Silence filled the room as we processed the weight of Twilight Aster's words.

This had been a fluke, a one-in-a-million chance for us to live and breathe. For our families, for our friends and neighbors, it was another story.

"Y-you mean..." Screen Dream gasped, her eyes widening in horror. "They're dead?"

Twilight Aster nodded. "Those we could confirm, at least. There were twenty-seven survivors between the ages of fourteen to sixteen out of the entire cohort in Kaleidoscope City. The other half chose not to come to Kaleidoscope Academy for one reason or another."

The girl with the feathered hat clapped her hands to her mouth in a stifled sob. "That's... that's horrible," she whispered. "I wanted to come here on a track for supply engineering, but I definitely wanted to be a knight when I was a kid."

"Wanted to?" Frostburn muttered, scoffing. "We're in the deep end now, so don't tell me you suddenly don't want to?"

The girl with the feathered hat frowned. "Do you have any idea how I feel right now? Of course, I wanted to be a Knight! I'd been dreaming about it for so long. And now... now that I'm here, the situation is so fucked up!"

She sighed, "I... my best friend and older sister figure has been a cadet for years. She doesn't know I was contracted, of course. She just thought I was brought in through the wait list for my natural talents and work ethic. But every time we'd hang out, she'd tell me all these stories about heroics, duty, and honor. I'm honestly nothing next to her and I see why they picked her and passed up on me. So even if I don't have the title, I wanted to do my part."

She closed her eyes, sinking back into her seat. "But now, I feel like a fraud."

"You mustn't feel like a fraud," Twilight Aster admonished. "You are here for a reason, Magical Girl Forest Willow. Each of you survived a much more arduous ordeal than any knight cadet who went through the typical beaten path. And there is something I must stress. All of you are likely at higher levels than the cadets who'd undergone the Knights Selection and training process in pre-adolescence. Even those of you who have not unlocked a partial shift."

Forest Willow sniffled, smiling slightly. "Er, just one thing though. My name isn't technically 'Forest Willow'. It's still to be determined, but I picked the name 'Forest Willow' as a temporary name coming in here. 'Maggie Hunter' wasn't exactly unique or inspired, after all. Please call me 'Willow' for now though. It sounds cute and catchy."

"Aw, I hear that, 'Screen Dream' was also kinda lame," Screen Dream snickered. "But it sounds great, Willow! It suits you."

"Fuh," Frostburn snorted. "As if anyone who actually wants to do the job would have a problem with their codename."

"Oh no, Frostburn's personality is exactly on point," I heard another kid whisper behind us.

"You can say that again,"

"Miss Aster, what else should we expect from this Knighthood?" a girl with golden hair, green eyes, a white dress, and a glowing halo on top of her head asked, her voice wavering.

Twilight Aster fixed her with a look of sympathy, nodding. "Just as we were unprepared for the Cataclysm, we are unprepared for everything that will come after. The Knighthood, the Guardians, and the system we have inherited had its fair share of successes and failures, and we must not overlook either. But in the immediate future, I am afraid there will be more strife, more upheaval and instability until things stabilize and the Guardians find a means to deal with the threats we face. Moreover..."

Twilight Aster briefly made eye contact with me before turning back to the angelic girl. "The local kingpin Red Masque went missing during the Cataclysm and has left a power vacuum in the city's criminal underworld which is rearing its head. There is also the current threat of the Vicious Alliance... So even though our interests are technically aligned, we might be called up to stop the various supervillains across the city from doing more damage than necessary."

She shook her head and sighed. "But, as I was saying, we will need to remain vigilant and dedicated, even in the face of mounting dangers and pressure. I imagine that your early induction into Knighthood, lack of traditional training and development of your powers, and unfamiliarity with your teammates will be difficult for some of you. But with some determination, grit, and skill, I am sure you can all become proud and respected knights in your own right."

Frostburn grimaced, crossing his arms over his chest. "We'll see about that."

"Yo, the fuck is your problem?" the pale boy with the long, spiky black hair and silver piercings hissed from the other side of the room. "Seriously, you've done nothing but be a douche since we walked in here. What's up?"

Frostburn breathed deeply, shrugging as he stood up. "To be a Knight is to willingly sign up for a lifetime of absolute bullshit that's only fun until it isn't. And now that we have a baby duckling-level emergency contract class for this semester, I guess we can wipe the slate clean and start from scratch. God knows I've see what the job can do to someone."

"You got something to share with the class there, then?" the girl with red hair and Roman style dress whispered, cocking her head to the side.

"Yeah. Let's just say I've got some family history," Frostburn snarled, turning his back on us and leaning against the wall. "And it ain't exactly the hearts and rainbows as they make it look in the Arcadia Vox anime. But fuck it. I'm here, and I'll give it my best shot."

Twilight Aster shook her head. "You don't have to be happy or excited to be a knight, Frostburn. But you did show up today, didn't you? Welcome to the Academy."

There was a faint smattering of applause through the room, and Frostburn chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah. Actions speak louder than words and all that, huh?" He leaned back against the wall and put his hands on his hips. "I just want to be clear that this isn't my first choice. And before I saw what it did to someone I care about a lot, I was pretty gung-ho about the prospect as a kid. Just saying that it's not what everyone thinks it is. Especially with all the shit that's been going on."

Twilight Aster gave him a sad smile. "I can appreciate that. When things don't work out as planned, it's good to be honest and practical about the options we have."

"Ah," Frostburn breathed, "Isn't that the truth."

I turned to the girl next to me.

"So, Screen Dream huh? That's a really interesting name," I said, nodding slowly. "Pleased to meet you. I'm er, Lux, as you might have figured before Frostbite there decided to call me out."

She smiled, her purple eyes lighting up in amusement. "Screen Dream it is for now. And it's nice to meet you too. Don't worry about him. He's a real pain in the ass but I think he's just coping in his own way. Like the rest of us."

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Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper as she glanced over at Frostburn. "Honestly, I've dealt with more than my fair share of troublemakers and jerks back at home, so this is the norm for me. It's almost a routine now."

"Tell me about it. I'm a hood girl through and through," I laughed. "I can definitely relate. It's hard to judge someone for who they are and how they cope when we've had to go through what we've gone through."

"Oh, you can't judge me," Screen Dream grinned. "I was an honor student who gave up the dream of a normal life to save a bus full of preschoolers from some wolf monsters. Squeaky clean, vanilla, and straight edge until... well, whatever that shitshow was. What's your excuse?"

I shrugged. "My excuse was surviving. And, well... to make sure my childhood best friend made it through okay. He got bit by a zombie."

"Bitten... by a zombie?" she breathed, raising her eyebrows. "Shit. Yeah, that sounds like a lot."

"It was," I murmured, feeling the memories come flooding back. "It's been a lot."

We sat in silence for a moment before Twilight Aster continued her speech. "We will have a personal curriculum outlined for each of you for the remainder of the term," she explained. "You will continue on your core study concentrations, but certain afternoon courses will be swapped with magical control and combat tactics. Like all of you, I am a student here, but in the junior college. Upon the end of your core programs, you will also have the option of continuing your education here, or in a fast track to Kaleidoscope University."

She pulled up a presentation on a projector, clicking through a series of slides that showed diagrams of combat strategies, aerial fighting, and a glossary of Magical Knight sub-types and common abilities.

I took it all in with a mix of awe and shock.

It wasn't exactly news to me that there was a second branch to Kaleidoscope Academy, but I wasn't familiar with the curriculum or graduation requirements. Of course, was an open secret that the greatest Magical Knights in the world went through a stint at Kaleidoscope, but the details weren't typically shared with a public.

"I don't want to overwhelm you with information," Twilight Aster warned. "But it is important that you all understand your potential and capabilities as magical knights. I have prepared each of you with a personal, customized secure device that you can use to access your specific learning plan and assignments."

She reached underneath the desk at the front of the room and pulled out a basket full of phone-sized fancy-looking devices. "Since the cataclysm, the Guardians have had to mobilize and divert resources to more immediate priorities. Fortunately, we have a dedicated support staff and funding that ensure we are equipped with everything we need to bring out the best in each of you and prepare you for your Knighthood."

Twilight Aster walked up to each of us and handed us a device. "These are to be used discreetly and securely. Please do not lose them or share them with anyone. They contain all your class schedules, video tutorials, and links to other resources you may need to access. In spite of the... logistical challenges, high command has managed to push through a new generation of cutting-edge tech for your cohort."

There was a smattering of amusement and surprise around the room. "Wait, these things are new?" a boy with platinum-blond hair, a bowler hat, and a cane mused, raising his eyebrows. "Looks like each of them has been custom-tailored to our themes and outfits. Very thoughtful, I must say."

He was right. Our devices were designed with little flourishes and touches that fit in with our own style and sense of fashion.

As I clutched the ergonomic handheld device, I couldn't help but smile at the splash of orange and red, with a little cat outline and a tiny star near the bottom. A small "HL" was scrawled on the back, and I knew it was meant for me.

But there was also a small, intricate picture of a name across the back, inscribed in black lettering with a lion beneath what looked like a 4-point sun over it.

"Babylon...?" I read out loud.

"Ah, yes. The Guardians have recruited an independent company called Babylon to provide us with a new intranet and communication tool for Magical Knights," Twilight Aster explained. "Named after the great lawgiver and reformer of Mesopotamia, the Hammurabi Nexus is currently under development and should be fully integrated into the Academy system in the next few weeks. The Nexus will serve as a centralized network of communication and repository of intelligence and knowledge that all knights will have access to."

"That sounds very promising," the angelic girl beamed. "Having a centralized database of resources and information will save us so much time and effort. My concern was never learning how to fight, but accessing reliable sources and training materials."

I nodded, glancing at my own device and exploring its layout and features. "I'm sure it's going to be helpful."

"High Command has reportedly been working on a project similar to the Nexus for a long time," Twilight Aster mused. "With the urgency of the current situation, they had to rush it to completion. But I am confident they have put a lot of thought and energy into the design."

The rest of the lecture flew by as I contemplated the information overload and tried to process everything that had just happened. Twilight Aster briefly went over a mixer planned with the other knights in our year planned for later in the week, as well as a group training session we would be attending tomorrow.

We gathered our belongings and headed out of the lecture hall, whispering and murmuring to each other as we did so.

The girl with the long, flowing red hair and Roman-style white dress tilted her head towards me. "I suppose I don't want to be rude, but what city did you come from before Kaleidoscope Academy, Harmonia Lux?"

"Oh. I'm sorry," I replied, rubbing the back of my head. "Uh, it's a bit out of the way but I guess it's still in the greater metropolitan area. Pewterstone?"

Her eyes widened, and she nodded. "Isn't that where....?

My heart panged at the thought of my mother, and I breathed sharply. "Yup. Same place that's been making national headlines. International, even. Who would've thought? And yeah, it was one of the hardest-hit cities in the northeast during the Cataclysm."

"Was it really that bad? I heard it was difficult, but it sounds like it was particularly gruesome there."

I paused, a shiver running down my spine. "I was already in Kaleidoscope City by then for regular admissions here, but I heard the stories. It was an all-out bloodbath. A million lives lost. It was a nightmare."

"They also say that Nightingale Eclipse was involved in the fighting there," the boy with the bowler hat chimed in. "Of course I'm still waiting on a confirmation that it's actually her. Could've just been a committed copycat."

He just had to say it, didn't he?

I was barely holding it together as it was, but at the mention of Nightingale Eclipse's name, my eyes welled up with tears, and I bit back a sob.

"Hey, you gonna be okay?" the girl in the Roman-style dress asked me, placing her hand on my shoulder. "Sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It's fine," I breathed, shaking my head and forcing myself to stop crying. "I just... thought about my childhood home, that's all."

"I can certainly relate," the boy with the bowler hat said with a sad smile. "I wish I could go home too, but at least the Guardians allowed me and my family to come down here and provided us housing. Our home kinda burned down during the incident and I had to relocate them here. Name's Ember Jazz, by the way."

The girl with the Roman-style dress approached me. "And I'm Nova Victoria," she said with a nod. "You can just call me Nova, though. Honestly, all of this is a bit overwhelming, but I'm glad I got chosen. I think I'd love it here. But, uh, my story is a bit depressing. Grew up in an orphanage that shut down right before the Cataclysm and didn't have any other family to speak of. Just woke up one day and poof! The streets were on fire and there was a big white dog outside, offering me a chance to save my 'brothers and sisters' in all but blood."

"Oh, that sounds awful," I replied, frowning. "I'm sorry you had to go through that."

She smiled. "Hey, we're here now, aren't we? And if I had the opportunity to help people, I'd do it in a heartbeat. Sometimes, a dark cloud becomes a silver lining. So let's embrace it and do our best to make a difference here."

The last few students trailed out behind us, and before long, we were all headed back to the changing rooms. Frostburn had a scowl on his face, but for once, he wasn't grumbling to himself. He was comfortably quiet, even. Screen Dream flashed me a smile, and I smiled back.

There was a strange sense of camaraderie and kinship among us, an inexplicable connection that only experience could forge.

I stepped back into the locker room labeled 'HL' and began to change back into my normal clothes. I could already feel a buzz of excitement in the air, as well as a sense of hope and purpose that seemed to flow through us all.

Despite the heaviness of the conversation and the despair that shrouded us, there was something very special about our little group, and it wasn't just because we were all survivors of the Cataclysm.

It was something more than that, and it radiated out of each and every one of us, filling us with a quiet resilience that would carry us through whatever lay ahead.

So while the news and revelations were grim, and our future was far from guaranteed, I couldn't help but feel a little bit grateful that I was a part of such a dedicated and driven group of peers.

Maybe, just maybe, we could actually make a difference in the world.