I folded the last piece of clothing into my bag, making sure it fit. It had been two days since the mission, and the school had grown eerily quiet. Most of the students had been eliminated because they failed the mission, and the few that survived weren't up to a quarter of the dead students.
I would be leaving in less than an hour to the big city, where a new life would start for me.
From the bottom of the bag, I picked up an old, dirty bracelet and stared at it for a few seconds. It belonged to my mom and it was the only possession I have of her. The rest got buried in the rumbles left of my province.
"You must survive, no matter what, Reggie. You must make your father and everyone else take back their words. You're my baby, and I know you'll survive."
Those were her exact words before she died.
Her words has been the reason that kept me going. It gave me the strength I needed to survive the Atlas, the Dark Forest, and even the ruthless School of Youngsters.
But not anymore. I don't need those words etched to my head again.
"I don't need those words to be my driving force anymore, mother," I muttered, slipping the bracelet into my pocket. "Don't worry, I'll survive."
I picked up my phone and tapped on the email I had received earlier.
'Congratulations! You have been assigned to Squad 14 by the CSS. You are here by…' I let out a long breath and pocketed the phone.
Squad 14, huh? I hope I find something interesting there.
I slung my backpack over my shoulder and stepped out of the room.
"Reggie Scott," a familiar voice called and when I turned to see who it was, I narrowed my brows. The female officer, Dianne. What does she want from me again?
She strode toward me with her usual confident gait. "I see you're doing okay," she said. "I thought you would still be hurting after the injury two days ago."
I rolled my eyes as we walked. After the mission, I had to shed my blood to save myself.
Dianne had ordered a search party for me. I knew if I was found alive and unharmed, I would be the prime suspect for the death of the others. So, I injured myself badly enough to pass out.
When I woke up, I was in the military clinic. They said Dianne had found me and brought me in, while Stephanie had been taken as the prime suspect, but she remembered nothing. The trauma had wiped her memory which was to my benefit. My secret was safe as long as she doesn't remember, but I would have to make sure it stayed that way.
"You owe me one for that," Dianne's voice pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to see a smirk on her face. "I don't accept regular thank yous. But for you, I'll take a dinner date."
She patted my back and slipped a piece of paper into my pocket. "Call me when you're ready," she whispered before winking and walking off.
I scoffed. "Owe you? I caused my own injuries."
Shaking my head, I continued down the hallway, exiting the building to join the other students.
Soon, military vans arrived and we all climbed in. The windows were covered, giving us no clue of the outside. No way to see the route. No one ever left the school, and no one was allowed to know where it was located.
Now that I thought about it, why so much secrecy? There were no military zones nearby. Just one big building in the middle of nowhere.
I leaned back on my seat, thinking of what lay ahead. The outside world which hadn't been kind when I was a child. Power was abused and the elite ruled with cruelty.
I hated the world we were going to. I hated the people in it.
…
After hours on the road, the van finally pulled over and we were instructed to get out.
A cool breeze brushed my face as I stepped out. The city was alive with activity. Cars, motorcycles, even horses moved along the streets. The buildings were tall, some made of glass, and drones floated overhead.
The real world had changed. Advanced technology was everywhere. It was beautiful, unlike the cruel world I remembered.
I let out a deep breath and glanced down at my phone. The CSS headquarters wasn't far. I turned off the screen and was about to pocket it when suddenly, someone slapped it out of my hand and bolted with it.
"Should I kill him?" Maki's voice echoed in my head.
"No. This is my first day in the city. Killing someone would draw too much attention. Let it go. Stuff like this happens."
I sighed. "My phone was stolen on my first day. Great start."
I asked around for directions and quickly found my way to the CSS headquarters, thanks to it being a famous association. I walked into the building and recognized some students from school. They had gotten into the CSS too.
"Are you new?" an agent asked, approaching me.
I nodded. "Reggie Scott. I was assigned to Squad 14."
He chuckled, shaking his head. "Another loser in that squad. Why do they always send the rejects to 14?" He pulled out a tablet and scrolled through it. "You're probably a Median or an Omega…" Then his expression shifted.
"A Delta?" he muttered, eyes wide. "That's… new."
He pointed towards the elevator. "Eighth floor. First door on the right. That's your squad."
He eyes flashed bright and he summoned a glowing orb. "Follow the light."
Navigation ability. There was something about navigation ability that I admire so much.
I followed the orb to the designated room and it vanished as I knocked. The door opened to reveal four young people seated, and an older man standing. Their attention were on me as I scrutinized the small space that looked like it was built to be a classroom.
I let out a long breath and stepped in. "I'm Reggie Scott. I was assigned to Squad 14."
"This is unexpected," the brunette with purple highlights said. "Did they send in another loser again?"
Typical. 'Loser' was a common word.
"Stop it, May," the older man snapped. "We're all losers here. Don't be a hypocrite." He turned to me. "I'm Hero, the squad captain."
"Carson. Vice-captain. One thing you should know about me is I don't tolerate disrespect," said the tall, bald guy.
"Dennis," the nerdy-looking guy yawned.
"I'm Samara," said the girl with grey hair. "I joined last year. I'm the weakest here." She pointed at the brunette lady, "That's Maya, second weakest. Unless you're worse, you're fine." She giggled as Maya rolled her eyes.
"What level are you?" Hero asked.
"Level six, a Delta," I answered and the room fell silent. All eyes turned to me.
"A Delta?" Carson repeated after a long silence. "You should be in Squad 1 or 2."
"Why would HQ assign a Delta to this squad?" Samara asked. "Something's not right."
"With a Delta among us," Hero said, "things are about to get serious."
Suddenly, intense pressure flooded the room. A surge of energy, raw and powerful, vibrated through everything. It was so strong that I could feel it, not just me but also by the other members in the room.
Then a voice. "I'm Hugh Grimm. I was assigned to this squad. I am a Delta."
I turned toward him, and in that instant, the ghouls inside me screamed. The realm shook.
"Kill him! He must be killed!" Maki's voice roared in my head.