The Rise of Support Heroes

Chapter 2: Sara

After her last class is over, Gabriella Lopez now is mooching her way into her room.

'I can't believe they cancel my scholarship...'

To maintain her grades, Gabriella usually reviewing today's lecture either in her room or the library. But she prefers her room more than any other place in school. Her dormitory is very quiet in the afternoon, so she can concentrate in her study. Most students usually spend their afternoon break socializing in the VIP students' lounge or clubs. Since she doesn't join in any club activity or has a friend to be hangout with, she is basically free after school.

But after knowing that the scholarship isn't available anymore, she is now changing her priority. She agreed to become a beta tester for the war of three kingdoms online and signed her consent on the piece of paper inside the principal office a few hours ago.

'Well, there's no hurt to try it...' she thinks while increasing her pace along the corridor of the girl dormitory, 'at least, it's better than do nothing at all and get expelled.' She tried to be positive about everything that happens to her.

Gabriella lives on the second floor in the East Wing, where the students from middle and low-income families reside. While the VIP female students live in the West Wing.

She often hears loud music coming from the West Wing, since those rich-spoiled kids often hosting too many parties. Rumor has it that they even dare to invite some boys into the dormitory, which is strictly forbidden by the rule.

Once she opens her bedroom door, she yelps knowing her bed is no longer there, "Holy gamolly!"

Her bed has been switched into a white sleeping pod. It's shaped like a sleek capsule, with a transparent cover glass on top.

'What the freak is that!!! They now want me to sleep inside of this thing!'

She drops her bag on the floor and observes it carefully, 'this sleeping pod is covered with an air-tight glass shield,' she then knocks the glass window three times—knock-knock-knock, 'hmm... this looks sturdy, but can I breathe inside?'

Her wandering fingers accidentally touched the center of the glass and it activates the machine.

All of sudden, Gabriella can hear a female robot voice coming from the air-pod, "Identifying user, please put your hand on the screen."

She gasped, 'Whoa! This thing can talk to! Cool!' and then put her right hand on the glass cover. The part of the glass where her hand touched is now light up while scanning her fingerprints.

"Identifying is complete," the machined says, and after a few seconds, the cover glass folds up as it opens automatically, "welcome Gabriella Lopez, a second-year student of St. Martin Academy, please enter the game capsule."

She feels hesitant at first. Then the sixteen years old looks around her room, looking for the manual instruction book that is usually included for a manufactured electronic product, just in case, the person who delivered it, left it in her room.

Unfortunately, she doesn't find one.

She sighs, 'what the heck, let's just do it!'

Beats to her curiosity, Gabriella crawls inside the sleeping pod and lays down comfortably, 'hey, it's not bad...' she thought while pressing the black mattress with her body over and over, 'it is much softer than my old bed...'

It takes her by surprise when all of sudden, the game-capsule is closing by itself, and then the transparent cover glass darken, 'what the freak is happening!'