Estranged Aptitude

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION
The air was cool and breathable, flourishing with the scent of lilacs and lilies. Pine trees and evergreens roots shot deep into soils of the earth, stretching and spindling for miles. And there, wavering on the horizon, was a sun. It painted the land in a multitude of colors that no matter the plethora of perilous hours put into it, no artist would ever be able to replicate its elegance.

Blaise speculated the purity- the innocence of the land. He wondered what lay even beneath the reaches of the roots, and beyond the everlasting pines, because no planet he had ever visited was without evil.

Evil was more caliginous than the blackest of the blacks. Tendrils reached out from it like the hands of shivering skeletons, algid and bereft of life. Blaise had experienced it firsthand on many occasions, and it still preyed upon his dreams.

His callused fingers smoothed over the wrinkled photo in his pocket. He didn't even need to take it out to envision the picture, he'd studied it so many times. The folds and grooves in the paper were as familiar as the backs of his hands.

Blaise's life had been uneventful up until the day of that photo, If not too quiet , as he had always been precatious about stepping outside the norms. That wasn't the case anymore, as he had literally stepped outside those boundaries and onto other planets.

Featured in the photo was his best friend, Emerson, his little sister, and himself. His sister was named Bren, and was six at the time. Eight years had passed, and Blaise was now seventeen, which would make his sister fourteen. He hadn't seen her in that time frame, nor had he seen Emerson.

He had been shipped off to training at the age of nine by his parents. Blaise was instructed in the art of fighting, language speaking, negotiation, space-travel, among other things. But there was one ability that allowed him to train with the elite in the first place, and it didn't really manifest until the day of the photo. It placed him above all others on the scale of power.

The planet he was currently on was nothing more than a number on a sheet of paper, soon to be crossed out. It was a shame, really. The planet was beautiful, thriving with peaceful life, and posed no threat as of now. But all good things must come to an end, in fear of a future threat. The planet was on the Sheet for a reason, and Blaise had trained himself in the art of not questioning it.

It still saddened him; this planet reminded him of Earth and it's untouched areas. Except this planet was twice the size of Earth and completely undisturbed.

His thoughts didn't linger as the planet burst into flames. Blaise was gone before the screams of death and chaos could be heard.

CHAPTER 1

It was ironic, really. That was among the favorites of the planets that he had heeded in destroying. It had been wondrous; so peaceful and innocent. It was hard to believe how it had made the Sheet, but it was on there for a reason. A planet wasn't on the Sheet if it didn't pose a threat, but occasionally Blaise wondered.

Tossing all of his negativity to the side for the time being, Blaise shifted his attention to his current work. It was a twisted mass of wires; copper, platinum and whatever he could get his hands on. It resembled a deer of sorts; its antlers proud and prominent.

With nothing much to do on his off hours, Blaise always worked with wires. It was one thing of abundance in this academy, one thing no one would miss. His rations would be revoked if he were to take something like charcoal, as that was a delicacy. If he could, Blaise would take that too. Drawing was another one of his favorite things, but had already used his supplies up.

Blaise set his creation among the others, perched precariously atop the lone windowsill in his dorm. He, unlike others, had the perk of sleeping on his own. Others that were not of his status shared rooms. He was often lonely, though.