Gathering of Thirty

They followed the SYSTEM as it instructs them about where they should go. Since they have no choice but to comply, they all stood up and left the room. They are once again in the hall of darkness, in which they could get lost in nothingness.

Unlike before where they got through the dark halls by luck, the spot where they stood suddenly lit up. The light was not bright but it was enough for them to see theirselves.

[Walk and I will light your way.]

The SYSTEM said and they did as they were told. The lights on the ceiling switched on as they walk, guiding them on their path. It like the hospitals in the horror movies where the lights continuously switch off, but the opposite.

They stopped as the path were separated into two ways, they looked left and right to see where they should go when a light went on in the left path, indicating that they should go that way.

As they turn left and walked straight, the final light stop and revealing an elevator at the end of their path.

[Seven people, Please enter.]

Agatha, Arneau, Lloki, Ria, Mitch, CC and Justine entered the elevator. They looked at the others until the doors closed. Without pressing any floor, it automatically took them to 4th floor. The building has six floors, the eye which they saw outside was in 5th floor. "Why is it called Gathering Room?" Justine asked.

"Obviously because that's where people gather." CC answered, sarcastically.

"I think he meant that why would there be a specific room just for gathering, especially if this building is abandoned?" Ria said.

"We don't have to be confused, this building is not abandoned for sure, this is built for a purpose. If not, then I wouldn't understand why they would make a building in this area." Lloki stated.

He turned to Mica who was gazing down and tapped her on the shoulder for comfort. He then turned to Agatha who was in a daze, "Are you still thinking about Spade? We'll see them soon, don't worry."

"How about you? You okay?" He asked Arneau, "No." he immediately answered, "I'm still thinking about that bitch, Rosa. If she's not Rosa, I want to know who she really was and slap her. If she's really Rosa, then the more reason for me to slap her!" Arneau exclaimed.

Lloki laughed slightly at his remark, "Calm yourself."

The elevator beeped but it took long before it opened as a red light flashed like a scanner. The doors of the elevator opened leading them into a small room. After they got off of the elevator, they saw a double door across the spot where they are in and two eye-shaped windows each by their sides, on which they can see the outside of the front and back of the building.

At the center of the small room, there was a long vertical, rectangular table. And in the middle of the table is a large jar full of circle pieces of chocolate.

(Did you guys get the table? I don't really know what it's called so I hope you'd get the description teehee).

[Group of six, Enter.]

"You guys go first." Klair said to the boys and Leyan. The boys nodded and supported Leyan who was feeling weak because of the cuts she got from the locked room. Luis, Jayjay, Jayson, Ronjay, Sebastian and Leyan went inside the elevator.

Right after the doors closed, there was an awkward silence as they look at the girl leaning weakly onto Jayjay. The others kept glancing at the two secretly, especially, Ronjay who was smirking in the corner. "You two reall---"

"Shut up, Elay." Jayjay said, Ronjay was cut off and he glared at him back and decided to just shut his mouth.

They fell silent once again, Jayjay looked at Luis who was indifferent about everything that happened, "Aren't you worried at all?" he asked, in a whisper.

Luis looked back at him and remained blank, "Why should I be worried?"

Jayjay stared at him seriously, "What if something bad happens? What about the company?" he said. Luis averted his gaze and looked straight. "I've already left my will and plans for the company, in case something bad happens to me."

"You're so calm about this, huh? Aren't you afraid that this might be the last place we get to see, alive?"

Once again, he turned to him and stared deeply into his eyes, "Don't you understand? Death has no meaning to me now," And for an instance, the seriousness in his eyes faded as it grew cold, "Even if we get to live, the codes of our ruin will hunt us and push us to our death."

Jayjay couldn't say anything back at him and the elevator beeped and stopped. It scanned them for a while, and the other three guys left the elevator because of the tension between the two.

"He offered that masterpiece to serve as the greatest revenge to end our enemies, but now it could even end us," Luis stepped out of the elevator, "You should accept the fact that we've been set up." he said and threw him one last glare before joining the others in the middle.

Jayjay clenched her fist, 'Why should the 'masterpiece' you call, which I helped in creating, put an end to me, huh!' he said to himself, calming the rage he feels inside.

He stayed quiet for now, helped up Leyan who was left to him by the other guys, 'Damn it.'

[Last group of six, Enter.]

The last group of girls went in. Unlike before where they always chat nonstop, it was awfully quiet. It made all of the uncomfortable, how could you chat loudly and happily in the situation they are in?

Klair looked at the dazed Keila, "Are you okay? Are you thinking about the teachers?" she asked.

"We were with March, we chatted, laughed and talked about lots of things. It's impossible that they would all leave without a word." she muttered. "Especially, March. You know that woman's personality, she won't leave just like that."

"I wondered why you were spacing out so much, I guess you were worried a lot about the teachers, huh?"

Keila shooked her head, "Not only that," she said, "The old hag, Rosa, does not act like that. I don't believe in those damn demonic possessions but Klair, I'm really sure that's not her!" she exclaimed. "My hand were almost fractured, I doubt an old woman could effortlessly grip my hand that tight!"

Klair caressed her back up and down to relax her, "We will find out about that soon, calm down."

"I really..." Jocephine whispered, "I really just want to go home." her voice cracked as she hold her tears from coming out.

Elay, Rica, and Carl let out a sigh and looked away, "This reunion was a bad idea."

"——Don't eat it yet!"

The last group stepped out of the elevator, and found the others talking loudly, "What are you guys doing?" Klair asked as she saw Lloki holding back both of Arneau's arms. She looked at the jar behind Lloki and Arneau, "What's that chocolate for?"

"A piece of chocolate won't hurt! I just want one!" Arneau said, pissed.

"No. You'll end up eating it all!" Lloki protested. He looked at Klair, "I don't know what it is for, it's just here."

[Graduates, All of you shall take a chocolate and swallow it.]

All of them took a piece, each. "Are you sure this is safe?" Lloki asked before putting it into his mouth, but Arneau had already swallowed it the moment SYSTEM had told them to. Lloki looked at him and sighed.

"It's delicious. Once you put it in your mouth, the chocolate will melt even before you get to chew it and it will drip down your throat." Arneau muttered as he savors the taste that was left in his tongue, "Can I take one more?"

"Arneau's right! It's amazing." Carl muttered as he put his hands on his cheeks. "Don't moan!" Klair as she hit Carl. Klair took a piece, she held back the grimace from showing on her face because she was not fond of sweets.

[The chocolates bring no harm, please take one.]

Ria stared at the chocolate she was holding, 'melts easily, huh?' it's not a hard chocolate so it easily dirtied her fingers, looking at it with boredom, she pinched the chocolate. But in spite of the softness of the chocolate, she felt a hard little piece on her fingers. Her eyes slightly widened as she realized what it was, she looked at the others but it seemed like they had already eaten it.

[Please enter the Gathering Room now.]

Agatha looked at Ria, who was looking slightly nervous, "Are you okay? Let's go, we're about to enter the room." she said. Ria glanced at her and pause, then she nodded and took her hand to join the others.

They were about to open the door when suddenly, the SYSTEM spoke;

[One of you graduates did not take the chocolate.]

Ria gulped, the system and the one managing it knows. 'I was right. It was an edible tracking device.'

She took a step near the jar and the others watched her took another piece, she hesitated at first but she had no choice but to swallow. As she ate the chocolate, she felt the little piece go down her throat.

[Very well, please enter.]

They opened the door and they stepped into the Gathering room, unlike the room they were in before, it was very much wider and makes people think of why they would suddenly put a big room in there. There was a enormous screen up in the front, like it was a private theatre room. In front of the screen was the vertical tables just like in the previous room with the jar.

There were seven rows, each rows has 4 tables that is far apart from each other and another two tables in the front. It sums up to thirty tables. "What the hell is wrong with the tables? It's so far apart, Distancing like back in 2020." Justine stated.

Mitch sighed, "Don't bring that up anymore."

All of them stopped as they noticed a group of people inside the Gathering room. They were only nineteen but the tables were thirty. The system told them to go to the Gathering room,

But they weren't informed that this was a gathering of thirty people.

Because inside the room, Besides them,

There was another eleven.