At World's End

Entry 6

The elevator made a humming sound as it was turned on. 

It was made of transparent glass with an octagonal shape, The elevator floors and edges were lined with metals with the roof hooked up to a tough line that connected it to the higher floors. 

Quite some time had passed since I used one of these. The last time was when I left the 20th floor to move in with Leila.

Right now I was in the elevator with Leila, heading for the 50th floor. 

After Leila helped to boost my confidence… hateful witch!... I felt much better about myself. 

With such a big supporter by my side, no obstacle could stand in my path to fulfilling my dreams. 

Don't worry dad, you can rest easy. 

I will finish what you started. 

Uhmm, where was I? 

Oh yeah. 

The elevator was located at the center of the floor, with enough room to fit thirty people at a go. 

Connected from the 101st to the 81st floor, it enabled the transport of people and goods between floors. 

This was the only way to move between floors and one had to pay five kobos to make use of the capsule. 

Kobo was the currency used in the Tower. 

They were green paper money printed with values of 5, 10, 15, and 20 notes. 

As I counted the numbers from 1 to 100, the elevator jerked as the last person came on board. 

"All aboard!... Going up!" the conductor said as he pushed a button causing the elevator doors to close after which it began to head up. 

Leila grabbed hold of my palm and squeezed it gently. 

She remembered my fear of high places… sweet. 

I know, it's embarrassing that someone living in a 300-floor Tower would be scared of heights. 

It's not exactly fear, I just hate the feeling I get down there… ahem, pardon my vulgar language. 

The elevator suddenly jerked as the lights went off, plunging us into darkness. 

"Hah, again… it's becoming a daily occurrence at this point." 

"What the hell are those people on the top floors getting up to?" 

A few people murmured amongst themselves. 

Still, blaming the upper floors?... Hah, I couldn't bring myself to say anything. 

The Heart going out was scary to think about. So I guessed that the rumors of the upper floors performing experiments were spread to not affect the labor force. 

Unfortunately, my dad and Leila were too informed not to know the truth. 

Anyway, the light turned back on after which the conductor apologized and the ride continued. 

 This time, the ride went relatively smoothly with a few jerks along the way… thankfully, we got to our destination. 

Of course, our journey wasn't over as our final destination… that didn't sound right. 

Ahem… We had to get to the 50th floor which was where the Academy for the Gifted or Gifted Academy for short was located. 

The 50th floor was one of the only floors in the tower that wasn't for residential purposes. 

The entire floor was used for the development of Explorers and apart from Academic staff, normal folks weren't allowed into the floor. 

I may not be learned in the structure of the Tower, but of course, I needed some background knowledge of the floor I would be spending quite sometime on. 

After a few more capsule rides, we finally made it to the lobby of the 50th floor. 

It was dimly lit with red light but was quite spacious enough to fit a good number of people at a time. 

There were several others waiting alongside me and Leila.

A few of them were in the same age bracket as I. 

Guess I'm not the only one planning on signing up to become an Explorer. 

It's not like I was surprised, after all, apart from scientists, Executives, and members of the Twelve Great families, the only way a person could make enough money to enjoy life in the tower was by becoming an Explorer. 

At least that's what Leila told me. 

I kinda understood why though. 

It would be pretty harsh if the people that endangered their lives every day outside the tower weren't allowed to live an easy life within. 

A few minutes passed as Leila squeezed my palm a few times for emotional support. 

'I get that you want to support me… but you are kinda hurting me.' 

I would have loved to say that but I couldn't bear to spoil our time together since it would be quite some time before we saw each other again. 

According to Leila's explanation, for the first year in Gifted, one couldn't contact their parents or guardians for anything. 

It was almost like a prison cell… or maybe it was. 

The thought of wearing dirty clothes and working in the mines caused me to instinctively gulp 

Looking around to get my mind off things, I caught sight of a few interesting faces. 

One was a brown-haired kid with glasses and a rather emaciated physique. 

He trembled from time to time which I assumed was because of hunger… I couldn't be too sure though. 

Anyway, he was escorted by a thin woman wearing a veil over her head with a small boy with a big head and large stomach sleeping on her back. 

They seemed to be from the lower floors. 

I was about to check out a few others when a buzzing sound echoed in the space followed by the door behind us opening. 

A few more people entered with a group standing out the most. 

They donned Navy blue Exosuits with their helmets on, carrying weapons. 

On the chest of the suit, the image of a cloud with lightning erupting from it was carved. 

This was the symbol of the Blake family… one of the Twelve Great families. 

I was familiar with it since I had come across them quite a few times with Dad. 

Anyway, what caught my attention was the person that stood in their midst. 

With pale white skin, white hair, red lips, and a slender physique… I must confess that I was astounded by her beauty. 

Leila seemed to have noticed my admiration as she nudged my rib before giving me the eye… what are you thinking about woman? 

Suddenly, there was another buzzing sound followed by a robotic voice announcement. 

[All Academy aspirants please take the door to your right. There is a different chamber for screening and orientation. The rest should say their goodbyes and leave the floor immediately. Thank you.]