Prologue

Today is finally the day. If I get accepted into the brand new prestigious school, the Ultimate School for Gifted Students, my life would change! I'm not special at all but... The site stated that one student with no special accomplishments would still be allowed to follow the program.

Mom: Melissa! You got a letter!

A letter? I can barely believe it! Would that be one from the Ultimate School? I quickly run downstairs.

Melissa: Where is the letter, mom?

Mom: Here it is, could this be that letter from that high school you want to go to? I still don't see why you wanna change: isn't the current one just fine?

Melissa: It is fine, but it is said that everyone that goes to this one is set for life! I could practically get any job I want!

I grab the letter and open it, quickly skimming the words. Ultimate School... Gifted students... Accepted... Wait. Accepted? Yes!

Melissa: Look! They want me as one of their students!

Mom: Good job!

After talking more with my mom, I decide that I definitely have to tell my friends. After going outside, I walk towards my bike. I hear a sound behind me, but there is nobody there.

Melissa: Hello?

No reply. It probably is nothing. Then suddenly, I feel a bit of pain and lose consciousness.

—--------------

I wake up, my body aching.

Melissa: W-where am I?

I seem to be in some sort of apartment. I don't remember going here... That's scary.

Melissa: I need to get out of here...

I put some clothes on, because oddly enough, some of my clothes are here. Then suddenly, a sound that seems to come from a door bell rings. Could that be... whoever took me here? But why would they politely ring the door bell?

Melissa: Hello???

???: Finally someone else is awake!

???: Took her long enough.

???: Can we open the door?

Melissa: Who are you people???

The door opens. Three people of about my age stand there. There is a tall guy with mostly yellow clothing, he is wearing a fedora and has a black moustache, the same color as his hair. Next to him is a girl with long dark brown hair, she is wearing a school uniform and has very little make up on her face. Then the third person is also a girl, slightly tanned, blonde hair, wearing what seems to be a cowgirl hat and overall very western clothing.

???: Hello! My name is Fernando Limon!

The guy speaks.

Melissa: D-did you abduct me?

Fernando: No, worry not, I had nothing to do with that. Believe me!

???: You are aware that only makes you sound suspicious?

The brunette girl speaks.

???: Don't listen to her, I do trust Fernando. As far as I know, we all seem to be in the same state. We got accepted into the Ultimate School for Gifted Students and soon after, we woke up in some apartment. Oh also, my name is Cece South.

The blonde girl speaks.

Melissa: Well nice to meet you then, Fernando and Cece. I am Melissa Moore. And who are you?

???: Me? I am Alice Volt.

Fernando: By the way, this conversation makes me very interested in your ultimate, Melissa!

Cece: Yea! Me and Fernando were talking about ultimates earlier and um they are just so cool!

Alice: Is an ultimate truely special if all of us have one? Unless ofcourse... Melissa doesn't.

Fernando: Well, she got accepted to the same school, so ofcourse she does!

Melissa: Well actually... I don't think I have one. I got accepted by pure chance.

Alice: Thought so. You can already see how average you are just by looking at you.

She does have a point... I look very average... Not tall, not short, not as underweight as some girls these days, brown hair in a ponytail and casual clothing.

Cece: Hey! Don't be rude to her! I'm sure she is ultimate in her own way, she just has to figure out what!

Fernando: Exactly! Also, to show you my ultimate, I am the Ultimate Salesman!

Alice: Andddd there he will go again.

Fernando: From a young age, I have been making profit on everything. It started with something my local supermarket did: for every 10 dollars, you would get a few pictures of soccer players. Unlike others, who would try to complete a book full of them, I collected only the most rare players, to sell them to collectors! Next I invested this in...

Fernando seemed to be talking for ages.

Fernando: And that is how I became the Ultimate Salesman!

Cece: Such an amazing story!

Alice: Truly.

Melissa: I think it is an ultimate story. By the way, is it just us here?

Cece: Seems like it... But there are 4 other apartments here!

Fernando: We should wake up the people inside! There are probably kidnapped students there too!

Melissa: Okay! That sounds like a good idea!

Hopefully people don't mind us waking them up...

Alice: While you three socialize with the others, I will explore and actually find a way out of here.

Melissa: Oh okay... By the way, you didn't tell us your Ultimate yet!

She doesn't pay any attention to my words and wanders off.

Cece: About ultimates, I just realized I didn't tell you mine yet. I am the Ultimate Cowgirl!

I probably should have known based on her looks.

Melissa: Oh, that is a cool Ultimate!

Cece: I know right? I'm also just so curious to find out what other Ultimates we have around here!

Fernando: Same! Anyway, I will talk with this person.

Fernando knocks on a - probably random - door, and Cece soon does the same. I guess I should do the same.

???: Who'se there? Did ya abduct me???

Melissa: No, no! I'm Melissa and I seem to be in the same situation you are in.

???: Melissa who?

Melissa: Melissa Moore. May I ask you what your name is?

???: The name's Dale. Dale Grant.

Melissa: Well nice to meet you, Dale.

I'm not really the best talker and Dale also doesn't say much so the convo kinda dies down. Fernando seems to be talking with a girl dressed in clothing you'd maybe expect from a Japanese shrine maiden, whereas Cece is attempting to talk with someone that is just talking cryptic constantly. I'm about to move on to the eighth and final apartment, when the door of Dale's apartment suddenly opens.

Dale: I figured I'd come outside, easier to talk that way, ya agree?

Melissa: Yea true.

The two of us shake hands to properly meet, and I also take a look at his appearance. He is pretty tall and muscular, and has slightly long brown hair. Overall it seems like he just comes from a very long trail through the woods and hasn't seen any form of civilization in a while.

Melissa: It maybe is a bit of a personal question but... Do you also have an Ultimate? Some people here seemed to have one.

Dale: I do, yes. You are talking to the Ultimate Lumberjack. I've been chopping wood with my mom and dad since I was just 2 years old.

Melissa: 2 years old?! Is that even safe?

Dale: Prob not. But my parents just needed help so why not give a helping hand yaknow!

Melissa: Yea I suppose that's true.

Dale: What about you, what is your Ultimate?

Melissa: Me? Oh... I sadly don't have one.

Dale: Ya sure? You seem like you'd be good at...

He seems to be deeply in thought.

Melissa: Yea, nothing at all, I know. But I'm fine that way.

Dale: Nah maybe you'd be good at everything! Anyway, I count five people here + a talking voice from that house. But eight apartments. Where could the other two students be hidin'?

Melissa: Well, there was this girl named Alice with us earlier but she wandered off alone... I hope she's okay. And then we didn't speak with whoever lived there yet.

Dale: Well, then we should try to do so! Maybe it's a very nice person livin' there!

Melissa: Yea that's true.

I knock on the door of the final apartment, and a guy with magenta colored hair comes out. He is wearing very flashy sunglasses and overall has very colorful clothing.

???: Yoooooo! What's up!

Dale: Wait, I know that guy!

???: You know my Youtube channel??? Well, ofcourse you do, I have over a million subscribers! #JongSooVlogs #Abducted

Melissa: Am I supposed to know you...?

Dale: That's Won Jong-Soo, one of the most famous vloggers of this moment!

Won: Yep! That's me! Being here is just so #Exciting! I bet this is some sort of event set up by my manager.

Melissa: Well, nice to meet you Won, I bet you're the Ultimate Vlogger?

Won: What?! How did you guess that? Are you the Ultimate Fortune Teller?

Dale: Well, maybe you do have an Ultimate, Melissa!

I am completely speechless.

Won: Oo la la, I gotta talk with that beauty!

Won is walking towards Fernando and the girl that he is talking to. Is he interested in the girl? She is indeed pretty attractive.

Won: I love your clothing style! All yellow! And as you can see, my hair is magenta! All that's missing is cyan! And did you know that the logo of my channel is cyan-colored? A perfect love triangle! #InLove

Or he is interested in Fernando.

Fernando: Well thank you, my friend! May I know your name?

Won: The name's Won Jong-Soooooooooooo!!!

The two start talking and Dale seems to be trying to get the cryptic guy to leave his room together with Cece. I guess I might as well take this chance to speak with the girl Fernando was speaking with earlier.

Melissa: Hello there.

???: Good afternoon.

She bows down so I guess I'll just copy her.

???: What is your Ultimate? Wait no, that's a rude way to start a conversation... Small talk first, Minori. How are you today?

Melissa: Haha don't worry, I would tell you my Ultimate but I fear I don't have one. I'm Melissa Moore by the way, who are you?

Minori: My name is Minori Sonoda, it's a pleasure to meet you, Melissa. Because I so rudely asked you for your Ultimate, it seems only natural that I will tell you mine. I am the Ultimate Priestess.

Melissa: Oh that's a cool Ultimate! I don't really believe in anything haha.

Minori: Oh, so are you an atheist?

Melissa: No, I think I'm agnostic. I just don't really know what to believe in anything, if there is something else at work, you know, stuff like that.

Minori: I have more respect for atheists than people that are agnostic. At least they have a strong belief in there being nothing.

That's... rather rude. I wanna reply but Cece and Dale seem to have finally managed to get the other guy to leave his room, and his presence immediately changes the whole atmosphere. He seems... very eccentric. He has long black hair, is wearing a purple cape and overall very tall. I have no idea at all what his Ultimate will be.

???: Hello fellow earthlings! The stars gave me this opportunity to meet this young dame today, the future love of my life.

He looks at Cece, she starts blushing and is clearly not that comfortable.

Melissa: Already flirting, huh? Aren't you worried about everyone here being kidnapped?

Won: Relax Melissa, this is just a publicity stunt for my channel #LOL.

Minori: I doubt it's that innocent.

???: Who are thou to judge me? Do you even know my name?

Melissa: I don't, no. Does that matter?

???: Well I am the great Eugene! In the future, the history books will write my name, Eugene Pears, as the greatest playwright to ever exist. After all, I am not just a normal playwright, I am the Ultimate Playwright!

Cece: His ego is kinda inflated...

Fernando: And don't flirt with Cece, or anyone in that regard! We have way more serious things to worry about!

Cece: Yea... We have to find a way out of here! And who knows where Alice could have gone.

Dale: For the people that weren't awake, who da hell is Alice?

Minori: Mind your language.

Eugene: The first to wake up, duh. She has a mysterious feeling all over her... I picture a tragic story arc, a young girl, rejected by her family, so now she rejects everyone around her.

Fernando: How do you know that? You left your apartment last!

Eugene: I was a part of the land of the awake all this time, I was just too lazy to get out of my resting place some would refer to as a 'bed'.

Won: I call it a bed too!!! Haha! #Mindmeld

These people are unbelievable. Suddenly, I hear some voices.

???: I hear voices coming from here! Are there others?

???: Cool!

???: I'm glad. Like, ugh, I'm so tired of walking. I wanna get out of here!!!

???: Shut up, your whining isn't gonna get us anywhere.

???: You are so mean?

???: Not this again. Fighting isn't good for you! Just count to 10, and soon you will feel way better.

???: Joseph, Joseph... I ask you, why does the number have to be 10? Can't it be 12? Or 8? Or 15? Is there something special when one reaches the number 10?

Joseph: Well, nothing special with it, it can also be another number I suppose.

A group of 7 students seem to approach us.

Eugene: Who are there, others who share this same despair-filled faith as us?

Fernando: I thought we would be with just eight!

Cece: The more the merrier, no?

???: I agree! I'm Martin Thompson, by the way!

Dale: Nice to meet ya Martin.

I want to talk more with the new students, one of them hasn't even spoken yet after all and I only know two names but suddenly, a screen I assumed was for advertising something went on...