Chapter 54: Prequel to the Ceremony (1/2)

1st November, year 333 of the Dawn Era; the sun rose up, casting its gentle light on the cityscape, dissipating the mist that had formed, and generating a sense of warmth in the chilly air.

7th Ring, Sector 12, Baker Street, 3rd Residential Complex; a certain house on the 28th floor had its silence disrupted by the shrill screams of an alarm clock, its monotonous sound reverberating through the air, echoing across the halls.

7:00 AM, the sonorous buzzing of the alarm made the boy sleeping next to it feel irritated, tossing and turning around on the bed, clenching the bedsheet and wrapping it tighter around the ears.

The alarm buzzed nonstop for 5 minutes, the body getting used to the sound, falling asleep once again. Despite the shrill noise, the sonorous sound that had the same repeating rhythm was soon glossed over by his senses, his slumber undisturbed.

7:15 AM, another alarm buzzed, the sound arriving from a different location, its buzzing different. Like a chain reaction, the previous alarm too buzzed, its shrill sounds intermixing in the air, creating a distortion of noise, polluting the once peaceful surroundings.

Irritated, the boy could no longer sleep. He got up, his eyes wide awake, gazing at the two alarm clocks that felt like they were competing against one another—the prize being his awakening.

The boy looked at the time, feeling his eyes droop. ”I can sleep for five more minutes.”

Making the two alarm clocks shut up, he draped the bedsheet over him, seething with bliss. With a relaxed expression, he slept. No sooner had he closed his eyes did the alarm buzz, its sonorous noise ear piercing.

7:30 AM, the boy noticed the time, feeling tired. ”I took a shit just before sleeping. My bowels are almost empty. So, I only need to brush my teeth and take a bath. I still have plenty of time.”

No sooner had he closed his eyes did the alarm ring once again, the two sounds of different pitch, frequency, and rhythm intermixing with each other, generating an astounding racket of noise.

7:45 AM, the boy raised his eyebrow, slightly craning open his left eye, noticing the time. ”Today is the Induction Day. I will probably swallow a disgusting parasite. What use is in brushing? Also, sister said everything will become messy at the end; so, do I even need to take a bath?”

”Five more minutes,” The boy murmured, covering his head with the bedsheet. Followed by the sound of a door being opened, Heima entered, dressed in a set of baggy clothes, covering the battle gear worn underneath.

She walked towards the sleeping boy, her steps silent. She sent a kick to his stomach, giving him a slap on the head when he got up in protest. ”Get ready!”

She dragged him to the bathroom, pushed him inside, and locked the door. With a grumble, the boy began to freshen up, taking his sweet time emptying his bowels. Heima slammed against the door, urging him to hurry. Letting out an exhausted grunt, she went towards the kitchen, making her a cup of coffee.

Holding a piping hot cup of coffee on her right, she flipped through the newspaper using her left, reading the headlines aloud, ”A Shifter was jailed, heavily penalised for fleeing from the battlefield. Transformer Cosmi Tumbler has retired from duty, solely focusing on his Academic duties.”

”What? It's already 8:30? Sister!” A voice trailed as a boy rushed out, a towel draped over his lower half. ”We were asked to assemble at school by 8:30 AM. Sister, why didn't you wake me up sooner?”

”Take a look at the time,” Heima pointed at the wall clock in the living room, her voice disinterested. The boy gazed at the time, his expression morphing into one of shock.

7:30 AM, Heima gazed at him, noticing his developing muscles, adding a bit of masculinity to his lean frame. ”I changed the time in your alarm clock to an hour early. Otherwise, you would never get ready on time.”

”So, I still have an hour?” The boy laughed, expressing his delight, heaving out a breath of relief. Humming a tune, he turned around, heading to his room to get dressed up.

Donning a well-ironed white cotton shirt over his cotton vest, he calmly buttoned them, noticing an extra button at the end. Seeing that he had buttoned it wrong, he unbuttoned everything, beginning from the top.

The black cotton pants were loose at the thighs but tighter at the legs, giving him the feeling of a jester. He then wore a half blazer atop his shirt, grunting. ”Despite it being winter, it is still hot enough. This uniform is a pain to wear and has a stupid design.”

The belt had a logo of 4 inscribed on it, affixed within seven concentric circles, showcasing his affiliation to the 4th Academy in the 7th Ring.

7:45 AM, he sat on the sofa in the living room, gazing at the clock. He then swerved his head to the right, gazing at his sister reading the newspaper with gusto, a second cup of coffee in her hands.

”Sister…” He hesitated, swallowing his saliva, his eyes darting to and fro.

”No games, just sit tight. We still have 15 minutes before the metro train heading towards your school will arrive.” Heima replied, turning a page and gazing at a large banner of a man wearing a pair of shades, showcasing an array of spectacles at the bottom—an advertisement.

Her interest piqued, she looked through the spectacles, noting the address of the shop, planning to make a stop later. She then noticed Jyorta gazing at the wall clock, hands folded before him, his chin resting over them. His leg tapped on the floor, its rhythm rapid.

'He's getting nervous,' Heima sighed, planning to distract him when he abruptly stood up, rushing towards the restroom.