So, at 6 o'clock, mealtime is over, and it's time to pay for the food. The door opens again, and Z comes in and says,
Z: “Come out.”
It is the only day that all prisoners in the area are allowed to come out.
Director General: “You have a health checkup, so make sure you get everything in order before then.”
At that moment, gunshots rang out among the prisoners, who were coming out one by one from each section. The sound came from somewhere not far away. It was from Section R.
Next is the U section…
As the gunfire grows closer, the prisoners look around, and the guards exchange glances.
Z: “Confirmed to be normal. All personnel to the training room immediately.”
Sections X, Y, and Z moved as a team. There must have been about 40 people... As I was going down the stairs, I heard a child crying in front of me. As expected, it was an imprisoned child. Could it be 5 years old? It was a really young child. It must have been a child who had been brought in not long ago. Everyone knew because the other prisoners here were also around the same age. 001 and 002 were also transferred to this camp when they were 5 and 4 years old respectively. They have been living as guinea pigs ever since, and have been living the same life for 10 years. It's not just them; most people in the camp are like that. That's why the prisoners always maintain a relationship like real brothers.
Upon entering the training room, the managers locked the door and seated the inmates. Everyone seemed to be on guard. 001 and 002 sat down, observed the situation, and then spoke to each other.
001: “…I guess…it seems right…?”
002: “Who will get picked today? Our district didn’t have one last month, so it won’t be us…”
Once a month, there was a day to discard test subjects no longer needed in the camp. For the inmates, it was like losing a family member. Those to be discarded were determined through a physical examination. Even the physical examinations were limited to assessing the abilities inherent in the body and the mana of those born with the aptitude for magic.
Director General: "From now on. They will come out in order, starting from Zone Z."
001 stood in line nervously. His records last month were fine, but if today's results weren't good, he'd be the one to be left behind. The audit began, and he stood on the examination table. With wires and sensors running all over his body, he endured the pain. After about three tests, he had to return to the center. It was against the rules to look at the results of another sibling. Therefore, he had to return to the center as soon as the tests were finished.
001 gathers up his brothers and heads back to the center. There are guards in the hallway, waiting to lock the center's doors. Two or three hours have passed, so it must still be early morning. It's only been a short time since the examination, but the sounds of torture can already be heard outside.
???: “Ah… here we go again…”
The sound of torture flows down the hallway and into the center.
???: “Hyung… I think that kid is from Zone U… He looks like a really young kid…”
002: “Weren’t we young? It’s a shame, but there’s nothing we can do… We have to adapt…”
At that time, Person in Charge Z enters the center.
Z: “002. To the laboratory.”