Free Minds

Chapter 102.

"Would you just wake up? Your first blow to the head already gave you enough sleep."

   Those sharply-spoken words were what awoke me.

   For the second time today, I woke up with an awful ache that spread from the back to every other part of my head. Just like in the lab when I first arose, I was plunged into a night-filled environment, not so dark for me to be completely blind, but enough for me to not recognize my surroundings.

   As my eyes were at their final stages of adjusting to the lack of light, a loud groan erupted beside me. That jerked my disoriented state of mind to some form of stability.

   Soon, my sight adapted and on my right, I could see outline of Rav's frame. He was on his knees and rubbing the back of his head with a hand. The people who hit us made us match, it seems.

"Beth?!" Rav called out, his voice still thick from sleep– that sounded more pleasant than saying 'from being unconscious'.

"I'm here! I'm here!" I crawled toward him and took his free hand.

"Camila. Where's–"

   A loud thump resounded a few steps away from us. Rav tightened his hold on me as our eyes went to the source of the sound. A person. One that was getting up from what I'm assuming was a nasty fall–hence the noise– and running toward us.

   As the person came closer, my suspicion was confirmed. Rav reacted before I did, rushing to Camila before she got to us.

"You just disappeared!" Rav exclaimed after releasing her from a tight, long hug. "Where did you go?"

"I...I don't know," Cami sounded overwhelmed. "The last thing I remember was Minji attacking me in the hallway. The next I'm waking up and seeing you guys here."

   What was here, anyway? My curiosity was short-lived.

   All eyes squinted from the trauma that the bright lights suddenly filling our environment inflicted.

   I was not prepared for what I saw when my eyes became normal again. "The assembly pod?"

   Looking at Rav and Cami, it was evident I wasn't the only one astonished by this unexpected location.

   The shock, however, didn't make it any less real. We were standing in the audience area of this Zavlon facility. For some reason though, not single chair which we would normally sit on during an assembly was here. As I glanced up at the pod's stage a short distance from where were standing though, there didn't appear to be any notable changes...

   Wait.

   I could feel my blood run cold, freezing every part of me in my current position.

   Staring down at us from the left corner of the stage with arms folded and his signature charismatic smile, was the man responsible for everything going to hell. The reason everything was only going to get worse. The face behind the soon-to-be damnation of mankind.

"Gives you a nostalgic feeling, doesn't it? Mr. Speck gestured to the pod with his hand.

   No one had to guess he was talking about the last time we'd been here. When he'd made his appearance and announced his position as our new principal. I remember how this very room brimmed with uncontrollable excitement. How every Zavolonian thought about how life-changing his appointment was.

   Oh, it changed our lives alright.

"I would've agreed with you on that," Rav said. "if this was actually the assembly pod."