*
"... Fuah~ when's the teacher coming in?" (Lastia)
Under the bright morning piercing through the massive walls of glass pane, the classroom was illuminated by natural light. Situated near the back, Lastia was able to catch an encompassing view of almost every student. Her skin seem to shone under the light, it was needlessly smooth but it wasn't as pale as before. Unlike Lastia, she didn't have an aversion to going out and looking for new things to do.
Despite everything being part of her enemy's simulation, there was almost no way to discern it from the real world unless she tore the curtains off the stage. She glanced at her palm and the back of her wrist, boasting a healthy shade of beige just after a week of exploring. She wandered around and tested if the world was only rendered at a certain distance. Though she didn't attempt launching herself beyond the event horizon like a rocket.
"... Hmm, maybe he's late today?" (Arin)
The world was based on Yggdrasil's memories, a meticulous recreation with the limitless energy at her disposal. Arin feigned ignorance, giving a throwaway remark. As if by perfect timing, the soft scratchy footsteps of covered shoes could be heard. Entering the classroom, the sound seem muffled by the processed wooden flooring. A tall man stood at the front, the aforementioned teacher adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat.
"Has everyone read ahead of time? Let's start by going over what you actually know first. The time period of the 871st technological breakthrough, can anyone tell me which year was it? " (Mr Furlin)
11508 years of recorded history, there was no war in the era of abundance, so technological breakthroughs have been reduced to minor inventions and history lessons bore little interest to most students. Especially when the contents were turned into test questions. Though that wasn't the point, this was a showcase to Lastia. That the world had been replicated to an astounding accuracy. That unless she tried to physically tear it apart, there wouldn't be any holes in it.
Calling it what it is... It was indeed a simulation. It wasn't just a visual simulation like in virtual reality, every detail and every aspect of reality had been meticulously brought into being. This was life. They were all living and breathing. Lastia hadn't thought much of it. They're alive. That was the goal of this world, the intent that Yggdrasil's actions were imbued with. So what? She would regret dismissing these thoughts in the distant future.
A quiet morning passed and before she knew it, it was already lunch break. Perhaps Lastia was so bored out of her mind that she blanked out, missing the dutiful chimes of the school bell. As usual, every batch of students had different lunch times so the canteen facilities don't get too congested. At any one time, there were loads of students commuting in the halls and queueing across stalls to buy food.
"5... 4..." (Arin)
"...? What the hell are you up to now?" (Lastia)
Yggdrasil smiles pleasantly as she resumes her count down. Wordlessly gazing at Lastia, much to her chagrin.
"2.....1-" (Arin)
*BOOM!!! *
Metal scraps and glass fragments whizz past the air as a thunderous crash blew the door and adjacent wall apart, exposing the classroom to the wider corridor. Tables and chairs are strewn across the ground as the formation fell apart from the explosive force. From a higher view, most of the students have been pushed into a corner around the centre of the classroom, or tumbled over from that initial intrusion. A group of armed men rushed inside, drabbed in full black, beanies, masks and goggles to obscure their own pitiful identity.
This is that... The moment all boys dreamed off... However, neither of them were currently male. Lastia's heart rate spikes as she watched the unfamiliar men rush in and train their barrels onto the students. History was not folding in the same way, it never would. This was a virtual history of Yggdrasil's making. From now on, it would stop being a replication of the original world.
"Hands up in the air and press your bodies onto the ground? No fishy business or all of you are biting it! We don't have much time here!" (Regan)
They streamed in and surround the students in an enveloping formation. Did they receive military training? None of them of seperating from the pack or lacking in discipline. Was this an arm demonstration against the government? Did they have to blow up an open door? Even for a simulated world, there should be some semblance of rationale. It could be a scenario pushed by Yggdrasil just for the sake of it, or there could be so much more.
She raised her hands up, fingers spread beautifully into the air. Her flawless skin, dainty knuckles and cute wrist invokes the urge to interlock fingers. If Arin didn't speak, she would have been one of the most sought after partners. Beautiful, shoulder lengthed hair, playful, a youthful visage that sets the adrenaline pumping. Lastia bemoans these crude thoughts of hers as she followed suit in raising her hands into the air. Why so much caution for a bunch of students?
The comms come in and Mr Regan, the ostensible leader begins acknowledging new instructions softly. An ominous premonition takes hold of Lastia. Something would happen soon, what should she do? Has her personality been influenced by Lastia's memories so easily? The Primordial Shadow's relation to Lastia's memories are like a blank save file's to a game save, a blank slate accepts a personality template that much easier. No file corruption and conflicts to worry of.
"... Are you sure you want to do nothing? Indifference would indeed preserve your base existence, you can prove that these memories mean nothing to you... But you'll die, you know?" (Arin)
She flashes a cryptic smile as she drops to a kneel next to her table, next to Lastia's seat. Why only this classroom? Why so much noise to intimidate the other classes? They finally found their target, that's why. This wasn't a terrorist attack, but a targeted assassination.
She steps forward and a few flashes of light passed near the entrance of the classroom. Screams coursed through the classroom before withering into an absolute silence. These bastards, they didn't dare hesitate at all. She smiles grimly and her face was as pale as a corpse, she took quite a few bullets to the stomach and chest. The edges of her lips and nostrils leaked a familiar dark crimson.
Warm, uncomfortable, agonising. These are all comforting concepts that tell her she's still alive, why didn't they shoot the head? Were they that afraid? Yggdrasil's aim... Was to kill her is it not? She couldn't imagine such an elemantary mistake... Well, she won't be the one paying for it. Her entire body explodes with light, burning the retinas for all who observed for a single moment.