– CHAPTER ELEVEN –

  33

  It was impossible to tell whether the elevator was moving up, down, or even sideways. Everything outside remained a great enigma.

  Exhausted, breathless, and soaked from head to toe, Americ-Ana felt her body give in to its own weight. Her knees buckled involuntarily, and she found herself seated on the elevator floor.

  Wwwyye and the boy with glasses and nasal spray, also tired, panting, and drenched, surrendered to the pull of gravity and ended up sitting on the floor as well.

  Poppandacorn opened all of its visible and invisible compartments, releasing the water that had accumulated between its gears. Then, it pulled a hairdryer from the compartment embedded in its belly and began drying its synthetic fur, releasing the scent of cotton candy.

  The elevator stopped moving.

  The three stood up and lined up side by side.

  All of them were still wary of the possibility that the elevator doors might open to reveal a torrent of dark green water crashing down on them.

  Then, a robotic voice spoke from within the elevator:

  "Welcome to Level 33."

  The door began to open slowly with a creaking sound.

  Realizing that the union of the three keys had worked, Americ-Ana let out a deep sigh, picked up Poppandacorn in her arms, and kissed the top of its head.

  Wwwyye began to smile and applaud, shaking her pink top hat.

  The boy with the glasses and nasal spray limited himself to a simple "YES" and a pair of victorious fists moving through the air. Then, he took his nasal spray and gave himself a squirt.

  "Thank you so much, boy. Without you, we wouldn't have made it," said Wwwyye, giving him a light punch on the arm.

  "Nice job. Thank you!" Americ-Ana acknowledged, reaching out her hand to shake his.

  The boy began to blush, placed his hands in his pockets, and lowered his head, hiding a brief smile.

  "By the way, what's your name?" Americ-Ana asked.

  "Right. With all the chaos when we met, we never introduced ourselves. I'm Wwwyye. And this is Americ-Ana."

  "I'm Poppandacorn. And she's my Mommy!" the plush robot rushed to say, displaying the words “NICE TO MEET YOU” projected in its eyes.

  Still with his hands in his pockets, looking over the rim of his glasses, the boy said:

  "I know who you are."

  "You are the heir of silicon. Without your father's company, no chip in the world, whether in a smartphone or even in a car, would function. That makes your family's company one of the most important in the United States, and in the world. I read everything about Helllwk Industries in a newspaper article," the boy said, addressing Wwwyye.

  "You were the lucky winner of the Novaxtraai app in the common world, and the prize was the opportunity to live inside the THE-IMPERIUM bunker. You also entered the Record Book as the person whose bail was set at the highest amount of all time. Your face is everywhere here in THE-IMPERIUM and in the common world too," this time, the boy was speaking to Americ-Ana.

  Americ-Ana gave a faint, awkward smile. Wwwyye began biting her lips.

  "As for me, I’m not very important or special. My name is Sebastyam Zekie Geekwoden. But my parents call me Zekie," the boy introduced himself.

  "Geekwoden... I don’t know that surname. I think I’ve never heard it before," Wwwyye replied, thoughtful. "I like the name, boy. I’m going to call you Astyam."

  "But my name is Sebastyam, and my parents call me Zekie," the boy replied, spraying his nasal spray.

  "Cool, Astyam," Wwwyye answered, giving him another light punch on the arm.

  The elevator door had finally opened fully.

  Americ-Ana, holding Poppandacorn in her arms, Wwwyye twirling her top hat, and Astyam spraying his nasal spray, were now facing a grand entrance hall.

  They stepped out of the elevator and found themselves in a chamber with a black-and-white checkered floor. At the center stood a large ornamental vase filled with black and white roses.

  Ahead, a monumental staircase rose, flanked by two hooded statues holding swords in their hands.

  Above the staircase, a grand golden chandelier floated with imposing grace, where seven lit candles cast their glow upon the steps.

  Each step bore a golden number, beginning with 1 and ending at 33. At the top of the staircase, inscribed in equally golden letters, stood the destination: LEVEL 33.

  "Let’s climb the steps. It looks like there are corridors at the top," suggested Wwwyye.

  After circling around the vase filled with black and white roses and heading toward the steps, the two statues moved, startling everyone.

  Poppandacorn immediately activated its “DANGER. RED ALERT” mode.

  The statues raised their swords, crossing them to block the passage.

  The two statues spoke at the same time, their voices guttural:

  "Those who wish to reach LEVEL 33 must first present their keys and the duality they have earned."

  Astyam took the union of the three keys from his pocket and held it up before the statue’s eyes.

  "What is the duality you have conquered, noble warrior?" the statues asked.

  "Eva, Yin, and Boaz?" Astyam answered, uncertain.

  "You may pass!" the statues proclaimed in unison, uncrossing their swords. Then, they crossed them again.

  Astyam tossed the key to Wwwyye, who repeated the same process and was granted entry.

  Then, Wwwyye threw the key to Americ-Ana, who did the same.

  They began climbing the 33 steps.

  By the time they reached step 11, they were all very tired.

  "Couldn't they have installed an escalator?" Wwwyye complained.

  Suddenly, the staircase began to move in the opposite direction, pulling everyone away from the top.

  They were almost back to step 1 when Wwwyye shouted:

  "Ok! Ok! Ok! I'm sorry! I won’t complain! The stairs can go back to normal!"

  Then, the steps seemed to turn into jelly. Their feet began to sink. Everyone was screaming in panic.

  Poppandacorn, who had activated the “DANGER. RED ALERT” mode, slipped from Americ-Ana’s arms. It pushed off with its small body and hurled itself toward the wall.

  Upon hitting the wall, the plush robot projected adhesive pads on its hands and feet and began to crawl across the surface like a spider. It managed to reach the top, at step 33. It opened the compartment in its belly, pulled out a rope, and threw it toward the three, who had now sunk to knee level.

  The three of them grabbed the rope tightly.

  Poppandacorn began pulling them up.

  After much effort, the three finally reached the top, at step 33.

  "What was that?" said Wwwyye, breathless.

  "I think this whole place responds to what we say," said Astyam, adjusting his glasses.

  The three, still breathless, stood up and composed themselves.

  "Do you hear something?" Americ-Ana asked, picking Poppandacorn up in her arms again.

  "Yes. Sounds like voices," Wwwyye agreed.

  "It seems they're coming from this direction," Astyam observed.

  They turned right at the top of the staircase, into the corridor that extended toward the voices.

  The corridor was long and narrow, with the same checkered pattern on the floor, walls, and ceiling, in black and white, like the entrance hall. Wall sconces lit the way.

  As they advanced, the voices seemed to grow nearer. Until it appeared the corridor had come to an end, apparently opening into some sort of room.

  They walked slowly, drawn toward the voices.

  Americ-Ana wasn’t sure whether the voices were simply inaudible, which made them hard to understand, or whether they were speaking in another language altogether.

  When they finally entered the room, the two girls, the boy, and the plush robot were met with a frightening and haunting sight.

  At first glance, in the foreground, there were eight people engaged in conversation.

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  But they were not normal people.

  It was hard for Americ-Ana to put into words what she was seeing, but everything pointed to one disturbing fact: those people had their skin turned inside out.

  Bones, muscles, guts, and other entrails were exposed.

  They looked like humanoid beings with their skin reversed.

  They behaved naturally. They spoke naturally. They were dressed in formal evening attire.

  The only difference between those creatures and Americ-Ana, Wwwyye, and Astyam was that their skin was inside out.

  Their arrival went unnoticed by the creatures.

  But then, Poppandacorn said:

  "Yuck! That’s disgusting!"

  Suddenly, all the creatures in the room turned to look at them. And just as Americ-Ana, the other two, and Poppandacorn had been disgusted by the sight of them, those creatures also showed revulsion upon seeing them.

  They screamed in an unidentifiable language. They gestured frantically, as if trying to drive Americ-Ana and the others away.

  Until one of the creatures, slightly taller than Poppandacorn, stepped away from the group. Its body didn’t just appear turned inside out, it looked as if it had never had a proper side to begin with. The skin, if it could be called that, resembled the dry, brittle texture of organic clay. Through its exposed veins, a thick, milky substance moved with an unsettling slowness. That creature grabbed a lampshade lamp from the corner of the room and charged toward Americ-Ana, Wwwyye, Astyam, and Poppandacorn.

  The four of them screamed and ran back down the corridor from where they had come. They reached the 33 steps once more and hurried down the staircase.

  When they arrived at step 1, near the statues, they looked back and saw that the creature was no longer chasing them.

  "What was that? Are we inside a horror movie or a haunted house?" said Wwwyye, trying to catch her breath.

  "Did you hear what those creatures were saying?" asked Astyam.

  "I did. But I couldn’t understand anything. It sounded like another language," Americ-Ana replied, still breathless.

  "No, it wasn’t another language. They were speaking backwards," Astyam added.

  "What do you mean, speaking backwards?" Wwwyye asked.

  "From back to front," Poppandacorn hurried to say. "They said: 'Serutaerc eseht ta kool. Elbirroh woh', which, in normal order, means: How horrible. Look at these creatures."

  "Exactly, Poppandacorn!" Astyam agreed. "It’s like everything in that place was reversed. Did you notice their skin was turned inside out?"

  "Yuck! Gross! Don’t even remind me," said Wwwyye, pretending to gag.

  "They looked like they were wearing formal evening attire," Astyam concluded.

  "That’s right. I’m sure I’ve seen those outfits somewhere before," Americ-Ana deduced.

  Then, the three of them looked again at the numbered steps.

  "Let’s try again," said Astyam. "But this time, let’s go up in silence."

  Wwwyye and Americ-Ana, already holding Poppandacorn in her arms again, agreed.

  They climbed the steps.

  Once again, when they reached step number 11, they already seemed exhausted, as if they were scaling a mountain.

  They paused for a few minutes to catch their breath. Then, they continued toward step number 33.

  When they finally arrived, Wwwyye, out of breath, said:

  "I know it looks like just 33 steps at first glance. But it feels like this climb took over two hours to complete. I feel like I climbed Mount Everest."

  "I’m exhausted too. I also felt that, with every step we took, step 33 seemed farther and farther away," commented Americ-Ana.

  Astyam caught his breath, sprayed his nasal spray, and said:

  "What do you think about, this time, instead of going through the corridor on the right side, we try the one on the left?"

  Wwwyye, Americ-Ana, and Poppandacorn agreed immediately.

  They followed the corridor on the left.

  The left corridor was identical in every way to the one on the right, except that the voices they now heard in the distance seemed to be speaking in a language they could understand.

  They slowly approached the place where the corridor ended and opened into a room.

  The voices grew clearer. It was now possible to understand every word being said.

  Wwwyye took the lead. She crept along the wall. Behind her, also creeping, came Americ-Ana with Poppandacorn, followed by Astyam.

  Then, they heard the voice of a boy saying:

  "It was so easy to fool that idiot. I laid on all my charm. She fell for it, I swear! Told her we were going to share a cell, that we’d study together, and that I’d even ask her to teach me some recipes for the KING MatNat games."

  The sound of laughter followed.

  Another voice, this time a girl’s, said:

  "It was harder for me, because I ended up getting the other half of my duality with some weird four-eyed guy with braces. He grossed me out, seriously. Every second, he was spraying some liquid into his nose. It was tough convincing him to press the 'share cell' button. But here I am. The winner."

  The sound of other voices congratulating the girl followed.

  Then, a third person, with a boy’s voice, said:

  "I beat all of you. I got Mister Helllwk’s daughter."

  "Seriously? The weird one?" a fourth voice commented.

  "Seriously, man. I had to be firm and say to her, 'Weirdo, you’re going to press that damn button, whether you like it or not.'"

  Almost the very moment the last boy finished speaking, Wwwyye clenched her fists, gritted her teeth, took off her top hat, and stormed into the room.

  What followed was a chaotic mix of screaming, crying, people running and knocking things over.

  Wwwyye entered the room with her top hat in hand and struck the boy who had spoken last. The hat hit him square in the nose and caused a deep cut that began to bleed.

  At the same time, the boy wearing brown shoes and of rare stature grabbed a lampshade lamp and made a move as if to attack Wwwyye, Americ-Ana, Poppandacorn, and Astyam, the latter two just behind.

  In a matter of milliseconds, Poppandacorn projected a metal shield and snatched the lampshade lamp from the boy’s hands.

  Then, realizing it was Wwwyye, Americ-Ana, Poppandacorn, and Astyam, the boy with brown shoes and rare stature held back and calmed down.

  The others, recognizing who had entered the room, also settled down and regained their composure.

  "Are you all insane? You nearly scared us to death!" said the boy with brown shoes, panting, coughing, and drinking his syrup with trembling hands.

  "Why did you try to attack us?" Americ-Ana asked, trying to hold back Poppandacorn, who was still displaying the message “RED ALERT. DANGER” and remained ready to strike the boy with the shield.

  "A few hours ago, three monsters showed up at the door and a machine that looked like a pile of old tin cans," the boy with brown shoes tried to explain, taking another sip of syrup. "I thought they had come back. So I grabbed the lampshade lamp to defend myself… to defend all of us." He looked at the others, who nodded in agreement.

  "But what about this lunatic? Why did she attack Donnie?" asked the girl.

  "And what are you to him? His lawyer? His bodyguard? Or just another little servant who does whatever the boss says?" Wwwyye shot back, raising her top hat as if she were about to strike the girl who had spoken.

  "Calm down, Jessie. Calm down, Donnie. Let’s act rationally."

  Americ-Ana recognized the voice of the one who had spoken last. It was the other half of her duality: Thor Bloodpure.

  Thor stepped closer to Wwwyye and said:

  "You have to agree with us, Miss Helllwk. We’re just speaking up about the victory we achieved. This is KING MatNat, where people make pacts, make deals with demons to fulfill their desires. Do you really expect none of us to do whatever it takes to get what we want? Do you think the agreements between us are made with flowers, gifts, and vague promises? Wake up, girl. This is the real world, where only those who know how to strike a deal, who know how to play, survive."

  Thor looked to the side, let out a sarcastic little laugh, and continued:

  "You, more than any of us, Miss Helllwk, should know that the greatest achievements in the history of humanity were only possible through manipulation. Your father, Mister Helllwk, and your sisters, also heirs to the Silicon Empire, know this very well."

  Wwwyye clenched her fists again. Thor kept speaking:

  "Don’t you think it’s time to grow up, stop wearing those costumes, and start living in the world as it really is?"

  Wwwyye was now clenching her teeth as well.

  "Look at yourself. The richest one among all of us here, walking around with a scholarship immigrant who stole the spot from someone who actually deserved to be here."

  Thor approached Americ-Ana and said:

  "Do you think it’s fair for someone to get in here through a lottery? Especially someone like you? All of us are here because our ancestors ruled the world. Our ancestors fought in wars. Our ancestors raised the sword. Our ancestors gave their lives and their souls in pacts with demons so that our crown would never fall. And you… what have you done? You’re just a parasitic immigrant who comes into our kingdom demanding things you’ve never fought for."

  "Have you ever raised a sword?" Astyam challenged, his voice trembling.

  "What did you say?" Thor asked, incredulous.

  "Are you deaf?" said Astyam, now more firmly. "Have you ever raised a sword, besides the one you carry in those filthy underwear of yours?"

  Huuuuuuuu... echoed the voices around the room.

  Thor stepped up to Astyam and said:

  "You must be the nouveau riche. Worst kind of scum. Your father got rich just last year from a betting game. What exactly has your family ever earned through bravery, courage, battle, or spilled blood?"

  "I admit I’m nouveau riche, and my father won a betting game," Astyam began. "And you? You still haven’t answered whether you’ve ever raised a sword. I think the hardest thing you’ve done in your entire life was digest your own food, because you probably don’t even know how to wipe your own rear. Isn’t that right, Jessie and... and... what’s the other one’s name again? Ah yes... Donnie. You two must be the ones who do that for him."

  Huuuuuuuu... was heard once again.

  Then, Thor let out a laugh, made as if he were about to turn away, raised his fist, and launched a right hook aimed at Astyam’s nose.

  However, within seconds, Wwwyye caught Thor’s fist and began twisting his arm.

  Thor started screaming in pain and rage.

  Jessie stood up to attack Wwwyye.

  Poppandacorn emitted, "DANGER SIGNAL. RED ALERT."

  But then, a voice, like a lightning bolt tearing through the sky, shouted loud and clear:

  "WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?"

  Americ-Ana jumped. She immediately picked Poppandacorn up into her arms and then turned to see whose voice it was.

  A familiar voice.

  A voice Americ-Ana had not forgotten.

  The voice of someone who had just entered the room.

  Seth Atticuz Noctturne had just appeared.

  "What is going on here?" Seth asked again. "Who hurt you two?" he asked, looking at Donnie, whose nose was bleeding, and at Thor, whose right hand was swollen, red, and beginning to show purple bruises.

  "It was that idiot in costume!" said Donnie, blood still dripping from his nose.

  "Watch your language. Show more respect toward your classmate," Seth warned.

  "And who do you think you are to call anyone out? You’re just a half-breed animal who got into Equal One Zero thanks to special favors," Thor snapped back, still groaning in pain, his hand redder and more swollen.

  "If I were you, MISTER BLOODPURE, I’d watch the tone you use with me. I’m sure the rest of the academy would get quite a laugh if I told them that Thor Bloodpure, the heartthrob of all the little girls, got beaten up by a girl," said Seth with a steady voice. "Go clean yourselves up in the washroom."

  Thor, Donnie, and Jessie left the room. But before she exited, Jessie stopped in front of Seth and said:

  "Why don’t you put on a shirt and start dressing like a real person?"

  She turned her back and walked toward the restroom.

  The boy with brown shoes stood up, coughed, looked at Seth, and said:

  "Fac Foedus. I’m Nemmesis. Nioh Nemmesis. I’m sorry to say this, but I think she has a point. Why are you shirtless? Shouldn’t you be wearing the academy’s full uniform or outfit? It feels kind of immoral. Sorry to say."

  Seth turned to him and to everyone else in the room and said:

  "Immorality and malice are in the eyes of the beholder, not in who I am. I’m a hybrid-hybrid. Which means I carry human genetics, Shed genetics, and Lilim genetics. I walk shirtless, with my torso uncovered, because it is part of my Lilim nature. I wear the academy’s blazer. This blazer, the pants, and the shoes I’m wearing, by the way, were all approved by Headmistress Popess Rock herself. You, or anyone else here who’s bothered by the way I dress, can take it up with Popess Rock personally."

  Nioh lowered his head and sat back down.

  "Enough stalling. Let’s get to what really matters. Fac Foedus. I’m Seth," he continued.

  He looked around, slipped his hands into his pants pockets as if searching for something. Then, he snapped his fingers, opened his mouth, and pulled out a clipboard with paper and pen.

  "According to the records, this year only 21 students out of 40 candidates survived, passed the initiation, and were not caught by the Laws of the 33 Steps. If any of you are here and have a sibling, relative, or acquaintance who failed the initiation, or perhaps ran into trouble with the Laws of the 33 Steps, know that they have not lost their place in the academy. However, they’ll only be allowed to retake the test next academic year, which means August 2025."

  Seth looked around again, as if searching for something. He tapped the pen against the clipboard, scratched his head, and then continued:

  "Oh, right. Did any of you here press the ‘SHARE CELL’ button? Or did someone betray their other half in the duality?"

  Nioh stood up and said:

  "All of us here shared our dualities. Only the three who just left betrayed theirs. But I don’t know what happened, because the other three parts of their dualities are also here." Nioh pointed to Americ-Ana, Wwwyye, and Astyam.

  "How did you manage that? All three of you entered at once, and on top of that, as betrayed dualities?" Seth asked, intrigued.

  However, before any of the three could answer, Seth stared at Americ-Ana and seemed to recognize her.

  "Hey! It’s you! The girl from the kitchen! So you actually made it here," said Seth with great excitement.

  Americ-Ana shrank back. To change the subject, she responded to Seth’s earlier question:

  "So, Seth… sorry… sir… the three of us combined our keys and a new riddle appeared. The answer was my duality, which is Boaz. Then the dualities Yin and Eva joined with mine. After that, we were accepted by the elevator and managed to pass the statues in the entrance hall."

  "Wow. That’s incredible. Since I started studying at Equal One Zero, I’ve never heard of a cell with three people," said Seth, glancing at Poppandacorn. "Three people and a plush robot." Seth winked at Poppandacorn, who winked back.

  Seth made a few notes on the clipboard.

  Then, he opened a large set of carved wooden double doors and asked everyone present to follow him into the next room.