"So, this is the kid, huh?" Mika bent over, tilting her head as she inspected Ansel—who was hiding behind his father. Mika's nose scrunched up as she tilted her head to the other side—her gaze seeming to pierce into Ansel's very soul.
"Enough of that." Pengal slapped Mika's head with his palm, causing her to straighten up almost instantly—her body as stiff as a rod.
"Sorry, Lieutenant Shimerone, sir!" Her voice came out loud, every syllable perfectly enunciated.
"Lieutenant?" Ansel asked, gaining the courage to step out from behind Hakim.
"Yes, I am the Lieutenant of the Farrah Division's second squadron. I must have forgotten to tell you earlier. Apologies."
Hakim blinked twice. 'Lieutenant... I thought he was just a normal officer?' It was well known that the Unity Department maintained three squadrons of 100-200 officers per garden, with the first squadron being the most prestigious. Being a lieutenant means being second-in-command—and that was not a role to be taken lightly. Pengal's easygoing demeanor and casual tone had made Elize and Hakim lower their guards. 'This man... he's powerful'.
"We will deal with Yoran," Pengal placed a hand on Mika's shoulder. "Little Ansel, I take it you have fully accepted your enrollment at the academy?"
Ansel nodded vigorously, his gaze shifting between Pengal and Mika. His doubts were shattered like glass as soon as he saw Mika punch Yoran. Mika didn't hesitate and took action on her own. She felled Yoran with a single punch and didn't even break a sweat. To Ansel, 'She's... so cool'.
"Alright, that matter's settled then. You can continue on with your daily lives as normal. Some educational material will be provided to Ansel, but it shouldn't be anything too tedious. When he becomes of age—that is, the year Ansel turns fourteen—his enrollment at the academy will begin in March. And Mr. Einchalle, if you run into any trouble at all, feel free to contact me via the second squadron's headquarters."
Hakim nodded, "Thank you for everything, Mister Shimerone."
"I should be the one thanking the both of you." Pengal smiled, directing a brief glance at Ansel. "You two are raising a fine young boy." Waving behind his back, Pengal stepped out.
"See you later, Ansel!" Mika winked, waving goodbye to Ansel as she skipped out behind Pengal.
Upon leaving the home, Pengal turned to look at where Yoran's unconscious body should have been, only to find a small, empty crater. "...Did he wake up?" he asked, turning to look at Mika.
"I thought I knocked him out real good..." She whined, "Sorry, sir."
"Hmph, it's okay. I doubt he has the willpower to continue with his antagonization after such a pathetic defeat."
"Hehe," Mika giggled, "It was very pathetic."
Mitz carried the unconscious Yoran on his back, struggling with every step he took. Yoran's cheek was smooshed against Mitz's shoulder, a thin flow of drool spilling onto his cardigan. "Great, absolutely great..." Mitz grumbled, "...Why do you always have to be such a reckless fool?"
* * *
"Haa..." Yoran wheezed, "I'm gonna die..."
"Be quiet, Franka will fix you up," Mitz snapped, going silent for a moment before letting out a reluctant sigh. "You've had quite a week, haven't you? First you get stabbed, and now this... rumors about the one-balled King of Farrah are already spreading across the bazaar's underground. Hell, they may have even reached other gardens."
"Sorry..." was the only word Yoran could think of.
"Just be quiet. Your lungs are probably all messed up, so it'd be better if you just stopped speaking. And your voice sounds disgusting right now..." Mitz readjusted his grip on Yoran's thighs. "...It'll take a while to salvage our reputation, and... Yoran, I don't think you're fit to lead."
"Rex! Simone!" The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in blazing hues of orange and yellow. Ansel called out to his best friends, frantically waving his hand. Rex and Simone, like Ansel, were the children of other Farrah Local Council members—living in the garden's specialized 'council housing' district.
* * *
"Ansel!" Rex ran up to his friend. His hair was a dirty blonde, and his cheek was smudged with mud. Simone followed Rex, walking with a casual pace as he combed his black hair to the side with his fingers.
"I saw some scary-looking man come up to your house yesterday and today, Ansel!" Rex exclaimed. "...Who was he? Did you get into trouble or something?"
"No! He was a Unity Officer, and he said he wanted me to join the training academy!"
"Unity Officer?" Simone's mouth opened, shocked. Then, he clamped his lips shut as he raised an eyebrow. "Wait, Ansel... does that mean you're an accessor?"
"Yeah, he said I was an accessor. Can you believe that?"
"But how are you an accessor?" Rex questioned. "...Your parents aren't accessors, so that means you can't be an accessor either, right?"
Ansel went silent, thinking of a way to answer Rex's question, before he broke out into a fit of giggles. "Maybe I have a mutation or something, hehe."
"It would be possible," Simone continued, maintaining a serious tone. "Imagine the first accessors... their parents couldn't have also been accessors, right?"
"Enough with the boring talk!" Rex grumbled, gently smacking Simone's arm. "Come on, you're it!"
The three played tag around the council park for an hour, then stopped as the sun finally set. The cold embrace of night fell over the sky, and a blanket of shining stars streaked across the vast expanse of darkness.
The boys walked over to the edge of the Council Housing sector of Farrah—positioned at the garden's edge. A massive metal fence was strewn across the garden's perimeter, but the boys had just enough room to sit down and slide their legs through the fence, watching as their feet dangled off the garden's edge.
Below the garden was a vast expanse of sky. It stretched on forever, reaching untold depths. Clouds littered their surroundings; some small and translucent, others massive and imposing, marching across the sky like ancient beasts.
Gripping the fence, Rex leaned forward and rested his forehead against the metal. "So Ansel, you really will be a Unity Officer, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess. I'm excited but... I'm also kind of sad." Ansel turned to look at Rex and Simone—his closest—and only—friends. "I still want to play with you guys, even if I become a Unity Officer!"
"You can always play with us, Ansel!" Simone smiled.
"Yeah!" Rex added. "...As long as you don't get too stuck-up."
The three laughed at Rex's comment as the night's chilly air embraced them. "When you become a Unity Officer," Simone spoke, "...you'll get to see the other gardens in the federation. You can go down into the bottom layers, and maybe even see the Forever Storm." His voice sounded melancholic—contrasting with his age.
"When we're grown up," Simone's eyes flashed with resolve, "the three of us will go down to the Kappa Layer and visit the Forever Storm!"
"Ew!" Rex giggled. "The Kappa Layer's dirty and filled with trash. Instead, we'll go to the upper layers and visit the Empire... and we could even see the Grand Cloud!"
"Don't be silly," Simone interjected, "...People from the Federation don't get to visit the Empire."
The three boys looked up at the infinite sky that stretched above their heads. Ansel let out a long breath, "The stars are so pretty. I wonder what they look like from the Deneb Layer..."
"I wonder what the stars look like up close..." Rex murmured.
"You'd get blinded and die trying to see a star up close, idiot!" Simone grumbled.
Both Simone and Rex engaged in a round of banter, only to be silenced by Ansel's murmuring. It sounded less like Ansel was talking to his friends—more like he was making a promise to himself. "One day... we'll go to see the stars up close."