The scientist's blurry face was hard to look at, yet hard to ignore. As Zeka finally settled down, the man began explaining how the world viewed their unique, godlike power.
"The world isn't a place where peace is the only thing you expect. Humans want only one thing: control over the weak. And all of you are weaker than a vulnerable kitten roaming the city for food. You must know how your power works, how it activates, and how you can survive this cruel world..."
The voice faded from Zeka's mind as his focus shifted to Liora. The rest of the group sat beside her, but his focus stayed solely on her—the small movements of her hands, her eyes focused on understanding the scientist. Even her scent registered as something new, something none of the rooms he had known ever had. He was simply trying to save the data of her personality from the outside world.
Then the cold hit him.
His bare skin shook noticeably as he tried to sit without moving much. He fought the cold, but it was unrelenting; the laboratory was simply too cold. He wanted to stand and move around, just to feel his legs for the first time, but getting up mid-conversation felt wrong, so he endured it.
"Training starts tomorrow morning," the scientist finished. "Whoever doesn't survive it wasn't going to survive the world anyway."
The scientist turned around and entered the invisible door directly behind him, disappearing into the white-and-gray walls. The four children sitting next to each other were already asleep—perhaps they already understood what was wrong with this world before they even sat down.
Zeka decided to stand up just to move around and warm himself. Liora remained seated, watching him in silence.
"By the way, what's your power?" Liora muttered under her breath, waving her hand to invite him to sit next to her and talk before they drifted off to sleep.
Zeka looked down. Her innocent smile made it hard to say no. He sat beside her and spoke.
"My power...? I think it's... fire... probably... w-why?"
A slight crack was visible in his voice; he had barely spoken since he could remember, having only ever counted through his torture.
Fire... she thought.
"Well, that's a cool power. It's the exact opposite of mine. Mine is water, though it's a little complicated since it doesn't have a shape yet."
She exhaled as Zeka looked at her in confusion. "A shape? Water has... a shape?" He swallowed.
"Don't be silly! Water is just my main source of power. What I mean by 'a shape' is whether it's going to be ice or boiled."
She explained, but Zeka remained confused. Seeing his expression, she added, "Water is the only power with two shapes instead of one. For example, your power is fire, so it's just... fire. Mine is water, and water has two types: boiled or frozen. Most past users had the boiled type, which makes the water extremely hot and can ruin your skin~."
She finished with a slight tease, sitting closer to take a better look at his confused face. "But who knows... Fire might have two shapes, or maybe even three. That would be cool, right, Zeka?" She tested the name she gave him to make sure it was easy on the tongue, then stretched her body like a kitten on the floor.
"Tomorrow will be a hard day. That scientist is strict with everyone, so be careful. And don't worry about those chumps; they're nice and trustworthy, just like me!" She pointed at the sleeping group—one girl and three boys. One looked broad-shouldered, two looked identical, and the girl appeared to be of foreign origin, definitely not from Japan. Why would she be here?
Liora shifted back into position and checked on Zeka to make sure he was still awake.
"Well, we have to sleep now, right on this cold floor. We can't complain, or we'll just get harder work in tomorrow's training. Hmm... good night then... I guess..."
She turned to the side, and Zeka copied her position. He was used to staying awake most nights through the daily torture he received, so a few minutes passed, and he was still wide awake while Liora and the others slept.
He observed the room: a few cracks in the wall covered by green plants, and the cold, humming sound of snow falling outside.
A sudden snap caught his attention—the crack of a stick, perhaps? Zeka stood up and walked to the invisible door he had entered through. It opened, leading him back into the main hallway where the experiment room sat behind a glass window. No one was inside.
Zeka decided to step outside the building, reaching the main gate he had entered with the scientist.
"What are you trying to do with that filthy leg?"
The scientist's voice cut through the air. Zeka froze instantly, already accepting his fate before another word was spoken.
"Don't worry, I'm not going to punish you yet. But getting outside the building is big trouble, little thing. Turn around and go back to that room. Today will be a tough day, and you must rest."
Zeka didn't nod. He turned around and walked quietly back to the room. Right before entering, he took one last glance at the experiment room, then stepped inside without further hesitation.