Friday night was terrific.
A game night, alone with the boys took all that tension from studying and constantly going up and about out of me.
I felt relaxed, calm, and ready to take whatever the day was going to throw at me.
But unfortunately, it's Moody Monday, the most boring day of the week. Even my 3 a.m motivational speech couldn't take the dread out of it.
I settled in my desk and hung my black satchel behind it, seeing Ben already there, an early bird as usual.
Some of our mates were already in the class. Others were gossiping outside the door, or perhaps going to grab a few snacks before morning lectures.
Rummaging my bag, my hands finally found the ever elusive pen I stol.. ehh ehmmm borrowed three days ago. Though I doubt it will live to see the next.
I don't know if it's just me but pens have always been problematic. It's like one moment it's right on your desk and the next it just vanishes. Like it teleported to a different dimension. And then it comes back when you least expect it, only to vanish once more. Never to be seen again.
Taking out my book as well, I continued to write the draft of my book. My pen flew across the paper as I began to inscribe my thoughts and ideas.
Not long after I began, my ears started to pick up some strange sounds. I brushed off, thinking of it as nothing more than a nuisance.
Thinking of the current plot of the story, I got to brainstorming. Except my ears identified that irritating noise. My brows furrowed as I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate on where it was coming from but found nothing. Like it was in my head.
And this time it seemed a bit different from the first.
Louder.
Unintelligible, but definitely louder.
My mind was a maze as I contemplated. Perhaps it was all in my head. But then I scanned the room, seeing expressions of befuddlement and scepticism.
My gaze landed on Ben who also looked at me, puzzled as I was. Then I realized, it was real.
Then it came a third, quite clear this time. Still unintelligible, but I caught snippets of something else.
Language.
German, Spanish, French, English, Asian languages and others I wasn't sure of in that sound. I'm not a polyglot but I'm sure I would at least recognize French or Spanish when I hear it.
That voice, whatever it was, sounded like it was learning.
Light flooded my eyes, as a blue screen flickered into being right in front of me. Not perfect but I could somewhat make out what it was trying to say.
[⟨Ҩ҉⟆ ፨⟁⧖ 𐑄૭ֆ ჟ⊶Ҕ ᓭ֍≀ Ϟลท ዐൠ⚏ … ini⧘tiཡat⸠ing … asᚪsimɪl⧕at…ion pro⟢⟢tοc…ols …]
In that moment it clicked, what all of this was. Something we never imagined would be remotely possible in our world.
A status window.
As I grasped the overall situation, my hand hold the pen at this moment began to tremble uncontrollably with excitement. I had to ball a fist to attempt to control myself but my face was already grinning with anticipation.
Immediately, I slammed my pen on the table, before scrambling out of my desk, even tripping halfway before getting my feet. Reaching Benjamin's desk, I grabbed his shoulders and shook him aggressively.
"Ben! Ben! Are you seeing this?!"
His excited expression grew more when he saw me approaching.
"Of course! If you can get ?!"
Knowing that he also got the gist of the situation, I dapped him up and jumped to shoulder bump him.
"YES! YES! YES!!!"
Pumping my fists in excitement, we yelled But before we could celebrate any longer, that mechanical monotonous voice sounded along with the flickering screen.
[All intelligent life forms on Planet Earth, Satellite of Yellow Dwarf, Sun.
Prove yourselves or die]
[10]
[9]...
I was practically jumping joy at the circumstances. That is until my eyes fell on the last part of the system's message hit me.
'Prove yourselves or die'
Simple and cold. No congratulations, no wishes of good luck. Simply a choice.
To live, or die.
I swallowed hard after the meaning of the message sunk in. We were about to be tested and tried, in blood and fire.
People would definitely die, and I'd better make sure I'm not one of them.
I snap my head to look at Ben, noticing his knitted brows and grave expression he's most likely figured it out as well. After all he's read a lot of novels so if he doesn't notice this he might as well bash his head somewhere.
The earlier excitement replaced by tension and the reality of how close death could be.
With only a few seconds left of deliberation, we make a mutual nod of understanding and make a break for the cleaning locker.
My gaze sweeping the room as I sprinted for the supplies noticed a plethora of reactions from other people.
A few students saw this as some overly intricate prank and laughed it off as some practical joke, some even attempting to livestream.
Others were clearly besides themselves with fear, losing their wits with the abrupt death sentence.
Worry etched across my face at the possibility of meeting my demise. Yet the thought that I too, could gain power beyond anything I believe possible gave me an optimistic outlook at the current predicament.
I would survive.
Ben's thick arms swung open the locker as we swept our hands through the tools. Trying desperately to find anything with even the slightest semblance to a weapon.
My eyes brightened considerably as they landed on a broom. Quickly, I snatch the wooden broom, my mind racing to come up with a plan.
Yet before I manage to gather my thoughts, I feel a slight vibration beneath me.
Rumble, Rumble, Rumble
I stagger, my hand holding onto the wall as I barely regain my balance.
"Padi! Under the desk! Now!"
I hear Ben's voice call out to me but I haven't enough to respond before the quaking intensifies.
Without a moment's hesitation, I dive to the ground, my arms outstretched to brace myself for the fall before crawling low beneath my desk.
Louvers shattered, a few screams accompany it in a symphony. Some of terror and others of pain.
I lay on the ground, curled up like an armadillo and my hands covering my head.
With all the pandemonium, my sense of time was disoriented not certain how long the earthquake lasted but eventually it did subside.
Still unsure of whether it was safe, I waited a bit longer before finally gather a little courage to peek out.
Shattered glass lay scattered all over the floor. Some mates, not so lucky as evidence of it in the form of cuts the shards had streaked on them.
A sigh of relief escaped me as I felt the immediate danger had passed. But then again I was proved wrong.
A blood curdling scream pierced my ears from downstairs, sending a shiver up my spine.
'What in the world could make someone scream like that?'
My insides churned at the thought, my inner voice warning me not to go. But I shrugged it aside and ran to the balcony to look over, albeit swayingly as I had still not recovered from the earthquake.
As I looked down, my eyes widened in fear as I took the sight. My knees buckled and went as I fell to the ground, unable to process what I had seen.
"W....w-wha...t wa....s th...a-t?"
Gasping for air I stammered, clearly shaken at the scene. The shouts for help sounded distant as I recalled the display. Slowly, I rose to my feet, still wobbling and weak and looked again.
A blue shimmering portal stood right at the ground, and out of it had come beasts.
Beasts I had constantly disdained.
Beasts I had considered weak and insignificant.
The low of the low.
That green skinned abomination had already jumped on a student, stabbing its black dagger into the poor victims chests again and again and again.
Blood squirted like a fountain, guts spilled out onto the floor, mangled and bloody as the creature cackled madly in relish at the terrified expression of the boy.
It took great delight in that pure, suffocating, fear the student felt. Licking his lips as if he could already taste how delicious it was and its wicked cackle grew deafening and more demented.
Then, from down there, it raised its gaze and locked eyes with me. That maniacal smile grew even wider.
"Fuck."
The previous optimism from the thought of gaining power vanished, followed by the cold awakening to the truth.
'This isn't a game.'
I had told myself many times already but now I really knew.
Death was here.
Closer than I thought.