1 Who am I?
'Who am I?'
'Where did I come from?'
'Why am I locked up?'
Those were questions that had crossed his mind countless times before—questions he had no answers to.
Life as he knew it revolved around the tiny room he lived in. A room that was constantly brightly lit. Everything within it was white as snow, his clothing included.
Not that he knew what snow looked like, he simply read about it. 'They' limited his knowledge of the outside world to what he read in books. The books were by far the one thing he looked forward to the most.
Being locked up in a room that was devoid of any natural light, he had no perception of time. Instead, he measured time in meals. 'They' randomly gave three meals to him, in what he assumed was a day.
A wheezing sound echoing from the ventilators, followed by a sweet smell, would fill the room; prompting him to feel light-headed and lose consciousness.
Upon regaining consciousness, he would be lying on his bed, and on the floor beside him was a meal.
'They' contained the meal in a layered, transparent compartment. With it were a rubbery-plastic knife, spoon and fork. Possibly done to reduce the likelihood of self-injury.
'Do they think I will hurt myself?' He thought.
This meal varied in taste; depending on the order in which it was given. The first meal was always savory, the second was usually bland, and the third was rather sweet.
However, because 'they' randomly gave the meals to him in a manner that caused him to lose consciousness, he had no concrete way of discerning when a day had passed.
Despite that, he was certain that after his third meal was given, a day had either already passed, or was close to passing.
From the moment he started keeping count, he reckoned he had consumed about 8,760 meals within the room. Which translated to about eight years.
'Where was I before those eight years?' He thought.
He later noticed that after every twenty-first meal he had, from the last; 'they' left a book for him. The book's contents varied each time; from fantasy to science, and even history.
Because of the prospect of reading a new book, he looked forward to the twenty-first meal with glee and eagerness each time.
At first, though, he was not sure what to make of books. Some looked old and had mold in them; others had odd smells and flaky pages. However, as he opened one up for the first time, he somehow knew what all the tiny scribbles meant.
From books, he learnt of many things concerning the world beyond his four walls; such as how it had gone through a great deal of change over the past century.
From the sudden appearance of the Phantoms, to the Hierarchy Scheme that was implemented soon after. He found it all so bewildering.
According to the books he read, the world had once been at a time of unparalleled peace and prosperity. Humanity had achieved many inconceivable strides of science and innovation.
In fact, it appeared nothing could possibly go wrong. However, something did go wrong—terribly wrong!
Towards the end of the last century, scientists had finally solved the problem of instantaneous travel through dimensions.
One could instantly travel from any point to another within seconds. The portal-like openings that made this possible were known as Gateways.
The Gateways changed everything! They revolutionized trade between countries, and connected the world like never before. Because of that, a few individuals even accumulated more wealth than one would think was reasonably possible.
Humanity soon discovered that the Gateways' extent was not limited to places on the earth alone. They led to other realms, scientists called these realms—Voids!
The humans who ventured into the Voids emerged with newfound power and abilities. These abilities seemed almost god-like to the average person.
People with abilities were classified into two. The first class was known as the Gifted. Gifted Ones could manifest power from within their bodies and perform surreal feats such; as manipulating the elements or having inhuman physical capabilities.
The second class was known as the Ungifted. Ungifted Ones could not manifest power from within their bodies, and required; items, special books, or weapons to do so. They gained these tools from within the Voids.
However, a third class also existed. This class comprised people who chose not to venture into the Voids. Hence, they remained ordinary humans, and were known as the Neutral Ones.
Soon after the emergence of those with abilities from the Voids, civil wars ensued. The peace and stability that the world had known for centuries crumbled, as those with abilities challenged each other and fought for supremacy.
To quell this sudden uprising, the most powerful of the Gifted formed an alliance with eight other Gifted Ones, whose power rivaled her own. Together, no one could stand up to them.
This brought about a time of utter chaos, death, and destruction. Ultimately, the Gifted triumphed over the Ungifted.
That, however, was nothing compared to the unparalleled death and mass destruction that followed, when the Phantoms appeared.
Humanity neglected to assume that just as they could venture into the voids through Gateways; the opposite was just as plausible.
Gateways leading to the Voids started randomly appearing in all places. From them, Phantoms emerged! Phantoms were humanoid beasts or monstrosities, if you may, that plagued humanity.
The Phantoms could wipe out entire cities at their own whim. They were known as Phantoms, because no one knew when or where these Gateways would appear next.
Even the Gifted Ones found it insurmountable to vanquish a foe of unknown origin and number; that could seamlessly carry out the ultimate surprise attack. For a while, it seemed bleak as humanity dwindled in number.
Soon, however, it was discovered that a few of the Ungifted had a special ability. One that enabled them to hear the cry of the Phantoms!
Through these cries, it was possible to estimate when and where a Gateway containing Phantoms would appear next. When this came to light, the nine Gifted ones who formed an alliance; implemented an absolute law.
They called it; The Hierarchy Scheme!
***
The details of the scheme, however, were not revealed in any of the books he had read over the years. He later concluded it had something to do with retaliating against the Phantoms' attacks.
This was because he often read of the Phantom Hunters. An elite group of individuals with incredible abilities. As the term suggests; Phantom Hunters were tasked with annihilating the Phantoms without fail!
Over the years, thousands of students attended the Institutes, in various regions, hoping to learn more about abilities—and becoming Hunters. Only a select few ever graduated from these institutes and became Hunters.
***
The thing that struck him the most, however, was the existence of women.
'What or whom, are they really?' He wondered.
He found it absurd how even the most powerful of Hunters that he read about in some books inevitably fell prey to the so called 'charms' of women. Were they really that dangerously alluring?
He made a mental note to be careful around women.
"Hm, not to be taken lightly… these women." He thought.
As far as he knew, he had seen no other human. In fact, whenever he looked at his reflection on the walls, he wondered whether all humans had scarlet-red eyes and long brown hair, as he did.
***
*Growl* *Growl* *Growl*
An unusual sound resonating from his stomach reached his ears.
"It appears I am famished." He said. "Should I not have received my first meal by now?"
He then stood up from his tiny white bed, and started pacing around around the room in circles. On his face was what one could only assume to be a pondering expression; as his eyebrows furrowed and the tip of his right forefinger touched his bottom lip.
'This has never happened before. Did 'they' simply forget to give me my meal? No… why now, after all these years?' he thought.
It seems he soon gave up on contemplating the problem and resigned himself to his hunger. As he gracefully dropped back onto his bed with a soft thud.
Moments later, a sound he had never heard before reverberated through the room. It was a loud, mechanical sound—similar to cogs turning.
It caused him to sit up from his bed; and a sight he'd longed for, for so long, bewildered him. He looked in awe as part of the wall separated and created a narrow opening—leading outside the room.
*Thump* *Thump* *Thump*
His heart was racing.
By instinct alone, something was telling him to stay within the safety of the room. After all, he had done so for as long as he could remember.
'Why now?!' He thought.
Did the people that placed him in the room finally lose interest in him? Were they setting him free? Or would they leave him to die? Is that why they were starving him? So many thoughts crossed his mind.
Despite that, a smile appeared on his face. He had always wondered what lied beyond the white walls of his tiny abode. The prospect of leaving the room was far too exhilarating to pass up.
Whether it turned out to be a choice, he would inevitably regret soon—he took that first step. As he made his way towards the opening, he could hear his heart violently beating. He took slow-shallow breaths and felt his chest tighten.
'Am I afraid?'
He stood mere inches away from the opening bordering the boundaries of his room. Looking up, he assumed it was about twelve meters high.
'Why is it so high?' He thought, 'Other humans could not possibly be that tall, could they?'
His gaze drifted towards the dark, hollow space before him. It was the exact opposite of his room—dark, cold, and empty. Not in any way inviting.
Yet, something about the entire setting playing out felt familiar and nostalgic—in an eerie way. He took a deep breath and his heart-rate settled. His eyes filled with resolve.
Upon touching the cold, rugged-metallic floor with his bare feet, it lit up. Illuminating a large hallway. The opening to his room shut almost simultaneously.
"Congratulations Number 11!" a voice said. "You have passed the test, and will now be integrated into the Hierarchy Scheme!"
