I dragged her back to my apartment building. She was whimpering in pain as we moved. We wasn't that far from it but it still took thirty minutes. Luckily for me I lived on the first floor so we didn't have to climb flights of stairs. We entered my room and Iayed her on the floor. I grabbed a pillow to rest her head. She looked worse then when I found her, somehow her skin was paler then before. I walked across the room and opened a closet to get medical supplies. I found some self-administrating stitches and some gauze. In a cabinet I found a sanitation pad and used it to help clean the blood off her. After I was done I finally saw the real damage she had. The cut started at the bottom left of her ribs and ran down to the right of her waist.
" Damn, someone really wanted you dead."
She glared at me.
" my bad " I said quickly and focused back to fixing the wound. I grabbed the stitches and scanned the wound so they could automatically begin their work.
" I hope you don't mind a little pain, I'm fresh out of painkillers."
She said nothing and only wach as the stitches closed up the laceration. When the wound finally closed she let out a sigh of relief and seem to relax a little. As she calmed down I noticed that my holowatch was flashing red. I check it and saw what time it was.
"Shit!"
I was late I couldn't be late, today was the mirage! I pointed to the bed
" you can rest there while I'm gone. I'll be back in a few hours " she stared as I ran out the room. I continued running down the street trying to make it to the station as fast as I could. Once I did, I was able to scan my holowatch against the payment meter and found a seat on the monorail. Once I sat down I was able to relax, I was still late but not as late as I could be. Catching my breath, I looked out the window to watch the hologram advertisements, the buildings blocked the natural view so ads would have to do. As the monorail picked up speed I saw a ad that caught my attention. It was of a beautiful middle-aged woman with blonde hair and emerald eyes wearing a golden laurel crown with green flowers woven into it.
" peace, prosperity, we live in the golden age of human history. Disease, hunger, homelessness, all these problems of the past were solved centuries ago under the leadership of our great sovereign. His kindness is always present and his strength is unrivaled. He has protected and provided for every world in this nation but he isn't omnipotent. He is humble enough to admit that with all of his strength and courage he cannot protect everyone all on his own. That is why he made the Divine city, that is why he made the Ascendent and that is is why he made humanity's champions ageless! This is what made the Pantheon Suzerainty what it is today! But things are not only bright in our great nation. A alien nation threatens to darken our sky, they are jealous of the utopia that we have built. They are the Drat and their dominion seeks to end our way of life. They have been invading our worlds for the past seventy years and our champions fight with the fury of a thousand suns but they are not invincible, they tire from this long war, they need you the people to support them! When your sovereign calls for help will you not answer? Will you not join your brothers and sisters in the recon defense militia? Will you not ascend and lead them to war? Your sovereign has made a call to action! I hope to see you on the battlefield. This is Iridescent Athena of the Olympian knights signing off."
The advertisement ended after that and another replace it on the hologram, something about a new gravity boots being made. I could never afford them. I turned my holowatch on to find something else to watch and found a video of Ascendent sparring. They move gracefully almost as if they were dancing, so graceful you would forget how deadly they really was.
" come to think of it.... that woman might be a ascended. But she wasn't as tall as the rest of them."
But only a ascended could move as fast as she did. As I buried myself in my thoughts the monorail slowed to a stop. I took a deep breath and got out my seat.
" Hear we go " the outcome of the mirage will decide my future. I shouldn't be too late either. As I walked toward the learning plaza I noticed a man standing at the entrance.
" late the one day you shouldn't be "
Shit it's Marius, my class president. He is a fit teen with black hair and purple eyes he wears glasses attached to a chain around his neck.
" you might not see this day as important Lafayette, but the rest of the class made sure to be here on time "
" I know I'm late but there was something I needed to han-" he interrupted me
" enough excuses, they're beneath me. Head inside and made sure Noone notices you. Luckily we haven't started yet as we have a important guest coming here to make a speech" he nods toward the door.
As i walked inside I saw the massive mural of the sovereign and his Olympic knights. He has golden hair and his eye are covered with a pale gold ribbon. He smirks softly as he holds a planet in both palms. The Olympic knights kneel holding a salute. Their hands raised with their pointer and middle fingers touching their glabella, head leaning down eyes closed. The sovereign stands in the middle of all twelve of them wearing beige and white armor and the knights wear the color of the Olympian god that they are named after. knight Hestia wore orange armor, knight Demeter wore green armor, knight Hera wore white armor, knight Hades wore black armor, knight Poseidon wore greenish-blue armor, and Olympic knight commander Zeus wore electric blue and gray armor. The armor they wear is a ancient plate armor from a old nation called Europe when humanity was still at war with itself. I continued walking after giving a quick salute to the sovereign and headed to the auditorium where the other students were gathered. There was a lot of whispering when I got near.
" well look who finally arrived "
" Ajax " I said softly, a tall boy with broad shoulders and buzzcut red hair and green eyes came into view
" it seems wasting our time is a hobby of yours, rat. "
" don't be so harsh Ajax, he must've been look through the trash for something to eat. You don't want the poor boy to starve do you?" The students listening in started giggling.
Her name was Serenity a girl with blond hair and blue eyed, both she and Ajax were scions of two Ascendent clans. They hated that i was in the same class as they were just because I wasn't rich or part of a clan. She glowered at me " I told a joke, you should laugh " I learned early in the year that going against them will just make my life hell. I still got the scars from the last time I refused to listen. I laughed awkwardly and she continued staring at me then got bored and walked away muttering under her breath
" how pathetic, he really laughed "
" shame" Ajax said, wrapping his arm around my shoulders
" I thought there was going to be a show. anyways I can't wait to see what you'll get. Who knows, if it's bad enough maybe I'll take you in as my personal servant. You don't mind dog food right?" He slapped my back and walked away laughing heading to where the other ascendant clan students gathered. A while after that the head teacher got on the stage
" Quiet! quiet down! We will be beginning soon. Today will be a new chapter in your lives. This day your worth with decided. And you all have been given a privilege that rare few have been given. The Patriarch of this world has personally arrived from the Frontlines to lead this mirage! I welcome Shining Xerxes Maximilian! And he arrives victorious in his recent campaign and will soon be awarded the title of Radiant!
After the introduction ended after man walked onto the stage. He was tall, imperious and had brown Caesar cut hair. He wore a black military uniform with beige epaulettes and engravings on his collar, two stars symbolizing his rank. He had pale yellow eyes that glowed unnaturally. There was a thick scar that started on the left side of his lip and ran down from his neck to his collar hidden by his clothes. He walked to the center of the stage and folded his arms behind his back.
" Students " he corrects himself " children, willfully ignorant " his voice spread through the auditorium without him needing to raise his voice. It was deep, deeper than I ever heard anyone's voice be.
" you believe that the mirage is some kind of award ceremony giving you a trophy. It defines what your lives are worth. You have been living selfishly on the resources of the Suzerainty without giving anything in return. I am here to warn you, this is not a charity. You are expected to return what was given with interest. Becoming a ascended isn't a privilege awarded to the worthless. You have been leeches your whole lives. But the mirage of choice will turn you into true citizens of this nation. You will have a part to play in our empire! you will be grateful of the peace granted by the sovereign by being useful or you will be humbled and sent back to the dirt you were born in." The mirage began after he ended his speech. The way it worked was you sit down in a chair and put your arm in a tube like machine which will then take your blood and scan your DNA. Then through a process unknown to me it decides the job that you are destined for, presenting it for all to see on a monitor above them. One by one students were brought up to the stage. After the outcomes some were disappointed but most people got a ok career. A hour later it was Ajax's turn he seemed nervous as he got up there. Once he sat down the machine started again and once it was finished his career was shown in bright colors.
" well shit" I whispered
he got Ascendent as his career, why him of all people? I couldn't tell you but but what I do know is it will be another thing he'll lord over me. A few minutes later after a kid got banker as a career it was my turn. As I sat down on the chair and put my arm in the tube I felt a pinch and then the machine started loading . I crossed my fingers hoping to at least get a good career. I didn't believe I would get Ascendent and soon i would find out. Then the machine stop and in big red letters I got recon expedition soldier.
"Fuck"