As the air grew lighter and colder, the moon was now atop their heads, casting white light supported by the artificial ones put all over the place, long tables were brought to the grand plaza by the black suited-men and women.
The crowd watched in silence, most keeping themselves away from the workers as they put down the tables all on the isolated, eastern side of the area.
They dressed the surface with cloth flowing down the its legs until they met the floor, filling them up with rounded plates of silver filled with only the fanciest of foods.
One bore hundreds of small cakes, rocky cubes coated with chocolate, white oval pastries with a small flower engraved at the center, spiky, velvet balls, the list goes on.
Another was plated with big, entire chickens, drowned in sauce and roasted to a scorch, laying on their plates, their scent only could send one to a heaven of spicy deliciousness.
Sea creatures of all kinds were on the neighboring table; fishes, big and small, crabs, lobsters, shrimps, an entire octopus, oysters, jellyfishes, again, the list goes on.
And finally, the last table held all the fruits the world had to offer; bananas, apples, grapes, melons, watermelons, dragon fruits, etc.
...
No one moved, neither step nor inch, wide or disgruntled eyes stayed on the numerous tables and the staff which was now putting up chairs, some mouths slightly agape, some others' pupils were shaking extremely.
The chairs were snow white, a wooden structure refined to make long, line-like carvings along it, cushions of cotton lay in the seat and back and wrapped atop the armrests of the chair, all white with the same golden dragon perfectly etched in the center of each with golden strings.
Myla whispered to Raye "Should we... Sit and eat?"
Raye glanced at her, then back to the lavish side of the plaza "I mean, it doesn't look like a trap, so... I don't think we shouldn't."
Myla blinked:"That... Wasn't helpful at all."
Raye chuckled sheepishly:"Just saying, this looks heavenly, and I, for one, didn't eat dinner tonight."
Before Myla could answer, footsteps rang out from the north-western tower, all eyes turned to them, a pale-skinned woman walked towards the masses.
Wearing a black attire with white highlights, the symbol of the dragon red, etched to the top-right of her chest, her hair long, flowing gold, her eyes a gentle yet piercing gaze of red pupils, she carried a melting smile and a posture of no weakness along with her march.
She stood before them, her voice- low and warm- mesmerizing them "Greetings, honorary candidates, and congratulations for overcoming the preliminary test of our humble academy."
Myla, who stood dazed for a minute in the view of the woman, shook her head "Preliminary? They never mentioned anything like that in the guide book."
The woman nodded to her solemnly "Yes, and we apologize for that, we deliberately decided to hide some of the details from the book."
Raye frowned, eyeing the woman "And why is that?"
Her attention turned to him "A test wouldn't be a test if all the answers were given in a silver plate, would it?"
Myla scratched her chin and Raye stayed silent, looking away from the red-eyed lady, whispers and mumblings were shared between the crowd.
"W-well, she isn't necessarily wrong, is she?"
"B-but that boy, Elliot-"
"We cannot apologize enough for the incident regarding Elliot Thatcher, it was truly an unexpected event, and we will do our best to earn your trust back, as of now, Elliot Thatcher is being healed by only the best professionals, and he and his sister will both be compensated handsomely for this dilemma, we hope you will understand."
The woman's voice, though calm and quiet, carried clearly across the plaza. Her poise never faltered, not even as dozens of skeptical eyes narrowed and silent fury brewed among some of the candidates.
Myla clenched her jaw. Compensated? Do these people not realize they almost made that guy into a cripple?
Raye leaned in and whispered, "Compensated or not, they still almost flattened his leg."
She glanced at him, yet she didn't respond. Her eyes back to- and now fixed on- the woman, on her red pupils- the same colour as Myla's- on her careful words, and most of all, on how practiced it all sounded.
Her eyes extended, her lips parting slightly, eyebrows both curling upward as she murmured to herself:"Those eyes, is she...?!"
The woman clasped her hands gently in front of her. "As Director Von Aurenhart stated, this academy values resolve. And tonight, we celebrate yours. The feast is yours to enjoy. Eat, talk, rest. You will need your strength for what comes next."
"And what exactly is coming next?" a voice called from the crowd-someone bold, someone further back.
The woman smiled, tilting her head. "An opportunity. One far more telling than the first trial." Then, with a delicate turn, she began walking away. "All will be revealed in due time. For now-enjoy the-"
"THAT'S BULLSHIT!"
Yet another voice screamed from the crowd, it drew their attention.
There he was, in the center of the populace a slightly fat, bearded man, the woman turned to him, his blue shirt stretched a little, his jeans were black, his knuckles white as veins almost popped from his head.
"THE FUCK YOU MEAN, ENJOY?! YOU KIDNAPPED EVERY SINGLE SOUL IN THE DOOR THAT WAS THERE!" He wildly pointed at the eastern wall
"THAT ELLIOT BOY HAS A CRUSHED LEG BECAUSE OF YOU, AND YOU'RE DENYING HIS SISTER A SIMPLE VISIT!" The finger turned into a hand gesture, given to the south-eastern tower.
There, Lisa's knuckles were bruised as she punched the wooden door over and over again, her face overwhelmed with tears, tears almost shattering as the upper section clashed with the lower one, she repeated things like"OPEN THE DOOR!" and "LET ME SEE MY BROTHER, YOU PIGS!!" with ear shattering loudness.
And as she did, the man continued:"YOUR OH SO GRAND DIRECTOR CALLED OF THAT A FUCKING LESSON, AND YOU WANT ME TO ENJOY MY TIME?! ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE?!"
...
As silence settled back in, the woman had finally turned back, a small frown was now on her, saddened, she was.
The man huffed and puffed as the eyes of the public turned back to her, her soft gaze fully given to the furious man.
He spoke again "Well?! What do you have to say about that, huh?!"
She eyed the audience, and they glared back, in the shadows now, lay new, whispered comments, some critical of the woman of golden hair, others clinging to their belief of her explanations.
A skinny yet tall man in the back "Yeah... Yeah, he's right!"
A honey-toned, teenage girl in beige jeans and t-shirt murmured "What was I thinking? It's obvious! That feast was just to shut us up wasn't it?"
Another girl of dark skin who wore a white dress answered"Yeah, but she's still kinda right, isn't she?"
"... In what way— Like, are you even hearing yourself?!"
"I mean, yes, that boy may have been injured, but not only is he being healed, he'll also be compensated, and we also, just look at that feast over there!"
The dark-skinned girl hesitated as all eyes in her area turned to her, some glaring, some just exhausted. She fidgeted with the edge of her dress. "I-I just mean... maybe they're trying to make it up to us? Maybe it wasn't intentional..."
"Pah!" A sharp scoff cut through the tension.
Everyone turned toward its source: a thin man with wiry hair, standing at the far back of the audience, he wore a navy blue suit, his skin bearing beige hue as an eyebrow was raised at its highest.
He began:
"Not intentional? They lured us in with golden letters and hollow promises. And now they act like the trauma we endured is just... protocol?" His eyes, cold, pale blue, yet sharper than steel, gleamed.
"What kind of academy operates like this?"
"An academy that only wants to train only the best! That's what!"
"Hm?" The man turned with the populace, a bulky, caramel-skinned man, his tee a black hue with green highlights along the shoulders and a green, broken circle at the center, his jean shorts were light blue and fashionably torn, his hands crossed, a frown stuck to him.
"Hmph!" The muscular man continued "These people rewarded us with that monster of a feast for surviving the test! And they will reward camarade Elliot with a handsome fee! His injury is an honorary offering that offered him the opportunity to stand among us!"
The bearded man blinked, once, twice "... Dude, are you serious right now?"
"Oh, that so?... Well then," the disgruntled man answered "What do you have to say about the forced eliminations then? Mister...?" He questioned the well-built one.
"Ramzi. And to answer your question: Take a glance at the moon, you moron!"
The crowd did so along with the boy, the moon high atop them, the woman's mouth's corner curled up (So. Someone finally noticed)
Ramzi:"It's midnight! The invitations given to us and arrangements given to those who passed the written exam specifically said to come August 27th! The date has already passed! Those fools were given a full day, yet they still didn't make it!"
A lean-built, white boy scratched his thin, silky hair "He... Kinda has a point there."
The bearded man:"... Tch."
Murmurs of agreement were passed from one to another:"Yeah, maybe," "He does" and "It is understandable."
The golden haired woman's small corner curl turned once again into a warm smile as she rejoiced:"It seems some of you are finally understanding the-"
Myla:"Hm... How interesting."
A hushed silence filled the plaza.
Raye:"Myla...?" This quickly?
Ramzi narrowed his eyes at the girl "... What is?"
Myla gestured vaguely with her hand:"Well, think about it: How could these people not get into the plaza in a full day? It's not like they didn't want to come, after all... this is a dream school, isn't it?"
Ramzi:"Your point being?"
She smirked, turning to Raye:"Raye, were you asked questions on the path to this plaza by the drivers?"
Raye:"Yup, was given scenarios and historical ones."
Ramzi's face contorted in confusion "... Historical?"
Myla:"Well, now that's strange, I got alot of math."
The earlier girls went back to murmuring.
The honey-toned girl:"MATH?! I got english!"
The black girl answered:"Yeah, righ- wait, you got english?! I got geography!!"
The sly boy from before interjected again, his eyes narrowing with interest. "So... we were all tested differently on purpose?" He looked around. "Anyone else feel like they got a very custom quiz?"
"I got science," said a tall girl with red curls and a scarf tied around her neck. "Which, fortunately, I was very strong in."
Another raised his hand slowly, voice hesitant, "I had an Arabic test... But they gave it to me before letting me into any vehicle, and when I answered right, they gave me a helicopter and there was a note saying I'd 'earned a more exclusive entry'."
The murmurs were rising again.
Myla's smirk faded into a pensive expression. "So then... the so-called 'late arrivals'-what if they were the ones who got the answers wrong?"
A heavy beat passed.
The golden-haired woman didn't flinch. Her red eyes now shimmered with faint amusement, though her voice remained as soft as ever: "Perceptive, aren't you? It is true- we've given a customized quiz depending on the contestant's skill sets and strengths."
Gasps echoed. Some staggered back.
"Well would you look at that," the wire-haired man's eyes gleamed as he turned to Ramzi "What do you think, Mister Ramzi?"
Ramzi's frown deepened. "Well," he began "It was obvious these questions were part of the test, and I think changing the questions depending on the person was a great idea! Everyone has different skills, though, if I had a critique, it would be: Some of my questions were subjective, what was the supposed good answer for those?"
"There is none," the woman replied.
Ramzi gave a slow blink:"Well then how are they-"
"You are not obligated to answer us."
...
The air grew cooler in the plaza.
"Hmph, how vicious." The wiry haired man thought out loud.
Ramzi's mouth was slightly agape as his eyebrow lifted:"What?"
"This test was primarily made to examine your ability to see outside the box, Ramzi Benali, everyone was invited. Yet only those with potential-true potential- and intellectual prowess move forward. The rest? Well..." she gestured with a palm aimlessly, "... they were left to show their initiative."
Ramzi:"But... Isn't that a little too unfair? How could they have known that being silent is the answer?"
"Even had they not and failed that question, there were plenty more time and questions to make up for it, weren't there? Those trick questions were simply special ones."
"... That is."
Raye's mouth contorted into a strange line between a smirk and a frown as he chimed in "So basically, you gave questions with no right answer and punished people for having opinions about them, how comically evil of you."
At the same time, thoughts enveloped his mind:
So that is the downside of the dream you so loved to speak about, wasn't it?
The golden-haired woman chuckled softly-just once. "You may label it as you please. 'Evil,' 'efficient,' 'unfair'-they are all valid. What matters is that the test served its purpose. You are here. And they... Are not."
The bearded man scoffed:"Oh, so now you're asking us to forget about the people you scammed? Who's to say you won't use a method like that one with us during the test, huh?"
"..." She exhaled deeply, gazing up at the sky "Mr Henry Carver," she began.
The bearded man narrowed his eyes at her call as she continued. "Doesn't this feast before seem absolutely delightful?"
He rolled his eyes "Yes, of course it does, toxically so, so much I feel I'll get poisoned at the first bite of it."
"... Mr Carver."
"What now? Another "deep" question or-"
"How much is it, now?"
He froze in place "... What is "it"?"
"Your debt."
The plaza quieted all at once.
Carver's eyes widened.
His voice caught in his throat.
The woman stepped forward, the moonlight glinting off her golden hair like liquid metal. "Last documented estimate: One hundred and forty-two thousand, six hundred and seventy-six marks. Accumulated over seven years. Isn't that right?"
Gasps murmured from those around him.
Henry's fists clenched, but his lips stayed tight. His face flushed crimson beneath his beard.
She tilted her head slightly, almost pitying. "How curious that a man of such righteous fury failed to mention the rather... pressing reason he accepted our invitation."
Carver barked back, voice sharp and defensive now, "So what? What the hell does that have to do with-?!"
"It means," the woman cut in, her voice turning colder now, "that even when offered salvation-transport, scholarship, freedom-you still found room to spit on the hand that fed you." Her eyes flicked to the feast behind them. "And now you call it poison."
Myla's brain stuttered. She glanced at Raye.
"Debt?" Raye whispered. "He didn't strike me as that type of person."
"Oh he truly isn't." Answered the elegant woman.
"Huh? But you just said-"
"Inherited debt exists, Mr Duskmoor."
"Inherited? So his dad-"
Before Raye could even answer, a clench was heard by him, he twitched and turned, the man was boiling alive, glaring daggers into the woman as he spoke.
"So?! Just because I'm struggling and you can help me means I'm at your mercy?! That you have the right to abuse other people for the fun of it?!"
"No." She disagreed "You never were at our mercy, Mr Carver, in fact, should you wish to, we can simply let you out."
A stiff wind passed, light and cold.
The golden-haired woman gestured with her hand, fingers fluid and calm, toward the northern gate-an opening in the plaza none had noticed until now, dark and yawning behind a veil of woven vines and polished brass.
"We are not jailers," she said. "This is a test, not a prison. You may leave through that gate at any time. And Mr. Carver, if you truly believe what we offer is 'poison,' you need only take the path behind those doors. It leads out of the campus, into the city. We will not pursue you."
The crowd turned where the white finger pointed: The far wall behind them, some startled by the gate's sudden appearance, others clearly torn. Carver's eyes darted between the gate and the woman. His face twisted with emotion.
"However, I must ask..."
Her hand lowered back to her sides as the crowd turned back to her, her eyes once again affixed on Henry.
"Is it worth it, Mr Caver?"
"..."
She continued:"Is following a vague vision of justice... Truly worth giving up on the opportunity of accomplishing your wildest dreams? Is seeing the broken limb of a boy you've never met truly a reason to call us evil and throw away your greatest chance at survival?"
Opinions spread as she finished
"Is it?"
"No it isn't, obviously."
"But what if things get worse from here?"
"I don't care, I have five children and a sick wife, there is nothing left for me out there anyway."
Carver, his clenched teeth almost breaking down as he finally shrugged"... Tch, whatever."
The woman nodded and, once again, turned her back to the audience. "Well, if you'll excuse me, I have pressing matters to attend to."
She slowly walked back to the tower she once greeted them from, as her door touched the handle, her voice carried the crowd one last time.
"May your stay with us be filled with fortune, and remember..."
The door creaked open, she passed, her words finishing her sentence as she stopped halfway through.
"The night never lasts."
It closed shut, the icy wind now blowing strongly across the crowd.