N.O

Chapter 9

Once we finally got into the classroom, the teacher who was about to conduct a lesson, stopped and stared at me and Jisong with distaste.

Seven rows of white desks laid out like a peaceful manuscript with eight of them in each row. The room was pristine white to hide the sins of the people here and the only bit of color seen were the black of our uniforms and the red tattoo across the instructor's eyes.

Yet among the rows of students, the only one I recognized was Yeseul. Her chocolate colored hair was tied in two braids that rested on her collarbone and her ears were decorated with two studs on each. But even though her face stayed stoic, her eyes held all the distress that I knew firsthand about.

"Take your seat," the instructor said bringing me back to reality. "You're lucky I haven't started the lesson yet."

Jisong and Saejun left for their classes and I sat at the desk next to Yeseul in the front left hand corner near the door while staring at the teacher with blank eyes. Looking around me, I saw that everyone was sitting in an orderly fashion, so my body mimicked the action. Feet flat on the ground, both hands at either side of the desk, face forward. Simple, yet controlled.

The teacher then walked around the classroom setting something on top of the desks he passed. No one dared to look at his fearsome eyes. It was like looking at someone who has no sympathy, empathy, or even happiness. Just a being that would kill you in cold blood.

His last stop was my desk and not once did I move my head. He set down what he was giving to the whole class and kept his eyes on me.

"Your name."

I stayed silent thinking there was no point in answering him. He's the instructor, so he must know my name.

"I asked you a question," he said with gritted teeth.

With pursed lips and rolled eyes, I answered him. "Boyeon."

"Your full name."

"Hyuk Boyeon."

He continued to stare at me until it became irritating. "You're clever. I can tell." He then set his hands on my desk and said to me, "If you're ever late to my class again it's a beating, do you understand?"

"Yes sir," I said bravely as I looked him in the eye.

"Watch out. Don't you ever test me."

As he walked to the front of the class I looked down at what was on my desk. Right in the center was a red gel pill. My eyes widened. This was only something I had heard from stories. Word of mouth happened a few years ago saying that there was a pill that could kill you instantly if swallowed. That it would eat up your insides and inject poison into your bloodstream if you were the blame of something. But that's just what the rumors say.

I looked to my side only to see Yeseul keeping her hardened face, but with added trembles to her fingers.

"Ladies and gentlemen," the teacher started. "The item that you see before you is a pill, but not just of any kind. This pill will kill you to if any of our rules are disobeyed. Your rules are the following; never to escape the facility, never show signs of pda while here, and, I don't know why you would be here if you are, never subject to or become a parasite."

The world stopped its rotation and orbit around the sun, while nebulas stopped in creation and black holes lost their extreme gravity for a moment in time as I heard his words. Parasite?!

"Fortunately we've never come across a parasite on these grounds, but it would do the same thing it always does when the rules are broken. If any are broken, our Section Leaders, generals, and instructors will bring out this device." He brought out a small circular item from his pocket that had a tiny black screen and a square button in the middle. "This device will show us your name and connect to the nanites that will be in your blood stream. Once this button is pushed, it will be instant death. Let me show you a magnificent example."

He presses a button on the remote in his hand and the huge screen in the front of the room pops on as the lights turn off. A moving picture of a girl shows up on the screen. "This young girl was only seventeen when she broke the first rule." He said as the video continued. It showed the girl running away from the facility, but almost as soon as the video started, she haulted and began to twitch. Her neck kept jutting to the side, her arms went haywire, and you could hear her bloodcurdling screams as her body turned purple, blue, and black. Once she fell lifeless to the ground, white foam and blood started protruding from her mouth.

Fear crept up my spine like a spider climbing its web seeing her face on the screen. So desperate for life outside of this wretched place. Was she a parasite and just never said anything? Did something in her just snap? Did she miss her family?

Will I end up like her?

"Now that you're aware of what the consequences are of your disobedience, you must take the pill that I have graciously set upon your desks."

Fear continuously shivered through my body as I looked at this death machine. And the first person that came to mind was sweet Yeonhwa.

"Everyone," said the teacher with more pride than General Kim. We all in sync looked to this monster. "Hold the pill in front of yourselves." As directed, we did so. "Now set the pill on your tongues and swallow."

Hate boiled in my veins as I looked him in the eye while setting it in my mouth. 

This facility is nothing but a death sentence.

"Swallow," he repeated.

All I could think of was one thing while swallowing this medication called death.

Hyuk Boyeon, don't you dare fuck this up.