Under The Embers

Chapter 1 Reminiscence

December 18th, 3024

"The living owe it to those who no longer can speak to tell their story for them."

Mitosz

Trucks pulled up to the house right on time. Juniper heard their engines purring in the wind as Elias stood up, the laughter disappearing from his frame as quickly as it had started. Both of them turned and ran up to the house as quickly as they could. Juniper heard her dog, Mitzy, before she saw her. She was stood to attention on the porch, barking as Sentries flooded the road below.

Juniper leant back against one of the porch beams to catch her breath for a moment. She could feel her heart beating at a million miles an hour.

"You ready?" Elias asked her, and she looked up. His eyes were full of worry. As much for himself as for her.

"No," Juniper admitted to him, and shrugged her shoulders. "But it doesn't matter. It's not like we have a choice. We're only kids."

Elias nodded in agreement, choosing to stay silent. June looked to her house, seeing the front door wide open. Her parents must be greeting the Sentry's down on the road and forgotten to close it behind them. She walked over and closed it, her chest hitching.

"I better go say goodbye to my mum and dad," Elias said behind her. She turned and nodded, not meeting his eyes. "I'll see you down there," he told her and hesitated for a moment, before hopping down the steps to the roadside.

Mitzy was still with her and Juniper moved over to gently pat her on the head. Mitzy sneezed, rather ungratefully, and nudged Juniper's hand with her nose to order more pats from her. Juniper smiled tightly. "I'm going to miss you."

She could barely get the words out without her voice breaking. Juniper took one last deep breath inwards and forced her gaze away from Mitzy. She took large strides down the front steps, following in Elias' shadow. They were steep and uneven, but she made it to the bottom without a scraped knee.

Juniper scanned the roadside. It was a bustling scene. Sentries soldiers were everywhere, conferring with one another in hushed tones. Their uniforms were very smart, if a little excessive. Weapons and ammo were strapped to every inch of them. A pit filled the bottom of Juniper's stomach. Surely the outside couldn't warrant that much safeguarding. The cities were meant to be full of people and largely safe. It was only the more dilapidated, desolate areas where the Destitute's roamed.

"Ah! There she is," her father's voice caught her attention. Juniper saw him and her mother stood just a few metres away, chattering away with a handful of Sentry officials. She walked over to them and plastered a smile on her face. Her mother, Phoebe, wrapped a warm arm around her daughter's shoulder.

"You look pretty," Juniper complimented her mother. Phoebe was wearing an olive-green dress under a thick cardigan. She must have been cold, but her skin felt hot where Juniper leant into her.

"Thanks, sweetie. I know you like this dress. I wanted to wear it for you," Phoebe smiled tightly at her daughter. Her lips conveyed love and happiness, but her eyes showed her worry.

"I'll be fine," Juniper told her flatly. She didn't say anything else. She was worried she might cry.

"Who won?" Her mother asked, trying again.

"Elias", Juniper told her, feigning annoyance. Her mother laughed lightly.

"You'll get him next time chicken."

Juniper resolved herself to silence. They both knew there wouldn't be a next time. She and Elias had been told they would be heading to separate Academies. He would go to Wayward, in the north of the big city, and Juniper would be going to Myrim, in the west. Worst of all, the Academies didn't have a relation, so there would be no reason for them ever seeing each other, until the day they pass their testing. And that was years away.