Chapter 1.5
Johnny stood at the gates of True Cross Academy, the morning sun casting a warm glow on the pristine grounds. The school buzzed with activity—students rushing to class, teachers chatting in hushed tones, and the occasional sound of laughter drifting through the air. It all seemed so normal, so perfectly ordinary, that Johnny almost forgot what lay beneath the surface.
Beside him, Shiro was leaning casually against a pillar, lighting a cigarette despite the "No Smoking" sign posted nearby. He exhaled a plume of smoke and smirked at Johnny. "Ready to see the real reason you're here?"
Johnny adjusted the strap of his bag and nodded. "Yeah. Let's get to it."
Shiro pushed off the pillar and led the way through the main courtyard. As they entered the main building, the polished floors and ornate decor reminded Johnny of every prestigious school he'd ever seen in movies. It was almost too perfect, and he couldn't shake the feeling that it was all a facade he didnt know when he was a student here.
They made their way to a seemingly unremarkable elevator tucked away at the end of a deserted hallway. Shiro pressed a series of buttons on the panel—numbers and symbols that didn't seem to follow any logical sequence. The elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, and Shiro gestured for Johnny to step inside.
"Welcome to the section 13 the shit show known as the asylum," Shiro said, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he joined Johnny in the cramped space.
The elevator began its descent, the hum of machinery. The numbers on the display didn't make sense, jumping erratically as if the system was deliberately designed to confuse anyone who didn't know its secrets. Johnny felt a slight shift in the air pressure as they went deeper, his ears popping slightly.
"How far down does this go?" Johnny asked, breaking the silence.
"Far enough," Shiro replied, his tone nonchalant. "The asylum's buried deep underground. Gotta keep the freaks and secrets out of sight, you know?"
Johnny frowned but didn't press further. The term "asylum" felt heavier now, more ominous. He'd heard whispers about the place—rumors and half-truths passed around by people who didn't really know what they were talking about. But now, standing here, he was about to see it for himself.
The elevator finally came to a halt, the doors sliding open to reveal a dimly lit corridor. The walls were lined with reinforced metal panels, and the air was cooler, carrying a faint antiseptic smell. The sound of distant machinery and people hummed in the background, a constant reminder of the facility's purpose.
Shiro stepped out first, his boots echoing against the floor. "Come on, kid. Your job starts here."
Johnny followed, his eyes scanning the hallway. It felt like stepping into another world, one that existed parallel to the polished facade of True Cross Academy above. This was the asylum—a place hidden from the light, where the real work of the academy was done.
They walked for several minutes, passing through a series of security checkpoints. Each door required Shiro to swipe a card and input a code, the layers of security growing more intense as they went deeper. Finally, they reached a large, reinforced door that hissed as it unlocked.
Beyond the door was a sprawling central hub, the heart of the asylum. The room was circular, with multiple corridors branching off in different directions. Monitors lined the walls, displaying feeds from surveillance cameras throughout the facility. Scientists and guards moved with purpose, their expressions serious.
Shiro gestured to a corridor on the right. "That way leads to the living quarters. You'll be staying here for the duration of your assignment."
He then pointed to another corridor, this one marked with a sign that read "Kindergarten." Johnny raised an eyebrow, and Shiro smirked at his reaction.
"Yeah, I know how it sounds," Shiro said. "But that's where you'll be escorting the clones. It's a secure area where they're monitored and educated. Think of it like a daycare for science experiments."
Johnny's stomach churned at the thought, but he kept his expression neutral. "And my job?"
"Patrolling the halls, escorting the groups to and from the kindergarten, and making sure nothing goes wrong," Shiro said, his tone turning serious. "The clones are valuable assets, and this place has its share of… complications. You'll see soon enough."
Johnny nodded, his mind racing with questions he wasn't sure he wanted answered. Shiro clapped him on the shoulder, his grip firm.
"You'll do fine," Shiro said. "Just don't screw up, and you might even survive your first week."
With that, Shiro turned and walked off, leaving Johnny standing in the middle of the hub. Taking a deep breath, Johnny squared his shoulders and headed toward the corridor leading to the kindergarten. The weight of his new responsibilities settled over him, but he refused to let it crush him.
This was his chance to prove himself, to show that he belonged here. Whatever lay ahead, he was ready to face it.