At 2:20 p.m. on July 3, 2457.
Julian and Marcus stood side by side in line in front of the main gate of the Public Police Officers Academy. The weather was cold, and the cadets were talking very loudly. Julian was silent, as if he had never spoken before, and he was actually afraid. He had insights and perspectives that not everyone had. He thought about what the old man at the clothing store had said and asked himself: Is something really going on in this city?
In his opinion, the question was the answer itself, but this feeling was not strange to Julian; he had always lived with it, and it had become his constant companion. But he was beginning to learn, beginning to break through the wall of silence in which he had lived for so many years. Do you know what the first thing Julian learned was, or rather, who taught him? Yes, it was Marcus, the one with the strange laugh. Uncharacteristically, he too was silent.
Julian looked at Marcus and said:
Did you swallow your tongue, or did something happen to you?
Markus replied, saying:
Look, a person is standing near the small tree at the entrance to the academy.
Julian :
Where?
Markus :
The third person on the left.
Julian :
Yes, what's wrong with him?
Markus :
Look closely.
Julian froze in his tracks. Who was this person? He had the same mark under his eye, the same mark that the institute guard had. This was suspicious, and Julian's doubts about this mark grew. It didn't look like an injury caused by a fall or a fight; there was something else.
While the two friends were lost in their thoughts, the doors opened, and three people came out dressed in imposing black uniforms that exuded power and authority. The person in the middle had a megaphone and said:
Attention, everyone. I am Officer Ronnie, in charge of this regiment, and with me are my assistants, Jack and Kay. I will not repeat myself, so listen carefully to what I am about to say. Once you enter this gate, you will forget your past. Here, there is one rule you must keep in mind. Assistant Kay will distribute a sheet of paper listing what you must and must not do. Anyone caught breaking this rule will find themselves in an unenviable position.
Meanwhile, Julian was sweating profusely from fear. The paper contained severe and frightening penalties. After standing for more than four hours, the trainees were assigned to their accommodations and given their tasks and shifts, especially guard duty. Ronnie emphasized guard duty a lot.
Luckily for Julian, he was in the same room as Marcus, along with four other trainees. The assistant put Julian and Marcus in room 289. When they entered, there were three people there. The assistant told Julian and Marcus to enter the room and showed them where they would sleep and where their clothes would be stored. Suddenly, a fourth person entered. He was the one with the mark under his eye. He said to the assistant:
Officer Ronnie sent me to this room.
The assistant said to him:
Take the empty spot.
The spot was to Julian's right. The assistant left to distribute the rest of the trainees.
In the room were:
Shoki, thin and wearing glasses.
Sam, whose eyes never stopped moving.
Mikey, with his distinctive voice.
Shon, the one with the mark.
Julian said to Marcus:
Let's go out to the courtyard.
Marcos :
Let's go.
Shon :
You can't go out now.
Julian :
Why not?
Shon :
The director is outside. If you go out, you'll regret it. Just a word of advice.
Sean went to the window and said to everyone:
Come and see. Some trainees went out into the yard, and the director caught them. Now they will be punished.
Julian :
How did you know that?
Shon :
My father tells me everything that goes on here.
Marcus :
What's that mark on your face?
Julian :
No, no, what kind of question is that? We're sorry.
Shon :
No, let him ask. This mark means that I am one of the special ones. We have been putting this mark on since we were little; it's a very old tradition.
Marcus :
What does it mean? What is its purpose?
Shon :
The goal is that when darkness falls and swallows everyone in its path, we survive.
Sam :
What kind of superstition is that? Do you believe that? What year are you in? Do you know what year we're in?
Shon :
What did you say, you idiot?
Mikey :
No, please, it's the first day. If you fight, you'll get us in trouble.
Julian :
He's right, we're not here to fight.
Shon :
No, we're here to fight. There's no place for the faint of heart and soul here.
Marcus :
It's been a tough day. We want to sleep, please, everyone, be quiet right now.
Everyone went to sleep.
Julian, however, had only one thing on his mind: Kayla. He had to see her. After midnight, he decided to go see her. He sneaked out of the room and, under the cover of darkness, made his way through the rooms, avoiding the surveillance cameras. But there was a robot equipped with thermal cameras that could recognize him if it saw him, and he would be in big trouble.
Julian was waiting in the corner of the apartment building for the robot to pass. Suddenly, he heard a voice behind him saying:
Don't scream!
He turned around, his blood running cold
with fear. It was... Follow