Alma 34 A Father's Pride

The shrieks they heard coming from the room made their blood run cold; it sounded like someone was torturing a pig or some other wild animal. It didn't sound human, at the very least. The poor creature's death throes painted a gruesome image in their minds about what was happening to it.

All they remembered seeing was a sudden flash of light and an explosion that rattled them to the bones. A figure cloaked in lightning released a thunderous yell that rippled across the dormitory, sending out waves of raging anima everywhere. Everyone felt their souls tremble in the face of the beast's horrifying display of power.

What happened after this, you ask?

In short: Pandemonium. Already on edge because of Axtorius's lecture, the raging beast turned their brewing anxiety into fully-fledged terror. It wasn't until they heard the beast's chilling demand that they realized who the terrifying figure was in truth.

When her booming voice called for a certain individual to present himself in front of her, they knew all was well, and let out a collective sigh of relief. The end had not come for them. No, it had come for that boy. Almost as if it was the natural order of business...

Who else could bring as much grief to the Winter Princess other than he?

"How do you plead, guilty or not guilty?" she asked.

"Not guilty! I'm an innocent man who has done nothing wrong — beset by an evil, cruel witc-" He couldn't finish his sentence and let out a wretched scream in pain. Every time Reed denied her, she would give him a healthy dose of 'shock therapy' in return. They were at an impasse; both of them were stubborn to the core, much to each other's dismay.

Violett already understood why she'd been 'summoned' here, as her prisoner described it and sighed. Exasperated, she finally let go Reed and took a seat amongst the shattered remnants of Astor's room.

"Don't you ever send me a message like that again, you hear me?" she growled. "Next time you do something like this, I really will hunt you down and lock you up under Kingscrown Castle."

Her heart nearly burst out of her chest when she read Reed's message — it was as if he knew how to drive her insane. The scariest part about it all was that she couldn't tell if he was joking or not.

Given the boy's previous track record, anything and everything was possible when it came to him. As far as she was concerned, Reed might have already been strolling around the Outer Reaches by the time he sent her that damn message.

She brushed off some debris and threw a chocolate that'd been buried underneath the rubble into her mouth. "So, what was it you wanted to know? The Outer Reaches? What to expect during your final trial?" Violett rubbed her temples and let a low, steady groan as she tried her best to remember the past...

"Ahh, it's been decades since that day, you know. Almost 80 years, give or take since I was in your shoes. The final trial is the same for all academies, but the location is different depending on the situation outside and instructor preferences, to be honest," she said. She popped another chocolate in her mouth and crossed her arms pensively.

It'd been an entire lifetime since she'd graduated from the training academy she had been conscripted to back in the day. Most of her former classmates already died in battle, some disappeared abruptly over the years — only a few remained these days — not that she'd ever tell them that.

"If I had to tell you the truth, the whole thing was pretty uneventful despite being nerve-wracking. We encountered no Infested on the way to the outpost; spent a couple hours waiting for everyone to reach the designated zone and then we got picked up a by dropship," she explained.

"So... nothing happened at all? That's surprising," Horatio replied. He even looked a bit disappointed by Violett's story.

"Yeah, what did you think would happen? A crazy fight to the death or a thrilling escape from enemy territory? This isn't an action movie, or some suicide mission into the heart of the Infestation," Violett stated.

She looked at Horatio as if he were an idiot and said, "It's your first mission as real, genuine contenders. Who do you think you are, Rob Cruise? Don't get cocky 'cause you got a couple tricks up your sleeve, greenhorn. The Infestation is not to be trifled with, understand?"

Her face hardened and a dangerous gleam, piercing gleam in eyes struck everyone in the room. "You probably won't see any Infested because we do a damn fine job of clearing the Inner Exclusion Zone, but if you do... never hesitate. Attack with extreme prejudice and use everything at your disposal."

The temperature in the room dropped several degrees as she spoke about the Infested and their general behaviors and attributes. It was a lot to take in, but they all focused their attention on her explanation of the enemy. Suffice to say, Violett had done them a massive favor — one that they'd have to repay someday.

Violett, on the other hand, brushed such juvenile concerns away with indifference. "Just come back alive, all right? You do that and we'll call the debt squared off," she replied. She harrumphed in disapproval and said, "You're all too weak to be thinking about repaying any kind of debts — stay alive and get stronger before you go around acting like adults..."

The group separated after Violett's ominous warning and went back to their own rooms; everyone needed some time to reflect and digest what Violett and Axtorius had told them. Reed shuffled back towards his room but found someone already occupying it, unconcerned with his entrance.

"Where have you been? You missed the meeting we had; also, this is my room, not your personal hideout," Reed said. He took off his uniform and threw himself on the bed, shoving the inconsiderate home intruder out of the way.

"A maiden must have her own secrets," Lu'um said. She tossed a pillow at Reed and continued browsing the Nexus on her tome.

"Is it that time of the mon-," Reed blurted but was swiftly struck right where it hurt the most. He let out a silent gasp in pain as he bit the pillow she threw at him in desperation.

"I will not tolerate such an insult even from you, Ka'an. You would be wise to think before you speak, mine beloved, or else I shall bestow upon you swift punishment for your... transgressions," she coolly said.

Reed moaned in anguish as he tossed and turned; he learned an important lesson that day, if not a bit abruptly. He'd make a fine gentleman someday — one painful lesson at a time — whether he liked it or not.

"Yeah, thanks for the advice," he muttered out in short gasps as he tended to his injury in regret. He should have listened to Astor's warning seriously, he thought to himself... The man was certainly perceptive with women — in an almost supernatural way.

"So as long as you understand, then it is fine. There's an ice pack in the fridge if you need it," Lu'um said.

Reed thanked her for the heads-up and spent a wonderful evening with Lu'um and an ice pack as he wasted the night away...

A week quickly passed by in a flash — many classmates spent their final week lounging around the Spire, taking the time to engrave the scenery in their hearts. After all, it'd be the final days they'd spend in the Spire before their last trial and then, graduation from the academy.

What was once a frightening place had now become somewhat familiar to them over the course of the year they'd been there — a few would even call it a second home. Many spent the week relaxing with their companions, something that they had never done since the beginning.

Nevertheless, the unstoppable hand of fate pushed them along and before they knew it, the final day had come. They were to be tested.

Everyone assembled in the auditorium as before and waited for the usual figure to appear of the void like he always did. The atmosphere in the room was tense as it could be; there were hardened, determined expressions on everybody's faces.

Even the most light-hearted people in the class looked serious and rigid as they waited. No one spoke; they stood in silence as if they were statues. The Anima in the room congealed into a physical form and motes of incandescent light shimmered around the room like fireflies at night.

A hidden figure stood atop the auditorium and gazed at the fifty students down below quietly. He'd been watching them all along, observing each one of them as they had grown into what they were today from the shadows.

Sometimes as a silent guardian and other times a rough instructor; he'd played the role of the villain and of the protector, unbeknownst to them. Even when they ventured out for missions, he'd watch over his charges from afar, like an overprotective mother hen.

He'd been watching them, afraid of losing even a single one of them in an unfortunate accident. The man chuckled inwardly and grinned slightly as he stared at the scene before him.

These baby chicks looked a bit tougher now, he thought. At very least, they no longer had any fear in their eyes — that brought great joy to him. Overall, they weren't the best batch he'd raised in terms of strength, speed, and talent — a certain exception aside — but they had something unique that made up for it.

His eyes couldn't be deceived; he saw that they all possessed a particular charm about them that he'd long since tried to pin down, to no avail. It was mysterious and difficult to describe, in that sense, he considered it a form of luck, or perhaps, a blessing from the Great Will itself.

There were too many mysteries this time around that he couldn't explain. He looked at a certain boy and wondered if it was his doing as well. In the crowd's midst, that youngling stood out in a unique way — the Anima shone brightest in his vicinity — as if it were a beacon of sorts...

The man cracked a toothy grin as he mused about the boy's future; he had no doubt in his mind that he was destined for something grand — a fate filled with danger and excitement. He wasn't going to settle down on the beach anytime soon as he once hoped...

He stared at the whole group and burnt their faces into his mind. Their fate would be one of immense hardships and many would not make to the top; they'd never climb the staircase to ascension — this was a cold fact. The path of the conqueror was perilous beyond imagination, but even so, these children had made their minds to pursue it.

The least he could do was remember them at their brightest and purest — when they all shone brilliantly like twinkling stars in the firmament. They were his children; he would never forget the names and faces of his own kin. Never.

Those who walked the path of the conqueror would be remembered in this academy. He had preserved the names of every child that had passed through the Spire since the first group four hundred years ago.

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Four thousand three hundred fifty-four names as of today. The world would never know of the good these children had done, but it didn't matter. He knew. He remembered. Always and forever.

The old man winked out of the void as he always did, and his children gazed upon him with a passion that made his heart beat a little faster than normal. He paused for a moment, and then he regained his composure, washing away his feelings.

Baby chicks had to grow up and leave the nest one day.

"Good. You're all here. I will give you a final debrief and then the mission will start as planned. I expect only the best from each one of you, understand?"

"Excellent. Let's get started..." he calmly said.

Chapter end