They bought them with the cash prizes they had won from previous games. There was no obligation to buy anything. But your appearance was also taken into account when determining your next prize. For those who loved fashion, this was too good an opportunity to pass up. But those who preferred cash would rather save up their prizes. It was also common for people to resell prizes in the form of goods or clothing on the market after the show ended. But Clara didn't want to be bothered with those prizes. After all, simply appearing on Adventrix had already earned her a prize of her own.
So on the day she left for the station, Clara brought only Made's hiking backpack, packed with a few pastel-colored outfits, and her nicest pair of dark-brown sandals—but Fris suggested she bring another pair too, in case they broke. Clara agreed. She also brought food, mostly bread and strawberry jam, along with a single meal: boxed rice with stir-fried vegetables made by her mother. Bob gave her a black fur coat. He was afraid Clara's skinny body would get cold inside that luxurious train. The coat looked completely out of place with Clara's other clothes. It was far too nice. She also had the fifty thousand reed she would have to pay later, plus a little emergency cash.
Made took Clara to Darley Station on a pedal bicycle. It was nine kilometers from their house. In front of the station, they were greeted by a three-meter-tall lion statue with a golden mane. Clara got off the back of Made's bicycle. The area was still quiet. Only a few bicycles were parked near the fence. It didn't seem to be the departure or arrival time for the regular trains.
"Hey. Here." Made handed over the backpack he'd placed in front of him. Clara took it while Made parked the bicycle. They then entered the station lobby, where an attendant asked them a few questions before pointing out an office inside the station.
"Registration is over there," the attendant said pleasantly.
Made thanked him and led his sister toward the office. Along the way, Clara saw a husband and wife with an eight-year-old girl in a pink dress sitting on a platform bench. The girl kept pointing at the train in front of them. Her father seemed to be explaining everything he knew about the train—perhaps another one of their children was a member of the cast. After all, the show had a maximum age limit of thirty. The little girl's parents looked to be nearly forty.
From where he was walking, Made could see a shiny black VW that had just arrived outside the station fence. A beautiful girl around Clara's age stepped out of it, her blond hair neatly flowing down to the middle of her back. She was as tall as the models Made often saw on TV; Clara would probably only come up to her shoulders. The girl, Feronica, emerged alongside a man dressed entirely in black who carried her backpack for her. It was obvious to Made which of them was taking part in the show. Rich people didn't usually join this show.
By the time Feronica entered the office, Clara had already received a small stamped booklet resembling the travel document wealthy people carried when traveling abroad by plane. Naturally, that was after Clara handed over a bag of her money.
"Excuse me," said the bodyguard behind Clara, prompting the girl to quickly step aside so he could face the attendant.
The attendant accepted a fifty-thousand-reed bill from the man, then looked at Feronica, who was now sitting on the waiting bench.
"Yes. Of course she's the one joining the show," the bodyguard cut in. "Feronica."
The attendant quickly stamped another booklet, handed it to Feronica's bodyguard, and then emphasized, "The show will begin at eight o'clock. So please wait for the next announcement on the platform."