Ohh I'm so excited. Let's hope my original arc isn't shit. Please do give me feedback on it, as this is the first time I'm doing so much without a skeleton to build around.
"Words" Speaking
'words' Thoughts
"Words" Demon Speech
'Words' Demon thoughts
Scene change
Once the three of us reached the gate, I saw a hooded truck, like the one Norman and Emma saw when they went to give Little Bunny to Conny.
"Spencer, go into the truck. Norman, please come with me to this room to wait." Mama ordered.
As Norman and I reached the point between the two places Mama told us to go, we looked into each other's eyes, both filled with mortal fear. In one swift motion, we dropped our suitcases and hugged each other, a final hug goodbye.
"This is it; don't you dare show them fear, Spence, they don't deserve it," Norman ordered, trying his hardest to keep his composure.
"Same to you, Norm. Whatever comes next, let's face it with strength. I have a feeling we will see each other again." I said in a brave voice.
As we separate, I reach out a hand to be shaken.
"It's been an honor to live with you, Norman," I told him, regaining my composure.
"Same here, brother," Norman replied, shaking his hand.
The two of us separate, walking to our respective places. I took one last glance at Norman as he walked to the door Mama opened.
I steel my nerves and close my eyes as I step into the truck.
But rather than a Demon like I saw with Sister Krone, it was a man sitting on the floor of the truck with his legs crisscrossed. The man looked to be in his thirties as he was a little taller than five and a half feet. He had spiky, desaturated brown hair with white sides and a prominent ahoge and washed-out hazel eyes. He was wearing a black business suit and pants with a green tie. I notice on his right wrist is a tattoo much like our neck IDs ∑-05.
The man gave me a sincere smile as he looked into my eyes. "Spencer, there you are. I'm happy to finally be meeting you. My name is Makoto." He said, not moving from his place.
"... is this some kind of joke? Do they make adults kill their own children for the demons to eat?" I asked in an angered tone.
"Oh no! God no!" Makoto exclaims, waving both hands in front of him. "I don't think I could handle taking the life of a sentient being, much less a human child… no, no, you are not dying tonight." He tells me.
"What about Norman, my friend?" I ask, hoping he gives a similar answer.
"He… is going to live. Norman is going to another farm. I don't know the exact reason, but I'd wager it's due to his extraordinary IQ." Makoto tells me.
"So, what about me? Where I'm I being shipped to?" I asked, becoming more relaxed.
"You are coming with me to Sigma Labs. It is a research and containment facility for farm children with ESP." Makoto explains as he gets up.
"ESP?" I parrot.
"Yes. I can explain much more when we get onto the helicopter. Come on." Makoto says as he gets out of the truck and starts walking down the tunnel.
I quickly follow the man, still unsure of what's going on.
"You got many questions; I can see that. First, I need you to extend your left arm." Makoto begins as he approaches a black car.
As I roll up my sleeve, Makoto takes a syringe gun out of the car and approaches me.
"This won't hurt. It's just a precautionary measure to make sure you don't do something that could end up hurting you later on." He tells me as he injects me with the gun's contents. As he removes it, I notice the small mark left by the gun almost instantly heals up as a goopy substance remains from the needle.
Makoto then enters the driver's side and gestures for me to get in the back.
Once I put my seatbelt on, Makoto starts the car and drives further into the tunnel.
"The world is split in two. One thousand years ago, a human-made the 'Promise' with the demon's highest authority. In which humans would no longer hunt demons and vice versa. So the world was split in two, One side for the demons, one side for the humans. However, as demons need to eat humans to survive, they began to cultivate us like cattle. Another rule was that Humans and demons could not pass through the other side." Makoto explained as he drove.
I began to feel sick. The sudden information broke my hopes for a safe haven at the location on the pen. 'If this world is for the demons, and we can't cross over, why even try to help us, Mr. Minerva?' I thought.
"Over the years, the demons have made farms for mass production of Humans, where the children don't even have names and don't know how to talk. However, there are four premium farms, one of which is Grace Field, where children are grown naturally and made to make the best brains for demons to feed on." Makoto says as a light at the end of the tunnel begins to grow brightly.
'Mass production? I can only imagine the conditions…' I thought, seething with rage.
As we reach the end of the tunnel, I see nothing but an odd helicopter in the center with several people in different garments around the perimeter. The aircraft had two sets of blades on each side. The body was cylindrical like an airplane. An engine like an airplane was on the rear of the helicopter, along with another pair of small blades.
Makoto parks the car as two women wearing clothes like Mama approach and takes the keys Makoto offers. I climb out as the two women take the car and drive it into another tunnel.
The ahoge man gestures for me to follow him to the helicopter. As we get closer, I see the people there more clearly. One was an elderly woman wearing the same outfit as Mama. Another was a man with glasses in front of turquoise eyes in full combat gear with an automatic rifle strapped around his torso and resting at his side. The man was tall and had tanned skin with straight blonde hair. The rest were people who had full body gear, including helmets, so I couldn't make them out.
"Andrew, I have Spencer. We are leaving immediately," Makoto says calmly.
"Don't order me around cattle trash," Andrew says with venom as he and his men enter the front of the helicopter.
"Don't mind, Andrew. He's not a very nice person and hates that I technically rank higher than him," Makoto tells me. He nods at the elderly woman, who smiles and nods as she steps away from the helicopter. Makoto and I then enter the back of the helli.
The helicopter blades begin to spin as Makoto, and I strap in and put on a pair of headsets.
"Can you hear me, Spencer?" Makoto asks through the headset.
"Yea, I can," Spencer replied.
"Good, hold on while we take off. I'll tell you more about Sigma Labs once we get stable." Makoto explains.
As the helicopter takes off, I grab hold of the seat bars to my sides. It was my first time flying, so it was a little jarring, but soon it was over as we reached the proper altitude and began moving southwest.
"Okay, we should be good," Makoto says as he let go of the armrests. "Now Sigma Labs, as I said, is a research facility dedicated to children with ESP or ExtraSensory Perception. ESP is very rare, appearing in less than .01% of children. Still, despite the rarity, they are extraordinarily dangerous to the demons. For one, they all have high intelligence, so they tend to stay the full years at the farms. In every case of an ESPer, they have found out the true nature of the farms and attempted an escape. But the danger doesn't end there. For demons, ESPers taste better than anything, and when eaten, they gain incredible power. They also become unable to eat anything but ESPers. Because of the rarity, these demons die of starvation after the side effects of not eating humans. So to keep ESPers from escaping and from demons eating them, Sigma Labs was created in 2030 by James Ratri and Dr. Sigma Klim." Makoto exposits.
'That… is a lot… so I'm an ESPer, ESPers are rare, and try to escape. Demons can't eat us. Sigma Labs was made to contain and research us by a "James Ratri" and "Dr. Sigma Klim" but, what exactly is an ESPer?' Spencer thought as Makoto continued the story. "How many of us ESPers are there?" I asked.
"There are eight other children housed at Sigma Labs. The six adults there work as researchers, caretakers, and such at the facility. I joined in 2032 from the farm Glory Bell. All the other ESPers joined aiding Sigma labs, died during the experiments, or perished by their own hand." Makoto explained soberly.
"Sorry, uh, but just what is an ESPer?" I ask, a little apprehensive.
"To begin, ESPers can access a higher dimension with a flow of energy called the morphogenetic fields. With this access, ESPers can do several things normal humans cannot. Tell me, Spencer, have you felt like someone is listening to your thoughts, or like someone is with you despite no one being near?" Makoto asked.
I responded with a shake of my head.
"Then have you heard or seen things that you are not there for? Like a voice of someone or images that you are not there to see?" the man asks.
"... Yes, I have," I remember the scenes of Conny and the demons the night Emma and Norman saw them. As well as the voice of Emma I hear every once in a while.
"Do you know who the voice could be? Have you seen the images before back home?" He asks.
'Something feels off. If I answer Emma, she could become a target, better lie.' I thought as I shook my head in the negative.
"Okay, good to know, these questions do have meaning. A baseline ability is called the Transmitter-Receiver relationship. Every ESPer has a partner, someone they are connected to through the morphogenetic fields. The Transmitter can send information through the morphogenetic fields to the Receiver. This relationship can only move in this way as morphogenetic fields flow in a single direction. Hearing a disembodied voice and seeing unfamiliar scenes make you a Receiver to a yet to be found Transmitter." Makoto tells me.
'Wait, so that means… Emma is an ESPer as well?' I thought in shock.
"After that, the most common ability for ESPers is the ability to SHIFT. SHIFT, or Spacetime Human Internal Fluctuating Transfer, is the ability that allows an ESPer to subconsciously transfer their consciousness and memories to a different history in moments of extreme danger." Makoto tells me.
That threw me for a loop. I looked at the older man with confusion. Makoto sees this and explains more.
"In essence, if an ESPer is met with a life-or-death situation, giving certain conditions, they can transport their mind to the morphogenetic fields and move freely through space and time. Then they can enter their body in a new time and place, essentially traveling through time." He details.
"Time travel…" I say skeptically.
"Yea, crazy, I know, but I've done it before, and it is true. Haven't you had that sense of deja vu? Like you had done something before and then drawn to a decision that you feel like you've made before?" Makoto asks.
'Now that I think about it, I have, when I followed Krone to the gate... I wanted to get a better look at them but stopped because of an overwhelming force of fear and foreboding, as well as images of my own death…' I thought as I nodded my head.
"It also has to do with the injection I gave you earlier. See, If you keep your memories, you could just Shift back to before you were shipped and plan a better escape, so the Demons created a drug that prevents ESPers from traveling any further back than that point in time." Makoto tells me.
'Damn, well, there goes that idea…' I thought in disappointment. "So, how does one shift?" I ask.
"It is not entirely known, as powerful ESPers can SHIFT on command, but it has been proven that two things enhance the likelihood of a SHIFT, being an epiphany and danger. Epiphany is explained as the feeling of when one is working on a difficult problem and the answer just sort of "pops" in their head. The second factor, danger, is required to be life or death." The older man explains.
'Okay, so I need to solve something and nearly die to SHIFT… good to know.' I thought.
"Next thing to know is that most ESPers have a unique individual ability called an MGIFT or just GIFT, which short for MorphoGenetic Individual Fictitious Talent, also called a morphogenetic talent. These abilities can vary from the ability to change people's perspective of oneself, see into the far future, and communicate telepathically. I, for example, can tell the difference between truths and lies." Makoto tells me.
'Wait, then he knows that I lied when I said I didn't know who my transmitter was! Is he going to pressure me into revealing it?' I thought in a panic.
Seeing the boy's turmoil, Makoto thought to himself, 'he's figured out I know he's lying, I got to tell him it's okay and I won't rat him out, he should know morse code if he got a hold of the books.' Makoto then began to tap his finger on the arm to rest the message, "I won't tell them about your friend. They are listening." over and over as he began to speak once more.
"There is another form of ESPer, but they are much rarer. Only two have been recorded in both worlds. This rare form of ESPer is called s Mind Hacker, which uses the morphogenetic field to read people's hearts and minds. This has been seen before in morphogenetic talents but not to this degree. The Mind Hackers cannot shift but can see into memories of those who have, even if they have forgotten the experience completely. With a bit more effort, Mind Hacking even allows temporary mind control, giving them full dominion of the target's actions while under their influence." Makoto tells me.
I took note of this but was mainly focused on the man tapping. Deciphering the message took me a minute, but I got it. 'He won't tell them. Does that mean he's on our side? Well, I'll have to trust him for now…' I thought.
"And that's pretty much everything on ESPers. Any questions?" Makoto asked.
"What exactly will I be doing at Sigma Labs?" I ask.
"At first, you will be doing some tests to identify your capabilities, IQ tests, Physical, morphogenetic connection level. But after that, tests will become harder and more punishing, some even life-threatening. You will do joint tests with other ESPers and will be put through intensely stressful situations." Makoto explains in a severe tone.
I swallow a lump in my throat at the intensity Makoto explains what I will be facing at the facility.
"Other than that, your life at Sigma should be fine. You will be given only the healthiest and moat gourmet food, have access to more knowledge than you had at Grace Field, have enough room to train your body to physical fitness, and can practice whatever skills you wish." The man tells me in a more cheerful manner.
'Somehow, the way he said that makes me feel like it's going to be okay…' I thought as I took a sigh. 'Should I ask him about William Minerva? No, he said they are listening, meaning the demons are monitoring us.'
"It's been an hour since we took off, so we should be at Sigma in about Five more hours. So get some rest, and if you have any more questions, don't be afraid to ask." Makoto tells me.
'Maybe I should. I didn't have much sleep last night.' I thought as I leaned back in my chair and closed my eyes.
Sleep takes me rather quickly as my dreams are filled with images of Emma and Ray discussing the continuation of the plan or, rather, the discontinuation in the plan.
I wake to Makoto calling me through the headset.
"Spencer, we are about twenty minutes away from Sigma Labs. Any last-minute questions?" Makoto asks me.
"Hmmm. What's the first thing that's going to happen when we get there?" I ask, a little groggy.
"Well, first, you will be given an anesthetic and go to sleep. While you sleep, you will be given your Sigma ID and tracker-s," Makoto says, stuttering the last part.
'That was weird,' I thought as he continued.
"Then you will be woken up and sent to your new room where your roommate will be waiting. His name is Sunny, and while he isn't talkative am sure you'll find a way to get to know each other. After you get your first night's sleep in your room, and after breakfast with the others, I will come to get you and bring you to your first tests." Makoto tells me.
"Okay, is there anything else I should know about the facility?" I question.
"Yes, as a subject, you don't have many rights to wander the facility outside of the living area. You will be escorted by a security officer when a test is scheduled. Andrew, the man from earlier, is the lead security officer, so watch out for him. He tends to be rough to children who don't do as he says." Makoto warns.
Suddenly the helicopter stops, causing Makoto and me to lunch in our seats. Luckily our seatbelts help as we slowly descend.
Makoto brings a hand to his headset and switches the channel.
"A little warning next time Andrew," Makoto tells the security officer.
"Shut up!" The angry man yells through the mic.
"Well, I guess we're here…" Makoto says as he switches to my headset again.
I look out the window to see a grassy plain. Part of the ground rises before opening up like a double door, revealing a landing pad about five hundred feet down.
Once we land, the door above us closes, plunging the landing area into darkness. Then bright beams of light switch on, allowing me to see everything.
The landing area was extensive, looking to be one-hundred-yard square. Several cars and trucks line the edge of the square with the landing pad in the center. I can assume that the northernmost side looks to be a car ramp onto a twisted ramp going up and down.
Makoto undoes his seat belt and places his headset in place as I do the same. He then opens the door revealing the security team there waiting.
"Could you cattle not waste my time? I've got more important things to do than be a sheepherder." Andrew insults as he makes his way to a van.
"Andrew, what have we talked about insulting the children," Makoto says in a disapproving tone.
"And what have I told you about ordering me around!" The glasses-wearing man yells back as he gets into the driving seat.
"*sigh* that man…" Makoto sighs, shaking his head. "Well, we better get in. We still need to get to the main facility underground. After we reach it, I'll inject you with the anesthesia."
"Okay," I said as we entered the back seats of the van.
Andrew drives to the ramp going down. I looked to the center, trying to see how deep it went, but I could not see the bottom. As we descended, I saw many floors that we could have gone to. Nothing caught my eye until the fifth one, where I saw several large, dark creatures with long nails as they moved boxes. The creatures had white, bony faces with eyeballs protruding out.
As I look at the creatures, I was reminded of the images I got from Emma back when she found out the truth and the nightmares she suffered from it. I was also reminded of Sister Krone's death at the hands of these demons.
"First time seeing them in person, right?" Makoto asked.
I nod as we passed the ramp and continued downward.
"Those are called the Tamed. They act like grunts, doing what they are told without question. As long as you steer clear of them, you don't have to worry about them." Makoto explains in a calming tone.
After he finishes telling me about the Tamed, we get off the spiral ramp onto a small parking area with some humans in white lab coats and a gurney, as well as a tall demon that looks a lot more human than the ones before.
"Okay, here we are, the surgical floor. Stick out your arm, and I'll give you the anesthesia. Don't worry, you'll be fine." Makoto says, taking out a syringe gun like before.
As I take out my arm and inject the substance, I immediately feel the effects of the drug. My vision started to distort and became fluid. My body slumped against the seat due to the sudden weight. As my consciousness faded, I could see Makoto unbuckle my seatbelt and lift me to the gurney, and then, darkness.
What felt like seconds later, I woke up in what looked to be a hospital room. As my vision cleared up, I noticed the new ID on my right wrist read ∑-05, just like Makoto's. On my left wrist was a watch. The face was black and showed the time 12:22 pm. The outer side of the face was some kind of black metal with four silver protrusions. The strap was also a black metal slab which was connected by thick metal wires.
The hospital garb I was wearing was white and covered my still numb body. Then I noticed Makoto standing next to me with yet another syringe gun.
"I just gave you something to wake you up. The surgery is done, and your ID was given. Now you just need your uniform and your Nullpad. The Nullpad is your go-to device. It will allow you access to certain areas, have your schedule, communicator, and several other features. Do you feel like you can walk?" The man asked.
It was strange. Despite just coming out of surgery, I felt fine. 'The surgeon is so good they can make it seem like nothing happened... I'll have to check my body for marks when I have the chance,' I thought, and I stood up.
"Good, your clothes are in the bathroom for you to put on. Your room has been outfitted with extra pairs and with bed wear as well." Makoto tells me, pointing to a darkened room to the side.
I walk into the room, causing the lights to turn on automatically, revealing a slandered bathroom. To the side us a coat rack with what looked to be a white long-sleeve button-down with white jeans, a white belt draped along with the frame with white boxers. On the ground under them were white sneakers.
I quickly wash myself, checking to see any new marks. After looking all over my body, I notice no new scars or injuries to indicate where the trackers were.
'How is there no evidence of surgery? Did they use something to accelerate my healing?' I thought as I put the new clothing on. Surprisingly the clothes provided were very comfortable and fit perfectly.
I exit the bathroom to see Makoto waiting at the door on the other side of the room.
"Come now, we need to get your Nullpad now. Then I'll give you a tour of the living quarters. You've been asleep for a while now, we arrived here a little after midnight, and now it is midday." The brown-haired man tells me.
'So I was asleep for almost twelve hours?' I thought as I walked to the door.
Makoto opened the door and walked into an empty hallway. He starts walking right of the door, which I follow him into.
He reaches what looks to be an elevator, takes out a hand-sized tablet-looking phone, and brushes it against the panel.
"This is a Nullpad. Yours is down in the engineering and communications level." He tells me as we enter the large elevator.
I notice the buttons on the elevator side, starting with one at the top and ending with twenty-seven at the bottom. Makoto pushes the number sixteen button as we begin to descend from the tenth floor.
"We won't be here long. After we get it, we will go down to the living floor down on floor twenty-one." the man tells me.
The door opens, revealing a hallway similar to the one we were just in. As we walk down the hall, I notice the plates on several of the doors.
"Bioengineering, Robotics, Annihilation… this facility deals with a lot," I said out loud.
"Yes. Sigma labs are one of the most advanced scientific research facilities in both worlds." Makoto says as he approaches a door labeled "Communications."
The man in his thirties scanned his Null, and the door slid open. Both Makoto and I enter to see several monitors and telephones along with an old ham radio. A desk to the side sat one of the demons, not the Tamed, but one with more human features. He was tall, standing about ten feet tall, with a red cloak around his body, leaving his skeletal arms free to move as he worked on a Nullpad. His mask was a dark red that had five eyes horizontal across his face.
The demon looked up to see the two humans who entered. "Ahh, Makoto, I've been expecting you." The monster said as he stood up.
"Roj, is Spencer's Null ready?" Makoto asked the demon named Roj.
The demon picked up the device he was working on and approached the two humans.
"Yes, I have completed it. All it needs is the boy's fingerprint to make it his own," Roj explains. "Speaking of, hello young man, I am Roj. I head communications here at Sigma Labs. No word spoken here is safe from my ears, no word written hidden from my eyes. I give you this warning, do not try anything, for I will see it." The demon tells the boy as he hands the Null to the boy in white.
"Thank you for telling me, Sir?" I replied, unsure of what to call the demon.
The demon chuckled at the boy's apprehensiveness in addressing him. "Keh, yes, Sir will work fine, Sigma-5. Now All you need to do is press the center of the Nullpad and have it scan your thumb." The demon tells me as he turns back to his desk and starts typing on his computer.
I do as the demon tells me, causing the screen to light up and the words, "Welcome to the Nullpad system! Please scan to register." I place my right thumb on the icon. Once the scan is complete, it says, "Welcome Sigma-5, Spencer." before going to the home screen.
'I'll go through it later,' I thought as I placed it in my pocket.
"Sigma five?" I questioned as Makoto led me out the door and towards the elevator once more.
"It's your designation. Each ESPer subject is given a number, one through nine. Once you graduate from a subject to work for Sigma Labs, the researchers will call you your proper name. Until then, you better get used to being called that." Makoto suggests as he once again sees the elevator.
"Ohh, so now we're going to meet them?" I asked.
Makoto smiles as he pushes the level twenty-one. "Yes, today is their day off from tests, so you will get a chance to meet them all," Makoto tells me as we descend.
The elevator door opens to the same-looking hallway as before. Makoto leads me down the left, where I again read the names on the doors.
"Library, gym, entertainment, dormitories. Where are we going?" I ask as I read out loud.
"I'm sure a couple of them are in the dining area, so that's our first stop," Makoto tells me as he approaches the Dining room.
Makoto scans his Null and opens the door. I walk behind the man to see a large white room with three circular tables, each having four seats. On the far wall are two closed windows, one with the label, deposit, and the other labeled pickup.
There are two others in the room, sitting next to each other on one of the tables, a boy and a girl holding hands.
The boy looked to be in his late teens. I guessed he was about five foot eight inches. He wore a long blue sleeve rolled up to his forearms and blue jeans, both of which looked worn down after use. He had short honey-blond hair that was messy but combed. He had an ivory skin tone and looked fit but thin. On his left hand was a black wrist guard that had a watch face on it. As he looked at the new people who entered, I saw his bright green eyes. They seemed wise and knowledgeable like he knew everything. The boy smiled at me and gave me a wave. On his right wrist was the tattoo ∑-01.
The girl next to him had long dark red hair that was tied up using hairpins that her hair was wrapped around, keeping hair from getting in her amber eyes; as a result, two strands of hair fell on the sides of her face and flowed in the back of her head at shoulder length. She looked just a little shorter than the boy she was next to and was very, mature looking with a large bust. She wore a red long sleeve shirt and a red skirt longer in the back than the front. Her frame was well built and fit like the boy, her skin porcelain. On her right wrist was the tattoo ∑-03. On her left was a watch identical to the one I wore.
She looked at me with a smile and stood up with the boy next to her as they approached Makoto and myself.
"So the new member of the family has arrived. I was excited when I heard we were getting someone new." The girl said in an excited tone. Her voice was smooth, much like Emma but older. "My name is Akiza. I'm seventeen years old and have been here at Sigma for five years."
"I'm Mathias. I'm also seventeen and have been here for five years but a little longer than Aki," Mathias says as he extends his right hand.
"I'm Spencer. I'm eleven years old, Umm nice to meet you," I said, shaking Mathias's hand.
Akiza looks at my neck, seeing my ID number, and gasps. "You're from Grace Field!" She exclaims.
"Uhh yeah… is that weird?" I ask.
"No, no, it's just surprising as the only other person from Grace Field is Matt here," She says as she grabs the boy's caller and pulls it down, revealing his ID number. 48925. The boy blushes and pulls his color back up while Akiza giggles.
"But… I didn't have any older siblings named Mathias…" I say in confusion.
"That's because we came from different houses. According to Makoto, Grace Field has five houses or 'plants' as they call them, I came from plant one, and you come from plant three." Mathias tells me.
Suddenly the sound of an alarm came from Makoto's pocket. Taking it out and looking at the screen, Makoto made a face of epiphany as he turned to the three of us.
"Look, I've got to go. It's time for Sunny's appointment. Mathias, Akiza, do you too mind giving Spencer the rest of the tour?" The man asked the two teens.
"Sure, no problem!" Akiza answered.
"Thanks, Spencer. I'll see you tomorrow for your placement tests at eight AM. Bye." the man waved as he exited the room.
Once Makoto left, the older Sigma subjects turned to me and smiled.
"So Spencer, how have you been feeling lately? I'm sure this is a lot to take in," Akiza said in a concerned tone.
"I- Uhm, I don't know... the past couple of days have been emotionally and physically draining. From the escape attempt to leaving everyone, to learn about the state of the world, that I'm an ESPer… it's just a lot." I say in a detached tone.
"Yeah, I get that. I was the same, but then I met Aki here." Mathias said as he kneeled down the My level. "Look, Spencer, the way you survive here at Sigma is forming bonds. I know you miss everyone back at Grace Field, especially Emma, but if you want the chance to see her again, you must survive." Mathias says, putting his hand on my shoulder.
"Yeah- wait, how do you know about Emma?" I ask in shock.
"Oh, yeah, Makoto didn't tell you, I'm a Mind Hacker, the only one ever to be born in this world. I just read your mind to try and understand you. Sorry if I startled you." He apologized.
"What have I told you about Hacking people without them knowing! It's rude!" Akiza scolds, bonking Mathias's head.
"Come on, Aki, I can barely control it!" Mathias whined as he rubbed his head.
'I didn't even notice he was reading my mind… how much can he see? Can he read the minds of demons?' I thought as Akiza took Mathias hand in her own, causing him to smile.
"Aki. We should get Spencer acquainted with the others and show him the layout of this floor." He spoke.
"Okay, your right… I was hoping to spend more time alone with you, but Spencer needs to get to know everyone." Akiza walked with Mathias to the door.
I followed them out as they led me down the hall.
I look at the two older children as they walk down the hall, holding hands and smiling at each other.
'Are they?' I thought.
"Yes. We are a couple." Mathias answered, "Akiza and I are Receiver and Transmitter for each other respectfully. We both arrived at Sigma within a couple of months and instantly became close friends. But as we grew and spent more time together, our feelings for each other grew with us." He said, stopping in place and looking at the crimsonette girl.
"We were confused and scared when we got here, and the others seemed more focused on self-preservation. Only Makoto seemed to truly care about us. But we found comfort in each other's presents. I could stay next to Matt for hours, and I would feel nothing but joy." Akiza says as they stare into each other's eyes. Akiza then went on her tiptoes and pecked Mathias lips with her own, giggling at his blush.
"Enough about us. Let's go to the library and meet the twins." Mathias says as he walks to the door labeled "library" and scans his Nullpad, opening the door.
Behind it was a large room, one bigger than the dining room. The walls were filled with books reaching at least twenty feet up. Rolling ladders on each wall allowed access to all books.
The ground floor had several isles of bookshelves that were considerably shorter, allowing someone of average height to reach the top shelf. At the center of the room was a rectangular table with many chairs and lamps on top. There, at the table, were two figures sitting next to each other. Both had long black hair tied into side ponytails on opposite sides of their heads. They were wearing the same clothes as myself, but colored purple.
Hearing the door open, both people sitting at the tables turned to the door simultaneously, revealing dark-skinned girls. They looked identical, same nose, mouth, and cheek structure, as well as same height. I guessed they were a little younger than Mathias or Akiza by a year or two. The girls looked at us with white eyes, staring at us with a smile.
'Are... they blind?' I wonder.
The girls got up out of their seat and approached Akiza, Mathias and I. The girl on the left's ponytail was on her right, while the girl on the right had her ponytail on the left. The one on the right had the tattoo ∑-06 on her right wrist, while the girl on the left had ∑-02. Each wore the watch on their left wrist.
"Hello, big brother Mathias, big sister Akiza." The girl on the right said.
"We see you brought a new face…" The girl on the left said.
"Who are you?" Both asked in sync.
A little shocked by their method of speaking, I stared at these 'twins' as Mathias called them. After a moment, I stumbled out. "Ohh, Uhh, I'm Spencer… I just got here from Grace Field. Who are you guys?" I asked, still a little uneasy about their white eyes.
The dark-skinned girls giggled in sync. "My my, he's a cutie, sister," the right girl said.
"Yes, indeed he is. Let us introduce ourselves." the girl on the left replied.
The two girls looked at Spencer and moved in sync, clasping hands with each other.
"Hello, My name is Erika/Erica. Nice to meet you." The twins said in sync.
"Ehe?" I said in confusion. Causing the other four to burst out laughing.
"Hahahaha. That never gets old, ever!" Akiza laughed out as she grabbed her stomach.
"Love your reaction Spencer," Mathias said, wiping his eyes.
"Ohohohoh, I do love doing that to new little brothers and sisters." The girl on the right said.
"Indeed, sister. Ohohohoh," The girl on the left replied.
"To explain, they are both named Erika. It's just they both spell it differently. Erika on the right spells her name with a K, while the one on the left spells it with a C. they both go by Erica, but you can just call them K and C. You can tell them apart by their hair. K has her ponytail on her right while C has it on her left." Mathias explained.
"Ohh, okay, nice to meet you, K, C," I said to the girls. "Umm, I have a question for you two… but it's a little invasive, I think."
"Oh Spencer, we can take a guess as to what you're wondering about…" K said, looking at the boy.
"You must be wondering about our eyes, right?" C said, causing me to nod.
"We aren't blind. It's just the color of our eyes." both of them say.
"Ohh, I guess new people ask you that a lot… right?" I guessed.
The two of them nod as I look around. While this conversation was going on, Mathias and Akiza stepped back, allowing us to get to know each other.
"Do you like books, Spencer?" C asked.
I nod in response, "Somewhat, I like Horror and Mystery books mainly, but I can read anything with an appreciation for the work."
"Good, we also enjoy reading," K said.
"During our free time, we are here," C told me.
"If you ever want to talk, just come find us, and we'll keep you company." They both said, in sync.
"Thank you. I hope to get to know both of you more in the future." I said, "But I'm sure Mathias and Akiza want to introduce me to the others before dinner, so we'd better go." I said, rubbing the back of my head.
"Understandable, we'll see you at dinner," C said.
"Bye, Spencer!" The Erika twins said in sync as I walked to the door, where Mathias and Akiza waited.
"Quite the pair aren't they," Mathias said as he opened the door with his Null.
"Yea never met anyone like them back at Grace Field…" I said as the three of us walked out of the library.
"I wouldn't think so. They are quite unique. Well, next, let's go to the gym and see if he is there. Oh, who am I kidding? He's always there." Akiza said with frustration.
"Aki, even if he's a little intense, he still is a valued member of our family and an asset to all nine of us." Mathias scolded.
"I know, but he doesn't have to be so hyper-focused on killing the Masks," Akiza complained.
"Masks? Is that what you call the demons?" I questioned.
"Yes, as all the intelligent ones of their kind wear masks to cover their face," Mathias explained. As he approached the door labeled 'Gym.'
"He's in there. Let's go!" Mathias said as he scanned to open the door.
Inside was a reasonably large room filled with various workout equipment. Cardio equipment like treadmills, stationary bikes, ellipticals. Weightlifting equipment like dumbbells, benches, barbells, and rowing machines, along with others. On the bench, lifting a barbell with many wights on it, was a boy who looked to be about the same age as the two leading my tour. His crimson hair was buzz cut, only leaving a small amount to identify the color. His arms and legs were thick and well defined with a beige skin tone. He was wearing an orange sleeveless shirt and orange workout shorts with sweatbands of the same color on his head and wrists. The wristband on his right hand covered his tattoo, making it unable to ID what number Sigma he was. On his left, the watch was just above the wristband.
As we approached, the boy placed the barbell in its resting location and sat up to look at us. His eyes were the same color as his hair, a deep crimson, his face was just as defined as his muscular body, but despite that, he seemed relatively short, maybe only just five foot. He picked up a water bottle from the ground next to him and took a sip before looking at us.
"Sup. did the traitor bring fresh meat?" the crimson-eyed boy asked in a stern and menacing voice.
'This guy... is rather serious and intense. And strong by the looks of it, that barbell weighs one hundred pounds on each side…. I better make sure not to piss him off.' I thought.
"Ryan, We talked about the way you address Makoto. He isn't the enemy. He is trying to keep us sane and alive." Mathias scolds.
"Pff, he works for the Masks; therefore, he is a traitor. Enough of him. I'll get pissed. What's your name, fresh meat?" Ryan asked, looking into my eyes.
"Uhhh," I say, a little intimidated by the bulky boy's stare. "I', uhh am Spencer… I came from Grace Field…"
"Pff, stop stuttering fresh meat. It'll piss me off," Ryan tells me as he smirks.
Akiza walks over to the sitting boy and smacks his head. "Stop acting like a delinquent and intimidating the new member of our family. Can't you tell your staring is making him scared?" She says as the boy recovers from the hard hit.
"Can't help if I'm tough. Maybe he should grow a backbone?" Ryan suggests, earning him another smack to the head.
"Apologize and properly introduce yourself," Akiza orders, raising her hands for another smack.
"Okay, okay, fine. Sorry for making you uncomfortable, Spencer. Names Ryan like Matt said. I'm the muscle of the Sigma lab rats. Don't piss me off, and your chances of survival increase." the older boy says.
"Ugg, you're impossible," Akiza complained, walking back to Mathias.
"Nice to meet you, Ryan. So are you the physically strongest out of everyone?" I ask, wanting to know a bit more about him.
"Yep, can bench two hundred pounds consistently now and can punch at seven hundred PSI." the teen with the buzz cut bragged.
"Why do you train so much?" I ask, 'I can take a guess… to escape.' I guess in my head.
"To kill the traitor humans and all the Masks," Ryan said with a deadpan expression.
"Ohh, uhh, that's very ambitious?" I say, unsure of how to respond. 'Killing all demons and the humans who work for them? That's a lot of people and demons if they live in this world like humans would…' I thought.
"I prefer, eager for revenge and justice," Ryan counters.
"More like aggressively stupid," Akiza says under her breath.
"You wanna go bitch?!" Ryan said, standing up from the bench.
"Ohh, you want to fight me, do you? Well, come at me, you angry little man!" Akiza antagonizes Ryan as she raises her fists.
Ryan was about to charge when he suddenly stopped. He was frozen in place.
"Enough! both of you! Fighting is only done in the ring, and never out of anger! Aki, Ryan, I know you don't get along well, but can you calm down for the next couple of days or until Spencer is used to us and our antics." Mathias said, trying to reason with the two angered redheads.
Ryan's body relaxes, and he steps back, leaning on the bench while panting.
"Grrr, fine, get out *pant* I'm about to do some overhead presses and *pant* and I don't need the fresh meat or monster tits to get in my way," Ryan says, getting up and moving to a new machine.
"Mo-monster Tits!?" Akiza exclaims, covering her chest with her arms.
"Ryan!" Mathias says in a disapproving tone. "Really?"
"Whatever, see you around fresh meat," Ryan says as he starts his reps.
"We should go before this escalates," I say to the two of them.
"Fine, but soon I will beat that little man into the ground…" Akiza says, very pissed off.
"Yea, let's go to the entertainment room. I'm sure the other girls are there," Mathias says as he leads Akiza out the door.
Once the gym door closed behind them, Akiza let out a yell in frustration.
"Uhaaaag that punk! He pisses me off to no end! What's his deal! Calling me monster tits! I mean, what the hell!" Akiza vents as we walk down the hall.
"It's because you two are opposites. You are caring and want to solve problems with your brain while he wants to solve them with his fists. I will say, deep down, he respects you for your strength. You have respect for his determination as well. But his comments on your body were uncalled for and untrue. You are beautiful, Aki." Mathias said, bring his arm around Akiza's shoulders.
"*sigh* I know, but he's just so mean. I feel like all he cares about is his killing the enemy, with no regard for who gets in the crossfire… I just wish he wasn't so aggravating…" Akiza replies.
"Umm, I may be new here, and I don't know what kind of history you have with each other, but Ryan seemed like he wants to help every one of us. It's just that he only thinks violence will work," I said,
"Your right. He really wants all of us to get out alive, but he also wants revenge for all the siblings he lost back in his orphanage and here." Mathias tells me.
"Ohh, I almost forgot, what happened to Ryan when he was about to charge at Akiza? he just stopped like he was frozen in place," I asked.
"Oh yeah, I guess we never told you," Mathias says as he stopped in place.
The eldest Sigma subject turned to me to explain.
"As a Mind Hacker, I can read the minds of people around me absolutely, but I can also take control of a person's body for three seconds. This is different than a Gift or, as Makoto called it, as my gift is the ability to sense the minds of living things around me. This sense limits normal things that I don't know personally, a five-hundred-foot sphere around me. If I know them, both human or Mask, I can pinpoint who is who. Also, If I am close to them, like Aki or the other Sigma's, I can pinpoint them from a much farther distance." Mathias explains.
"That's really cool! Can you control the minds of the dem- I mean the Masks? Can you read their minds? If you're close to someone, how far can you sense them?" I ask in excitement.
"Woh, calm down, Spencer. In order, Don't know, yes, when I am able, I can sense my friends back at Grace Field. However, over time, the number is dwindling…" He answers, looking down at the last part.
Akiza takes his hand in her own and intertwines their fingers before turning to me.
"My gift is to alter others' perception of myself, So I can go invisible," Akiza says as she disappears from sight. "Or make myself look like someone else," Akiza appears with the face of Ryan, "and change my voice," She said, "Look at me, I'm big strong Ryan, I don't read, all I do is pump iron like a man," She says in the voice of Ryan.
"Wow, and I thought Mathias's Gift was cool… I bet there is a lot more you can do." I say.
"Yep, the downside is I can't affect people looking through cameras. I can affect multiple people during normal conditions, but as of now, I can only do it to one person at a time," Akiza says, changing back to herself.
"You still don't know your gift, but that will change soon. You can ask the others what their Gifts as you get to know them. For now, let's go see the last two girls." Mathias says as he approaches a door labeled "Entertainment room."
Opening the door revealed a large room full of things to pay with. Arcade machines, TVs, a bookshelf of board and card games, and action figures and dolls neatly stood on a table. There were various Instruments like a piano, violin, and harp along with CDs and records in a smaller bookshelf in a corner.
Next to the arcade machines were two girls, one looked to be a little older than me, and the other looked almost exactly my age.
The older girl has long, curly orange hair that flowed down her back. She was wearing the same clothes we all wear, except hers were colored green. She was focused entirely on the game she was playing, her hands moving the joystick and pressing the buttons erratically. Her right hand had the tattoo ∑-07. On her left wrist was the watch.
The younger girl had dark brown hair tied into a bun on the top of her head. She was wearing a gray uniform. She was also playing the game with the older girl but was a little too short to properly play as she was reaching to play the game. Her right hand had the tattoo ∑-08. She also wore the identical watch on her left wrist.
The three of us approached the girls while they played. As I came closer, I could see they were playing a fighting game of some sort, and the older girl was winning by a large margin.
"Pennnnnyyyy! Let me playyyyyy!" the younger girl whined in a high-pitched voice.
"Oh my dear, this is playing!" the older girl, Penny, said in a playful voice.
The younger girl let out another whine as the game over screen displayed, saying player one won.
"Hehe, come now, Tika, what did you expect?" Penny asked, looking down at the other girl.
"I expected to be allowed to move…" the younger girl said.
"Hehem," Akiza said, getting the two girls' attention. Now that I could see their faces, I noticed how much the older girl looked like an older Emma, with the same green eyes and roundish face. Her skin was also the same pale tone. She was taller than me but shorter than Akiza.
The younger girl had big violet eyes and a face still rounded by baby fat. Her skin was cool ivory and a little shorter than mine. Her black shirt was rolled up to her elbows.
"Matty! Did you come to play with me!" The orange-headed girl said with excitement, bounding over to the older boy.
"No, Penny, Mathias did not come here for you," Akiza said in a deadpan tone.
"Right, we came here to introduce you to our new family member," Mathias says, pushing Penny back with his hand on her head as she tries to hug the older boy.
"New family member?" The younger girl said as she looked at me. She then walked over and hugged me.
"Yes! I'm no longer the youngest! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She said as she jumped up and down.
"Uhhh…" I said, a little overwhelmed by the two girls' antics.
"Oh, a new face!" The older girl said, stopping her attempt to hug Mathias and walked to me. "I'm Penny, and the one hugging you is Tikvah. Who are you?" Penny asked.
"Ohh, I'm Spencer. Nice to meet you two," I said, as Tikvah separated from hugging me.
"Nice to meet you too, Spencer! I'm sorry for suddenly hugging you. It's just that I'm really happy that I'm no longer the youngest." Tikvah apologized.
"It's no problem! It's actually nice given I just met with Ryan and his… abrasiveness." I say apprehensively.
"Ahhh, I see. Have Akiza and Matty been teaching you about this place?" Penny asked.
"Yeah, they've been teaching me well. Why do you call him that?" I asked, confused about how she addresses Mathias.
"Ohh, that's easy, Matty here is my soulmate!" Penny says, her eyes fluttering and her hands clasped together.
"Ehe?" I say as Mathias sighs and Akiza growls.
"Penny, we talked about this so many times I am no longer keeping count. I am with Akiza now and forever. I'm okay with being friends but nothing more." Mathias says.
"Yeah, and I'm not sharing," Akiza says while grabbing hold of Mathias's side.
"Foooor noww." Penny says in a teasing voice.
"Penny, you look a lot like my friend from Grace Field. Do you know why that is?" I ask the girl.
"Grace Field? I don't know. I'm from Glory Bell. Matty, do you know?" She asks.
"Well, it's probably cuz you share a common ancestor. Back when the worlds separated, only a certain number of people were left behind to become the baes for all farm children. To some degree, we all share an ancestry, but the Masks have manipulated our genetics enough to make all our genetic code varied and safe to be used to create new offspring." Mathias explained.
"So basically, everyone can have children safely even though we are somewhat related?" Penny asked.
"Well, yes. I'm guessing you and Spencer's friend are more closely related, though, possibly cousins or something." Mathias says.
"So then we could have babies?" Penny asks in a flirtatious tone, causing the rest of us to blush.
"Penny!" Akiza yells at the girl, causing her to giggle.
"Hehehe, oh come on, Aki, I know you're thinking the same thing." Penny teases again.
"Can we move on from this topic? I don't think I can handle much more." Tikvah said, covering her red face.
"Yes, umm, how old are you and the others?" I ask.
"Ryan, C, and K are fifteen, where C and K are older than Ryan. Penny is fourteen, and so is Sunny, the last person you have to meet. Tikvah is almost thirteen." Mathias explains.
"Okay, so I am the youngest at eleven, turning twelve in March," I conclude.
"Yep!" Tikvah says happily.
'Great, from one of the oldest to the youngest…' I thought as Mathias laughed out loud.
"Sorry, sorry, it's something Spencer is thinking about." He says,
Just then, a soft alarm plays in the room, sounding like a chime.
"That's the dinner bell. Let's go get something to eat. I'm sure you're hungry, Spencer," Akiza says as she and Mathias approached the door.
Penny rushes over behind Mathias and follows him out as Tikvah gestures for me to follow.
As the five of us walked down the hall, I saw Ryan and the Erika twins walk out of the rooms they were in and head to the dining hall.
When I walked in, the rest of the Sigma subjects lined up on the wall next to the Pickup window. In front was a boy I had not seen yet. I assumed he was Sunny. He was a little shorter than Penny. He had Short black hair and thin black eyes that looked almost like he was zoning out. He seemed very thin, his arms lanky and his Black outfit a little too big for him. His skin was very pale, paler than anyone else there. On his right hand was the tattoo Sigma ∑-09. And Like everyone else, he wore the watch.
The boy scanned his Null on the panel next to the window. After a couple of seconds, the window opened with a tray of food on it, looking to be spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread, an apple, cut carrots, and a glass of milk. He quickly took the tray and walked toward the door to exit from the dining room.
"Oh uh, Hey, Sunny, right?" I ask, trying to stop him.
The boy stopped and looked at me with no expression. He softly nodded as he stared at me.
"Hey, I'm Spencer. It's nice to meet you. Makoto says we will be sharing a room. Uhh, I was wondering if we could eat together so we can get to know each other?" I propose.
Sunny looked at me before shaking his head and looking at his food, then back to the door.
"I see. You want to eat alone?" I guess, to which he nods.
"Well, okay, I'll see you in our room. We can get to know each other than," I say with a smile.
He nods, remaining monotone before walking out of the dining room.
"Well, you tried, we have been asking him to eat with us since he got here two years ago, but he always chooses to eat in his room," Akiza says.
"He has his own reasons, reasons I will not reveal," Mathias says cryptically.
"Well, let's eat. You saw how to get your food, right?" Akiza asked.
I nod in response and get in line. When it was my turn, I scanned my Null into the panel, and a moment later, the window opened, revealing the tray. On the tray was a bowl of stew, with a steaming baked potato, fruit salad, and a glass of milk.
I picked it up and walked over to the twins, who were sitting alone.
"Do you mind if I sit here?" I asked.
"Go ahead." both of them said at the same time.
I sat down across from them and began to eat the food. The taste of the stew was incredible, thick, meaty, and with various veggies. Eating the potato with it was even better.
C, K. I was wondering, you've been here almost as long as Mathias and Akiza, right?" I ask.
The twins' nod in confirmation.
"So other than those two, you have the most experience here at Sigma," I questioned.
"Not really," C said.
"We have other big brothers and sisters who've graduated," K continued.
"Like Makoto," C said.
"Other than him, there are five other graduates who work for Sigma labs." They both say.
"So those six graduates have the most experience, then Mathias and Akiza, then you two?" I summarize.
"Yep." Both of them nod.
"Kinda off-topic, but why do you talk in sync like that? Did you come from the same plant?" I asked.
"No, sadly," K says, looking down at her stir fry.
"While we both come from the farm Goodwill Ridge, we grew up in different plants. For as long as we can remember, we felt like something was missing. And I always heard a voice that sounded just like me talking." C said.
"We were shipped here at the same time, and the moment we met, we haven't been separated for more than a test or two," C said.
"And we wish to keep it that way." the twins tell me.
I smile. The sisterly love they have must be strong, stronger than I could comprehend.
'So C is the Receiver, and K is the Transmitter. Okay.' I thought.
"I have someone back home I wish I could be next to for all time. Her name is Emma, and she's been my best friend ever since we were babies. It hurt me a lot when I had to leave. I wanted to be with her and escape this cruel world together. I want to see her again, as I thought the last time I saw her, I was on my way to death, but now that I know I'm going to live, I have to see her again. I won't die until I can see her again." I say with determination.
"Sounds like our new little brother…" C said.
"Has a little crush on a girl back home." K continued.
"Good for you! We believe in you!" They said together.
I blush heavily and start eating, trying to move on from the embarrassing conversation.
The rest of dinner continues without much incident. Soon I finish eating and walk behind Akiza at the 'deposit' window.
"See, here's what you do when you're done eating, Spencer. You scan your Null to open the window," Akiza explains as she scans her Null to the panel. Which opens the window.
"Then you place the tray with all the stuff on it inside the window and scan again," Akiza says as she places her tray on the window. She then scans her Null again, which closes the window.
"And that's it! You have to wait a couple seconds before the next person can deposit their tray, but that's it." Akiza said.
After a moment, I scanned my Null, causing the window to open. I then placed my tray with the empty bowls, plate, and utensils inside the window. I scanned once more, closing the window.
"Good! Usually, we still have an hour until bedtime, but I'm sure you're tired, and this will give you time to get to know Sunny and your room. Mathias will lead you to the male dorms." Akiza says, pointing to the older boy standing next to the door.
I walk over to the boy in blue as he opens the door.
We walk down the white hall alone.
"So the rooms are separated by gender?" I ask.
"Yes, it's because the ages of the subjects here usually are pubescent, and they don't want us doing naughty things," Mathias tells me.
I slightly blush at the insinuations as we approached the door labeled, 'dormitories.'
The door opened, revealing a new hallway. On either end, a door, on the left was the symbol for male, and on the right was the symbol for female. Both doors had a panel next to them for scanning a Nullpad.
"Only boys can open the boys' dorm, and only girls can open the girls' dorm," Mathias tells me as he scans his Null on the Male dorm, causing it to open.
Inside was a square room with five doors.
"That blue door over there is the bathroom. It has toilets, baths, and showers. The rest of the doors are dorm rooms. Inside the bedrooms, there is a sink and toothbrushes along with everything you'll need, clothing, towels, and a charger for your Null. You'll Need to charge your Null every other day for an hour," Mathias explained.
'Wait, if there are four dorm rooms and four boys, why don't we each get our own room?' I thought.
"It's complicated. But let's just say Sunny needs, someone to connect with him, and cuz he never leaves his room, it's hard for us to get close to him." Mathias explains.
'Oh yeah, Mind hack.' I thought, remembering his abilities.
"Sunny needs help, Spencer, and it's something I can't do. Something happened to him in the past, I won't say anything, but he needs someone to help him." Mathias says, looking down at me. "He doesn't talk much, so don't be discouraged if he doesn't respond to you. He's a good listener and does acknowledge you, just not in a conventional way."
"Okay, which room is ours?" I ask.
Mathias pointed to the door closest to the bathroom on the right. I walked over to it and saw the panel I use to scan my Nullpad. I took mine out and scanned it, causing the door to open.
Inside was a plain white room. Two beds on either side facing the door, with sliding closets on the wall at the foot of them. Near the door was a sink with a mirror cabinet, with two glass cups with a toothbrush inside each one. Next to the door on the ground was a tray with dirty dishes from before on it.
On the right side bed was Sunny, sitting crisscross and looking down as he sketched into a black book. His clothes were different, wearing a black tank top and black and white striped shorts.
Sunny looked up from his sketching directly at me with the same expressionless face as before. He shyly waves before returning to his work.
I go over to my side and start investigating my sleeping area. Inside the closet was a small place for me to stand and change in private, along with four sets of the clothes I was currently wearing. There were also two sets of sleepwear that look like Sunny's, only completely white, and two sets of workout gear like Ryan was wearing. A towel was neatly folded on the rack alongside some swimming trunks.
'So there's a pool? I guess swimming is an experiment…' I thought as I exited the closet in my pajamas.
Sunny continued to sketch, paying no mind to me as I approached.
"Hello Sunny, good to see you again." I greeted.
The black-haired boy looked up at me with a monotone expression and waved again.
"So, Mathias told me you're not the social type. But I figure that if we're going to be roommates, we better get to know each other a little bit. I'm still new here, so I don't expect you to respond or tell me anything, but if I could just tell you about myself a little, you might get to know me better." I said to the older boy.
He continued to stare at me with a blank expression before nodding and gestures to the edge of his bed, allowing me to take a seat.
"Thanks," I say as I sat down.
Sunny closes his book and stares at me for a moment as I collect what I wish to say, his Black eyes showing no emotion.
"Well… as I told you back in the dining room. My name is Spencer. I'm eleven years old. My birthday is March second. I'm from Grace Field house, where I have many friends, but none greater than my best friend, Emma." I listen as I look at Sunny.
Sunny's expression doesn't change, but I could tell he listened to everything I was saying. It wasn't something I could see, more like I could feel like he was listening.
"I would say that I'm smart. I easily got full scores on the daily tests for the past five years. My favorite subjects include chemistry and psychology. I love puzzles of all kinds and enjoy trying to solve things. My hobbies include cooking, playing house with the younger ones, and playing my piano." I tell the fourteen-year-old.
At the mention of my piano, Sunny's eyes widened in shock. His shock dissipates to a saddened look in his eyes like he remembers something. The first time I saw him with emotion, and it's shock and sadness.
Pushing on, I continue. "I loved playing relaxing songs and lullabies for the other kids, either playing from songs my caretaker gave more or making my own," I say.
Sunny's eyes drift back to me as the sadness is slowly replaced by the same void expression as before.
I wait for a moment, trying to think of something else to say, knowing he wouldn't answer any question. Then I looked down at his closed sketchbook and got an idea.
"Hey, do you mind if I see what you are drawing? I love looking at artwork." I ask, pointing to the black book in Sunny's lap.
Sunny looks down at the book for a moment, contemplating my request, before picking it up and handing me his book.
"Thank you," I say as I open the book.
On the first page was a decapitated head in a pool of its own blood. Then, Sunny's own head in a mandala of cats, knives, tentacles, and arms. Then a page full of a pattern of symbols and x's, planets, tentacles, food, toys, and animals. Next, a sea of white cats bathed in the blood of one black cat above them.
After the sea of cats, a page with was what looked like a younger Sunny in a bath of a dark, viscous liquid, while the clothes he was currently wearing were hooked, along with a red bra. The next page had Sunny and two other faces in some sort of liquid, one had shoulder-length hair and was grinning, and the other was a girl with a bright red bow and very long hair. Behind them was a giant sea serpent. The page next to it had a table with a scribbled cat head on top.
The next page had a cake with eyeballs falling out of it, and a fork jammed into its side. The next page had a playground filled with slabs of meat and bloody weapons. Next, a cat in a tuxedo walking while Sunny was in a bed. The next to last page had a single red hand and several lightbulbs. And lastly, an uncooked steak.
'What the heck…' I thought as I was looking through the disturbing drawings. 'Sunny, what is going on in your head?'
"Wow, going past the dark bloodiness of them, these are some interesting drawings! Very surreal and psychedelic." I complimented, handing the book back to the pale teen.
He took the book and nodded, then yawned.
I yawn in return. "Man, even though I woke up at noon, I feel wiped out. Guess I should get some rest." I said,
Sunny gave a thumbs-up as he and I got up to brush our teeth.
I opened the mirror cabinet to see a medicine box and toothpaste. 'I guess the meds are for Sunny.'
After I brush my teeth, I sit down in my bed and take out my Null.
I placed my right thumb on the Null, causing it to unlock with the text. "Welcome Sigma-5, Spencer."
I swipe around, taking a look at all the applications.
'Map of facilities, accessible areas, calendar, schedule, calculator, mind games, call, text, alerts…' I listed in my head as I swiped around. I then click the schedule app to see what my day tomorrow will be like.
'Seven AM is breakfast, then at eight is a test like the once back home, then a thirty-minute break, then at nine-thirty is a physical for two hours, then lunch, then an interview and psychological evaluation, next is a morphogenetic test, then Dinner and bed.' I read.
Yawning again, I close the Null and place it on the bed stand next to me. I cover myself in the comfortable bed, as did Sunny. A couple minutes later, the lights turn off, plunging the world into darkness. I close my eyes and recall the craziness of the past two days.
'My first night away from home, from Emma and the others. I wonder what my first dream will be?' I thought as sleep overtook me.
My dream was interesting, but that's for another time, for now; let's get to the next day, the beginning of my evaluation tests.
Chapter 15, end.
HOLY SHIT, THAT WAS LONG. I wanted to chop it up, but I felt like it was essential to establish the new main characters of this arc in the first chapter and get everyone's impressions of them. Now, for those who might have noticed, yes, Akiza is based on the character of the same name from YUGIOH 5Ds, and Makoto is based on the Danganronpa character. Penny is somewhat based on the looks of Penny from RWBY, and Sunny is, of course, Sunny from OMORI. These are just names and characters and (baring Sunny) won't have any story elements from their respective games/shows implemented into this fic. As for why I changed Andrew's look a bit, no comment. I hope this wasn't too much for a first chapter and gave you a good idea of what's to come. My hope is that this arc is about six chapters, but that may change. Again, pointers, criticism, and reviews would really help me better my work. Thanks for reading.
Have a nice day