Spectralite

Chapter 5

I couldn't comprehend what I was supposed to do in this situation. Although he kept talking, his words seemed to fade into silence. Delicately, he placed his hand on my shoulder, and a concerned expression emerged on his face. Feeling uneasy, I stepped back, realizing we were in a bedroom.

Deep blue walls surrounded us, the room showcased a wardrobe on one side, accompanied by a small desk on the other. At the centre laid an enormous bed, with a magnificent, dazzling chandelier adorning the ceiling.

My gut instinct immediately jumped to the worst scenario. Why on earth would I be tested on my capacity in bed? No, it couldn't be true. Nevertheless, the young man approached me once again, and I was resolute in my decision not to allow them to subject me to such an ordeal.

His eyebrows were drawn together, and he attempted to reach out and touch my face. However, I pulled back again abruptly, creating some distance between us. I tried to yell at him to stop, but no words escaped my mouth. All of a sudden, I found myself unable to breathe, and terror filled my eyes.

I yanked myself to the floor, clutching my throat with both hands. A cold sweat trickled down my back as I struggled desperately to breathe, but still, nothing came.

The man knelt down beside me, his face filled with worry and fear, his lips still in movement, trying to say something. My vision blurred and I began to see stars. Was I really going to die here? This is so dumb.

As I felt my body slipping into unconsciousness, I wonder what was the purpose of this simulation. True, we were in a bedroom, but it didn't seem to be a test of that nature.

In an instant, I snapped back to reality, I was able to breathe again, though it was difficult. The female android was looking at me, and for the first time, I felt a hint of humanity in her expression, she looked scared. She stood in front of me, holding both contacts in her hands.

"Your simulation is over, you can now go home." She said, turning back to her again cold and robotic demeanour. Without a glance, she walked toward the exit.

"What..." I tried to say, but my throat was horribly dry. I moistened my mouth and continue, "What happened? Was that part of the test?"

My escort looked back at me, and at that moment, I could genuinely sense fear behind her masked expression, what could she hide behind that facade?

"The final result will be publicly announced tomorrow, at 8 pm, don't forget to be there." She stated, completely ignoring my interrogation.

The woman turned back and began walking away. I followed her the best I could, feeling exceptionally weak at this point. As we approach the front doors, the woman fiercely grabbed my arm and locked eyes with me. She seemed ready to say something, her mouth mid-open, but after a moment, she closed it again. Then, she blinked strongly and finally said softly,

"Have a good night, Miss Anderson, tomorrow is a new day."

She pushed me out of the church, and as the wind brushed against my face, it wiped a tear I did not even realize had fallen down my cheek. For some reason, I felt on edge, still trying to grasp what was the entirety of the situation.

I walked to the side of the church, my feet dragging on the dirt road. I found one of the rare benches in the park and sat down, gazing up at the sky. The air was heavy with the promise of the rain, as the leaves on the trees swayed in the wind. Yet the sun persisted in shining through the patchwork of clouds above. Judging by the sun's position directly overhead, I could discern that it was around noon.

This park was one of the most beautiful in our sector, nestled beside the old brick church and adorned with a lush array of plants and flowers. Nature had taken over on the structure of the church, with greenery overgrown in every nook and cranny. Due to the lack of seating, not many people visited this spot. It felt as though I had stepped into an enchanted world, akin to the magical realms I used to read when I was younger.

Without thinking, I touched my arm where the needles once were. It was really a strange and surreal experience there, it left me more disoriented than I had anticipated.

Josh passed through my mind, I hope the test went well for him. If either one of us were selected, it seemed unlikely that we would ever see each other again. Surprisingly, I found myself considering the idea that it might be better if neither of us were chosen, and we ended up marrying each other instead.

A shiver ran through my body as I felt the air getting a little colder because of the approaching storm. It was maybe time to head back home.

I entered the house minutes after the rain commenced. Unfortunately, the downpour left me completely soaked. Hastily, I ran to my room to change, opting for one of my old summer dresses. Despite that the soft blue was quite washed off now, it still held a certain beauty on me. I always loved wearing it, especially because it complemented my eyes perfectly.

As I looked at my reflection in the mirror, my thought drifted back to the simulation, particularly the face-to-face with the mysterious man. For some reason, I couldn't quite recall his appearance, as if the memory of him had slipped away. Although this troubled me, I brushed it off, it was just a random exercise. Maybe they injected something at the beginning to erase those experiences from our recollection.

The only vivid memory I retained was of his mesmerizing eyes, mirroring the colour of my own, and the details of my dress. I sat on my bed and compared the simulated bedroom to my own. The virtual room was at least twice as big as mine, and instead of the wardrobe, there was a small library in my room. My peach walls were soft tones in comparison to the striking dark blue walls in the other room.

I heaved a sigh, I should enjoy the rest of the day to read. Being an avid book lover, I cherished the moments when I could immerse myself in a good reading. Due to my exhaustive work schedule, I rarely had time to do so. I settled down and reached for one of our oldest books, the one recounting the fascinating tale of how our city was born.

Just as I leafed through the pages, a nostalgic scent of old paper filled the air. Even if I read it perhaps fifty times before, it's still my absolute favourite book.

Lusteria, The grand city that bore a rich history. Its very name echoes of the past, build just atop the bunkers that sheltered our ancestors for nearly a century.

Approximately 247 years ago, an asteroid, ironically named Eradicus, collided with Earth, leading to a devastating catastrophe that left a bit less than 5 million survivors on the entire planet. At first, there were more people who managed to survive, but with the impact winter, lasting around eighty years, caused countless deaths due to harsh cold conditions. We were very lucky to find refuge in bunkers, because without access to these protections, it is doubtful that any of us would have made it through those harrowing days.

In the present day, we turned the once-destructive meteor into a precious resource by extracting gems known as spectralite. This radiant purple jewel plays a critical role in maintaining our bubble city safe. Its primary application lies in providing energy, but it is mostly allocated to the upper-classes sectors of society. The elite class also loves to decorate everything with this shimmering gem. Many statues and other decorations around each sector are crafted from that exquisite and highly sought-after spectralite.

Interrupted from my daydreaming by my mom's loud call, I felt reluctant to face her at the moment. Nevertheless, I let out a loud sigh and stepped out of my room, forcing a smile on my lips. As the lady android said, tomorrow is a new day.

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If you are here, I thank you so much for reading this far! I hope you enjoyed the fifth chapter :3