Paradox |Hope Estheim|

Mystery

You still couldn’t quite figure it out.

Years had passed since the legendary fall of Cocoon, too many to count.  The Sanctum was gone, and in its place was the Academy.  But the Academy wasn’t so much of a government as the Sanctum was.  The people probably should have been grateful for that, since life on Cocoon was no picnic with the Sanctum around.  Under a twisted leader determined to tear the land asunder, you almost didn’t know whether it would have been more sensible to fear Cocoon instead of Pulse.

But now that the Sanctum was gone, the wounds had a chance to heal.  The Academy was dedicated to discovering new things, a new life free of fear.  They researched life on Pulse to make it a new home, and delved into the history of Cocoon to ensure past mistakes would never be repeated.  If a new era was dawning for the people, it would ride on the shoulders of the prestigious Academy.

You found yourself astonished when news of this team reached your hometown, and even more so when you heard who was essentially the big man at the Academy.  He’d been shown briefly on the newsflash when the world was notified of the Academy, and you were spellbound.  You’d met Hope fleetingly before, and the difference was flooring.  Once a scrawny fourteen-year-old who was mostly unsure of himself and the world around him, Hope had matured into a fine man who carried the weight of new life on his broad shoulders.  It was almost enough to make you drool when you saw him on T.V.

Puberty certainly was kind to him.

*          *          *

“OK, Director, looks like our next stop is a settlement near our excavation site at the ruined city,” the young assistant informed him.  “I’ve just gotten a message from the head of the town that he’d like our team to come and say a few words.  I guess he wants to inspire the locals to get a job with us or something,” she speculated with a nonchalant tilt of her head.

“Got it,” he hummed, only half-listening as he pored over his notes.  “Schedule a rally or something in the town square in a couple of days.  It’s on the way anyway.”  The ruined city in question was remains of a very ancient civilization the Academy had been keen on unearthing.  It was even said these people could see into the future and keep records of what they saw.  If it was true, it wouldn’t matter if they’d foreseen what became of the world or what was yet to come.  It would more than likely come in handy.

“I’ll start putting together a team,” the assistant promised as she bustled out of the office.

Left to his own thoughts, the young Director found his mind drifting further and further away from his present task.  He couldn’t explain it even to himself, but his thoughts were heading back to a day when his life began to change.

The day he saw her.

Perhaps it was his teenage instincts getting the better of him, or perhaps it was something else.  But Hope felt something of an electric impulse when he laid eyes on possibly the loveliest girl he’d ever seen.  Normally others would see such a person, and eventually time would let that go.  But not for Hope.  There was only one chance encounter, and it was forever etched into his memory.  Maybe absence really did make the heart grow fonder.

He had no idea why he was thinking of her now.  A good number of years had passed, and she’d likely forgotten him.