Fourteen

Yesh Academy

Luna Gaea Solar system

Milky Way Galaxy, Charlie Quadrant

Neutral free Zone

January 29th 2019

So it turned out that they were inside the moon. Not anywhere on the planet, but on the moon. The Moon. Sam was staring at a blue sky, in a corridor with rows of windows that revealed the outside. Up in the sky, was a shiny yellow ball that covered the atmosphere with light. It turned out it was an artificial sun that helped to support the environment that existed inside the Moon. All this Sam learned from Emanu Yesh as she led her through the building of the academy. She didn't bother to change her outfit but instead was still wearing her bloodstained armor. Yesh Academy was twice the size of the university back on Earth, its buildings were situated on a Mountain hillside alongside a large body of ocean. Somewhere out there was a beach, according to Emanu where the students had fun. Right now they were in the western tower of the building which was where the Administrative department was located.

"So there are four parts of the building. We're in the Western tower. The Southern tower is the Dormitory and the Eastern tower is the Academy department. The Northern tower is where the training facilities and the dining building are. The Center tower serves as the Central hub for the Logistic and operational department." Emanu brought Sam into what looked like an elevator. "Careful. The Lift uses Xeta beam radiation to travel."

"Xeta-Beam.."

"It's a special kind of energy used for transportation," Emanu said. "Take this for example. This button takes us to the lift for the Dormitory for the students." Emanu pointed to one of the various buttons. The one she put her hands on had a fire symbol on it. "You channel your Od into it and then you activate it." As she said it, light flowed through the lift and then Sam felt her inside squirm and then the light disappeared. Sam felt like she wanted to puke but she held it in. Emanu smiled seeing Sam's expression.

"Don't worry you'll get used to it," Emanu said.

"I don't know how to use Od," Sam said. "So how will I use the lift,"

"Don't worry. The button can also use your Od without you channeling it," Emanu said. "All you have to do is press it. Come on." Emanu led Sam out of the lift into the Dorm. Sam's eyes widened as she took it in. They were in the hallway which was brightened by a chandelier. There were statues of armored beings lined on the walls, and there were two doors that were in front of them. Emanu pointed at the left door.

"That's the female dorm right there," Emanu said. She went through it, and Sam followed her. They were walking up a spiral staircase, passing various doors with numbers on them. They walked for some time, up till the point that Sam began to get tired. Emanu didn't seem to mind the walking. She had gotten quiet though there were times she would glance at Sam without her noticing. When she learned that Sam was finally here, she was so excited that she ran towards her parents' office without even changing her outfits. But the joy on her face had vanished when Sam didn't know her. Father had been right. A part of her knew that Sam might not know her, after all this Sam had never met her but she just wanted to see her. And now upon meeting her, Emanu couldn't help but be disappointed. She was nothing like the ones before. Though Emanu could sense the power within her, Sam still felt so ordinary. So mortal like. She internally shook her head, trying to shake off the feelings. But then finally they came to a door.

"This door leads to the first year's floor," Emanu said. She opened it to reveal what looked like a large recreational room. There were lots of pieces of furniture, a widescreen monitor, an upper floor filled with bookshelves, and a hallway where each student's room was located. Sam noticed that there was hardly anyone in the living room area. Emanu seemed to notice Sam's wandering eyes and came to the same conclusion as her. "Don't worry about it. Most of the first years aren't here yet. They're probably in training right now or in classes."

"Classes," Sam said. Emanu nodded.

"There aren't many students in the Academy as it's hard to find Od-sensitives among the humans in Terra," Emanu said. "Most of our Mystics come from those who were born in the Hidden world and then we don't get as many from there either,"

"The Hidden world," Sam said. She had heard about this other side of the world that was hidden from the eyes of humans, and yet Sam hadn't seen it. If it weren't for the monster that tried to attack her, she wasn't sure if she would have believed everything Leon and Emily had told her.

"I'm sure they've told you about the Hidden world, but to make it simple, think of it like a secret civilization that exists alongside the one you lived in," Emanu said. 

"Like a Hidden community of people," Sam said. Emanu's eyes brightened and she nodded. 

"I guess you are smart after all," Emanu said. "Here's your room." They stopped deep in the hallway in front of a brown door. "I'll leave you to settle in and rest up. I'll come get you when it's time for dinner. Bye." Emanu walked away while Sam opened the door to reveal an exquisite room that was bigger than the room she had in her university, as big as Henry's apartment, a queen size bed with a silver canopy. There was a terrace with a view of the beach and ocean. Sam noticed suitcases packed by a large wardrobe that seemed to be packed with clothes already. All her things from her dorm had ended up here in the end. She peeped into the bathroom to find a large jacuzzi bathtub with a white large shower room. The entire room smelt fresh with a tint of jasmine in the air. She couldn't believe her eyes. Then all of a sudden, Sam felt her body give out. She was so tired. She yawned as she fell on the bed, not even trying to take off the blood stained hospital clothes she had been wearing. She was so tired that she felt she could sleep for a whole week. As Sam's eyes dropped to exhaustion, she finally remembered to wonder about Henry's whereabouts.

****

It was incredible and scary, the idea that Mankind was not alone in the universe and that the universe was truly as vast as Dad had once told her. Logic tried to make Sam refute her present reality. There was no way they could be inside the moon itself. How...How was that possible? And to have an artificial environment that made it seem like they were still on Earth. That would mean that they possessed technology that far surpassed anything that Earth had. Sam couldn't deny that the air she was breathing in was oxygen. And she couldn't deny the technology that had allowed them to come to this side of the building. She remembered the lift that Emanu had bought her into. Sam sighed. She was no longer on Earth. Wait...not Earth. Terra...that was what they called her planet. Sam decided to collect every information she had been told. Her Father was not born on Terra like she was. He was from the same place as Leon and Emily. A place called the Divine Federation. Sam was one of those special group of people called Awakened Mystic and she was on a path towards a higher state of existence. When Sam thought of a higher state of existence, the only thing she could call to mind was godhood. The Universe possessed a will of it's own, and by tapping into that will, one could gain power. The Odyllic.

"Ha! HaHaha! HaHahaha!" Sam couldn't help but laugh out to herself. Surely she must have died some time ago and now she was in some twisted version of reality. Sam stared at the moon, smiling at the strange object in the sky. It was ridiculous to think that that was a moon when she was inside one already. She thought her mind would blow to bits, but somehow she was able to keep calm. Sure she had just laughed like she was going crazy, but Sam's mind was actually calm. Infact she felt like her thought process was more faster and quicker than before. She had analyzed everything she had seen since Dr. Dingle's death, and she had quickly come to the conclusion that everything that happened was not from her imagination. Another change in her. It seemed that her mind was stronger and capable of fighting off any anxiety. She felt like she could handle reading the emotions of anyone.

Leon. Sam thought of the golden haired young man. He had been in her dreams again. How long has it been since she dreamt about him? As a kid, she always had dreams.. specks of images of him which she would sketch in her sketchbook. Although she could barely remember most of the things she dreamt about... His face had always been so vivid. which was why she would always draw him. Thinking about him seeing her sketches made her blush so bad. She slapped herself, giving her the strength to shake off the memory. That was not what she should focus on. She turned her head to the door of her room. She didn't know how long she had been asleep but by the time she had woken up, the artificial sun had set, and replacing it was the moon. Sam was by the terrace, her body resting on the balcony, her head raised to the sky. Emanu had said she would come for her when it was time for Dinner. She felt her stomach grumble. Oh well. She decided to change her outfit after taking a quick shower. She wore a grey cardigan with blue jeans and a sneaker. The cardigan she wore was one of her favorites and it had been a gift from Stella. When she opened the door, she froze upon seeing who was pacing outside her room. Sam thought she was imagining it. But as time passed, she couldn't help but acknowledge that the person in front of her was...

"Sam..." Rosalinda Chavez said with a look of surprise on her face. It was Sam's former girlfriend, now an acquaintance from her class at Yesh University. Sam wasn't a fool. Ever since she found out that her university was a front for a mystical organization, she knew that there was a chance that she might meet people she knew from her university here in this place. But never in a million years did she think that Rosa would be the first person she would meet from her class.

"Rosa...You're here." Sam said. She looked at Rosa, shock, anger, and relief ran instantaneously through Sam. But then it passed. Sam could clearly see the colors around Rosa. Colors that revealed her emotions clearly to Sam. So she was human. Another thing Sam had figured out was that she couldn't read the emotions of those who weren't human. Like Leon and Emily. And Adonis, Phoebe, and Emanu. Sam had concluded that those beings were not human. But Rosa...Rosa was human straight through. The familiar pinkish hue that surrounded Rosa whenever she saw Sam was covering her body. Rosa still had that incredulous look on her before she shook her head.

"You look great," Rosa said. "I mean...you look so different. I...I almost didn't recognize you."

"Thanks," Sam said. Even with her stronger mind, Sam couldn't help but feel self conscious as her hand went up to her green hair.

"Huh, so you're a first year too," Sam said. Rosa blinked at Sam in surprise, her face blushing from staring too long.

"No. I graduated a long time ago," Rosa replied. "I work for Golden Dawn now,"

"Wait....for real? You're not a student," Sam said.

"Yes, I'm not a student," Rosa said.

"Then what are you doing here," Sam said.

"Huh...About that..." Rosa scratched her cheeks meekly wondering what she should say. Should she tell Sam that she was here to make a report about Dr.Dingle's death? She wasn't sure if now was the right time to bring that up. No. She decided not to go there yet. "I heard about you showing up in the Academy, so I came to see you," Sam noticed a tremor around the hue that covered her. A movement that told her she had lied. Sam sighed. Rosa...She's still the same. Sam's relationship with Rosa was one of complication. She had met her on the second week of her first semester, around the same time she met Henry. And though she had gone out with both of them at the same time...Sam had liked Rosa more than she liked Henry. But there had been one problem. With Sam's ability to read emotions like they were music sheets, Sam could always tell that Rosa was not sharing herself with Sam. And at that time, Sam had been searching for something. Something to help her with her fear of being alone. And Henry was the one she chose to help her with that. He had been willing to share his all with her. So she broke things off with Rosa...even though she knew that deep down she didn't care for Henry the way she did for Rosa. Though now she regretted her past actions. Sam didn't care for Henry's all when in the end his needs were basically all about how her presence in his life benefited him. Sam noticed that she was not wearing the promise ring Henry had given her. 

"Are you okay, Sam?" Rosa said

"Yeah...I'm just surprised to see you here," Sam said. She closed her door and began to head to the living room.

"Are you heading for Dinner," Rosa said. "I can lead you to the dining hall."

"Thanks," Sam said. They passed the living room area, which was still empty, and they entered the lift. The atmosphere between them was kind of awkward, and Sam tried to think of something to say but before she could say anything, Rosa pressed the button, making the light appear sending them to the lift for the Dining building. Entering the hall, Sam could hear buzzes of chatter, she felt a little nervous at first. Rosa seemed to notice it, so she smiled at her.

"It's ok if you're not hungry or ready to-"

"No, it's not that," Sam said. She sighed, slapping her lap to get out of her head. She inhaled and then exhaled, and then took a step forward. Rosa waited for her to get her bearings before opening the door to the inside. 

"I hear they're serving a nice Genesisian delicacy tonight," Rosa said. Sam raised an eyebrow at her.

"Genesisan-"

"It's a dish from the Planet Genesis," Rosa said. "Only been there once but the dish is to die for." The place was filled with kids and teenagers seated around long tables. Each of the tables was divided under banners with different symbols. Like Emanu had said, there weren't a lot of students, and from what Sam could see around like hundred students were sitting at the table. But what struck Sam the most was how diverse each of them were. Passing by her out of the dining room, in a white bodysuit was a bark skinned person. Their body was made out of wood with leaves for hair. When it turned around to glance at Sam, she noticed the masculine features of the face. The Tree guy was speaking with a girl with antlers on her forehead who was wearing the same bodysuit. Her eyes were yellow with a cat like slit. There were lots of non-human features across the room. She also noticed some human-looking people seated, but there were few of them. Sam became conscious of the fact that she was just like most of them. With her green hair and enhanced appearance, Sam reckoned that to an ordinary human, she would appear just as inhuman. 

"Yesh Academy serves as a pillar for the Golden Dawn organization and most especially it also serves as its headquarters," Rosa said. "Most of the workers of the Golden Dawn work as Analysts here in the Central Tower. As a Guardian, I have the right to use the resources here in the Academy. That's another reason why I'm here. I can't stay for long so all you have to do is sit at any table. It doesn't matter what year you're in. All you have to do is sit and any dish you want will end up appearing." And just like that Rosa left Sam alone, leaving the dining hall. Sam noticed that as soon as Rosa left her, all the eyes of the students fell on her. The entire room was silent for a while before someone got up from a table in the corner that wasn't under any banner. That person was Henry.

"Sam, You're awake." He said. He was wearing a white outfit- a long sleeve shirt and white pants- like the other people at the table with him. Sam felt kind of relieved to see him so she walked to the table. She noticed the animal looking folks that were among the students. A girl with fox-like ears sat on the seat beside Henry.

"Henry, you're okay," Sam said.

"Guys, this is Samantha," Henry said to the others. Sam noticed that most of them were around the same age as her. At least she thought so. One of the students pointed to the empty space beside him and Sam sat down on the other side of the table across from Henry. There was an empty plate in front of her and as she stared at it, the plate became filled with macaroni and cheese. Sam blinked, her mouth was wide open as the smell of the food hit her. The smell reminded her of home.

"Weird isn't it." the boy beside Sam said. She blinked, recognizing him as Callum Ayida from her music class. Wait... first Rosa...now Callum. It had taken a while for Sam to recognize him since she had barely interacted with Callum outside of class. All the time he had invited her out for drinks or parties Sam had been too nervous to accept them. Callum grinned at her. "Strange to see you here, looking so different."

"You...You too," Sam said. 

"The same thing happened to me. I was thinking of the garlic chicken Brussels you normally cook and bam..it's right here." Henry said, pointing to his plate of food. He was right. Memories of the late-night food that Sam used to share with Stella when she was younger had flashed in her mind and there it was.

"Me too. I thought of my mom's home cooking and it just appeared," Callum said. "Must be some kind of advance magic,"

"It's not magic," a fox-eared girl said. "The Kitchen is outfitted with Xeta beam tech that can replicate food according to the person's desire. And then it teleports it from the kitchen to the plates here in the dining room."

"Sounds like magic to me," Callum said. The girl rolled her fox-shaped eyes and then turned to Sam.

"What's a Pleiadian doing here in the academy," the girl said. Sam had just been about to bite her sandwich when the girl asked the question. Callum held his spoon to his mouth and then paused. He turned to give Sam a look. Then he shrugged then continued eating his food. But the others on the table were still glancing at Sam.

"Hey Trynr, take it easy," Henry said. Sam was not surprised that Henry was already on a first name base with everyone. He was more easygoing and social than her. "Sam didn't even know she was whatever you call that until recently."

"Pleiadian. You know the Star folks." Trynr said.

"Trynr here is a Demi-human," Callum said. "Demi humans aren't well known for liking Pleiadians." Trynr glared at Callum, her brown hair rising as the air stirred with power. Sam felt it from the fox girl.

"Careful now. First-year students aren't allowed to fight," Callum said. Trynr was about to say something but then a voice called out behind Sam. Sam turned to find Emanu with a tray on her arm. She was surprised to see Sam down in the dining hall. She was under the impression that Sam had been sleeping. Emanu wasn't wearing her armor anymore but instead wore a yellow blouse and white pants with brown sandals. Sam couldn't help but notice the stares that the males around the hall were throwing at her.

"You know her," Callum said with his mouth open. Emanu came over with the tray, the look of shock still on her face. Sam didn't know how to answer that question.

"Samantha, I thought you were still sleeping," Emanu said.

"I woke up not long ago," Sam said. The smell of the dish hit Sam, and before she knew it, she couldn't help salivating at the dish even though she was eating her grilled cheese sandwich. The food smelled of wine or was it the sauce that was marinated around it? The smell was strong. Emanu noticed the look on Sam's face and stared at the tray.

"I figured I would bring you something to eat up in your room," Emanu said. Sam's mouth closed. She couldn't believe how nice she was being to her. Something was up with Emanu. From her behavior that Sam had observed, she felt like she was being so friendly for no reason. "But I see you're already getting acquainted with your fellow first-year," Trynr scoffed, getting up and walking away. Sam raised an eyebrow at it but then shrugged, giving the dish that Emanu had a glance.

"That smells nice," She said. Emanu smiled and dropped the tray in front of her. Sam finished her sandwich before taking a whiff of the dish. God, the smell was divine. The food was steaming, the winery smell making Sam salivate. Sam took a spoon and dug into it. The first bite was out of this world. The outer texture was crisp and crunchy but then the inside was filled with a divine sauce that blew my mind. It felt like I was eating chicken, and not chicken at the same time.

"What's the name of this plate," Sam couldn't help but ask.

"It's a Ceruvon bird tart," Emanu said. "They're a species of space birds that wander around the Genesis region of space. Wonderful isn't it." Sam couldn't help but nod as she dug more into it. After she was done with the dish, more of it manifested in her plate. She was just about done with her third plate when Henry began filling her in on what he had been up to while they had been separated. Adonis and Phoebe had decided to let Henry attend the Academy for some reason. They wanted to see if he had what it takes to master the Mystic art. After all, he had been exposed to the truth. Sam was glad he was trying to give this place a chance though she wasn't sure if Henry being here was the right idea. There were a lot of things they needed to discuss. After she reached close to satisfaction with eating- her new appetite was frightening- Sam found herself chatting with some of the students that Henry had become familiar with. It turned out that Callum and two other humans from Yesh University had been aware of their ability to see things that other humans couldn't see. Unlike me, they never thought they were crazy or had their powers suppressed and were aware of what Yesh University was. Sam was reminded again that her situation was different from the others. While she talked with them, Sam was aware of Emanu's gaze on her even as she was engaged in a discussion with one of the students. She had settled down on another side of the table and while she spoke with them, Sam noticed Emanu studying her. That's all she had been doing since they met. Sam had noticed the glances but she pretended not to notice it. She wondered if it had anything to do with how her too friendly behavior had changed when Adonis reprimanded her. To be honest, Sam didn't mind her behavior. She was in desperate need of a friend as that was something she had never had in her life. Sam hadn't been a social person as a teenager and hadn't cared enough to have any connection like that. The truth was that back then she feared that no one could understand her. But now things were different. Sam could make an effort and try to change her life. This was her opportunity. After a while, the amount of students in the Dining hall reduced. At one point Emnau had gone off somewhere. Sam excused herself from the group and left the hall. Henry had wanted to follow her but she shot him down, preferring to be on her own. After Sam left the Dining building, she found herself walking through the courtyard, looking up at the sky. There were twinkling stars, each of them moving across the sky, the moon was now covered by the clouds, spraying shadows of darkness around the campus. But the lack of light didn't bother her. Her eyes were still able to see within the darkness.. she turned a corner and was faced with a big building. It was the northern Tower with the training facility that Emanu had mentioned. She wondered what the inside would look like. The door was right there so Sam opened it, like it was inviting her in. She followed the invitation, walking inside. She felt the hairs on her skin rise as the lights turned on, illuminating the inside of the building. The Inside wasn't like your typical gym nor did it feel like one. There was a strange atmosphere that Sam couldn't describe, there were strange images engraved on the walls as she moved through the main corridor. Sam had noticed these images around the walls of the other buildings she had been in. There was a door at the end of the corridor which she walked through entering what looked to be the inside of a colosseum. The amphitheater was round shaped with lots of seats built in. In various corners of the wall were statues. There were nine of them. One of them caught her eyes. The statue was of a woman, draped in ancient armor and holding a spear and shield. Sam felt her breath catch in her throat, for it felt like the statue was alive and looking down at her. There was an erotic appeal about the face, the way it was carved, that she almost thought the stone was human flesh. She could feel the energy that was coming out of it, surrounding her and...strengthening her body and her mind. Memories of her childhood came forth, the grueling training sessions Dad had put her through so that she could protect herself, the months after his death when she had nightmares that put her out of sleep, Stella comforting her and telling Sam that she was going to officially adopt her. Memories that she was ashamed of surfacing...Her body felt so light and strong, the energy flowed through her and out of her. Then a burst of bright green aura surrounded Sam. She wasn't startled by it nor was she afraid of it. She could feel her heart beating fast. Was this excitement or nervousness that she felt...Sam couldn't tell. Her emotions were a stranger to her. But Sam knew that this power within her was responding to whatever this statue was.

"That is Asha, the goddess of war." Phoebe's voice said. Sam turned around to see her observing her. There was a strange look on her face as she walked closer to Sam. Did she follow her inside or did she just appear? "These statues are all representative of the old gods of Terra. From a long time ago." There was a look in her eyes that reminded Sam of how Adonis's eyes looked. Ancient and deep. Then it was gone, the fiery red eyes were burning with vigor.

"What happened to them," Sam said nodding at all the statues. She noticed Phoebe had introduced them as old. Like they were of the past.

"Nothing much really," Phoebe said. "Humanity forgot about them, the inhabitants of the Hidden world gave up hope on their return and their accomplishment. Now all that remains of them are lost in the reaches of history." Phoebe placed her hands on her shoulder and the rush of power that she felt from the statue was gone. Sam blinked in surprise, wondering where the rush of power had gone.

"We don't want your Od going wild now, do we?" She said. She let go of Sam's shoulder and she felt exhaustion pulling her knees down.

"First monsters, alien warriors from another world, a school on the freaking moon, and then gods," Sam said with a strange smile on her face. "What else is there?"

"Plenty more that you're unaware of," Phoebe said. "You've only begun to fathom how vast the universe is. It's a lot to take in for someone who has spent most of her life believing that her perception of reality was flawed. But it is not, Samantha. And now you must decide what path you have to take." Decide on what to do. Does she go back to her boring life, where Henry and she went on with their failed relationship, going back to the mindset that she was mentally flawed and damaged and weak? Or does she stay here and do whatever it is that fate has in store for her? One, Sam liked the idea that she wasn't crazy and that she didn't need to take any more pills. Two, She couldn't go back even if she wanted to. She had been attacked by an Abomination. More could come for her and she wouldn't be able to defend myself. Three...Sam mused over it, going through sections of her memory. The events that saw her separated from my father. She remembered little pieces of it now. The accident was not an accident. Sam remembered the figures that were made of shadows that had attacked them. The fear in her father's eyes as they drove through the road to get away from it...Something...Some kind of supernatural force had caused the accident that saw Sam transported from New York to that hospital ward in Chicago. Maybe she could find out more about it if she stayed here. The truth that Father and Stella had hidden from her. And also the darkness of her former life was something she didn't want to experience anymore. Phoebe continued to observe Sam with those strange red eyes, waiting for her to make a choice. 

"This Odic power...Can I learn to use it?" Sam asked.

"Yes," Phoebe said.

"Will...will it make me strong," Sam said. "Strong enough not to suffer..not to feel any kind of pain again." And the longing for that deep pit of darkness that always tempted her to cross over.

"Yes and No," Phoebe said. "Strong yes, but to not feel suffering. To not feel pain...I'm afraid not. For it is only by going through suffering and overcoming it, can one's true strength shine bright." Those words sounded familiar. She understood a little of what she meant. Her metamorphosis had been the most agonizing experience ever and she could still remember the pain she had gone through just to become what she was currently

"Alright. I've made up my mind." Sam said. She turned to stare at the statue of Asha and she could feel the presence within it staring right back at her. She didn't know if she was making the right choice or if this was the path meant for her, but to go back to that abyss, to experience that feeling was something she would rather not feel.