*Skye wakes up tired, confused, and with more questions than answers.*

  Skye: Good morning, mom sitting down and waiting for breakfast.

  Luna: My daughter, you look tired. Didn’t you sleep well?

  Skye: It’s not that, it’s just… You know, it’s been a really strange weekend.

  Luna: I know, Skye. Do you want to talk about Friday? *placing a tray with breakfast in front of her.*

  Skye: No, definitely not. Are you sure he didn’t say anything else? He spent a long time asking me questions just to then simply… leave.

  Luna: Don’t worry, sweetheart, he’s a hero, he’s not bad. Yes, he left after that. By the way, what did he ask you?

  Skye: Just what I had been doing, if I saw or did anything strange… It really wasn’t much, just very specific things.

  Luna: That’s strange… Well, are you ready for your second day of school?

  Skye: I guess so *finishing breakfast and grabbing her backpack.*

  Luna: Skye… The hood *handing her the backpack and crossing her arms.*

  Skye: It’s because it’s very windy today.

  Luna: You say that as if you couldn’t control the air around you.

  Skye: Oops! Look at the time! Bye mom *leaving quickly.*

  Luna: But you still have 20 minutes…

  *Skye breathes a sigh of relief after escaping that conversation with her mother. Since she arrives early, she decides to walk slowly and enjoy the city views.*

  Skye: I’ll never get tired of this view.

  *After a while, Skye reaches school. As she’s about to enter, she stops. So many things have happened that she had completely forgotten what happened on the last day. She stares at the entrance, all her doubts and worries momentarily fading, only to be replaced by a feeling of inadequacy and a sharp pain in her chest.*

  Skye: If it’s just for today…

  *Skye turns around to leave, but a voice stops her.*

  Liana: Hey, Skye *waving energetically. As usual, Zephyr walks by her side.*

  Skye: Oh, hi Liana, hi Zephyr.

  Liana: How are you? Don’t you think today is a wonderful day? I can’t wait for summer!

  Zephyr: *Sighs* Liana…

  Liana: Hey Zephyr, I didn’t hear you greet Skye.

  Zephyr: Hi.

  Liana: Well, I guess that’s progress. Shall we go in? I wouldn’t like Miss Harrinson to scold us for being late.

  Skye: Miss Harrinson?

  Liana: Oh, she’s the history teacher.

  Skye: Now that I think about it, she forgot to introduce herself last time.

  Liana: Well, today they’re apparently changing our classes.

  Skye: Why?

  Liana: Good question, but maybe this time we’ll actually have more classes together. Isn’t that great?

  Skye: I guess…

  Liana: Well, shall we go in?

  *Liana doesn’t wait for an answer and starts dragging Skye inside the school. As they walk down the hallways, they see a group of students gathered in a circle. When Skye steps closer, she notices a change in the atmosphere. It’s similar to what she felt in her dream with that boy in the alley. But this time it’s not as strong.*

  Skye: What’s going on over there?

  Liana: Oh! Right! Today those two were coming. The boy from the Haldeir family and the girl from the Pyrecrest family.

  Skye: The family what?

  Liana: Wait… You don’t know the two most influential families in Lightown?

  Skye: No.

  Liana: Skye, do you know anything about the Elemental War?

  Skye: The teacher was going to explain it the other day but… She simply didn’t.

  Zephyr: Liana, don’t start…

  Liana: Perfect! Then I’ll tell you everything during recess.

  Skye: Really?

  Zephyr: I recommend ignoring her if she gets too excited.

  Liana: Don’t worry, Skye, I love history. I’ll make sure to tell you every detail from the beginning to the end.

  Zephyr: Just tell her the connection to the new ones.

  Liana: Fine, fine, I guess I’ll have to restrain myself a bit.

  *Liana looks at Zephyr and Skye, and a smile forms on her face.*

  Liana: You know what? Let’s go say hi!

  *Without waiting for an answer, she takes both of their hands and drags them toward the circle of people, pushing her way through using Zephyr as a battering ram. And there, they get a closer look at the two new students. The boy has ice-blue hair and eyes. The girl has red hair and orange eyes. The boy looks at the girl disapprovingly.*

  Liana: Hi! I’m Liana, this big guy is Zephyr, and the shy girl with the hood is Skye.

  Skye: H-hi…

  Zephyr: Hi.

  *The girl looks amused by the situation, while the boy’s face remains cold, observing the trio critically.*

  ???: Stuart.

  ???: Oh come on, Stu, aren’t you going to introduce me? I’m Kiki.

  Stuart: I already told you that you and I have nothing to talk about.

  Liana: Hehe, what an awkward atmosphere.

  Zephyr: Liana…

  Stuart: Relax, honesty is welcome. After all, truth builds and falsehood destroys *taking a step toward Liana before Zephyr steps in between.*

  Zephyr: Maybe. But mass construction can cause a total collapse. It’s better to learn to measure.

  *Stuart stares at Zephyr. The students watch expectantly as both boys hold each other’s gaze. Zephyr’s serious look against Stuart’s cold stare.*

  Liana: Zephyr, you don’t have to…

  Stuart: Well, I suppose we all have different points of view.

  Zephyr: Precisely why I’m not you and you’re not me.

  *Stuart narrows his eyes slightly at Zephyr’s comment, but Kiki intervenes.*

  Kiki: Wow, two alpha males defending their territory, how intriguing.

  Stuart: I’m not defending anything, I’m just stating an opinion. But not everyone thinks rationally and lets emotions take over.

  Liana: Hey! I was just trying to be nice *Liana says, puffing her cheeks.*

  Stuart: Do you always act like that to solve things?

  Skye: Maybe we should all calm down a bit.

  Liana: I agree with Skye.

  Stuart: That would be best, because in the first place, you shouldn’t have even approached.

  Liana: We just wanted to say hi, you didn’t have to be so rude.

  Stuart: Rude? Is that what you call anyone who doesn’t react the way you want? We’re 17 years old, we should start behaving according to our age and not like little kids.

  Zephyr: And look at you, trying to prove a point to little kids by your own definition. Were you talking about us or about yourself?

  Stuart: I think you’re really testing my patience *taking another step closer.*

  Skye: Hey, we really didn’t want to cause any trouble.

  *Stuart interrupts her.*

  Stuart: Can you even be here? By your looks, there’s no doubt your element is air.

  *Skye steps back as she notices the looks and murmurs spreading through the hallway.*

  Skye: I…* her eyes fill with tears as she retreats.*

  *Liana approaches Stuart and… smack! She slaps him, silencing all murmurs.*

  Liana: I don’t care if you prefer to be rude and believe your truth is absolute. But if you ever insult my friend again, I won’t hesitate to do it again *Liana says with a serious expression, very different from the kind one she usually has.*

  *Stuart stays silent for a few seconds. Everyone is waiting for his reaction. But then, Stuart simply smiles slightly and looks at Liana with a certain respect.*

  Stuart: So you have guts *straightening up and slightly bowing his head toward Skye as a sign of apology.* I apologize for my behavior and my comments.

  Kiki: Wow! Honestly, I was going to slap you myself, but I never expected the nice girl to have such a good hand.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  *The situation seems to calm down a bit, but despite Stuart’s apology, Skye remains downcast, though she tries to put on her best face to not break the momentary peace. Finally, the bell rings and everyone has to return to class. Zephyr, Liana, and Skye go to their classroom and sit together.*

  Liana: I’m sorry guys, I didn’t want things to turn out like this, I just wanted to say hi.

  Skye: Don’t worry, you didn’t do anything wrong.

  *Miss Harrinson enters.*

  Harrinson: Good morning. The administration and teachers held a small meeting to clarify the content we’re going to cover. Do you remember how I gave you a free day the other day? Well, now we’re going to pick up what I didn’t explain. Let’s see how the previous eras were. Although many of you know we’ll mainly talk about the pre-war era and the Empty Generation. Let’s start with something basic. Does anyone know why it’s called that?

  *Liana raises her hand excitedly.*

  Liana: It’s because that generation was created solely for war. Specifically, it was the generation born from the alliance known as “The Sky Schism.”

  Harrinson: Very good, Liana, I see you know a lot about the topic. Would you like to share anything else you know?

  Liana: Yes! The name comes from the fact that, being born from the union of the strongest and most arrogant kingdoms, they proclaimed themselves divine beings. That’s why they hunted light elementals, raised not people but weapons en masse… And of course, we have to mention Kazuki Takeda, the strongest of his generation.

  Harrinson: Excellent, you’re well-informed. As Liana said, it was one of the darkest and most ruthless eras, generations, and wars in history. To give you an idea, 90% of the Empty Generation died during the Elemental War. And that’s with only 0.02% fewer births than we have now. That means millions died.

  *Skye raises her hand.*

  Skye: Miss Harrinson, what happened to the rest who survived?

  Harrinson: Good question, Skye, because here we see the consequences of being raised with a single purpose. When the war ended, many committed suicide, a few managed to find happiness because the kingdoms didn’t exclude them, and the rest died while still alive, living an empty life. Hence the name of the generation.

  *Everyone falls silent. The atmosphere becomes uncomfortable.*

  Harrinson: That’s why we should be grateful for everything we have now. Peaceful times, free time. Any more questions?

  Zephyr: In a scenario where we had to face the Empty Generation, who would win?

  Harrinson: Well, many factors would have to be considered. To start with, we’re very technologically advanced, which would be a big advantage. However, the power of that generation was monstrous, especially that of the survivors. It was like a slaughter until only the strongest remained.

  Liana: But don’t we have better training techniques nowadays?

  Harrinson: Yes, that would also play in our favor. Although we’ve learned a lot thanks to the Elemental War, there isn’t much difference in techniques, only in ánima control. But the biggest problem would be Kazuki. The only survivors of a battle against him were Krysthaf and the rest of the heroes, the strongest of that era, and even then, many died in that battle.

  Liana: Couldn’t we stop Kazuki?

  Harrinson: I couldn’t say, but our heroes are very well trained and prepared.

  Student: That’s true, Hiro would definitely beat him up.

  Harrinson: It would be interesting to see, although I hope it never happens. Though it’s hard to imagine Hiro losing a battle, his light element already provides him with everything he needs to be on par with Kazuki. Besides, he’s currently the strongest hero.

  *Skye listens attentively, writing down every detail in her notebook.*

  Student: Miss, do we know what Kazuki was like?

  Harrinson: Well… It’s only known that his hair was blond and his eyes were yellow.

  Liana: But doesn’t that happen to most lightning-related elementals?

  Harrinson: Yes, although it’s believed Kazuki’s became that way after excessive use of his ánima on himself.

  Liana: So who would win?

  Harrinson: Us, because we have one last surprise factor. They’re not prepared for our time, and viruses would work in our favor and weaken them greatly. I’d say they’d last about… three days at most before weakening.

  *Skye feels a chill run down her spine.*

  Skye: And… people who aren’t that strong, would we survive the battle?

  Harrinson: No, not at all. From this class, I believe all of us, including myself, wouldn’t withstand the amount of ánima they emit. It’s like drowning in water without water. We’d probably pass out.

  *Skye remains silent as her mind slowly fills with thoughts and the memory of her “supposed” dream with that boy in the alley.*

  Liana: Miss, and what happened to the demons? I read they lived during the Elemental War era. Did they simply disappear?

  Harrinson: Well… yes, that’s what happened. At that time, the demon king of that era, Balthrak, was the most feared figure just below Kazuki. He wasn’t the most feared only because he never really interfered in the war, but there are records of people who died from brain hemorrhages just by being within the range of his ánima.

  Liana: So was he stronger than Kazuki?

  Harrinson: It’s not known, since he never demonstrated his power.

  *The students begin talking among themselves, curious.*

  Zephyr: And what happened to the demon kingdom?

  Harrinson: It still exists, but it’s inactive.

  Student: And why don’t they destroy it?

  Harrinson: Simply… It’s better not to tempt fate.

  *The bell rings.*

  Harrinson: Well, that was a productive first class. You may go.

  *The students gather their things and prepare for their next class. Skye starts to feel dizzy. She can’t stop thinking over and over about the alley. No matter how hard she tries, she feels like she’s in a trance all day. She can’t concentrate, she can’t listen, she can’t do anything. When school ends, she can’t take it anymore and runs toward the alley. She only needs to check one thing.*

  Skye: Please let it have been a dream, let it have been a dream *she repeats to herself over and over.*

  *Skye arrives at the alley, using the air to her advantage to get there faster. She looks at the ground where she had left the syringes, but they are no longer there. She doesn’t calm down, since she remembers throwing them in the trash after treating that boy. She quickly goes to the trash can and… there are no syringes. The trash from the other day is still the same, and Skye finally allows herself to relax.*

  Skye: Thank goodness *leaning her back against the wall and sliding down until she’s sitting on the ground.* Why did I worry so much? It wouldn’t even make sense, millennia have passed.

  *Skye takes a deep breath and feels glad for feeling so foolish, since at least she’s lifted a heavy weight off her shoulders. The burden on her shoulders seems to lessen and she allows herself to enjoy the feeling of breathing normally. And in that moment, she sees the door of the shop on the corner open. Specifically, the pharmacy, and in that moment of calm, Skye recognizes the woman as the worker from the other day.*

  Woman: *Leaning against the wall as she takes out a cigarette* Thank goodness, I thought I’d never see you again. Do you have what you owe me? *Not looking her in the eyes and starting to smoke.*

  Skye: *She stares at her, trying to process what’s happening. Finally, she manages to speak.* What?

  Woman: Yeah, I figured. I didn’t want this to happen. You agreed to work if necessary *her gaze turns somewhat guilty and sad as she looks at the ground*. You got yourself into this mess *pointing a finger at Skye as smoke surrounds her.*

  *Skye reacts quickly, using her element to divert the smoke.*

  Woman: Yeah, I figured as much. Try not to hit too hard, Lucas.

  *Skye falls unconscious when something strikes her head hard. She wakes up later, startled. She’s sitting on a chair, tied with chains and handcuffs that disable her element. Skye had heard something similar on the news, an illegal product created by detonating a magical artifact.*

  Skye: *Still regaining consciousness* Where am I? *Feeling dizzy.*

  *At that moment, the door opens and Skye sees the woman talking with two men.*

  Woman: Come on, Finre, can’t we let her go? She’s just a child, she can work other jobs.

  Finre: You were the one who agreed to give her those medicines. Now shut up and obey, Beatrice.

  *Beatrice nods and approaches Skye.*

  Beatrice: It was you… You insisted *as she slowly removes the chains but leaves the handcuffs.*

  Finre: Well, I must say she has a good body. Hey Lucas, have we gotten any offers?

  Lucas: Not yet, sir, only two hours have passed, I highly doubt we’ll get any today.

  *Finre looks Skye up and down while lighting a cigarette and smoking.*

  Finre: Change the ad and take her to my room for her “evaluation.”

  Beatrice: Hey Finre, that’s not necessary…

  *Finre slaps her, silencing her. Then he makes a sharp hand gesture to Lucas, who takes Skye away. As they leave the room, Skye hears the woman’s screams and dull blows. Along the way, Skye’s vision begins to clear as she’s dragged, and then she sees the horrible scene. A bunch of young girls under the effects of illegal substances, walking around the place with little clothing while police officers, rich people, and even poor people pay to choose a girl.*

  Skye: What is this?

  Lucas: Your new life, but don’t worry. You won’t even notice.

  *Skye’s mind becomes clearer, but before she can do anything, Lucas pushes her into a room.*

  Lucas: The boss will be busy with that bitch, and honestly… I hate wasting time. Last time the boss promised me a favor, so… I think I’ll be the one to test you first. After all, in this place we always share everything.

  *He starts undressing. Skye feels disgust, fear, everything. And at that moment, a girl around Skye’s age enters holding a crying baby.*

  Girl: I… I didn’t want to interrupt, I’m sorry, but he won’t stop crying and I think he’s sick *looking at the baby with concern.*

  Lucas: Damn, you’re so annoying. Stop looking for me once and for all. I don’t care what happens to that kid.

  Girl: But you’re his…

  Lucas: Shut up! He could be from any of the others who always come here.

  *Skye’s fear disappears. She looks at the baby, looks at the young girl, and sees how she tries to breastfeed him to calm him. Then Skye looks back at Lucas. This time she won’t be afraid. Skye tries to use her element, which works for a second before shutting off.*

  Lucas: What? That’s not supposed to happen.

  *Skye doesn’t respond. Instead, she uses all her brute strength and breaks the handcuffs, though the part around her wrists remains, but at least she can move more freely. A tear of rage, helplessness, and sadness falls down Skye’s cheek as she looks at Lucas with pure disgust.*

  Skye: You… inhuman piece of trash *she says, stepping forward and throwing a punch, which Lucas blocks with his arms, but the force still sends him flying and crashing into the hallway wall.*

  Lucas: What the hell? Damn idiot.

  *Skye moves to strike him again, but this time Lucas dodges, grabs her hair, and punches her hard in the jaw. Then he drags her to the middle of the room, where all the other members, clients, and “workers” are gathered. Even Finre comes out after hearing the commotion, his knuckles bloodied.*

  Finre: I see, another feisty one? You’re not the first, but don’t worry, Lucas always takes care of educating the girls. After all, we share everything in this place. *With a malicious smile.*

  *Skye tries to get up, but Lucas kicks her in the stomach, keeping her down. Skye curls up in pain, but her rage and helplessness only grow. She looks at the clients and speaks directly to them.*

  Skye: And you? How can you stand there so calmly, act as if this were the most normal thing in the world? How can you just sit there and contribute to all this filth!? *Shouting, her voice filled with helplessness and rage.*

  *The clients look at each other and then laugh softly. And naturally, they take out their wallets to bid on Skye.*

  Finre: Easy, guys, one at a time. Lucas, take care of writing things down.

  *Finre breathes satisfied, knowing he’s going to make a lot of money. Then he opens his eyes and notices all the gazes seeming to pierce him. Finre frowns.*

  Finre: Lucas? *He turns around to look down the hallway, and instead of finding Lucas, he finds only his body lying on the floor without a head.*

  ???: You’ve got a nice place set up here, don’t you think?

  *Skye slowly turns her head upon recognizing the voice. And indeed, there, sitting on a chair, holding Lucas’s decapitated head, is that boy from the alley. But this time without the hood, giving a clearer view of his appearance.*

  Finre: Who the hell are you? *He asks, trying to keep a tough facade, but a trembling tone slips out, one that shows his mind is begging him to leave.*

  *The boy disappears and appears behind one of the guards, his katana already piercing the guard’s heart and ending his life.*

  ???: Ah, were you talking?

  *Finre is terrified by the sudden display of the boy’s power. When he turns around, he also notices that the workers are now wearing blindfolds made of yellow threads emitting small sparks, preventing the girls from seeing what’s happening.*

  *A long silence forms. No one dares to move, and at that moment, Skye breaks the silence, answering Finre’s question.*

  Skye: K-Kazuki Takeda.

  Kazuki: Well, I guess the sky is blue, right? *With a mocking tone while laughing, though he’s the only one doing so.* I told you I was in your debt, I’m a man of my word.

  *The guards finally react and pull out their weapons.*

  Kazuki: You know, of all the crimes I’ve committed, I think you’ve made quite the combo. Not only did you choose one I’ve never done *his smile darkens, his face turning serious* but you also chose the one I hate the most.

  *Having said that, he pulls his katana from the guard’s chest, stretches, and sheathes it again.*

  Kazuki: I’m going to enjoy every second.

  *The room fills with screams of agony as Kazuki kills them one by one with brute force. The more unfortunate ones cover their bodies with their ánima, only to prolong their pain. One is split in half, another has his head ripped off with a kick, another has his internal organs crushed after a few punches… And so on until only Finre remains.*

  Finre: Please! Kneeling and begging Kazuki. I’ll give you money! Anything you want! Don’t kill me please!

  *Kazuki simply looks at him before slowly piercing his stomach with his fist to pull out his intestines and charge them with electricity. Not only that, but he increases the amount of his ánima so his body can’t withstand it and is destroyed both physically and mentally.*

  *Skye, who has been watching everything, doesn’t know what to say or do. She just wants to wake up from this nightmare. At that moment, Beatrice comes out of the room, her face bruised and dragging herself along the floor.*

  Beatrice: *She looks at the room full of mutilated bodies, but begs Kazuki.* Please, don’t hurt the girls.

  Kazuki: How ironic, coming from the same person who brought them here.

  Beatrice: I… I truly regret it… I just want to see them happy.

  *Kazuki crushes her head without even giving her a second glance.*

  Kazuki: Yeah, I’ve heard the same thing many times.

  *Kazuki stands there contemplating the scene. He looks at the girls, who due to their constant state of dizziness don’t even seem to notice their eyes are covered. Then he looks at Skye, who is mentally broken. And Kazuki simply wipes the blood off himself and smiles normally.*

  Kazuki: Well, that was intense. Don’t you think?