The one retrieved from The Void

Vas joined the line of students as they were guided through the corridors of the facility. The hallways were brightly lit, with security doors positioned every few meters, ready to seal off sections at a moment's notice. It struck Vas as odd—Nu was supposed to be a low-security prison, yet the level of reinforcement here suggested otherwise. The walls were lined with some kind of advanced composite material, giving off a subtle sheen under the artificial lights. The deeper they ventured, the more Vas noticed how fortified everything seemed.

Eventually, they were led to a separate tower on the edge of the prison complex. An officer with a stern demeanor addressed the group. "This is where you'll be staying. We have around a hundred students here this weekend to assist with various tasks. Each of you will receive two personal security codes—one for accessing the elevator, and another for your individual rooms. These codes are confidential and must not be shared with anyone. Understood?"

There was a murmur of agreement from the students, and the officer proceeded to distribute the codes individually, whispering them in each student's ear as if they were state secrets. The whole process felt overly secretive, which only heightened Vas's sense of unease. As he punched his code into the elevator panel, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

For a facility that supposedly housed low-level offenders, the security measures were extreme. The heavy fortifications, the strict protocols, the secrecy—it all seemed like overkill. What were they really hiding in this place?

When the elevator doors slid open, Vas stepped into a corridor nearly identical to the ones he had traversed earlier—brightly lit, sterile, and lined with the same reinforced material. He walked down the length of it, his footsteps echoing faintly, until he reached the door at the far end. As he approached, the panel beside the door lit up with a soft blue glow. He input his assigned code, and with a quiet hiss, the door slid open to reveal his quarters.

The room was compact, a single open space with minimal furnishings. A bed was built into the wall, seamlessly folding out like a hidden compartment. To the side, there was a narrow door leading to a tiny bathroom equipped with just a toilet and a shower. Everything was stark white and immaculately clean, giving it a sanitized, almost clinical feel. A large window dominated one wall, offering a view of the outside.

The scene beyond the glass was a strange one. The sunlight here was faint, dimmed by the lack of atmosphere. It wasn't like the vibrant light on Gaia. Instead, fractured beams of sunlight pierced through the dome, illuminating the complex in odd patches. Yet there was no true sunlight; most of the illumination came from the artificial lighting rigged throughout the prison, casting long shadows that gave the place an ominous, almost surreal ambiance.

But it wasn't the strange light that unsettled Vas—it was the feeling gnawing at the edge of his awareness.

"Morrigan," Vas thought, reaching out with his mind. "Are you sensing that? Is it the Anima of a Forgotten?"

"It feels like it," Morrigan's voice echoed back, tinged with caution. "But something's off. I can't quite pinpoint it."

"We should stay vigilant," Vas replied. "Maybe we can dig up some answers if we ask the right questions. There's definitely more going on here than we're being told".

"Agreed," Morrigan responded.

Shaking off the uneasy feeling, Vas set about organizing his sparse belongings. Like the other students, he had sent his luggage ahead—a small bag with just a few changes of clothes and basic hygiene products, nothing extravagant for a weekend stay. Once he was done, he lay back on the bed for a brief rest, his thoughts still turning over the strange sensations he had picked up.

Before long, it was time to move. The officer would be waiting for them at the base of the tower to escort them to the rendezvous point. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Vas stood up, ready to see what mysteries this place held.

Vas left his room and made his way toward the designated meeting point where the officer was waiting. By the time he arrived, several students had already gathered. Not all of them had traveled with him; some had come from other planets.

There were students from Pyros, easily recognizable by their extensive modifications designed to withstand the intense heat of their scorching homeworld. Then there were those from Thalassa—some were pale and heavily enhanced due to their underwater habitats, while others, more accustomed to the planet's surface, looked closer to what Vas was used to seeing. The students from Zephyrus were clad in various technological devices, as their planet focused heavily on engineering advancements.

These were the main planets with regular cities, unlike Caelum and its moons, where children were often sent off-world to study, as Caelum was primarily dedicated to scholarly pursuits and mining operations. As for Oniria, it remained shrouded in mystery, inhabited mainly by scientists and researchers dedicated to unraveling its secrets. Consequently, no schools existed there, and thus no students were sent.

"Alright," the officer called out, his tone commanding. "Everyone is here."

Vas glanced around and spotted Lily along with the other students from Gaia who had traveled with him.

"You've already been divided based on your primary schools," the officer continued. "Those assigned to work with the merchants, head over there." He gestured to one corner of the space.

"Those assigned to the medical bay, gather here," he said, pointing to another section.

"Those handling physical activities, over here," he added, directing them to a different spot.

"And lastly, those assisting with administrative duties, this way." He finished by indicating the final group.

At each location, officers stood alongside teachers who had been designated to supervise the students for the weekend.

"Now, please follow the officers assigned to your groups and your respective teachers," the officer concluded.