Episode 11-Sloth (1)

It was the next day and I felt horrible. Just like every other day, my sleep was uncomfortable and restless. I began to wonder if I was losing energy by sleeping.

(Well, a sore body is what you expect when you sleep on a hard table.)

Besides the beds in the nurse's office, everyone had to improvise. One solution was using jackets and other clothing as bedsheets. It was lumpy and uneven but better than nothing.

(Aliana?)

I turned to the table on my left and saw she was still there. I breathed a sigh of relief. The fear in my chest melted away. Every day, I worry. I worry that whenever I would turn my head, she'd be gone, and I'd never see her again. I reached my hand out to stroke her hair but-

"Alicia, you have a problem..."

-my wrist was immediately caught by Aliana and brushed aside. She woke up too soon.

"You need to stop treating me like a cat."

"A-ah, sorry. I was just making sure you're there."

"I'm not a ghost."

Aliana became distant these past few weeks, but she still cared. She placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder.

"You don't have to worry. I'm not going anywhere, okay?"

"Right."

(She's not going anywhere. It's oka-)

("Let her go!!")

("Oh? What the hell are you gonna do about it, you bitch?")

"Alicia!"

"Y-yeah?"

"You were getting lost in your thoughts again."

"O-oh."

"You wanna tell me what you were thinking about?"

"It's nothing."

Aliana pursed her lips and squinted. That was her "I don't believe you" look. After a moment, she shrugged her shoulders and said, "Come on, let's go get breakfast."

I woke up my parents, and we walked to the cafeteria. As we traversed the hallways, Aliana walked ahead, and I saw her back. I was glad she couldn't see my face and how ashamed it looked. I was a hypocrite. Yesterday, I was thinking about how she was hiding things from me, but here I was, doing the same.

Aliana never knew what happened in the First Scenario. I did, though. It was a secret I was willing to take to the grave.

***

Aliana used her teeth to tear into a tough slice of bread.

"Some old thing," Aliana sighed out.

"It's better than nothing, you know."

"It's good to be positive," my mom said.

"Did we get less water?" My dad noticed.

I looked at my cup. I didn't drink anything yet. It was better to eat your salty food first and then drink your water last so you wouldn't feel dehydrated.

"We probably did get less. It's the rationing."

"Well, that's just great," Aliana said sarcastically.

We ate in silence. I wanted to say the atmosphere was the same as yesterday, but it felt different this morning. It felt... alive.

"I guess everyone is talking about that message," Aliana stated.

I remembered it clearly.

("Someone has dealt with the Disaster of Lasers that came from the east!")

What the heck was a Disaster in the first place? It was important, and I knew that at least. It was pivotal to the scenario if something occurred for everyone to receive system messages. It meant something was changing. I didn't know if that was good or bad.

There was another question I had. Who "dealt" with the Disaster? Someone had to kill it. But what did the word "dealt" mean in the message's context? These questions were bubbling in my head.

(I wish someone could just give me the answers....)

Wait, there was someone. Or, it's better to say there was something. I looked around and saw the Dokkaebi floating in the air. Their expression was tinged with boredom and disappointment as if he was looking at a tedious situation. I couldn't disagree - everyone was eating. I got up. Aliana and my parents looked at me and where I was staring.

"Oi, Alicia, what are you doing?!"

I marched ahead and tried to push every sensible thought out of my brain. If I didn't, I'd realize how stupid I was. The fear would kick in, and I'd be like everyone else - hunched over, sitting with my head down, and hoping to go unnoticed.

[Constellations are watching your bold presence.]

[Constellations are bored and hope for stimulation.]

(I'll give you your stimulation, you pervy creeps.)

"Excuse me?"

I gestured towards the Dokkaebi.

(What the heck am I doing?)

Why am I raising my hand? Was I a student being called upon by a teacher? When I received the Dokkaebi's attention, I tucked my arm to the side.

[Yes?]

"Um, uh... I have a question."

Everyone was staring at me. I felt their gazes piercing my back, and I knew not all of them were human.

[Constellations are pondering your actions.]

[Constellation "Secretive Plotter" is observing you.]

[Alright then. Ask.]

"I was wondering about the message from yesterday. The one 'Someone has dealt with the Disaster of Lasers of the east.' What does that mean?"

[Exactly how it sounds. Someone dealt with the Disaster of Lasers.]

"What does the 'dealt' part mean?"

[It means they killed it. Isn't that obvious?]

"No, the wording doesn't elaborate it."

[Hmph.]

"May you tell us who killed it?"

[No. That is private information.]

"What is a Disaster then?"

[I am not allowed to disclose the information at this point in time. The upcoming scenarios will elaborate. Survive and complete the scenarios you are in to proceed to the next one. That is all I have to say regarding those matters. Now, return to your seat.]

I barely received any information and I was dismissed. I turned around and returned to my lunch table.

"Alicia, are you freaking crazy?"

"Alicia, don't do that again. The Dokkaebi are dangerous. They could kill you."

"Okay, mom, I know. I won't do it again."

I couldn't acquire answers, but it didn't mean I gained anything.

[Constellations admire your small act of bravery!]

[You have been sponsored 300 coins!]

[Your Constellation Sponsor has said, "The answers you seek will come in due time."]

"Okay, everyone, if I may have your attention, I shall make the morning announcements."

A relatively young man held pieces of paper in his hands. The morning announcements were nothing interesting; they usually consisted of boring news and assigning our weekly jobs. Still, people paid attention.

"Alright. The first order of business is this: we have new survivors."

"What..."

"We haven't had new survivors in months."

"Who are they?"

People began muttering and whispering to their friends, which resulted in the announcer asking everyone to quiet down. These past weeks, no other survivors arrived. We were convinced everyone else out there created their factions or were dead.

"If all of you were patient, you'd get the information quicker. Right now, these people are being tested for the flare zombie virus. There are five in total. I will read them off this list."

The man flipped to another piece of paper and began to read them. For some reason, I was holding my breath in anticipation.

"Edmund Ava."

"Sherri Neal."

"Willard Brookes."

"Jarred Thompson."

"And the last one. Ethan..."

As the announcer squinted at the page, I saw some scouts in our group bristle. They were the people who ventured beyond our safe area and looked for supplies or fought monsters. When they heard that first name, they appeared visibly displeased.

"Ah, sorry. The last name was hard to pronounce. Their name is-"

Strangely, everyone looked expectedly at the announcer as if he was about to drop a bombshell.

"Ethan Takahashi."

[Your Constellation sponsor is looking at you.]

[Your Constellation sponsor is warning you to be wary of that Incarnation.]

"After they are done with testing, we'll introduce them into the main group. They should come around during dinnertime. Please, treat them well."

So, that concluded our local news. The scouts grew relaxed, and the average listeners went back to their food and friend groups. Aliana and my parents were no different. Although, I still felt on edge. The anticipation of hearing that last name didn't wear off, and it still felt like I was holding my breath.

(I wonder who these people are. Especially the last one.)

***

I almost overlooked the new survivors. To be fair, there were so many people in our group, and it was hard to keep track. When people pointed them out, I thought, "There weren't already part of our group?" Aliana once said I have horrible situational awareness, and I'm starting to believe her.

The four people seemed relatively normal. They were injured, scarred, and weary, but they didn't stand out too much. It was the last person, though. Why the heck was he wearing a jacket? It wasn't some flimsy one either; it was a thick rain jacket that you'd wear in a downpour.

"Is something wrong with him?"

"Aliana," my mom admonished.

"What? I heard that some people who are mentally ill can't register temperature and wear stuff like that."

"Please, keep those opinions to yourself."

"Should we introduce ourselves?" My dad suggested.

"Guys, come on..."

My parents were old-fashioned. If a new neighbor recently moved in, my mother would actually bake them something and give it to them. Also, she'd intentionally use a glass Tupperware so the neighbor would have to come to our house and give it back. It's how my mom maximized social interactions.

Sadly, this type of mindset couldn't exist in this world. No one wanted to say it, but - mainly - everyone here has killed another human to survive. Well, I knew one person who didn't. I looked at Aliana.

"Do we really have to meet them?" My friend said.

"Well, let's spin it like this," my dad said, "they might have information about the outside world. Eh? It seems worth it."

"Well, why don't we ask the adults? Why the kid?"

"Aren't kids more honest?"

"Dad, that applies to six-year-olds. That kid looks like a teenager."

"Well, it doesn't hurt to cite your sources and gain information from multiple viewpoints."

"I agree. Let's go."

The person in question recently came from the ration line and looked around. Were they trying to find someone? After a while, their aimless walking carried direction, and their gait possessed confidence. They must've found who they were looking for. As we grew closer, we saw who it was.

"No way..." Aliana muttered.

The new kid was approaching Marcus Santiago, the son of our King.

***

Infiltrating the school was easy enough. All I had to do was pose as a survivor. They checked my affiliation and saw I was a wanderer.

(Though, it sucks that I had to give up the flag when I worked so hard to get it.)

I trusted George to lead the group well. Plus, I created a temporary contract between us. He'd give me the flag when I ordered him. Honestly, even though I thought it was insulting, I couldn't be careless.

(The hard part is over.)

They really grilled me. The person asking questions possessed the [Lie Detection] skill, and evading them was difficult. There were methods to avoid the questions, such as [Poker Face], but I knew another alternative: [Insidious].

You may be asking, how did I get this skill? Well, I have Mathew McFarland to thank.

+

[Character Assimilation Slots]

1. Mathew McFarland (Understanding 78)

2. [Pending] (Understanding 201)

3. Empty

+

[Your understanding of Character "Mathew McFarland" has not increased.]

[The applicable individual is no longer a character.]

[This individual's profile will no longer update.]

I'm glad I understood McFarland. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have been able to use his [Insidious] skill to evade inquiries. Mainly, I was thankful to Preston. I wouldn't be here if he didn't give me his Fragment of the 4th Wall.

(I owe that kid a lot.)

I didn't lie to him when I promised to protect my people. Taking down Adler Santiago's and Mathew McFarland's groups was a step in the process.

[The second character slot is still pending.]

[The second character slot will become available after a certain amount of time has elapsed.]

As I waited for the second slot to update, I stood in the food line. I grabbed a measly slice of bread and a cup of water. I took it and swept my gaze throughout the cafeteria.

(I've never been in a school cafeteria in years.)

I was homeschooled at a young age because a few schools didn't work out for me. The entire situation felt foreign. I saw multiple teenagers huddled at their tables, talking to each other. They must've been what you call a "clique." The adults were no different.

(I forgot what my mom said, but I think she once stated that a person would attract others similar to themselves.)

So, it meant garbage would be surrounded by more garbage.

I looked for a place to sit, but other people took the seats, and many tables were crowded. I also wasn't about to do something stupid and sit at someone else's table, hoping for acceptance. I wasn't a dense protagonist from a slice-of-life anime.

(Where is he?)

I scanned the entire area until I saw him.

(Well, if it isn't the boy I've been looking for.)

I slowly approached the young man who was sitting alone at a table. He appeared sullen, tired, weary, and utterly depressed. I promptly plopped down onto a seat and looked at him.

"Mind if I sit here?"

Marcus Santiago stared at me with wide eyes and tried to stutter out an answer.