FIRST ENCOUNTER
In a large office with walls adorned with various pictures and paintings some being of a man from seemingly his twenties to maybe his early fifties, and in all these pictures he was always adorned with ceremonial military attire with badges and medals being his bling blings.
While others were of groups in military attire, trophies, flags and the likes, all in all the walls depiction gave the impression of the office belonging to a former military officer celebrated many times.
In this office sat this same man only slightly older as could be seen from his hair already turning a considerable shade of white and the wrinkles on his face behind a glass like desk mimicking a screen with various information about students in the vi Academy.
This man was General Sebastian Modrid as was written on the name tag placed on his desk, a former war veteran who fought amongst the first few to secure victory against the monsters that pushed humans to the brink of extinction, although not part of the legendary seven his fame was only slightly inferior to them.
Famously known as the sword vassal, a close relative to one amongst the legendary seven, he was an enhancer that wielded a heavy sword as could be inferred from his frame that resembled an 8ft giant man on steroids. As he was focused on reading the information on his desk screen he heard a knock on his door,
"Come in"
he responded in a gruff voice as he recognized who was behind the door by looking at the door which appeared transparent from inside the office. In response a stunning woman with black hair and opal eyes hidden behind a golden rimmed glasses dressed in a white buttoned up shirt and tight black skirt that reached just below her knees came in.
"You called for me general"
"You'll be the one handling class G7 for the next 3 years in addition you'll be the supervisor for the new team 3, the details has been sent to you, you can go over the programs at your convenience"
Immediately he finished without even bothering to look up a DING sounded from the tablet that the woman was holding and she immediately glanced through it, however her face changed a couple of times before she voiced her concerns on the unbelievable program of the new senior students in the most respectful way she could,
"Sir, correct me if I'm wrong but this program seems to be a different from the ones prior"
"Miss Alice it was a request from the elders and If you want to voice you concerns I am more than welcome to arrange an audience for you"
"No no it's fine"
On hearing it was a direct order from the elders she instantly took back her words as cold sweat matted her back. The elders were not one known to listen to the opinions of people with high status like the governments and she was definitely not high enough in status albeit only on the surface. On seeing Alice's change in attitude Sebastian sighed and delved back to his work only to remember something and call out
"Alice the team you were assigned, that boy is one of them also it seemed his team came up on top on the junior exams this year, the elders have decided to overlook his achievements and reward him nothing, although I don't know the specifics but it seems they are planning something, please look after him".
Alice seemed to realize the gravity of the matter as the general addressed her by her name while also felling indignant at how the elders were behaving but there was nothing she could do so she only nodded and assured the general
"I will sir"
" that's all you can leave"
Sebastian sighed again after Alice had left as his gaze drifted to a file displayed on his desk with the heading Arius Fiel as the heading and a CONFIDENTIAL watermark placed diagonally along the length of the file paper (well hologram but you get the gist).
" the rest is up to you" he muttered before continuing in his work.
...
The next morning Arius could be seen squirming in bed as if he was having a nightmare, he found himself in the middle of space thrown into a war where he could see different figures with blurred out faces fighting against an entity without form nor shape,
there were no characteristics to attribute it to anything, the mere thought of fighting it was absurd in fact he felt the word 'it' was far from accurate in its description, regardless there was nothing to describe yet he could feel it?, sense it?,
he couldn't say for sure but he knew it was there barely kept at bay by the blurred figures that were with him suddenly he drifted across space standing face to face with a barrier that looked as flimsy as could be described nevertheless it did its job blocking whatever was behind it however it did nothing to hide its aura and he felt it, death?,
he couldn't put a word on it somehow the more he tried the more he failed to recognize what he was feeling, it was like nothing existed like everything that was him was no more like he didn't exist like there was no Arius, no earth, like his existence was suddenly blotted out however at the same time he felt nothing at all.
The dichotomy was all so compelling he lost who he was, just standing there like there was nothing about it at the same time shuddering as if he had been dropped in the coldest place you can imagine. It was at this time his vi heart glowed and pulsed with strange runes running along it only for a while before running along his arteries till they reached his brain where they seemed to perform a sealing on him and it was at this moment he awoke from his nightmare, sweating bullets,
he heaved trying his best to Inhale as much air as possible before he started coughing like there was no tomorrow, he eventually threw up blood before stopping and that was when he heard a voice,
"Found you" it sounded so low, so insignificant that he assumed he imagined it but all his doubt vanished when he felt his ears bleeding. He looked up towards his ceiling tears streaming down his face like a broken dam and he could feel only one thing, it was as if every other emotion or uncertainty he felt during the encounter was greatly suppressed by this singular emotion
FEAR