"letter here says "sec-1023". Guess that's what I was supposed to put on those rollers. Not used to teleportin' at all..."
show my copy of the letter to them if they don't believe me.
Taking the letter, the man gave it a quick read before handing it back to you. "It seems that you were mistaken about the code to your destination," he remarked as he motioned to the dais behind you. "Please go back and input the correct code."
The strange man continued to watch as you returned to the dais and inputted the correct code. There is no way you're doing any reckless exploring for the time being. The man continued to watch you as you disappeared into the tunnel again.
"Well, if he's done, might as well get it over with myself."
Sully marches over to the teleportation dais - 1993, she was dead on about him being dumb muscle - and turns the last four rollers to 1023, putting everything else at zero.
Unlike a certain idiotic marksman, you are actually capable of using your gray matter correctly and thus entered the correct code. As the cocoon of light enveloped you, you glanced at the rest of the students. Because they were on the dais as well, they were enveloped. Soon, everyone were hurtling through a tunnel of multicolored lights, some of you screaming at the top of your lungs. After what felt like an eternity, you and the other students exited the tunnel and landed in a tangled heap in front of the dais. After untangling yourself, you stood up and found yourself taking in quite a sight.
The entire auditorium was a massive, inverted cone shaped hollow 60 stories deep with seats numbering in the hundreds of thousands arranged in concentric circles around the stage at the base of the structure. Most of them were already filled with students of all ages, ranging from teenagers to senior citizens. They were chattering among themselves though some cast disinterested glances in your direction, no doubt seeing your group as yet more new students enter the auditorium. Television screens measuring 200 meters diagonally floated in the air on platforms that emitted strange humming as cyan light shone from the engines within. Following the signs, you and the others used the teleporters to get to the eighteenth row. To your surprise, you found none other than the dumb muscle who'd teleported to Room 1993 earlier. How is he even still alive is beyond you.
Suddenly the other new students begin to quiet down as they looked toward the stage. The television screens showed two swirls of golden dust dance around each other before exploding into a shower of spark. In their place stood a beautiful woman who were flanked by two people, a man and a woman. Both of them have silvery hair, silver eyes, and a strange sheen on their skin. Their faces were masks with not expressions, yet were remarkably human. Both were dressed in the same colors as the students, though they looked more like the faculty of this academy.
The woman's face; however, was lit up with a big, warm smile, almost as if she is a motherly woman welcoming stray children into her home. Her golden hair was styled into thick ringlets at the ends and fell to the back of her neck. Her frilly, white blouse and black pencil skirt with gold trimmings seemed to accent her curves as her black stockings and heels added the finishing touches. As her earrings, which resembled winged swords with halos much like this academy's coat of arms, danced as she turned her head toward the students' faces, her golden eyes seemed to glow ever so slightly as she took in the sights of the students who she will soon be throwing into the meatgrinder.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Altera Vita Academy!" she spoke as she raised her arms in a theatrical fashion. Despite her distance to your row and those above you, you can still hear her voice as if you were sitting on the first row. This is strange though, considering that you can neither see any speakers nor do you believe that her voice came from the televisions.
"No doubt you'd read and followed the directions on the letter to make it here in at least one piece though there are some who may have taken a wrong turn beforehand." The strange woman seemed to wink playfully in Metz' direction.
Clearing her throat, she continued,
"It was I who'd left the letters and weapon assembling gems on your desks and it was I who'd summoned you all here. I am Headmistress Madeline T. Goldenchilde and I have much to show you. At my side are just two of my wonderful custodians and guards. Known as Seraphim, they will attend to your needs and will help keep order within Altera Vita Academy. I will show you all not just about this wondrous academy that will be your new home but how to function, even thrive, here and out there. Despite the fact that all of you are going to die horribly, no doubt more than once, you will eventually learn new tricks and skills so that you might die less than usual. A little progress is still progress, no?"At this, the students begin to murmur restlessly, even fearfully, at what they'd just opened their eyes to. Some of them were even shouting at her about how unfair all of this are to them. Her warm smile not even wavering a bit, Madeline motioned for silence with a raised hand. Eventually, everyone quieted down.
"However, I'm not going to force you to accept this second life, this second chance, at doing what you failed to do during your time among the living: have some sort of fulfillment and a purpose. Just say the word and I'll transmigrate you to the next cycle of existence, to whatever fate you'd earned in life. However, if you choose to stay, I'd feel much appreciated and the best part is you won't cheat yourself out of this do-over. Not many people get this chance after all!"Taking a deep breath, Madeline continued,
"Before I start the tour of your resident sector, I am more than happy to answer any questions you have. Don't worry about waiting your turn to speak; I will hear every question you ask and will answer each of you directly. You all may experience a state of...*ahem* isolation as everything around each of you are grayed out and muted so that we can have our one-on-one Q & A section. To viewers outside this auditorium; however, I would be moving as a blur, sputtering out rapid gibberish. Consider it one of my abilities. Now, ask away!"