Third Eye | Sentinel

3 - Testing

Five years later...

Yuri stepped into the cafeteria. She was now a tall, slim and immaculate girl, sixteen years of age, but something about her vacant and melancholic expression made her look a couple years older. Her brown hair had long since faded and replaced by a muted grey, and her skin was just as pale. Her eyes...they were a little more than colourless, drained of emotion, except for the few subtle touches of green here and there.

She wore the same thing as everyone in this facility during breakfast. A plain jacket, soft shirt, velvety trousers that had such a nice feel, and smooth slippers, all white. The facility, founded by Mikhail South himself, was designed only to train 'Third-Eyes' for combat, but still wanted to cater for the trainees' needs. After all, the training itself was harsh.

It was a large, cube-shaped building that housed a labyrinth of rooms and corridors. Even though there were no more than two hundred people in this facility, every participant was to be valued highly, so had large parts of the place to themselves. Every bedroom, for example, was like a hall, with chandeliers, hanging from painted ceilings, spreading thousands of little diamonds of light across the cloth-draped walls and carpeted ground. Even the windows were designed strategically so one could view the gardens outside from every angle. The trainee could also request many things to be added, like an indoor fish pond, or other things. 

To outsiders it seemed like a paradise to live in the Third Eye Training Facility, but they didn't know what had happened to the trainees when they became part of the grand scheme, and afterwards the trainees could not leave the facility under all circumstances. It was stupid to even try - half the occupants in this building were Venators. And Yuri, being one of the first trainees, had no intention to run.

"Yuri. Over here!" A cheery girl with dyed pink hair twisted into a side bun waved at her. She was about the same age as her, but not as tall. Even her eyes had a pinkish tinge, though that was from the coloured contact lenses she wore; they were actually a light grey. She was sat at one of the round wooden tables with another girl, and they made sure to leave one empty stool for Yuri.

So, Yuri went over to the table and sat down. "Good morning, Alice," she said to her, with a small smile. "And you, Valencia." The other girl gave a little wave.

"Morning!" Alice grinned. "What do you think breakfast will be?"

Valencia sighed. She had warmer, chestnut-brown hair that flowed down beyond her shoulders in waves, and icy blue eyes. "All you think about is food. Are you not worried at all for the trial this afternoon?"

Alice pouted and punched Valencia in the arm. "Stop trying to ruin the mood. Killjoy."

"She's right, though." Yuri stared intensely at the tabletop. "Optimism won't help with it. We need to think carefully about it."

"You too?" groaned Alice, rolling her eyes. "Really, it'll be no problem. After all, we have you, Yuri. The favourite."

"I wouldn't say that. Chairman South doesn't choose favourites," said Yuri.

"He certainly does. He only visits training sessions you take part in, and praises you in them." Valencia rummaged around her little bag, which she had brought with her to the cafeteria. "Should we get something to eat?"

"Yeah, I said that a minute ago!" Alice protested. She turned to Yuri. "But I still don't get how you're so good at everything we do. It makes sense that South likes you."

The conversation was taking a turn Yuri didn't want it to take, so she tried changing the subject by answering Valencia's question. "I feel very hungry, and we need energy for the trial. Let's get food."