Idyllia

Season 1, Chapter 1: Shots Fired

~WARNING: Mature/triggering scenes (specifically, violence) will be found within this chapter!~

***~Idyllia~***

Delicate sunbeams crested over the mountain tops in the distance. The peaceful silence of the early morning was broken by heavy, synchronized footsteps as thirty four soldiers marched in formation down the gravel road. Thirty two of the men wore clean, navy blue uniforms. Some had a medal or two pinned, but otherwise, they all looked practically identical.  

Each time the large group passed a house, five men would break rank to walk up the driveway.  After a short time, loud screams began permeating the crisp air. This continued until there were only twelve men remaining.

At the front of the formation, one man in a striking white uniform was quietly conversing with another. This second man stood out due to his uniform being a gunmetal green. A few metals indicating many achievements adorned the left side of his shirt above his breast pocket. It was clear that both men were leading the group. The one on the right had dark brown hair that went well with the green hue of his uniform. His kind brown eyes reflected unease as they continued to converse in low tones. 

Within a few minutes, the man in green turned towards the group as they reached the next house.

"Alright, you five. With me." he stated sharply and began to walk away.

The five soldiers he directed his statement towards respectfully nodded and began to follow, falling in line behind him.

The remaining five soldiers turned towards the second man in the front, silently waiting for his orders.

"Smith!" the man in green called out.

The man in white stopped in his tracks to around in acknowledgement.

"This house appears empty. My men and I will search it, just to be certain. I'll head over to meet you at the last house once we are finished here." the first man said with a frown, looking lost in thought.

The man named Smith said nothing, but slightly narrowed his eyes and nodded. Then the remaining six resumed their walk to the last house in the area.

As they walked, it became clear that this house was by far the biggest in the town. Some of the lights were already being turned on due to the sound from the commotion in the area.

They approached the front of the house.  The front door was a clean white, with a frosted window in the center. Around the door, there were a couple of windows that framed the door, giving a visitor the ability to see a few feet into the house. 

With a slight tilt of his head, Smith wordlessly commanded the soldier closest to him to proceed. Without hesitation, the soldier brought his knee up to his chest and swiftly kicked the center of the door. The window glass shattered at the very top, but otherwise, the door held. The soldier brought his leg back again and delivered another swift kick. The creaking of the door could be heard as it tried to remain firm against the assault. A third and final kick sent glass shards flying in all different directions. The wood that was located by the lock made a loud snapping sound as it broke. The door swung open with a loud crack as it hit the back wall.

A child's scream could be heard over the noise. The sound echoed down the long hallways.

"That's enough. Shut up!" He roared, trying to find the source of the noise. However, all had gone silent. His sharp blue eyes narrowed in anger, showing no concern or kindness.

Smith walked in, apathetically, but did not see a child in his immediate vicinity.

"Check every room. Leave nothing unsearched." He boomed, crossing his arms impatiently.

"Yes, General!" the chorus of voices from the soldiers said in sync. With their weapons drawn, the other five soldiers fanned out and began searching the large house.

The house was a massive, two-story building with five rooms upstairs and four downstairs. The interior design had a large, circular fireplace made from large slabs of smooth stone from the river that was close to the house. The fireplace was placed in the middle of the room and looked useful during cold nights. Standing in the opening of the front door, General Smith could see stairs to his right that allowed access to the upstairs part of the house. He assumed the child who screamed was at the top of the stairs when they first entered. 

General Smith closed the door behind him to ensure that no one could leave. With a quick glance, he saw he was alone in the large foyer. Above his head hung a lavish chandelier. To his immediate left quite a few feet away, there was a small wooden dresser with a circular mirror on top. Hanging on the wall right beside it was a set of keys he assumed belong to the owner of the house. On his right was another room, the doors already opened inward. The room was surprisingly empty save for the wooden flooring. Nothing occupied the space. 

Without a second glance, Smith proceeded to walk straight down the hallway, passing the large fire place, and moved towards the living room.

The living room was lavishly designed with a black leather sectional couch and matching love seat by its side. In front sat a large holographic television. Behind the living room was an open-concept dining room. From that room, there was clearly another hallway that led to the bedrooms. Looking down, Smith saw a dust footprint leading away from the area, showing him that his men already searched down that way.

Only the sound of footsteps from upstairs could be heard throughout the house. General Smith took a short look around the living room before he walked back towards the front door to wait for his soldiers. He walked up to the mirror and was brushing off imaginary dust from his uniform. After a few minutes, all five of the soldiers reported back in the main hallway, some with humans trailing behind them.

"What's going on, Ana?" one of the female humans closest to him whispered. The woman with vibrant orange-blonde hair turned her head to look at the other woman, but just shrugged. 

General Smith cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "As long as everyone cooperates, we won't have to use force." he looks impassively at the small crowd of humans and continued, "Now, who here is a Blank Slate?"

All the people that were gathered stiffened. A few people began mumbling to themselves, but otherwise stayed quiet.

With fluid ease, General Smith brought his right arm up and grabbed something from his back. The quick cocking of a gun could be heard before a sharp, deafening bang rang out, making everyone jump. A girl's shriek ripped through the silence, echoing around the room along with the reverberations from the gun shot. Everybody's head turned to the teenager responsible for the sound, quietly gasping to themselves at the gory scene before them.

"AHHHH!" The girl sunk to the floor, clutching the top of her left shoulder. Her golden blonde hair covered her face as she looked down at the ground.

The older woman near the front of the line with the striking orange-blonde hair's voice rang out loudly over the scream. "Chiara?! What's wron-" the woman turned as she's asked the question, but was quickly stunned into silence. The crowd already parted to allow her to see the child in question.

Chiara's shirt at the right shoulder was quickly turning red with blood. The blood began to run down her arm and was dripping on the floor, forming a puddle. The girl gripped her arm tightly, but the redness seeped through, staining her hands. 

Smith ignored the scream and continued as if the girl was simply a fly buzzing around in the background. "Answer me! Who here is a Blank Slate?!"

Silence.

Smith narrowed his eyes dangerously. "No answers?" He asked rhetorically. In a swift motion, he cocked his gun again as another bullet entered the chamber. "Very well," He casually held his right arm out, the gun took aim at Chiara's head. "The girl can pay the price for your silence..."

Another girl with flowing silk-like black hair ran to stand between the gun and Chiara, her arms were held outstretched.