The New Beginning

15 - Alexander

"Where's Sera?" I looked at Sylvana. "Don't know." We were walking back to the Capitol building. "You're not telling me something, Sylvana." She stared at me, "Because it's not for me to tell you."

We walked up to Marcella's office where she was leaning against her desk. Seth was in a chair next to her. "Alex."

I looked at her, "Yes, ma'am?"

"Your girlfriend has gone missing."

"..What do you mean?"

"She's not missing, Marcella. She's with the bounty hunters now."

"Yes but we can't track her. Therefore missing." I interjected, "What the hell do you two mean!?"

"We mean that she left the Destroyer Order to become a bounty hunter. If we could track her, we could extend a partnership with her and send you to help her, but she's completely gone. Wherever she went."

"Because it's her own path." Spring appeared in another chair. "She doesn't want to be followed or helped. That's why she took that lumberjack Barr with her."

"..On her own path?"

"Yep. She told me to tell you that'd she be back, no matter what." I grinned, looking out the windows, so that's how it was huh? We all go on our own paths? Spring handed me a letter by her and I took it. I opened it and read:

Hey Alex! Sorry for leaving so suddenly..I didn't know what to say and it was definitely spur of the moment. I was convinced to take my own path but I promise I'll meet back up with you here and there before the Deictic War, I know we'll always be together, hopefully you can respect this. Tell Sierra and Konstantin I'll miss them. I'll meet you in a few months once I get my career off the ground! Maybe even sooner!?

I love you Alex and you better be an officer by the time I get back!

Love,

Sera.

I wiped away my tears, sighing. Become an officer huh? So she really knew what I wanted to be. I looked at Marcella and Sylvana, "When do I get started?"

"Started with what?"

"Officer training. If Sera's following her own path, then I'm going to do the same."

Sylvana smirked and I saw Spring smile, "He's definitely her boyfriend."

Marcella opened a folder, taking out a paper and signing it. "Take this to the Sector Commander of the Officer Corps. He'll admit you and you best try your damned best, Alexander Stryker. The Officer Corps isn't a joke, but neither are your achievements with Seraphine and Konstantin. I suppose you'll meet Konstantin and Sierra there as well. In six months time, as that letter reads, you best be an officer."

I smiled, taking the paper. "Being an officer isn't the problem. It's being away from her from so long without being able to brag about it." They all laughed.

I turned away and walked out of her office, down the hallway to the elevator.

I took it down a floor and walked out. "..Alexander Stryker." An Officer stood there. "Aye?"

"What are you doing on this floor for?"

"To talk to the Sector Commander." He gripped my paper, "Oh yeah? With th-" I socked him right in his face, slamming him into the ground, "STRYKER!" The Sector Commander walked out of his office, "What in the hell are you doing?" The officer was unconscious and I peeled my paper out from his grip. "He tried to tear my note from the Grand Destroyer to you." The Sector Commander's eyes glew, "From the Grand Destroyer? Let me see." I handed it to him and his eyes lit up, "So you're going to become one of my officer cadets, huh? Good." He led the way to his office, "I'll be sure to punish that officer later." He gestured for me to sit down and he sat across from me. "So why the sudden urge to climb the ranks?"