Beginning of the End

It’d been less than an hour, and I was already lost. I could only look down at the tiled floor of the elevator as it ascended. Two armed guards with sleek black armor stood on either side of me, their orange visors concealing their features. On their chests were an image of a snake eating its own tail with an hourglass at its center. It was a symbol I knew too well.

“So… why does Serpent Core need me exactly? I mean, I know my magic readings were high when I was a kid but I never really–” I began in a small, feeble voice, but one of the soldiers quickly interrupted me.

“All you need to know is that you were chosen. Serpent Corps is constantly taking on new threats that risk the safety of Japan and its’ Havens. So, what you’re needed for isn’t important as long as it’s for Japan,” the soldier explained flatly. I remained quiet after that, watching the lights flash by as we ascended. 

He was right. Ever since The Second Coming, new threats plagued the world. Creatures came from The Abyss, rising up and obliterating humanity. Then things began to change as people called Watchers emerged, those able to harness the strange power from The Abyss. This power was commonly known as magic.

The elevator dinged, rousing me from my thoughts. I hesitated as the doors slid open, waiting for the soldiers. After they both stepped into the room beyond, I followed. The next area was a dimly lit hall with a door at the very end. I followed the soldiers down the hall before arriving at the metal door, which glided open.

“Come in.” The voice was from a woman who sat in front of a large desk, which didn’t have any papers or anything I’d expect to see on one. Her features were hard to read, but I did as I was told. The soldiers didn’t come with me. Her cold blue eyes focused on me, making me shrink back. Her stare was intense, even more intense than the long green hair that fell past her shoulders.

“Are you aware who I am?” she asked plainly. Based on the white uniform with a gold collar, it wasn’t hard to guess. I gave a small nod. She was The Director, the one who only answers to The Japanese Command Center or JCC where The Council resides.

“Good. Then we can skip pleasantries. You have been chosen to serve your country. Is this a burden you wish to refuse?” she asked me with no emotion. Either I could do as I was asked, or become a coward. The choice didn’t seem like a fair one.

“I would be honored, Director,” I replied softly. I didn’t know if I really felt honored or not.

“Good. Then I take it, you know what this entails?” she asked plainly. I looked down again.

“Fighting monsters that become strong enough to get through the barriers,” I responded. It was a simple but deadly task. Soldiers that served Serpent Core died every day. It wasn’t something that bothered me much though. There wasn’t anything back home for me after all.

“Right. You will be dispatched on various missions, some that may even be above your experience level. If you die, nobody will care. We will simply replace you. However, you will also find no prejudice in this line of work. Nobody has time or energy to worry about such insignificant things after all,” she commented, making me tuck my tail under my cloak more. My cloak and mask did a good job of hiding my true features. In reality, I was a humanoid mouse, with gray fur and a long pink tail, and big ears I kept stuffed under my hood.

I nodded, not knowing how else to respond. She then turned her back, and simply waved me off. The door opened, the soldiers waiting for me. I walked into the room with them, but I picked up on one more thing before I left. I wasn’t sure if she even meant for me to hear it or not.

“If this doesn’t work, there may be no preventing it…” she mumbled to herself. I didn’t say anything. I didn’t know what she meant, and in all honesty I didn’t want to. 

The door snapped shut

~~~~

Soon I found myself at another door, this time in a more well-lit hallway. At least compared to the other one. I was outside a door labeled “Quarters-0” which had a smiley face scratched into the metal beside it. Cute. One of the soldiers pressed a blue card against the door, causing it to slide open. All this technology stuff was still way over my head. 

“Alright newbie. This is where we leave you,” the soldier said plainly before he stepped back, walking off down the hall with the other. I looked into the room beyond, but the lights were off. I guess this is it.

“Hello?” I called out, stepping into the room. No answer. Without warning, the door closed behind me.

“Is anyone here?” My answer was silence. Then the lights turned on, temporarily blinding me. I shielded my eyes, letting out a soft squeak. I could make out a small room with a trapezoid-shaped table and some posters with anime characters on the walls, as well as four sliding doors. There were also four figures standing before me, each looking more strange than the last.

“Oh wow! I didn’t think he’d be so small!” a human girl with long braided aqua hair exclaimed, wearing a simply white dress with a pink bunny on the front.

“Don’t be so insulting Chiaki… by my calculations, he’s probably average for his species,” a human man with slicked back purple hair commented, adjusting his glasses while his other hand remained in the pocket of his long lab coat.

“Mouse! Straight from Mars!” a smaller person exclaimed. I wasn’t exactly sure what he was. He was a little shorter than me, with four clawed fingers, and a skull mask that only showed his bright green eyes. A reptilian tail with spines rested behind him, making me even more confused.

“All of you, that’s enough.” The final one to speak was a taller male, probably the tallest in the room. He had a humanoid fox body, with gray fur tinged with purple. He wore all black, and reminded me of a middle school emo drawing. His arms were folded, and when his gaze met mine, I could feel chills.

“Tell me something, Yuka… have you accepted death?”