Genius of the Generations (A Project: Eden's Garden x OC Story)

Chapter 1: Beneath the Veil of Hypocrisy

(Matteo POV)

It was quiet for the whole ride back up... It seems the whole situation took a toll on all of us, although, it also seemed to have a greater effect on one person in particular...

Damon had been left behind when the rest of us first left, he seemed to be lost in thought at the time, but what else can you expect after what he said? It was all too stupid for me to process. I told him beforehand, and he ultimately brushed my words off when it came down to the bigger picture.

That said, I wasn't exactly left unscathed when I got caught in the crossfire. It was evident as I felt a couple of glances thrown my way, whether out of concern, pity, or hate. Of course, hostility was to be expected when you have a different opinion from everyone else. Whether someone's beliefs are justifiable but unpopular, or they're actually that mad in their views, it's unavoidable in the long run.

Eventually, the elevator stopped, and we were all greeted by the sight of the room we had been in before as we exited the Tree of Ignorance, which 'Tozu' referred to it as.

Practically everyone had proceeded back to the building where we were told the dorms were, sharing the same roof as the dining hall and the replica of the crime scene, which had been completely cleaned, as Tozu claimed. I was going to do the same until a single thought occurred to me.

I haven't eaten a single thing in who-knows-how-long!

It had been quite a few hours waiting for everyone to board the train, and all I had to keep myself going on that day was a breakfast sandwich and a few cereal bars for afterwards, which I never even got the chance to bite into because of that stupid gas bomb! There's no telling how many hours we were out for, but the groaning of my stomach was speaking volumes.

Need...food...

I rushed over to the dining hall to grab something—anything—to eat. Before, my brain was so focused on finding the other passengers that I hadn't thought about what the shelves or cabinets had to offer in that room.

They should have some food here if they plan to keep us captive for a killing game. Let's take a look...

I peered in the pantry and saw a select few items, such as pasta boxes, cereal, canned goods—pretty generic stuff. However, I wasn't exactly in the mood to cook and wanted to put cereal for dinner on the back burner for a 'last resort' situation, so I tried to scour the cabinets for something else.

I did happen upon a Tupperware container which was labeled in a gaudy black marker, which read, "Tozu Treats." I opened the lid and found several baked goods. They seemed a little bit old, however, I wasn't exactly in the mood to complain any more than I was to cook, so I reluctantly picked out two cookies, grabbed a glass of water to pair, and sat at the table in the main area.

As I was chewing through the stale cookie, I gave myself some time to reflect on what I was going to do. There's no guarantee that all of us will make it out of this alive. These people aren't amateurs, so help from outside may need to take a rain check. If I do end up surviving all the way to the end, what will the circumstances be? Who will live long enough to be able to escape with me? Would I end up...having to kill to escape?

...

That's the kind of game this is. The game that plays with you psychologically, before you reach your breaking point. But I know better than to let my emotions get the better of me now. If I want to survive, I need to keep my priorities straight. If people do decide to commit murder to escape, then that's the noose they've tied for themself. I'll only help the people as much as I can before they make their choice. And for anybody who ends up becoming a victim because of another's actions...