Pinkshell Academy

8:00 a.m.

Pinkshell Academy was one of the three major academies of Annaguaua. Although it was ranked the lowest of the three, it still produced exceptional students each year. Most students opted out of attending PinkShell as their first choice because of how close it was to the ocean, which was a fair criticism. The building’s discoloration from the salty air meant that it had to be constantly maintained, and the ocean scent was not always pleasant. Still, Kai didn’t mind; the school was filled with students from PinkShell and neighbouring villages, so there was a homey atmosphere even within the school.

He parked his bike at the rear of the school outside its outer fence. It didn’t take long for him to throw his bag over and vault the fence next to the “Authorized Personnel Only” sign that hung on it. He didn’t consider himself a particularly social person, so he preferred to enter the school away from the usual hustle and bustle at the front gate. He was thankful that, for a restricted area, the school had done a terrible job keeping it secure. It allowed him peace of mind and the opportunity to be completely alone.

Suddenly, he felt something stick into his back, right between his lower vertebrae. His eyes opened up as he felt like white hot poison quickly crawled through his entire nervous system.

“You’re early.”

Kai slowly turned his head over his shoulder to see a young girl sitting behind him on a stack of wooden pallets adjacent to some oil barrels. Her hand was outstretched as she poked him in his lower back with her index finger. He sighed and turned around as she moved her hand.

“You seriously need to stop doing that, Jenny,” Kai scolded her.

“Nope, not as long as it makes you uncomfortable,” She giggled.

Jennifer Hallecell was the top student of Form Four at PinkShell. She also happened to be Kai’s one and only friend. It wasn’t that he couldn’t make other friends; it was just that he found relationships complex to navigate and preferred to stick to what he could manage. He didn’t even intend on becoming friends with Jenny, but she just barged into his life and refused to leave. 

“When did you even get here? I swore I made sure no one was around before I came in?” 

“If I told you, I wouldn’t be able to do it again the next time,” she said with a smirk.

Kai sighed.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s just get going, you're going to make me miss the timing before the guard reaches.”

Kai reached for his bag, but Jenny picked it up and slung it onto her back.

“What are you…”

“What do you think is out there for us Kai,” she asked him as she stared upwards to the sky, hands clutching either strap of the bag.

Kai watched her closely. Hispanic, five-foot-seven, beautiful brown hair with bleached ends, and a smile that made you helplessly at ease. She was beautiful. Far too beautiful to be friends with someone like him. Then again, she didn’t entertain many other people either. Like him, she did not interact often with those in their form. She was like a distant shining jewel in their year. An existence that earned her the nickname “Scholar”. As benign as the name sounded…it wasn’t, evident by the numerous high-class girls that tormented her daily between sessions. He often asked her why she chose to be close to him. She always joked that she was an elitist, which made absolutely no sense. Now, in the present, she looked back at him with great curiosity.

“Well? What do you think?”

This is a question she asked often. Kai scratched his head for a moment and decided to respond with a question of his own.

“Do you miss the mainland?”

She tilted her head slightly, then eventually she dropped her eyes.

“It’s not that. I thought leaving the mainland would mean I would get to see something new…something different. And I did, Annaguaua is so pretty.”

She moved from standing on the pallets to the top of the oil drums, reaching one hand toward the sky.

“Hey! Careful up there…” Kai cautioned as he moved closer.

“But it’s not enough. I need something more. Somewhere more.” 

She twirled around on one foot.

“That’s why I can’t wait to gradua-” 

Her shoe slipped, and she fell over. Kai raised his hands just in time to catch her.

“I told yo-”

“After I become a decorated agent, will you come find me?”

He paused once more.

“Sure.”

“Promise?”

“Yes, yes, I promise. Now, can we get inside?” He asked as he set her down.

Jenny shared his dream of finding something fulfilling out there in the world. Something…different. There weren’t many ways to do that for people like them, but even among the limited options, she definitely chose the most ambitious.

There were six enforcement divisions within the Astian empire:

Constable Hold Forces (CHF): The Hold’s police force. Responsible for surveying and resolving most domestic conflicts.

High Hold Forces (HHF): An important division responsible for guarding Hold facilities and properties.

Aerial Hold Forces (AHF): The Hold’s air force. Responsible for containing all citizens within Astia and capturing any potential escapees.

Investigative Hold Forces (IHF): The Hold’s detective agency. Responsible for quietly gathering and relaying information on any potential threats or nuisances within the empire.

Navy Hold Forces (NHF): The Hold’s sea force. Responsible for containing all citizens within Astia and capturing any potential escapees. They are also known to patrol and eliminate any illegal trade or trafficking.

Special Hold Forces (SHF): A rather enigmatic sector of the Astian Empire. Agents are given special assignments that are too complex or situational for CHF or IHF to handle. Similar to IHF, most agents are unknown, although there are a few public figures.

Jenny had set in her mind not just to become an SHF agent, but a commanding agent at that. It may have seemed like a far-fetched dream to many, especially for someone who lived in the ITCU. However, Kai knew better than most that if there was anyone who could do it in the ITCU, it was Jennifer Hallecell. She already managed to join the ‘special’ curriculum that was set aside for those who showed great promise of becoming an agent for the Hold. That’s why she wore their emblem on her shirt. A red hand with a single eye in the center. The symbol of the AllBright.

The AllBright was a large space station that orbited their world. It served as one the main data centers for the Hold and well as a surveillance beacon. At night time, the emblem of the Hold was projected down from the station into the sky. The same bright red hand and the eye ever-watchfully in its midst. Periodically, the eye of the AllBright would shift back and forth, reminding the citizens that the Hold was always watching, for their ‘safety’ of course.

Kai had his reservations, but he did not allow it to affect the relationship between Jenny and himself. He sighed as he turned to make his way into the school. He barely managed to take one step before he felt a mass drop onto him.

“I’m feeling tired today, mind carrying me?” Jenny asked from on his back.  Kai secured his arms under her legs and heisted her up slightly.

“Seriously, aren’t you too old for this?” He mumbled.

“Aren’t you too young to be so serious?”

He rolled his eyes as he began his trek into the school, ready to tackle another long day.