Chapter 3. The Red Light

Elijah's eyes stared lazily at the TV screen. He was watching the news about the anniversary of the space object that came to Earth twenty years ago. A fortress had been built around the alien object. Guarded by the Army as well as the recruitment of mutants called The Deformity.

"As you can see, the Army and the Deformity are tightening security around the perimeter of The Orb."

The camera panned to an alien object called The Orb.

The space object was exactly an obelisk, only it wasn't square, it was huge; researchers said it was over a hundred meters high, with a width of two hundred meters.

After twenty years, people began to get used to the alien object. Some have almost forgotten the dark history of when it came and destroyed the homes of tens of thousands of people.

"Come on, dinner," Lucas invited, tapping Elijah on the shoulder from behind.

Elijah thought all the residents had gone to the dining hall, but Lucas was still in the dormitory.

"Go ahead, I'm not hungry," Elijah refused.

"The news is boring. They've been busy celebrating The Orb's arrival for almost a week. It's sucks," Lucas said sternly.

Elijah understood that the news of the Orb's arrival was an important moment for everyone outside the Academy. Unfortunately, until that moment, it had left a scar on the children with superpowers. Each child was separated from their parents. They were given bracelets so that they could be tracked and their powers controlled.

The arrival of the Orb became a veritable prison for the next generation of humans.

Who knows, if all normal humans have perished, maybe mutants will rule the world.

Elijah turned off the TV. Though lazy, he got up from his seat. "All right, let's go eat."

The two of them left the dormitory and walked down the deserted hallway to the Academy's main building. The cold air was piercing, the night was colder than usual. It was spring before it turned into summer.

Just as they were about to enter the Academy building, both Elijah and Lucas encountered an unusual sight. The Masters were running around, and their faces looked worried. They entered the meeting room on the ground floor. One of the Masters saw Elijah and Lucas.

"Why aren't you two in the dining hall?" he asked.

Lucas looked awkward and replied, "We were just about to go."

"Hurry up, go!" said the Master.

"What's wrong?" asked Elijah.

"Nothing. To the dining hall, now," the Master commanded with emphasis.

Elijah and Lucas obediently quickened their pace to the third floor where the dining hall was located. They looked at each other, sensing something suspicious.

"I think there's something," Elijah said after he was sure there were no Masters around.

"Think positive, Eli."

"Like what?"

"Maybe they're getting ready for your surprise birthday party."

"That's fantastic," Elijah said sarcastically.

Lucas just laughed happily at his roommate's grumbling.

In five hours, Elijah would be seventeen. He was born on May 10th, at twelve o'clock at night. Exactly when the Orb came and landed on Earth, twenty years ago.

Elijah could not choose when he would be born. Being born the day The Orb arrived seemed like a catastrophe to the young man.

Perhaps that's why so many other children avoided him, hated him, simply because of something beyond Elijah's control. He wasn't the one who brought the Orb to Earth, but it was as if it was a mistake on Elijah's part.

The two of them lined up at the food tenants provided for each dormitory up to the letter J. As for the rows of benches, they were all arranged and organized by the Masters. Or whoever had built the Academy before.

"Hey! Elijah! Lucas!" The call came from the direction of the dining rows.

The two turned to see a girl about their age waving her hand. There were three trays on the table, and the girl pointed to the two trays of food in front of her.

"Come here," the girl continued.

Lucas' smile widened and he hurried out of the line, followed by Elijah. They immediately sat down in front of the very beautiful girl behind her thick glasses.

"You're my savior, Bernice," Lucas said.

"Shut up," the girl snapped.

Elijah and Bernice's eyes met. A long sigh escaped Bernice's lips.

"Yeah, I got beat up by Isaac again," Elijah said as if he knew what Bernice was going to say.

"This has been going on for two years now, Elijah. Aren't you tired of it?" asked Bernice. "I told you, every time there's an OP lesson, you just go with it."

OP is Obtaining Power. Every superpowered child studied it once a week, according to their power classification. So Elijah had to go to Bernice's or Lucas' class and be a spectator? He felt he had no pride.

But after class, Isaac always beat Elijah up.

Before, Isaac and Elijah were very close. They were best friends. Isaac's change was very sudden and turned into hatred. Either because of puberty or there was something Elijah didn't know.

"You don't understand the situation here, Bernice," Elijah said.

"It's a love-hate relationship," Lucas snapped. "Isaac would feel deprived if he didn't beat Elijah up for a week. And so would he."

Lucas' index finger points at the roommate sitting next to him, where Elijah just chuckles and shows his middle finger.

"Isaac's beatings are a form of love for Elijah," Lucas continued.

Elijah grumbled, "Cut the crap, you idiot."

"That doesn't sound normal," Bernice commented, her eyes alternating between the two figures sitting in front of her.

"Aren't we all 'abnormal' here?" Lucas retorted.

Bernice was about to speak when the Masters suddenly entered the dining hall. They opened the hall doors wide. The Teaching Masters and the Dormitory Guardians pressed the buttons on the bracelets they each wore.

Each Academione's bracelet emitted a flashing red light. Everyone gasped.

"Immediately return to your dormitories in an orderly fashion and do not leave until your bracelets turn green," Halsey said over the loudspeaker.

The voices of the Academione were like buzzing bees, they were scared and panicked like never before. Everyone rushed to their dormitories. Even those who had not yet eaten rushed to get out of the hall.

"What's going on?" asked Bernice.

"We saw the Masters looking worried before we went into the hall earlier," Lucas said.

"Is it the rebels?" Bernice's voice was softer this time. "I've heard rumors that the rebels are stepping up their attacks."

Lucas looked at Bernice skeptically. "Where did you hear this news? The wind?"

Bernice didn't answer, instead she stood up and joined the other children in line. Elijah and Lucas followed the glum-looking girl.

"Your birthday this time, very impressive," Lucas commented.

Bernice looked back. "Oh, it's your birthday today, Eli? Gosh, this is really a miserable birthday for you. I'm so sorry."

"It's okay." Elijah just gave her a crooked smile.

"Whatever it is, we should still make this seventeenth birthday one you'll never forget," Bernice said suddenly.

Elijah just stared at his friend in amazement.

"What do you want to do? Create a tornado and send everyone crashing through the ceiling?" joked Lucas.

Bernice gave him a meaningful smile. "You'll see."