Amidst that confusion, I suddenly remembered one sentence that surfaced in my memory.
Like a voice echoing through a corridor of time.
"Your name is Nico #####. And now, I am your father."
I paused for a moment. "Nico... my name is Nico."
"Alright, Nico. Welcome to this 'hell'," said Aurel.
"Hell? What do you mean?"
A man with black eyes, wearing shabby clothes and a bandaged hand, decided to explain. "At first, we were all in one place, waking up simultaneously in this forest, and you were probably there too, but still asleep. Then, a holographic screen appeared in the air. A black silhouette spoke from that screen. It said: 'Congratulations on being selected as candidates for Nethera Academy. Next, survive to become official students'. After that, a ship landed, and the troops called the 'Exam Army' started attacking us inhumanely, until we finally scattered everywhere to survive on our own."
I focused on him, feeling an understanding of the condition he had experienced. "You..."
The man smiled. "My name is Farren Nockleus. Nice to meet you!"
"My name is Nico," I replied, also smiling.
The cramped bunker felt like an oasis in the middle of hell. The flickering blue neon lights cast our shadows on the steel walls, creating shifting, uncertain silhouettes. Farren, the black-eyed man, stretched his bandaged hand toward me. I took it firmly, feeling the rough scars on his palm.
"So, we were all brought here without explanation?" I asked, trying to assemble the shattered puzzle in my head.
Farren shook his head, his face losing its previous smile. "No. There's one word that could explain this from the start: 'candidate student'. It's likely we were taken by some kind of organization—or academy. And we have to pass this hellish exam before becoming 'official students'."
Aurel, who was checking energy cartridges in the corner of the room, glanced at us. "This place is Nethera Academy, a secret academy unrelated to the government. On the contrary, they want to enact some kind of 'change'. At certain times, secretly, they select 'dead' people they deem 'worthy'. And run a test to see if we are qualified... Besides resilience, they genuinely want to test the aspects of humanity and justice we possess."
The bunker suddenly fell silent. Only the hiss of the air vent and the heavy breaths of a few exam participants could be heard. Everyone's eyes were on Aurel, including mine.
"You know about this?" I asked, my voice louder than I intended.
Aurel sighed, then placed her Energy Rifle on the metal table. "Not much. Just rumors among the Nobility and the Government. But one thing is certain, they are not playing around with an exam like this."
The blue neon light in the bunker flickered for a moment, as if responding to the tension that suddenly hardened the air. I stared at Aurel, trying to read her cold expression.
Nobility? Government? So she isn't an ordinary person.
Farren scratched his messy head. "If that's the case, why don't they recruit directly? Why go through a sadistic exam like this?"
Aurel shrugged. "They're looking for the 'worthy'. Not the smart or the strong."
"But, what did you mean by dead people?" I asked.
Aurel's eyes glanced at me; she was silent, as if searching for the right answer. "Dead... actually, we have died."
"What do you mean?" asked Farren with a hint of disbelief.
"In our environment or our lives before we were in this place. We were reported dead. However, Nethera Academy 'secretly' saved you all. In other words, you didn't truly die. Nethera Academy has a secret system; they have data on every citizen in this Federation, and they know our behavior and nature, they are always watching. When they think 'This one is interesting' and you have an accident, they will swap you with another corpse, and you will be presumed dead," Aurel explained.
Farren sighed. "Now that I think about it... before I was here, I fell from the third floor. Because I was saving a woman who was trying to commit suicide."
"I... well. I got hit by a... maybe," said William hesitantly.
I... don't remember my last moments before being here... Why did I forget?
"And the others must also remember your last moments before coming here," said Aurel.
The air in the bunker felt heavy, filled with the smell of metal, sweat, and suppressed fear. Other participants sat leaning against the wall, their eyes either empty or alert, depending on how strong their mental fortitude was. A young girl with brown hair shivered in a corner, her hands gripping her knees tightly.
"I've been here for two days now. Before I was here, I was saving a kidnapped baby... then I was stabbed. I forgot what happened after that...," said the brown-haired girl. "Initially, there were two hundred and fifty participants. But over time, some of us died on the first day. Those left... are just the lucky or strong enough."
So... I was asleep for two days after the exam started. Why didn't I die earlier? Those soldiers should have known; it's impossible they thought I was dead while still sleeping. Or maybe they did it on purpose?
I gritted my teeth. "And how long do we have to survive?"
Aurel, who was now checking a holographic screen on the control desk, answered without looking up, "Until they decide the exam is over. Could be tomorrow, could be next week. No one knows."
William chewed on a piece of ration bar, then tossed one to me. "Eat. You need energy."
I caught it, even though my stomach felt nauseous. "Thank you."
Farren scratched his thinly bearded chin. "You two seem experienced. Is this not your first time facing a situation like this?" I asked, looking at William and Aurel in turn.
William let out a short laugh. "The two of us don't have military backgrounds. But we are nobles; we received private training. So just using military weapons is already familiar. But that doesn't mean we weren't shocked." His eyes gleamed slyly. "But yeah, at least we know how to survive."
Aurel finally turned her face towards us. "We also don't know much about Nethera Academy. But one thing is certain, they are not joking. If we want to live, we must cooperate."
I nodded. "So what's the plan?"
Aurel tapped the holographic screen, bringing up a map of the exam area. "This bunker is safe for now, but the food and ammo supplies are limited. We have to move soon before the Exam Army finds us."
William pointed to a spot on the map. "There's a storage facility here, about one kilometer east. If we can reach it, we can resupply our weapons and maybe find food and drink supplies."
Farren frowned. "But that area must be heavily guarded."
"Yes," Aurel replied. "But we have a surprise for them."
She opened a metal case under the table, revealing several grenades and small, blinking devices.
I raised an eyebrow. "You planned this??"
Aurel gave a thin smile. "Always."
William picked up one of the grenades. "We'll create a massive diversion in the west, drawing their attention. Meanwhile, a small team—Aurel, Nico, and Farren—will infiltrate the storage facility."
I felt my heart beat faster. "Why me?"
Aurel looked at me. "Because you're still fresh. You're not as tired as the others."
Farren nodded. "I agree. I'm too tired for a fast run, but I can help with the diversion."
William gave a thumbs up. "Then we start at dawn. Rest first, because tomorrow will be harder."
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself.
...