"Sanj!" called out Cloudy.

Startled, Sanj turned around to see the blue-eyed boy standing at the doorstep.

"Yes?" he replied, getting up.

"Amarind told me there's an orientation dinner," Cloudy stated. As if he felt Sanj didn't understand his urgency, he added, "It's mandatory."

Sanj sighed and glanced at his watch.

"Alright, let's go."

After getting ready, Cloudy and Sanj met up outside their rooms. Sanj wore a fancy shirt and tie, while Cloudy donned a modest sweater and slacks. They didn't see Amarind in the common area, so they went ahead without her.

Once they reached the assembly hall, the two boys wandered through the crowd, looking for the food.

Cloudy exclaimed suddenly, "There's the buffet!"

Albeit a bit taken back, Sanj chuckled at his enthusiasm. Cloudy promptly grabbed a plate and filled it up with various foods.

"Do you even know what you got?" Sanj asked. He couldn't identify even half of the plethora of cuisines on Cloudy's plate.

"Nope!" laughed the other boy as he spooned some colorful rice into his mouth.

Sanj smiled. Perhaps this whole ordeal wouldn't be as bad as he had thought. He had made something of a friend, and that was already a massive deviation from his past lonely life. A small hope fluttered within his heart as he felt that maybe, just maybe, he could measure up to his brother's shadow.

"Sanj, aren't you getting anything?" Cloudy asked. Sanj nodded, taking a plate of paella in his right hand and a glass of juice in his left. The two proceeded to an empty table furnished with a silky white tablecloth.

There was already an array of cutlery at each seat.

Sanj picked up the proper utensils easily, while Cloudy struggled in his selection, evidently not used to such a fancy setup.

Suddenly, there was an announcement.

"Everyone, please settle down and direct your attention to the stage!" a loud voice thundered.

The room quickly went silent. On the stage, two young men stood near the microphone, talking amongst themselves.

"Hello, cadets! I'm Titus Paalan, and this is my co-commander, Jolrich Enriquez," said the shorter, dark-skinned man. The taller one, Jolrich, had blazing red hair and piercing blue eyes which seemed like they could penetrate your soul.

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Sanj's heart nearly skipped a beat at the sheer shock of seeing the man. There he was. His brother, in the flesh.

Meeting his brother again had been Sanj's main motivation for applying to the Space Military. He knew there was a slim chance of seeing Jolrich, or even accomplishing anything, but he wanted to make his brother proud for once.

"We'd like to extend our warmest welcome to you all as thanks for joining the program."

Sanj internally groaned. For many, their selection hadn't been a choice. He was lucky enough to choose his path by coming to the SMB, but various government mandates had forced other people into this dangerous path.

"Hopefully you are satisfied with our services so far. Soon you'll be able to explore the facility's gym, flight simulators, and recreation areas, too."

Cloudy seemed to visibly perk up at that. He turned to Sanj and whispered, "We are totally going to check those out later."

Sanj allowed himself to smile at the thought. He wasn't alone anymore.

"That's all for now. You can disperse for the night. Rest well, because your training starts early tomorrow morning," concluded Jolrich. Sanj made a mental note to start referring to him as Commander Enriquez. The title had a nice ring to it, especially considering the hard work he must have done to get it.

Sanj and Cloudy rose from their places, following the swarm of people exiting the assembly hall.

"Wait, don't we have to put these dishes somewhere?" asked Cloudy.

Sanj shrugged, "Nah, just leave them. Everyone else is doing that too."

Cloudy scrunched his nose a bit, annoyed that he couldn't do anything to help the staff who were struggling to get all the plates into the kitchen.

"Let's go, it's already pretty late. Plus, we have training tomorrow," Sanj added.

Cloudy sighed. Sanj was right, he had to wake up on time, which would be difficult for a heavy sleeper like himself.

As the two boys left the hall, they caught a glimpse of Amarind, who appeared to be talking to a senior officer. The officer had the same dark, silky hair that she did, except it was in a short bob, a stark contrast to Amarind's long locks.

Cloudy was about to question it, but one sharp glare from Sanj was enough for his curiosity to simmer down.

Once they reached their dorm, Cloudy sat on the common room couch, visibly stuffed from all the food. He pulled a small photograph out of his pocket, staring at it longingly.

"This is my dad and I at the oasis. Isn't it a cute picture?" Cloudy asked.

Sanj looked at the photo. It seemed fairly recent despite the noticeable folds. Cloudy stood next to an older Asian man with jet-black hair and a pair of rectangular glasses, both grinning widely.

"Yeah," was all Sanj could say. He pondered for a moment, trying to find words to make the conversation less awkward. They both knew they wouldn't see their families for a long time. Seeing them wasn't a matter of 'when' at this point, but a matter of 'if.'

"He's a scientist here. I can introduce you some time if you want," said Cloudy, seeming to notice Sanj's discomfort. Sanj's eyes widened. Wasn't this friendship going a little too fast? He had barely known Cloudy for a day. Sanj decided to write it off as his overfamiliar and friendly nature. It was better than having no one to talk to.

"Thanks, man," Sanj smiled, more genuinely than he usually did. "We should probably get to sleep now, though."

"Oh yeah, you're right! Good night then," Cloudy exclaimed.

"Good night," Sanj replied, departing to his room. He changed into a set of pajamas before face-planting onto the bed. It was not as good as his old room, but it wasn't too much of a downgrade.

As he lay in bed, he could only dream of what was to come.