"...Ko..."
"...Ko."
"....KORINA IZUKU WAKE UP THIS INSTANTT!"
I startle awake, sitting bolt upright, cracking open my eyes groggily, "Mn, watiszit..."
As my vision adjusts to the dim light of dawn outside, my childhood friend and roommate blur into focus, her arms crossed against her chest.
Her short dark brown hair brushes the length of her shoulders, her dark eyes gleam softly behind the lens of her glasses.
She lowers the megaphone in her hand, amusement playing across her eyes, "Awake now yet Ko?"
I feel her looking down at me, as I let out a jaw-breaking yawn.
I rub my eyes tiredly, "Shina...why. It's earlyyy...."
"First day of highschool Ko. Remember?"
I perk up instantly, "Oh yeah! It's today!"
Climbing out of bed, I rush past Shina, stumbling into the bathroom nearly face-planting into the tiles.
I hurriedly brush my teeth and hair, hastily pulling on my school uniform, the classic sailor kind, under a sweater vest and blazer. I tug on the white stockings, before finally finishing off by pinning the ornament that I always wore onto the pale sandy locks of my hair.
I look into the mirror, the muted-blue of my eyes stares back at me, always a deeper depth in them than the bright facade, the hidden pain of a long-ago past...memories I don't wish to uncover.
"You can make new memories Ko! now is not the time to dwell on what could've happened!" I mumble under my breath, clapping both of my hands to my face, "Make new friends, differences! High school is a time for opportunities!"
Rejuvenated, I sling my bag over my shoulder and meet up with Shina at the door.
She looks up from the book she has in her hand, "Finished Ko? Shall we get going then?"
I nod, bounding past her as soon as I put on my shoes.
"Come on Shina~! I will beat you there this time!"
I dash out of the lobby, and out the front doors.
This will be the year...when I can finally make a difference. The lives I can help...the people I can save, then I can finally help find peace in my parent's deaths...at last.
I look up at the pale blue sky, where the sun rose onto its point in the atmosphere, breaking daylight.
"Hmn, I will make you proud mom and dad...just watch..."
Somewhere hidden below the city...a restless set of figures meet to plan...
SLAM!
Someone slams their hands against the table, standing abruptly, looking at the person across the long table ahead of them.
"Director! The opposition is advancing onto their next step, we must plan our next move! The southern districts have already been affected, my people are in danger..."
A dark figure turns in their chair, their face obscured by a dragon demon-like skull of a mask...shadowed by the hood of their cloak, wisps of deep-red hair peek out but stood hidden under the shadows of their hood.
They lace their long bony fingers together onto the table, directing their stare at the outspoken ambassador, their voice a low rumble.
"Hm...how interesting...my agents in the southern region said nothing was out of order...as the last of the enemy squad in that area was fought back a few days ago, an inside spy from our side said they retreated northward to Altas."
Their gaze flashes under their mask, boring into them.
"Care to explain...Ambassador? How you know?"
The ambassador, or said 'spy' visibly swallows with all eyes on them, before plastering on a confident smile.
"I have scouts of my own, located within the premises of the enemy headquarters, they keep me up to date with their newly gathered intel Director."
The cloaked figure continues to pierce the air with their stare, the energies crackling between the two.
"One. You aren't allowed to deploy spies without mine or one of the council's permission. Raise your hand if you had acknowledged this assignment council members."
Not a single hand went up.
A single bead of sweat rolls down the 'ambassadors' face, their hands grip the side of the table, tightening ever so slightly.
"When you are a part of this organization 'Ambassador', you follow the rules. Two, your explanation is flawed. The enemy has no known headquarters, if they did, this is valuable information you know that has to be shared...if you really want to help our cause..." The Director said.
"Three. You're an impersonator of the Ambassador...or should I say, imposter?"
There were low murmurs among the gathered, gasps, and accusing stares.
The spy gapes, "I- N...Never! Lies!" They stumble back, shocked. Nearly tripping over their chair.
A ghost of a smile falls behind the skull mask, they snap their fingers, and a holoscreen projects onto the table, a familiar face, blinks into view.
"-Director? Ambassador of the south speaking, what do you need?"
The proclaimed 'ambassador' goes blank-white, their eyes darting from each member to the door.
The cloaked figure rises, projecting their voice so everyone can hear, "Ah Ambassador Aine, how nice to see you...I have someone here, to claim that of your identity?"
The figure on the screen blinks slowly, before frowning, "Oh really, but you know all the real ambassadors have the 'seal'...and...I'm quite literally tied to my duties at the moment."
Someone grumbles, "...This is only a council meeting too...ambassadors have a separate meeting with the superiors later tonight...general knowledge."
The director smiles slightly, "Yes, so that chair you are standing in front of my friend...is mine. I'm merely sitting in a spare left behind from the last meeting."
The spy's face grows red, before paling again, "No..not like this..."
They pull out twin pistols from inside their jacket, pointing them at the nearest member's heads.
"No one moves! Or someone dies today." They back slowly towards the door, their shoes echoing against the tiled floor.
Just as they were about to reach the door, the cloaked figure lifts a hand.
The spy's widen, just as the director tilts up their head to looks down at them with the utmost coldness, the steely gaze upon them.
"...Guards. Seize them."