Part 2 - Once again, Night

BEEP BEEP BEEP!

I jolted out of bed as my alarm blared, the shrill sound rattling my senses.

"Finally! I'm not gonna be late today..." I mumbled with relief, silencing the alarm with a quick tap.

...

Once I was dressed and ready, I stepped out of my room, my mind racing.

"What do you think the first round will be?" I whispered to myself as I made my way down the hall. "A massive battle royale? Or maybe a flashy showcase of abilities... Who knows?"

As I passed one of the doors, muffled voices caught my attention. I paused. The door was slightly ajar, and my curiosity got the better of me. I tiptoed closer, pressing my ear against the cool wooden surface.

Two men were talking, their voices low and urgent.

"How did we mess up the participant count? That's impossible! I know I sent out exactly 27 letters."

"Maybe you miscounted?"

"I triple-checked! No way I made a mistake. Are you sure all of them are legit?"

"Well, if any were fakes, they wouldn't have been able to get in, right? The letters act like a key, especially with the fog barrier in place."

"Yeah, yeah, the whole fog thing," the first man grumbled, clearly frustrated. 

"Anyway, I've gotta get ready for the first round. Can't start without going over the script one last time."

The moment I heard that, panic shot through me. I backed away from the door, my heart pounding. Without wasting another second, I turned and sprinted down the hall toward the lobby, desperate to avoid being caught eavesdropping.

Something strange was going on, and now I had even more questions than before.

...

It had been nearly half an hour since I'd stepped foot into the lobby, and boredom was starting to creep in. Just as I was about to zone out completely, I heard a voice call my name.

"Kiara! You're early, huh?"

I turned to see Skylar approaching, with Konota and Luna trailing right behind her.

...

Before long, the lobby filled with all 30 participants, waiting for Aelith, the Air Prodigy, to make her grand entrance. Suddenly, a powerful gust of wind shot through the room, whipping between us and scattering bits of loose paper. Conversations were cut short as everyone turned to see Aelith appear, riding on the breeze with a cheerful grin.

"Welcome, everybody!" she sang out, her voice full of energy. "I see you're all quite early~! But first, I'll let the rules be explained."

With a quick wave of her hand, Aelith floated down, sitting in the air as if there were an invisible chair beneath her.

The man from yesterday stepped onto the stage, holding a microphone. "Welcome, participants. As Ms. Aelith has mentioned, I'll be running through the rules of the first round."

First round? It isn't just a single thing?

After a small cough, the man gestured toward Aelith. "Ms. Aelith, if you would?"

"Oh, right! I almost forgot, hehe~!" she giggled, flashing a playful smile. With another wave of her hand, a gust of wind swept us off our feet. It was gentle but firm, like we were being carried on invisible cushions of air. We floated out of the hotel in a bizarre, magical procession.