Chapter 15

A good future was a promise William made to Dann a long time ago, but a big chunk of it was also aimed at himself. Even if their time was coming to an end, and their fate was between a cliff and a single hand, one choice stood above the rest.

Two little kids in a destroyed camp rose. Crossed by luck in the middle of the unfortunate incident, deaths, and crimson, they decided to live. William thought he had fewer regrets than it was correct to have, while Dann liked to pretend he was always fine, through knowledge that his parents became a mangled mess for a bunch of Hellgars.

His parents lost themselves, but some things were different like many survivors. Dann saw the deaths of his parents with his own eyes; they were munched right before him as he made his weeping escape. Both of them gave him enough time to escape, essentially saving his life and the rest wasn't pretty in the slightest. The bunkers. The munching and sounds of crawling laughter. Thuds. Screams. They left them frightened until one pretended to hide his grief with a smile.

Dann would never forget that terror of Incursion. Even the safety of the military did not help. He was no soldier. He was a coward. He learned way later how the military came late because the Incursion was terrifying, threatening more than just their former camp. It pained his heart to this day, but he never blamed the military. Many Walkers died that day. His parents were nothing, frankly.

That was a decade-long history and time moved forward. It was typical, for there were defeats far in the past, while the future moved on. It was like a law.

Even if a family was blessed with a baby bearing an Emblem, it didn't mean incredible safety. It would give hope, however, or various compensations for the parents by those looking for new recruits. Safety was the best choice if they were lucky enough to obtain citizenship to the Federation, even if they would give up their child as a price.

It wasn't ruthless. It was a clever thing to do.

If the place was not sufficient for the right upbringing, raising Walkers elsewhere came in clutch. A lot of people hoped for their growth and status and were willing to sacrifice a lot for such a future.

Managed under plans and places, some people couldn't bear the future being lost, or humans becoming obsolete. Children were exactly that hope, so William always respected anyone willing to help them, regardless of whether they were Walkers or not.

His upbringing helped. It often changed because of Rifts or brutal mobs of Darks, or... well, the people. In the safety of some trails and places, time, or human settlements, he could either reveal his Emblem, get help or nasty looks, or not do it. That was sometimes a hard choice that often shifted his journey.

Sometimes, pretending to be normal was a great choice, and there was no denying that he was before yet another choice. A choice that... seemed to not be his anymore.

Dann and Miss Anderson said it. He was under the protection of good people. He should pay them back. With the Federation's aid, and programs for the youths with Emblems, one could see a direction and way ahead.

But William wasn't thinking about that. He used to detest it, unwilling to come to terms with them. He was stubborn, reluctant for others to touch or see his Emblem. Those programs or recruiting sentiments were rough and he refused every single offer. Alas, not anymore. He failed his promise. He failed his parents. They were nowhere. They were dead. That's it.

Glancing around his room, it was time to leave. Emblem in his flesh wasn't reacting to anything. It wasn't an aid or a poison. It was part of him.

“Well, what to think of you?” William asked his hand, or that shiny crimson delight that many took for treasures.

Walkers had many visions and kinds. He had no guesses about his, unfortunately. He was an orphan who never felt right, so he always tried to stick to the bases or people who felt respectable.

Emblems were highly regarded as the only path to solving this apocalypse. That idea came from many decades ago, at times when one wasn't sure what to expect from them. The exact history wasn't fine, however, since Walkers were still relatively new and unique. Researched and put into science, stories, legends, or rumors, they were like apostles and heroes for some people. Depending on the continent and culture, they were different, but never very wrong.

William remembered how his lessons proceeded in some interesting direction, either by Miss Anderson, or rare instances of talkative Walkers who came for recruitment or brief lessons. Then, there were other types of lessons, hidden behind the time older than two years old.

Walkers should know their duties and worth at due age, while youngsters like him were seen as children who needed to grow first before knowing the harsher reality. Because of that, the things William knew came from numerous layers, and the validity of some lessons wasn't really that impressive. He didn't trust every word, for the world and Outside gave him many questions and answers.

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The Awakening was the supposed start.

William was aware of that word and what it meant. It was about age. Numbers.

Walkers naturally aged like people and Emblem grew with them, which was one of the most critical aspects. It was both a curse and an opportunity. One was because it was too damned slow. The other was a blissful chance to fight back, even though costs, sacrifices, and no childhood.

At some point, Walkers changed when Emblem would reach some effectiveness, starting a major transformation. How well it would go depended on the Emblem, rather than the person. That was the knowledge of the Outside. That was what Wiliam knew also, as he was never taught by a problem teacher.

William wasn't sure how he would change; he felt his Emblem and painful memories changed him more than enough. That was common sense for the current him.

Before this Awakening, youngsters should be physically strong, great at stamina or some fighting, and not be some dumb prick. Of course, having just two of these perks was enough for most military organizations.

There were differences between minds and Emblems, or what a Walker could endure. It was natural, as far as William understood it. A Walker was riding the Emblem; not vice-versa. How one viewed and saw this topic changed when people and clustered organizations became necessary. Camps contained the word hope in their politics, rather than the clustered necessity. Federation moved that instead, bearing what camps could not do. Walkers did that too, even in large, dangerous, or little places. It could fuel the order or others.

William was at a crossroads and wasn't sure how wide paths were, or how many he had seen. The Federation was the most prevalent, as it was the sole government representing North and South America, and even others. Then, there was the Emblem Academy, the most mysterious place second to none when one talked about Walkers.

Then, there were many outside places away from these lands, and William was kind of dubious to think of them. Asia, Europe, and African Tribes, their history was rich and many of their people preserved what had been lost in time. Some were completely lost like the majority of South America, Australia, and most parts of Europe, though before becoming so, they reached out to the Federation which had a long history within the past century.

For William, an organization at a smaller scale didn't matter. At least right now. William got plenty of lessons about his options, or what to expect. Surprisingly, that was something this orphanage was very serious about. It was for a good reason. These youths were young and their choice was theirs. Without parents, someone had to shape their lives, yet they were still given a final word for their fate. It was almost surprising.

Well, a baby could not really choose, could it?

So, what about older kids?

William tapped his Emblem, clicking it twice and hearing nothing but the generic clicks. “Why so nervous?” He asked himself.

Talent. According to him, Walkers have no obvious relations to some bloodline or where they could be born, or to whom. They could be born anywhere, and their rules of Emblems were the same chaotic nonsense across all of them.

They couldn't manifest Emblem's magical properties before they were ready. He also heard some nonsense about efficiency, affinity, and what appeared to be some sort of examinations. Miss Anderson said those would fuel his choice because he could no longer play his games and remain stubborn by refusing all offers or invitations to some organizations.

To this day, William wasn't sure what she meant. He was trying his best Outside. That was it.

At his age, with an Emblem of unknown quality and affinity, the unknowns left a sour taste in his mouth, so he never moved out.

The bad taste was closing on the upcoming choice. What organization should he choose, or what to do if someone approached him once more? He would feel awkward because of his prior refusals. Still, some places did not reach out to him. It was widely known that Emblem Academy was impossible to approach. They wouldn't approach anyone Outside. They were haughty and mysterious.

He didn't like how privileged it sounded. Humanity and such Walker organizations should help at the best of their capacity. Why make choices or even refuse some of them?

William was unaware and ignorant of the truth. There were differences and recruitment appeased the leadership. It was important to put resources where they should belong. It was true for camps, Outside, Federation, and Walkers.

He grew up away from proper cultures and seeped Outside into his body, so it was no wonder his ignorance was apparent. Dann didn't help with that either, although he tried.

The world already gave him his bloody Emblem, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth. Putting on his worn-down shoes, he washed his face in a basin of water and walked to the first floor of this multi-floor orphanage, which had many rooms.

William learned it was a collection work of many people, and even some Walkers, and that this camp stood at its place for more than a decade. It had big facilities and farms, so William believed it could keep going, even if it was kind of rare at present age.

For a camp to last this long, it must be quite important and protected.

His room was on the fifth floor, looking kind of formidable from the outside. The building inside was like that as well, but the quality and appearance were great, firm, and surprisingly neat. It had many sturdy and old pillars for stability, with simple floor plans and rooms. It was one of the better buildings that William could remember, and it shocked him they got him his own room.

Named Orphanage of Hope, this place was an organization that was taking care of many children all over the northern regions, and even some parts of the former USA. There were more buildings like this in the south of this camp, while many other camps had smaller-scale orphanages.

It would be best to take children to a single safe place, far from the dangers, but it was problematic due to economics and struggles Outside. This organization didn't care if one was an upcoming Walker or not. They cared for anyone equally at the base belief, which was commendable. Of course, Walkers had additional care because of support from the Federation, and few would blame such a practice.

On the first floor, Dann was already leaning on a wall, trying to talk cheerfully to an older-looking lady in a long dark dress. With a chill expression on her face that seemed to abide an eternal frown, she was emitting quite a fearful expression. She didn't like Dann, or she was looking like that all the time—trying to murder with an icy look.