[COMPLETED] The Academy For Genetically Gifted Children Book One: Genesis

Orion

Chapter 30: Orion

The group's excitement from the Crimson Glories first win had died down a few days later, so Rion decided it would be a good time to go off by himself and find the ocean.

He knew it was on the Academy campus somewhere, but the only problem was the size of the campus. It was so large, Rion didn't know if he had enough time to locate it by dinner.

Layla had dragged an unhappy Andi with her to the Shopping Mall; ever since the incident Layla didn't like to go alone anywhere.

Meanwhile, Kai was off on some secret assignment again. His disappearances were really starting to bother him. He'd come back at weird hours, sometimes past curfew, his clothes damp with sweat. No matter how many times Rion asked, Kai never gave a good excuse. It was upsetting to know his closest friend at the Academy was lying to his face.

Maybe he'll learn to tell me in his own time, Rion thought.

He promised himself though, if it got much worse he would follow him. Andi was worried as well; Rion often spent time with her while Layla was off with Ben so they had plenty of time to talk. In all honesty, Rion didn't mind being alone with Andi. It was relaxing. Andi's demeanor was so calm.

Sure, she wasn't the most emotional of girls, but it didn't bother him. Andi often would escape to her own world, surely calculating ratios or memorizing her anatomy book, and Rion had to almost yell to get her attention. Her detachment didn't upset him though—that was just her personality. Despite all her knowledge and maturity for her age, Rion noticed she had a childlike curiosity. He admired that, in a place where they were supposed to be adults, she never failed to remind him of his time back at the orphanage.

Sometimes his mind drifted to the fact that he, Layla, Andi, and Kai were all orphans, a coincidence that seemed too strange to be true. He pried himself away from his thoughts though and glanced at his watch. He was sitting in his dorm, finishing up some homework for leadership class, but figured he needed to try and locate the ocean before nightfall.

Rion grabbed his messenger bag, stuffed a flashlight and a campus map in it, and left the barracks. A chilly breeze met him, slightly ruffling his blonde hair.

Rion stood outside the barracks for a moment, unsure of where to go, but then remembered he had first smelled the salt water when he and his friends were exploring the campus, almost four months ago. He took the sidewalk that led to the East side classrooms, occasionally stopping to say hi to other students. Mostly, though, the other children were unrecognizable to Rion; there were just too many kids at the Academy--even with their numbers dwindling.

He once again didn't know what to make of the Academy—the place that was now his home. Though he knew where almost everything on campus was located: the Dining Hall, barracks, classroom buildings, Training Center, practice field, Simulation Dome, Mass Chamber, Library, and other various buildings, the area still made him uncomfortable. Rion couldn't quite tell why, but it was almost as if he got the feeling no one was welcomed on the vast campus.

He finally reached the East classrooms, but stopped abruptly, unaware of where to go. His eyes surveyed the area and he urged his nose to smell any hint of salt. Suddenly he felt it. It was if an invisible fishhook was latched onto his skin and someone somewhere was reeling him in.

Rion began to walk in the direction he felt he was supposed to go, which apparently was away from the building and into the woods. After forever it seemed, the tall trees became less dense, and the ground became soft. He figured he must have walked at least two miles before he finally came to it—the fence.

Layla had mentioned its ominous look with its sign that read, 'Campus Limits.' The scent of salt was almost overpowering here though, and he wasn't sure if he was imagining the sound of crashing waves or not. Either way, he knew if there was on ocean it was outside the Academy's grounds. The fence loomed at him, at least fifteen feet in height, with barbed wire at the tope. The whole fence stretched so wide that it disappeared from Rion's view in both directions, and he considered turning back to the barracks and forgetting about the whole thing.

His determination and curiosity soon got the better of him, however, and he tried to analyze his situation. He felt the metal wire that consisted of the fence; it was hard and firm. His intuition told him that the only way to get through the fence was with bolt cutters, which he didn't have. That only left one option—to go up. Rion craned his neck upward, pushing his blond hair out of his eyes, and looked menacingly at the barbed wire. It was obviously sharp; the setting sun gleamed off its points. Though he hated the idea, he knew what he had to do. He shrugged off his semi-thick coat and proceeded to wrap it around one of his legs, tying it in a knot. Next he reluctantly took his wool sweater underneath off, leaving his chest bare and vulnerable to the wind. He wrapped the sweater around his other leg, but when he finally finished, he inspected his work. From his ankles to his knees he now had padded layers of protection. Rion was worried about his chest getting sliced, but he hoped he would be able to clear the barbed wire once he got his footing up there. He glanced at his messenger bag and regretted bringing it with him—there was no way he could climb with it on.

Rion picked it up, and using all his might, launched it over the tall fence. At first he thought it would catch the barb wire, but thankfully he had given just enough force that it cleared the fence and landed with a loud 'thud' on the other side. Inhaling a deep breath of icy air, he started his ascent. The tips of his shoes were able to just barely fit into the holes of the fence, and he soon made it to where the barbed wire began at the top.

This is the tricky part, he cautioned himself.

Making sure to grasp the wire between the clusters of sharp points, Rion threw a leg over the other side. Luckily his extra padding on his leg worked—but almost too well, for the fabric was stuck. He shifted his body back and forth to get it loose, and after a minute it thankfully did. Positioning his hands on the dull part of the wire, he moved in one quick motion. He propelled his weight forward, and swung the rest of his body over the fence as he released his grip and fell to the ground. His body met it hard, but he was able to land on the balls of his feet.

Not too bad for such a far drop, Rion thought to himself.

He was most worried that his jacket or sweater would get stuck as he fell, but thankfully he was swift enough to avoid that. He pulled his shirt and jacket back on, grabbed his bag, and began walking again, following his gut. Just as he had expected, the ground turned to sand within minutes and the trees were replaced by the occasional shrub. He didn't hear the waves yet though, so he kept walking. His shoes sunk into the sand, a pleasant reminder of his childhood visits to the beach.

When he first saw a brown object on the ground he thought nothing of it, dismissing it as an odd-looking shell. Soon however, they kept popping up, more and more frequently. He leaned down to inspect what it was, and let out a shout of surprise when he felt it. The material, it was soft—pelt-like, and familiar.

"What the..." he murmured. Then Rion realized what it was so familiar about it.

Layla found a piece of fur just like this.
He suddenly looked around, as if the appearance of the pelt reminded him he was in unknown territory. He hadn't seen any animals on the beach, or actually, any at all for that matter. Why haven't there been any animals around?

Rion became wary of all the things he was realizing. He decided he'd only look around a bit more, then turn back. He continued on, passing other pieces of pelt, but not taking anymore; he didn't know why but he felt he should leave the rest alone. Rion kept walking, the sand pulling at his shoes, as he contemplated whether to tell his friends or not what he found.

The ocean was supposed to be just for Layla, so he could help her overcome whatever issue she had, and he wasn't supposed to tell anyone. He kept thinking it over, until finally the sound of rolling waves met his ears, and Rion knew he had found the ocean that he held so desperately dear.
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