Once again, the system made its voice heard.
This time, however, it did not shout.
Neither did it play the same old trick of showing concern.
Its sole purpose was to convey that solitude was no longer a state of acceptance.
[NOTICE]
The efficiency of individual survival has fallen below the minimum needed.
It is now compulsory to form groups.
The unassociated candidates will be earmarked for elimination.
The term 'elimination' held its ground and won over the message in terms of time.
The Descent altered its nature around me—not in a physical sense but a social one. The individuals who had been keeping their distance from each other just a couple of days back moved to stand near.
There were whispers, and eyes were looking at each other to find out who was strong and who was weak. The latter group started to show up.
Rei was next to me, her arms crossed tightly, and there was a faint light flashing under her skin.
"So," she whispered, "this is the point when it all begins."
"Not the beginning," I said. "The ending."
"Wow!" She said.
"Being human," I added.
---
With the coming of night, the Descent had already shaped itself differently.
Without anyone proclaiming them, territories sprang up. Powerful personalities turned into the main strongholds. The needy ones moved around them like stars about to go out, offering their help in return for their safety.
Trust was not the reason why groups formed.
Fear was the reason.
Rei and I took the safest route—avoiding the noisy people, the aggressive ones, and the ones who were already intoxicated with power. I could sense my shadow holding out farther than normal, making contact with invisible boundaries.
That was when I got the feeling.
A pressure.
Not an intent to kill, but something worse.
Control.
The place we discovered them was a more or less ruined transit terminal where weak lights were flickering above the cracked concrete. They were not concealed nor did they have to be.
A lad of my age was standing at the center, sword placed carelessly against his shoulder, easy-going stance—but somehow wrong. He was too balanced. He was too ready.
Powerful.
Not the power of the reckless.
Power of the organized.
He was a framed strong.
The others were around him; not in a scattered way, not in a tense way.
They were organized.
A tall guy with piercing eyes, forever looking around, almost tracing the paths of his possible escape was standing just a little behind him. A fighter was some meters away from him resting now. He had one arm on the pillar while the other was across his body and he was oriented towards a girl who was blazing with anger and impatience at the same time.
And another girl among the laboratory was standing still and silent; she was the youngest.
The quiet girl didn't bother to look mean or strong—neither was she trying to make her presence felt.
Nevertheless, she was aware of everyone and everything around her.
She caught my eye and held it—did not blink.
What a character!
"Light girl," the hot-headed girl whispered, recognizing Rei first.
Rei got tensed up but remained quiet.
At last, the sword-bearing boy uttered his words.
"You came late."
Not a single hint of blame in his voice.
Just a statement of fact.
"We didn't intend to come," I replied.
Right away, some of the people in the room looked at me. The sharp-eyed man remained still, but I could sense him analyzing me piece by piece.
The swordsman was looking at my shadow for a while.
Then he gave a faint smile.
"It's you after all."
Not a question.
That was enough for me.
---
"We are going to have a team," the sharp-eyed guy claimed while advancing. "Roles will be locked by the system shortly. We don't enforce allegiance—but we don't carry dead weight either."
The hot-headed girl made a scoffing sound. "Get straight to the point. The weaklings are left behind."
"Stop it," the massive fighter stated softly. The girl became quiet at once.
Then the silent girl was the next to speak; she was softer than one would expect. "Survival of all is by different means"
Her glance was again on me.
Before I realized it, I felt my shadow reacting. I just let it be.
The swordsman put up his hand and the group instantly became quiet.
This was the telltale sign that I was in the presence of the leader.
"Registration is now," he declared. "The ones who opt to stay are our structure."
The system reacted at once he called the name.
[GROUP REGISTERED]
''BLACK LOTUS''
The titles showed up one after another.
Leader.
Captain.
Frontline.
And then came the pause.
The one that was supposed to be judged.
The look of the swordsman changed from Rei to me.
"You two," said he. "Scouts. Runners."
The most insignificant step.
Disposable.
Rei's gloved hand seemed to have been the source of tension that I felt right when we were doing nothing.
I signaled my agreement.
"Acceptable."
The girl who seemed to be very impatient laughed at us very sharply. "You do not even argue?"
"Runners die less than heroes," I responded.
The girl's smile disappeared.
---
Afterwards, we all moved as one.
BLACK LOTUS did not officially declare its territory—but others knew. The beasts were wary of the place. Separate teams kept their distance from us without interfering.
It was as if power had recognized power.
Rei whispered to me as we walked. "Are you really okay with being at the bottom?"
I observed the group that was ahead—how the leader did not turn his head backward, how the captain was keeping an eye on everything, and how the frontline fighters were shielding each other.
My shadow was gliding imperceptibly along the boundaries, sneaking into every area where eyes could not be.
"The bottom sees everything," I remarked. "And is not answerable to anyone."
She did not answer.
The meek girl dragged her feet a bit and until then did not realize she was my companion.
"You are not moving like a scout," she pointed out.
"I am not moving," I replied. "I am waiting."
The girl gave a faint smile. "For that, you have to be worse."
For a moment, my shadow did not withdraw.
This was enough to make me feel uncomfortable.
---
That night as BLACK LOTUS was getting used to the new order, I was on watch all by myself.
People were getting mixed up everywhere.
Rule-based gangs.
Power-hungry leaders.
Fearful followers.
The system insisted on hierarchy.
I chose to be the underdog.
Because it is easy to spot leaders.
But scorn—
Scorn is waiting.
Up there, something that was not seen but very powerful altered its computations.
The Descent had compelled man to unite.
And by that, it had also offered me the most suitable spot to become invisible.
And when the time came—
To determine the fate of the living, the dead, and which gang would disappear first—
I would already be there.
Silently.
Waiting.