Ares awoke to an overwhelming void. Darkness stretched infinitely in all directions, an abyss so vast that it seemed to swallow every trace of existence. He blinked, his feet moving instinctively as he wandered aimlessly through the empty expanse.
"Is this the afterlife?" he muttered under his breath, his voice barely above a whisper. A bitter laugh escaped his lips as memories flooded his mind—memories of loneliness, of betrayal, of pain that never ceased. This void mirrored his own existence, an endless nothingness where warmth and light had long been forgotten.
He continued walking for what felt like an eternity. Just as despair threatened to take hold, a glimmer of something different appeared before him. A door. His breath hitched. Without hesitation, he bolted toward it, desperate to escape the consuming void. As he reached out and pushed it open, light flooded through, so bright it forced him to shield his eyes.
Voices. Laughter. The scent of freshly baked cake.
Ares lowered his hands and found himself in a familiar scene—a cozy home filled with warmth. A family of six sat gathered around a decorated table, celebrating.
"Happy Birthday, Ares!" they cheered in unison.
Ares stiffened. His breath caught in his throat.
"This... this is my ninth birthday," he whispered in disbelief. His eyes scanned the faces. Leon, Celeste, Darius, Linda... and his parents, Orion and his mother, all smiling at him as if nothing had changed, as if the years of neglect and pain had never happened.
Young Ares sat at the center of the scene, his face beaming with pure joy. His father ruffled his hair, pride evident in his gaze.
"That's my boy. One day, you'll lead the Roshin family to greatness," Orion said, his deep voice carrying authority.
His mother knelt beside him, her warm hands cupping his cheeks. "Ares, my sweet boy, don't let anyone tell you you're a failure. Keep pushing forward, no matter what." She pulled him into a tight embrace.
Older Ares, watching from the shadows, smiled. Yet, despite the joy of the scene, tears streamed down his face. He wanted to reach out, to embrace this memory, to make it last forever.
But then, the light began to dim. The warmth faded. The voices distorted, twisting into something else.
Young Ares remained, but his smile had vanished. His eyes were empty.
Then, whispers filled the void.
"It's him! The D-rank Roshin boy."
"I heard he was once praised as the future of the family. What a joke."
"What a disgrace."
"He should just die."
The voices grew louder, overlapping, becoming unbearable. Ares clutched his head, screaming in agony.
And then, the voice that shattered him the most.
"You are not my son. I do not have a son who is weak."
Orion's words were like daggers to his chest. His father stood before Young Ares, his face void of warmth. His siblings sneered.
"Poor big brother," Leon mocked. "Or should I say, D-rank brother?"
Ares gasped, his chest tightening as an unbearable weight crushed his lungs. His vision blurred. He felt himself falling.
Ares woke up with a sharp inhale, his body jerking forward as he gasped for air. Sweat drenched his clothes, his heartbeat erratic. His trembling hands clutched the thin blanket draped over him. He glanced around, his mind struggling to grasp reality.
"Just a dream... no, a nightmare," he muttered, his voice hoarse.
A nightmare filled with memories—pain, loneliness, and fear. His past refused to let go of him.
Clenching his fists, he gritted his teeth. "This is no time to dwell on the past," he muttered, exhaling deeply to calm himself.
Memories of what happened before he blacked out resurfaced. The car ride. The sudden smoke. The betrayal.
His jaw tightened. "That damn bastard of an escort. When I get my hands on him, he's dead."
Shaking his head, he forced himself to focus. Where was he?
He scanned the room. Six beds, including the one he sat on. A small bathroom. Six lockers lined up on one side.
But no windows.
Ares frowned. A room with no windows? That wasn't normal.
Before he could investigate further, a sudden alarm blared, making him flinch.
A female voice echoed from the speakers, her tone sweet yet mocking. "Welcome, experiments! Hope you had a wonderful rest. If you didn't, well, not my problem."
Ares scowled. "What the hell?"
"All experiments, please pick one of the lockers in your rooms. Inside, you'll find your designated clothing. You are to wear these before stepping outside. Your identification will be based on these uniforms. The assembly begins in twenty minutes. Be there on time."
The announcement ended abruptly.
Ares clicked his tongue in annoyance but complied. He chose the third locker and opened it, revealing three pairs of shoes and five sets of identical white clothing.
"White? Seriously?" he grumbled. White was easy to stain, and something about it felt too clinical.
As he changed, his eyes caught something printed on the fabric.
148.
Ares narrowed his eyes. "A number, huh?"
Stepping out of his room, he was met with a surprising sight—dozens of other people, all dressed in the same white attire. Some were male, others female. Even more shocking, some rooms housed both genders.
Ares frowned. "No separation between males and females? What kind of experiment is this?"
Another alarm blared. "Five minutes until assembly."
With a sigh, he fell in line, following the crowd to what appeared to be a massive hall. The sheer size of it stunned him—it could easily accommodate thousands. At the front stood a podium.
Then, his eyes widened in shock.
Standing lazily at the podium, looking as uninterested as ever, was Kendrick.
Ares gritted his teeth. "That bastard..."
Kendrick tapped the microphone. "Attention, people. May I have your attention?"
Most ignored him, murmuring amongst themselves. A vein popped in Kendrick's forehead. His next words sent a shiver through the hall.
"Alright, listen up, you maggots!"
His voice boomed like an explosion. The entire hall went silent, people clutching their ears in pain.
"That's better. I hope you all finished your chit-chat because we are starting this Assembly." He paused before continuing. "Welcome, you maggots. I'm pretty sure some of you are lower ranks, from E to D. Some of you are higher ranks but committed crimes. And some of you are just shunned by the world for failing to meet expectations."
Ares clenched his fists at those words, and so did a few others.
"We have brought you here to give you a chance. A chance to change your position. A chance to go from a nobody to a somebody. A chance to prove everyone wrong about you." Kendrick's smirk widened. "This experiment will last six months. After that, twenty out of a hundred and fifty of you will be selected—if you show great potential."
He let the words sink in before delivering the real blow. "But that doesn't mean all of you will survive. You accepted our offer, which means you have accepted that we will perform various experiments on you."
A wave of murmurs spread through the crowd. Many were in shock. A few remained silent—Ares among them, already predicting this outcome.
Kendrick coughed to regain attention. "Now that that's out of the way, let me lay down some rules for you."
Do not say each other's surname outside of your room, even to your roommates who are outside.
Fighting is not allowed.
Associating with or abusing officials will result in punishment.
Sexual abuse of the opposite sex will be considered a crime, and the punishment will be—'Death.'
The last rule sent a wave of shock through the crowd. Suddenly, a man and a woman, looking to be a couple, erupted in anger.
"What? We only came because you begged us! And now you're setting rules and talking about death?" the man shouted.
"Yeah! This isn't fair. We want out of this place!" the woman added.
Everyone's eyes darted toward Kendrick, waiting to see his reaction. Would he calm them down and negotiate? Or would he resort to brute force?
Kendrick simply smiled.
Some in the crowd grew nervous, while others smirked, thinking him easy to manipulate.
Then, two gunshots rang out.
In an instant, the man and woman lay lifeless on the ground, blood pooling beneath them.
Screams erupted as people scrambled away, horror plastered on their faces.
KKYYYYAAAAAAAAHH!!
All attention snapped to Kendrick, the gun still in his hand. Silence fell. Some trembled, some cried, others were paralyzed with fear.
Kendrick, sensing the tension, spoke again, his voice calm yet chilling. "Don't worry, everyone. You are all free to leave this place."
He grinned. "It's just that the only place you'll be going to... is the afterlife."
The hall became deathly silent. No one dared to move. No one dared to speak.
"Oh, and one last thing before I was rudely interrupted," Kendrick said, his voice laced with amusement. "You will all be addressed by the number on your clothing. Enjoy, and have a nice day, everyone."
He dropped the microphone and vanished into thin air.
The crowd slowly dispersed. Some cried. Some were lost in thought. Some laughed in fascination. Others trembled, nervous about what was to come.