Chapter 1: Accepting Denial【P3】
Sayoko
To whoever decided gathering students indiscriminately was a sound strategy—may your end be cold and alone.
The sun is a merciless executioner, cleaving anyone who dares to step into its domain. My umbrella displays its versatility as I navigate the sweltering pavement.
The terminal doors draw closer, channeling the slow-moving crowd toward the entrance.
First an endless ferry ride like shipping cattle and now a farm shed to finalize the slaughter. How did the government fail so spectacularly that we have to be moved all the way out here.
I finally cross the threshold, leaving the oppressive heat behind. To the school’s credit, the interior is kept blissfully cool.
Yet, the line remains agonizingly slow.
The people inside possess even less restraint, breaking out into fresh grumbles every time the umbrella forces them aside.
A grumpy-looking girl makes eye contact with me, looking ready to push back against the dome. I slowly shake my head with a gentle smile. My eyes widen, prompting her to huff off.
How fascinating. One would think the sudden luxury of air conditioning would make the masses a little more, domesticated.
Thankfully, the dome of my umbrella takes care of the needed distance.
Every few steps forward, I glance back at the glass doors, checking the stream of students pouring in from the heat.
Still nothing.
No allies in sight. Let alone a familiar face from home.
Given the sheer size of my home region, I expected at least a decent contingent of my peers to make the cut. The lottery spares no one.
The winding line constricts, funneling into a faster single-file staging area. The sudden pace replaces my regional musing and brings me to something else… demanding.
“What is the problem! There is literally no difference!” A girl leans over the counter, almost hammering the worker her hand. “I need my own phone, everything I have is on it! This is ridiculous!”
The worker does not even blink. “School policy does not allow personal electronics.”
He lifts a lazy finger, pointing past me. “Take it to the shipping desk and have it sent home. You cannot proceed with it.”
“But—”
His posture does not budge.
The girl snatches up her backpack with a cloud of venomous mutters and finally steps away.
Animals. The voracious kind.
“Next!” the worker calls out to no one in particular.
Stepping into the freshly vacated space, I summon my practiced smile and offer a polite nod.
He glances over me—though I am not sure why—before sliding his gaze down to my hands.
“Your registration papers, please,” he drones.
“Of course!” I chirp, presenting the documents with both hands.
He leafs through the pages with a shoulder-sagging sigh. Mumbling a few words of approval, he gestures blindly toward a plastic tray on the counter.
Click.
The umbrella retracts effortlessly at the press of its button. A quick tilt of my wrist sends the frame sliding beside my backpack into the tray. The scanner above it and the pillars around me thrum to life, humming in sync before flashing green.
A few taps on his terminal, a whir from the printer, and card slides into view. He plucks a phone from the large charging dock beside his monitor, tapping the device against the plastic until it reacts with a chime.
“Your student ID card and phone.” He slides them across the counter. “The device is linked and useless to anyone else. Try not to lose it… at least until you choose an advisor who can handle a replacement for you.”
“I will guard it with my life.” I take the items and put them into my pocket.
His attention shifts past my shoulder. “Next!”
The pleasant expression dissolves from my face as I gather my belongings and step away.
Click.
The shield deploys once more.
I merge with the stream flowing from the facility, stepping outside where the sun immediately strikes down to resume its execution.
The path opens up into a large stone plaza, a fenced-off expanse so immense that even the crowd of thousands fails to fill it.
Mercifully, a patch of greenery breaks up the gray landscape. A lush tree stands near the perimeter fence, promising a pocket of slightly cooler air.
The invitation is far too sweet to pass up, drawing my steps toward the quieter edge.
As I reach the base of the trunk, a feeble twitch catches my eye.
Small, featherless, and stripped of its dignity.
Looking up, a cluster of twigs is wedged at arm’s length in the lowest fork of the branch overhead.
No doubt the creature was pushed out by its stronger siblings to secure a larger share of the morning worms.
Yes. The demanding, merciless design of nature—adapt or fall behind. You cannot expect chances to be handed out equally.
It is... a painful reminder of how powerless we are when the verdict is already decided before we even get a say in it.
Stepping into the tree’s shadow, I face the open plaza. It is not much, but it offers at least some resistance against the authoritarian heat.
I look around at the center of the square. A barren platform sits under a cluster of loudspeakers. The admission materials never specified a schedule, but deducing a speech is imminent takes little effort.
They are certainly taking their time, trapping their audience at the mercy of the elements…
Click.
Without looking down, I sweep the umbrella down with its accustomed precision. The tip sends the pathetic thing skittering across the dirt and into the bushes with a faint rustle.
Click.
The deploying fabric cuts off the rays filtering through the leaves, casting a familiar gloom over my face. A small sigh escapes my lips as I am left studying the underside of the dome again.
Happy with yourself?
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Discover what happens next in: Chapter 2: Honest Deception【P1】
Written by Limited_Infinity. Extras, official publishing platforms and updates are publicly available only on the Patreon page “_Limited_Infinity_”
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