《The Land of Dark》 Chapter 1 : Water Park The Land of Dark By The Teller
Intro How lovely it is to remind both of our past and the present. Depending on what you¡¯ve seen and what you have already experienced, it is a mixed feeling with both nostalgia and your conflicts. And no matter what you would call them, it will always be a story. From time to time, ages upon ages, you would try to visit a familiar place with your eyes. ¡°That¡¯s not how it''s supposed to look,¡± You might say. Deep down you want to relish the times-... The times when things should have never changed. Sentimental, yes. But you know that time-... Time is ever forward. There is one story that I would like to read you before my mind has been engulfed by abstraction. This story starts with an abnormal young boy who always seeks happiness, even when times are not right. Part 1 It was a lovely Saturday. The sun was shining brightly on the dusty road track. Cracking the dry asphalt road little by little as many vehicles were driving on the road, heading toward a wide forest from a far distance. From one of the vehicles, there was a bus carrying many passengers. Many of those passengers were in primary school, and all of them were boys. They poured out many waves of laughter and funny conversations from the back seats while their teacher had a simple talk with the driver. And from the very end of those seats, a boy named Thomas was daydreaming of some sort. His short black hair was constantly dancing by the air conditioner from the ceiling of the bus. ¡°I wonder if my hair was a recreation of a wheat field.¡± Thomas¡¯ mind was in a place where he could just think about anything he wanted. No disturbance from outside of his head could distract Thomas from enjoying his deep thinking. Until¡­ ¡°Thomas. Can you hear me?¡± His friend Alex has made Thomas snap back to his conscious mind. He then quickly turns his head facing towards Alex who was sitting next to him, only to see Alex offering him a bag of chips while Alex¡¯s other hand was too busy feeding himself with it. ¡°Do you want some chips? I swear, this is the seventh time you didn¡¯t listen to what I said.¡± Alex was getting annoyed by Thomas¡¯ constant daydreaming. ¡°O-Oh yeah,¡± Thomas replied embarrassed as he took one potato chip from Alex. ¡°Sorry for ignoring you by the way¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t sweat it. Once you¡¯ve retrieved your ears and listened for once, I¡¯ll gladly pass on your sorry. Ha!¡± Once Thomas heard what Alex said, Thomas felt worried that he had ignored him many times before. Yet he didn¡¯t feel like this was a problem. He then returns to his original position by leaning his head on the window frame. He pressed his cheek against it just to feel the warmth of the window before his eyes gazed upon the view of the wide forest that they were heading to. He couldn¡¯t contain his excitement towards the wide forest. In fact, it was not the forest that all of the kids were waiting and dying for, it was something more exciting than that. Thomas quickly stood up from his seat to ask his friend Jason in front of him. He peeked his head on top of Jason¡¯s backseat. ¡°Are you ready for this sweet water park!?¡± Thomas gently pulls Jason¡¯s blonde hair to get his attention. He forced his voice to become louder than usual to compete with the other kids who were raging happily with their voices. ¡°Yup! Couldn¡¯t wait to try the O-shaped slides!¡± Jason replied as he turned his head facing Thomas with a smile. Raoul, Thomas¡¯ friend who was sitting beside Jason quickly faces them to join the conversation. ¡°Is it true that they have a huge water playground thingy?¡± Raoul asked both of them with a curious expression. ¡°I think many of us are going in blind with this park,¡± Thomas answered. They suddenly heard many screams of joy at once from the other boys when they finally entered the wide forest ahead. ¡°But from what I''ve heard, the water park has many cool rides.¡± ¡°All water parks have cool rides, dude. Like, that''s literally the main source of making a water park.¡± Raoul commented. Both Thomas and Jason let out a small laugh when they heard Raoul¡¯s comment about Thomas¡¯ fact. It also made Thomas think that this was going to be a good joke for the rest of the trip. Sort of that way, because he did not want to steal a joke from one of his beloved friends. ¡°Stealing is bad!¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. He thought to himself with a pre-guilt carved into his face. He tried to modify the joke himself, but no inspiration has blessed his mind. ¡°What¡¯s the name of the park by the way?¡± Thomas asked. He pushed his legs against his seat to reach his head on top of Jason¡¯s backseat. Pressing down his chin against it to get a better posture. ¡°Uprise Down, that''s the name.¡± Jason answered. But as Thomas followed their conversation even further, his attention was slowly driven away by the outside view from the window frame. It was the beautiful pine trees that caught his eye. He slowly returns to his seat to get a better view of the pointy trees from his window frame as they keep passing by. Leaving the conversation entirely without his friends noticing him. His eyes were shone by the sunlight that was rapidly blocked by many of the tree¡¯s branches and leaves. Something about pine trees resonates with Thomas. He tries to uncover the reasons for his feelings toward pine trees. But every time he tries to do so, his feelings sink into the bottom of his mind, and he forgets about them for quite a long time. As Thomas was about to drift to his sleep, he was suddenly interrupted by a loud joyful shout from most of his friends in the front seats of the bus. Not scream, but a shout, as if they were doing it with a purpose. Thomas was not annoyed by this but rather felt fond of it. And to his curiosity, he decided to walk towards them to see what made his friends shout in such a cheerful high-pitched tone. He saw almost all of his friends gathering together in one spot like a pack, looking at the outside view from the window frame. As he passed by many of the bus seats, he sensed the once-grumpy road beneath the bus¡¯ wheels had become soft like silk. Thus, he did not need to hold onto the bus seat¡¯s shoulder to prevent his legs from tripping. Another shout was released by Thomas¡¯ friends. He then dashes toward his shouting friends with curiosity and accidentally collides with his friend Dean. ¡°Hey! Oh, Thomas.¡± Dean was unfazed by Thomas¡¯ sudden act. His emotions went from a sudden surprise to a thoughtful smile. ¡°What are you guys doing?¡± Thomas questioned with a cheerful tone mixed with such high curiosity. He really wanted to know about all of this clatter going on. ¡°You know, just praying to the gods of Uprise Down!¡± Dean told him with a pinch of his humor after another wave of shouts was released that made Thomas flinch. Dean loves to hyperbole everything he explains whether it is serious or not. ¡°P-Praying?¡± Thomas was surprised by what Dean said. He took Dean¡¯s comment with a serious look even though he knew it was one of his jokes. He then goes to the back of the bus where it isn¡¯t crowded to see out the window with a better look. All he saw was more pine trees on the side of the road. Until he saw a big billboard in front of the road. It was an advertisement featuring the water park¡¯s best-selling food and drinks. When they were about to pass by the billboard, Thomas could hear his friends raising their voices before they let out a shout after they passed by the billboard.
¡®A watery experience isn¡¯t full enough when your stomach isn¡¯t filled with the taste of sweet syrups!¡¯
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¡°Ohh. So that¡¯s why they were screaming¡­¡± Thomas¡¯ question was finally answered. It was just a fun exciting game for them. Knowing the rules of this simple game, Thomas immediately joins back in with his friends and plays along with them. As they¡¯re getting closer and closer to the front gates of this overhyped water park, their P.E. teacher, Mr. Arlon, stands up from his seat. That one movement from Mr. Arlon creates the whole class to return to its former seats. ¡°Alright, class! We¡¯re about to enter this water park.¡± Mr. Arlon told them as he held onto the driver¡¯s seat¡¯s head to maintain his balance from standing up too quickly. ¡°But remember! I want every one of you to stay disciplined when we¡¯ve finally stepped into the place.¡± His eyes gazed upon the class. Trying to predict every move that his class would make when they got there. The class went bonkers when they heard the word ¡®discipline¡¯. They became worried that they had to follow some kind of rules from Mr. Arlon before playing. Fearing that this experience will go to ruin because of it. ¡°But¡ª...¡± Mr. Arlon suddenly spoke again. The whole class looks at him back again with hope. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean you cannot freely roam the place.¡± Those words that he gave out reignited the class¡¯ flame of excitement. They began screaming and shouting again. Mr. Arlon felt a slight regret after saying that. Covering both of his ears with his hands. ¡°Alright! Alright! Jeez¡­ Just¡­ Take care of yourselves, will ya?¡± He told them. He reopened his eyes slowly after taking a chunk of his students'' high-pitched screams. ¡°Stay with each other! Don¡¯t get lost, and don¡¯t leave others behind. Got that?¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± The class replied to him with some of them giving out a nod. The class returns to its original chatty style with each other. Killing time as much as they can in that cramped bus, hoping that they won''t realize that they''ve already arrived at the park. Finally, the bus came to a halt and the bus driver took the parking tickets by his window from the ticket boy. Upon closer inspection, they were greeted by a wide gate that was coated with stripes of wooden planks. And by the size and width of the property that Uprise Down owns, it¡¯s no wonder why the park has been given a title called ¡°The Largest Water Park in The World.¡± ¡°We¡¯re here! We¡¯re actually here!¡± Jason¡¯s emotion just skyrocketed as they went through the gates. Entering a forest of pine trees serves as a parking place for vehicles alike. The driver, after a second of entering the gates, felt frustrated. Why? Because he could not find a spot to park the bus as every spot in this place had already been taken. Unfazed by this annoying discovery, the driver had no choice but to take on a journey to find a spot to park the bus in this wide-range forest with its huge four wheels. Thomas on the other hand, felt a kindle of uncontained joy inside his innocent heart. Sitting on his seat while using that joy for his imagination. Creating scenarios as an outcome of every possibility that he could do inside that water park. ¡°Maybe I could do a backflip while I take on the water slides. Or I could climb the pipes to impress all of my friends.¡± Scenarios played out in his mind, unfolding before his eyes. Until he was awakened by the bus¡¯ striking left turn, followed by its engine turning off. He finally heard the shouts of excitement that were created by his friends as he left his daydreaming once again. Ch. 1 : Part 2 Part 2 ¡°Alright, students! Leave the bus one at a time¡ªWoah!¡± Mr. Arlon quickly moved to the side as the whole class rushed swiftly to the bus door. Pushing against each other as the exit way becomes cramped and tight due to the class¡¯ enthusiasm. Thomas had trouble leaving the bus at first, but he got the hang of it once most of his friends left the bus. He then leaps out from the exit with his eyes closed. He landed on the grassy earth with his sandals, opening his eyes to be greeted by many beautiful pine trees that peeked into the blue skies. The air he breathed was definitely different from the bus. While the bus had an air conditioner with that coffee-scented feel, the forest had this welcoming atmosphere that smelled like fresh-cut grass with the scent of pine leaves. ¡®Nature Air¡¯ is something that Thomas called it. He never liked that coffee-scented hanger that most cars and buses use. It makes him dizzy and gives him nausea. The class began to emit their chaotic excitement throughout the forest. To illustrate their chaotic behaviors, most of them would run around the place, chasing each other. And just out of nowhere, one of them started to punch one of the trees with a big smile on his lips. But luckily, no one was hurt at all. ¡°FWEEEET!¡± The high-pitched sound was heard coming out from Mr Arlon¡¯s whistle as he stepped out from the bus. Catching all of the class'' attention as they all stopped on what they were doing recently. ¡°Alright, kids! Line up properly!¡± Mr. Arlon ordered them. His students obediently follow his orders. Dashing through the air as they pushed the ground with their feet to gain some momentum. Unsurprisingly, Thomas was one of the kids who were punching the tree¡¯s shaft. His ears were muffled by both of his thoughts and his actions of punching trees. He did not hear his teacher¡¯s calling. ¡°C¡¯mon, Thomas! You¡¯ll be left out if you don¡¯t hurry up and join us!¡± Jason shouted at Thomas from afar with his squeaky voice as he joined the line as well. Thomas stopped when he heard Jason call his name. He turned around and saw his friends standing in a row, cheerfully. He was not with them. There was a sense of abandonment inside him. It made his whole body go goosebumps for a second. The distance between him and his friends made him feel that way. But he shook his head to escape the thought and tried to stay positive as he ran quickly to catch up. He ran towards his friends with a smile before he slowed down to join the line. As Thomas stood politely at the back of the line, a friend of Thomas who wore an orange shirt stood in front of him. That friend was Gio, widely known for his humor. ¡°Hi, Gio!¡± Thomas touches his shoulder playfully. ¡°Hey, Thomas,¡± Gio replied as he turned his back to face Thomas. ¡°Man¡­ The sun is too bright today. Hope that I don¡¯t get sunburned!¡± The bright ball in the sky made Gio curl the sides of his lips back as he squinted his eyes. ¡°I just can¡¯t wait to enter this water park! It¡¯s just too cool!¡± Thomas spoke out. ¡°Same, Thomas. Oh yeah, I almost forgot!¡± Gio¡¯s hand reaches through his pocket to pull out an item that made Thomas glare with his eyes. ¡°I-Is that?¡ª¡± ¡°Yup! It¡¯s the new JX4 Portable Console!¡± He holds his new console in the sky as if it were some sort of shiny trophy. Thomas, on the other hand, stared at the console with amusement in his eyes while he clenched both of his hands in excitement. Their friends are listening to their teacher explaining something, while these two boys are having a chat. ¡°Wow! So can it play Soulbound Symphony?¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Thomas, this bad boy can play any game! Especially that 8-bit game that you always play. You gotta try more heavy games to use this console to the top!¡± ¡°B-But Soulbound Symphony has five different endings with cute charact¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah yeah, I know! You¡¯ve always talked about that game at school. Especially with that fifth-grade girl¡­ What¡¯s her name again?¡± ¡°O-Oh! You mean Vi¡ª¡± Their chatter was suddenly interrupted after Mr. Arlon snatched Gio¡¯s console away from his hands. Gio¡¯s expression was filled with shock to see his teacher take it with such easy movements that he could not decide if it was cool or just annoying for him. ¡°H-Hey! Give it back!¡± Gio exclaimed. ¡°I¡¯ve already told you recently that you cannot bring toys or whatsoever inside the water park!¡± Mr. Arlon exclaimed back at him. The teacher then threw the console carefully inside his ¡®Safe Keeping¡¯ bag that he carries around. ¡°No¡­¡± Gio whispered. His voice carries the weight of despair. His beloved console, freshly purchased, now rested in the custody of his teacher. His face, once etched with sadness, now bore the deeper lines of sorrow. Thomas felt a glimpse of sadness in Gio¡¯s eyes. He knew that Gio was planning this moment and later to show off his new portable console. And seeing it being taken away that easily, he understood that. ¡°C¡¯mon, Gio. Cheer up!¡± Said Raoul as he patted his back. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re going to have fun inside the water park.¡± ¡°Yeah, I guess so¡­.¡± Gio replied as he tried his best to suppress all of his sadness. ¡°Guys. I can¡¯t keep telling you all the same thing over and over again.¡± Said Mr. Arlon with a hint of annoyance as he pinched the bridge of his nose. He then looks at all of them with eyes of both distrust and hope. ¡°Look, you¡¯re all in fourth grade now. You can¡¯t just expect your parents or your teachers to handle everything. You¡¯re all big boys now. You need to step up for the future ahead of you.¡± The words hung in the air, a gentle weight settling on their young shoulders. They understood¡ªthe safety net of parents and teachers wouldn¡¯t always be there. Growing up was inevitable. ¡°I know this ¡®speech¡¯ that I¡¯m giving right now is kinda boring for all of you guys. But as your teacher, I¡¯m telling you this because I care about you guys.¡± Said Mr. Arlon with his arms crossed. ¡°What about as friends, sir?¡± Alex asked with a big smile on his face. ¡°Hell no.¡± Mr. Arlon replied sarcastically. Then, laughter finally came out from the students¡¯ dry throats. He couldn¡¯t help but let out a small laugh while pinching the bridge of his nose. ¡°Alright - alright,¡± The teacher spoke as he patted the air beneath his shoulders. ¡°Let''s just go inside the water park, shall we?¡± All of the boys then cheered widely before they began walking their way towards the water park¡¯s entrance. They all couldn¡¯t wait to discover what kind of happiness lies behind the splashy waters of Uprise Down. Considering Mr. Arlon¡¯s words, Thomas felt neither discernment nor a desire to understand. He always thought that growing up is just an easy process. That it¡¯ll just grow up with him over time. He wasn¡¯t afraid of the idea, he was just avoiding being aware of it. He looked down at his feet as he followed his friends¡¯ footsteps, staring deeply like the blurred eyes of an eagle. Kept thinking about Mr. Arlon¡¯s words. But alas, he opened his mind and gave it the chance to think for once. ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll try to be more mature this time. Yeah! I can do that! I¡¯m gonna set up plans and such. Yeah, yeah!¡± His mind jumped around his head in ecstasy. ¡°But not now¡­¡± His heart whispered as it caressed the mind with gentle care, ¡°We¡¯ll grow later.¡± Ch. 1 : Part 3 Part 3 After the kids took their bags that were filled with spare clothes and swimming equipment, they finally departed from their bus and made their way to the water park entrance through the pine forest (Which was used as a parking lot.) After a lot of walking, passing by many heats and breezes, they finally made their way to the entrance of Uprise Down. The entrance was like a tunnel. A beautifully decorated tunnel. With its fishy mascot cutouts and its astounding blue ceiling lights. But the awe-inspiring decorations and brilliant construction don¡¯t allow them to avoid the fact that there¡¯s a huge line waiting at the ticket booth. Families were there, couples, husband and wife, children, and many more. ¡°Do we have to wait!?¡± Thomas complained with his hands cupping his cheeks. The other kids were starting to release their complaining groans into the air. ¡°This is the end for us¡­¡± He thought to himself in fear of time eating itself. ¡°There¡¯s no way out of this infinite line¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re gonna eat some rocks to survive, boys!¡± Dean spoke energetically. As if this situation isn¡¯t some sort of joke (Which it is.) ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry, you guys!¡± Mr. Arlon commented on his students¡¯ groans. ¡°The ticket booth in this place is fast! You¡¯ll never realize that your turn is next!¡± His tone was cheerful. Cheerful enough to make his students wait. And so they did. They waited for roughly fifteen minutes before they even had a chance to notice. ¡°Welcome to Uprise Down!¡± The ticket girl warmly welcomed them from her booth. ¡°How can I help you today?¡± ¡°One school pack ticket, please.¡± Mr. Arlon ordered. ¡°For what school?¡± ¡°The Light Atoll School¡ª. The Light Atoll Private School.¡± ¡°Alright, sir. For how many students?¡± ¡°Nine students.¡± ¡°Okay! That¡¯ll be 20$!¡± He then grabbed his wallet from his pocket and gave her his debit card for the payment method. The girl carefully took his card, swiped the card into the EDM machine, and let it do the rest. ¡°Success! Here¡¯s your card back, sir. And please line up the students to get their wristband.¡± The students were then told to line up by their teacher to receive their wristbands from the ticket girl. One by one, they reach out their right arms toward the girl as she skillfully wraps it around the students¡¯ arms. ¡°Alright! All set!¡± The ticket girl smiled as she took a receipt of the payment and gave it to Mr. Arlon. All of the students did not forget to thank the girl. In which the girl replied with a smile and said, ¡°You''re welcome, and have fun!¡± The students then walked through the small gateway. They then ran through the blue, dimly lit tunnel. Passing by the colorful blue lights as they went through. And from halfway down the tunnel, they all saw the end of the tunnel. Shining brightly as the sunlight blinds their eyes from seeing the outside view. Their legs are now filled with more excitement. Giving out small, adorable dashes as they kept progressing. Until they all finally stepped out of the tunnel. From a blinding light view by the sunlight, their eyes adapt to its luminosity, giving them a spectacular view of the many wonders of the water park. They were finally here. ¡°OH MY GOD! WE¡¯RE HERE!!!¡± Thomas shouted with flabbergasted awe. The places that he dreamt of going here have finally become a reality. ¡°There it is! The tallest water slide! There it is! The scariest rides! It¡¯s the same rides from the pictures!¡± Seeing the places in person seems to make Thomas¡¯ heart swell with joy. The sounds of kids laughing and playing, teenagers hanging out with their gangs, and parents taking care of their children with bright smiles on their faces. There was only joy in this place. ¡°FWEEEEEEET!¡± The high-pitched sound from Mr. Arlon¡¯s whistle was blown away for the second time. ¡°Alright, students! Gather up!¡± All of them quickly assembled without any funny business, which surprised him for a second before turning back into his ¡®cool teacher¡¯ state. ¡°Alright guys, since we have our time here until late afternoon, we¡¯re going to have fun in this place to the max!¡± Mr. Arlon''s voice resonated with authority, tinged with a hint of excitement as many visitors passed by them. ¡°Oh yes, I forgot to ask you guys about this. Do you have any information about this water park?¡± Mr. Arlon asked. ¡°Anything. Any details or stuff?¡± To his surprise, all of his students did not raised their hands. He expected some of his students to know about it, but most of them didn¡¯t. ¡°Wow¡­ So, since you guys don¡¯t know much about the park, I want you to take a look at this map.¡± He then points at a medium-sized map placed inside a glass board on the side of a bus stop. And once the kids saw the map, they all had a glimpse of the scale of this water park compared to their existence. Some of the kids¡¯ excitement skyrocketed in a few seconds. At the same time, some of them got scared due to that glimpse. ¡°Holy crap, this place is huge!¡± Dean shouted excitedly, though his voice was muffled by the sounds and chatter of passing strangers. ¡°Yeah! No wonder people wanted to play in this place so badly¡­¡± Raoul added. ¡°Hey, looks like there are a lot of plays we''re going to do!¡± Jason spoke with his high-pitched voice as he nudged Thomas'' shoulder with a slight curve on his lips. Thomas was just stunned by how wide this water park is. His mouth was agape by the time he saw the map. ¡°So¡­ What rides should we take first?¡± He asked himself. ¡°I really don¡¯t know. But let''s randomly pick from that one to that one!¡± He looked at the pinpoint rides on the map. His eyes shifted gaze from the map to his friends, and finally to Mr. Arlon, who was smiling at all of his students. Maybe Mr. Arlon is happy because he can bring his students to this amazing water park. ¡°Oh! Excuse me,¡± Mr. Arlon¡¯s phone was ringing from his pocket. He quickly grabbed his phone and took his call. ¡°I have to take this. You guys wait here, okay?¡± He then walks away to the other side of the bus stop to take his call privately. ¡°Yes, Miss Jess¡ª¡­?¡± After Mr. Arlon took his call privately, the last few boys who hadn¡¯t been introduced stepped in to take a look at the map. It was Ray, Al, and Basil. They were the ones who created the idea of the ¡®screaming every time they pass a billboard¡¯ game on the bus. All of the boys kind of agree that when it comes to decision-making, they will go for Ray. ¡°Hey Ray, take a look at this map, will ya?¡± Al asked Ray with his finger pointing directly at the map. As a response, Ray nods as he rubs his chin softly with his eyes squinting. ¡°We¡¯re toast?¡± Basil asks as he looks at Ray from his side. They¡¯re all waiting for Ray¡¯s answer. ¡°Yup.¡± Ray nods again. But this time, he clapped his hands to tell them, ¡°We¡¯re toast.¡± ¡°Hohohaha. How? How are we toast?¡± Gio asks with a slight goofy laugh, which makes Thomas want to join the conversation as well. Eager to be part of the discussion, he exclaimed, ¡°Yeah! How are we¡­ ¡®toast¡¯?¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Ray responded by giving Thomas a quick sideways glance, signaling with his eyes before giving all of his friends his opinion. He then turns around to face his friends. ¡°Alright, you guys. Right here, you see this?¡± Ray points at the map with his finger. Specifically, the top right of the map gave readers the exact length and width of the whole water park. It reads "12 km x 12 km." ¡°Do you see how HUGE this place is?¡± Ray¡¯s eyes widen as he exclaims with his tone. Obviously, his friends did not understand the part where Ray was mad at. A kid¡¯s dream would always want to visit or own a happy dreamland place. The bigger the better. So he must have thought something nagging about this whole place. ¡°Why? This place is big and awesome! Why are we toast, Ray?¡± Thomas asked again, looking confused. Ray had an answer. ¡°Don''t you guys get it?¡± he asked, spreading his arms and hands in a gesture. To which his friends replied with a clueless head shake. Especially Gio, his mouth makes an exaggerated agape. ¡°We¡¯re toast because I think we don¡¯t have time to play all of the slides.¡± His reason made all of his friends look into a deeper view. Thomas did not care about this because he thought that a bigger place meant that he¡¯d have leftover rides that he hadn¡¯t tried out yet once he returned to this place. ( It takes more than three and a half hours for them to arrive at Uprise Down. Two hours if there¡¯s no traffic jam. ) ¡°I mean¡­ What time is it now?¡± Ray looks at his surroundings, hoping that there''s some sort of big clock stuck onto a wall. Thomas, knowing that his friends currently don¡¯t wear watches, needs some kind of way to tell the time. He starts by looking around to see if strangers passing by them are wearing a watch. If you think that Thomas would ask them about the time, you¡¯d be wrong. Instead, he only wanted to see the time by looking at those people¡¯s hands who wore a watch. Hoping that he could see it by just looking at it. ¡°Please, someone use a digital watch instead of those pointy-arrow ones.¡± He doesn''t hope for not one, not two, but five people who wear a watch. But even when there are, most of them are walking too fast. Faster walking means faster arm movement. ¡°Gah¡­ they''re walking too fast¡­ need another way to tell the time.¡± He then faces towards the sun that is shining brightly with its summer heat, forcing him to squint his eyes. Why did he do this? Because he thought the sun could tell the time by just looking at its position, if the person knew how to do so. ¡°Oh no¡­! I don''t remember where East and West is!¡± He kept staring at the sun, hoping that he could instantly know what time it is by doing that. But staring long enough, he can feel his eyes start to sizzle from the brightness. So he instinctively moves his gaze away from the sun. But he knows one thing after that. He knows that the sun is at the center of the sky, slightly positioned on the left. Thomas¡¯ left obviously. ¡°Oh! I get it! I know what time it is!¡± He made up his mind that it is currently ¡°Noon! It''s noo-¡± ¡°Damn it, I know it''s noon, Thomas!¡± His excitement was only to be cut short by Ray. Which made Thomas let out a simple ¡°Oh,¡± afterward. Hearing this made Jason and Alex laugh. Which shook Thomas¡¯ instinct to let out a slight giggle. A way for himself to distract from his so-called ¡®Failures.¡¯ Moving on from the time discussion, Basil began to notice that some people were fond of taking a glance at the back side of the map. Wondering if there was something interesting behind the map, he decided to take a good look. And when he did, he was astonished. ¡°Umm, Ray?¡± Basil spoke with his hand, gesturing for Ray to approach him. ¡°What??¡± Ray replied as he pinched the bridge of his nose. ¡°You gotta see this, man.¡± As Ray approaches Basil, he sees him pointing at the back of the map. Ray¡¯s eyes widened as he felt one of the most shocking things he had ever felt. ¡°You¡­ Got to be¡­ KIDDING ME!¡± Ray cups his head with both of his hands, leaving his mouth open for a while. This scene made all of his friends curious and made them want to see the back side of that particular map for themselves. ¡°There are two other parks inside this water park?¡± Raoul asks as he sees the back side of the map. It was, in fact, another map of Uprise Down. This part of the map shows a more detailed version than the previous had. ¡°WHO MADE THIS MAP!?¡± Ray shouted in disbelief. He could not even begin to start thinking about how the higher staff in Uprise Down could approve this kind of design choice for the map. People all around Ray had a quick shock because of his sudden shout. ¡°What kinda¡ª... Who thinks¡ª... Why did they¡ª...¡± His thoughts rapidly change with his words, unable to make complete sentences about this discovery. He flung his arms left and right each time he tried to speak, his gestures growing more frantic with every failed attempt at forming a sentence. ¡°Wow¡­ HA! Okay! So there''s TWO more, hah!?¡± This map causes Ray to question more about the origins of the map. ¡°Yup. There¡¯s a lot to explore, kids.¡± Mr. Arlon spoke as he walked towards them. He turned off his phone and then slipped it back into his pocket. ¡°Sir!¡± Ray shouted, in need of help. ¡°The place! It¡¯s too big¡ª¡± ¡°¡ªlarge, Ray. Large. Big is quite small, to say the least.¡± Al interrupted, cutting Ray off. This caused Ray to create a slight smirk before returning back to worrying about how they were going to spend their time here more efficiently. ¡°Well¡­ Yeah. That¡¯s why I brought you guys here.¡± Mr. Arlon smiled as he crossed his arms. ¡°Even if we left too early before we could try out other slides and rides, this place will be waiting for us when we have another chance to revisit Uprise Down!¡± His students brightened up when Mr. Arlon spoke those words. ¡°Well, if we want to make a plan to explore Uprise Down much nicer, we can¡ª~~~~~~...¡± ¡°How many feet long is the water park?¡± Thomas asked himself as he slowly walked without noticing that he was straying away from them. The conversation between his group of friends and Mr. Arlon began to fade from his ear. The same went for strangers around him. He began to walk step by step towards the bluest areas far ahead. Then he slowed down again to reconstruct his steps. ¡°How many feet long is the water park?¡± He asked again while he walked forward and moved his right foot to step in front of his left foot. His right heel touched the front of his left foot. Then he repeats with his left, then right, and his left again. Moving forward ever so slightly as he counts in his curious mind. ¡°1¡­ 2¡­ 3¡­ 4¡­ 5¡­¡± He counts the steps that he has taken. ¡°Kilometers? I¡¯d rather count with my feet! It¡¯s easier, comfortable, nic¡ª¡± ¡°Thomas!¡± From the horde of visitors, Dean, accompanied by Alex beside him, called out to Thomas from a distance as they approached him with their feet running. Thomas noticed Dean''s left arm was holding some sort of paper with it¡¯s edge poked out from Dean''s palm. Alex, too was holding the same type of paper as Dean''s. ¡°Where have you been?¡± Thomas asks. ¡°Oh, we''ve been searching for a map,¡± Alex answered as he handed the paper map to Thomas. He swiftly took the map with excitement. ¡°It was a pain in the butt to find this.¡± ¡°But we got lucky when we accidentally bump into this guy that was carrying a lot of maps.¡± Dean spoke, stitched his sentence with Alex''s. ¡°This is sooo cool!¡± Thomas spoke as he accidentally tilted the map slightly. Gravity was doing the rest of the work by unveiling the full map¡¯s layout, fold by fold. The map can almost cover his whole upper body. This made him more excited than before. ¡°Oh, it can do that?¡± Standing next to Thomas as he looked at the paper map, Alex remarked. ¡°What? That a map can be folded and unfolded?¡± Dean asked sarcastically, a perfect chance for him to attack. ¡°Haha! Yeah! You don''t know that!¡± Thomas spoke with a laugh that was followed by Alex''s slightly embarrassed giggle. ¡°N-No, you nitwit! I''m talking about the map! The paper! That foldy¡ª Agh forget it.¡± He immediately gave up trying. A sharp, piercing whistle sliced through the air. ¡°FWEEEEEEEEET!!!¡± Its familiar sound echoed across the grounds, immediately drawing students¡¯ attention. ¡°Alright, everyone, gather up!¡± Mr. Arlon¡¯s commanding voice followed, authoritative yet calm, as he let the whistle drop from his lips, dangling from the tie loosely looped around his neck. Not wasting a single second, Thomas, Alex, and Dean immediately rushed towards the gathering area. Ch. 1 : Part 4 Part 4 ¡°FWEEEEEEEEET!!!! Alright, boys. Make a line!¡± Mr. Arlon commanded them with ease as his students obediently followed their teacher¡¯s orders. They all lined up on the roadside to avoid colliding with other visitors. ¡°We¡¯re going to explore the first side of Uprise Down.¡± He looked at his wristwatch as he continued. ¡°And, if we have time, we can explore other places. Like this one, and that one, and maybe that one as well.¡± Mr. Arlon points to the map. From one location to another, and another. ¡°You guys can explore freely whenever you like.¡± His students whispered from one to another in anticipation. ¡°Yes! Alright! This is going to be so much fun! I¡¯m gonna bring my favorites to the rides I wanna take on!¡± The ecstasy in Thomas¡¯ mind is making him excited in all places. Yet, he was not the only one who shared the same excitement like his. ¡°But I want you guys to follow these simple rules.¡± Mr. Arlon spoke as he stared at them all one by one. ¡°When I tell you guys to follow me, then follow me. Make a line behind me so it¡¯ll be easier to navigate through the crowds. You guys can explore places when I tell you so. And lastly, when you hear my whistle, follow the sound and return to me to regroup. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, Mr Arlon!¡± His students answered loud and clear. And to Mr. Arlon¡¯s response, he clapped his hands once and walked closer to the glass board map. ¡°Wuh¡ªWhat happened to the ¡®roam freely¡¯ that you promised, sir???¡± Thomas asked in slight disbelief. Cutting off Mr. Arlon, who was about to continue talking. ¡°Why did he change his mind all of a sudden??¡± He asked himself. Wondering ¡®why¡¯ a thousand times, hoping that his teacher would still allow him and his friends to explore all the places in this park. ¡°Well, a little someone took my trust away by bringing something unallowed.¡± Mr. Arlon answered with a glare upon Gio¡¯s face. Not a serious gut-wrenching stare, but more of a playful one, with a smile curling on his lips. Gio¡¯s friends were quite disappointed with him, with most of them gathering around to tease him by pushing him around. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°C¡¯mon, dudes! I thought bringing my console was fineee!~¡± Gio spoke as he was being pushed around constantly. Once the students had calmed down and returned to their respective lines, Mr. Arlon took a good look at the map, moving his gaze smoothly around it before deciding where his students would visit first. When his eyes were caught by Uprise Down¡¯s popular destination¡ªthe water park, he glanced away to another destination on the left part of the map. He wanted his students to explore the park ¡®to the max¡¯, just like he had said earlier. ¡°Alright. So the first place we¡¯re going to visit is¡­ This one.¡± He points at the map, his finger landing on a specific place: ''Secret Village.'' The response from students? ¡°Aw, what?!¡± ¡°Mr. Arlon nooo..!¡± ¡°It¡¯s a water park, sir. A water park!¡± ¡°Huh? What did I miss?¡± Mr. Arlon was taken aback by how his students reacted to his choice. He understands that his choice might be a questionable one if he were a kid as well. But, he tries to reason with them anyway. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t be like that, you guys. We¡¯re going to have a blast exploring these places!¡± ¡°But Mr. Arlon,¡± Ray swiftly raised his hand in a hurry before he spoke. ¡°Do we really have enough time to explore all of these places?¡± He scratches the back of his head through his messy hair. ¡°Of course we do, Ray. Even now it¡¯s noon, the sun is still up and we still have time to explore other rides and fun stuff!¡± His smile helped his students see the good in it, but it couldn¡¯t quite make them grasp the fun of it. Their main reason for coming here is to enjoy the water park; they love the splash of cold water, swimming, and the thrilling slides that the park has to offer. Not some boring kiddie village attraction that adults and grannies take pictures of to hang on the wall. They want action and spontaneous joy. ¡°Oh c¡¯mon, you guys. It doesn¡¯t take that much time to get there and to explore. ¡± Mr. Arlon spoke again. This time more reassuring than before, making his students accept his ¡®quest¡¯ to explore the bland side of Uprise Down. ¡°Okay, Mr. Arlon..¡± His students took a nice, deep sigh before they accepted their dull quest, followed by a cheerful tone from Mr. Arlon. He then walks in front of all his students to lead them all. ¡°Great! So follow me then!¡± He then released the sound of his whistle as they all marched to the Secret Village. In their thoughts, this was going to be the dullest experience they¡¯d ever had in this wide-open water park, not knowing that they¡¯d be visiting a gate to a new experience. ¡°This better be good¡­¡± Ch. 1 : Part 5 Part 5 Walking along the crowded path doesn¡¯t feel tiring when you have friends in front of you and behind you. With the theme song of this wondrous park filling the air. Looping again, and again¡­ And agai¡ª ¡°Jeez, they do love this music, huh?¡± Dean complained with a singular laugh as he felt Jason¡¯s hands holding onto both of his shoulders. ¡°Yeah! I like the music too!¡± Jason chimed in. ¡°Me three!.. I guess.¡± Thomas added, holding onto Jason as they all walked together. Passing by many souvenir shops, the wide blue-patterned path they are walking on splits into two directions. A huge sign is also visible outside the glass fences in between the split directions.
¡û Secret Village || Water Park ¡ú
¡û Up The Hill || Playful Splash ¡ú
¡û Forest Cafe || Ultimatum Slide ¡ú
Mr. Arlon already knew the way from the map, so he automatically led the group down the left path. But when the students saw the sign, a wistful feeling washed over them¡ªthey really wanted to explore the right path. Still, both paths were crowded with visitors. In front of Dean was Gio who was looking behind him while holding onto Ray¡¯s shoulders. He kept looking behind him, creating an annoyance for Ray himself because his shoulders were getting pulled by Gio. ¡°Stop doing that, Gio..!¡± Ray complained in such annoyance that he naturally faced Gio behind him. ¡°Huh? What you mean?¡± ¡°What ¡®you mean?¡¯ is stop pulling me.¡± ¡°Ohhh~.. you mean this?¡± Gio then proceeds to shake Ray¡¯s body by his shoulders. He giggles with a follow-up of his iconic laughter. ¡°I swear, when we¡¯re over with this village thing, I¡¯ll chase and hunt you down across the water park, Gio.¡± ¡°I bet you couldn¡¯t. Hehehahaha!¡± While Gio and Ray dealt with their own things, Thomas analyzes what Gio is doing and decides to mimic his ways of playing. He shook Jason¡¯s shoulder with a playful giggle. ¡°W-Woah! Thomas! Wuh-..what are you doing?¡± Laughter was the first thing that came out of Jason¡¯s mouth. Thomas¡¯ playful glee wasn¡¯t even annoying for Jason, it was just a playful act. And because of this, Thomas shifted his focus from Jason to his friend behind him. Whilst still walking by, Thomas faces his friend behind him and shakes his entire body by his shoulder with a naughty smile. ¡°Gah! Oh Thomas you little¡ª..!¡± His friend was actually Al. He lets out an adorable smile as he suddenly tries to hold and grab Thomas¡¯ shoulders. But Al wasn¡¯t quick enough to restrain Thomas¡¯ naughty act as he quickly ducked, dodging Al¡¯s move. This made quite a jam behind Thomas¡¯ line as he did not maintain his movement with the line while he ducked. ¡°H-Hey watch it!¡± Al¡¯s adorable face turns into annoyance when Thomas blocks Al¡¯s path and others behind him. ¡°No. I must not let my guard down! Al is trying to trick me by thinking that he is being serious!¡± And so Thomas suddenly dashes his way out to escape from Al¡¯s grasp. Him being stared at by many people wasn¡¯t the hardest part for Thomas. After all, crawling his way out to escape from his beloved friend isn¡¯t weird at all, isn¡¯t it? The hardest part for Thomas is to slip his body and his bag between Alex and Raoul. In which they both gladly move aside for a bit to let Thomas in. ¡°Phew¡­ Hellow Alex. Hellow Raoul. Ehehe¡­¡± Thomas innocently greeted them as they all continued their walk down the path with many visitors around them. ¡°What are you doing, Thomas?¡± Raoul asked with a playful teasing tone at Thomas¡¯ back. ¡°Yeah~. What are you doin, Thomas?¡± Alex chimes in. Mimicking Raoul¡¯s tone. And not after five seconds, Thomas asked both of his friends into quirky question. ¡°Guys, would you rather have a water-powered motorcycle or a uranium-powered motorcycle?¡± ¡°What¡¯s uranium?¡± Alex asked as he flicked his gaze between Thomas and the front path.¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know actually. I just found it in our school books. I think it¡¯s some sort of radiation thingy.¡± ¡°Like.. in those superhero movies?¡± ¡°Yeah-yeah! Like those.¡± ¡°Well.. I¡¯m choosing the water motorcycle then!¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Raoul joins in the conversation as he puts his hand over Thomas¡¯ shoulder. ¡°I mean, who would¡¯ve wanted that radiation motorcycle anyway?¡± Thomas couldn¡¯t help but smirk at their poor choices as if they had picked the wrong choice for life. ¡°Well, there are also bad things that are going to happen when you pick that.¡± His smile grew wider. ¡°First! Every 10 minutes, you have to refill the motorcycle with hundreds of water! And then¡ªhere comes the hard part¡ª... You all are being chased by gas station mafias!¡± ¡°Wh-Why mafias?!¡± Alex replied in confusion. As if those mafias are unnecessary for the question at hand. ¡°Think about it! If you have a water motorcycle, you don¡¯t need to buy gas! It¡¯s obvious that you¡¯re going to be chased.¡± ¡°Then how do you escape from them?¡± Raoul asked. In which Thomas replied, ¡°Well¡­ Hmmm¡­ I have no idea actually.¡± ¡°Oh c¡¯mon, Thomas. Where¡¯s the juice?!¡± ¡°Hahaha! There¡¯s no juice. I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°There¡¯s juice!¡± Alex suddenly exclaimed the ¡®juice¡¯. ¡°What¡¯s your answer, Alex?¡± Raoul asked back. ¡°No, I meant there¡¯s actual juice stores. Right there!¡± Alex then points out a lined-up shophouse of many foods and drinks on the left side of the path. They all stopped in their tracks all of a sudden after hearing Mr. Arlon¡¯s whistle. The teacher who led the group of line then turned to face his students. ¡°Alright, guys. We¡¯ll wait here for a couple of minutes until the shuttle arrives.¡± He informed them. Taking a small glance at the shophouses on the side. ¡°And while we¡¯re waiting¡ªif you guys bring some extra money¡ªyou can buy some snacks until the bus arrives.¡± ¡°Yes! Some refreshments!¡± Stolen story; please report. The students quickly broke formation and ran toward the beautifully decorated shophouses. Not a single one looked bland or simple. Each had its own unique style¡ªsome adorned with flowers, others with brown leaves to highlight the richness of their tea beverages. A modest caf¨¦ stood among them, built from the finest wood to complement its cozy interior, the inviting aroma of strong coffee filling the air. And then¡­ chicken wings! And it¡¯s not surprising when all of these shophouses are quite busy. Each of their own front doors has seen so many people come and go nonstop. Not to mention the amount of people that are hanging out with their friends and families outside of each shophouse. As Thomas scans the shophouses one by one, with every bit of detail he philosophizes, he comes to a conclusion, ¡°I¡¯m so confused¡­¡± ¡°No, we¡¯re not! We just need to bring along our friends!¡± He then scans his surroundings again as he walks past the shophouses one by one to search for his friends. Two of his friends were spotted, Gio and Jason. Each of them enters a separate shophouse. Gio went to visit the tea beverage shop, while Jason entered a convenience store. ¡°Jason and Gio are entering the store alone. I guess I¡¯ll follow Jason because he has no one to follo¡ª¡± His mid-chattering mind stops as he sees Raoul playfully push Jason to scare him. Laughing gladly with a follow-up chat while they entered the store until their voices became inaudible to Thomas¡¯ ears. ¡°Oh, I guess we¡¯ll follow Gio.¡± Thomas quickly walked his way to the tea shop by the customer¡¯s door, passing by many people along the way. He opened the door and way immediately greeted by the warm lovely scent of dried brewed tea. A perfect combination to accompany the cozy brown wooden interior and the soft bossa nova music to soothe the ears from the outside hubbub. The place is small but isn¡¯t compact. Small enough as Thomas immediately saw Gio buying a beverage at the counter with his friends. ¡°Wait¡­ My friends are all here? That means Jason and Raoul are alone.¡± His head was fidgeting back and forth between the door behind him and his friends. ¡°Should I?...¡± He thinks hard, trying to decide whether he should go back to be with Jason and Raoul, or stay with Gio and the rest of his friends. Unaware that he is currently blocking the entrance, he stands still as customers pass him by on both sides. ¡°I really want to be with them here¡­ Jason and Raoul are fine! Let¡¯s meet up with Gio and our friends!¡± Not wasting any time further, he immediately run towards them with a big smile. He then purposely bumps into Basil¡¯s backpack. A large backpack, that is as if Basil is carrying the preparations of a camper in the woods. His backpack was so large that the water bottle in its holder seemed to be crying for help. ¡°Thomas.¡± Basil spoke as he turned around to see him. ¡°I just realized, why are you carrying so much stuff?¡± Thomas curiously asks. In Basil¡¯s response, he walks closer to Thomas as he suspiciously scans the area around him before he returns to look at Thomas in the eye with a smirk forming on his lips. ¡°Wanna see something cool?¡± Basil returned the question to Thomas. ¡°Sure!¡± ¡°But you gotta keep it a secret until we reach the water park, got it?¡± ¡°Oh. Okay!¡± ¡°And don¡¯t tell Mr. Arlon too¡­!¡± ¡°Yeah yeah..~¡± Finally, Basil turned his backpack around to his chest, he wasn¡¯t affected by the sheer weight of his backpack due to his size. Then, he unzips the bag little by little to give Thomas a nice sneak peek. ¡°Woah. Water gun!?¡± Thomas excitedly squeaks. ¡°Shhh!... Keep it down, will ya? I don¡¯t want to ruin the surprise for the others.¡± His bag was filled to the brim with various water guns¡ªranging from the biggest to the smallest, from the cheapest to the most expensive. He had them all packed inside his trusty backpack, which he then zipped up and slung over his shoulder. ¡°Can I borrow one? Pleaseee~...¡± Thomas pleads with his adorable sparkling eyes. ¡°Knock yourself with it. As long as you keep it a secret until the end, though.¡± ¡°I promise!¡± Thomas answered by running his fingers across his lips in a zipping gesture. ¡°Thanks, Thomas. Anyway, we should get going soon. We don¡¯t wanna miss the shuttle when it arrives.¡± ¡°Then stop hanging out in this place, dummy!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not, obviously. I mean.. look at the counter.¡± Thomas slightly peeked his head out from behind Basil to get a view of the counter. He saw Gio and his friends still standing there, deciding on their order ever since he had stepped into the place. ¡°C¡¯mon, Gio. We don¡¯t have all day.¡± Al complained behind Gio¡¯s back. ¡°I know, but.. There''s a lot of options for¡­ Tea.¡± Gio answered with an uncertain tone of confusion. ¡°Back in my home, tea is just tea. But here, there¡¯s oolong, white tea? T-There¡¯s even a mint tea¡ªokay, I¡¯ll pick the mint tea.¡± ¡°Finally!¡± Al was relieved to hear that Gio has finally decided on his order. ¡°Ahahaha. How long did it take?¡± Dean laughed as he took a sip from his cold tea beverage. ¡°Did you count the seconds?¡± He looks at Alex, who was counting the seconds of Gio¡¯s long order on his stopwatch. ¡°A minute and.. thirty-four seconds.¡± Alex answered as he looked at his watch around his right wrist. ¡°You stopwatched me? Oh, for god''s sake.¡± Gio was quite embarrassed by the inconvenient choice that he picked for his order. At least he picked something rather than nothing. After waiting for a few minutes, Gio finally received his fresh cold tea and paid for it. They all left the store together and were immediately greeted back by the lively hubbub of the park. Not long after, they all saw the shuttle arriving just in time. Raoul, Jason, and Mr. Arlon were already waiting in front of the shuttle stop. The seats were mostly empty, so they all fit comfortably without leaving anyone behind. And unsurprisingly, the few remaining seats were soon filled by other people. They were thankful that they were quick enough to enter the shuttle before others swooped in to steal the seats. ¡°Next stop, ¡®Passing Trees.¡¯¡± The shuttle driver informed the passengers through the speaker before they set off. Riding by the shuttle to venture into the Secret Village, the road that was once dominated by ocean-blue paving blocks is slowly being replaced by yellow ones as they cruise past many souvenir and clothing-branded shops. ¡°Jason..!¡± Thomas pushed and tapped Jason¡¯s shoulder from his side to get his attention, his eyes locked on the distant horizon. ¡°H-Hey! Stop touching my face, Thom¡ª... Wow¡­¡± Jason protested as he stopped Thomas¡¯ hands from touching his face and not his shoulder. But, the beautiful view of the bluest tall water slides from afar made Jason forget his words. And before their eyes landed on the towering blue water slides in the distance, they first took in the sight of the shimmering lake before them. ¡°That¡¯s where we¡¯re heading!¡± Ray excitedly points out while gripping the shuttle¡¯s guardrail to steady himself as he leans out for a better view of the distant horizon. ¡°Once.. we¡¯re done with this ¡®Secret Village¡¯ thing, though¡­¡± ¡°Ray! Sit down!¡± Mr. Arlon scolded Ray immediately from the front seat. ¡°You¡¯re gonna get yourself hurt!¡± ¡°Alright alright...¡± Ray groans in annoyance, yet he still complies with Mr. Arlon¡¯s chiding. ¡°Hey, Gio. You haven¡¯t taken a sip from the tea you bought.¡± Raoul reminded him from his side. ¡°Oh yeah!¡± Gio¡¯s eyes flickered between the view ahead, Raoul, and finally his cold drink, which he held in his left hand. The fancy plastic cup began to gather condensation from the cold tea inside, chilling his whole palm around it. He then finally took his first sip from the straw. Tasting this new tea variation that he wasn¡¯t familiar with, and then swallowing it afterwards with his Adam¡¯s apple moving with the motion. ¡°... What even is this flavor??¡±