Ezekiel stood where the teacher had vanished, the echo of her words still ringing in his mind. No masks. No chains. No need to hide what you are. The weight of those words felt heavy—and fragile—like a whispered hope hanging just out of his reach.
Was this truly a place where he could be free? Or was it just another illusion dressed in light and magic?
His breath slowed as he tried to grasp the meaning behind the words, but the flood of new sights and sensations left him dizzy, his thoughts scattered like leaves in a restless wind.
A voice broke through his reverie.
"Hey, wasn't she supposed to take us on a tour or something?" Rian's brow furrowed, eyes scanning the quiet courtyard.
Tala shrugged. "Maybe she got called away. Who knows."
"Guess we're on our own," Kaito said, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
The group fell into a loose line, moving forward with a mixture of curiosity and hesitation. The Academy spread before them like a sprawling maze of stone and glass, each corner promising secrets waiting to be uncovered.
Walking to the end of the path they came across a small plaza. At its centre, a tall golden statue. Purple glowing streaks ran through the statue, looking like veins, spreading from the cluster of light on its right hand. Light bent around the statue as if struggling to contain its existence.
"Woah, check out its eyes" Kaito chimed in, voice brimming with excitement.
Zeke gave the figure a once over.
The figure was dressed in somewhat old attire, as if he came straight out of a museum. Based off his physique alone he seemed to be quite young, still overflowing with the vitality of youth. looking to the head of the imposing statue zeke confirmed his guess, the figure looked as if he was in his early 20s. zeke then locked eyes with the figure.
The colour drained from his face almost the instant he did.
Zeke blurted out.
"What the hell is that?"
Why do the eyes look so real?
Zeke wondered if he was imagining things, shaking his head he turned to the plaque on the base of the statue.
"Turns out this guy was the first powered person in the world, Orion" Zeke said, voice low but curiosity evident.
Raising an eyebrow he continued. "No last name? interesting..."
"Ahh, you mean this is the guy who founded this academy?" Rian replied with a shocked expression on his face.
"Mhmm, this statue was based on an image painted by someone who witnessed his last battle with the 'Hollow' entities..." Zeke continued.
Noticing the change in the atmosphere he turned to look at the others.
Tala's eyes reddened slightly so she turned away in an attempt to hide the tears threatning to burst out. something that conflicted with the image Zeke had built of her.
Zeke shifted uncomfortably. He wasn't used to people showing pain so openly. In his house, pain was swallowed, not shared.
Zeke with a confused expression, looks at Kaito, who is staring at the ground, eyes flashing, recalling a memory that left a deep scar , hands clenching hard, enough to turn his knuckles white.
Looking at Rian, hoping for an anwser, Zeke sees an akward smile on his face.
With a sigh, Rian began to talk, voice low and solemn "Well, you see, thei—"
"Stop." Kaito's cold voice intterupts. "That's not your story to tell." The sound of something squeezing whispers out a clear sign his clenched fists just got tighter.
"Its okay" Tala said, voice trembling slightly.
Sensing the mood, Zeke gestured toward a bench at the edge of the plaza, facing a field.
The others nod, then make their way over, the sound of laughing and chatter fading out in the distance as if failing to sound out through the heavy atmosphere surrounding the group of friends.
Now seated, Tala takes a deep breath, an attempt to compose herself. Putting a hand on Kaito's arm to stop him from clenching his fists. She starts.
"Our city..." Voice low, a whisper barely audible, yet heavy with sorrow. "Our family... Everyone we grew up with... had been killed by the Hollowed"
A look of realisation makes its way onto Zeke's face. In that instant many emotions sound out in his mind.
Guilt.
Pity.
Sorrow.
Although they just met Zeke felt a connection with this group of people. One that doesn't expect anything in return. To him, they have been through alot together regardless of it being less than a day since they met.
Zeke looks up at the two sibilings.
"Don't look at us like that." Kaito said. "We don't want your pit—"
"Can you stop? Tala flashes an indignant look at Kaito. "If you want to fight someone go find someone else, Zeke, is our friend."
Kaito's ears reddened as an embarrassed look crossed his face. Before he could refute her,
Tala continues.
" We grew up in the wild lands, Where unlike in a city, you can be truly free. Free from the expectations of society, Free from discrimination... It was our sanctuary.
Zeke's eyes flashed as he recalled what Ethan told him about the wild lands while teaching him about his powers.
"The people there live like beasts, day in day out nonstop fighting"
"The Wild lands was originally a continent abundant with people, cities spotted like stars throughout the land but then a hollowed outbreak razed everything to the ground."
"For normal people, the wild lands is a place of death, For us powered people? Its a land of opportunity and training. But dont underestimate the hollowed, every year the government has to cull the numbers, If not, a tide of hollowed would wipe out the rest of humanity."
"Some say there are cities still hidden by huge arrays but I don't know if thats true"
When Zeke asked if they had lived in one of those hidden cities, they nodded
"Our city had a huge array spanning a length of more than 50km, but as time went on people got too comfortable. Kids started moving further and further while playing and eventually, They attracted the hollowed... not knowing what to do next they ran back to the city. Leading to its ruin."
"I'm sorry"
Zeke let out a sigh.
"I didn't mean to bring it up"
Kaito gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes but rather with a crazed look in his eyes as he said.
"Its okay man, no need to look so depressed if anything it was a good thing, look at us now, we joined a roaming mercenary group and got stronger" He let out a broken laugh which echoed through the air, resembling a ghastly wail coming out of a ghost.
Zeke looked at the brother and sister.
The broken smile on Kaito's face.
The single tear that breached the wall Tala tried so desperately to put up.
He pondered over his observations in his mind and came to a conclusion.
Survival didn't always mean healing.
And strength didn't mean peace.
Zeke didn't know what lay ahead.
but for now, he chose to sit with them sharing their pain.
Even if he couldn't feel it the way they did.
He could still share the weight by being beside them.