Merlin always woke to the morning sunlight, but today was exceptionally disturbing.
Warm light spilled through the curtains, painting the room in a soft golden glow. The sheets beneath him were impossibly smooth, and the mattress seemed to swallow his body with every movement.
He had almost forgotten the feeling of sleeping on a properly made bed. Between his journey through the forest and his low-to-no-budget house, he had never thought to get himself a comfortable bed.
The scent coming from the sheets was another factor keeping Merlin in bed.
Merlin opened his eyes.
He stared at the unfamiliar ceiling for several seconds.
Then he remembered where he was.
Sera's house.
It was almost amusing.
He had slept on the forest floor, under makeshift shelters, and on a bed that barely deserved to be called one.
Yet somehow, after finally getting a decent night's sleep, he still woke up to the same burning light.
"I guess the world set the same standard for everyone."
"What are you talking about?"
Merlin heard a voice from the doorway and turned to look.
It was Sera.
Still in her pajamas, she stood casually in the doorway, her arms folded as she leaned against the wall.
"Is this a one-time thing, or is that what you say every morning?" Sera asked.
"Well, do you always stand at that door every morning, or is it a one-time thing?" Merlin asked, glaring at her with the annoyance of someone who had just woken up.
"I came to give you this," Sera said as she threw a bundle in his direction.
He let it land on his lap, then untied the bundle.
He looked at it for a moment.
It looked familiar.
The shades of brown and white, the emblem... it was the uniform.
Then he noticed something he hadn't before.
They were all kaftans.
Just different styles and sizes.
The bundle also had shorts. Nothing too special, just some gi-pants.
"I didn't know they could make a kaftan look so cool," Merlin thought to himself.
"Did you just have this lying around?" Merlin asked, still confused about how she had something in his size.
"No. It came in for you this morning," Sera answered.
"Put it on and get ready. We're leaving soon."
Sera turned to leave, but stopped at the door.
"When was the last time you had something to eat?" she asked.
"Umm... let's see." Merlin thought for a moment. "Yeah. I think I ate something before leaving home yesterday."
"You can get something from the fridge if you're hungry," Sera said before leaving.
Merlin's stomach rumbled.
He really was hungry.
He attempted to stand up, but the bed seemed to get softer the more he moved.
Eventually, he simply lay back down and stared at the ceiling.
Five minutes later, a bag of chips landed violently on his face.
"I knew you'd be too lazy," Sera said.
"You could've just handed me the bag," Merlin groaned.
"And you could've gotten the chips yourself if we weren't running late."
Merlin sat up.
"Hey—"
He paused when he looked at Sera.
She was still wearing her pajamas.
Merlin immediately looked away.
"Go wear something else."
Sera looked down at herself.
"What's wrong with my dress?"
"How can you not know?" Merlin asked. "You must have long outgrown that!"
"Oh, yeah. I did." She adjusted her collar. "But it didn't really matter since I lived alone."
"That doesn't help."
Merlin barely managed to maintain eye contact.
"Alright, alright. I'll go get ready too. Just make sure you're ready as well."
Sera left the room.
Merlin looked at the bag of chips.
It had been sealed by hand.
He tore it open, and the fragrance immediately reached his nose.
The spices were homemade.
The taste was much better than any regular bag of chips.
But Merlin didn't think much of it.
He simply ate his fill.
After using Sera's shower, Merlin felt refreshed.
He then put on his kaftan.
Just as he had thought, it wasn't ordinary.
The way the brown and milky-white fabric was arranged almost resembled camouflage. The emblem on the chest looked more like a badge than anything he'd seen on ordinary clothing.
There were even stars on it.
Or at least, slots where stars could be placed.
Most of all, it was surprisingly light.
Merlin looked at himself for a moment.
"Must be one hell of a fancy school," he said to himself.
Merlin and Sera stepped outside the yard.
The sun was harsh as ever.
"Do you normally take a bus to school?" Merlin asked, already knowing the answer.
"We walk," Sera answered.
What kind of fancy school doesn't use a school bus? Merlin thought to himself.
On the way, Merlin could see people glancing at them but never maintaining eye contact. They often even moved out of the way, leaving more than enough space for the two of them to pass.
Merlin looked at the kaftan he wore.
Must be important, he thought to himself.
They finally arrived.
During the day, the school looked even more like a nuclear arsenal.
Merlin still couldn't get his head around the fact that this was a school.
He followed Sera into a room.
The whole class was there... at least, he thought it was.
There were also people Merlin hadn't seen the day before.
And, of course, there was Tony, who kept glaring at Merlin like he owed him money.
Merlin shut the door behind him.
"Looks like everyone's here," said Mr. Isaac.
He walked toward the wall at the far end of the room.
Merlin followed him with his eyes.
Isaac stopped in front of it and pressed his hand against a small panel.
There was a faint mechanical click.
Then the wall moved.
A section of it slid sideways, revealing several narrow compartments hidden behind it.
Merlin stared.
There were enough for everyone in the room.
Each compartment was just large enough for a person to stand inside. The walls were lined with smooth metallic surfaces, and several thin cables hung from above.
Nobody seemed surprised.
The students simply began walking toward them.
Merlin glanced at Sera.
She was already heading toward one.
She didn't look back.
Merlin followed the others.
As he approached his compartment, the inside became clearer.
There was no chair.
No screen.
Nothing that resembled any machine he had seen before.
Just an empty space.
"Inside," Isaac said.
Merlin stepped in.
The moment he did, several small lights appeared along the walls.
He looked around.
Everyone else kept calm, Sera closed her eyes.
The door slid shut behind him.
Merlin turned around.
The metallic surface sealed itself completely, leaving him alone.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then he felt something touch the back of his head.
Merlin flinched.
Thin bands extended from the walls and settled against his temples, wrists and chest.
He instinctively tried to move.
They weren't restraints.
They were sensors.
A low mechanical hum filled the chamber.
Then a voice spoke.
Not from the walls.
From somewhere inside his head.
[Neural synchronization initiated.]
Merlin froze.
The voice was strangely emotionless.
[Establishing connection...]
His vision blurred.
The walls around him began fading.
[Connection established.]
Merlin's breathing slowed.
The chamber disappeared.
For a brief moment, there was nothing.
No sound.
No light.
No sensation.
He felt like he was floating in a void.
Then—
[Response training system activated.]
Merlin opened his eyes.
Something was different.
He was no longer standing inside the chamber.
He was somewhere else.
[Welcome Merlin, Maxim.]