*** 43 years ago ***

Twelve-year-old Tui strode through the gates of the Emperor's Benevolence Academy for the first time. He was dressed in a clean tunic and pants and carried a seabag over his shoulder containing all his possessions. Tui was tall, with broad shoulders and long hair, braided to his waist. His face was impassive, but his heart was in turmoil.

He felt completely out of place. He was overwhelmed by the bustling city, fascinated by incomprehensible technology, and intimidated by the cold stares of everyone he passed.

Clustered around him were eight other youths from the Radiant Islands. Tui had become acquainted with some during their journey from the edge of the Empire. Tui glanced back.

There was Kaela, a tall and slender girl who was cheerful and kind. Her infectious laugh was a welcome sound after the oppressive atmosphere of the city. Next to Kaela was Maka, a small and wiry boy, full of energy and eager to explore. He had a sharp mind, and his inquisitive nature endeared him to the group.

Then there was Jago, a boy the same age as Tui. He was the biggest of the group and rarely spoke. When he did, his words were clipped and short. Jago noticed Tui's glance and stared sullenly back.

The islanders moved away from the gates and into the academy courtyard. A large crowd of other young people stood at the stairs leading up to a massive building. Their skin was the color of honey, and their black hair was straight and glossy. They were dressed richly and they carried themselves with dignity. A few glanced at Tui's group in clear disdain, murmuring to each other.

As the islanders joined the crowd, the main doors opened. A tall woman stepped out. She was dressed in a flowing robe of deep blue, with the Empire’s Dragon stitched onto the breast. "Welcome to the Emperor's Benevolence Academy!" She spoke so loudly it echoed off the walls. "You are here to learn the ways of the Empire and its people. You are here to serve the Emperor." She turned and walked back in, leaving the doors open wide.

The students surged forward into the building. Inside, they were organized into queues and registered for dorms and classes by harried clerks. Tui was allowed fifteen minutes to drop off his seabag before his orientation class.

The hallway was bustling as Tui rushed to his room. He passed by the classrooms, some filled with students and teachers, others empty and silent. He crossed through the main hall, with its high ceiling and many paintings, out into another courtyard. The grandeur and alien atmosphere made him feel small.

Finally, Tui reached his dorm.

He entered and looked around. It was small and cramped, holding four beds, each with a desk and a chair. Three of the beds already had bags on them. Tui threw his bag on the remaining bed, then rushed out, off to his first hour at the academy!

He poked his head into three classrooms before finding the one he belonged to. Tui crept in, the last of the students to arrive. His classmates were already seated, and a wall of cold eyes followed him. He sagged with relief when he spotted Maka, who gave him a little wave. Tui collapsed gratefully into the empty desk next to him.

The door opened again, and a tall man with a stern face strode in. He stood at the lectern, waiting impatiently for the chatter to die down. "Welcome to the Emperor's Benevolence Academy!" he boomed, "This is your orientation class. Here you will learn about the Academy, the Empire, and most importantly, your place in it"

" I am Professor Gang Chen, and I will be one of your instructors for the next five years. We will cover a wide range of topics, so be prepared to work hard."

"I expect you all to follow the rules and respect those in authority over you. Those who cannot follow the rules will be removed from the Academy."

"Most of you here are of The People, citizens, blessed descendants of the Emperor and his ancestors. But there are a few of you who are not. You have been brought here as part of the Radiant Island agreement with the Empire. You will learn the ways of the Empire and its people. You are here to serve the Emperor just as we all are. You are expected to learn and obey. If by some miracle you graduate, you too will be granted citizenship, along with the responsibilities and rights this brings."

"Now, let us go over our place in this world" Professor Gang Chen continued "The highest of castes is The People, who are the rightful masters of the entire earth. The People are strong, intelligent, and capable. We have been gifted the mastery of qi from the Emperor himself. That is why it is our solemn duty to rule over the lesser races, to bring order and justice to this chaotic world."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"Next are the Purebred minorities. They are granted some of the rights and privileges of The People, also the opportunity to gain citizenship. Those of you from the Radiant Islands are the newest of these, brought here by the Emperor's bountiful grace. You are here to learn and serve. Work hard, and you may be granted a place amongst the ruling class. Islanders will be held to a higher standard, as you are here under a special agreement. Do not disappoint."

"Last are the Mixed races and Untouchables castes. They are the lowest of all and clearly do not deserve the same rights. Some from the low castes are fit to be laborers or conscripts in the army. Most are not good for anything."

Tui sat there, feeling a chill run up his spine. He had heard of the caste system before, but he had never understood it until now. The professor's words clashed with his worldview. In the islands, nobody could hold their head above any other. In his mind, Tui decided to stick to his own principles even as he worked to prove himself worthy of citizenship.

*** Present day ***

Tui never returned to the Radiant Islands. He learned how to fit in and succeed in a world of qi and wondrous machines. He put his childhood behind him and buried his heritage. In the 43 years since the first day, he had become a respected citizen of the Empire. He enjoyed the privileges of being high caste, even though he remained uncomfortable with the tiered hierarchy.

Now he was here, lost and alone on this uninhabited island. He would not improve upon his situation without first delving back into his roots and remembering the teachings of his tribe. Could he still call them his tribe? He had disowned them and eagerly embraced the trappings of civilization. Now he would have to search deep within himself to rediscover the ancient wisdom of his people and use it to survive.

Tui went for a walk along the beach to settle his heart. He moved slowly, listening to the crashing surf and feeling the breeze against his face. It was late afternoon, but he wasn't hungry enough to eat breadfruit. So he continued along the beach until the sun was a handspan above the horizon, the sky beginning to blush into a sunset. Then he sat under a palm tree.

As he had done when recalling his Spiritual Formations class, Tui shifted into lotus position and cleared his mind. Intruding thoughts were acknowledged, then set aside. He focused on his breath, slow and steady, and felt his heartbeat thumping gently in his chest. Sinking into a state of deep meditation, he let his consciousness expand, driving his focus inward. His dantian, which had been almost emptied, now held abundant energy thanks to the essence trap. Several large sparks were waiting to be used.

He carefully split off a tiny spark and brought it through the conduit to his fifth meridian. He carried it past the well-traveled pathways of his academy days, to the time before. It was like hitting a wall. These memories had never been accessed. The pathways were tiny and convoluted. It was difficult even to get a sense of what he was exploring. Tui pressed on, the spark casting a dim illumination onto his memories.

It was an eternity before he found what he was searching for. A memory buried deep. A man with a leather apron and ritual tatau covering his face. Laugh lines radiating from the corners of his eyes. His Uncle Ari.

Tui released the spark, kindling the memory to life.

Uncle Ari was sitting on a stool out in front of his house. His eyes dancing as he regaled a semicircle of rapt children with legends of the sea. Little Tui sat among them. As Uncle Ari spoke, his scarred hands made tools from obsidian.

First establishing a flat face on the stone, then splitting off sharp blades with taps of a hammer stone. Each was the size of his palm and held a razor-sharp edge.

Once the obsidian was reduced to a piece the size of his foot, Uncle Ari stopped and began shaping the remainder into a hand axe. He used sharp blows from a pointed bone chisel, chipping off tiny flakes. The hand axe slowly took shape, with clean, functional lines. The whole time Uncle Ari worked, he shared the oral history of the tribe.

Tui paid careful attention to the shaping process. He noted the type of stone used as a hammer. He watched the way Uncle Ari's hand gripped the workpiece to avoid being cut by the razor-sharp stone. He observed what results Uncle Ari obtained when using a pressure technique versus a strike. Even as he focused his mind on the technique, the process, and the materials, his heart was tearing apart.

He was here in his village, the place where he had spent his childhood! He could hear the singing of elders in the distance, the patter of drums. Tui had not heard the songs in so long. He missed them. He could hear his uncle's stories. He loved those stories.

An abyss of guilt alienated him, pushing him back toward the comfortable state of isolation. Simultaneously, he felt a deep longing to reconnect with his family, his roots, and his heritage. Seeing his uncle and experiencing the songs stirred his heart. Hearing the drums of his childhood had awakened something that had been deeply asleep. It was like a cauldron that had been simmering for decades in a far corner of his mind.

The simmering burst into a rolling boil. The desire to connect with his past was overwhelming. Something within him was reaching out, stretching, pulling at his insides. A connection snapped into place. The singing and drums faded away. The laugh lines at the corner of his uncle's eyes deepened into wrinkles, and his hair turned white as snow. Uncle Ari was looking straight at him.

He was old. His gentle face looked confused. "Who are you?" He asked. "You look so familiar, but I do not know you"