"Wake up Hugo! Wake up Hugo! It's time to wake up!"
The sound of my alarm was all I could hear as I gradually opened my eyes. That was until it dawned on me what today was, it was Orientation Day. I then immediately got up, got ready, and grabbed my jacket on the way out. Just before I left, I looked at myself in the mirror, acknowledging the mark on my right cheek, just how I had been doing since my parents made me start living on my own. The mark symbolizes the type of prestige my family is, and I question if I could live up to that prestige. That is why I am going to the academy districts, so that I can meet their expectations.
I ran out the door, grabbed my bike, and begun to pedal for my life. Eventually I made it to the station with just a few minutes before the train left. I began to push through the thick crowd just as they pushed against me. I found the stairs which would take me to my train. When I made my way to the top of the stairs, I saw the train. It's silver metal coat resonated with the glowing blue aura it emitted. I entered the train, taking my place among the people who had the same destination as me.
"Please find a place to sit or something to hold onto as we prepare for your launch towards the Academy District: Falcon"
The announcement didn't give much of an interval to prepare. Once the train launched, it was faster than a bullet. Though through the windows of the train, they made the images of the scenery clear. The city the train we had left from was already far enough to be seen in full sight. I couldn't help but revel in the moment, excited for the soon arrival at the school. It wasn't that much longer though until we could see it floating in the distance. Turbines lifting the ginormous artificial island off the ground, buildings towering from the middle while surrounded by smaller buildings. There was another island that seemed slightly disconnected from the center island as it held a giant stadium. My only assumption was that it was a battle arena for large school events. This was Academy District: Falcon, high in the sky away from the interruptions of those on the ground.
As we all got off the train, I gazed at the surroundings. We all exited the train as it was boarded at the main island. I herded with the crowd of train passengers as assistants directed us towards the orientation area. As we made their way through the island's roads, all I could do was admire how grand the place they were at was. It only amazed me more when I would remember that there were more academy districts than this one just as grand, if not then better. As our trip neared the orientation area, a giant statue caught my attention just before we got there. It was just outside the main school building. I was unable to make out who it was designed after, but its design definitely was meant to catch one's eye. The metals that it was carved from seemed valuable and extremely rare.
We finally arrived at the destination. The area which our orientation was being held was a giant open field with a stage and rows of chairs for an audience. I filed in line as the students conformed into neat lines to fill the rows. Once seated, someone walked onto the stage. He had a more formal menacing demeanor to him. He wore a black suit with a white tie, and as he reached the microphone, he ran his fingers through his black slick backed hair broken up with white streaks. He cleared his throat, and he began his speech.
"Good afternoon students, I hope you all enjoyed your trip here. I am your director Belrogue, principal of Academy District: Falcon…."
His voice trailed off in the background of my mind as it seemed to be just another standard orientation speech.
"Psst, hey."
I looked over to the left to see someone around my age dressed in more than casual attire for this sort of event.
"What's your name?"
"It's Hugo"
"Nice to meet ya, I'm Blitz, short for Blitzgander."
"Nice to meet you too, Blitz."
"I was just trying to get used to most of kids around here before they all, you know, form their own gangs"
Just before I could respond to my new acquaintance, the crowd begins to cheer in response to the director Belrogues' words. After a moment of cheering, the director suddenly tensed up and his voice becomes more of one for issuing authority. The kind of voice that no one can simply just tune out from their mind, as it began to match is evil like attire.
"Now, I know all of you are excited to begin your studies within these school grounds, but I have a very important announcement. You see this year, I wanted to make sure everyone who normally doesn't get a chance to study on these grounds, to have a chance. This was to give them a chance as well as create a diverse class of students so that you may all learn from and help each other grow. Of course, though, when I meant everyone, I meant everyone."
There was a pause. A short one, but with the tense serious tone and the slightly confused murmuring among the students, it felt longer than just a mere short pause. It felt as if the director was trying to hold back, or better yet, prevent something from happening. After the tense moment of waiting, the director began to continue.
"You see, for the-"
*CRASH*
The director was interrupted. Something had landed in front of the stage, indiscriminately knocking everyone back. I was sent flying backwards. After a moment of confusion, I opened my eyes to find myself lying on my back, dumbfounded by what had just happened.
"Hugo!"
Blitz called out to me as he was recovering from the knockback.
"What the hell was that?"
"The hell if I know!"
The dirt cloud began to settle along with the panicking students and teachers. Just as the dust and dirt began to settle, it started to shift. Two large spine-like tentacles emerged from the cloud and started what appeared to be analyzing the area. They slithered through the air, grazing past people. At the end of them were claws with four fingers, with a red orb at their center behaving like an eye. After the two analyzed the area a bit, they waved the dirt cloud away revealing the instigators. The director began to lecture them.
"What is the meaning of this CHAOS?!"
He glared at the with ferocity. His voice was filled with controlled rage.
"You will tell me the meaning of this."
As we all gazed upon the instigators, there was a pause of silence. During that silence I was able to make out their designs.
"Can we not have our own dramatic entrance, Mr. Director?"
Director Belrogues eyes narrowed slightly further in response to his question.
"If I knew you were going to cause a frenzy like this, then I wouldn't have even thought to have invited you three down here at all."
The director's rage was extremely apparent from his tone. His words carried a highly threatening intent towards the instigators. As Belrogue stared down the three of them, people began to shout out from the dispersed crowd.
"What the hell is going on?!"
"What are they?!"
A bunch of murmuring began to surround the area as they had foreign looks to them. They looked like they didn't belong here, like they were from a different civilization. Their looks were formally dirty with a bit of a disfigured ruffian style. The cloaked one then turned towards the crowd. As he did, two of his tentacle claws gripped tightly into the false Earth he was standing on. They then lifted him into the air, as if he was a villain playing a dramatic scene. He then smiled and laughed
"Ba-ha-ha! What are we?! We are your new classmates from the Mesosphere!"