A cacophony of endless babbling and incoherent mutterings, whizzed about the spacious room, spacious beyond measure. This plain white room, if one could still consider it such, lacked furniture, ornaments, windows; there was nothing, save disgruntled humans, comprising solely of a dizzying amount of adolescents. Despite the staggering amount, these people had adequate maneuvering space. Some were sitting or kneeling, most were standing, and a few were lying on the white, spotless floor.
A diverse palette of races and skin gradients, males and females, tall and short, had arrived simultaneously and some were eagerly discussing their current predicament, others lamented, drowning themselves in both tears and despair,while a few stayed utterly silent.
Alex had not said a word for the thirty minutes that followed their arrival. She navigated the scene skillfully and searched the many faces she came across. She moved speedily and deftly avoided anyone who seemed intent on either approaching her or conversing with her.
She came to a halt in a scarcely occupied area. She had weaved past thousands of people present, yet her brother's location remained obscure, though she knew that she had failed to even check half of the total gathered. She considered yelling Marcus' name but she knew her calls would meld with the voices of others. Her previously black hair was now chestnut brown. The original colour of her hair was brown before she dyed it black after the death of her adoptive parents, making it hard for anyone to recognize her. From what she overheard, many that had disabilities or illnesses were healed. Those with contacts no longer found them replaced with excellent vision. Those who had coloured their hair or beard found the colour was back to its original state. Piercings and tattoos were gone. Unsurprisingly, most devastating of all for some was the loss of all items such as jewellery, shoes, phones, braces and wigs. Yes, they were all barefoot.
Somehow, Alex had arrived at the same time as everybody else. Once she opened her eyes, she found herself suspended high above the ground with a multitude of confused minors at every turn. A second later though, all of them found their feet planted firmly upon the ground. It had been months since some of these people had been taken, this was confirmed by faces she recognized from the reports and snippets of conversations she overheard. She made a few theories. Perhaps the time they arrived differed, but they opened their eyes at the same time. Another possibility exists, time could flow faster on Earth than here. Infact, both could be viable. The most important piece of information she ascertained from the chattering youths was that none had undergone any trials. They were simply whisked away. She wondered what exactly triggered her test, if she was genuinely the only one to undergo such a thing and how she could claim her reward.
Her thoughts were interrupted when an overwhelming aura weighed down on the atmosphere. The once weightless air, became unbearably heavy pressing down on the people below it. Those that were standing but could not withstand it hunched over or sat down. Alex and many others remained standing handling the pressure with unwavering might.
For Alex though, there was hardly any pressure, only slight discomfort. However, her expression told a different story, one of difficulty and endurance; it was only common sense to refrain from standing out unnecessarily.
A being hung in the sky who none could make out its features or gender.
"Silence." A statement that held immense power which cause the humans below to quiver and cower in fright. That word seemed unnecessary as people had stopped speaking the moment it arrived. The being continued, aloof to the struggle of its listeners. " All of you stumbled upon this great opportunity, ah yes , one did 'find' this opportunity. However, your entrance does not matter, the playing field is equal. Absolutely equal. Those of you that had disabilities have recovered, both major and minor illnesses gone and your bodies refreshed. The skills you amassed during your years of life will either aid you or hinder your progress." It paused, allowing those beneath it to digest its words .
" I am Stemma. I brought you here for a simple purpose. However, before I tell you that I'll introduce you to the rules of my game. I'll call the game 'the stages'. One, any instruction given by those with authority that you disobey will result in death or a previously stipulated punishment."
Stemma paused. Alex could feel the change in the atmosphere, if only a few were scared and majority confused before, that was no more. Most were now terrified, and Alex anticipated Stemma would soon demonstrate the first rule as people began to gasp and hushed whispers spread. Worst of all , someone had the audacity to yell.
" H-hey, w-who do you think you are ?! "
A few more idiots chimed in. Alex noticed how the pressure had decreased, prompting more people to challenge the being.
" We have rights!!"
" Put an end to this farce and let us go home!"
" What kinda joke is this, mate??"
" My father is the president!"
Alex watched as more people spoke, until the being seemed to have had enough. Simultaneously, thousands of pops rang out signaling the end for all of those who gasped, murmured and protested. It was instantaneous ensuring the victims could not even express agony. The brain matter and blood was far- reaching spilling onto the nearest people evoking squeals and screams from the witnesses.
The once pristine white floor had been tainted with the blood of impulsive youths and their headless corpses ,fortunately, Alex was not close to any of those who had perished allowing her clothes to remain clean. Those who has audibly reacted to the deaths soon began to plead for mercy as they had realized their error. Evidently, their pleas fell on deaf ears. The second round of deaths ensued; this time, no one made a sound as the horrific pop was not heard to indicate death.
There remained only silence and irregular breaths. Alex's expression remained flat, the deaths of those she did not know could never derail her.
To her, it was fairly obvious the floating figure had orchestrated this particular outcome with her intentional pause and the reduced pressure. Stemma continued her speech failing to address what had just occurred.
" For each trial, there is a goal. You are tasked to complete that goal. Remember, outstanding performance will be noted and appropriately compensated. This is but a test to see who qualifies to enter my world the real reason why you are here. I have designed five stages for you all to embark on. Now, you may raise your hands to ask questions. In total, you have only three questions."