Banquet Night

Ivory's right foot kicked the soda can lying in the middle of the road. She threw her head back and sighed in annoyance. She still didn't agree with her friend's opinion.

"Do you believe in The Higher-ups, Megan? On the Supreme Council? Why did they take all the children from their parents?" Ivory asked in a rising voice. "They have no right to do it. They should not separate the child from the mother. That's not fair!"

Before Megan could reply to Ivory's words, four Guardians had come to the two of them who arrived at the edge of the field. Without waiting for further cues, they immediately pulled Ivory and Megan's hands to advance to the center of the area. Ivory couldn't help but try to obey even though she had an annoyed face compared to Megan, who looked happy.

"I don't wanna go there! Let me go!"

Ivory's eardrums caught the desperate screams standing not far from her. With messy hair, the girl was dragged by the two Guardians to the edge of the field. Another Guardian waited for the girl to come with a large syringe and a bottle of light blue liquid. The girl struggled even more in fear while the people around looked at her with concern.

No one dared to interrupt the Guardian. No one wanted to help the girl either since everyone there was too afraid to get into trouble with The Higher-ups' accomplice. Everyone felt like a coward.

Including Ivory.

"I heard that her potential partner is an abusive old man."

"Didn't you hear? Some even had broken bones because of that man!"

"I'm shocked at how rudely the man treated his partner."

"No wonder Kiara was scared. Poor girl. She's the most beautiful virgin in this place—"

Ivory was frightened to hear the murmurs around her.

The image of a rough man who likes to beat his partner really haunts her. What if her partner breaks her bone like those people are talking about? What if she had to torment for a whole year by a crazy guy who likes hitting?

But she couldn't run.

No, or she will die...

"Kelana, Ivory!"

Ivory raised her right hand hesitantly. She didn't even realize that the Guardian had started the attendance session. The pair of Guardians' sharp eyes scanned Ivory from head to toe. In the next second, the Guardian nodded curtly.

After her name was called, Ivory was led to get into a bus that was already full of candidates for this year's Copulation. Many of them were looking down, crying, and uptight. Not a few smiled until they surrendered. Their expressions are so diverse.

Ivory sat in the empty chair that had been provided. The smell of the bus really made her sick. She felt her stomach churn. She really wanted to throw up.

"You are okay?"

Ivory nodded and forced a wistful smile on the girl sitting next to her.

"I'm fine, thanks," Ivory replied. It was completely different from the situation where she wanted to throw up because she was so nervous.

"Is this your first Copulation?" asked the girl.

Ivory glanced at the girl with jet black hair like her. The girl was sweet yet cold at the same time. She didn't look like a friendly person, but she did seem to care. Ivory seemed to see two sides of a coin in one body in front of her.

Ivory nodded once again.

"First time is always like that. That's okay," the girl said. She dug something out of her skirt pocket before handing it to Ivory. "Eat it. Effectively relieves your nausea."

Ivory looked down and thanked her. She unwrapped the ginger candy and hastily put it in her mouth. At least the candy could distract her from her nervousness for a while.

"What's your name?" The slanted-eyed girl asked Ivory again.

Ivory cleared her throat for a moment before answering the question from that girl. "Ivory Kelana. And you?"

"Camellia Ren." She smiled crookedly. "This is the second Copulation I'm participating in, so I guess you're younger than me."

Ivory laughed awkwardly. "Ah, you're older than me."

"Yep."

Luckily the girl who introduced herself as Camelia Ren turned her head and closed her eyes. She tried to sleep. Thankfully, Ivory doesn't really like small talk with new people.

So, trying to follow what the girl was doing, Ivory closed her eyes, controlled her erratic heartbeat, and fell asleep.

Ivory woke to the feeling of a gentle shaking on her shoulder. Camelia woke her up and asked her to come downstairs quickly. She stretched her arms which felt very stiff. Ivory thought that by falling asleep for a while, she would be able to neutralize her nervousness better.

In fact, wrong. Ivory felt her naughty heart trying to escape from her body. She was really nervous, and her knees were shaking violently. She almost fell while getting off the bus.

"Come on, don't overdo it. This is only the first meeting," Ivory said encouragingly to herself.

Camelia had disappeared somewhere, carried by a Guardian. Meanwhile, the Guardians, who were walking side by side with her, led her into the Supreme Council's Palace. It could be said that the place is a palace because of the house's grandeur.

Two tall pillars engraved with writings that Ivory couldn't understand greeted his sense of sight. Ivory looked around. The choice of elegant paint colors, the dark blue carpet that stretched from her feet to the front door, and the assistants everywhere all stood out in Ivory's eyes. The twinkling lights that enveloped the cactus plants lined up seemed to evoke a joy for anyone who approached it.

The strains of the violin combined with the piano spoil the ears of anyone who hears it. The passersby wore the best suits and dress Ivory had ever seen, pampering her burning eyes. Really feels like in a fairy tale.

"You, sit on the white chair."

The Guardian, who had been guiding her earlier, pointed to an empty chair with the name Ivory Kelana engraved on the back. She swallowed her saliva and sat there. Most of the people on the bus with her had entered the room, not to mention her best friend, Megan. With a big smile, Megan waved her hand at Ivory, who was greeted with a small smile. Ivory's eyes searched for Camelia's whereabouts but couldn't find her.

'Perhaps this section is for the first Copulation participants,' she thought.

Ivory's gaze shifted to the top. There stood several people laughing and clinking their glasses at one another. Shiny shoes, waxed hair, beautiful curls, intoxicating perfume, it all comes together in Primer terms. Sighing in annoyance, she turned her head to her right.

On the right side, many people wear typical waiter clothes with bold makeup mixed and matched with face jewels such as gems and rhinestones. The eye makeup was super flashy, especially all over their eyelids, making Ivory frown in amazement. She had never seen a face like that before.

The waiters brought various trays of drinks that Ivory believed to be alcohol. Ivory never had drunk alcohol before. She really wanted to taste a sip of the glass that was said to be heaven's water.

Ivory's stomach rumbled loudly. She's starving since she hasn't eaten since 16 hours ago. The last food she ate was her favorite apricot and a glass of fresh milk a neighbor gave her. Her saliva was almost dripping when she saw the rows of food issued by the waiters in front of her.

Chicken, lobster, roast pork, prawns...

Can she eat it all?

"Ladies and gentlemen-"

Ivory's reverie was broken by the emcee's booming voice.

"Welcome to the Copulation Attendees' Night Banquet!"