"It seems that we are going to arrive at the institution in about 5 minutes. If you have any questions Arlo, then fire them at me before we arrive"

Arlo had quite a lot of questions brewing inside his head, some more significant than others, but one that stood out the most was

"The makutu has allowed humanity to gain powers and various other things through the trials it gives us. It makes us evolve, but

He momentarily stopped, Arlo wanted to word it carefully, so that Axel could fully understand what he was trying to say

"What exactly are we evolving into? After we pass the 11 trials, what will we become?"

The van was quite, neither Arlo nor Axel Said a word. The only sound that could be heard was the turning of the steering wheel. The quiteness stayed for a while

"I honestly don't know. The Makutu is making us evolve into something greater, well that's what we humans think."

"Evolution is weird, we don't know what we will evolve into until it's too late.The Makutu might make us Into powerful beings or horrible monsters. I guess we'll have to conquer the 11th trial and find out what awaits us"

His answer didn't please Arlo, but it was also the best answer to his question. The only way to answer his question was to personally beat the 11th trial and see what would happen next.

Arlo was thinking about beating the 11th trial, but he hadn't even currently fully bloomed yet.

He sighed

His future looked really bleak

"How will I go to the Fallen world? And how will the institution know if I passed or not?"

Axel lingered for a moment

"Both your body and soul will be taken to the Fallen world, the Makutu does that for you so you don't have to worry"

"When January rolls around, the institution will place all of you in a human shaped box. When the Makutu takes you into the Fallen world, it will leave behind a white glowing crystal ball"

"If the ball continues to stay white, it shows that you are alive in the Fallen world. If it turns black, it indicates that you have died and that the ball will turn into a monster"

"If the ball turns into a shining gold colour, it will tell the institution you have survived and are coming back Into the real world"

Arlo simply nodded whilst Axel talked

The van was close to the institution, Arlo could see the metal gates which surrounded the institution, it seemed to stretch for miles on end.

There were various big buildings covered in a thick paint,but one stood out the most amongst the others. This gigantic building was placed in the middle, it towered everything surrounding it and gave of a very eerie vibe

Their ride was going to come to an end pretty soon, but Arlo still had one question left. A question which had been in his mind since Axel said they were going to the Institution

"Sir Axel, what kind of food do they serve in the institution?"

He glanced at him for a moment, then a small smile appeared on his face

The van continued to head towards the institution, whilst Axel told Arlo about the many different food options given in the institution

"The food is top tier, especially the sweet waffles they give you. Sometimes I go to the institution just for the waffles, you have to definitely try them Arlo"

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Axel further talked about the other various foods served in the institution, until they reached their destination

The van stood still just a couple meters away from the tall metal gates. A man with straight black hair and brown eyes calmly walked towards the driver seat, before the man could get close to them, Axel lowered the window. With a calm expression he softly said

"Could you open the gate. I have a boy, who just partially bloomed and needs to be submitted here"

When the man saw Axel, he suddenly started to shake, his eyes were surrounded in emotions. His voice was a bit shaky

"Y..yes sir"

With that, he quickly walked towards the gate and then picked up a black device. His mouth moved for a couple seconds, then the gate slowly opened

Axel pressed his right leg on the pedal, the van leisurely moved. It seemed Axel wasn't in a hurry to admit Arlo into the institution.

After a while the van stopped in its track. It stood still next to a small building, a sign hovered over it saying

[Washroom]

Axel placed his hand on the keys, twisted it, then pulled it out from the car. He opened driver seat door, got out of it and before closing the door and leaving, he said

"I'll submit your details Into the institution database and get you a fresh pair of clothes. Till then just wait here Arlo"

Axel turned his back to Arlo and started to walk. Arlo's eyes were fixed on Axel, he monitored Axel's every move until Axel entered the building next to the washroom.

Arlo was left with his own thoughts, however he didn't think of much because their was no point in pondering about useless stuff. So he kept silent, his mind was empty and the van was quiet.

A couple minutes passed by with nothing in Arlo's mind, untill he saw Axel come out of the building, carrying a bag and heading towards the van. He stopped next to the driver seat door, stretched his hand and opened the door

"Arlo, your details are in the system and I got you some new clothes"

Arlo glanced at the bag, then opened the door to get out the van. He stepped out of the vehicle, closed the door behind, then walked around the van so he could be face to face with Axel

"After you freshen up, head to that big building over there. The gathering is there"

Axel pointed towards the massive building which towered over everything else. He looked back at Arlo, then at the bag. With a smile he handed over the bag to Arlo

"Work can get quite busy, so I might no be able to talk with you for a while"

He lingered for a moment, untill a smile appeared on his face

"When you return from the Fallen world, I'll treat you to something nice"

Even though Arlo had only known Axel for a couple hours, it seemed that a bond between them had formed

"Thank you for everything sir Axel"

Before Arlo could turn and head towards the washroom Axel spoke

"Arlo this might sound hypocritical but don't trust people too easily. I know I've emphasised on making friends during your time in the institution but don't trust people so easily. Be wary of others because not everyone has the best interest for you."

"Arlo don't tell people who you don't trust your power. This world is just as evil as the Fallen world, so don't go around making a scene. I advise you to not be in the spotlight, try to be average"

Arlo calmly said

"I understand sir Axel and once again thank you"

Axel replied

"Good luck"

With a small smile on his face, Axel entered the van, slowly reversed and headed for the gate. Arlo stared at the van for a couple moments, then turned his back and walked towards the washroom

He entered one of the shower stalls, took of his clothes and twisted the tap to let rain pour over him

'Ah, is there anything better than a hot shower'

Arlo wanted to experience the hot shower to its fullest extent, but a thought kept bothering him.

In 20 minutes he would be attending a gathering with many people his age and in the same boat as him. It was an opportunity to make friends but he felt conflicted by the whole thing.

Would people be satisfied with having him as a friend?

This question spread throughout his mind like wildfire, the question might have seemed dumb to others but to him it was really important. His own worth was at stake.

This unusual question came from a memory which still haunted him. A memory related to his family, more specifically it was about his dad.

His father used to be a kind and caring person, in Arlo's eyes he was pure and innocent, but on a random day something changed about him. His mood got worse, he started to yell at everyone and most importantly he fell into depression.

The depression consumed him, it changed him into a entirely different person. He went from a caring and calm person to a sad and angry person. One day he would be sad and the other he would be possessed by an uncontrollable rage to destroy everything.

Not long after his sudden change in personality, he took his own life.

Arlo remembered the night before his dad took his own life. His dad was writing some sort of message on a piece of paper whilst his mom was trying to talk him out of taking his own life

"Don't do this, what will we be without you?"

His mom was desperate, she knew exactly what was going to happen. So she was trying everything she could to not let it happen, she was yelling, crying and trying her hardest to persuade him

"We will help you, so don't go. You have so much to live for. Please think about us… think about me and your two sons.Think about your family!"

His dad stopped writing, he put his pen down on the table and stared at the paper

His voice was still, but a hint of sadness crept through it.

He spoke only 3 words.

But that was more than enough to utterly crush Arlo.

"It's not enough"