Chapter 3 — The transition
The room was silent after Commander Jack's words.
A day. Just one day to prepare for something most people spent three months training for. Luke could feel the weight pressing down on everyone's shoulders.
Jack let the silence hang for a few heartbeats, then continued.
"Before we begin, you will each choose your survival training path. There are only two: Combat training and Knowledge training. Combat focuses on weapons, muscle reflex, and fighting back against threats. Knowledge focuses on survival, strategy, and understanding how the Imagination works. Choose carefully, your path will shape the little preparation you get."
His eyes scanned them, steady and unblinking. "Understand this: once you enter the World of Imagination, your class will be decided by the world itself. None of us can control that.
And we can't predict it either.
But your path now determines how you'll spend the next twenty-four hours. Decide."
The candidates shifted attentively at the man's words.
Jonas, the soldier, was the first to speak. "Combat," he said firmly.
Keyla snorted. "Well, obviously. You look like you eat bullets for breakfast." She tapped her lip, pretending to think. "Hmm… I'll pick combat too. I like hitting things."
Sera grinned. "Combat sounds fun. Count me in."
Naomi crossed her arms. She hesitated, then said quietly, "Knowledge."
Dr. Elias adjusted his glasses. "Knowledge as well. It's the only logical choice."
Kiran Luther leaned back, voice smooth and calm. "Knowledge."
Luke was the last to speak. " l choose Knowledge too."
At first he had been tempted to choose combat, which he clearly was very bad at. But he later dismissed this.
Given that he only had one day to prepare, he had to choose something that he could reap many advantages in the short amount of time.
Jack nodded. "Four Knowledge, three Combat. Good. That will balance the training."
He clapped his hands once. "Instructors—take them."
It was only at this moment that Luke noticed the few additional figures which had appeared at some point in time.
The Instructors wasted no time, and took their respective candidates .
The group was split into two. Luke followed Naomi, Elias, and Kiran into a smaller briefing room down the corridor. The walls were bare, the lights bright and clinical. At the front, a woman donning a long white coat waited, her hair tied in a strict bun.
"I'm Instructor Hale," she said. "l assume that all of you have chosen the Knowledge Path."
After she saw the nods in the room, she then added.
"Well let me first say this. You won't regret your choice. "
"Listen carefully. You don't have time to master theories. I'll give you what matters most: how the Imagination World behaves, and how you survive it."
She slid a stack of files across the table. Luke opened his—pages of diagrams, notes, and bold warnings jumped out at him.
"First of all before we begin, let me ask the most important question."
She paused and scrutinized the four faces in the room.
"What world do you think the World of Imagination is?"
As soon as the instructor raised the question, Dr Elias was the first to quickly raise his hand.
Luke couldn't help but find the scene of the professional scholar raising his hand comical. The man who he suspected to be in his late twenties or maybe in his early thirties was more suited to be a teacher than a student.
The instructor seemed to share the same opnion, as she then added.
"There is no need to raise your hands. l want to hear all your answers. "
She then beckoned at the doctor to speak.
"The World of Imagination is a world created and shaped by the passive Imagination of all people residing in it."
The instructor just gave a simple 'hum' acknowledging his answer yet not confirming whether it was correct or not.
She then turned to the person next to the Doctor, waiting to hear her own explanation.
Naomi, spoke softly with uncertainty.
"l heard the World of Imagination is a place that manifests all sorts of nightmares from the depths of your mind"
Her tone was laced with fear as she spoke.
The instructor then turned towards the next person.
Kiran with his calm and noble temperant then spoke.
"Its a world made up of ideas. It gives you classes so you can perform, jobs that can make it structured. It takes one of your most creative subconscious idea and shape it into the world."
Once again Hale didn't comment and turned towards the person next to Kiran.
Luke paused thinking of an answer before he eventually shrugged.
"l don't know "
Instructor Hale released a simple sigh.
"Well l have to say. Most of your answers were compelling, but they didn't come close to the truth. Well except for this young man's answer.
Kael was flabbergasted the moment he saw the instructor pointing at him.
'l ..am... right? He didn't even know what he was right about. After all he didn't even give an answer.
"Firstly, you might not know this but. Nobody knows the true appearance of the World of Imagination"
She paused letting her words sink.
Kael couldn't help but be puzzled by this statement.
He turned to the other candidates only to find out that he wasn't the only one.
The scholarly looking Dr Elias, wasn't shy to voice out his puzzlement.
"Excuse instructor. How can you say that nobody knows the true appearance of the World of Imagination. l was under the impression that those who entered the World of Imagination, had a brief moment where they would return here for a short time. Surely those people would share their experience with others."
The instructor shook her head, denying what the man had said.
Dr Elias confused expression became more apparent.
Fortunately the instructor didn't keep him in suspense for too long.
"Yes it is true that everyone who enters World of Imagination, if they survive for a certain period of time, they are given a brief moment to return to reality. But that is through certain restrictions."
"Restrictions? " This time it was Naomi who questioned.
The instructor nodded.
"Yes, after years of observation, we discovered that those who returned from the World of Imagination, had their memories altered. As soon as they return, everything that has anything to do with the World of Imagination would be temporary erased.
At this point the room turned silent everyone digesting the information.
Luke couldn't help but sigh dejectedly.
"So in basics we don't have effective information to prepare ourselves for what we will encounter"
The instructor turned her gaze to him.
"We don't need to know anything about the World of Imagination for you to survive. All we need to do is prepare you to survive the worst possible situations you might encounter. Which is why l once again emphasize that you take this program seriously. Also even though the forces behind the World of Imagination have tried to prevent us from learning about it, we were at least able to glean one piece of information.
Everyone's ears perked as they all listened. This was it , the reason they chose this path instead of combat.
At this moment, the female instructor chuckled.
"Actually Jack was supposed to inform you this piece of information. But as expected that blockhead forgot."
"From the experience of other candidates, we have noticed a very important detail that occurs before the moment of transition. "
She paused, checking whether the candidates were listening and only after seeing their attentiveness did she continue.
"Every time when the candidates are about to be pulled into their world consciousness of the world of imagination. The world will give you the detail of your circumstances. And from this we have made a rough layer of what you might encounter. "
As she said this, she gestured towards the papers on their desk.
l will give you all ten minutes to go through the details then we continue.
Luke shuffled the papers on his desk as he began to read.
Ten minutes later, a lot of information had been processed by his mind.
The reports were details of what the World Consciousness said to the candidates before the transition.
Given that the moment this happened was an instant before the transition, the Government wasn't able to obtain much information. But still there was a rough analysis.
Luke caught words yelled by the candidates. They included war, negotiations, Dark world, kill and other words which did not add up to form an information.
As soon as the ten minutes were up. The instructor resumed her lecture.
"Your biggest weapon isn't a gun," Hale continued. "It's control of your own mind and temperance. The more disciplined you are, the longer you live."
She made them go around the table, practicing mental exercises—breathing drills, focus patterns, visualization. Luke struggled to steady his racing thoughts, but slowly the rhythm anchored him.
---
Noon — Physical Assessment
After a rushed meal in the mess hall, both groups were brought together for basic fitness tests.
Combat trainees were handed training rifles, ordered through obstacle courses, and drilled in close combat. Jonas moved like he was born for it, barking at Sera to take it seriously. Sera only laughed, vaulting a wall with reckless energy. Keyla half-assed the drills until the instructor snapped at her; then she suddenly showed startling agility, almost enjoying herself.
Luke couldn't help but be impressed by their performance. No wonder they had chosen combat focus path, they had a natural talent to it that could make a day of training into something.
The Knowledge trainees were not spared from physical fitness test either. They were given set drills that focused on improving and refreshing their mind.
They pushed through endurance runs and survival basics—how to ration water, how to stay awake under stress, how to react when cut off. Luke's legs burned, his breath caught, but he pushed on. Naomi matched the pace silently, eyes set straight ahead. Elias kept notes even while jogging, muttering observations about fatigue. Kiran barely broke a sweat, his movements measured, precise.
By the time they collapsed onto the benches, Luke's shirt clung with sweat. His chest heaving up and down.
_The reason l chose the Knowledge focus path was because l wasn't that big on combat '
Inwardly complained Luke.
---
Afternoon — Practical Training
The groups split again.
For Knowledge, Instructor Hale dimmed the lights and activated a projector. Flickering images filled the wall: recordings from scientists of specialized theories of the world of imagination.
The video had possible visuals of what to find there.
A man running through a city where the buildings bent and twisted like clay.
A forest sprouting glass leaves that cut through skin.
A girl screaming as shadowy shapes crawled out of her own imagination.
Luke's stomach churned.
"These are not hallucinations," Hale said. "This is what happens when a participant loses control. If you cannot master your fear, it will master you. As per quoted by Dr Grinch."
She handed them a short test: situations, each demanding choices.
> You are alone. You hear footsteps behind you, but nothing is there. Do you—
(A) Run.
(B) Ignore it.
(C) Visualize a safe space.
Luke circled C. He wasn't sure why, but it felt right.
Hale nodded when she saw. "Good. In the Imagination, reaction matters more than reason. Choose survival over explanation."
Meanwhile, faint sounds of gunfire and shouts echoed from the Combat group's side.
---
Evening — Final Lecture
As the sun set outside the facility's narrow windows, the seven were brought together again in the main hall.
Commander Jack stood waiting. He looked the same as before, gray-haired with a steady and unshaken bearing.
He paced slowly before them.
"Some of you chose Combat. Some Knowledge. Both matter. Out there, you will need each other. Trust that. Trust yourselves, if you can."
His eyes lingered on them, one by one. Luke felt the weight of his stare like a hand on his chest.
"You'll enter at dawn. Tonight, you rest. Tomorrow, the world of imagination will claim you."
---
Night — The Threshold
They were led down sterile corridors to a reinforced chamber. The floor gleamed white, lined with faint silver markings. At the center, seven cots waited.
"This is the transition hall," an officer explained. "When dawn comes, you'll wake in the other world. Your cards will activate automatically. Whatever class you are meant for will be assigned then."
Luke lied down on the cot. As he lied down, and his vision blurred.
An illusiory space of different colors appeared.
Congratulations, Luke Reins.
A voice similar to a female deity echoed in the space.
Date: 14th September, 7:42 PM.
Status: Reincarnation...
He stared at the ceiling, his mind refusing to quiet down.
Before Luke could even comprehend those words. The world went dark. Followed by the majestic female voice.
"Completing Transition into the City of Exiles "