Ch2 recruitment day

After dinner, Ryan retreated to his room and pulled his headset over his ears, eager to spend whatever remained of the night gaming with his friends. Within minutes, the apartment disappeared behind a wall of digital noise as Jax, Leo, and the others argued over strategies, blamed one another for failed mechanics, and laughed their way through another raid dungeon.

The hours slipped by.

One dungeon became two, then three.

Eventually, even Ryan's enthusiasm couldn't compete with the weight gathering behind his eyes. It was well past midnight when they finally agreed to log off, their voices still carrying through the headset as they said their goodbyes.

Tomorrow was the Aptitude Test.

The thought followed Ryan into bed.

And it was waiting for him when he woke.

Morning sunlight broke over the horizon, spilling between the towers of the city and casting sharp metallic reflections across the skyline.

Ryan stood at the corner transit stop with his backpack slung over one shoulder, bouncing lightly on his heels as he waited for the school bus. He had barely slept, but exhaustion couldn't touch the nervous excitement buzzing beneath his skin.

Today was the day.

Beside him, Sarah looked like she was waiting for a funeral.

She clutched both straps of her backpack and stared down at her shoes, her shoulders drawn inward. She hadn't said more than a few words since they left the apartment.

Ryan noticed.

Of course he did.

For all the teasing and arguing between them, he knew his sister better than almost anyone.

He nudged her arm gently.

"What's wrong?"

Sarah didn't answer right away.

Her fingers tightened around the straps.

When she finally looked up, Ryan saw that her eyes were already wet.

"We never get to see Dad, Ryan."

The excitement drained from his expression.

Sarah swallowed, trying to steady her voice.

"We can count on one hand how many times he's been home. And now you're telling me you're going right where he went, fighting monsters and going to alien worlds."

She looked away.

"So why are you so happy about leaving?"

Ryan opened his mouth, but she continued before he could answer.

"Is it..." Her lip trembled. "Is it because of me?"

Ryan froze.

For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

It had never occurred to him that Sarah might see things that way. He knew she could be annoying. She knew he could be annoying. That was simply how siblings worked.

But he'd never wanted her to think she was the reason he wanted to leave.

Ryan slowly exhaled and crouched down until they were eye level.

"Sarah, it has nothing to do with you."

She sniffed.

"Then why?"

"Because I finally have a chance to fix things for Mom."

Sarah frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Ryan glanced toward the empty street, gathering his thoughts.

"Just like you said, Dad is never here. Every time someone mentions him, Mom gets this look on her face. She tries to hide it, but you can tell she misses him."

His voice became quieter.

"I'm tired of watching her carry that around."

Sarah stared at him.

"So you have to leave?"

"I have to try."

"But leaving is making her sad too."

A tear slipped down Sarah's cheek.

Ryan reached up and wiped it away with his thumb.

"It's different."

"How?"

"I need power."

Sarah blinked.

Ryan's expression hardened with the kind of determination only a fifteen-year-old could wear so confidently.

"I need to be strong enough to clear the dungeons and fight the things Dad fights. If I can get strong enough, maybe I can help end the war and bring him home for good."

He smiled.

"That's the plan. I pass the test today, get my core ignited, get stronger, and eventually help bring Dad back."

He shrugged as though the entire future were already laid out in front of him.

"Simple."

Sarah stared at him for several seconds.

Then she narrowed her eyes.

"You know, I've known you my whole life."

Ryan's smile faded slightly.

"Yeah?"

"All you care about is showing off."

"I do not."

"The only thing you love more than showing off is doing it in front of a crowd."

Ryan rubbed the back of his neck, suddenly feeling heat creep into his cheeks.

"Can't I have more than one reason?"

Sarah crossed her arms.

"Becoming a streamer isn't going to stop me from bringing Dad home," Ryan continued. "If anything, the credits and gear I'll get from streaming will make it happen faster."

That earned him a skeptical look.

Then Sarah's expression changed.

The sadness in her eyes was replaced by something much more stubborn.

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"Fine."

She squared her shoulders.

"Then I'm going to do the exact same thing when it's my turn."

Ryan stared at her.

"You're not a fighter, Sarah."

Her eyes narrowed.

"We both know you get terrible grades in combat and survival."

"So?"

"So stay here with Mom. Keep her company."

"No."

"Sarah—"

"I'm going too."

Ryan couldn't help the faint smile that tugged at his mouth.

"First, you've actually got to pass."

Sarah immediately shot back, "So do you."

That wiped the smile off his face.

For the first time that morning, Ryan understood exactly how his mother must have felt the night before.

Before he could think of a response, a low mechanical hum rolled down the street.

Their transit bus glided toward the curb.

The vehicle decelerated almost silently, its pneumatic doors hissing open.

Sarah gave Ryan one last look before climbing aboard. She headed toward a group of her friends near the middle of the bus, but not before throwing him a dramatic glare over her shoulder.

The message was obvious.

We'll see.

Ryan laughed under his breath.

Then he climbed aboard.

"Look who's finally here!"

Ryan barely made it past the first few rows before Jax's voice rang out from the back.

Jax was tall for his age, with unruly hair that looked as though he'd lost a fight with a pillow. He was currently occupying two seats despite the bus being nearly full, and he immediately slid toward the aisle while patting the empty window seat beside him.

"Sit down, big man," Jax said. "Before your ego takes up the whole aisle."

Ryan dropped into the seat.

"What ego?"

"The one that's been growing since you started watching Darkstar."

"At least I didn't die three minutes into the raid last night."

Jax's face twisted in outrage.

"That boss's area-of-effect attack was completely bugged!"

A chorus of groans came from the surrounding seats.

Leo leaned over the seat in front of them, grinning.

"Bugged?"

Jax pointed at him.

"Yes."

"You stood in the glowing red danger circle for five whole seconds."

"I was lagging!"

"You were practically asking the boss to vaporize you."

Jax folded his arms.

"Whatever. Ryan wasn't even trying to play. He was too busy watching Darkstar and talking about how amazing he is."

Ryan grinned.

"Darkstar carved through an entire alien horde without taking a scratch."

"So?"

"You couldn't dodge a telegraphed tail swipe."

The surrounding group erupted.

Jax threw his hands up.

"That was one time!"

"It was three times," Leo corrected.

"Nobody asked you."

The banter continued as the bus glided smoothly through the city's transit network, their laughter blending with the low hum of the vehicle.

For a while, Ryan simply enjoyed it.

Then, gradually, the conversation became background noise.

He rested his temple against the cool glass and watched the city slide past.

Their world had been rebuilt around survival.

Below the elevated transit route, a six-lane highway carried hundreds of sleek, driverless vehicles. They moved with almost unnatural precision, flowing through intersections without traffic lights, horns, or the hesitation that came with human drivers.

Autonomous grid networks had eliminated most traffic accidents decades ago.

The city itself was just as carefully engineered.

The skyscrapers weren't made from fragile glass and ordinary concrete. Their outer structures consisted of reinforced, shock-absorbing alloys designed to withstand impacts that would have destroyed buildings from the old world.

They had to be.

When an Awakened teenager could accidentally send a training partner through a wall, ordinary construction materials didn't exactly inspire confidence.

Ryan tilted his head upward.

Beyond the towers, barely visible through the pale morning haze, something enormous hung in low Earth orbit.

The orbital command hub.

From the ground, it looked like an artificial moon made of dark steel.

The colossal vessel stretched for miles, its armored surface dotted with docking bays, defense cannons, and the faint blue glow of maneuvering thrusters. It was less a ship than a floating military city, a constant reminder that humanity's war wasn't taking place on Earth alone.

Ryan stared at it.

For a moment, he imagined himself up there.

Walking through its pressurized corridors in a sleek combat suit.

Standing inside a drop pod.

Watching the doors close as the countdown began.

Then the pod would launch toward some distant world no human had ever stepped foot on before.

"Hey, space cadet."

Jax nudged his shoulder.

Ryan blinked and looked over.

"You staring at it again?"

"I'm mentally preparing to leave you plebeians behind when I pass today."

Jax snorted.

"Oh, please."

Leo leaned over the seat.

"If you pass, they're probably going to give you some god-tier power like super-fast vegetable chopping."

Jax laughed.

"Or the ability to communicate with toaster ovens."

Ryan rolled his eyes.

"Very funny."

"Hey, toaster whisperer is a valid support class."

Their laughter faded when Leo suddenly lowered his voice.

"Speaking of today..."

He glanced around before leaning closer.

"You guys want to hear something crazy?"

Ryan and Jax looked at him.

"What?"

"Tim isn't coming to school."

Ryan's smile disappeared.

"What?"

"His parents kept him home."

"Seriously?"

Leo nodded.

"He didn't even show up at his stop."

Jax's expression changed.

"Wait. They're skipping Recruitment Day?"

"Looks like it."

"Don't his parents know what happens if they do that?"

His voice had lost all of its earlier humor.

"Draft dodging is an automatic felony."

"Of course they know," Ryan said quietly.

The chill that had been creeping into his chest since Sarah's question returned.

"Everyone knows."

Every year, the broadcasts showed enforcement teams dragging families from their homes after someone attempted to avoid the Aptitude Test. Sometimes the footage was censored.

Sometimes it wasn't.

Jax looked toward the window.

"Then why would Tim's parents risk it?"

Leo shrugged, though he didn't look convinced by his own answer.

"Maybe they were just too scared to let him go."

No one responded.

The bus continued forward.

For several seconds, the only sound was the steady hum of its engine.

Then the vehicle began to slow.

Air brakes hissed as the bus entered the massive drop-off bay of Sector 4 Regional Academy.

The conversation was forgotten.

At least for now.

Outside, the academy rose like a military installation rather than a school.

Reinforced walls surrounded the sprawling complex, while hundreds of students poured from dozens of buses and streamed toward the main entrance. Children as young as ten moved through the crowd alongside fifteen-year-olds, all wearing the academy's standardized dark-gray uniforms.

The younger students chattered and laughed, mostly oblivious to the significance of the day.

The fifteen-year-olds were different.

Their conversations were quieter.

Their faces were tighter.

Everyone knew what today meant.

Ryan stepped off the bus and drew a slow breath of cool morning air.

The waiting was over.

He was finally here.

The heavy security doors of Sector 4 Regional Academy chimed as the students funneled inside.

The interior looked even more like a military facility than the exterior. Reinforced alloy walls stretched down the hallways, while cameras and security systems watched from nearly every corner. Hundreds of teenagers filled the corridors, their voices blending into a nervous roar.

At the main intersection, Ryan's group began to split apart.

"Catch you guys on the other side!"

One of their friends waved as he headed toward the eastern wing.

"Good luck!"

"Thanks!" Jax shouted.

He turned toward the central corridor with Ryan and Leo.

Fortunately, the three of them had been assigned to the same homeroom since the beginning of the year. They worked their way through the crowded hallway until they reached Room 208.

Their fourth friend was already waiting.

Jessica had arrived early, as usual.

Her parents typically dropped her off before the buses arrived, which meant she'd had plenty of time to claim four desks near the back of the classroom.

She looked up as they approached.

Long, moon-shadow black hair fell over her shoulders, held neatly in place by a sleek blue headband that matched her striking blue eyes. Her pale complexion made the playful smirk on her face even more noticeable.

Ryan barely had time to pull out his chair.

Jessica flicked him directly in the forehead.

Snap.

"Ow!"

Ryan rubbed the spot and glared at her.

"What was that for?"

"For existing."

Jessica's eyes sparkled with amusement.

"And for making the raid harder last night."

Jax dropped into his chair.

"Hey! That boss was bugged!"

"It wasn't bugged, Jax."

Jessica leaned back.

"You just stood in the red circle like a golden retriever."

Leo laughed.

Jessica turned her attention back to Ryan.

"And you were so busy staring at Darkstar that you missed your interrupt spell twice."

"I was timing my cooldowns."

"Riiight."

She gave his shoulder a playful shove.

Ryan opened his mouth to argue, but Jessica's expression suddenly changed.

Her smile faded.

She glanced down at the desk terminal in front of her and folded her hands tightly in her lap.

"Honestly, though..."

Her voice had become much quieter.

"I think I'm going to throw up."

The joking atmosphere around them faded.

"My hands haven't stopped shaking since my dad dropped me off at the gate."

Leo looked at her.

"You? Nervous?"

Jessica gave him a weak glare.

"I thought you were invincible, Jess."

"Yeah, well..."

She adjusted her blue headband.

"Playing a healer in a video game doesn't exactly prepare you for this."

Her eyes lifted toward Ryan.

"What if the pod scans me and nothing happens?"

Ryan didn't answer immediately.

Jessica's voice dropped.

"What if my core stays completely dead?"

Ryan nudged her foot beneath the desk.

"You're going to pass."

Jessica blinked.

"If anyone has a chance, it's you."

He gave her a small smile.

"Besides, who else is going to keep Jax from dying in real life?"

A breathless laugh escaped her.

The tension in her shoulders eased slightly.

"Thanks, Ryan."

She smiled.

"You're still annoying."

"I didn't even do anything."

Jessica giggled.

For a few seconds, the four friends sat together like they always had.

Then Ryan looked around the classroom.

The mood had changed.

The goofy morning energy was disappearing by the second.

Room 208 no longer felt like a classroom.

Rows of seamless metal desks faced a massive holographic display at the front of the room. Some students stared blankly at their terminals. Others fidgeted with their sleeves, whispered prayers, or sat perfectly still in an attempt to hide their nerves.

Everyone in the room was fifteen.

Everyone had grown up hearing the same stories.

Pass the Aptitude Test, and your life changes.

Awaken your core, and you could become one of the people who protected humanity from the creatures beyond Earth's borders.

Fail, and your future would look very different.

At least, that's what they'd been taught.

The heavy classroom doors suddenly slammed shut.

The room went silent.

A tall man with broad shoulders and graying hair entered from the front entrance.

Instructor Vance.

He wore the crisp dark-navy uniform of an Exclipse instructor, with a faint scar running along his jawline and a metallic wristband wrapped around his left wrist.

He walked to the front without saying a word.

Then he looked over the class.

"Stand for the anthem."

Every student rose.

Chairs scraped against the metal floor as a heavy marching pulse began playing through the speakers.

Vance brought his right fist across his chest.

The students followed.

Together, they recited the oath they had been taught since childhood.

Under the gaze of the Obsidian Crown,

We kneel in awe, we bow deep down.

The Zorvak titans rule the night,

The absolute masters of the fight.

From simple earth our flesh was made,

To serve the claw, to be the blade.

No fear shall hold, no weak voice cry,

For Zorvak glory we march and die.

Upon the stars, through blood and flame,

We break the dark in Vorthan's name.

Our lives belong to the conqueror's hand,

To crush the weak across the land.

Hail to the scale, hail to the throne,

Their fierce ambition is our own!

The final words echoed through the classroom.

Vance lowered his fist.

"Sit."

The students obeyed.

"Today is Recruitment Day."

His sharp eyes moved across the rows of fifteen-year-olds.

"I know most of you haven't slept. I know you've watched the broadcasts, followed the combat streams, and imagined yourselves wearing combat suits on foreign planets."

Ryan's attention sharpened.

Vance tapped the terminal in front of him.

The holographic display behind him flickered to life, revealing the emblem of the Exclipse military.

"But before you get carried away, understand something."

The image changed.

A three-dimensional model of a human body appeared.

"The Aptitude Test is not a game."

The model shifted, revealing a complex network of glowing pathways throughout the body.

"It's a biological and energetic screening designed to determine whether your body can process latent Esoteric Energy without destroying your nervous system."

The hologram changed again.

An isolation pod appeared, surrounded by glowing blue conduits.

"Minutes from now, you'll be escorted to the Central Assessment Chamber. You'll enter an isolation pod one at a time. The system will conduct a deep-tissue scan, introduce a controlled pulse of catalyst energy, and measure your body's resonance."

The room was completely silent.

"If your body responds successfully, you'll be instructed to proceed to the Auditorium."

Vance paused.

"If your body rejects the energy..."

His voice softened.

"...you'll be dismissed and assigned to the lower civilian track."

A nervous murmur passed through the room.

Jax leaned toward Ryan.

"I really don't want to spend the rest of my life in civilian logistics."

Ryan glanced at him.

"Quiet."

Vance's head turned slightly.

"Quiet in the back."

Jax immediately faced forward.

Vance continued as though nothing had happened.

"Forty percent of you in this room will leave today with a path toward the Exclipse."

The hologram changed.

A large number appeared.

40%.

"Sixty percent will not."

Another number appeared.

60%.

The room seemed to grow colder.

"Whatever the outcome, remember this: every role keeps our civilization alive. Not everyone needs to fight on the front lines."

Vance pressed a button on his console.

A low chime echoed through the classroom.

"Check your desk terminals. Your testing sequence numbers are now active."

One by one, the students looked down.

"Line up at the door when your number flashes green."

Vance folded his hands behind his back.

"Good luck."

Ryan looked down at his terminal.

The screen flickered.

Then his name appeared.

CANDIDATE 495

RYAN LOWELL

Beneath it, a yellow marker pulsed steadily.

Ryan stared at it.

Beside him, Leo released a slow, shaky breath.

Jessica took one last breath and glanced at Ryan. She offered him a nervous smile before turning back toward her terminal.

Jax shifted restlessly in his seat.

No one joked anymore.

No one laughed.

The classroom had become painfully quiet.

Ryan looked at the yellow marker beside his name.

Somewhere beyond those walls waited a machine that would decide whether the dream he'd spent years imagining was even possible.

His heart began to pound.

The countdown had officially begun.