“We need this kid. Have you seen his blood tests?”
“Well-”
“Heh, of course you have. You’re the one responsible for him, anyway.”
“...”
“Under any other circumstance, you would be executed. However, we currently have a lack of manpower, so you’ll only be demoted.”
“Thank you, sir!”
“You’ll still be responsible for everything to do with him. You screwed up once. Don’t do it again. If you do… Well, death will seem like heaven compared to what you would face.”
“Yes, sir!”
----------------------------------------
Nox woke up in a white room. When he sat up, he realised that there were thick leather binds around his wrists and ankles. A hospital machine was steadily beeping beside him. He found it difficult to move because of the thick bandages covering parts of his body.
“Ah! You’re awake! I was wondering if- I mean, when you were going to get up.”
A man wearing a white lab coat entered the room. His glasses were crooked, and dark patches could be seen on his blue shirt.
“Where am I?”
“W-welcome to Hemotech, the country’s leading Vamp academy!” He said whilst he was untying Nox’s bounds.
“What? How?”
Hemotech was one of the most prestigious Vamp academies in the world. In a world where demons invaded Earth, getting a basic understanding of Miasma was almost mandatory, regardless of whether you would stay in a Bastion or go out to the Frontlines.
However, a Vamp academy was different. Academies were where Vamps were born, not just regular civilians. Becoming one was a massive honour.
The scientist coughed. “I have good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?”
“Bad news.”
He laughed nervously and scratched his head. “Actually, how about I tell you the good news first?”
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“...Alright.”
“Firstly, you have been chosen as a student for Hemostat Academy! Free of charge! The company itself will sponsor you! Do you know how lucky you are?”
Nox frowned. This was starting to sound like a scam. “So… What’s the bad news?”
“Hey, don’t look like that!” The man said, in an attempt to change the subject. “Let me introduce you to the boss of this place first-”
“That will not be necessary.” A large man wearing a military suit with countless badges entered the room. The darkness of his clothes seemed to eat up all the light around him.
“What Joseph here said is true. However, you still need some time to recover. You’ve had… An accident.”
Nox’s frown deepened. An accident? “Where’s my family?”
The officer coughed. “There’s no easy way to say this… They’re gone.”
“Like… ‘Gone’ gone?”
“Yes. The demons conducted a sudden raid on your sector. Your family was near the outskirts, so they were the first to be hit.”
His shoulders slumped as he remembered what happened. A loud explosion, accompanied with a blazing fire. He thought he could remember their dying cries, but he wasn’t sure. He felt nothing - the idea of everything disappearing in less than an instant was too great for him. The doctors nor officers didn’t stop him. He felt as if a bullet had buried itself deep in his heart; there was a painful hole in his chest that nothing could fill.
Then he realised.
His situation wasn’t special. Day after day, thousands of people died fighting the demons. Those overcome by grief and anger went to the Frontlines to fight the monsters who had killed their loved ones, and so they died too.
None were left to speak their eulogy.
No final words.
No concluding statement.
No point.
Perfect closure.
The pain was gone now; only the numbing emptiness of the hole was left. Which, he knew, was another common symptom of losing a loved one.
Of course, it was a thousand times better than the pain he felt a few moments ago.
“Let me guess. You’re here to capitalize on my newfound hatred of demons to convert me into another one of your soldiers?”
“Aren’t you a sharp one? Well, my superiors call it ‘nudging’ but yes. Did it work?”
He pretended to think. “Perhaps. Why should I risk my life out there? I don’t even know your name.” He was bluffing. He was already deep in their trap. [Mind as well try to squeeze as much as I can out of it.]
The officer smirked. “First off, my name’s Mort. I’m one of XERO’s many officers.” He shook his head. “Second, you’ve got it all wrong. You shouldn’t think of it as ‘Why should I help them?’ it’s ‘They’re helping me!’ If you choose not to become a Vamp, then you’ll be expelled out to the streets again. No family, no home, no source of income. We can give you all those things.” He coughed again. “Also, it has been found that people who choose ‘no’ are more likely to be… Accident prone.”
“Hmph. There has to be some kind of recreation at your ‘Academy’.”
“One. We call it the War Simulation Room. But our kids there call it the… Sim.”
Seemingly out of nowhere, the bulky officer pulled out a contract. It seemed harmless enough. But Nox knew that signing it would mean becoming a Vamp. Which meant his life would be owned by XERO.
But would being out on the streets be any better?
Nox could only laugh. “Jeez. Can you at least pretend that I have a choice?”