He didn't move at all from his chair, like a statue stuck in one position.
After some time passed, "Hahaha," Zen Lee suddenly exploded into maniacal laughter.
"It's not like I didn't expect this," he said as he shrugged, a familiar weight settling on his shoulders. This was no surprise; he'd prepared himself for this outcome.
He picked up the Orbit as he said, "It will take me half an hour to succumb to the feeling of slumber."
'I don't know if I have been chosen by it; I didn't experience an uncontrollable hunger while awake, only in sleep,' he thought as he made a hypothesis.
"My soul does not belong to this world, so my body can only experience uncontrollable hunger while in sleep," he said while thinking about details of consuming the Orbit.
"The country of Saru's sixth law says one cannot consume an Orbit without the company of an Orbiter. If one doesn't know an Orbiter, they can surrender themselves to the police, who will contact an Orbiter to oversee their slumber," he thought.
"The police station isn't far; I can get a coffee while going to the police station," he said as he brought the Orbit closer to his mouth.
Just as the Orbit entered his mouth, it turned into a cold, jellylike substance and went down his throat.
"It tastes like cold jelly," he said as he got up and picked up his wallet and his worn-out shoes from the plastic container.
He put on the shoes that looked as though a dog had chewed on them; then left out in the sun for a year. As he took a step towards the door, fatigue and sleepiness took over him.
"It's not that bad; it feels like I haven't slept for two days," he thought as he walked towards the door. With every step, the shoes let out a weary groan, a symphony of failing stitches and scuffed leather.
He reached for the doorknob and twisted it. With a click, he opened the door, walking out towards the door hanging from a single hinge. He reached out with his both hands, grabbing the doorknob and the side of the door, and pushed it, making the hinge produce a drawn-out shriek. The decayed porch and the cracked slate stones with sunlight shining on them came into view.
Walking out of the abandoned house towards the street, he saw two figures in the alleyway across the street bullying a kid. One figure was wearing patched-up pants and a dirty shirt stained by mud. He had dusted brown hair with brown eyes with some wrinkles; he was a middle-aged man keeping a lookout. The other figure was wearing a stained brown robe, his body covering the figure of the kid.
As he walked past the street, he heard the middle-aged man speak: "Keep on walking."
This was a common occurrence in the outskirts; he didn't feel guilty, nor did he want to save the kid from getting bullied and be a hero.
He walked to the cafe that served synthetic coffee and tea. He saw men and women dressed in suits walking in and out of the cafe, some carrying cups and some with suitcases. He walked in through the front door. Inside, he saw people sitting in chairs and eating buns and drinking coffee as he arrived at the cashier stool.
He saw the cashier with a black shirt and a logo on his right chest and a cap, and staring at him with a strange expression, as he heard the cashier speak, "What can I get you?"
He said, "Black coffee with sugar."
The cashier spoke, "Takeout or dine in?"
He said, "Takeout."
The cashier took out a device with a logo on it and put it on the counter. Zen Lee pressed his wallet against the device. With a ding, a receipt came out. He checked his wallet: "57 p."
After some time, the cashier handed the coffee cup to him. Then, he walked out of the cafe.
Headed towards the police station. After arriving, he spotted a small park across from the police station.
He walked to the park and sat down on the bench. Rich people living in this part of the city were rushing past the small park on their way to work, staring at him with strange expressions. His cheap clothes made him look haggard, and his unhealthy thinness and paleness further emphasized that he did not belong there.
As he lifted the coffee cup, he enjoyed its warmth and inhaled the scent. Then took a tiny sip, testing the waters.
He said, "Taste is a bit bland with a hint of sweet—well, it's going to keep me awake at least."
After sighing and staring off, he momentarily drifted to sleep before jolting himself awake with a slap.
"Tsk, what a scam."
Shaking his head, Zen Lee finished the coffee and stood up. He muttered to himself, "Koby," as he tossed the cup into a garbage bin.
The cup entered the garbage bin with pinpoint accuracy. With a slight grin, he crossed the street and entered the police station.
Inside, a tired-looking officer gave him a quick glance and frowned with obvious distaste.
"Are you lost, young man?"
Zen Lee looked around with curiosity, noting the reinforced armor plates on the walls and poorly hidden turrets in the ceiling. The officer too looked scruffy and mean. At least police stations remained the same wherever you go.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!"
Zen Lee cleared his throat.
"Um, no."
Then he scratched the back of his head and added:
"As demanded by the Sixth Law, I am here to surrender myself as a carrier of a Orbit."
The officer's expression instantly changed from irritated to wary. He looked the young man over once again, this time with piercing intensity.
"Are you sure you are a carrier? When did you consume the Orbit?"
Zen Lee shrugged.
"Half an hour ago?"
The officer became visibly paler.
"Shit."
Then, with a hurried motion, he pressed a button on his terminal and bellowed:
"Attention! Code red in the lobby! I repeat! CODE RED!"
It took only minutes for the officers to overcome Zen Lee's sleepy resistance and shackle him. They secured him to a massive chair that unsettlingly blended the features of a hospital bed with those of an instrument of torture. The scene was set in the police station basement, a maximum-security room encased in thick armored walls and sealed by a towering vault door. Nearby, a perimeter of officers stood guard, clutching automatic coil guns and wearing dark, watchful expressions.
Zen Lee didn't particularly care about them. The only thing he thought about was sleep.
Finally, the vault door opened, and a black-haired police officer walked in. He had a seasoned face and stern eyes, looking like someone who had seen a lot of vicissitudes in his life. After checking the restraints, the police officer glanced quickly at his wristwatch and then turned to Zen Lee:
"What's your name, young man?"
Zen Lee blinked a few times, trying to concentrate, then shifted uncomfortably.
"Raven Scott."
The police officer said, "Do you want me to contact your family?"
Zen Lee shook his head.
"There's no one. Don't bother."
For a second, there was a dark look on the police officer's face. Then his expression turned serious.
"Alright, Raven. How long can you stay awake?"
"Ten minutes, I think."
The police officer sighed.
"Then we don't have time for the full procedure. Try to resist for as long as you can and listen to me very cautiously, okay?"
Not waiting for a response, he added: "How much do you know about the Orbits?"
Zen Lee gave him a questioning look.
"As much as anyone, I guess? Who doesn't know about the Orbits?"
"Not the fancy stuff you see in the media and hear on the propaganda broadcasts. I mean, how much do you really know?"
That was a hard question to answer.
"Don't I just go to sleep, survive and kill a few monsters to complete the First Trial, receive magic powers and become an Orbiter?"
The police officer shook his head.
"Listen carefully. Once you fall asleep, you will be transported inside your First Trial, trials created by the Orbit. Once inside, you will meet monsters, sure, but you will also meet people. Remember, they are not real. They're just illusions conjured up to test you."
"How do you know that?"
The police officer just stared at him.
"I mean, no one understands what the Orbit is and how it works, right? So how do you know that they're not real?"
"You might have to kill them, young man. So do yourself a favor and just think of them as illusions."
"Ohh."
The police officer waited for a second, then nodded and continued.
"A lot of things about the First Trial depend on luck. It shouldn't be overwhelmingly hard. The situation you're in, the tools you have at your disposal and the creatures you have to defeat should be within the range of your abilities, at least. After all, the Orbit sets up trials, not executions. You're a bit disadvantaged due to... well... your circumstances. But kids from the slums are tough. Don't give up on yourself just yet."
Zen Lee was getting more and more sleepy. It was becoming hard to follow the conversation.
"About those "magic powers" you mentioned... you will indeed receive them if you survive until the end of the Trial. What those powers will be exactly depends on your natural affinity as well as what you do during the trial. But some of it will be at your disposal right from the start..."
The voice of the police officer sounded more and more distant. Zen Lee's eyelids were so heavy that he was struggling to keep his eyes open.
"Remember: the first thing you must do once inside the Trial is to check your Attributes and your Prism...."
Those were the last words Zen Lee heard before he slipped into a deep slumber. A familiar voice whispered in his ear.
"Contender! Welcome to the Orbit! Prepare for your First Trial!"