Eras: After World Meets End
Residence/SelectionChapter 4
A figure fell from the sky, the sound of wind howled in their ears. It was none other than Kei Juroklet.
"Where am I now?!" He exclaimed.
Beads of sweat left his face and flew into the air. The struggle of trying to stabilize his flailing body was exerting. He tried to look around but not a single thing of note could be spotted through the dark fog.
"Come on! You can do this. Wake up!" Kei closed his eyes but upon opening them he was met with the same scene.
"It's not real! Wake up!"
At the very next moment a gasp escaped his mouth as he felt a tiny tug on his shirt.
"Wake up… you're doing it again." Lok whispered, sitting with his arm around his knees.
Moonlight crept through the curtains of the one window in the room while the aroma of burning candle wax filled Kei's nose.
He looked around realizing he was in the small room Martina had let them use. A singular bed shoved in the corner of the room and a desk lay near the window holding the candle. Kei and Lok had chosen to sit for the time being in the corner opposite of the bed.
"Hey, thank you." Kei's breathing calmed, leading Lok to pull back his hand.
"I'm sorry." Kei said as he ruffled his little brother's hair. Lok sank his face deeper under his arms while glancing away, a soft smile hidden underneath.
Lila was standing outside of the room Martina had given to the kids while Kei, Lok, and Kori were inside.
"Are you tired?" Kori questioned Kei.
He chose to not respond, "He doesn't get much sleep." Lok answered the princess on his behalf.
Crossing her arms, Kori gathered her thoughts only exchanging short glances between Kei and Lok before speaking, "I assume the kid is participating."
"I wouldn't leave him at home." Kei shrugged sarcastically.
Kori's eyes twitched at the response, "Lila, come here for a second." Saying this Kori didn't expect such a quick swing from the door. "Yes?" Lila bowed.
The princess cleared her throat after being a little startled, "Do you want to participate in the Selection?"
Lila became stumped. "With us, I mean." Kori added.
Unspoken, Lila raised her head. "I don't understand." Her breath shuddered.
"You don't have to understand right now, you just have to want it. If you do, say yes."
Lila bowed once again with a tender smile on her face. "Yes."
"…So. What is the selection exactly?" Lok cut in.
"It's a culling." Kori answered.
"A culling?" Lok responded in confusion.
"Since almost everyone wants to retake the world from The Corruption, most people participate in order to join one of the three branches of the military. Most knowing and some unknowing that the trials within are chosen to weed out the weak, or as my "Father" would call them, coal." She went on to explain.
"And you know all this, how?" Kei interrogated.
"That man visits once a year whether to instill a lesson, or to spite me. I had to figure out a lot on my own, so that's what I did." Kori responded.
"And forming a "house" is how we beat it right? The Selection? How do we do it?" Lok's curiousity once again peeked through his shy nature.
Lila raised her head excitedly, "My mom used to be a resident of a house. From the stories she told we need at least… a baseline connection for it to be formed." Lila explained as she scratched her ear knowing that neither her nor Kori knew the boys.
"What's that mean?" Lok questioned.
"It means we hardly know each other at all." Kei sighed.
"Then how about introductions? We can share something we like, a goal, hobbies. That sort of stuff." Lila proposed.
A silence filled the air where Lila thought would be a response. She looked to Kei and Kori who were looking away seemingly not too enthralled with the idea.
'Gloomy' Lila cringed in thought.
Taking it upon herself she filled in the void of silence. "Nice to meet you guys! My name is Lila Inés, I'm 17 and I want to become successful to help the people dear to me."
'See, like that! Ease up, ease up!' Lila thought enthusiastically.
"I… am Lok Juroklet. I'm 12 and I like reading stories." The boy fidgeted as he responded kindly, still sitting. From his body language you could tell he was shy, but Lila was glad he spoke since she hoped it would encourage the intense ones of the group to change their tune, if only a little.
After a hard stare, Kori finally spoke. "Fine, I guess I'll go next?" She sneered. "My name is Kori Hageshi. I'm also 17 years old and right now I only care about surviving The Selection."
"Don't princesses have hobbies? Other than fighting and surviving?" Lok let his thoughts escape him. After saying it he felt himself immediately wish he could crawl in a hole.
"Hey little hero. You've got a real curious mouth… I'm good at everything I try." Kori scowled.
Lila let a chuckle escape her mouth watching Kori have to defend herself in front of the boy, it had reminded her of her siblings, though her laugh was quickly covered by her hand.
The next moment they all looked at Kei which did slightly make him uncomfortable, the slight twitch of his eye making it obvious.
He looked away from them and reluctantly joined in. "I think I should be 18 now. I'm Kei Juroklet, and my only goal is, what's that word? - Tranquility, a life of tranquility."
Kei then began to ponder to himself. 'There was a time where I didn't have to search for scraps to survive or worry about the fear of being hunted by humans if they found out about my brother and I. Even though I know I can't go back, I wish I could, for Lok at least.'
'Huh? Does he have a hard time remembering his age or something?' Kori thought to herself.
Dismissing the thought Kori spoke, "Ok, that should be enough. Come here and form a circle. No matter the trial, the most efficient way to beat the Selection is to form a house, so that's what we're going to do. Follow my lead." Kori ordered.
The Princess lifted her right arm, taking her left hand and grabbing her right wrist all of them doing as Kori did. She then took her right hand grabbing the left wrist of the person to her right, Lila. Lila did the same to Lok, Lok then grasped Kei's wrist, and Kei returned the gesture back to Kori.
This formed a near perfect circle in the center of the group. They all felt a chill on the back of their neck as Kori's body stiffened and began to chant.
'We of the fivefold flame are in the palm of destiny,
Whose hand holds the fire,
and that fire the embers of the soul,
From dust we rise, four hearts in line,
Bound not by blood, but woven by time.'
'Through oath' Kori's eyes began to glow with white lights and they all felt like their body had been rejuvenated with energy and relief. Next Lok's body stiffened, 'With spirit', then Kei 'Like Steel', 'and passion stronger than the links of chains'.
'One ember was lost, but four remain.
In shadow's hush and fate's deep breath,
We'll dance through trials, in life and death.
Each soul a star, each vow a brand,
Each unbreakable as the maker's hand.
But hear the wind, the hollow cry,
For still one more must walk nearby.
A fifth shall come through fire and fate,
Not born too soon, nor risen late.
When five stand firm, the world may bend,
Yet what begins must meet its end.
For towers rise on shifting sands—
What's built from dust must fall to ash,
By time, by truth, by mortal hands.
So speak this bond, with breath held tight,
In moon's own gaze and soul's own light.
We are the fire, the embers, and the flame—
And none who burn shall leave the same.'
They all surrendered themselves to this power. The chant not being of their own minds accord but their now weaved spirits. One by one the group passed out onto the hardwood floors in a deep slumber.
Unbeknownst to them, suddenly a stone tablet appeared at the group's center forming out of seemingly nothing.
[Congratulations 'Residents', you have successfully formed 'The House of Destiny's Palm']
[House Stability: 5%]
***
"Did you say bye to your siblings?" Martina said, crossing her arms.
Lila scratched her ear nervously, "I was going to. But they seemed like they were sleeping so peacefully that I didn't want to wake them." She pouted.
"Hmm? Fine, but next time you come home and speak to them. They haven't seen you in a while so they might be angry that you didn't say anything." Martina scolded Lila.
"Got it! I'll be back before you even remember I'm gone, pinky swear." Lila said cheerfully. The sun beamed beautifully encapsulating the beauty in the smile of her homely face.
The group all headed towards the exit of the tavern. Martina had not paid much attention to the boys but catching Lok's backside as he walked away something began to swell up in her chest.
'That boy. Then the older one is…' she thought before she held her mouth, almost giving way to the puke that was sure to come up if she began to feel her hunch was correct.
"Ms. Ińes, Thank you. I will bring your daughter home safely." Kori said before leaving.
"Is that a promise?" Martina responded, finally getting a grip on herself.
"Without my word, my worth means nothing. You have my word." Kori said casually before leaving.
The group having all left Martina was left still dwelling on if the two boys were truly who she thought they were.
"I am pathetic aren't I?" Martina lamented.
Finally after walking a good distance while trying to avoid unwanted eyes the group had finally managed to enter The Mid City Area, and stood afront the Participation center for the Selection.
The presence this part of the city held was completely and entirely different from that of the outskirts. The air smelled fresh, the breeze was uplifting, and the people looked happy. A kid could be seen with their parents pointing at a toy in the window of a store.
There were no longer any dirt roads or barron streets. These streets held happy citizens and even though locomotives of the old world are no longer usable, people could be seen steering new machines for travel.
"We're here." Kori stood in front of the group.
"Kei, why does this place look so different?" Lok asked, his eyes repeatedly getting lost in wonder and mesmerization.
"I… don't know." Kei answered honestly as he felt the same. He had seen the building in front of him before, never the surrounding area. To him it was beautiful, but he did not let himself get lost in it.
'None of this is ours, and it never will be.' Kei thought.
"I can't believe I'm actually doing it." Lila swallowed. The moment she wanted for years was finally in front of her and yet again her nerves were getting the best of her.
Crowds of people their age were heading inside making the group look similar to four strands of hay in a haystack. The building was a dome shaped arena and at the entrance was the carved stone of a beautiful woman, leaves laid throughout her hair, and her eyes held no pupil nor irises. It was a depiction of Eden.
"Don't fold. The pressure you feel now will be nothing compared to what we'll experience in the trials." Kori reassured them.
They stepped forward into the center, and soon were stopped by a man. He wore knight armor though he was not part of 'The Interior Knights' as theirmain objective is to police Utopia and provide security for lineages who are high in potential.
He also didn't seem like one of 'The Celestial Guards' as they are the force whose main objective is to defend the Utopia's firmament against all foreign entities. Since Utopia is the last staple of humanity adversaries often attack making it the most active force amongst them all. It is the branch of the military that Fit knight and Fat Knight operate for.
That being said Kori came to the conclusion that this guy was not only strong based on his acquired gear but that he is a part of 'The Salvation Army' which is the most powerful branch and is made up of the group of soldiers who have formed a 'House' who are called 'Residents' and ones who have not, thus called, 'Drifters'. Their goal is to train, prepare to fight, and cleanse the world of the corruption that lies beyond the city grounds.
"Kids… are you Residents of a House or just a group of Drifters." The man interrogated.
"We are Residents." Kori informed him casually.
The soldier stared at each of them. His eyes lay at Kei whose appearance was still hidden with his cloak.
"All Residents are to go that way." He pointed.
As they walked, Lok grew curious, "If we are residents of a house now, what's a drifter?"
"It's simply the people that are in The Salvation Army who aren't a part of a house. Sometimes they are the type that wants to fly solo and in some cases no house will accept them." Lila informed the boy.
After arriving inside the building there was a big door up ahead in the center but the man had directed them to go into a room on the left wall. They listened to the soldier's commands and walked into the room.
What they saw astonished them. It was not only filled with people but also gear, clothing, weapons.
"Hello Residents, my name is Peyton also known as 'The Liaison'. I'll be your help and guide in preparation for The Selection here today, as well as all other participants as well." She said kindly.
Her hair was pink like bubblegum and her eyes green as the leaves of a tree. She wore a pink bowtie with a white long sleeve button-down shirt along with a skirt that held button loops which completed a look filled equally with elegance and servitude, loosely similar to the outfit Lila was wearing.
"Hey, we have a question over here as well." A girl from a group in the crowd shouted.
Like a mirror a copy of Peyton had appeared. Walking toward the group to help while her original body never so much as blinked, as if nothing had happened.
'These people are scary.' Lok thought, clinging behind Kei.
Next to Kei, Lila seemed to be beaming with excitement. "Woah! You can clone yourself?! That's a neat 'Design', can you utilize 'Spirit Essence' as well?!" Lila was so giddy she could nearly drool while bombarding Peyton with questions.
"Control yourself Lila." Kei whispered. Wondering why he had said that she looked around noticing many eyes in the room had landed on their group. Anything could be a weakness from curiosity to astonishment, and to the rest of the room, at any given moment one could seem like easy pickings.
"What house is that?"
"They have a kid and a maid, they'll probably die first."
"Is that the princess?"
"Tch can you really even call her that?"
"Who's the guy in the cloak?"
Gossip and whispers from the other houses subtly crawled through the air like fog. "Kori, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to draw attention-." Lila explained softly.
"It's fine. Don't beat yourself up. Ultimately the Selection is also a competition. Every house in this room is looking to prey on one who seems weaker, even we, should be doing the same." Kori stood unbothered by the pressure of the rest of the houses.
"That is the correct assessment. This space is simply a waiting room to choose better kept gear before going into the selection, even if it is, well, basic." Peyton informed them.
"Thanks for your help. We'll get to picking out our gear now." Kori said as the group walked away.
Looking at all the gear and weapons scattered along the walls Kei had a hard time deciding which weapons or clothing he wanted.
"Peyton won't say it but this cramped waiting room is probably also used to let participants get in each other's head before it starts. We can all feel you sulking Lila." Kei spoke to the group.
"It's my fault. The others are looking at us like fresh meals." Lila groaned while slowly sliding down the wall.
"Don't worry, ok? It wasn't so bad." Lok smiled trying to cheer her up.
Kori could no longer take Lila's feelings of self pity. "Hey, I ordered you not to beat yourself up about it. Half of the ones scowling at us may end up dead anyway. The only thing that matters in the end is surviving." She moralized.
Though Lila was the type to dwell on mistakes she did feel better from everyone's reassurance. "Ok then. Let's get on with it, right?"
***
"Now welcome! Another year with The Third Generation! Participators of the 25th Selection!"
The announcer yelled. From his appearance he seemed to have the head of a camera with a singular lens, yet his voice remained human.
There they stood. All of the participants, Residents, Drifters, and aspiring Knights alike. The arena they were in was lined with torches and in the stands, were the top houses in all of Utopia.
"Whoo… here we go." Lila shuddered with shaky hands.
"That's him right, there in the center, big throne?" Kei's eyes locked onto the man.
"Yeah, that's him. My father… "The King"." Kori remained focused.
His presence was immense and as intense and powerful as his name, Hageshi, The King. He was the head of the House of Eden, his word echoed through all of Utopia, though there were many powerful people who belonged to houses, he is definitely the one above all.
"You in the stands! Are you ready to witness the trials?!" The announcer yelled.
"HAA!" The stands yelled.
"And you at home?" The announcer laughed.
People from the upper city and mid city area marveled at their screens while people in the outskirts sat in their homes unaware.
"WHAT ABOUT YOU PARTICIPANTS! Ready to roll the dice?" He dramatized.
"AHH." The crowd yelled.
However Lok could not figure out why they all were so happy given the stuff Kori had told them about The Selection.
The announcer through a ball on the floor. As it finished rolling a large screen appeared from nothing, flipping quickly through different words, Kei could only see a few of them.
[Tournament]
[Castle Siege]
[Deathmatch]
[Labyrinth]
[Last Man Standing]
There were many more, some looking even to be color coded. Some were green, some were orange, some were red.
"These were the trials you meant, I assume?" Kei calmly asked Kori.
"Yeah, best case scenario, we get a green one." She informed the group.
"Worst case." Lila quavered.
"Let's just hope we don't get red." Kori fist clenched with uncertainty.
Click. Click. Click.
Every change in trial each person in the group felt their heart palpitate, even Kei, the harder the trial the harder it'd be to protect Lok.
There it was, the final click, Kori's eyes widened.
Kei felt his heart sink instinctually placing his guard onto Lok. Lila was the only one who could push words out with shuddered breaths at the realization of the trial chosen.
[Corruption Cleansing]
"The difficulty… is black."