[Demarcation process 100%]
That thing stuck in the middle of my vision for at least two hours. As if it's a computer system that crashed at the end of an update and then stopped responding completely.
Then, it simply vanished.
With the wide access our team has to the database, I started looking for any similarities: anything that has to do with mind and awareness; but, after all, I ended up with a glimpse of information that barely achieves the intended purpose.
Category: Perception.
Specialization:
•Foreseeing the cracks before they appear.
•Perceiving the impending murderous intent.
Current team: A (team leader).>
That was the only one I could find related to mind and anything near thoughts. The other thing was literally useless since all the significant information was encrypted.
Category: Con■■■■al (Prohibited)
Specialization:
•■■■■■■■
•■■■■■■■■■
•■■■■■
Current team: ■■■.>
From what I figured out after reading that and other things; was that the only Prohibited category was the conceptual one. No further information about what it can do nor about what kind of specializations could go under it.
There were no other records of anyone who had ever had it. Maybe there were others, but they took that unlucky first-generation dude as an example and hid it. My intuition told me that his ending wasn't that lovely.
What a headache.
"Why stress yourself out on your first day?"
A cheerful voice made me look up from my tablet to see a middle-aged woman with light blonde hair and grey eyes.
Seeing her face made me remember that I still wear the watch since it was necessary to access the database.
"They told me that our newbie is cold and scary," she clicked her tongue, looking at the team leader's direction. "Why didn't you say anything when all others do is to spread deceptive whispers about this harmless creature?"
"Let them say whatever they want." He answered with a shrug of his shoulders. "Better fear him than treating him as nothing."
"Right, right... you've got the point this time."
She didn't give me any chance to say a word before putting a huge snack bag on the table in front of me.
"Johan said it's for you, settlement or something. It'll take two days to overcome his shameness and say hi in a proper way."
"I see..."
I couldn't figure out what to say in response to this. Fortunately, that didn't seem an issue since she comfortably took the chair on the opposite side and opened the snack bag to choose while talking.
"Moran, did you know that team B's new leader has specialization under Control Category?"
"I know." He answered, "Biological Control."
"Yes, he can speed up cell renewal... but what you surely don't know is that he showed by pure coincidence today an ability to modify facial features."
"That's unexpected... Was it a Class B Vessel? That one which targets specific faces?"
"Yes."
"Can I ask a question?"
I interrupted the conversation, trying to make sure that I was extremely polite.
"You've finished your limited asking time this morning, you forgot?" The team leader made a notice, but my senior considered it nonsense."Who gave you the audacity to say such a thing to our newbie? Did you ever appreciate that he came here in the first place?"
"Don't spoil him just because he is the youngest."
"Don't listen to that old man, Nathan. Tell me your question."
The team's atmosphere was absolute chaos. Yet, it felt warmer than anything I've experienced before.
Maybe warmer than my home back then.
"Is there any way for the company to know if a person has a specialization or not?"
"Not always." The question didn't seem strange to her. "Usually, the academy you attended makes a test to verify it, but since you didn't go to one, maybe the company will make you go through a level-two test, which is used for those who have worked here for two years or more."
"And that test can verify it?"
"Only up to level two of mastery."
Fear filled my heart. What if the thing I saw earlier was my specialization? It couldn't be something that related to that, right?
Right?
'Please, someone tell me that not every unnatural thing counts as specialization or whatever!'
"Don't stress about that. They usually don't give any attention to newcomers until they manage to stay alive for seven months or so." She laughed as if that seemed funny. "At least no one gives this team much attention. We know everything about everybody but no one know anything about us."
That would have been a comfortable speech if I didn't have that appointment one month later.
"Nathan."
"...?"
"What about taking a tour tomorrow with me? I'll show you everything I know. Even johan said he'll help."
"It'll be a pleasure."
"Nice! I'll come to pick you at ten." With a look at her watch, she stood. "Now your first day has come to the end! Pick your things up, we'll see you tomorrow."
I checked the time. It was barely 2 PM, when we were supposed to leave at 4 PM.
'Is this some kind of prank? To decide if I'm a serious employee or something?'
"Don't look that serious, kid." The team leader came close. "Rule number one in this team: No work after two. Every other team can do that, but what's the point of being on an eliminated team if we don't get the privileges that come with it?"
Oh—
Loving this team is something irresistible.
"See you tomorrow."
They both left, leaving me looking at the door with mixed emotions. Two minutes later, I left too, to find Silas in the elevator... looking like he has seen death and came back.
"Do you have an outside mission?" He asked after noticing my bag.
"No, I'm going back to my room."
"...?" I didn't imagine that his face could do that kind of shocking impression. "Didn't they throw you in such crazy Vessels just to make you take 'more experience'?"
"I'm in team E, Silas. We don't do such work."
"E? You?"
"I'd chosen the most comfortable team."
"And they just allow you to?" His dark blue eyes, with those dark bags under them, made him look like a walking zombie. "Is it permissible to go home this early?"
"Yes."
"My team leader said that leaving before six will make us work more the next day." The elevator doors slid open as Silas muttered to himself. I watched him step out, and for the first time, something close to pity stirred in me.
Maybe he's there for those gem rewards or something. I didn't ask about it, but what I saw made it clear that it's no cheap thing.
At least ignorance did me a favor this time. Just imagining myself knowing about it and then choosing Team A or something makes my stomach churn.
"It's not a Philosopher's Stone, is it?"
It couldn't be.Things would be different if it was. Plus, it's just two clicks away.
I could easily search for it, but no. Knowing additional stuff when I'm leaving next month wouldn't make things better.
Ding—
The elevator slipped open.
A familiar, Victorian fashioned floor came to my view, making me freeze in my place.
This company has to be playing pranks on me. Why again? I'm not even here in such an empty hour and Sunday morning!
I couldn't even blink. A violent shudder wracked my entire body as the memory of that twisted creature kicked on.
No voice came out of my mouth. And for a good three minutes, nothing happened... Until another Ding came out of nowhere, followed by that panel showing itself in front of me again.
[The penalties were calculated]
[Forest house mission:
•State: failed once.
•Re-enter State: ongoing.
•Condition for success: find out where the key of the house is.
The current resident of the forest house forgot where the key was, find it for him so he can go to search for the child.
•Rewards: A Memory.
•Penalty for failure: Imprisonment in the forest house, until someone finds the key.]
The air grew heavier with every breath I took. My brain didn't process anything. All I could do was to stare at that floating panel until I came back to my senses.
"Any clues?"
That thing didn't change a little bit.
"Fine, why should I do it?"
Still, no response.
"Is there anything I could do with these unhelpful panels at least?"
This time, it changed. As if calling it unhelpful did a thing.
What it showed was a new panel, beside the other, with some crazy stuff on it.
[No personal information is available yet.]
[No allowed access to the Elements shop.]
[Specialization Demarcation process: 59%]
[General Demarcation process: 100%]
[No claimed S.P.]
"What is this S.P.?"
[Specialization Points]
That thing answered me.
"So I can claim it? How?"
This time, no answer appeared.
It didn't tell me the most important information; because knowing how to claim S.P.s is the same as knowing how to not claim S.P.s and that was exactly what I needed— to pass the Specialization test with nothing.
"But first, let's get out of here alive."
With a deep inhale, I stepped into the old sweet-smelled floor. The elevator behind me vanished, and shivers covered my body due to the cold.
It seemed like a clean, old fashioned house. The gas flames flickered intermittently, casting shadows of nonexistent things.
Toys, small boy, paper castle, one man playing along— the shadows were moving, telling a story of things no longer happening.
It was a happy family...
Those who decided that background story did a great job. Unless the fact that there were windows bigger than the door by multiple times, yet that thing needed a key to get out.
Good at one point and unreasonable at another? Seemed just like them.
"If I take the forest thing as an example, the key wouldn't just be anywhere. I needed to find something, patterns, or any clue."
Or simply think like any human being would think—
Keys...
This place, unlike the forest, needed to be opened. It meant that finding the key was easier than what it seemed to be.
'Or the house itself isn't on the same side as the owner and will make things worse by all means?'
I sighed, trying to steady my thoughts. Then I looked around me, at the living room again...
There is no sign of any kind of bad treatment or lack of cleanliness, as if the house itself was waiting for its owners to come back.
"Look at me, thinking that a house could think."
Cold sweat and hard chills were covering my body at that point, while I did everything I could to stop myself from remembering that creature— the one I had seen on that doomed Sunday.
Maybe he is the owner of the house, and maybe that time required something different from this one so he didn't show up. Hopefully he'll never do, but if he did? I'd rather not think about what kind of tragic end I would have.
Even if it's a game or whatever, I would die due to a heart attack then.
"The safest way is to find that key as soon as I can."
I started combing through every inch of the room, making sure that I wasn't making it messy through the process.
After fifteen minutes I gave up.
Even looking inside and under the couches didn't help at all.
"So, whether I love it or not. I have to go search in different rooms—"
I was on the verge of swearing when a piece of paper slipped into my view. It was placed on the small table I checked two minutes ago.
Appearing from nothing...
"I'm on the verge of having a heart attack."
Was it a clue? Or a prank? The only way to know was by checking it... and that took me around two whole minutes, just to prepare my mind.
[3:00pm taking ■■■■ from kindergarten.
4:00pm lunch, make sure to put him to sleep after.
6:00pm meeting ■■■■■
7:—— ■■■■■ that–
He took
M■■
■■■■Kid]
Last parts were messy, bloodstained, with rough edges and torn pieces—
I've felt it. In my bones. Like I was there, taking the father's part. Strange memories flashed in my head before I looked up to see the shadows of those same memories cast on the walls.
That's when I knew where the keys where—
And that's when I, too, figured out that I've been looking for the wrong thing.
It wasn't the key that matters,
It was finding the kid.