"Get in..." Tom whispered, looking on at the deep black Chronicle that rested in Kamari's hands. He was astonished. He'd done a lot of research when it came to the Magic Metaverse Tournament, yet he'd never actually seen such Nature. No matter how deep one would look, there was never any actual proof that Dark Nature existed to the outside world, the only thing that came close to mentioning it was the Magic Metaverse logo, which showed a sixth slot next to Light Nature's symbol.
Kamari, holding his Chronicle with both hands, looked around at everyone's gazes with a flat expression. The two masked adults had wide eyes from behind their black masks, their stares were somewhat fearful of the boy. Tom was not afraid at all, in fact, the pale blondie looked excited.
"Um, excuse me..." Kamari said to the woman quietly. "...You said there are five Natures. What is this?"
The two masked adults looked at each other briefly before the lady began answering the boy's question. "There are only five, at least, that's what was said. There were rumors about a sixth, but no one thought it was real. Your Nature is Dark. It is said that... Dark Nature-"
"Participants 125 and 126, please make your way to the lounge area as soon as possible." The woman's voice was cut off by another that spoke through the room's intercom. Having a strict schedule to keep up, the man spoke to the boys, dismissing them. "Go ahead and head to the lounge on the first floor. Congratulations you two." said the man, and so the two boys made their exit and the true essence of Dark Nature remained a mystery between them.
As the two boys left the room, they walked past two more competitors, both taking a notice of Kamari's Dark Chronicle. Kamari noticed their gazes, though he didn't think much of it. On the other hand, Tom couldn't stop talking about it.
"Do you realize how mental it is that you have Dark Nature? Literally, no one else has even seen one!" Tom said, walking backward ahead of Kamari with his eyes locked on his shadowy book. "Mm." Kamari responded with a disinterested grunt as he didn't understand the weight of what he was holding, nor did he really care. Unlike most people, he never kept up with the Metaverse's lore. He'd only ever watch the grand finals of the event, and that was only due to it being the only thing that was legally allowed to be streamed worldwide during the day of the event.
"Can I hold it?" Tom asked, leaning forward and looking up at his roommate with a sly, begging face. "Go for it, man." Kamari said lazily as handed his Chronicle over to the boy, however, upon the book transferring hands, it immediately dispersed into a black fog before reappearing in Kamari's hand. "Wicked..." Tom muttered breathlessly as he watched the haze slowly fade away into nothingness. It was an unknown rule to the two boys at the time, but only the true wielder of one's Chronicle may hold it to prevent trading or borrowing before matches.
After a disappointed groan from Tom, the two boys continued on until they reached the lounge. Inside, there were hundreds of young adults, all scattered around the room socializing with each other despite the scenario. A few appeared scared, but most seemed proud to represent their nations.
The lounge was massive, looking a lot less cold in comparison to the empty corridors within the facility. Though the walls were still of metal, there were inviting displays of art, fake windows that gave the facade of a scenic view, and colorful lights that emanated from the chrome walls. Comfortable, soft-looking furniture was scattered all around the room, being filled up by the many participants who had already found their way into the lounge. Those who weren't sitting were participating in the many games that were displayed around the room, similar to that of an arcade. It was incredibly lively.
Already, alliances between representatives began to form. Whether it be between roommates, gender, race, or Nature, people were already settling into factions.
In one corner, what appeared to be a group of Eastern boys were talking to each other, laughing and telling jokes as if their lives wouldn't be on the line soon. Though most of the representatives of the Asian nations seemed to be together, there were two exceptions. Off to the side, there was a boy who appeared to be Tsundoran, in fact, it was the same boy that they ran into on their way to the Chamber of Awakening. This time, the Tsundoran boy was sitting alone with his arms crossed. His cold glare sent a shiver down anyone's spine upon making eye contact with him. Matching his chilling gaze, the boy's light blue Chronicle, being of the Ice Nature, floated in front of him.
In a different corner, there was a girl that appeared to be from the nation of Wonkolia sitting alone on one of the many sofas. She stood out due to her sunny, orange-dyed hair that was cut in a bob, along with her Light Chronicle that rested by her side. She seemed shy, rubbing her arm as her eyes darted around the room, avoiding the gazes of those whose attention she had garnered due to her rare Nature.
As her eyes went from person to person, she locked eyes with Kamari, glancing down at his Dark Chronicle before looking back into his blank stare. He glared back at her, though his eyes became relaxed upon seeing her, erasing the usual frown that was almost always plastered on his face before Tom tapped him with his elbow. "You fancy her, mate?" Tom teased, immediately snapping the two out of their impromptu staring contest.
Kamari ignored him as he walked away, finding a seat on an empty couch. The two boys sat next to each other, noticing that everyone in the room was staring at them, including the ice-cold Tsundoran in the corner. "Looks like you might have a target on your back." Tom whispered, implying that the boy's unique Chronicle was the reason for everyone's glares.
"I guess..." Kamari replied, appearing as if the stares of those around him seemed to not affect him. The only person's eyes who seemed to have any sort of effect on him were the eyes of that Wonkalian girl. He couldn't quite understand why, but she intrigued him. As more kids poured into the lounge, the two would often catch the other's gaze, though they both wondered what the other thought of them.
Kamari wondered if the girl was afraid of him, perhaps his Dark Chronicle and his blank stare made her nervous. Inversely, the girl wondered if he were glaring at her due to her Light Nature. Due to the two being opposites, it would be a fair assumption that one would beat the other. That hypothesis was never tested due to Dark Nature and Light Nature never having come into contact with each other, but it was still something that was often discussed amongst those who knew about Dark Nature's existence.
In due time, all two hundred and fifty participants had entered the lounge, along with the masked man and the masked woman, joining the room with Chronicles of their own. "Hello everyone! Once again, congratulations on obtaining your Chronicles! I know a lot of you guys must be having fun in the lounge, but the show must go on. Follow me, we will soon begin our presentation on Natures, Chronicles, and the rules of the Magic Metaverse!" the masked man instructed them.
And so, like sheep, the participants stood up and began following the two adults, bringing themselves one step closer to experiencing the harsh realities of the game for themselves.