I awoke thirty minutes before we arrived, but decided to keep my eyes closed and pretended to still be in deep sleep.The amount of time I'd lost consciousness against my will had become absurdly high and it was getting much more annoying. What barely happened to regular people had developed into a weekly routine. But there was nowhere for me to direct my anger.There was not a single person I could complain to that couldn't and wouldn't beat me up on the spot, so my rants would have to stay internal.I hoped that pretending to still be unconscious would allow for me to eavesdrop on the two figures' conversation, but so far the pair hadn't spoken a single word.The shorter one, I'm assuming, would check up on me around every five minutes, jabbing her finger into my face.Finally, the car had come to a halt, and a deafening sound started up."You can stop pretending now." The larger one said, opening the door to my side.I fell out of the car and jumped up immediately.'Well at least that explains the silence.'Though I was confident in my ability to pretend, it definitely wasn't perfect.I brushed myself off and looked around.We were inside a gigantic hangar. The surrounding space seemed large enough to accommodate quite a few city blocks. As the car began to drive off, I walked out through the hangar doors.To my dismay, we weren't at an airstrip. In fact we weren't anywhere that a plane could possibly take off from. For miles and miles, a large forest stretched out and surrounded the hangar.'How the hell do they plan on flying out of this place?'"Hey you guys-" I immediately started, but was stopped by the sight in front of me.Walking back into the hangar, I was met with the most beautiful thing in front of me.A large ship sat right in front of me. Its engine hummed loudly, as several people ran around it.The spaceship had a streamlined, elongated body made of some kind of a metallic alloy that shimmered in various shades of silver.Its surface was smooth and seamless, with no visible rivets or seams.Two sweeping wings extended from the sides, each lined with LED lights that glowed softly. The cockpit, a rounded dome at the front, was reinforced with a transparent, tinted canopy that offered a panoramic view.At the rear, powerful thrusters were arranged in a triangular formation, their vents etched with intricate cooling designs.Overall, the entire ship was like a wet dream. I was so lost in its beauty that I almost forgot that there was a very real chance I would lose my life soon."What are you staring at?" The smaller hooded figure appeared beside me, except she had finally removed her hood, revealing the young woman underneath.She looked only a year or so younger than me, with medium length black hair that sat at her shoulders. Her crimson eyes twinkled with a mischievous glint, and a strange crescent moon shaped tattoo took up the larger half of her neck.She was strangely attractive for a dangerous criminal."The ship. It's beautiful." I smiled. It was easy talking to people who didn't exude killing intent, or that just overall didn't give me the creeps."This is your first time seeing one?" She questioned."I've seen a few flying overhead. Never been this close." I approached the front of the ship."You know this is one of the cheapest ships on the market right?" She followed behind me, now having to yell to get her words across over the humming of the engine."Still a spaceship!" I yelled back. It may have been a normal sight for the people of today, but as someone who had only ever heard about them, seeing a real spaceship in front of me was awe-inducing.The woman rolled her eyes and grabbed me by my collar. She dragged me to the back of the ship, and we walked in through the ramp.The interior almost made me want to get down on my knees and cry.The first thing that could be seen was the massive cockpit on the other side of the ship, and it was the first thing I ran towards.The cockpit was a blend of sleek design and advanced technology. The dashboard featured a curved display with holographic controls that floated in mid-air, allowing for seamless interaction.The seats were ergonomic, upholstered in dark synthetic material that cradled the body comfortably.Ambient lighting bathed the space in a soft, blue glow, enhancing the beauty of it all.Behind the cockpit, the cabin was spacious, with modular seating and storage compartments that seemed to be able to be reconfigured for various things.Walls were lined with touch-sensitive panels that provided information and controls for ship systems.I continued to walk through the cabin. It was incredible.With high ceilings and smooth matte walls embedded with dozens of interactive screens.Furthermore the modular seating, crafted from lightweight alloys and soft fabric, could be reconfigured for comfort or efficiency.Ambient lighting adjusted automatically, while a central console with a holographic interface controlled environmental settings.A compact kitchenette, cleverly hidden when not in use, completed the design."Are you done?" The larger, as I suspected, woman asked.I turned around to the sight of two new people snickering at me as I walked around the ship with my mouth wide open."Sorry." I walked over and stood around the holographic table alongside everyone else.On it was a 3D map of what looked like a fairly large city, with a red circle around some kind of castle.The woman scoffed and started her explanation."Our mission this time around is simple. We'll be using this idi- man as bait to catch The Baron, the leader of the Ukorin. We'll be sending him into Rolat City's yearly Tournament of Courage, which we will make sure he wins. The prize of the Tournament this year will be a chance to join the ranks of the Ukorin, which we will use as an opportunity to get to The Baron.Once he joins their ranks, he'll get closer to her, by any means necessary. Once he does, we'll have him invite us to be recruited as well. Then we'll send him back, and finish off the mission. Any questions?"It was a very terrible plan that relied on so many if's that I couldn't even see a future in which it succeeded. But from the fact that she was only looking at me as she spoke, and barely mentioned anyone else's part, it was clear that she had dumbed it down and was withholding information.But I couldn't remain silent."A Lot of this is riding on luck. How do you know this is going to work?" I asked,Everyone's eyes turned to me, as if I was some kind of talking animal."You don't need to worry about anything. Just don't screw up your role." Without wasting a second more, she turned off the hologram and walked over to the cockpit. One of the new additions followed her and sat in the co-pilot's seat.'Why the hell did Enzo choose me?'I dropped down onto one of the seats behind me and closed my eyes.A few moments later, the ship began to rock and finally I felt it lift off the ground.I opened my eyes to see the roof was fully transparent glass. And my question from earlier was answered.The roof of the hangar began to open up as the doors shut. Once the roof had fully opened, the ship soared into the sky.The ascent seemed almost never-ending, as we quickly flew out of the atmosphere.We'd flown into space, and I finally got to lay my eyes on a sky full of stars.It was more bewitching than I could ever imagine. ⥁ Night came and went quickly, though it was hard to track while in space.The ship moved relatively slow, so the distance travelled felt much longer than it actually was. As I lay on the couches, I began to regret not asking how to pull out the beds, simply because I was still a bit sour about being treated like an idiot.'Hey Infra, didn't Enzo say our target was a man. Why are these guys saying it's a woman?'