"Good morning, Frendok!" The host for the morning radio broadcast in town greets me right at seven o'clock, as he does most mornings. "It's a sunny morning we have here, though clouds will be moving in all morning, and it's looking like a strong chance of thunderstorms."
I climb out of bed and walk into the kitchen. The student apartments are fairly simple. When we enter them, we're in the kitchen, and past that is the bedroom, with a bathroom on the side of the kitchen, though entered from the bedroom. It's small, but cozy. The bedroom is large enough to fit the bed and wardrobe on one wall, a TV on a small entertainment table on the other, and a small, square table in the middle.
More space than that isn't really needed. If we need to do laundry, there's a laundry room on the first floor and a pretty hefty punishment for messing with someone else's clothes without good cause. There's also a cafeteria for students as well, though they encourage us to cook our own food after a certain age.
All part of trying to make sure we're ready to actually take care of ourselves once we age out of the student dorms.
After fixing myself bacon and eggs and a glass of orange juice, I eat, then wash the dishes, dry off my hands, and check my student phone. It's twenty after seven now, which means it's time for the gossip and chatter to start.
The phone is standard-issue, every student's issued one to ensure we're reachable or able to contact the school if something happens. From what I know, it's another change from before the World Revolt. There were definitely some good things which came from it.
Even though I skip nearly every day of school, I still check the group chat. Every class has one, monitored by the teachers and restricted in such a way that only students can get in without rules being broken and punishments dished out. However, the chat doesn't show who's online unless the user is a teacher, only displaying names with the messages sent to students.
Because of that, my classmates have no idea I'm in the chat. I've never sent a message, so my name's never appeared in the chat. The teachers can tell I'm there if they look, though, since it probably tells them I'm online.
As expected, when I check my phone, the chatter's begun. It's the time for them to start guessing on if I'm going to show up or skip again today.
[i thnk Nicks skiping 2day]
[bets on him coming here]
[as if, weve only a month left be4 graduation, hes skipping]
[ya he's skiping]
[we prolly wont see him again]
Right on time, they're speculating about my possible attendance. They're so predictable, and apparently have nothing better to do at 7:20 in the morning on a school day. I set my phone down and pick out my outfit for today. Black jeans, underwear, and socks, along with a black tee. Simple, but effective. Combined with the black combat boots and the black jacket, and people will leave me alone.
Dressed for the day, I pick up my phone and check the comments. After reading a few messages, I go back up to find the start of that line of conversation.
[did u here? we hav nu studint]
[ya herd he waz Sigil-Bearer]
Ian told me he looked into the Sigil-Bearer I saw and that there was no connection between him and the Klen. Did this Sigil-Bearer move into this town to attend our school, then? A month before we graduate? If so, that's strange.
Well, it wouldn't be if he wanted the attention being a Sigil-Bearer creates. After all, a small town like this? There's only one Sigil-Bearer living here and one that disappeared, plus the one who killed my parents and is no longer around.
A Sigil-Bearer living here would create far more attention here than in a place like New York City. There, they're worshiped and revered, but in a small town like here, that worship would soar to an entirely new level, provided the town isn't one that hates Sigil-Bearers.
There are a few which even kill children born with Sigil.
With the way he acted at the convenience store yesterday, however, it doesn't seem like he's here for the attention and worship. He acted like a normal person. Ian also mentioned he's been here for a week – he moved here right after turning eighteen. Despite that, he hasn't begun attending classes yet, though it seems he's starting today.
Scrolling through the messages in the chat, I see a few classmates speculate about him more, and one claims that she knows someone from New York City, where she claims he's supposedly from. She says that he really is a Sigil-Bearer, with his Sigil on his right breast with the lower-left portion of it about half an inch from his nipple. Lower-left when facing him, I'm assuming.
It's possible she's lying about knowing where he's from, as whens he's asked what his ability is, she claims her friend doesn't know.
According to Ian, the guy's ability isn't on any record, but it is recorded that he's a Sigil-Bearer. Maybe I should I have asked for a more detailed report on him? I only really get updates on known Sigil-Bearers when they cause problems or are potential dangers, as those are the ones that Ian tracks. While he knew about this one, he didn't know the guy had moved until he looked into him for me.
Curiosity piqued, I turn off my radio as it advises everyone avoid the ruins today due to a training exercise by Federation Sigil-Bearers, then grab my school bag and sling it over my shoulder before setting off. The Federation wouldn't bother telling me to stay out, though I know the real reason they're telling everyone to avoid the ruins is because of the Goddess of Chaos.
Ian texted me a little before I went to bed last night informing me she was on her way in to deal with Mr. Sonic.
Ali will be fine on her own as well, so I'm going to check out the new kid. I mean, I already checked him out yesterday, while we were at the convenience store, but I'm still going to check him out today, just in a different way. Just by attending class, I might overhear the reason he's moved to town. That is, if he's here to attend school with us, as rumors claim.
If so, then I might learn why he came here right after he turned eighteen rather than waiting another month to graduate high school first.
It only takes five minutes to reach the school from the dorms, and that's not by coincidence. Both were constructed after the World Revolt, as were the middle school and elementary schools. They were built with the idea of the population increasing over time, too, so they're actually much larger than needed at the moment.
The old nearby elementary and middle school was still usable after the disasters, and is currently in use as a community rec place until an actual one can be built. Before we switched to the three buildings, however, it housed all of the students, since our population was low enough for that. Barely, since it was intended for preschool through eighth grade before the World Revolt and the student population was much larger then. Adding an extra four grades, with all fourteen smaller, didn't make too much of a difference.
The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.
What really amazes me is the construction effort. How many millions of dollars did it cost to construct the schools and the student dorms? They managed it all in a few years, and everyone's still recovering. I don't think the Federation paid for any of this, either, since we don't have a standard income, which is normal in places the Federation's helping to rebuild instead of just sending some supplies to regularly.
Strangely, no one really questions where the money comes from, which is something I've always thought was strange. Why don't people ask questions like that? Or is everyone ignoring the mystery because of how strange it is?
Regardless of where the money came from, the school's actually rather nice.
The doors slide open as I approach, students around me giving me confused, curious, or annoyed looks. I ignore them as I make my way to my first-period class, then I walk to the back in the corner opposite the window and take my seat, dropping my bag on the ground.
I didn't actually pick this seat, it's just where I was assigned during the last seating arrangement. The only reason I'm in the back is because of how rarely I'm here – better to stick me in the back to free up a closer seat for a student who needs to pay attention.
I'd prefer to sit by the window, the school has a decent garden on that side, and it's nice to look at. However, I'm here rare enough that it doesn't really matter. If I want to look at nature's beauty, I'll just skip and go to the ruins.
But I'm here with a purpose other than sating my curiosity and not getting scolded by the staff. They'll pass me anyway, just to move me on. Part of it does come out of pity for what happened when I was four, but most of it's because they don't see a point in holding me back, even though I don't do the work unless I actually attend the class, and even then, I score mediocre.
Which is probably part of why my classmates are annoyed by me. I can slack off all I want and get away with it. Little do they know that there's a reason for that beyond just 'poor kid, he survived the first incident where a Sigil-Bearer killed someone, even if it was accidental, and his parents died during it, too'. Yeah, as if that would get me a pass when it happened when I was only four and I'm eighteen now.
The truth? The staff just don't want to deal with me anymore than I want to deal with them, and in the recovery from the World Revolt, there's not that much emphasis on school. So while most youth still attend it, at least here, they grade me based on when I'm here, rather than on all of the assignments and work from when I'm not.
Therefore, they pass me despite my constant absenteeism. Honestly, I could just drop out entirely, it's not like I need to continue my 'education'. I already have my own job, even if the pay varies week to week. It's still more than decent, and I'll never hurt for money for the rest of the time I actually need it in this world.
The rest of my classmates file in. Some of them will go to college, some of them will start internships, others will get jobs immediately, and a few will probably take a break. Some are already working part-time at a store or restaurant here in town, too.
There are even a couple of students in the school, not necessarily in my class, who hope they can be a rare normie that catches the interest of a Sigil-Bearer. They'll probably move into a big city and wander the areas known to be frequented by the Sigil-Bearers there.
Or try to hit on the new kid, especially if he confirms he's a Sigil-Bearer.
Our teacher shows up right before the bell rings, and once it does, he performs roll-call. Before the World Revolt, they also did a Pledge of Allegiance first thing in the morning, but since the collapse of governments, that's no longer performed. Just another of the many, but minor, changes in how things work now.
"Alright, students," the teacher says after finishing roll-call. "As you've all heard, we have a new student today. I know there are some rumors going around, even if the spelling and grammar used to do so was terrifying, but as of now, there is no confirmation if they're true or not. Please do not-"
His speech is interrupted by the classroom door opening. The hot Sigil-Bearer from yesterday enters the classroom, dressed in black jeans and a black, short-sleeved button-up over a dark blue tee, a bright smile on his face, eyes full of light.
Just as hot as when I saw him yesterday, and it's obvious my classmates agree that he's probably a Sigil-Bearer and incredibly sexy, even for one.
"Hello!" He greets our teacher. "My name's Tanner, I'm supposed to start in this class today."
"Yes," the teacher says. "Welcome to our school, Tanner. I know the others are going to want to ask some questions, would you be willing to answer them at the end of class?"
"Sure," Tanner answers. "I'm sure it's not every day you get a new student here, so questions are natural."
He's acting as if he doesn't know about the rumors, which he probably doesn't, but there's still a good chance he does and is just pretending that he doesn't. Whether or not he's arrogant, but just hides it, that's another matter. Thankfully, he didn't show any arrogance.
I'd probably get rid of him first chance I got.
"You can sit in the seat beside Nick," our teacher tells Tanner. "It's the young man in the back corner."
"Cool," Tanner says, then approaches and takes the seat next to me. "Nice to see you again, Nick."
Figures he'd noticed me at the store, and unfortunately, that comment's put eyes on me. Thankfully, the teacher draws attention away from it by starting the lesson. I doodle during it, and ten minutes until the end of class, the teacher tells us that he's giving us time to talk among ourselves.
"So," the girl immediately in front of Tanner turns around. "You've seen Nick before? When? Where? Did he ignore you as much as he's ignoring you now?"
"Is it really that big of a deal?" Tanner asks, and from the corner of my eye, I see him look over at my doodles, which I'm continuing.
Though I'm listening, I'm pretending like I'm not.
"Uh, yeah," the boy in front of me tells him. "This is the first time Nick's even been in school in a few weeks. He's moody, irritable, and-"
"He mostly just looks bored, maybe a little amused," Tanner says.
"Oh, really?" The guy asks. "Trust me, he's-"
"I mean, he just doodled a rabbit that's eating ice cream while surfing, it's hard to picture someone who does that as the moody and irritable guy you're claiming he is."
The classmates who started to gather around us all turn to look at my drawing. I start working on a second rabbit while pretending to have not noticed. No bunny shall surf alone.
My classmates ask Tanner a few more questions after deciding to not discuss my choice of art. He declines answering why he moved here, but when someone asks if it's true he's a Sigil-Bearer, he confirms it.
"Really?" Someone asks. "Where's your Sigil?"
"Right here," Tanner grabs the collar of his tee and pulls it down and to the right, showing his pale skin and exposing down almost to his nipple, revealing the Sigil.
What a Sigil looks like isn't agreed upon for one simple reason: it looks different from person to person. Sure some people do see the same thing – I know of three others who see what I see – but there's no set thing that everyone sees. To me, it looks like four dragons flying around a sphere in two rings, entirely black in color. But as I said, I know of only three others who see that.
Because of the unique nature of the Sigils, they're impossible to fake. However, there's something even more quirky about them than that.
This property remains when viewed through photos and videos. If it's drawn, it's whatever's drawn, but in a picture someone took? Everyone will still see what they see for a Sigil. If it's shown on TV? Everyone will still see what they see for a Sigil.
It's a curious property, and there are entire institutions devoted to studying them and attempting to figure out their secrets.
What catches my attention more than the Sigil, though, is how he showed it. If he were arrogant or stuck-up, he'd have definitely lifted up his shirt to show it, to show off his body a little more. Instead, he's showing the minimal skin for this, not revealing his no-doubt extremely sexy torso at all.
That's at least a relief.
"What can you do? What's your power?"
Right, of course everyone would want to know that.
"I don't advertise it," Tanner answers. "I've never told anyone."
That sparks a series of questions from classmates who want to know, but Tanner remains firm, but polite, in telling them that he's not going to tell them. It does answer why Ian couldn't find out what Tanner's ability is through looking into the records.
It's either something Tanner has hidden well, or it's something that doesn't have a physical or visual trait and is thus easily missed.
My question still remains, though. He's not Klen, so why did he decide to move here? I really want to know this, especially since I've learned that he's not here for the attention, either.