"See? This is such a cute place, and the service is great too," Nova remarked with a grin.
Xerxes shot him a look of open malice. The boy might have looked like an earnest, adorable little robot, but the place itself felt more like an execution site. The white-tiled floors and walls gave it a sterile, clinical atmosphere. The hallway was lined with black doors, each marked with a number, and a round light above them. Some lights were red, while most were green.
The room they were escorted to was small; everything was bathed in stark white. Two large chairs sat distantly apart, and that was all—just a minimalistic, resembling a creepy isolation room. As instructed, they sat down, and as soon as they did, a feminine voice echoed through the room. A headset with wires attached to it emerged from the wall behind the chairs, settling over both of their heads.
"The examination period will begin once I start asking questions. All you have to do is stay calm and think of your answers. I'll know your response without you speaking. The time it takes to answer will also be recorded."
"And remember," the voice continued, "you cannot lie about what you truly want in this room. It will affect the results accordingly."
"Now, close your eyes and empty your thoughts."
Xerxes tried to clear his mind, but his thoughts refused to cooperate. Instead of quieting, they began to argue with each other, each one battling to stay silent. The more he tried to control them, the worse it got, and his head became a chaotic blur.
"What do you value most in life?"
The swirl of conflicting voices in Xerxes' mind quieted at the question. But no clear answer came to him.
...There is nothing...
"Got it. Let's move on to the next question."
Was that an answer too?
"If you had to make a decision that would affect many people but might harm you personally, would you go through with it? Why or why not?"
This time, Xerxes had a clear response.
No. My life isn't worth protecting if it harms others.
He waited for the next question, but no voice followed.
"Please wait while your partner answers. Your personal time has already been recorded. This will not affect your result."
Nova must be stuck on the question...
"Bravo. Let's move on to the next question."
"Is it more important to follow your heart or your mind? Why?"
I'd like to listen to my mind, but my heart seems more important. I don't have control over either... Wait, that's not a clear answer...
"Moving on to the next question."
***
Xerxes and Nova emerged from the room, each holding a piece of paper. The light above, which had been green, turned red again. Xerxes felt like he had just escaped from a virtual reality torture chamber; he wasn't just burned out; he was cooked thoroughly.
Xerxes was still drifting out of reality when he heard a familiar voice from next door.
"Xerxes!"
Kai appeared, standing beside him with the same piece of paper in hand. Behind him, Lucas was observing them intently. After a long stare, Lucas finally approached as well.
"What are you doing?" Xerxes glanced at the paper again, still in shock. "You want to become an infiltrator at your young age? When I was your age, I was still playing with dolls." It was an overexaggeration, of course. In reality, when he was Kai's age, Xerxes had been forced to attend his own parents' funeral. He had the typical sob story of becoming an orphan young, relatives fighting over who would take the burden, and him home with them. But honestly, he couldn't even bring himself to shed a tear over parents who had never loved or cared for him. The situation was nothing worth mentioning.
"What's wrong with my age?" Kai put up a defense and a pout, clearly upset.
"I didn't mean it like that, Kai... its just you know how dangerous the dungeons are."
Kai's expression softened, and, to Xerxes' surprise, the boy's pout turned into a beaming smile as he clung to his side.
"If you're worried about my safety," Kai said, his voice suddenly cheerful, "make me part of your team!"
"We were supposed to be a team," Lucas said, his expression tinged with dissatisfaction.
"We will be a team," Kai replied brightly. "But instead of getting some random, isn't Xerxes a much better choice?" Kai asked Lucas with sparkles dripping out of his eyes. Lucas couldn't refute him; they needed more team members anyway.
"I'm fine with it, but Nova and I signed up as partners... so he'll be in our team too," Xerxes said, scratching his head. He hadn't really thought much of the partnership, but admitting it in front of the others felt a bit embarrassing.
Kai and Lucas both turned to glare at the glowing blonde head behind Xerxes, sharing a look of silent disapproval. After a moment, they both blinked in unison.
"A rich member is always welcome!" Kai said it with surprising enthusiasm, his tone dripping with sarcasm, but it was clear he was willing to roll with it. Lucas, on the other hand, remained silent, his face unreadable.
Xerxes was a bit worried about finding other team members to join them too, but with them he felt more content.
Xerxes felt a flicker of worry about finding other team members, but with Kai and Lucas, he felt strangely reassured.
"What about my opinion?" Nova suddenly interjected, his voice laced with playful authority. "Did you forget I'm supposed to be the leader of the team? And the leader gets to decide who joins, right?"
Nova finally looked up from his paper, a sly smile spreading across his face. His eyes curved into half-moons as he shifted his gaze to the newcomers, clearly enjoying the moment.
"The positions are assigned by the system, based on your test results," Lucas said calmly, holding his paper out for everyone to see.
At the top of the paper, in bold letters, was the word 'Protector.'
"You're a protector?" Nova's eyes widened in surprise.
Xerxes, curious about his own position, flipped his paper over. His eyes locked on the bold letters at the top of the page.
Leader.