Act I
Ring* ring* ring* I felt myself waking up as I moved my hand turning off the alarm, I felt warm and my sides felt heavy. I opened my eyes, my mind was still muddled from the sleep I had endured.
Then I noticed something, as I lifted up my blanket. I wasn't alone in my bed, two of the younger girls from the newer batch of orphans were cuddling my sides. How did they get in?
I gave the thought a moment, but then shrugged it off as I gently removed their embrace and made them hug each other as I left my bed and changed into my everyday clothes.
Quickly I made my way through the dormitories then went down stairs to the kitchen. There I paused as a familiar face was preparing breakfast, it was our orphanage manager aunty Marry.
"Goodmorning Aunty." I said respectfully, as she did raise a lot of kids, me included before I remembered my past life.
"Oh Daniel! Goodmorning, do you want some breakfast before you go to work?" She asked with a gentle smile, I nodded and accepted a cup of chocolate milk and a cheesy egg sandwich.
It took me a moment to finish the light breakfast, as I watched aunty Marry cook for the decreasing children in the orphanage. I'm already 13, one of the oldest in the orphanage. Most of those in my batch were already adopted when we were 10.
I didn't expect to be adopted so I started looking for work. It was easy actually, the city has a good job management system even children younger than 10 can find something to do for money, and unlike victorian england it's all legal and safe.
"Daniel, you do know you don't need to work right? You're a child of the city, they'll keep sponsoring you until you join one of the academies and from how smart you are you'll definitely get into one of the better ones." Aunty Marry spoke her mind as she was toasting bread.
Of course I know, how wouldn't I? I already passed the written entrance exams for the top three private academies. If I wanted, I could already join one and start studying one of their technical or academic courses. But I don't want to, I don't want to go through college again so soon, so I waited until I can also pass their practical exams.
"Thanks for the meal Aunty, I need to go now. I don't want to be late." I said my goodbyes as I gave her my cup. She smiled and waved me off even giving me some lunch, I thanked her again with a hug this time and then left.
Act II
"Done with cleaning these sir, can I start cleaning the hall?" I asked as I placed the sparring armour on their racks, the cleaning was simple, the dojo had a power sprayer at the back and dry room.
So it only took me an hour or so to clean the five used sparring armors, the one I was asking was the owner of the dojo and my boss. he was an older man with scars all around his back and face also he was a retired hero, but even with his retirement stipends from the city he still tutors and trains anyone who's willing to pay.
"That's fine Daniel, come take a staff from the rack. We don't have any clients this early in the morning, so I can teach you for an hour before you can go back to your chores." With that I did what he asked, and took a staff from the weapon rack.
When I was sent to work here by the city work management, I was given a contract. I work as the dojo manager's assistant for 10 credits an hour, and for free lessons.
The contract was pretty strict when it came to my payment, and oddly relaxed with length, it didn't have a set expiry date but a clause where the contract would only expire if I or the dojo manager voided one of the agreements.
Thud* Thud* thud* "That's good, you're getting better with the staff. Remember it's best to use something easy to get when you're inside the dream, I've seen the best swordswomen die because they can only fight with sharpened sticks." My boss said as he guided my hand striking at a silicon dummy in the shape of a person.
I was silent as I kept doing the drills he told me to do, and then after what felt like hours he motioned me to stop. My hands shook, they were red and turning raw, all I could do was sit down sweating, my boss handed me a small bag that felt cool and smelled of medicine.
"Hold it with both hands and squeeze, it'll help you recover your arms faster, you can rest on the side and start cleaning when you're ready." I nodded my breath ragged as I dragged myself on a bench at the side, then as I sat down someone came in from outside.
Chimes* The sound of chimes rang as she entered, she was a familiar face one of the students my boss was tutoring. I think she's from a rich family, probably even from a small hero clan.
I don't know her name, mostly because it was part of the anonymity practice. Most dojos don't like being part of the politics going on between the City factions but they still want to make money, that is why most of them adopted the anonymity practice.
Whoever you are doesn't matter, inside a dojo you're either a student or instructor. Actually, thinking about it, I'm considered a student, I just pay the dojo instructor in doing chores, and the city pays me for working here.
I took my time, catching my breath and squeezing the medical cold pack until it stopped being cold. When I felt better I stood up and threw away the pack in a bin, then I noticed the bin getting full so I took it with me and went to the back to throw away the garbage.
Act III
"Teacher, can I ask who that boy was? I've seen him a couple of times now, is he a student too or does he work here?" I asked as I traded spear strikes with my combat teacher for this month.
"Him? His a helper and a student, some clerk in the city management handed the boy to be trained and worked. Now stop being a distracted girl!" With that my teacher and went for a swipe at my legs I barely dodged by jumping back.
The training went for an hour and then we took a break. I was sweating as I drank water, while the teacher didn't even look like he broke a sweat. I watched him walk away, and went towards the boy telling him, he doesn't need to polish the decorative weapons.
I wonder who that boy is, he's pretty cute. He is young though, and mom might get angry again if I brought another toy home. Sigh, one year left and I need to pack up and join Dawn academy.
"Well time to get back to it." I said to myself as I stood up and started swinging and thrusting with my spear, it wasn't my favorite weapon to practice with but it was better than the archery I did a month ago.
Act IV
I was taking a stroll looking at my wrist, everyone had a Caller, it was like a more advanced version of the smart watches in my last life. But most have restrictions on them, just like mine that can only make emergency calls, tell time and what it's doing now.
"Alert! Alert! Alert! Pale Fever outbreak, please seek shelter now!" Everyone around me started running, as I saw them looking at their own Callers. I stood there watching, for a moment but then started moving as I saw something vile.
Tik* Tik* Tik* The sound of clicking echoed and then I saw were it came from, the largest snake I've ever seen was eating a person whole as Bang* Bang* while peace officers shot at it with heavy slug-guns, the thing wasn't even bleeding with so many shooting at it.
"Kid come on!" I felt myself being carried off, a tall woman was holding me in her arms. I wasn't the only kid that was being carried off like this as I watched the titanic snake swiping its tail breaking out from the encirclement the peace officers made.
KRack! It roared in a hissing cold voice, then from out of nowhere a ball of white fire came and struck the snake making it move out of my view as the woman carrying me and the other civilians entered a building I didn't recognize.
"Haa! Haaa! Ha! That was close, are you okay kid?" The woman asked as she put me down and kneeled infront of me, I nodded making her smile and then she started looking at the others.
At first I thought she was older, but now that I look at her I think she's around my age. Atleast before I reincarnated, which means she was in her 20s, I looked at her outfit, she was wearing an apron and smelled of spice and fried meat. I think she was working at a food stall before that outbreak made us run here.
I looked around and saw that we were inside one of the public houses, there were two guards with big guns. They were infront of the door, looking out towards the fight while a few other security guards were calming everyone that made it, they were helped by emergency dispatch, I wonder where they left their ambulance and fire trucks.
"Now it makes sense." I muttered as I looked towards the fight, a woman engulfed in white flames hammered away at the giant snake. Her war hammer looked ridiculously big, but you can't say it doesn't work as everytime it struck the Horror, it would drop to the ground but quickly it would recover and then rampage again.
"I guessed that explains why taxes were so high." I heard someone mutter, it was the lady that saved me. She was looking towards the plaza we were on earlier. All the food stands were leveled, even the 'I Love Dawn City' statue was turned into rubble as the Horror struck it with its tail trying to strike the hammer wielding heroin.
She was right, the taxes were pretty high, they tax half the income of a wage and half the profit of a private business. But because of that the level of comfort of every citizen was pretty high, I mean I haven't seen any homeless people here, and based on the propaganda it was because they don't exist.
Just like orphans like me, any adult citizen near the poverty line were given a simple way of finding work, have access to free housing and were given a food allowance. From what I remember, aid policies like these never worked in my last life. I wonder if things like that monster outside really changed everything this much.
My mind wandered as I watched another hero appear, he was a large man trying to wrestle the titanic snake into the ground while the flaming hero pounded the snake's head into paste.
"Look, it's Goliath! He came to help Flaming Justice!" A few around me cheered as they saw the scene, the stalemate quickly ended, as the two of Dawn City's Heroes won.
The large Horror in the shape of a titanic serpent turned into ash covering the entire plaza, the two heroes looked valiant standing in the rubble. Quickly the emergency dispatch inside with us left, going towards the plaza to help anyone still alive and fight off the fires that appeared during the battle.
I was free as everyone started going their own way, I went towards the edge of the plaza. I took a handful of ash and nothing, it felt and looked like regular white ash, you would get if you burnt wood.
"Either die during the Pale Fever and become a horror or survive it and become a hero of humanity." The words escaped my lips as I looked towards the carnage, the smell of blood, steel and fire in the air.
I clenched my fists, as I smiled as excitement ran every inch of my body. Finally, a chance. I turned my back on everything, the yelling, the rescue, the whole nine yards of an aftermath whenever a disaster appeared in a city.