Serve the Republic today! Join and protect your freedom from the slavers!
Sebastian always saw that message on the advertisement screens on the monorail to school, always covering the concrete streets with their cold glow. Some days, there were advertisements, other days it was the truth. Always the same thing, over and over. The fact that people still fell for their scams was truly absurd to him.
The monorail jostled as it traveled high above the ground, cutting around the Citadels that lay downtown. Sebastian could only shake his head as he slid into the metal door he was standing next to. If only the Republic spent as much money on transportation as they did pretending they had good transportation. Using the train, the only form of official transportation across downtown Triumph, was never a fun experience. He’d already had to awkwardly apologize to several people for bumping into them one too many times. The only saving grace was that at least his stop wasn’t too far away.
“Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please,” began the synthetic train conductor, its voice smoothly cutting through the noise of the monorail. “The next stop is Three-Oak Station. Please make sure to mind the gap when stepping off the train. We hope you have a wonderful day. Long live the Republic!”
The cheerful yet indifferent tone of the announcer never wavered as it repeated the same message every time a stop came. The uncomfortable feeling the synthetic voice gave him was just another normal part of Sebastian’s commute, one that he’d gotten used to years ago. Putting away his POD into his bag, he slowly pushed through the crowd of people on the train, taking a step onto the train platform.
Chilly air hung around the platform as Sebastian made his way into the train station. As soon as he stepped inside, he quickly put his head down, trying to avoid drawing attention to himself. Rather, avoid drawing attention from a certain group of people, who seemed to be busy watching the news on the holo-screens to notice him.
Ignoring the holo-screens projected around the station, Sebastian slowly beelined towards the exit, using the relatively sparse crowd as a shield. But right when he was about to step out of the station, he heard a gruff voice to his left call out over the bustle of the crowd.
“Hey! You, in the Halcyon uniform.”
Sebastian heard the crowd to his left part as they realized who the speaker was, with only a few stopping but the rest moving to allow the speaker to move through, before continuing on with their day. He refused to look over to his left as he tried to push forward through the crowd near the exit, ignoring the odd looks he was getting from the crowd, who were mostly moving on with their day.
But right when he broke through the crowd, a hand reached out and grabbed his uniform. Sebastian knew who it was before he even turned around. It was the Seekers. The main reconnaissance force of the military, but also the main recruiters of the Armed Forces of the Republic. Their recruiting stations, placed strategically at the entrance of every major public building, were there to ensure anyone who wanted to enlist was able. Or in Sebastian’s opinion, to be cannon fodder on the “frontlines”, wherever that was.
Usually, though, they weren’t this heavy-handed with their approach. It would scare off too many people. So what changed?
“I’m not interested, sir,” Sebastian began, as he turned to walk away, trying to ignore them, but the man’s massive muscles and iron grip held him in place as he continued. “I have class. I’m running la-” He heard a snort behind him, before the man spun him around. The man, who looked unnaturally pale, was just a bit taller than Sebastian was, his round face adorning a smile that seemed too big to be genuine, especially with his man-bun making his face look bigger than it should have been. Behind him were three other men wearing matching black and crimson uniforms, all three of them bald. As the Seeker who grabbed him, who wore a golden-plate name tag with the name Leon inscribed, studied Sebastian, the three other men moved to corral him towards the recruitment center within the train station.
Once again, the crowd around them parted as he was dragged away. As Sebastian suspected, no one bothered to even say anything, even to the point that the occasional bystander thanked one of the bald men for their service, sending a congratulatory look towards Sebastian.
As they approached the center, Sebastian saw just how crammed it was with people. Everywhere he looked, there were students, mostly from the various academies near the station, talking with one of those crimson-cladded bald men. And, as expected, there were no other Halcyon Academy uniforms.
Sebastian stopped walking for a second, shaking his head, but Leon continued to drag him along as the other men stayed in step with him.
“So…” Leon started as one of his eyes glowed for a second, before returning to normal. “...Sebastian!” he finished, smiling even wider as he put an arm around Sebastian’s shoulder as they continued to walk. “I’ve seen you around this station for the last couple years. You really stand out, after all. Especially with a uniform like that! I know that your class doesn’t start for a while. You still have time. Lots of time. Let’s have a talk, shall we?” Leon’s smile now seemed… threatening, as if asking for Sebastian to try something. And he wasn’t stupid enough to try anything as well. The people around him wouldn’t do anything, especially because of the black uniforms and crimson insignia on their chest.
“Sir,” Sebastian’s eyes darted from side to side as he searched for anything that could get him out. “While I would love to join, I have other stuff I need to do. There’s no need to-”
“Yes, yes, but the enemies of the Republic will rise again! You have the opportunity to do your part, to stand with the glorious Crusaders!” The blonde man bragged, shaking Sebastian like a rag doll while the others cheered him on and patted him on the back. “I see talent in you! I think you’re fated to be something more. All these years in Halcyon Academy, a waste if the slavers return again! As a citizen of the Republic, will you allow your freedoms to be taken once more?”
Sebastian sighed. There was a reason why he always jogged away from the Recruitment Center every time he passed. While they were right in that there was glory and money to be earned, the glamorous picture they tried to paint was just too good to be true.
Anyone they recruited, such as the students mingling at the center, were almost never to be seen again. Or at least, they were never the same after their service. Sebastian’s father, for example, was one of those who did return. Because his father joined for some odd reason when he was born, Sebastian couldn’t remember what his father was like.
While he certainly cared for Sebastian, there was always a permanent aura around him. His father never brought up what happened in his service. Even when he asked, his father would just deflect or change the subject, before one day he… changed. That was all Sebastian needed to know about the military. They tried to hide it with their fancy language and their celebrity Crusaders, but by how his father seized up every time the Crusaders were brought up, he didn’t think so. All he needed was a second. His chest tightened. One second, a moment of hesitation, and he could break free. The exits were just a short sprint away.
“Look,” began Sebastian, “I’ll go with you guys. There’s no need for you to manhandle me like this. I can-”
“Ha! You’d run immediately!” Leon’s eyes grew larger, as the uncannily smile on his face only grew. “We can’t let someone of your talents rot away. There’s so much-”
“Stop.”
A smooth voice cut through, the word vibrating the air as it slid through. All of the men turned, looking in confusion. And in that moment of hesitation, Sebastian moved. He pulled his arm out of their grip, failing the first time, but ripping his arm out the second, as felt the compression of his chest grow, giving him a jolt of energy.
With this newfound power, he booked it, sprinting past people in his mad dash towards the exit. The Seekers, turning back and realizing that Sebastian was already too far, looked again to the voice that called out, angry at whoever interrupted their work.
There was nobody.
They all looked at each, flabbergasted. Leon shrugged, and they all turned back to the small gaggle of students already talking with their associates.
Sebastian didn’t look back as he ran through the exit, onto the streets. He ducked through alleys and around people as he ran towards the academy, thanking the fates that he was able to get out. Slowing to a stop, he took one final step, panting as he put his hands on his knees. Luckily, the train station was close to his school, so no one batted an eye watching a student sprint out of the train station.
As he gasped for another breath, the streets around him began to light up as the sun slowly rose. It was one of the rare days that the sun cut through the pollution, its red rays covering the citadels with its crimson glow.
He sat down on a nearby bench, catching his breath and taking a quick look at his wristband. He needed to be in class in a couple minutes, or else he would face another round of disciplinary action. The people around him would notice his uniform and report him. What was the point in going, though? There were kids that missed almost half of their classes, but they never faced as much as a detention.
Stupid Aetherites. The favoritism always left a bad taste in his mouth.
A sweet but sharp voice cut his thoughts off. “Sebastian, why are you still here? Class is going to begin in a couple of minutes. You know what Professor Li will say.”
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Sebastian looked up and grimaced as he saw who it was. It was Mara. The class president. The only person who always got on his nerves. All she would talk about was studying and preparing to work for a better Republic. Of course it was her.
She was also the only one that would call that old man “Professor Li” without the other professors around. As if he had any right to be called one.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll get there. Go on ahead,” He bent over, pretending to reach for his shoelaces. “Just give me a second.”
A few seconds passed as Sebastian waited for her to leave. But instead of leaving as Sebastian had hoped, she just stood there. Waiting for him? He looked up, expecting her to leave, but she was still there, her arms crossed. Her face was neutral, her blue eyes gazing at him sternly. Her brown hair glowed red in the sunrise, reminding him of a lion’s mane.
“You can go ahead,” Sebastian repeated, as he raised an eyebrow. Another awkward silence passed as he blankly looked at her. Why was she like this?
“I am not going anywhere until you get up,” she said, leaning towards him. “Professor Li has informed me, in no uncertain terms, that you need to start getting to class on time. He wanted me to make sure you did.”
“So he asked… you?” asked Sebastian, raising an eyebrow. “Why?”
“What do you mean, why?” She scoffed, turning away from him. “I’m the Class President. You know why I would care.”
“Oh, really?” He frowned, leaning forward. “That stupid reward matters that much to you?”
Even though no one said it, the Republic was slowly running out of qualified citizens, Aetherite or not, to take over their leadership when they died. Each generation, more and more academies struggled to produce.
Over the years, the Presidents slowly released program after program, designed to reward the smartest and boldest. To give a reason for students, teachers, and the average citizen to strive for stars.
And under the 80th President, the biggest, and final, program was introduced. Students who proved their mettle in leading their classes, then to leading their academies, were given the ultimate chance to do something more.
Each year, ten thousand students across the entire Republic would be selected to become that year’s Stars. These Stars were given almost unlimited funding and support for whatever they did, but that wasn’t new.
What was new was the final part of the reward.
For an Aetherite, they got a concoction of Aether-boosting elixirs and other supplements, boosting their powers like no other.
For an average human, though, they offered one, simple thing.
To become an Aetherite.
Mara shrugged dismissively, as their eyes met again. “As a matter of fact, yes, the “stupid” reward does.”
“So why do you care so much, then? You know how they treat people like us, even if you do get it. That’s even if those guys were even regular like us before-”
“It doesn’t matter!” She almost yelled, sounding like she was both disgusted and annoyed. Probably at him, but that was normal.
“Whatever,” Sebastian began, slowly standing up. “I don’t care about this school anyway. Might as well not deal with the crap missing it would give me” He patted the dust off his uniform as he stood eye level with Mara. Before she could continue her pestering, Sebastian moved past Mara and began walking towards class.
As he beelined towards Halcyon Academy, Sebastian’s mind wandered as more and more people began to fill the sidewalks. Maybe today it wouldn’t be so dreadful. Maybe they wouldn’t go over the history of the Republic again. Maybe they would do more “training”. That was the only fun part of the Academy. There was a sense of freedom to that.
He frowned. Speaking of freedom…
“...why are you walking behind me?”
Sebastian stopped, turning back to face Mara, who also stopped. Her face was back to the neutral one she always wore. “Why else? To make sure you do not run off like those delinquents a few weeks ago.”
“They were ‘delinquents’ because they didn’t agree with the Academy.”
She glared at him, as Sebastian turned to continue walking. She quickly caught up, blocking him from walking. “I will say this only one time, as a favor,” she said, crossing her arms as she leaned in towards him. “You need to stop talking about them that way. Someone will find out and tell the Headmaster.”
“So why haven’t you?” asked Sebastian, as he unsuccessfully tried to get past her.
She was silent for a minute as she seemed to stare off into the sunrise. Finally, he gave up on waiting and stepped past her. As he slowly walked, he heard her continue. “I will not, because you deserve to be in this school, as much as you seem to always want to flunk out of it. I have seen your scores, which you are clearly doing on purpose to get kicked out of the highest classes.”
Sebastian stopped in his tracks, turning around once more. “What are you talking about?”
Mara gave him an uncharacteristic lopsided smile. “Please. It is very obvious. You are scoring poorly, yes, but your scores average to just the spot below average.” She shook her head. “I got your scores from Professor Li as well, as he pointed this out to me. As your Class President, I find it infuriating that you do not hold yourself to a higher standard. You belong here, especially after what you did in secondary school.”
Did she actually find it infuriating? Sebastian couldn’t tell. She normally wouldn’t even spare a glance towards him, much less have a full conversation with him. Something wasn’t right.
Sebastian ran. A full sprint, surprisingly towards the school. Sliding around the corners, not stopping even as he heard Mara shout and run after him. The people around him gave him this sideways glance, before ignoring him again. Good.
As he approached the school, he saw the robot guards and the main structure at the front gate, doing their usual checks with the students entering. Making sure the uniforms were clean, the hair was tidy, all things that “proper” students should have. As soon as he got close enough, a guard stepped out to stop him. The robot raised its arm and asked for his ID.
He scanned his wristband on the machine. As the guard ran the mandatory checks, he started to scan his stuff. He knew Mara was slowly closing to distance. If he could get in quickly, then she wouldn’t be able to annoy him anymore.
Agonizing seconds passed.
The guard stopped moving, and finally said, “Sebastian, your uniform is wrinkled. Your hair is a mess. I expect that you will deal with this upon entry. Your teacher has been informed to look out for your appearance. You may enter.”
Fortunately, Sebastian just left the checkpoint right when Mara showed up. He was free.
Right when he took a step, an arm grabbed him. Swinging around ready to clock whoever grabbed him, he held back when he realized who it was as their arm went around Sebastian’s shoulder.
“Seb, what’s got you antsy today? Aeters got you all riled up with their stick up their asses?”
Lawrence wasn’t afraid of saying what he wanted, always getting into trouble with the Headmaster over trivial things. He certainly looked like one of the Aters, with his limber frame and glowing face with that shit-eating grin. When they first met, he wanted to sock him. The only thing that changed was that now he wanted to do it multiple times.
“Was it the Seekers this time? They always come for kids like you. So strong and talented. That can’t be it though…” he trailed off, as if he was thinking. Lawrence suddenly gasped, in fake shock. “Wait! I see. Girl troubles?I knew my little boy would grow up one day!”
“What? What are you- Where did you even get that idea?”
“Is my little son all grown up now?” His grin only grew bigger, “Finally taking a step into manhood? Was it Rebecca? Cindy? Don’t tell me… Mara?” If only there was no one around right now…
“Shut up man!” Sebastian grabbed his fists, holding them together. “You’re really annoying sometimes- scratch that, all the time!”
Lawrence’s sly grin never faded, as he stepped in front of Sebastian, his arms out. “You know me, it's all a part of my charm, my friend.” The bell rang, vibrating on his wristband. “Looks like you have to deal with our good friend again! Let’s get to class before he decides you look funny today, which you do. If only you had a good conditioner...”
Sebastian ignored him as they walked towards the school. Halcyon Academy was quite the magnificent building. Being the center of Aetherite education in Triumph, there was always enough money to make sure the building was spotless. It was almost as tall as the Ministries downtown. The golden arches and green common areas were reflected in the schools’ central courtyard as well. Unfortunately for Sebastian and Lawrence that day, there were a lot of students still hanging around, chatting with each. Lawrence, always wondering, started wondering aloud, “Why are there so many students here today? Usually all of the students would already be in class, like little ducklings.” He turned to Sebastian. “I know! They’re here to celebrate your foray into the world of men!”
“Drop it. Maybe something happened. Fate knows what happened. Just move along, there’s no point in bringing us more attention.”
As they started to put their bags away in their lockers, Lawrence tapped him on the shoulder.
“So what’s got you in this downcast mood today? Outside of your… lacking appearance.”
Sebastian groaned, “It's actually just that. I have to clean up, or else the old man’s going to be on my case.” Sebastian was actually still disoriented from his meeting with Mara. Mara and Li definitely wouldn’t treat anyone with favoritism or support.
“The Guards really got you? Really? Just stop in the bathroom, I’ll wait for you.”
As he finished, he got a notification on his wristband. His classes for today had a shift. There would be an assembly right after first class began, where all students were expected to attend. Sebastian stepped out of the bathroom, a little more happy now that he knew he would be able to skip some class. “You get the notification?”
Lawrence smiled. “Same thing as last time?”
Sebastian nodded. It was time to get to class. Operation Get Out of Jail was a go.