Nearly a year had passed since the precautions have been set up. The Academy was uneasy that entire time.
Trainers made sure that the cadets stayed inside at all times- the lush green fields of the Academy soon grew silent with abandon. No screams nor loud footsteps nor laughter from the small cadets who tended to play in there in their spare time.
However, most of the time these days was spent inside the Domes, getting bored out of their heads. They weren't allowed out. If even one cadet was caught lurking outdoors, they would be punished.
The badge of honor for the most cadet being caught outside would go to none other that Tim. He had been caught creeping outside to use the trees as monkey bars for his gymnastics skills, and as for punishments he would have his G.O. Jump taken away.
Not once, not twice, but dozens of times.
He and his group of friends- Jack Vila, who was known for talking back aggressively to his trainers, and Becky Fugate, who looked like a doll with her curly blonde hair and green eyes.- were the encouragement group of the Academy. They spread words of hope to their fellow cadets that it was all going to be over soon, and Glitch would be stopped.
Unfortunately, everybody had already lost every last string of hope in them. That, someone assumed, was probably why they had given up five months later.
~*~
- "We keep hoping that this isolation will end someday, and we're sticking to it."
The winds slowed a bit to reveal a voice.
- "I dunno, Tim, it's been a year since what happened to Lily, and she's still not around."
- "Maybe we should just give up."
The silence parted to reveal Tim, Jack, and Becky, all eight years old, standing in the pitch black that was only pierced by Becky's flashlight.
"Give up?!" Tim hissed at his comrades, "No way! We're not gonna stop until this whole thing ends!"
"It's been a year." Becky sighed, "long enough for you to lose spirit while trying to keep it up."
"She's not wrong," Jack agreed, "it doesn't look like Ubercorn will be lowering his defenses anytime soon."
"And it'll take forever for Bailey and Abigail to get the full guts to stand up to him while all the other Pillars are on his side," Becky added.
Tim sighed, hanging his head down and hiding his face with scarred palms.
"Look, I know things may not have been the best for the last year, but hey! It could've been worse." he tried to encourage them.
"Things are in their worst, Tim. The Academy is never gonna change, so we as might as well quit." Jack said sharply.
It looks like his friends were at the very brink of giving up. Tim needed to do something, fast.
But just as Becky and Jack were about to walk away, there was a quiet rustle in the bushes outside.
"What?"
"Was?"
"That?"
The three said these words one by one.
The rustling went on. They started getting suspicious; nobody would be out this late into the night apart from themselves, right?
Unless...
Without thinking, the trio snuck past the cameras and safety got out of the protection shield and walked into the night. It felt nice to be outside again, but they soon remembered what they came out for: The creepy voice that kept haunting them outside.
The rustle was clearer now that they had stepped out of the borders, but it was now twice as frightening. Jack and Becky stayed behind Tim, Becky casually walking along while Jack was constantly looking behind him to make sure they weren't being followed.
The three managed to make it towards the bushes without getting seen, and the noise was louder than ever, only now there was the sound of a man, grumbling and groaning.
Tim grabbed the torch from Becky and pointed it in the direction of the sound.
"Who's there?!" Tim hissed, holding his hand out to keep a safe distance in case anything goes wrong.
The figure looked up at him, his amber eyes angry. His mustache all covered in leaves and twigs.
Tim gasped, his breath catching in his throat.
Grandmaster Glitch.
"Glitch?!" He hissed.
"Oh, grimbles-!" He mumbled, over seeing the three cadets.
Becky and Jack's eyes widened at the sight of the wanted criminal.
"We should get back to the Academy--NOW!" Tim blurted on a whim.
Without hesitating once, the three took to their heels and ran as fast as they could.
"Not so fast!" Glitch yelled, a dagger in his hand.
He tossed his dagger at the cadets as they continue to run towards the Dome.
Swish.
Crack!
A few seconds later found Tim on his knees, writhing in pain while he grabbed his right arm as crimson blood dripped from the stab wound near his shoulder. Becky and Jack ran towards him, but had taken flight a few seconds later as Tim had told them to do, probably on their way to get some help, but leaving Tim behind.
"Guys-!" He croaked. His voice echoed through the woods but nobody responded.
Glitch came closer to the small boy, as Tim shuffled back, still grasping his arm, which still had the dagger on it --he seemed to be in too much pain to get rid of it--.
"G-get away from me-!" He shouted at Glitch, heart pounding like mad.
"Why should I?" Glitch asked, his voice soft but dangerous.
"H-haven't you caused enough trouble already?! Y-you killed Lily, why do you want to kill me-?!" Tim quivered, trying to stand up.
Glitch didn't answer, but held back his hand back, brought if forth, and smacked the cadet across the face.
With the force of the smack, Tim tumbled over, banging his head hard on the ground. An immense pain spread all over his body and forced the tears into his eyes. He looked up fearfully at the man who seemed to want to end his life there and then.
He held his face and discovered that there was blood dripping from his cheek as well.
The world danced around his eyes as he struggled to keep them open. The cold wind of the night pierced him like another dagger, but it now started to feel surprisingly warm.
No! Stay awake! Stay awake!! Stay...
But the night air was too warm to resist, and brought the cadet into a state of semi-consciousness for just long enough to see Glitch advancing towards him, his hands clenched tightly in fists.
Then, the darkness took over, pulling Tim into a world of absolute nothingness...welcoming it with comforting arms...