Levels

The Beginning

It was Autumn, the sky started to turn grey as the sun vanished behind the thick misty clouds and most of the fresh green grass left from spring, was covered in leaves coloured in all sorts of brown, yellow and sometimes there was yet a spark of green to see.

One of the old oak trees, which had already left nearly all of its leaves behind, was standing in the middle of a park near the old university. Beneath its leave less branches some rings of smoke were rising high up in the air until they vanished, coming from a young boy sitting lazy at the only bench anywhere to be sighted. His hair dark black and completely out of order. His eyes fixed at the ground and occasionally looking up to take another pull from his cigarette which was conveniently dangling in between his long skinny fingers. A big brown leather bag was placed next to him at the bench. It seemed rather old but still in a pretty good shape, considering the time it had already belonged to him.

After he had finished his smoking duty, he stood up, and slowly made his way back to the entrance of the National University of Art. As he made his way through the empty hallways, a familiar voice turned up behind him. "Have we been smoking again, haven't we ?". 

After a quick stop, the voice continued: "You'll get yourself killed one day if you don't stop blackening your lungs every now and then, Dayl".

 "Well, if I do, at least it won't be your concern anymore since you're going to die ways earlier than me" Dayl answered with a sarcastic tone in his voice.

 And with a broad smiley on his face the person who had been standing six feet behind Dayl got to his feet and placed his flat hand on Dayls shoulder and said: "Glad to see you're back my friend". 

"Good to see you're still 'good old Pete' since we last met" Dayl returned with and enthusiastic grin on his face.

But as great as it was to see that Pete was back again and still in all pieces, Dayl knew that the occasion that brought them back together wasn't as pleasant. The reason Pete was back at the university was that Dayl had been chosen. Pete was one of the few people who work for the council and know more then anyone else about the system of the seven worlds. And as much as he disliked the thought of leaving the little town called "Lake Fall", he knew that he didn't have a choice in the first place. But just for some reason, he had always dismissed the thought of being something special or different. Just like best friends, Dayl and Pete went ahead and sat into the first classroom the found to be empty. For a second the conversations seemed just as usual as always, but suddenly Pete had a certain look of "now, let's get to the bottom of things" on his face. 

Not a single word had to be spoken, until Dayl was sure, that Pete wasn't just here to have some small talk. 

"Listen, I know you've already feared this day from the far, so this won't be a big surprise. You have been chosen. And as much as I'd like to tell you, that this will be easy, I can't. You are the strongest of all of us and I trust, that you are going to make it ".

 Suddenly tears started to glance at the edge of Petes eyes, but he flicked them away in an instance. So as he continued to explain, he said: "Tomorrow morning. 7:00 am. Don't hesitate, be ready and take nothing with you. They won't even let you". 

As soon as the last word left his lips, the expression on Dayls face had suddenly changed to a dead serious stare. Tomorrow morning... he knew, he wouldn't have much time, but he had never expected it to be this early. His face turned back to meet the empty eyes on Petes face.

 At last Pete rose his voice again and spoke:"Be careful out there, always stay on the lookout. And just a little piece of advice, pick attetion to the time." 

And with that said, Pete got to his feet once more and left the room without turning back to face Dayl. A second after he stepped over the doorstep, he glanced back and whispered some words, Dayl could only make out as "Good Luck" or something similar.

After a full ten minutes of sitting in the old classroom, Dayl finally got up and moved to the front door. It was already noon, he had missed afternoon classes. But this was more important than afternoon classes and he knew that from now on, he wasn't able to see the university ever again.

His head still full of thoughts, he walked passed the little stone gate that marked the entrance of the university and started his way home, picking a cigarette out of his pocked, and lightening it with his metal lighter he had gotten from his father one day. As he arrived, a middle aged wooden house came in sight. Opening his leather bag that was still stripped around his right shoulder, he fumbled around searching for the silver keys to his front door. Once he had entered his house, he knew that it was the last time. The only thing he wanted to do was sleep, so he threw himself onto his bed without getting undressed or even taking his shoes off.

His eyes were still clutched together and as he opened them his vision was blurry. A loud noise and something that felt like a weak earthquake woke him right in the middle of the night. As he remembered what happened the day before, he jumped to his feet and stumbled to the door, causally grapping his grey wool coat like it was just another ordinary school day. On the way to his door he even lid up another cigarette. Meanwhile the noise that came from the distant was growing louder and louder. He stepped out and looked around, as he spotted something flying directly over his head. 

The thing above him came nearer and the noise grew deafening. As soon as he could make out what it was, he saw four huge turbines attached to something that seemed like a big flying ship. The air swirled by the airship made his hair and his coat flatter in the cold morning hours. A moment later, it landed fifty feet in front of him with an earth shaking boom. The airship made a shadow appearance, since it was still dark outside. Moments, Dayl just stood there nonchalantly, waiting for something to happen.

Then, a stream of air, looking like a tunnel, appeared from the ship fifty feet in front of him. The stream started to rotate and the air began to dwell within. A second later Dayl was sucked through the tunnel of air directly into the ship. It felt like everything in his body was about to get stretched through the gust of wind.

He opened his eyes again. He was standing in the middle of a big white room with bright lights. A robotic female voice started to rise up above him and with the next few words, everything begun.

 "Attender, Welcome. From this moment on, you are one of the participators of the hardest challenge in the world, where only the strongest people compete against each other. This is your start of a new life. 

Welcome, to The Levels.