This place was unexpectedly lively. People walked around like it was a bustling school, but the illusion of normalcy broke with the guards stationed at regular intervals. Dressed in all black and armed, they carried weapons that looked like Guns or something else entirely. I couldn't tell.
As for my own plans, I wasn't sure. Where was I supposed to go? Should I meet the others at the same spot as yesterday? That seemed unlikely since they weren't there. For now, I wandered aimlessly, hoping to bump into them.
Wait, couldn't I use this wristband for help?
"Where is Zuri Issa?" I asked aloud.
"Well, lead the way," I said, watching as the arrow from yesterday reappeared, hovering above my wrist and pointing forward.
---
Meanwhile, elsewhere...
"Well, he's not here," Aniyah muttered, pacing back and forth.
"And whose fault is that?" Zuri shot back, her tone accusatory.
"Yours, Aniyah. You forgot to tell him where we'd meet."
"Well, it's not my fault you were all over him yesterday!"
"Me? How dare you—"
"Jeez, you two!" Danso interrupted. "Stop arguing over something that makes no sense. He's not even here yet!"
"Shut it, Danso," they snapped in unison.
"Look at me, trying to be the good guy," he grumbled.
---
When I arrived, their bickering came to an abrupt halt. All four of them turned toward me, the tension from moments ago replaced by curiosity.
"Uh... good morning?" I offered, unsure how to break the silence.
Before I could process what was happening, Zuri was beside me, her arm casually draped across my shoulders.
"Wassup, Steve? How'd you find us?" she asked, grinning.
Apparently, they'd forgotten to tell me where to meet, leaving me to rely on the wristband locator.
"Pretty smart, using the locator," Danso commented. "And don't mind them. That's just how they are."
He gestured vaguely toward Zuri, who was still ignoring any concept of personal space, and Aniyah, who looked faintly annoyed.
"Well," Aniyah finally said, regaining her composure. "Today's plan is simple: training and hunting beasts."
"Hunting beasts?" I asked, startled.
"Oh, right. You've got amnesia," Danso chuckled. "Don't worry. We'll explain over breakfast."
---
The canteen was unlike anything I'd seen before—or at least, anything I could remember. It was sleek and efficient, with trays placed into a machine that scanned our wristbands and dispensed meals onto them. Watching it felt oddly familiar, like a memory just out of reach.
The food itself was surprisingly good. Each bite was rich and flavorful, satisfying in a way that felt almost unnatural.
"So," Zuri said, breaking the silence, "how much of your memory is gone?"
"A lot, I guess," I replied. "I can't even remember my own name. That's a lot, right?"
"So you woke up knowing nothing?" she pressed.
"The first thing I remember is waking up in a white building yesterday."
"A white building?" Aniyah frowned. "I've never seen a place like that here."
Her response caught my attention. So we weren't all together from the start?
"Can I ask," I began, "why you all look like this? Were you born with those... animal features?"
Danso exchanged a glance with the others before answering.
"It's... complicated."
"Not really," Aniyah interjected. "We're part of an experiment."
"Aniyah!" Neo warned, his tone sharp.
"What? He's part of the project. Who's he going to tell?" she shot back.
I leaned forward, my curiosity piqued. "Experiment? What kind of experiment?"
"The world's in chaos," Aniyah began, her tone steady. "Beast attacks are becoming more dangerous and frequent. The Alliance decided to create mutants—people who could surpass the limits of normal hunters. That's what we are. This place weeds out the weak, leaving only the strongest to join their ultimate army."
The explanation hit me like a punch to the gut. Mutants? Beasts? Hunters? The Alliance?
Even though I didn't fully understand, the words stirred something in me—a vague sense of déjà vu.
"What about you all?" I asked. "Why stay here? Can't you leave?"
"Leave?" Zuri laughed bitterly. "No one's forcing us to stay, but we all have our reasons. Some of us need money for our families. Some were prisoners who got a second chance. And some just wanted power."
She paused, her gaze darkening.
"No one here owns their life anymore. Whatever brought us here ties us to this place. Even if someone was forced into this, they wouldn't remember..."
Her voice trailed off, and all eyes turned toward me.
Was she implying what I thought she was? My heart sank as I recalled the system message from yesterday. Multiple disturbances in my brain. Was my memory wiped on purpose?
Neo had said I wasn't like them. Aniyah confirmed I didn't look like them. Did they do something... different to me?
Pushing the questions aside, I focused on the present. There was no point in guessing without more information.
---
We entered an armory next, a vast room filled with weapons of all shapes and sizes. Rows of swords, daggers, guns, and unfamiliar tools lined the walls. I gravitated toward the blades, selecting two swords and two daggers.
The swords were lightweight yet durable, their edges gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights. I crossed the sheaths at my back and secured the daggers to straps on my legs.
"Not bad," Danso commented, nodding in approval.
We climbed into a capsule car next, a sleek, windowless vehicle. It moved smoothly, its interior eerily silent, leaving me to stew in my thoughts.
---
When we arrived, the sight took my breath away.
We stepped out into what looked like the ruins of an old city. Crumbling buildings stood as skeletal reminders of what once was, their walls riddled with cracks and scorch marks. Vegetation had begun reclaiming the area, vines twisting around shattered windows and broken concrete.
But the most striking feature was the massive scorpion perched atop a partially collapsed skyscraper. Its gleaming exoskeleton caught the light, and its tail, tipped with a wicked stinger, swayed menacingly.
"Well," Danso said, flashing me a grin. "That's a beast, Steve. Don't get scared now."
I swallowed hard, gripping the hilts of my swords.
This was going to be interesting.