Falling From Your Sky

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Faradiso-Paradise

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There was a town in the East, named safest yet the most mysterious. Barriers of thick concrete aligning and separating the edges of ARIA and the safe zone. Hollows who knew of what’s inside the safe zone were shot, punished for not keeping their curiosity on the low. Who wouldn’t anyway? Having trained all life unwillingly and to follow the orders of those with jurisdiction. Who wouldn’t wanna know what lies in that area known to give security and comfort?

"Line up and at attention!” shouts resonate through the long hallway, the dorms of ARIA nothing short to jail in a maze. The booming voice belonging to a short man clad in layers of green uniform and a bulletproof vest to complete the ominous look. He waits for everyone to get out of their rooms, new recruits rush outside typically frightened, fiddling with their clothes while others didn’t even bother wearing any. The commander shoots them with a glare and notes that he’ll have disciplinary action for the aforementioned. But don’t get him wrong. Officer Hong was one of the kindest in all the blocks of ARIA. Hollows thrown out of other areas came to him and he gladly wrote them down.

Too bad he was in line for death row.

“Start!” He orders at the long line of students, taking sharp glances at each and everyone of them as a reminder of their current position. Everyone seemed to have followed the routine correctly and in unison but a girl at the end of the line had not even opened her mouth.

The commander stomped towards her in a way to notify her of his presence. "What’s with you?" He grit his teeth as he questioned, seeming to get no response as the hollow in front of him was floating elsewhere. No other noise was heard as all of them became tense as always, a common feeling as to not anger the superior. The girl he approached was completely out of it yet she still did her best to speak even after being cut off  with a harsh blow to her face.

"Halt! All of you repeat. Define!" Officer Hong was in no place to give sympathy for a trainee as the whole of them were preparing all day with no leniency given. That’s right, no mercy. ‘Mercy is the definition of weakness’

At least that’s what they all say, brainwashing every single one of them to their breaking point just to have them suck up to each of their commands. "What is your motto?!"

"We, ARIA authority are loyal agents. To commit our life in protecting all living beings and to apprehend those who violate our judgement." Officer Hong looks back at Trainee 031 and decides to finally let her relax, visibly more exhausted than the others, a bad start painted on her fatigued features. He then proceeded to eliminate those that had not passed the previous tests and let the high ranking trainees remain, that included the student who he had put his attention to. "031, You have been in this institution for more than three years and yet you still show weakness. I am only letting you off as you are holding the top title. Take my words as a warning as your next trial will be the final test.” Officer Hong pauses in his scolding, a flash of grief in his cold gaze

“If you fail, you know what will happen." the trainee does not move and remains staring at the ground. She was extremely tired for some reason, hair sticking out in all directions and her heart rate faster than usual. She was only hoping to fall asleep as soon as her bed is within reach, eager to sail away to dreamland. "Get back to your dorms and prepare for the second periodical" The superior addressed, taking less than a second to head back to his own office but an agent from the main department barges in, state no different from trainee 031. She heaves and passes the document to Officer Hong, whispering to him in between breaths.

"Stop right there" He points at trainee 031 who was just about to leave as well, head turning languidly. "You are given your first official case, I expect good results." Trainee 031 wasn't able to protest, she didn't know that the final trial would be given this early, heck, she was trembling and covered in her nasty body liquid. Her heart rate spiked, pounding in anticipation and fear.

The said agent didn't even give her time to catch her breath and walked ahead way too fast, leaving her to limp. Trainee 031 soon found herself entering the designated room and all eyes were set on her, making it look as if she had grown two heads before thankfully motioned to settle down. The previous agent who had gone to fetch her gave the same documents to a man at the edge of the room, standing beside a hologram that imaged a realistic map.

The man clears his throat, a disapproving glance thrown trainee 031’s way as he observed her fidgety movements.

"As I was saying, Officer Lee of division 3 has reported a potentially dangerous aurum coming any time soon and we want to be prepared. Thus the reason why we need this special trainee" The man gestures to her and proceeds to ask

"You are in fact the highest in ranks of block-F correct?"

Trainee 031 tilts her head, trying not to make it obvious that she almost dozed off.

"and I assume you are not yet well informed. Your files state that you were picked up wandering in the mountains" 

Trainee 031 didn't know why the meeting was suddenly about her, seeming to forget the breakdown she had on the way here.