I woke up at 6:30 am, which was unusual for me as I'm used to my mother waking me up every morning. Since I started going to school, I thought it would be nice to surprise my parents by waking up on my own.
The excitement of getting a new holographic watch yesterday made me forget about my homework, but it was just elementary math, so I knew I could finish it quickly. I went to my new room, which I was happy about since I finally had my own space. It had a study table next to the door and a bed in the corner, which made it the perfect place to get some work done.
I approached the study table and pressed a button on the side, and a screen popped up, allowing me to get started on my homework. Once I was done, I freshened up and lay down on my bed, exploring all the amazing features of my new watch. The watch had a holographic projection, a health monitor, and all the features of a typical smartphone. Although I could have done my homework on my watch, I preferred to write it down on paper.
I spent some time browsing through social media and watching some videos, the content I watch was nothing out of the ordinary, and I was just passing the time before my day began.
As I made my way downstairs, the sweet scent of breakfast wafted up to my nose. I could hear my mother bustling around the kitchen, getting everything ready. It was a comforting routine that I had grown accustomed to over the years.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," my mother greeted me as I entered the kitchen. "You woke up by yourself today. My little baby is growing up now."
I grinned at her, feeling a sense of pride at the fact that I had managed to wake up on my own. "Good morning, Mom. What's for breakfast?"
She motioned to the table, where plates of scrambled eggs and toast awaited us. My father was already seated, his eyes glued to the holographic newspaper. I noticed the mug of steaming hot Brewvana sitting in front of him, it was beverage similar to coffee.
" Good morning, dad." I said.
He nodded, his eyes still glued to the news.
As we sat down to breakfast, my sister joined us at the table. We chatted idly as we ate, discussing our plans for the day ahead. My sister and I had school, while my parents had work. I still didn't know exactly what they did.
As we finished up breakfast, my mother cleared the plates away and prepared to head out. My mother had started working when I was 5. Apparently, she took a break from work to take care of me.
We said our goodbyes, and my sister and I headed off to school.
It had been six years since my first day of school, and I was now turning 13. My sister, who had taken a break from studying to find her goals, was now 19 and preparing to attend university. It was a wise tradition that ran in our family, and I admired her determination.
As for me, today was my first day of high school, and my parents and sister seemed unusually concerned about it. I wasn't sure why, but I would find out soon enough.
I had donned my uniform and was ready to go, having already had breakfast while my parents got ready.
It was strange that my family would be taking me to school today, as they hadn't done so when I started middle school. I waited nervously with my sister, who would be leaving for the capital tomorrow.
"Don't worry too much. Everything will be fine," she said with a comforting smile, but it only added to my growing apprehension.
Anyway, father and mother came and we arrived at my school. Unlike my first day of school, which was a mix of excitement and nerves, today I felt only worry. .
Despite my parents' attempts to reassure me, I found their words to be of little comfort. My mind was racing with anxious thoughts, and no matter how hard I tried to calm myself down, I couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in my stomach.
Perhaps it was the unknown that scared me.
'What if something goes wrong? Did they find out my strangeness? Do they know I was ou of this world?' I thought to myself, unable to silence the questions that flooded my mind.
I disembarked from the hovering car, marveling at yet another awesome feature of this world. I made my way towards the towering high school building, knowing exactly where to go, class 1-A. The clock read 9 am, and I had half an hour before classes started.
As I stepped into my classroom, I noticed that everyone had already arrived, including some new faces. But what struck me most was the palpable unease in the air, evident in the anxious expressions of my friends Julius, Leela, and Adelina, the newest addition to our group since middle school.
Curiosity getting the better of me, I asked, "Anyone know what's so special about today?"
Adelina's response was cryptic, "It would be better if you didn't know."
Undeterred, I persisted, "Come on, tell me, and I'll treat you all."
"What do you have to offer?" Adelina retorted, her smile tinged with unease.
"I'll treat you, I'll treat you," Julius and Leela chimed in.
Before Adelina could respond, our homeroom teacher, Miss Daphne, entered the room earlier than usual. Her somber expression and lack of usual amiability further heightened our anxiety.
"Students, today marks an important day for you all. Perhaps the most important of all. Ready yourselves, we will be going somewhere now. Enter the school buses, you have 10 minutes," Miss Daphne announced before leaving the room.
We obediently boarded the buses, not knowing where we were headed.
The buses brought us to a remote location in the forest, near our sector 11. As we disembarked, we followed the teachers in silence, completely unaware of what was going on.
Though I was anxious, a sense of relief washed over me, knowing they had not discovered my peculiarities. This was something big, unique to this world.
After what felt like hours, we arrived at a high-tech building in the woods, heavily guarded by weapon-wielding robots. As we entered the building, we were greeted by a few people in white lab coats, a male and a female. Their serious demeanor gave us no time for pleasantries.
"Good morning, everyone. You all must be highly tensed noticing all the adults' unusual behavior today. Worry more because you're about to find out why. You've all learned geography and geology over the past six years. Unfortunately, everything you've learned about our planet is false. Our planet looks like this," the male scientist said going straight to the point, revealing a large hologram of a planet that looked nothing like what we had been taught.
The planet was split in two by a massive river, encircling the entire planet like a snake. The river was surrounded by dense forests on both sides, with cities and countries beyond that. The other half of the planet appeared incomplete, with blank spots and no advanced regions.
Two massive mountains at the poles were the origin of a river that branched into smaller rivers, with the main branch flowing towards the gigantic river, avoiding it by flowing in the air just before meeting it.
"This river you see in the equator is called Nagvinashak, which we'll learn about later. The mountain in the north is called Fonsmirus, and the mountain in the south is called Dúnbhríogh. Before we continue, please proceed to your individual rooms," the female scientist said, pointing towards the endless rows of rooms in the hallway, all covered in white.
I made my way to my designated room. As I entered, the door locked automatically, amplifying my unease. The room was wholly white and bright, refreshing my memory of something I wished to forget. I was screaming internally.
"Can you hear us clearly?" A female voice came out of nowhere.
"Yes," I replied, feeling confused and disoriented.
"You are to strictly follow the commands given to you now. Do you understand?"
I hesitated for a moment, but then replied, "Yes."
Suddenly, a small black box emerged from the floor in front of me.
"Do you see the black box?" the voice asked.
I nodded.
"Pick up the black box and press the red button on it," the voice commanded.
I reached out and grabbed the box, my hand shaking as I pressed the red button. To my surprise, the upper part of the box receded, revealing a droplet of silvery dense liquid inside.
"Do you see the droplet in the box?" the voice asked.
I stared at the liquid, feeling a sense of dread and uncertainty.
"Now carefully tilt the black box and bring the droplet onto your palm. Be careful, don't drop it. I repeat, don't drop it."
I followed the instructions, trying to keep my hand steady as I tilted the box and watched the droplet land on my palm.
"Now swallow the liquid without dropping it," the voice instructed.
I hesitated, wondering what this strange liquid could be and what it would do to me. But something about the voice's tone made me feel like I had no choice but to obey.
Slowly, I lifted my hand to my mouth and swallowed the liquid. It tasted strange and heavy, like nothing I had ever experienced before.