Tomorrow's Ashes (ZANE)

Prologue

PROLOGUE

Gunshots everywhere. The radio crackled, “Vanguard Legiones 1, do you copy? Over.” The transmission broke up, then abruptly cut off.

Lying on the field, I turned my head just as a man approached, aiming his gun at me. “Vanguard, huh? Well, kid, nothing personal.”
Suddenly, an alarm rang.
Buzz... buzz... buzz.
I glanced at the clock: [07:42].
“A nightmare?”
My head throbbed. “Arghh.”
Zane pushed himself up from bed, feeling unwell. As he tried to stand, he collapsed to his knees. “Shit.” Grabbing the edge of the bed, he managed to stand again.

[Time 08:05].
Zane took a shower, staring at his reflection as he replayed the nightmare he had just experienced. he went to the kitchen to boil water and prepare breakfast. As the kettle whistled, he felt a wave of paranoia wash over him, reminding him of the incoming mortar shell from his dream. He looked at the window intently.

On his way to school, Zane heard someone call out, “Cici?”
“Are you going to school?” Cici asked.
Zane replied sarcastically, “Nah, I’m going to the sea to swim in my school uniform.”
“Bruh,” Cici laughed.
“Have you heard? Vanguard is recruiting at our school to join the army in the outer region,” said Cici.
Zane looked at her, worry engraved on his face as he recalled his nightmare. “I see,” he sighed.
“What do you think happened in the First War, Zane?”
“I don’t really know, Cici. I’ve heard about the wasteland outside those gates and the Bandits that takes everything.”
“Do you actually believe it?”
Zane was a bit reluctant to answer. “I mean, that’s what we’re taught, right?”
“What if history is all just a lie, and we’re here to hate the other regions?”
Zane raised an eyebrow, scepticism in his expression. “Where is that even coming from? Have you been there, Cici?” He couldn't help but feel that her idea was a bit silly, yet part of him was intrigued, wanting to discover other regions.

Zane rushed into the library, eager to find books about the regions he’d been researching. He darted from aisle to aisle, scanning titles, but each search turned up empty. Many of the regions are either gone or not represented at all, leaving him feeling frustrated.

After class, Zane found himself wandering the streets, his mind still buzzing with thoughts. As he turned a corner, he spotted an abandoned base, its crumbling walls and broken windows catching his attention. It had a mysterious allure, almost as if it was calling out to him.
At first, he hesitated, a voice in his head someone was calling him to go inside. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then he ran to the gate and pushed the door open to one of the buildings and stepped inside.

He walked inside and looked around; it was dusty and rusty. Then there was this voice again calling him to go inside. He found himself in the commander's room. There were books, and he swept the dust away with his hand and found some history about other regions.