God’s Cube

Thesi sat in the sterile waiting room, he was holding the piece of paper assigned to him in his hands, the number 73 staring right back at him. The silence in the room was way too unnerving, with the head of every person lost in personal thoughts while preparing for the trial that lay ahead. The tension was palpable, the weight of many lives that had been in this very room. His turn was slowly approaching. He had read that time functioned differently in the cube, so trials that could last days only felt like seconds to the outside world.

As the minutes ticked by, Thesi started studying the faces in the room. There were a few he recognized from his class at the High School Gladiatori. The school had been vast, with many students and numerous classes, so most of the faces were unfamiliar. But those that shared his classroom these past five years had left a mark on him.

Not too far from his placement sat a girl from his class, her posture as straight as her face. Her name was Amina Al-Taib, daughter of one of the most powerful clans in the Maghreb. Her skin had that tanned tone that is oh so common in the region, while her eyes were black, looking in her eyes felt like observing the void, it always gave Thesi a small shiver. She kept her hair long, carefully weaved in thick braids that fell down over her shoulders. The Al-Taib clan had risen to prominence in the new Maghreb Nation, a powerful alliance of North African states that had emerged after the collapse of the old borders. They were known primarily as a Blue clan, one that consistently produced some of the most intelligent minds their nation could boast of. But what really made them take such a foothold of power in the region were the two Violets at the helm of the clan. Amina had always been a silent student in class, focused, serious, her mind as sharp as a blade. Thesi mused what went through her mind as she prepared herself to face the Blue Cube. Yet he knew almost without a doubt that if she were to survive this ordeal, she’d go on to challenge a red cube within the next 4 years.

A few chairs further down was a figure that Thesi also recognized, yet was surprised to see here. Vasko Rosarik, heir of the Rosarik family that pulled off the impossible feat of uniting the entire Balkan region under their rule. The family fought tooth and nail against the European Union for independence and, while they came out on top, they worked to maintain good foreign relations with the Union, Vasko being here was an indication of such. The Rosariks were infamous for sending their heirs into the Yellow Cubes, a strategy that usually brought out very few survivors, but those that did possessed new powers often kept a secret to the rest of the world, making them a formidable foe. Yellows were infamous, their unpredictability allowing them to stand on par with Violets in few cases. It was unusual, then, to see Vasko here, awaiting the Blue trial. Thesi wondered what could have driven this decision. Vasko was tall, very tall, an imposing physique with broad shoulders. His dark hair was long and messy, reaching his shoulders. Something in his deep brown eyes bothered Thesi. The intense rage they showed threatened his surroundings.

Beyond these familiar faces, a group of 12 caught Thesi's eye, for completely different reasons. They were older than the others by several years, their postures much more relaxed and assertive, but the tension in their faces was still impossible to miss. These were students from the Mediterranean Academy for the Enhanced, the most elite school most of them dreamed about being enrolled after completing their first Cube trial, definitely the main objective for Augusto and Thesi. Their presence only meant one thing, they were here to attempt their second trial. The stakes for them were extremely high. For a fact most of them won’t emerge alive. Regardless of the improvements made on the first trial, the second’s survival rates hadn’t changed in the last 100 years. 5%, no more no less. Yet, after today, the world could well have a new Green, a new Violet, or a new Orange, an event certain to shake up the political landscape of the region.

Thesi's mind then wandered to what might be in store for him inside the Blue Cube. This was, after all, his second challenge, but the first had been so unusual that it had given him little insight into what to expect now. He had after all no challenge in the Red Cube. There was just silence. He couldn’t understand why. The Blue Cube would be different; that much was for sure. It will definitely test his mind, his intelligence, his ability to think under pressure. But the specifics were a mystery. Few Mixed had ever spoken publicly about their experiences with the Blue Cube, and the few who had were usually vague, their accounts muddied either by the passage of time or a willingness to forget the trial.

However, even in the unknown. Thesi's heart was resolved. This was the path that he had chosen, and he was going to see it through. He couldn't be allowed to doubt now, an instinct he had kept in his time under the tamer. The bizarre character that turned him in his youth and made him experience unimaginable pain. Whatever the Cube had coming for him, he'd face it, he was prepared for the worse.

The door opened, and the room grew silent. A man in a crisp uniform walked into the room, carrying a clipboard. "Number seventy-three," he called, his voice flat and without emotion. It was the seventy-third time he had to do it after all.

Calm and composed, Thesi rose from his seat. He could feel the gazes of his fellow students on him, some with curiosity, others out of boredom. Amina's gaze was unreadable, Vasko's thoughtfulness mixed with something else, a tinge of respect? They were after all both people that had gone against the expectations by being here. Maybe he saw a piece of himself in Thesi. Thesi pushed the thought aside and walked to the door, his steps slow, yet resolute.

He slowly approached the chamber where the cube was held. It was placed on a marble floor, previously a ton square probably, or an altar of sorts. The Cubes tended to be quite mysterious as well in the selection of their locations. He was let in by one of the officials guarding the last barrier to the square where the cube lay. Once inside, Thesi slowly went of the steps, steps made of the same white marble. It felt like he had entered a palace of worship, and was walking towards the representation of a God. After all that was what these Cubes had effectively become. His gazed lost in the marvel before him. Unlike the previous one, this Cube had shades of blue all around its metallic surface. He finally reached the Cube. It probably sensed his presence, as it opened an entry in the seemingly unified wall. This entry stood right in front of him, making him wonder if it was by chance or if the cube could see where he was. 

With a deep breath, Thesi stepped forward over the threshold into the Cube. The door shut behind him, the soft hiss that sealed his fate. There was no going back now. He waited on the cold surface, then all of a sudden the world blurred around him in shades of blue and the trial started.