Time passed by slowly as a breath was gathered... Finally, time began to speed up again and the second question was asked (1st one in the previous chapter). "Why did you come here?" Stryker furrowed his brows as he began to think as to why, but it didn't take long for him to think of an answer.
"I wanted to leave the tube as soon as possible as I was shocked and so I ended up here. Everything that has happened up to now is a result of me just wanting to leave."
"Why didn't you leave?"
"First off, I didn't know if the suction would send me back and I didn't want to go back to that tube, that's why I bothered coming here. Also, the corridor was empty, and besides it being pitch black, it was a lot better, just quiet."
"Do you know who we are?"
"No."
The questionnaire continued for a while, the time uncountable. Several of these questions were sensitive, yet because of Stryker's circumstances, he decided he had to answer them to the best of his abilities while keeping some facts hidden. As a result, when the questions ended, the party of 2 wore indifferent expressions. The man sighed and left the room, his prosthetic leg making the sound like that of a machine. The man had remained unmoving throughout the duration of the questions, his expressions being one of suspicion and confusion at some points. The woman in white glanced back at the door the man left in and turned her head again, glaring at Stryker. "You seem to have been uncooperative but for some reason, you don't have the aura of a person who is lying. Because of this, I have decided to settle the decision of what to do with you to the higher-ups."
Stryker closed his eyes as she left and began to ponder on the events that occurred up until this point, trying to recall his surroundings and any details that would provide some insight into where he was, the type of society he was in, and the level of technological advancement. Beginning to think, he realized the pressure that was on top of his arms was lifted. With this, a grin was shown on his face, only then realizing he had dead arms so they just flailed around.
Searching his surroundings, the room looked quite large, possibly around 40 meters in width and length. Stryker's depth perception was exceptional so his measurements were pretty accurate. The room had the design as if it was an array of metal boxes, stacking on one another. Standing up and looking around, 2 finger wide gaps were visible, including what seemed to be buttons. *So, there are countless buttons, 1 door, a grey table, 2 chairs, and nothing else*, he thought. Knowing it was better not to touch anything as there was an unknown factor, Stryker gave up on the inspection. As this happened, a growl was heard and caused a frown. *Since I'm not home and obviously won't be given food now, this is just plain depressing*.
He had long since stopped examining the room. Stryker found it was too dangerous to treat this place like an escape room game. This is something not to be toyed or messed with, even if it may be fake. Wincing at his own realization, he found nothing else to do but try to imagine something interesting. Ever since he was a child, 7 or 8 years old, he loved a world of mythical fantasies and action. By taking advantage of his abundant passion for such a world, time flew by. Even his stomach seemed to stop churning with pain.
After what seemed like a few hours, another person came in. Again, the man with the prosthetic leg followed. *Is he some type of bodyguard or something? He doesn't seem to be normal, almost as if he comes just because.* As Stryker began to analyze and assume, his eyes squinted, giving off an uncomfortable feeling to the man. The person who came in first was another man, standing at a good 5'11, lean and with a mellow expression. He was not without some wrinkles, looked middle aged, and gave off the vague sense of a sage. Taking note of his appearance, Stryker noticed something different about the man with the prosthetic leg. There was a staff on his back, length unknown but at least 7 feet. *How could I not notice an item with such a gleam as that?*
Then he began to worry. The sudden appearance of the weapon reminded him of death... and home. While it appeared Stryker was fine, his mind was already breaking inside. He was just your average high school student who got good grades and played several sports, lacking a bit of communication skills due to prior events. How could someone like him suddenly be presented with a seemingly real world that wasn't his original? The fact is, Stryker's imagination kept his mind intact, at least it looked that way from the outside. Bottling down the worried feeling even though his vision began to turn white, the middle aged man sat in the chair opposite Stryker, just as the woman in white did. Since Stryker was already in his seat, he didn't think about having to be reminded or told to sit, a scenario that appeared in his head. Pressure again kept his arms firm to the chair arms. *I swear, where the hell does this restricting pressure come from?*
"So kid, I'm sure she told you about your situation, yes?"
Stryker was slightly unsure if the man was referring to when the woman told him he was in a bad situation (assumption) or if maybe the woman was supposed to be more specific but he still nodded. The unsure expression on his face caused the man to lower his impression of Stryker. He thought maybe Stryker was too stupid to be sure of his answer regardless of the fact it was a simple question.
"I have to say, after a discussion, there has been a conclusion. You have basically intruded onto government property, and regardless of the fact that there was no warning or sign that you shouldn't head here along with the fact it was easily accessible, you must pay the price. Seeing as you are a young teenager and don't realize what you have gotten yourself into, I'll cut you some slack. 5 years in our private jail, how about that?"
Stryker's expression froze.
"You being serious? I-I..." Stryker didn't know what to say. He hadn't done anything wrong and the mellow man made it clear he wasn't going to be reasonable or negotiate. What was he supposed to do with such a situation? The staff already gave off an intimidation factor. Wouldn't he be severely injured or something if he refused? How worse would his situation be? Stryker hesitated to acknowledge or agree to the terms. A stubborn boy, he stuck to the ideals he believed was right. People these days seem to have a knack for such a mindset, doing what is right and all this other crap, forgetting that life isn't just black and white. In the end, Stryker chose to suck it up and agree, considering his circumstances.
"Fine, I'll do it."
Although he would leave when he was 20, it could be better than if he was to be stubborn and refuse to go. There was no risk Stryker wanted to take and jail seemed like a gateway to information on this world. It would be easy to realize the difficulty of trying to survive in a world he was randomly brought into while sleeping. Living outside, no way to pay for expenses, he would just become a beggar, wasting life away. At least in jail he should have a place to sleep, clothes to wear, food to eat, a place to use the bathroom, and so on. Thinking about the benefits of going to jail, it suddenly didn't seem so bad. The one unknown factor was the treatment he would receive. He was hoping for some higher quality area as he only wandered into the wrong place because he had no knowledge and was under nervousness and shock. As if the gods heard his words, he was granted such a result.
"As the only major infraction was you entering a prohibited government space without prior knowledge and by accident, you will be given a tier 2 room. It'll look like some cheap apartment and the food you will receive will be above the prior tiers, maybe like fast food. Also, you will be paid 500 credits per month and will be given access to books and some channels."
Settling the situation, the man left the room and glanced at the man with the prosthetic leg, almost like a silent command. Walking over to Stryker, the pressure was lifted but Stryker failed to move. The subconscious overbearing presence was too much and his vision became even whiter. Seeing this, the man stopped and felt conflicted. The boy was nearly petrified yet all he was doing was harmlessly walking towards him. As if Stryker realized what the man was thinking, he began to calm down and believe he wasn't in any danger, his vision becoming normal again.
"My name is Cear. You will probably see a me a bit while your time is being served. Also, don't even think this weapon is a staff. It's my prized Bo, Ethereal Bloom."
Stryker became slightly embarrassed and cautious as he had really believed it was a staff but it looked like his knowledge of weapons wasn't very extensive. Cear seemed to be cold but bearable enough to where small talk could be feasible. Realizing this was his chance, Stryker asked a question.
"Where did the pressure originate from?"
"Me. I can control the power of the 1st Gravity Glyph, giving me the ability to increase gravity on different parts of the body, 3 limbs at a time."
Hearing this, Stryker was intrigued. It looked like this world may be something for him. Though this was true, it would remain his top priority to get home. Upon walking out the door, he saw what the surroundings looked like. Unlike the pitch black corridor he first entered, it seems this one was the opposite, a clear industrial white, dazzling with a gloss and with a flawlessly smooth design. Around were several doors, the pattern on the floor a zig zag, connecting each door to the next. After walking for a few minutes, the 2 began to walk down a long staircase. Along the way, Stryker tried gathering more information about the world, mainly about the powers of glyphs and weapons. At some point, Cear changed his expression and stopped speaking. It was when Stryker asked about if there were any artifacts. Not understanding why Cear was being uncooperative, he pouted in his mind but kept an unsatisfied expression on his face.
From when he first entered this new world to now, a mere 13 hours had passed, most of his time spent knocked out. His main goals were to get out of this place, return to his family, adjust to this new world regardless of feelings, and gather as much experience as possible. The order of priorities went from highest to lowest, emotionally fueled. Stryker had shown signs of temporary acceptance and was hoping to grow from this new place, whether real or fake. His mind was still broken but he would try to fix it. There is a saying: the past is the cause, the future is the effect. Causality becomes karma....
Reaching the bottom of the staircase, Stryker showed a determined and seemingly unbreakable aura as the door to the jail opened and he entered into the world of Enigmas.
~~Chapter 2 Acceptance End~~