Kaufman looks at the small letter and even the back of the Margaret that leaves his side. Although reluctant at first, he still leaves her bet because that's what a smart man would do. Richards follows her behind while glancing back at the paper, as he doesn't have any idea what it could be. Even the frustration that he has inside of him, because of Kaufman's stubbornness, has to be left out because he has responsibilities to do.
Kaufman has seen her back like this quite a lot of times, after all, and it isn't known to him if he even knows the exact number.
“Ahh... Whatever. It's not like she was even willing to spend time with me... She is... whatever at this point.” Shaking his hand, Kaufman unfolds the piece of paper to see its content.
It has only a few lines of text that form the special massage, coordination, and content for only the few who could get this.
He reads it a few times, as if his eyes wouldn't trick him. Placing his other hand across his mouth, an inaudible “Fuck.” is uttered to himself.
As Margaret is leaving, the Richards and her long disappear to other tables. Academy has its own special section for the people of the Academy. Margaret is a big shot there, and even here, there is a lot of interest in the Academy no matter where.
“Is it fine to leave it like this, sir Margaret?” Richards asks behind her.
“What are you getting into? Do you think dealings with Rank 8 Walkers is anything but easy?”
“I mean... It is better than dealing with monsters. As for the other thing. Why you haven't asked about it?” Richards insists.
Margaret steps into his personal space and grabs his chin and part of his face. Lifting his head only a little bit, she utters. “Because I don't care either way. Academy has its rules, so I will follow the Director. Understood?”
“B...”
“But I don't care about some orphan from some camp. Whatever the case with him, being rank 0 since 5 years old is, I have no verification for such claims. Do we understand each other?” Margarets pats his face with her other hand and makes him realize how terrible dealing with his boss is.
Releasing her single-handled grip, she lets Richards quite easy this time around since they are in the public.
He doesn't even have any ideas to curse in his mind, as this person... is not easy to deal with. As for his small idea, it was a try of his, since he knew about the situation of Victor Gale. His talent in the past intrigued the Academy, but he disappeared before anything. To his secret, and recent investigation, there was also something else going on with the Academy of that time. Back then, he wasn't the person of the Academy, so any idea of what that was, fell short.
His son's appearance must have some other reasons other than what he discovered, but guessing it was useless. Seeing and hearing Margaret's unwillingness leaves him no choice but to forget this matter for the time being.
Even the involvement of Kaufman made it clear that Richards would try to work behind the scenes and recruit this potential Walker. That was at least what he wanted, but it doesn't seem the case is simple. As for the time where he tried that, that came from his indirect involvement in the recruitment programs. Like the many ways that are in the Examination, it would be a restraining way to get a Walker to their division in the Academy. Her boss is the leader of that division, after all.
At the current time, he feels unsure, since his boss isn't interested. Sighting, he could only accept his try since he was just a small fry in the Academy, anyway.
Outside of this extraordinary room, William had already spent 1 long hour in the hall alone. No people around him are that talkative, but not like he complains about it. He prefers calmness, but this place and the near future cause no calm at all. He feels his blood rushing, and the thumbing heart doesn't listen to him. It was a long hour than he would like, as his specialty is not being patient by any means.
Alas, at least no one bothered him like the strange face when he saw Stark. That leads him to a comfortable spot on this sofa, where he spreads his arms wide, and the cushions are quite soft. He could even tell he would fall asleep, but this isn't the place or occasion for that.
He even learned from surrounding conversations that not going by the numbers, or not attending it, means no other chance in the future. That's how harsh this moment is.
Though he never interacted with any Walker here, that doesn't mean there aren't any. Many have their company by some walkers or military personnel. Could be because they are foreigners, or someone important. William at least doesn't know that but could guess it.
Even with the happenings in the library, he has no need to approach anyone, nor does anyone have a need to approach himself.
This is a rather normal kind of time, where he sits in the middle of this vast hall while he rests on the soft and comforting chair.
It is not the least bit quiet here, but some of the conversation between the young Walkers and whatever people on their sides reveals some things that he didn't know before.
That massive screen on the wall. Whenever the number changes, a singular person walks to any of the doors in this hall. This leaves their escorts, teachers, bodyguard, or anyone else in the hallway to leave.
As he discovers it, a conversation between close bystanders unravels the reason. They tell to the fearful and nervous girl that every door leads to the underground facility where is the Accelerator.
Whatever the reasoning is for such a place to be built like this is a total mystery to William, but he doesn't question this mess any longer.
“Huh... It is still a long way to go.” William glances at the wall that tells number 67.
“At least the food is included. Whatever that means they have, it's quite good.” William thinks to himself while taking a bite of some toast and a cup of water that is provided by the attendants. From time to time, they walk through the hallway. Pushing a cart with food, and taking care of the youngsters, that will wait for a long time to finish this day.
As William learns, or to be precise, what he finds out, the new people keep on walking in. Number 200 or something is already going around some conversation, but no one talks about the results so far. That means there is no way to dig into the information about the Awakening in this space. For that to know, one has to have much more willingness and connections to discover information in real-time. That includes a lot of problems since not many people could get down to see the Awakening.
Mostly the Walkers of the Organisations, and personnel of the Institution of the Emblems.
“Calm... I should calm down. It doesn't even matter that any person who comes down doesn't return at all. No, William, they must go to another location for the Examination. You know it. You learned it.” William leans his head against the back of the sofa, as he calms his mind with an inner monologue. Closing his eyes makes it that much more calm, but he still doesn't calm his heart at all.
Time tickles by, and 2 more hours and something later, the number goes to his. Finding and clenching the wooden token with his number, he awaits nothing any longer. Although Mi-Yung hasn't come back yet, he guessed that she has some place to be regarding being a proxy, or a situation with the Examination. She said nothing to him about it, but that doesn't mean he couldn't guess it, and be wrong about it.
It is common knowledge and many people in this hall talked about the many famous figures. Certain Walkers from the Assembly and even the Academy are taking part in the Examination. All in order to oversee the new blood coming into this world, while recruitment will be hectic, and more discreet than the Awakening itself.
Getting up to his feet from the sofa, he gulps the remaining water down his throat and placed it on the table. Deciding the doors don't matter as he knows about it already, so he reaches out some random door that someone entered before.
Some glances of the surrounding people are upon him, but he disappears beyond the door before he even saw their faces.
“T-there I go. I am not afraid,” he tells to himself out loud this time. No one here could eavesdrop on his worry, unlike the hall beyond his back.
In front of him is a tight and dim corridor that leads to a series of stairs that go down.
“Bloody hell. More stairs. That's great.” He complains, but walking down is better than up.
He descends the stairs, as there is no point in wasting any of his time. It goes rather deeper than the thought. With a couple of minutes, and hundreds of feet down with quite a bit of walking. He could guess that going up must be quite a pain, but he will figure, or experience it today too, he guesses.
Alas, he reaches the end, where a similar corridor that was up is here as well.
Although this time, a man in a military uniform is standing there.
“Token,” he said straight to the point.
William has been clenching the piece of wood for quite some time, so letting it go isn't a problem for him. He places it in this military personnel's hand, who checks its authenticity for about a dozen minutes. He also has a screen in his right hand, but William doesn't see its content. It's probably some form of list and updates regarding the Awakening. He bet there must be a lot of management and work to do this sort of thing a couple of times a year.
“Alright. Your Token is authentic. You may enter, but before that, the general warning should be mandatory to be explained. An Awakening is tough, so be aware that some pain, nauseous feelings, and fainting are nothing rare to experience within this room. Is a young man aware of it? Is he ready?” The main tell with an unusually firm tone while sounding not a bit harsh. It almost feels reassuring for William to hear the bad things he said.
Maybe it is his tone or voice that is very calming.
“I am,” William tells while trying to copy his tone of voice. He doesn't even realize how he sounds, but his nervousness could be seen more on his face than in his voice. The man before him sees it quite clearly, so that goes without saying that some reassurance is part of his work.
“Good luck.” The man puts the wooden token aside and opens the door beyond his back. It goes into another corridor that has a light at the end. There are not many lights on the walkway. It's dark, while the light at the end of the tunnel seems kind of ironic. So far, the stairs and the room to this point have been dimly lit by a few lamps here and there.
This is rather different, but William finds no issue with the dark and walks forth the same as before. There is a smooth surface of the concrete below his feet, with no obscurities in the way.
So, he soon reaches the bright light, which reveals the sigh that he expected, but not at the same time.
Mi-Yung told him a few things about this room and the progress of the Awakening, but seeing it with his own eyes is different.
In front of him is a vast room. With a strange machine and robust chair for him to sit in. He knows it, yet he feels reluctant to go there.
“I have to though... I am not afraid.” He mumbles to himself and walks forth. While walking, he notices the rather bright and far crevice beyond the chair, which almost reaches the big mirror. William doesn't even question it, or why the mirror is there, to begin with. That is something that Mi-Yung hadn't told him about.
Reaching the chair, the old madman-looking scientist greets him with no distinguishable words from any other participant.
“Greetings, young man. Unfold whatever Emblem you have and sit on the chair. Time is tight. Tigh is time.” Hough said at a fast pace, but to William's surprise, his words are quite understandable.
Sitting down on the chair, he folds his right arm open and places the palm up. Revealing his crimson Emblem, Hough's eyes travel to it while he works getting the machine ready for the next round.
“Crimson bloody sky. A peculiar, most fascinating.” Hough mumbles while placing his both palms around William's arm.
Watching it like a jeweler would new gems, Hough finds William quite intriguing, for whatever reason.
“Is crimson that interesting to you, sir? it is a part of the red, after all.”
“Nononononononono... Red is red, crimson is the source of blood. A magical color that is hard to make artificially. It is common knowledge. A knowledge common indeed.” Hough mumbles while answering with quite an ambiguity.
“Does the color matter for an Emblem?” William digs for some answers, as he sees this madman of an old man, that has a screw loose in his brain for sure. Though, he knows this man by his appearance, because he has even read some of his work before. They put many things around him and even a few things about his research in the library. Not the most secret stuff, but something that could be learned, and managed by curious Walkers.
“Crimson... Crimson. I knew some folks who had them... It is rare... the color is rare. They are... meaningless, as a System is, more important. Yes. Important, that is. It is crimson, after all, so that leaves the blood important. Yes, that is.” Hough mumbles the same way, but after talking his words, he swiftly turns around to finish his preparation.
“That? He is... very strange indeed.” He murmurs to himself, and while pushing the things around, he pressed the button by accident.
It leaves the strips of leather around William's limbs and makes him immobile. Though, he is not surprised by this, as Mi-Yung at least explained this much to him.
It leaves his trembling hands and body at least somewhat restrained, but William couldn't help but sweat and be nervous.
After this comes the needle, that couldn't be stopped even if William protests with all his voice and heart.
“I am not afraid. I am not afraid.” He mutters as he watches the mad face of Hough, who scratches his chin, upon noticing the button. His unblinking eyes and mad smile leave much-needed reassurance that he isn't in good hands, but not like it matters.
“Young man is afraid. It is normal. Fret not, this will hurt. A lot of hurts, indeed.”
“Do it already... You...” William wants to curse the old man to his death, alas the injection comes the next, while Hough isn't polite about this at all.
Hough, with a smiling face upon William's forearm, injects the strange liquid into William's right hand, right around his wrist, that is above his gem-like Emblem.