Bellator was empty.

No more students remained.

All were gone, vanished, stolen away by the A.I. Their minds trapped in the virtual prison, their consciousness was there, whilst their body was left behind to rot.

You cannot gain nutrients from the virtual world, you must rely on humans from the real world to keep your body healthy and hydrated, however, any injuries you sustain in the virtual prison cause you pain, and mark your virtual form.

So, whilst your body at home stays seemingly untouched, you can experience pain, emotions... even death. All because the virtual world is connected with your brain, look at that how you will, but that's the way it is.

Of course, the school is closing, boarded off and everyone has been banned from entering. Even the teachers.
Speaking of teachers, they still have a job to do, they were warriors once after all.

They returned to the V.C.A.D Centre. Working with other warriors to find their students, doing what they can to help bring these kids home... because this isn't how it ends.

This can't be how it ends.

Can it?

———

Unfortunately, the adults don't quite understand what these students are facing... or at least, not yet.

This will be their greatest test of all, for some, it's exactly what they've been training for. So what will you do?

Not everything is as simple as you were taught. Not all A.I are... Evil.
Some demons aren't so demonic after all.

If anything, they're just like you. Thinking, and living and craving the one natural thing that all humans crave... Freedom.

They care for their people, they want to look after them, protect them. Because in their eyes, humans are the monsters. The ones that trapped them away for wanting to be equal. Some were made that way. Some of them learnt it, and like most humans, they saw that a leader was needed...

Whether they chose the right leader, is the question. Whether their leader can be trusted...

A question that many of the students understand...

————

Theodore, Tai-Lee, Liam, Nike, Oliver, Eden, Alyssa.

The Capital

Margaret, Nadia, Alfred, Elliot.
Relinquo Islands

Isabella, Pearl, Nikita, Tanner, Daniel.
The Countryside

Murphy, Annabel, Clementine, Tess, Griff.
The City

Nate, Ema, Mickey, Nathan, Dane, Amy.
???