Sirius Chapter 8: Chapter 7: The First Step

Read chapter 8 of Sirius by Dealer on NovelPedia.

At nightfall, Li lay in his bed, reading the contract for the twentieth time. "Simple as that?" The content of the page was quite limited. Only one paragraph filled the white sheet. In golden letters, the document read: "You agree to fight to protect the population and the world of Erebus in the name of the gods who protect all races?" At the end of the text, a small line required the contractor's signature. "Screw it!" Jihan signed his name, set the paper aside, and, as if Michael's warning meant nothing, passed out in his bed. Darkness took over the night. In the middle of the blackness, drops of water fell. Kabrum . A thunderclap lit up the sky and woke the boy. "Hm... what happened? I thought I left the lamp on." Li looked around and, unable to see, reached out and felt what he thought was his bed. "Dirt?" He felt an unexpected, familiar sensation in his hands. "Where am I?" Still with his eyes half-open, another thunderclap lit up what was in front of him. "WHAT THE — Another crack drowned out Jihan's yell. In front of him, all he could see was a dense forest. "How did I end up here?!" Ring. Ring. Li felt a vibration in his pocket. His phone. On the screen, an unknown number. With no other option, he answered. "Who is this?" "I see you signed the contract!" A voice, easily recognizable, came from the other end. "Michael? Where am I? How did I get here?" A shower of questions was aimed at suspect number one. "Calm down, rookie! This is just the first test!" The calm tone settled him a little. "Now, describe what you're seeing." "Nothing! Just plants and trees!" "Then everything is fi... You said 'plants and trees'? Are you in a jungle?" And the calm tone quickly vanished. "Didn't you hear me?! Yes! Exactly that!" Jihan tried to describe the environment as best he could, pointing out the tall trees and the lack of light. "That's strange..." "I completely agree! Five minutes ago this was my bedroom!" "No, not that. Look, you have a golden contract. That means you could have skipped the first conventional test. In fact, it started a day ago and would have ended tomorrow. That's why I gave you such a short deadline." "A test? If I understand what you're saying correctly, doesn't that mean I'm a full day behind everyone else here?" "You can look at it that way... or you can see the bright side!" "What in the world is the 'bright side'?!" "Anyway, I don't have much time. When the moment comes, you'll understand what I meant; but first I need you to do something." Michael rushed him. "Alright, what do you need?" "Your backpack should be near you. Inside there should be two orbs. You'll need them; break them, it's a bonus from the golden contract." "Break them? Alright, I can handle that. Anything else?" "Well... try not to die." The call ended shortly after. "That bastard. What does he mean "try not to die"? Doesn't he know that's a death flag? He must be trying to curse me!" Li felt around the ground again and after a short while found the backpack. Opening it, two orbs emitting a faint golden light were nestled at the bottom. "Must be these." Jihan picked up the first orb and squeezed it in his hands. It was a bit bigger than a snowball and shattered like it was coated in a thin layer of ice. From inside the globe, a blinding light expanded, illuminating the jungle. After a few seconds the light dimmed, and a beam shot like a laser, hitting the boy in the face. Excruciating pain followed. "What the hell is this?! I thought this was supposed to help me!" His brain throbbed; but as his head adjusted to the sensation, the agony gradually faded. Looking at his hands, expecting some magical power, he was a little disappointed. "Nothing changed." All he felt was a lightness in his thoughts. Li had always had a facility with memory. His mental condition made him remember everything; but it wasn't easy. His thoughts tangled together, like a knot of ropes. He could access everything, but looking for something specific was like finding a