Project: Death for Classroom Zero

Chapter 64: Mark and Flags

Zero 64

Tristan woke up with a heavy feeling in his head. The familiar dry sensation on his throat has once again attacked and made him uncomfortable. He remembered that it was the same feeling that he felt when he first came to this place, the moment that he was forced to remember the decimal numbers of the pi’s value just to survive and to be kept alive.

With a grunt, he started standing up. The world seemed to be spinning as he started to stand up. His vision has also turned dark and unsatisfyingly terrifying.

Now, when he was able to clear the dark, cloudy shades on his vision, he now saw the same terrifying scene he had seen during the task of finding the plant called Titan Arum: body of his classmates—all unconscious and noticeably weak. Perhaps, weaker than him.

With a grunt, he started walking. The first familiar body he had seen among the unconsciously lying bodies of his classmates, was Rain’s body. Quickly, he walked towards her, even though his chest was still feeling hot and burning. The burning sensation has also made him weak and helpless. He knew he was electrocuted once again. Not just him, but every student who is part of the project Zero.

Reaching Rain, he knelt on the ground and checked her. He was glad finding out that she was still breathing. She was just only unconscious. Without any hesitation, he placed her head on his lap—he was on a kneeling position, sitting on the soles of his feet, so that he would be able to comfortably place her head on his lap.

“Rain.” Gently, he tapped Rain’s cheeks, trying to wake her up from her slumber.

Feeling the gentle tapping of Tristan’s hand, Rain started to grunt. Her forehead scrunched, and her lips twitched.

“Rain, wake up,” again, said by Tristan.

After few more attempts of waking Rain, she finally opened her eyes.

“Tristan,” she called, after seeing Tristan’s worried face above her.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

“I—I am.” She started to stand up. Yet, just like what happened to Tristan earlier, she held her head from the unexpected pain on her temple and the blurred twisting of her sight.

“Where are we?” Rain quickly asked, after finally adjusting from the earlier pain.

“Still outside the building of project zero,” Tristan answered.

Indeed, they were still at the place where they have stood up earlier, the moment that Professor Buenavista announced about the ‘Final Phase’. Even up to this point, he wasn’t sure about to what the final phase meant to this project. However, he had a bad, heavy feeling about what lies ahead—it was because it was not called ‘final phase’ for no reason. A final phase, as much as he knew, was the most rigorous part of any project, invention, or work—because this is where they will meet the end output. A creator’s last phase of his creation is where the most important, final parts would be attached to the project. In this sense, the project Zero, if it was reaching the final phase, means that they were about to put the last, important item of the project in order to meet their desired output.

“Where are the others?” Rains asked next, now looking at their classmates who are still lying on the ground, unconscious.

“I haven’t found them yet,” Tristan answered. From that, he quickly scanned their classmates again, and looked for their groupmates. The first one he saw was Timmy. Just like the others, she was unconscious; she was laying on the ground, front is facing on the ground, and another body was placed at the top of her. When he came near them, he found out that the one placed at the top of Timmy’s unconscious body was her own twin, Tammy.

Without any hesitation, he woke them up. Being also electrocuted, they have the same reaction as to him and Rain when they quickly stood out from the ground, out of panic.

On the other part, Rain also saw where Blaze and Amara was. She also woke them up, in order to make them not being left behind from whatever thing that will happen.

Now, all of them from the group was finally awake. In truth, their group was the first one who have woke up from the sudden, forced slumber that they have experienced. That sudden electrocution coming from their chest was terrifying. He could not even understand why were they electrocuted so sudden and out of spur—it was as if from nothing, an explosive electric field would start opening at their chest, and would creep on to their whole body. Perhaps, this place that they were standing at, can produce an electric field that can penetrate through their body and make them paralyzed and unconscious. He wasn’t sure however. It was just a guess, because twice that that the electrocution happened, and it both happened in the area where they are currently where.

Other students started waking up as well. Tristan couldn’t stop himself to help other of their classmates who was still unconscious and was unable to quickly wake up. With his genuine innate nature of helping others, he had helped waking them up.

A few minutes more, every students of Project Zero was already awake. The amount of confusion resonating in the area was big and heavy. They have no idea what might happen sooner or later, since they all remember Professor Buenavista’s announcement about the mysterious ‘final phase’ of the project.

Even Tristan, he shares the same confusion his classmate. He couldn’t predict what the last phase could be, and what it could contribute to the project zero. He tried asking Amara—in a secret way—to know if she have any knowledge about the final phase that everyone is talking. Unfortunately, she too had no idea, and is panicking from that, because no one had told her from the research team about the said ‘final phase’. She too said that there is a possibility that only the higher ups—including Principal Copper—who knew what the final phase means. Last time on her batch when she first won, there was no mentioning of that word—making her think that there is a big possibility that … this will be the last, final part of the project. Thinking that way, she felt a little relieved, she said.

Now when after another minute from the time that everyone was finally awake, a big, holographic light suddenly appeared on their front. It took them only a few seconds to realize that it was a screen. Tristan saw that same thing at Amara’s office. Only that it was smaller compared to what was on their front.

Now an image appeared on the holographic screen. It is an image of a familiar woman. Yet, the moment that they saw and realize who she was, everyone gasped and felt weak—because they discovered something unexpected.

The woman on the screen was stiffly sitting on a chair. Wearing her usual red dress, Professor Josefina Buenavista was directly staring at them from behind the screen.

“Oh, I am sorry for this.”

A voice appeared from the background of where the Professor Buenavista was. The image suddenly moved and became shaky. Later did they realize that it was not just an image, but a video recording—or perhaps a live broadcast that is only exclusive for them.

“Sorry for doing that horrible thing to your professor. She was a bit of disobeying my directly uploaded orders, that’s why she was now like that.”

The shaking of the video became finally stable. The one who was holding the recorder has just adjusted the camera, so that he could fit in from its lenses. When it became stable, they finally have the opportunity to look at the face of the man who was talking on the background. The whole class was silent as they all stare at the surreal, incredibly attractive facial feature of him.

Yet, it was true that looks can be deceiving. He may be incredibly attractive, have perfect facial symmetry, a well-developed and taken care-of body, and silky copper hair, but he is Copernicus Sindric—or was more than known as Principal Copper.

Tristan was also looking at him. He couldn’t help it—but instead because of admiration, he could not move his deadly glares to him because of the stone-cold anger that was buried deeply on his chest. Tristan knew, even though the man behind the screen hadn’t introduced himself yet, that it was Principal Copper: the man who built and rule the elite high school of Josen, the one who had been accumulating a lot of assets in different fields of businesses, the most successful bachelor, and … the one who made this man-made hell which they were currently trapped in. Secretly, he closed his fist so that he could still control the anger that was starting to consume him.

Because that man is Principal Copper—the one who killed Caspian, and the one who could possibly kill more of his friends.

“You see, what I hate the most was the fact that even though I gave an exact, concrete order, some stupid thing, just like this woman in my back,” she pointed the professor who was still sitting stiffly on a chair, “she has just recently disobeyed me from my order.” He sighed, showing the hints of disappointment from what he has just told. “This was the first time that she had disobeyed me from my orders. That is why, this punishment in enough for her.”

“Who the hell is a person in write mind to remove the face of that professor as a punishment? That man is crazy!” From the front, a woman has just suddenly blurt out. Just like the others she might have been terrified upon seeing the nightmarish situation of Professor Josefina Buenavista who has just been sitting behind him. Yes, her face was removed. Skinned. Blood was pouring from her skinned face, dripping to her lap. It was nightmarish. Terrifying. A scene that everyone of them would never be able to forget.

“But…” another one started talking from the front. This time, it was a man. “Look at our professor. Is that … really … a human?” he asked. Yet, no one was able to answer him. Instead, a cold, uncomfortable silence welcomed that question. It was indeed hard to tell if the professor was a real human or not. None of them could identify if she was.

Looking at the skinned face of Professor Buenavista—despite the fact that it was a horror to look at—anyone would be able to notice what was unusual to her: wires, lights, and metals.

Yes, professor Buenavista’s body was not just composed of human tissues, but more than that. Her skull—which was gravely exposed on her skinned face—was not in the usual color of white, but a color of metallic gray and black. It was even shining, as if that metal was polished first before being molded into a the shape of a skull. Attached on her skull was a series of wires intricately connecting to each other, arranged in specific, goal-oriented circuitry. Her eyes, on the other hand, was made of a luminous material which shines interchangeably in both blue and red colors.

“Is she a robot?” the other of their classmates asked.

“She had muscular system similar to a real human. She even has a blood literally gushing out of her face. A robot could never be like that. I’ve seen her also one time eating and drinking at the cafeteria. How would a robot or any artificial mechanical intelligence be able to do that thing?” the other student said.

“Was she … perhaps … half an artifcial intelligence, and half a human?” another said.

Before those students could deepen their guesses, the man behind the screen started talking once again; “Anyway, since your professor has disobeyed me from my order, I will now then do the honor to tell you what would happen next.” He sighed, still feeling disappointed from whatever Professor Buenavista has disobeyed. “You see, the electrocution wasn’t supposed to happen to all of you. It was never programmed. Only that, my creation, Josefina Buenavista, has disobeyed me. However, it did gave us enough time to prepare for the next—and final—activity you will be having as a student of Project Zero.”

Tristan then realized that Principal Copper was having his broadcast inside his laboratory. He noticed the familiar chambers in which he once saw the set of identical, clone-like human body of a woman (when they infiltrated the laboratory of Principal Copper). One of the chambers behind Principal Copper was opened, making him think what could be the thing inside of it, that it was now opened and released?

“The last phase of this project would be connected to the set of clues that you have all gathered from the previous activities you have made and solved,” said Principal Copper. “Each activity, more specifically, at the deciphering activities puzzles you have all went through, has left messages that was left open and hanging. It was made without no reason; it was a clue in preparation to the final phase of the project,” he continued explaining.

All of the students kept their ears towards him, listening, trying to absorb every words he would tell for the sake of fully understanding the rules of this desperate game. After a second, all of them noticed that Principal Copper started acting as if he was typing on a keyboard. They could hear its mechanical sound, rhythmically composing each other into an uncomfortable tune as Principal Copper continued typing on it.

A warm, tingling sensation wrapped around the wrist of Tristan. It was an immediate discomfort that is why he quickly looked at it, to check what has caused him with that pain. He was surprised with what he saw: wrapped around his wrists is a black colored tattoo of chains of leaves and flowers, all grandiosely and intricately drawn on his skin. Yet, he never had, nor planned to put any tattoo on his skin. It was not because he view tattoo as dirty on the skin, but because he had been a blood donor volunteer, when he was still on the outside of Josen High.

However, this time, a tattoo was buried on his skin—he never expected he would have it. He too had no idea what it was for. When he was about to ask his groupmates about his tattoo, he suddenly noticed that they too were looking at their wrists, more specifically at the chains of leaves and flowers tattoo carved with black ink. It was not just him who have suddenly had that tattoo, but all of them. It was then when he realized that it was connected to the last phase of Project Zero—whatever it was.

“I know, you are having confusion right now because of the marks engraved on your wrists,” Principal Copper said as he continued typing on his keyboard. “And I know that you have probably realized that it was connected to the last phase of the Project Zero. Well, it indeed was.”

Tristan, Rain, Amara, Seven, Blaze, and the twins looked at each other, trying to figure out if one of them had any idea what is the tattoo’s purpose for their last activity.

“Well, the chains of roses and leaves are just for fancy,” he said while showing off a restricted smirk. “It’s just a front so that the real mark you have to consider, was hidden and is completely hard to notice.

“The real markings? Tristan asked.

“What does it mean?” Seven asked, confused just as the others.

From their side, on another group, they have heard them talking (because the way they talk was loud and could be easily heard by the others. “Hey, look at this one. This could be probably be the thing that Principal Copper is telling as the real mark.”

Tristan and his groupmates all looked at the and is curious from whatever he had found out.

“Where?” asked one of his groupmates.

“Here, at the center.” The man who told that he have already seen the mark, was showing his tattooed wrist to his groupmate.

“What is that? A number?”

The man then immediately nodded. “Yes, a number. I’ve got number two,” he answered.

His friend then immediately looked at his wrist, to check if there is also a number carved on his skin. “Hey, mine’s number two as well!”

“Dude, that must mean we both belong in one team.”

“That’s f*****g lit,” his classmate answered.

Seeing and hearing their classmates, Tristan quickly scanned his wrist to check if there is a numbar that was drawn on it.

Indeed, there is. It was placed at the center of the tattoo, being circled by the leaves and flowers which according to Principal Copper, is just an added fancy. The number that was placed on his skin is the number of eight.

He was about to tell it to his groupmates, that he got a number of eight, and to check if anyone of them is of groupmates, but Principal Copper started talking once again.

“Have you seen it? The real mark?” Principal Copper asked. “It can be found at the center of the tattoo, surrounded the details of leaves, vines, and flowers. A number.”

“See, I told you!” the man on who have first found out about the number, has exclaimed.

“By this time, you may have already known what was the number written on your wrist. That number corresponds to the flag that you need to retrieve that was scattered in secret random parts in this building. Whatever number that you have in your wrist is what flag you also had to get. A student who gets the mark of number five, needs to find and retrieve the flag which also has the mark of number five.”

“That means, man, we have to team up, and help each other in finding the flag that was designated to us,” said the man who first discovered the mark.

“Which is the flag that has a mark of number two.”

“Yes, the mark of number two.”

“The remaining students that has made until this level is thirty. This was the first time since the creation of our project to have a still huge number of participants even though a lot of activities has already happened. In this final phase, there are only fifteen flags that was scattered anywhere in this place, and there are only two people who is designated to each of the flags.”

“Yow men, that means we’re partners!” the man beside them has told.

“But only one is designed to own the flag,”

Suddenly the whole place became eerily silent. The last sentence that Principal Copper has thrown out, has made a deep impact on everyone of them. Simply because they knew that it means … bloodshed. And perhaps more than the death tolls that has been acquired from the previous activities that they have all made.

“Since there are thirty surviving students, I have assigned two students to one flag. This flag would serve you as a key upon entering the realm of the king; the one who killed the princess—if you still remember the clues that you have got from the previous deciphering activities, then you would realize what king and the princess I am telling you now.”

Tristan clearly remembered the clues that they have found. It was: “Take the crown out her head because the princess is dead.”, and; “The King is not Odin.” He too remembers the message that he had deciphered from Professor Buenavista’s ciphered example: “Take the throne and be the King.”

“Only one has the capacity to keep the flag in his hand. By means of that, any method to acquire the flag you are designated to, is allowed. Whatever you like, however you want—what matters should be the fact that you have acquired the flag, even if it means … killing other people. Or maybe friends. Good luck, students. May your life and blood till the soil of this place.”

Before the holographic screen disappeared on their front, the last remaining thirty students who have so far survived the tricks of this place, had seen the smile of a demon in the vessel of Principal Copper.

Then, not after a second that passed, Tammy Cruz screamed in terror as she looks at the beheaded body of a man lying on the ground, near her feet—the man who had first concluded about the numbers being the real marks on his wrist.

Running from the scene is the dead man’s friend, whom he have thought would be his partner on this disgusting last phase activity.

He was now rushing inside the building in order to find the flag he was designated to acquire and protect.