"Thank you so much!" The lobby of the Stens Electronics shone under the cold, sterile beam of the overhead lights, exuding a chill that permeated the entirety of the space.
"It's my pleasure, Miss. We would love to have you again." The warm, professional voice of the sales representative echoes within the wall. I smile feeling for the silvery pair of rings slotted into my ears.
The sales representative had been very helpful, otherwise I would've been lost on how to use it. I follow behind her steady frame as we walk towards the steel doors of the hall's exit.
"I hope your Bird Canary Earrings serve you well. Till we meet again." The sales representative bows deeply standing just before the threshold of the building.
"It will." I reply with a warm smile on my face. Turning away from her toward the main gates of the building.
The warmth of the midday sun hits my skin shedding off the cold, artificial air on my skin, I raise my hands to the earrings following the sales representative's instructions tapping thrice at the tiny stone embedded on the surface of the jewel.
To my surprise, sound channels were never earrings. They were tiny stone-like bubbles that could be worn directly on the ear. However, fashion made it a norm to be embedded into high-quality, compatible materials preventing the risk of the miniscule piece following into the ear canal.
"Finallly!!!" Eave's voice fill my ears, gushing with excitement so palpable my ears prickle at the stinging clarity of her voice in my ears.
Even better than the Open sound channels she spoke through before.
A small smile curves at my lips, warm and wry at her enthusiasm. Thankfully, I could mute her if her tirades threaten to burst my eardrums.
"So, how was that for a distraction?" Eave's voice rings within my ears, her excitement teeming with barely contained curiosity.
"You mean, Pre-sessions?" I ask under my breathe, stopping momentarily in thought.
"Yeah!" Eave says in a tone screaming obviously, I continue through the sun-lit path, the gate now in sight in the far distance. A dry chuckle escapes my lips at the image of Eave rolling her eyes at my question.
"Well, it was something else. Very..." My steps falter while I search for the right word.
"Very occupying." Nodding in satisfaction, I move forward.
"As intended." I add, my brows furrowing at Eave's silence.
"That's good to know." Eave comments taking longer than usual, her voice quiet and thoughtful.
"Sir Calvin did amazingly well in the lecture. He's very charismatic." I continue, my step suddenly light at the thought of the boyish Instructor that had everyone cracking up in rounds of laughter.
"He handled the class so well, for a moment I forget the very disturbing nature of the subject of discussion.
"Calvin Haze, the S-tier Entry Level Field Survival Instructor." Eave asks, her voice sharp with curiosity, admiration slipping through her words.
Entry Level?
S-tier?
Well, the name and course designation were the same. It had to be him
"Uhh, I think we are talking about the same person." I beam, a knot I only noticed now untangling in my chest at Eave's human-like response.
For a moment there, I was worried that something was wrong it her.
"Oh my gosh, Calvin Haze is a literal walking headline. You should see his social media accounts. He has over 300 million followers on Xite alone!!!" Her voice flows in a fervent, flushed ramblings into my ears. Little tingles of excitement audible in every syllable she uttered.
"Woah…"
"Seems like someone is a fan." Smirking in amusement, I tease her basking in the heat of her excitement.
"Oh shut up! You'll be one when you stop trying to flee." Eave reprimands, snorting in what sounded like embarrassment.
The sound of my laughter echoes through the empty path, a warm feeling creeping into my chest.
"He's just so cool…"
"Literally everyone adores him. You should totally see his post threads, Lil. My friends talk about him nonstop…" I listen quietly as she goes on and on about Instructor Calvin.
"Why didn't you tell me the Instructor was this good?" I question when she goes quiet for a moment."
"Because, I just found out. " Eave says in her classic matter-of -fact tone.
"Just found that?" I pause for a second, the gray cloudy sky fills my sight at the questioning tilt of my head.
"Yeah, I'm barely a week old, remember?" I nod absent-mindedly vaguely remembering her saying she activated when I did something I can't pinpoint right now.
"And there are numerous programs to assimilate, ante-trials, correspondence meetings, performance check, so many boring things…" I chuckle softly, the sound swaying with the wind at her whining.
"I was particularly touched by his benevolent acts. You know showing Initiates the reins and all. Really admirable." A gale of wind lifts my skirt up, I bend slightly holding it down against the torrent, my lips stretched into a smile.
"You really think he's doing this out of kindness?" Eave asks, her voice suddenly sharp and sarcastic, all traces of admiration gone.
"What do you mean by that?" My grip on the flailing fabric loosens, the breeze hitting my skin in waves of gushing wind.
"Lilliana dear, while his actions may seem heroic on the surface, his intentions and motives may not be so upright." Her voice comes in what sounds like a sigh.
I nod in understanding, continuing down the path in heavy silence.
"Is this common knowledge?"
"Should be. Most simply like to ignore underlying implications choosing to focus on what the shimmering cloak of his actions."
"Which is absolutely much preferable." I hum quietly in acknowledgement.
"But, I won't advise you do that. Whatever his intentions may be, they don't directly affect me, so…."
Right.
Nothing directly affected AVAs, just students.
"If most think, his intentions are not all that good while hasn't Pre-sessions been…"
"Closed?" Eave cuts in completing my question.
"No solid evidence and nothing here is ever simply black or white."
"On what grounds will Pre-sessions be nullified?" I ask curiously.
"If it's set up by Clans to aid Inherents." She simply says.
"And that hasn't been proven in the last seven years?"
"Proven? No one has openly declared their suspicions or challenged its integrity."
"Are there any speculations?"
"None that I know of. Let's see…." Eave goes silent for a second while I wait anxiously. My steps slowing in anticipation.
"None." She replies, her voice firm.
My eyes widens slightly in surprise. Such a controversial matter and there is no single gossip or discussion on it.
"Well, I've quite a few. Love to hear." I add after much thought, a bit hesitant.
"You do?" Eave asks, surprise evident in her voice."
"For one, I think Instructor Calvin may be secretly backed by Founding Clans and he's just too good at hiding his tracts." Swallowing dryly to lubricate my throat, I pause waiting for her input.
"Highly improbable. Founding clans are way too prideful to come together they would rather stock it up for their heirs. Not to mention, Velmoran Management is by no means dumb."
I nod, silently taking note of the flaws in my line of thought.
"Second, he was originally planted in Velomora by these clans with the aim to help their future heirs.
"Still would have been caught by now."
"Okay, third. The low survival rates agitated these clans, Sir Calvin saw an opportunity, decided to cater for their needs and these clans perceiving his intentions rewards him through discrete and indirect mediums.
"That's a very good one, Liliana." Eave responds enthusiastically, a small smile making its way to my lips.
"Lastly, It all started as a means to help Initiates and after the surge in survival rates, some clans made special offers to bolster the survival counts of Inherents.
"Highly plausible." I breathe in slowly, my shoulders dropping in relief hearing the conviction in her voice.
"Personally, I think Sir Calvin is just doing good. Something which no one here understands and everyone is just too screwed to see the good in his actions harboring nonexistent suspicions." I rasp cheerfully, feeling the tension from earlier ease into something lighter.
"You could say that." Eave says matching my tone, slipping into fangirl mode once again.
The quietness fades as I step outside the premises of Stens Electronics, the commercial wing of Skyline. The sound of footsteps, laughter and chatter buzzing faintly in the distance.
It wasn't listed among the wings Initiates were allowed access before Initiation. Which was quite sensible. The business district was a convergence of numerous private businesses that Velmora had no stake in.
There were numerous such establishments even outside the commercial wing. Daily Delight to my surprise was one of them. Velmora simply acted like a landlord to these businesses taking rents.
The warm breeze swooshes across my face, scattering my loose braids into the air. I smile, pulling my hair from my eyes. I turned to the right for the third time heading to the closest transport station.
"Eave, Instructor Calvin mentioned something about the low survival counts of Inherents before the start of pre-sessions."
"Give me a moment to check."
"You weren't present?" I ask, my voice low under the billowing wind. I still couldn't understand how she could hear me clearly.
"It would have been too boring being unable to speak to you."
I roll my eyes at the sadness in her voice.
More like tease me.
"So the rebroadcast will do."
"The class was recorded?"
"Yeah, the old matriarch is obsessed with monitoring everything." She huffs.
"Yes, he did." Eave replies a few seconds into the silence.
"The survival rates and counts of Inherents have really gone up since Pre-sessions started."
I nod lost in thoughts.
"Use your words, Liliana." Eave scolds sounding exhausted.
"You can read by body movements through the Interface." I say in my defense glancing down at the crystalline watch strapped against my wrist.
"Dear, it's a conversation. A verbal mode of communication not a tactile one." Eave continues sounding more stressed.
"Okay, I'll try." I roll my eyes at her theatrics. Talking to an AI out loud in an open space isn't exactly my description of normal.
Heck, I could barely speak over my breath.
The whole thing makes me feel like I'm going crazy. Well, the sight of others chatting cheerfully to no one in particular made me feel better anyway.
"Yes, though Sir Calvin didn't give the exact numbers." I say cautiously.
"Is that classified?"
"Not for you, my dear."
"Oh.."
"You mean others aren't privy to that information?"
"Yes. At this level Externs and Low to Mid tier Inherents are deemed to have no business with the specificities. By Entry-Level, it would be common knowledge."
'It must be because I'm a Camouflaged' I thought, not bothering to confirm with Eave.
"If I'm right, the increase in their survival counts raise the suspicions."
"Most likely."
"What was the difference by the way." Curiosity gets the best of me and I finally ask the question plaguing my mind since the class.
"Externs had an average consistent survival rate of 98% for the past decade while the Inherents baseline survival rate was 73%. Then again, the number of Externs barely make for 5% of the total number of Initiates each year."
"Sure, but the gap is staggering considering their supposed advantage."
"Don't bother, casualties mostly come from low-tier clans and families." I scrunch my brows at the casual tone concerning the deaths of people.
Well, she's not human either way. I sigh refusing to sour my mood thinking about it.
"That means, Pre-sessions mostly raised the survival counts of Inherents. Hence, the suspicions." The whole picture suddenly comes into sight.
"If that's the case, I think he's working with the founding clans." I say in conclusion, my voice grave and slightly disappointed. The gravity of everything hitting me only now.
"You finally get it."