Disclaimer:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, countries, or groups is purely coincidental.
DIQUI'S OFFICE
Diqui reviewed the report on his screen. "Out of 1,800 applicants, 521 were eliminated by Instructor Eshar. 211 were shot while jumping into the sea. 193 died in conflicts with other applicants. The rest..."
Eshar, standing by the window, didn't turn around. "Satisfactory numbers."
Diqui looked up, curious. "Sir, why did so many choose to jump into the ocean? It seems like an odd choice."
"A cornered animal will seek any escape," Eshar replied, his tone analytical. "When wounded, outmatched, or desperate, the sea represents a sliver of hope—however small—of being swept to a nearby island instead of facing certain death here. It's a logical, if desperate, survival instinct."
"I see..." Diqui murmured, understanding dawning.
Eshar finally glanced at him. "Enough. Hurry and prepare the materials for the next exam. The subject will be History."
INFIRMARY
In the stark white infirmary, Zavian lay on a cot, his face pale. He squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his hands over his ears, trying to block out Riju's pained shouts from the next bed.
"Stop! That's enough! Just leave it!" Riju yelled as a medic worked on his wounds.
TWO DAYS LATER - ACADEMY GROUNDS
The two boys, bandaged but mobile, made their way toward the dormitory buildings.
Riju squinted at a junction in the path, looking thoroughly lost. "Where in the world is Block I7?"
Zavian let out an exasperated sigh, pointing to a large, clear signpost. "Riju, are you blind? It literally says 'I 1-10 to the RIGHT, I 11-25 to the LEFT.' Why are you heading toward Block G?"
"Finally," Riju grumbled, slumping against the door of their assigned room in I7 some time later.
Zavian checked his watch, annoyed. "We should have been here thirty minutes ago. Anyway, think about it. If they're holding practical trials first, theory exams will come later. My guess is the written test will cover three major topics: the Purgosh Empire, the era of 'The Greats,' and the Kuras Dynasty."
He sat on his bed and launched into an explanation, as if lecturing a particularly slow student.
"Long ago, an event known as 'The Beginning of Humanity' reduced the global population from 210 million to just 28 survivors. The first village, Xier, was founded by a man named Edein I. In just two years, it grew to 62 people, then 121. Eventually, it became a city of 211. Around that time, Jounse I left with dozens of others to explore. When Edein I was 39, he became the president of a new nation he named Purgosh, in the year 23 BC. Fourteen years after Purgosh's founding, Jounse I established the Birush Commonwealth."
Riju, now listening intently, frowned. "What caused 'The Beginning of Humanity'?"
"Unfortunately," Zavian said, spreading his hands, "that's classified as one of the 'Eleven Lost Histories and Memories of Humanity.' No one knows."
"Right, okay," Riju nodded. "Keep going."
"Ninety-three years after Birush's rise," Zavian continued, "the equatorial region—now just Vius—was split into 52 different states. One was the holy state of Volas. Under Nemein I, Volas miraculously repelled a Birush invasion force three times its size, earning the respect of the other 48 states. They united to form the Holy Volas Empire. The remaining states, fearing invasion, chose to join either Purgosh or the Birush Commonwealth. But then, a pivotal event changed everything."
Zavian's voice grew more focused. "In the year 124, Edein III of Purgosh was publicly executed by a rival named Alistair, who then seized the presidency and renamed the nation Tisup. Four years after Tisup's founding, Porlei, the leader of Volas, proposed a union. Alistair agreed, forming the Tisup Theocracy. Eighty years later, the first individual known as a 'Great' was born: Nakas, the Great of Memory."
Riju's eyes lit up with a different question. "What about the City of Emperors? How did that wealthy city start?"
"Which one?" Zavian asked, momentarily confused.
"You know, Emperor City! The richest one now. What was its origin?"
"Ah, that's a common misconception," Zavian corrected. "The modern Emperor City was built in 602 AD by Koirus Sekmon. But its original site, the city of Wikheimi, existed much earlier. It was the birthplace of Nakas, the Great of Memory, and flourished around the year 120 AD when the Kuras Empire was the world's dominant power. Wikheimi was destroyed in 301 AD during the Great War between Kuras, Birush, and the Tisup Theocracy. The city you know today was rebuilt from the ruins by Sekmon's dynasty."
"Got it," Riju said, processing the information. "So, who are the other 'Greats'?"
"According to the International court," Zavian recited, "five individuals are officially recognized as 'The Greats,' though only four have been publicly named: Koirus Sekmon, the Great of Wisdom; Nakas, the Great of Memory; Xonoa, the Great of Forecast; and Oirens, the Great of Demonstration. The identity of the fifth remains undisclosed."