Once we stood there, everyone understood. Swallowing their own saliva, everyone's eyes nervously gathered at a single point. A lone person, standing on the podium, his eyes steady and full of confidence.

The atmosphere was cold, however, there was no coldness to be felt outside of the hall. This freezing atmosphere was coming from the man on the podium. His eyes didn't wander, he stared at the student body that was in front of him. As if ready to face all of them on his own.

"I welcome you all to Metis private academy. All of you who are standing here right now should be proud. You have displayed a level of talent and potential which managed to catch the eye of the school. That in and of itself is something that should give you a sense of pride."

His voice was resolute and confident. He spoke loud, so that every student present would hear him.

Behind him, a line of chairs were present. On each one, a person of varying age and gender sat. Dressed in suits and the like, they sat in silence and observed the students. A wall of wood found itself behind them. Probably the outer wall of the gymnasium.

"However, whilst it is the truth that you should be proud to have been accepted, you should not get conceited. You have merely earned the right to attend the school. All of your peers have earned the same right. You are in no way special." The boy, the student council president's, eyes burned through the audience. He wasn't looking at anyone in particular, however, it felt like he was staring at everyone present.

Some couldn't take the pressure and averted their eyes. They looked at the floor or tried looking at the people behind the boy, avoiding his gaze. Normal teenagers weren't used to having this much pressure laid down on them.

Still, there were some that seemingly didn't feel fazed by his presence at all. They kept their eyes centered on the boy, their postures uptight. Different emotions were displayed on their faces. Some were smiling, whilst others displayed seriousness.

"This next period of your life will be fraught with challenge. You have managed to prove yourself worthy of attending, however whether you're worthy of staying is something you will have to prove during your stay here. The teachers sitting behind me will help guide you down the proper road, but whether you take their guidance and walk that path depends on you. First year students! You who have managed to get in but have not proven yourself! You will face many challenges during your stay in this school, however, the fact that you were accepted is proof that you have the potential to face these challenges. It will be difficult, but I am certain that you possess that which is needed!"

I could feel it. A glimmer of excitement welled up inside of me. The student council presidents pressure was immense, how it should be.

"You're teachers will tell you all about this in due time. Keep your eyes open, listen carefully and your results will show. Thank you for paying attention." Finishing his speech with a bow, the president lifted his eyes, relieving the pressure.

Students, seemingly feeling more confident, could look at him again. As the pressure disappeared, so too did their fear. Casual exchanges started appearing as they clapped. The hall became more rowdy as a result.

Stepping forward, the people sitting behind the student council president, took to the microphone. The first to speak was an older man, probably in his forties, with no hair to speak off and no other discerning features. He, similar to the other adults, was sharply dressed.

"Students sorted into class A, follow me."

Short and sharp, the man finished speaking and left the stage, going down the stairs at the side. Students began leaving the crowd and following after him. Was he guiding them to their class?

The group quickly left the gym, leaving the others behind. Waiting until after the door closed behind the last student, another guide took to the microphone, announcing her intentions.

"All the students lucky enough to be sorted into class B, come with me!"

Smiling as she spoke, the woman with long brown hair and similar colored eyes stepped off of the stage. Happily striding through the other students as she headed towards the exit. Similar to earlier, students began following her and the gym was a group less.

The guides stood on the podium in silence. Observing neither students nor their surroundings. They stared into blank space. As the door closed behind the last student, the next person walked up to the microphone.

***

After some time, the number of people left in the gymnasium reached around 30. Looking around, there were both males and females left. Both athletic as well as intelligent people seemingly remained in this group.

Looking up at the podium, there was only a single guide left. Sitting calmy with her legs crossed, the brown haired woman watched as the door closed behind the last student of the previous group.

"Damn, she's pretty hot, don't you think so?"

"You only noticed? I didn't think you were this slow, Al. My eyes have been on her since even before the student council president spoke."

"Shut up. My eyes were drawn to all the other cute girls that were here earlier. There's too many cuties to choose from."

"Don't act like you have options. Maybe it's better if you stay more realistic. I don't mind introducing you to my girlfriends friends. I'll put in a good word for you."

"Buzz it. It's not like you have a girlfriend either, Kyle."

"I was talking about the future of course. A guy like me, in the prime of his youth, won't stay single for long you know."

Two guys started talking in front of me. They both wore the schools mandatory black uniform. With white shirts underneath, the black and white of the uniform synergized perfectly with one another. Additionally, the black trousers the boys of the school were forced to wear matched with the uniform as well.

Incidentally, the girls were obligated to wear white blouses with a black colored blazer and skirt. It looked matching to the boys' uniforms.

"Quiet down already. Can't you see she's about to speak."

Luckily someone called out to them and stopped this idiotic topic from being discussed further. Being called out, the two boys quickly looked away with red faces. No more words left their mouths. The woman on the podium looked in their direction as well. She sighed, before opening her mouth.

"Class E."

Her voice was low, containing no feeling behind it. It lead one to believe that she didn't want to be present. Turning around, the woman descended the stairs and walked towards the door. Opening it, she walked through.

Looking around the room, nobody made a single move. Some people had their mouths open, whilst others stared in disbelief. Did the teacher really just leave? Thinking along those lines, they must be trying to connect the dots.

It took a few seconds before a person walked up to the door and stopped it from closing. It was a girl with curly red hair. She opened it and walked through. After her, it didn't take long for a couple more people to begin moving. Soon, all of us were on the other side of the door.

On the other side, a completely white hallway greeted us. The floor, walls and ceiling were all covered with a white material. It's appearance was similar to what one might recognize as an insane asylum.

The guide stood on the other side, with her arms crossed and her eyes plastered on the group. Looking at her expression, it was tough to guess what her thoughts were. It'll take a little more time.

"All of you read the contract you signed. Leave your phones in that box." The guide cast her eyes to the side.

"What?! Our phones? What do you need them for?"

"It's not my job to explain it to you. You should've read the contract before you signed it." The guide said as she turned around.

Everyone left their phones in the box. Some immediately understood, whilst others struggled to let go of it. In an uncertain situation, having a phone gave a person some form of relief. They knew they had a tool to rely on if something went awry. Eventually, everyone was walking behind the woman.

"If you did a little research before coming here, you should already know. This school is different than others. Your lives in this school will be different than those of your peers outside of it. It will be harder, more competitive and more dangerous." The woman continued walking forward as she spoke. "Let's see, what else do I have to say…The goal of the school? Yeah, it's to be the best there is."

Hearing those words, I could feel a small smile blossom on my face. I looked away, but the fire burned from deep within. This was it. This was the beginning. I finally got the chance to…

Prologue end