Paralyzed by fear.
Ren had never imagined experiencing something like that. Or rather, he refused to believe it possible. In his mind, no sane person would ever freeze when facing imminent danger.
But the moment Vagner pulled the trigger, everyone around him flinched instinctively. Everyone… except him.
His feet felt glued to the floor. His breath, shallow and uneven, was barely audible. And his eyes seemed to have lost all color.
He stared at Vagner, expressionless. Still seated, upper body leaning slightly forward, hands folded together.
From the outside, he looked hostile, even defiant. But in truth, Ren was in a state of maximum alert.
Luckily, it wasn't a bullet that emerged from the barrel… but a tiny flag, adorned with a clown emoji.
And yet, even that relief wasn't enough to calm his mind. It was the first time he'd ever faced a real threat to his life. Sure, he'd played with danger when he was younger… but never to the point of risking death.
The only silver lining was that his lack of reaction gave the illusion that he was braver than those who had scattered like frightened rabbits.
Those very same people, humiliated, instantly reacted to Vagner's childish prank.
« You think that's funny?! »
« Go to hell!!! »
« Someone hold me back or I'll jump him!!! »
Even Teri couldn't help but slap his forehead, visibly exasperated by his superior's behavior.
As the tension rose, David stepped in.
« That's enough. »
He didn't raise his voice. He didn't shout. He made no sudden movements. And yet, everyone immediately fell silent.
Surprised by this silent authority, Vagner gave him a nod of thanks, then resumed:
« Before we get to the heart of the matter, let me ask you something: where are we? And I don't mean the complex… I mean our geographic location in the world. »
It was the question everyone had been asking themselves. A few voices offered their guesses:
« We're probably in America. »
« You kidding? More like Asia. »
« And Europe? You're forgetting Europe? »
While everyone threw out their own theories, Ren hesitated to share his.
Africa… Antarctica… Australia… or South America.
In his mind, those were the four most likely options. Less involved in global conflicts, often left on the sidelines of geopolitics, they made ideal havens.
As if someone had read his mind, a voice echoed in the room, expressing exactly the same theory.
Strangely, Ren felt a wave of irritation. Not because someone beat him to it, but because he knew that option was impossible.
Those very same continents had closed their airspace and sea borders. They had publicly declared they would accept no refugees.
It was harsh. Inhumane, some would say.
But Ren didn't blame those secluded lands. The fault lay with the powers that had triggered the war.
In this burning world, the only place truly cut off from everything… could only be a—
« Island, » Vagner said.
He paused briefly, scanned the room, and added:
« More precisely: we are at Point Nemo. »
Point Nemo.
Ren knew that name. It's the most remote place on Earth, far from any human civilization.
Originally, the area was used to crash space debris. A kind of orbital graveyard.
But the real question hung heavy in the air:
« How do you know that? »
Vagner turned his head toward the source of the question and answered calmly:
« It's all on the ninth floor. You can check it out. Of course, some rooms will be off-limits. »
Then he returned to Teri's side.
« Now that I've answered your questions, it's time to begin. »
Yet a thousand more questions lingered. But the audience chose silence. Curious to see what Vagner would do next.
« You. »
« M-me? »
Vagner pointed to a boy sitting beside Ren—one of the kids he had humiliated earlier.
« Yes, you. Who else? »
The boy hesitated to stand. But the moment he met David's gaze, his whole body trembled. Ren gently tapped his back in support, but the boy didn't react. He stepped forward toward Vagner.
« Don't move. »
At Vagner's command, Teri pulled away the cloth covering the mysterious object.
It was a mirror. Just as Ren had suspected.
The boy approached it, looked at his reflection, then turned back to Vagner, waiting for what came next.
But something… felt wrong.
A silent shockwave rippled through the room.
Where before, each face bore a unique emotion, now everyone wore the same expression.
« What the hell is this? » David muttered in a rare moment of panic, gripping the edge of his seat.
« Oh my God… » Carla breathed. Instinctively, she placed a gentle hand over Catherine's sleeping eyes.
As for Ren… he was terrified. But also, oddly thrilled. A part of him knew something unnatural was about to happen. He'd always known. But reason had refused to believe it.
The boy—now clearly the test subject—looked around, searching for an explanation. But before he could utter a single word…
Someone tackled him.
The impact was brutal. They rolled across the floor in a wild struggle.
The boy managed to kick his attacker off and staggered back up, panting… then turned again to the mirror, hoping to find comfort in his reflection.
« Why… is there nothing?! »
There was no reflection. No image. Just emptiness.
And just as realization dawned on him, his attacker let out an inhuman scream and lunged again, eyes bloodshot with rage.
The boy didn't move. Frozen by horror.
Suddenly, a playing card materialized in Vagner's hand and sliced clean through the attacker's neck.
Silence fell.
But instead of feeling saved, the boy dropped to his knees… facing the lifeless head.
His own head.
He vomited.
Again.
And again.
Until he brought up the last grains of rice from breakfast.
Moments later, both the body and head faded away… into a cloud of dust.
Still smiling, Vagner stepped forward slowly.
« As you can see… »
« Vagner. »
Teri placed a firm hand on his shoulder, cutting him off.
« Just this once… read the room. »
Vagner froze. He looked around, as if suddenly realizing the gravity of the scene.
The silence was heavy. Every face frozen, tense, as if at a funeral. Some still in shock. Others trying to mask their fear.
His smile vanished.
His tone turned grave, almost sincere.
« That's all for today. »
The card he had held moments ago dissolved into thin air, as if it had never existed.
Then, more sternly:
« David, Carla. Follow me. »
He turned away. The heavy metal door slammed shut behind them, ending the session.
Kneeling in the training room, Ren slid his fingers across the floor.
The scene replayed in his mind.
That mirror—strange and terrifying, able to summon a murderous double.
That card, appearing out of nowhere, as if willed into existence by Vagner.
And that body… that corpse that disintegrated into dust, leaving no trace behind.
Some still believed it was all just an illusion.
But Ren knew.
He had touched the victim, just moments before everything went south. The body, the heat, the fear… it had all been real.
And then a chilling thought hit him:
What if everything he had read in the library… was true?
Until now, those books had been nothing but fiction. Fairy tales. Myths.
But today… the line between imagination and reality had collapsed.
And with it, his sense of safety.
Part of him wanted to rejoice—he was finally getting answers. But the other, terrified part wanted only one thing: to go back.
He rose slowly, determined to return to his usual spot to think.
But just as he took a few steps, an announcement shook the complex.
A fire.
The library was burning.