Ivory disappeared from her friend's eyes in less than a second.
Abigail had sat with a cold expression present on her face which quickly dissipated while she held out her hand toward where Ivory used to be.
The young woman couldn't exactly say she missed her though she felt as though she did.
Her classmates giggled and stared at her while wondering what the young woman was doing, trying to grab handfuls of air.
A classmate whispers behind her, "She's lost it."
Another of her classmates to the left of her whispers, "Did she know that person? I bet she knew her."
Abigail clenched her teeth. Just why did Ivory have to pop up out of nowhere?
Things were already hard enough for her. There was no need to be reminded of her past where she was a bystander to this world's injustices.
Adding on to the fact she had gone through a brutal fitness training regiment today which was exhausting.
Abigail mutters while staring down at her desk, "I barely kept up with everyone. I don't have those neat abilities you have, Ivory."
Eden, their instructor at this moment, waved her pointer finger to signal to the class to wait a second before class would begin.
Abigail raised her head and stared into space with slight hesitation.
She tried to inhale and exhale slowly.
Ivory being brought here though the 101 device and being brought to a subsequent room 101 had entailed she was participating in the training camp for sunburn users.
That was the only way there could have been a mix up.
A cold glint flashed in Abigail's eyes again.
Was she a fool? Ivory had no interest in fighting in this war so why would she enlist?
Abigail felt the answer almost protruding through her skin.
The young woman sighs.
She joined the training camp because of her.
I wanted to do this by myself but I just got more people involved in my reckless goal.
I just want to make the council pay for everything they took from me.
Abigail stared towards her hands.
I can't rest until this condition is met.
She looked around the classroom for a moment and fully took in the scene.
The room was filled with long grey tables, chairs, a green white board with a vague sketch of the G.S. device in chalk, and contained book shelves filling the corners of the room with pieces of literature she didn't recognize.
The young woman stared toward the shelves and read one of the book's titles.
The Laws Of Rationalism by 'No Author.'
This wasn't uncommon. These pieces of literature were all instantly created during the shift. No human anymore could create or destroy.
Media was replaced with senseless noise created out of nothing.
Furthermore, these classrooms became a place to brainwash and hold back the next generation from their full potential.
Misery was the only word she could use to describe this life.
The instructor looks up from her glass display.
Eden clears her throat, "I apologize for that disturbance. I just had to make sure that student got back to their camp safely. Let's begin."
She points toward the green board where a vague sketch of a black box with a simple circular button on the top right was showcased.
Eden says in a rehearsed tone, "This is the Gravitationally Propelled Sphereoid or the G.S for short."
Abigail stared at the sketch of the black box with a confused expression on her face.
The black box wasn't a spheroid? Why was it called this?
Eden waves her hand as the class begins to chat, "Silence or should we do some more fitness testing to tire you all out some more?"
The class's noise level became barely audible.
Eden pushes her red circular glasses up the bridge of her nose, "That's what I thought. Now can anyone tell me who primarily uses this device?"
Lilith raises her hand.
Eden says, "Go on, Lilith. No need to raise your hand."
Lilith shrugs, "I'd say members of the TUCOF use it as their weapon of choice."
Eden nods her head, "Exactly. Military personnel of the United Council Of Defense use this object as their primary weapon."
Eden paces back and forth at the front of the class, "Can anyone tell me how this device works?"
No one raised their hand or spoke.
Eden says, "I figured as much. This device is one that can be used as both a close ranged melee weapon and a long ranged projectile launching weapon."
A melee and a projectile launching weapon? Would this be some kind of a combination between a sword and a gun?
Eden smiles, "It's better to show and describe this device."
Eden smiles widely while clenching her fist as each one of her fingertips turns into the barrel of a pistol.
The older woman waves her black and white mechanical fingertips so casually like they were nails she had got done at the salon.
Eden says, "Any part of my body can be turned into a gun-like device with the power of the G.S."
The older woman clenches her fist returning her hand back to normal.
She holds out her hand expectantly and a device releases through her right arm's skin, almost magnetically reaching her hands.
Following this, a black and white mechanical sheath slowly materialized on her waist.
Abigail felt nauseous. How was this even possible?
The device was a large black and white blade with several chambers attached to the front to fire out of.
This was the device she had seen all those years ago when those soldiers visited her home to notify her of her parent's sudden death.
The apprehension and the excitement from seeing the device were words Abigail just couldn't describe.
Eden twirled her large blade flawlessly around her body before gently pressing it against the ground, "This device serves as your main melee weapon and the central cooling component to the device. The blade allows you to absorb air through its mechanical sheath to both cool you down and help generate strong currents of wind."
Eden looks toward the reflection of the blade, "This device can be manipulated in a variety of different ways. You all will get used to it over time. Do we have any questions?"
Hudson raised his hand.
Eden shakes her head, "Stop raising your hands. This is a class but I'd say we're all old enough to be beyond that pre-k level way of critical thinking."
Eden points toward Hudson, rolling her eyes, "Go ahead."
Hudson says with apprehension, "How did the blade… release through your skin and go into your hands? Are you a sunburn user or something?"
Eden grins sinisterly, "No, I'm not a sunburn user. I merely am just using technology created by the shift."
What does that even mean?
Abigail frowned. The entire concept of this device was so confusing.
How can a device both seem scientifically plausible and implausible?
Eden scratches her chin, "I gained these abilities by allowing my device to bond with me… I pressed a button and went through an unimaginable amount of pain as it connected to my nerve endings. This happened in a short period of time but felt as though it was a very long one."
Eden grins, "Today you all will bond with your devices. It will hurt like hell but you will be given power that is comparable to a sunburn user. You all should know by now that in this world, no power is given completely for free, there will always be trade-offs."
The older woman paces back and forth while in deep thought. The look in her eyes had changed from a sadness of the past to a glimmering hope for the future.
Abigail shook slightly from the thought of bonding with the device. What would that even entail?
Eden reached down underneath her desk and pulled out a box of black rectangular devices with one button each on the top right. She began placing one on each of the tables in the classroom.
The instructor goes throughout the class and finally stops upon reaching the front of the room.
Eden says calmly, "Make sure this is what you truly want before pressing the button. I can assure this is a decision that requires…"
Hudson yelled in pain and fell off of his desk at that instant while cradling himself like he was an infant.
Eden sighs while finishing her sentence, "Time."
This had to have happened once before from her cold and calm demeanor.
Lilith walked over from her desk to try to shake him out of it but Eden had blocked her path.
Lilith sneers, "Get out of my way..."
Eden shakes her head, "No. Disturbing him during the process of bonding will be detrimental to his life."
Lilith muttered under her breath and turned to walk back to her seat.
Hudson shuddered on the ground with his eyes wide open. The man once tall and strong had now experienced what it was like to be weak.
The man unexpectedly reminded Abigail of a squirrel she had witnessed being run over by a car.
The small animal's legs twitched when its body was flattened with its eyes wide open leaving this world behind.
Eden holds out her right hand while gently using a current of wind to raise Hudson off of the ground and place him in his table. In her left hand she quickly pressed on a remote which placed metal chain-like restraints to lock him and the desk in place.
Eden smiles grimly, "Don't press the device early."
Eden puts a hand to her face, "Now that we can move along. Who will be stepping out?"
A few students raised from their seats with fear clear as a day on their faces.
Eden pulled out her glass display and the students who stood up were quickly removed from the space.
Eden says, "Anyone else want to be ejected?"
Most of the class stayed seated.
Eden says happily, "Wonderful, what a brave bunch you're. Let's see how long that lasts."
She presses a button on her remote to make all of their tables and seats locked in place. Long metal chain-like restraints were placed on their bodies and on their arms. The restraints allowed them to reach the button but not anymore than that.
Lilith asks with a tone that feigns bravery, "How long will this take?"
Eden takes out a microfiber cloth and cleans her glasses, "Good question. It varies person to person. Upon activating the device, it will disappear from your desk. You all will go through a bit of pain."
Eden coughs, "If somehow you're lucky enough that it doesn't take too long. Sit silently and wait until you're instructed to do anything further."
Abigail gritted her teeth.
Just sit silently? What if people were screaming around us? This was dehumanizing.
Eden asks, "Any other questions?"
No one had said anything or raised their hand.
Eden smiles, "Splendid. Everyone when you're ready. Press the button on the device."
Abigail instinctively hovered her pointer finger over to press the device. She didn't want to hear any of the screaming that would ensue in the classroom in the next few seconds.
She closed her eyes and opened them to be met with her parents' bedroom.
Abigail was shorter and younger just like when the shift had begun.
A wooden closet with a bloody doorknob stood in front of her.
The door was practically calling her name to open it.
The young woman gulped before placing her hand on the closet's doorknob while twisting it to reveal what was inside.
A bloody, black, and white box fell out of the closet distracting her from what else may have been inside.
The black box-like object had a button placed in the top right corner.
She couldn't control her fingers, almost as if she was watching a memory. Her pointer finger hovered toward the button to press it.
The button being pressed made her brain place her back into reality.
The bright lights of the classroom had almost blinded her from the darkness she had wandered in.
Did she bond with the device?
Abigail stared at her restrained hands while the box-like device still sat on her desk.
How could this be possible?
If what she was reality this meant that the device had already bonded to her…