Chapter 5: Invitation

Blaze's POV

After typing my answer to the given box, an invitation page suddenly appeared. It took me a good while before realizing what the pop up message meant. The message says:

The Invitation

Thank you for taking time to apply in The Society. We are warmly congratulating you for successfully getting the right answer. The Society is humbly inviting you and your friends to officially bestow your honor.

There's this link below but whenever I click it, it shows that there's a need for an email account and password before getting in. It looks like a secret site that can only be accessed if one has the account name and password.

Even when I try to hack the site, the system is too secured. I can't find any route to get in.

"Argh! I already got the right answer. What now?" I say in vexation. Maybe Donovan was right, it's just a hoax or a promotional ad. I shouldn't take it too seriously. Honor, huh? How can I receive it if there's a need for a password?

I'm really bored especially since class was long over, or that's what I supposed since there's no professor. So, I walked out of the university and decided to visit the hub.

I just arrived inside the penthouse when my phone suddenly rings due to an incoming group video call. I put my phone down on the coffee table and let the hologram project on the nearby wall. "What is it?" I ask.

"Did you guys receive a message too?" Baldwyn questions.

"Yeah, I thought it's just wrongly sent." Neron shrugs.

"What message?" It looks like they all got the same message, but why haven't I received any? I've been holding my phone the whole day and the only message I got was from the website of "The Society," as they call it.

"You haven't received yours, Zac?" Donovan queries.

"I don't know. What is it about?" I curiously ask while changing into a loose shirt. I was starting to become uncomfortable in my uniform.

"The Invitation from The Anonymous," Baldwyn whispers on his phone.

My eyes widen from Wyn's hushed revelation. They also got the same message? But how? We didn't even give our phone numbers or email addresses. How did they manage to send the message to my friends?

"Well, I think you're the one who answered the puzzle then," Xeno's voice was flinty.

I remember that I haven't told them about getting the right answer. I thought it's plain nothing so I didn't care to share it. "I did, but I thought it's just a joke. The given link needs an account and password. They didn't send me anything though, so what was I supposed to do?"

They all look betrayed upon hearing my divulgence. "We're on our way," Xeno says before hanging up.

I think they want to know how I deciphered the code, and what link appeared after I solved it. In my theory, they just received the invitation message but not the link attached with it. I massaged my temple and laid back on the reclining sofa. Damn, that puzzle really took my energy for the whole week!

True to their words, my friends came not long after dropping the call. The three of them look so sobersided while Wyn stares at me, looking so amused and amazed. "So how did you do it?" Wyn excitedly asks.

They all gathered and sat around me, curious to hear my story. "The idea just struck me when you asked for help for those old keypad phones. I thought, what if the code is a combination of two ciphers?" I told them in strict detail on how I came up with the answer. They all tried to solve it themselves to prove my methodology.

"Wow! Who would have thought that because of me, you will be able to come up with the correct answer, right?" Wyn boastfully says. I didn't want to rain on his parade and I just let him believe his claim.

After a thorough explanation, we access the link again on my laptop then typed the same answer that I wrote a while ago.

"Woah! That's so cool, bro!" Wyn exclaims.

Just like my previous attempt, the page only shows the invitation message and the link. I click the link again but it still needs an account to sign in.

"See?" I told them.

They examine the page for a while, trying to find if it's another code we need to solve before accessing the site. We are so into it that we flinch when my phone rings for a call. From staring at the laptop's screen, their attention averts to my phone now. They all look at my phone then at me, waiting for me to pick it up.

"Hello?" I answer. The boys look at me curiously, so I click the loudspeaker button.

"Thank you for taking time to apply in The Society. We are warmly congratulating you for successfully getting the right answer. The Society is humbly inviting you and your friends to officially bestow your honor." It's an automatic response server talking to us.

"May we ask where the account name and it's password are?" Wyn inquires.

"The Society will provide you your intended account name and password after the official contract signing. Thank you." And then the call ended.

"Contract?" Donovan says.

One by one our phone beeps and notifies that we have received an email. It is a document sent by an unknown account.

"Are we really going to be a member of The Anonymous?!" Wyn excitedly asks.

I carefully read the whole contract. Of course, a part of me is still in doubt with this whole The Anonymous membership, but I also can't help the excitement building inside me as well. To become part of this notorious association is really unbelievable, very astounding.

The conditions are simple. There are ten major given rules that we must strictly abide.

1. The member's identity should always stay hidden the moment you enter the Society.

2. The given tasks and missions should always be considered confidential.

3. The member cannot form or join a new group within the Society.

4. The member should learn the value of teamwork and camaraderie.

5. The member cannot give any form of false information to the Society.

6. The member cannot and should not find the other members of the Society in the outside world. Meetings and assigning of tasks will be performed on the Cryptic Website, the official website of the Society.

7. The member cannot call the Society's official name in public.

8. The member cannot perform under the name of the Society without its permission.

9. The member should always use his/her chosen code name.

10. The member of the Society will forever be a member of the Society once he/she signs and sends the contract. Thus, the ten major rules and the other subsidiary rules will be strictly followed until death.

I do not have any second thoughts as I sign the contract. The rules are not bad. Although it looks simple, I know that the simplest rule can be the hardest to follow. Still, I think joining The Anonymous is interesting and thrilling.

I smirk while looking at the signed document in front of me. I mean, how can I waste my chance to join a group who's known for being just and fighting for what's right? I could never miss the opportunity. My doubt still lingers, but how can I find out it's legitimacy if I will not try it?

After a long wait for Donovan and Neron's decision on whether to join the Society, we all press send simultaneously.

We didn't have to wait, as another call came in to welcome us. The automatic server gave us our individual email account and password. After the brief introduction, we all set up our account and sign in on the Cryptic Website. My friends and I look at each other with a smirk plastered on our lips as we read the first message at the top of the website.

"Welcome to The Anonymous, Heron"

Baldwyn's POV

I look at my reflection on the mirror one last time before wearing my cap. Today is the day of verdict! So technically, it's judgement day! After we received that message, some of us didn't believe that it was really from The Anonymous, and I'm part of that "some".

I told them that we should ask for proof, you know, me and my genius mind. Zac wouldn't be able to solve that puzzle without my help. So, we agreed to go to the biggest protest in our country, it's been years since we had a big issue. The text message told us that the proof that we're asking for will be found at Messier 75, where the protest is currently happening. That's why I called it judgement day, because we will finally know if this whole "The Anonymous membership" is legit or a just hoax.

I wear my limited edition Saint Laurent's black jacket before going out of my house. As a fully grown man, I bought my own unit and live separately from my parents. I don't hate them, I just don't like them interfering on my decisions regarding my life. They think that being an elite is great. Yeah, sure, it is great. You have tons of money and lots of properties. You can do anything you like, that is, until your parents decide to meddle in your life.

I securely lock the front door of my unit, in my own building. I get in the pneumatic elevator that is only made just for me. The other residents who rent a unit in my building have their own passenger type lift that they can use. I'm not your penthouse type of guy, I don't fancy high places. That's why my unit can be found on the second floor. It didn't take too long for me to reach the basement, where I parked my new motorcycle.

My building is found in Messier 58 but my parents' house is in Messier 14. Actually, all of our parents' houses are in the same Messier, except for Xeno's. We've been asking him where his parents live but he always shifts the topic whenever we talk about it, so we just dropped it and gave up asking him.

"Hey, Wyn! Wassup! What an awesome ride you got there."

I gaze at Mike, member of the social club — a group of people from rich families, as I answer. "Oh yeah? Thanks!"

"Mine is way cooler though. It's way faster and has better design."

"Really? That's great, then. You get to boast how wealthy you are since that's the only thing you have right? Wealth."

"What?! I— You know I'm way cool—" I didn't let him finish his sentence. I wear my helmet, start the engine, and drive out of there.

One of the cons of being an elite is that you have no choice but to be part of something you don't want to be, socialize with spoiled brats, and bear with their trashy attitudes. I'm so thankful that my troops aren't like that. I'm happy that they're like me, rich but humble. Though they're not as handsome as me, their attitude will do.

"Yo, guys! I'm almost there." I calmly say through the earpiece inside my helmet, as I talk to my boys. One thing that I love about my motorcycle is how it allows me to answer video calls even though I'm driving really fast.

"Are you still driving? What a slow poke!" I rolled my eyes when I saw Neron on the holographic screen in my helmet's glass cover, laughing.

"Ha Ha Ha. I finally laughed at your joke, Brooks. Please stop cracking a joke from now on. Are you guys already there?"

"Yeah. It's just you who's missing, mate."

"But where's Xeno and Zac? I don't see them?" I ask Donovan who's holding the phone with Neron on his side.

"They're eyeing the scene. Hurry up, mate. It might start within ten minutes." I nod and drop the call. I drive faster than my usual speed.

The sentinel was about to stop me, but halted his action as I showed him my gold badge. He bowed at me before opening the huge steel gates that are dividing Messier 75, the last messier in this country, among the other Messiers.

A heavy foul smell greets me as soon as I pass the gates, I don't even know what caused it. I turn off the engine and scan the whole area. Damn! Is it supposed to look like this?

Protesters are scattered at the central park and are holding huge banners as they collectively shout their grudge against the bill.

I can't even find my comrades in the ocean of people. I park my motorcycle at the outer side of the park, where there are the least number of people. The protesters are in the middle of the park, while there are some bystanders who're just watching the impending war.

I cautiously walk to the side, wearing my jacket and mask, as I eye every building that has huge LCD screens. Where are my friends? Are they wearing the same outfit as mine? I really hope they took my advice. I told them to wear something less suspicious so that we won't catch the attention of the people and can be one of the crowd. My genius mind thought of that, I really hope they did what I told them. I don't want to fetch them at the disciplinary station, what would they even do without me?

I move to the side as an uproarious voice causes panic and chaos in the silent crowd. The once peaceful bystanders are now facing the police with their wraths and complaints.

"STOP CLASSISM! STOP DIVIDING SOCIAL CLASSES!"

As much as I want to shout and be one of them, I can't. My parents will surely kill me if they discover that I became part of the protest. Most of the elites think that this is a good idea — dividing us among the others, setting boundaries, and limiting them from making actions. All of those just to boast and imprint their ranks in the minds of those lower than them. But my friends and I think otherwise, people aren't supposed to live that way. We should live happily and treat each other fairly, instead of pulling others down.

I wear my cap as the commotion gets worse. I moved farther to the side and continued eyeing the building until I saw this large tower. I'm rooted in place as a loud squealing sound bursts in the area, causing all the people to cover their ears and gaze at the huge monitor that I'm currently staring at. The chaos abruptly stops and leaves the people in awe as the familiar sound stops. A well known glitching sound follows the loud noise. Suddenly, the LCD screen lights up and a person wearing a mask is being displayed for all of the people to see.

"The world believes that this is a perfect country, filled with nothing but freedom and prosperity. A good country in the eyes of others, but Good is not Good when Better is Needed. We are The Anonymous."

They are real. Mother of cockroaches! They are fucking real, and I'm a part of them!

After the short clip, the people start shouting with joyous applause and the authorities start backing down. I slowly make my exit. I slightly panic as I see a girl looking at me suspiciously. I ran towards my parked motorcycle, but a pair of hands suddenly pulled me to a hidden narrow alley at the side.

"Holy fuck, Zac!"

"Shut your mouth, dude. You'll get us caught" Neron covers my mouth.

I see the girl pass us by. I heave a sigh and remove Neron's hand off my mouth.

"Why are you wearing that kind of outfit, dude?"

"I thought you said 'not to be suspicious'? You look like a criminal."

"What's wrong with my outfit?! This doesn't look suspicious!" I hiss at Donovan and Neron who's teasing me. They just shake their heads and avert their gaze as they stifle a laugh.

Now that we know that the invitation is real, we're all happy and nervous at the same time. It's horrifying to be part of the secret association but it's also fulfilling. At last, we can fight too. We can now defend our beliefs and morals, go against those that we think aren't right. Everything we couldn't do just because our parents branded us as elites, we can finally do now.

Finally, we can be free.