Inside an office, there was a woman standing next to a window. She was looking at something outside. Three military aircraft landed on an airfield one by one. While gazing at the aircraft, she couldn't help but take a deep breath and exhale after. She was clearly worried about something.
"It's finally happening. But I can do this. The fate of the world lies on that fellow."
She mumbled with determination in her eyes. She knew it was something that she should do, as it was something she was born for after all. A moment later, a man in a black suit opened the door to her office and reported something.
"Mistress Fate, the T-Users on the list have been completely transferred to the True Haven."
Mistress Fate looked at the man, and suddenly, her eyes turned completely white. "I had already seen it before you entered. I assume the Doctor has already arrived as well, right?"
"Y-Yes, Mistress Fate. Dr. Xylem has also arrived and is now in his room getting ready to welcome the T-Users in the Assembly Arena." He was startled when he saw the scene unfold in front of him. Clearly, he still couldn't fathom what was happening, yet he knew he had to suck it up and express a calm and professional demeanor.
"That's good. Take me there now. We shouldn't waste any seconds when the fate of the world is on the line." After she stated that, she walked towards the door. The man in the black suit opened the door for her once again and led her outside. He then closed it as the door let out an eerie creak.
--------------------------------------------------
Raia slowly opened his eyes and found himself in a room with beds on each side. Raia immediately stood up but was greeted with a mind-boggling headache. He clutched his head, feeling like he had a hangover after drinking too many bottles of alcohol.
He looked around, wondering where he currently was. His sight then landed on a plate with a pill lying cold. There was also a glass of water beside it and a note that said, "Drink it. It will help with the headache."
Raia scoffed at the note and didn't even take the pill. He knew where that pill came from when he remembered what happened before he was unconscious. It was from that General. He drank the glass of water though, as he was parched. He didn't know how many hours he had been unconscious.
"That's better." He felt refreshed after drinking half of the glass. But still, the headache kept cracking his head.
'Just drink the pill. You don't have to be too cautious.' The Inner Self commented when it knew Raia was suffering from the headache.
"Ha, right. And how did you know that? Through instinct?" Raia said sarcastically, feeling annoyed when he remembered how he was tricked last time. It really left a deep scar on his pride to think that he was tricked like that. He did understand though, that's just how the world works, unfairly.
'Don't greet me with that tone. First of all, you're the one who tried to shake that obviously evilly plotted handshake, like hello, that's so cliché. Also, don't forget I helped you back there, you ungrateful brat.' Inner Self snapped at how Raia was acting.
Raia just rolled his eyes and chose to keep his mouth shut, still reeling over what had happened and his headache.
'Just take the f*cking pill because I have to explain something to you about where you are now. I am not going to repeat it if you forget.' Inner Self said grumpily.
When Raia heard that, he thought for a bit before grabbing the pill. It was better than suffering the headache. Unwillingly, he placed the pill in his mouth and washed it down with the other half of the water inside the glass.
Raia sat down once again on the bed and looked around. He was currently in a room where the walls were painted white, even the ceiling was white. The floor was tiled with a greyish stone-like color. There were a few pieces of furniture in the room.
Raia could see that each bed had a small table and a chair at the end of them. His eyes then fell on his right side where he could see a huge closet. On the left, he could see two doors. One was a door that led outside.
He then once again stood up and went to the other door to check it out. When he opened it, he was greeted with a very clean bathroom. Raia had a thing about bathrooms. It made him uncomfortable if they weren't really pleasing. But right now, it was neat, white, and… smelly?
"What's that smell?" As Raia was being fascinated by the bathroom's design and structure, he was greeted by an awful smell. It smelled like poop.
"I think that was mine." Suddenly, a voice echoed in the bathroom, it was coming from beside Raia. Raia immediately turned his head around to look at where the voice came from, and it came from a guy who was sitting on the toilet, taking a dump.
The guy just smiled awkwardly at him and greeted Raia. "Good morning, Raia."
"Arman!?" Raia screamed in surprise. Shockingly, Raia knew the guy. It was one of his classmates and one of his close friends in his current sophomore year.
Arman was surprised as well by Raia's reaction but kept himself still while doing his business.
"Thank goodness, you're fine!" Raia, still unable to recover from the shock, stayed in the bathroom looking at his friend, teary-eyed.
Arman kept covering his privates. He felt the same way as well, but the awkwardness of the situation was just too much that he couldn't show how happy he was to see Raia alive. "Raia… uhmmm… could you let me finish first?"
He begged in frustration; he was already too embarrassed.
Raia then understood what he meant when he smelled that awful scent again.
"Alright… I'm so sorry—blergh—Let me close the door now… take your time—blergh!" Raia couldn't help being averse and excused himself out.
'What a nice time for a reunion, right?' Inner Self tried to tease Raia, but Raia snapped back, "Shut up. I didn't know," his face reddened in embarrassment.
A few minutes later, Arman got out of the toilet and looked at Raia sitting on the bed. Raia got up and ran to him and hugged him tightly. "I thought you died. I'm so happy that you're fine." Raia cried, his face plunged into Arman's shirt, making it damp with his tears.
"I'm happy that you're alright too." Arman patted Raia's head. "I really thought the monsters might have eaten you when I saw you being pursued by them." He added.
"Idiot, do you really think I'd be that easy to catch?" Raia joked as he broke free from the hug.
"I mean, we both know that among the boys in our class, you're the weakest in terms of physique." Arman teased.
"Oh, really?" Raia punched Arman in the arm but laughed as well. Raia then stopped and looked at Arman."By the way… did you wash your hands?" Raia asked while looking at Arman suspiciously."Seriously, that's what you're concerned about?" Arman laughed at Raia's humor and how he said random things out of the blue. He missed this too. He really did think that Raia might have been a goner when those monsters tried to persecute him. He did try to help by going down the building that time, but he was greeted by those monstrous-sized locusts. Because of those insects, he couldn't help Raia. He was dragged by one of his classmates as well and hid inside the school's toilet room with the others. That's the reason why he survived. He explained this to Raia, and Raia's eyes widened.
"You mean, others survived as well?!" Raia was surprised. His expression suddenly changed and he asked Arman a serious question.
"Did the army also ask you to come with them?"
Arman looked at Raia seriously. "Yes… they did. I think we are now at one of their bases." As Arman stated that, he went closer to the window and opened the curtain. The light entered but it also revealed the scene that made Raia furrow his eyebrows.
Countless soldiers in uniform were working and training, while others acted as logistics for materials that needed to be carried elsewhere. There were a lot of tanks and vehicles too, parked on a wide platform base, they use it for war.
"Arman… tell me, who were the others that survived?" Raia asked, still facing the window.
"Bernard, Ray, Vincent, Christoph, June, and me."
Raia finally looked at him, worry placed on his face. "Only five? What about the others? The girls, Vernie, Lany, and… Jarren?"
Arman looked at Raia, feeling sad as well. He shook his head as if to say he didn't know.
Raia bit his tongue. He didn't want to say anything, but negative thoughts about the possibilities kept racking his head. Then… he remembered something. He didn't even find their bodies at school. There was still a huge chance that they were alive. Or eaten whole by the monsters.
But still… Raia didn't let his negative thoughts win and clung to the positive possibility. He glared at Arman with a determined look. "They're alive. I know it. Our classmates are geniuses. They might have been taken by the military too. We'll see them here."
Arman looked at Raia. Raia's positivity was too infectious, and now he was feeling hopeful as well. As they were pondering over what happened, an announcement suddenly rang throughout the base.
"Announcement: Every person in Barracks Alpha to Barracks Juliett, you may proceed now to the Assembly Area. I repeat, Every person in Barracks Alpha to Barracks Juliett, you may proceed now to the Assembly Area. If you fail to comply, you will be heavily punished. Follow the red flare in the sky to locate the Assembly Area. You have thirty minutes. If you are late, it will be considered non-compliance and punished accordingly. Do not forget to wear your uniforms inside your closets. Also wear the wristband tech, which serves as your identification when entering the Dome. Your thirty minutes start now."
The voice was feminine but held such power and authority that it demanded immediate obedience. Outside, footsteps rushed back and forth. Soldiers stopped what they were doing and quickly fell into formation.
Raia and Arman exchanged glances and headed to the closet to get ready.