No one answered Brian. The corridor answered for them.
Brian stepped forward. His breathing was loud enough to hear. He swallowed once, then twice. His Adam's apple bobbed hard against his throat. He took a step. Slowly, but determined.
He lifted his leg. For a second, it hovered over the silver field, trembling. The lights caught on the sharpened tips and flashed into his eyes. Then he brought it down.
"Tttsssiiiii."
The sound cut through the air. Metal piercing through flesh.
His body jerked violently. He sucked in air through clenched teeth. His eyes flared red, watering instantly. His jaw tightened so hard the muscles at the sides of his face pulsed. Veins crawled up his neck like cords pulled too tight.
But he did not lift his foot. He pressed down. The spikes sank deeper. A strangled breath escaped him. He shifted his weight forward.
The second foot came down.
"Tttsssiiiii."
A wet sound followed..Someone behind covered their mouth.
Brian's fists curled at his sides. His fingers dug into his own palms until the knuckles turned pale. His shoulders shook. For a moment, it looked like he might collapse.
But he didn't.
He took another step. And another. Each one was slower than the last. Each one forces the spikes deeper into his skin.
At some point his fists tightened fully, nails cutting into flesh.
At another point a broken sound tore from his throat. Then the scream came.
Raw, and uncontrolled.
It echoed down the corridor, ricocheted off the metal walls, and crashed back into them. But he didn't stop.
He couldn't stop. He kept moving.
Blood began to follow him. Thin at first. Then thicker. Red dotted the silver. The nails glistened.
Halfway through, his legs buckled. He caught himself with pure will.
Then another step.
His breathing turned into ragged gasps.
Then, another step.
His scream cracked and became hoarse.
Another step.
When he finally reached the other side, he did not step off. He fell.
His body rolled clear of the spikes and hit the smooth floor beyond with a dull thud.
He lay there shaking. The robots entered without sound. Their metal limbs moved with precision. Two lifted him by the arms. Another supported his legs. Blood dripped in a thin line as they carried him away.
No one spoke. The students' fists tightened. Jaw muscles twitched.
The corridor remained.
Waiting.
One by one, they stepped forward..One by one, they placed their feet down.
"Tttsssiiiii."
The sound became a rhythm.
Breath.
Pierce.
Shift.
Pierce.
Screams filled the corridor.
High pitched. Deep. Broken. Animal.
But they didn't stop. They couldn't stop. They kept moving, crying, and screaming.
A girl stumbled on her third step. The spikes tore through her sole and she collapsed onto her knees. The nails stabbed upward into her flesh. Her cry tore through the air as she forced herself upright again, dragging shredded feet forward.
Another boy bit down on his own wrist to keep from screaming. Blood from his mouth mixed with the blood beneath him.
Theo stepped in. His grin was gone. He placed his foot down without ceremony.
The sound was the same. His head snapped back, eyes squeezing shut, but he pushed forward immediately as if speed could outrun pain. His steps were quicker than the others, reckless. By the middle his breathing was erratic. By the end he was roaring, voice hoarse, but he reached the other side and dropped heavily, chest heaving.
Brandom followed. His first step almost broke him.
He swore violently, then forced the second foot down harder, as if punishing the ground. His arms flexed with every movement. Blood streamed down his ankles, dripping steadily. When he reached the end, he did not fall. He stood for a second, trembling, staring back at the corridor like it had insulted him personally.
Then his knees gave way.
Samuel's turn. He hesitated only once. Then he stepped.
The spikes entered. His lips parted but no sound came out. His face was drained of color. He walked like someone underwater, slow and distant, each step deliberate. Tears slid down his cheeks without him noticing. By the time he crossed, his entire lower legs were streaked red.
Newton stood at the edge. His heart pounded so violently it felt as if it was hitting the inside of his skull.
The corridor blurred for a second. His fists clenched. His throat burned from swallowing back fear. His mouth tasted bitter, metallic. He lifted his foot.
The nails looked closer now. Taller. He lowered it.
"Tttsssiiiii."
His body convulsed.
Pain shot upward like lightning, splitting through bone, climbing into his spine, exploding behind his eyes. His vision flashed white.
He nearly pulled back.
Nearly.
His other foot came down. The second wave of pain collided with the first.
His knees threatened to fold. He forced them straight. He moved. Step by step.
The spikes pierced deeper. The pain sharpened, turned electric, raced toward his brain.
He gasped, chest hitching violently.
Step.
A sound escaped him. Not a scream. Something rougher. His skull felt too tight. His vision flickered. But he kept moving.
He could not stop. He dare not stop.
Somewhere behind him someone was wailing. Somewhere ahead a body collapsed. The corridor had become noise and blood and metal.
He focused on one thing.
Forward.
He took another step.
His hands were shaking so hard he could not feel his fingers anymore.
Then another step. His mind felt like it was splitting open. He thought he was dying.The far end was closer now. The spikes did not thin out.
They did not soften. He stepped off. His body folded instantly.
He hit the ground on the other side, cheek pressing against the cold surface. His ears rang loudly.
He was still conscious. Barely.
The system flashed before his eyes. Blue light. Sharp, and clear.
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION.
YOU HAVE CONCLUDED THE ENTRANCE TEST. NOW YOUR TRAINING BEGINS.
The words burned into his vision.
NAME: NEWTON HILLS
HUMANITY: 70
TOLERANCE: 50
SPEED: 10
NINJA SKILL: 0
NINJI.COIN: 100
I.Q: GREAT.
CPD POINT: 0
The blue glow pulsed once. Then faded.
Robots flooded the corridor. Metal feet stepped through blood without hesitation. They lifted bodies one after another. Some students were unconscious. Some were still screaming weakly. Some did not move at all until shaken.
Blood flowed through the corridor now in thin streams, pooling between the nails, dripping off the tips.
Newton saw it. The red spread over silver. The proof of all of them.
Then, he saw the entrance.
LEVEL ONE.
The words echoed somewhere distant as they were dragged forward.
They passed through another entrance..The environment changed..The walls widened. The air felt colder.
Newton's head lolled slightly to the side as he was carried. He saw them; students.
Many of them. Dressed in black. Ninja black. Standing in formation.
Silent, and watching.
Among them stood Andy. Still, and unmoving. His gaze fixed on the newcomers.
There was no grin on his face..Just observation.
Newton tried to focus. His vision blurred. The lights stretched into streaks. His consciousness slipped.
Darkness swallowed him.