Sunsets on the East

Chapter 1

REPUBLIC OF AMERICA
(Formerly the United States of America)
September 2077

"Now, while it's unknown who the first victim of the Corruption was," the low tremor of Professor Whitman's voice bounced off the gray walls of the lecture hall. "We do know that it began in what was then known as Germany." The elderly man straightened from the whiteboard, placing the cap back on the marker in his hand and spinning to face his class. "We now refer to that area as The Desecrated Land."

He pushed his spectacles up further on the bridge of his nose, clasping his hands together behind his back. Professor Whitman began to the pace the small area at the front of the classroom.

Sam stifled a yawn and leaned her cheek on her palm, perching her elbow on top of the desk she was sat in. Her gaze shifted to the window beside her, squinting at the sudden light hitting her blue-grey eyes. Outside, she focused on two birds squabbling over the remnants of a banana peel, rather than Dr. Whitman's lesson on the beginnings of the Corruption.

"This is so boring," a soft voice mumbled to her right, sounding exasperated. Sam cast a glance to her side to find her roommate also disregarding their professor, choosing instead to sketch on the corners of her notebook. There was a distinct lack of class notes on the page. "Why did you make me take this class again?"

"It was an easy elective," Sam shrugged. Reaching over, she grabbed the pencil from her friend's hand and traced a small skull beside a rough sketch of a Corrupted. "You said you needed a history elective too, Maia."

Maia gave a withering look and said, "But we learned this stuff in intermediate school."

"Makes it even easier, if you ask me." Sam smiled, leaning back in her chair. Maia shook her head and extended her hand, palms-up, for her pencil back. Sam dropped it neatly onto her friend's palm.

Maia hunched over her desk, continuing to add to the doodles already littering her notebook. Sam took note of how her pale blonde hair seemed to be almost translucent in the sunlight. Her curls were more chaotic than usual today, falling over one shoulder and ending mid-way to her waist. Whereas Sam had dark blue eyes with specks of grey, like the color of a stormy sea, Maia's eyes were the clear waters of the ocean.

There was no doubt Maia was beautiful. In comparison to Sam's dark brown—nearly black— hair and tall stature, Maia was all light, petite and slender, like a swan. She even smelled like roses and nature. Sam frowned and pinched a tendril of her own hair, giving it a cautious sniff.

"What are you doing?" a new voice emerged, startling Sam. To her left, a strong pair of hands grabbed onto her khaki brown knapsack, which was sat on the chair of the empty desk beside her. He dropped it carelessly onto the floor, before sliding into the empty seat.

Sam ignored his question and said, "Nice of you to show up twenty minutes into lecture, Pete."

Peter grinned his signature dazzling smile, all teeth, before reaching into his own backpack and retrieving his notebook and pens. "I overslept."

"You always do," Maia quipped from beside Sam, her eyes never wavering from her drawings.

"What did I miss?" Peter asked breathlessly. He was always breathless, as if he were running a mile, always moving from place to place. His golden brown hair was sticking up in all directions, making Sam cluck. She grabbed at his head, disregarding his cries of protest, and smoothed out the frays.

"We just got to the start of the Corruption," Sam replied, dropping her hands from him and trying to ignore the thumping of her heart.