¡°You unawakeneds better go straight to the vans, or I¡¯m killing you all!¡± Rubia¡¯s hair flipped around as she abruptly stopped in place next to Marsh. I needed to run faster. Marsh grunted as I ran past him. Then I grabbed Regan¡¯s wrist who was still struggling with him and pulled her away. She yelled at me incoherently, but I didn¡¯t care. Our lives were far too important to me. A surge of power split through the ground, and then a loud roaring sound came from the bulls behind. I turned my head back slightly, panting so hard, though it seemed as if the bulls had slowed down, but not by much. The ground below them seemed to be a bit more sluggish like there was some sort of quicksand beneath them that definitely wasn¡¯t there earlier. But then there was the noise of sizzling and the smell of charring, and I realized that the Landscorched Trail was burning and melting the sand even further. The bulls seemed to somehow be running faster the more molten the earth below them was. From behind I could see the sweat dripping from Marsh¡¯s neck as his body was tensed, and the hiking stick I had given to him was planted firmly into the ground, the handle wrapped tightly by both his hands. Then he raised his right hand, and from out of the rocks on the right side of the stony path rocks began to clump together. In an almost inspired shock I stopped running, paralyzed by what was happening before me, the curiosity that told me to keep watching. Regan who was running by me was jerked back as I stopped, and she yelled something at me again but still I couldn¡¯t make out what she was saying. Marsh turned his hand into a ball, and suddenly a fist of earth the size of a small boulder emerged from the earth, and then he slapped his hand against the stick. Rubia and Penelope in tandem laced their fingers together and both pointed at the bulls in unity. In one quick moment the boulder slammed down towards the bulls, and dozens of earthen tendrils flew out of the ground from everywhere and all over went straight at the bulls, and the blinding dusty explosion left me hope that major damage had been done. The debris settled a bit, and what I could make out the silhouette was the destroyed earth and perfectly sharp horns of the bulls still attached to their heads. A couple of them roared in anger, their beady black eyes turning a furious shade of crimson rage. ¡°No way!¡± Rubia lost focus, clinging desperately for her sister¡¯s reassurance, but Penelope only stared and shook in place. Clearly, there was not much damage dealt at all. With renewed vigor and another roar of rage the bulls took up their deadly charge again. ¡°Retreat!¡± Regan hollered at them. Taking that as the cue, the three of them came sprinting back giving me the sudden revitalization to move again as Regan finally uprooted me. Joshua and Corey and the others had already run off long ago, as they also weren¡¯t stupid enough like me to stick around and find out the consequences. I hoped that the second group was doing okay, they had taken a different path than us. ¡°Keep going, Kali!¡± ¡°I¡ªI¡­ know!¡± I couldn¡¯t get caught no matter what. ¡ªBADUMDUMDUMDUM We were making progress, halfway or less through¡­ that wasn¡¯t nearly enough, I really couldn¡¯t keep it up anymore. Run. My eyes were beginning to see stars and fog at the edge. Run. My running was beginning to become staggered, and each breath was heavier and harder than the last. Run¡­ ¡°Kali, keep going! Please, keep going!¡± Regan¡¯s encouragement was filled with now only a sliver of her unending positivity and optimism. It was tainted with fear, fear, fear, fear¡ª [[¡°You¡¯re m% #e@* f*%3nd, Kali! *0# m@(%er the most¡ª¡±]] I gasped and clutched my head. A rock found its target at the front of my foot and I took a tumble onto the hard ground. My body rolled a couple of times and scraped over sharp rocks in the ground as a shriek came from somewhere nearby. I had no doubt that I was bleeding, on my elbows, my knees, all over my back, the back of my head. My heart was beating out of control, and I lingered in the pain for a moment before trying with all of my futile and sluggish efforts. The earthen stench ripped through my nose. ¡°GET UP, KALI!¡± The noises around me seemed to be cloudy. ¡°GET UP!¡± My head flopped against the ground again. Regan¡¯s voice was all I could hear. Time felt slow and deadly. I opened my eyes, and tears met me in the face of the best friend who wasn¡¯t mine, the bulls stampeding ever so closer, her desperate struggle to pull me as the energy was being¡­ drained¡­ from my body. The Devilhorn Bull was only so dangerous because of its ability to force judgment upon the weak, whom they would then cull for more power. I was weak. ¡­ A giant dirt hand sprouted out of the ground in an attempt to wall off the herd, a sudden influx of more and more tendrils bombarded like rain from the sky. And like a miracle had graced me, I saw Regan¡¯s body suddenly tensing, facing away from me. My eyes widened in shock. Regan¡­ A piercing yellow and blue static duality of electricity arced from her fingers, and something manifested from the energy, the mana, into her hand, like a slice of lightning. Regan¡¯s short hair billowed for a second, and then in a quick flash she primed and threw the disc of lightning at impossibly fast speeds, my eyes could hardly catch it as it flew straight through the earth hand. So much dust came out from the soundless but deafeningly charged impact. The static disappeared from Regan¡¯s hair, and dispersed from her fingers as she breathed heavily. ¡­ had Awakened. 21 - STRESS TO CAMPAIGN 21: STRESS TO CAMPAIGN // 4:54 A.M. // 10 - 25 - 2023 // Arc - Housing District Starring Dean Harvest Featuring ???, Leslie, Fanny, Avil Daniase, Aythe Siena and Ben Roswell // I sat in silence. The voice of Dean in my head was gone now. The torment was finally over. ¡­ I tiredly kicked my legs out to push the chair back. Standing up shakily I hobbled back to my bed, and then collapsed into it, the light from the lamp still on and vibrantly illuminating the ceiling above. Reaching almost desperately for the watch on the nightstand, I quickly pulled it to my chest and let out a large breath. With one finger, I double tapped the watch¡¯s screen, and it came to life in a dim night-mode hologram in front of my face. I opened my contact numbers. Nanna was still the latest one from eight days ago. The watch began to buzz as I pressed the call button and closed my eyes. ¡ªbzzz¡­ ¡ªbzzz¡­ The sounds of birds chirping outside perked my ears. ¡ªbzzz¡­ She picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± A warm feeling spread in my chest. Recognition. ¡°Morn¡¯n, Nanna.¡± My¡ªDean¡¯s grandma¡¯s voice responded almost instantly. ¡°Auugh, Dean, why haven¡¯tcha called me and Pappy sooner? I swear, he¡¯s been missing you every day you don¡¯t call. How a¡¯you, son?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Nanna, but it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been drowning in a bid''ah work here. How are you?¡± The subtle but diluted Aussie accent came to me easily. But compared to my grandma¡¯s stretched and old vocal chords, I was a full American. ¡°Sonny, I know you already,¡± she disregarded my question, ¡°If you start that lying baloney again, I¡¯m gonna send your boots to the moon, you hear me, you?¡± I chuckled. ¡°Who am I kidding, your Ma would go baloney on me herself if I ever did that to you. I¡¯m getting along fine, don¡¯t you go worrying about me. And your Ma, I¡¯m sitting next to her right now¡ª¡± ¡°Nanna, can I please talk to her?¡± A sudden urge in my gut that wasn¡¯t mine, but my voice could barely vocalize what I was feeling. I was exhausted. ¡°Nanna¡ª¡± ¡°You know what your Ma is like roight now. That s*** in Australia was real bad for her, and your Daddy isn¡¯t doing much better himself. They been talking to themselves a little lately, and their comas are a little longer, but that¡¯s okay. The doctor says that they are recovering, soo I expect them to be up and about again when you come back home. Alrighty, son? Don¡¯t you worry about us.¡± ¡°Nanna¡­¡± I didn¡¯t believe her. I was worried. ¡°Okay. Okay, Nanna.¡± My words were coming out in whispers. ¡°And Dean, stay healthy. I know you and your plants, but you gotta spare a moment for yourself too. If ya¡¯do, I¡¯ll make you a pie when you come home, alroight? And be safe! That, yes, be very safe.¡± I thought for a second. ¡°Nanna, I¡¯m doing good here as well. Nothing is going on, and my grades are also pretty good¡ª¡± ¡°Good on ya! But I don¡¯t care about your grades, son? Only that you haven¡¯t lost a kilo, and maybe put on half, and your job pays well, and you become strong. Grades, they¡¯re good, but they mean s*** to me. Haha, mine never were so good like yours. Ain¡¯t that right, Ma?¡± ¡°Ma? Oh, is she awake?¡± ¡°Nah, haha! I¡¯m messing with you! She¡¯s sleeping like a stone, your Ma hasn¡¯t said a word in a full day. Your Pa¡¯s snortin¡¯ like a hog in his nappy, though. I¡¯m still buggered after he woke up yesterday and demanded a pasta, and I made him the best damn pasta your Nanna knows how to make. Ohh, I interrupted you. Keep going son, keep talking to me.¡± ¡°¡­ yeah. I¡¯ll keep going.¡± The call didn¡¯t end until the sunlight crept onto the edge of the windowsill flower pot; there was a little smile on the corner of my lips the whole time. ¡­ Leslie exclaimed, ¡°Only 5 hours? Seriously, no way! Those hours you missed are really gonna bite you soon.¡± Fanny¡¯s muffled voice grew as they approached me from around the corner, ¡°I¡­ yeah, I can¡¯t believe that Serene actually shot at... no, I should stop thinking about it¡ª¡± ¡°Then sleep.¡± Leslie grunted as she set down a large pot beside me as I tended to the budding mangetout flowers. ¡°You should also rest more, Dean. Like, take a break man. You¡¯ve been here for 4-ish hours the past two days, and now you¡¯re running on 3.¡± The beige denim gardening overalls looked really cute on her. ¡°What do you even do here? It¡¯s 5 P.M., for God¡¯s sake. There¡¯s only so many plants you can breed together, and only so many variations. Right, Fanny?¡± I firmly gripped my hand around the base of the stem, my palms inside the glove were sweaty. Fanny cleared her throat with a curt nod. ¡°Yeah, yeah, but why are you wearing a hat inside, Leslie?¡± The blond girl pulled at her stringy and curly hair piling beneath the broad brown hat, stopping to fuss over its shape for a second. ¡°I mean, I think the hat looks nice on me, no?¡± She brushed past me and brazenly posed in a cutesy kind of way. ¡°How do I look?¡± Fanny¡¯s lips parted slightly at the edges, her eyes crimping into smile lines. ¡°Cute! Your boots look so nice, where did you get them? And¡ª¡± ¡°Umm,¡± I thoughtfully interjected, ¡°in my opinion, you look¡­ cool. Yeah, cool.¡± I turned away, a warm feeling on my cheek. I meant to say pretty. ¡°Ahaha! Ahahaha¡­!¡± The sound of Leslie¡¯s sudden waterfall laughter behind me sent a torrent of emotional damage tunneling through my chest and heart. ¡°Ahhh¡­!!¡± She snorted again as she tried to calm herself, and Fanny was laughing a bit too. ¡°Ahh¡­ No, I¡¯m so sorry for laughing, but thanks for speaking your mind, Dean! I¡¯ve never heard anyone really compliment me like that¡ª¡± ¡°And it¡¯s cute, no?¡± Fanny added, her high voice was strained to resist another round of laughter. ¡°Dean, what do you think about Leslie?¡± My face heated up again, and I knew my circumstance. I had seen the color of my friend¡¯s friend¡¯s face the day he asked out a girl. How hard was I blushing, and how fast was my heart beating? I blocked my face off with my gloved hands in an X in front of me as Fanny giggled deliriously again. She sounded so much less burdened than before. But I really didn¡¯t want her to see my¡ª ¡ªthump thump thump thump Out of the corner of my eye she peered around the edges of my gloves, tucking a stray strand of her pretty marigold hair behind her ear. Leslie¡¯s dazzling but slightly bashful smile was going to be the end of my heart. ¡°So cute.¡± I opened my mouth to say something, anything to stop me from looking like an incompetent fool, but no sound came out. My head was in emergency mode, alarms were blaring, each and every slideshow had an image of Leslie, one perfect picture for each and every day she visited me in the greenhouse. ¡°Hey, Dean. Don¡¯t worry about Fanny, she¡¯s just messing with you,¡± Leslie said reassuringly, and I nodded dumbly in response. ¡°U-um, mmm. Uh huh.¡± The girls erupted into fits of laughter again, and my humiliation meter was boiling over. Leslie leaned into Fanny for her ear, but her eyes were locked straight on my own through my peeking fingers. Her glinted expression was mixed with a smile that sent another wave of emotions through me. ¡ªthump thump thump thump ¡°So cute.¡± I spoke up with a murmuring voice, ¡°U-uh¡ª¡± Leslie pulled back from Fanny¡¯s ear, Fanny herself was grinning widely and gave eyes of sparkly encouragement when we made contact. ¡°I have a really great idea. Let¡¯s all hang out together today!¡± ¡°Oh, have I taken you to this one place on Fourth Street?¡± My emotions paused for a second, and I hesitated. ¡°I think so? Are you talking aboooout¡­ the place that specializes in those hot fish shaped things with stuff in the middle?¡± ¡°You remembered! Yeah, it¡¯s taiyaki, and also with ice cream.¡± ======================== Guides(1)//Options: Answer Memory Overtake Will you use a Guide? Yes//No ======================== Answer. ======================== Option 1) ¡°Sorry, but I¡¯m really trying to Awaken, so[¡­]¡± Option 2) ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll go, but[¡­]¡± Option 3) ¡°Thanks[¡­]¡± ======================== I frowned slightly. The past few Guides I had been using, though few in numbers as I hadn¡¯t been getting any Rewards as of late, had had the ellipses in brackets. And each time I chose them, my Answer would go past what was on the Screen. It was really uncomfortable not knowing what was going to happen next. But to hell with it. ¡°Sorry,¡± I started, lowering my hands from my face. My tone changed to, more serious and just different. ¡°I¡¯m trying to Awaken, so¡ª¡± ¡°Wow, you¡¯re so dedicated, Dean!¡± Leslie interrupted me, and a crushing blow hit my chest again, and the Guide¡¯s control over me was lost. I was cheated of my Guide. ¡°But, like, after we get the taiyaki,¡± she continued, ¡°you¡¯re gonna need a haircut as well. When was the last time you cut your hair? The first time I met you, it was this short, and now, well,¡± she shook her head rapidly, blowing like a puffer fish, ¡°you get me, right? It¡¯s a whole garden up there, white ¡®flowers¡¯ falling from your hair, too!¡± I was definitely blushing, not so dense as to confuse what she was saying. ¡°R-really?¡± I pulled a glove off and scratched my head. Indeed, my hand dived into a mess of tufts and upturned curls and untempered fluffy pooflets of hair. Well, of course she was trying to say that I looked better with short hair. A shiver went through my whole body as she put her hand on my shoulder. Being a little shorter than me, she looked up at me with her cute little grin. ¡°Well, then, let¡¯s go! Don¡¯t worry about points, it¡¯s on me today!¡± Like a fool I could only gape. ¡°Come on!¡± ¡­ The noonsky and its winds brought a gentle warmth on my neck as I stepped out of my dorm building down the homey carpeted steps, and I looked into the sun. The little cloud overhead hardly blocked out any of the light, the rays piercing through. I tore my eyes away, blinking away tears from staring for too long. I then followed the path leading left for a little as a couple students on bikes on the street passed by me at a distance. A couple of them glanced at me, and then towards the gate out into the rest of the campus. I had seen a cyclist path once, a day when I had strayed from the greenhouse for a little while so I could take a breath. It felt a little inappropriate for me to stop in front of the girls dorm; not even the cheapest one, but the third building after it. If I remembered correctly, the pricing was, for those houses, a whopping 45 point monthly fee on top of an initial cost of 100 to 199 points depending on the dorm chosen. And at that price it wasn¡¯t even a dorm, it was a full on apartment. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. I was a little jealous, but I couldn¡¯t do much with the amount I had now. 15 points a month on a 35 point initial fee. Check the app for a second, yep. 152 points. If I wanted to buy an Ethereal weapon from the arsenal and live comfortably, I was going to need a lot more. My weapon right now, I didn¡¯t feel like it was the right weapon for me, but the shifting properties of an Ethereal weapon could potentially save me. After all, according to everything I read and all of the Memories I had seen of the shows and recordings of monster fighting, weapons made up half of the whole battle. Abilities alone didn¡¯t have nearly as much impact. My eyes swept over the home page again, and I closed the app after a quick glance at my ranking. ¡ª¡ª 1 9 5 1 0 2 2 8 6 7 Dean Harvest | Year 1 | UAH1 Rank 1449 | Rank 7605 Broadsword | Bioscience | Gardening Club ¡ª¡ª A frown involuntarily went across my face. I was so low out of the 8000-ish students that attended Arc in all of the 8 countries combined, and probably even further behind from all of the drop-outs and expulsions. And Arc America wasn¡¯t even the most prestigious ones, as it had the highest population and acceptance rate by a sizable amount compared to somewhere like Arc Korea, or even Arc Russia. ¡°What were you looking at?¡± Leslie tapped my chest, and I yelped in surprise. I didn¡¯t even notice her, but now that I did there was no way I could take my eyes off of her. She wore a tufted and flowery white shirt and plain jeans. She had kept on the brim hat, and tipped it up so she could look inquisitively into my eyes. Her blond hair fell around her shoulder elegantly, and to me Leslie looked like someone who had jumped straight from a beautiful painting. ¡°O-oh!¡± I awkwardly replied, ¡°Uh¡­ my grades.¡± ¡°Which can¡¯t possibly be as bad as mine,¡± Leslie joked and waved her hand. ¡°Fanny¡¯s probably already at the mall by now. You didn¡¯t have to wait for me, you know?¡± She teased me. ¡°No way! Your place looks so nice, though!¡± She froze for a second, and then unfroze just as quickly. I didn¡¯t pay much attention though as she began walking ahead of me, turning back with her broad and cute smile on her face. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s go!¡± I had a strange feeling in my gut as the wind whistled past my ear. ¡­ ¡°That haircut was totally worth my points,¡± Leslie squealed as we walked out of the barber shop that smelled like shampoo. ¡°What was it again¡­ right, a fringe! But cuz your hair is so wavy, it¡¯s like, so cute!¡± Fanny patted me on the back as steam blew off the top of my head. ¡°While you were in there, we got the taiyaki. It¡¯s called Somi Somi if you¡¯re interested, that place is reaaally good. Anyway, we didn¡¯t know what kind of taiyaki or ice cream you wanted cuz, like you weren¡¯t really talking and more just blushing or something, so we got you the custard and cookies-n-cream. You can¡¯t go wrong with those, right?¡± Mortally embarrassed, I nodded my head and kept on moving forward. ¡°Thanks a lot, Leslie. And Fanny.¡± Compared to Leslie, Fanny was really short, so it didn¡¯t look that weird for her to hop a little in a sort of frenzied excitement. ¡°Look at that, Leslie, he said your name first! That¡¯s so so cute!¡± Leslie looked like she was trying her best not to react, but I quivered as we entered the Mall Centre. ¡°Why do you guys keep calling me c-cute? Aren¡¯t I taller than you two¡­¡± The both of them burst out into giggles and giggles, tears of laughter filling their eyes. ¡°Ooooooh Dean, you have no idea how cute you are¡­ Dean?¡± Not too far away, there was a small crowd clustering towards the public bulletin board, more people than normal with more noise as if they were watching a spectacle. In the middle of them was a kid even shorter than Fanny. Their purple-ish hair that stopped below their ears made it hard for me to distinguish whether they were a guy or a girl. But then the source of what troubled me towards the commotion began jeering again. ¡°C¡¯mon, someone get this guy a ladder to stand on! Midget s***, if you weren¡¯t so ******* ugly I¡¯d actually believe that you were Cedrance¡¯s accident,¡± the bully¡¯s hair was an unmistakable peppery gold, he was tall and fit and handsome and the jealousy of all guys and wannabe cool-kids. His gold eyes sparkled with arrogance and hate as everyone began laughing. To his left, leaning on the creaking bulletin and towering over everyone else almost over the bulletin itself, there was a giant of a man, who to my disgust spit onto the poor kid¡¯s head. The kid in the center of it all glared at the audience around him as they laughed and crowded in even closer to suffocate him. Words flew like bullets, and I had no clue why. Absolutely no clue why I pushed through the crowd that had no reason to be there, the unreasonable verbal lashes, was the kid in the center really deserving of these words? ¡°I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s so short.¡± ¡°How did someone like this little s*** take my friend¡¯s spot?¡± ¡°Aythe is mad at him, so there¡¯s probably a reason why. Yeah, Erica, let¡¯s get on his good side.¡± ¡°Pathetic. And for what, a piece of paper? What does it even say?¡± I really couldn¡¯t tell what was going on. It all felt so weird, and like there wasn¡¯t any reason for it. A roaring noise as I pushed through came from the giant, ¡°What did you think was going to happen if you messed with us? Peasant.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll go somewhere else,¡± the kid, his voice barely distinguishable as a guy, finally said something. ¡°But like, what the actual **** is this cartoony-ahh gang bully bull****? You guys came out of nowhere like ****ing NPCs, you, Ben, and all you extras, go get a life.¡± ¡°What did you say, scrub?!¡± Ben growled dangerously. ¡ªBUUUHK The whole crowd gasped a noise like a punch and bones cracking boomed through everyone¡¯s ears, and the kid flew and scraped across the ground in a horrible moment. Immediately a bunch of students gathered around him, and two girls lifted his head from the ground. I finally saw him in full view, unblocked by the rest of the crowd as I got close, people dispersing one by one to avoid the violent scene. ¡°That¡¯s what you ****ing get if you mess with me or Aythe!¡± Ben yelled barbarically, and then left along with Aythe, who turned back with an unforgivable sneer on his face. He mouthed something that I couldn¡¯t hear, and then turned away. ======================== ¡°I¡¯ll be paying your girlfriend a visit tomorrow. She ****ed up, almost as much as you did.¡± ======================== ¡°Oh my God, his health is so low¡­¡± ¡°That was only one punch. Why is he even at this school if he can¡¯t take a punch?¡± ¡°Erica¡­ alright. I feel sorry, too¡­¡± Before I had a moment to comprehend the screen in front of me, a sudden aura of green healing enveloped the earth below the kid¡¯s head. One of the girls who was tending to him closed her eyes, and a small light radiated from her hand. A gust of wind blew again, and promptly as I squinted a paper hit me in the face. Annoyed, I pulled it off, and noticed that the paper in the injured boy¡¯s hand was gone now. The crinkles around the edges of the paper indicated that it was grabbed tightly, and there was a bit of a sticky adhesive on the back. It was definitely the boy¡¯s paper, and it was meant to go onto the bulletin. I turned away from him and to the bulletin, and without needing to reach very far I slapped the paper onto the only open spot at the very top. Being tall was useful. But then I read the words on the paper, and my head felt like it was stabbed with glass. [Traveling Club taking more people! Vote Maine on Saturday!] A screen blurred into reality and positioned itself right in front of my face as I keeled down. ¡°Dean! Dean, are you okay?¡± Leslie and Fanny flocked behind me, frantically tapping my back. ¡°Dean?¡± But I didn¡¯t hear them. I didn¡¯t see them. I saw¡­ ======================== ¡®Dean Harvest¡¯ has been presented with a task: [Visit your home in Maine] Penalty for failure: [Death of family members] Current task(s): [Protect the family] ======================== The voice in my head screamed. [¡®YOU NEED TO GO.¡¯] // 2:59 P.M. // 10 - 26 - 2023 // Arc - Training Center Starring Serene Goldwin Featuring ???, Rubia and Regan Yglesias // ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Hey, Father.¡± The sounds of training filled the air, sweat and dust and metal. I walked through the field, each metal dummy a person in front hacking and slashing away. The grunts and groans and talking was all but background noise to me. ¡°Did you get what I asked for?¡± My airpods made no noise, Father was silent. ¡°Father, I asked you two days ago.¡± I said angrily, strutting faster towards the larger reserved section of the vast Training Center. ¡°You can¡¯t seriously tell me you forgot or something?!¡± Ahead there was a long white line painted onto the ground. Past that line, there was a lot more dust and destruction, the signs of mana distinct and sound, the cries of effort and toil. ¡°No, I¡ªDad didn¡¯t forget, honey.¡± ¡°Then give me the goddamn place! I told you I needed it by Saturday!¡± I pulled the gun out of the belt holster, my finger tight around the trigger as I brought it to my shoulder, careful not to shoot it. ¡°Serene¡ª¡± ¡°No,¡± I growled, ¡°I¡¯m not visiting the house.¡± ¡°Honey, I¡ª¡± ¡°Like **** you miss me¡ª¡± ¡°SERENE!¡± Father yelled over the call, and I stopped walking. I was now in the danger zone, a few people not too far away from me sparring with earthen spikes and tendrils.
Earthweaving Cost: 265 MANA
Cooldown: 7.5 seconds
A- // ??? raises materials from the ground and sends them in any direction, dealing damage to targets caught in the path and on impact and leaving behind a wall for a period of time. ??? is able to control the material in the air for 2 seconds, and once they lose control the wall moves faster to its destination. WALL IMPACT: 475
WALL DURATION: 360 seconds
Blue static appeared from the smoke, and then in a flurry of lightning a small spark flew and, upon landing, bursted into a giant discharge of electricity.
Multi-Zapshot Cost: 140 MANA
Cooldown: 12 seconds
B // ??? creates a disk and throws it extremely fast, dealing medium damage to the first target it hits. Upon hitting a target the disk breaks into lightning that bounces up to 30 times to other nearby targets, dealing high damage. Bounces on the same target deal reduced damage. If the target is not nearby other targets, the lightning repeatedly strikes them. DISK DAMAGE: 300
LIGHTNING STRIKE DAMAGE: 350
REPEATED STRIKE REDUCTION: 45% per repeated strike
Unfazedly, I said quietly, ¡°So are you going to tell me, or not?¡± ¡°Serene, why do you want information on an old lady and her son? What use do you have of where she lives?¡± No, I wasn¡¯t going to tell him. ¡°That¡¯s not for you to know, Father. But it¡¯s important that I get this information.¡± Another booming noise as more and more tendrils sprouted from the ground, bombarding somewhere behind the twisting walls of earth. The zapping noise came up again, and then the faint noise of two girls yelling out from beneath the other layers of battle. The dummies were behind those walls. I was starting to get pissed. ¡°... yes, I have your information. But promise Dad this, that you don¡¯t hurt anyone. The reputation of the company matters less than your own, and the safety of the new generation is almost equally important. But I value you most. So don¡¯t hurt yourself. Can you promise me this?¡± Father¡¯s voice was hushed. My teeth grinded together, and then pointed my gun into the sky at a slight tilt as I relaxed my shoulders and wrist. The sound of blades clashing together. No, I couldn¡¯t promise him anything. ¡°Of course, Father.¡± I straighten my left arm into the sky, the gun in hand, and I let my right arm fall. One shallow breath. ¡°Now, please tell me.¡± Then my left arm stooped down until the barrel pointed into the smoke, clearing into the sky. The little grasses of the field blew in a soft wind, crying in the desecration all around them of what once was. The Terrainer team was going to have to come by soon. The audio crackled for a split-second. It was a sigh of sadness. ¡°Whitney Harvest lives in Bar Harbor, Maine, with the kid¡¯s two parents. Two years ago they lived in Australia but had to move after fires caused by a dungeon break.¡± I pulled the trigger. ¡ªPPPKKH! ¡°The kid¡¯s parents are under the woman¡¯s care, but they¡¯ve been reported to show the symptoms of fallen angels¡ªan almost double identity. The demons in them are expected to hatch sometime next month and are scheduled to be terminated soon. But their child wasn¡¯t to be told for his sake.¡± ¡ªPPKH! ¡ªPPKH! ¡ªPPKH! ¡°Is that all?¡±
Trigger Overload Cost: 400 MANA
Cooldown: 180 seconds
B- // Serene enters into Overload for a second. In this state, time is slowed and Serene can move freely. OVERLOAD DURATION: 1 second
OVERLOAD TIME SLOW: 300%
3. ¡ªPPKH! ¡ªPPKH! ¡ªPPKH! ¡ªPPKH! My finger moved at insane speeds. 2. ¡ªPPKH! ¡ªPPKH! ¡ªPPKH! ¡ªPPKH! ¡ªPPKH! ¡ªPPKH! I heard a cry of pain in slow motion. 1. Reload. Out of the clouds of dust and debris, the ground and lightning came flying at me. The sound of two girls yelling. Slowly. ¡°Never mind, Father. You¡¯ve told me all I need to know.¡± I smirked. Just maybe, I felt a little happier. ¡°Bye.¡± ¡ªPPKH! ¡ªPPKH! ¡ªPPKH! 22 - HAUNTING PRESENCE 22: HAUNTING PRESENCE // 10:36 P.M. // 10 - 24 - 2023 // Arc - Housing District, Zendolyn¡¯s Room Starring Zendolyn Ato // My knees and feet were beginning to go numb. Sweat dripped down into the convergent point of my paintbrush hair. I breathed heavily. In¡­ And out¡­ Again, I steeled my resolve and pushed my finger into the sheen¡ª An instant surge of energy and breath was sucked out of me into the mana barrier, and a dizziness overwhelmed me, and I gasped to recover the sudden drop in mana. I grabbed the side of the desk and leaned forward, my hair brushing against the carpet ground. I wasn¡¯t ever going to get used to this. But it was necessary. Steadily, I regained my focus, and my breathing began to even out. Three times was enough for the day, when I woke, before work, and before the nightly music writing sessions. I wondered how high my mana regeneration was for this to work so well. I slapped the mana barrier¡¯s sheen, a shock running through my arm, and stood up. The mana began to conspicuously pulsate beneath the glass dome cover. A second later the contraption released with a small hissing noise, and a small opening surrounding the base of the mana barrier was revealed. A familiar blue light engulfed the room for a moment, and then everything was normal again. The dizziness was subsiding. It should be on now. I quickly checked my watch and opened the fitness app. Air quality, recommended time for cardio, weight training stuff, blah blah¡ªoh, nice. The mana density was 0.36, good enough to soften noises but not mess too much with my ears. I dragged my feet to the side of my bed and stacked the pillows on top of each other, then swung my legs up over the laptop onto the bed. In another swift motion the back of my head hit the pillows and the laptop landed onto another pillow I had pulled onto my legs that I had bought not long ago for my comfort. I opened the laptop and plucked the headphones from atop my nightstand. The soundtrack was finished by now, with just a few bits and bits here and there for me to mess around with. Now I just needed to fiddle a little with the lyrics¡­ It was a very riveting piece, one that bounced between so many thoughtful places to the strong but muted beat. The beginning with the humming of Zen¡¯s rich harmonically spaced musings, I decided to widen that part and make each wavelength taller for me to better time the lyrics to the beats. Hmmm¡­ Uhh¡­ Mmm¡­! Mm? I tested my voice into the new mic. ¡°See, so strange¡ªblech, that sucked.¡± I grunted. ¡°See, so strange, this world blends¡­ to¡­ to¡­ no. No, the lyrics suck.¡± I sulked for a second. And then blinked. What if I¡­ got inspiration. From a Memory¡­? ======================== Answer Memory Overtake Will you use a Guide? Yes//No ======================== The screen stared at me. I could only stare back. I hadn¡¯t seen one of these in a long second. Its dim light that no one else could see, the Guide was a hauntingly dark color as if dark mode had been turned on. My eyes started to hurt a bit from dryness, so I blinked, and then flinched. There was another screen. ======================== ¡®Zendolyn Ato¡¯ has been presented with a task: [Choose Overtake] Penalty for failure: [Target will be uninspired] Reward for Quest: [Choose Overtake] [Lyrics and title of the song] ======================== My mouth slightly gaped open, and then I closed it. Was this system trying to help me? But quickly I lost any semblance of concern. Frankly, this wouldn¡¯t have been anything close to the most absurd thing I¡¯ve read in a system story. I was living in a clich¨¦, and now the world was starting to move; if I, the side character, was being moved by the system, then the story needed a push. And that meant I was a part of that push. A smirk lingered on my face, and then disappeared as I accepted the prompt. I couldn¡¯t move in my skin, my face was locked in place, my breathing wasn¡¯t my own. I was watching everything from the lenses of my own eyes, but yet it still felt wrong. Like I was watching a movie of myself. And then I¡ªnot me, but my body, began to sing. ¡°I¡¯m awake now¡­ or¡¯s I¡¯ve been told¡­ a lie¡¯s been told, to me!¡± Zendolyn had taken over my body. // ??? // ??? - ??? - 2014 // Seoul, Korea Featuring Junseo Park // Jun pushed open the uninviting grey door into his apartment. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m home.¡± The lights in the house were dimmed, and he could hear music coming from the TV as he pulled the shoes off his feet. Putting his bag onto the ground in front of him for the next day, he walked into the kitchen in a hungry trance. He was drained of energy, and all of the muscles in his body were sore. ¡°I don¡¯t have homework today.¡± Expecting no response, he pulled open the fridge and scrounged for any leftovers from the night before, and found scrapes of kimchi fried rice in a small bowl. Jun took it out and put it on the counter beside him, and not in a hurry he pushed the white stool beside him and stood on top in order to reach the microwave. The door swung open, and then to a close with the bowl inside. It lit a warm orange with the press of a button and the pleasant sound of the microwave and smell of food filled him with a childish happiness. At least it wasn¡¯t like last year, when he had to climb onto the counter in order to reheat his food; he really was getting taller. The music reached its climax from the living room, and then came to a spectacular end with all of the idol boys yelling out their group¡¯s name, and he could hear his mom cheering as well. He had heard it a million times and remembered most of it by heart. ¡°Junseo,¡± his mom finally called from the couch. ¡°Are you hungry?¡± He responded boredly, ¡°I¡¯m eating dinner leftovers.¡± ¡°Sure, sure. How was class today?¡± Finally, his eyes lit up a little. ¡°Oh, geumdo today was so cool! Mom, did you know that coach recommended me for Nationals? I¡¯m so excited¡ª¡± She knocked in with an annoyed tone, ¡°No, son. I mean dance and singing.¡± Jun paused. ¡°It was alright, I guess. I mean, Ms. Minji complimented me a few times. She said I needed to work on my legs.¡± ¡°More compliments than everyone else?¡± ¡°Umm¡­ yes? Mom¡ª¡± He turned around, hearing footsteps, his mom walked in behind him. She smelled like alcohol, and a drunken smile spread across her smooth and pale face. ¡°Good job, son. Very good. And about singing, I heard from Ms, Sami that you are the best in your class in a very nice email.¡± The microwave began to beep. ¡°¡­ yes, Mom.¡± She stepped beside him and opened the microwave, taking the hot bowl out with her bare fingers and took a plastic takeout spoon from a drawer, sliding it into the food. Then, bringing it out to the table, she spoke again. ¡°Junseo, can you dance for me like you did yesterday? I and my friends want to see your improvements.¡± He frowned, still following her. ¡°Aren¡¯t your friends all those obsessed idol weirdos, Mom?¡± ¡°Just do it. I¡¯ll let you join the National Geumdo competition or whatever if your dad talks to me about it.¡± ¡°But, Dad is overseas in America¡ª¡± She made a sharp cluck with her tongue and set the bowl onto the table, and I jumped into the chair. ¡°After you¡¯re done eating, come into the living room. I¡¯ll record you there.¡± ¡°¡­ okay, Mom.¡± // 4:16 P.M. // 10 - 25 - 2023 // Saint Hospital Starring Gwen Olynn Featuring David and Aythe Siena // The rush of indoor air conditioning blew into my face as the glass doors to the Saint Hospital slid open. I shortly greeted the man behind the front desk, and he smiled back at me, handing me the little name card which I attached to my Arc uniform. ¡°Are you here alone?¡± I nodded. ¡°Well, have a nice visit, Gwen.¡± His eyes returned to the computer screen. Walking further in, there weren¡¯t many people wandering about this time around. The afternoon sun streamed in through the large vaulted windows high towards the ceiling, the smell of hand sanitizer wafted from every corner of the hospital, even in the elevator up. The door opened, and a pale nurse in the blue outfit and a facemask stepped into the elevator as I passed by him. ¡°Good afternoon, sir,¡± I said quietly to him as the elevator door was closing. I remembered him; he and I were always passing by each other in the elevator. Plus, it was hard not to notice someone so handsome, but he also had a sort of brooding air to him. He was even in the Ward once when I was visiting the patients in Ward 105. The man had glanced at me and then immediately left the room without a word. Like usual, he didn¡¯t acknowledge me, and the doors closed. Then I returned to my own usual state of not caring about him. I gingerly opened the door into the Ward. There was the sound of hushed whispering coming from one of the beds, but otherwise everything was exactly how it was the last time I saw the ward yesterday; a clean tabletop, the sink, the computer, all straightened out and shining from cleaning chemicals nicely. The windowsill by the far end of the room was swept of all the dustmotes, the curtains labeled with everyone¡¯s name. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Who is it?¡± Someone in the room asked. ¡°Ah, good afternoon, Mrs. Samson,¡± I recognized her distinctly deep voice. ¡°It¡¯s me, Gwen.¡± ¡°Welcome back, Gwen,¡± she responded, her voice as tired as always. Of all of the patients in 105, Mrs. Samson was always the most tired one. I wondered if that meant she was the most affected by her disease. Luckily it wasn¡¯t infectious. ¡°Honey, say hi. She¡¯s the wonderful girl who comes every day that I told you about.¡± ¡°The one who knits everyone cute little things but still hasn¡¯t given one to you?¡± A man, probably Mrs. Samson¡¯s visitor, poked his head from behind the third curtain. ¡°How¡­ ah, sorry¡ªafternoon, Gwen!¡± ¡°Good afternoon, Mr¡­?¡± The man slid back on the rolling chair into view. There were more noises in the background, like two of the patients at the end of the room were talking to each other. The man¡¯s face looked like it was missing a beard; like a very friendly bald barber, a rounded baby face, but with a kindly gaze from his blue eyes. Who was he? I was kind of ashamed to hear that come from his lips. ¡°He¡¯s my husband, Gwen,¡± Mrs. Samson chuckled as her arm appeared from behind the curtain, assisted by the man who relieved her staggered steps. It looked like she was about to go somewhere, gripping her IV drip along with her husband¡¯s arm to support her. She usually didn¡¯t laugh, so something must have amused her about our interaction. ¡°Ooh, yes¡­¡± I struggled for words for a second, ¡°yeah, nice to meet you, Mr. Samson.¡± My backpack hung loosely by my side as I had taken it off. ¡°It¡¯s Rogers,¡± he corrected me without any animosity, ¡°we kept our last names separate.¡± I nodded my head understandingly. ¡°Are you two going to explore the hospital right now?¡± Mr. Rogers replied, ¡°Yes, we are. Johanna needs to move her legs so they don¡¯t get stiff. It¡¯s not healthy to lay down all the time.¡± The two began to walk out from their section, and I remembered something. Searching through my backpack, I made a noise to them as they were passing by and grabbed their attention. Mrs. Samson turned her head, ¡°Excuse me?¡± ¡°Uhh¡ªyeah, sorry, I meant to give you this. It¡¯s a bit late, but it¡¯s not because I don¡¯t like you or something, it¡¯s just¡­ I mean¡­ sorry, never mind,¡± I pulled the two small bee plushies out of my backpack, and her face slightly lit up. ¡°I¡¯ve been working on this for a while. I know you haven¡¯t gotten something from me yet, Mrs. Samson, but that¡¯s because during my visits, I¡¯m umm¡­¡± She looked at me inquisitively, and nodded as if she wanted me to proceed. ¡°Umm, well,¡± I timidly continued, slightly nervous and embarrassed in the presence of Mr. Rogers however kind his eyes were, ¡°I noticed that you always squeeze your hands really tightly whenever you¡¯re talking, or doing anything, really. Cedrance talked to me about it as well, and he noticed it too. So, it took a little bit longer for me to make this for you, but¡­¡± I handed her the two plushies, which she accepted graciously after releasing her IV drip. I hadn¡¯t lied to her; it had taken me a really long time to knit the plushie together. Stuffed inside was cotton, and on the outside of the bee little holes for her to put her finger through so it could both be squished and stabbed as a way to release nervous energy. ¡°Well, I designed it to help you release your energy without hurting yourself.¡± I bowed my head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t get it done sooner¡ª¡± ¡°Thank you so much, Gwen,¡± Mrs. Samson said slowly, and there was tenderness in her voice like I had never heard before, softened so much I doubted anyone but I and Mr. Rogers could hear her. ¡°You didn¡¯t have to do this. You didn¡¯t have to do anything, like the other kids.¡± I looked up into her eyes. Her smiling eyes. ¡°And yet you do it anyway; adorable little dolls and toys, articles of clothes and your daily companionship. I don¡¯t know how to express my gratitude to you, dear Gwen. I truly hope you never lose this wonderful side of you. My deepest thanks for your gifts, Gwen.¡± She handed the bee plushies to Mr. Rogers, who beamed at me. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen my wife like this, even at home. You¡¯ve made her real happy, kid.¡± I tried blinking quickly, and then turned my head away. It was hard to hold back the little peppered tears that held my sleepless nights and my tiredest days in them. But when it stopped, I simply bowed to them again. ¡°Thank you, too, Mrs. Samson and Mr. Rogers.¡± I couldn¡¯t contain the grin on my face. The husband and wife walked out the door in the aftermath of relative silence. ¡°Gwen? Are you still there?¡± It was from the singular child of the Wards that snapped me out of my post-gratitude shock. ¡°O-oh! David, I¡¯m coming now.¡± A moment later, I pushed in a rolling chair towards the curtains and then next to the bed. David sat there boredly on a black tablet, with a video playing from it. He was still donned with the adorable octopus hat I had sewed for him. ¡°Hey, Gwen,¡± he lifted his chin casually up, eyes still glued to the tablet. ¡°How are you feeling today?¡± I asked him. ¡°I¡¯m just okay.¡± ¡°Just okay? I mean, did anything happen today?¡± I asked him, ¡°Did you go outside for a walk, or did a visitor come, or¡­?¡± David put down his iPad. The last time I saw him, he had a book. ¡°I just came back from a walk, actually. Oh, and someone did come today,¡± he added, ¡°he left not that long ago as well. Like, a minute or something before you came in. I think he was one of the nurses, but he doesn¡¯t really look old enough, and he also comes pretty often when you¡¯re not here.¡± I frowned. Was he talking about the quiet and handsome nurse that always passed by me? ¡°Did he talk to you about anything?¡± He shook his head, ¡°Mm, no, but he talks to Mrs. Samson sometimes. Anyways, do you have any stories for me?¡± ¡°Uhh¡­ well,¡± I thought for a moment, ¡°yes, actually. Did I ever tell you how I came here to begin with?¡± David shook his head again. ¡°How long have I been doing this? Two weeks, now?¡± I chuckled to myself. Two weeks of no sleep, spent on studying and knitting, and still no signs of Awakening. ¡°Eh, anyways, it started when I first dragged Avil to train with me near the end of the first week of October, when the first practical exams were announced¡­ or sometime around then.¡± ¡°Is Avil that really short guy with long purple-y hair that also comes here?¡± David asked. A giggle escaped my mouth, and I felt a need to justify it as he gave me a look of confusion. ¡°David, he¡¯s seen you just as many times as you¡¯ve seen me. Yeah, that¡¯s him, he has even-day rotations here, while I have odd. Today¡¯s supposed to be our day off, but I thought you guys would be lonely so I came. But that¡¯s beside the point¡ª¡± He cut me off innocently, ¡°Is he your boyfriend?¡± I hiccuped in surprise, but then regained my composure to the best of my ability. Gwen¡¯s heart was beating fast, not mine. ¡°No! No, he¡¯s just a childhood friend¡­ right. Don¡¯t look at me like that! I mean, we¡¯re also next door neighbors outside of school, so if we seem close it¡¯s because we are, literally and also as friends. David, please don¡¯t pry like that again.¡± I forced my breathing to slow down, and I felt the red of my ears cool. ¡°Sure, sure, whatever,¡± David snorted. ¡°Keep going. You stopped telling the story.¡± My watch buzzed a notification which I paid no mind to. A short one note breath, I rolled my eyes. ¡°You sound like you don¡¯t believe me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Think whatever you want, but keep it to yourself, you bullcrap bucket.¡± His laughter was genuine, and he clutched the sides of his stomach as the childish joy spread throughout the room and infected me with another giggle. ¡°I¡¯ll talk, I¡¯ll talk. So, while we were sparring with each other¡ªactually, it happened before we could even begin. Anyway, two brawny Awakened idiots began throwing hands with each other. Guess who they were; don¡¯t guess, it¡¯s the two idiots that never come into this ward. I feel bad for the people in 106. But back to the story, it looked like they were having fun, like their sparring session was literally only meant to disrupt us. Like, there were craters everywhere from their battle, and Avil was stuck beneath his shield because all of the rocks flying everywhere were really dangerous, and I couldn¡¯t really do anything.¡± ¡°Uh huh.¡± He nodded. I decided to leave out the part where I ran in after Avil and saw him with snot and tears all over his face. Another notification. ¡°We were saved by a teacher,¡± I continued, slightly tempted to look down, ¡°and I heard something like, her reputation was a really scary lady. So after escorting everyone out with a paralyzing and mind controlling thingy Awakened ability, it was just 5 of us left. Oh yeah, Cedrance was there too. So she told us to make up for the damage that we didn¡¯t even cause, we had to volunteer here. And that¡¯s kind of how I got here.¡± ¡ªbzzz ¡°You should check your watch,¡± David pointed out the obvious. I agreed, and the watch hologram appeared in a small screen over the watch. And my eyes widened upon reading the message. ¡°What is it?¡± I couldn¡¯t speak for a second. And then panic overtook me, and I stood up. ¡°Sorry, I just realized I had something coming up. I completely forgot about it.¡± ¡°Wait, Gwen?¡± David called my name as I swung my backpack over my shoulder and began to walk out. ¡°Gwen, where are you going? Gwen!¡± ¡°To meet someone,¡± I responded back to him in the straightest voice possible, but it quivered so much. Before he could say something else, I left the room. Opening the watch again, I called up a number. I wasn¡¯t allowed to run in the hospital. I couldn¡¯t run in the hospital. I wanted to run. Seconds passed, and he picked up. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Aythe,¡± I said with a sort of harshness, ¡°I need a favor from you.¡± ¡°Hmm? Hello, Gwen. I never thought you would have the guts to actually call my number.¡± His voice was a little quieter than usual. ¡°What is it that you want?¡± I really didn¡¯t want to talk to him, but he was my only option right now. I had no money and no time to wait for the car at 5:30. ¡°Please send over one of your drivers to the Saint Hospital.¡± I bit my tongue as my finger began smashing on the elevator¡¯s control panel. ¡°And why should I do that?¡± The door closed too slowly for me. ¡°Please. I need to go quickly.¡± My heart was pounding. Why was I in such a rush? Was this Gwen¡¯s doing again? ¡­ The beat of my heart began to steady into a more sustainable rate. I should cancel this. I didn¡¯t need a driver. Was I out of my mind? Why was I in such a hurry? Avil would be in the school hospital by now. He would be more than safe. And then a screen flashed before my face. ======================== ¡®Gwen Olynn¡¯ has been presented with a task: [Get a ride from Aythe¡¯s driver] Penalty for failure: [Death] ======================== ¡­ Oh my God. Oh my God. Oh my God. Death. No. I can¡¯t die. I don¡¯t want to die. Not yet. I really don¡¯t want to die. Please. Tears came to my eyes. ¡°Please, Aythe. Please, send me a driver.¡± I don¡¯t want to die. The line was silent. ¡°Consider it done. But I¡¯ll be expecting something in return.¡± I was so dizzy. My head hurt so much. The horrible groans in the background as I walked out from the elevator were nothing to me. ¡°Johanna! Johanna, are you alright?!¡± Echoes from miles away, the world was spinning in circles. ¡°Someone, please help my wife! Help me lift her, she says she¡¯s in terrible pain, and the things she''s been hearing are getting louder. Please, someone save her!¡± It. Was. Agony. My feet found themselves tangled, and I staggered sideways. I blinked, and found myself in the bathroom, staring at the mirror. Someone was barfing over the toilets. My face was haggard and paler than ever before. At the same time, there was a peaceful expression that wasn¡¯t my own. I hurled. Oh, my God it hurt so much. The lights were flashing. And then darkness. And light again. It was the screen. Death. The air raggedly exited my mouth. I didn¡¯t want to die. The bathroom door swung open again, and a blur fitted over my eyes, and they closed. Opened again, and I was walking outside the hospital door. Psychedelic swirling black cars bloomed before my eyes as I pulled the door open and fell inside. An unclear voice from the man in black. ¡°Where would you like to go, young lady?¡± He glanced at me from the rear view mirror. ¡°To Arc,¡± I managed breathlessly. ¡°Arc.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°Is she in the car yet, Agent?¡± ¡°Yes, Master Aythe. We¡¯re moving now. It looks like she¡¯s almost passed out. This girl¡¯s face is like some kind of doll. Creepy.¡± ¡°No need for stating the obvious. I can see from the camera. She¡¯s probably awake.¡± ¡°Heh.¡± ¡°You already know where to take her, right?¡± ¡°To the disposal room.¡± ¡°No one is going to remember someone as unimportant as her. It¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Understood, Master Aythe.¡± ¡°Oh, look at that. Did her lips just move? Why, you say? Well, Gwen.¡± Aythe paused. ¡°It¡¯s because you¡¯re important to Cedrance¡¯s best friend. There isn¡¯t any other reason, so die quietly, alright?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s the feisty middle finger. Do you need me to put her to sleep, Master?¡± ¡°Yes, yes, go ahead. But I need her alive for another minute of interrogation, alright?¡± ¡°Consider it done, master.¡± A noise like a call ending. The man in black said nothing as he turned to face me. I couldn¡¯t move. My head was going to explode. He raised his fingers into the air. I felt mana coalesce in him, my own mana being drained. I could see the handle of the mana weapon the man was controlling that extended over my head. And the last thing I saw was the faintly visible shadow on the seat next to me. It watched me, and I felt a cold air as my eyes rolled into the back of my head. 23 - MISSED OPPORTUNITY 23: MISSED OPPORTUNITY // ??? // ??? - ??? - 2017 // Seoul, Korea Featuring Junseo // Jun could feel his mom¡¯s camera on his back. ¡°One, two, three four! Two, two three four! Swirl your leg, count the steps. Four, pull, down and in. Backstep, backstep, swoop and click! And, stop!¡± He immediately halted, his posture fell and he began panting quietly, sweat running down his forehead. They were almost at the two hour mark, and dance practice would be ending soon. ¡°Lee Jinsoo, start from pulling, I need to rewatch you.¡± Ms. Minji seemed particularly energetic today with the parents recording her every move. ¡°On the four. Ready? Four, pull, down and in¡ªah! Caught it. When you go in, it¡¯s gotta have more mmph! Turn your head, face forward, Lee Jinsoo. And chin up, chin up, winner¡¯s arrogance! This is contemporary dance, not classical, not romantic. Put some expression in your face, but stick to the strict movements of the body. Say ¡®heard, Ms. Minji¡¯ if you understand me.¡± ¡°Heard, Ms. Minji,¡± Jun soullessly repeated after her along with the small chorus of other kids. Ms. Minji paced over to the other side of the mat. The wall mirror in the back reflected the light from a camera snapping a photo into my eyes, momentarily blinding me. Everyone¡¯s hair was so boringly black. ¡°Kim So-yun, make those arm movements proud and strong! And give me some hips, side, side, nss, nss! Same goes for you, Oh Hannah. And don¡¯t forget, on the swoop, really take up 100% of your personal space bubble. Got it?¡± The two nodded their heads in affirmation, ghosting her instructed movement for a moment. She then turned to Jun. ¡°Park Jun-seo, head up. Smile! Your smile will make everything so much better. And when you click, twist. It¡¯s really important for that extra flair.¡± ¡°Yes, Ms. Minji.¡± ¡°Good, I like that attitude,¡± she grinned, and then raised her hand into the air. ¡°Everyone, silent on three; one, two, three, snap! All good? Great. Let¡¯s start dancin from the chorus. Ready?¡± Each kid snapped to attention, their hands by their side in a flash, feet together, ready to move to the first phase. ¡°Go! One, two three, four! Two, two, three, four!¡± Like a satisfying wave each kid pulled back on the first measure, flipping around to face the audience of parents who were intently watching their kids dance. Jun put his hands together in a wide clapping stance, and then swung his right arm out to his back and brought his body along, swooping around and rotating a flawless half-circle. ¡°Step, step! Now pose!¡± Jun pushed his arm out on his next stomp in place and again on two short beats, and then posed with his hands out in front of him in the L-shaped camera pose with a smile of his in the center frame. And fall! Down and back, backstep, backstep¡ª¡± His stance fell down, but pushed up with his right leg on a pivoting turn, and bent down again but with his left leg. Arrogance and flair. Jun caught his facial expression melting off into unenthusiasm and quickly fixed it with a smile. ¡°Swoop and click!¡± His arms followed each other in an outwards wave motion to the right, the swoop, and then he snapped his fingers, twisting at the exact same time and moving his body and head in the same smooth movement. ¡°And that¡¯s it for today, everyone!¡± Ms. Minji clapped twice, and everyone stood at attention. Jun heard someone¡¯s stomach growl for food. They were all tired and breathing heavily, even though the last part had been extremely short. Dancing was indeed difficult. ¡­ ¡°You did so great, son! Oh, the footage I got was so wonderful!¡± Jun¡¯s mother squealed with delight, happily leading him down the sidewalk. The night was growing closer, and the public was still well awake, bustling with the vibrant and colorful energy of the city. Music burned a hole through Jun¡¯s ears from the ad vans clotted in traffic, boy bands, girl bands, all the same music. Nothing he liked at all. It was rather annoying to listen to. ¡°Thanks, Mom.¡± There wasn¡¯t anything to talk about, so the two walked the relative silence that they found acceptable in each other. As the mother and son paced the streets slowly, a growing noise soon filled the whole streets from somewhere not too far away, and Jun had an inkling about where. It was probably the cheering of a crowd in the giant stadium two streets down. A frown sprouted on Jun¡¯s lips. He knew his mother well enough. ¡°Jun, do you hear that?¡± His mother¡¯s voice was sparkling with excitement. ¡°The noise is coming from the Awakening Debut Pavillion! Let¡¯s go, it¡¯s free entry there. Hurry now!¡± It seemed he had no option, as his mother¡¯s hand guided and dragged him forward in the direction of the annoying music. ¡°Good thing I have a camera on me. I could get a few fancams in.¡± Jun rolled his eyes. As if someone would care about photos taken from some random woman whose name was hardly even known at work. ¡°They might sell pretty well if we get there fast! C¡¯mon, Jun, move faster.¡± His legs were tired already as he started at a speed-walking pace, with his mother leading his hand forward. Two minutes later, they found themselves in front of two large security guards at the head of the line into the Pavillion standing in front of the large glass door entrance. Their menacing black visors pointed straight ahead as if Jun and his mom weren¡¯t even there. ¡°Admission for two, please,¡± Mom said, her eyes looking in anticipation straight past them. They both gave her attention. The guard to the left put a finger to his temple. A cold feeling swept all over my body, and Jun shivered, the guard to the right was pointing a scanner-looking thing at him and his mom. And then the left figure nodded. ¡°You may enter.¡± Jun replied quietly as they pushed open the doors. ¡°Have a good day.¡± They paid him no notice. The cheering of the crowd was getting louder by the second, and more people were entering through the doors behind them. The line didn¡¯t seem to be getting any shorter. ¡°Hurry, Jun, we need to find a good spot at the front!¡± Jun had no energy to question his mother, and obediently allowed her to pull him still closer to the growing noise. Up the stairs they went, following the groups of people in front, and Jun gripped his other hand onto the railing to steady himself as they ascended. The deafening noise pierced through his ears as the two finally pushed through the door into the main area. Thousands of people, from the homeless to the rich, made way for each other, the empty stage in the center their main focus. Class and wealth mattered not when there were pretty boys and girls soon coming to grace their eyes and bruise their wallets. His mom¡¯s excitement far exceeded his own, his heart beating only from the collective dopamine and adrenaline pouring out from the crowds into himself. In no time the two were descending more flights of stairs down to the bottom layer, for what his mom called the ¡°best¡± seats were the ones where the people were so dense and tightly packed together that they shared the same air. The whooping and screaming of fans for whosoever and whatever was a constant in each layer that they walked down. ¡°KIM JAE-RIM! KIM JAE-RIM!¡± ¡°YOU¡¯RE MY ONLY BIAS, LEE HANEUL!!¡± ¡°SI-WOO, I LOVE YOUUUU!¡± ¡°FOXEYE! YOU GUYS ARE THE ONLY ONES FOR ME!¡± ¡°I WANNA SEE SONG SOO-HYUN!¡± ¡°FOXEYE! FOXEYE FOREVER!¡± They finally made it to the lowest level, just below the slightly risen stage. Jun could hardly see over anyone¡¯s shoulder, but it didn¡¯t really matter to him, as the screaming was just enough to tell him that nothing was happening. It was already a miracle that the crowd was stagnant and he wasn¡¯t being trampled. If they did start moving, he would probably be in great danger, though not of losing his mom who wore a bright pink shirt and held onto his hand tightly. Suddenly, all of the lights began to dim all around, each strobe turning off one by one around the stadium in quick succession. Smartly, Jun pushed his ear against his mom¡¯s back, and then his other free hand into his other ear. It was relatively muffled and quiet now, until all the noise in the world decided to crash and explode into his face; the cheering was really going to be the death of him, especially his own mother¡¯s. Foxeye had obviously walked onto the stage, or some screen of them was being displayed. He looked straight up as best as he could with his ear against his mom. There were indeed moving screens. At last, all but one light was turned off, the singular light pointing onto the stage. Jun still couldn¡¯t see what was going on to make the crowd go so crazy. Then, without warning, the music started playing. It began with a midtone synth-esque cowbell syncopated beat, one with groove and style that immediately spurred the crowd¡¯s excitement, hushed to more of a murmur so they could hear the music. It seemed like they knew this song already. Then the first singer began, his high voice was calm and vibey. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you in my room tonight¡ªI want to hear, you scream and cry¡­ oh!¡± The loud transitive ¡®Oh!¡¯ popped Jun¡¯s ears. His mother had already brought out the camera and was busy filming. Another singer came in, with a more melodic but slightly deeper voice that forced into a pseudo-falsetto for a strong and clear vocal stunt. ¡°Just shut the door and come in close, I¡¯ll make you happy, and scream, and cry¡­ oh!¡± The music took a slight shift, a pulsating synth base that tickled Jun¡¯s ears and made everything vibrate all around. Loud. ¡°Joyous day, take a backseat, for this steamy sight!¡± Who he assumed to be the main vocalist belted out. ¡°Everyday I counted on my fingers, I said¡ªc¡¯mon!¡± The synth cut off, and a rapper cut in. ¡°Let me come over there, wanna show you the deal¡ªsee, where you walk is the line, that holds in my desire.¡± The rap embodied a more talk-over-melody, quick paced and lines easing in after a short delay to each one before. ¡°Desire for what? Wouldn¡¯t you like to know. C¡¯mon, c¡¯mon here and I¡¯ll¡ª¡± He cut off as the music took another reversal into an oddly sci-fi type synth base that strung the beats together that worked harmoniously with the main vocalist. ¡°Baby come to my place! Stand next to that vase, right there¡ªsmile for the pic (smile)! Pose with your body (doll)! See your own face, you see why¡­ I want you?!¡± The crowd was eating it up, if there was any dancing Jun couldn¡¯t tell over the seas of shoulders, necks, and heads. He wondered how his mother was able to film anything over the noise and crowdedness. ¡°Baby sit in this chair! I¡¯ll hold you right there! Don¡¯t you move an inch (don¡¯t move)! And don¡¯t you close your eyes (your eyes)! You¡¯ll see with my eyes¡­ I want you!¡± Jun frankly wasn¡¯t liking the song. To him it was any other generic song about desire, the lyrics were trashy and uninspired, almost abusive and oddly disgusting that it made Jun want to kick someone. The music was subpar at best, and Jun couldn¡¯t even imagine anyone dancing to such an atrocious song. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. He was bored. While his mom¡¯s attention was still turned away to the show, the dancing, the singing, Jun lightly pulled her phone out from her back pocket. He opened it, password 260407 for his birthday, and then the phone started ringing. It was his dad. A banner notification fell down. [Yoon-ha. Pick up.] Jun promptly texted back. [I can¡¯t Mom and I are in a concert right now] His dad replied. [Son? Junseo?] Tell your mom this. Now that you¡¯re competing geumdo at the National level, Arc Korea and America have extended their hand to you. Choose where you want to go] And suddenly, the music stopped. Jun had no clue that he was staring at the phone for so long. Was¡­ this a dream? ¡°Jun? How was it? So good, eh? Mommy liked it a lot¡ªJunseo, what are you doing with my phone?!¡± He snapped back too late, and his mom wrenched the phone away before he could reply. She gasped, ¡°What is this?!¡± Her fingers went into a flurry. ¡°Mom, no! No!¡± Jun frantically tried grabbing for the phone, but his mom stuffed it back into her pocket. ¡°If I see another text message, and I didn¡¯t send it myself,¡± she threatened, her face glowering down at her son. Her voice was hard and strained, and Jun could barely hear her over the crowd, ¡°Things are going to get very difficult for you, Jun. Don¡¯t test me.¡± // 5:12 P.M. // 10 - 25 - 2023 // Arc - Hospital Starring Avil Daniase Featuring Cedrance Manamune, Dean Harvest and Junseo Park // ¡ªbeep ¡ªbeep The cold water didn¡¯t quench my thirst. ¡°So I guess she isn¡¯t coming,¡± Ced murmured under his breath, and took back the glass of water from my hands. I laid there, my throat dry, feeling the numbed and swollen part on my fractured cheekbone. Or, at least what was considered permanent damage if those girls hadn¡¯t healed me earlier. ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t think it was fine. There was a little sadness in my chest, an uncomfortable and unfamiliar feeling. I didn¡¯t like it much. My gaze slid over to Cedrance. His visage and body looked like he was pulled straight from an anime, the strong and handsome protagonist, the hero of the story. But here, there was no good story to tell but two people in a room who didn¡¯t have much to say. ¡ªbeep ¡ªbeep ¡°I saw the poster you hung up today,¡± Ced broke the silence, but I frowned. The poster? ¡°Why¡ª¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t hang it up, though?¡± He shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s pretty high on the bulletin board as well. Someone must have done it for you.¡± ¡ªbeep I sunk back into the bed. ¡°That¡¯s good.¡± ¡°Why do you want to go to Maine?¡± The walls in front of me were bare and unfriendly, the white stone that served as the foundation for the whole school. Hardly anything around the ward pleased my eyes except the potted plant that sat at the edge of the curtain. Even the plant inside was hardly alive. ¡ªbeep Was this the monotony that all those people at the Saint Hospital felt and saw every day? ¡°Avil?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± He repeated himself. ¡°Oh.¡± I regurgitated the lie I told to Gwen. ¡°It¡¯s cuz this guy in my ward wants something from there, and this was just a convenient excuse for me to get out of the school for a bit. Didn¡¯t I already tell you?¡± Ced shook his head solemnly. ¡°You know, we¡¯ve been talking less and less ever since you joined the Awakening Program. And you always train with Gwen as well, so I don''t get to see you often. You know, you can always¡­¡± His lips formed the next words he was too embarrassed to say. ¡ªbeep ¡ªbeep I could always rely on Ced. ¡°I see,¡± I said, forcing myself to an apologetic tone, ¡°then I¡¯ll text you more often. It¡¯s kinda hard to juggle homework, sleep, training, and clubs like I¡¯m doing, but I bet you have even more than me. How can you help? Even if you could, there¡¯s nothing you can really do for me, man.¡± ¡°No,¡± he responded quickly, ¡°I mean, I can help you train, study, anything. I can make time in my day.¡± Blinking slowly, I yawned. Did he feel some sense of responsibility to me? And anyway, Gwen already did that for me. ¡°Sure, man. I just want to get out of here as soon as possible¡ª¡± The door to the ward opened, and I fell silent. Ced peeked around the corner, and then back to me. ¡°Not anyone you need to care about.¡± But my eyes stayed focused on the approaching silhouette behind the curtains. It¡ªhe spoke. ¡°E-excuse me, is the person that got p-punched earlier here?¡± ¡ªbeep ¡ªbeep I hesitated to say something. ¡°Who are you?¡± That was the first question that came to mind. Was he one of the mobbing students in that crowd? Or maybe one of the nice kids that helped me? ¡°I¡­ was the person that hung up the poster after¡­ t-the small¡­¡± The guy stuttered, and I was on the verge of instinctively rolling my eyes. But if he was the person that had the good will to hang up the poster for me¡­ ¡°the b-oy¡ªI mean¡­ the person got punched.¡± Not sure of what to say, I grunted. ¡°Umm¡­¡± He didn¡¯t say anything after, and I realized the level of embarrassment he must have been experiencing at this point. ¡°S-sorry, I¡¯ll go then¡ª¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m him,¡± I responded. He must have had business with me. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡ªbeep ¡ªbeep I noticed how harsh my words came out, and cleared my throat. ¡°Yeah, sorry, can I help you?¡± The silence that trailed after annoyed me a little. ¡°Uhh,¡± Another realization came to me, ¡°there¡¯s other people in this room. If you want some privacy, I can get up and¡ª¡± ¡°Avil, no.¡± Ced gave me a look that told me I wasn¡¯t really in the best condition to do that. I shook my head, tired of this awkward conversation. ¡°Alright, if you have something to say, come close and tell me if you don¡¯t want anyone to hear.¡± ¡°... okay.¡± The silhouette behind the curtains finally showed signs of life and walked towards me. When he came into my view I was immediately struck by a sense of recognition, surprise, awe, and dread. He was tall, not as tall as Ced was but definitely tall, he had a uniquely old-fashioned haircut, and uninteresting, nervous eyes. The dude was sort-of handsome, and if I had to put a comparison to it it would be the look of a shy boy wearing clothes his mother bought for him the day earlier for a date. But the last puzzle piece for me was the pale green hair. I mean, at Arc most people had odd arrays of colors, from my purple hair, Ced¡¯s blue, Zen¡¯s white-dipped hair, most of it wasn¡¯t all that special. But combining all of these features; colored hair, shy personality, kinda tall, a mom-bought stiff button-up, and handsome beneath, he even helped me put up the poster after I was punched down, that¡¯s a formula. A formula for a wholesome character. If anime had ever taught me anything, it was that the way someone dressed was the way someone was, the cartoon version of ¡®you are what you eat¡¯. My thoughts strayed for a moment, clearly I didn¡¯t think it through when I insulted Aythe so much at the start of the year. But it would be different this time. ¡ªbeep ¡ªbeep ¡°Ah, so,¡± he started, and I tried to stop ogling at him, and resolutely understood how this guy should be treated. I lifted myself up into a sitting position. ¡°Umm¡­¡± ¡°By the way, I¡¯m Avil.¡± I changed my tone to be pleasant. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± He seemed to debate as to whether or not he should answer me before saying, ¡°¡­ it¡¯s Dean.¡± ¡°So, what do you have to tell me, Dean? You can whisper it to me if you don¡¯t want Ced to hear.¡± The smile on my face was as forced as the persona, one which was reserved for only children. ¡ªbeep Ced¡¯s silent grimace indicated also seemed aware of my change in behavior, but he played along and said nothing. Dean, still standing at the edge of the bed, glanced around, his guard up, though the expression on his face wasn¡¯t weary and instead more conflicted. It was about if and how he was going to tell me something. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t think I need to whisper this.¡± A tick in my right eye, my smile faltered. Then what was the point of making him come closer? ¡°Oh, that¡¯s fine. What is it?¡± ¡°So¡­¡± his face morphed a little bit, on the edge of fear and anger and pity. ¡°The guy that hit you, you remember him?¡± ¡ªbeep ¡ªbeep I nodded, subconsciously touching my jaw. The impact of the punch had spread all over my face, my nose was the most broken and my jaw hurt the most. ¡°Right, that¡¯s Ben.¡± Dean continued, gradually warming up to me. ¡°And Ben¡¯s f-friend, the guy saying those¡­ things to you? You know, like¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, I know. None of us want to hear his nasty voice again.¡± I scoffed, my reservoir of anger still yet to be drained. ¡°That¡¯s Aythe.¡± ¡°Okay, Aythe. When he was leaving, after Ben punched you in the face, he said¡­¡± Dean looked to the side, almost like into the distance, even though the only distance there was between him and the curtain was 5 inches. Dean¡¯s voice suddenly changed, darker and more intimidating, ¡°I¡¯ll be paying your girlfriend a visit tomorrow. She ****ed up, almost as much as you did.¡± ¡ªbeep ¡ªbeep ¡ªbeep A shiver went down my neck. It felt like he was reading a script, because to me that sounded a lot like what Aythe would say. It probably wasn¡¯t an empty threat. More likely, it was something dangerous, something I definitely wasn¡¯t okay with. ¡°Girlfriend?¡± Ced sighed, but I corrected him as calmly as I could, still thinking. ¡°Bro. Gwen is not my girlfriend.¡± His face told me he didn¡¯t believe me. I should probably warn Gwen. I had until tomorrow. ¡°Thanks for telling me that, Dean.¡± I didn¡¯t smile this time, scared it would appear shaky. ¡ªbeep Acutely aware of the heart rate monitor machine speeding up, I asked Ced, ¡°Hey, can you call Gwen for me?¡± Glad for something to do, Ced agreed. I waited for a second, and the buzzing sound of the call repeated a couple of times until I was worried. Gwen wasn¡¯t picking up. He shook his head, an odd look on his face, and tried again. The second time, she still didn¡¯t pick up. ¡°Well¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah I get it,¡± my teeth were clenched, slightly noticing that Dean hadn¡¯t left yet. ¡°Call the Saint Hospital front desk.¡± Ced nodded and wordlessly scrolled through his contact list. The people at the front had given us instructions to text or call them if we knew in advance that we were going to miss a day, so we had the number. ¡ªbeep ¡ªbeep After just a few seconds, someone picked up. ¡°Hello, this is Andy Coleman from Saint Hospital, how can I help you?¡± ¡°Hello, Mr. Coleman,¡± Ced spoke, but his eyes signaled for me to say something. ¡°Cedrance Manamune? Ah, hello. Do you need something?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± I said with a little strength in my voice for the watch to pick up the noise, ¡°It¡¯s about Gwen Olynn. Did she volunteer today?¡± ¡°Oh. Yes, she came today.¡± Then why the hell wasn¡¯t she picking up? I was certain she was able to spare us some time. Was it because Ced was calling and I wasn¡¯t? Knowing Gwen, that shouldn¡¯t have been the problem. She would be well aware that Ced would be with me, and that patients had their watch taken so they could rest. ¡°Is she still there?¡± ¡°Gwen left about an hour ago. She looked fine, just a little more pale and tired than usual, so she might not be feeling well.¡± Gwen left because she was sick? Usually there¡¯s no way to tell when Gwen was under the weather. But if she was extra pale and extra tired than normal, that was the sign that she was going through hell. ¡®Might not be feeling well¡¯ was a huge understatement. And also, Arc cars only picked us volunteers up at set and specific times. There was absolutely no way Gwen scheduled for only 1 hour after school, her minimum was 2 a day. Ced also understood my thought process as he saw the color draining from my face. ¡°Excuse me, did you see the car? What did it look like?¡± My fingers clenched the blankets in anticipation. I held my breath. ¡°I think it was a limousine? It looked expensive. There was an insignia on it that I couldn¡¯t make out. How come?¡± Ced¡¯s answer was immediate, his face intense. ¡°Thank you. Have a nice day.¡± The call cut off. Thoughts and emotions raged inside of me. Blinding rage. Blinding fear. S***. God f****** dammit. Aythe already caught her. 24 - LOYALTY TO MADNESS 24: LOYALTY TO MADNESS 3:38 P.M. // 10 - 25 - 2023 // Arc - Hospital Featuring Junseo Park and Fanny // Jun stared into the ceiling blankly when he heard the rattling of the doorknob opening. He recognized the girl¡¯s silhouette. ¡°Jun?¡± Her voice was high. Fanny¡¯s head followed, neatly combed orange hair that brought his attention to her petite face. ¡°Hi.¡± He politely nodded his head and invited her to sit, which she gladly accepted. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you again today as well, Fanny.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Fanny¡¯s eyes were not fully making contact with his own. ¡°I probably know because I asked this twice already, but¡­ how are you today, Jun?¡± He positioned himself upright and comfortably, posturing himself to open towards her. ¡°Same as yesterday, same as the day before. Just a bit bored. How about you? It looks like you¡¯re dressed right now. The blouse looks pretty on you.¡± ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, self-consciously pulling at the end of her hair as if to soothe herself. ¡°I mean, I won¡¯t be visiting for that long, though. I¡¯m gonna go out with my friends after this, so there¡¯s no way I wouldn¡¯t¡¯ve, you know?¡± Her fingers moved in that same small pattern on her hair, twirling, pulling, twirling, again. ¡°That sounds fun.¡± Jun pondered for a second. ¡°Why¡¯d you come to visit me again? Don¡¯t you have somewhere to be right now?¡± Fanny waved her hand dismissively. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them. I¡¯m talking to you right now, so you¡¯re more important right now. Get it? And also¡­ I came to check on your condition. Is it¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine now,¡± he reassured her with a nod, and pulled the blanket up to reveal a perfectly healed foot. ¡°The doctors healed it a while ago. They said they could trace small amounts of foreign mana on my feet beyond the goblin trap, and something about not wanting to risk a mana infection? But I¡¯m not sure how that works, so I just agreed to stay one more day.¡± She made a relieved face. ¡°That¡¯s great, Jun. I hope you can avoid this mana infection thing as well.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m not too worried about it.¡± ¡°Mhm.¡± Jun closed his eyes. ¡°If that¡¯s it, maybe you should go now. I¡¯ll talk to you tomorrow, k?¡± ¡°Mm,¡± Fanny nodded her head. ¡°Okay. See you tomorrow, Jun!¡± She stood up, and after a brief hesitation her footsteps soon left the room. ¡­ The door was pushed open again, and Jun opened his eyes. He first heard the sound of crisp shoes on the glistening clean ground. ¡°This way, patient. To the far bed. A doctor will attend to you soon.¡± Another person walked in while grunting, and another murmuring to the former. As they crossed his bed Jun got a good look at them. There were three people. The first was the one that was attending to me. An unremarkable doctor. Clearly he had also been assigned a small child with dark purple hair that fell down to his shoulder. His features made him look almost between male and female, but more boyish than girlish, and in all straight up childish. Matching the punk theme there was a small contraption holding up his jaw, which was swollen pink and in a very large area surrounding his cheekbone. However, beside him was someone who snatched the entirety of Jun¡¯s attention. Tall, beyond handsome, blueish hair and kindly eyes, they were the most simple of attributes attached to someone who looked so remarkable that dumbing them down was a sin. They made their way over to the bed beside me. ¡°Avil Daniase, right?¡± Jun raised his eyebrows, and then silently gasped. He recognized the name. ¡°Doctors will come by in a moment. Please wait here.¡± As soon as the doctor left the room, Avil cursed loudly to Jun¡¯s awe and slight entertainment. ¡°That s*** was embarrassing as f***! F*** those bastards. They can go to k*** themselves!¡± Was this the Avil that the 55th Serene had been talking about? In the smallest voice a whisper escaped from Junseo. ¡°What do I do¡­?¡± // 8:20 P.M. // 5 - 20 - 2020 // Oakcrest Plaza - Gwen¡¯s Room Featuring Gwen Olynn // ¡°I¡¯m here to make a deal.¡± Reyenal said. Her eyes were sad, but her lips were set. ¡°What¡¯s the deal, Reyenal?¡± Gwen¡¯s interest had been piqued. Reaching slowly into her pocket, Reyenal pulled out two small ornaments resembling rings, except in the center of one of them there was a beam running across, making it impossible to wear. ¡°These are Binding Promises. Take this one,¡± she placed one in my lap gently. It was the one with the beam. Reyenal conspicuously put her own ring onto her right hand. Gwen noticed her motions were steady and made her feel safe, ¡°and hold it. Yes, like that.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Gwen was quiet. The ticking in her head had gone silent, and everything felt fine. It was strange, and maybe it was the light perfume that Reyenal was wearing that eased her so. ¡°But what if I don''t want to take this deal?¡± She met with Reyenal¡¯s dull eyes. They told no stories and held no signs. Yet her voice was so careful, filled with an almost deep regret and sorrow. ¡°I think you will like what I have to say. I¡¯ve noticed that the past few¡­ weeks, actually, the girls like Melinda Yeh and Moxie Hedges, they¡¯ve been harassing you, have they not?¡± Gwen was silent for a moment, and then nodded her head. She would listen. ¡°It¡¯s gotten bad, yes? Even I have heard of it, though I¡¯m usually attending to other matters; it¡¯s so bad that it¡¯s made it has way to me.¡± She shook her head. ¡°And I know the remedy for this. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here to make a deal with you.¡± Another moment passed by as the two girls sat quietly. Gwen finally looked back up into Reyenal¡¯s waiting eyes. She opened her mouth, and then closed it. And she tried to speak, ¡°I¡­ I¡­¡± but her voice caught on her tongue. ¡°Do you accept?¡± ¡­ Gwen nodded. ¡°Please hold up your ring.¡± Gwen obediently heeded Reyenal¡¯s instruction. Her eyes were unfocused, but her fingers were determined. Reyenal said somberly. ¡°Repeat after me. I swear to swear the following¡­¡± ¡°I-I swear to swear the following¡­¡± ¡°That from this point,¡± her voice was almost ritualistic. Like she had done this many times before. Gwen repeated. ¡°¡ªThat from this point¡­¡± ¡°No words spoken now by the Promisor shall be spoken by them again.¡± ¡­ ¡°No words spoken now by the Promisor shall be spoken by them again.¡± As she finished the sentence, the room seemed to darken. Shadows crept around the edges and dusty areas, and harmless as they were Gwen squirmed a bit. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. And then a light broke through the shadows, enveloping the two to Gwen¡¯s surprise and sudden terror. All around were shimmering colors that resembled no color at all. In the next instant, Gwen could see again. She was in a room, not so dissimilar to her own room¡¯s size, the edges outlined by gold and everything else was blinding white. Everything else had disappeared. Only Reyenal stood in front of her. Gwen¡¯s eyes were completely wide open in awe and fear. She said something. But the words never left her mouth. Baffled, she tried to grab her mouth with a hand, but then quickly realized that she was stuck in place. Then Reyenal spoke. Her voice was loud now. ¡°That the Promisor must kill Noeh Manna and Zoe Manna by the end of the year 2020.¡± The ring on her finger glowed with brilliance and power. Gwen¡¯s eyes dilated. Reyenal had a horrible look in her eyes. They were enraged, they were terrifying, and they were hateful. ¡°That the Promisor must do so in complete secrecy, and that once the deed is done the Promisor may never personally reveal their involvement nor the Contractor¡¯s own involvement.¡± Against her will Gwen¡¯s mouth opened. Nothing she could do closed it, and she repeated Reyenal¡¯s evil words in full. ¡°That the Promisor must kill Noeh Manna and Zoe Manna by the end of the year 2020.¡± There were no falters in her voice. ¡°That the Promisor must do so in complete secrecy, and that once the deed is done the Promisor may never personally reveal their involvement nor the Contractor¡¯s own involvement.¡± ¡°Thus ends the Promise.¡± ¡°Thus ends the Promise.¡± // 5:14 P.M. // 10 - 25 - 2023 // Wings of Justice Hideout Starring Gwen Olynn Featuring Aythe Siena // Pitch black darkness. I couldn¡¯t see anything. Something was tied around my eyes, constricted so tightly, so uncomfortable that I couldn¡¯t do anything but squeeze them shut to relieve the pressure against them. Tears were splotched on my face, the blindfold wet against my will. Unable to move. My hands were tied around the back of a chair, legs and ankles blinded together by burning and scraping rope. The back of my neck hurt from the angle at which my head flopped, the chair wasn¡¯t tall enough to support any sort of comfort. Cold air. Slow ventilation tickled my arm, and I could tell I had been in this position for a while now. I was freezing, and with nothing but the under layer of my Arc uniform the shivering didn¡¯t stop. Where the overwear had gone, I had no clue. Ominous silence. Nothing but the sound of my labored breath, a room where noise was absorbed into the walls. Or maybe there were no walls here and I was simply in the stagnate of the outdoors, where no wind blew under cold moonlight. Burning fever. Even through the cold I was sweating so much. My body felt tired, my nose plugged, my throat dry as I tried to breath through my mouth, saliva strands pulling every time my mouth opened. Dizzy. So, so dizzy. Why? Why did I have to be trapped like this? Why did the system send me to this horrible fate? Why would Aythe be so hostile to me? Why was I still alive? ¡­ ¡°You¡¯re awake now, aren¡¯t you?¡± Aythe¡¯s voice came from behind me as the sound of a door closed behind him, like hard steel against steel. There was a door. I was being contained in a room. His words made no attempt to even bounce around the room, each syllable eaten by the walls. I asked the only thing that I could think of. ¡°Why?¡± Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why me? Why did it have to be my fault? ¡°Why, hmm?¡± His voice was sly, full of some sort of irony that sludged through each word he spoke. It was cruel and condescending, and I expected nothing less of him. ¡°Do you really want to know why?¡± My neck was tortured with pain from hanging on one side for too long, there was this part on my back that was itchy, I could hardly hear anything with the cloth covering my ears too. I nodded my head as best as I could. ¡°Agent Roadkiller, take off her blindfold.¡± The hair by my ear was yanked up and it felt like a million strands of nerves were being pulled out of my head. Bright lights all around me, I was in some kind of windowless facility, sent a jolt of shock ran through my body, sudden stimuli and the sick feeling in my body wasn¡¯t mixing. I made a groaning sort of noise and gasped for air rapidly. I could not barf in front of him. ¡ªUURPPP Turning my head to the side, my stomach came out. I couldn¡¯t see, hear, smell, or feel anything for a blissful and deathly painful moment. I caught my breath again in more frantic gasps, and another round came out. Gasps of pain escaped my throat as I finished. Pain, from the head, to the stomach, to the intensity of my beating heart in my pained chest. ¡°Let¡¯s make one thing clear,¡± Aythe muttered into my ear. To me he was barely a blur nearby, just another color blending into the world that hated me so much, the shadows in the background of the white stone room. ¡°You¡¯re weak.¡± All too abruptly his face, so impossible to see, became the clearest thing in my eyes. The eyes of the devil were the colors of the riches of the earth. They gloated in my face, a smug look knowing that I couldn¡¯t do anything, and even if I was able to fight back I would still lose horribly. ¡°F****** pathetic.¡± What was the face I was making right now? It was probably tiredness. ¡°I have a question, Gwen.¡± I hated him so much. He knew that I couldn¡¯t respond, that I was as helpless as a child. Behind me I could sense the looming presence of the agent from before, Roadkiller. ¡°Tell me, what was your deal with Reyenal Ato about?¡± There was a loud ringing in my right ear. ¡°¡­ no¡­¡± ======================== Answer Memory Overtake Will you use a Guide? Yes//No ======================== ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ======================== Option 1) ¡°I can¡¯t tell you that.¡± Option 2) ¡°Go die.¡± Option 3) ¡°Don¡¯t kill me.¡± ======================== ¡­ No one could save me. Was it her fault? Was it really Gwen Olynn¡¯s fault? A total, incomprehensible feeling washed over me, like revelation twisted into my very skin, burned onto my tongue, that hurt me so much. ¡°Don¡¯t kill me.¡± I added simply. ¡°Please.¡± I could feel his gaze on me. The disapproving, disappointed, disgusted look one donned upon seeing an insect daringly staring beneath their heel. ¡°What could I possibly expect,¡± his voice was almost a whisper, ¡°from such a lowborn, pathetic girl like you¡­?¡± At that moment I expected to be stabbed, to be brutally dismembered, to die in a horrible way. The face he gave me oozed so much meaning and so little emotion. My stomach hurt. My head hurt. No one could save me. ¡°Ughh,¡± I groaned as a surge of pain washed over me. Any normal person would have passed out by now from complications, but Gwen was not so normal. I wish I could just fade now into death. But¡­ I didn¡¯t want to die. ¡°Why?¡± Footsteps. Aythe was walking away. The sound of a door closing, and I felt completely alone again. Except, I knew I wasn¡¯t alone. I was being watched. ¡°Agent.¡± Aythe¡¯s voice came over a speaker. ¡°I can¡¯t let her disgusting blood touch my swords. Go ahead, take her out.¡± I was being watched by Roadkiller. And no one could save me. ¡ªSSSSHHHNKK The sound of a sword drawn from its sheath. It was death. I was going to die. And no one could save me. Mom. Dad. My friends who couldn¡¯t see me now. I wanted to see them again. Maybe because I wanted to tell them one last thing. Avil Daniase. My friend of two long months. The only person whose face and name I could remember. I wished I could tell them¡­ That I¡­ ¡ªTHUMP 25 - HONEST EVILS 25: HONEST EVILS // 4:14 P.M. // 10 - 25 - 2023 // Saint Hospital Featuring Parker, ??? and Gwen Olynn // The boss¡¯s voice breathed into Parker¡¯s ear. ¡°Echo, status check.¡± The woman in front of him squeezed her hands tightly. He could see sweat present on her neck. ¡°Mr. Fasad? Were you saying something?¡± Parker shook his head and adjusted the mask on his face up; he could breathe too much, his mask was too far down. ¡°Mrs. Samson. How frequently do you hear these voices?¡± An uncomfortable look spread across her face. ¡°It¡¯s¡­ it¡¯s as if it¡¯s always questioning me.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve said that it speaks in your own voice?¡± Parker coldly watched her every movement, from the twitch at the corner of her lip to the quick blinks. ¡°Tell me. What questions, exactly?¡± Her fingers rose, fell, and then squeezed again, and her lips tightened. ¡°Ah, yes. There¡¯s not a whole lot, but the more times it says it, the more times¡­ I¡­¡± ¡°Please get to the point, Mrs. Samson.¡± She hesitantly nodded her head. ¡°These are the words exactly. I¡¯ve heard it enough times to memorize it by heart.¡± A breath in. And a heavy exhale out. ¡°What if no one wants to visit me anymore?¡± ¡°Would anyone notice if I left or if I died?¡± ¡°What if I¡¯m just a nuisance to them?¡± ¡°Where would I even go after this?¡± ¡°What if no one cares about me?¡± ¡°What if I wasn¡¯t sick anymore?¡± ¡°What if they forgot about me?¡± ¡°What if I wasn¡¯t even here?¡± ¡°Who¡ª¡± Parker interrupted with a subtle note of disgust. ¡°I understand, Mrs. Samson.¡± Under his breath, he muttered something. Mrs. Samson¡¯s gaze on him was dull, but she attempted interest. ¡°Did you say something, Mr. Fasad?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t.¡± A cold jolt of mana brushed the back of his neck, and he stood up abruptly. ¡°That will be it for my visit today.¡± Parker lifted up the clipboard, pushing the unused pen back under the clip. He wordlessly paced over to the door, but before he left, he called back to her in a low tone, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Mrs. Samson. It will all be over soon.¡± Not caring for an answer Parker promptly closed the door behind him. ¡°Echo, can you confirm that she is an Anxiety incubate?¡± Parker didn¡¯t reply immediately. His brooding stare was locked onto the door he had just closed. ¡°Echo. It¡¯s a yes or no question. Don¡¯t make this difficult.¡± His sigh was brief as he turned to walk to the elevator. ¡°I can confirm it. The incubate displays all the normal paranoia of an Anxiety infectant. I estimate that the hatching will begin in at most one month.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll see about that, Mr. Fasad.¡± she said back, her tone mocking but still in lied nothing but her true message. He slightly frowned and pushed the down button. ¡°Please. You told me to choose a disguise name ¡®like a facade¡¯. I¡¯m only following your orders, mom.¡± Parker dared to hiss. She stayed quiet. The elevator door opened with a pleasant ding and revealed a girl. He eased the muscles on his face and tugged on his mask again as they crossed each other. As the door was closing, the girl turned to make eye contact. ¡°Good afternoon, sir.¡± Closed. ¡°Consider it my final warning, kid. Don¡¯t. Call. Me. That. If you think I favor you over the others, don¡¯t push your luck.¡± Her voice was furiously and dangerously silent. Other than the humming noise of the elevator going down, Parker could hear nothing. He held back a remark and responded shortly. ¡°Copy that, boss.¡± ¡°Then a good pet, and come back to base.¡± He glared at the door. ¡°Copy.¡± // 5:14 P.M. // 10 - 25 - 2023 // Arc - Hospital Starring Dean Harvest Featuring Avil Daniase and Junseo Park // Avil was breathing harshly on the bed. His eyes were unfocused, and he was sweaty. The grip he had on the blankets made his hands red from the exertion. ¡°Dean.¡± ¡°Y-yeah?¡± I was a little scared of him and what was going on. Whatever was happening I couldn¡¯t understand at all. ¡°Do you need something? I-I can get you water¡ª¡± I was cut off. ¡°No.¡± His face was frighteningly pale, he looked almost like a banshee, his voice shook under a falsely secure smile to me. ¡°No, where did Ced say he was going?¡± My eyebrows knit together. ¡°To find Gwen. Didn¡¯t you hear him?¡± He made no attempt to answer me and only slumped back into the bed. His grip partially loosened, and his finger tapped twice onto the crumpled blankets. Avil said slowly, ¡°Dean. Leave now.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Get out!¡± He bursted out in sudden anger. As I flinched something fell onto the ground behind me with a grunting noise, their shoulder landing by my foot and pushed through the curtain. The same someone groaned and then stifled their breath. I turned, baffled by the intrusion, a silhouette of them was barely visible. ¡°Who¡¯s this?¡± The words left my mouth before my conflicted mind could fully grasp the situation. Avil¡¯s eyes were no longer so clouded but rather dangerously pointed onto the figure on the floor who was quickly getting up in an awkwardly jittery way. Avil growled, ¡°I don¡¯t care whoever the f*** you are,¡± the etchings of exhaustion against his loathing face sprang the urge in me to get out of the way. ¡°I¡¯ll f****** kill you if you¡¯ve been eavesdropping the whole time.¡± I promptly took two steps to the side, but he wasn¡¯t paying attention to me at all, rather at the tall figure behind the curtains. Glancing around the corner, my first impression of the person was a very attractive guy who had a look of guilt and fear on his face. He looked to be Korean, standing around my height or a bit taller but not as much as Ced was by barely an inch or two. What caught me the most off guard was his stylish pink hair, the roots of which were a dusk black color. They were clearly dyed, but still were completely natural on him. And then he noticed me. I pulled back for a moment and blinked. I recognized him. That was Jun from homeroom. ¡°Dean.¡± I definitely recognized his voice. ¡°I swear it¡¯s because you guys were making a scene. H-honestly I still don¡¯t know what just happened.¡± No one said a word, not until Avil finally muttered loud enough for just me to hear, ¡°God f****** dammit.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I said f*** this bulls***!¡± His hands were trembling just the same as every sound that escaped his mouth. I could see his eyes watering as he wiped his face twice with his arm, and he sniffled loudly. Avil was on the verge of crying. I averted my eyes. The room was so suffocating. If only I had an answer. ¡°I-I¡¯m¡­ going to g-go now.¡± ¡°D-Dean! Don¡¯t¡ªwait¡­¡± The sniffling was stuck in my head even as I pushed the door behind me. One of the Arc doctors spotted me walking out and approached me, I pushed the slightly peeled visitor name tag sticker against my shirt. To my surprise, she didn¡¯t say anything to me, and just went inside. A thought passed through my head. I could leave now. ¡­ I¡­ should. But¡­ My mind drifted back to Avil¡¯s red fingers. To Cedrance¡¯s horrified face. And I couldn¡¯t get them out of my head. ¡­ There wasn¡¯t any reason for me to do anything. So why did I open my watch? Why did I open contacts? Why did I press the one called Nightingale? ¡­ ¡°So you¡¯ve finally reached out, Dean Harvest. Have you changed your mind yet?¡± My mouth opened to say something, but then I paused. Why did I¡­? This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Take your time. I can wait all day.¡± ¡°I-I,¡± courage rose in my chest, ¡°I need your guild¡¯s help. Please, help me.¡± Parker took a moment to digest what I said. ¡°Well, you know nothing happens for free.¡± ¡°Yes. I know that.¡± A short silence. ¡°Tell me, does joining the Nightingales sound like a good trade to you?¡± I tried my best at a scoff. ¡°Y-you know that it¡¯s ille-legal to contract minors?¡± He chuckled, ¡°Aren¡¯t I a minor? Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s just an honorary position for now. You will get your place when the time comes. And if you¡¯re worried about money, don¡¯t be. We pay our agents fairly and generously. For example, how does starting with $400,000 yearly and a minimum of $40,000 per mission sound to you? We¡¯re willing to negotiate further details, of course.¡± Immediately an unsettling feeling of distrust built in my chest, his words hitting the stone wall that was Dean in my mind. I, too, has the same suspicions. Though I knew nothing about money in this world, nor even from the world I had been stolen from, there was something odd about this deal. Why me? A conflict arose in my head. I wasn¡¯t anybody special. Still unawakened, no people skills, average grades, atrocious fighting skills, and I had no friends to speak of. So why me? ¡°But don¡¯t worry. I did say we were generous, so consider this a favor.¡± A note of disappointment was evident in his bored voice, and yet a feeling of shock stirred. ¡°So, Dean. What do you need from Nightingale?¡± I froze. Skepticism was all about. But still, the urge to do good was stronger than any rationale. I told him without stuttering. // 5:20 P.M. // 10 - 25 - 2023 // Wings of Justice Hideout Featuring Parker, Gwen Olynn and Cedrance Manamune // ¡°Oh, you mean the girl with the bob cut?¡± Parker sniffed. Blood was all over the floor, splattered on the wall where the knife was fading into nothing, the fluorescent white light bouncing about all over the crime scene. A girl tied to a chair, yellow vomit at her feet and on her laps that stunk the room. A guy in a doctor¡¯s coat standing behind her, his face mask covering everything below his eyes. A burly man bearing the Wings of Justice insignia in a butler¡¯s suit, dead on the floor. His head had rolled somewhere to the side, but Parker didn¡¯t care to notice. ¡°Yes,¡± Dean said with conviction, ¡°her name is¡ª¡± ¡°Gwen Olynn, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°¡­ how did you know?¡± It was cold in the room. Parker paced over to the agent¡¯s dead body and turned him over, careful only to touch his suit. He then began to unbutton the man¡¯s outfit. From behind him Gwen¡¯s breathing intensified. Parker turned his head around and tapped his ear, then put a finger to his smiling lips. Gwen¡¯s eyes widened and she flinched. His smile fell off his face, Parker resumed taking the man¡¯s clothes. ¡°How could I not?¡± Parker raised his voice. ¡°She¡¯s the only person truly keeping the incubating demons at bay.¡± ¡°What?¡± Gwen gasped from behind him, and began coughing horribly as he finally managed to yank off the suit from beneath the agent. ¡°What¡­?¡± The urge to laugh escaped from him, and only a single breath left. ¡°Oh, you never knew? Shame. I always thought she was a smart kid. What happened to all of her textbooks?¡± She whimpered quietly, ¡°They never said anything like this¡­¡± ¡°Professor Carmela must have known,¡± Parker allowed her a hint with a smirk. ¡°Wasn¡¯t she the one who assigned Gwen and the other nobodies to the Saint Hospital? News travels quickly, you know.¡± ¡°Parker, are you talking to someone?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not. But someone is listening to me.¡± A breath of paranoia came over from the other side. ¡°Who?¡± Parker waved off the question. A cold wave of mana seeped into the back of his neck, and he shivered. His eyes traced towards the door almost invisible against the white steel walls, walls made of mana impossible to enter or exit without the right clearance, impossible for any normal person to get in or out of. It didn¡¯t mean it couldn¡¯t be broken through by someone who wasn¡¯t particularly normal. Throwing the coat on his shoulder, he walked to Gwen, and then to her back where she couldn¡¯t turn her head. He pulled something, a little blue thermometer, from his pocket and looked at it, then pushed it back in, returning his eyes to Gwen. From up close, she looked so much unlike what her poker-face afar would suggest. Gaunt, pale, sweaty, sickly. He took a couple steps back, and she no longer looked so ghastly. His head tilted to the side in interest. ¡°Well, someone is coming to save her soon, I suppose.¡± Whoever was coming was coming fast; security was very low in the middle of nowhere. ¡°Are you sure? I mean¡­ I haven¡¯t even told you who k-kidnapped her though¡­?¡± ¡°Hah. You don¡¯t need to worry. You should know that I have my ways.¡± His eyes drawled across her hair, scanning Gwen down to the soles of her shoes. She couldn¡¯t see him nod. ¡°I¡¯m going to hang up now. Consider my offer, will you?¡± Before Dean could put in another word Parker clicked the button on the earpiece, and the call cut off. ¡°Now that that¡¯s over,¡± Parker circled Gwen again, making sure to touch nothing, ¡°hello, Ms. Olynn. How are you?¡± With a sort of cruel intrigue his gaze never once let go of her, even as her trembling figure refused an answer, shaking, and shaking, and shaking. It was something he couldn¡¯t understand nor care about. ¡°If you¡¯re wondering, no, I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± He muttered something under his breath, and her pitiful eyes remained staring at the ground, blood and vomit stinking the room. Gwen sucked in a shaky breath. Parker continued, ¡°And I can¡¯t guarantee your safety.¡± ¡°But I wasn¡¯t lying when I said someone was coming.¡± ¡ªTTTTCCHKKKK Suddenly a sound like tearing paper came from where the door was. The two turned their heads to see a sword stuck through the white door, coated in a blue water-like manaform. And then it swished to the side, slicing through the mana door. A gash appeared where the sword had pulled through, and the door began to unmake itself, shredding like fabric and then dissolving into the air with every piece that tore itself off in a flurry of moments. ¡°You¡¯ll keep quiet about me, yes?¡± Parker¡¯s eyes were narrowed suspiciously on the sword, now swinging in other directions and erasing the very mana that made up the door with each slash. His words were a threat. ¡°Then, what happens to you next will be your choice.¡± ¡ªTSSSHHHHKKK And then he disappeared.
Unto Oblivion Cost: 50 MANA
Cooldown: 5 seconds
S- // Parker dissipates any of his Shadows after 1 second, then teleports to its location. The cooldown for Nightspawn is refreshed upon casting the ability.
¡­ ¡°Echo.¡± ¡°Yes, boss?¡± Parker rested against the rusting gate pole, the gates were pushed wide open. Trees were all around, branches and fallen leaves scattered on the floor, crunched beneath his feet. He lightly kicked aside the agent next to him, passed out with a light dent on his head. The man¡¯s hands were flopped over in front of his face, and Parker gave him a distasteful look. Not twenty feet away in front of him over to the left side of the gate was an SUV with no one inside, in good conditions, the windows tinted black and the body painted a dark scarlet. ¡°Give me a full report.¡± The boss¡¯s voice was patient. Parker thoughtfully looked back around to the old complex. Somewhere in that building Gwen was being saved by another person, ¡°Someone very powerful just came to save her.¡± ¡°Elaborate.¡± ¡°Cedrance Manamune. I recognize him, he¡¯s the highest ranking freshman at Arc this year.¡± He waited for a grunted response of approval, then continued. ¡°Target Gwen Olynn is one of the five Arc kids that appear weekly at the Saint Hospital,¡± Parker closed his eyes. ¡°Their objective isn¡¯t known, but from observing them I can¡ª¡± ¡°Not that. You¡¯ve made me plenty aware of who she is. I¡¯m asking about her condition and her escort, Cedrance.¡± Groaning, Parker pushed himself off the gate, each step the loud sound of crunching leaves. ¡°First off, you heard the call, yes? It¡¯s as Dean said, she looked like someone who was kidnapped. Her mana was dangerously low, just above average paralysis range, or at least that¡¯s what was indicated. But not only is she smelly¡­ I believe I know something about her Innate ability, and a secret she may be harboring. ¡°¡­ go on.¡± ¡°First, her Innate. It¡¯s her appearance. That¡¯s all there is to it.¡± ¡°What about it?¡± He stopped in front of the car, and then slid his finger across the headlights. Warm to the touch. ¡°She¡¯s sick, and all of a sudden, she isn¡¯t. Or at least, that¡¯s what her appearance suggests. As far as I saw, she only looked to be sick when I was near her.¡± ¡°Ah. That is rather worthless.¡± The boss paused. ¡°And what else?¡± As he looked into the vehicle, he saw a few keychains here and there, a plastic cup of tea in the front holder, both of the seats in front were cleared and empty. It looked very clean and unused. Circling to the side, a shiny insignia immediately caught his attention. It was a grey outline of a semicircle cut horizontally by a dividing squiggle fading into a pointed tip, all split through a narrow rhombus. Sideways, it looked like SD. Parker recalled that it was a simple design with its origin dating back to the first child of the Silverdawn president, who drew it as a baby. He smiled, sliding his finger across the Silverdawn insignia. What a coincidence. ¡°The mana around her was spiking weirdly when Aythe Siena was talking to her about a deal with Reyenal Ato.¡± Parker pulled his finger back. ¡°What¡¯s stranger was the fact that she had hardly any mana around her before, her reserves were probably low from keeping her from dying. When he left, the mana disappeared. That isn¡¯t possible.¡± Nothing was said for a moment. ¡°I see. I have no doubts about the fact that she holds an unsayable secret.¡± ¡°You¡¯re interested.¡± ¡°Who knows? Tell me about Cedrance.¡± Parker sighed, and then pulled off his face mask. The cool air tickled his face. His ears perked up as a cracking noise came from ahead of him beyond the trees past the car. He put his hand against the passenger seat door and then pushed his mana through, and another wave of cold eased past the material and inside swiftly.
Nightspawn Cost: 210 MANA
Cooldown: 32 seconds
S- // Parker enters into Reaper form, leaving behind a Shadow of himself that dissipates upon contact with any targets. He can control these Shadows without effort, and upon dissipation Shadows impart their memories onto Parker. Shadows deal half damage to targets with the Darkened Shiv. Shadows disappear on their own after a certain amount of time has passed. SHADOW LIFESPAN: 28 hours
He sighed. ¡°Like I said, he¡¯s the best freshman at Arc right now. He¡¯s a Valiance class Fighter, and big guts going after Aythe Siena like this¡­ boss, don¡¯t tell me you want that oaf with us?¡± She snarled, ¡°Don¡¯t you think for a second you have a say about that. But no, I want neither of them to become Harbingers. Well, wouldn¡¯t it be better if the escort was on the¡­ right side?¡± ¡°Someone is here,¡± Parker said plainly. The smile had never left his face, and neither had the smile from the Shadow inside the car. ¡°I¡¯m going now.¡± She laughed boredly. ¡°You have 5 seconds to return back, then. Your side mission is complete.¡± 26 - IMPERFECT FACADE 26: IMPERFECT FACADE // 5:37 P.M. // 10 - 25 - 2023 // ??? Starring Reyenal Ato Featuring Cedrance Manamune and Gwen Olynn // ¡°Did you¡­ even get a driver¡¯s license yet?¡± Cedrance gave me a weird look as I glanced back down at the GPS. The forest ahead of us seemed unending going back as it was going in. ¡°Nah,¡± I responded nonchalantly, and said nothing more. ¡°How do you know how to drive?¡± He didn¡¯t have to know that I used to drive all the time to school. Also, it was way too quiet in the car. ¡°You guys okay with some music?¡± I ignored his question. I glanced at the rearview mirror to the passenger seat, and seeing Gwen staring vacantly into the other window I quickly grew uninterested. The humming of the engine, the leisurely pace of the car bumping over things on the road, the setting sun ahead. It was quite peaceful for the first time in a while. ¡°Can I take that as a yes?¡± Over to my right, Cedrance was sitting straight up, hands on his laps, his head not even resting on the back of the chair for some reason. With his eyes pointed straight ahead, he looked very stiff. I rolled my own eyes and tapped the hologram watch, swiping away the GPS which then floated into a green bar at the top of the screen. Recently I had learned that I could change the theme color of the hologram like one could with a phone; now it was now dark grey, the perfect resting color, and a wallpaper of my current favorite K-Pop male idol group in this world, Azurose. My soul eased as I brought my gaze upon them one by one for five in total. A sigh of happiness left me. I swiped again onto the next page and opened an app folder. Part of my past time besides drinking boba was creating good Spotify playlists. The sound of air conditioning, the warmth it brought throughout me, I reached into the cupholder beside me and brought the cup to my mouth, taking a long sip of the cooling Watermelon Green Tea. Then I tapped onto the watch interface and opened the Spotify app. Tap, tap, tap, scroll, tap, I opened the one titled ¡®socially ACCEPTABLE music¡¯ and chuckled mildly at the name. After checking for the audio¡¯s connection to the car, I pressed play. ¡­ Chords of guitar strums filled the car, tickling the back of my ear, and I closed my eyes for a second as we entered into a relatively empty plains. ¡°Reyenal, why can¡¯t you just teleport us like earlier?¡± I turned my head to Cedrance slightly, still in my happy zone as the light and slow thumping beats of the song kept the rest of my attention in blank unfocus. ¡°I¡¯d hate to break it to you.¡± The sun was setting below the trees ahead, and the little grey crystal resting against the window on Cedrance¡¯s side shimmered and flickered before fading back into its dull state. I reached over and flicked his forehead, then pointed to the Travel Shard. ¡°Idiot. See that right there? What does it look like to you?¡± His eyebrows moved together as he frowned looking back at me, a very annoyed face; his hand reached for the spot I had flicked at him which made me realize what I had done. ¡°But you¡¯ve kept me in the dark.¡± ¡°Ahh, my bad, my bad bro.¡± I tried to smile it off, but he only gave me a funny look. ¡°Reyenal¡­ why are you helping me?¡± ======================== ¡®Reyenal Ato¡¯ has been completed the following action: [Baffle Cedrance Manamune] Results: Cedrance¡¯s hostility is temporarily stifled, but his suspicion rises. He has noticed a change in Reyenal¡¯s personality and attitude. ======================== ¡°Too long you¡¯ve never told me¡­¡± It was my turn to be temporarily baffled. ¡°The reason for why you cry.¡± Then my eyes slowly shifted back onto the bumpy, unpaved road, one riddled with cracks and stones and other foliage, the smile gone. A breath of cool air left briskly, and I inhaled sharply through my flared nostrils. ¡°Please, say anything, I¡¯m listening to you, so¡­¡± The next words that escaped my mouth were not mine. ¡°Is it wrong for me to do what I want?¡± Neither the apathy nor the clipped words were how I spoke, nor the mildly sharp way that was pointed into Cedrance. ¡°Don¡¯t be mistaken. I still don¡¯t like you. Yet you question the one time I feel generous.¡± ¡°Tell me¡­ what is the point of this mys-te-ry, if the world just goes on by¡­ anyways.¡± ¡°So why do you hold back your words? I see just the smallest bitter smile.¡± ¡°Secrets we¡¯ve kept, memories we¡¯ve made.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me they were mistakes.¡± ======================== Cedrance¡¯s displeasure towards you rises. ======================== The wind began to blow, as did all of the tall grasses around, and the leaves in the distant trees. Like magic the fall fallings were lifted into the air piece by piece. I returned the screen to navigation, my body returned to me. ¡°So you haven¡¯t changed,¡± he said finally. No response came to me, so I said nothing. The music kept on playing as we neared the next patch of trees ahead. It was neither calming nor overbearing, simply noises in my head. ¡°¡®Don¡¯t want you, don¡¯t need you¡¯, I don¡¯t even know what you¡¯re trying to say.¡± ¡°¡®Come closer, stay away¡¯, give me a break!¡± ¡°Say something that makes sense!¡± ¡°How in the world did we get so lost, I see it¡¯s a loss!¡± ¡°Show me it all, the burdens you keep from me.¡± ¡°Oh, tell me more, want to know more!¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. // 2:01 P.M. // 10 - 27 - 2023 // Arc - E-Wing, Multipurpose Lecture Hall Starring Kali Lapuz Featuring Zendolyn Ato and Regan Yglesias // ¡°Remember, your essay on Common Thievery Tactics is due Monday,¡± the professor called out over the rustling of backpacks being stuffed with papers and laptops. I swiped away the watch hologram and pushed the highlighter back into the pencil case. Zipping it up I threw it into the open backpack lying by my left foot, and then put in the large textbook which closed with a soft thud. ¡°We¡¯ll be returning to the Criminology room when we next meet. Check the Arc app for the reminders. See you guys later!¡± Professor Thimes closed her own textbook, and for the millionth time I witnessed the book float into the air and neatly land inside of her bag. A useful ability for someone who worked in Forensics, being able to move things around without dirtying the scene. The problem was that this lady in particular was overzealous with her ability, which ticked me off mostly because part of her constant demonstrations was the fact that she used the textbook for everything. Then she left the room, followed by a couple more faster packer-uppers. I didn¡¯t like this teacher. Throwing the backpack over my shoulder and stumbling sideways under its weight as I stood up, a groan escaped my mouth. But damn was she hard. Beside me Jessica or whatever her name was huffed. I glanced over, and saw the slight folds beneath her eyes. She was just as exhausted as I was. ¡°Kali, where are you going next?¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I tried to say, but my throat gurgled with mucus, which I swiftly grunted out. ¡°Umm, I¡¯m going to the gym after this. Where are you going?¡± ¡°Dude,¡± she said, walking behind me as we began descending the steps. The girl was tailing behind me and was, I felt, way too close. ¡°Library. F***, I need to get this essay over with. I have so many random quizzes to study for, and like, homework in every course, bro¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we just doing trig or something?¡± ¡°Yeah, but like,¡± she sighed with an exasperated and exaggerated kind of tone, ¡°man I¡¯m just 15, I should be taking regular old electives, and instead I already got all this majoring and minoring bull¡­ bullshipoodles!¡± I let out a small laugh of pity and nodded my head, stopping behind another guy as the traffic of students clogged the passage of movement to the door. ¡°Girl, you¡¯re so relatable for that. I guess Arc is just built different. Homework for days, and everything is hard.¡± I half-sobbed and she returned it with a wheeze. She wasn¡¯t entirely off, as Arc still mostly followed an average high school schedule: mandatory homeroom in the morning for basic history, mathematics, and English all combined together, a break, and then the schedule could vary from there. An elective class that could technically be considered a major or minor, clubs, sports, an extended break, literally anything. Then there was lunch. Glorious lunch. And after lunch, there was another elective, break, school event, club, blah blah. Finally there was mandatory physical training with the homeroom class. Of course, it could all change on a dime just like it did during practical exams week. Usually schedules were pretty manageable and sometimes even light; in my situation, where Kali had opted for Criminology 101 and an advanced Biology class before I was shoved into her world and body, there wasn¡¯t much room for break. The Hiking Club was Regan¡¯s choice. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to come with me? You¡¯re like, really smart,¡± Jessica eyed me for a second, and then back to her watch as if she hadn¡¯t just been staring at my hair. ¡°Emily said she¡¯s coming too.¡± A frown. ¡°Wait, I didn¡¯t know you had her number. How did you guys meet?¡± ¡°Oh, one of my friends invited me to the Criminology group chat,¡± she replied nonchalantly. My eyebrow raised. ¡°There¡¯s a Criminology chat?! I¡¯m not in that group chat. Oi, add me. Add me to the chat!¡± As we finished talking the line finally got out of the building, and then we waved each other off as we exited. The sun was still high in the sky as I walked over to the gym; I had declined Jessica¡¯s offer to go to the library. I honestly didn¡¯t even like her nor Emily too much anyways. From the many other buildings, students began flooding out of their classes, a few I recognized but most I didn¡¯t care for. The noise all around was growing with talk and laughter, friends pushing each other sarcastically, boys and girls holding hands, drooping expressions, louder and louder until the silent school was alive again. Today was a Friday. I sighed wearily, no one to talk to, life was boring. So I started reviewing my in-class notes. The watch hologram came to life in front of me, opened to the Criminology group chat I had just been added to. With no interest for it I switched the app to the Arc app, and then pressed around until I found my class homepage. [Reminder: ¡°Your essay on Common Thievery Tactics is due Monday. Prompt: Research and argue your case on the most effective way to rob a bank. Consider Risk and Reward. Provide evidence from credible sources and reports of real cases. Have a good weekend.¡±] Cursing, I swiped at the screen and it sputtered off. All the people walking by me paid me no notice. To my right a door opened as someone walked in, and the smell of chlorine hit my nose. I scrunched my face hearing the sound of a giant splash, and looked beyond the fence to the four girls jumping into the gigantic pool one after the other. One of them screamed as the other immediately began to chase after them, swimming in beautiful butterfly strokes that could impress the likes of professional athletes. My eyes strayed away to the two guys, tall and fit, crossing by, and lingered for a second too long as they realized I was staring at them. The one on the left waved, and I felt a small blush grow on my cheeks as I waved back, and then kept going. The gym was only a few steps away. Oh hell no, that was embarrassing. I pushed away a strand of hair over my ear and brought it to the top of my loose bun. Yep, greasy. How was their hair so nice? I needed to work on my appearance. Another person brushed by my shoulder from behind as he turned sideways to fit in between myself and a large and loud group of students, and I momentarily glanced at him. Oily black hair mostly hidden beneath a grey cap with an unreadable logo, tinged white at the edges that peaked out, like damn was that all dandruff on those tips? Dark circles beneath his eyes, a grey T-shirt over a black long sleeve skin tight shirt, baggy jeans, Airpods in his ears. His backpack was a basic black with some frayed spots and some random brown stains on the bottom. He was fairly good looking, but in a much more reserved and less obvious way, and measured to barely half of the guys from earlier. He also needed to work on his appeara¡ªwait a goddamn second, was that ¡°Zen?¡± The boy was caught off guard by his own name and froze, and someone bumped into him. He quickly took a step backwards and apologized awkwardly, waving his hands in the ¡®no, it¡¯s okay¡¯ motion, and then sheepishly made eye contact with me as the girl rolled her eyes and left. A look of recognition flashed over his face, and he swiped at his shirt, conscious of his shabby appearance. ¡°Kali?¡± A little smile crept across my face. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see you outside of work. You going to the gym, too?¡± Zen nodded, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s upper body for me today.¡± ¡°No really? Same! Wanna spot for each other, then?¡± He looked down at his watch, and tapped something. ¡°Sure, but I¡¯m not that strong. Let¡¯s go inside, I¡¯m gonna get changed.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah.¡± ¡­ ¡°Woah, man,¡± I said with a sort of awe and pity, ¡°you weren¡¯t kidding when you said that, huh?¡± My hands relaxed from the bar as he pulled himself out, sitting tiredly on the edge. This kid¡¯s reps were 5 pound plates on either side of the iron bar for 30 pounds in total. ¡°Yep,¡± Zen managed, and then stood to walk around me for his bag. He pulled a water bottle out and took a long swig. ¡°It¡¯s my turn now,¡± I said, scooting in towards the bar. ¡°Can you switch out the plates for 15¡¯s?¡± Zen sighed as he lowered the bottle from his lips. ¡°Alright.¡± I was starting to notice a speech pattern. ¡°You definitely gotta work on your chest and shoulders, Zen. Didn¡¯t you say one time you were a crossbow user?¡± He looked at me as he was toting over two 15 pound plates. Replacing them quickly, he said, ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s my weakest area. How about you?¡± ¡°Abs. I literally can¡¯t do a plank without collapsing after a minute.¡± ¡°Hah,¡± Zen shook his head. ¡°That¡¯s probably my strongest. I can¡¯t do anything except planks. I¡¯m like a toothpick.¡± Someone tapped my shoulder and I turned around. ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m kind of like a¡ªHOLY S***!¡± ¡°Look who I found!¡± Regan hooted, looking as happy as ever. ¡°You were working out and you didn¡¯t even tell me? Oh, and who are you?¡± She looked behind me to Zen, who¡¯s emotionless face hadn¡¯t changed ever since I began talking to him. ¡°Hi,¡± his head tilted a little, ¡°I¡¯m just Kali¡¯s coworker and spotting buddy.¡± ¡°Oh, wait, I think I¡¯ve seen you before, then?¡± She thoughtfully scratched her head for a second, and then gave up on remembering. ¡°Anyways, can I take her for a second?¡± He shrugged easily. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Zen put the water bottle back into his backpack, and then slinging it over his shoulder he simply left without a word to me, or even a glance back. ¡°That was Zen, right?¡± I returned my attention to her. ¡°Yeah, how¡¯d you know?¡± ¡°When he said that he was your coworker, it was kinda obvious who he was.¡± She sniffed. ¡°He¡¯s kinda rude.¡± ¡°For real,¡± I agreed with her, but only to a partial extent. ¡°Maybe he¡¯s a shut-in of something?¡± Regan harrumphed childishly and puffed out her cheeks. ¡°Kali, you still haven¡¯t said anything yet, ya know, about why you didn¡¯t tell me?¡± I scoffed. ¡°You found me anyways. What¡¯s school like for you, now? You know, adjusting to new classes and all that, now that you¡¯ve¡­ well, Awakened?¡± She blinked, and her smile faltered. ¡°So you¡¯re telling me you haven¡¯t read the giant, like, article, that I wrote to you?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I tried not to show anything on my face. ¡°Oh, did you? Sorry, Regan, all the homework¡¯s been getting to my head.¡± ¡°You know you can tell me about it then, right?¡± Her face was worried now, that unfaltering positivity of hers cracking. ¡°Or maybe texting me at all?¡± The look she was giving me hurt. ¡°You talk less than before,¡± she continued, ¡°and also you haven¡¯t visited me for two days. Be real with me. Are you okay?¡± I could only look at my feet. ¡°Is it because of me?¡± 27 - I’M NOT WEAK 27: I¡¯M NOT WEAK // 3:07 P.M. // 10 - 27 - 2023 // Arc - Training Center Starring Zendolyn Ato Featuring Avil Daniase and Gwen Olynn // Professor Justin¡¯s voice boomed, ¡°Everyone, take a look up at the screen!¡± The dust kicked up into the air by all of the students moving in closer to get a better view was starting to irritate my nose, and I sneezed, wiping the snot onto the practical uniform. All of the surrounding target dummies and sparring mats and strafing drones, the clanking of weapons against scabbards and sheens and quivers, all getting on my nerves. I shouldered the crossbow on my back. The sun still high in the sky, I squinted to get a proper view of the giant screen near the entrance of the backdoor into the Training Center. It was sort of like a roster of names, with one paired up with the other making a list all the way down and overflowing into another column. It was very obvious that the list was steadily getting shorter, as students were one by one Awakening and being transferred into other classes. ¡°You¡¯ll see the name of your sparring partner for today. Call me over if you need something.¡± [Jennifer D vs. Mason A] Just¡ª [Korina P vs. Robin F] ¡ªnames¡ª [Avil D vs. Christopher Y] ¡ªthat¡ª [Jason T vs. Owen V] ¡ªI¡ª [Anita J vs. Megan S] ¡ªdidn¡¯t¡ª [Logan P vs. Lea P] ¡ªcare¡ª [Zendolyn A vs. Gwen O] ¡ªabo¡ªooh! Nah, that¡¯s me, I care about me. And, uhh¡­ I turned to look at Gwen, who wasn¡¯t that far to my left. Avil stood just in front of her, somehow carrying the shield on his back, looking somewhat concerned at her completely detached expression and her lifeless eyes that I had been pretty aware of ever since yesterday. Gwen herself was fully equipped with the arm bracer, an addition to her weapon for shock absorbant purposes, the rather interesting spiked shoes held in one hand, and the buckled on her wrist closer to me. Avil glanced around and made eye contact with me. He stuck his chin out, and I shrugged. He rolled his eyes, then pointed at me, then at Gwen, and then flexed his arms while pointing thumbs down. I scratched my head and pointed to her, put my first and second finger together, then brought it to my eyes while ducking in slightly. Avil nodded, and I returned it back exasperatedly. His attention moved elsewhere. Sure¡ªyou know what? Sure. Whatever you say, big man. ¡°I said, get into your pairs now!¡± Professor Justin blew up in my ear and made me leap a yard backwards. ¡°You think I didn¡¯t catch you with Avil? Think again, boy.¡± To the best of my abilities I switched up acts and solemnly shook my head, ¡°That won¡¯t happen again, Professor.¡± He grunted, and then blew up in another pair¡¯s faces as I crossed over to Gwen, who still hadn¡¯t really reacted to the situation at all. I couldn¡¯t tell if she was being slow, sleep deprived, or possibly both, but other than her pale skin nothing seemed wrong. ¡°Get into your designated areas!¡± I traced his pointing finger to my right to the larger areas meant for weapon sparring, each enclosed off with colored chalk on the hard dirt floor. Finally from the corner of my eyes I saw Gwen look up slightly, and I trudged to our area with her following not too far behind. Reaching the end of the zone I turned back around, and as expected Gwen stood on the opposite side, All around me other students were doing the same, like Christopher to my right facing off against Avil all the way on the other side where Gwen was also standing. She kneeled down, pulling off her shoes and putting the spiked pairs on. ¡°Hey Gwen.¡± No response as she kept working them onto her foot. I tried raising my voice, but still no response. She stood up. ¡°Oh well, if that¡¯s what¡¯s happening right now¡ª¡± ¡°You may begin now!¡± I was startled again by the Professor. Wait, huh? Already? All of a sudden a burst of noises around me, conflicting cacophonies of weapons being drawn in the frantic rush to take center space, while the grunts of first contact from other zealous fighters made their way to my ears. ¡°Let¡¯s get this over with,¡± Gwen finally said over the noise. Her voice was raspy. I exhaled once. ¡°Yeah.¡± I hastily pulled the crossbow off my shoulder, half-expecting a rush as I took my eyes off her for a second, but when I looked back the only change that had happened was a sudden lack of confidence. She raised the buckler to her face in a boxer stance, smartly leaving a small gap to see me through, but this sure wasn¡¯t what she did to me the last two times she fought. Both times against her had left me completely thrashed. The arrow was pulled from the quiver and loaded quickly and, looking into the sights for a second to align with her, I pulled the trigger. ¡ªCLLLCK Wincing as it flew about 5 feet wide towards her general direction I loaded in another arrow. Wow. My aim wasn¡¯t getting better at all. The adrenaline pump in my head began to shake as Gwen finally started moving, in slow and deliberate steps. ¡ªCLLKC Come on, c¡¯mon, c¡¯mon¡­! Ah, goddammit, another miss, this time flying right past her head. ¡ªCLLLLCKK ¡ªTAAANG She brought her buckler to her face and the arrow ricocheted off. ¡ªCLLKK In the next moment she was upon me. I pushed over to the left, the crossbow already loaded, and she followed in much swifter pursuit. Her kick went straight forward, the one thing I couldn¡¯t duck or sweep myself out of, and I barely managed to jump backwards, stumbling the recovery as she went in again. Somewhere at her shoulder but slightly drifted down to her center I shot the arrow, but it missed completely again, going straight past her side as she lifted her arm, as she dashed to the right catching sight of my trigger happy fingers. I bit my tongue as I danced around the edge of the training area as she recovered her stance, and then she lowered herself, pushing off the ground towards me in pursuit. It seemed like she was slower than usual, but I couldn¡¯t really form that thought in my head as I sprung out wide towards the center of the area to avoid a hooked kick. Sweat was starting to appear on the back of my neck, but Gwen looked as pale as ever. Fumbling in another arrow I at last had the opportunity for a good shot. I too lowered down, one foot stretched far out in front as another held my weight below me, ready to spring back if she advanced towards me. The air passing through my mouth was painfully warm and scratched the back of my throat. Her guard was up again, buckler in front of her face, hands into fists, bent at the knees, eyes on me and the crossbow. She waited for my move. I waited for her¡¯s. It was a tense stand-off of who would deign to move first. ¡ªCLLAAANG ¡ªDDDDMPTT ¡ªBpp Bpp Bpp Metal clashing against metal. This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. To my left Avil was being bombarded with an onslaught of stabs from Christopher¡¯s javelin and looked to be on the losing side. ¡ªTTTckk ¡ªCKK ¡ªCKK ¡ªSSSSTTTT!! To my right the siblings Lea and Logan were viciously swinging at each other, carefully watched by the Professor and a healer on standby. At that moment I realized I wasn¡¯t watching Gwen anymore, and with a sudden cold alarm of wind I instinctively pushed my right leg as hard as I could, flying backwards as a loud PPFFF Gwen landing and kicking up dust everywhere. ¡ªCCLLK I blindly shot into the cloud of dust and heard a sound like metal clanging. I hit the buckler again, damn it! My eyes traveled left and right as I reloaded the crossbow, waiting for her to emerge from anywhere. Other than the other spars taking place around me, this was silent. It was uncannily silent. The sun beat down on me as the dust began to dissipate. ¡ªBBBPPPPP Suddenly Gwen came flying out from my right, and before I could react a gasp of shock left me as her kick hit me square in the stomach, the uniform somehow catching the shoespikes that otherwise would have impaled me. I coughed violently as a sudden shockwave coursed through me, sort of noticing Gwen watching me with certain victory, my head spazzing back and forth, electricity currents that felt sort of like I was being splashed with hot oil all over. This pain distributor was brutal, even with a so-called ¡°mitigation factor¡± of 3. Then it was over just as fast as it had started, and I reached down to feel the spike holes in the uniform. The edges were frayed, around a hole or two, but all of the other holes were sliced clean through. That feeling was never not going to be unpleasant. I needed a new uniform soon; this was starting to add up on my wallet. My head buzzed with the feeling of loss and static, though it didn¡¯t dampen my hearing as Gwen muttered something. ¡°¡ªnot weak. Me? Pshh.¡± She turned her head slightly away from me. Her expression was totally different now. Eyes wide open revealing the misty ocean depths not looking anywhere in particular, lips quivering, open slightly, Gwen looked like she had something to prove. Angry, frightened, and somewhat pitiful, but definitely scary. Gwen walked by me and it was hard to take my eyes off of her. What happened to her? I took a moment to take in everything I was feeling at that moment. Annoyed at my loss, sad at another expense, confused and curious at Gwen. Humbly accepting the healer¡¯s hand beside me I felt a vivid warmth spread through me, up my face, clearing my nose and lightening the burden of thoughts in my head, and easing my muscles. The fatigue evaporated from my body, and I nodded my thanks, an acknowledgement to a powerful healer. She didn¡¯t look back at me as she rushed over towards the next loser, literally shocked after having been stabbed with a javelin¡­ ah. ¡°You too, Avil? I saw you holding up pretty good back there,¡± my pretty voice slightly hoarse from the zapping, I paced over to him as he looked up at me with a pissed look on his face, following Christopher as the guy walked over tiredly to report his win to the Professor. No one liked to lose. ¡°What happened?¡± I kneeled down by him and slid my fingers across his shield. It was smooth and relatively undamaged, though I could make out small marks here and there, nicks and scratches from all of the other spars he had been through. He was breathing heavily. ¡°Bro, that s*** hurts.¡± Like me there was a hole near his stomach. ¡°F***, that b**** is so annoying.¡± ¡°I dunno ¡®bout you,¡± I chuckled knowingly, now unfazed by his cursing, ¡°but I¡¯m getting a factor 4-mitigator next time,¡± I pointed to the many holes at my stomach area. ¡°Wanna come with me tomorrow?¡± With a sort-of groan he pushed himself up onto his feet, and I lifted his shield up for him with a bit of effort. How strong did he have to be in order to lug this thing around like that? ¡°Nah man,¡± he swiped at his shirt, dusty from his tustle, ¡°I have something after class tomorrow. Sorry about that.¡± I shook my head, handing him the shield. I felt like I was missing something. Disappointedly I shook my head, ¡°Do you? Yeah, no worries. I¡¯m working a later shift tomorrow so we probably wouldn¡¯t have too much time anyways,¡± I said. ¡°Uhh,¡± Avil interjected as he took the shield, ¡°where¡¯s your crossbow?¡± I blinked. ¡°Oh yeah.¡± As I jogged back over to my training area where the crossbow still layed, Avil catcalled out from behind me, ¡°Zen! Your aim is as s*** as ever!¡± // 5:31 P.M. // 10 - 28 - 2023 // Arc - Club Streets Auditorium Starring Serene Goldwin Featuring Avil Daniase // The moment I walked through the doors, eyes were turning to me from the rows of seats set up for the occasion. A crowd of people, the Travel Club posters all over the school seemed to have worked their jobs well. ¡°Hey, is that Serene Goldwin?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think that¡¯s her.¡± ¡°What? Serene? Where?¡± ¡°What¡¯s she doing here?¡± I closed my eyes. My chest felt tightly knotted. The voices didn¡¯t stop. ¡°¡ªafter, you know, she shot some poor girl.¡± ¡°One of the sisters¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªRubia, the other is fine.¡± ¡°Someone tell Serene no one wants her here!¡± ¡°Everyone, please calm down!!¡± A person yelled from the back, his voice so jarringly loud I put my hands to my ear and winced. The murmurs died as someone hopped off the stage, a guy around my age or older, about my height, with a light brown butt-cut of a head on an attractive face. A mole on his cheek, almost almond-shaped eyes, a nice jawline and tanned skin, his lashes were quite pretty too, but his worried eyes contrasted the tightly pressed lips, a thin line of thoughts. He seemed to have a little bit of authority as the voices hushed, though not by much. ¡°Sorry about that, Serene,¡± he said, his face not changing to match the apology, averting his eyes from mine. Still, the whispers ensued. They hurt, but I had been hurt worse before. I didn¡¯t respond with words, but once he finally gave me a proper look he understood immediately that I wasn¡¯t there to play around, and apologies were more annoying if anything. ¡°Excuse me, why¡ª¡± ¡°Sure sure,¡± I responded curtly, and then tapped the gun holster on my waist, ¡°but no. I won¡¯t.¡± I brushed past him, whispering into his ear. ¡°Don¡¯t even try to stop me.¡± He shivered as I walked towards the aisles, aware of all the eyes on me, then following me he walked around the edges of the stage to the left side and disappeared behind a black door. A moment later, he was up on the stage. I took my seat in the aisle seat at the second row to the front. The few people sitting in my row gave me the same disgusted look, except now that I was closer I could also see a touch of anxiety. The girl directly behind me was whispering exceptionally loudly, but then shut up immediately as I threw my arm back and over the plastic chair in a resting position. I put it back into my manspread laps as the guy on stage began to speak. ¡°Hello everyone!¡± He said loudly above the chattering, which slowly began to die down as he spoke, ¡°I¡¯m surprised to see so many people here today. First off, my name is Henry Solomon, and I am the Travel Club¡¯s president. This is my second year as president, so I can guarantee that we will have fun no matter where we eventually choose to go, which segues into the next point.¡± Henry paused, the crowd not totally silent, but everyone¡¯s attention was now fully on him. ¡°As you all know, this meeting is going to be a debate and vote on which country or state we will be traveling to next weekend, with special permission from the school,¡± he added smartly as a few muttering people were silenced, ¡°and as you know these trips don¡¯t get to happen often. As Arc students your info is already verified into the system, and as a nice benefit you get to go to whatever country you want to go to as long as you have the all-clear from the school. This means we are all technically ready to go anywhere, besides the obvious countries, in the world right now!¡± I shook my head, wondering when he was going to get to the actual debate¡ª ¡°And so let¡¯s start off our discussion with someone from the audience!¡± Henry announced loudly. ¡°Who wants to go first!¡± My hand instantly shot up. To my left, no one in my row moved. To my right in the other row, no movement. I glanced around. No one had moved, except for one person. He sat in the far back right of the audience. It seemed that the owner of the hand was far too short to be noticed so he had to stand up, slightly blocking the line of sight of someone behind him who I couldn¡¯t fully make out. Well, this was embarrassing. He too noticed the only other hand in the air, and we made eye contact. His eyes were large and desperate, an uninteresting grey-ish color, sort of like my own, but his hair was an intriguing dark purple, similar to Ced¡¯s dark blue¡ªwas that Avil? A million different thoughts flashed through my mind. Ced¡¯s best friend and adoptive brother, I had seen him at least 3 times before, twice at school, once before, so how¡­ the hell¡­ did I forget about Avil? What did the 55th say about him again? His arm lowered as I realized I was staring at him too harshly. ¡°Serene. Are you going to come up or¡ª¡± I turned my head to face the stage again, and stood up quickly, my cheeks flushed. It quickly faded away as I stepped out of the row and into the full line of sight of everyone. Taking the long way onto the stage I could see Henry¡¯s gaze on me as I climbed up the steps, pushing away a Guide and an Info screen disguised as flipping my hair. As I stepped out onto the stage my throat tensed up, my chest tightened, and I felt suffocated by all of the people watching me. All I could see of them were their eyes, all filled with the same distasteful look. All I could see were their eyes. All distasteful. He beckoned me forward. I could see a glint in his own eyes. But I only smirked back, and he faltered as I took my place at the center stage. ¡°Well, hello everyone.¡± My face was serene, a dazzling smile boasted across my lips. ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t need introductions here, but I¡¯ll keep it short.¡± I locked eyes with Avil in the back¡ªwait a minute, who was sitting next to him? Was that¡­ ¡°I-I¡¯m not here to introduce a place I want to go to.¡± A few mild gasps and hisses from the audience. ¡°I¡¯ll leave that up to you guys. What I¡¯m here for, though¡­¡± I closed my eyes, and then opened them. I could clearly see everyone there. ¡°Whoever convinces me the most will receive my support. If we vote for them, I will give everyone a check to do whatever they want in that country.¡± My focus swept back to a surprised Henry, and I could notice a slight blush as I smiled at him as prettily as possible. ¡°Happy voting.¡± 28 - A FRIENDLY PAIRING 28: A FRIENDLY PAIRING // 5:36 P.M. // 10 - 28 - 2023 // Arc - Club Streets Auditorium Starring Avil Daniase Featuring Serene Goldwin and Junseo Park // Ced¡¯s girlfriend made her way off the stage with swift resolution. She was dressed in a fitted black top that highlighted all of her curves, an excessively large white boyfriend¡¯s button up hung low on her arm and tied neatly at her elbows and waist falling behind her like a make-do cape. The baggy grey jeans added another element of some vibe around her going, ¡®look at me¡¯. Then there was the lump by her hip; I was pretty sure she had brought along her gun. Serene disappeared behind the stage entrance stairs. At school she was already infamous for fragile ego and tempered mannerisms, and in combat she held nothing back which left her to train with professors rather than her unawakened peers. The sole heir to Goldwin, ranked so high she surpassed many Awakened kids, hateful towards every word that came her direction, and worst of all according to the rumors, two-timing on Cedrance Manamune with another pretty boy. If she shot that gun, what other rumors would pop up? I glanced to my right and was momentarily blinded by the guy beside me. It was almost no exaggeration that Jun¡¯s face made the straight in me want to slightly curve. It similarly was no exaggeration to say it looked like he belonged inside the TV, as there was no way someone so strikingly handsome was sitting next to me. The eye-catching pink hair fading at the roots sold such an authentic expression of a K-pop idol who had time to go to school, and his face wasn¡¯t the cherry on top but rather the whole cupcake¡ªway too sweet and way too perfect, from the defined jaws and brows to the sparkling eyes and lips. The amount of occasional head turn towards my direction just for a peek of Jun was scarily high. I wondered what he thought about all of this. As Serene reappeared and walked back to her seat, the Travel Club president Henry grunted for everyone¡¯s attention. He shifted uneasily on the stage as murmurs of what had just happened began to quietly circle around the large room. A check¡­ from the only daughter of one of the largest technology tycoons in all of the world? To do anything in the chosen country? If Serene cared at all about the way everyone was staring at her at that moment, she didn¡¯t show it. Her poised figure was tall in the seat, tapping around on her watch in a furious sort of way as if she was playing a video game. She pushed some hair out of her face with a delicate finger and then went back to the tapping war. ¡°Well,¡± Henry finally said, his face changing from an off-neutral to a struggling confusion, ¡°you guys heard it from Goldwin herself. So, who would like to really start us off with a travel destination?¡± I scoffed. His shiftiness was tacky as he flusteredly glossed over her massive statement, but understandable too. But it still bothered me anyway, even as I stood up again and raised my hand as high in the air as I could, on my tippy toes. No one noticed me as now two more kids had grown a pair of nuggets to raise their hands into the air. Naturally, being taller and in the front, they were called up first. A girl made her way up onto the stage the long way, which sort of bothered me the same way Serene had done so. She wore a prominent sailor-like white-button-up blue-blouse school girl uniform that I had seen in literally every single school-related anime ever. Her ebony black hair fell to her shoulders, straight bangs across her forehead, and the large circle lenses of her glasses made my assumptions crawl even further. Henry made space for her up on the stage as she took the center, and he nodded the go-ahead as everyone realized that the people beside them were quieter than they were. ¡°Hello, my name is Jennifer.¡± Her voice trembled as she spoke, but Henry nudged her shoulder and gave her an encouraging nod. Even from my point of view he was being too nice compared to how he was with Serene; I didn¡¯t get it. She adjusted her glasses with her ring finger, ¡°Uhh, I-I would like to propose that we go to¡­ to Japan.¡± Yep, I knew it. From that point, Jennifer began to mumble, and even though there were a few people who agreed with her I was quick to lose interest. Something about cosplaying, anime, J-pop, bullet trains, pet cafes, blah blah nerd and geek culture, blah blah. My eyes strayed over to Serene, who looked like she was clearing a Dark Souls run. ¡°So our first option is Japan!¡± Henry called out, and then began to lightly applaud as she walked off. The others in the crowd began joining as well, though without enthusiasm. Round two. My hand flew into the air, and I reached, reached for the ceiling, as high as I could get. Henry nodded thoughtfully on the stage. ¡°Wow, a couple more people this time, huh?¡± I waved to try and get him to look at me, but he pointed over to the other side of the audience where only two hands were raised. ¡°You there, with the hijab.¡± True to his words, a very pretty girl with a light brown hijab made her way up and onto the stage by way of the stairs. Other than her very obviously middle-eastern heritage, her outfit was rather plain but sophisticated, consisting of a plain brown sweatshirt and jeans, which also worked pretty well to move the focus to her face. Strong cheekbones, smooth and shiny tanned skin, she looked really beautiful. If not for the dump of makeup on her face. ¡°I say we should go to Egypt,¡± were the first words that came out of her mouth, before she introduced herself as Darya. Her accent was heavy and off-putting, though not to the degree as the sass in her voice that annoyed the hell out of me. And how was she gonna convince anyone? ¡°It¡¯s cuz my family lives there,¡± she glanced at her nails, and then spread them in front of her where the lighting was better, ¡°and this stupid school won¡¯t give me permission to go visit them.¡± I rolled my eyes, and as soon as her shoes touched down onto the ground off the stage my hand shot into the air, so fast I heard something crack in my shoulder. Two, four, five people in my side of the room raised their hands. The remaining boy on the other side raised his own, but less high, and I could sort of see why, as the kids there gave him odd looks. Whatever, just choose me! Henry! ¡°Blond-and-blue haired guy, you, come on up!¡± Are you kidding me?! And also, what kind of multicolored-a** bulls*** did he just describe... bro how is that even a hair color at all? The guy¡¯s hair was, as Henry had said, gold and blue. He was so skinny it wouldn¡¯t have been a joke to call him a spaghetti noodle, knobbly knees, bulging features that frankly gave me the heebie jeebies. What he hadn¡¯t mentioned was the psychedelic gold and blue of his different colored eyes. What. The f***? ¡°Name¡¯s Phil,¡± his voice was raspy and very punk-ish, so different than what I had expected from his mish-mash of hair and eye colors. ¡°We¡¯re going to New York, anyone got a problem with that?¡± I couldn¡¯t hold in the groan of cringe that also came out of every sensible person in the room, the one that said no one believed the ¡®cool and tough guy¡¯ act. Without any response from the crowd other than a resounding dismay he walked off the stage with the same strut he had had walking on stage, and it hurt every fiber of my body. Round four, motherf***ers. ¡°Big purple jacket!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go to Thailand!¡± NO! With the dungeon outbreak going on over there?! Have you idiots read the news? Stop clapping! Serene was tapping so intensely I could see sweat breaking on her neck. She had dropped any sort of proper act she had going on earlier and now was doubling down on the full gamer side. Round five, goddammit! ¡°Rainbow girl, you over there!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a girl!¡± He shouted, standing up, sounding and looking very much like a girl wearing a sports jersey that was so gay it made the iffy tug on my chest towards Jun seem like the calmest thing ever. ¡°And I¡¯m not a guy, either.¡± They slapped away another person¡¯s hand that had reached their shoulder with a small tap. ¡°How dare you assume my gender, I¡ª¡± was going to kill someone if I wasn¡¯t chosen next. Over at the front, Serene groaned, the small hologram in front of her had a large ¡°You Died¡± on it. Round. Six. ¡°Cargo pants and cargo jackets guy. Uh huh, you with the big cowlick.¡± ¡°Have you guys ever seen a magic show in Singapore?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to kill someone.¡± ¡°Avil, are you okay?¡± Jun whispered into my ear as Henry and the Mike dude or whatever his name was kept yapping, and as he caught the backhand that I had sent at him reflexively I realized if I had been noticed doing this at all I could have been mistaken for being in the middle of taking a s***: my back humped and leaned forward far while my legs were spread so wide, head slumped and held up by two fists on my forehead. ¡°O-oh,¡± I quickly returned to normalcy, or at least as normal as normalcy was to me. ¡°My bad, Jun.¡± ¡°Nah man, I get it,¡± he huffed as he too looked back up to the front. ¡°It hurts being in the same room as so many crazy people.¡± I blinked at him and got a better look at his face, but then he turned to face me and gave me a devilish smirk. ¡°Calm down. It¡¯s a joke.¡± I spotted a small bit of shine on his chin as a drop of sweat plopped onto his shirt. So the perfect Jun had pores and relatability after all. ¡°Funny,¡± I said blandly as I raised my hand into the air. ¡°You, with the blue sports shirt.¡± Who was it this time? You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. A moment passed, and nobody stood up. Jun bumped me. ¡°What?¡± I said. His face looked halfway between shock and catharsis. ¡°He¡¯s talking about you.¡± I looked down at my blue sports shirt. ¡°Yeah, you!¡± Baffled for a second, I finally realized what was going on. ¡°Please quickly come up onto the stage.¡± ¡°Avil, just get the idea out.¡± I locked eyes with Jun, who gave me a reassuring nod. ¡°I¡¯ll do the rest.¡± From anyone else those words were distasteful arrogance. But for someone who was so clearly a main character, someone like Jun, it was simply plot. I stood up, and after shimmying myself out of the row I walked over to the stage, hopping on and pushing myself up without any problems. No one batted an eye at that, but instead an immediate sense of discomfort overtook me. ¡°Who¡¯s this kid?¡± ¡°Oh, remember¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªBen, Ben Roswell, you know?¡± ¡°¡ªbring-your-kid-to-work day, is it now?¡± ¡°Yeah, so he got punched¡ª¡± ¡°I heard he just got out of the ER.¡± ¡°¡ªman, when is he gonna start?¡± ¡°So!¡± I yelled out, projecting my voice over the crowd. Maybe it was the volume or maybe it was the conviction that caused everyone to quiet down, but eventually I had their full attention. I was in control. ¡°My name is Avil! I would like to introduce a¡ª¡± I paused for a moment, taking a second to gather my thoughts, assess what my next words would sound like, and calm the adrenaline pumping through my blood, ¡°¡ªa rather overlooked state in the U.S.¡± Feeling the embarrassment latch onto my cheeks, I forced a bit of a smile as I spread my hand out wide to my side, trying to make myself look bigger and more agreeable. ¡°You all may have seen the posters and flyers around the school¡­¡± I dug a little in the crevices of my mind, now starting to regret not bringing up a script. ¡°Which state boasts picturesque views at National parks teeming with wildlife and nature?¡± My eyes swept across the room, to Jun who nodded his head, to the others who looked at me with a mild interest. ¡°Great seafood and seaside housing, clean and gorgeous beaches, and a cool escape from the heat of Arc?¡± Though I hated these meaningless adjectives, the research I had done just this morning aided me greatly as I could see a few nods in the crowd. ¡°A Funtown Splashtown, historical museums showcasing many Artifacts from weapons of war to class-A dungeons, and even some of the top 100 guilds are based in this state!¡± I breathed in, blind to the audience in front and well aware but unresponsive to the growing pink on my cheeks, the ridicule of saying everything out loud and so loudly, ¡°There¡¯s no other state I could be talking about than Maine!¡± Pausing to catch my breath, my focus returned back to the room, and I could see all of the people in front of me again. Laughing. To the left, three guys, a bag of fast food fries in one¡¯s hand, cackled shamelessly. Darya looked away and shook her head in annoyance. Four girls giggled to each other and said something I couldn¡¯t hear, and then burst out again. Here and there, a choke on the sudden death of my hype. Jun only nodded, and I couldn¡¯t understand the face he was making other than the fact that the look in his eyes seemed even more intense than before. To the right, a couple hand in hand howled with laughter. Jennifer clapped politely, though her focus was more towards the ground than me. Cheerleaders and pep rally performers hooted in amusement and pity to each other. A few stared at me wordlessly, including Serene. I stared right back at her, and almost jumped as Henry put a hand on my back. ¡°That was a great presentation you gave there,¡± he nodded, taking his hand off noticing my agitation. ¡°Our next option is for Maine. Give it up for Avil, everyone!¡± It was so hot in the room, my face was probably redder than a tomato from the rush of embarrassment that swarmed me as I walked off the stage back down the stairs and through the door. Taking my seat dizzily, the little awareness left in me noticed that my hand and lips hurt, and I realized I was squeezing them really tightly. I tried to loosen them, but looking at my hand, there were already marks and indents there. ¡°You did a good job,¡± Jun said. Again, I turned to face him, but his eyes betrayed no pity. Rather he seemed genuinely happy with what I had done, or that was what I gleaned from his immaculate smile. ¡°Uh huh,¡± I only nodded my head, whirling my head away. I didn¡¯t want to look at him any longer. But then as my ears perked up to Henry¡¯s voice again, I felt someone scooting past me into the aisle. Another few moments passed and I had a strange thought, like everything was way too quiet. Wait. I concentrated on my hearing. No, I wasn¡¯t going crazy. Everything really was quiet. ¡°Hi everyone.¡± I looked up and saw why. ¡°My name is Jun.¡± // 2:23 P.M. // 10 - 27 - 2023 // Arc ¡ª Mall Starring Kali Lapuz Featuring Regan Yglesias // ¡°Didn¡¯t we sit here, like, a week and a half ago?¡± Regan said awkwardly, clearly and desperately trying to break the ice. ¡°It feels like the practical exams were ages ago.¡± The bench wasn¡¯t the most comfortable seat in the world, but it would have to do. The tree above shaded us nicely, and a warm wind blew across my face. ¡°I found out who wrote that giant article about me,¡± I muttered dully, looking at my fingers. The flecks of sunlight that peered through the leaves didn¡¯t warm my cold hands. I felt so pathetic in front of Regan. ¡°Oh, really?¡± She feigned interest, and I could sense her eyes on the side of my face as I stared forward at the students traveling place to place, store to store all around us. The mall wasn¡¯t so busy at this time of day. I wished there were even more people so I didn¡¯t have to feel so alone. ¡°Do I know him? Or is she a girl? Hmm?¡± ¡°You met him earlier.¡± She gasped with a more realistic shock, ¡°What? Zendolyn Ato?¡± I exhaled a short note. ¡°Never would have guessed in a million years as well.¡± ¡°I mean, it was all praise, right?¡± Regan nudged me but noticed my recoil and pulled back, and then paused. ¡°Ya know, if he was really the one who said that, then I think I like him.¡± I glanced over at her with a raised eyebrow. ¡°I agreed with everything he said,¡± she said gently, staring into the store in front of us, a karaoke building. ¡°Kali, I haven¡¯t given you enough compliments yet, have I?¡± She grunted, and then changed her voice into something similar to Zen¡¯s, ¡°¡®With a delicate balance between agility and precision, Kali frequently demonstrates her ability to carry out her thought provoking and original plans.¡¯¡± I interrupted her, ¡°You sound like a goblin,¡± but she kept on going. ¡°¡®She similarly demonstrated the willpower to follow through on seemingly cruel acts with tender care for the victims, though still with the same accuracy as she showed in every second before. The moment of relative silence where she entered into the house not only showed her ability to stay silent and relatively professional even in the emotional scene of a family at peace.¡¯¡± She stopped. ¡°Do I need to go on?¡± I gave her a strange, intrigued look. ¡°H-how did you even remember that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because that practical exam response mirrored my own thoughts about you exactly.¡± Regan turned to me and smiled. We finally made eye contact, and I was the first one to break it in my embarrassment. ¡°You¡¯re being too mushy.¡± I mumbled, my fingers relaxing by my side on the bench. ¡°Pfft!¡± Her hand clasped over mine, and she pulled me in towards her with a sudden strength that made me slide across the bench with a confused and surprised yelp. ¡°You might also know that this is kind of a benefit of Awakening,¡± she teased me as I struggled to break free from her grip, which she allowed me to do. I automatically stood up, but my mind told me no, so I sat back down. And I stayed next to her. ¡°Is it the fact that you¡¯ll never go to the gym again with me?¡± I said tentatively. ¡°Hmm?¡± Regan giggled, ¡°If that¡¯s what you¡¯re wondering about, I still need to stay in shape. What, do you think my strength stat is just magically capped out?¡± ¡°Oh.¡± I looked up at the leaves. ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Kali, ask me anything.¡± Huffing, I looked back at her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Like that,¡± she said smartly, and booped my nose. I poked her back in annoyance, and she said playfully, ¡°We¡¯re even now.¡± An instinctive groan left my throat. Maybe she would entertain what I had to ask. ¡°So then, what are your classes like now?¡± She mimicked my groan, ¡°Boring as ever. Except now the practical stuff every day is a lot harder. I have to face off against the likes of¡­ you know, Cedrance Manamune¡ªof course you do, number one kid and all, plus you fangirl hard on him¡ª¡± ¡°Hey!¡± ¡°Anyways, he¡¯s in my homeroom now, which isn¡¯t that full. So when you become Awakened, fingers crossed that you get into my class again!¡± Rolling my eyes, I asked, ¡°What are your abilities?¡± ¡°Oooh, interested, aren''t cha?¡± ¡°Just answer the question.¡± ¡°Well, we¡¯re technically never supposed to reveal the full word for word descriptions and all for safety reasons, buuuuut you¡¯re an exception.¡± She chuckled, which was unlike her. ¡°I trust you not to reveal my secrets.¡± ¡°Maaaaybe¡­¡± ¡°What was that?¡± ¡°Nothing!¡± She flicked my head. I could hear some music and singing from inside the karaoke house. ¡°So my Innate tells me that being positive is in my nature,¡± she started thoughtfully. ¡°And not being positive actually makes me feel terrible. Which I¡¯ve noticed.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that the one everyone is born with?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Someone hit a high note. The smell of baked goods hit my nose. ¡°That kinda sucks.¡± She laughed. ¡°At least I¡¯m not such a pessimist like you.¡± I thwacked her back, and almost immediately she bumped me in return. ¡°We¡¯re even. Keep going.¡± ¡°And my Passive is that I¡¯m really fast, and I¡¯m also immune to mind games and stuff.¡± I gasped, ¡°You¡¯re a Speedster, then!¡± Regan scooted in closer. ¡°Obviously you¡¯d know niche subclasses like that.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say about me?¡± ¡°Nerd.¡± I punched her lightly, and she took it. ¡°And I think it¡¯ll be easier for me to show you my first Active.¡± ¡°What is it called?¡± ¡°Multi-Zapshot.¡± ¡°That sounds like¡ª¡± ¡°Yup. It fits right in with my Passive and Innate.¡± ¡°I have one last question.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± ¡°Being Awakened. What is it like?¡± A Visionaire song was playing, the same song that Regan had played the day we were sitting exactly where we were right now. She rested her head on mine. ¡°It¡¯ll be exactly the same as before, as long as you treat me the same, Kali.¡± The hand on my shoulder was warm. ¡°You know, you¡¯re crying right now.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°You know this looks so gay, right?¡± ¡°I said shut up.¡± ¡°Okay, I will, jeez.¡± ¡°Hey Regan.¡± ¡°What now?¡± ¡°You¡¯re stupid.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Thanks for being my best friend.¡± 29 - TURNED TABLES 29: TURNED TABLES // 6:07 P.M. // 10 - 28 - 2023 // Arc - Club Streets Auditorium Starring Serene Goldwin Featuring Junseo Park, Avil Daniase, Parker Glass and Dean Harvest // I could have had the stupidest look on my face at that moment, and I wouldn¡¯t have cared if I did. ¡°Hi everyone. My name is Jun.¡± Wearing a plain white shirt that revealed a defined and athletic body, simple jeans, and a confident smile, he was like a star. How hadn¡¯t I noticed him earlier? His arms extended out in confidence as if he was opening himself to his audience without a single secret in sight. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed that many of us have personal connections to our desired destinations,¡± he began with a strong and smooth voice, buttery and enticing to everyone, woman and man alike. The words were effortlessly projected across the room making me wonder how much experience he had with public speaking. ¡°However, I think venturing into unknown areas is far more interesting, exciting, and memorable than places we may already have been to.¡± Jun boldly pointed a finger into the crowd, making a few random girls gasp as his attention flitted across them for a mere second. ¡°In other words, I¡¯d like to support Avil Daniase¡¯s adventurous idea to go to Maine for a few more reasons than what he said.¡± And not only did he make my eyebrow raise, behind me two people stood up as a wave of both excited and confused muttering overtook the room. The quick turnaround glance I gave to the girls behind me made them sit back down immediately, their faces shocked and mesmerized by something that had barely begun. How did Jun make such an impact in the thirty seconds he had been on stage when Avil didn¡¯t even get a single honest clap from his convincing advertising? I thought about it for a second, then came to a conclusion. It was because he was dazzlingly hot. The smile probably helped. Even if I couldn¡¯t see his stat window I knew his Charisma was at least in the 30s to 40s range, or even higher. I breathed in, glad to have more support. But why did Avil want to go to Maine in the first place? Jun and I were both informed on events to watch out for by the 55th Serene, such as the death of a certain Dean Harvest character¡¯s grandmother. On the other hand, Maine was probably just as unappealing to Avil as it was to us if we didn¡¯t have any incentive. So¡­ it wasn¡¯t my problem anyways. Why did I even care? I heard someone snort somewhere to my left and leaned forward to identify them. However, I didn''t see anyone out of the ordinary, so I returned back to my regular position. Oh wait, how did Jun know that the grandmother was in Maine? ¡°To start,¡± Jun said and I looked back up to him, ¡°Maine is actually home to one of the largest collections of demonic Artifacts, most of which are located at the Bellowing Fires guild impressively ranked 43rd worldwide and the fourth largest Preservarium base.¡± He paused for a second for everyone to digest what he said. From the little worldly knowledge I had, I knew that Bellowing Fires was a guild known for their important disaster containment and relief works highly related to demons, and the Preservarium bases were government operated monster research sites that also functioned as zoos. It was a well known fact that government workers in monster or mana related fields made loads of money in compensation for their ¡®risky¡¯ and ¡®stressful¡¯ work environments, and it was also well known that most of that were total exaggerations. It¡¯d been a couple decades after the initial pandemonium, so there was more or less nothing to worry about. Most of the research was actually done by specialized guilds and companies. With all of that, I understood why Jun decided to mention the Preservarium, being a great job prospect and all, but Bellowing Fires? Wasn¡¯t that guild associated with real danger? Looking around I wasn¡¯t surprised to see a split crowd, a few people muttering to each other, others completely entranced by Jun. Jun spoke again, and like bees and flowers everyone immediately turned to him with interest. ¡°I¡¯m honestly pretty fascinated with things like these,¡± he scratched the back of his head as if he was nervous, ¡°and I¡¯m sure that I¡¯m not the only one here who shares this sentiment.¡± I caught the eye that strayed in my direction. Clucking my tongue, I made sure not to look away in case anyone else also saw his fleeting glance towards me; I would rather not know how many people were giving me disgusting looks. ¡°Going on, I actually would like to share something else with everyone here,¡± I noticed a change in his tone. His eyes seemed to sparkle and shake ever so slightly, and I could barely make out a sheen of sweat on his forehead. Jun¡¯s arms, which he had spread out just earlier, faltered inwards. Though still wide out it didn¡¯t express that same confidence that I had worked wonders, and clearly I wasn¡¯t the only one who felt this sudden change. ¡°Come to think of it, I think you guys will be the first to hear about it¡­ umm¡­¡± The whispers and murmurs overflowed. ¡°Oh, poor Jun.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, we won¡¯t judge!¡° ¡°¡ªit¡¯s okay! Guys, let¡¯s¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡ª¡° ¡°Please, don¡¯t be nervous.¡± ¡°We all understand¡ª¡± ¡°Quiet down, everyone,¡± I coughed loudly. ¡°Let him speak.¡± Surprisingly, people nearby actually heard me over the noise and heeded the words. Beside them their confused friends also quieted down, and others nearby, noticing the sudden change in volume, also quieted. Like a wave effect there was no more noise that Jun couldn¡¯t speak over. Still, he hesitantly opened his mouth. ¡°Well¡­ sorry¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be sorry, Jun!¡± The girl behind me called out, and I promptly flung my arm over the back of my seat. Turning to her I put my finger to my lips. ¡°Shut up.¡± I glared at her, and she flinched. ¡°It¡¯s not your turn to speak.¡± As I turned back I waved my hand at Jun, a sign for him to continue. ¡°¡­ alright, I¡¯ll say it.¡± A quick breath in. ¡°A dance studio in Maine saw a¡­ a choreography video that I posted. They said they wanted to film something with me.¡± The gasps did not come fast enough to cover his next words. ¡°They wanted to support my debut into the idol scene.¡± We made eye contact, which he then averted towards somewhere up at the ceiling, then somewhere down at his feet as he smiled sheepishly. ¡°What?!¡± ¡°Oh my god. He looks so cute.¡± ¡°¡ªdidn¡¯t expect that!¡± ¡°¡ªwhere are the videos? I wanna¡ª¡± It was that same feeling again. That surprise that I felt when he said his name on the stage. ¡°That¡¯s so cool!¡± ¡°¡ªbut it¡¯s in Maine.¡± ¡°¡ªthen what¡¯s he doing at Arc?¡± ¡°Jun¡¯s totally a natural¡ª¡± The next two minutes were a blur. There was excited talking all around, Henry trying to calm everyone down, watches out with text apps and forums on, videos being filmed, Jun looking back and forth between me and somewhere else, myself blankly staring at him. News like this was going to spread like a wildfire. And then we were all sitting as Jun began talking again. ¡°To be completely honest, I only planned to attend Arc for two years, and sorry for announcing something like this right now. Especially to you, Henry¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, man,¡± Henry said simply, ¡°keep going. I think we¡¯re all interested to hear what you have to say.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a shame¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯ll miss seeing his face.¡± ¡°¡ªI¡¯d love to watch the filming¡ª¡± Look at me, Jun. Why did you never tell me this? ¡°I think most of the filming will be at a public park, so people can technically watch¡ª¡± ¡°Kyaaaaaaah~!!¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Oh my god he¡¯s so cute¡­¡± ¡°Dude, stop drooling.¡± Jun. ¡°Hey.¡± Why didn¡¯t you tell me? This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°Junseo Park.¡± What kind of a friend¡ª ¡°What kind of bulls*** advertising is this?¡± Surprised, I turned my head to the source of the sneering words. The speaker was standing obviously, a guy with a black hoodie, almost ghostly pale skin, and one hell of a handsome but unsettling face. A few people turned around to bite off the audacious speaker¡¯s face. ¡°Who¡ª¡± The guy¡¯s voice was oddly powerful despite an almost whisper-like quality to it.¡°You know you¡¯re quite manipulative, Junseo. Care to explain how talking about your ¡®debut¡¯ is relevant to convincing us why we should go to Maine?¡± The expression on Jun¡¯s face changed again. Now a more perplexingly neutral look had taken over. He had heard the newcomer loud and clear. ¡°What do you mean¡ª¡± ¡°How dare you!¡± ¡°¡ªmean-spirited jerk¡ª¡± ¡°Rather than giving us straightforward qualities of Maine,¡± he raised his voice as more people began trying to silence him, ¡°you¡¯re trying to appeal to us with your face and body? Isn¡¯t this basically just a shameless self-promotion?¡± The mood in the room was starting to change, and as sudden as Jun had taken the spotlight now it was being reversed on him, though in a much more suspicious manner. Oh, man did I know how fast rumors could be made and their violent results. I swiveled back to Jun, and bit my lip. Say something. Anything that can help. But he made no noise. No, he was instead vaguely staring at the crowd in front of him like it was his first time doing a presentation. The edges of his eyebrows dipped as his lips stretched thin. It didn¡¯t look like he was breathing properly. Fully expecting more from the table turner, I stood up abruptly to confront him, but then I realized he was no longer focused on shooting down Jun. Rather, behind him was a familiar person. The face of a meek puppy-turned-human, a head of desaturated green hair, I knew immediately that I was looking at Dean Harvest. Dean¡¯s eyes were large with shock and what I recognized to be anger as he leaned over the chair in front of him, whispering something into the hooded guy¡¯s ear. Inspecting him further, I noticed a slight tremor in Dean¡¯s hand. ¡°¡ªthought that he was being honest¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe¡ª¡± ¡°Is Jun even real?¡± ¡°Now that that guy said it¡ª¡± ¡°I told you!¡± ¡°¡ªhas to know about this!¡± ¡°Are you texting her?¡± ¡°¡ªcatch in on video¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªnever even liked him.¡± This had to stop. ¡°Who even cares?¡± ¡°¡ªcan¡¯t be bothered to¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªborn a chronic liar.¡± ¡°Come to think of it¡­¡± ¡°Uggh.¡± ¡°¡ªlike, Maine? Are you kidding¡ª¡± ¡°Can we just vote now?¡± ¡°¡ªwish he would just shut up.¡± I reached beneath my shirt and pulled the gun out of the holster. ¡ªCKKK ¡°Serene!¡± Henry was the first to react. Then almost instantly a wave of noise and agitation spread throughout the room. The safety was off. Staring up to the horror of the girl behind me, I couldn¡¯t be bothered to listen to all of the people repeating my name over and over again like it was some kind of curse. ¡°There¡¯s no use in beating around the bush,¡± I said to no one in particular as another tide of distrust and anticipation washed over everyone while I fiddled with the bullets in the magazine. Confidently I stuffed the bullets back in with a loud and crowd silencing CLACK!, then strode to the stage. The palpable feeling of Jun¡¯s confusion and possibly disbelief rested behind my ears and on the back of my head. My eyes twinkled as I glared daggers into each and every person I swept across.¡°If Maine is voted as our destination, I will give each person a $4,500 allowance.¡± ¡­ The fencing club¡¯s room was quiet and cozy, and the couch I sat on was soft and cool, a perfect relaxation temperature after moving around. A rug and large table in front, a couple chairs scattered around, lockers to the right where the entrance was. From the wall to my left was a curtained window which streamed in sunlight, and by it hung the rack where most of the handheld equipment was. The box of armor and other miscellaneous things below, motes of dust in the air and on some surfaces as if the room wasn¡¯t regularly cleaned. It didn¡¯t surprise me that Ced, who I leaned against with my eyes half closed, smelled nothing like sweat. He was a little flustered. ¡°I just finished practice. You sure that you want to¡ª¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t mind.¡± A clock ticked somewhere above me, softly and gently. His body was dense and warm, each muscle like carved stone and was uncomfortable to a degree. With my ear against him, I could hear his heartbeat. I didn¡¯t feel tired. ¡°Ced,¡± I murmured. ¡°Serene?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± A strand of my hair fell over my face and tickled my nose. Brushing it off with a lazy finger I accidentally touched Ced¡¯s side, and his heartbeat quickened. It was quite peaceful, being all alone with him. Oddly enough it was when I was with him that the words of the 55th Serene were silent. I hoped it would remain that way. I knew it couldn¡¯t. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Yeah, Ced?¡± ¡°I like you.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the correct answer?¡± A grin crept across my face. I knew something was going on. He chuckled easily. ¡°It¡¯s, ¡®me too¡¯.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± He always danced around the bush. Gladly he took the opportunity to answer me. ¡°Can I go with you next weekend? For the Travel Club thing?¡± I closed my eyes. I¡­ Didn¡¯t know. I didn¡¯t know if he could go. Not with all that I was planning to do. Not with my murderous intentions which I so desperately wanted to hide from him. I didn¡¯t want to look at him, but still felt obliged to give an answer. ¡°Ced¡­¡± But¡­ there was something in me that stirred. I didn¡¯t want to give him the correct answer. I wanted to give him my personal answer. Traveling with him was something I knew I wanted to do. And it wasn¡¯t like I was going to go alone. Fanny and Jun were along with me as well. I could trust them¡­ I hoped I could trust them. ¡°Yes.¡± Another silent moment passed. I felt his warm breath against my face, and it smelled like the minty tea I had bought for him before his practice session. I felt so good. Maybe it would be better if I let myself forget all of the 55th¡¯s words when I was with him. ¡°Serene.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Can I¡­¡± he paused, ¡°can I call you Sera?¡± With a blunt shake of my head, I pulled back to get a good look at him. He wanted to call me by a pet name now, huh? I giggled, and he looked slightly confused. ¡°It¡¯s because it sounds too close to Reya, dummy,¡± I explained. A blush on his cheek told me that he was very conscious of me. It was the same with me as well, except my eyes were clear. ¡°Wanna come up with something else, then?¡± He huffed. Lately I¡¯d been noticing that his mannerisms were changing. He didn¡¯t say dumb things out loud anymore. I think I liked it better this way. ¡°You first, then.¡± ¡°Hah.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t think of one?¡± I turned, now facing the door, and then fell back on him. I propped my legs up on the couch¡¯s armrest. ¡°Ced is cute enough.¡± ¡°Come up with something better.¡± There it was with those dumb thoughts again. And playful eyes¡­ I thought for a moment, deciding how I was going to entertain him, and smiled. ¡°Ceddy?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Cedo.¡± I could feel him shake his head almost exasperatedly, like he hadn¡¯t expected much to begin with. ¡°No?¡± ¡°What if I just called you Cedrance?¡± He sighed almost melodramatically. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you I thought my name was weird? Ced is so much better.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, teachers and other kids alike raise their eyebrows when they hear your name, mhmm. And now you¡¯re telling me to find a new nickname for you.¡± I tilted my head upwards and blew in his face to annoy him. ¡°How about, Stupid?¡± ¡°How about, no?¡± ¡°Jumbo.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not¡ª¡± I kicked one leg up. ¡°You¡¯re 6 feet tall or something, Jumbo.¡± And then another idea popped into my head. ¡°How about Cedar?¡± ¡°Are you calling me dumb as a tree now?¡± I shook my head. ¡°No, you¡¯re just dumb.¡± His grades were higher than mine. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything anymore.¡± Ced¡¯s body shook as he began to laugh. ¡°What.¡± ¡°Nothing, nothing.¡± Ughh. I looked up again and threw my arms upward. I grabbed his cheeks, but without much cheek fat to grab onto I settled for his neck, and then pulled myself up and onto his lap staring straight up into his face as I held him by the back of his neck staring down at me. ¡°Pinecone brain. Stupid. Jumbo.¡± I stuck my tongue out. ¡°What do you mean you don¡¯t like ¡®Ced¡¯? I do.¡± He was definitely blushing a violet color, and struggled to make words out with a panicked, way-too-cute look on his face. Once again I pulled him down, which he didn¡¯t resist, and I kissed him on the cheek. Ced made noises like he was crying for air as I let him go, and just as I was about to laugh at him he pulled back. It was my turn to feel hot in the face as he smiled so adorably at me, bashfully daring and preparing to make the next move. As he leaned in closer to me, the door suddenly opened and startled us both. There stood Michael, still half in equipment with his helmet beneath his arm as he gaped at us. I realized what we looked like. ¡°I-I¡¯m sorry,¡± he stuttered, possibly more embarrassed than I was, ¡°I¡¯ll just go¡ª¡± ¡°Wait!¡± I yelled at him, standing up quickly and walking towards him with intent in my steps. His dark skin was coated in sweat, but I swore all of it froze the second he turned around to me with wide eyes. ¡°It¡¯s not¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªwhat you think?¡± He said alongside me, and I felt my pride shrivel. ¡°You think this is my first time hearing that?¡± ¡°Michael,¡± Ced called his name from behind me, now standing up. Was that really how red my face was? Why did that matter at all? ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone about this.¡± Ced had a loud voice, and Michael¡¯s face shifted twice: once to confusion, the next to understanding. He nodded, and I had a sudden awareness of what was going on. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I won¡¯t,¡± Michael glanced nervously at me. ¡°But I think I¡¯m gonna go now. Tell the team that, uhh, Coach called and he don¡¯t want us back for at least another twenty minutes. That good?¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± Ced affirmed. ¡°Thanks, bro.¡± ¡°No problem, man, but you owe me your soda next practice,¡± Michael hurriedly finished his sentence, looking back down the hall towards the gym area. I could hear a few voices approaching, and again I realized what was going on. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go now.¡± True to his words he booked it back down the hall, and a few loud exclamations later both from Michael and the other guys, their voices disappeared as the glass door closed behind them. ¡°Ced,¡± I muttered blankly. ¡°I think we should get them a cake.¡± ¡°Yeah. We should.¡± 30 - MARK OF THE MUSE 30: MARK OF THE MUSE // 9:34 A.M. // 6 - 6 - 2020 // Silverdawn Floor 3 - Training Center Featuring Zendolyn Ato // [User input:] ? [Access//Guide] [User input:] ? [Memory] [Accessing core memory of Zendolyn Ato] ?[Randomizing keyword] =[System failure!]= [New user detected] ? [Updating settings] = [Optimizing user experience]= =[System updated!]= =[Attempt 2]= [Accessing core memory of Zendolyn Ato] ? [Randomizing keyword] [Keyword chosen!] SECRET =[Beginning core memory]= The elevator door opened with a pleasant chime, and Zendolyn Ato stepped out into the enormous training center followed by a burly man in a stark black suit with the Silverdawn crest on his chest. The training center was three levels tall of full sleek mana-harnessed equipment, mats, nigh unbreakable whitestone on each surface with sleek silver accents around the edge and gold at other places, a marvel of open architectural insanity. There were stairs along with the elevator that led up to each level at the very sides. ¡°I might be out of touch, haven¡¯t thought too much, ¡®bout the way it hurts me.¡± Zendolyn''s face made it plain that he didn¡¯t want to be there, but he sighed and resigned to observing the new recruits being shown through the building until his required gym time was over. His hand was insecurely wrapped around his wrist as he watched two large men on the bench press and a woman almost effortlessly pull herself up on the bar for the twelfth time. ¡°Everything feels rushed, feels like there¡¯s too much, maybe it¡¯s just a dream.¡± Over to the left near the large windows he could see his twin sister, Reyenal, with a bow in her hand and a large whip on her back, training against one of the newbies. It was almost boring seeing the newcomers underestimating her ability every single time, and then losing miserably every single time in torrents of shock from the pain mitigator bodysuit. ¡°And I, hoped, there would be some, time, for me to see the change.¡± The way that she smartly held her stance as they approached her, almost never making the first move as if she was scared, a tactic she had been taught by her brother: it gave the newbies an unfounded confidence that inevitably led to their guard falling. ¡°Cause I need to get out of this hell, save me, save me.¡± As he prepared to watch the same thing play out, their sword in front ready to parry any arrow and closing the distance fast, she suddenly threw her bow into the air and an arrow at them at the same time. With the man¡¯s attention split in two on the distractions she maneuvered towards him, her hand on the whip. Blocking the arrow and ignoring the bow he dived towards her with her own vigor. ¡°The only thing that keeping me going: I remember a time when I was free from these chains. I once said to her, ¡®Baby don¡¯t you worry!¡¯¡± Zendolyn gained a slightly larger sense of interest, seeing this development in character, but characteristically Reyenal dangerously but calculatedly dived beneath the man¡¯s swing with an understandably intense gasp for air, catching the bow and with it knocking aside another swing. At the same time her right hand, closed around the whip¡¯s handle, swung out and caught around the man¡¯s leg, pulling and tripping him forward. The sword clanked out of his hand, and Reyenal yanked the whip out from under his legs. Then, with quick but slowing pants, she stepped forward and tapped him on the shoulder twice as he recovered. The match was over. ¡°I¡¯m a liar, liar, liar, liar, liar!¡± It was clear to everyone that Reyenal was a genius. She caught Zendolyn¡¯s watching eyes and nodded breathlessly. As he returned her gesture her eyes widened, looking somewhere to his right. He followed her line of sight, and ended up on a well dressed woman. Her hair in a tight and clean bun and her oak brown eyes and tutted lips disapproving, Oriana Ato¡¯s presence attracted many eyes. Zendolyn felt a sudden urge to crawl into a hole and disappear as she stopped in front of him and put a strong hand on his shoulder. He quickly pulled both of the AirPods out of his ears, Gemini still faintly singing and barely audible. ¡°I¡¯m a liar, liar!¡± ¡°Zendolyn,¡± she said. Her voice was authority itself, like unbending and cold steel. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you to use your time wisely today?¡± He didn¡¯t answer and looked away instead, to all of the people now watching him. Part of him wanted his bodyguard to step in and free him from his mother¡¯s hand, or maybe for Reyenal to convince Mother to lay off. But nothing happened. ¡°When I speak, you must answer,¡± Oriana squeezed his shoulder, and Zendolyn winced, trying to pull away but she didn¡¯t let him. ¡°Do you hear me, Zendolyn?¡± ¡°Y-yes, Mother.¡± The slight tremor in his voice only made her squint her eyes. ¡°Well, what are you going to do now, son?¡± He replied with the most safe option. ¡°I¡¯m going to exercise now, Mother.¡± Unimpressed with his answer, she let go. He didn¡¯t look back at her as she walked into the elevator, which chimed as it closed. Now all eyes were on him. ¡°All eyes on me,¡± he whispered bitterly as small mutters returned Silverdawn back to its usual affairs. ¡°Poor kid.¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to drag down the whole¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªReyenal outdoes him in every¡ª ¡°Second-in-command is being too easy on him.¡± ¡°He needs to put on more muscle.¡± ¡°¡ªwouldn¡¯t be surprised if he was kicked out.¡± ¡±Let¡¯s just go back to sparring.¡± Almost as fast as the biting words had come, they disappeared as Reyenal¡¯s glare swept over all of them. She then walked over to him, and Zendolyn sighed. ¡°You good, Zen?¡± Reya asked first. He let out a fake laugh, ¡°It¡¯s just an average Sunday.¡± ¡°Whatever you say, idiot.¡± She rolled her eyes. ¡°Are you finally gonna work out now? It¡¯s about time.¡± Zendolyn shook his head. ¡°Later, I promise. Mother made me go out today, but I just wanted to stay in my room for once to read.¡± ¡°Summer break?¡± ¡°What else? Gym addict,¡± he added. ¡°Stupid idiot bookworm,¡± she responded. As she left, Zendolyn motioned to his bodyguard, and said, ¡°I¡¯m gonna go back, Agent Tartarus. You¡¯re dismissed.¡± The man grunted, ¡°Young master, you¡¯re¡ª¡± ¡°Gonna go back to my room now,¡± he instinctively cut in, putting his AirPods back into his ears. ¡°Dismissed. If you can spell it you can do it.¡± Zendolyn brushed past the baffled agent and stepped into the elevator. He pushed the button for the basement floor, the Silverdawn storage level. Fiddling with his thumbs, he hopped a little bit, feeling the descent downwards. He eyed the camera in the corner of the elevator. ¡ªdiiiing doong The storage room was a large area, managed by just a couple people. The artifacts and equipment towered upwards in boxes and boxes on tall metal shelves that were more like scaffolding. Down there it was cold, and the floor, walls, and ceiling were all made of smooth grey stone. It wasn¡¯t a place that Zendolyn was used to, and it wasn¡¯t his bedroom. He made his way to the desk with a computer on it and rang the bell. Not long later a woman with too many eye bags emerged from one of the rows of storage. She was a woman who clearly didn¡¯t bother with makeup and looked like she didn¡¯t get enough sunlight. ¡°Whaddya want, kid.¡± Her voice was dry. She needed coffee and a gallon of water. Was that even a question? ¡°Uh, hello.¡± Zendolyn thought for a second, still fully maintaining the awkward eye contact. ¡°Can I get a full face mask artifact¡­ and a MIDI keyboard?¡± She scoffed, ¡°I can get you the MIDI, but if you¡¯re not a member it¡¯s gonna cost you. And as for the artifact, what¡¯s your clearance?¡± ¡°Oriana¡¯s son.¡± Her eyes widened. ¡°Oh. Alright then. Come around then, have a look at the catalog, y-young master.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Zendolyn hid a smirk. ¡°Can you make sure no one hears about this?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that if you can keep your mask under a B grade, Ato,¡± she replied, regressing back to her nonchalance and underpaid, overworked self. ¡°Admin will notice if they can¡¯t find something they need.¡± As he scrolled through the catalog, with ¡®mask¡¯ in the search bar, he made note of a few interesting ones. [[A+ Accessory]] Impersona - Alters the wearer''s appearance. Bonus stats are gained depending on the person impersonated, if applicable. [[A Accessory]] Gaia¡¯s Visage - Ability: Manipulate earth. Does not affect earth-type abilities. (No cooldown, high mana cost) [[A Accessory]] Medusa¡¯s Veil - Ability: Paralyze all targets currently looking at the wearer for a few seconds. Gain bonus INT and STR for each paralyzed target until the cooldown resets (8 minute cooldown). [[A- Accessory]] Screaming Banshee - Terrifies anyone who sees it. [[B- Accessory]] Pale Stalker - The wearer blends into the background unless focused on. [[B- Item]] Starry Skin - Single Use. Recovers natural skin barrier and removes all blemishes after being worn for at least 2 hours. Helps fight against acne and mana-inflicted burns. Slightly itchy. [[C Accessory]] Truant Stoneface - See through. The wearer looks expressionless. [[D+ Accessory]] Twin Muses - NOT RECOMMENDED. Two forms. Comedy: The wearer gains large amounts of CHR, INT, and DEX, but in turn develops egotism, obsession, etc. Tragedy: The wearer gains large amounts of MP, Mana and situational and emotional awareness, but in turn develops various mental syndromes. A portion of the effects are permanent, increasing the longer the mask is worn. Zendolyn stopped. He had reached the bottom of the page. There weren¡¯t that many masks, and even less were well suited for what he wanted to do¡­ except one. ¡°Do any of these interest you, Ato?¡± The woman asked from behind him. He nodded and pointed at the screen. ¡°This one.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± Zendolyn nodded again. ¡°You know that warning isn¡¯t just for show, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯d like it. Thank you.¡± With an unenthusiastic sigh, the woman walked off back into the aisles of stuff. There was a sudden noise, like many boxes at once clanging and shuffling around, far too many for the woman to have carried on her own, and worried Zendolyn rushed out and peered into the row to see what had happened. He was slightly relieved to see her not hurt, but seeing the boxes flying around, bobbing up and down and side to side out of control as if the puppeteer that ran the world in the background sneezed really hard was something he didn¡¯t expect to see. Items and accessories flew in and out of boxes rapidly in a circle pattern like they were doing gravity-defying juggling tricks, making constant banging noises as they fell back onto each other in neat layers and in quick succession. Moments later everything stopped, and almost as fast as it had begun all of the boxes flew back into place as a mask fell into the woman¡¯s hand and a MIDI gently landed into the other. Before she could see him staring he pulled back and stood waiting just around the corner as if he¡¯d been looking at the catalog the entire time. ¡°I have your things,¡± the woman handed Zendolyn the two items and moved beside him to type into the computer. He nearly dropped the MIDI when she put it in his hands, but the three-octave keyboard didn¡¯t fall. He safely put it on the ground and inspected the mask he had pointed out. The mask was white, with clear geometric contours on the face. Its smiling face and the holes for the eyes that were oddly sunken created shadows and made it look eerie, yet intriguing. He turned it around, and the mask changed in an almost surreal way. Somehow it was like the side he had flipped to was also the front, except it was a dark grey color accentuated by the shadows. The sunken eyes drooped, with a black tear etched into the mask, and the mouth was in a frown. Zendolyn flipped it back over, and it was creepily happy again. Then he donned the Twin Muses onto his face and immediately felt a difference. He felt like he could overcome anything that came his way and nothing could stop him. He was smart enough. He was charismatic enough. He was a strong person. Zendolyn was amused already. // 6:04 A.M. // 11 - 4 - 2023 // Arc - Portal Facility Starring Dean Harvest Featuring Leslie, Fanny, Serene Goldwin, Cedrance Manamune, Junseo Park, and Avil Daniase // The portal room was cold, and the color of the giant portal in front of us didn¡¯t help to make me think otherwise: it was icy blue. ¡°Let me brief you a little bit about emergencies beforehand,¡± the Travel club President, Representative, or whoever he was said loudly. It was early in the morning, so I was mostly zoned out. Also, last night¡¯s Memory was still so vivid in my head. ¡°Take out the rulebook I gave you last week.¡± I¡¯d seen a cold and snowy night, where the moon was hiding behind the trees all around. A narrow dirt path around the outskirts of the town led me beneath all the powdered branches from above to the crunching leaves at my feet, basking in the faint moonlight. Not mine, Dean¡¯s. Ahead was a spectacular port that gave the town its name, Bar Harbor. That night, the water had sparkled brightly with the Egg Rock Lighthouse active somewhere in the distance, far away that neither Dean nor I could see it. These weren¡¯t my own memories. The Pres-Rep rambled on, ¡°Page 8 in your rulebook says that Arc students can bring their weapons across state or country borders. Specifics on restrictions and more are there as well. If you have a weapon you¡¯ll be able to respond to emergency scenarios as Arc agents, and you must follow classification guidelines¡­¡± ¡°Your Pappy is flat out there in his swimmers getting dinner,¡± Nanna had remarked casually as she noticed him on the phone, not really paying attention to her nor the walk we were on. ¡°It¡¯s hard, providing for a family, and you¡¯re here doing what now?¡± Dean didn¡¯t care to entertain her question, and she let him be. ¡°If your rank is below the Threat Level, your class isn¡¯t required for the situation, or you¡¯re unawakened, you will be considered a citizen. This means your highest priority will be to run the heck away. Simple, right?¡± But it was something that Dean had read on the phone that made him stop in place. Nanna had turned around patiently, noticing the look that had come upon her grandson¡¯s face. ¡°Nanna.¡± ¡°What is it, Sonny?¡± ¡°I got accepted into Arc.¡± ¡°With all of these guilds around and in Maine, like the disaster relief Bellowing Fires guild and the Preservarium in Portland and the internationally-hired dungeon scouting Team Smokescreen guild in Bangor. You guys have all probably seen the schedule, so I don¡¯t need to explain it to you.¡± As I slowly reviewed the schedule in my head, I wondered what that keyword had meant. How could anything have been an Exchange? Was it an exchange of words? Uhh¡­ the portal led to Portland so we would be staying there first. Tomorrow, Sunday, we¡¯d then drive over to Bangor to visit guilds finally to¡­ Bar Harbor. So we could watch Jun¡¯s choreography. So I could see Dean¡¯s Nanna, Pappy, Ma, and Pa. The screen glowed in my periphery. ======================== [Visit your home in Maine] Penalty for failure: [Death of family members] Current task(s): [Protect the family, Visit your home in Maine] ======================== ¡°If you brought your weapons today, please scan with the Arc app here to register that you¡¯re on duty.¡± I breathed in, pacing behind the person in front of me. There were no time limits, as far as I could see. I hoped¡­ [Arc student verified: Permission granted] A small sigh escaped my mouth, Henry calling out final warnings and other things I didn¡¯t care about. Now people were beginning to walk through the portal, the backpack being the last to go to the other side. I caught sight of a small envelope in the hands of a few taller and bigger kids. I yawned¡ªand then stopped halfway, my eyes firmly fixed on the back of the girl in front of me. Curly blonde, the way she held herself in a casually dignified way as her eyes were wandering over at the left line, a very cute beige puffer coat she¡¯d recently gotten as a gift from her friend for her birthday. As tall and delicate as I remembered, I was too certain that she was ¡°Leslie?¡± Startled at her name, she turned, and it took her a short moment to scan me up and down to my embarrassment before she gasped. ¡°Dean? Oh my God, hi¡­ wait a second¡ª¡± Leslie grabbed my wrist, yanking me towards her and then put her hand over my mouth. Oh my God was the correct way to describe what was happening. Oh, oh oh oh oh. Oh dear, save me. She didn¡¯t seem to notice my huge blush or the uncontrollable squeak I made as she looked off towards another line. Wait, what could she be looking at that wasn¡¯t me¡­? Her grip loosened and, seeing who it was, I managed, ¡°F-Fan¡ªmmmmph!¡± ¡°Quiet, Dean!¡± Leslie whirled to me again. ¡°Fanny¡¯s not supposed to know I¡¯m here. Let me surprise her, will you?¡± Hearing the enthusiasm in her voice it was impossible to say no and I curtly nodded to the best of my ability. I felt as stiff as a robot but as sweaty as an athlete. No longer did I feel cold. Thankfully Fanny didn¡¯t see nor hear us. Leslie was kind enough to explain to me without any prompting. ¡°It¡¯s a little sad she only kinda mentioned it when it¡¯s such a big deal like this. Like, Junseo Park, Cedrance Manamune, and you all in one room? Sheesh!¡± Oh. My. God. I needed to bring a fire extinguisher next time. I could hear Serene¡¯s voice ahead of me at the front of my queue as she gave each kid a fat envelope from a shopping bag. Then they¡¯d walk into the portal and disappear to the other side. ¡°¡ªyou. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you¡­¡± Bribe money. At the other queue to the left, Fanny¡¯s line, the same thing was happening with Cedrance Manamune being the one to pass out envelopes, and his line was far less quiet than ours. Not entirely sure what was going on, I tried my best to avert my eyes from Leslie. Then came Leslie¡¯s turn to receive the money. ¡°Thank you,¡± Serene benevolently smiled as Leslie gratefully took the money. ¡°Thank you so much, Serene! I hope you have a good vacation.¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Serene said, ¡°you too.¡± Her focus changed to me, her hand already pre-emptively in the air with the envelope of money in hand. ¡°And thank you¡ª¡± She made eye contact with me, and then froze. I nodded. ======================== Serene¡¯s suspicion towards you rises. ======================== My eyebrow went up, seeing the screen. Suspicion? Was I doing something wrong? I looked around, now uncomfortable. Other kids were looking at their watches or talking to each other. I saw Avil and Jun casually chatting away with each other. Avil laughed at something Jun said, and Jun¡¯s smile followed making two girls who were also watching them squeal. [¡®YOU HAVE TO GO NOW!¡¯] Returning my attention to Serene I thanked her with a small nod, taking the envelope from her hands. She wasn¡¯t so frozen anymore and seemed to be scanning me up and down, which I didn¡¯t like. Leslie, who had been watching me the entire time and who¡¯s hand was still over my wrist, laughed as if she¡¯d seen something funny. ¡°C¡¯mon, you slowpoke. Let¡¯s go already! This backpack isn¡¯t gonna get any lighter, you know? Gah, I¡¯m gonna be so buff after this.¡± I chuckled nervously in response, still aware of how Serene squinted at Leslie¡¯s hand over mine. Then she finally turned to the next person, and I released a breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding in. ¡°Hey, Dean,¡± she squeezed my hand and I looked at her. ¡°You awake?¡± The screen was in his face now. Dean screamed louder. I nodded. ¡°Then let¡¯s go.¡± ALBUM 3: Sensation 31: COME TO LIFE // 12:45 P.M. // 11 - 1 - 2023 // Arc - Mall Starring Kali Lapuz Featuring Regan Yglesias // ¡°K-Kali,¡± Regan abruptly stopped and stammered my name. ¡°Yuh, what?¡± ¡°Oh-my-f***ing-God-this-is-way-too-sudden¡ªuhhh, oh-oh-oh f***, Kali-I-can¡¯t-believe-this, wait a second, uhh¡­¡± She said it so fast I swiped off the watch hologram just to stare at her. Weird thought bubbles were floating into my head: Regan wasn¡¯t one to stutter. She wasn¡¯t one to curse. And she also wasn¡¯t very easily flustered. What happened to her? ¡°Look at this!¡± She screeched, half-scaring me. ¡°Look!!¡± Naturally I responded in part. ¡°Uhh, okay, I guess?¡± Then she flashed the screen in my face, full brightness and all which blinded me, and big enough for other people passing by to sneak a peek. I knew that because someone behind me caught their breath, and from the periphery of my adjusting vision I spotted two girls pointing at Regan¡¯s hologram, then talking excitedly. The hell was going on? And then I read the headline: [Rumors of internationally-renowned anonymous online singer Visionaire¡¯s upcoming appearance at Arc] I blinked hard, then read further. The hologram was still even as Regan¡¯s hand was positively quivering with excitement. ¡­ I opened my mouth as I finished reading, then closed it like a guppy. Then I started to say, ¡°Umm, isn¡¯t¡ª¡± She interrupted, ¡°You¡¯re done reading?¡± Confused at her aggressiveness, I fought against her tone with ennui. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s just a rumor, like, Arc could have just made a mistake or something, or someone could be trolling and just adding names to the list of performers for halftime. So why¡ª¡± ¡°You better believe and put it on your calendar, there¡¯s no way they would just use that name by mistake without knowing all of the traction it would get!¡± I was taken aback as she grabbed my shoulders, and probably when the rush of the moment faded she realized that¡ª ¡ªPcckh ¡°Owwwwwww¡­¡± Regan moaned, grabbing her foot and hopping around stupidly. ¡°You know what you did.¡± I rolled my eyes, and there was an equally stupid grin on my face. Man, this girl was Visionare''s biggest fangirl. ¡°I win. I guess,¡± and seeing all of the eyes on us I took Regan by the hand and hurried us forward. Almost like she had already recovered, Regan matched my cadence. ¡°What was that foooooor? Just ¡®cuz I¡¯m Awakened doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t hurt, meanie-head.¡± I scoffed, ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Was she a kid or something? ¡°Yeah, whatever, eat dirt. I¡¯ll treat you to pretzels or something later¡ª¡± With an obnoxiously loud voice she interjected, ¡°What did you say?¡± ¡°I said, I¡¯ll get you pretzels, you know, from that one Danish place¡ª¡± ¡°Hmmmmmm?¡± I let go of her hand and cracked my knuckles, one after another ¡°Motherf¡ª¡± She laughed, ¡°Aaaanyways, you did say you read it, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I sarcastically drawled, ¡°it¡¯s gonna be during the holidays celebration called Winter Break where all students go home and spend time with their friends and family.¡± Regan grunted, ¡°And it¡¯s also when the Arcs around the world host the annual Arc Winter Games, and this year it¡¯s America¡¯s turn¡ª¡± ¡°Seats that cost an arm and a leg to get tickets for,¡± I replied, and she frowned with an amused look on her face, ¡°yeah right.¡± She shot back, ¡°Seats that are heavily discounted with the use of points¡ª¡± ¡°Discounted seats are probably already filled up!¡± I countered. ¡°Dude, we have tickets!¡± Regan finally ticked her last tock. ¡°Kali, don¡¯t you know who our club seniors are?!¡± ¡°Wait, huh? ¡± I let out a flabbergasted noise. ¡°What?¡± ¡°They¡¯re Red & Blue, idiot! Why do you think there are only boys in the hiking group, but like, the majority of them don¡¯t even attend the hiking trip? It¡¯s ¡®cuz they¡¯re smelly weebs who haven¡¯t showered in years! Also, you didn¡¯t know they¡¯re making an appearance at halftime this year?!¡± She huffed with a breath to spare. My voice was a pitch higher. ¡°Huh? Penelope and Rubia?¡± Regan went on as more eyes glanced off my shoulders, ¡°Bro, their boingos are huge if you haven¡¯t noticed, and they¡¯re pretty, and they¡¯re smart, and they¡¯re a talented duo in general, and their eyes are literally red and blue. Noticed yet?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­?¡± She groaned, ¡°Goooosh, when were you ever this dense? That''s so unlike you." I cleared my throat dispassionately, "Okay, and? It''s unlike you not to be dense." "Whatever. Poser." My insides squirmed, but I held it in. Every Memory I had studied would not go to waste. "Say what you want, but my grades are better." "You won''t study with me," she whined. I stuck my tongue out. ¡°So are you coming to see Visionaire with me, or not?¡± "Quick to change topics, huh?" "Quick to turn down your one and only bestie, hmm?" I groaned. "I hate you." "Are you gonna come?" I stared her dead in the eyes, and she stared me down even harder. With a sigh, I muttered, ¡°Do I even have a choice?¡± // 10:30 P.M. // 11 - 3 - 2023 // Gwen¡¯s Room - Arc - Housing District Starring Gwen Olynn // Sewing wasn¡¯t helping. I needed to calm myself. ¡ªhahhh, hahhh It wasn¡¯t me who felt this way. It couldn¡¯t have been me. ¡ªhhHUahhh, hahh, hahh He was only going to be gone for two days. Gwen, my chest hurts. Please, go back to sleep. ¡ªhhooohh, hhhoo, huu In¡­ and out. Breathe in¡­ and out. Needle in¡­ and out. ¡ªahhh¡­ HHHAahh¡­ hooooooo¡­ HHuaahh A sharp sting on my finger, and through the small dark blue cloth I could see a little bit of blood. My vision tunneled. [[Th#&e stood the l0N#}y house in the midd1& #$ n0wh€r3. The d0#Rbe1! w@2 rang t^*cE ##;{¡ê\ someone came to the door.]] The gasps shook me. [[No¡êl let &> #n$#de with a s%&#e.]] Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. Stop. [[The itch was unbearable. In my back pocket was a %*?&.]] You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. God, no, stop. Please stop. Stop. Stop¡­ [[She made attempts at small conversation as she l3% #= t0 THe dining table. So ITCHY¡ª]] ¡­ My hand shook as the vision came to an end, and I squeezed my eyes shut. It was shorter than last time, but it felt like the sight of blood was making them worse. I reached blindly to the nightstand where I always kept a small first aid kit in case anything like this ever happened. With one hand I inched the zipper up. Feeling around for a bit I finally felt the bandaids and pulled out one. It took me a second before I opened my eyes again, the soft gauze of the bandaid pressed against the tiny prick. Fully wrapping it around my finger, I crumpled the small purple cloth and got up. Half an hour went down the toilet. I looked up in the bathroom mirror. Gwen¡¯s skin was surprisingly soft and pale as it was thin and easily bruised. I bit my lips, relishing in the feeling of a dry piece painfully being torn off, and then spit out the lip-skin into the sink. The lights finally made me hiss, and I opened the bathroom door and stepped back into the entrance. It was as small as ever, and my wallet of points told me it wasn¡¯t going to get bigger any time soon. Average in class, looks, skill, and still unawakened. Jobless, friendless, abnormal and nauseous at the slightest winds. Stressed, traumatized, and a victim of a kidnapping, all with no end in sight. And so, so many problems. What the hell had I done to deserve all of this? Again, that thought from earlier passed through my head. It was oddly quiet, the same as it had been before¡­ but now, though, there was a substance to the silence that I couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°That little cocky brat actually left, huh?¡± I was surprised at how calm my voice was. It was no longer painful to breathe, and I wasn¡¯t incapacitated with that overwhelming and irrational sense of dread anymore. On second thought, and probably a first I had forgotten about, it was so stupid of Gwen to overreact like that. There¡¯s no way Avil would get hurt. What could go wrong on a two day vacation? ¡­ I sighed. So stupid. Now I had a headache. A few random strings of thoughts came to mind of what Avil could possibly be doing. What if he was going to go¡­ skiing? It was winter, and Maine probably had snow, right? Yeah, skiing. That would be nice. I¡­ liked skiing, a lot. I sat down onto my bed, and then tucked myself under the blanket. It was dark outside, and the gibbous moon was visible from my window. Memories of my friends and family replayed in my head as best as I could remember. We¡¯d all be in one big group, splitting apart into smaller chunks of different skill levels. I¡¯d go down the Blue slopes to warm up with my older sister, and then to the Black slopes with my friends and her friends. The rush of cold air against the ski mask, dots of sweat freezing into slushy in my boots, frozen fingers held tightly onto the poles as I swerved around other skiers and snowboarders at a rapid pace. It was a wonderful feeling. Then I¡¯d wait for my sister and our friends at the bottom, and we¡¯d do it all over again. I wondered how she was doing now that I was gone. It wasn¡¯t like I could remember her name, nor any one of my family¡¯s or friends¡¯ names. Did I disappear from the real world? Gwen and I probably didn¡¯t swap lives; I could still hear her painfully loud and obnoxiously clear. Was there a manhunt for me? Would they even try to find me? Could I even go back? Useless thoughts like these came to me at the most useless times. I rolled over in bed. Did Avil have any friends in the Travel club? Maybe I was the only friend he had, given his chihuahua-like nature¡­ nah. If Avil was talkative enough to land a victory for Maine, he could land himself a few buddies. No, no worries. He¡¯d probably have really good seafood, not like I cared much for it being from the coast and all¡­ Another random thought. God, I missed everyone¡­ The heck did Cedrance mean by, ¡®You¡¯ll be safe for now¡¯? Why was something from last week even¡­ oh, never mind. And why was Reyenal in that car? I remembered it all so vividly. A freezing asylum, a random man¡­ the agent, and Aythe Siena. So many questions, but most of all I hoped that I never had to see that ***hole¡¯s face ever again. And then the man died, and then another man appeared. That man was definitely the pale and handsome guy from the hospital who I¡¯d seen on multiple occasions, always with a mask on. That time, his mask was off, an extra confirmation of handsomeness. His lips had been tight, jaws sharp, and his cheekbones were high up giving him an authoritative and intimidating look. More important were the words he said¡­ one, that someone was looking for me, and two¡­ that the patients at Saint Hospital were incubating fallen angels. The next thing I knew he was gone, and Cedrance cut through the door in a very protagonist-like way with all of the lights shining behind him to make him look imposing. Understandably I couldn¡¯t really think straight then so I had let him princess-style lift me to the car, surprisingly without a single complaint of any reek or barf juices on me. Then music started to play, and for a good while too. I didn¡¯t know anyone nor anything from her playlist, but it was a vibe enough in the car. And that random and inexplicable argument that I felt made no sense whatsoever that happened between Reyenal and Cedrance while we were in the fields¡­ did they have beef with each other? And why was it so cold in the back?¡ª Geez, did I just have a bunch of spare time on hand all of a sudden? I needed to study for the upcoming quizzes. And tests. God, what the hell was Arc supposed to be, a boot camp with literature and math mixed in? So, so stupid. ¡ªbzzp I glanced at my watch¡­ [This is Saint Hospital¡¯s front desk. On behalf of Wards 104, 105, and 106, we would like to tell you: thank you. Your time with us was, according to some of our patients in Wards 104, 105, and 106, warm, caring, and a blessing for them. Therefore we cordially invite you to come back to the hospital at any time. We understand if you have circumstances where that wouldn¡¯t be possible and wish you the best accordingly. Sincerely, Saint Hospital] ¡­ and I bit my lip. // 4:22 P.M. // 8 - 29 - 2022 // St. Arthur Catholic K-8 Private School Featuring Nolan Faust // [User input:] ? [Access//Guide] [User input:] ? [Memory] [Accessing core memory of Nolan Faust] ? [Randomizing keyword] [Keyword chosen!] TORMENT =[Beginning core memory]= ¡°P¡ªlea¡­se¡­¡± The bully¡¯s fist slammed into Nolan¡¯s fat and swollen face again. He was almost completely naked save for his underwear, and his large and blubbery butt full of painful red marks was sweating all over the ground. ¡°St¡­op¡ªNNNHH!¡± He screamed again as the bully stomped on his thigh. The girls in the back laughed as his fat jiggled. ¡°Overgrown pig!¡± ¡°Haha! He¡¯s so gross.¡± Nolan cried out as he was kicked in the shin by one of the girls. The bully slapped him really hard, and again, and again until his reaction was loud enough to make the girls giggle. ¡°AGGHH¡ª!¡± ¡°Look at him! Oh my god, if I were him I think I¡¯d rather just kill myself.¡± ¡°You go, Chase! Pound that pig like mochi!¡± ¡°Like, Piglan¡¯s probably so weak willed he¡¯d be like, ¡®woe is me! Welp, looks¡¯s like suicide is the only option. I think I¡¯m gonna go out by eating ice cream! Goodbye, world!¡¯¡± Torrents of insults bit him, and his crying only served as oil to the flame that was consuming him. ¡°Womp womp. What a loser.¡± ¡°Hahahah! Ooooh, Emily, you¡¯re so funny!¡± ¡°And nobody would care, too. Aww, poor wittle baby, is your papa gonna die soon because he¡¯s too poor? Oh well¡­ heeheehee! Ahahahaha!¡± ¡°Aww, is he crying now? Bet it tastes like mashed potatoes.¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± ¡°Aaaahhahhaa!¡± ¡°Eeeeheheeheh!¡± ¡°Hey girls,¡± the bully Chase said, trying not to laugh hard, ¡°wanna see the fat*** without his whitey-tighteys?¡± ¡°Hell, no. Can¡¯t care about what you can¡¯t see, catch my drift?¡± ¡°Have you even seen nerdy, ugly wimps like Piglan? Like, there¡¯s nothing. Yeah, there¡¯s a hole where the mole is supposed to be.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so funny, Emily,¡± one of the bullies cooed as Nolan cried out again. ¡°I dunno, I¡¯m seeing a stiffy from him right now.¡± ¡°Really? Uggh, that¡¯s so¡­ ewwwww!¡± ¡°This loser, by us?! Eww, no! Oh my god, you can¡¯t be serious. You¡¯re disgusting, Piglan.¡± One of the girls stomped on him. Nolan howled in pain. ¡°Yeah, no way this fatso¡¯s¡­ just thinking about it makes me wanna barf.¡± ¡°Look at this picture I just took. Haha, look at his face! I caught such a funny look!¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, this if that¡¯s really true, this b**** needs to be taught a lesson. Chase. You know what to do.¡± The bully cracked his knuckles as he raised his arm for another punch. ¡°Wanna go get something after this, Emily?¡± All of her friends burst out laughing as Nolan was walloped again. ¡°I needa shower first. Hmm~!¡± ¡ªKRRRKKK! ¡­ The doctor clicked through the computer, then took a moment to stare at Nolan judgmentally. Then she looked to his father and spoke forthrightly, ¡°Sir, Mr. Faust, even the scan shows that your son has fractured ribs, torn ligaments, a broken jaw, and more. He is riddled with bruises from head to toe. I can safely assume that this wasn¡¯t because of some accidental fall, and this is much more serious than you¡¯re willing to believe.¡± Nolan¡¯s dad only glanced towards his son, and then sat down hard on the edge of the bed which Nolan took most of the space of with his obese physique. The man¡¯s eyes buried down into the space between his feet, his balding head of wispy hair facing the doctor. He was only 43 years old yet he looked as if he had seen a whole disappointing world that he couldn¡¯t accept. His nose bridge was high but slightly crooked, his cheeks similarly were defined with a sunken tone that reflected in the fading youth of his eyes. He was a man at war against the world for his world. They stayed in silence for a minute. The doctor walked out of the room. ¡°Dad,¡± Nolan croaked. He grunted the mucus out. ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± His dad muttered, ¡°Is she?¡± The boy¡¯s face was a pondering circle of chub and cherub. ¡°Dad, I¡­ I¡ªI want to lose weight. T-that¡¯s why I¡¯m being¡­ targeted by b-bullies. I wanna get stronger as well, so I can protect myself. And mum, too.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one big dream you¡¯ve got, boy.¡± The dad¡¯s hand gently rested on Nolan¡¯s stomach, noting the tears forming at the edges of his son¡¯s eyes. The two sat together in the awkward quietness of the bright hospital room. Finally the dad spoke again. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking for a while now. I¡¯ve been thinking¡­¡± He paused, and for thirty seconds stayed that way, unable to speak. Nolan got curious. ¡°Thinking about what?¡± Silence. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking,¡± his dad repeated slowly, ¡°about sending you abroad to your uncle¡¯s family in America. My older brother.¡± ¡°Uncle¡­? You never told me you had an older brother,¡± Nolan had no energy to exclaim. ¡°It¡¯s because our relationship is not good,¡± the dad regretfully admitted, ¡°we¡¯ve always had different ideals. I wanted the family to live in peace. He wanted to continue the family¡¯s legacy of¡­¡± He cut himself off as if he had made a mistake. ¡°Legacy?¡± Wiping his eyes brutishly, Nolan began to sit up, but gave up halfway through lifting his neck. ¡°And what about you and mum?¡± The dad answered simply, ¡°We¡¯re going to stay here in Liverpool.¡± Nolan already knew why, but he asked anyway just to hear his dad say it. He sighed but nevertheless indulged his son, ¡°Mum still needs to go to the hospital every once in a while to check up on her. You¡¯re old enough to know that we can¡¯t afford America¡¯s bills, and with all of these crazy taxes we¡¯re only just getting by.¡± The feeling inside the room was no longer uncomfortable or awkward. It was just sad. ¡°So that means I¡¯m gonna be alone,¡± Nolan concluded hopelessly. ¡°Because you and mum aren¡¯t coming.¡± The machine beeped. Twice. The sheets rustled as the dad stood up. He walked to the door, and before he left he turned his head around. An odd confidence filled his face, wrinkled from tiredness, age, and a smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m sure your uncle won¡¯t let you be alone.¡± 32 - BEFORE THEY SEE 32: BEFORE THEY SEE // 8:58 A.M. // 11 - 2 - 2023 // Portland, Maine - Ample Comfort Suites Starring Avil Daniase Featuring Cedrance Manamune, Dean Harvest and Junseo Park // I dropped the heavy backpack onto the floor of the room, bathed in the light coming from the two large hotel windows spanning the far wall that were comfily separated by a pillar. It was quite large for a hotel room, with two beds filled with plush white pillows and thick alternate navy blankets all the way in the back to the left, the luxuriously white marble bathroom being four steps away between the entrance and beds. A large couch and coffee table filled the nearby space, while the rest of the room was decorated with pots and plants and other inviting ornaments, a large table with complimentary snacks and drinks on top, and obviously the mini fridge and TV. Next to me was a closet, fitted with a couple hangers and a folded board and iron, which I promptly put my jacket in sloppily. Hearing footsteps approaching from behind, I picked up the backpack again and quickly took a few steps forward. Choosing the right bed by the window, I threw the backpack onto it and sat down as Cedrance entered the room. I glanced at him, seeing his perfect jawline and photogenic side profile as he stared out the windows into the city made something gurgle in my stomach. As I fiddled with the bedside lamp, on, off, on, off, the two other boys entered the room together. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that¡­ we actually got this room.¡± Dean was the first to talk as he took off his windbreaker, revealing the Pokemon t-shirt underneath. ¡°Didn¡¯t we just get it this morning on the walk here?¡± ¡°Arc privileges, man,¡± I said to him as Cedrance set down his own backpack onto my bed. ¡°So Ced¡¯s with me tonight, and Dean is with Jun?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± Ced was dismissive as his attention still stayed glued outside. I wondered what he was seeing. ¡°I¡¯m fine with that.¡± ¡°Me too,¡± Jun added. He was the only one not wearing a jacket, and instead fashionably rocked ripped jeans, a white long-sleeved shirt and a black sweatshirt over with some fancy brand, the name of which being in Korean. A black hat sat on his head of neatly combed pink hair, a mask hanging one ear, a pair of glasses on the collar of his shirt and a gold chain around his neck. With the backpack on one shoulder for a balanced image, he looked like he was a traveling celebrity. ¡°Did you guys see those Portland travel guide brochures downstairs?¡± ¡°No?¡± I half-heartedly made eye contact with him, and before he could notice that I had scanned him head to toe I broke it and glanced at Dean. The three of the boys definitely had some things in common between them, and it was hard to not notice: they were tall, they had clear skin, they were toned, if not muscular (Dean less so), and they had colored hair that covered the right side of the Roy G. Biv rainbow, including me, of course. It varied from there by a lot, from their fashion sense and their vibe to the proportion of their bodies and the features of their face. And then there was me. I was almost, and quite literally, half the person they were in the height department. I didn¡¯t look a quarter as good as any of them, even Dean with his atrocious set of clothes that looked like a weeb going to an ani-con. Life was a b****. Cedrance casually reached his whole arm into his backpack, putting his shoulder in with the leaning and all to my confusion. Then he pulled out his sword from inside, which was definitely longer than the backpack. How the f¡ª¡°If you want to use Serene¡¯s money but you don¡¯t have any space, my backpack has a D-grade storage modifier, or like, 4-ish cubic feet of space. As long as it fits into the top, I mean.¡± I realized that he must have spotted the baffled look on my face. ¡°O-oh. Yeah alright, how much did that cost?¡± I tried to play it off as a joke, but he replied nonchalantly, ¡°400 and something points, I think. Why?¡± He caught the second face I made and chuckled. Blinking quickly, trying to think of something to say I sputtered, ¡°D-do you need help paying rent now? You can¡¯t just spend 400 hundred on a backpack¡­ and¡ª¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it worth it, though?¡± Dean cluelessly surveyed us as he set down his things on the other bed and plopped down across from me. ¡°I-I mean, Cedrance can fit a whole sword in there. You said it was a D-grade artifact, right? There¡¯s no way an artifact can be cheap. S-so¡­ it¡¯s expected.¡± ¡°D¡¯worry about me,¡± Jun butted in seeing my face change for the third time to a look akin to impatience and a death glare. ¡°I already have one.¡± ¡°Wha¡ª¡± ¡°I got it second hand, though,¡± Jun cut me off again, glaring at Cedrance and Dean a message I couldn¡¯t decipher, ¡°so it was a lot cheaper. 120, I think.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°The original price was 500.¡± ¡­ I made the calculations. ¡°F***, that''s good.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not mad anymore?¡± He tested the waters. Feeling the ¡®mad¡¯ leaving my system, I shook my head. ¡°Nah. I wasn¡¯t mad to begin with, just¡­ pissed.¡± Dean, ever so clueless, rebutted, ¡°Isn¡¯t that the same thing?¡± Before I had a chance to respond, Jun crossed to Dean, sat by him, and put a warning hand on his shoulder followed with a warning smile. ¡°It isn¡¯t. Mad is like you wanna pull your own hair out. Pissed is like you wanna pull someone else¡¯s hair out. Get it?¡± ¡°I guess?¡± Dean absentmindedly pushed Jun¡¯s hand off. ¡°But Avil, why?¡± ¡°Gahhh,¡± I pulled my hair down and curled briefly, and I saw Jun¡¯s face tense and eyes squint. Then I directed my energy to Ced, who looked a little nervous at the sudden attention, ¡°Who the hell buys s*** at full price? Ced, I don¡¯t care that you have money, but for f***¡¯s sake, have you ever heard of a bargain?¡± The nervousness followed but didn¡¯t break the flow of his clear voice, ¡°Didn¡¯t you shop at full price last year for the Christmas gifts?¡± ¡°That¡¯s different!¡± ¡°Is it?¡± He frowned, empowered to go on, ¡°What about those times you bought birthday gifts for Salem and Huy? Didn¡¯t you get Salem three jumbo packs of toilet paper that we could barely fit in the car trunk, a bible knowing full well he¡¯s a Muslim, and a woven basket with a watermelon inside? And for Huy you got him an oversized calculator, giant mechanical pencil, and a giant sheet of paper with so many random insults on it and an ¡®F, See me after class¡¯ at the top bigger than your head? And how much did those cost you? 300 hundred bucks, but that didn¡¯t stop you, did it?¡± The turn was so fast that I had no time to react with anything but total embarrassment. Jun snorted and Dean looked like he was doing his best to stop a fit of giggles. Did Avil really do that? And who the hell were Huy and Salem? If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°I haven¡¯t talked to them in a bit,¡± I tried to assess my words, ¡°but you know those two f***ers and I like to play around.¡± It looked like I hit the spot exactly as Ced gave a partial sigh. ¡°But was it worth it?¡± ¡°Yes it f***ing was,¡± I scoffed. Dean hit me with a raised eyebrow, and Jun shook his head. Damn, I sounded like a huge hypocrite. ¡°Look at the time,¡± Jun said, and we all turned to him, as did I with probably too much aggression to hide the shame on my face. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to meet up at the Preservarium at 10. You wanna go get breakfast or something?¡± ¡°Y-yeah,¡± Dean nodded awkwardly with a fat grin still on his face, no doubt still thinking about what Ced had said, giving me side glances. ¡°Well, the offer still stands,¡± Ced put the sword back into his backpack. I cursed again under my breath. // 9:58 P.M. // 11 - 2 - 2023 // Arc - Housing District, Zendolyn¡¯s Room Starring Zendolyn Ato // The box was still exactly where I left it: inside of the closet, with half of it sticking out and making the closet door impossible to close. I sighed melodramatically as I hauled it out to the foot of the bed, still dizzy from filling up the mana barrier. Then as I opened and felt around the inside of the box filled with random clutter I felt something soft. I pulled it out. It was a black jumpsuit that I hadn¡¯t bothered to take out, but I knew what it was and similarly knew how valuable it was. Not quality, not material, but the owner was what gave it value. Therefore, me. Zendolyn. I scrounged around some more and after a few seconds found the second item. Pulling it out sent a shiver up my whole body. The mask¡¯s face was frowning, a grey-blue tint to it it¡¯s jutting out features that made it impossible to truly tell what the wearer¡¯s face was like. The expression itself was also eerie, like, really unsettling. I knew that if I turned it over I would see the equally creepy smile, upturned eyes, the correct term for the overly 3D-ness of it was depth. I did turn it over. It was pale and very creepy. It was definitely the mask that I had seen from the Memory. The Twin Muses. Visionaire¡¯s signature mask. The watch buzzed with an Arc announcement, something about participation in the upcoming Winter Games like Professor Justin had said earlier during class, but I ignored it and instead took it as an opportunity to access Zen¡¯s YouTube page. Click, click, click. Tap, tap, tap. Scroll, scroll, resist the doom scroll. And bada-bing, bada-bam, there was a long number in my face. To its left, the picture of the Twin Muses as a profile picture. Holy Mother of a beaver, 18 million subscribers was absolutely nothing to scoff at, especially with a channel lifespan of only 2 years. A crazy grin filled my face, the same that I had made the last time I had checked. Being Zendolyn Ato never made me feel so cool. My hip throbbed, and I winced in pain. Maybe being a victim wasn¡¯t the greatest, though. Earlier someone had punched me there from behind for no reason. An accident, she said. Disgusting b****, she said. Because Zen was also a murderer¡­ well, I still hadn¡¯t found the Memory that told me that I could be a¡­ yeah. Even the real orphan of the murder mystery, Cedrance Manamune himself, seemed to dismiss those rumors. Or at least, that was what I gathered, seeing from the last time we talked he seemed to pity me. The whole double identity thing was weird. A jingle played and I refocused my eyes to the watch. Oh, right. It was 10 P.M. My daily call time with the Winter Game organizers. I picked up the call. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°Yes, hello, Visionaire. This is Allison speaking.¡± Her voice was weak and sluggish, the same way mine was after working out for more than fifteen minutes. ¡°Yes,¡± I subconsciously flipped through the list of names in my head. She was¡­ the main choreographer. I hoped. ¡°How¡¯s the dance going? I hope the song is working out for your crew.¡± ¡°Well, you have absolutely nothing to fear. The team is currently working on the chorus for The First Scene, you know, when it does the tertiary choir thing.¡± I replied thoughtfully, ¡°Well, that¡¯s great to hear. Does that mean preparations for Blooming and Worlds Apart are completed?¡± Those were two of the more popular songs I had reused from Visionaire. Worlds Apart was the starter, the interest grabber. It was melancholic, with many subtle key changes, divisive chord progressions and a very powerful chorus suited for the climax of a movie. On the other hand, Blooming was a more catchy, ¡®traditional¡¯ pop love-song with a simultaneous orchestral and operatic touch to it. Both were appropriate for generating hype. ¡°You¡¯ll have to ask Brian or Kimmel about that¡­ I think they¡¯ll be finishing up soon. When they do we¡¯ll give you a call ASAP. Oh, Kimmel also said she would be sending you the stage layout and your staging notes. You do know what staging is, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± I wasn¡¯t about to tell her that I knew a thing or two about theatre. But I also needed to make note to study my staging notes and call Brian for my own choreography and plan my in-person meeting dates, so I quickly scrawled it into the notebook on my desk lest I forget. ¡°Tell her I¡¯ll review it, though I trust her as a professional.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± It was about time I hung up. I still had some random things to do before I went to sleep. ¡°Then, thanks for your hard work, Allison.¡± ¡°Thank you too, Visionaire.¡± ¡°Goodnight. Rest well.¡± ¡°Yes, goodnight.¡± As soon as I left the call I slumped onto the bed. Being professional meant being polite yet socially intelligent, and I wasn¡¯t the best at being either. However, I managed to push through every night without much problem even as the Visionaire who''s talking voice no one had ever heard. That was because I was in Zendolyn Ato¡¯s body. It was also because of this that I had no trouble putting on a mask. The blankets, which I had changed out earlier, were cool against my skin. In fact, it was cold, so I hopped into the bed and tucked myself halfway in. Those calls had been happening since before August, apparently before I had taken over Zendolyn¡¯s body. Besides Reya¡¯s number, it was the only other contact on his watch at that time. He had been coordinating them for some time now, and it was only recently that I had found out about this after finally answering the huge wall of ignored calls from that suspicious number. The first person to greet me had been Kimmel, who was quite understanding that the one and only, oh so famous and greater singer Visionaire was busy with something that wasn¡¯t the internationally broadcasted and highly anticipated Winter Games. Needless to say, neither she nor the rest of the team working with me were happy. It was also around that time when I had had the chance to hear most, if not all, of Visionaire¡¯s songs for myself, while walking around campus or going to the gym. His music had a certain cinema-quality, an apotheosis of emotion in every single climactic point of each song. They were layered with different instruments, mastered to play perfectly in harmony. How he had managed to record all of them without anyone hearing a blast of random instruments was still baffling; did he rent a studio room? And how old was he when he wrote them¡­ oh right, 14. Both songs, Blooming and Worlds Apart, had been deliberated over and tweaked by Zen and the whole team for the purposes of the halftime show, so when I sent in the third song that I had recently written it was a huge surprise for them. Somehow, they found it more than acceptable, given the song¡¯s very strong personality combined with its straight-from-a-movie style. I had thoroughly impressed myself with that. Taking the laptop from on top of the nightstand I put it into my lap. My lats and triceps were still sore from the gym and the bobarista rush. I opened it, then tabbed to my digital painting app. Never a forte, but digital painting had always been a hobby of mine, along with music and writing. Coloring was much easier for me than lineart and the actual process of sketching and planning out all of that. I liked it when the colors merged as expected to form vibrancy and depth, even if the clarity of the subject itself didn¡¯t come out too good. At that moment I was drawing the cover art for the new song; rather than spending money to hire an artist to make it, I would rather just do it myself and get experience in the process. If I didn¡¯t get my foremost passions as my Awakening then I would have a second hope to fall back on. From the nightstand drawer I pulled out a digital pad and pencil, which had cost me a hefty 40 points. I had been quite serious when I said I dabbled a lot in the arts. 33 - ASSURED FATE 33. ASSURED FATE // 1:48 P.M. // 11 - 2 - 2023 // Preservarium Starring Serene Goldwin Featuring Fanny, Dean Harvest, Avil Daniase, Junseo Park, Leslie and Cedrance Manamune // ¡ªEEEEEK, REEEEEEEK, REEEEEEK My scrolling finger stopped in place at the article¡¯s image. It wasn¡¯t the Visionaire being at this year¡¯s Winter Games halftime that surprised me¡­ ¡ªOOOOOOCK, OOOOOOCK, OOOOOOCK ¡°Serene? Are you even listening?¡± Fanny furrowed her eyebrows as I swiped the screen away. The screeching and chirping of bird monsters around the Preservarium was loud and constant, contested only by the noisy monkey monsters behind the glass wall. The sign read Baboom Baboon. The baboons themselves looked hilariously stupid, especially their long protruding nose and big stomachs in contrast to their skinny arms and legs. ¡°I wasn¡¯t, no,¡± I confessed without missing a beat. ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m listening now.¡± ¡ªOOOOOOCK EEEEECH OOOOK RREEEEEEK REEEEKKK OOOOOOCK ¡­ but Red and Blue caught my attention. It felt like the things the 55th Serene had said were coming together before my eyes. First there was Dean Harvest, the target¡¯s grandson of the very mission I was on. The Harbinger of Calamity. Who were these Harbingers in the first place? All research I had done into them had yielded no results. Fanny grumbled, said something but was drowned in a cacophony of screeches, and raised her voice to a near yell. ¡°I said, it¡¯s 1:50 right now! I brought snacks, but that¡¯s not enough for all four of us! Let¡¯s g¡ª¡± ¡ªREEEEEEEEK ¡°¡ªTO THE NEARBY CAFE!!¡± Her face then became a deep beetroot color as she looked past my shoulder, and I read her lips as she said, ¡°Oh, Jun.¡± I turned around to see a group of four coming from around the curve of the enclosure through the glass. Speak of the devil. Their green, blue, pink, and purple hair certainly drew some attention from the people around, but it was more likely the godly handsome aura that surrounded the four that made me squeeze my eyes shut. Even the monkeys shut up for a second before resuming their annoying ooocks. ¡°Hey, over here!¡± I hollered over the red-beaked storks and waved my hand into the air. Suddenly I was conscious of the hot pink parka and sweatpants I had on to combat the cold. What did my no-makeup makeup look like? Those same thoughts had plagued me this morning too. I saw him almost every day, so what was going on with my heart? Ced visibly perked up when he heard my voice. I could only read his lips as he undoubtedly yelled, ¡°Serene!¡± Motioning to Fanny, who was still busy staring at the four, I walked up to them. Ced¡¯s best friend Avil Daniase stood in the center of the group, dwarfed by the other three to an almost comedic degree. He looked like he was having a bad day. Jun brightly smiled at the right side, saw Fanny, and nodded in her direction. She slightly nodded back, her cheeks rosy, and our other roommate Leslie to her left lifted her eyebrow to our fourth roommate Jessica, a girl in Criminology, who nodded in agreement. Dean Harvest was also there, but looked like he was trying not to look at me and instead at the marble floor. Maybe he felt the pity in my stomach, but he glanced upwards. I tried my best to smile. Being near Dean made my stomach want to turn inside out. He returned an uncomfortable grimace to me. Did it show on my face? Finally, there was Ced. Unexpectedly he took my hand, which caught me off guard. ¡°Isn¡¯t the hotel so nice?¡± My breath was warm. ¡°Yeah. Did you guys have lunch yet? Our group still hasn¡¯t eaten.¡± Jun seemed to be looking at our hands. An odd expression was on his face, his eyes drooping and the corner of his lips turning. ¡°Nah, we¡ª¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t,¡± Ced intercepted, casting Jun a short look, ¡°we didn¡¯t. You wanna go?¡± Geez, I wasn¡¯t that dense. I pulled my hand away so I could check the watch, and his arm protectively went over my shoulder instead. A few eyes turned towards the hologram from around the room. Holograms watches weren¡¯t common in Maine, and apparently phones were the way to go instead. ¡°Well, what do you think is the better place? Blue Skies Cafe, Annette¡¯s Brunch and Lunch, The Toga, Cafe Moderna¡­¡± ¡ªEEEEEEEK! REEEEEEEEK Leslie walked into the conversation, ¡°Ooooor, what about Lalai? I heard there¡¯s some really good French and Italian or whatever food there. I think The Toga is the same, so why don¡¯t we choose one of those two?¡± ¡°Whatever, just choose something, I¡¯m hungry,¡± Jessica added in with a long moan to prove her point. ¡°Actually, Cafe Moderna sounds good. But if you want to go to Lalai, I think the deserts are pretty yummy. My sister took me there once to the one in LA.¡± Leslie giggled, ¡°Your sister? Her name¡¯s Emily, right? I remember, she¡¯s so pretty¡ªanyways, how about you, Fanny?¡± ¡°I like Lalai as well,¡± Fanny said simply. We collectively nodded. To my right Dean and Avil were chatting each other up, but I couldn¡¯t pick up on what they were saying. Avil rolled his eyes, then pointed to me inconspicuously but casually, then said something that made Dean nod slightly. Whatever. ¡°So it¡¯s Lalai, then?¡± Ced cocked his head to the side. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of that place before. It was¡­¡± ¡°Ma and Paps went on a date there before, remember?¡± Avil butted in with an unfocused look on his face like he wasn¡¯t actually there, and Ced nodded earnestly. ¡°Yeah, yeah, it was something like that.¡± His ears were a little red. Out of the corner of my eyes, I caught the three girls nodding to each other in almost-unison. Jessica mouthed something that looked like, ¡°But how?¡± I squinted at them. ¡°Am I missing something?¡± Jessica flinched, but Leslie continued unfazed, ¡°Nah, but it¡¯s so cute that Avil¡¯s parents went to Lalai. On a date.¡± She looked at me and Ced standing next to each other, his arm over my shoulder, me absentmindedly searching for the directions to Lalai. ======================== Answer Memory Overtake Will you use a Guide? Yes//No ======================== N-no. A huge blush overcame me. ¡°T-then let¡¯s¡ª¡± I bit my tongue, ¡°¡ªf***!¡± A few passersby looked at me with a funny face. Jun and Ced stared at me as Avil picked at his fingernails. ¡°No, I mean¡­ I¡ª¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to say let¡¯s do that, o-obviously, I meant¡­ ughh¡ª¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°Lalai?¡± Dean tried innocently. Leslie confirmed with great amusement, ¡°Yes, Dean.¡± // ??? // ??? // ??? Featuring Parker Glass, Trailblazer, Siren, ??? and ??? // ¡°Echo, Trailblazer, and Siren, there¡¯s a new change of plans,¡± the boss said through the earpiece. ¡°Dracula is joining you today.¡± Trailblazer scoffed quietly, pushing himself a bit more upright on the tree branch. It was dark and quiet, with nothing more than wind going through the place. The nice view to the pier of the small city from up high elicited no emotions from neither Echo nor Siren. ¡°Drac¡¯s here? Aren¡¯t we starting soon? This late in, he might as well f*** off and go suck on his pet pig¡¯s blood again.¡± ¡°More importantly, why is he here?¡± Siren added in, her voice as rational and calm as was her regular timbre. ¡°Didn¡¯t you and Spy say something about dormant?¡± The boss responded thoroughly, ¡°Spy¡¯s just told me that the readings are peaking pretty high right now around Maine, so there¡¯s bound to be some Bellowing Fires investigation coming through. I¡¯m just making sure you do your job properly.¡± ¡°Well, all three of our targets are under the same roof. Never thought it would be this easy after all these months. Betrayal and Wrath is quite an unhealthy distance between lovers.¡± Siren¡¯s legs were crossed comfortably, balancing elegantly on top of the branch. Never once had she gotten caught looking cold with those promiscuous clothes on. It was somewhat a talent of hers to have the energy to stick to her apt theme. ¡°S***, these gloves are uncomfortable,¡± Trailblazer remarked, but no one paid him any mind. A contemplative look filled Echo¡¯s face as he watched the movements through the lightly tinted windows. ¡°Bellowing Fires, huh? Can I swap my job with Dracula?¡± ¡°We need someone who¡¯s a quick assassin for this mission,¡± Siren chided, ¡°and you¡¯re the only one who qualifies at this moment.¡± ¡°Flattery doesn¡¯t work on me,¡± Echo grunted, watching the shadow in the gold of the window moving around. ¡°The Arc students are also coming soon. Make sure the assassination is quiet. Once the Bellowing Fires guild gets here¡ª¡± ¡°Leave nothing, because nothing was there to begin with but scum,¡± he rolled his eyes, a smoky and black dagger appearing in his hands.
Darkened Shiv Cost: 75 MANA
Cooldown: 4 minutes
A+ // Parker equips a phantom shiv that can only damage targets with mana. If a Shadow is nearby it also equips a shiv. The damage significantly increases if the target has proportionally less health than his own. A thrown shiv will gain the bonus damage regardless of Parker¡¯s health. The cooldown refreshes when Parker becomes a Nightmare or a Reaper. BASE DAMAGE: 455 (+10% of target¡¯s missing health)
EMPOWERED DAMAGE: 975 (+20% of target¡¯s missing health)
¡°Good one, kiddo,¡± Trailblazer chuckled, making Echo scoff. ¡°Boss, you really brought the worst man possible for this mission,¡± he said under his breath. ¡°Quiet isn¡¯t how he does things.¡± Trailblazer gasped with exaggerated offense, a smirk hidden beneath his sarcasm. ¡°I can hear you, you know?¡± ¡°Quiet is your job, Echo,¡± the boss spoke into his ear. ¡°Whispering is Siren¡¯s job, and disposing of the evidence is for Trailblazer to worry about. Dracula¡¯s job is the guarantor of the operation. Now, why don¡¯t you all begin soon?¡± ¡°Understood,¡± Siren closed her eyes. ¡°Uh oh, she¡¯s about to do the creepy thing again,¡± Trailblazer muttered to himself, half watching her from the corner of his eyes, and half watching through the window as Echo hopped to the ground with a soft thud.
Saint Corrupter
S- // ??? can Whisper in the mind of anyone within a distance around her. The Whispers are intensely persuasive and cause targets to hallucinate. The more targets she Whispers to, the less persuasive it is and the less they hallucinate. WHISPER RANGE: 0.6 kilometers (0.37 miles)
Suddenly, the window was pulled open as Echo crouched beneath, the dagger in his hand eating away at the washing gold light that came spilling out. An old woman poked her head through, the wrinkles on her face and the whiteness of her curly hair suggesting the impact of her age. Her chin had a couple folds, as did her arms as she pulled the curtains out of the way. The granny¡¯s sagging body was loosely clothed with a salmon pink t-shirt even in the cold air as if it didn¡¯t bother her in the slightest. She spoke with a surprisingly loud and healthy if not a little bit croaked voice, ¡°Pappy! Come ovuh, come ovuh, you must be hot roight now aftuh that bolognese. Ooh! Feel that breeze.¡± A cold air blew through, shaking the leaves in the trees but not enough to compromise the two still squatting on the branches. Her accent was thick and very Australian, nasally and held-out vowels that had a very satisfying touch at the end. The woman made it sound like life was a joy. ¡°Ma, Daddy, you feel that? Aw c¡¯mon, get up! Pappy, bring Ma ovah, she looks like she¡¯s havin¡¯ a rough day. Sweety, me too, me too. Haven¡¯t seen Dean in a while, reckon he¡¯ll be he¡¯ah bah Christmas? Ooh, I know you waitn¡¯ too, Darlene,¡± she pulled away from the window and moved over to the right. Siren could see the coffee table in the background, a sofa with a bearded man laying there, slightly drooling with a bit of tomato sauce staining his lips. He was dressed shabbily, as if not by himself. Then the view was blocked as the old woman stepped in front of the window again, this time with an arm slung over her shoulder belonging to another woman. The woman looked exactly as if the old lady had turned back time by thirty years, with less wrinkles and a distinctly bright green-ish hair not present on the old woman. Those were the three targets. Siren bit her lips, and then her eyes went completely blank with nothing but the whites showing as she entered a trance-like state. Her mouth began moving again, Whispering. Trailblazer said nothing as he glanced over to her. ¡°Pappy! Bring Daddy ovah, he needs some fresh air too, nawr? Ah, come on, ya bugger old man, you see me carrying Darlene here? Yes, you, bring James over, too! Get up, get up¡­¡± The old woman fussed for a bit longer before finally all four of the family stood at the windows, looking out into the distance, the forest beneath Siren¡¯s and Trailblazer¡¯s feat. The night was beautiful. A few owls hooted, and other than a cricket here and there, all was silent. The city lights were on, sparkling behind the house, and somewhere to the right in the harbor there was a light cast across the water. This night, the moon was almost full in the sky, a slit of darkness covered in a place no one could reach to peel off. It was almost a perfect night. "I''d like to see heaven one day," the old woman said to the wind under the weight of her haggard and unresponsive daughter. The old man beside her paid her no mind and only closed his eyes as he hummed a quiet tune, burdened by the man''s weight. "Maybe that day, it''ll be nice and cool like this. And when I do, you all better not come until you''re nice and old like me." "I wonder how Dean is doing," the old man responded, with a smile to no one in particular. The endearing senile couple rested against each other. They smiled, eyes closed. The haggard man and woman suddenly opened their eyes. The boss hissed in their ears. Trailblazer watched as Echo tightened his grip around the dagger¡¯s hilt. 34 - VICTIMS NOR VILLAINS 34. VICTIMS NOR VILLAINS // 2:03 P.M. // 11 - 2 - 2023 // Silverdawn Floor 40 - Meeting Rooms Starring Reyenal Ato Featuring Oriana Ato, ??? and ??? // I could have been at home. I could have been sleeping off the soreness from yesterday¡¯s dungeon crawl. I could have been drinking boba by the water fountain, or wandering Club Streets, wondering about how much longer the Square would be closed off for. Maybe I could have been training to beat that Aythe s***head into the floor, or studying to finally beat that f***ing bastard who barely even tries for his position, or playing video games with Zen, or even partying. I could have been doing literally anything else. And yet here I was. ======================== [Do not let anyone believe you are incapable] Duration: [¡ª] Penalty for failure: [Exploitation by the higher-ups of Silverdawn] Status: [¡ª] Current task(s): [Flee from the Fire, Rivalry for the Top] ======================== ¡°Young Miss Ato, you¡¯ve been slouching the whole meeting.¡± The name tag on the woman¡¯s suit read Intelligence Director Baran Kazmi, and her stern eyes were squinted at me. ¡°Have you been listening to any of us at all?¡± I nodded politely, my hands clammy with sweat. It was uncomfortably warm inside the glass office. My butt was weirdly itchy, but I didn¡¯t dare to scratch it. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. We were talking about how this past year was generally c-calm for Silverdawn. Only a few casualties¡­¡± I trailed off, her gaze burning onto my scalp. Oriana Ato beside me glanced at me. It certainly wasn¡¯t an approving one. ¡°As you heard, Reyenal was listening the whole time,¡± her mother spoke clearly and calmly. The side eye she was giving me gave ¡®Once-this-is-over-we¡¯re-having-a-long-chat¡¯ vibes that didn¡¯t sit well with me. ¡°However, more pressing issues are at hand. The reason why we were called here today¡­ please proceed, Baran.¡± The woman clearly didn¡¯t accept the interference, but nevertheless she cleared her throat gracefully. ¡°Yes, yes.¡± She raised her grating smoker¡¯s-lungs voice to project, ¡°I¡¯m sure most of you are aware of the sudden increase in demonic activity surrounding Arc, which needs no introduction.¡± My heart stopped beating. What? ¡°We all know that its close associate, the Saint Hospital, the hospital whose biotechnological facet is widely known to be the pioneers in mana poisoning, neurological mutations caused by mana influxes, and more.¡± Arc¡­ wasn¡¯t safe? I should have expected this. I snapped myself out of the short bout of panic. I was an avid manhwa reader. I definitely should have expected that Arc wasn¡¯t safe ¡°These numbers on the projection are the numbers the Demon Slayer guild obtained not too long ago: 57.4% increase on demonic activity¡ª¡± And yet no news of disaster, I thought briefly as she continued on. I bit my lips. ¡°¡ªconcentration is focused around Saint Hospital.¡± One man raised his hand and commented, ¡°Then this should be enough of a reason to send the investigations team to Arc. The Fostering team is eager to get their hands on new talents, sharing that last year¡¯s batch was quite disillusioning for them.¡± The Intelligence Lead shook her head and grunted. ¡°No, I¡¯ve already tried that. They said they would be sending some Holimont officers to deal with it.¡± ¡°However,¡± a man beside her stood up. ¡°We have reason to believe that Arc is plotting something, as no reports of any demonic suppression activities were mentioned by our insider agent in his last report.¡± There was a Silverdawn insider in Arc? Since when? A voice rumbled from the far end of the table, shaking the room with surprise other than Oriana Ato. The man¡¯s shiny and pointed shoes were on the table, and he was reclined in his chair comfortably. ¡°If nothing is being done about this situation on Arc¡¯s side, then that leaves us with only two options.¡± The man put his feet down and leaned forward with renewed interest. He was reasonably built, but not so large like all of those freaky Arc students, and with a more mature type of handsomeness. His cheekbones were high, accentuated as his jawline, and with his proper clothes, slicked back brown hair, shiny skin to cover any imperfections, it was clear he was someone who made an effort to look good. ¡°Then what do you propose, Atlas?¡± Oriana replied, everyone¡¯s eyes now on the strongest man in the room, none other than the president of Silverdawn. ¡°Reyenal!¡± He raised his hands into the air suddenly, almost childishly. The tone switch-up startled me to hell and back: from an evil mastermind to a jovial uncle. ¡°You¡¯re listening now, right?¡± ¡°Y-yes,¡± I nodded, panicking a little. ¡°I¡¯ve been listening, s-sir.¡± ¡°Sir?¡± He cocked his head to the side, his voice less bright. ¡°When did I go from ¡®Old Man¡¯ to ¡®sir¡¯ for you?¡± I hid my flinch as best as possible with a cough. Reyenal did what now? I racked through my brain. Formal environments stressed me out. ¡°It¡¯s only appropriate, no?¡± C¡¯mon, Reyenal, you¡¯re not so stupid that you blatantly disrespect the goddamn president of Silverdawn in front of so many people? ¡°She¡¯s been acting a little weird this whole meeting,¡± one of the executives murmured from my right. A woman nodded her head inconspicuously, whispering as if I nor the rest of the table couldn¡¯t hear her. ¡°It¡¯s like she lost her boldness. As if she lost all of those years we raised her to surpass the president.¡± A moment of silence passed. All eyes on me. ======================== Answer Memory Overtake Will you use a Guide? Yes//No ======================== Answer. ======================== Option 1) ¡°Please, speak louder. That way the demons can hear it and have reason to be scared, scared that someone might actually succeed the Old Fart.¡± Option 2) ¡°Hey, if you wanna make things awkward, take it outside to your [hidden], where I¡¯m not invited. Oh¡­ was I not supposed to say that?¡± Option 3) ¡°The first modicum of respect I¡¯ve shown that man gets passed off like that? Goddamn, so you all loooooove it when I do this?¡± [middle-finger raise] ======================== I snorted. Eyebrows furrowed at my amusement. The moment I made the choice, my tongue tensed, my teeth tightened, my eyes hardened, and my lips pressed. ¡°Please, speak louder. That way the demons can hear it and have reason to be scared, scared that someone might actually succeed the Old Fart.¡± A pause of silence followed again as my features relaxed, all except the eyes that scanned the room in case I had said something wrong. ¡°Hah¡­ Haha!¡± The Old Fart began laughing, a boisterous noise that was infectious as it was inappropriate. ¡°Hahaha! Oriana, you raised a funny one! Haha!¡± ¡°Did I, now?¡± Oriana¡­ my mother¡¯s facial expression matched exactly what I imagined myself to have looked when I said that. Chill, man. The Intelligence Director Baran, with a puzzled look on her face, tried to speak, ¡°That¡ª¡± ¡°Allllrighty, girl,¡± the president made an attempt to quell his laughter as he cut off Baran. ¡°Yeahahah¡­ you¡¯ve got that same spirit I remembered only a few months ago. I almost thought that Arc had made you a changed, someone respectable woman. But maybe I like this better. Demons¡­¡± He trailed off with another chortle. I nodded, trying to remember the third option. ¡°The first modicum of respect that I¡¯ve shown all of you¡­ and that was the response I got?¡± ¡°Maybe just continue with your options, Old Man.¡± I coughed again involuntarily. What? What did I even say for that to happen? Was it because¡ª ¡°Ahh, yes,¡± he nodded slowly. Clearly, the man had so much authority over the room. No one dared to speak over him, and the obvious silence of the room was as obvious as his thinking face. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Well?¡± I pressed, trying hard to maintain my composure. It was so stuffy, and I needed to get out as soon as possible. A cold gaze was pressed into the side of my head from Oriana, even though I knew that she wasn¡¯t actually looking at me. Yet, the curiosity in the room wasn¡¯t as palpable as I thought it would be. No, it seemed like the options were already clear as everyone¡¯s head but Oriana¡¯s turned to look at mine. I hoped that nothing was showing on my face. Not a tremble in my lip, or a shade of pink in my ears, not a wrong blink. All eyes on me. ¡°It shouldn¡¯t be so hard for someone as talented as you, kid.¡± The flash in his eyes wasn¡¯t natural, but it definitely wasn¡¯t as evil as I made it out to be. ¡°Well, it¡¯s simple.¡± The eyes changed. The mood shifted, and I felt a surge of wind that wasn¡¯t made of air, rather of mana that wasn¡¯t my own. And then the mana concentrated onto my head.
Omniscient Gaze Cost: 470 MANA
Cooldown: 4 minutes
S- // ??? creates a single point on all targets in his sight. If the point is on the head, he can discern their thoughts. If the point is on their body, he can disable or stimulate any system closest to the point. If the point is on a limb, he can control their body. DURATION: 12 seconds
He was¡­ really watching me. That man¡¯s eyes were truly on me, not of what I chose to represent myself as, but really me. An eyebrow raised, and I realized why Reyenal was never respectful to that man. Atlas Garcia knew what she truly thought of him, and even more. Right now he knew that I was scared. ¡°You can either¡­¡± He smirked, and I gulped so loud even the crows outside could hear. ¡°Make use of all of that freetime on your hands to find some dirt on Arc. Enough so that Silverdawn can pay them a friendly visit.¡± From the corner of her eyes I could see the fervence in which the Fostering Director nodded his head, and at the same time my posture sagged slightly. They knew. They knew I had freetime. They had spies in Arc. So why¡ª ¡°¡ªdon¡¯t we ask someone else?¡± He knew. He was reading my mind. He knew. Atlas raised his eyebrow subtly, and any emotion he had before was now stone cold. That man was terrifying. All of a sudden I felt that same surge of mana pull away from me, and then all traces of fear of exposure in me disappeared. The fear of what he was asking stayed, though. ¡°It¡¯s because this mission is supposed to be a secret. Agents and aspiring recruits still at Arc are all but imperfect.¡± I swallowed with some difficulty. I wasn¡¯t Reyenal. I wasn¡¯t perfect. So I needed to become Reyenal. ======================== Answer Memory Overtake Will you use a Guide? Yes//No ======================== Overtake. ¡°¡ªkill the fallen angels,¡± I said suddenly. ¡°Come again?¡± One of the directors deigned to speak out of turn. ¡°I said,¡± My tongue steeled. The muscles in my face hardened and every bit of my body tensed. ¡°I want to take option two and kill the fallen angels myself.¡± A creepy smile widened on Atlas¡¯s face. ¡°You¡¯ve always been quite clever, Miss Ato.¡± The subtle clipping of the voice that only Reyenal¡¯s trained ears could catch on to told me that something was off, but at the same time he couldn¡¯t do anything about it. The smile on his face didn¡¯t travel to his eyes. Atlas wasn¡¯t pleased. A few eyes drifted away. ¡°As an extra service,¡± she continued boldly, and once again, all eyes were on her. On me. ¡°I will also find new recruits who stand up to Silverdawn¡¯s high standards.¡± The Fostering Executive grunted, ¡°That¡¯s great and all, but we can always just review the semesterly midterm and upcoming final physical examination footage, which are all available to the public.¡± My head shook, yet not in my control, ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. Hey¡­¡± she looked at his name tag, ¡°Brayden, are guilds allowed to contact students before the designated intern recruitment date?¡± His face flushed. ¡°No, that¡¯s against the law. No, I meant¡ª¡± ¡°So what you¡¯re saying is that all you¡¯re able to do is watch a bunch of videos and attend bi-yearly tournaments?¡± Ruthlessly, she clicked her tongue. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. So, do you accept my help or what?¡± This time, the eyes turned to the president. This was something for Atlas to decide. After a moment of hesitation, the gleam in his eyes prevailed. ¡°Yes, I do, Reya.¡± Now his eyes were smiling just as much as his lips. He had heard something he liked. I, on the other hand¡­ ======================== [Do not involve yourself with Gwen Olynn any longer] Duration: [10 / 25 / 2023 ¡ª 12 / 25 / 2023] Status: Failed ======================== I was not feeling nearly as bold as she was. ======================== [All hostility towards Reyenal is greatly increased] Duration: [Until Quest: Coronation is resolved] ======================== And just when I thought it would stop¡­ ======================== [Wear the Bloodstained Crown] Duration: [¡ª] Penalty for failure: [¡ª] Status: [¡ª] ======================== // 7:31 A.M. // 9 - 4 - 2022 // St. Arthur Catholic K-8 Private School Featuring Nolan Faust // There were horrible scribbles all over the desk. FUGLY PIG-LAN Snickers all around the room as Nolan pulled out the chair. GO KILL YOURSELF NO ONE LIKES YOU Today would be his last day in hell. WIMP PUSHOVER FAREWELL, LOSER YOU¡¯RE A WASTE OF SPACE ¡ªBBBBPPPPPPPPPHHHH!!! The entire classroom bursted out into rounds of giggles as the whoopie cushion beneath Nolan¡¯s butt let out the loudest, most convincing fart the school had ever heard. Mr. Brown lowered his glasses as he scanned the room for the perpetrator, unimpressed. ¡°It was Pig¡ªNolan!¡± A cheerleader girl pointed to him from the window seats, a hideous grin on her face concealed by pounds of makeup. ¡°Yeah, that was Nolan,¡± the jock beside him grabbed his ear, tugged up, and kicked his ankles for good measure. Nolan grunted in resigned pain and stood up, embarrassed. The jock let go, but the grip of every student around him was firm. ¡°¡ªall that belly fat!¡± ¡°I¡¯d rather die than¡ª¡± ¡°What if he hears us?¡± ¡°¡ªcares? What can he do about it?¡± All over his body. ¡°¡ªso stinky¡­¡± ¡°His parents must be disappointed¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªhis mom is like that ¡®cause of him.¡± ¡°¡­ resident pro bridge dweller.¡± He couldn¡¯t move. ¡°Silence!¡± The teacher roared, and the noise gradually faded into low whispers. Mr. Brown opened his mouth, looking straight forward at Nolan. Nolan looked straight down at the ground. He hesitated. ¡°Now, class¡­¡± ¡ªErrr! Nolan sank back into his chair, and forgetting the whoopie cushion he sat on it again. It blew obnoxiously. More giggles. ¡°Class, please open up to page 168 in your history textbook.¡± ¡­ How familiar. ¡°Aghh!¡± Kicks to his side. ¡ªBppp! ¡°Uunngh!¡± Punches to his cheeks. ¡ªPaah! Stomach. ¡°Buhh!¡± Fingers. ¡°Nnghh!!¡± Hair. ¡°Aah!¡± Bruises everywhere. ¡ªBmmp! ¡ªBmmp! ¡ªPppak! ¡ªTtaat! ¡ªPoooh! ¡ªBbup! So painful. ¡°Heeehee! Look at him on the floor!¡± ¡°Oh my god, you think my makeup looks good today?¡± ¡°This loser¡¯s really getting one today.¡± ¡°Serves the fat*** right.¡± ¡°Hahh! Hahaha¡­ hahhahah!¡± ¡°Who does he think he is, trying to transfer out?¡± ¡°He should be grateful that it¡¯s us and not anyone else.¡± ¡°But look at him right now.¡± ¡°He brought this on himself.¡± ¡°What a fatty. Disgusting.¡± ¡ªKKRRRRRRKKK!! All of a sudden everything went quiet. Chase¡¯s limp body lay sprawled across the ground a meter away. His golden hair wasn¡¯t shining. No more punching. No more kicking. No whimpering, no wheezing, no laughter, no words. The world came to a complete standstill as Nolan panted for breath, on both feet, his fists in the air. Adrenaline was in his blood. His heart pounded furiously. His fists were raised in the air, broken and bruised. Then came the screams. 35 - SILVER LINING 35: SILVER LINING // 9:24 P.M. // 11 - 2 - 2023 // Portland, Maine - Ample Comfort Suites Featuring Dean Harvest, Cedrance Manamune, Junseo Park and Avil Daniase // The only noise in the room was the sound of breathing and the humming of the air conditioner warming the room. Dean was tucked into the bed, a sleeping mask over his eyes. His hair was ruffled from constant rolling, and the slight groans he made suggested his desire to sleep. But for some reason, he couldn¡¯t. The room wasn¡¯t loud, the eye mask made it dark, and in no way was his sleeping arrangement uncomfortable, with two pillows beneath his head and a warm blanket over him. He pulled the blanket up even further to his chin. Cedrance laid strewn across the couch, biting his lips as he scrolled through pictures on his watch, his legs stacked on top of each other on the couch¡¯s arm. A nostalgic look clouded his handsome face, crinkles in his eyes and a reminiscing smile. Him and Serene on their first date in LA, an oops couple from the Agent Institute, from a time where she was shy and quiet. It had been a shopping trip for school materials; while at the mall Serene had run from her escort and bumped into Ced with tears in her eyes, and an agreement and a misdirecting finger point later, they had become unlikely friends on a friendly outing. Second date, a picture taken in a photo booth by the movie theater. This had been Serene¡¯s idea, a very nervous and stuttering idea that had made Ced¡¯s heart swell with a feeling he couldn¡¯t understand. In the photo, Ced had worn star glasses, Serene with heart glasses and star stickers on her cheeks, and both were ridiculously stiff in an attempt to preserve their egos. Third date, ice cream by Huntington Beach in California. This time there was no face, just their hands holding a cone of ice cream each, her with a lightly-licked sprinkled chocolate scoop and him with a half eaten blackberry sherbet in hand; a date that was the result of the pressure and expectations of their peers and that had truly ignited their feelings for each other. Another photo of the gorgeous sea, umbrellas and sand castles, seagulls and foaming surf. Another of Serene, just her in jean shorts and a wet purple t-shirt, 14 years old in all of her adolescent glory. Back then she was cute. Now, it was different. Fourth date, a moment captured just before the terrifying fall of the tallest ride at the amusement park. Cedrance snorted at the face she had made in the photo. Fifth date, shopping for more clothes. Serene¡¯s wide grin and sparkling eyes as she threw one piece of clothing after another at the horrified cashier, the camera quality slightly blurred from Ced shaking too much from laughter. Sixth, seventh, eighth¡­ Before he knew it, he reached the day when they had kissed. Under the fireworks of New Years, the booming explosions in their ears and the cheering of people around, yet all they had heard was the beating of their hearts together. The city lights so bright, not brighter than the gorgeous firework displays above and none more beautiful than the full moon that graced the night, yet they only saw each other. Celebration all around the world for the coming year, yet they celebrated their love for each other instead. Ced¡¯s hand fell onto his chest, his face burning up as he bit his lips with unfocused eyes. Similarly, Jun laid on the bed, his eyes half glued to the hologram and the other half at the pale brown ceiling. A pair of AirPods were jammed into his ears, and his super-baggy black t-shirt had a big graphic of a scarily detailed Cinnamon Toast Crunch viscerally eating another Cinnamon Toast piece. He cracked off a piece of uncooked instant noodles and tossed it into his mouth, the seasoning leaving a slight stain on his fingers. Age 6, a picture of Jun at his first ever dance class. Seventeen other kids were lined up beside or kneeled in front of him, a group picture in front of the long mirror of the studio. Everyone had smiled, genuinely filled with excitement and a positive anxiety of what was to come. A few months later, a picture of him holding a trophy for second place in geumdo, vibrant with joy and covered in sweat on the blue mat. His dad had celebrated with a house party back then with all his friends. Age 7, everything looked about the same other than a couple adjustments; students who had gone for better opportunities, academic or extracurricular. Any persuasion Jun had tried had not worked on his mother. This time, Ms. Minji had asked everyone to smile for the photo. Another picture of a second place trophy, on the same blue mat, the same happiness everywhere on Jun but the hollowed eyes. His dad had finally divorced his mother, but she had won custody over Jun. Age 8, he was a little bit taller and a little bit leaner, a beautiful dancer¡¯s body taking shape. The kids in front of him hid the redness of his ankles, the soreness in all of his limbs and bones that a regular 8 year old should never have had to experience. Now, only ten of the original students remained. The smile was too forced. Jun swiped quickly past the medal he had won that year. Age 9, all of his after school lessons had been starting to get to him. The geumdo, the singing, and the dreaded dancing. Every single second of his day was eaten up with work, work, work, work. This time it was a graduation photo from third grade: beside him were his two best friends from back then, but it had been so long ago and he hadn¡¯t stayed in touch with them, so their names were all but forgotten to him. That would be his last day of normalcy. Finally, a photo of him in first place. He had been beaming with joy, and nothing could possibly have smothered the smile off of his face. Jun distinctly remembered celebrating with his grandparents and father. Age 11, the graduation photo. A new school, new kids, new teachers, rules, facilities, etiquette, everything. A new title of idol trainee. Pretty kids lined up for the pretty photo, where everything was pretty because nothing was wrong. Jun had been placed in the back, right in the center, a pretty smile on his face. The photo didn¡¯t show his thick socks to hide the bruises on his feet, the redness from his spanked hands, and all the tears he had cried. At the very least, he had made a pretty friend, So Yoonha. Age 13, she hadn¡¯t been a friend. She had not been a friend. People who hurt others were not very pretty, and no matter how hard she had tried to eliminate the teachers¡¯ bias towards him, he had unknowingly thwarted her every single time. In this photo, So Yoonha was nowhere to be seen. Smile, smile, smile. The picture was so perfect. Age 15, taller, smarter and more free than ever. Arc America had reached out to him, and he would take it. He would take the invitation by the hand and let it lead him as long as he was allowed to¡­ two years. It took him 9 years to smile so genuinely for a picture. He was the prettiest person there. Two days before going to Arc, he had his hair dyed pink. It had only been a whim for him and nothing more. Even the color he had chosen had been random. Jun popped another crunchy noodle bit into his mouth. Meanwhile, Avil was completely passed out, an absolute spread-out over the right bed, hogging all of the space to himself. Other than his jacket, he was still in his clothes from earlier and smelled distinctly of the hotel-provided shampoo and body wash along with a hint of the cinnamon and chocolate treats they had enjoyed earlier. His long-ish dark purple hair was still wet, staining the pillow. Avil oddly made no noise as he slept, no matter how much a slob he presented himself as. Someone knocked on the door twice, and almost immediately Dean sat up. He startled Jun, who closed his watch while glancing at Dean as if suspicious if he had seen any of the photos, densely disregarding the sleeping mask over Dean¡¯s eyes. A second later both boys were sat up at attention as Ced casually slid out of the couch. ¡°I¡¯ll check,¡± he said, a twist of his lips and the lower indent of his brows revealing his true thoughts. Avil was still a human-sized scrambled egg on the bed. Ced peeked through the little hole, ready to dismiss the roomkeepers if needed, but he paused for a moment. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Jun asked, his finger hovering over the watch. ¡°It¡¯s¡­¡± Ced swallowed with a degree of difficulty. ¡°It¡¯s the girls. The girls came over.¡± // 9:27 P.M. // 11 - 2 - 2023 // Portland, Maine - Ample Comfort Suites Featuring Junseo Park, Cedrance Manamune, Dean Harvest, Leslie, Jessica, Serene, Fanny and Avil Daniase // Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Jun¡¯s heart skipped a beat even as he frowned. Why were the girls here? ¡°Let them in then,¡± Jun found himself saying. He caught a small groan-yawn from Dean. Ced didn¡¯t answer as he opened the door. ¡°¡ªwould actually never even try that. Hey, Ced!¡± That was Leslie¡¯s voice. ¡°Can we go inside?¡± And that was Jessica. A mumble from Ced later, the four girls walked in. First was Leslie in a Hello Kitty tank top, the liveliest of the bunch. Her frizzy blond hair was done up in a high bun, making her silver looped earrings and slightly freckled, skin-care slathered face stand out. The blue headband that held back her hair had a little bow on it. Dean rustled in his spot, his grip on the blankets and the sleep mask he had taken off tightening along with the purse of his lips. Then came Fanny in a red polka dot nightgown, whose ginger hair fell down her shoulders naturally unlike her usual ponytail. It was also completely straight rather than the waviness Jun had gotten used to, and a couple pimple patches were dotted near the edges of her face upon closer inspection. He realized it was his first time seeing her completely without any makeup or hair styling done. As soon as they realized they were looking at each other, Fanny¡¯s cheeks flushed and they both averted their eyes. To the right of Leslie, Jessica rocked a full peel-off mask and a couple pins holding up her hair, a portable makeup carrier in her hands. ¡°I might use your restroom for a second, though. Someone dragged me here in the middle of my routine.¡± She pointedly glared at Leslie, who snickered in response. ¡°Big deeeeal, they¡¯ll probably let you,¡± Leslie paced forward and halted right in front of Dean, who flinched and looked away. In a disappointing development, she turned around to look at Ced, who had sat down with Serene lying her head on his shoulder, or at least as high as her head could reach. Jun bit his lips and did his best to avoid eye contact with them. ¡°It¡¯s okay, right?¡± Dean cleared his throat, bringing her sly attention back to him. This time he made his best attempt at eye contact, but still shied away as Leslie subtly leaned in. ¡°Y-yeah, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Awww, thanks, Dean!¡± ¡°N-no problem, L-Leslie.¡± She then winked to Jessica, who mouthed something with a pitiful expression on her face. Leslie¡¯s smile only widened. He could see Serene in the background, saying something to Ced, and his laughter shook something in him. Jun stood up abruptly. ¡°Fanny, your room is empty, right?¡± An awkward silence eclipsed him. From her side profile, Jun saw Fanny¡¯s eyes widen, and Serene turning her attention to him. ¡°It¡¯s not for anything weird,¡± he said, clearing his throat and looking away in embarrassment, ¡°I just want to practice.¡± Leslie and Jessica both broke into a giggle, keeling over in a fresh daze. Dean snorted beside him. ¡°Practice¡­ what?¡± Serene asked from her spot, her head no longer on Ced. ¡°In our room? With our¡­ girl stuff?¡± ¡°Ahahhaahaha!¡± ¡°Ooh, oohhaaahaha!¡± ¡°Dancing!¡± Jun fell back into the bed and grabbed his pillow from behind him, slamming it into his face. ¡°M¡¯m mot a perbbert!!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a pervert?¡± Dean translated meekly, and the two girl¡¯s combined laughter was renewed. Jun peeked from beneath his pillow to his left at Avil. Still sleeping like a rock. Then he moaned in the horror of his word choices. ¡­ ¡°Thanks a lot, Fanny.¡± The door beeped as she scanned her room card on it, the tiny red light turning to green. ¡°N-no problem, Jun.¡± She turned and looked up at him, not totally looking at his eyes and more at his neck. Her own round eyes were blurry. He gave her a wan smile, and she turned back to the door. ¡°I-I¡¯m gonna go inside to clean up the room. Don¡¯t want you to see the m-mess, if you know what I mean!¡± A long and uncomfortable silence followed. ¡°Heh.¡± He scratched the back of his neck, staring down the hall of the hotel. ¡°That would save me from any more embarrassing incidents. Really, thank you for helping me out there.¡± She nodded silently, then scurried into the room, the door closing behind her. A minute or two later the door opened again. ¡°It¡¯s clean now, you can go in. Just, don¡¯t look in the bathroom.¡± Fanny said quickly, her breathing a little bit heavier than normal. He nodded his head reassuringly, a smile curling at the end of Jun¡¯s lips. But before he could say anything, she ran off back into the boys¡¯ hotel room, light steps on the carpet floor before disappearing behind the door. His mouth was left agape for a moment, another word of thanks on his tongue that never left. A blink later he walked inside. The girls¡¯ room was nearly identical to the boys¡¯ room, with the only difference obviously being the luggage. Unlike the boys, the girls had packed heavily: a large hiking backpack, a rolling suitcase, a single bag of makeup on the nightstand, a charger plugged into the lamp¡¯s socket, a couple bottles and unfinished drinks on the table, a large white bag and a red purse on the right bed. Otherwise, there wasn¡¯t anything else. Nothing else that could disturb him. So it was time for him to review. He pulled up the music: Silver Lining, by Azurose. Play. And then he began. The sounds of rapidly opening beats and a nightlife-punk background track greeted his ears. No movements but the slow crawling of his fingers up his body as Jun waited, 8 beats and¡ª The rap began. You¡¯re on the run! Punch-out, pull-back, jitter¡ª It was loud, but all Jun heard were the deafening thoughts that reminded him what to do next. I¡¯m all around you, hounding like a ghost, Turn, step-step-step, twisting arms¡ª A harmonious flow of movement, a dance style so unique to K-pop culture, never stopping even for a second as every part moved to create a picture. Better stick your pride, where to hide and don¡¯t let it show To Jun, there was nothing that could stop him. No imperfections, for he was honed and trained to be a living machine. Cause I¡¯m a sharpshooter, tick tock, one shot it¡¯s over A sudden melodical shift in the music brought up the main vocalist. You could have stayed here just for a minute, Confidence in every move. His hand flew out for a second, into a pointer. Eyes follow, turn side and slide¡ª Won¡¯t you eat your last supper? Each little detail was important. Everything¡­ Each step, turn, hand movement, where he looked, all would be captured on the screen. You might just run for cover. The mood changed again, the tempo shifting again as the track moved towards the chorus. Jun knew his Azurose seniors all by name. There¡¯s a cold, Power¡­ Forward, legs apart with a slight lean and heavier to a foot, bounce between¡ª Never-been-told, All face and micro-work! Power. Keep the damn face up! Sound in the air, Don¡¯t stop shifting! Power! The moment it stops¡ª Say your last prayer! POWER! It had to be perfect. Stomp backwards, beat-beat-beat-beat¡ª It goes like¡ª Quiet. Freeze. Knees bent, side, side, side, side. Louder¡­ louder, louder! Louder! LOUDER! Jun immediately hit the off button on the watch. The room was silent now. Completely silent. But he could still hear the noise of the chase. Silver Lining, the song about the chase. A chase¡­ It was slow at first, but the warm sensation in his cheeks was surely spreading to his ears and down his neck. Jun let his knees give in, and he collapsed onto the carpet floor. His heart was pounding. ¡ªbmmp, bmmp, bmmp, bmmp It was fast, and loud. His eyes were possessed, and the blush intensified. ¡°Just what¡­¡± He put his hands to his mouth. It was instinctual. Pure deduction and biology. Jun knew what had overcome him. At the same time, he couldn¡¯t understand. He couldn¡¯t understand why. Or how. ¡°Just what¡­ can I do¡­?¡± 36 - EXCHANGES 36: EXCHANGES // 11:57 P.M. // 11 - 1 - 2023 // Arc - Gwen¡¯s Room - Housing District Starring Gwen Olynn Featuring Avil Daniase // Ex-simp Avil Chelsea Glazer 10/24/23, 8:47 PM [but cmon dude] [its our day off tmrw. Why go???] Mango mango mango 10/24/23, 8:47 PM [Brb. Moms calling] Chelsea Glazer 10/24/23, 8:48 PM [tell her i said hi] [aint no way youre spending your day off at aaint hospital again] [*saint] [f***ing carmela bro] [be fr] [is it cuz she asked u to??] [just tell me im right] Mango mango mango 10/24/23, 8:51 PM [Sorry that took a second] ¡ª>[tell her i said hi] [She said how are you] ¡ª>[is it cuz she asked u to??] [No. I just finished these mitten things for Mrs. Samson] [They¡¯re really cute, wanna see them?] ¡­ Chelsea Glazer 10/24/23, 8:51 PM ¡ª>[She said how are you] [tell her im suffering in the saint hospital] [bees?] [aww] [wait i want one] [look at my poor cold little fingers] ¡­ Mango mango mango 10/24/23, 8:52 PM [Ewwwwww!!] Chelsea Glazer 10/24/23, 8:52 PM [they need bee mittens to warm them up :(] Mango mango mango 10/24/23, 8:52 PM [Disgusting] [Put your toes away!!] Chelsea Glazer 10/24/23, 8:52 PM ¡ª>[Disgusting] [youre hurting my feewings] [thats not vewy nice] Mango mango mango 10/24/23, 8:53 PM [Yuck] [She said go to sleep early tonight] Chelsea Glazer 10/24/23, 8:53 PM [tell her im gonna pull an all nighter because she said that] [btw wat was the redox reaction acronym for bio test?] Mango mango mango 10/24/23, 8:53 PM [OIL RIG] [She told you you¡¯re stupid] Chelsea Glazer 10/24/23, 8:53 PM [so thats why I got a 96%] ¡ª>[She told you you¡¯re stupid] [thats new] Mango mango mango 10/24/23, 8:54 PM [I got 25/25] [Loser] Chelsea Glazer 10/24/23, 8:53 PM [i can bench 140] [eat s***] Mango mango mango 10/24/23, 8:54 PM [How tall are you again?] [Right] [How heavy are you?] [Right] [Shorter and lighter than me] [Garden gnome] Chelsea Glazer 10/24/23, 8:55 PM [owwy] Mango mango mango 10/24/23, 8:56 PM [That¡¯s what I thought] [Sit down] Chelsea Glazer 10/24/23, 8:56 PM [youre actually such an opp] Mango mango mango 10/24/23, 9:21 PM [Thanks] ¡­ Chelsea Glazer 10/25/23, 7:14 AM [tell your mom i followed through with the all nighter] [look] ¡­ [never thought id actually be campaigning for maine huh?] [well this beauty took me so long to photoshop] [im so proud] Missed Call - Chelsea Glazer 10/25/23, 7:03 PM Missed Call - Chelsea Glazer 10/25/23, 7:04 PM Missed Call - Chelsea Glazer 10/25/23, 7:05 PM Chelsea Glazer 10/25/23, 7:05 PM [I just got discharged from the hospital] [Gwen] [Are you okay?] Stolen story; please report. [@chronicfever Gwen] [@chronicfever GWEN] [PLEASE TEXT ME BACK] [omfg] [@chronicfever @chronicfever @chronicfever @chronicfever @chronicfever @chronicfever @chronicfever @chronicfever @chronicfever @chronicfever @chronicfever @chronicfever] [GWEN OLYNN!!!!] [CED TOLD ME ABOUT IT] [I KNOW YOURE AWAKE] [IT SAYS READ] [ARE TOU OK??!] Missed Call - Chelsea Glazer 10/25/23, 7:07 PM [he just filled me in] [you cant even begin to know how f***ing scared i was] [take the week off Gwen] [for your sake] [please] [i heard Reynold was in the car with you] [*Reyinol] [idgaf about spelling] [did she do anything to you?] [i hope she didnt pry] [u know Ced¡¯s relationship w her] [but that s***head Aythe] [im gonna f*** that Aythe bastard up] [IM GONNA F***ING KILL HIM] [Ced just texted me] [of course youre in the hospital again] [omw asap] [i swear if you have a single cut on your face] [Aythe is a dead man] ¡­ Chelsea Glazer 10/25/23, 9:12 PM [about earlier] [sorry for being so aggressive and yelling and all that] [i know you just had a really scary experience] [im super sorry rn] [i didnt mean anything weird when i hugged u, just relief yk?] [didnt mean to cry too] [i promise i wont try anything weird and i¡¯ll steer out of Aythes way] [and i¡¯ll focus on my maine campaigning stuff too] [cuz you said Rhino whats her name promised smthing in the car right???] [i swear whats your relationship w her anyways??] [anyways] [sorry again] [recover well] ¡­ Mango mango mango 10/27/23, 4:26 PM [I just read this] [Tysm for being so concerned] [I¡¯m alright now] [Just] [Let¡¯s never bring this up ever again] [Okay?] [Never EVER] Chelsea Glazer 10/27/23, 5:49 PM [im onboard w thjs] [stay safe at hobbies today] Mango mango mango 10/27/23, 5:57 PM [It¡¯s just knitting and sewing. The worst that could happen is the machine starts stabbing me or explodes] [I¡¯m more worried about you at the daycare, Family group and all] [How are Jess and Liam?] ¡­ Chelsea Glazer 10/27/23, 7:51 PM [im out now] [freedom!!] ¡ª>[I¡¯m more worried about you at the daycare, Family group and all] [idk how im spposed to keep up with their energy] [and screams] [i swear im gonna maul Jess¡¯s throat out if she screams one more time] Mango mango mango 10/27/23, 7:53 PM [Right] [Liam¡¯s the same as ever then?] Chelsea Glazer 10/27/23, 7:53 PM [why ask] ¡­ ¡ªthmpp, thmmp, thmmp Gwen¡¯s heart fluttered as she scrolled through another photo with Avil¡¯s face, and I sighed, feeling returning back to my fingers. I swiped and the watch hologram fizzled away. That was enough scrolling for the night. I needed to sleep. Gwen¡¯s desires shouldn¡¯t be allowed to keep me awake for so long. ======================== [Fully understand Gwen Olynn and her relationships] Duration: [49d : 23h : 57min : 22s] Reward: [Synchronization suppressed and Awakening] Penalty for failure: [Synchronization increase] Status: 43.3% (+ 2.7%) Current task(s):[¡ª] ======================== // 9:47 A.M. // 11 - 2 - 2023 // Arc - Mall Starring Reyenal Ato Featuring Zendolyn Ato and Aythe Siena // ¡°How did the meeting go?¡± Zendolyn asked as he sat down in front of me. He put a cup of Shiba milk tea down on the black coffee table with a soft clang, and a light breeze lifted our hair up. ¡°Good, I guess,¡± I mumbled. I poked at the apple tart in front of me with the toothpick and shook my head, ¡°well, it¡¯s been a hot second since I last used a Guide, and at that, an Overtake.¡± He frowned, stabbing the pink straw through the aluminum-like top. ¡°Wow¡­ that¡¯s¡­ actually not that surprising, to be honest.¡± Before he could take a sip I put my freehand out, motioning the cup to me. He rolled his eyes and sipped anyways before complacently handing it to me. It wasn¡¯t too sweet, and it was more milk than tea. The boba was still nice and warm at the bottom, contrasting the cool drink. I passed it back, adjusting the Airpods in my ears. ¡°You saw her in the Memories, right?¡± He nodded peacefully as he drank, a few bobas traveling up the cloudy straw. ¡°B****,¡± I shook my head. I recalled the conversation Reyenal and her had had right after, her telling me off about my attitude towards the Silverdawn head, Atlas, and how it reflected badly on me and the Ato family. The only thing she approved of was my restraint to not complain again to him. Only my second real meeting with Oriana and Reyenal and I was starting to catch onto a theme with Reya¡¯s true personality: she was an unapologetic queen. A sudden sharp pain split through my head, and I immediately clutched at my temples with a hiss. Zen sat up in his seat. ¡°Reya, you good?¡± ¡°Why do you ask?¡± I said through gritted teeth. Wait, that wasn¡¯t me. I didn¡¯t say that. My jaw locked. ¡°I¡¯m perfectly fine, thank you.¡± ¡°Reya?¡± The confusion was apparent on his face. He began to stand up, but then almost instantly withdrew back into his seat, his eyes looking away and back through the bakery¡¯s tinted and painterly windows. What the hell did he see¡ª The back of my neck tingled. Without warning my body whirled around against my will and, before I could even tell who it was, my hands were grabbing onto Aythe¡¯s wrists. He had deflected Reya¡¯s attempt to go for the neck. With a chuckle, Aythe swiped my hand away with a low chuckle, and it frustrated me how handsome he was. A god-carved studded body that would make any girl swoon, tall and tan, gradient gold and grey eyes, and perfectly done and flecked hair in an all-too-fitting f***boy style. ¡°Feisty as ever.¡± I still wasn¡¯t in control when I snarled at him, but I was certainly horrified. What was going on? What was happening to me? Why was Reyenal here? I didn¡¯t use a Guide on accident, did I? The Guide appeared in front of my face. There was still 1 left. No, I hadn¡¯t used a Guide. ¡°Screw off, scumbag,¡± I said with a dangerous half-whisper. My eyes glared enormously toony venom into him, and I jutted my chin out at him, a physicalization of ¡®go away¡¯. ¡°I was just dropping by to say hi,¡± Aythe put his hands up innocently, taking a step back. ¡°Didn¡¯t know I was so unwelcome. Thought you¡¯d warmed up to me by now.¡± I scoffed, pointing my finger accusingly. ¡°You?¡± I took an intimidating step forward. ¡°Don¡¯t make me laugh. You don¡¯t know how much you disgust me.¡± Hate oozed in Reya¡¯s every breath. ¡°And what have I done to incur your disgust?¡± The slyness remained on his face, even if it wasn¡¯t smiling anymore. ¡°From what I remember, we haven¡¯t had a proper interaction since the Ato Twins Incident.¡± I recoiled without knowing why, anger taking shape on my face. ¡°Hah. And I remember enjoying every second without your presence. And if you play dumb with me, I will make you really sorry you ever even met me.¡± Another step forward, and I was right up in his face. Or rather, looking up at his face. A deadly steady voice, and a reddened clenched fist. ¡°What did you do to Gwen Olynn?¡± My mind blanked out for a second. ¡°I know it was you. Only you would have something against me like that.¡± Was that¡­ the girl that Ced had carried out of the creepy place in the middle of nowhere, princess style? What relations did I have with that girl for Reyenal to care that much? Aythe¡¯s face was expressionless for a moment before he reverted back to his cool and collected creepy self. He leaned in forward now so close to my face, yet Reya didn¡¯t back down. ¡°Her sins to me were layered up, so I simply gave her a comeuppance.¡± He took a moment to analyze my face. ¡°What? It¡¯s not like I hurt her.¡± He smirked knowingly, and Reya glowered, unable to respond. She indeed had no evidence to speak of¡­ maybe Ced or Gwen had some? But why would she care enough to contact them? Did she really want to take Aythe down? ¡°Now, why do you care so much about this girl?¡± I didn¡¯t know. ¡°Let yourself believe whatever you want about this matter. See how I¡­ how any decent human would react.¡± It was impressive how she deflected and turned the question around on him. Not to me though, the one stuck in the limbo of observing her body move and speak without being in control. ¡°Fine, fine.¡± Aythe was seemingly impervious to everything I said as if to spite me. ¡°However, I just got a call from your guild.¡± Suspicion arose in me. ¡°So that¡¯s why you¡¯re here. Well, I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll be plenty interested once you hear it.¡± ¡°You¡¯re kidding yourself right now. Piss off.¡± He made his move this time, grabbing my wrist before I could pull away. ¡°They called me to say that you¡¯re going to be my tag team partner in the Winter Games.¡± ¡­ My fingers twitched. I was back. ¡­ ¡°¡­ what?¡± 37 - THOUGHTCASTED // 9:41 A.M. // 4 - 28 - 2020 // The Institution For The Gifted Featuring Gwen Olynn, Avil Daniase, ???, ???, Cedrance Manamune, Reyenal Ato and Aythe Siena // [User input:] ? [Access//Guide] [User input:] ? [Memory] [Accessing core memory of Avil Daniase] ?[Randomizing keyword] [Keyword chosen!] UNKIND =[Beginning core memory]= The classroom wasn¡¯t very chatty as Gwen¡¯s hand ruffled inside of the box of papers. She took a glance into the crowd of ascending seats, students filling each one, and was met with eyes turning away in mutual feeling. Avil met her eye in the very back, and immediately both looked away. ¡°As long as I get either my shield buddy or my bow boy, I¡¯ll be fine, man.¡± Huy nudged him from behind. ¡°Otherwise, my practical grades are absolutely cooked.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be as bad as mine,¡± Salem rolled his eyes. He absently scratched at the eczema patch at the area underneath his chin and said with a wary glance at the still-occupied box, ¡°You pulled an all nighter miracle last year. It might just happen again this year.¡± Huy yawned. ¡°Jeez, what¡¯s taking her so long?¡± He pulled a hand through his hair, which fell back into its place stubbornly. ¡°That kid¡¯s been going at it for a while already. Just, swirling her hand in the box.¡± ¡°Her name¡¯s Gwen,¡± Avil said sharply. The murmuring only grew as she shuffled her hand inside the box, an almost-distressed look on her face. ¡°Hey, hurry up and choose already,¡± Salem called out, surprising both Avil and Huy. Classmates all around looked up at him as he leaned over Huy¡¯s shoulder with an elbow. ¡°You¡¯ve been at it for 30 seconds now. Get on with it.¡± ¡°What, Salem¡ª¡± ¡°Shddup!¡± Avil hissed, a surge of fresh embarrassment crawling over him even as attention slid back towards Gwen. ¡°Man, who is this guy? I don¡¯t know him, so he can¡¯t be my friend. I¡¯m not associated with him at all, does he even go to this school?¡± His head stayed looking towards the left side of the classroom as Salem snickered from behind. Huy began playfully, ¡°Surprised you didn¡¯t yell out first¡ª¡± ¡°Reyenal Ato.¡± Avil cast a surprised glance back to Gwen. A flurry of emotions bit at him, and he looked away once again, back to Salem. This time he felt an uncanny sense that someone was watching him as he resumed his conversation with the other two boys. Soon it was Avil¡¯s turn to go down to the box. He waded through the clusters of people, hearing low conversation. Reyenal Ato this, Reyenal Ato that, seriously has to be Gwen Olynn, why not me? He bit his lips. Avil reached into the box and pulled a slip out without much hesitation and read the name on the paper. ¡°Cedrance Manamune.¡± As if an overcast of pineapple clouds and peanut butter rain had just been forecasted, the whole class went into a brief moment of shock. It was an astute quietness where Avil spotted the dazzling bit in the crowd, near the middle of the right side. Beautiful dark blue hair, an even more handsome face that bordered gorgeous, a perfect midway between bulky and lean yet muscular all the same that would baffle any decent biologist or growth expert, top of the class. A nonchalant look on his face as he raised his hand, both guys and girls around him drooling at his handsomeness. That Cedrance Manamune? Huy and Salem gaped at Avil. Avil stared at Cedrance. Gwen looked away. ¡­ ¡°What¡¯s the golden standard like?¡± Two cafeteria trays plopped down in front of Avil. His hand was preemptively out as Huy slid a juice box to him, which he promptly stabbed with a straw. ¡°Mr. Perfect?¡± Avil rolled his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s such a nothing-person.¡± Salem mused, ¡°I never actually got to sit close to him. Can you now say why the girls act like that around him?¡± He spooned in the cheesy pasta from the black plastic box and scrunched his face distastefully. Huy added as he tore open a small and clear bag of grapes, ¡°Ever had a gay spot in your life? How about now?¡± Avil promptly squirted juice at him, making him holler. Huy was about to say something before Avil put his hand up, cutting him off. ¡°Bro, don¡¯t even. I said hi, and he just¡­ sorta looked at me. Then he looked back to the front. And then all of the other girls around him, like, stared at me after. It was creepy as hell.¡± ¡°That f***er ignored you, huh?¡± Salem pushed his pasta aside. ¡°That is gross, Americans and their cheese.¡± ¡°What are we supposed to do about that? Get angry? Not even.¡± Huy scrubbed at his Institution uniform with a couple napkins, deciding not to say anything about the now crushed juice box in Avil¡¯s hands. ¡°Insane that you got the number one, though.¡± Avil scoffed, ¡°I don¡¯t care about that. My grade¡¯s not even bad, so I couldn¡¯t give less of a s*** about who I was partnered with. I mean, I do. Man¡¯s got zero personality.¡± ¡°Who the hell actually likes him though?¡± Salem¡¯s mouth was annoyingly full with garlic bread as he spoke and chewed at the same time. ¡°All he¡¯s got is a pretty face.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever seen him make any other face than that blank cardboard look.¡± ¡°Huy¡­ yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± The cafeteria became even louder as more kids entered through the doors. Avil spotted Gwen and Reyenal side by side, both of them ignoring each other, the smaller one with a much more uncomfortable expression. ¡°God, it¡¯s so annoying.¡± ¡°What kinda name is Cedrance anyways? And Manamune?¡± ¡°Because of him, no girls give me a chance.¡± ¡°Womp womp, bro. Just look better, I guess.¡± ¡°Really though, who would actually be sad if he just happened to die?¡± ¡°Not us, and those girls would find another somebody to slobber over within the next year or two. We are preparing for Arc, of course.¡± ¡°Unless my dad¡¯s jewelry business gets good.¡± ¡°Yeah, or if my mom gets elected for the House. Wait, I¡¯ll still probably go to Arc.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s no way we can compete against Cedrance.¡± ¡°He has it all: strength, looks, smarts, and I don¡¯t think he even studies that much.¡± ¡°What are we? A Viet dude whose dad runs a jewelry place, a half-Libyan half-Jew whose dad don¡¯t even exist anymore, and our fellow Napoleonic conqueror.¡± Huy snorted. ¡°Shut up.¡± Avil rolled his eyes. ¡°Brooooo,¡± Huy coughed. ¡°You¡¯re actually special for that.¡± ¡°Shut up,¡± Avil repeated, this time with his eyes tentatively locked onto someone behind them. ¡°Hey man, I get it.¡± Salem raised his hands in the air in surrender. ¡°Being short is tough. I mean, not like I¡¯d know. Ask Huy¡ª¡± ¡°I said, shut up, guys,¡± Avil hissed, making Salem stop in confusion. ¡°If you¡¯re this loud then he¡¯s gonna hear y¡ª¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Hey, can I sit here?¡± Huy and Salem turned around to see the angel-sculpted body and addicting gaze of their topic of conversation. ¡°Cedrance?¡± Behind him stood Gwen¡¯s small and pale figure. Reyenal Ato sat at a different table next to Aythe Siena. ¡­ Loud, loud, loud! ¡°LET¡¯S GOOOOOOO!¡± ¡°WOOOOOOOOH!¡± Lorelei¡¯s voice boomed over the announcer comms. ¡°The crowd goes wild as Derik dives forward! A swing, and a miss. Nate responds with his own flurry of assaults, but can Derik block them?¡± ¡ªBang! ¡ªClang! ¡ªkkkkLAANnng The fighters leaped backward as Derik sweeped out recklessly with his spear, Nate avoiding the slash. With the advantageous moment of clarity Derik moved in with the range advantage against Nate¡¯s broadsword. Each stab was parried and dodged one after the other, but Derik never let Nate get within his area of disadvantage, a spear¡¯s strength. Nate, growing frustrated, growled loudly and twisted past a stab, his sword brutishly swinging from almost all the way behind him yet with such amazing strength that the lack of technique was made for a considerable speed. Derik, knowing that he wouldn¡¯t be able to counterattack, hopped backward earnestly. They paused for a moment, the sun beating down on them, sweat dripping all over the ground. The crowd was heaving with anticipation as the two boys panted out their lungs. Nate tensed again. ¡°And with this quick and necessary respite, Nate jumps back into action with a never-before aggression! The audience craves to see blood as Nate slices in! Please no blood. Derik deflects it, maneuvers around and looks to stab at the ankles as Nate brings the sword down on Derik¡¯s upper guard, but no!¡± The crowd exploded as Derik swiftly feinted back, his attack faked. Nate, still recovering his sword up from the brutal swing down, was in no position to fight back as Derik¡¯s spear hit the chest guard. There was an audible flinch from the audience as the pain mitigator did its job, zapping Nate from top to bottom. ¡°And the winner is Derik Corvel!¡± Seconds later the crowd was clapping, clamoring, and Derik¡¯s name was chanted high above clouds of joy and praise. His friends were the loudest of all. ¡°DERIK! I KNEW YOU WOULD WIN!¡± ¡°CONGRATULATIONS, MAN!!¡± ¡°DAAAAAAMN!¡± ¡°THAT WAS AWESOME!¡± Derik himself managed a smile as he waved to them, his movements sagging from tiredness. Nate, on the other hand, stayed on the ground both in shock from his loss and the pain mitigator. Lorelei continued with her after-commentary of the fight as the noise of celebration and frustration overwhelmed the crowd. Avil¡¯s hands politely clapped. Reyenal watched on with feigned interest. Gwen shifted in her seat, wary of the girls beside her. Cedrance pulled on the pain mitigator. As the two fighters were escorted off, Lorelei raised her voice again. ¡°Alright everyone! Our next fighters have just finished preparing.¡± The audience perked up. Their interests were completely piqued, knowing what match was bound to be up next. ¡°A highly anticipated match between two powerhouses. Our fighters, well renowned throughout the Institution, have both achieved numerous feats throughout their two years here, growing from a fledgling to possibly some of the greatest fighters the Institution has ever produced!¡± She cleared her throat, and everyone in the audience readied to burst into cheer. Lorelei sucked in a breath. ¡°On the left we have our first contestant. The dual wielding illustrious swordsman who has but one equal, a famous prot¨¦g¨¦ of Wings of Justice and the king of the Battle Club, it¡¯s the one and only¡­¡± Reyenal¡¯s face was completely blank. ¡°AYYYYYYYTHE SIEEEENAAAA!!!¡± From the left side of the stadium, Aythe Siena strode out with a confident but casual gait, the lightly dimpled smile on his face undeniably bright and charming. The two swords at his hips gave him a definite intimidation factor that the girls seemed to absolutely love. Aythe¡¯s pain mitigator was strapped to his body forcing it to cling to his shapely and defined muscles. His speckled hair glittered in the sunlight as he pulled out from the shadows to the center, looking straight ahead at his competition out of sight. ¡°OH MY GOD AYTHE, YOU¡¯RE SO COOL!¡± ¡°LOOK AT THOSE BACK MUSCLES!¡± ¡°TAKE A PICTURE, NOW!¡± ¡°HE¡¯S SO BAAAAAD!¡± ¡°KYYAAAAAAA!!¡± ¡°LOOK AT THOSE SWORDS!¡± Another interruption from the announcer. ¡°And on the right side we have our popular choice to win the whole tournament. The proclaimed rival of Aythe himself, and consistently ranking first in both practical and written exams, we have¡­¡± Gwen winced as the girls around her began screaming in a frenzy of excitement. ¡°CEEEEEDRANCE MANAMUUUUUNE!¡± Coming from the right side from the shadows of the large opening, Cedrance¡¯s dark blue hair, eyes, and face made him a beautiful and handsome gem to behold. A sapphire radiance that blinded even the sun as his presence filled the whole stadium, walking out with a single unsheathed sword in hand. His expression held no smile, only a single-minded objective of victory. Similar to his rival, Cedrance was in no way lacking in the body, each muscle a continuous struggle for space beneath his smooth and light skin. ¡°CEDRANCE!!! I LOOOOOVE YOOOOOOU!!!¡± ¡°SMILE FOR ME!¡± ¡°I WANNA MARRY YOU!!¡± ¡°HOW CAN SOMEONE BE SO HOOOT?!?!¡± ¡°I BELIEVE IN YOU!¡± ¡°UWAAHHHHHHHHH!¡± Both boys¡ªguys, stared at each other, one sizing the other one up with a cocky grin while the other kept his face plain as day. Both guys¡ªmen, wanted an absolute victory, one that was so certain the other would simply be too embarrassed to life their head ever again. ¡°Please shake hands! We will start once both fighters are in position!¡± The audience was crazy loud, the announcer barely heard over all of the splendid excitement. The handshake was as unsavory as expected. Both fighters stalked back to their position. ¡°Let us start on a count of 3!¡± Finger whistles were blown, screams all about, the excitement was at an all-time high. ¡°Three!¡± The echoing of the crowd boomed. Ced and Aythe remained still. ¡°Two!¡± Reyenal Ato watched them warily. Gwen Olynn cried out in pain from being squeezed in all sides. ¡°One!¡± Avil Daniase glanced at the empty seats beside him reserved for Huy and Salem. Neither had come to see the tournament as promised. ¡°Let the battle begin!¡± Both Cedrance and Aythe immediately dashed towards each other, swords out. The crowd went wild. // 1:31 P.M. // 11 - 3 - 2023 // Arc Starring Zendolyn Ato Featuring ??? and ??? // There was something deeply pleasurable about wearing the mask. The campus was quite empty, other than a couple people who didn¡¯t have classes right after lunch. Even so, the precautionary mana barrier inside my backpack hummed with power as I walked fearlessly through. A person here or there may have felt the disturbance in mana and turned my way, but with the amount of mana in the thing it might as well have been an invisibility cloak¡ªthat was its current setting. Mana barriers were indeed quite a powerful thing. Wikipedia surfing had done me some good, for once. Chilly air blew, but I was mostly warm with the nondescript black sweater and relatively baggy jeans, black performance gloves pulled over my hands to hide every last bit of my skin. Visionaire¡¯s iconic lycra bodysuit was, in my humble opinion, too revealing and too cold to wear outside. Fancy grey headphones over my ears and the hood over my head, a thrumming in my heart with every cadence of music I stepped to, the Visionaire¡¯s extraordinary beats playing back to me. By no means was I poor anymore in terms of points. That¡¯s what diligence and hard work had gotten me. My ongoing theory for the sudden turn of weather and temperature was that Arc either had a powerful weather mage or the sky above Arc was just a large domed roof controlled by mana. Either that or the author just needed the weather to change for one reason or another. I felt no urge to bite my lips, only a feeling of exhilaration that I didn¡¯t understand nor felt the need to. From the moment I had put on the mask to go outside, this unexplainably positive feeling in me made me certain there was no way an in-person meeting could possibly go wrong, no matter which way I sliced it. No, not even as I entered Club Streets and towards the grandiose Square¡¯s entrance. The cameras hidden in the ceiling and all around the Square were surely watching me diligently through the cloud of mana that shrouded me, but I along with all each performer and director had a visitor¡¯s pass. We could conduct business at Arc without any interference nor identity check, and security would have to assume I entered and exited through the portals to and from Arc with my group. Unless they looked further in, which went against their code of privacy, my identity was mostly safe, so long as no one sought to pull it off or no Arc students wandered out from class and found me within the mana barrier. I had never personally been on the stage before, but the basic layout that had been emailed to me was enough to get me through. All the way to the left, past the stairs that led up to the seats and through the authorized personnel door, which was left unlocked. Through the inner layer that circled the whole arena called the Preparation Zone, where different Arc-standard weapons hung on racks on the walls, where seats were lined up in rows facing wards a large screen that probably displayed the stage, through the open area for warmups and exercising¡­ And through the large tunnel that opened to the open arena, an elevated square stage in the center. Now I could see the many, many dancers on the stage in a black uniform and masks very similar to my own through the slits of my mask, and through my headphones was the sound of synchronized stomping of feet and clapping of hands. And mostly my own music. I flipped the backpack to my frontside and reached in to smack the mana barrier. The humming power through my hand made me shiver, and the glowing blue slowly fizzled out with a soft hissing noise. A zip of my backpack caught the attention of a woman standing to the side of the stage. ¡°Visionaire?¡± She said something to the man next to her who also turned towards me with a measured sort of surprise on his face. Of all the dancers, those two were the only ones not wearing a mask and a lycra uniform. Instead they had on white t-shirts, jeans, a black hat, and a mic around their ears most likely to talk to the stage, lighting, and sound operators. ¡°Yes, that is what I go by,¡± I said to them as calm and collected as I could ever be and extended a gloved hand to them. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you both in person. Brian and Allison.¡± Almost as if on cue, the music quieted to the confusion of the dancers. Some kept on going, tapping alone to their own internal rhythms, while those that turned to look at the directors spotted me. Or, I think they did. It was hard to tell beneath their masks. The sound of murmuring coming from the stage 100% confirmed that my presence had been noticed. Yet the mask made me feel no worries. I extended my hand as I approached them.