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  "You, you're from one of the poor cities, aren’t you? Do they still tell the stories of how gods birthed the chip? "

  "Yes. I think it's been 90 years," Alec answered impetuously.

  "Not bad. It was 90 years ago when the gods were gracious enough to grant us the chips, but that was not when it all began. Have you ever heard of the great war that destroyed the heart of the world?” Some students raised their hands, but the professor ignored them “It all began 150 years ago. Until then the world was on a tightrope, a fine thread separating the imminent danger from whoever had the courage to act. Wars began in various parts of the world, but they still seemed unreal to most. A world apart, from which most were safe. They were sorely mistaken,” he said, in a more serious voice, as if carrying the full weight of pain with every word he said.

  "The chips stopped the war?" Asked one of James's friends, who was in the back of the room, interrupting the teacher.

  "Don’t interrupt me. I'm going to put a video on that explains everything. Listen carefully."

  The projection had a realism that frightened the students, every time an explosion echoed throughout the room, the floor trembled, ears buzzed and the dust seemed to enter students' eyes. A thick voice explained the situation, while deaths and supplications for help and loss, passed in the video’s background as if they were nothing. But there was no peace of mind for those who watched, their hearts beating as they watched kids their age trying to wash the blood that flowed down their cheeks, or a way of ignoring the putrid wounds that consumed what was left of their healthy skin.

  "It was an April morning when birds chirped with contentment and the sun shone despite the slight breeze, lights went down in several cities. At first, it was found to be only an ephemeral problem, a common mistake in the zone due to the ill-treatment of the electrical stations. However, hours passed without anything changing. Neighbors began to exchange impressions, and the theories emerged. Some said it was an attack from another country, others held the idea that it was a passing mistake, and there were still those who remained silent.

  It was not long before chaos settled in, and the streets were filled with desperate people struggling for food, even if they had to come out of the mess with blood running down their shoulders and torn and bloody shirts. Panic spread through people's minds, and human consciousness dissipated as days went by. Security became a gift from the past.” The voice said, keeping a somber tone, as images of people struggling inside lighted stores, full of food in plastic wrappings, projected in front of the students. Some covered their eyes, others saw pieces of it through a small gap between their fingers, and others, like Alec and Lucian, didn’t look away.

  "Groups were formed. One aimed at defending and helping the most disadvantaged, while others fueled by anger and a macabre taste for suffering rejoiced in making others miserable. Each group armed itself with weapons, and the physical confrontations and shootings began soon after. The smell of sulfur and gunpowder spread through every street, every corner, and alley of those cities. The plants gradually died. The stores were abandoned and left to the mercy of those who dared to go there to look for something. A black market appeared where all the goods were accessible for a small amount. Sometimes prices became exorbitant for some time, causing people to go hungry. It was the way these malevolent groups showed that they had the power, that the rest should be grateful that they were still selling something. Otherwise, they would have nothing left but to accept that they were not fit to live in such an unusual time.

  A climate of doubt and mistrust prevailed over every city. People stopped trusting their neighbors and became prisoners, only leaving home once a week. Some took riskier attitudes and left the city with the promise of one day returning with explanations or a solution. They were never seen again. The world as they knew it was fading away. Hope ceased to exist, and the dreams of a peaceful life became a utopia. The windows were covered with wood, the doors were armored, and it was rare that a person only had one gun. Some because they enjoyed it, but most had them for protection. Three months later, something unusual happened. The sun shone on the horizon as a light breeze shivered beneath the city. Blood flowed down the streets, dripping in the sewers as usual and ...”

  The teacher stopped the video and turned off the projector. The voice of the video muffled and finally disappeared. Not totally. It was repeated in the minds of weaker students, who had lived a lifetime away from massacres and daily danger. Max, behind the lenses, had his pupils dilated, and the diary open in front of him. The pen was on top of it, but he had stopped writing. Neil was one of those who had watched the video with his fingers in front of his eyes. The teacher tapped a pen on the metal table, waiting for the students to come back to themselves.

  "That’s enough for today. You need to learn that you are lucky to be here, that out there, there is a world waiting for the dropouts - a suffocating, heartbreaking world. Ask yourself if you want to dedicate yourself and have a success worthy of being praised, or slouch and end up drunk in some alley hearing people comment that you deserve to live in a city where the future is not guaranteed.” He said, scratching the white beard, and smoothing it, "Alec, have you seen someone die?"

  "Is it necessary to talk about this?" Annie asked timidly, fearing that the teacher would punish her for an insolent question.

  "It is. There is a lot you don’t know yet. A lot happened, and a lot could happen. The world will not expect you to get used to it. If you are not prepared, it will swallow you whole and spit you like a ball of hair." He answered, fixing his eyes on hers.

  She swallowed. The heavy, appalling atmosphere, almost like a dark cloud filled with nightmares, struck Alec in the face. The professor was looking at him, as were his colleagues, who longed for an answer. Even Lucy, who was on the table to her left, appeared to have put fatigue aside to listen carefully.

  "Yes," he answered in an astonishing tone. A ghost of ancient memories that left everyone speechless and wondering what kind of horrors he had already witnessed.

  "Class is dismissed. Unless anyone has any pertinent questions?"

  James put his arm in the air, much to the amazement of everyone. The girls looked at him with some suspicion, arms crossed and eyes half-closed.

  "Ask."

  He cleared his throat before asking, "If the gods were so powerful, why chips? Couldn’t they have just given us powers? And how did they distribute them? I believe in them, but I always had these doubts."

  The question stirred up murmurs all over the room. It was pertinent and risky. Doubting the deeds of the gods was not well regarded, as one could hear from some voices who, in the shadows, said it was audacious to ask something so derisory.

  "Silence. It is a good question. It’s preferable that you ask about your doubts before they grow in your heart. It would be unfortunate if one of you became a Reaper.” He said, and looked at the windows, watching the trees dance in the breeze. “Why chips? The scriptures say that the three gods met and came to a consensus. The god of eternal wisdom offered the idea, the god of all hope created the components for the chip, and the god of absolute power spread a fraction of his power through all the chips. They needed a way of keeping control over the population, and the chips offered them an idea of what to expect from every human, just as they hoped that the demonstration of their power would soothe humanity. They were wrong. They relied too much on the idea they had of us and they were betrayed by our greed.” He replied, with a sigh, and the tapping of the pen on the table, "Scientists began to study the chip, looking for ways to improve it, to increase powers and their options. They didn’t respect the gods, who disappeared after being ignored. Some cities were able to survive and become a powerhouse, while others succumbed to pressure and mistreatment.” He replied, looking at Alec.

  James didn’t seem very pleased with the answer. There were suspicion and doubt in his crystal eyes. Still, he thanked the teacher for the answer.

  The class was over and the sun was b
urning, reflecting in the windows making their eyes burn, and their clothes cling to their bodies. The corridors filled with lost pupils, and a few eccentrics whose screams echoed through the thin white walls. As he heard them, Alec turned his head toward them, putting his body into combat mode. He was accustomed to a scream being equivalent to a cry for help. In his hand a small flare appeared, orange in color, as his eyes roamed the corridor like a lynx searching for prey. A docile hand touched his arm and whispered to calm down. Lucy was on his right side with her eyes open, her hand on his wrist. The world stopped briefly. Neil, also taken aback, bit his lip, and leaned onto the wall.

  "Are you there?" Neil asked.

  "Yes. Yes. It was just a memory of the past." Alex replied, glancing at Lucy, who let go of his wrist and disappeared down the long corridor among crowds of students.

  "What just happened?" Neil asked, approaching Alec, and exchanging his gaze between the confines of the direction where she had gone and Alec, who was staring at his wrist.

  "I don’t know, but it helped me." He replied, "Speaking of helping, what are reapers?"

  "There are no reapers in your city?"

  "No. I've never heard of them.”

  "They're a group of delinquents ... I mean, more than that. They are a group of macabre assassins who take pleasure in murdering people with powers, especially those who admire the gods and are not ashamed to demonstrate it. Some say they do it for pleasure, and some say they use the dead bodies for experiments. Whenever someone disappears leaving zero traces behind, the fault is attributed to them. That's all I know. My father always avoids talking about them. He says that they are the seed that spreads evil throughout the world, and to have their names in our mouths is to defile civilization. He takes the job too seriously. No wonder so many people admire him, and he's always busy," he replied, looking dismayed. He had lost himself in the answer and wandered through memories of a lonely childhood.

  "I see," Alec replied as they returned to their rooms.

  Chapter V

  A month went by without anything relevant happening. Alec complained to Neil of the monotonous routine, but when confronted with his past he preferred the safe day-to-day to the ones where death lurked around the corner. He woke up with the notebook, which Max had lent him, lying on his face, with some drool running through the corners of the bound pages. Neil was already on his feet, causing a ruckus as he struggled to do push-ups in the middle of the room. A few sunbeams escaped through the small slits of the blinds and struck Alec's weary eyes, which used the book as a hat to protect him from the sun.

  "Good morning," said Alec, sitting on the edge of the bed while Neil shifted his exercise and jumped as he stretched his arms. His feet didn’t remain in the air for more than a few milliseconds, returning to the ground with a brutal landing.

  "Good morning. I’m almost done with this” he replied, sweat trickling down his cheek, and his gasping breath, about to dissipate if he didn’t stop.

  "You should do this for yourself, not for Lucy."

  "It's for both. She'll like me more if I do. If it goes wrong, at least I’ll be thin.” He replied, trying to smile as he jumped, which proved to be impossible. He paused and sat on his bed, drinking the water that was on his bedside table.

  "I don’t think she's that kind of girl. And hurry up, it's an important day." Alec said, getting dressed as fast as he could.

  "Let's get the weapons and items. I'm curious to know what the teacher thinks a ninja with hiding difficulties deserves."

  "We'll know if you hurry up," Alec answered. Sometimes he still wanted to give monotonous answers, but he quickly remembered Tommy's words. He knew he couldn’t miss the unique opportunity he was having, and that he had to take advantage of it.

  Summer was at its peak. The sun was scorching hot, and even the birds had stopped chirping. They would shelter under the trees in the shade, avoiding getting tired and having a dry throat. Fewer people were seen on the campus, unlike the corridors that had become the meeting point for most students. Some air wizards created wind currents that freshened people. On hotter days, the smell of mold increased, and it was mixed with the scent of sweat and roses that ebbed due to the lack of water. The students and even the servants walked with their heads in a utopian world, in the dream of an academy with heat and wind in the right measure. The conversations were smaller - the phrases slower, less regular. Only fire or ice wizards, like Alec, survived without any temperature complaints. For him, these were normal days when his energy’s flow was hectic and therefore stronger. He breathed the warm breeze, and his ears were scalding.

  "For you, this is great," Neil commented as they walked into class.

  "I can’t complain," he replied with a smile, "It makes me miss home” he whispered. With the haste and the noise still in the hallway, Neil didn’t hear him.

  The students were already at the room’s door waiting for the teacher, who was late. Max nodded, and called Alec and Neil close to him, to James' unhappiness who let out a growl. Max had begun to get along with them, after what had happened on the first day. Lucian, as usual, was alone, sitting on the floor and glanced at them, due to the noise Max made when he saw them.

  "I can’t wait. It is one of the best days of the entire year. They say that there is a warehouse with hundreds of different weapons on campus and that only teachers know where it is. Ahhhh, I will not even mention that Professor Tom chooses each weapon, and how much our powers will improve.” Max said, speaking quickly, losing his breath halfway and having to inhale several times.

  "I'm going to become the strongest in the class," James said loudly, for everyone to hear.

  The girls looked at him and nodded their heads in disapproval, frustrating him. He was about to comment when someone drew the attention that the teacher was coming. He had a not so friendly face and dark circles under his eyes. He said good morning to all of them, in a calm voice that crawled as he walked towards the door.

  "Maybe the class will not be as good as we thought," Neil commented.

  As they entered, murmurs of surprise and astonishment scattered across the tables and corners of the room. There was a different weapon or item on each seat. James ran to his desk, a smile on his mouth, almost drooling during the sprint. Max seemed about to burst with excitement. He walked slowly, wide-eyed, his hands shaking and his notebook already in his hand. Alec and Neil thought it was funny. They were behind him and talked about what they could expect, and the impact that it would have on their stats.

  "I chose the weapon that best suits each one of you. In the beginning, a few of you may have difficulties handling it, but with the training, we will have in the following classes it won’t take long until you master them.” The teacher said, sitting at his table, rubbing his eyes and yawning, “Take the weapons and items and you can leave. Try to train this week. Next class, I want to see how much you have improved."

  Alec got a ruby-ring, which increased his attack by 35 points and had a bonus of 25 if he was in a warm place. He put it on his finger and his body burst into flames. Neil jumped away, waiting for Alec to control the momentary eruption.

  "You got even stronger," he commented cheerfully, unlike James who snorted at the demonstration of power.

  "Apparently, yes. And you, what did you get?” Alec asked Neil, who had a metal knife whose golden tip reflected the sun’s rays against the windows.

  The knife increased his attack power by 30 points, as well as blending into the environment and becoming-imperceptible, purposely produced for silent attacks. It offered him an advantage in both short-range and long-distance combat. The same company of the colorless t-shirt produced it, as they could see by the logo with a chrysalis that was in the handle. They turned back and questioned Max, who quickly showed them that he had won a brown wand, with a thickness of burnt wood and a white chalk-like tip.

  "What the hell is that?" James commented, beside him.

  "It's an item that increases my healing and gives me + 2
0 points in defense. I can heal more people, for longer, and more effectively. Show us what you have won. I need to point everything out."

  "I never realized why you bother pointing it all out? You are just a healer. What does it matter how others are? You are not going to win against them.” James said, shutting himself down as soon as a click hit his head and he realized he'd gone too far," I... That was not what I meant.”

  "But you said it. I'm ashamed to be your cousin," Max replied, his cheeks flushed and his eyes watery. He got up and left the room.

  "Oh, come on. He’s already 18 years old. He doesn’t need to cry over some comments," James said, noticing that disapproving looks were flying toward him.

  "You're his cousin. Now I know why he puts up with you," said Neil, his face locked, irritated with the situation, "Let’s walk Alec," he said, getting up and starting to walk toward the door. Alec followed.

  "It was the first time I saw you take such an attitude," Alec told him.

  "I also have cousins like that, who enjoy teasing me for not being like them, for not being as good as them. A family is supposed to support you, not to strive to diminish its members. No wonder I’m not very close to anyone.” He confessed, keeping his eyes on the horizon.

  They had no more classes during the day and went back to their room. The corridors resembled a chess game, in which it was necessary to choose the best movement not to end up in the eye of the tornado - groups of students sitting in the aisles, some talking loudly, others training their skills.

  On the door to their room, there was an older, taller boy with auburn hair and a suit that caught Alec’s eye. The orange pants shone in dimly lit places, and the shirt alternated between different shades of blue. He had thick glasses that made his face look smaller, covering his huge forehead and his hairy eyebrows.

  "He must be from your city," said Neil, disguising his laughter.