《Facade》


 Chapter 1: A world full of lies

    ¡°We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.¡±


    ¨D Oscar Wilde


    In a world full of lies, where does the truth lie? In the great unknown? In the minds of the rulers of the world? Or does the truth lie somewhere else? Somewhere¡­.more obvious, where every single person can see and access¡­.but do not realize¡­..


    In a world full of lies, where does the truth lie? In the great unknown? In the minds of the rulers of the world? Or does the truth lie somewhere else? Somewhere¡­.more obvious, where every single person can see and access¡­.but do not realize¡­..


    Alaric was trembling, his body badly bruised...his cause being right in front of him. He gripped his sword tighter as he faced his foe, the son of a great noble named Richard. With a single step, he had already arrived in front of Alaric, not giving him any time to react at all. The sharp, crisp sound of swords clanging could be heard throughout the field as Alaric stumbled back.


    His hands hurt...no, his whole body hurt as it ached in pain, but yet he still persevered. He took a deep breath as his boots dug into the white soft snow below, looking like they sank beneath the mass pile. Suddenly, he took a step forward, his sword following quickly behind as he aimed a slash for Richard¡¯s chest. As the sword got closer, Alaric¡¯s hopes rose, already seeing the hit making contact with the body. But yet¡­..it didn¡¯t.


    He was dumbfounded. Before he could even think, a wave of pain rushed from his side. He fell into the cold pile of snow and cried out in pain. He looked over at Richard in shock. His mind still couldn¡¯t comprehend what had happened.


    As he tried to get up, his face soon met the cold embrace of the snow preventing him from rising up. Richard spat onto Alaric as his foot twisted harder, pushing him deeper into the snow. ¡°How dare such trash like you even attempt to fight me? Might as well die with the rest of the pigs¡± and with that he crouched down and grabbed Alaric¡¯s hair. All Alaric saw was an evil grin before he met the ground again¡­..and again¡­.and again¡­.


    His vision blurred as he coughed. The soft, vibrant white snow was now taking a dark tone of red. ¡°Richard how many times do I have to tell you to stop!¡± A loud voice could be heard from across the field, belonging to the instructor of the exercise


    ¡°¡­..you got lucky this time¡­.I¡¯ll see you later mince meat¡± He laughed, although there was nothing funny about that in Alaric¡¯s eyes.


    The instructor ignored him and instructed the next couple to spar. Alaric wiped his mouth as he stood up. His head hung low as he walked back to his dorm. He wondered what he was doing here anymore. Compared to the other cadets, he ranked lowest in the class but for some reason was put with the higher ranked cadets in lessons. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    He shook the snow out of his hair as he grabbed his sword and put it against the rack with the others. He slowly made his way back to his dorm, opening the door as he flopped onto the bed. He let out a sigh, looking up at the ceiling as his mind was lost in thought¡­.¡¯What exactly is even true anymore? So called friends...So called teachers who claim you can go to them for help¡­.all lies, such fucking lies.¡¯


    He rolled to the side and looked across the room at his uniform, still soaking wet from the melted snow. His daydreaming was interrupted by the opening and slamming of the door against the wall, startling him.


    ¡°Yo Alaric¡± the visitor said lightly as he waved, stepping in nonchalantly as he sat on the other bed. ¡°Hey Ajax, how was it for you?¡± Alaric replied, his voice sounding depressed.


    ¡°Not bad compared to the other days, I only got beatdown five times!¡± He laughed, before wincing as he rubbed his chest.


    The pain didn¡¯t change.¡± Alaric sighed as he stood up, heading to his drawer as he looked through it. He turned to Ajax, tossing him some painkillers as he stood up, stretching, before making his way towards the door. ¡°Give me the number five combo with extra cheese!¡± ¡°Yes, yes, I know.¡± he let out a sigh, closing the door behind them. His roommate, Ajax, was also one of the lower ranked students.Unlike Alaric, he was more positive and jolly.


    They knew each other for two out of the four years they had been at the academy. Alaric hummed softly, his steps light, but still resounding throughout the empty hallway as he made his way to the food court. He paid the simple food fee before showing his ID as he received the food they had gotten used to over the last two years. He walked back to the dorm and tossed Ajax the food before lying back on his bed.


    ¡°You know¡­..what''s wrong Alaric?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Cut the crap, tell me whats wrong? Anytime something is wrong you always have that look on your face¡± ¡°What look?¡± ¡°The look of a dumbass¡± Ajax said taking another bite into the hamburger. Although he was happy most of the time, he was known to be blunt and honest, which was one of the reasons why Alaric trusted and confided in him so much.


    Alaric sighed, running one of his hands through his hair as he stared directly at him. ¡°Why do we have to be given so much shit? Even if we aren¡¯t as good as them or have enough aptitude to use the psychic gears, we¡¯re still human. Aren¡¯t we supposed to be on the same side? Fighting against the Mortems? Those fucking monsters! But yet!....but yet here we are...still fighting each other¡­.why Ajax? What did we do to deserve this!¡± He was breathing heavily now. His true thoughts now spoken. Ajax looked at Alaric inquisitively before putting the burger down and sighing.


    ¡°Alaric...it''s precisely because we¡¯re humans that we do that. We compete, we fight, we argue, we come together, we build, we destroy...its just how we work even in times of extreme crisis. We will never be fully unified. We will always find something to fight each other over...the one thing you can¡¯t change about humans is that: their ability to create and remain in conflict. . Anyways, don¡¯t let it get you down, you''ll do fine and show them wrong. Doubt it or do. I have faith that you can do it, and I¡¯ll root for you because you¡¯re my friend.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± he let out a sigh and closed his eyes. ¡°Hey Alaric.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± He turned to his friend, opening his eyes the last time for the day. ¡°If you were given a power to save the world, would you do it?¡±


    ¡°Depends.¡±


    ¡°On what¡±


    ¡°Is the world worth saving?¡±

 Chapter 2: Best Friends Always Have Your Back

    "Deceiving others. That is what the world calls a romance."


    ¨D Oscar Wilde


    In the end, people will never change. They may say they do or look like it, but on the inside, they still stick to their old ways. Knowing that they will betray you again and again, .is the world still worth saving? Is it worth saving for them knowing they won''t thank you but treat you like the villain?


    The train came to a stop, jolting Alaric forward as he was knocked out of his stupor. Seeing his destination ahead, he got off the train and made his way back to the Lab. Today was the day he would be trained for his aptitude to use a psychic gear. Psychic gear, essentially, was a mixture of magic and weapon for the soldiers on the battlefield.


    Although magic is involved, the term psychic is used because magic is brought into the equation, or so said the scientists. The gear itself could only be used by those who had enough magical circuits and power to handle them. Instead of blindly handing them out to see who could and couldn''t use them, scientists implanted a chip into all newborn babies born, this chip would allow them to see and detect the amount of magic someone had to see if it was enough to use a psychic gear. The strength of magical circuits grows in adolescence and through puberty, meaning cadets who failed the test the first time, could keep trying up to their fourth year, where the strength of the magical circuit would peak.


    Psychic gear come in many different shapes and forms along with the abilities they can use, ranging from causing raging fires to creating fields of ice. He powerthemselves,dependon the user and not on the gear.


    Alaric looked back up from the book, going over the information he just read one more time as he took deep breaths. He failed once, probably will again, but there always is hope......if hope is even worth believing in...He laughed at that as he entered the lab. His very presence captured people''s attention, seeing someone messed up always did, especially him.


    His ears perked up and took in the insults and name calling names, even the mincemeat one from yesterday. He laughed at that, didn''t they know how cringy and pathetic that sounded....maybe they were cowards......maybe he himself was a coward, for not standing up for himself and Ajax.


    He straightened his uniform as he entered through the white, crisp double doors and stepped in. He immediately was hit by a cold blast of air as he shivered before continuing on. A scientist walked up, holding a clipboard as he looked through the information. "Alaric huh? Well then, let''s get this over with. Step into the chamber like last time." The scientist sighed, wondering why they had to test him, knowing he would fail again, not knowing or caring his very thoughts showed on his face.


    Alaric sighed as he stepped into the chamber-like tube; the door closed soon after he entered. He stood there silently as two beams appeared and moved up and down before stopping at his head. Alaric winced as he clutched his head, a sudden wrack of pain going through his head as his vision became blurry, he began to sweat as he managed to remain standing.


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    He looked back at the white-coated scientists who seemed to stare at the monitor for a good moment as the chamber stopped. One of them walked off before coming back sometime later and turned to Alaric. "Like we thought, you have no talent or enough magical strength to use psychic gear, so you will remain in the grunt class."


    Alaric nodded, not surprised at the results as he walked off, oblivious to the whispers and stares again. , now just thinking of them as complete buffoons. He took the train back. His eyes closed as he drifted off. He arrived back at the dorms as he made his way to his room.


    On his way back, he bumped into a group of nobles. , Alaric raised an eyebrow, noticing Richard in front of the little group of nobles. "Ah, Alaric! So how did the test go? Judging from the look on your face, I bet you did terrible like usual" He laughed, causing the other nobles to as well.....''how disgusting...ah wait, what''s the word again? Revolting? No....umm..shit I forgot, anyways they''re being annoying.'' Alaric sighed, not really paying attention to them as Richard put an arm over Alaric.


    "Why are you still here? Don''t you feel any shame? What would your sister think if she saw you now? Hmm...maybe I should do your family a service and let her marry me" He laughed again, this time louder as tears leaked from his eyes.


    Alaric, on the other hand, was ready to rip his throat out for talking about his sister like that. He turned around, quickly elbowing Richard before slamming him against the wall.


    "Never talk about my sister like that again!" Fury seeping through every one of his words.


    Richard stared blankly at him before bursting out into laughter. He kicked Alaric away, causing him to stumble back as the nobles held him tight, ready to teach him a lesson. Richard took his uniform off, not wanting it to be dirtied with scum''s blood. He stretched his arms before he turned to Alaric.


    He got into a stance as he punched his face.....then he did it again...and again, and again. As Richard went in for another punch, an arm wrapped around his shoulder. "What is such an arrogant bastard doing here now hmm?...ah beating up my friend...let''s see...being the dumbass he is he probably attacked you, although it was probably your fucking fault first..." Ajax chuckled, eating a chocolate bar.


    "Now if I were you, I would leave now before the guards come." Richard trembled at this, clicking his tongue as he motioned to the nobles as they walked off. Although Ajax was also in the grunt class, he was known as gluttony due to his never-ending love for food, and his strength.


    Although for unknown reasons, Ajax acted like he was weak during tests and spars. Even so, most of the cadets knew of his strength. Ajax yawned, turning to Alaric as he laughed.


    "They...Fucked you up!" Alaric looked away from him, crossing his arms in defiance. "Come on Alaric, let''s get you patched up and get something to eat....and yes, it''s mostly so I can eat, and yes...you have no say in the matter, now let''s go." Before Alaric could even say anything in defiance, Ajax picked him up and carried him off, humming as he ate another chocolate bar. "Also since I saved your ass you''re paying for what we get...and when I say we I mean me."

 Chapter 3: Pawns On A Chess Board

    "There''s nothing more dangerous than someone who wants to make the world a better place."


    ¨D Banksy


    Alaric sighed once again, looking down at the food in front of him. He looked back up at Ajax who was currently finishing up his third plate of spaghetti. "Hey alaric" "Hmm?" "Can you like, not sigh all the time? I don''t need that depressive aura surrounding me, i''m all about that sunshine and rainbows." Alaric stared blankly at him before bursting out into laughter.


    "Fair enough" He continued to laugh, wiping a tear from his eye as he finished, now yawning. He looked out at the night sky, a smile creeping on his face as he turned back to Ajax,"Where to next?" Ajax thought for a moment, his foot tapping the ground, making a melodious sound as he shouted out. "I know where!" He quickly dragged Alaric along, not really caring if he got hurt along the way. He darted through streets, neighborhoods, and alleyways as he soon arrived at a hill. "And we''re here." With that he then kicked Alaric, sending him down the hill.


    Alaric stumbled as he stood up, wiping the grass off as he cursed towards Ajax. "What the fuck was that for?" "It was funny? Can''t help but tease you my friend, you always give the best reactions!" He chuckled. Alaric looked blankly at Ajax, who was now walking around.


    "Remember when we used to play here as kids? You would bring your sister along as we played around in the fields, we dreamed as being heroes and being honored and remembered as that." Ajax said, a smile on his face.


    Alaric blankly stared at him, his hands now in his pockets. "Cut to the chase, what''s your point?" Ajax stopped, the moon shining and bouncing off of him, giving him an unearthly look for a moment. "My point?....Alaric, dreams are nice you know, we can escape to them and have the utmost faith in achieving them.....only in the dream. In reality, our dreams are cut short, and are only sometimes realized. So what''s the point in dreaming if all that we are left with is bittersweet memories?"


    Alaric walked up to him as he talked, silent the whole time. As he said those final words he smiled, wrapping his arm around Ajax as he laughed.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "Who knows? Bittersweet memories are the fuel for our next dreams, we use the unfulfillment of the last one to help us on the next one, helping us get closer to that new dream." Ajax laughed as well, smiling.


    "You''re right I guess, shall we go head back?" "Probably." "You''re carrying me then."


    "Why?" "Cause you''re my friend, that''s why you dumb fuck." Ajax laughed even louder as he jumped onto Alaric''s back, who almost fell to the sudden increase in weight as he made his way back. He arrived back in their room, throwing Ajax off of him and onto the bed. "What was that for?"


    "shut up you fat fuck!" "But i''m not fat! I have a fast metabolism!" Ajax rebutted, his arms crossed as he looked over to Ajax who now just turned the lights off. "Good night my personal chair~" "Shut the fuck up before I slit your throat" Alaric sighed, closing his eyes ashe drifted off to sleep.


    "God fucking damnit!" A man yelled as his hands hit the console, seeing the recent reports.


    "Why didn''t you guys report this sooner? Shit, they''re getting closer to the city." "B-but general" "No fucking buts!" The general rubbed his head as he sighed, thinking of what to do. "Fuck it....send the grunt class in, they at most can buy us time as we rally the real forces." "But sir....." "Didn''t I say no fucking buts?"


    He kicked one of the messengers down, causing him to wince as the general stepped on his hand. "You will do as I say understand?" "Y-yes sir." "Then go!" He stepped off of the messenger, allowing him to run off as he sighed, sitting back down as he rubbed his face.


    "Seems you''ve had it rough" A soothing voice said from behind him. "What is it now white witch?" "Hmph! Still calling me that name? I said call me Lisa! Lisa I say!" "Not in the mood today"


    The general replied, obviously being annoyed by the girl. Lisa giggled, skipping in front of him. "Seems you''re having troubles" "And what about it?" "How about I help out?"


    The general finally glanced up at her,taking in her dark raven black hair and sapphire blue eyes. "No"


    "Too late~" Lisa giggled one last time as she vanished right before his eyes.


    ".....Fuck my life....why don''t people just listen for once?" The general cursed at himself, knowing he couldn''t prevent her from leaving even if he wanted to.


    "Now then, might as well start on my end." He let out a groan as he pushed a button on the console, signaling the start of a battle with the mortems. "What was the saying again.....ah yes, the means justifies the ends, as such in this case." he smiled as he leaned back in his chair, now staring at the monitor that overlooked what would be the battlefield the soldiers would be fighting on.

 Chapter 4: Call To Arms

    "Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and die."


    ¨D Herbert Hoover


    The moon shone down on the city, which was in a state of tranquil peace. The occasional owl hooting could be heard, but besides from that, it was mostly quiet.


    Then suddenly an alarm rang in the academy, waking up all the cadets including Ajax and Alaric.


    If that wasn''t enough, their door was busted open as guards came in and dragged them out. They quickly made them stand up as they were hauled off to the barracks. "Really now? I need my beauty sleep" Ajax replied as he tried to sound angry, but failed to do to him yawning.


    Alaric, on the other hand, looked annoyed as they were pushed into what seemed to be a briefing room along with the other cadets of the grunt class. A captain stood in front of them as he had a solemn expression as he cleared his throat.


    "Due to some recent events, you have been called to the battlefield. Your main objective is to buy time till the main forces arrive, and do to the danger involved you will be promoted once you get back.....if you come back that is."


    The captain muttered the last part under his breath as he motioned to the guards. "You have no say in this matter, your gear will be on the ship, good luck kids."


    And with that, they were hauled off, now to the docking bay. Alaric was fuming turning to Ajax, "Can they really do this? They''re sending us to our deaths!" Ajax still yawned, raising an eyebrow at Alaric, "You know Alaric, might is right, nothing we can do about it since we are weak."


    Alaric was shocked by his answer as he kept quiet. They were pushed into the ship as it closed behind them, the interior lights now turning on.


    The light shone on the standard gear of the army, a lightweight suit of armor along with a sword and gun.


    The gun itself was more of an emergency/just in case type weapon do to the bullets not really being able to pierce through the armor like the swords. Alaric stepped into the suit as he winced as it bit down into his skin as the armor adjusted itself.


    He breathed slowly as he put the helmet on along with strapping the sword, which was a matte black color, to his waist. He loaded the gun and strapped it to his leg as he checked over his gear one last time like he was taught in class.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    He then sat down, taking deep breaths as he strapped himself to the seat, waiting for the ship to take off. He was drifting off when he felt someone hit him lightly, causing him to turn as he saw someone waving at him.


    "Hey Alaric, how does the suit feel?" "Strange I guess, but I guess I''m getting used to it."


    "Why do you always have to answer my questions seriously? Jeez, you''re no fun, no wonder you can''t get a lover."


    "What is that supposed to mean?"


    "Nothing.." Ajax giggled, turning back to stare towards the front of the ship. Alaric smiled under his helmet, realizing his friend was probably trying to help him relax. He let out a chuckle, wiggling his fingers before clutching them as he closed his eyes again. He opened them again, soon realizing some unknown time had passed as he yawned, looking around the ship.


    Along with him and Ajax, there were about 30-60 other cadets also joining them in this operation, although only 8 others were on this ship, totaling to an amount of 10. One of the cadets turned to Alaric, tapping his arm as he asked in a quivering voice. "D-do you think we will be able to return?"


    He sat there silent for a moment as he took in his meaning. He then moved his hand and patted the other cadets'' helmet, "Honestly? Probably not, but in times like these aren''t we supposed to believe in hope? If there''s one thing we humans are good at, it''s having hope in the dire of situations and coming up with ways to prevail, this time is no different."


    He couldn''t see it, but he thought he saw the cadets eyes widen as he nodded. "I-i see, you''re right! T-thanks, by the way, I''m Lein, and you are?" "Alaric." He replied, short but it was all he needed to say.


    "T-thank you, I''ll be sure to remember that. After this let''s hang out together." Lein said, seeming to smile under his helmet as he scratched the side of it embarrassedly. In that moment, even Alaric was surprised. He even managed me to believe that we could get out of this, even if it was just for a moment.


    "I-is that a no?" Lein said, seeming down. Alaric was knocked out of his stupor by this as he laughed, smiling even brighter.


    "Sure, why not." Lein nodded, looking up as he sighed in relief.


    "I retract my statement from earlier, even if you can''t get girls, you can get guys," Ajax said as he leaned over to Alaric, having heard the whole conversation from earlier. Alaric stopped, turning to Ajax as he silently stared at him before hitting him on the back of the head.


    "Shut it you idiot, what nonsense are you spouting?" "Aww, don''t be like that, you know I won''t judge you.....possibly....maybe......fine, I would judge you, but only because you''re my friend." Ajax, laughed, leaning back as he put his hands behind his head.


    "Glad to hear" Alaric muttered in annoyance as he sighed once again, now remembering what Ajax said about him having a depressive aura as he closed his eyes, now drifting off to sleep once again.


    He woke up sometime later, hearing the shouts as the Captain came out from the cockpit as the back of the ship opened. "It''s time boys! We get off here, and like I said before, your objective is to stall and delay the enemy till reinforcements arrive, in addition, you will also serve as support and reinforcements for the soldiers already there. Any questions?" Seeing none the Captain let out a smirk as he shouted, "Now then cadets, off to battle you go!"

 Chapter 5: The Battlefield

    "The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time."


    ¨D Mark Twain


    The battlefield was a cruel place, not meant for people weak or strong, cause on the battlefield, no such things mattered. All it came down to was luck and nothing else. Alaric felt his heart race as the ship landed as he rushed off.


    The loud sounds and the sounds of swords clashing rang loud. He looked up and saw the beast''s they were trained to be fighting. Some were tall, while others were short, some were covered from head to toe in hair, while others had horns.


    The soldiers were in combat with the mortems, sword against sword, bow against bow, and gun against gun.Alaric coughed as he saw the scenes of the recent dead as he continued to walk forward. He got lost in space as he was dumbfounded, not expecting this type of scene at all. In the next moment he felt something slash against his side, causing him to let out a yell in pain as he turned around. His eyes widened in fear as his hands trembled as he saw the beast in front of him. He was scared and the mortem knew it, sniffing him out like a wolf tracking their prey.


    He stepped back at the sudden movement, barely being able to come out unscathed as he landed on the ground. His sword was now long gone as he cowered, moving back as he reached for his gun. He waved it around, trying to threaten the beast, but it was to no avail as he pulled the trigger, the sound ringing in his ears as it simply bounced off it''s chest. He gulped, his eyes glancing left and right as he looked for something to defend himself. The mortem stood above him, hesitating as well to end him.


    Alaric was surprised at this, but was horrified the next instant. Red blood splattered all over his face as he saw a sword stick out of the mortems chest before it fell over next to him. "Seems you got yourself into trouble again....this is not the place for it Alaric." Hearing Ajax''s familiar voice he sighed in relief, his heart still beating fast. He took his hand as he stood up, holstering the gun and picking his sword back up as he saw their side slowly losing. "Now then, we have a job to carry out." And with that Ajax ran off, joining the midst of the battle.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    Alaric stood still, his mind still going over the recent events before he snapped out of it. He slapped his cheeks as he took deep breaths as he moved onwards, engaging the next mortem. It swung its weapon, an axe towards him. Remembering his training he knew that in reality, fights weren''t usually long in the midst of battle, and was over in a couple strikes. So every moment was crucial. He stepped to the side as he let the axe past him, he then moved forward, gripping his sword tightly as he thrusted it into the creature''s neck. Alaric closed his eyes, his hands now shaking as he did his first kill as he pulled the blade out.


    In the next second he took his helmet off and puked, feeling sick to his stomach. He looked to his side and saw another one approaching as he cursed. He dropped his helmet and picked his sword up as he faced the beast. He gripped the sword again as he got into a stance, now being more calm than previously before. The beast made the first move as it approached, swinging the sword downwards, giving the impression of a warlord.


    He quickly jumped back, his breath now hastened as he looked for a way to victory. He studied the mortem as he noticed it looked like one of the demons before, having a horn at the top of its head. He stepped forward, swinging his sword as it clashed with the mortems. He pressed on as he stepped back and watched again, waiting for another opening.


    He circled the creature, observing its actions as it did the same. The swords clashed again and again, neither side being able to gain the upper hand. Alaric was getting annoyed as he became more reckless, as he swung the down the mortem blocked and kicked him away. He growled under his breath as his eyes suddenly widened in surprise.


    "Psychic gear?" He mumbled as he saw the mortem''s sword being clad in lightning. He gulped, a new sense of terror being drilled inside him as he now realized he lost this battle. He closed his eyes and remembered the talk he had with Lein on the ship as he smiled softly. He opened them, a smile full of confidence as he gripped the sword tighter as he ran forward.


    The sparks and sounds of lightning and a drop of a sword was heard as Alaric stared at the mortem. He took two steps back as he slid off the sword and onto the ground. He coughed a mouthful of blood as he felt a twinge of pain throughout his chest, laughing pitifully as he placed his hand on the wound. He closed his eyes, thinking back to when he got knocked down by Richard a couple days ago, causing him to laugh bitterly. "In the end, nothing changed. Hope doesn''t mean shit."


    He smirked as he closed his eyes, taking in the sweet embrace as he felt the void calling for him. He closed his eyes and saw the darkness, comforting and enveloping him as he continued to smile, being taken into the void.

 Chapter 6: Contract

    "Death is a stripping away of all that is not you. The secret of life is to "die before you die" --- and find that there is no death."


    ¨D Eckhart Tolle


    It clung to him, not letting go. That was the darkness. Alaric didn''t find himself scared or confused...but calm. It was quite a strange feeling as he opened his eyes, not being surprised by the mass amounts of darkness surrounding him. What was strange to him though, was the fact that he could feel his body, and with that he stood up, or so he thought he did. He then looked in each direction, wondering where he was.


    He then began to look for way out of this dark, enclosing place. And so, he walked......and walked, and continued to walk. Soon, he felt his feet hurt, then his arms, and then his whole body hurt as he crumpled to the ''ground.''


    He thought of giving up. To just stop and be left alone in this cold dark place.


    " 1, and a 2, and a 3, then a 4! 4 little piggys hanging on the door!"


    His ears perked up at the sound of what seemed to be a little girl singing a nursery rhyme. He looked around, trying to find the source, but found none do to the lack of visible sight.


    He then stood up and began to walk again, this time in the direction of the child''s voice.


    Unlike last time, his search and walk began to bear fruit, and soon he began to see a light appear in front of him. Elation filled his body as he suddenly found himself with new vigor and began to run towards the light.


    As he got closer, he began to squint do to the increasing intensity as he ran through the light. When it began to dim, he opened his eyes, and was confused at what he saw....A house


    He began to walk towards it as he felt something rising up as he stopped, his hand reaching out towards the knob. He took a deep breath as he then knocked on the door, waiting for an answer, but none came.


    Suddenly, the door swung open, making Alaric jump back as he saw a little boy run out, pulling a little girl behind him.


    "Alaric, don''t stay out late!" A motherly voice called from inside.


    "I know mom!" The boy giggled, pulling his sister along, "We have to hurry Kate, AJax is waiting for us!"


    As if he was a ghost, the boy and girl ran right through him, although this didn''t bother him do too what he heard earlier.


    He took a deep breath as he walked into the house, stopping as he looked down at the women in front of him, his mother. He began to feel the urge to cry, but pushed it back as he slowly walked over to her. He kneeled down at the women, who seemed to be picking up a bunch of toys as his hands reached out to touch her, but instead phased through her.


    He closed his eyes at this as he bit his lip. "I''m sorry mom....it''s my fault."


    He closed his eyes as he remembered the event, the screaming, cries of pain...and the blood. Then the aftermath, he jerked himself back to reality, or whatever he was in and stood back up.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "They really made a mess, I really need to teach them better." His mother sighed as she continued to pick up the displaced toys.


    Alaric stopped as he reached the door, and smiled at his mom.


    "You did"


    He knew she couldn''t hear him, but he still felt he needed to say that. He then walked out the door as he looked up at the sky, which was complete black just like the void he was just in, or still in. He didn''t understand what was going on, maybe the so-called life flashing through your eyes? Although it wasn''t like that at all.


    "It happens today huh?"


    Alaric sighed as he remembered the familiar day, shaking his head as he walked off.


    "Nothing I could do about it I guess."


    The door was still open as he left, but was soon closed by his mother as she chuckled. Alaric was now walking towards where his younger self and sister ran off too.


    He soon found them at a familiar hill and field as they were running around with a boy similar to their age.


    His steps were light as he watched them as he walked down the hill. He wasn''t surprised as they kept on playing innocently, or was he surprised when they wanted to race down the hill.


    He wasn''t surprised when they got into an argument. He wasn''t surprised as they started getting into a fight. He wasn''t surprised as his sister got punched by accident, falling to the ground with a bloody nose. He wasn''t surprised that they started freaking out when she fainted. He let out a sigh as he walked over, kneeling down as his hand went to reach out for his sisters forehead.


    "Wow....she''s so adorable, even when shes in this state."


    Alaric quickly turned around, facing the new voice as he saw a girl behind him. His words were lost as he was entranced by her raven black hair, and sapphire blue eyes.


    "Oh ho, what''s this? Have you fallen for me already?" The girl asked, giggling.


    Alaric shook his head as he slapped his cheeks.


    "What do you want?"


    "Is that how you ask a lady? Can you be more polite?"


    "No..."


    "......"


    Alaric sighed as he ran a hand through his hair as he stared at the girl. "What do you want?"


    The girl smiled as she held her hands behind his back. "Well, as you probably guess, you''re dead."


    "Figured that."


    The girl leaned forwards as she poked his nose. "How would you like to come back to life?"


    "Like that zombie undead type stuff? Hell no" His response was quick as he now ignored the younger trio.


    "Hmph! What use would I have for a just rotten flesh and brains?"


    "Don''t ask me" He shrugged.


    "You won''t, I''ll even give you something."


    "And why are you doing this?"


    "Entertainment? Fun, maybe something else?"


    "Cut the bullshit, I don''t have the time for being your entertainment, go find someone else." He glared at her, now standing back up.


    "Fine Fine, you''re no fun anyways."


    "Was I supposed to be?" He grew irritated, now approaching her as he pushed her onto the ground, wanting to get rid of her as his hands curled around her neck.


    "Don''t you want to protect your sister?" She choked out as she gasped for breath. Hearing that he stopped and let go of her neck, but still pinned her to the ground.


    "Elaborate."


    "If you just agree to my conditions then you will be able to protect your sister and friends, and not to mention prevent further harm to her." She smirked as she was obviously confident, knowing he wouldn''t disagree.


    "Fine, I agree to your conditions, what are those again?"


    "Simple, just entertain me and we have a deal."


    "Fair enough" He snorted, not seeming quite happy.


    The girl giggled, as her hands grasped his head and pulled him close as their noses touched, "What are you do-"


    "What? Did you think I was going to kiss you?" She smiled at that, giggling as her hot, warm breath hit his face."


    "Of course no-" His sentence was cut short as he suddenly screamed in pain, falling backwards as he clutched his body, more accurately, his eyes.


    "By the way Alaric, Call me Lisa." The girl smiled as she stood back up, dusting off the grass off of her clothes.


    Alaric didn''t try to question how she knew his name or even how he got there as he gasped for breath. He continued to tremble as he soon blacked out.

 Chapter 7: Visits

    "It''s only after you''ve stepped outside your comfort zone that you begin to change, grow, and transform."


    ¨D Roy T. Bennett


    Lights shone on him as he woke up screaming. He took heavy breaths as he looked around the room, obviously alarmed. He calmed down as he came to realize he was in a hospital bed. The loud noise he made brought attention as a nurse ran in as she looked at him in shock before running out. Sometime later the door burst open as someone hugged him tightly.


    "You''re alive!"


    "Ummm.....yeah....but do you mind letting go? It kinda hurts."


    "I''ll think about it."


    Ajax laughed in relief as Alaric sighed, ignoring the pain as he patted his back. When he was let go Alaric sighed in relief.


    "So....what exactly happened?"


    Ajax wasn''t surprised at his question as he stopped smiling and took on a more solemn tone.


    "Where to begin. I was off fighting and when I turned back to you I saw you bleeding on the ground passed out....We all thought you were dead, but then this one girl....she somehow just went over to you and....poked your nose? She then giggled as the reinforcements thankfully arrived and took us back. Ever since you''ve been here for about a week."


    After he said that he smiled in relief.


    "Now if you excuse me I''m gonna go get something to eat, I''m starving. I haven''t eaten in the last ten minutes or so."


    "Can you get me something as well?"


    "No"


    "..."


    "Toodles~"


    Ajax laughed as he walked out of the door with a smile, leaving Alaric to his own devices. He rubbed the bandages on his chest as he closed his eyes, remembering the talk with the girl as he mumbled.


    "Lisa"


    "Yes?"


    Alaric opened his eyes as he turned to the window as he saw the familiar girl there.


    "What are you doing here?"


    "Are you saying where I can or cannot be?"


    "Yes I am, now answer my question."Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    "..."


    Lisa sighed as she hopped off the window, which was now shut closed as she threw the half-eaten apple in the trash.


    "Just seeing how my little contractee is doing."


    Alaric raised an eyebrow, unamused. He leaned over to her as much as he could and simply flicked her forehead.


    "What was that for?"


    Lisa pouted as she rubbed her forehead, which was now beginning to turn red.


    "I''m not your little contractee," Alaric said in an annoyed tone.


    "Technically you are since we did make a deal." Lisa retorted as she giggled once again.


    "Can you please stop giggling? It''s irritating."


    "Can you please stop sighing then? It''s getting irritating." Lisa retorted.


    Alaric looked at her blankly before turning away, not wanting to continue this stupid banter any longer.


    "So what powers did you exactly give me?"


    "Hmm, you want to know about that?" Lisa said as she approached the bed and leaned over it. She grabbed Alaric''s face as she stared into his eyes with a confident smile.


    "You''ll know in time, but for now you better rest up."


    Alaric pulled away from her, rolling his eyes as he eventually nodded.


    "I''ll try."


    "That''s good enough my lit-, Contractee." Lisa coughed, trying to hide her mistake.


    Alaric didn''t care as he now had his attention on the door. It then swung open as a stranger who oddly seemed familiar burst in.


    "Alaric!"


    The figure said quickly as it ran over and hugged him, but made sure not to bring any discomfort or pain to him.


    Alaric studied the figure more as he saw their brown hair and green eyes, which gave a nice look. He then heard the voice as he paused for a moment.


    "Lein?"


    "Yes! It''s me, I''m so glad that you''re ok." Lein stated as he continued to hug him.


    "Oh my, I didn''t know you had a.....significant other." Lisa giggled as he held a hand over her mouth.


    Lein quickly let go as he stared at the figure as he quickly waved his hands.


    "We''re not like that! He''s just a friend I made that cheered me up."


    Alaric himself laughed as he looked at Lein.


    "Ah, don''t mind it, Lein, she''s just teasing you."


    "Who are you anyway?" Lein stated, his gaze now studying Lisa suspiciously.


    "Ah me? I''m an.....important friend of Alaric." She said as she sat back down, hiding her hands under her sweater.


    Lein nodded, before not paying attention to her anymore.


    "Before I go Alaric, they all promoted us to the Soldier class, so don''t forget it!" Lein closed the door as he walked out, leaving the two alone.


    Alaric nodded as he turned to Lisa, yawning as he sighed.


    "So how long are you staying here for?"


    "Wow, do you want me to leave that bad? Or are you just too entranced by my beauty?" Lisa smirked as she leaned closer to Alaric.


    "I want you to leave so I can get some sleep, I believe if you stayed that wouldn''t happen anytime soon."


    "So mean."


    "Don''t really care."


    "..."


    Lisa stared at Alaric blankly before moving away from him and straightening her clothes. She smiled again as she then made her way back to the window.


    "Well Alaric, I''ll see you later, but remember this. Do not tell anyone about our deal, as it is it''s going to be troublesome enough." Lisa said in a grave tone before quickly smirking.


    "Till next time my contractee."


    "How many times do I have to say to stop that?" Alaric sighed as he frowned.


    Lisa gave a quick wave before opening the window and jumping out, which didn''t cause a response from Alaric at all.


    "She at least could''ve closed the window." He ran a hand down his face as he calmed himself down.


    This time as the door opened a doctor walked in. He looked over his papers before looking at Alaric.


    "How are you feeling?"


    "A little sore, but other than that I''m fine."


    The doctor nodded as he hummed, looking over the papers again. "Well, I recommend sleeping some more, and I''ll come check back up on you in a few."


    "Was already on that." He smirked as he saw the doctor leave the room. His eyes closed as he was for the most part surrounded by silence. He sank into the bed as he soon drifted off to sleep.

 Chapter 8: Vanbu

    ¡°No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it''s not the same river and he''s not the same man.¡±


    ¨D Heraclitus


    Alaric stifled a yawn as he zoned out of the lesson. It had been a week since he had been discharged and his third day in the new soldier class they had been assigned to.


    ¡°Can anyone name the event that caused our kind to retreat back and build the 4 great cities to protect us? How about you Alaric?¡±


    Alaric stared at the teacher in surprise before he stood up calmly and answered.


    ¡°The event known as the Sky¡¯s collapse is what caused us to retreat. Hundreds of years ago, the sky was suddenly ripped open which led to the arrival of monsters and the creatures that followed them, mortems. Ever since then Humanity has retreated under the protection of the 4 great cities known as Vanbu, Piylas, Caso, and Klore. The 4 cities were meant to protect us against the attacks while we push and retake our land little by little.¡±


    ¡°That is¡­.Correct, you may sit down.¡±


    The professor was somewhat shocked as his plan of humiliating and using Alaric as an example failed. He continued his less anyways as Alaric went back to daydreaming.


    As the bell rung Alaric yawned once again as he stood up along with the rest of the class. He began making his way to the door when the professor called out to the whole class.


    ¡°I forgot to mention, but in the upcoming days you will all be assigned to platoons and will be responsible for completing missions, which will award your team with points and a grade, which you need to become a solider. Now you are dismissed.¡±


    The professor waved them off as he went back to packing his things up. Alaric, not wanting to be caught up in any other announcements, ran out the door as he sighed, checking the time on a nearby clock.


    ¡°Got a couple minutes I guess.¡±


    He turn around as he headed back to his room and walked inside. Setting his stuff down, he grabbed his phone and tucked it away as he headed out to the front of the academy, which was placed in the middle of one of the great cities, Vanbu.


    ¡°Alaric, over here!¡±


    He turned to the familiar voice and figure as he waved while making his way over.


    ¡°Hey Lein, so what did you want to show me again?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a secret!¡± Lein smiled as he then began to walk off. ¡°Just follow me!¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Alaric looked at him blankly before simply compiling. Curiosity built up in him as he wondered where they were going.


    Soon enough he found out as he looked up at the giant tower-like structure that made Vanbu unique from the other cities.


    ¡°You seemed interested in research and knowledge I guess, so I thought it would be cool to take you here.¡± Lein smiled as he scratched his cheek.


    ¡°No I appreciate it¡­.but how did you get access here? Isn¡¯t this place off limits?¡±


    ¡°Well, my family has some connections high up, so they managed to call in some favors.¡±


    Lein said as he dragged Alaric into the tower. They went through the standard security procedure before they got to look around.


    ¡°This place, The Tower of Vanbu is one of the most important places throughout the 4 great cities. This is where all our data is stored and where advancements and new information is found for the most part. Do to the importance, its heavily guarded as you saw before on our way here.¡±


    Alaric was silent as Lein showed him around, pointing out the more interesting parts of the tower like a tour guide.


    ¡°Do you have any questions Alaric?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if you don¡¯t mind me asking, but where did you get this information from?¡±


    He raised an eyebrow at Lein as he stared at what seemed to be a pillar housing a bunch of wires and cords which was surrounded by guards.


    ¡°I got it from the some of the scientists who work here along with my parents.¡±


    Alaric sighed as he dragged Lein out of earshot of the guards as he asked him.


    ¡°Have you ever questioned that they might have lied to you? That they might be telling you something so you won¡¯t find the so-called truth?¡±


    ¡°No, why would my own parents lie to me? Aren¡¯t you just being skeptical?¡±


    Alaric leaned against a wall as he closed his eyes and opened them as he looked to Lein.


    ¡°Maybe, but what if i¡¯m right then Lein? What if the people you trust so much lied to you about everything, then what would you do?¡±


    Lein stayed silent as he pondered the question. He raised a finger after some time as he gave his answer.


    ¡°I would probably be mad at them, and I guess spread the truth so everyone would know.¡±


    ¡°Good enough answer.¡±


    Alaric smirked as he pat his back as he walked past him before stopping, and looked over his shoulders.


    ¡°You still going to show me around or are you just gonna stay there like an idiot?¡±


    Lein shook his head as he ran after Alaric. ¡°Of course!¡±


    He showed Alaric some more interesting parts points of the tower and their functions before stopping and leaving with him. They made their way back to the academy as they stopped at the gates once again.


    ¡°So Alaric, how did you like it?¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t bad, saw some interesting things, especially a couple which interest me greatly.¡±


    Alaric smiled as he waved to Lein as he walked away.


    ¡°Well, thanks for the invite, i¡¯ll see you later.¡±


    ¡°Y-yeah, see ya later Alaric.¡± Lein said as he waved back before heading back to his respective dorm.


    He opened the door as he noticed Ajax wasn¡¯t there as he shrugged. He took off some of his clothes as he went to the mirror to wash his face. He stopped as he looked at himself. His dark black hair along with his brown eyes, gave for quite the normal look, but not like it really mattered. He laughed, mostly at the course of events that happened over the last couple weeks, but mostly at himself. He was smart, he had some friends, and he survived. He even got promoted and learned some new things, but even with all that. He still felt weak.

 Chapter 9: Patrol

    "The truth is rarely pure and never simple."


    ¨D , The Importance of Being Earnest


    The platoons were picked at random as a means to make it fair for all the students. Alaric sighed as he looked at the paper in his hands as he rubbed his head. He read the names off one by one as he took a deep breath.


    "Alaric, Ajax, Lein, Sophia and.....Lisa"


    He let the last one roll off of his tongue as he sighed. He sat down on his bed as he looked at the time, knowing he had only a couple minutes before he had to go meet them.


    "How in the world did she even get in here, who exactly is she."


    He closed his eyes as he remembered back to the time he almost died. The contract confused him, what powers did it give him, and what would he do with them?


    He pushed the thought to the back of his mind as he got out of bed. He put on a jacket and began to make his way out towards the barracks, where they would be given their first assignment.


    He soon arrived as he stopped at a door and closed his eyes remembering the room number. He opened them as he saw the numbers matched. He took a deep breath as he walked in and stopped.....seeing chaos.


    Ajax and Lisa were messing with Lein who was currently running while having drawing all over his face. There was a girl sitting on a chair and reading while the chaos was unfolding.


    "Ah Alaric, you''re finally here!"


    Ajax waved as he grabbed onto Lein''s collar as Lisa approached with a marker.


    "What are you guys doing to him?"


    "Nothing, just a little makeover, he wanted one after all."


    "Then why is he crying out for help?"


    "He wants to be funny?"


    "......."


    Alaric took a deep breath as he calmed down, resisting the urge to knock him upside the head as he sat down.


    "So what''s our mission?"


    As if on cue Sophia closed her book and turned towards them. Her brown hair and brown eyes stared towards the group with authority as she spoke.


    "We''re supposed to patrol around the old ruins and eliminate anymortemswe see. Apparently, there have been recent sightings of them in the area, so it gives us an opportunity to raise our grades. I''ll take charge to make sure nothing goes wrong."


    "Hold on! Who says you can take charge?'' Ajax said as he dropped let go of Lein.


    "Do you have anyone who would be better?"


    "Of course Alaric!...Ah, wait umm.....nevermind he would probably be bad. I take back what I said Sophia you can take charge."


    Ajax gave her a thumbs up and a smile as he turned to Alaric and shrugged, who rolled his eyes in return.


    Sophia scoffed as she shook her head and grabbed Lisa''s hand as she headed to the armory.


    "Meet us at the hangar so we can leave." She told them as she closed the door.


    "You heard the feisty women! Menletsgo!...andLein,since you''re not really a man."


    Ajax chuckled as he opened the door and headed off to the armory, with Alaric and Lein following behind.


    "I too am a man!"


    "Are you now?"


    "Yes!"


    "What''s something manly that you have done then?"


    "...."


    "See? Not a man, but in time and with my leadership you will become a man!"


    Ajax patted Lein''s head as if he was an old teacher. Lein smiled up at Ajax as he nodded.


    "Thank you, Ajax!"


    "No! You must call me Master Ajax!"


    "I-I''m sorry Master Ajax! Please forgive me!"


    "I-it''s fine. Let''s focus on the task at hand shall we?"


    Ajax said as he tried his best not to laugh. Alaric, on the other hand, was laughing as Lein tilted his head at him confused, but didn''t ask as he turned back to the front.


    They arrived at the armory as they put on their gear and ran through what they had again. Alaric held the helmet and hesitated for a moment before he put it on.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "Well then, to the hangar. We probably should hurry, I don''t feel like being yelled at by girls my age."


    Ajax said as he tapped Alaric''s and Lein''s armor as he headed off with them following behind.


    "Oh, you''re finally here, only took you guys about 20 minutes."


    "Hey, we ran into some issues girl, but at least we''re here now right?"


    Sophia shook her head as she stepped into the car and sat behind the wheel.


    "Hey, why are you driving?"


    "Do you have the qualifications to drive instead Ajax?"


    "No, I don''t! Doesn''t mean I can''t be the one to drive though!"


    Alaric sighed as he dragged Ajax and kicked him into the back seat.


    "Ow! Alaric, are you really going to let her treat me like that?"


    "Yes, I am."


    "How cruel? Aren''t we friends?"


    "Yes, and that''s why I''m exactly doing that."


    Alaric got into the car as he sat next to Ajax as Lein got in after them, leaving him in the middle. Lisa got in the front seat although she didn''t wear any of the armor which confused Alaric along with the others, but decided to ignore it.


    "I''ll give further directions after we arrive there."


    "Whatever you say Ms.bitchface"


    "Did you say something?"


    "Nope! Nothing at all Sophia"


    Ajax mumbled as he sighed, sitting slumping down in his seat as they drove to the ruins outside ofVanbu.


    The ruins were mostly quiet and deserted, except for the occasional animal and dead body around. Sophia stopped the car as everyone got out and held her sword as she turned to them.


    "Alright, to make this fast and easy we''re going to split up. Everyone will go off in a direction and report here in an hour, any questions?"


    "Isn''t that ineffective?"


    "How so Ajax?"


    "Because....you know what, nevermind, I retract my statement."


    "Anyways, since there are no more questions, you guys are dismissed."


    Alaric nodded as he strapped his sword to his waist as he set off in a direction, heading towards some of the destroyed buildings. He looked around the ruined building as his steps echoed as if he was showing his presence.


    "So quiet, what was this even built for?"


    He talked out loud, not minding if anything heard as he touched one of the walls covered in moss.


    He then turned around a corner and as he did, he stepped back as a silver light barely missed him. He instantly reached for his sword and unsheathed it as he squinted, eyeing the enemy as it showed itself, amortem. It held two knives as it rushed towardshis, aiming for his neck. He brought up his sword as he barely deflected the blade, the knife leaving a small cut on his cheek.


    He kicked themortemaway as he winced, feeling as if he just struck something hard.


    "They really should explain why their bodies are so hard."


    He spoke as themortemseemed to yell at him as it charged again. He rolled to the side as the creature pressed on, slashing at him wildly. He stepped forward and elbowed it in the face, ignoring the pain as he rolled away.


    His eyes widened as themortemappeared in front of him as it charged him, sending through an old wall as he fell down coughing, now covered in debris.


    He pulled his gun out as he shot themortem, causing it to flinch as he pushed it away and managed to grab his sword. He then went on the attack.


    He felt afraiddoto the events that transpired last time, but this time was different. He had survived. He was given a new power, he was promoted, he had a team, and he had a reason to live, for his family.


    Being filled with determination he yelled as he swung the sword, cutting off themortemshand as it screamed in pain, knocking him back.


    He slid across the floor, but didn''t mind the pain as he felt ecstatic! He had a chance to win this. If he managed to killit,or have it bleed out then he would survive.


    His hopes were diminished as he saw themortemstop the bleeding and hold its dagger firmly, flames covering the blade.


    He gulped in fear, now trembling. It was happening again. He stepped back in fear, cursing inwardly at his luck.


    Themortemseemed to smile as it dashed towards him, swinging thrusting its blade towards him. Alaric let out a shout as he held his sword up to block, but his eyes widened as he saw the blade pierce his shoulder, causing him to drop his sword. Hehead buttedthemortemrepeatedly as it let go and stumbled back.


    Tears were forming in his eyes as he yanked the blade out, as he winced, the flames now gone. He threw it towards themortemas it dodged, but it was enough as he managed to grab his sword again.


    "Goddamnit! Why does this have to happen to me again! Lisa! Didn''t you say you gave me a power! If so, then where is it?"


    He yelled in frustration which confused themortem. But it took this chance as it rushed him again, pinning him up against a wall as he coughed. Am I really going to die here? His thoughts were now increasing as he closed his eyes.


    If you were given the power to save the world, would you do it? The thought rang in his mind as he began to fall limp, feeling the air leave his lungs.


    I....I wouldn''t save this damn forsaken world! But the people! Why am I thinking of this now? He laughed at the thought as he felt his eyes go dim.


    "Correct answer, well then contractee, save the people."


    He heard Lisa''s voice in his mind as his eyes snapped open as he felt pain course through them.


    "I...Will....Live!"


    He voiced his declaration as he kicked themortem''sinjured arm as it winced, its grip weakening on him as he kicked themortemaway. He gasped and wheezed as the air filled his lungs as he noticed something strange. Lines and X''s covered certain areas of the building and even on themortem.


    "Are these.....weak points?"


    He pieced it together as he sawa Xon themortemshead and over its heart. He smiled as he stood up, filled with confidence as he faced themortem, which began to run towards him.


    He jumped out of the way before themortemeven began too. He was puzzled at this as he began to run, picking his gun up.


    "Did I just.....see into the future? If so, then I can win this."


    A smirk crossed his face as he heard themortemchasing after him. He ran and turned at randoms at corners in the building to confuse it as he saw a perfect opportunity. He smiled as he stopped running, themortembeginning to charge him.


    He didn''t move. No, he didn''t have to. He aimed the gun towards the ceiling as he shot it, aiming for one of the many lines covering the ceiling. With that it began to shake as the ceiling collapsed, falling down onto themortemas he smiled.


    "Perfect...."


    He put his hand down as his hand still held onto the gun as he walked over to the debris as he began to remove it. Seeing themortemtwitch he searched for its knife. Finding it, he twirled it in his hands before stabbing it into its other hands, causing it to let out a scream, which soon became a whimper.


    "That doesn''t feel good at all does it?"


    He smiled sadistically as he stabbed themortemagain and again. Letting out all of his pent up frustration as he then stopped, themortembecame limp as it began to profusely bleed from its many holes.


    He then held up the creature''s head so he could see its face, but stopped as he stepped back.


    "How? W-what, no...that''s impossible....right?"


    He gulped as he almost had the urge to puke. He winced as pain coursed through his eyes again as they began to bleed. He slumped to the ground, the urge to sleep overcoming him as his mind seemed to freeze, still thinking over what he just saw. The mortem he killed...was human.

 Chapter 10: Truths

    "The first duty of a man is to think for himself"


    ¨D Jos¨¦ Mart¨ª


    He calmed himself down as he pushed the urge away. The body still was bleeding as it began to spread. Alaric stood up, but stumbled as he leaned against the wall as he closed his eyes again. I guess I got something to talk to Lisa about now he thought as he wryly laughed. He stumbled again as he made his way out of the ruins, wincing as he tripped and fell down at the entrance. He heard voices as he barely managed to look up again to see two of his platoon members come towards him, not knowing exactly who they were. They picked him up as a smile made its way on his face as they carried him to the truck.


    "What in the world happened to him?"


    "Relax Sophia, we don''t know either, we just found him like this."


    Ajax sighed as he mumbled something, most likely bad mouthing her again as he held Alaric.


    "Anyways, get him in here and let''s take him back."


    Sophia replied as she got into the driving seat and slammed the door closed. She started the gear as she looked forward, not looking back at them.


    They changed seats this time as Lein sat in the front, leaving Lisa and Ajax on both sides of Alaric.


    Lisa looked at Alaric, a small grin on her face as she stroked his hair softly.


    "What''s so funny Lisa?"


    "What makes you think that Ajax?"


    "The fact you''re smiling, it seems you know what happened to him am I right?"


    "Maybe I do, maybe I don''t." Lisa teased playfully as she didn''t stare back at Ajax, keeping her attention on Alaric, who now was sleeping.


    "If you harm him, even just a scratch, I''ll make sure to end your existence personally."


    Ajax said intimidatingly, surprisingly taking on a more serious tone than usual.


    "Oh my, so scary~. You don''t have to worry about anything, I need him alive."


    "So you''re manipulating him?"


    "Oh my, I never said anything about that."


    "Yes yes....but I''m watching you White Witch." Ajax said as he whispered the last part in her ear before he moved away, staring back at the moving scenery.


    Lisa didn''t reply as she sighed. "Seems I have been caught." She said playfully as she snickered, changing her attitude almost instantly as she continued stroking Alaric''s hair. She closed her eyes as she got some rest, knowing they had a good amount of time before they got back.


    The sound of a bump and the screeching of tires woke up the two as the car stopped. Alaric rubbed his eyes, surprised by the fact of not feeling blood. He realized he was resting on something comfortable as he looked up, his eyes meeting with Lisa''s.


    "Sleep well?"


    "It was average."


    "Shy I see, I guess that''s cute too."


    "Where did I say I was shy, and no, that''s disgusting."


    Alaric sighed as he pushed himself off of her legs and yawned. Getting out on the other side of the car.


    "I''ll report to the captain, for now pack up and head back to the dorms. I''ll notify you when the teacher gives us our next assignment."


    Sophia turned around and walked away as she told them with Lisa following behind her.


    Alaric walked over for a moment and grabbed Lisa''s hand.


    "I need to talk to you about something."


    "Are you asking me out? How bold of you, you''re getting me excited."


    "Yes yes, very funny. Meet me in front of the academy at eight."


    "Ok, but your confession better be good or I''m gonna be pissed."


    Alaric rolled his eyes as he let go of her and walked back towards Lein and Ajax.


    "So what was that about Alaric? Trying to pick up girls again?"


    "No, just some small business to take care of. I''ll see you guys later, I have some things to take care of."


    "Alaric! If you need help I''m always happy to help."The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I doubt that.....Thank you Lein, I''ll be sure to come to you when I need it."


    Alaric gave a fake smile to him, causing Lein to smile in return. Alaric took a deep breath as he walked ahead of them, putting up his equipment and quickly leaving.


    He checked the time on his phone as he mumbled to himself.


    "Enough time to make a visit I guess."


    He changed his course for the academy towards the train station. He quickly bought a ticket and boarded the train.


    He closed his eyes as the train began to move forward. He hadn''t seen his sister for a couple months and now that he had the time, he finally could. He smiled knowing her reaction would mostly be excited; being able to see him after a long time.


    The more he thought about his sister, the more his smile faded. She was disabled and hurt badly from the event which took their mother''s life. Even though she was happy, he knew there was a sadness that she kept to herself so others wouldn''t be troubled. This very fact hurt him as he sighed, knowing she was the only one person he could be honest with.


    He was snapped out of his thoughts as the train stopped at his destination, He got off as he began to walk again, making his way towards one of the nearby apartment complexes.


    He passed through many of the rooms before stopping and knocking on the door. Soon footsteps could be heard along with a familiar voice coming from behind the door.


    "Hello? Who is it?"


    "It''s me, Alice, sorry for not visiting for a bit."


    The sound of the door being unlocked and opening could be heard as a mature-older looking person could be seen. She smiled softly as she hugged him.


    "It''s been a while Alaric, I''m sure Kate would be glad to see you."


    "Alice? Do we have a visitor?" A softer voiced asked from within the house.


    Alaric stepped into the house as he looked around, seeing that nothing really changed in the last couple months since he had last been here.


    "Who do you think it is?" He smiled genuinely as he chuckled.


    "Alt!" Kate cried as she finally appeared from the corner in a mobility scooter. Alaric winced seeing that she was still injured, although he knew he didn''t have the money to get it fixed.


    "Is something wrong Alt?"


    "No Kate, just been a while since I saw you. It''s nice seeing you happy like this."


    "I''m always happy! So, how has the academy been? "


    "Not bad actually, I got to move up a class. So I''m one step closer to helping my cute little sister."


    He smiled, patting her head as he saw her smile. His heart ached secretly as he slipped some lies into there, he inwardly laughed at his hypocrisy.


    "He checked the time as he frowned. "Sorry Kate, I have to go do to some arrangements. I promise I''ll visit again real soon ok?"


    "Already? F-fine...I love you brother."


    "I love you too." Alaric smiled softly as he kissed her on the cheek as he left the house and bid farewell to Alice and Kate.


    He made his way back to the station as he waited for the train. He blocked out the constant yelling and loud noises as he thought to himself as he sighed. His sister was disappointed at him. Even if she tried to hide it, he could tell. He felt sick to his stomach that he couldn''t help her as he yelled in frustration, ignoring the new attention from the surroundings.


    He quickly boarded the train as it arrived and began looking for a seat. He walked to the back till he found a seat that was not surrounded by people as he took a seat. He closed his eyes as he dozed off, trying to rest as the train made its way back to the academy.


    As the day changed and the moon shone down the train came to a stop. Alaric woke up groggily as he checked the time, seeing he was just on time. He slowly made his way off the train as he cleared his mind. He took a deep breath as he made his way to the academy.


    He stopped when he saw Lisa standing at the gate, waving towards him. He waved back as he took on a more solemn expression.


    "Did you wait long?"


    "No, Not a-"


    "I don''t really care, it was a joke."


    "Rude!" Lisa yelled as she playfully hit his shoulder. "So, what did you want?"


    "Let''s go somewhere....more private."


    "How daring, already going to push me down so soon?"


    Lisa smirked as she giggled. Alaric didn''t care to respond as he grabbed her hand and tugged her along, making sure they were alone as he stopped and turned around.


    "Back at the ruins...explain what I saw."


    "Whatever could you mean."


    With one quick step Alaric moved towards her. He grabbed her by her collar as he pushed her against the wall, his eyes glaring at her.


    "Don''t fuck with me Lisa! Explain! Why did that mortem. And the eyes, explain it all!"


    Lisa looked at him absentmindedly as she simply pushed him away as his grip was lost. She walked towards him with a smile as she leaned forwards.


    "The truth."


    "How does tha-......you mean?"


    Lisa giggled as she nodded as she stepped away. She placed her hands behind her back as she walked around Alaric.


    "You see my dear contractee. One of the powers of your eyes is that they can see all the truths of this world, no matter what they be. In addition, as you have experienced they can look into the future for a moment. But how well and what they can do depends on you. So yes, that mortem was human."


    Alaric eyes widened in surprise as he looked at her.


    "So are you saying...we''ve been fighting our own all this time?"


    "Yes and no. Remember Alaric, truths are never simple. They are complex, and usually, have the power to change the world. But it''s human themselves who are the ones who use that truth to change that world. So Alaric, now that you know? What will you do about it.?


    Lisa stopped moving as she leaned over from behind, resting her head on his shoulder. Alaric thought about it for a moment as he turned around and grabbed her by the shoulders.


    "What exactly are the higher-ups planning since they made us think they were fake beings."


    "Don''t get them wrong Alaric. Monsters and Mortems still do exist since the collapse, they just added an extra variable into the equation. They just made you perceive them since birth when they implanted you with the chips."


    "Why would that though? You never answered my question, and why do you know so much?"


    "I have no clue Alaric, I just am friends with the ones at the very top. So once again Alaric, now that you know the truth, and that you have the power to change the world, what will you do? You see Alaric, I want to destroy this world of lies and build it anew, so will you help me?"


    Lisa smiled as she held her hand out to them. It was tempting to Alaric as he hesitated to take it. He thought about it as Kate flashed through his mind. He sucked in a deep breath as he breathed it out slowly. He took her hand as he looked into Lisa''s eyes.


    "So what do we do first Lisa?"


    "Come to my room and I''ll fill you in on what we will do next ok? And by the way, you never had the say in the matter, either way, you would''ve been helping me my little contractee."


    Lisa giggled as she let go of his hand, smiling as she thought of the feeling in her head as she skipped away. Alaric, on the other hand, mumbled as he made his way back to his dorm as he sighed.


    "What have I gotten myself into?"

 Chapter 11: The Start of Something

    ¡°Sometimes you have to pick the gun up to put the Gun down.¡±


    ¨D Malcolm X


    ¡°Let¡¯s go over it one more time Alaric.¡±


    ¡°Really Lisa? How is this even related to what we¡¯re doing later?¡±


    ¡°Knowledge is power Alaric!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°Now first, explain the armour and weapons currently used to fight off the mortems!¡±


    Alaric sighed as he dropped the pencil on the desk. They were currently in Lisa¡¯s room going over topics while they waited for the sun to go down. Luckily Sophia was out for the whole day, allowing them to practice in peace.


    Alaric rubbed his nose as he turned to Lisa. Sinking in the chair he began spitting back out what he remembered.


    ¡°After the Sky¡¯s Collapse, humanity found a special metal left behind by the beast''s, they named this metal varnium, which was named after the person who found the metal, Adam Varney. They soon found out the metal was good at conducting many things such as electricity and fire, and allowed magic to be used through them. With they began to create weapons such as swords, knives, axes and so on. They didn¡¯t create bullets and guns do to complications, which halted and prevented guns for being made. The current guns and ammunition now can¡¯t penetrate through the armour do too this, and now are used as a backup weapon, which is more or less to stun the enemy and buy time to escape. Although with this setback, heavier ammunitions such as air turrets and missiles can break through the armour and still cause satisfactory damage. That good enough for you Lisa?¡±


    ¡°Perfecto!¡±


    Lisa plopped onto the bed as she smiled towards Alaric. Her eyes went to the clock as she sat back up.


    ¡°We should get going now then?¡±


    ¡°Is it already time to go?¡± Alaric asked as he propped his hand onto the table, his hand resting in it as he stared at her.


    ¡°Pretty much, don¡¯t forget to bring the duffel bag.¡±


    Alaric nodded as he picked up the duffel bag from under the table as he slung it over his shoulder. Opening the door he walked out and turned around, waiting for Lisa who soon followed.


    ¡°So what exactly are we doing again?¡±


    Lisa smiled as they headed to the train station. She stopped as she spun around on her heel, now facing Alaric as she leaned in and whispered into his ear.


    ¡°Remember Alaric, if you want people to believe you, they first have to acknowledge you.¡±


    She patted his shoulders as she stepped back.


    ¡°So we¡¯re gonna do some ¡®good deeds¡¯ to make you known before we actually start our plans.¡±


    Alaric stared at Lisa surprised, causing her to grin as she leaned forwards again.


    ¡°What? Are you struck by my beauty once again?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m surprised you said something intelligent. Don¡¯t let it get to your head.¡± He flicked her forehead as he walked forwards again. Lisa pouted as she walked after him.


    ¡°That¡¯s rude! Don¡¯t you have any manners?¡±


    ¡°I thought about bringing them, but since it was you, I decided it was better to leave them.¡±


    He smirked as he boarded the train, looking back as he was amused by her reaction. Lisa gave a quick ¡®hmph¡¯ as she crossed her arms and sat down next to Alaric. The train moved onto their destination, being towards the edge of the city. The scenery soon changed as also did the time of day, the sun began to set as the moon take its place. The train soon came to a stop, signaling their arrival as Alaric tapped Lisa, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder.


    ¡°We¡¯re here already?¡±


    ¡°Yes, now please get off me.¡±


    Alaric sighed as he followed Lisa out of the train as he looked around, the duffel back still shouldered over his back.


    There walk was quite short, and surprisingly quiet as they didn¡¯t bicker, but instead took in the silence as they looked around the surroundings. Eventually the light behind them was eaten by the darkness as it became harder to see, but not for long. As they walked, they could see more lights up ahead, one in particular being in a factory.


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s our target for today.¡±


    ¡°Really? Why is it always in a place like a factory?¡±


    ¡°I have no clue Alaric, some people are stupid, you know?¡±


    ¡°Like you?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I seriously mean that by the way.¡±This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.


    ¡°...¡±


    Alaric chuckled as he saw Lisa¡¯s shocked expression before she giggled and caught up with him.


    ¡°Seems you finally fell for my charms.¡±


    ¡°And what makes you say that?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? That¡¯s a secret.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, what a wonderful answer.¡± Alaric replied mockingly as he rolled his eyes, while Lisa giggled some more.


    Alaric looked around the building as he saw what seemed to be guards at the entrances. He continued to look as he managed to spot some windows up top.


    ¡°How about we get a look up there? Since you won¡¯t tell me anything.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Sounds good contractee.¡±


    He didn¡¯t bother even trying to retort as he began climbing up on one of the other buildings as he made his way to the windows. He had to jump as he winced from the short stinging pain as he hoped no one heard the noise.


    ¡°So what exactly is this?¡± He asked as he saw multiple people who seemed to be transporting stuff.


    ¡°It¡¯s two things dear contractee. First, they¡¯re most likely selling a dangerous and addictive drug, and two, they¡¯re also probably transporting and selling people.¡±


    He raised an eyebrow at this as he looked toward Lisa.


    ¡°Why are you telling me this?¡±


    ¡°Cause you¡¯re going to save them and stop the so-called bad guys.¡±


    ¡°And how does this help our cause?¡±


    ¡°Like I said before, it gives you a good view in the eyes of the people, who you are trying to show the truth. In addition, it gets your name out there, does it not?¡±


    ¡°I guess.¡±


    ¡°Good, now change into that costume, and go in there.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t order me around.¡±


    ¡°But I just did contractee.¡±


    Lisa smirked as Alaric glared at her for a moment before he opened the duffel bag. He took out what seemed to be a mask along with a nice suit-like clothes. He shook his head as he began putting it on, ignoring the fact that Lisa was there.


    ¡°W-what are you doing?¡±


    ¡°What? Have you been enticed by me finally?¡±


    He smirked to Lisa who was now blushing as she looked away. He chuckled as he held the mask in his hands, his fingers gliding over its surface. He admired its intricate designs and knew whoever had made it put quite some effort into it. His hands stopped at the empty eye sockets as they then went down, touching the mouth part of the mask, which was split into two side.


    Half of the mask was covered in white, and there was a frown on it, but the black part had a smile on it, although a thin one. He smiled as he put the mask slowly on, getting use to the feeling as he felt his skin stand on end do to the sudden coldness.


    Unlike in the past, masks now covered even the backside of the head, meaning his whole head was completely covered, even his hair.


    He stood up as he turned to Lisa and waved as he thought how he should do this.


    ¡°Since there is light, I¡¯m guessing there is a generator or something around?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, find that out yourself.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Alaric stared at her silently as he walked past her, making his way back to the ground. Unlike his way up, his landing was more soft, in the fact his feet didn¡¯t sting on the landing. He quickly glanced around as he focused on the noises, trying to see if he could hear the generator.


    The sounds of crickets and the owls hoot entered his ears, along with the sounds of what seemed to be people talking. But in the midst of it, Alaric could hear the faint buzzing of something. Thinking that might be it, he carefully made his way towards that direction.


    He stopped short before he turned the corner, instead opting to peek from behind it, to make sure as to not get caught by surprise or raise the alarm. And, as he thought, under the light the generator was there, but not under his expectations. A guard was currently stationed in front of the generator as he seemed to be holding an SMG close as he glanced in both directions every now and then.


    Alaric began formulating a plan in his mind on how to deal with the guard so he could shut off the generator. He clicked his tongue, knowing trying to sneak up or walking out would only be a death sentence. So he opted for the next best option, attracting him offer, at least he had a shot.


    He glanced around as he found some rocks to pick up. He then whistled softly as he tossed a rock towards her. Just like he thought, the guard was alarmed. He looked in Alaric¡¯s direction, his gun up as he slowly moved in his direction.


    Alaric¡¯s heart began beating faster as he found to his surprise, a small bit of excitement began building up inside of him. As the guard began to turn the corner, Alaric acted. Quickly stepping forward as he smacked the gun out of the guards hands. The guard, who was still surprised and shock, swung his fist wildly, not having the time to calm himself.


    This was in his expectations, thinking these guys weren¡¯t trained soldiers as he easily managed to dodge the punches. He moved in close as he grabbed the guard by the collar as he slammed him against the wall violently. The guard coughed out in pain as he gasped for breath, but Alaric didn¡¯t relent as he kept on pushing pressure till the guard soon went limp, not dead, but unconscious.


    Alaric let out a sigh of relief as he stepped away, letting the body slump to the ground against the wall. He was glad that a lot of noise wasn¡¯t made, or loud enough to alert anyone else. He then picked up the gun as he made his way to the generator.


    Now since there wasn¡¯t anyone to stop him or get in his way he simply walked over to the generator. He didn¡¯t just want to turn it off, figuring that wouldn¡¯t be the best option, since they could simply turn it back on.  His eyes scanned across the ground, which was illuminated by the light shining down on him from the light above.


    His eyes landed at the cord currently connecting the generator to the building as he smirked. His face was hidden behind the mask as he walked back to the guard, searching his body as he managed to find a small pocket knife on him. It would do for the job so Alaric took it and jogged his way back to the generator. His hand picked up the cord as he gripped onto the knife tightly as he began to cut the cord, his grin being hidden behind the mask which showed two sides of the same coin.


    And soon, the cord was cut in half, shrouding the building and the whole area in darkness. Alaric stood up, pocketing the knife and picking up the SMG.


    ¡°Now, it¡¯s time to begin.¡±


    His expression was hidden by the darkness, but like earlier, he still had the grin from earlier. He made his way to the side of the building, hearing footsteps getting closer as he quickly hid, watching a couple guards run past him, but do to the darkness, he was able to move without being detected.


    He climbed onto one of the boxes as he made his way onto the roof this time. He thought about a way to get in as he decided to just go for it. He opened one of the skylight windows and jumped down. Wincing as he thankfully landed on a bunch of boxes, which only broke his fall a little. He rolled out from the mess as to his surprise, some of the lights were still on, albeit a little. He made his way off of the boxes as he looked around, realizing he was surrounded.


    He rubbed his head as he knew he should¡¯ve thought things out further. He waved to the men awkwardly as he was frozen in place.


    ¡°Umm¡­.Hi?¡±