Happiness gives birth to hope, while suffering only brings despair. The basic concept of togetherness, the superficial relationships that exist between many people. Conveying warmth to fill each other's hearts.
Those born into love will never understand the suffering of the outcasts. How it feels to be ostracized for being different, having to work tirelessly to obtain what one desires.
Enduring the pain of festering wounds, straining the mind, burying the heart, even vomiting blood from overwork. Sacrificing so much for something unworthy, living in structured poverty.
The outcast children can only curse those who are blessed, blame fate, and abandon their dignity to survive. Licking the feet of the upper class for a bowl of food, selling their labor and honor to make ends meet.
Korwa comes from the lower class, the working class living in the slums of the Al-Miah Moa region. For a tribe that values knowledge, their government does not pay much attention to the condition of the people.
They prioritize education, and even the development funds from the central government are mostly used for research funding. Neglecting the lower class.
The majority of the Al-Miah Moa tribe are of the Turtur race, possessing genetic traits of turtles and a long lifespan.
As a result, their perception of time is vastly different from others. They tend to be apathetic toward their surroundings, believing that time will resolve existing issues.
Unfortunately, reality is not that simple. For them, the suffering of the lower classes occurs in an instant, but not for those experiencing it.
As the largest developers of technology and knowledge in Almiah, their region is far from prosperous. Social inequality is clearly visible in society, between the educated and the outcasts.
However, uniquely, they still use a hierarchical system determined by individual ability. They provide opportunities for the lower classes to rise in status, conduct open exams, and fund the education of talented children.
Korwa was born into a family far removed from the concepts of harmony, happiness, and prosperity. She lived in a dilapidated stilt house that could collapse at any moment during the rainy season.
Her father was an alcoholic, working as a fisherman with meager earnings. He did not gamble, but he had a habit of squandering money at brothels. He often abandoned his family and rarely returned home, claiming he was out at sea.
Korwa lived with her sickly mother, earning a meager income by embroidering fabric. Sometimes she sold seaweed at the market, cleaned the homes of the educated class, or fished for food.
She once had an older sister and two younger brothers, but they died after falling into the sea during a storm. Swept away by the strong current, they vanished into the depths of the dark sea, never to resurface.
At that time, Korwa also fell into the sea, drowning alongside them and being swallowed by the deep waters. However, only she managed to return to the surface. She was found caught on the leg of a stilt house belonging to one of the residents.
Such disasters often occur in slum settlements. Due to the age of the buildings and lack of infrastructure maintenance, storms during the rainy season can easily destroy their homes. Throwing children and the elderly into the strong currents, then swept into the darkness of the sea and never returning.
Korwa and his mother accepted the tragedy, could only surrender and mourn for them. However, her father went out to sea and never returned. Leaving the two of them in a dilapidated house that had already collapsed halfway.
Sometimes they sought shelter at a neighbor's house during storms, burying their fears and fleeing the trauma that haunted them. As if there were no hope left.
Several years after the tragedy, his mother died from a chronic illness she had suffered for a long time. Korwa ended up alone, cast out onto the streets after his home collapsed in another storm the following year.
No relatives were willing to take Korwa in, and even the neighbors refused to help. They closed their doors tightly, viewing her presence as a nuisance. The children in the slum began to mock her, some teenagers sneered, and the women joined in with cruel insults.
She was ostracized not because of her father's bad reputation, but because she was a Newt—a mix of Padder and Lacerta, a crossbreed between the Sean and Malin clans.
Fed up with their treatment, Korwa decided to leave the slum and seek her fortune. Using the savings left by her late mother, she resolved to take the open exam held by the educated elite.
She prepared himself by practicing writing and reading, buying used books at the flea market, and then participating in the open selection process in front of the Academy complex. Hoping to change his tragic fate and open a new chapter.
Whether it was luck or fate, Korwa passed the open selection with nearly perfect scores. However, unfortunately, she failed the physical examination. With an extremely low Unfar compatibility level, she was deemed unqualified and vulnerable.
Despite failing at that stage, she was noticed by one of the educated families and adopted. She was given the surname Khan, one of the branches of the Moa tribe.
After that, Korwa lived his life as a student. She studied diligently to avoid being expelled, then retook the Academy entrance exam the following year and was accepted with satisfactory scores.
Not only that, she also made significant contributions by writing dozens of scientific articles for publication, elevating the status of the Khan branch family.
She earned a substantial income from research, competitions, and scholarships. She saved it to continue his education at the University, then chose the history major because she was interested in the ideological foundations of the Solus Empire.
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Classes ended before sunset, and all students were required to leave the Academy building after the last class.
Some students returned to their respective homes, while others returned to the dormitory with their roommates. They filled the main road, walking in neat rows across the floating bridge over the water.
Following the security protocols implemented by the Academy, teachers could only leave after ensuring all students had departed.
They are required to submit their assessment documents to the administration, which are then stored in a safe to prevent unauthorized access.
That is why teachers always return home late, even though classes have ended in the afternoon. They are late for dinner, appear exhausted, and walk with a slight stagger.
Night always becomes a terrifying moment for Korwa. It reminds him of the devastating storm, the darkness of the deep sea, and the deaths of his siblings. The roar of the waves seems to awaken the trauma and bring nightmares.
A row of streetlights illuminates several corners of the academy grounds. Mangrove trees grow with roots penetrating the Batu Apung, touching the sea and consuming saltwater. They bloom golden flowers, spreading a distinctive fragrant aroma.
"Why can't we just submit our reports in file form?" said a teacher as he walked out of the academy building. Together with his colleague, he continued to complain in a weary tone, "It's so troublesome, isn't it? Even though we've implemented the new Data Cube network. This time it should be safer…"
"What can we do? The Data Cube isn't immune to Unfar!" his colleague replied, shrugging his shoulders. She glanced briefly, then gave a wry smile and said, "There was once a Userioh who hacked into the Academy and University networks, manipulating grades and stealing research data. The administration doesn't want to take that kind of risk again."
"Isn't this too much of a hassle?" The instructor descended the stairs. Along with his colleagues, he walked toward the gate while continuing the conversation, "Every day, we have to submit grade reports, check printing history to prevent copying, and ensure the building is empty before leaving. All done manually, you know! Every single day!"
"We're getting paid, so stop complaining! You're making me sick of this protocol! I'm trying not to pay attention to it!" His colleague was annoyed, stopped glancing at him, and sighed deeply. "Besides, the development department has already started working on a better protocol. They're creating new encryption codes to improve network security," she continued anxiously.
"Oh, when do you think it'll be done?" the instructor interrupted again. He nudged his colleague's shoulder, then gave a surprised smile and asked, "Next month?"
"They say it won't be finished until next year at the earliest," his colleague replied. She sighed again, then patted the teacher on the head and said, "Don't be silly! Even though the students have gone home, we're still on school grounds!"
"Want to stop by first?"
"Dinner?"
"That sounds good, I'll join you!"
"You're treating?"
"Huh? Me again?"
"Just kidding! I'll pay this time."
The two continued their conversation until they reached the front gate, then crossed the connecting bridge and stopped by a place before heading home. Their relationship went beyond mere colleagues—it could be romance or just friendship.
Watching this, Korwa could only stand motionless at the bottom of the stairs. Reluctant to go home, she held her breath and thought about returning. Taking overtime like the previous days, escaping the discomfort and burying it in busyness.
"Why are you silent, Korwa? Not going home?" Irina greeted her from behind, then approached the woman with bright purple hair and continued, "Ah! You… lied about moving apartments? You're actually working overtime, aren't you?"
"Yes, I lied…" Korwa didn't deny it, admitting it with a gloomy expression. "I just didn't want to hear your moans," she added sharply. She furrowed her brow slightly, sighed uneasily, and turned away.
"Eh? Could you hear it?" Irina blushed instantly, then quickly turned her face away and fell silent. "Was it that loud? We weren't being excessive, you know—!"
"The walls of our apartment are thin, and my room is right next to yours!" Korwa snapped. She seemed unwilling to discuss it further, slightly annoyed at being reminded of it. "Enough, Irina! I'll just take the overtime shift! Since there's an open shift," she said as he turned around, intending to go back into the Academy building.
"Wait a moment, Korwa! Please…" Irina blocked her path, spreading her right hand and giving him a sharp look. "There's something we want to discuss with you. Can you come with us for a moment?" she asked with a worried expression.
"About the request from earlier today?" Korwa froze, holding her breath and quickly checking surroundings. Making sure no one was watching, she took his colleague's arm and led her down the stairs. "Where should we talk?" she asked without turning around.
"The seaweed soup stall near the fishing spot, where we used to hang out during college," Irina replied as she took out the Data Cube. She activated the file transfer feature and placed it in Korwa's bag. "Sham should already be there; the information you want is in there," she added as she walked at a distance.
After passing through the front gate of the Academy, they quickly picked up their pace and took a different route. Anticipating tracking by the authorities, they thinned their trail to avoid exposure if their actions were discovered.
Once the file transfer was complete, Korwa immediately discarded the Data Cube given to her by Irina. She threw it into the sea to eliminate any evidence.
The woman from the Newt race chose a detour. She passed through the general residential area and market around the city center, then walked toward the dormitory area, and followed the bridge that ended at the fishing area.
It took nearly two hours to walk that route. Though the terrain was relatively smooth, she had to stop at several points to establish an alibi. Chatting with a few acquaintances, then making up some nonsense before leaving. To have additional witnesses if she were caught and interrogated.