Just A Man…
Phesx Caolia sat somewhere at the middle of the class, near the windows leading outside. One of the students sitting beside him was a cute lass, closer to the windows, who seemed shy but sneaked glances at him and the other students near her. Everyone looked his age. Phesx Caolia focused on staring ahead, ignoring everyone's existence. Just like back then before he dropped out.
Since everyone here was a newcomer, there was a chance that Preutians would have joined this class. This wasn’t just in Phesx Caolia’s mindset, but everyone else’s, too.
“Good morning!” The professor entered. He had a white beard, gray hair, glasses, and old, light brown skin that showed he stayed indoors most of his life, or around cold places. He had a slim figure and made firm, long steps. “I suppose I don’t need to tell you, but…”
The professor was old, but not by so much. His beard was loose, curly, and bushy, not taken care of, with his hair combed backwards. He wrote something on the board after deactivating the interactive feature. Immediately, everyone’s eyes grew bored. Was this a ‘traditional’ teacher?
“Oh, don’t worry.” The professor wrote ‘History of the World’ on the board before turning around, only to find bored students disappointed at him. He exclaimed before pointing at the board behind him. “I’ll use the funny one whenever I need to make you understand with drawings what you can’t when using big adult’s words.”
“As I was saying,” the professor sat on his desk before staring at everyone’s faces with his chin up. “You’ll be here for 8 hours. You can go to the bathroom every half an hour. I’ll take brief breaks every then. You can eat at 9 or 10 am and again at 1 or 2 pm. If you need to eat beforehand, ask me first. Don’t just bother the rest with your munching sounds.”
“If you need any more notebooks or pens, go to the lockers behind you. Don’t abuse, or you’ll be sanctioned with your grade and discipline evaluation.” The professor quickly instructed. The soldiers were moved with his quick-wit and attitude, taking note of the ‘yes’ and ‘nos’.
“Last thing,” the professor made a pause, turning the atmosphere serious. “There are some people from Preut here. Don’t go around making a quiz to find out. If I learn someone was asking around, that’ll also count as misbehavior. Now, who can tell me what is the S.O. Sanctum Order?”
“… … …” The classroom was silent. They didn’t even introduce each other. One would think that’ll help when they were all late-coming students. After inspecting their faces, offering no pressure, and looking at them like he was waiting for someone to tell him his troubles, the professor looked in Phesx Caolia’s general direction.
“You, little lass. Go ahead and tell me,” the professor chose ‘the first’. All eyes on her, the shy gal sitting on Phesx Caolia’s left stood up and accommodated her pale violet dress’s hem. “I- uh- is…”
“You don’t need to stand up, as long as your voice reaches my ears, nobody else is important.” The professor nodded at her, calming her down. But after being helped and sitting down, the shy gal stuttered, unable to start again. Now, even the professor was helpless.
“Yes?” Seeing a hand being lifted, the professor stared at it like an eagle. Phesx Caolia stood up with his left hand still up. Someone commented from the rear, “Don’t have to get up, you know?”
“Haha…” The class echoed with a bit of laughter, which the professor and Phesx Caolia ignored. The shy gal blushed crimson for her classmate. When the noise died down, Phesx Caolia answered.
“Sanctum Order is the Era where the world finds out and decided to formally make use of past history; be it mistakes, self-destructive tendencies, counter productivity, and progress, success, and positive results.” Phesx Caolia’s voice echoed.
“And when does the Sanctum begin? Why?” The professor added in. Phesx Caolia breathed in and stuck his chest out, gulping once, before answering again. “It is after the Aforesanctum Order, when the vestiges of a past order, or various, are known to the world, and we let go of our… history’s previous steps to boost our civilization as a whole.”
“Very well. What is the Aforesanctum Order?” The professor didn’t let go of Phesx Caolia and asked again. Phesx Caolia darted his eyes around, again, as he answered yet again. “It is the time before the sanctum order. According to history, its last years are when the highest technology is of the ‘first cannons’ and the beginning of peak cold weapons and armor. Just before firearms start taking over war logistics, and clothing becomes more efficient.”
“That’s right. It’s that simple,” the professor casually nodded. Phesx Caolia sat down, contented to do so at last. Then, the professor asked the class. “How many sanctum orders have passed since this one? Yes, miss Crescar?”
Seemingly gaining courage from Phesx Caolia’s previous answers, the shy gal lifted her right hand. After being called by the professor, she struggled for a second before meekly responding, “It’s been 3 sanctum orders before ours, professor. 4 in total.”
“Very well. And how long was each?” The professor swung his feet a bit. Miss Crescar bit her lower lip before gathering as much courage as possible. Her little lips and quiet voice sounded again.
“Well, the first order lasted about 20,000 years in the AO, and 2,000 years in the SO. Should I… speak of the reasons, professor?” Miss Crescar looked at the professor with upturned eyes, not wanting to. The professor waived his hand, “Those aren’t needed now. Continue.”
The lass nodded before opening her small mouth again, holding her hands in fists. “The second order’s AO lasted for about 10,000 years, and its SO for 2,500 years. For the third order, 9,000 years passed in the AO before the SO began, lasting for 4,000 years.”
“Phew~. Our fourth order’s AO lasted 4,000 years before we discovered the vestiges from the past, and we’ve advanced quickly for 11 centuries until this one. Is that alright, professor?” The shy gal asked, looking down and starting to blush after realizing how long she’s been the center of attention.
“Thank you.” The professor nodded, then stepped down his desk before returning to the board. “Now, I’m sure everyone does know about the reason there are 4 orders, but not records whatsoever of those orders, and why we call them civilizations of the past, of all human history.”
A video showed, immediately obscuring the classroom, with the windows becoming blurry, letting less and less light seep inside. The professor made an intermission before continuing, “We’ll watch footage of actual people going into the ‘heavenly’ bunkers that saved humanity from extinction thrice in a row. Then, we’ll speak more of the sanctum orders and the orders.”
“Humankind has seen its glory, especially in the third order, where space pioneering was at the tip of our noses. But just like the first one, we all nearly killed each other until nigh annihilation. Three times in a row. By the time we finish this class, you’ll wonder whether we’re killing ourselves more kindly, or to finally extinguish our race in one go, with no more trail and error.”
‘This is history class?’ Phesx Caolia thought to himself as the first video showed. If he ever thought himself as depressed, then his world changed after he saw the first video. Symbolic pendants, items, and distinctive clothing from the current SO’s were thrown away after a group of few people walked through endless tunnels down the earth.
They shed tears nonstop as they threw them to the floor, broke them, and even self-mutilated themselves with them. In the end, those were all objects, and Phesx Caolia couldn’t understand the whys now.
The class didn’t loathe Phesx Caolia and that lass for knowing about the orders, and instead felt it was something worth noticing that they knew those things. It wasn’t hidden information, but to memorize such like miss Crescar did wasn’t easy, even with the third order’s rumors of general evolution.
The other 2 videos were shown next, much less depressing than the first, and lacking the madness that the first video was abundant of. Slowly, very slowly, the day went by. The massive amount of information into Phesx Caolia’s head was something to get him busy with.
… At last, when coming out of the classroom, with everyone feeling tired, including the professor, Phesx Caolia went to his bike and waited at the side of the school entrance. About 40 minutes later, he saw Lore walk out of her classroom with some little gals around her.
She seemed at ease, chatting with them, until she saw him. Lorena smiled, and her eyes glinted. No doubt, she was thirsting his bike. Just as they exited the school entrance, someone a year or 2 older than Phesx Caolia saw her and approached her, trying to chat her up.
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Lorena scurried towards Phesx Caolia, holding a couple of notebooks in her arms, and rapidly mounted behind him. Phesx Caolia didn’t bother her and rode around, wanting to return home already. The sun was all-on against the ground, threatening to burn skin and dehydrate their poor, humane bodies.
Vrrrm! Just as Phesx Caolia was exiting the parking lot, the same guy from before drifted somewhat towards them, stopping just 2 meters from them. He yelled, “That your bike? Haha!”
Phesx Caolia looked at the guy. He had a motorcycle of a similar model to a Myertha, only less advanced and lacking many things that made a Myertha the best in the world. After a glance, he looked at the guy without helmet. Tilting his head backwards and feeling Lore had a helmet on, Phesx grinned. Lorena darted her eyes sideways, before Phesx Caolia suddenly rushed out.
Vroooooooomm! Seeing this, the guy was shocked. But then, he opened his lips in a broad smile before rushing away with his motorcycle as well. Phesx Caolia was caught up in just tens of seconds. With the sidewalk as his close friend, Phesx watched the guy tease him, slowing down and making obscene gestures as his ‘adult’ dirt bike could only do so much.
Then, before the guy noticed, yellow lights flashed in front of them. A state police car saw them speeding illegally around corners and even ‘race’ while teasing each other. The guy’s face fell, but Phesx Caolia grinned. On the other hand, Lore had a big smile on her face.
Sirens went out as they headed down southeast. Lore grabbed his torso as tight as possible, with the bike leaning left and right, and a few bumps here and there. Phesx Caolia avoided all stops, taking the sidewalks each time and scaring some pedestrians every time.
The guy was scared, fleeing from the cops with them, not knowing what to do. Then, when another car joined the chase, Phesx Caolia simply drove into a hill at the side of a road. The guy could only watch as he felt his heart fall to his stomach. Shortly after, he was trapped, already driving slowly.
Meanwhile, another cop car chased Phesx Caolia from the side, trying to find them amidst parks, small hills, and between neighborhoods with narrow streets. In the end, they could only catch that guy.
“…Where can I change its paint?” Phesx Caolia asked, going through another hill with some trees. Lorena patted his chest, “Wait! Let me check, stop at the top!”
“Phew!” Lorena checked the city. With the sky darkening, and the lights making the ugly cement jungle a sight to at least behold, they felt peaceful. She pointed in a certain direction and looked at him, “There! We can change our clothes’ color, too. You like pink?”
… Half an hour later, Phesx Caolia and Lorena drove on his bike outside a workshop. A fatass middle-aged man waved his arm high at them, having received good money, and knowing Lore’s father. Just as they exited it, they watched a helitaxi hover on the other side of this zone, checking the streets. Phesx Caolia looked at Lorena.
“What? I’m not the only one who knows what these places are good in. Come on, I want to eat pizza!” Lorena heavenly excused herself before grabbing his waist and rubbing her nose on his back, working her magic. Again, Phesx Caolia went soft and drove to a pizzeria…
… Another half an hour later, Phesx Caolia drove the bike back into the mansion. His bike no longer had white as its main color, but pink. And its secondary paint color wasn’t red, but fabulous violet. A small price to pay.
Lorena didn’t eat on the way here, not wanting to get sick. As soon as she stepped off the bike, she opened Phesx Caolia’s backpack and took the box out, beginning to wolf the whole thing down. Phesx Caolia parked his baby before opening the door. There, 2 strict, parent-ly figures crossed their arms and looked at him.
As for Lorena, what Lorena? There’s only Phesx Caolia. Lorena merely glanced at her parents briefly and greeted them before stepping in. Her parents remained impassive, looking at him. “Hey, dad, ma. This is my pizza. Nom nom nom nom…”
“Em…” Phesx Caolia pressed his lips together, looking at them without anything to defend himself with. He could invent something, but he didn’t want to trick the Ruvas. Marisela’s crossed arms looked the strictest. “This is your first day! How can you just act like this? The cops called y- called Victor! Do you have any idea what it is to suddenly be called by the cops?”
“I apologize. Did they ask for too much? I didn’t even burn their gas that much…” Phesx Caolia put on his innocent expression and puckered his lips out, smelling his philtrum. Marisela looked at him, wordless. “You’ll see, young… boy. Your bike will now have a tracking device. You won’t go above a few tens of km per hour. Hmph. At least you know how to put others in their place. If anyone dares to touch my little Lore…”
Phesx Caolia and Victor walked to either side of Marisela as she reprimanded the former. However, Phesx Caolia looked at Victor, who thumbed-up him with both hands and opened his mouth in a proud smile. Phesx Caolia nodded and thumbed-up his right hand, exchanging secret codes with smirks before mollifying the matron.
Days went by…
. . .
2 months and 2 weeks later.
Phesx Caolia has attended the Ojazul school for weeks now. At first, his classmates only focused on the dreadful information penetrating into their brains. But after the 2nd week, they caught up with the rest of their school’s year.
Their class became an ordinary one, with various professors walking into their classrooms and teaching them the many things they were paid to. When the country became bustling because of another initiative debate in politics, this time proposed by the president’s new political party, and the vice president, he heard some teachers talk about it. Everyone complained about the president, of how his attention was on the worst things possible at the worst time.
Ignoring it, like any student his age, Phesx Caolia and the school continued their usual daily lives. Now, Phesx Caolia would bring Lorena out in the weekends to meet her little gal friends, and then meet with some of his classmates. She no longer wore panties in the bathroom, flashing him before going to school. Now she wore thongs.
If her mother caught her like that, she’d receive a few smacking slaps on that butt, which gave Phesx Caolia a good reason to smirk all morning. Nevertheless, he could never refuse bringing little Lore back home every day.
When Phesx Caolia was approached by others, it was only after the first 2 weeks, when the class could finally afford spare time to live like the young folk they are. At first, it was simple questions and greetings. Before he noticed, he formed part of a group who talked to one another.
Phesx Caolia was invited to their first meeting outside the school, which he attended, much contrary to what his past self would have done. He met everyone there in detail. He also met a couple of gals who weren’t shy to get close to him.
After several meetings, they started going to some bars, buying alcohol at a higher price with someone’s brother or sister being the ‘dealer’ every new week. In due time, Phesx Caolia became used to the way everyone behaved and ‘partied’.
On one occasion, a girl his age, with large bosom, raven black hair, and moon bright skin approached him. One of the gals always approaching him. If Phesx Caolia wanted it, he could just start fornicating with her, as it would be expected of someone his age. But he just didn’t. He also wasn’t interested in belonging to a drama of teenage sex.
That time, he was considering trying it out. Life as a young boy. He had nothing to lose. They were mingling with others from the class and welcoming others who were new latecomers but had already caught up and were placed in their classroom.
One of the new guys just bid them farewell, a blond fella with exotic, sharp, smooth hair. As he left, in the mini-circle Phesx Caolia sat around, some of his classmates laughed, picking at the fella’s body figure.
“Man, why does every girl adore him? He’s just slim like a leaf and short. What’s he got that attracts everyone? Besides his pretty boy face…” The classmate drank from his beer, already a bit drunk there. Phesx Caolia drank from his, annoyed at how bitter it was and nothing else after his 3rd glass.
“Well, I can’t say for sure, but the length of my throat can, haha.” The raven black haired gal said, pointing at the end of her throat with a smile, looking sideways at the others. Phesx Caolia lifted his eyebrows and wore an awkward smile that wasn’t a smile.
The others looked at her, slowly showing hunger. They continued laughing for a few more minutes before they disappeared elsewhere. On the other hand, Phesx Caolia started feeling more distracted from then on.
It wasn’t just in the meetings with his group, it was… everywhere. In the mansion, the school, his circle, and he didn’t even bother raising Lore’s awareness by slapping her little butt cheeks. He was more absorbed in his books, and his nights were spent reading them, or using the internet to do so, resting less and less.
Although unimportant, after reading a few things and feeling just stupid, Phesx Caolia could only search on the internet.
… Time passed, and on the 1,023rd year, 5th month, 4th week, 6th day, Phesx Caolia’s bedroom door was knocked at just 3 in the morning. He closed his book and stood up to open his door, but it was opened by Victor, whose face was sweaty, and his eyes were difficult when looking at him. The young boy instantly knew.
“Your mother…”
… A few hours later, in the nearest hospital, with machines everywhere around a bed, allowing only a for a few people to sit in the room. Phesx Caolia sat beside Rubena Caolia’s bed, who laid with a bunch of tubes, bags, and needles injected into her body, specifically her torso.
She had just removed her masks for a minute, breathing natural air after failing to see a reaction from her son with all the things she’s told him so far. He was just there, sitting and humping his back a little. Phesx barely moved after more than half an hour spent sitting there.
“No matter what, can you promise me something?” Her rough, feeble voice sounded. Phesx Caolia, just as he’s done in the past months, heard but refused to give her any sort of attention. When she was close to holding his right wrist, she stopped and just looked at him.
“At least continue your studies. It’s all that’s important… it’ll serve you well. More now than ever…” Rubena said, waiting for his response as Phesx finally turned his face to look at her.
That was everything he did, look at her. Rubena felt her body immobile. Knowing she’d see nothing more, she gulped nothing, as even inside her mouth was wrinkled and dry, and said at last. “Take care, then… live well, long…”
“…” The son bid farewell to the mother with silence.
It was without a doubt, the young boy… no, Phesx Caolia felt ultimately freed from anything; everything. As she passed away before him, he moved his fingers, snapping some noises, before thin tears ran down his eye sockets.
Phesx Caolia stood up, turned around, and gently pushed the lifeless objects away. Doctors walked towards him, but the Ruvas were there to take care of the things he didn’t want to. Life in school continued.
…
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Let it Rain's note: Sigh…