...
Then,
A voice --calm and mechanical, announced the start of the lunch break.
''Lunch period has begun. your estimated time is 1 hour and 20 minutes''
Here we go.
Before leaving, I turned my head slightly toward 686.
Then, I raised two fingers and pointed toward the exit. A small gesture. That was enough.
You called me out. Let's finish this. And I'm not afraid of you.
I started walking. I glanced at 220. Still sitting with the same posture.
I stepped into the corridor. The cold hit harder this time.
Tomorrow, I will definately bring something thicker. I remembered saying this exact sentence to 220. But I had no chance to enter my room about 2 days.
Today's GSLs had been better than expected.
Three committees had been formed.
Not bad for a single morning. It meant complex is alredy started to change.
Not just participants or ruling the country anymore.
Structures, Territories and influence. I must adapt all of this. That will be hard.
Because one day, I could turn a corner and realize that I had entered somenone else's territory.
I walked out into the open all and stopped where I could be clearly seen.
Looking like I had no point in hiding or running.
I started watching the crowd. It didn't take long before small groups began forming even in there. I couldn't imagine the cafeteria.
The new committee leaders were already surrounded. People were asking questions each other. Trying to convince Leaders to join or leaders convincing others to join their own committe.
Than I saw them.
686 and 781.
They were coming straight toward me.
686 was walking hastily. Hard.
Every step shaking the ground lightly.
Every step looked irregular. That meant something will happen. I could at least sense that.
But, 781 was different. His pace was calm. Even and controlled.
After a while, They stopped in front of me.
And in the next second,
BANG...
Pain hit before my thought did.
686 slammed me into the wall.
My face tightened. My left hand moved towards the left side of my head, where the left eye should have been.
Damn. My head injury wasn't fully gone.
The world shifted slowly.
Pain first, Then a loud, thin sound.
I started sweating from the pain. Somehow, I felt an urge to vomit.
No, Not here.
I forced myself to focus.
I looked up. Started examining every detail. That's the only thing I can do now. Let's see.
686 raised his fist again.
Just as he was about to swing his hand--
Someone familiar jumped in.
932.
She acted fast. Like she did in the meeting room. Fast and controlled.
''This doesn't concern you.'' 686 said. ''You shouldn't interfere.''
932 responded with a amused, happy tone. Like in the meeting room.
''In this complex, we should live peacefully.''
She exhaled slowly.
''Violence was probably prohibited by the system already.''
I stayed against the wall. Trying the breath steadly.
Trying to hide my terrified face.
People were gathering now.
The noise had pulled in nearby groups.
The other committees. Sports, Bargaining, and something that I don't know.
Probably formed when I was absent.
And me. The member of Aetheris.
The circle around us widened.
686 noticed.
His shoulders loosened. He took a step back.
''You are right,'' He said with a calm voice. ''I went a little too far.''
He smiled faintly.
For a single second, I almost believed him.
Then he moved a sudden punch towards 932.
The punch That if landed, Could knock a person out.
She wasn't even fully ready. But she didn't move her feet.
Only her upper body bent. A perfect and smooth shift.
The punch barely missed.
Suddenly, 932's joyful expression shifted afterwards. As if she just realized what happening.
''Are you planning to go this far?'' She asked.
686 didn't hesitate.
''I'll do anything for my objective. What matters is staying above the others. If I have to take punishment,''
He smiled.
''I'll treat it like nothing.''
And just then, from another group in the crowd--
I saw a familiar face.
104.
The new one. Rank one. The perfect score.
He looked short and thin. Like he was younger.
And for the first time, he spoke.
''You are an idiot if you ignore participant 932.''
His voice was straightforward and calm.
''When you stop being useful... You'll disappear too.''
My eye narrowed as I heard this.
For a second, one thought struck me.
Old 104.
How could he know that?
No.
That wasn't it. He didn't know. He had simply noticed it somehow.
He already figured it out the moment he had entered the hall.
That There was an elimination system here.
Strange...
686 grabbed my collar and lifted me on air slightly, without taking his eyes on 104.
Then, he laughed once. A short, mocking sound.
''What exactly are you supposed to be?''
His eyes moved up and down.
A few people around us went silent.
''They relly let children in now? With that tiny body?''
He chuckled, then continued.
''You look like collapse from one punch. Or did they mistake this place for a daycare?''
I shifted my eyes to 104.
104's expression didn't change.
''The fact that I'm standing here alrady proves that I'm within the system's standarts.''
A small pause.
''Besides... If you want to demonstrate superiority--''
686 frowned.
''Try surpassing me in the rankings first. Your mistake is talking about size in a system that evaluates value. That alone tells me enough about your limits.''
Then--
686 let go my collar.
Slowly--
he turned toward 104. Hands in pockets. He didn't hesitated.
I straightened my collar and exhaled slowly.
932 immediately looked back at me.
''You okay?''
A few people behind her stepped closer as well.
''Not bad.''
A few people behind her stepped closer.
''Why didn't you fight back?''
Another voice followed.
''You could have at least resisted a little.''
I pressed my left eye gently. Looking somewhere away.
My expression twisted.
''...I don't need to answer that.''
I stopped.
''Sorry.''
Before anyone could continue--
I turned my back to them.
Not because conversation was over.
If I stayed any longer, the image would weaken.
Questions created distance. Distance created speculation.
And speculation was usefull.
I started walking toward 686 and 104 instead.
I couldn't see 932's expression anymore.
Did it affect her?
Or did it make me suspicious as the role holder?
I didn't know.
That uncertainity itself was enough.
When I reached them--
220 was already there.
Of course she was.
She stood A few meters away from 104 and 686 with her usual unreadable expression, as if she had been observing the entire situation from the begining.
I quietly took my place beside her, a few meters away.
686 looked irritated just seeing me stand in his path again.
''So that speech was you goal?'' he said. ''To ruin the atmosphere?''
''No.'' I answered. ''To expose you.''
The air shifted slightly.
781's eyes widened and said:
''You think warning people changes anything?''
''It already did.''
My head was still hurting. I forced myself to stay focused.
''You lost you bait.''
That made 686's expression stiffen for the first time.
I continued.
''Watching people. Pressuring them. Measuring fear reactions.''
I looked directly at 781 this time.
''The fact that you and 781 rely on methods like that...''
A short pause.
''...only shows how weak you actually are.''
Then, silence.
The surrounding groups froze.
Not because the statement was't loud, because I said without hesitation.
Even 104 reacted. He looked dirrectly into my eyes for a brief second. Then looked away.
686 waited. Then, nobody expected.
He slowly pointed at me.
''If you are obsessed with protecting them... then you are protecting yourself too.''
Silence.
And then, attention shifted.
Not towards 686. But me instead.
I felt it immediately.
The suspicion, The attitude.
Damn it. He got me.
Almost all eyes were on me.
What was I supposed to say?
For the first time, my thoughts stalled. A dangerous possibility.
What if I really get exposed right here, right now?
No.
I need to calm down.
For now, each second without an answer increasing my suspicion.
I forced myself to stay netural.
I exhaled loudly.
''That's nothing but an assumption.''
I adjusted my collar gently.
''Even if you are right, you don't have any evidence.''
Silence followed.
686's eyes narrowed slightly.
Then--
Something changed slowly.
781 was the first one to look away.
Then, 686 clicked his tongue.
The atmosphere gradually loosened.
...
About thirty seconds passed.
Then, 781 finally spoke.
''...Forget the plan.''
His voice sounded exhausted.
''We are not getting anywhere like this.''
686 looked irritated like always.
781 then turned toward me.
For the first time, his expression seemed genuinely apoletic.
''I'm sorry for dragging you into this.''
Then, 781 lightly touched 686's arm.
686 exhaled sharply.
''...Sorry. My objective was really selfish.''
He paused.
''And... Sorry for shoving you.''
Then, They turned around.
And started walking away.
...
Something felt little wrong.
The flow was too clean.
As if the argument itself had been guided somewhere on purpose.
...
But a part of me didn't want to believe that.
104 started walking. And left.
''Hey... Wait!''
I ran towards 104's side.
''I said wait!''
104 slowly turned his back.
Then, I noticed for the first time. His eye was pale. Almost white.
Weird.
...
...