The Gate (VI)

Kiyro knew that Angel would do it. He steadied his beating heart and took a step through. Suddenly he felt a dousing of cold water throughout his whole body. His body tingled and then suddenly vibrated. Even his ears heard a high-pitched sound.

A sudden pull could be felt as he stepped through, and he heard a thump-like sound behind him. He turned to see, but all he could see was a gray silhouette that seemed to be on the ground. Next, he noticed that the students that came through were all standing around him.

Strange grayish-looking humans that seemed malnourished picked up the gray humanoid silhouette on the floor. They carried the silhouette towards one of the twenty-four bright lights around the black hole. When they dropped his body into the light, Kiyro felt a sudden electric zap of energy course through his body. A bright clear umbilical cord appeared around his belly button, and he noticed it heading straight toward where the malnourished humans had taken the gray body.

The best way to describe it was that he felt life. A euphoric feeling of all of his senses stimulating him all at once. He walked towards where the cord and the light were. Stepping in towards the light, he covered his eyes. He glanced down and noticed the light dissipates. The next thing he saw shocked him. He was lying on the bed with the Sense Gear slowly hooking up to his head.

"What is going on here?" Kiyro slowly spoke. Nothing made sense; the worst part was that he felt like he had been through this. He just didn't know what it was.

"Kahahahahah!" Red's voice laughed out loud, shockingly, and everyone froze and turned towards him. "You fools are hilarious. This is killing me. What are you guys, zombies?" He leaned forward, trying his best not to fall over.

Kiyro noticed that Red had a large grin on his face, as if he was mocking the group. "I must say, you guys are such a riot. It's like you saw something that you shouldn't."

"Excuse me." An older man in his early thirties came forward. "What's going on? It would help if you gave us an explanation of this. Why are our bodies in this light? Where are we? What the hell are those creatures? I didn't see them anywhere in the room."

"Tch, this is why I hate being a teacher," Red replied disgustingly. His eyes swept across everyone and then locked on Eve.

Eve stepped backward uncomfortably. She peeled her gaze away from him and turned towards Kiyro, pleading for his help. Kiyro unconsciously stepped forward towards her and blocked Red's view from Eve. Eve's hand slipped towards his and squeezed his hands.

Red shrugged his shoulders and turned his back on Kiyro. Kiyro let out a small sigh.

"Well, ladies and gentlemen." Angel was the last one to step through. He was smiling gently as if nothing was wrong. "Welcome to Gehenna, or should I say Purgatory, the afterlife, or.… Hell."

"W-w-what bullshit are you spouting." The man who spoke to Red spoke out first. "You're saying this is hell? Come on? Really?"

"You're right. I was kidding.... or am I?" Angel mischievously grinned.

"Quit pulling our legs. What are we doing here?" The man pointed at Angel, demanding answers.

"There is always one of you guys that just doesn't keep quiet and listen." With a flick of his fingers, a black dagger appeared in his hands. He rushed up towards the man and slit the light umbilical cord. Then his hands moved up towards his neck. Blood spewed outwards from the man's neck.

The man crumpled onto the ground, holding onto his bleeding neck. Everyone stood back in shock at what they had seen. The malnourished gray creatures shrieked in blood lust and rushed towards the dying man. They tore through skin and bones, devouring the man to pieces. Nobody moved nor stirred. They could only stare in horror. As the skeletal creatures backed off back into the dark, not a single part of the man was left.

Eve's grip became even more complicated than before. Kiyro could even feel that she was shaking in fear.

"Now, would anyone else like to test my words?" Angel waited for a couple of seconds, then he smiled. "For all of you who want to know this. He's dead. Brain dead, to be more exact. The best part about it is that his spirit is forever gone too." He coolly stated as if it was nothing.

"Are you saying that we are in another dimension?" A young girl with pigtails spoke up. "This is truly the afterlife?"

"You can think of it like that. Today, we have projected our spiritual self into a lower dimension on Earth. I assume some of you have this skill from the Seed correctly. Something called Astral Projection."

Some of the people nodded.

"That's great. You should now be able to do so for those who do not. Now, this room is a bit special. Nobody can come in or get out without permission. It is a great place to talk and practice using one's unique skills." A flash of lightning appeared in Angel's hands. A small electric ball formed in his hand, creating a strong energy pulse. "Here, your Seed skills are 3x stronger than in the physical world. I know that some of you have the psychic ability to influence elements."

"This is getting completely into the fantasy realm," Daulton stated with excitement. "Can we become some kind of crazy powerful being?"

"I wouldn't count too much on that," Will spoke calmly. He was not too phased by the show of power that Angel was displaying. "Those gray creatures just devoured that man a second ago."

Daulton's face paled, and they stared back at where the blood was spilled. He gulped in fear.

"This room will be your new training ground. Come practice here at least once a week, and your game character will also grow in its ability. Your regular level won't grow, but your skills will. The more powerful your skills are, you'll become powerful."

People were shocked when they heard about this information. They needed to comprehend how this world affected the game world.

"I can see that you are confused."

"Sir, if you would explain. What you are saying is highly illogical. How is it that this world affects the game world? I mean, really? Isn't that all just fantasy?"

Red once again burst out laughing from behind Angel. "You fools. Did you think that this was all a game? Really? Until now, you believed that the game of Growth was just a virtual game.

Again, you're all fools."

Angel raised his hands to stop Red from talking. "What Red says is true. The game of Growth has a dual purpose."

"That is?"

"To awaken."

"Awaken?"

"Is it not clicking in your mind?" Red spoke, annoyed.

"Calm down. The little chicklings still don't understand." Red-backed off and crossed his arms.

"Have you ever wondered why there is a power button in the middle of the forehead?"

"Isn't it just a design?" Someone asked.

"No. It is where your third eye rests."

"Third eye?"

"The inner eye, better referred to as the invisible eye, provides perception beyond the ordinary sight. The emblem of Growth is positioned above your third eye. Every time you turn on your Alive Gear, the electric energy stimulates your brain, activating this eye. Every single one of you has been unconsciously stimulating it every time you play."

"But we didn't know this. What good would this do? Plus, we never agreed to stimulate our third eye."

"So?" Angel shrugged his shoulders. "Do you think that the masses would believe such a thing? Our media, society, and the people around us have already ruled out such things as lies and overactive imagination. Plus, you have all stated 'Yes' when you have agreed to obtain the Seed. Human curiosity and desires have always won over our instincts. We all crave power, to be a step ahead of one another."

"This is bull." A young woman stepped up, denying what Angel had stated.

"Once again, denial is the first step towards acceptance. From all the abilities that you have gained from the Seed, do you think that you don't believe?"

"Yes." She firmly stated.

Angel smiled. "Then why are you here?"

"You threatened me."

"Yes, I did, but you are still here. You could've left, you know."

"But I would have died."

"You're right, though; right now, you can go. My first lesson today is accomplished." Angel motioned his hands. Everyone looked at him as crazy. "Though I know you will be curious about what I will tell you next."

The woman hesitated from going forward.

"I thought so. Your curiosity won you over." Angel's lips turned into a curl. "We are being called to evolve into a higher state of mind. I don't know the real purpose, but this so far is the function of the Alive Gear that we noticed."

"Why are you telling us this now?" Kiyro spoke. He felt that there was something that Angel was not telling.

Angel turned towards Kiyro's voice. A sudden chill ran throughout his body when his gaze stopped on him.

"Because this was the right thing to do."

"Right thing?" Kiyro didn't believe it for a second. This man in front of him was a cold-blooded killer. He wondered where the strange sense of morality even came from.

"Yes. You are all chosen to participate in the next phase of training to improve your skills for the better cause of humanity."

The word better cause made me think that Angel's words had a different meaning.

"Now then, every week on Sunday, you will all meet here to practice your Seeded skills. Then, to get out, all you need to do is head over and touch your body. It's as simple as that. I'll be heading out first."

Angel turned and headed towards his body. He merged and disappeared, leaving everyone behind.

"Is what he said true?" Eve tugged on his hands.

"I believe most of it, but I'm not sure about the rest," Kiyro answered. "From his demonstration.

The other students slowly started to leave one by one.

"We should go. Staying here too long gives me the creeps." Daulton shuddered.

"I agree with you." Eve shook her head furiously. Everyone followed suit and went towards their body.

Kiyro stopped in front of him. He glanced around to see that Eve, Alex, Tonia, Will, and Daulton had all entered their bodies, leaving Kiyro behind. He turned back around and reached forward. But, unfortunately, it was like he fell again from the sky as he crashed into his body.