“Congratulations to all who are here. I understand it was a rough and harrowing path.”

  The new arrival–a young man with golden hair and a deep green blazer–spoke calmly, a small innocent smile playing on his lips.

  His eyes were peculiar–Hypnotic green rings swam in a sea of nothingness. The eyes held no pity or kindness, only nothing. They resembled those of Jace's cousin and belonged to a breed Jace knew well. They were the eyes of manipulators.

  The eyes scanned through the group slowly and carefully studying the faces of all the people there. As he did he slowly rubbed the golden ring on his finger, his eyes still shifting from person to person.

  A second later, he donned a smile that seemed a tad too large, clapped his hands together to gain attention and declared, “My name is Nathan and I'm the second year who'll be showing you around,”

  With that he turned and began to walk, his voice calling out. “With that said and done, follow me.”

  His pace was fast, his foot gliding above the grass as he reached the tiled path. The crowd hurried to follow as Jace found himself in the center, the scent of old spices and stony walls wafting through his nostrils. Nathan spoke, the crowd still at his heels. “In life, you're graded on how strong you are, how knowledgeable you are, how lucky you are. In here, it's more of the same,”

  The tiled path continued, a golden gate at its end. The gate held what looked like a symbol, with words Jace could barely read. Nathan paused as he glanced at the gate far off.

  “As I said, the military academy is more of the same. Classes are determined for you depending on the role they see you as. If they see you as a Frontline fighter, expect lots of combat training. If they see you as a support worker, expect lots of equipment training, and if they see you as a military commander.”

  He paused for a second, examined the group before bursting out in laughter “You know what, I don't need to say it. None of you will probably reach that height. No one does, except the legacies,”

  The legacies referred to children of the leaders of powerful factions. While Jace was the son of the leader of the Black Stars, their factional power came nowhere close to the level of others.

  Nathan continued his speech, unaware of Jace's racing mind “Most of you will only spend a year here. You'll be hired by some powerful faction, no doubt, mostly due to the simple fact that you came here. The rest who will stay here are either specifically chosen by the military or simply couldn't find a faction to take them. You're either a chosen or absolute trash.”

  As Jace heard that, his mind went to Eric. He had been chosen specially by the military, mostly due to his unique ability but had quickly fallen out of favour.

  As Jace's mind flew, he heard chuckling to his left. Looking around, he wasn't the only one who had heard it. Some in the crowd did their best not to pay attention. Most, meanwhile, gazed worriedly at the chuckling, hoping their guide hadn't noticed. He had.

  Nathan smiled, his smile slowly cracking as he questioned “So, would you mind sharing what you found that was so funny?”

  The group of laughing students suddenly seemed a little subdued, except one. Puffing his chest a little, maybe hoping to look confident and score some points with others, the boy said with a smirk “Isn't it ironic you're telling us this. Seeing as you're still here and you definitely don't seem like you're chosen.”

  A few people laughed, most wary about the second year's anger, yet Nathan did nothing, his smile showing even more cracks.

  And then he moved.

  In one second he was in front of the crowd, his body relaxed, his arms in his pocket and a slight smile on his face. The next he was in the middle of the crowd, standing over the crumpled body of the once confident student now groaning out in pain.

  Nathan's posture was exactly the same it had been, relaxed but now holding a sharp edge to it. A sharpness that warned everyone not to mess with him.

  Still smiling, he spoke. His voice which once sounded like the whispers of an angel now pierced hard like the muttering of a devil.

  “It seems a lot of people still do not understand. In the Grand scheme of things, you all are utterly worthless. It doesn't matter where you came from or if you were a genius prodigy in an obscure center of the universe. Right here, right now, in this very place, all of you have absolutely zero worth. The faster you understand that, the better life in this hell-hole will be.”

  The second-year took a deep breath as he struggled to compose himself. Finally, after flashing a bright smile, Nathan headed to the front, leading the crowd towards the gate.

  The atmosphere had changed from its calm and joyful one into a more subdued one.

  Nathan meanwhile, walked forward as he remarked loosely “Anyway, as I was saying. Most second years are too busy with missions from the military to pay attention to you. Of course, that doesn't mean they'll just ignore you.”

  As he spoke he turned around, his face a grin “They'll only speak to you after the culling.”

  “The culling?”

  Someone near Jace repeated as the second year plastered his now iconic fake smile “You don't need to worry about it now. All I'll say is whosoever can't cross that challenge, will not be a part of Humanity's future,”

  Jace frowned as he heard that. Hearing the military Academy had a culling wasn't surprising. They needed a way to separate the chaff and the wheat.

  What was so surprising was the second year's word choice. He hadn’t used the word expelled or kicked out but had only said that person wouldn't be a part of Humanity's future.

  Jace didn't have that much time to think as Nathan led the crowd through the gates and into a clearing.

  At the left, was a large hall which could put the Great Hall in the Black Stars to shame. At its side was an equally tall building, on it scribbled the words ‘Library’. The two buildings looked grey and lifeless, even compared to the statue at the center of the clearing. The statue bore resemblance to Caelan Munro, the first ability user.

  Meanwhile, on Jace's left were what Jace guessed were the dorms. In truth they were just a bunch of buildings attached to each other.

  Jace chose to ignore that and focus more on the hall. With its bland design and general lack of creativity from whoever designed it, it had the feel of a simple uncomplicated structure.

  The only thing that looked a bit different were the several large pillars which supported the entrance. And around those pillars were two students–Second-years

  As Nathan noticed them, he sped up, the crowd trailing in his footsteps. As they moved closer, Jace was able to note the two seniors.

  The first was a girl with red hair turning black the farther out it went. She paced about with a frown on her face and as she noticed Nathan she called out sharply.

  Too far away to hear, Jace couldn't hear much. What he did see was Nathan simply raising his hand. It was an ordinary gesture and Jace wouldn't have thought much of it, if the girl hadn't flinched.

  Jace walked alongside the crowd as he heard Nathan say “... found her?”

  He seemed to have forgotten that he was leading a crowd and no one would dare call his attention for fear of earning his wrath. The once confident boy was still in the crowd, clutching his stomach and doing his best to stay out of sight. He remained a warning.

  The girl shook her head as she replied “Why are we even searching for her? Can't you just find someone else?”

  Nathan shot her a glare as she slowly slithered into the shadows. Turning to the other person, Nathan asked “So what about you, Ely? In the group you had, did you find her?”

  The second person was leaning on a pillar, the cap on his hoodie on. As he heard Nathan, he pulled back the white hood, before plucking out his ear buds.

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  As he did Jace was able to take a proper look at him. His blonde hair reminded Jace of his cousin and as he looked up, Jace was able to notice his gold-speckled hazel eyes.

  For some reason, they looked familiar. As if it reminded him of something. The two's eyes met.

  The boy known as Ely blinked for a second as he saw Jace before grinning. It felt like the kind of grin a predator gave to his prey which served to heighten Jace's caution.

  Finally, he appeared to have realized Nathan had asked him something as he muttered unwillingly, “Don't know. Check for yourself.”

  And with that, he plucked his ear bud back in his ear and paid no attention to Nathan or anyone else.

  For a second, nothing happened. The crowd remained silent, almost stunned. Jace was sure that something was going to happen but with a slight wave, Nathan declared. “Seems like she isn't here then.”

  Jace noticed the girl’s fists clench. She looked like she was about to explode but managed to sputter out. “You’re allowing him to…”

  Nathan's words stopped her in her tracks as he walked away. “You're pissed? Do whatever you want but if you even say another brain-dead statement, let’s just say I'm not in the best of moods.”

  He paused for a second as he turned to face the crowd. Drawing out his best fake smile he bowed a little “I didn't want you to see that but in any case. You can enter the hall. One last thing,”

  He paused as he finished. “Welcome to the Academy.”

  Behind him, Ely pushed himself from the pillar, his head raised eye as he scanned the crowd. His eyes met Jace once more and he smiled, a smile that confirmed that Jace was by no means mistaken and that Ely was looking at him.

  With eyes still glued to Jace, Ely repeated and Jace could feel Ely's words stabbing at his heart.

  “As my good friend said, Welcome to the Academy.”

  The hall's interior was a lot larger than it looked from the exterior. Walking in, the first thing which caught Jace's attention was the large stage.

  About a tenth of the length of the hall was raised, maybe a foot or two higher than the rest. Spaced between one another, chairs formed a horizontal line.

  Ignoring those, Jace surveyed the hall. The walls were the same washed-off Grey the exterior had been. On it were pictures and paintings, their dark hues complementing the walls. Jace glanced at the one nearest to him.

  It was a photo of a young man, barely a few years older than Jace. He sat on a pile of Rache corpses, his surroundings littered with the corpses of both humans and Rache.

  Behind him was devastation. Broken down buildings, shrapnel from explosives and even broken guns, their metal covering ripped apart like sheets of paper. A pool of blood lay on the ground, the red liquid drowning a few of the bodies. Yet, the picture told a story everyone knew, one of hope.

  It was the famous Battle of Lille, and the first battle humanity had won in the cold long War. Even though humanity had lost thirty percent more soldiers than the Rache, they had taken back the region.

  And the man in the center. Calean Munro, the man universally acknowledged as the first and strongest ability user.

  His ability was still a mystery which many tried to uncover. Some claimed it had been a form of mass manipulation, others argued it was a form of time and space manipulation. A few even thought that a god had blessed him with powers beyond human comprehension.

  The only public written record of how his ability worked was by his best friend who had simply said ‘Around him, time and space are a mess. It's like the laws of the world bow to him. Sometimes, he's as fragile as a man, weak, defenseless. And other times. He's a god. The only known thing is that his powers, they're unmeasurable’.

  Jace sighed internally. Unmeasurable power was a topic he had heard a lot about courtesy of Edgis.

  And so, to him. There was really nothing such as unmeasurable power. All things had weaknesses or limits. You just had to find them.

  As Jace thought, he heard it. A click-clacking of heels against the floor.

  He watched, as a young dainty figure appeared on the stage. Wearing an ocean blue dress that rose just above her knees and looking about Jace's age, she appeared out of her depth on the podium.

  That was until Jace heard the murmuring around him.

  “Isn't that Kem?”

  “I heard she vanished. Never thought she would be here,”

  “Time to store this memory for later,”

  A few people glanced at the person who said that last statement. Simply shrugging, he replied, “What? It's not my fault. I mean look at her,”

  The minute the girl now known as Kem sat, another young man walked in. This time Jace was able to notice a door on the stage, hidden in the corner.

  The young man walked out, his black hair sweeping over his amethyst eyes. Strapped to his back was a double-edged sword and while he looked young, Jace could see it as he walked. The tense fists, his eyes scanning for any unforeseen danger. This was a veteran.

  Surprisingly, Jace wasn't able to glean a lot of information from the crowd. Most of what he heard were people trying to guess his identity.

  He sat just as the next person walked out. By this time Jace had an idea what was going on. They were creating heroes.

  Not heroes in the sense of do-gooders who never did a wrong, but heroes in the sense of propaganda machines. To most people, the war could be likened to a play, or a historical movie. It was fictional and didn't exist as long as it didn't disturb their day to day. And that was why heroes were important. They were the stars of the play. The Instructors were those heroes.

  From the reaction of the crowd Jace knew he was right. Most people had stars in their eyes as they watched. Those stars would transform into seeds which would fill their hearts and cause them to grow.

  Jace focused his attention on the person who was now sitting down. Wearing a flannel which surprisingly looked good on him and with a sword strapped to his waist, he gave off the feeling of a knight on vacation. Partially because he was.

  One of the many factions which still shared or tried to share the olden methods had knighted him. Whether or not everyone universally recognized it, that didn't matter. To them, he was a knight.

  The next person to come out was a middle-aged woman. Walking slowly, it felt like the earth itself was opening up and paving a way for her.

  And of course the comments about her did not disappoint.

  “Isn't that Bailey?”

  “I heard she stopped fighting after getting a critical injury,”

  “I want her to sit on my face,”

  She sat but not before flashing a small concealed smile to Kem.

  By this time Jace and a few others were getting bored. The entire orientation couldn't just be a bunch of instructors strutting across the stage like it was a walkway. That meant something was going to happen, soon.

  The next person to walk in was someone Jace and probably every other person knew well.

  Her face was one of the most recognizable, she was hailed as one of the Military’s most useful assets and was the face of unawakened humans reaching greater heights.

  Walking across the stage, the scar on her face was prominent and her short hair shook as she walked.

  “Isn't that?”

  “I thought she was on a mission,”

  “I need me a mommy.”

  As she sat, she took the only remaining seat. And then it happened.

  The walls of the hall began to shake, the ground rumbling.

  Then there was a pause, and then a sharp loud sound. Like that of thunder. And then another one. And then another one.

  Jace looked up as a built man walked across the stage. Every step coincided with the sound as Jace felt a peculiar feeling emanating from him.

  It wrapped around Jace like a fog, doing nothing other than existing.

  The man on the stage walked over to the podium, his military uniform bearing the familiar UAE logo. His hand was raised high, motionless, unmoving.

  His hair was drawn so tightly back his face was stretched, but that only served to make the numerous tiny scars on his face look larger.

  He stopped in front of the podium, his eyes surveying. A slight smile slipped out from his lips.

  And then his hand fell.

  A sudden pressure pressed down on Jace, forcing him to bow. Jace fought against the pressure, resisting.

  Around him people fell and for a second Jace thought he had overcome it. Until it descended again.

  This time, with a vengeance. His knee gave way as he collapsed onto the floor, struggling to lift his head above his waist.

  If he had looked around, he would have noticed a few people still standing. But he didn't have the luxury.

  The man spoke after surveying the scene in front of him. “...Pathetic isn't it. The future of humanity kneeling, cowering.”

  The pressure disappeared just as it had come, in a flash. Jace rose unsteadily, his legs promising to betray him as he stood.

  The man spoke again, “You see, my job is to turn you from your incompetent weak self into a weapon of humanity by all means necessary…”

  He paused for dramatic effect before continuing. “Know that your life is now in my hands. Your families, your friends. They all signed a contract stating that your lives belong to the military for this one year. And so I'll make sure to use it well.”

  And with that, he walked off back to the door he came from. As he did, the woman known as Instructor Bailey walked up to the podium.

  Flashing a nervous smile, she whispered into the microphone. “As you leave the hall you'll see someone handing a bunch of bracelets. That's your new military-officiated Cyberlink,”

  With that she clapped her hands together and declared. “With that. Cheer up, have a laugh with friends, go on a few dates. The trauma won't come till the second month. ”

  And with that, orientation ended.