She felt her eyes protest as she opened them, slowly. She had no idea what time it was, but judging from the fact that she hadn't been woken up from the alarm, she had a feeling it was sometime in the middle of the night. The floor was cold, and the carpet scratchy but she hadn't noticed until she rose up from the ground and eyed the imprints on her arms. They crossed over each other carelessly, and she sighed at her inability to keep her strength until she had at least reached the bed. The lights in her room were pleasant and dim, as if aware that she had just woken up. The thought of her lights being aware made her uneasy, but she appreciated the settled lighting, and she rushed through her box until she felt the heavy glass tablet in her fingers. Clutching it to her stomach, she took a moment to look at her new room. The bed was fairly large, a white sheet hanging over it as if floating, and the walls were a warm red, the carpet popping out in a cream color. One wall, to her left of the door was lined with dark wooden shelves, as if to put personal items. She remembered the textbooks she had bought earlier, and she scooped them from off of her bed and onto the shelf. The tablet hung in her arm, leaving marks on her skin. She rearranged the books to lay neatly near her bed and she set the tablet beside them. It glowed faintly at her, and she sighed as she saw the time. Midnight.
She looked to the wall on her right this time, and recognized a closet quite too big for the small amount of clothing she had. She opened the door and peered in, a light automatically turning on for her. The inside was dark, but spacious, and she walked in, to get a better look. There was a rack for her clothing, a few of her sweaters and pants hanging, having been brought in earlier while she was out. The metal hangers were ridged for different sizes of clothes and she wondered if they ever ruined anything, with as sharp and dangerous as they looked. Further in, there were storage spaces, complete with a few more packages. Amused, she slid the packages out and walked them to her bed.
These packages were slightly different. They were in black boxes, tied with a smooth red ribbon. They were small, the size of her palm, and though she disliked it, she quietly wondered what was inside. Untying the ribbon, she smoothed back the flaps of the larger box and held her breath. There was a sophisticated envelope inside, an ancient seal closing it, with a regal crown and two large birds. The paper felt rough, but delicate and she felt an impulse to tear it open, and see what was inside. She fought it back, lifting the letter and setting the box beside her. Her last package hadn't come with a letter, but the seal looked vaguely familiar. Unable to trace where she had seen it before, she gently peeled the seal off, and opened the letter. The handwriting was elegant and large, looping across the page like artwork, and she envied it, before reading.
Dearest Victoria,
Tomorrow is a big day for you and the other new students here at the dome. As a
woman of intelligence and understanding, we felt compelled to help make your transition into your bright education as easy and comfortable as possible. We have provided you a few tokens of our gratitude for your charming conversation at lunch, and we hope to have another soon. However, there are a few things we feel we must alert you to.
The security of the dome is overwhelming, and excessive, but not without reason. The people you see around you will soon be revealed as more than what they seem. It is going to completely shock you. You must stay calm during the tests. If you fail, it will lead to your demise. There is nothing that anyone can do to help you. You must act alone. The most successful student is one who stays near to few, needs little, and speaks less. As far as your aggressive spirit, we have a few suggestions.
Though it is none of our business, we recommend you don't speak much to your class. You are different, and while we enjoy it, there are many that would not. We advise that you learn the functions of the tablet given to you, as it is capable of performing tasks that will ease your mind. Finally, we encourage you to consider your every move as it is part of the judgement made for your path.
