Stormchildren: The Beginning

Chapter 2: The Selection Part 2

As the voice filled the air, I felt a chill run down my spine. My body began to tremble, and cold sweat trickled down my back. More and more children were pouring into the courtyard, pushing me closer to a platform until I was nearly at the front. That was when I saw the man whose voice had nearly brought me to my knees. He was a person who radiated authority. The man had a lighter skin tone and, by my estimation, stood at an incredible 2.5 meters tall. He had a dark, full beard and was a mountain of muscle. Never in my life had I seen anything remotely like him. The man was dressed in a pitch-black suit of armor made from fine plates that clung to him like a second skin. Draped over his shoulders was a scarlet cloak bearing the lion of the ruler. On his lower back, two small modules could be seen, likely the power cells for the armor's numerous systems. This armor was one of the latest technologies produced by the manufactories and engineers of the Empire. Under his left arm, he carried the helmet of his armor, simple in design and in the same black color as the armor, with black mirrored glass on the front. At his waist, the warrior carried a deadly-looking gray-black sword, probably a two-hander. But the most impressive thing was neither his stature, his armor, nor his weapon, it was his eyes. They were such a piercing blue that I felt he was looking directly into my soul. And then the voice rang out once more:

"I welcome you all to the Academy for the Children of the Storm!

My name is General Blake, and I am the leader of all Storm Children. Once, I stood before the Academy just like you do now. I led a miserable existence on the streets of the first levels of Astrapolis. But this academy has forged me, like a furnace, into what I am today, a loyal servant of the Empire! My life is dedicated solely to the ruler, and when I die, it will be with his name on my lips.

But now, to all of you.

I think you all know what today is about. Today is likely the most important day of your lives. Today, it will be decided whether you will be accepted into the ranks of the ruler's elite troops. You probably know that only a few will succeed. But for everyone else, believe me, your journey is not over!

Even without the blessing of the Storm, you can still strike down enemies in the name of the ruler in the army, gut the hated Outsiders, or ensure order and security in the countless cities and colonies of the Empire. For those who do not wish to walk the path of an honorable warrior or soldier, you will make the ruler proud in the manufactories, factories, refineries, or other fields.

But woe to those who live like little parasites off the efforts of others and give nothing in return. You are ALL obliged to support our great Empire!

And now, step forward and face the storm. May you succeed and become a Child of the Storm!"

There was a deathly silence. No one spoke; it felt as though even the city had fallen silent during General Blake's speech. When the Academy opened its gates to its halls and soldiers herded us into the grand entrance hall, murmurs slowly began to rise again. Upon entering the hall, I was once again awestruck. The entrance hall was flanked on both sides by statues dozens of meters high, each depicting a glorious warrior in armor, wielding different weapons. Some had swords, others lances, then there were rifles, and even a few spears. Yet, they all had one thing in common: they were made from a stone that looked like mirror-smooth polished obsidian. But I knew it wasn't obsidian because the stone exuded an aura that no obsidian could possibly produce. As I walked down the hall with the crowd, we approached some kind of reception area. There were certainly over 30 counters where humanoid robots worked at holo-screens. With their thin metal fingers, they typed on keyboards at an inhuman speed. The backs of their heads were connected to the screens by a bundle of cables.

I was amazed and took everything in with great attention. I had never seen anything like this in my life. On the left and right sides of the reception, corridors led to large double doors. The soldiers led us down the left corridor, where we were halted until the massive metal doors swung inward. The doors looked like the entrance gate, with the same decorations, but were about half the size. The room behind the door was gigantic but completely empty. Not even a platform, podium, or window. Because this admission ritual was conducted under strict secrecy, no one knew exactly what happened inside. Of course, there were rumors and stories, like a giant monster appearing to devour the unworthy or the soldiers arbitrarily deciding who would live and who would not. But in reality, no one knew what actually happened. The soldiers drove us into the room, and the doors closed with a thunderous sound behind us. Suddenly, there was an annoying beeping, and a speaker system in the room was activated.

Throughout the room, a female voice could be heard saying only:

"Good luck with the selection."

When I heard the beeping again from the speaker turning off, I heard another, completely new sound. It sounded like the tearing of paper. I looked around but saw nothing. Then I glanced up at the ceiling, and my blood froze in my veins. A tear in the air, appearing out of nowhere, filled the otherwise rather dim windowless room with blue light. The noise grew louder and louder until it almost burst my eardrums. I lowered my gaze and tried to cover my ears with my hands, but it was no use. However, I wasn't the only one; everyone was trying to do the same, and some were even writhing in pain on the ground. Then, all of a sudden, it went deathly quiet, and a barely perceptible wind began to blow. I looked up just in time to see the storm breaking over us.

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