The Land of Joy.

"So like, imagine this right!" Zakriya was rambling excitedly, "You are craving both pizza and chicken tendies, but you are not hungry for both! So what you do is eat one, then time travel back to eat the other!"

"Is that really the best use of time travel a person could use?" I questioned his suggestion.

"Buhhh! Just forget about the greater good, for now. What if you could watch an entire TV series in an hour?! Hell, in no time even! Just watch an episode, go back, watch the next!!!!" He was beyond excited, some might have even believed he was planning it for himself.

"You could also study without any sacrifices..." I somehow ended up playing along, "Or even let your impulsive thoughts run wide!"

"Yeah! Like what if I go ahead and punch that guy, then go back in time,  this time hugging him, then in the end giving him a good ol' smooch! And then going back as if it all had never happened!"

"Woah..."

"Woah..."

"That is... indeed crazy..."

"That's what I have been saying."

We had both finished for the day and killed time aimlessly as usual. Though I would usually end up finding it a waste later on, I couldn't help but enjoy it at the moment.

"We could also test the legitimacy of RNG!" Zakariya continued

"As in video game RNG?" I asked.

"Yeah, like let's say I'm playing this game with a loot box system, I could make the absolute most of every loot box! At that point, it won't even be gambling!"

"But, what if it ended up not being really randomly generated?"

"Well... I would sue them then!"

"With what proof?"

"... I will reveal my powers to the world!"

"For a summer skin?"

"For a summer skin."

He puffed his chest out proud. This man was beyond me.

"Then, what about roulettes?" I asked.

"Roulettes, huh?" he rubbed his chin pondering, " If we are talking carnival or festival roulettes, then they are more likely to be rigged than video game loot boxes."

"Sounds about right, but then assuming that everything was rigged, just what use will ur time travel come to."

"Hmmm... Nothing I guess... But, we can still be hopeful! As no time traveler has yet to test it out, they could both be rigged and not rigged at the same time!"

"Are you trying to say it is a case o--"

"It is a case of Schrödinger's time travel!"

"But, is it really a 50/50 chance for it to be a Schrödinger case?"

"Oh silly Avery, don't you know that everything that either happens or doesn't is a mere 50/50?"

"So you're saying every nanosecond you are either dying or not?"

"Indeed, I'm just that lucky!" he said pressing his thumb towards his chest.

"Then what about stuff with multiple outcomes? Like gambling, or rolling dice?"

"Well, you either win or not!"

"If so, then wouldn't gambling be a meta-strategy to gather a living?"

"No, you silly Avery, as I said before! You are already wasting so much luck just being alive every nanosecond by winning 50/50s That winning two 50/50s is too hard." he said waving his hand as if it was common sense, "And rolling dice is merely want or don't want outcome, you either get the roll you want, or you don't."

"I... What..." He answered so quickly I doubted if he had time-traveled and prepared.

"Avery, oh little Avery, do you believe I speak on a whim?"

yes.

"My words are as confident as the sun!" He said triumphant.

"And what makes the sun confident?"

"To shine so brightly every day, how could it not be confident?"

"Does that make light bulbs confident as well?"

"No, No. Light bulbs need your support, as such they are not as confident as the sun's unwavering blaze!"

"Then what about the moon?"

"The moon is supported by the sun, as such nothing's as confident as the overwhelming radiance of the central star!"

"And you believe yourself to be as confident as it?"

"But of course! Otherwise, my words would be nothing but the rambling of a maniac, and I am no maniac. I assure you that." He says turning towards me with a smug look.

Relaxing furthermore, I stretch out my legs and slide my body down.

"I see, well I sure hope you can keep that confidence for the upcoming exams."

"Geh..." He blurted, "A-about that..."

"I'm not helping you this time, sorry." I denied the upcoming request.

"But, Averyyyyyy~~!!" he said shaking me while clutching my left shoulder.

"You will be given a whole week, you can figure it out by yourself," I said continuing to sway along his force.

"But it's not the same as your teachings... You just got a way with words, my irreplaceable buddy!"

"I've been getting obliterated myself, I need to get myself back on track before I can get you," I said, his vigorous shaking showing no sign of stopping.

"Finee... if you say so." He finally gave up.

Our semester finals were quickly approaching, only two weeks, with one being a break beforehand. If this was any other place, I might have seen it as an act of kindness, but... Let's not get our hopes up. However, nothing eventful has happened since after the midterms, so maybe the events only took place after exams?

Last time, the cheating had acted as a trigger, so maybe a trigger is needed to participate or be chosen for such events. No, that couldn't be. Too many accounts show otherwise, for me at the very least. The Senior had said That I in particular would be seeing no rest, and then there was that man's decleration.

'I will be looking forward to our game. I will make sure to leave none of that apathetic self of yours behind.'

He knew something, but then, how did he? Was it just a simple provocation with no basis? No, he couldn't have guessed my name... But then, he could have easily found it by asking around, though why me in particular? Was I chosen by random as some kind of upperclassmen prank on frightened freshmen? No, it would be too convenient.

Man, this is turning into quite a troublesome situation. I'm going to be thrown into another one of their sick experiments, and with someone who thinks of them as games nonetheless...

Just my luck.

I could contact The Senior, and ask him for whatever help he could provide me, but I doubted it would go so smoothly. He would either hit me with a vague poem telling me about the sands of an unknown land or outright ignore me.

A distressed sigh leaves me.

"Woah, why so worried," Zakariya said, "you were just talking about how we got a whole week and shot."

I turn to face him, "Man, one of those days you will have to teach me how you do it."

His eyes widen in surprise, and then he laughs grinning "You're finally waking to appreciate my greatness I see!" he tapped his fist on his chest.

Eventually, we decided to call it a day and separated once we had reached the dorm portion of the campus. Waving me goodbye, we both went towards our respective buildings. Instead of taking the elevator up the 3 floors, I decided to take the stairs, as I had planned to contact someone as well.

Stepping onto the stairway, I immediately find the contact in question and call.

The person you are trying to call is unavai---

Yeah, yeah... I get it.

To no one's surprise, The Senior didn't answer.

I continued up the stairs in silence pondering.

For the next week, I tried to get in contact with him, but unsurprisingly I wasn't able to. It was like when he wanted to, he completely disappeared from the campus. The man was like a ghost.

The week was surprisingly uneventful. The towering man who had declared his win hadn't made any contact with me, nor had anyone else approached me. My lectures passed normally, and my relations were as normal as ever.

And Zakariya continued to act as unhinged as ever.

But, it was now that I had feared. Starting tomorrow, the week break before our finals would come to take place.

As I went to sleep on the evening of that Friday, I pondered over what the week would hold in store. Or, would it be uneventful? Will I have pondered so much for nothing? As I went to sleep late that night, my roommate had stayed up even longer presumingly studying. 

7.1: This is my case study.

Many have questioned this place. Whether it be their practices, their ideologies, or their philosophy. Most reach a similar conclusion, its inhumanity. But, what's wrong with that? So, what if it was inhumane? What if they treated us as nothing but animals? What if they killed people who wanted to live? What if they got rid of living organisms on nothing but whims? What if they played favorites?

I see nothing wrong with that. Why would I?

Should I feel sympathy for the dead? Should I empathize with the suffering? Should I help those in need?

Why should I?

For as far as I'm concerned, human morals are precedents that exist for no reason. Why am I expected to help an old lady cross the road? Why am I expected to help a limping animal? Why am I expected to step in for the weak? 

Because it's the right thing? because it's what a human should do? And who was it that defined a human? Another human? The unconscious feeling of guilt and empathy?

Then what if someone did not hold such feelings, what if someone watched the world with empty eyes? What if someone had never been taught of such feelings?

I will question it, no matter how many questions it takes, I will keep throwing them out. After all, I can think, so might as well think. Thinking is the one action that humans leave no precedent on, whether you think bad or good of someone, you are free to think, just not to show your true thoughts unless they are convenient to the person in question.

Just, what is thinking then? A convenient tool to filter people? A convenient tool to make sense of actions? Of decisions? To rationalize the world to yourself? 

Thinking, it was my only salvation. As every day passed, as every cycle passed, as every meal came. All I could was think, and if I had stopped, I would have lost it. I would have lost my "Humanity."

In the dark room, in the room that sheltered no light, in the room stripped away from the world. I wondered, just who I was, who I wanted to be, and who I will be.

I knew nothing. Absolutely nothing. While I was thinking. I thought of nothing. Not to speak, not to read, all I could do was eat what meals I was given. To Lay and stare into the never-ending darkness. I felt no fear, as I didn't understand it. I felt no loneliness, as I didn't feel kinship beforehand. I felt no sense of want, as I hadn't even sensed needs. I never considered dying, as I had never considered myself alive.

Some might call me a shell, some might deny my humanity. But that was how I lived up, that was how I understood this very world. In that empty room, I sat empty for as long as I could remember. Living by nothing but instinct, I digested my food and slept, that was existing.

Then, I was brought here. The land they called hell, sold for nothing but a measly meal's fee. I was found unwanted by the world, and thrown into a world of guinea pigs. As illiterate as I was, as empty as I was, I had survived. Due to people taking sympathy for myself, I had lived. But, I couldn't reciprocate, as they passed one by one, I couldn't feel anything. Not regret, not sadness, not loneliness, I merely watched as a scenario unfolded, as I couldn't feel something I couldn't understand. My empty eyes felt nothing. But, at the very end of it, I had learned it, the very first thing in my 20 years alive, I was finally taught something.

I still remember it, that scene that hunts my mindless mind. The man who oversees the world staring down at me with nothing but disgust. He had understood, he had understood my empty thoughts, my apathetic vision, and my nonexistent sorrow for those who had saved my life.

He stood there, his eyes symbolizing the very cosmos, the whole world had spoken through his eyes. Every particle, every proton, and all matter. At that moment, the very concept of the world had wished me nothing but death.

Even to someone who understood nothing, at that very moment, I understood fear. Yet, he simply left me. After showing such a terrifying concept, such a horrifying vision, he simply walked away without a single word. That memory hunts me, whether I be sleeping, eating, drinking, walking, running, sitting, or standing, not for a moment does it leave me. And I wish to experience it once again.

So no matter what, I will conquer this land. All these games, I will conquer them and reach him, after all only he can teach me such a feeling once again. Only he can show me the world's hatred, love, and indifference. Only he, so I need to reach him. In the three years since, I did what needed to be done. Betrayed, overthrown, and even sent them to their death. Anyone who was placed against me was crushed. And I will continue to do so, until I meet him, until I stare into his eyes once more. Even if it is for nothing more than an instance, I need to witness that anomaly once more. I need to have the weight of the world placed upon me.

I need to learn another thing. So, no matter what. I will conquer.

This is my case, this is my study, This is my case study.

This is me.

7.2: Of course, this was going to happen.

"Ouch..." Placing my hand over my head, the first thing I could feel as I woke was the overbearing pain of a headache.

As I try to get up the very land beneath me sways, "Woah!" I lose my balance and fall.

What...? The ground was nothing like ground, my vision still fuzzy I could make sense of nothing around me except by using my sense of touch.

Pushing myself up slowly, my vision slowly returns to me.

"Of course, this was going to happen." I say to myself as my "ground" rises.

Swaying ever so slightly due to my movement, the unsteady car shakes while climbing the colorfully-lit Ferris wheel.

Reaching the very top I get an eagle view of my surroundings.

"Now, I wonder what kind of 'game' will be taking place here," I mutter taking in my surroundings.

Roller coasters towering and looping over each other, Pendulum rides missing each other by the inch, Drop towers piercing the clouds, Pirate ships that were 1:1 with actual voyage ferries, and a merry-go-round that rotated so fast it could pulverize any human who stepped into it.

Taking in the picturesque scenery before me, it was truly a carnival that expanded as far as the eye could see. Lit with such radiant and vibrant colors, the moon was nothing but a mere decoration in its stand. It was simply, mystical.