One hour had passed. Two more to go.
The hall was silent. Focused. Cadets hunched over desks. Pens moved. Concentration filled the air.
Except one desk.
Juli was asleep.
Head down. Arms folded as pillow. Mouth open. Snoring. A small line of drool pooled on his desk.
Kade glanced over. Sweat beaded on his forehead. What. How. Why.
But wait. Kade had seen him working. Juli had been writing. Answering questions. For the first forty minutes at least. Right?!
His internal monologue screamed. Please tell me I'm not going insane. Please tell me he actually tried. Please tell me he didn't just write his name and pass out. We're doomed. We're so doomed.
Pamela sat rows away. Her silver eyes glanced toward Juli's direction. She knew. Felt it. Something was wrong.
She'd watched him earlier. Grinding. Writing furiously. Attacking questions with genuine effort. Her tutoring had worked. She was certain. Mostly certain.
But was it enough? Did he attempt everything? Her composed expression held firm. But inside, worry gnawed. Her refined thoughts whispered. One must have faith. I taught him well. He will pass. He must pass.
Juli's world had darkened.
Sleep claimed him. Deep. Heavy. Inescapable.
And with sleep came memories.
Vivid. Brutal. Real.
Eight years ago.
An Outer Rim colony. Forgotten by the galaxy. Too far from protection. Too poor to matter. Just people trying to live. Trying to survive. Trying to exist in peace.
Blood soaked the dirt.
Fire consumed homes. Wooden structures. Simple buildings. They burned bright. Hot. Smoke choked the air. Made breathing painful. Made seeing difficult.
Corpses lay scattered. Men. Women. Old. Young. Indiscriminate slaughter. Their crime was being there. Being vulnerable. Being forgotten.
The colony was under attack.
Raiders. Low level. Disorganized. But vicious. Cruel. Armed with weapons and absence of conscience. They descended on the Outer Rim like locusts. Pillaging. Destroying. Taking.
The Outer Rim was the galaxy's forgotten. No ARMADA presence. No protection. Lawless land. Raiders could steal. Enslave. Murder. No consequences. Who cared about forgotten peasants?
It was an unfortunate day for the unfortunate.
Young Juli. Maybe seven. Small. Frail. Red eyes wide with terror.
He ran. Hand clasped in his mother's. Firm. Tight. Desperate.
They were running. Away from the nightmare. Away from the screams. Trying to survive. Trying to live.
Juli's eyes witnessed everything. Couldn't look away. Couldn't close them.
Mass arson. Buildings collapsed. Flames ate everything. Consumed everything.
Pillaging. Raiders grabbed valuables. Smashed what they didn't want. Laughed. Celebrated.
Locals chained. Men. Women. Children. Lined up like cattle. Like property. Collars around necks. Hands bound. Feet shackled. Slaves. They were slaves now.
Some fought back. Tried to resist. Tried to protect their families.
They died screaming. A man's throat opened. Blood sprayed. He fell. A woman's head separated. Clean cut. It rolled. An old man was gutted. His insides spilled. He died staring down.
Juli cried. Tears streamed. Guilt crushed him. Those people. Dead. Chained. Suffering.
But what could he do? He was seven. Frail. Weak. Helpless.
They ran. Mother pulled him. Guided him. Protected him.
Then stopped.
A raider blocked their path.
Scarred face. Missing teeth. Dirty clothes. Cheap armor. A rusted sword. Stained with old blood. He reeked. Sweat. Alcohol. Violence.
His eyes locked onto Juli's mother. Scanned her. Assessed her. Objectified her.
She stood in front of Juli. Shield. Protection. Her red eyes defiant. Fierce. A mother protecting her child.
The raider licked his sword. Slow. Deliberate. Obscene. His voice dripped lechery. Thick. Disgusting. "Oh hooo. Look what I found here. A pretty little thing. So beautiful. So ripe." He stepped closer. "I can't wait to taste you. Every. Single. Part. Of. You." His grin was malicious. Rotten. "Gonna make you scream. Gonna make you beg. Gonna break you nice and slow."
Little Juli couldn't stay behind. Couldn't hide. Wouldn't hide.
He stepped forward. Quick. Determined. The target was his mom. He knew it. Understood it. Had to stop it.
He took a basic stance. Copied from movies. From action shows. From imagination. His small fists raised. His legs positioned.
The raider looked confused. Then amused. "What's this? Little brat wants to play hero?"
Before the thug could react. Juli moved.
Closed the distance. Fast for a child. Slow for a fighter. His leg swung up. Aimed at the jaw. Connected. Solid impact.
The raider fell. Hard. Surprised. Unprepared. Hit the ground. Groaned.
But Juli fell too.
His weak legs gave out. Young. Untrained. Fragile. He clutched his leg. The one that kicked. Pain shot through it. Sharp. Intense. He yelled. Cried out. Tears came faster.
His mother moved immediately. Scooped him up. Held him in her arms. Cradled him. "It's okay. It's okay, my baby. You're so brave. So brave."
"I'm weak!" Juli sobbed. "I'm so weak! I can't do anything!"
"Shh. No. No. You're strong. You're my strong boy."
The raider stood. Groggily. Angrily. His face twisted. Rage. Pure rage. "Fucking shitty brat!" He spat blood. A tooth came with it. "I'll fucking kill you! Gut you like a pig! Make you watch while I..."
He stopped. Grinned. Malicious. Evil. Changed tactics. "Actually. No. I'll let you live. Let you watch." His eyes went to the mother. "I'll take my time with her. Make her scream your name. Make her beg. Make her mine. You hear me, brat? You'll watch every second. And you'll know. You'll KNOW you couldn't stop it. Couldn't save her. Worthless. Weak. Pathetic."
Juli's mind broke. Shattered. Guilt. Shame. Helplessness. Rage. Fear. All at once. Too much. Too heavy.
Why am I so weak?
I can't even protect Mom.
Can't do anything.
His teary eyes looked up. To the sky. Red eyes searching. Praying. Please. Someone. Anyone. A hero. Please send a hero.
Then reality hit. Crushed hope. No. Why bother. Who would even come? There are no such things as heroes. You've watched too many movies, Juli. We're the galaxy's forgotten for a reason. Bunch of worthless trash. Lower than peasants. No one cares. No one will come.
I was supposed to protect Mom. But I'm so weak I couldn't do anything. How pathetic am I?
Then.
Flames appeared.
Small. Tiny. On the raider's clothes. Just. There. Spontaneous.
The raider noticed. Looked down. Confused. "What the..."
The flames grew. Spread. Consumed fabric. Reached skin.
"AAAGH!" He screamed. Swatted at himself. Failed. The fire intensified. His arms caught. His legs. His torso.
"IT BURNS! IT BURNS!"
He rolled. Thrashed. Nothing worked. The flames cooked him. Slow. Painful. His skin blackened. Blistered. His screams turned to gurgles. He stayed alive. Barely. Conscious. Suffering.
Juli stared. Red eyes wide. Unable to comprehend. What. How. Did the sun curse him? What happened?
Then Juli saw them.
Everyone. Looking up.
The chained locals. Tears streaming. Mouths open. Praying. Crying. Joy. Relief. Disbelief. What were they seeing?
Raiders too. Looking up. Weapons fell from their hands. Clattered to the ground. Some dropped to their knees. Will broken. Fight gone. Terror. Awe. Surrender. What were they seeing?
Juli looked at his mother. Her face tilted up. Tears flowing. But different tears. Joy. Pure joy. Hope. Her lips moved. Whispered thanks. Prayers. Gratitude. What was she seeing?
Juli looked up.
And he saw.
HIM.
The figure floated near the sun. Features concealed. The brilliant light created a halo. Radiant. Divine. Blinding and beautiful. A cape moved. Flowed. Danced in wind that didn't exist. Graceful. Purposeful.
The figure descended. Slow. Deliberate. No rush. Just certainty. Just power. Just presence.
The bloodshed stopped. Raiders didn't move. Couldn't move. Victims wept. Prayed. Believed.
Juli's red eyes flowed with tears. Uncontrollable. Unstoppable. The figure was distant. Far. Too far to see clearly.
But somehow. Somehow. Juli saw it.
That smile.
That otherworldly smile.
Warm. Genuine. Beautiful beyond words. A smile that could end wars. That could heal wounds. That could bring hope to the hopeless. Light to the darkness. Peace to the broken.
A smile that said. I'm here. You're safe. You're not forgotten.
The kind of smile that made the universe feel smaller. Kinder. Better.
Juli had said no one would come. Why would they? They were forgotten. Worthless. Trash. Who cared about the Outer Rim?
But someone came.
Someone did care.
Juli had told himself heroes didn't exist. Just fairy tales. Just movies. Just fantasies for foolish children.
But here HE was.
Real. Tangible. Present.
A hero. An actual hero. Descending from the sun like a god. Like hope given form. Like everything good in the universe condensed into one being.
The figure landed. Gentle. Soft. The ground didn't crack. Didn't crater. Just accepted his presence. Welcomed it.
And Juli. Small. Weak. Frail. Seven years old. Broken and crying in his mother's arms.
Juli smiled.
Through tears. Through pain. Through everything.
He smiled.
Because heroes were real. Because someone came. Because they weren't forgotten. Because hope existed. Because the weak could be saved. Because justice was possible. Because good could win.
Because HE was here.