《RE:link:ER》
Prologue (Michelle Deswan)
Linker. It''s what we call all those capable of distorting the laws established by our universe. By manipulating the energy responsible for connecting the multiverse, it is possible to modify reality for any of our desires. This energy that surrounds and connects all the worlds is called "string".
There are countless paradoxes to trying to understand how a Linker sees the universe ¡ª Schr?dinger''s Cat is my favorite. The thought experiment brings to our imagination the following situation: a cat is inside a box next to a bottle of poison. The box is sealed and there is a possibility this poison has broken.
Until we look inside the box, the animal is in a ¡°alive dead¡± state. Until the box''s seal is broken, it is not possible to discover the answer to this dilemma. After all, is this a world where the cat could live or a world where the cat is dead? Is that you? What answer would you give?
If you only thought of two possibilities, it means that the chances of you being a Linker aren''t great, but you don''t have to be sad about it. You only see the realities that the universe presents to you and that is completely normal. However¡ what if I told you that the box was empty all this time? There was never a paradox, just with the information I gave you, you created two dimensions.
This is how a Linker thinks. If the universe creates a law that humans cannot float, a Linker doesn''t believe in that law and uses strings to decide how gravity works based on their wishes. To put it another way, if the world were a teacher giving a test with only objective questions, our Linkers would answer all the questions with discursive answers and give themselves the maximum grades without even consulting the teacher. Literally, they are the law.
For the question of Schr?dinger''s Cat they would not mark ¡°alive¡± or ¡°dead¡±, they would probably answer something like: ¡°There was more than one cat. There is no cat in the box. The cat, even dead, lived¡±.
In case you didn''t follow the reasoning, the justification for this answer would be something close to: ¡°The cat inside the box was female and was pregnant, giving birth to three kittens. The puppies, mischievous and crazy to discover the outside world, tore the box from behind, where we cannot observe and fled along with their mother. However, it was too late for the mother and the kittens. They ended up inhaling a portion of the poison and died weeks after escaping.¡±
You really can''t blame an ordinary human being for not giving this answer. And that''s why to promote and understand more about the capabilities of Linkers, over the millennia, the governments of countries with the highest rate of Linkers chose to create isolated cities - the so-called artificial islands. Children and teenagers prone to becoming manipulators of reality can have a peaceful life away from the danger of countries against the changes of the laws of ¡°God¡±.
Given its history in the not-so-distant past, the LPO ¡ª or Linker Peace Organization as its acronym calls it ¡ª constantly tries to avoid what happened in past wars: the use of Linkers as human weapons to win pointless wars.
I could go on and on and explain more about string, Linkers and their special powers called ¡°aspects¡±, but a little annoyance wouldn''t let me go on. I''ve felt something poking my left cheek for a few minutes now. I really thought that by ignoring him and keeping my eyes closed, he would give up on waking me up so early on a Saturday morning.
The blinds were finally opened, causing a flash of light to fill my room. Children should be banned from waking up so early. Well this time I couldn''t complain, he has a plausible reason for it. This year''s enrollment for the Linker academy has opened and now at the age of ten, my younger brother can apply to the Linker academy where our parents met. As of today, Kailan would live at the academy until he graduated as a professional Linker.
¡°Wake up, wake up, Mich!" he finally said when he realized that just nudges and sudden lighting wouldn''t wake me up.
"Wait a minute, just five more minutes," I grumbled as I rubbed my eyes and tried not to blind myself with the sun''s rays pouring into the room.
Open blinds, poked in the cheeks, another day like that. This is how I was woken up every weekend. I would love to sleep a little longer. Thanks to the pains I''ve felt in my body since I was a child, it was difficult to fall into Morpheus'' arms last night. And just thinking that I''ll have to work overtime in the lab tonight makes me want to cry.
¡°Stop being lazy, Mich!" he yelled as he tugged at the blanket I desperately clung to.
Slowly, slowly, I was dragged across the bed by her small arms. Of course, I''m no newbie to our "awakening wars". After years of being woken up like this, there was a foolproof strategy. I waited for the moment of the peak of Kailan''s strength and let go of the blanket, causing my brother to fall back with the blanket and the rest of his dignity during this fight.
Unfortunately I underestimated him. If it was just any day, by now he would have gotten angry and given up on waking me up. It would be another victory for me. However, this time he was more determined than usual. With more strength than a ten-year-old must have at seven in the morning, he grabbed my feet and started pulling me out of bed. I had to hold on to the headboard.
"What''s the hurry, Kail!" The entrance to the academy is only at noon, go to sleep! I yelled in a sleepy, spoiled voice.
¡°Uncle said I can come early so he can show me around the academy,¡± he replied, his voice faltering from the force required to pull me up, ¡°You promised you''d teach me the basics of a Linker so I could surprise the teachers."
"It won''t matter if you''re five minutes late, will it?!"
"Mich!," Kailan yelled, proving once and for all that he wasn''t in the mood for jokes and still not letting go of my foot, literally. "Why are you so heavy!"
OK. Now this boy has lost all sense of danger. All right, you can wake me up at seven o''clock. He can throw light in my face, poke me, throw water in my face, I don''t care, it''s part of the war. Now¡ call me heavy. I purposely emanated my string so that even a non-Linker could sense my murderous intentions. Kailan felt it right away and let go of my feet as he realized that I really got angry and he was about to suffer the consequences.
I jumped out of bed suddenly and raised my arms, demonstrating that I was about to smack him in the head with my knuckles. When he closed his eyes in preparation for the pain, I surprised him with a kiss on the cheek.
¡°Good morning pest, go have your breakfast and finish packing your bags,¡± I said.
When he finally opened his eyes and realized he''d gotten away with this scolding, he was embarrassed, filling his cheeks with air and glared at me. I flicked each of my hands to his cheeks simultaneously to empty them, making him laugh without hesitation.
So it is. I''m sorry dear Morpheus, however our meeting for today is over. Kailan ran like the wind toward the hallway. As I ran ecstatically, I could see that he made his lucky gesture¡ªa gesture I taught him when he was five; which my mother always did. When she got nervous or needed to build up courage, she would tap herself lightly on the side of her nose with her index finger to force a sneeze and release the tension. After all, sneezing under any circumstances made it seem like the situation my mother found herself in wasn''t all that problematic.
Our parents served in the army and fought in the last war against the country of Altiora. They were consecrated as heroes for having been part of the squad responsible for making the deal with Altiore and putting an end to the last senseless conflicts. Together they were considered one of the greatest Linkers of his generation and people called him the ¡°Pillars of Peace¡±.
Mom passed away when I was fifteen while giving birth to Kailan, and my father died in a professional duel when my brother was still two years old. It was world news. Kailan doesn''t remember much as far as I know, or at least he never wanted to worry me about what he remembers. As far as I know, the only clear image he had of his parents is from interviews and documentaries on television. It was through these videos that Kailan decided that he would follow in our parents'' footsteps and become a professional Linker to keep the peace my parents had won.
Well, currently there is no more war, so being a Linker is more about sport and science itself. Artificial islands face off in competition every five years in a global-scale event broadcast around the world to demonstrate how amazing Linkers can be ¡ª at least that''s what the LPO says, but it''s common knowledge that the real reason for the existence of duels is to show Altiore or any other religious country what awaits them if they try to start a confrontation again.
As much as every year new rules for dueling are implemented, it is still a dangerous sport. But what sport doesn''t have its risks, right? The important thing will always be to do what you want to achieve with your own arms.
The new generation of Linkers no longer have to limit themselves to creating aspects for war, now Linkers can specialize in other areas of entertainment or even use their gifts to make the world better. My parents chose to live on the artificial island of Marmontrius, which has important academies and laboratories for the development of Linkers.
Even though Kailan doesn''t demonstrate any Linker activities that stand out, his dream is to duel representing the academy my parents graduated from. I''ve given up worrying about this pest, he can be as stubborn as our mother when he wants something.
Joining forces to remove the drowsiness from my being, I relaxed and put on the training clothes Mom used to wear. It fit me perfectly. The lay fabric that facilitated the acrobatic movement of the body covered my entire arm and went up to my knees. On my left chest, there was the digital print of the symbol of the academy they formed, two wings and a crystal in the middle. I was a little embarrassed to see how the uniform was tight and emphasized my body. How could my mother fight like this?
I went down the stairs from the main hall that gives access to the dining room and the stairs to the basement floor. Our house is big, so when my father passed away, I chose to get rid of most of the furniture so as not to accumulate dust as I would not have been able to keep this mansion clean on my own. I try hard not to use the fortune they left us for Kailan to use that money when he needs to follow his dreams.
Kailan was running around like a silly cockroach looking for the things he needed so I could give him some tips. Our island law prohibits minors from manipulating string without supervision from a licensed academy, so this would be our little secret.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
¡°Kailan, I''m ready. Anytime,¡± I informed him as I watched him through his bedroom door. I laughed as I realized he couldn''t decide which of my father''s mantras he chose to take.
After a while of waiting for my brother in the underground training room, he finally came downstairs with the clothes our mother had bought him for when he turned ten and went to study at the academy¡ªI don''t know how she was so sure he would follow in her footsteps.
He was wearing a green-striped knit shirt and shorts that looked very comfortable.
The training room was rectangular in shape with white tiles throughout. No matter how bright the environment you were in before, when you enter this room and turn on the spotlights, it will certainly take a few seconds for your pupils to constrict.
Kailan looked nervous, but it wasn''t just nervous. It was the kind of ¡°nervousness¡± I knew well¡ªhe''s about to confess something. He held the mantra he''d chosen from my father without looking me straight in the eye. If there was a dictionary with only images to describe a word, surely the picture of the boy in front of me would be there to define the word "guilt". I know him well enough to know that he won''t speak until the guilt completely takes over, he can never keep secrets from me, so I went on with the class as if I hadn''t repaired his affliction.
What Kailan is holding is a mantra. It''s the Linkers'' fighting tool for combat-focused string utilization. One of these days we watched a contest on television of a girl who used a mantra in the form of a fork. Needless to say, this kid here spent a week running around with a spoon screaming, "Mich, get ready to face my amazing spoon mantra!"
It must be hard for someone who has parachuted into this world to imagine what a mantra is like, but it''s actually quite simple. Imagine a sword, a bow or even a baseball bat. After imagining these objects, fill in their texture with a smooth, diamond-hard dark gray layer. This is the image of a deactivated mantra. An activated mantra has its outline colored with a color that varies from person to person. It''s like seeing the blue that circles our planet''s atmosphere from space.
I scripted several times in my mind how I would go about activating a mantra. Will it be tedious for him if I start with the theoretical part? Or should I start with topics that will be taught in the first classes? Not that I remember, as it had been quite a few years since I had to leave the academy.
¡°Kailan, do you know what string is?¡± I asked as I took my knife-shaped mantra from my bag. It had been a few years since I had used it, but the feeling was still familiar.
"String is the energy that unites the worlds," he replied in a tone of uncertainty.
¡°It''s more complex than that.¡± I cocked my head, hinting that I was still formulating an answer. ¡°I''ll leave that boring part for you to learn at the academy, so I''ll go straight to where I want to go. Mantras are activated by infusing our string into them. A Linker''s mind is capable of generating unbiased extended strings,¡± I said, gesturing to put it as simply as possible.
¡°And why does each Linker string have their mantra wrapped in a different color?¡± he asked as he stared at the handle details of my father''s sword mantra.
¡°Oh, an easy question to answer,¡± I replied, clenching my fist and slapping the palm of my other hand. ¡°Each person''s string reflects a color based on their personality. When a Linker learns to control the string that surrounds him, he is able to make objects obey the stimuli of his mind, but personality influences even this simple act. For example, a person with a bad heart is more likely to wield knives with his mind, which he knows can be used to hurt others.¡±
¡°Move with the mind? Is this what you explained to me one day? Polti... polta...¡± He started scratching his head desperately trying to remember the word.
"Poltergeist," I interrupted him, ¡°Poltergeist is one of the most common skills of a Linker, but there are several techniques such as elemental manipulation.¡±
"Geez Mich, you know so much!"
"Don''t try to sweeten my mouth, Kailan," I replied the compliment frowning my forehead, after all, when he started to flatter me too much, it was because there was something there.
Kailan so far hasn''t exchanged a direct look with me. He continued from the beginning messing with my father''s mantra, he didn''t even have anything he could pretend to be looking at anymore. It was subtle, but his hands were shaking. Something was stuck in his throat. The last time I saw him like this was when he broke one of the windows while playing Linker.
¡°Well, shall we proceed with the mantra ignition?¡± I asked in a less patient tone. ¡°Remember it''s not as easy as it looks, don''t be upset if you don''t make it today.¡±
He still didn''t lift his head to face me. I was already starting to lose my composure. I focused my hearing to hear Kailan''s heartbeat. I don''t know how I didn''t notice before even without focusing ¡ª I''m rusty ¡ª the boy''s heart was pounding.
"Spill it out, Kailan!" I yelled, changing my face to ''''Monsterchelle'''' mode. Don''t blame me for the name, it was Kailan who called my facial expression angry.
My brother stopped looking down and I could feel his heart almost leap out of his mouth in fear. As much as he had raised his head, he was now looking around, always avoiding meeting mine.
I''m trying to imagine what he''d gotten up to this time and how much I''d have to remove from our parents'' funds to fix it.
¡°I''m sorry, Mich,¡± Kailan said, cutting off all the possibilities I was thinking, ¡°but I disobeyed you."
When I realized it, I was the one who had goosebumps now. My father''s mantra emanated a strong orange around the blade of the sword, it was the same tone as our father''s. Kailan has just ignited the mantra. I didn''t know whether to scold him for disobeying me, or whether to congratulate him. Kail must have trained on the days when he couldn''t get anyone to look after him while I worked.
I took a deep breath and bit my index finger to maintain my composure.
¡°W-When did you manage to ignite it?¡± I asked in a scolding tone.
¡°Three months ago, but it was only this week that I managed to keep it activated for longer than 10 minutes.¡±
It was surprising, maybe this kid had some talent to be exploited. Children are usually only able to ignite a mantra after months of training in academy. It is a huge mental effort for a child, the mind is not yet developed to mentally coordinate so much string. That would indeed explain the sudden headaches and fevers in the last year. Maybe I''m not such a caring sister after all.
¡°I really don''t know how to deal with you,¡± I said as I massaged my temples, now I was the one with the headache. ¡°Don''t ever do anything so reckless again.¡±
¡°Yes, I promise!¡± he replied, his heartbeat now calmer. He seems to have taken the weight of guilt off of him.
¡°As a form of punishment, I won''t show you any movement. I''ll leave it to Uncle Simeon to teach you.¡±
¡°That''s not fair!¡± he grumbled as he deactivated my father''s mantra and crossed his arms, turning his back to me.
Without him noticing my approach, I put my hand on his head and hugged him tight. I was proud. I''m sure our parents would be thrilled right now, especially Mom. Today is the day Kailan would become independent of me.
We went up to the ground floor for our exit. Kailan put on his sneakers already waiting for me at the door. He was so electrified that he was jumping to contain his anxiety.
"Have you said goodbye to Mom and Dad yet?" I asked as I put on my coat and took my house key from the dresser.
¡°Yes!¡± he replied with a smile.
I patted her head and looked back at the dresser in the entrance hall, staring at the picture of our parents, who were always there to greet us. In the picture, my mother is pregnant with Kailan and she was making a ¡°V¡± with her fingers like two rabbit ears on my head. I was sulking in the photo, because that day Dad had arrived late for my academy debut test. Even on this day I told him that I hated him, my father held me in his lap with a beautiful smile showing pride. My heart tightened with these memories, I had to hold my chest for the momentary pain that the longing created.
¡°Mother. Father. We''re going.¡± I said looking at the photo as I closed the door.
We live on the artificial island of Marmontrius. Like all the other islands, this one has the same triangular architecture. Thousands of metal columns that raised the city above the ocean. The current population is 125 million, where 60% of those who live here are students, thanks to the fact that Marmontrius is a hub of highly prestigious Linkers academies. Like countries, each island has its own cultural diversification and predominant traits. In Marmontrius, tall buildings with mirrors and holographic advertisements filled the island''s scenery, but without ever losing harmony with the vegetation of the artificially created forests.
Depending on the island, in current times, it may have greater economic and governmental power than the countries that created them.
The most efficient form of transport is the monorail, which connects all thirty-two islands, at least I convinced myself of that whenever I rode it to save money.
"Mich, it''s a lot bigger than on TV!" Kailan explained as he spotted the academy from afar.
¡°Try to thank our uncle for getting you a scholarship,¡± I muttered, closing my wrist and holding it out in front of me. I was silently celebrating not having to touch my salary.
¡°Yes, I hear Uncle Simeon is a great Linker. I want to see what aspects he will teach me,¡± he replied, standing up on the bench to get a better view of the landscape.
¡°I''m going to miss you, Kailan. It''s going to be lonely at home,¡± I grumbled with my hand over my mouth.
"Did you say something, Mich?"
¡°Nothing, shall we? The next stop is ours,¡± I disguised it with a smile.
I don''t want him to hesitate at any time about moving to the academy. I know well that it''s what he wants most in life, and that my parents would never interfere in their children''s dreams.
We got off the station upon hearing the stop message. We walked for a few minutes to the bus stop. We were silent the entire ride. Taking this route was nostalgic, I could remember all the conversations I had with my friends from the academy as we crossed this bridge on foot with a beautiful view of the port.
Finally after a few minutes, the bus reached the final stop. In less than five minutes of walking we were in front of the gates of one of the main entrances. The walls of the academy had an exaggerated proportion. It was impossible to tell the size from the outside. Two crystal clear water fountains in each corner of the gates were responsible for majestically, beautifying the entrance. The grandeur of the walls and detailing on each tile were intimidating. Patched with a material similar to the other and having its white texture. Close to the entrance gate, you can see a memorial plaque on the floor with carved names of the great Linkers that formed here. Right at the beginning was my parents'' name, not that it was possible to read the small print from where I was, but I was here the day they wrote their names.
"So the new Deswan generation has arrived," a voice greeted us.
That thick, warm voice could only be Simeon''s. It would be impossible to forget it. Uncle Simeon always called to see how things were at home. He was more than my parents'' teacher, he became a father figure to them.
Simeon must now be in his fifties if I had to guess. He had dark, beautiful skin; there wasn''t a single hair on his head, just scars and battle marks on his face. His goatee was still the same since the last time I set foot in this academy. His posture was exemplary and his muscles reveal how hard he works every day to stay healthy and active. If I''m not mistaken, Simeon''s nickname was "The Labrador", thanks to his combat aspects and styles that resemble dogs fighting. I believe that no one can laugh at this style of combat, after all it was this style of combat that brought the end of the last war. Simeon was my parents'' squad leader.
¡°Well, it''s time Kailan,¡± I said as I crouched down to his level.
"Aren''t you going in, Mich?" Kailan asked shakily, clutching my coat.
"No, I don''t want you to be embarrassed by being with me Kan-Kan," I lied.
I tried to hide the tears that were trying to escape my heart into my eyes. I wouldn''t be able to see him again until three years from now when he knows how to control the string better and receives the authorization from the academy to go out on some weekends. It was difficult to fake a happy smile, my mouth fluttered between a smile and a sad face. I couldn''t see Kailan growing up as a man.
¡°Thanks for everything Mich. When we see each other again we can continue that training!¡± Kailan thanked me as he made my mother''s gesture to break the tension, sneezing after a few seconds.
I burst out laughing remembering the day I had to teach him this. He was nervous about having his first day of school and didn''t want to be away from me, so I showed him what our mother did when she wanted to forget about sadness.
Escaping the memories, I placed my hands on her shoulders and brought my face to her ear. There was something I couldn''t help but say to him right now, something more important than "I love you."
¡°Kailan, create your own aspects and show them the power of the Deswan,¡± I whispered in his ear and finally manumitted in my tears. ¡°Go on, make new friends!''
¡°Y-yes!¡± Kailan replied stuttering, running towards Simeon without looking back. His voice cracked, he was surely holding back tears.
Simeon exchanged glances with me along with a smile in response to my message. We both noticed that Kailan was holding back tears. He wouldn''t be able to face me right now, his pride wouldn''t let me see him crying. Of course I will respect his determination. As he walked into the academy, I could only wave and cheer for him. This would be the last time I saw Kailan as a normal child, the next time I saw him he would be¡
¡°A Linker,¡± I completed my thought aloud, believing that this way, it would come true.
The First Day of the Selections (Kailan Deswan)
"How long do you intend to sleep, Deswan?" asked a voice, whose identity was still unrecognizable to my mind in this sleepy moment.
"Just five more minutes Mich," I replied sleepily, sinking my face deeper into my pillow.
Judging by the fact that I''m still sleepy and the angle of the sun entering my room, I assume it''s not even seven in the morning. Who would have the audacity to wake up at this hour on a weekend? And not only that, depriving another person of sleeping too.
I heard the sound of a mantra igniting along with a possessed string enveloping my room. My instincts made me jump out of bed. I felt that if I didn''t get up now I would bitterly regret it. If the person waking me up is who I think he is, last time he threw me out the window, breaking the glass. My room is on the third and last floor of this dorm. If I wasn''t a wannabe Linker, I would have died here by now.
The figure in my room was the one I expected¡ªUncle Simeon, or rather; Professor Simeon.
"The opening ceremony for the exams is starting in 1 hour and you haven''t even started to get ready!" Simeon yelled, loud enough to give me a headache for the rest of the morning.
By now, after seven years of waking up like this, I should have gotten used to it. Simeon became my combat tutor from my early days at the academy. It''s been long years of being awakened this way. I wonder if he picks on other students or just I am ¡°privileged¡± by this warm alarm clock.
Massaging my temples to wake myself up, I noticed a strange smell settle in my nostrils¡ªsomething was burning. ¡ª Looking for the source of the odor, I had the misfortune to realize that my bed where I was lying a few seconds ago ¡ª in a beautiful dream where I became a pillar ¡ª was cut in half by Simeon''s drill mantra.
¡°When did you cut my bed, you maniac?¡± I yelled as I walked away from this man unaware of the consequences of his actions. For a moment I even considered jumping out the window to get away from this bed-busting vandal.
Only certified Linkers can use a mantra in their non-ghosting mode, and this man who calls himself sane and the pride of the nation has just used such power to destroy my nest of sleep. My heart raced again. It just dawned on me that I would have been cut in half by his mantra if I hadn''t gotten up.
It might seem like overkill to an outsider, but I know Simeon so well that I''m fully aware that if I didn''t jump out of bed, I''d be heading to the central hospital. I can even imagine the scene with my sister in the background in tears and as I''m heading to the operating room, I''d see Simeon apologizing with a: ¡°Sorry, I thought you''d get up as usual. By the way, that still doesn''t get you out of Monday night training¡± and then you''d be waving at me with your ¡°infectious¡± smile as my soul leaves my body.
¡°Don''t underestimate your teacher. You are my best student when it comes to reflex and instinct. It''s in your blood after all, your mother was never cut by me,¡± he bragged as he deactivated his mantra, which was slowly losing the black color of Simeon''s string. "Well, except for that one when..." He stopped talking and widened his eyes, looked around as if he was afraid someone would hear him. ¡°That was a close one, I forgot that even though Angel didn''t press charges against Unlink, the academy''s lawyer advised me never to bring it up.
"You know, the academy should be doing regular psych tests on its employees," I muttered, sure that only I would hear.
¡°Well, anyway¡± he coughed forcefully, changing the subject. ¡°Don''t forget that at eight-thirty, all students are expected to be in the central courtyard for the principal''s speech and for the drawing of keys for potential titular candidates.
¡°Yes, yes,¡± I replied, dusting him with my hand for him to leave for good.
¡°Good luck,¡± he said goodbye, gently closing the door after leaving my room.
I remained motionless for ten seconds to prepare myself psychologically to survive another day inside this academy. Today begins the selection tests of the academy titular''s. This time, I finally had Simeon''s approval and recommendation for me to be one of the selection participants for this edition.
I went in search of my clothes drawer. I wore my normal school class uniform. For something surrounded by digital and holographic fabrics, it''s kind of comfortable. However, I''m worried about the fact that I''ve had this same uniform for two years. I hope I still grow a little, at least enough to pass my sister''s height. The men''s academy uniform was basically white pants, white t-shirt and a white coat with stripes that change color according to their grade, as I was in second-to-last year, the stripes colors are green. At the same height as the heart, the symbol of two wings and a crystal glowed subtly¡ªthe symbol of our academy.
I walked towards the mirror to see how presentable I looked to leave the room. As I suspected, the face is still the same. I don''t even pass any confidence to the mirror; the more for people. My hair as black as coal and wild as a hurricane; describing in a poetic way. Also, for some reason blue streaks are constantly growing on my head and at some point in my life I gave up on cutting them and let them blend in with my natural hair growth. Of course, this only increased how much the students looked at me strangely. Add that to the fact that I have heterochromia ¡ª my left eye is dark brown and my right eye is light blue, and ¡°boom!¡± you have a ¡°Frankenstein¡±.
Not that I currently care what people think of my appearance. I''m too busy trying to survive in this academy.
After my failed attempt to make my hair less wild, I filled my lungs with air and opened the door to leave. Most of the friendships I''ve made here have been lost, not all of them can handle the routine and unusual experience that we are subjected to day by day. Not that I''ve made many friends anyway, my looks have always turned people off.
As I leave the dormitory area, I hear a few consecutive explosions coming from what would be the E Block women''s locker room. After seven years of growing up with this type of situation I can''t even be scared anymore by sudden explosions, fires or students running for their lives while a creature from another dimension fled during some failed pact with one of the students.
Analyzing it better, it''s even quieter today than usual if I think about it a lot. Just yesterday one of the students during lunch time hit one of the benches with his shin and well, let''s say that unintentionally the anger he felt for the chair, made him create an aspect in which all the chairs combusted in a within a ten meter radius near him¡ªactually, a very useful skill in combat¡ªthe academy had to close the place and many students were unable to eat lunch. Fortunately no one was hurt this time.
And that''s the kind of situation you have every day when you unite more than five thousand children and adolescents capable of literally distorting the world around them and who are still unable to keep their body and mind in sync; just like a professional Linker should be able to.
"Hey, hey. Did you know the reason for the explosion just now?" one of the students asked another one who was accompanying him.
According to the whispers I heard between the two students, the reason for the explosion seemed to be related to some boy who tried to spy on the girls taking a shower and when discovered, was thrown by some aspect of one of the final year students.
The ¡°Record Boy¡±, as we have come to call the student who has recorded all the records at the academy, was writing something in his notebook. That means some new record was made today.
¡°Good morning Record Boy, what was the achievement this time?¡± a student with a bottle of water and a towel around his neck asked.
¡°Human throwing distance with no apparent fatality,¡± he replied as he adjusted his stereotypically sunken glasses worthy of a smart kid.
I ignored the fact that no one was surprised that the shooting record was separated by fatalities. Ahead, the representative of one of the classes is upside down as if the ceiling were the floor. Even her black hair was upside down. She was talking to one of the teachers about the abandoned dorm. Students who pass close to her have their hair slightly raised, affected by the change in gravitational vectors generated by the ¡°vampire¡± girl. So it''s official that this is just another normal day at Sword Link.
We are free to use our aspects while in the academy ¡ª as long as no one gets hurt in any way. This is the kind of environment I live in, an environment where physical and quantum laws are broken daily.
I chose to get out of the dorm entrances as quickly as possible, after all, it is the area with the highest flow of students in the morning, so I don''t want to be in the middle of any aspect that is out of control. By coincidence or fate, the path I would take would be the same as the student who was thrown.
On the way to the gym''s open courtyard, I noticed that a student was moving in the garbage can. To be more exact, the legs of a student. He was with his whole body immersed in the trash and desperately trying to get out. I confess that normally I would ignore such a situation, but those gray shoes revealed to me the identity of the student in question.
The pathetic person bouncing around in the dumpster in front of me was James Smash, if I had to introduce him with one word, ¡°pervert¡± would be the one. But, if two words were needed, ¡°good friend¡± would be the one. There are also those who say that he is a promising Linker. He uses two brass knuckles on each of his fists. I find it quite ineffective compared to blade mantras, but as this style of combat is a family tradition, I''m one to avoid criticism.
"Good morning, James!" I greeted him, with a grunt in response and his frantic movement of legs. I believe he had become hopeful when he heard my voice. "This dump is for organic waste only, so before you jump into it, be conscious of taking your clothes off to make the cleaning staff''s job easier. See you later."
I waved and walked even though I knew he wouldn''t be seeing me. Hearing my footsteps moving away from the trash can, James started shaking and grunting more than before, he was yelling something impossible to understand because of the trash burying half of his body. It doesn''t take a genius to understand that he was asking me to help him. I breathed out. I was about to get my freshly washed clothes dirty to get out a student trapped inside a dumpster.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
It took a few minutes to get James out of the bin in a safe way. His white clothes were now yellow due to garbage residue. At least I was the one who found him in this deplorable situation, not Simeon. On second thought, I would like to see the reaction of a teacher seeing such a scene.
At first glance you don''t notice any presence in James. Brown hair and short, white skin and eyes of an innocent child, and he was not innocent at all.
¡°Th-Thanks Kailan, I thought I was going to die in there,¡± he blurted out as he caught his breath, leaning on my shoulder.
"Well, not touching my coat with that hand from James is a good way to say thanks," I said, removing his hand from my shoulder with just my index finger and thumb, avoiding as much contact as possible.
"You mean, trash hand," he retorted with a sad face, "right?"
¡°What were you doing over there in the¡¡± I stopped talking and frowned, tilting my face slightly and crossing my arms, changing my posture. ¡°Where were you earlier?
At my question, he widened his eyes. He knew what I was wanting to know. It is not the first time that he has suffered the consequences of his somewhat questionable personality for society.
¡°I don''t regret anything and I would do it again, that''s all I have to say,¡± he replied with a tight smile, even though he let a sweat break out on his face just remembering flying several meters.
Two students were walking past us at this moment. I recognized them from earlier, they were at the entrance to the girls'' dorm that was in front of my block. I believe they were one of the victims of this pervert''s eyes. Well, since he doesn''t regret anything, then it''s okay for me to have fun with it.
"Hey, girls," I called to them, causing James at that very moment to desperately sign for silence so I wouldn''t draw their attention. He''s known me for a few years, so he already knows my kind of humor. "Did you know this is the boy who was spying on you earlier?" He turned pale with despair and gaping. "Oh, he said he doesn''t regret it and will do it again tomorrow," I added, lifting my finger indicating this remark.
James started shaking his head in denial as the two girls gave off string and a murderous aura. They both snapped their fingers with their hands in sync. I believe that now they will make a regret rise in this boy''s heart.
After we had our breakfast, James and I headed out to the courtyard, at least half of it that wasn''t purple from punches and kicks performed by the girls. The girls at this academy aren''t helpless at all. Ever since we were little, we''ve all been training in martial arts and muscle strengthening using string, so muscle mass or gender doesn''t make that much difference in combat.
He should thank me for convincing them not to press charges to the teachers. Okay, as an argument I said he was so pathetic that he was looking for women''s underwear in the trash can and that''s why it was dirty. The two called him sick and sent him to see a doctor for treatment. I could swear one of them even cried for him. Surely they''ll tell the other girls about it and his popularity with the students will plummet from zero to something negative. Well, at least he won''t be expelled.
Finally we arrived at the courtyard. James was still staggering. The gym''s open courtyard had a huge crystal clear water fountain at its center, similar to what we have at the gym''s main entrances. On the ground, the sparse grass and a monochromatic light green predominated in leisure areas so that students could relax lying on the grass. Parts of trails to other academy buildings were filled with white tiles that never seemed to wear out over time. The courtyard itself was one of the few places where there were few trees around. A pentagon-shaped tile area accommodated the feet of students who anxiously awaited the announcement of the draws after a speech, always given by the academy''s regent director ¡ª Roosevelt III. A gentleman who used a mantra in the form of a cane. Not that he would still be able to participate in an ordeal at the age he must be.
An unprecedented wooden stage had been set up for today. I couldn''t remember which row my grade was assigned to, so I looked for students I shared classes in, joining one of the fifteen rows formed. James followed my movements. Each row had about a hundred students and more were arriving. It is clear that most of these students will not participate in the selection. Students are nominated by the teachers or by the academy''s shareholders in advance so that the students are assembled and drawn.
¡°All students go to the courtyard, the opening ceremony will begin,¡± the female announcer announced through loudspeakers scattered across the streetlamps throughout the academy.
"That woman''s voice is still beautiful, don''t you think Kailan," James commented.
¡°James, you could at least disguise that you''re a pain in the ass. Every day it gets harder to tell others that we''re friends,¡± I said without bothering to look back and see his reaction.
"H-How dare you! I''m not, I just know how to appreciate the female body more than others, it''s a gift."
¡°Yes, yes,¡± I replied with no hope in my voice.
¡°Anyway,¡± he put his hands behind his head, completely breaking out of the posture we''re told to take during the speech, ¡°this year it''s going to be pretty tough for us to be selected to participate. Many starting favorites have been transferred in recent months just to make the selection.¡±
I was already sure to participate thanks to Simeon''s nomination, so James would need that his talents during training and test scores - this one I think is more unlikely -, had been impactful in the eyes of the academy teachers. In fact, I hate to admit that it would be stupid of Sword Link not to even test James'' potential in a starter selection test.
¡°I wanted to know if we would face each other, Kailan. It would be great, well that''s if I get selected.¡±
¡°No thanks,¡± I replied instantly without hesitation.
As much as I found James'' fighting style uncomfortable, it was a very inconvenient style to face. Unlike mantras that have blades, brass knuckle mantras did not have a setting that limited pain and force in contact with human skin. His punches might not cut, but they hurt like hell. Getting punched by James'' mantra, speaking from experience, was like slamming your thumb into the corner of a piece of furniture. A sharp pain that makes you hate life and the furniture responsible for it, which in this case would be James.
I met James when I was thirteen. He had flirted with a mutual friend of ours; Sarine. I was pretty impatient at the time, so I didn''t hold back and got into a fight. Unfortunately I got punched in the face by James'' mantra, of course I fought back and in the end we were separated by the teachers. We both received severe punishments from Simeon and ended up becoming friends during the punishments.
¡°Shh!¡± James whispered. ¡°He''s here.¡±
Roosevelt who was taking the stage, with the speed that his body, worn out by years of service, allows him. He continued in the same way as five years ago when he spoke at the last edition of the starting lineup. His white hair slicked back and those good lord eyes. Always smiling and with that wrinkled skin of age. Looking at him brought a kind of comfort, it''s like looking at someone who looks like they''ve fulfilled all their dreams.
¡°Good morning wannabe Linkers!¡± Roosevelt announced as he took the microphone.
All students responded in a unique way with a resounding ¡°Good morning¡±. A silence took over the environment that a few moments ago was filled with teenage worries and random conversations. If I concentrated, I could even hear the heartbeats of the most insecure students.
¡°I''d like to wish good luck to all of this year''s Sword Link students who will be selected to compete for the starting slot for the regionals. Ratings remain the same as in the last edition. Regardless of whether you win or lose, your evidence will be judged by the academy and shareholders on performance scores. Before we draw the first proofs, I want you to remember what we taught you during these years.¡± He paused briefly to cough. ¡°Don''t use your aspects to hurt your opponents, make an aspect to strengthen them and yourself. I would also like to remind those who are not chosen this year, not to get discouraged, keep up the hard work and take advantage of the internship opportunities during the World Cup period to acquire new experiences.¡±
The student audience began to applaud with a round of applause that started slowly and gradually became loud and harmonious as Roosevelt smiled and waved.
"The old man with his motivational speeches, I never understand what he''s saying," James grumbled.
"What he meant is that if we dedicate ourselves with all our might; we are teaching our opponent. And if he does the same, he will be teaching us" at least that''s what I understand.
When two students are drawn for a duel, the name of our counter duelist appears on our bracelets. It wasn''t long before James and I noticed the bracelets of students around us blinking and projecting names. Most of the people I noticed being chosen were popular faces at the academy.
A mixture of feelings took over the atmosphere. Students began to congratulate the chosen ones, while others simply got down on their knees and started crying because they knew they would not be chosen. Some who did not want to pursue a career in the official dueling business were already retiring to their quarters. Of course, only those selected by the academy would run for the titleholders, so only the best of the best were chosen.
Out of the corner of my peripheral vision I could see that James'' bracelet had started to flicker. I thought about letting him see for himself, but his distress and nervousness at seeing other students being selected began to bother me.
¡°James, your bracelet,¡± I informed him.
He was surprised, rubbed his eyes and slapped himself, in order to confirm he wasn''t dreaming¡ªthough it wouldn''t surprise me that he was now a masochist.
¡°Of course, you had doubts that I would be one of the chosen ones?¡± he said louder than he should have.
It wasn''t what it felt like a few seconds, but I accepted his reaction. He placed his hand on his chin and closed his eyes, giving an air of superiority to everyone around him. Anyone who didn''t know him, seeing him with all that thoughtfulness and confidence, would think he''s a¡ idiot. Yeah, maybe you don''t need to know someone better to draw correct conclusions.
"Who will be my first counter duelist?" James asked himself before checking the bracelet data.
After that whole unfailing scene, James changed his face. From someone who exudes confidence, he began to exude fear in the form of a string after reading the name on his bracelet. His reaction scared me to imagine who his opponent would be.
¡°It doesn''t even look like you. Who will you face?"
"Luna," he said with his head down, kneeling on the floor.
¡°Luna? What Luna, James?¡± I asked trying with all the world''s efforts to remember this name, but nothing came to mind.
James began to drag down the skin of his face with the palms of his hands. He was losing his sanity.
"Luna Stirling," he finally said.
With a flash of memory, I remembered which person James would face thanks to his last name. Luna Stirling was ranked one of our academy''s favorites for this year. At just sixteen years old, she had already participated in professional winter tournaments at the Grand Link academy. She transferred earlier this year following a personal invitation from our director. I didn''t remember her name because everyone already calls her by her strap ¡ª Baioring Queen.
James was depressed and huddled on the floor, looking at his gray shoes.
¡°Don''t be like that James. You can beat her.¡± Having no reaction from him, I continued. ¡°Your fighting style is quite unusual, it might come as a surprise to her.¡±
The reason for James'' fear beyond the fame that predates the Baioring Queen is his direct descent from Lind Stirling ¡ª a three-generation Linker that James and I both looked up to. Lind Stirling was a highly flexible violinist and one of the Linkers to revolutionize the way strings can be manipulated; with music. Lind took the form of violin mantras to its height and established the Stirling family as one of the most influential families in the world in the Linker environment. Many other Linkers who were inspired by Lind tried to copy her fighting style, however, it seemed that only those who carried her genes were able to easily utilize aspects of her.
I wonder if James would be all right. Luna has always shown formidable skills and in the first days at the academy she was already popular, after all her beauty was very flashy and difficult to go unnoticed, besides being skilled and having the Stirling blood running in her veins. Her shoulder-length orange hair and dark blue eyes were quite unusual for Marmontrius, they set her apart in a positive way.
Even with all her experience, I feel like she never really showed her true potential in the few duels and training I''ve had the opportunity to attend since her transfer to Sword Link. The fact that she always wore a pair of black gloves bothered me too. Did she have some sort of germ phobia or was it just style?
¡°Hey, your bracelet didn''t show any names, Kailan.¡±
James seemed to have come to his senses after seeing some girls in girls'' gym uniforms walking past us, making me regret that I even cared about his condition.
¡°Yes, there''s nothing for me to worry about. I should be in tomorrow''s draw. At least this way I can watch your exam today and see you beating the gym favorite.¡± I held out my hand so he could get up. ¡°Come on. You need to stretch.¡±