Lucent Black Chapter 2: Campus

Masses of young teenage boys and girls stumbled into the main hall, where they were welcomed by the teachers commitee.

To Skairan's surprise, there were several armed members of the Police Forces stationed inside the hall. All of them wore heavily reinforced ballistic armor and their standard grade military sabers, shields and crossbows. Full masked helmets hid their faces behind them and they seemed quite intimidating to say the least.

Boris' expression instantly turned worried and Skairan rolled his eyes as he looked at him. "They're here to protect us, dummy."
"I'm not afraid because of that..."

Skairan gave his best friend a look with an arched brow.

"I'm scared, because they suspect another terrorist attack by the Shade Runners, and it could be us next", Boris said and gazed around in slight panic.


Skairan opened his mouth but didn't bring out a word. There was no point in teasing Boris, when he actually was afraid of being a victim.

"Don't be ridiculous", he simply said afterwards.

The commitee gathered around the lectern as the principal stepped up, adjusting the microphone in front of his mouth. A very beautifully embellished robe he wore. White fabrics, golden striped and red epaulettes, nearly shining in the well lit main hall. Even his shoulder length white hair had a sort of a glimmer. He spread out his arms as he spoke in a welcoming tone.

"A new year for the freshmen of Metropolaris. Many paths await to be chosen. Several challenges will tear you apart, but only the best will remain true to themselves and face them with every last fiber in their brain and bodies. Ladies and gentlemen I hereby welcome you to Metropolaris' Western High Campus."

Nearly all of the fresh learn-ready students broke out in cheering and clapping. Boris seemed to have gained some more confidence back in the vast loudness of the celebration. Skairan smirked, but remained arms crossed. His gaze wandered over a few faces,recognizing a few students from middle or even elementary school.

"As you may or may not know, this is the final stage in your education to become independent citizens of Metropolaris, I expect your full cooperation for your own future. If that is provided, I see great fortune ahead of each and every one of you."

Another round of heated applause.

The principal shifted his gaze to the teacher commitee and waved a person over. A tall and shady robed man stepped forth and joined the principal by the speaker's table. Skairan squinted his eyes. He was a member of the Sanguine Movement.

Both of the representatives swapped places as the robed man started talking.

"My valued students, I have come to spread out the news of our great savior Nelkor, who will guide you trough your difficult time to become adults of our society of Metropolaris. We shall praise him, as he shall bless you with his aura. But that is not all."

The entire hall darkened as a projector shot its light at the screen behind them, revealing just black silhouettes of hooded people with long coats and a large exlamation mark in the centre of the frame. Murmering and other noises of rather panicked reactions broke the silence. Boris gulped and Skairan still fixated the screen with his eyes.

"The Shade Runners have conducted multiple assault on our Senate on the headquarters of the Sanguine Movement. We advise you, if you should encounter any members of the wicked organisation, to contact your next federal employee, such as the Police Force, immediately."

"Those b******s killed my sister in one of their attacks on the Police outposts!" One of the freshmen shouted in full force.

Another clutter of voices filled the great hall of the campus building. Skairan was quite surprised about how many people felt affected by this.

The representative of the Sanguine Movements raised his arms to his sides. "Please, my dear citizens, I beg for your composure. The Police Force also prevented a lot of serious incidents in the past. The situation is under control. Our great savior Nelkor will act judgment upon them soon and accordingly."

A hooded figure suddenly dropped onto the lectern, right in front of the representative of the Sanguine Movement.

Skairan widened his eyes until they hurt. It was the same person as last night.

The shady man smirked at the speaker, before he pulled out a one-handed crossbow from the inside of his coat and fired a bolt straight through the man's head. The bolt got stuck in the ground in front the feet of the principal, who screeched in horror. Splatters of red stains formed on the screen behind them, as a small pool of blood started to stream down from that one step, towards the masses of teenage students.

Many started screaming in panic as they began to scatter and push themselves around in order to get to safety.

Shattering glass is heard from behind the masses of teenagers, before some of them yelped in surprise. Skairan turned about and couldn't believe his eyes.

Six hooded people broke into the main campus building on the upper level, now standing on the catwalk right above the crowd.

Boris and Skairan got tossed around, as the young determined one grabbed his shy best friend by the shoulder.

"Stay where you are! They want us to panic." Skairan said and cast another gaze upwards.
The group already seemed to have spread out. All available Police guards have assumed an effective combat formation. They have formed a line around the crowd of teenagers, each guard having a gap of merely 1 - 2 metres in between. Their shields were raised and their sabers in their respective sword arm.

Sounds of clashing metal is heard from above, followed by some screams and command barking. They must've already engaged in battle. The crowd of students was still restless and on the edge of fleeing out the doors. The Police Force went to their limits, to keep them calm and disciplined.

The same six attackers rappelled down, giving that distinct sound in the process. They were now facing the crowd, who were shielded by the Police Force. Each side had about 5-10 guards and quite heavily outnumbered the hooded people.

Skairan gritted his teeth, since they were trapped like fish in a net. He peered back to the lectern. The man from yesterday seemed to have already disappeared.

The hooded terrorists taunted the Police Forces and suddenly pulled out small, grey spherical objects from their coats and tossed them at the floor, with quite a punch. A screen of smoke emerged from the bombs, densifying in an alarming rate. More screams are heard from all around Skairan but he remained cautious and tried to distinguish anything inside the scene.

More noises of fencing and battlegrunts from all sides, Skairan now couldn't bear it any longer and pressed through the masses until he stood at the outmost line of students. Many have decided to stay still, since they probably wouldn't want to be killed in the smoke, which surprised Skairan.

The sounds stopped and the smoke subsided slowly but surely. The six hooded attackers stood in one line, their hands clasped behind their backs. Skairan took a good look around. All the guards were slain, and all members of the terrorist squad survived. His knees began to shake, especially when the bearded man, who most certainly was their leader, stepped forth and approached the young teenager.

Skairan froze. He froze extremely solid as the murderer of the Sanguine Movement representative moved closer, and closer towards him. He's gonna finish what he started last night. His thoughts pained in his head, which shot several doses of adrenaline through his body. But he remained where he was.

There was probably an armslength between them, when the man stopped.

"You've got quite the nerve to stand so far from the herd", the man said and lifted his chin at the crowd behind Skairan.
Skairan slowly turned his head, expecting to be killed as he does so, but he only saw, that his fellow students have retreated several steps away from him and the hooded man, staring at them like deers caught in headlights.

As he turned his head back, the man's blade pressed against his throat. He moved closer to Skairan as he muttered.

"Many would kill for your courage, but I won't. Not today."

He withdrew his blade and returned it back to its sheath. He gestured to his people as they all rushed out the building, disappearing in the distance.

Skairan stared after them and suddenly dropped onto his knee. As the adrenaline faded, he started panting and even tears formed in his eyes. Just due to the intense moment between life and death.

The crowd behind him started to all speak simultanieously in panic, once more. Boris ran towards his friend and turned him around. His expression contained a mixture of multiple emotions. Fear, confusion, but mostly anger.

"Skairan! You b*****d, are you with them?!"

The downed teenage boy, who was struck by awe and pure anxiety shifted his gaze to his other fellow high schoolers. They all bore the same face, as they returned the look. What the hell just happened...?