Crunch

In the bustling cafeteria, one of the students asked, "Do you think they'll grow new variations?"

"Doubt it. They say this has been the menu for several generations." Another responded, disgust embedded in his voice.

Noland's heavy tray clanked noisily as he set it on the grey metallic table. He grimaced too, but truthfully, it was better than what he received outside of the academy.

Sectioned off into three portions on the tray sat a pile of ground meat, seasoned with nothing but salt. A handful of bland, a pill, overcooked vegetables, and a roach the size of a fist.

Everyone's reaction was pretty much the same. Their eyes were drawn to the roach. Some tensed, others refused to touch it, and a few were gagging- some vomiting outright.

"Clean up your mess!" An unsympathetic voice would ring out from the line cooks.

"They're acting like it's the grossest thing ever," A flat, emotionless voice stated.

Noland's gaze shifted upward, drawn to a raven-haired girl taking a seat across from him. Her hair was tied up in a ponytail- a practical style if one's hair was too long- but she had tired eyes. There was no smile or energy in her expressions, despite being quite beautiful.

Without hesitation, the first thing she reached for was the roach, biting its head off with pearly white teeth- a rare sight in this city. She munched on it as if it was an ordinary snack, green goo dribbling from her lips, which she quickly wiped away.

'At least she has manners...' he thought sarcastically.

"You've seen who represents the other three districts," Noland grunted, going for the ground meat first. It didn't taste awful, but it wasn't amazing either. Just bland. Glancing up, curiosity crept into his tone.

"Why did you choose to sit here?"

He didn't feel the need to gesture around the cafeteria or anything. A fairly wide birth surrounded them. Eyes drifted toward them with disdain- or mainly this lady munching on the roach like a snack with disgust.

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It was almost funny to watch some of them fixated on this girl casually munching on the roach.

"I like what you said." She said casually, taking another bite of its core section. Her emotionless eyes bore holes into him as she chewed, unfazed. "I'm Jade. Rank 87."

"One of the few," Noland said dismissively, going for the vegetables next. "Why?"

Jade's gaze shifted to his tray, lingering on the untouched roach before back up to him. "Because of the way I was raised. Most people who enter this academy come from the mid or upper levels of the city."

Noland paused mid-bite, returning her stare. He felt a little uneasy though, meeting those emotionless eyes. Something unsettling.

"They don't know suffering like we do."

No response was given to her as he slowly resumed chewing his food. She lumped him in with her, and Noland didn't know how to feel about that. He didn't know her circumstances, but for now, he let it go.

"Does anyone bother asking where this meat comes from?" A puzzling voice from a different table caught Noland's attention. "It's not like we have livestock."

A soft, feminine voice responded with an unsettled tone. "Apparently, they grow it in vats... but the process is so toxic the outflow created the toxic fields surrounding and weaving through the slums."

"Is it really safe to eat then?" Asked another voice, punctuated with a soft clink of his utensil. Another responded, "If it wasn't, we'd all be dead."

A sharp whistle cut through the noise from the entrance.

Fenrik bellowed across the cafeteria in a commanding, sharp tone.

"Do not forget to take your standard issue pill! The Undercity is toxic, and sickness is common and deadly! We will know if you refuse- because we will find you writhing in your bed, sick!"

"Heh, you'll get sick." Jade teased, smirking at Noland.

He scowled as he started eating the roach. Crunchy exterior, soft and gooey on the inside- almost like a paste. It took a minute to finish, but he got through it, shivering at the end.

Eating bugs wasn't uncommon, but it wasn't enjoyable either. He never got used to it.

'Will I have any taste left by the time I'm old?' Noland wondered to himself before taking the pill and swallowing it in one go with some purified water.

----------------------

The door to his dormitory room slowly creaked opened. Barren, and encased in cold metal with a single window letting in dim, fading light.

The luxury of being ranked one. Though... perhaps it wasn't a luxury. Maybe having a roommate would've been better.

Sighing with exhaustion, Noland threw himself onto a stiff mattress with a wire frame groaning beneath. It had a few blankets folded at the end and a single pillow stacked on top.

They would receive an initial sum of money to help start them off tomorrow. After that, a small allowance until they graduated.

After that?

It was purely performance based. How many criminals did you arrest? How many crimes have you stopped?

Noland rubbed his eyes tiredly, staring out the window, watching as the light dimmed with every passing minute.

"Training begins tomorrow, huh..."