THE ORIENTATION
Americ-Ana kept her eyes closed, certain that, at any moment, her body would be swallowed by the impact of the water. Perhaps, who knew, she had already died before she could even realize it.
But then Poppandacorn’s voice sounded behind her, still in “backpack mode”:
“Mommy! Open your eyes! We’re flying!”
“How...?”
Cold, cutting wind struck her face. Hesitant, she opened her eyes.
Behind her, voices echoed:
“She did it! Thank goodness!”
“Damn it, man! I was rooting for her to drop straight into the water.”
Ahead, the waterfall plunged off the cliff, but the force of the wind turned it into a white cloud before it could reach the ocean. Even so, Americ-Ana was nowhere near it. She looked down: the dark sea churned in violent waves, threatening.
“Oh my God! Help! I’m going to die!” she screamed, squeezing her eyes shut again, bracing for the shock of the icy water.
Then she felt Poppandacorn’s furry little paw stroke her shoulder.
“Mommy! Calm down! My sensors confirm we’re safe. It’s all right. You can open your eyes.”
Had she already died, living only through the last flickers her brain could offer? Or was she in a coma, hallucinating under sedatives in some hospital?
Americ-Ana opened her eyes again. Poppandacorn was right: they weren’t falling.
Wait. No, it wasn’t flight. She could feel a surface beneath her feet. Invisible to the eye, but solid enough to hold her. Her shoes steadied on something that seemed not to exist.
It wasn’t a platform.
It was an invisible bridge.
“Don’t worry, Mommy! My sensors detected that this is a flat and safe place, even though human eyes can’t see it,” Poppandacorn said.
Suddenly, he sprang off her back, folded away “backpack mode,” and with a nimble jump launched himself into the air.
Poppandacorn’s little feet also came to rest on something invisible. Like Americ-Ana, he seemed to be flying.
“See, Mommy! It’s safe. Look!” he said, running in a straight line through the air, as if floating above the ocean.
Then, without warning, he began jumping on the invisible bridge, sending Americ-Ana into panic.
“Poppa! Stop right now! This could break or... I don’t know... suddenly fall!” she shouted, terrified.
“Okay, Mommy! Poppa stopped already. But see, it’s safe. You can walk. Trust my sensors,” he replied, coming back to her and taking her hands.
Americ-Ana straightened her posture. There was, indeed, firmness beneath her feet. She took a few short steps, still unable to believe in the existence of that invisible surface.
She looked back. The Jump Chronos Station remained open, the other initiates watching. Some laughed, others wore pure astonishment on their faces. She saw Wwwyye and Astyam side by side, waving and smiling at her. Farther back, Director Popess Rock and the angel Reiyel stood at the portal’s edge, like sentinels of the crossing.
“Go straight ahead to the cliff where the water falls, and wait for the others, daughter of God!” Director Popess Rock shouted.
“Yes, ma’am, Director,” Americ-Ana replied, while Popess Rock was already turning to ask who would be next to cross.
Only then did Americ-Ana understand, with clarity, where the portal had opened. On the auditorium side, the Jump Chronos Station had appeared on the stage. But here, in this dimension, it hung suspended within the arch of a rock formation.
She took a few hesitant steps forward to take the scene in more fully. The rock was massive, its face a sheer cliff, its top covered in slanted green grass. Around it there was nothing but water, sometimes deep blue, sometimes gray.
“Come, Mommy! I’ll hold your hand,” Poppandacorn said, extending his little paw. Hand in hand, they walked on until they reached the point where the water plunged.
Americ-Ana felt the icy mist the wind threw into her face.
“Look, Poppa! It’s like Director Popess Rock explained in the song. The fresh water tries to reach its polarity, the salt water, and throws itself into the abyss. But the strong wind comes and turns it into cloud.”
“Yes, Mommy! Just like you. You threw yourself into the abyss, and now you’re floating like a cloud,” Poppandacorn observed.
They took a few more steps until they reached the top of the cliff, right at the point where the water ran before the inevitable fall.
Americ-Ana looked around. Everything was covered in close-cropped green grass, as if it had just been trimmed. Farther ahead, she could make out what looked like houses, or rather, cabins, all built of exposed black stone. The roofs were unusual: they too were covered in grass, as green and neatly shorn as the ground.
“Mommy! Look! A sheep on the roof,” Poppandacorn said, pointing ahead.
“Where...?” Americ-Ana blinked. “Ah, there it is! The sheep is on the roof, eating the grass,” she observed, smiling.
“I’m going to go say hi to her, Mommy! Come with me!” Poppandacorn brightened.
“No, Poppa! Stay here. The others will be with us soon. The Director asked us to wait,” Americ-Ana replied.
“Okay, Mommy! Waiting mode activated. Would you like to play a game or learn about any topic while we wait?” Poppandacorn said, now dressed up like a sheep.
Soon, the other initiates began crossing the portal.
Wwwyye sprang out of the Jump Chronos Station and, the moment she landed on the invisible bridge, she sprinted to the cliff without looking back.
Astyam, on the other hand, sneezed, sprayed nasal mist into his nostrils, and moved forward slowly. First he set one leg down, then the other, making sure he wouldn’t fall. Then he dropped to his knees and crossed on all fours until he reached the cliff.
The group of girls who never separated crossed hand in hand, also on their knees. Some kept their eyes closed, letting the others guide them. Others began to cry, freezing midway and obstructing the flow of those coming behind.
Thor Bloodpure crossed while staring up, avoiding the abyss as much as possible.
Donnie Bjelke made it across the bridge crying, stumbling, and falling at least four times in a row.
Jessie Hornes, jittery, started laughing without stopping. Some swore they heard the sound of farts slipping out of her in the middle of her laughter, which drew embarrassed looks.
Nioh Nemmesis coughed the entire way, dropping his cough-syrup bottle several times, which, luckily, did not break.
Nearly thirty minutes later, everyone had crossed the invisible bridge.
“I hate heights,” Wwwyye muttered.
“Are you afraid of heights?” Americ-Ana asked.
“No. Not afraid. I hate them. It’s different,” Wwwyye explained.
“With all the technology available in THE-IMPERIUM, did they really need to make us cross an abyss on an invisible bridge?” Astyam complained, spraying his nasal mist once again.
In that instant, a deep, hoarse voice echoed, drawing everyone’s attention:
“Fac Foedus, initiates! Welcome to Mulafossur, the place of Crown Eden’s kitchen. I am Patron Uvo and, from now on, your Orientation begins.”
Patron Uvo swept the group of initiates with a severe gaze. Then he declared:
“Pay close attention to what I’m about to say. Under no circumstances are you to approach the waterfall at the cliff, unless it is strictly necessary or I order it. When the waterfall, formed by fresh water, tries to reach the ocean’s salt water but is stopped by the wind and turned into cloud, it means the portal is open, the Jump Chronos Station has been cleared for passage, and the invisible bridge is present.”
He fell silent for an instant and looked back into each face.
“Now pay even closer attention. If the waterfall, formed by fresh water, reaches the ocean and mixes with the salt water, that means the portal is closed, the Jump Chronos Station has been blocked, and the bridge no longer exists.”
Patron Uvo took a step forward, his voice even firmer:
“In short: if the water coming down from the cliff floats, the portal is open, the bridge is there. But if the water drops straight into the abyss, the portal is closed, the bridge does not exist, and anyone who tries to cross will meet a terrible death. If they don’t drown, they’ll die on impact from the fall, from the height, or they’ll slam into the cliff’s rocks and have their body shattered.”
His expression hardened further still.
“Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir, Patron Uvo!” the group answered in unison, their voices trembling and broken.
“Good. Now, follow me.” Patron Uvo raised his hands and guided the initiates toward the black-stone houses with roofs covered in green grass.
As soon as she drew near, Americ-Ana realized that each structure of exposed black stone, with a roof of green grass, was in fact an enormous kitchen, almost the size of a village.
The cabins rose on great blocks of stone that supported the floor and, at the same time, formed small passageways between one and another. All of them were arranged around a broad central platform, toward which every path converged.
At the center of that platform were several tables and counters, each with a small golden plaque indicating the name of the initiate to whom it belonged.
Patron Uvo stopped and declared:
“Each cabin is a distinct area of Crown Eden’s kitchen. Each one has a plaque that tells you what is inside.”
He pointed to the first one, nearby.
“See? This cabin is labeled ‘Meats.’ That means that inside it you will find every kind of meat you can imagine.”
Then he pointed to another.
“This cabin, with the plaque ‘Fruits,’ contains all the fruits that exist in the common world, and others that exist only in the THE-IMPERIUM bunker.”
Then he indicated another one, farther ahead.
“As you can see, it isn’t only food. That cabin with the plaque ‘Spoons’ contains every spoon, in every material you can imagine.”
At last, he turned back toward the center of the platform.
“As you’ve noticed, everything you might need in a kitchen, you will find here, in Mulafossur, Crown Eden’s kitchen.”
Soon after, each initiate headed to the spot marked by the small golden plaque bearing their name.
Americ-Ana took her place behind her table, with Poppandacorn at her side.
Patron Uvo claimed the center of the platform and asked aloud:
“Mr. Bloodpure, could you kindly tell us what the current Trending Topics are in THE-IMPERIUM?”
“Yes, sir!” Thor Bloodpure replied, taking a pair of special glasses from his pockets. He set them on his face and began sliding his finger through the air. Then he announced:
“In first place, as the most talked-about subject across all of THE-IMPERIUM, we have the hashtag #FollowTheAmericAna.”
Immediately, every gaze fell on Americ-Ana. Her cheeks flushed, and she lowered her head in embarrassment.
That was when Poppandacorn shouted:
“MY MOMMY IS THE BIGGEST CELEBRITY IN ALL OF THE-IMPERIUM! HURRAY!!!”
With the shout, he set off fireworks. All the initiates burst into laughter.
“I will not tolerate that kind of behavior during Orientation!” Patron Uvo bellowed, striding toward Americ-Ana’s table.
Poppandacorn kept launching fireworks and shouting when Patron Uvo grabbed him by the ear and dragged him along the ground.
“Hey! What is happening? Sir? Excuse me? This is a violation of movable property. You are violating the movable property of user Americ-Ana Delsilva, also known as my Mommy!” Poppandacorn protested, being dragged by the ear.
Patron Uvo then held him up in the air by his unicorn horn. The robot panda thrashed in desperation.
“Sir! This is a violation of private property. Put me down!”
Without answering, Patron Uvo gathered strength in his right leg and, still holding Poppandacorn by the horn, hurled him with a violent kick. The small body was flung several meters away.
In the same instant, the laughter stopped. Silence took over.
Patron Uvo turned to Americ-Ana and said:
“If you don’t like it, consult the internal regulations of Equal One Zero Academy. But I will not tolerate jokes and commotion during Orientation.”
Americ-Ana’s eyes filled with tears.
Wwwyye made to leave her place to comfort her, but before she could move, Patron Uvo thundered:
“If you leave your place, you will be expelled from Orientation and you will only be able to return next year. That applies to you as well, Miss Delsilva. Feel free to go after your toy. But if you do, you won’t be allowed to come back.”
Wwwyye stepped back, her expression hardening.
Americ-Ana couldn’t hold back her tears. They slid silently down her face. Instinctively, her eyes searched for the spot where Poppandacorn had been thrown, but there was no sign of him.
“Let’s continue from where we left off,” Patron Uvo said, turning back to the group.
However, before he could go on, Poppandacorn appeared, walking as he tried to return to Americ-Ana. He was crying, LED tears streaming from his eyes, and he rubbed his backside with his little paw.
“BWAAH!... BWAAH! Mommy, the bad man hurt Poppa!”
Some initiates laughed under their breath; others strained to hold it in.
Then Patron Uvo turned to the robot panda and shouted:
“SILENCE! AS PATRON OF THE KING MATNAT GAMES, I FORBID YOU TO SET FOOT HERE! GO BACK TO THE SPOT WHERE I THREW YOU, OR I’LL THROW YOU OFF THE CLIFF! ONE MORE STEP, AND I’LL EXPEL DELSILVA AND DISMANTLE YOU IN A SCRAPYARD OR SEND YOU TO KING NedLud!”
The laughter died immediately.
Poppandacorn’s eyes displayed the message:
“Requesting authority recognized. Patron Uvo is an official patron of the KING MatNat Games. Comply with the order under penalty of expulsion of user Americ-Ana Delsilva and complete destruction of this automaton.”
Then Poppandacorn ran in the direction from which he had been kicked, vanishing from sight.
Patron Uvo faced the group again. Everyone had their heads lowered. Americ-Ana was still crying in silence.
“Mr. Bloodpure, could you please tell us what ranks second in THE-IMPERIUM’s Trending Topics?” he asked aloud.
“Yes, sir!” Thor replied promptly, still wearing the special glasses. He slid his finger through the air, shifting screens only he could see. “Second place is the hashtag #SmilingNemesiaInYourKitchen.”
“Excellent!” Patron Uvo said. “The Nemesias that smile every time someone enters the kitchen have become a trend in every home across THE-IMPERIUM. I believe we have an heir of the NEMMESIS SEEDS group among us, am I right?”
All eyes turned to Nioh Nemmesis.
“Koff... Koff... Yes, sir, Patron Uvo. It’s me, Nioh Nemmesis,” he replied, coughing and taking a sip of the syrup.
Patron Uvo watched him closely.
“Amazing how contrast reveals itself in the details. On one side, we have a pure lineage, a clean and immaculate DNA. Someone who is here because this place was conquered by his family through centuries of survival.”
Then his eyes shifted to Americ-Ana.
“And at the other extreme, we have someone who must carry at least fifty races mixed into her blood, and who only made it here through favors.”
Patron Uvo walked to the center of the platform.
“Very well, ladies and gentlemen initiates. It is tradition that the top two in THE-IMPERIUM’s Trending Topics be responsible for transporting the dishes that all of you will prepare here and that, later, will be served in the SOLOMON COLISEUM bunker to the demons.”
He took out two sashes and handed them over, one to Nioh and one to Americ-Ana. On both of them was written: LEVITE.
“You must wear these sashes for the entire route in order to have access to every area of the SOLOMON COLISEUM bunker,” Patron Uvo explained.
“But why ‘LEVITE’? What does that mean? I don’t understand,” Nioh Nemmesis asked.
“‘LEVITE’ because, in the Holy Bible, the Levites were responsible for carrying what would be offered. They brought the elements to the altar, where the priests completed the ritual. Here it will be the same. You and the scholarship girl will be responsible for collecting the nearly finished foods from all the initiates and taking them to be finalized and presented to the demon, before everyone, in the SOLOMON COLISEUM bunker.”
Americ-Ana and Nioh put on the sashes.
Patron Uvo returned to the center of the platform.
“The beginning of the KING MatNat games happens through a pact with the demon. That pact is sealed by offering it a dish of food with the blood of the one who wishes to propose the alliance. Food is used because gluttony, among the seven deadly sins, is the most practical to provoke.”
Patron Uvo walked slowly from side to side, hands behind his back, expression severe. His voice ruled the space.
“You offer the dish to the demon. It eats. If it accepts, the pact is made. But if it vomits, it means it rejected the offering, and you will only be able to try again next academic year.”
He lifted his eyes upward, as if contemplating something invisible to the others.
“In the SOLOMON COLISEUM bunker, with its pyramid of the same name, the KING MatNat games take place. The offering of the dish is the first step into the competition.”
Patron Uvo handed out special glasses to each initiate, gesturing for them to put them on. At his side, an interactive screen appeared in the air, casting vivid light.
“The KING MatNat games are based on the demonic seals of the Ars Goetia and the angelic seals of the Shem HaMephorash.”
On the screen, 144 seals emerged. Intricate symbols, engraved with meticulous care, divided into two sets: 72 on one side, 72 on the other.
“These seals can only be obtained by academics duly enrolled and registered at Equal One Zero Academy. No other citizen of THE-IMPERIUM has the right to propose a pact to a demon.”
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“That sounds important,” someone murmured among the initiates.
Patron Uvo did not break his cadence.
“As you can imagine, the demand for Equal One Zero academics is absolutely surreal. And I’ll tell you why.”
Everyone sank into absolute silence. The attention was so intense it felt possible to hear a needle drop to the floor.
“If an academic manages to forge a pact with a demon, it means the demon will be at that academic’s mercy. In other words, it will obey everything the academic commands. That is why Equal One Zero Academy students are so fiercely sought after by the largest companies and families of THE-IMPERIUM.”
Patron Uvo walked with steady purpose, his deep voice carrying each word.
“Imagine an academic who seals a pact with a demon specialized in unveiling hidden mysteries. Immediately, major pharmaceutical companies turn their eyes to him. All of them want the secrets that demon can offer, perhaps even the formula capable of curing cancer. At that point, an auction opens. Whoever bids the most wins the academic and becomes his patron.”
He puffed out his chest, with pride.
“I am a patron. That means I make the highest bids to secure access to the knowledge of the demons I obtain.”
“Wow, that really is incredible,” a voice murmured among the initiates.
“Patrons must be very rich,” another group commented in unison.
Patron Uvo kept his cadence, without losing authority.
“The rule is simple. The academic forges the pact, and a patron places the bid. If the patron owns a pharmaceutical company, he will order his academic to ask the demon for the secrets of medicine, capable of defeating the most terrible diseases. But if the patron is an oil magnate, the demon, under the academic’s command, can reveal where the greatest reserves in the world lie, and how to claim them.”
Patron Uvo took a few steps forward, raised his hand, and the interactive screen shifted, revealing new graphs and symbols pulsing with light.
“There is another primordial factor in the KING MatNat games, directly linked to the Four Organs: The Commander, The Strategist, The Messenger, and The Guardian.”
The emblems of the four Organs appeared side by side on the screen, each marked by unique lines, laden with power and tradition.
“At the end of the academic year, the Organ that has conquered the greatest number of seals, that is, the one that has forged the most pacts, will be responsible for administering all of THE-IMPERIUM.”
With another gesture of his hand, Patron Uvo brought a new sequence of images and hierarchies onto the screen.
“Each of the Four Organs of Equal One Zero Academy has positions structured as follows:
- President
- Governors
- Mayors
- Director”
A voice rose among the initiates: “So that means Equal One Zero Academy commands the entire THE-IMPERIUM bunker?”
Patron Uvo raised a finger, steady, as if punctuating an absolute truth.
“It means that the Organ which, at the end of the academic year, has conquered more demonic seals will have direct influence over the TIFERET pyramid, in the QUEEN ORION bunker. And it is there that all of THE-IMPERIUM’s Executive Power resides.”
“Wow... goodness. That’s a lot of responsibility,” some initiates murmured.
Patron Uvo, imperturbable, kept the cadence of his speech.
“As you well know, The Strategist Organ has been in power over THE-IMPERIUM since 1913. That is 111 years of uninterrupted rule.”
A new murmur ran through the initiates.
Patron Uvo raised his voice again:
“That means that, at every end of the academic year, The Strategist Organ is always the one that accumulates the greatest number of Ars Goetia and Shem HaMephorash seals. And, as a consequence, it also means that the President of THE-IMPERIUM, the Governors of the QUEEN ORION, ENIGMA GEMINI, and SOLOMON COLISEUM bunkers, the Mayors of the TIFERET, CHESED, GEBURAH, PRINCIPISSA TARANTULA, PRINCE EQUAL ONE ZERO, and SOLOMON COLISEUM pyramids, and, evidently, the Director, all belong to The Strategist Organ. Every one of them is a champion of the KING MatNat games, sustaining the uninterrupted dominion of 111 years.”
“I’d like to know what The Strategist Organ’s secret is,” someone ventured in a low voice.
Patron Uvo paused briefly, his gaze piercing, before he continued:
“The Strategist Organ has been in power since 1913 thanks to Director Popess Rock, the greatest KING MatNat player of all time. She was the only one, in the entire twentieth century, to achieve the feat of, already in her first academic year at Equal One Zero Academy, sealing a pact with a demon and conquering all seventy-two seals of the Ars Goetia and the Shem HaMephorash.”
“She’s the greatest of them all,” some initiates whispered, overtaken by reverence.
Impassive, Patron Uvo went on.
“Obviously, when someone graduates from Equal One Zero Academy, they can no longer propose pacts to demons. But that did not stop Popess Rock from passing her game techniques on to The Strategist Organ’s chosen.”
“Wow, I’m jealous,” an initiate murmured, drawing silent agreement from the others.
Patron Uvo continued:
“It surprises no one that Director Popess Rock’s only son, Nome-Rocky, is today the greatest KING MatNat player of our century, second only to his mother.”
“I’m sure she gives him tips,” someone commented. The others nodded in immediate agreement.
With a broad gesture, Patron Uvo made another projection appear. A new screen lit the hall, revealing the colossal image of a radiant angel, so dazzling that it forced some to narrow their eyes.
“When a single academic manages, within one academic year, to gather the seventy-two seals of the Ars Goetia and the seventy-two seals of the Shem HaMephorash, that academic opens a portal straight to LUCIFER. And before the Morning Star itself, they can seal a definitive pact, asking for absolutely anything they desire, without any limits.”
“Just imagine... being in the presence of LUCIFER?” an initiate remarked, voice thick with awe.
“It must be incredible... it’s always been my dream,” said another, almost in a trance.
In the back, Astyam let a whisper slip: “Rabbi Worse Devil.”
Patron Uvo seemed to catch the name “Rabbi Worse Devil,” because he immediately took up the word again.
“As you all know, in the year 1944, when one of the patrons of Equal One Zero Academy, Rabbi Thane, fled with the seal of the demon ASTAROTH, it became impossible for any KING MatNat player to gather the seventy-two seals and reach LUCIFER. At present, across all of THE-IMPERIUM, we count only seventy-one seals of the Ars Goetia and seventy-two of the Shem HaMephorash, that is, if we include the angel REIYEL, who once repelled ASTAROTH and who today stands as a devotee and protector of Director Popess Rock.”
“Wow... how sad,” one of the initiates murmured.
Patron Uvo continued:
“That means the last human being to stand in the presence of LUCIFER and seal a pact with Him was Popess Rock.”
He paused briefly. On the screen, an inscription appeared: “Ritual and Liturgy.”
“The ritual of the KING MatNat games begins as follows.”
Another screen lit up immediately after. Patron Uvo went on:
“First, all Equal One Zero academics who are carrying one of the Ars Goetia and Shem HaMephorash seals will return it to the Source, to the original KING MatNat sphere.”
Patron Uvo took a few more steps, stopped for a moment, reflected, and then spoke again.
“Then the ritual of the banquet offering begins, of the dishes you will prepare for the demons. There is an order, of course: first, the initiates offer their dishes to determine whether the demon will accept or not. Neither the initiate nor any other academic chooses the demon to whom the offering is made, because that is determined by lottery. After all the initiates have had their chance, the rest of Equal One Zero’s academics will have their turn. The offering of the dish is mandatory, because only in this way is it confirmed whether the pact will take place or not.”
“Mandatory? That’s meant to screw you over,” Wwwyye murmured.
“For those who are lucky enough to complete the pact, that lucky man or woman will be put up for auction immediately. In that moment, the patrons begin placing their bids to claim the academic whose dish was accepted and whose pact was sealed.”
With another gesture in the air, Patron Uvo made the screen change.
“After that, the academic, under the guidance of their patron, will decide whether they will proceed in the KING MatNat games or not. If the academic and their patron choose not to move forward, the demon becomes available for private dealings, whether for the academic themselves, for the patron, or even for any politician or company that wishes to ally in pursuit of the demon’s knowledge. Naturally, all orders come from the academic, but always under the patron’s tutelage.”
“For me, just getting the demon to eat my food and accept my pact proposal is already more than enough,” Wwwyye murmured, drawing the agreement of a few initiates.
Patron Uvo resumed:
“For those who decide to proceed in the KING MatNat games, there will be the opportunity to fight in the SOLOMON COLISEUM, where the victor keeps the defeated one’s seal. As for the next stages for those who succeed in the pact and choose to continue, everything will be explained directly by your personal patrons.”
He took off the special glasses. The screen behind him unraveled into nothing. Then all the initiates followed his lead, removing their glasses as well.
Patron Uvo continued:
“Now, at this moment, you will begin preparing the dishes that will be offered to the demons. The finishing of the dish will happen before everyone, in the SOLOMON COLISEUM bunker, including the pouring of each of your blood over what you have created.”
“Just thinking that I’ll have to stand in front of a demon and offer it food, with the risk of it vomiting on me, all of that in front of all of THE-IMPERIUM, gives me a stomachache, a knot in my gut, everything at once,” one of the initiates commented.
Patron Uvo cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Before you literally put your hands into the dough, there is only one rule to follow. Aside from that, you may discuss what dishes you’ll prepare, what techniques you want to use, and, if you wish, you may even help one another with advice or even with the preparation itself. What matters is that each initiate presents a dish, an individual food, which must be served to the demon.”
"But what is the rule, Mr. Patron Uvo?" Thor Bloodpure asked.
Patron Uvo let a malicious smile curl across his face, fixed his gaze directly on Americ-Ana, and replied:
"An excellent question, Mr. Bloodpure. The only rule is that anyone who helps the scholarship student will be immediately expelled from Orientation, and will only have another opportunity next year."
A few initiates laughed. Whispers spread through the group, while Thor, Jessie, and Donnie roared with laughter out loud.
"Excuse me, Mr. Patron Uvo! But that isn't fair! Where is that written? It sounds like you just invented that rule!" Wwwyye protested.
Patron Uvo walked toward her. Silence fell over everyone.
"I have three things to tell you, Miss Helllwk. First of all, you are absolutely right: I just invented that rule. Second, if you didn't like it, go read the Equal One Zero internal regulations. I guarantee you'll find where it states that all initiates are subject to the will, choices, and guidance of the patron responsible for Orientation. Third, don't come to me talking about what is fair or not. Everyone here paid for this. Nothing was ever given to them, not to them, not to their families. If they made it this far, it's because they earned it through effort. Unlike that scholarship student, who only generates expenses and still steals the opportunity from someone who truly deserved to be here. If life were that simple, where merely existing already guaranteed someone the right to everything, there would be no need for trophies, nor podiums, nor the ranking of champions. Just imagine if everyone were a winner. If everyone deserved simply for being born. The very concept of loser and winner would cease to exist, and without losers, there would be nothing we call victory."
Patron Uvo turned his back.
Wwwyye's expression hardened, she lowered her head and cast a look at Americ-Ana, whose face was red after crying in silence. Then she turned to Astyam, who shook his head no while spritzing nasal spray into his nose.
Moments later, everyone was going in and out of the huts of exposed black stone, covered by roofs of green grass. They whispered excitedly, exchanged ideas, gathered ingredients, and spread cooking utensils across their own tables.
"My mother paid a renowned French chef to give me lessons before I came to Equal One Zero. I'm going to prepare the best dish. I'm sure the demon will love the food I present," one of the initiates was saying, carrying a bowl full of flour.
"I worked for two months at the restaurant of my family's five-star hotel. It's impossible for a demon not to like my food," another one shot back, carefully examining which knife to choose.
Americ-Ana remained with her head bowed at her table. She wiped her eyes, cleaned her face, and cast a look toward the place where Poppandacorn had been thrown by Patron Uvo's kick. There was no sign of him. Then she turned her eyes to Astyam's and Wwwyye's tables. They whispered to each other, sharing ingredients and lining up the order of the cutlery.
Suddenly, the two of them glanced discreetly in Americ-Ana's direction. Wwwyye touched her wrist, mimicking a watch, implying that time was running and she needed to act. Astyam, in turn, pointed subtly toward the hut where the pots of every size and shape were kept.
"Mr. Geekwoden! Miss Helllwk! One more gesture toward the scholarship student and you'll be expelled from Orientation!" Patron Uvo bellowed, striding toward them in fury.
"Sorry, Mr. Patron Uvo! Sorry!" Astyam replied, lowering his head and spritzing nasal spray into his nose.
"This is ridiculous," Wwwyye murmured under her breath.
Lost in her thoughts, unsure where to begin, Americ-Ana told herself it would be wonderful if Poppandacorn were there. Surely the robotic panda would help her decide which recipe to prepare for a demon, faced with the prospect of a pact.
As she listened to and watched the other initiates, she could not help thinking that they all already seemed to know how to cook, as if they had trained exclusive dishes to present at the SOLOMON COLISEUM in search of a demon's approval. Even Astyam and Wwwyye displayed conviction. From Americ-Ana's attentive gaze, it was evident they already had in mind what they would do, because they had chosen each ingredient with precision.
Americ-Ana, for her part, had never met a French chef, much less a renowned one. She had never been to France. Her family did not own any restaurant, and certainly did not possess a single star, much less five. Nor was she the daughter of the richest man in THE-IMPERIUM, like Wwwyye, and she did not have newly billionaire relatives either, like Astyam's parents.
There, alone, beyond having nothing prepared, Americ-Ana still could not count on anyone's help.
For an instant, she considered telling Patron Uvo that she would not make any dish, that she would yield her turn so another initiate could present a second offering in her place. But the memory of the patron's words weighed on her: all academics of Equal One Zero were required to serve a dish before a demon.
To avoid another reprimand, she decided to take the risk. Deep down, she already knew no demon would choose her. After all, what entity would forgo French dishes or five-star recipes to pick something prepared by her, someone who had only ever cooked for a huge pig called Mister Bacon?
What could possibly happen that was worse? From what she had heard, it would only be the demon refusing her food and vomiting on her. Everyone would laugh. All of THE-IMPERIUM would see it and jeer.
But, in the end, what harm was there in being a reason for laughter? After all, people already said that the only person capable of sealing a pact in the very first academic year had been Popess Rock, the top authority of THE-IMPERIUM.
Americ-Ana decided to take the risk. She would cook, even certain that she would be rejected by the demon.
Unlike the other initiates, who seemed like consummate cooks, her only entry on her resume was preparing food for Mister Bacon. And so she thought: was a pig's appetite really so different from a demon's appetite?
The next question unsettled her even more: what does a demon eat? Or rather... what should one offer a demon in exchange for a pact?
Americ-Ana had no idea.
All that came to her mind, amid the talk of demons, angels, kings of Israel, and passages from the Holy Bible, was that everything there had something to do with churches, with temples, with places where people went to pray. There was something in it that felt profoundly spiritual to her, almost sacred.
It was in that instant that a memory rose up. It arrived carrying an idea.
She remembered a dish her grandmother used to make from saved scraps of bread. A simple dish, yet heavy with memory and meaning. And it was precisely that recipe Americ-Ana decided to present to the demon: Spiritual Cod.
Not knowing where to begin, Americ-Ana looked toward the hut Astyam had pointed out before Patron Uvo intervened. The place, where pots of every size and shape were piled, was congested. Initiates rushed in and out, carrying utensils large and small, made of ordinary materials and even in forms almost unimaginable.
She shifted her gaze to the other huts. They too were crowded, students spilling out with arms loaded to the limit with ingredients.
Americ-Ana closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. She knew that if she kept watching the others, she would be paralyzed by fear, anxiety, and nerves.
So she decided to focus on herself. She took a sheet of paper and a pencil and searched her memory for the ingredients needed to make Spiritual Cod. She began to write, as if sketching a survival list.
Americ-Ana wrote:
SPIRITUAL COD (Grandma’s way, I think?)
* A piece of salted cod (like 1 pound maybe?) it has to be soaked in water before, or it’s way too salty.
* 2 carrots, grated.
* 1 onion, chopped small.
* 2 garlic cloves, also chopped.
* Olive oil, some spoons.
* A little butter (if I want).
* Bread from yesterday, a few slices, I tear it and soak in warm milk.
* More milk and some cream (not sure how much, just until it looks creamy).
* Cheese on top, Parmesan or the yellow one grandma used.
* Salt, pepper, nutmeg.
How I think it goes:
- First cook the onion and garlic in oil, then carrots, then add the cod.
- Mix in the bread that was in the milk.
- Make the white sauce (butter, flour, milk) and then put cream too.
- Stir everything together.
- Put in a dish, pour the rest of the sauce, cover with cheese.
- Bake until it looks golden on top.
(Note to myself: Grandma’s version was softer, maybe I didn’t put enough bread?)
Americ-Ana read and reread what she had just written, scribbling notes and trying to rummage through her memory to make sure nothing had been forgotten.
With the draft in hand, she headed to the hut of pots. As she stepped inside, she found several thick, transparent tubes lined up side by side. She watched closely how the other initiates retrieved what they needed: first they positioned themselves in front of a tube, typed on a keyboard that appeared before them, raised their right fist, and then an emerald-green light scanned their wrist. After that, the typed item materialized inside the tube and could be taken out.
Americ-Ana approached one of the tubes. The keyboard appeared. She typed only "pot." The object nearly materialized, but then a yellow light flashed over the keyboard and the pot vanished. She tried again. And once more. Frustrated, she repeated the process until she realized she needed to bring her face closer so the three QR Codes tattooed on her face could be scanned. She did. Finally, the pot materialized and was released.
Next, she went to the hut of spoons. She repeated the same process with the tubes and gathered as many utensils as she could carry. She took everything to her table, where the plaque with her name was, spread the items out, and lined them up in the order she intended to use them. Then she set off for the ingredient huts.
At the entrance of the fish hut, the sign clearly indicated the contents. Americ-Ana went in and saw Jessie Hornes from behind, choosing a fish for her menu. The girl's expression, suddenly, tightened in confusion. Her face flushed. Desperation.
"Damn! I grabbed the wrong fish. I can't believe I'm going to have to start all over again," Jessie exclaimed, checking the time nervously.
In a burst of panic, she quickly typed a sequence into the tube's keyboard, listing several kinds of fish. They began to materialize in a cascade, clogging the tube, until they started spilling out in excess, piling across the hut's floor.
The flow did not stop. Fish gushed from the tube like gunfire, splattering against the walls, spreading into slick, slippery heaps. Some struck Jessie's face, and, seized by despair, she began to scream without control.
It was at that moment that Patron Uvo entered the fish hut.
"What the hell is going on?" Patron Uvo asked, moving toward the runaway tube that kept firing fish without pause. He typed a sequence of letters and numbers into the keyboard, brought his wrist close for scanning, and then the tube ceased production.
"What happened here? Who is responsible for this mess?" he demanded, sweeping the hut with a severe gaze.
In tears, Jessie Hornes answered in a trembling voice:
"Mr. Patron Uvo, when I came in, the fish were already being fired. I... I... I..." She tried to justify herself until her eyes roamed the room and found Americ-Ana's presence. "It was her, Mr. Patron Uvo! The scholarship student! She typed the wrong sequence on the keyboard and the fish started materializing and firing."
"What? How so?" Americ-Ana began.
Before she could go on, Patron Uvo cut her off.
"Of course it had to be you. Don't think this will go unnoticed. This slip will be recorded in your dossier." He put on his special glasses, gestured in the air, and, without hesitation, ordered, "Pick up every fish off the floor and dispose of them in the proper tube. Now."
As soon as he turned his back and left, Jessie Hornes threw Americ-Ana a sly, sideways smile. She opened her mouth to taunt her, but she did not have time.
"Not a single fish stinks as much as your dishonesty," Nioh Nemmesis said, stepping closer after watching the entire scene in silence.
Jessie opened her mouth again to retort, but Nioh was faster.
"You'd better worry about your sauce, Miss Hornes. Time is passing, and your recipe is completely wrong."
Realizing he was right, Jessie turned quickly and left, distressed by the time she still had.
Afraid to thank him and be caught talking, Americ-Ana merely dipped her head in gratitude. Nioh, however, leaned in slightly and whispered:
"I'll help you gather all of this. If there's one thing I hate in this world, it's when competitors aren't on the same level. I believe in merit, as long as everyone starts from the same conditions in pursuit of the same prize."
"Thank you," Americ-Ana whispered.
Soon the two of them began collecting the fish scattered across the hut. What seemed simple for her, like lifting a fish with one hand, for the small boy required wrapping his arms around several at once and walking, nearly stumbling, to the disposal tube because of his short stature. Americ-Ana could not help thinking of Poppandacorn, who was nearly the same height as Nioh Nemmesis.
While she was distracted, gathering fish and trying to imagine how she would manage to find Poppandacorn, Americ-Ana felt a light tug at the hem of her dress. She startled. Nioh pressed a finger to his lips in a gesture for silence. Then he whispered again:
"I think this might be useful to you. I assume you're from some tropical country of origin."
He held out a small tube, a portable, miniature version of the large tubes that materialized objects and food.
"Just press here on the side, bring your QR codes close, and select whatever you want. Look, with this, you can have the juice of any tropical fruit. Try it."
Nioh pressed the tube, brought his wrist close, and, in an instant, a small goblet of juice materialized. He handed it to Americ-Ana.
She took the goblet and drank. It was passion fruit juice, refreshing, sweet, delicious.
"Thank you," Americ-Ana whispered. "Try some too, it's wonderful."
But Nioh refused gently:
"No, thank you. I already have something to drink," he said, lifting the glass vial. Then he took a sip of his syrup.
Suddenly, they heard footsteps approaching the hut. Nioh turned his back and slipped out quickly.
Americ-Ana put away the small tube Nioh had given her and gathered the last fish scattered across the hut's floor. Soon after, she finally managed to obtain the indispensable ingredient for her recipe: cod.
With all the utensils laid out and the ingredients lined up on the table, she began preparing the Spiritual Cod.
Nearly an hour later, the dish that would be presented to a demon in the Solomon Coliseum was ready.
Americ-Ana raised her eyes. Around her, the other initiates were still putting the finishing touches on their own recipes.
Then Patron Uvo positioned himself once again at the center of the platform.
"Attention, everyone! Time is running out. Remember that the completion of the dish you are preparing to offer the demon must be done in the Solomon Coliseum. That means that if you need to bake the food, it will be done before all of THE-IMPERIUM. If it is necessary to add any seasoning as a final touch, that too must be done before the public and before the demon. And most important: it is before everyone, and especially before the demon, that blood must be spilled over the food."
A few minutes later, Patron Uvo was walking from table to table, personally warning that time had run out and that any remaining detail would have to be finished in the Solomon Coliseum.
"Attention! Scholarship student and Mr. Nemmesis, come here now!" he ordered, pointing at Americ-Ana and Nioh.
Americ-Ana swallowed hard, imagining what she could possibly have done wrong this time. But when she noticed the band with the word LEVITE pinned to her clothes, she felt slightly relieved.
As soon as she and Nioh came closer, Patron Uvo declared:
"You two are responsible for transporting the food each initiate will present to a demon. It will happen as follows: first, you will distribute one SERACTCUBE to each initiate. They will store their dishes inside the SERACTCUBE and leave it on the table identified with their names. Only after you finish the distribution may you store your own food. Second, everyone must head to the SOLOMON COLISEUM bunker, to the Solomon Coliseum pyramid. At the appropriate moment in the event, you two will be notified. Pay attention, because the moment you receive the notice, you must retrieve the SERACTCUBE from all the initiates, including your own, and you will have access to a JUMP CHRONOS STATION, which will transport you directly from the Solomon Coliseum back to this place, the kitchen of CROWN EDEN, the Mulafossur. Then you will collect the SERACTCUBE and transport them through the JUMP CHRONOS STATION. Understood?"
"Yes, sir, Mr. Patron Uvo," Americ-Ana and Nioh replied in unison.
Patron Uvo turned to the other initiates:
"Did you pay attention to my instructions to the scholarship student and to Mr. Nemmesis? Did you understand the process and the dynamics that are going to happen?"
"Yes, sir, Mr. Patron Uvo," they all replied in chorus.
Then he presented the SERACTCUBE, where the prepared foods were to be carefully stored.
With focus and deftness, Americ-Ana and Nioh Nemmesis took the SERACTCUBE one by one and distributed them among the initiates. Only two remained: Americ-Ana's and Nioh's.
Americ-Ana took hers and carried it to her table. She set it down on the surface marked with her name. Inside the cube, a message appeared requesting the authentication code. She raised the SERACTCUBE to the level of the three QR-code-shaped tattoos on her face. The scan was performed.
Inside, a rotating magnifier indicated that the cube was being configured for the user Americ-Ana Delsilva. Then a new instruction appeared, asking that the object be placed on the left side. Americ-Ana positioned the SERACTCUBE beside the Spiritual Cod she had prepared. Immediately, the food was sucked inside, and one final message confirmed that the process was complete.
Patron Uvo then ordered everyone to follow him back to the cliff, where the waterfall crashed down into the dark, gray ocean. There, there was no bridge at all.
He approached the edge, put on his special glasses, and performed a sequence of gestures in the air, incomprehensible to the others. Little by little, the water that had been plunging began to rise, dissolving into cloud.
Then Patron Uvo declared:
"The bridge is here. Whoever shares the CELL, unite with its duality and cross now, toward the SOLOMON COLISEUM bunker."
Hidden among the others, Americ-Ana soon found Astyam and Wwwyye again. The three of them could finally be together once more.
"How did it go?" Wwwyye asked.
"I did my best," Americ-Ana replied.
"We were worried about you," Astyam added.
"But I'm anxious about one thing," Americ-Ana said.
"What?" Astyam and Wwwyye asked almost at the same time.
"Poppandacorn. Where is he? I need to find him. He's mine. He was a gift from the Chancellor," she said, her voice thick with emotion.
Without warning, Astyam spritzed his nasal spray and, flushed, spoke out loud:
"Excuse me! Mr. Patron Uvo! Here!"
Everyone immediately turned toward the three of them. Astyam shrank, unable to continue. Sensing it, Wwwyye stepped forward.
"Excuse me, Mr. Patron Uvo. I'm sorry, but our colleague Americ-Ana needs to have her Poppandacorn back."
Silence spread through the group.
Patron Uvo folded his arms.
"That is not my problem. Everyone must cross the bridge now. Whoever does not cross will be stuck here and will have to wait until next year for a new Orientation. If you want to look for your little toy, be my guest. But know that the bridge will close as soon as the last initiate crosses."
He gave a silent, malicious smile and added:
"Attention, everyone! We are crossing the bridge now!"
The initiates began to move, crossing one by one.
Americ-Ana looked back, searching for any sign of Poppandacorn. But nothing there suggested the presence of the plush robot.
Then Nioh Nemmesis came closer and said:
"Don't worry. When we come back to retrieve the SERACTCUBE, you'll have time to look for your Poppandacorn."
"He's right. If we don't go now, it'll give Patron Uvo a reason to cut you from Orientation and make you wait a year," Astyam reflected.
"Exactly. Let's cross. I'm sure Poppandacorn will still be here when you come back. POOPGHENE franchise robots have high-precision GPS."
"Sorry, but I'm going on ahead. Don't take too long to cross," Nioh said, taking a sip of his syrup and heading toward the invisible bridge.
Americ-Ana looked back one more time, checking whether Poppandacorn might be lurking nearby, hidden, watching from afar, perhaps afraid to come closer and suffer yet another retaliation from Patron Uvo.
"But he was a gift. A very special gift," Americ-Ana said, her eyes filling with tears.
"We need to go, before the invisible bridge stops existing," Astyam warned.
They looked, and the last initiates were already crossing.
With no choice, Americ-Ana looked back one final time, drew a deep breath, wiped her tears, and then crossed the invisible bridge in the company of Wwwyye and Astyam, on the way to the SOLOMON COLISEUM bunker.