If you think the rich and wealthy are free from problems, free from man-made imaginary prison, you are wrong; think again.
I live in a place called "Attic" in the world called "Cennet"; paradise in Turkish although i have long knew this world is not a paradise for the poor, it's a prison; for the poor and for the rich like me.
I got everything i wanted, new clothes everyday, breakfast, lunch without even having to move an inch whereas the poor have to hunt or it, trade for it and eat it sparingly.
But nothing is easy in this world, the hardest thing for a rich is finding a Shadow. When a rich turns 18, it is obligatory for them to choose a poor citizen to become their Shadow. They will then train their Shadow to become the most superior Shadow ever only that every rich guy have to choose a girl Shadow and vice versa. Every year there will be a day called The Sacrifice where 21 Shadows will be chosen only if their Owner have turned 21 that year.
The Shadows will then fight, fight to live. They will fight in a large; basically empty space and kill one another. Their weapons will be delivered by their Owner but the weapons can only be used for half an hour. If they are empty handed, they can either dodge to stay alive or attack using their hands as they can really hide when the room is just a big stretch of nothing. Only consists of walls, floors and a ceiling. For the Shadows that died in The Cube, their owner will lose their chance card named C1 and then the owner will have to find another Shadow and train him even harder in order to not lose all 3 chance card given. If they were to lose them all, the Owner will be sent to The Village to live their remaining life as a poor citizen. No rich can live their life freely without a shadow after the age of 18 except for The Partners; those who manage the game, like my Father. Only that he is is a Master, not calling him by the name Sir White will be considered as treason and will be banished from Cennet. He is in charge of the whole game. For the Owner who won the game, they will be granted immunity of not having to be selected for the next Sacrifice. And the Shadow that won will be stocked with food for the next year until they are eligible again for the next Sacrifice.
And here i am, Aster White, 18, looking for a Shadow. I am not ready. Never was and never will be. I totally object what my father is doing. Treating the poor as a form of entertainment for the rich. Treating this whole thing as a form of a game. Sacrificing lives and lives and countless of lives for the sake of entertainment purposes. I totally object.
"Miss White, are you ready to head to the Village?" I paused. Followed by a slight nod. It came. The day came. The day called The Poll. The day i have to choose a poor guy to be my Shadow. I don't want this. I can feel Annie, my guard's hand behind my back to lead me to a plane. Not an ordinary plane. More like a UFO. Which will bring me to The Village. When i was seated in the plane, my heart stopped beating for a while before it beat fast. Faster than usual. Nervous found its way into me and i know it means no good because every time i am nervous, i react slow, i think slow and even walk slow.
What if he is just 5 years old? What if he is an old man? What if this happens? What if that happens?
My head is literally filled with negativity. Why can't i be like my father? Why can't i be heartless like my father? Filled with mean remarks, filled with nothing called sympathy. I can feel the plane landing. For a while there i jumped due to the shock from the landing. I can see Annie's pair of eyes on me; to be sure that i am save. Save from anything, anything at all. I alight the plane with style. Chins up, body straight, feet close together, a posture of confidence, a posture for the rich. All this was trained for me by Annie. All this is fake. This figure fitting dress i have always sigh when given to wear, i want to replace it with a legging and a t-shirt. I walked. Filled with fake confidence when actually inside me, i feel the heat, the heat from all the negativity inside. When i reached the yard, villagers are already at peace. Already ready to be selected maybe. Some have fear, some are calm, whereas some just doesn't care. I sit on the chair behind a table when the officer in charge picked out 5 papers from the whole stash of polling papers in the somewhat seems like a fishbowl. He then laid it out neatly in front of me. So this is how it goes. I can only choose from 5 papers. Okay.
