Alex Smith

"Arrest him," yelled the king's voice. He pushed me off him and I was on the ground before being dragged by the castle guards. I saw the king's grizzled face containing a maniacal grin as the giant double doors closed in front of me. Once I was outside, I was able to fight myself from the guards' grip. I ran as fast as I could, though the world went dark as I woke up. 

I sat up, the white shag rug burying my feet in it's softness. I wore a hoodie, white tube socks, and jeans. "I guess I fell asleep," I muttered to myself. Just sheer size of the living area was shocking and mesmerizing at the same time. I rubbed my eyes, tiredly walked to my left around the side of the sofa, up the stairs, and entered my room. There I took off my hoodie and placed it next to my bag of supplies on the bed. I wore the white shirt that was underneath my hoodie before entering the bathroom.

In the mirror, a boy with yellow hair and a pair of blue eyes stared back at me, the face of a forgotten identity. I washed my face with cold water and combed my hair. At least I didn't look tired anymore. I brushed my hand over the scar on my nose, two similar ones placed on my cheek and forehead. I decided not to remember those thoughts. 

I instead examined the room I was in. The bathroom and everything else in it seemed the same. Same tiled walls and floor, same green, bowl-like faucet, same comb, same hot tub-like bathtub, same laundry shoot, same toilet, same everything. My room also looked the exact same as before. It was like I was still in my first.  

I walked over to the room door to my right to check who the first year is that I have to show the ropes. Or assuming that's what I have to do, saying that's what happened to me last year. To my door's right was a door with a, somewhat long, name. To the left was the empty "just in case" room.

"Kur-e-yam-e Shin-e-ga-me. Hm, weird name," I said, attempting to pronounce the name. I knocked on the door.

"Ya, who's there?" asked a voice. The door knob shook before the door opened, showing a very intimidating teenager behind it. Behind him, his room looked the exact same as mine. "Hello. What would you like?"

"To show you around. C'mon" I replied. I motioned him to come before darting downstairs, out of the corridor containing our rooms. I stood there for a second before he slowly came down. The gym was the closest room to the spiral stairs for the boys. In order, to the left of the gym was the library, kitchen, and then the basement. I started to head towards the gym, making sure he was in my line of sight by walking a little slower. We finally reached the door and headed down. 

There was a set of downward heading stairs leading to the gym. The size of the gym was shocking because it looked like an official gym you need a membership for, with the mirror covered walls and the set up of the exercise tools and things like that. To the right was a variety of exercises ranging from dumbbells to treadmills to a book that tells different exercises and how to do them. To the left were around two dozen training dummies surrounded by metal walls on three sides, because only god knows how strong the students are. 

"This room is going to be your favorite room in this entire place, especially before the tournament," I remarked after explaining the gym. We went back up and to the next room, the library. 

There was a simple dark, wooden door that leaded to the library. The library, on the other hand, was a huge and complex room. It was a dim room with dozens of aisles and rows of book shelfs. The room was well organized from sections for young adults to sub-sections for non-fiction, then animals, then mammals and the list keeps going. To our sides were 4 wooden desks, two on each side. Each one was surrounded by eight chairs and had four flexible lamps and a stack of randomly selected books. At the back were large windows, mostly hidden by the book shelfs. 

"And this will be your most used room throughout the year," I joked after explaining some more. The next room was the kitchen. 

The kitchen was a very white room that was more like a cafeteria than a kitchen. It was one of the smallest rooms in the building, around the size of the bathroom, which is still big. At the right wall was a stove, a sink, a bunch of cabinets and drawers on the ground and on the ceiling filled with food, plates, and silver ware, and an obsidian countertop.was a large window that showed the green landscape outside with a dark silhouette visible in the horizon. The walls above the set up was tiled with white ceramic tiles. To the left were two round tables surrounded by 4 chairs. In between was a large window that showed the green landscape outside with a dark silhouette visible in the horizon. 

"There's not really much to say," I said. To the next and final room, the basement.

There was another set of stairs that lead to the basement. "This room is more for fun and relaxing purposes," I said as we headed down. In the middle was large pool that went 8 yards ro the left and right. Further to the right was a manmade hot spring with a bamboo border that separated the boys and girls. Further to the left, was a variety of games; air hockey; ping pong; volley ball; a table with various table top and board games. I felt a sudden thrust as someone pushed me into the pool. I floated above the surface of the water and looked up to see Abilene giggling. I slowly got out of the freezing cold water, my wet body felt heavy wearing my equally wet clothes.

"Great. The floor is wet, I'm wet, and I'm not taking my shirt off in front of you and him," I said, motioning my head slightly towards Kurayami. Abilene cheeks went a light shade of pink.

"I was just trying to make a joke not-not... SHUT UP!" she yelled. Now it was my turn to giggle.

"Change of topic, did the first year girl arrive yet?" I asked. I squeezed my shirt, the floor getting more wet because of it.   

"No, but her name is apparently Sakura Blossom," she replied.

"Well then. I'm gonna head to my room to change if you excuse me," I said. Abilene took a step to her right to let me pass, but I was quickly stopped by Kurayami.

"Wait, what about the rest of the tour?" he asked. 

"You actually cared about it? Umm, the outside tour is going to be tomorrow after all the classes, or after school, whatever you want to say," I explained. I, then, walked back to my room. 

In my room my bag and hoodie were in the same place and position I left them. I grabbed a new black t-shirt, pajama pants, and a towel from the drawers and enter the bathroom to take a bath. 

The left wall contained the bathtub. It was enormous for what it was intended to be. It was deep enough for my head to only be able to stick out when it was full and it was long enough for someone to somewhat swim in. On the wall was a detachable shower head, just in case you wanted to take a shower. 

I turned on the water and let the tub fill while I stripped. I threw my wet clothes down the laundry chute. Entering my newly awaiting bath, the warm water felt good against my cold skin. After around 15 minutes of relaxing and cleaning myself, I got out, dried myself, and put on the new pair of clothes. I exited the bathroom and sat on my bed, anticipating the year to come.