In an inconspicuous building lied a young man Lior Thalen staring at the leak dropping down from his run down roof.
Drip. Drip… time seems to stop as Lior kept on looking at the leaking roof. Lior, just a average seventeen years old teenager in the settlement, it is said that they are over twenty different settlements located in the First Floor, you would have expected that each floor has settlements in it but reality is not the case. They are over fifty floors humanity had discovered but only five floors are able to accommodate settlements
As Lior kept on watching the drip of the water, the sound of beep cut the silence. beep beep...that was the sound of his communicator, as he stand up to grab the communicator he was suddenly pushed to the side by a little figure, even though the figure was not as tall as him that was around 1.7meters she was 1.3meters. this was his sister Ashley both of them lives at this run down building together ever since both of their parents died during a monster raid.
Ashley and Lior are twins with Ashley being younger than him with twenty seconds. As Ashley pushed Lior she suddenly turned back and said…. eh eh I wonder whose calling you now.. is it that girl from downstairs that recently collected your number in class yesterday.
Lior, not in mood the with this his sister shenanigans , brushed her question off and stretched out his hand and demanded …" Ash am not in the mood to play with you just hand me my communicator, am expecting a message."
Ash ignoring her brother just decided to open the communicator and check the message…. CONGRATULATION LIOR THALEN FOR PASSING THE ENTRANCE EXAMINATION TO QUALIFY FOR SKYLIGHT GROVE ACADEMY. Ash seeing the message was shocked and dishearten, turning to her brother who had arrived at her side and snatch back his phone
With teary eyes that seems that would soon break down ash said…. when were you planning on telling me you wrote this exam, do you to want to leave me just like how mum and dad did
Lior looking calmly into his sister eyes didn't approach her to say comforting words or try to console her, he just stared at her like a machine with no feelings, after what it seems like some minutes had pass Lior finally speaked " Ash you should accept the application that was sent to you".
Ash looking at her brother surprised, 'how did you know?' Lior just chuckled not planning on explaining how bad his sister is at keeping things secret.
He just continued speaking…. you know that Crimson Vale Institute is one of the best academy in the entire dungeon, but before he could continue, Ash said… "it is located at the twenty third floor which is quite far from floor one and I won't let us be separated over such long distance."
Lior, looking at his sister amused to himself in cases where other will kill just to get application letters from the institute, his sister is rejecting the offer because the distance is too far from him, such a sweet lil sister. He then suddenly say, it not my fault you are a genius besides who said we wont see each other again, don't forget that we are already nearing twenty… if we cannot find a way to open our genetic lock we might stay mortals for ever.
Lior leaned back against the wall, eyes half closed. "You know, Ash… a hundred years ago, people thought the tenth was the end of the world. Anyone who dared going lower never came back, It was a death sentence."
He let out a dry laugh, until a lucky bastard stumbled across a crystal while running from a horde. The crystal healed his wounds, made him stronger, like chains on his just snapped off. that's how the first genetic ascendant was born. Humanity only survived down here because of him… and other people that came after him.
His gaze then shifted to her. "that why we don't have the luxury to stay weak . if we cant unlock our genes before twenty, we'll stay mortals forever."
Ash looking at her brother still not convinced tried to say something but was cut off by her Lior, "you are going….. have already messaged them they will arrive next week to pick you up, so that you will be safe when heading to the twenty third floor".
Ash shocked by her brother words… she had already been ratted out!! not in the mood to play with her brother anymore, she turned around and ran to her room shutting the almost broken door.
Sigh!!, Lior watched how his sister stormed off and couldn't help but feel a little pang.. in his chest for her. This is only family member he as left yet he his sending her far away from himself.
But nothing can be done he had to make his sister spread out her wings and soar, he cant keep her in this wear down building in Settlement C. knowingg that a genius like her shoiud cannot be held down here.
Lior sat back on his creaky chair, staring at the cracked ceiling. "floor ones a funny place" he muttered to himself. "Twenty-five settlements, all stamped with letters like cattle, A-Z. it doesn't matter which one youre born in… rich stays rich, poor stay poor. Nothings ever changes."
He thought of Ashley, of how she fit into their crumbling home like a bird in a cage.
"This Floor One's crowded because its safe. Monsters here aren't too vicious, the zones are stable. People cling to it, even if it means rotting in the same dirt forever."
His mind wandered further, past the boundaries he had never crossed. "seventy floors discovered, and only five safe enough for settlements: One, Fifteen, Twenty-Three, Forty And Sixty-One. They say the federation's top brass lives up there on the Sixty-One floor, ruling over the rest of us. Five families pulling the strings like we're all their playthings"
He let out a bitter laugh. " not that I'd know. I've never step a foot outside Settlement C."
Lior couldn't just help but be amused with himself, his sister will be going to a totally different floor while he would just remain in the same floor, well the good thing is that skylight academy is at Settlement Y so he will have his chance to leave this Settlement.
Just thinking about this made him smile a little show casing his pale but handsome features. Sure he might live in a run down house at the end of the settlement but he always considered his looks to be above average. But sigh….. it seems that is twin sister is another case on it own she was considered the school belle, young teens even giving her the title of the third most beautiful girl in the settlement. It is in cases that you wonder how the heck!! are they related maybe he was just picked up from somewhere. Just thinking about this just made him depressed!.
Just as his was sulking a knock came from the door, Knock. Knock.....he got up to check up on who wouldn't let him sulk in peace.