Year: 3205
The Military Academy
Master Elemental Storm:
The area where the Elementals store the weapons are usually be filled with Elementals who try to improve them. At this time of day, they don't have access to the place. They're all supposed to be sleeping. Even if they're not, I don't need to explain myself for inspecting one of them. The matter to the case is I prefer to be doing this without the eyes and ears of the wrong people. There are some Seniors who are patrolling the area, making sure that there are no unwelcome guests lurking around the halls. They can't come and question my motives. It's the kind of power my position holds.
I get to the weapon's section and find Breeze's locker. I use my element and manipulate the air inside the lock to open up the locker, not leaving a single trace. As it opens, I grab the handle that Elemental Breeze has spent most of his time working on. I take a good look at it. I know I have to deconstruct it to find out where the real power of this wind-sword is. I look around, not seeing anybody before I grab one of the tools I brought along to open the handle up. There seems to be some sort of crystal in it, giving away a light blue color. Before I get to touch it however, a sudden blur appears. In one moment, it's in my hand, the next it's gone.
"I think I'm going to enjoy this moment and say, 'too slow'. It falls perfectly into place, don't you think?" I turn around to see Senior Fall with Breeze's weapon in his hand. "I almost wish I didn't see you here right now...almost. I've been waiting for a lazy excuse to humiliate you..." He starts. "...or just beat the crap out of you and kill you. Either way I'd have a lot of fun...you wouldn't." My first instinct is not to let his words get to me. "You think that's how it's going to down, Martian? You're all alone in here. Your one ally is a kid who's no match for the forces he's messing with."
As much as I feel like I sounded confident saying those words, he doesn't look too affected by it. He looks down at the weapon for a moment. A smile appears on his face. "You are one of far too many people who underestimate his true powers. You think the little crystal made everything happen in that session? You think this crystal did all of it?" Senior Fall takes out the crystal piece and shows it to me. It might look small, but there's far more power to it than what one would think at first sight. He hides in one of his pockets. "You and the Grand Master are stupider than I thought. I only made one small adjustment. The power was all in him. Would be horrific to see you mess with forces you don't know."
"You have no authority here, Martian. You and whoever it is you're working with outside of here are messing with the wrong people. We will end you...all of you." He doesn't seem to be the kind of person that threatens easily. You could probably threaten him with anything and he wouldn't flinch. "It's funny how you call us the 'wrong people'. One never really messes with the 'right people' when one gets somebody on their bad side. You might be right on a few things: I am alone in here, but out there...boy, you and your precious Grand Master are hilariously outnumbered."
He throws the weapon back to me. It's empty of the object I found interest in investigating further. I catch it and immediately place it back in its locker. "I guess there's nothing worthy of your interest anymore with his sword." Senior Fall mentions. I turn towards him, smashing the locker shut with my element. "Oh, wait, did I anger you? I guess you're entitled. I did just rob you of an interesting discovery on your own. It's just none of your business really." He casually turns his back towards me and starts walking away. On impulse, I throw a powerful wind-punch his way. It's such a powerful hit that it knocks him down on one knee.
When he turns around to face me again, he looks slightly disappointed. "I know you are the villain and all, but really? In the back? Acting as tough as you have during this conversation, I thought you'd at least have the decency of doing that while we were still standing face to face." He answers, brushing the dust off his uniform. "I don't have to play by any rules with you, Martian. You don't belong here. You're not one of us, humans. If I really wanted to, you'd be dead right now." He crosses his arms on his chest, taking a few steps towards me. "He hasn't given you that order yet, has he? Pisses you off, doesn't it?"
We stare at each other. I am tempted to serve him some more of my element, but I refuse to budge for his amusement. I fight with everything I have to hold back. "You know, I could kill you too if I had the orders to do it. What seems to be the case is that our bosses know, as well as I do, that all of this is way bigger than just you and me." He answers as he once again turns his back towards me. "We had her kill him...Blaze. She killed Senior Pool." He stops for a moment and turns his head towards me. "Who's to say we won't have her kill you too?"
He smiles weakly. "Elemental Blaze for some reason doesn't like me very much. I'd say her thoughts on killing me wouldn't necessarily have to come from you or the Grand Master. Why go through the effort? It seems unnecessary." He answers with a foolish grin on his face as he suddenly disappears again with a blur. I look back on the locker, not opening it. There is nothing there to be examined as the Martian so well pointed out earlier. He grabbed it before I had a chance at getting a closer look. Something did look familiar about it though. I need to confer with the Grand Master before I can be too sure.
Rain:
I jolt awake for what is probably the hundredth time in the last couple of days. I saw it again, just as I did ten minutes ago, just as I did twenty minutes ago and so on. The Grand Master and Master Storm are standing over Breeze's body grinning to themselves. Breeze lies dead on the ground and I am unable to bring him back. I can't stand to look at his body for too long, but always when I realize that it's actually him, I wake up cold and covered in sweat. I am an Elemental of water so it shouldn't be a weird thing, but because of the dream, it just gets to me in a way it hasn't in the past. How can it not?
What is even more disturbing to me right now is that he doesn't seem to realize how close to the edge he is actually standing. Whether they intend on making it look like an accident, or worse, have Blaze kill him without her knowing, they are going to get him out of the picture the more he gets involved with them and Blaze. Something for sure is going to happen to her, but nobody knows what it is. Actually, to me it doesn't matter what it is. It is getting Breeze in trouble but somehow he can miraculously sleep like a baby. Good for him I guess. I don't stand a chance.
I would usually sleep in that big room with all the other Elementals, but tonight I sneak into the hospital-area where Breeze is resting. I'm not comfortable letting him be on his own even though I know that Senior Fall hasn't decided to sleep on the job any time soon. The matter is I am Breeze's older brother. I have to watch over him. Plus, I don't want Ember to catch me waking up and start asking questions. She pretends to be sleeping, but I know she isn't. I don't really know what's going on with her. She's just watching me, waiting for me to spill something.
I'm sitting here, fighting to keep my eyes open as I straighten up in the chair. Breeze has covered himself with the hospital blanket. I suppose he needs the rest. I look back and forth and try to imagine how our lives would've been if neither one of us had elements. Not all humans are guaranteed to develop their elemental powers to fight the war. Some are never even picked up by the academies, meaning there could be many untrained Elementals back on earth. I wonder what our lives would've been like if we were like that, free and untrained. At least I wouldn't be worrying about his life like I am now.
I suddenly hear footsteps behind me. They're coming closer and closer. I get up from the chair and hide behind Breeze's bed when I see the set of feet on the ground. I immediately recognize them before I rise back up and see Ember with a weak flame in her hand. "Ember? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" I ask, walking back to the chair right next to her. "The same reason as you, Rain. Couldn't sleep." She answers. "That's not an easy thing to achieve these days...for some of us." I add at the end, looking at Breeze.
"Why are you not sleeping?" Ember asks as she takes the liberty of grabbing another chair and sits down next to me. I try to avoid her gaze, but something makes it harder than it used to be. I could ignore her looks without problem before, but now, it's almost like I want her to look at me and I want to look back. "I've heard you wake up every single time, you know? I'm even sure that you know that yourself. What's terrorizing you?" I look at her for a moment before I turn my head away. I want to respond, but Ember steals the words before I can say them. "Let me guess: nothing." She says. I don't even have to look at her to hear the sarcasm in her voice. "That's not the truth though, is it?"
I take a deep, shaky breath. Ember seems to figure out everything without me even having to say a word. She can read me like an open book, which sometimes makes me wonder how she hasn't figured out everything else yet. "It's about Breeze, isn't it? Your baby-brother being here scares the crap out of you." I turn my head, wanting to ask her how she knows, but I hold the words back. Ember has always had a way of learning things. "Good thing you don't ask me how I know. I've known you for the best part of ten years. To be honest, I almost think I know you better than you know me."
There's that tone in her voice. I've heard it before, but never been able to put my finger on it. I've been hearing that particular tone a lot lately. I turn my head towards her, trying to analyze the emotions on her face, but I fail. I always fail. These are the moments where I always fail to say the right thing...or feel. Sometimes when she looks at me, I pick out the tiniest of details from the features on her face that nobody else will think highly of. I don't even know why I, but I just do and for some reason I feel conflicted about it. "You are probably right." I give in. "You do know me better than I know you."
I look down on my hands for a moment. The silence is retaking its position in the room as I watch over Breeze. I try not to let Ember in on any of the other secrets inside my head. Like the reasons why I fear for my little brother's safety, or how she makes me feel conflicted. For now, it all remains a secret, but knowing her, it won't be long before she forces them out of me.