Chapter 16

Zzz. Zzz.

I was enjoying my tranquil sleep when I heard an annoying, repetitive sound.

Tack. Tack. Tack.

The sound of someone playing chess.

"Oh...I'm so alone. Bored. Playing chess all by myself." The senile old man complained.

I opened my eyes and saw Master playing chess. I looked around and searched for Isaac and Rona and the other chained up children. I was shocked when I saw no one but us in the tunnel. "Master? You're here?"

"Of course I am. Ya blind, imp?"

I ignored the insult. "Did you see a bunch of kids chained up by some weird red zippy zappy shackles here, Master?"

Master got excited. "Kids? Kids? Where? Oh, I love their chubby little red cheeks and their big round eyes."

"They're my age, Master."

"Imbeciles, they are." Master coughed and spat on the ground.

I rolled my eyes and said. "Master, be serious for a while. Did you see them or not?"

"Bah! None. I've been here all alone for centuries. I feel like I've gone senile." Master whimpered.

"You are SENILE." I sat back up straight.

Lyndall appeared out of nowhere and hugged me. "Llyne~, I miss you so much."

"My sweet dale. I miss you so much, too." I kissed Lyndall on the cheek and hugged him back.

Master cleared his throat. "Ya more senile than me. I guess it's true when they say the student surpasses their Master." Master shook his head.

"I'm not senile. Why do you say so?"

"Why? Ya, keep Lyndall here, Lyndall there. Who's Lyndall? I bet it's not ya. Unless ya talking to a ghost." Master backed away with wary eyes.

"Master! My name is Llyne. Don't forget your student's name. Lyndall is the little boy beside me." I pointed at Lyndall.

"Oh, ya mean him?" Master pointed at Lyndall. "Oh...my student. Hah!"

"You okay, Master? You look like you're turning green."

Master picked up his mirror from nowhere and said. "Where?"

"Not now but very soon by my bare hands." I imitate the movement of strangling someone.

Master gasped and said. "What did I do? Don't ya know it's rude for a student to strangle their Master?"

"Oh~ Really? I didn't know. I'M SENILE!"

Master and I argued for a while.

Huff. Puff. Wheeze.

We ran out of breath from arguing nonstop.

"I never had such insolent student."

"Aren't you glad you do now? Your life ain't gonna be one tone no more."

Master and I glared at each other.

I looked at the chessboard and asked. "Who's winning?"

"My second student." Master replied immediately.

"Really? Where?"

"Oh, smackerm! Being with ya made me senile."

"Stop giving excuses, Master. Besides, you can't see Lyndall?"

"No little boy, I see."

"Hmm...Master Khun and Master Asha couldn't see him too. Master Jay could, though. Why? Any idea, Master?"

"Do ya think I know everything?"

"Yes. You are by far the most knowledgeble, handsome, heroic person I've ever met, Master."

"Oh~ Do stop."

"Okay."

"Why did ya stop? Keep praising me."

"Master!"

"Alright, alright, ya party pooper. If the kid is a ghost, spirit, or whatever, this Jay boy ya mentioned might be related to the kid, that's all. Whereas for ya, inside ya little brain, is a world gone mad."

'Why did I ask Master? Ouiii...If only Iz was here.'

I sighed. "Anyways, would you teach me about this place, Master? Or else your dear student will be dead sooner or later."

"Before that, I heard something great happened in the stadium. Tell me!"

"Fine." I told Master what happened in today's game and how we accidentally burnt their mascot, Monica.

"Gyahahaha. That ugly twerp is finally gone for good, eh? Ya done good, imp. Didn't know ya had it in ya."

"It wasn't intentional. Besides, what would happen if I burnt down the stadium. Wouldn't it mean we wouldn't need to fight anymore?"

"Keep dreaming. They can build another stadium again. They just whoop up a new one in a few hours. Do ya think the stadium hasn't been burnt down before?"

"I guessed that's true." I groaned. "Now, will you help me, Master?"

"Alright. Alright. Ya know Eden or The Valley?"

"Ya. Just learnt it today. Eden is where I came from, above the ground, and The Valley is here, the underground."

"Good. Good. Not bad, kiddo. Ya know the history of 'The Valley'? How did it came about? Who built it?"

"Not really. All I know is their ancestors built a civilization underground so they could stay away from pry eyes."

"Half true, imp, half true. But before we go straight to the truth, let me ask you something. What do you know about the human life cycle, imp?"

"Oh. Ermm... Born as baby, go to school study, proceed to university, get a job, earn money, grow old, then die. Sounds kinda boring."

"Right. Isn't it?"

"Ya, so what's the problem?"

"No. Not until the THE SYSTEM was in place. That's when the trouble comes."

"THE SYSTEM? Like how each country has it's own system to make sure their country is in order?"

"Right, kiddo. Every country has it's own system but never forget their foundation are always the same. They just put a few decorations on it."

"Okay. And? What? The problem is THE SYSTEM's foundation?"

"Aye. It might seem simple, but the truth is much more cruel and complicated than that, unfortunately." Master shook his head. "We all know THE SYSTEM is man made. However, throughout centuries, no one has ever met the creators or the person controlling it. Not even the Scorpion, who had the greatest intelligent network."

"So what you're saying is, The SYSTEM might be an AI, and it killed its creator so it could control the world? Have you been watching too much shows? What about the Scorpion? What are they?"

"Scorpion is an organization filled with deadly killers, imp." Master moved closer. "Now. Kid, tell me, in Eden, what happens when a child breaks the rules."

"They get punished."

"What about adults? Who punish them?"

"Police? Sometimes, they run away scot-free."

"Right. Here's another question. Do you know those smart people who got killed by accidents in the news?"

"Ya. How unfortunate. You know, I saw in the newspapers that some children as young as 8 were announced as geniuses. The next day, poof, they're gone. Tragic. Adults, too. A few years back, some scientists who were developing some advanced technology were killed while driving on their way back home. All of them. If they had lived, our life wouldn't be so backwater."

"Coincidence, imp?"

"Maybe they just have bad luck? Who knows?"

"Oh, I know you're smarter than that. Stop being in denial."

"What? Do you really think THE SYSTEM killed them? For what?"

"You really can't think why, imp?"

"Stop that, Master. My Ma asked me to stop thinking so pessimistically. So I'm trying my best."

"Beh! Oh, right. Here's the tragic truth. Since the existence of THE SYSTEM, it placed rules and monitored us for centuries. THE SYSTEM wants you to follow the rules they have preset for you. No questions ask. Those who got too close to it were silenced."

"What about those smarty pants? Why kill them?"

"To limit our capabilities. If humans were to create a power to rival it, it might lose its control over us. Therefore, they had been killing them to restrict and deteriorate our future."

As I listened to my Master, my throat grew drier.

Master continued. "Our ancestors knew about the truth and were hunted for it. Many of them even lost their loves one. During the hunt, they knew they couldn't challenge THE SYSTEM so they decided to build an entire new civilization underground and brought who THE SYSTEM called 'The outcast' there to live."

"Did the ancestors ever try to take down The SYSTEM?"

"They tried but failed. It isn't that easy, kiddo. Ya think a few people can go against the entire world? Not just that, THE SYSTEM has been around for so long. It practically brainwashed people for centuries, so the people think they live FOR THE SYSTEM. No SYSTEM, no lifes. Conclusion, it's useless to fight THE SYSTEM, imp."

"THE SYSTEM is that powerful, huh?"

"It is. It has eyes and ears everywhere."

"Did THE SYSTEM hunt your ancestors underground?"

"One time. They send hundred thousands of soldiers but were blocked by the huge gate. After that, not a peek of it since."

"Why?"

"Who knows. We will never know what THE SYSTEM is thinking."

"Now, The SYSTEM just let the Scorpion roam around freely? That's weird."

"I thought so too, kiddo."

"Hey, Master. About THE SYSTEM-"

"Ok, imp. Time is almost up, so I'll give ya a hint about the next game. Keep things hush, hush, and ya live. If not, onto the next life ya go. Oh, and make sure ya don't burn the whole place down, ay?" Master crackles. "Well, that's all bye, imp. Gyayayayaya." Master flicked his finger, and the ground started shaking.

The tunnel began crumbling down on me. "Huh? W-What?" I covered my head.

"Lyndall! Where are you?" I franticly searched for Lyndall, but he was already gone. 'He left me?' I had a heartache. The ground shook again. I almost stumbled onto the ground. I held onto the wall to avoid falling down. I quickly looked around to find an exit but couldn't find any. I tried breaking a hole through the wall, but the wall was too hard. I wasn't going to give up, so I kicked harder.

While I was preoccupied, the ceiling dropped on me.