Return, Transfer, Questioning, and Hallucination

Hendrix's eyes opened while he became conscious in his green pod. He would then quickly try to move his limbs, which would be successful. He would then push on his pod door.

"I finished my Tribulation. Please let me out." Hendrix asked as he hit the inside of the pod door before falsely smiling, hiding his lifeless expression from everyone.

Right after Hendrix requested assistance, he heard pressure releasing. Afterward, the pod door opened, and he quickly exited it.

"I can walk. There is no need for the wheelchair any longer." Hendrix said as he got down and stood on the floor.

"It seems you learned to walk in your Tribulation. Alright, farewell then." The middle-aged man replied before rolling the wheelchair away, knowing Hendrix no longer needed assistance.

Hendrix nodded as he turned his gaze to Carl at the center of the room. He awaited what was next, along with all the other newly awoken.

"You all have finished your first Tribulation. Congratulations. Now please head out of the room in single file and to the front of the building." Carl shouted into his microphone before pointing to the doors to leave.

Hendrix and the other newly awoken did what Carl asked and slowly left the room. After about ten minutes, the room was empty except for Carl and the staff.

"Everyone return in a month, when the next batch of orphaned newly awoken will arrive. Until then, good luck with getting stronger and staying alive in the crown world." Carl solemnly stated before walking out of the room through one of the doors.

Meanwhile, Hendrix arrived outside the building, along with the others awakened. The street lay empty and deserted as a giant moon loomed on the horizon. It was green and blue in look, with faint clouds visible. And looked full of life and wasn't barren.

'That's the moon?! But isn't it supposed to be barren and small in the sky?!' Hendrix thought, alarmed, gazing at the blue and green moon in shock.

Hendrix stood in front of the street for twenty minutes alongside the others when he felt slight fatigue in his legs.

'Oh, dear, my stamina is horrible. I knew it would be bad, but this is saddening.' Hendrix thought lifelessly.

As Hendrix thought, the sound of multiple engines could be heard and was steadily getting louder. After about a minute, four oversized silhouettes of buses would arrive and stop in front of the group before all of them opened their doors and stopped.

"Get on the busses. It's time to take you to the school you'll be staying at." One of the bus drivers stated while sighing as she was tired.

Most of the newly awoken complied with the request and boarded the busses steadily.

'I guess It's safe to go?' Hendrix thought before he followed the other awakened example, boarding the third bus with a bit of effort. Once he did, he stayed silent and sat in an empty seat.

Once all the newly awakened entered the busses and sat down, the driver shut the doors.

"Alright, everyone, relax. We'll be at our destination in an hour. Once you arrive, a government agent will question you. Then you'll be allowed to sleep in basement bedrooms temporarily while the dorms are cleaned and inspected." The third bus driver stated while starting the engine.

Everyone stayed silent and acknowledged what the bus driver said as they rested in their seats.

An hour passed, and the busses arrived at their destination. They entered a parking lot in front of a giant pentagonal school building that had five pillar-like towers on its sides. It was magenta as well.

There also were guards and ten teachers in front of the school. The teachers all held stacks of booklets in their hands.

"Everyone were here. Now head out." The third bus driver yelled at everyone on the bus as he opened the door.

Everyone calmly left the bus in an orderly manner. Hendrix followed as well though alert and cautious. Once all the newly awakened left the busses, their doors closed, and they drove off.

"Hello, new students. When we call your name, please grab your booklet." One of the teachers stated.

"Hendrix Alford, please come and get your booklet." Another teacher announced while looking around.

"Alright, I'll come." Hendrix replied before walking to the teacher and looking up at him.

"You're so small? Are you sure your not a dwarf?" The teacher responded as he knelt so Hendrix could grab his booklet.

"Yes, I am, and I've stopped growing." Hendrix stated as he picked up his booklet and walked a little away.

The teachers began calling the other students by their last names alphabetically. After twenty minutes passed, all the newly awakened received their booklets.

"Now that you have received your booklets, please follow us inside." The third teacher stated while walking towards the school alongside the other teachers.

All the students followed the teachers into the building. As more busses arrived behind them and more teachers headed towards the parking lot passing them.

Once the teachers and students arrived in the building, it was quiet, with the occasional custodian cleaning something before walking to a dead end in a hallway.

"Everyone, please be quiet. We're going to the temporary basement you'll be sleeping in." The third teacher proclaimed before stepping on a particular tile.

Once this action occurred, the floor below everyone began sinking downward, shocking all the new students.

'I'm becoming tired, crap!' Hendrix thought, feeling he needed a cane to save stamina.

The floor eventually slowed down as a doorway became visible, and mere moments later, it halted its descent.

"Everyone, please go find an empty bedroom. The rooms may be small. But endure. Tomorrow you will enter the dorms." The third teacher yelled as they stayed on the floor platform.

Hendrix nodded as he, along with the other students, entered the doorway and searched for empty rooms.

Hendrix waited until most other students found their rooms before looking for his. He didn't want to talk to any or get into an argument for petty reasons.

Once Hendrix found an empty room, he quickly moved toward it and, after struggling a bit, opened it. He hurriedly closed and locked it feeling unsafe.

'They said they would question me. Well, I guess I have to wait.' Hendrix thought as he climbed onto his bed and got under the covers.

As thirty minutes passed, Hendrix was sleepy. He felt like he had returned from a long workday before he heard a knock on the bedroom door.

"Hendrix, please unlock the door. I have some questions for you." A voice stated from beyond the door.

"How do I know you are not after me?" Hendrix asked as he didn't trust whoever was beyond the door.

A sigh could be heard from beyond the door as it unlocked outside. A tall silhouette stood in the doorway with a folder in her hands. She had long blue hair and raven color eyes.

"It saddens me you don't trust me, I am Katrina, and I'm here to question you." Katrina said as she walked inside and sat at the foot of the bed.

"What do you want to know." Hendrix said as he yawned a bit.

"I need to know what talent you have and what you faced in your Tribulation." Katrina stated as she sighed.

"I have a minimal crit damage boost talent. And I fought a warrior." Hendrix lied through his teeth as he felt the best way to hide his abilities was not to say it was private.

"Alright, so you have a close combat one. What is your curse?" Katrina questioned as she wrote that and Hendrix's Tribulation opponent.

"It causes me to tire quickly." Hendrix responded as he looked at Katrina, hoping she wouldn't have a way to find out.

"Alright, would you like some mental health counseling for the trauma the Tribulation caused?" Katrina asked as she closed the small folder.

"No thanks." Hendrix stated, shaking his head.

"Are you sure? I know most new students need this." Katrina asked again.

Hendrix would shake his head before he saw Kendra materialize in the corner of his room. With a whip in her hand, he could only see, hear or sense her.

"Sweetie, it's time to break you.~" Kendra teased as she walked closer to Hendrix.

"Noooo! Not again! Leave me alone!" Hendrix yelled, screaming and crying as his willpower no longer helped him. He crawled back into his bed.

The hallucination of Kendra approached Hendrix, and he shrieked.

Katrina quickly wrote down that Hendrix was insane, traumatized to a disturbing degree, and needed urgent care before leaving the room and closing the door.

"Stay away!" Hendrix yelled, crying as Kendra approached.

Kendra quickly put away her whip and jumped at him before going through him and disappearing.

'My curse created a realistic hallucination. Why me?' Hendrix thought weakly, crying into his pillow in sadness. He curled up around it as he cried himself to sleep.