Built on smoke and mirrors

Chapter 5

The ride to the Motherwealth was emotional, and for most of it, Yuri was nowhere to be seen. I assumed he was somewhere eating all the food he could find.

We passed over small towns, I couldn't help but wonder if they looked like Hell. All the Commonwealths were so isolated from one another. By design of the Motherwealth. It only left room for questions.

Did those towns have other scouted people? Did they feel just as lost and confused as I did? Were they also in hovercrafts, being taken to a place they had only read about?

Preparing myself for what I would go through in the Motherwealth is useless when I don't know anything about it. The last scouted person from Hell never returned and Mr. Green could provide little information about anything related to the Talent Program.

"Telvi, buckle-" Yuri shouts, running out of a room with what looks to be a cake in his hand.

Lights overhead flash off. Before I have time to react, an alarm rings so loudly it gives me an instant headache. The hovercraft jerks to the right, throwing me onto the ground. My eyes meet Yuri's begging for answers.

"Are you ok?" Yuri asks, rushing to my side, helping me off the ground.

I rub my head, feeling a lump appearing. Sharp pains radiate from it.

"Looks like you got your head pretty good." Yuri lightly touches my head.

I push him away. He is not to be trusted, just like anyone else from the Motherwealth. My mom trusted the Motherwealth before she lost her mind. I would not make the same mistake.

"I'm ok," I say, getting up from the ground to the nearest window, hoping to find out what caused the hovercraft to react in such a way, but through the dark of night, I see nothing. "What was that?"

He shrugs, wiping his hands on his pants, letting bits of crumbs fall to the ground. "I have no idea. But we're about to land anyhow."

He stands beside me and points out the window. In the distance I see a sea light dots. Quickly these dots turn into buildings. They stretch as far as the eye could see. Even in the darkness, the buildings still shine brightly. Hell was nothing but a few streets, but Regal looks as if it could fit 1,000 Hells.

The hovercraft descended within an opening in these buildings. It shakes lightly as it connects with the ground solid. I stumble into the wall as Yuri remains still.

"You get used to it," he says as the back door of the hovercraft slowly opens. "Welcome to the capital of the Motherwealth."

"Regal," I breathe as bright lights shine into the hovercraft.

The buildings in front of us have screens with bright lights and displays. Some even move like a movie. Hell had nothing even close to this.

Yuri clears his throat and walks out of the hovercraft. I follow behind him. My mouth is dry. Never did I feel so small as I do in front of these buildings that touch the sky.

"This is Regal," Yuri hums, swinging my bag over his shoulder. We walk towards another black shiny car, but my eyes were anywhere but the vehicle. The streets glitter under the lights of the buildings. Everything sparkles, shines, glitters. It's blinding. It's the opposite of Hell which was dull, dark, and gritty. "This is my home. Welcome."

How could I feel welcome in a place that has nothing familiar? I'm a fish out of water, gasping for air in a place that has none. No amount of reading could prepare me for this.

The car lurches forward. We pass people walking in bright coats and bold hair styles. There are so many things. People, signs, cars, shops. The Motherwealth did have it all.