Struggle For The Bottom

Prologue: Welcome to the Watchers Academy!

I awoke on the train, riding past the frozen landscape of northern America. I rubbed my eyes, still in a haze from waking up. The comfortable seat I was on wasn't helping how tired I was. I sat up straight, looking around me. I rubbed my face again, trying to wake myself up more. I began observing the carriage I was in. It looked almost futuristic. A white tube with glowing blue stripes reaching from one end to the other. The seats were of a silk-like red fabric with a white skeleton. There were two columns of seats, one on the left side, one on the right. Each column consisted of 13 rows with 3 seats each. I was sitting on the innermost seat of my row, with only a single individual sitting on the outer most seat of my row. A boy reading a book. He was dressed in all white, with long white hair. The sun shone over his silhouette, giving him a golden kind of glow. He looked almost angelic with the way he dressed himself. What a fucking weirdo.

"And what might your name be?" he asked me.

"H- huh?" I asked, still not entirely processing what was happening around me.

"I asked what your name was, my friend." He repeated himself.

"Um, my name is Dante." I say, yawning as I've finally woken up. Who the hell is this dork, interrogating me even though I've literally just woken up, not even 5 minutes ago.

"And who are you?" I asked.

"I am Virgil."

"Where am I?"

"Did you forget?"

"Right, the train to-" I was interrupted.

"The inevitable and unstoppable train to The Watchers Academy. That is correct."

Well okay, give me a moment, would you? I just woke up.

"Are you okay? You look pained." Virgil asked me. I look pained? No, I'm just severely annoyed by you.

"Yeah, I'm still just..............." I pinched my nose, "just tired." I said, giving him a big, fake smile. I sat up on my seat, adjusting to sit comfortably. I looked at the other people in the carriage. There was a diverse cast of people, some seemed ready, while others were crying with fear. I realized I had to go to the bathroom. I looked at the signs for where to go before telling Virgil:

"I'll be right back."

I got up from my seat and began walking towards the front of the carriage, overhearing some of the things my fellow future students were saying:

"I heard that Adam Smith is the principal now."

"Have you heard about the drama surrounding professor Magnesium?"

"I heard a student was killed not a week ago."

Excuse me?

"Yeah, but I heard that the killer got away with it due to their high status in the academy."

Well, well, well. Getting away with murder, eh?

"Oh come on. Nobody is above the law. They were probably too sneaky to get caught."

I finally made it to the bathroom. I did my business, washed my hands and began going back, this time getting a good look at the carriage with these students, yet only one caught my eye. This girl, clearly older than the rest of us. Brown hair in a pixie cut, very dark brown eyes, and huge bags under her eyes. Her height didn't set her apart from the rest, but her aged face certainly did. She was definitely tired of how much life was throwing at her.

"Can I help you?" She awkwardly asked.

"Huh?"

"You've been staring at me for a solid minute, can I help you?"