The Wasteland That Was Earth

7: In The Past

"Aw man, he just looked so cool! And clean too, being a soldier must be the best! I bet they have amazing food..."
Austin babbled, staring up at the ceiling from his grimey mattress.

"Probably..."

"Oh! And the uniform! I can't wait to see what it looks like, I've never seen a real solider before, but I bet they look-"

"Can you guys shut up?" Colton growled, "I'm trying to sleep here, and all I can hear are your stupid voices."

"A-ah, sorry...I thought he was asleep..."
Austin whispered to Clay, whose mind was far too occupied to acknowledge him.

Could the headmaster really be the same person who killed all the Aranea?
It wasn't completely farfetched, and his look pretty much matched her scruffy drawing to a T.

And why had the headmaster shown up so out of the blue?
Was he really planning to take the older children away with him?

Did that mean Clay would have to become a soldier soon too?
He had heard several students talk fondly about such a possibility, especially Mika. However, the idea didn't sit well in his mind.

Pushing away any oncoming insecurities, Clay turned over and sighed quietly into his pillow, forcing his wandering mind to finally rest after such a long, chaotic day.

*****

Gripping her notebook tightly, Mika waited with dwindling patience outside the gym doors. All of the seventeen and eighteen-year-old students were instructed to line up outside the gym at exactly nine in the morning. Of course, Mika couldn't help herself from showing up a little early.
Perhaps too early, it would have seemed, as no other student was yet to arrive.

Flipping through the pages, she couldn't help but smile to herself. Hours, days, weeks had been pourn into her ideas, her research, so much time painstakingly focused on becoming the best she could be.

The headmaster was the only person who could truly appreciate that and reward her thusly.
After all, she couldn't let Nari down.
Not after she had come so far.

With the hustle and bustle of expectant voices, the corridor gradually began filling up with eager students, chatting and laughing with their friends as if it were some mere joke.

And there stood Mika, silent and alone before the doors.
Glancing around, it seemed as though Clay wasn't anywhere to be seen. Perhaps he'd been trampled already by the crowd thanks to his clumsy feet, or maybe he was simply stood at the back with his careless companions.
Or, maybe he hadn't even woken up yet and was going to show up late, putting their entire year to shame.
She could only pray this wasn't the case.

With a loud clunck, the gym doors clanked open and silence filled the halls. Quickly reforming their neat one by one line, each student stood straight-faced as they awaited orders.

"...enter!"
His thunderous voice called out.

Leading the pack, Mika marched onward, starting the first row while child after child filled out the lines behind her.

Only their footsteps echoing through now deafening quiet.

The headmaster stood smiling upon a small podium, a fully suited up soldier on either side.
Just as Mika had read, the uniforms were purely exquisite.
A blend of classic military suiting with hard, protective metal-plated additions.
Beautiful, nothing less.

Clasping his hands together, the headmaster sighed happily.
"So many smart, youthful faces...believe me, there's no need to be nervous. Remember, even my associates here were in your positions once. This is where your journey to greatness truly begin-"