All fifty students had taken their assigned seats in perfect order. The massive steel door at the back of the room — the very door through which they had entered — slammed shut with a thunderous THUD !
Staff members moved swiftly into position. On each desk, an electronic screen flickered to life, displaying a set of twenty complex questions. Silence fell like a curtain, and tension filled the air. Confusion swept across the room; the students glanced around, uncertain, their faces etched with unease.
((Announcement))
: {Please remain focused and do not allow yourselves to be distracted. The elimination process begins now.
From this moment forward, turning your head or speaking to others during the exam is strictly prohibited.
Any violations will result in a deduction of points, significantly increasing your chance of failure.
We advise you to concentrate entirely on your own test. Good luck.}
Before the confusion could subside, cold, mechanical warnings echoed through the room:
> {A5-028-BX — Minus 1 point for speaking to a nearby examinee}
"W–What the hell was that?"
> {A5-041-BX — Minus 1 point for speaking loudly}
"Huh? Wait! I was just asking a question!"
> {A5-041-BX — Minus 1 point for causing a disturbance}
"Dammit..."
---
As chaos unfolded, a massive scoreboard flickered to life on the front screen of the room, displaying the current rankings of all fifty students. From top to bottom, the list revealed the following:
1 to 12: Scores between -7 and -9
13 to 37: Scores between -3 and -6
The rest 13: Below -3, with no sign of improvement
Rain, who had remained silent the entire time—unlike his peers whose scores steadily dropped—lifted his gaze toward the screen. His score: 0. Just above him, he caught a familiar name: Eliza — sitting at -1.
After roughly five minutes, the panic began to subside. The heavy atmosphere gradually settled into a cold, disciplined silence. The room was swallowed by an eerie stillness. Each student, gripped by fear of the unknown, turned their full attention to the test, answering questions with the utmost caution.
Fwooo...
A faint whisper broke the silence.
"Hey… what's the answer to question four?"
Rain lifted his head slightly, eyes narrowing as he scanned the room for the source. It was a girl at the desk beside him, glancing his way and subtly signaling for help.
"Please remain silent."
A staff member stepped forward, stopping right between Rain and the girl—stern and unmoving.
> {A5-048-GX — Minus 1 point. Total score: -4}
"Ugh… seriously?" the girl whispered under her breath.
---
--Fifty minutes passed--
((Announcement))
: {The first phase of the examination has now concluded. The rear door behind you will reopen shortly.
Please follow the staff in an orderly manner—we will escort you to your designated rest quarters.}
Rain and the other students were led through the same rear door they had entered earlier. As soon as everyone stepped inside the adjoining chamber, the heavy steel doors slammed shut with a deafening CLANG, locking them in.
The room began to tremble.
It was at that moment the students realized: this was no ordinary chamber—it was a massive elevator. Slowly, the entire room began to rise, the vibration humming beneath their feet. After a few tense minutes, the lift came to a stop and opened onto a vast corridor, stretching far into the dim, shadowed distance.
The staff led them down the corridor in silence, finally stopping at a communal rest area.
"This will be your quarters. Behave yourselves, and don't cause any trouble."
The staff member's voice was cold and devoid of warmth, their eyes scanning each student with scrutiny. Rain silently made his way to his assigned bed: row five, bed four, under level.
"Now, we will display the results from the previous exam."
A large holographic window lit up across the empty wall, revealing the leaderboard in stark detail:
---
[Ranking Table]
1. A05-011-BX | Penalty: -0 | Exam Score: 93 | Total: 93
2. A05-028-GX | Penalty: -2 | Exam Score: 93 | Total: 91
3. …
.
.
.
---
Rain scanned the leaderboard with growing tension, his eyes darting from one name to the next. He stared so intently that he didn't notice the soft presence behind him—until a hand gently touched his shoulder.
"Ah—!"
He flinched.
It was Eliza.
She chuckled softly at his startled reaction and withdrew her hand with a teasing smile.
"It's just me. Don't panic."
She lifted her finger and pointed at the holographic wall display. Rain's eyes followed the motion instinctively—until they landed on his own name:
Rank 39 | Total Score: 71
A wave of relief washed over him. He wasn't among the lowest. For now, he was safe.
And then—
((Announcement))
: {The bottom two ranked examinees will now be escorted out, as per protocol.
Staff, proceed to carry out your duties}
> "A05-049-GX – Status: UNDER REVIEW"
> "A05-032-BX – Status: UNDER REVIEW"
The moment the announcement ended, two staff members moved silently and swiftly toward the designated beds. The students assigned to them didn't resist—perhaps due to ignorance, or a naive belief that whatever came next wouldn't be so bad.
They couldn't have been more wrong.
The heavy steel doors slammed shut behind them, sealing their fate.
Only 48 students remained—and the air was thick with confusion and quiet dread.