Bandy woke up feeling very refreshed and relaxed. He looked around his room and wondered what he was suppose to do next. Not knowing what to do, he decided to head out of his room.

Looking around the long hall filled with doors, Bandy saw many kids who were confused just like him.

“What are we supposed to do Mr. Voice?”, Bandy thought to himself.

“Tell them to go get food at the cafeteria.”

Bandy nodded and spoke to the kids, “Everyone, let's go eat at that eating room.”

The kids thought about what he said and they felt hungry. One by one, the kids started heading towards the cafeteria. The men's with gun were everywhere, but they didn't stop the kids from moving around.

Bandy and many kids soon reached the cafeteria. They saw the food people smiling softly at them and they went up to get food. The food people gave them as much food as they wanted, and they started eating immediately.

On Bandy’s plate was a big steak, it looked well cooked and tender. Smelling the aroma, Bandy started eating immediately. The flavors exploded in his mouth and he became extremely happy.

“Hi there,” a kid spoke towards Bandy.

Bandy looked up from his steak and saw a boy with blue hair and blue eyes. The boy was wearing neat clothes that were from the dorm closet. It was then that Bandy realized he forgot to change and he was still in rags. The boy saw Bandy realization and he smiled.

“I guess you must have been real hungry if you forget to change you clothes. My name’s Segan, what's yours?” Segan reached out his hand towards Bandy for a handshake.

“My names Bandy,” Bandy said neutrally. “Why is your hand out towards me?” Bandy asked curiously.

Seeing he didn't know what a handshake was, Segan decided to kindly elaborate.

“Um, this is a hand shake, it's a sign of friendly gesture,”

Bandy didn't know whether what Segan said was true, he still had trust issue from being beaten up by other kids. In his dream, Bandy was able to interact with other kids with no problem since he knew it was a dream, but real life was another situation.

Deciding to see what happens, Bandy reached his hands out towards Segan. The two grabbed each others hand and started shaking up and down. They shook each other hands for a while until Segan let go first.

“What happens now?” Bandy asked curiously.

“We try to build friendship,” Segan replied.

Bandy knew what friendship was, but it was a new experience for him.

“How do we build friendship?” Bandy asked.

Segan smiled and relied, “Thats easy, we just got to get to know one another.”

“Alright then,” Bandy said, “lets get to know one another.

Segan nodded and sat down with his plate full off food. The two are and conversed with each other. Segan learned that Bandy became an orphan after his mom went suicide because his father died in a war. Bandy went to an orphanage but he eventually left since all the kids kept disappearing.

From Segan, Bandy learned that Segan use to be a rich kid. After his mother died for unknown reason, his father found a new wife. Segan new stepmother hated him and decided to secretly sell him to the black market.

“We both have a bad life huh,” Segan said with a smile.

Bandy didn't know whether he was smiling at his misery or both their misery but he decided to keep being friendly.

“Your right, we both do have a bad life.”

The two kept talking with each other till Epline voice came on the announcement, “All children go to the central area where the crystal is.”

The children looked at each other confused for a moment. They then all decided to head towards the central area.

“What do you think they're calling us for?” Segan asked.

“I don't know,” Bandy replied calmly.

“I hope it's not anything bad,” Segan said with worry.

Seeing his fears, Bandy instinctively decided to hold onto Segan right hand with his left hand. Segan seemed to calm down a little. “Thank you,” Segan said.

Inside Bandy’s consciousness, Jay split up. JJ and Jelly looked at Bandy and Segan holding hands intently.

Jack spoke with a straight face, “It’s not homo, you two.”

Jelly replied with a straight face, “That’s what they say but we all know what happens next.”

“Stop being being homophobic,” Jill said with a sigh.

“Were not being homophobic,” JJ replied, “we’re just being truthful.” JJ paused for a moment to think about what he said, he then spoke slowly, “Yeah, we’re being just truthful.”

Outside, Segan and Bandy soon reach the central area. Around them, many kids were holding each other hands. Epline, who was by the giant blue crystal with a bunch of other scientists saw the kids fear and decided to ignore it.

He spoke with a smile, “Everyone, today we begin your super hero training.”

Many kids became shocked and amazed about what Epline just said, others seemed skeptical. Epline paid attention to the skeptical one.

“Everyone, this crystal here can give you superpowers if you meditate under it long enough.”

The kids became excited upon hearing what he said, they looked at the crystals as if they were looking at a toy. The still skeptical kids tried to believe it.

“Of course, we won't be giving you superpowers for free,” Epline smiled as he saw the kids attention come back to him, “in exchange for superpowers, you must protect our glorious country Cetine!”

The kids started thinking about what Epline said. Many did not know what breaking promises or taking others stuff for themselves was, so they didn't think much about backstabbing Epline. They tried to reason with themselves about the benefits of Epline deal.

“Accept it,” a beautiful voice spoke inside their heads.

The clear voice inside their heads hadn't been wrong before, so many kids immediately went up from the crowd to accept Epline proposal. The one who told them to accept it was Jill, she was ninety percent sure the scientist would kill the kids or worse torture them, if they didn't accept the proposal.

Seeing many other kids accept Epline proposal, the other kids decided to go along with it. The first kid to accept Epline proposal was a boy. The boy received a stamp on their right shoulder with the number 48, it was the number Epline first assigned him.

After a while, everyone got a number on their shoulder. Some looked at their numbers with strange expression, some with happy expression, and some with neutral expression.

“Alright everyone,” Epline spoke, “its time for you to start your training.” The kids looked at him with excited gaze. “The first one to complete their meditation training and awaken their superpower will receive a special reward, so work hard everyone, now then, let me teach you how to mediatate.”

Epline instructed the kids how to meditate and they started mediating. Time kept passing and the kids kept going about meditating. If a kid needed a restroom break, they would leave and then come back to meditate again.

The days went by but no kids succeeded in awakening superpowers. Night in the outside world came and the kids went back to their dorm to sleep. That night, the dream network came and the kids started playing with their imagination again.

The kids thought about what superpower they would like to have and played with it. Jill, Jelly, and JJ watched the kids play but Jack didn't. Jack was thinking about where the four of them were currently heading, he wondered if there was ever going to be an ending to their story.

Jack looked down at his hands, hands that's touched blood, blood that was virtual. Jack sighed, he hoped this depression of his went away. Jack knew this depression wasn't random, it came because he realised he was missing a purpose or a life goal. Jack didn't want to keep thinking about life goal or purposes, he just wanted to live life as it is.

Jack looked at the other three who were watching the kids, they seemed carefree, but he knew that they had the same thoughts like him, they just avoided those thoughts better. Jack thought for a moment and decided to confront his thoughts.

“Oh Jack, why do you seek purpose if life has no purpose.”

“Life is meaningless, why keep living.”

“If life is so meaningless, let's make new meaning.”

“Meaning made up for life are only fake.”

“What is real and what is fake.”

“Does it matter whether something is fake or real.”

“Did our little Reese put us in a virtual simulator again.”

“Maybe it is a virtual simulator.”

“Even if it is a simulator, life is so desolate.”

“Lets go Jack, let end it all.”

“Lets forget everything and live anew.”

“I don't want to cease to exist.”

“All things cease to exist.”

“Stop thinking,” said Jill.

Jack looked into Jill’s silver eyes and Jill looked into his purple eyes. In her eyes, he found trust and warmth, it made him feel better, even if it was just the chemicals. Since he was dead, could he even feel chemicals?Perhaps it's his soul that has stored the information on how his body work.

“Are you ok now?” asked Jill.

Jack shook his head, he felt tired and miserable right now. Jill seemed to sigh at his misery. Forgetting about misery was hard. Perhaps if they had not existed in the first place, misery wouldn't be known by them.

“Go to sleep,” Jill said softly.

Jack nodded and he fell asleep.