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"The smartest always sit in the middle."
That's what Aeyon always believed.
Smart enough to observe the front, far enough to escape suspicion from behind.
But today… he sat at the edge. Watching everyone else.
The room had changed.
Not in appearance—but in presence.
Something was wrong with the air. The walls felt closer. Desks evenly spaced, sure—but too evenly. The invigilator wore a watch that ticked backward.
No one else seemed to notice.
> "This isn't an exam." Aeyon thought.
"This is a hunt."
---
The Setup
Subject: Advanced Logic & Psychological Analysis
Exam Format: 5 questions. 3 hours.
Twist: Each question isn't written.
Instead, it's delivered through interaction.
Every student receives a different hallucination or memory flash.
To answer the question, they must solve a piece of themselves—or someone else.
Aeyon's prompt:
> "Find the liar in the room. You have 20 minutes. If you fail, someone will collapse."
A countdown starts in his mind.
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New Character: Serik Valen
Appearance: Blond, emotionless, eyes like shattered glass. Sits three rows behind Aeyon.
Background: New student. Transferred from an unknown academy overseas. His records were wiped.
IQ: Unconfirmed. Rumored to have created a logic virus that caused a college server crash.
Reality: He's part of The Null. A pureblood mind manipulator. No emotion. No empathy. Just brilliance.
Aeyon hears a whisper. Not sound. Thought.
> Serik: "You're good. But you still rely on empathy. That's your flaw."
Aeyon turns slightly, no movement.
Only his pupils shift.
> "You're not the liar," Aeyon responds mentally.
"You're the test itself."
---
The Game Begins
20 minutes remain.
Aeyon must find the liar among 40 students—none of whom realize they're part of an illusion.
He closes his eyes and enters a hypersimulation mode—a rare state where his mind projects multiple possibilities at once, like playing 40 chess games in parallel.
1st simulation: He accuses a girl crying silently. She disappears. Wrong choice.
2nd simulation: He scans for heartbeat skips. 8 people eliminated.
3rd simulation: He watches a blink pattern. One boy blinks every 11 seconds. Normal people blink 10–15 times per minute. Not human.
> Aeyon: "Got you."
He looks up in real time.
> "He's the liar."
Silence.
Then, the invigilator—who hasn't moved for the entire exam—starts clapping.
> "Correct."
Everyone else freezes. Literally.
Time stops.
---
Phase 2: Memory Maze
Without warning, Aeyon is no longer in the classroom.
He's inside a labyrinth of his own memories. But something's been changed.
His mother smiles… but her eyes are black.
His childhood dog speaks to him in riddles.
He sees himself… but with Reva's face.
The test is no longer about logic.
It's about identity.
If he fails to find his true self, his consciousness may split—permanently.
---
Enter: Another New Character – Dr. Halren
Position: Lead Architect of The Null's Cognitive Division
Appearance: Mid-50s, always wears surgical gloves, speaks like he's diagnosing the soul.
Specialty: Cognitive hacking—inserting false memories so real, people kill for them.
He appears inside the simulation.
> Dr. Halren: "You've grown well, Aeyon. But you're still bound to your pain. Let me remove it. Become perfect."
> Aeyon: "You want me hollow."
> Halren: "No. I want you to be free from doubt. Free from love. Free from Reva."
That word hits harder than a bullet.
> "They're targeting her. Or using her."
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Final Moment: The Self-Kill
To exit the memory maze, Aeyon has only one option: kill the false version of himself.
But they look the same. Speak the same. Even he can't tell who is real.
> "If I choose wrong… I disappear."
The fake Aeyon says:
> "Only the real one would hesitate."
And in that moment—Aeyon smiles.
> "Exactly."
He kills the one who didn't flinch.
Pain floods his skull. Blood pours from his nose.
But he wakes up—conscious, victorious.
---
Real-World Consequences
The exam ends. Only 12 of 40 students completed it.
The rest? Disoriented. Some hospitalized. One student forgets their own name.
Aeyon receives a message on his notebook:
> "Level One: Passed."
---
Cliffhanger Ending
As he walks out, Serik Valen stands at the door.
> "I liked watching you work. We'll meet again—off the grid. When you're ready to learn what you really are."
And in the reflection of the hallway mirror—Aeyon's eyes glitch, just for a second.
As if something inside him is awakening.
---
to be continued...