While waiting, I lost track of time and became immersed in my thoughts until a voice called my name. I turned my head and discovered that it was Theron, the boy from earlier. To be honest, I didn't like him; he always seemed like someone waiting to pounce on any distraction.

He snapped me out of my thoughts, asking, "Do you know what's happening?"

I glanced at him. He appeared unfazed and was smiling happily.

Ignoring my silence, he continued, "They're taking us to another place, where you won't find your friends or family. We will work for the government since we're special, not like these powerless people. We can protect them and earn a lot of money."

"What nonsense are you spouting? Have you lost your mind? I'm so weak I can't even protect myself, and you expect me to protect others?" I retorted.

"I'm sure you will. You seem even stronger than me," he insisted.

"Cut it out. Those jokes aren't funny."

Before I could continue, the old man emerged with his two guards, admonishing us, "You shouldn't be fighting; you two are going to work together from now on."

I couldn't help but shout, "What! you want me to work with that crazy—"

Theron interrupted, "I look forward to working with and learning from you, sir, and from you, Miss Yumi."

I was left speechless as the old man instructed us to follow him.

As we followed, I noticed all the school staff, professors, and the principal waiting in the courtyard, except for the math teacher. When we reached them, they all bowed as a sign of respect. It became apparent that the old man was someone important.

"Thank you all for your help and support; we found what we needed. Now, we should leave. Have a nice day, everyone," the man said.

The people in front of us made a path, and the man headed to the gate. I stood there, not wanting to leave my school.

Theron urged, "Hey, move. We should get going too; don't waste our time."

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

I couldn't make a move, and the man turned, asking, "Aren't you coming with us? We came all the way here to meet you; won't you give us some of your time?"

I reluctantly followed him.We found a black limousine in front of the school gate; one of the two men in black opened the door for his master, who invited us in after getting on. I exchanged a look with Theron, who entered first, and then I followed him. One of the men drove, while the other sat beside him in the front seats.

I anticipated the old man's explanation but was surprised when Theron broke the awkward silence, saying, "Aren't you going to explain what's happening, sir? Not for me, but for this lady who has no idea about what she's getting into."

The man replied, "What about you? Do you think you know anything about it?"

"I just heard of it."

"I see... Where did you hear of it?"

"I know a close friend who lived through a similar situation."

The man smiled at me and said, "I will explain everything later, but for now, I can tell you that you'll live an extraordinary adventure that you probably never dreamed of."

I was overcome by curiosity, yet managed to restrain it. A tempest of ideas swirled in my mind; I pondered what my parents might say. Who was that man, and why did the school staff hold him in such high regard? Where was he taking us? But the question I couldn't ignore was: What on earth would the math teacher say, and why had they taken him?

It felt like an eternity before we reached our destination. Suddenly, the man in front pressed a button, and the car's windows turned black; we were cut off from the outside world. Surprised, I turned to look at the old man; he knew I was trying to figure out our destination. He smiled but had a look that seemed to say, "We're not like any ordinary people you've encountered in your mundane life".

As the car continued its journey, I snapped out of my whirlwind of thoughts, trying to devise a way out of my predicament, when I heard Theron calling, "Shinobara, you shouldn't be that worried."

I was about to retort that I wasn't worried at all when the old man interjected, "She's not worried at all; she's probably thinking of a way out..."

I was stunned; this man was one of the few who could seemingly read my mind.

He chuckled softly and remarked, "I really appreciate your pensive nature, Miss Yumi. We might get along well if you're more cooperative. But I understand what you're going through; I was in your shoes a few years ago".

I had no response, so I shot him a glance indicating that I couldn't care less about the old man's life experiences.

I had no idea how long we had been traveling before the car finally seemed to halt. The man sitting in front got out and opened the door for us. The old man was the first to step out, and we followed him immediately.

We found ourselves in a vast, well-lit hall. It took me a moment to adjust to the brightness, but once I did, I noticed several more men in black standing a few meters away. Suddenly, they all bowed, presumably because of the presence of the old man, whose name I still didn't know.

He gestured for us to follow him once more, and we did. We arrived at the door of an elevator, and one of the two men who had stayed with us swiped a card in what looked like a scanner, and the door opened. We stepped inside. This time, the other man pressed the button for the 85th floor...