Class Convergence

Chapter 1 - Class Reunion?

As a recent graduate from college, I found myself navigating the complexities of my new job at an auditing firm, still adjusting even after a year. Throughout my academic journey, from college to elementary school, making friends was never my strong suit. So, when I unexpectedly found myself face to face with my high school classmates again, gathered in a room adorned with four monitors on each wall, I knew I was in for trouble. It reminded me of the manga I used to read, where cooperation with your classmates was essential, yet betrayal lurked around every corner.

"Fuck, I hate this class so much," I muttered under my breath,

Even though this was the class where I could claim to have some friends, albeit reluctantly.

 "Where the fuck are we, Rom?" Julius, one of my so-called friends from senior high, asked. 

"I have no idea, man. The last thing I remember is clocking out of work and then suddenly finding myself here when I woke up," I replied. 

"All our classmates from senior high are here. Is this some kind of surprise reunion, kidnap edition?" Julius joked.

While we were the rest of our class catch up, the four monitors in the room suddenly flickered to life, revealing an unusual specie on the screen. It had large eyes, big spiky teeth on the top and bottom, purple skin/fur, and sun-like spikes on its head. "Welcome, mortals. We are pleased to announce that your group has been chosen as competitors for your dimension," the specie formally announced. Its voice resembled Frieza from Dragon Ball, but sharper. Confusion was evident among us.

"What are you talking about? What competition? And why am I with these people? They were just my classmates back in 2017!" someone blurted out, echoing the questions in everyone's minds.

 "Yes, this is a competition. What kind? That's a secret for now. As for why you're grouped with these people, my bosses are big fans of drama, and they've observed that classroom dramas in schools are the best. So, they selected random classes," the specie explained.

"Why this class? This class is from seven years ago, and we've already graduated college. We're not students anymore," our former class president queried.

 "When I say random, I mean random. The pool of choices our bosses considered wasn't limited to the class of 2024; it included the previous ten years. That's all there is to it. No more questions. Let's start the fun," the specie said, its innocent smile sending shivers down our spines.

"Our first game is called 'You're on your own'," the specie announced as the ground began to shake, and smoke billowed from every corner of the room. I blacked out immediately. When I regained consciousness, a loud alarm pierced the air.

 "Wake up, sleepyheads," the specie said.

 "To continue my explanation, each of you is now separated into different rooms. You need to escape within one hour, or you'll be eliminated. What happens when you're eliminated? Well, that's also a surprise. You'll find symbols on the floor and a poem on the ceiling. Use them to decipher the code for the input device next to the door. It can be a letter or a number. Good luck, everyone. You can see the time remaining at the door and you can see that the timer starts now."

I examined the symbols on the floor: a bridge, a moon, an infinity symbol, a mirror, what seemed like a fork or diverging paths, and a sun. Then, I looked up at the ceiling and read the poem:

"At daybreak's whisper, a journey starts,
Through twilight's veil, where shadows depart.
Reflections guide on a path unmarked,
Cross a threshold where mysteries embark
Choices abound, yet secrets are harked.
In endless circles, the truth resides"