Nighttime had finally set once I'd arrived to the Upper Four HQ. It was a five-story building, with security taking up the entire first floor, followed by a floor for Fourth, Third, Second, and at the very top, First. I made my way up some stairs to the entrance where I was already met with some guards. They asked for identification, so I showed my military ID.
"Klyson Rainer? You're Fifth, aren't you?"
"Used to be," I corrected the guard. "The General disbanded the rest of the Tenfold under Fourth."
"Ah, I'm sorry to hear that."
"I'm hoping I still have access here even without my label in the Tenfold. Am I allowed to enter?"
"From what I've known, only positions in the Tenfold, or rather, the Upper Four and higher ranking officials are allowed to enter this building. Sorry man."
My heart sunk. "Figured. Sorry for the trouble." I turned around and started making my way back down the stairs, when the guard stopped me in my tracks.
"Hey, wait! Do you have an appointment with any of the Upper Four by any chance? That's about the only way I can get you in."
I quickly remembered why I came. I returned to him. "Actually… I don't know if this counts, but First had apparently mentioned he had some interests with me. I came by to seek out those interests."
"Apparently mentioned? He didn't tell you this directly?"
I shook my head. "No. I've never even actually met First before."
This made the guard confused. "So you came all the way here just because you heard from somewhere that First was interested in you? Who did you hear this from?"
"The General. He told me directly."
"Oh." The guard was taken aback. "Must be important then."
"Possibly."
"How about I ring up First and ask him for permission to let you in? If the General said so, then First should definitely permit you entry."
"As long as it isn't a bother."
"Excuse me." The guard tapped his ear-piece and spoke to a colleague. "Let Mr. Cartier know that Klyson Rainer, previously known as 'Fifth' from the Tenfold, is at the front to see him."
I stood there, anticipating the reply. After about a minute, the guard in front of me seemed to receive the verdict. He nodded his head while listening to the ear-piece, "Got it." He turned to me and smiled.
"You're good to go, Kylson."
I was surprised. I didn't expect to be actually allowed entry, especially by First himself. "Thank you for the help!"
The guards cleared way of the entrance, with one tapping a card against a sensor that opened the doors. Upon entering into the first floor, I could see just how strict they were with security. There were countless checkpoints to have yourself cleared before you could even reach a staircase, or the main elevator. I realized just how valuable the Upper Four were, seeing as a few dozen high-end guards all had their eyes on me even though I was previously part of the Tenfold. I thought back on the previous building I'd been established in with the rest of the lower six. It was just like any of the other buildings that surrounded it from the civilian part of the city. There was nothing special to it. It was regular. Whereas this Upper Four building, although not towering like the LED-lined skyscrapers of downtown Melysia, clearly stood out with its high-end, uniquely solidified structure, accompanied by a number of spotlights that shone around the perimeters of the building. As crowded as the security was on the first floor of the structure, the external security could see anyone that came in or out of the building at all times. I was being watched like prey.
"ID please," a guard confronted me. It was normal to be checked on identity numerous times throughout being in one of Melysia's government buildings. A.X.A. had taught its employees and military officials the importance of identity manipulation since the beginning of their reign. All the precautions necessary to catch a mole in the government were in place at all times.
The guard placed my ID card in a small glass socket, to which it began the scanning process. There were loads of personal information stacked within the microchips of an A.X.A. ID card that could only be viewed if scanned onto a computer. It excluded details already on the face of the card, such as name, positional standing, birthday, and ID number. Instead it had the specifics of one's career within A.X.A.'s government or military: any previous or current positions, any demerit counts for rule-breaking, and full details concerning one's Fractal.
"You're Fractless?" The guard asked me.
"Yes."
"Step right in here please," he waved me into an enclosed tubular space with glass windows. The machine was meant to detect the presence of Fractals inside individuals by observing specific wavelengths. These wavelengths would then be compared to the Fractal wavelengths recorded for the person at birth. If the wavelengths matched with at least 90% accuracy, then their identity could be confirmed. A.X.A. had stated that a person's Fractal wavelength should never exceed a difference of 10% from when they were born. If it did, then the mismatched wavelength represented another Fractal entirely, meaning the identities misaligned.
The tube I was in began to glow a combination of colors, and I heard the machine engaging its mechanics to establish a noticeable wavelength in me. After some time, while constantly being observed by guards from the outside, the machinery finally stopped. I was waved to exit the tube where I had my identity confirmed by the guard.
"You're Fractless alright."
"Yup. No powers in me."
He pointed towards the elevator. "Guard at the front told me you're visiting First, right?"
I nodded with hesitation. "Yeah."
"You must be pretty special to get access to him like this."
"I guess so," I shrugged. Even I was surprised how far I was gaining entry into the Upper Four building. I was guided into the elevator, where two more guards stood. One pressed a button with the marking "5" on it. The fifth, top floor was where First resided. Once the doors closed, the elevator moved upwards with exponential speed. As each floor was passed, a hum was played that got higher and higher until it reached its peak.
"Fifth floor. Enzo Cartier. 'First'," an automated voice announced as the doors to the floor opened. Not only were the security measures extreme, but even the elevator introduced me to First. I realized just how wide the gap was between the lower six and the Upper Four in terms of relevance. Us in the lower six were treated like any other regular official in the military, which had nothing wrong with it. In fact, in my two years serving, I'd felt pretty respected myself. But after coming here, I've come to understand how little we truly mattered. The Upper Four were treated like royalty.
I stepped forward, out of the elevator, and the doors closed behind me, as I heard the hums playing again as it lowered back down to the first floor. It seemed like after you'd been processed through all the layers of security, they were confident enough to leave you alone with the Upper Four. That was one thing I could tell that they were established to respect, and it was privacy for the visitor and the individual of the Upper Four.
Looking around, I noticed I stood upon a long, crimson red carpet that lead through opened gates ahead of me. The lobby to this floor had a tall ceiling held up by large pillars made of black marble. Between each pillar, lining the sides of the carpet as if it were a trophy hall, were pedestals holding different items. Some held accomplishments, such as trophies and medals, while others held equipment, like handheld weapons or pieces of armor. The room was imposed with an intricate theme of black and gold, seeing as nearly every piece of furniture was lined with it. I walked forwards, following the carpet towards the room ahead, noticing that the quality of fabric I stepped on was so high-end that it silenced my footsteps completely.
Then, I saw him.
A man with black hair slicked back, with strands falling down the sides of his head. Even his attire fit his floor's theme, bearing a jet black dress-shirt with golden lining along the collar. He sat in an office chair, facing his desk behind which was a large glass window opening that sought the horizon of downtown skyscrapers. As if it were a clear viewing made just for him, Solitaria, Melysia's dyson sphere, sat in the center of view between the glowing walls of downtown Melysia's buildings. It was a sight to behold.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" He twirled his chair around to face me. Even though my footsteps made no sound, he'd already noticed my presence upon entering the room. "It's nice to finally meet you, Fifth."
"First," I nearly stuttered. "It's extremely well to meet you too. But please, just call me Klyson. I am no longer a part of the Tenfold."
"I know." He smiled, his eyes squinting. "It's unfortunate they hadn't just grouped you with us into the Upper Five. You never belonged with those bottom feeders."
He was quick to make a statement. It took me by surprise.
"Upper five, and lower five, is how it should have been." He sighed with disappointment. "You could have had a floor on this building, and we'd be clinking glasses every Friday night."
First was already making it clear he'd been interested in me, which reassured my thoughts. But simultaneously, it made me curious as to why.
"The General told me you were interested in me. May I ask why, First—?"
"Please," he interrupted me. "Just call me Enzo. No need to be so formal."
"But in the Tenfold, we refer to our rankings as respect…"
"I'm tired of that." Enzo began to pour himself a glass of whiskey. "It's always 'First,' or 'Mr. Cartier.' For once I'd like to be called by my first name."
"Oh… Okay, Enzo."
He blushed. He pulled out another glass. "Care for a sip? It's Friday night."
I respectfully declined. "Thank you for the offer, but I'm okay."
"Oh, come on. I know it's been a rough day, Klyson. You could use a drink." He began to pour me a glass.
I was suddenly self-conscious. He said that as if he knew what I'd done today in the battle against Invidan.
"I was watching too, you know." Enzo placed the glass next to his, motioning for me to come closer. "We were all watching."
"All… watching…?" I gulped.
Enzo nodded. "Me, Second, Third, Fourth, and all the Overseers, including the General. We spectated the entire battle against Invidan. We saw everything."
"Oh man…" I was quick to become anxious. Not only had the higher-ups been watching, but my own peers that I looked up to were watching too. That means they saw me falter when I was needed the most. It means that they saw my failure live.
"See?" Enzo clinked my glass, moving it to the edge of his desk. "You need a drink after all."
I awkwardly moved forward and joined him by his desk, grabbing the glass off the table. "I performed horribly today. I feel disgraced knowing you witnessed that." I took a gulp of the drink. It burned halfway down my throat.
"Shouldn't you feel honoured?" He asked me. "The one and only 'First' came to watch your battle when he could have been doing something else with his spare time, like ogling at this beauty of a view."
We both stared through the window for a moment, taking in the colorful sight of downtown Melysia's skylines.
"Isn't it nice?" Enzo asked me. "Feeling the privilege to do something as simple yet intricate as this?"
I couldn't help but feel out of my nature. The only view I'd gotten out of my own office window was a reinforced brick wall. "It's definitely new to me. But something like this only belongs to the likes of high-rankers like you."
"Wrong." He turned to me. "Why do you always do that? You're ruining your own potential. Stop placing others on a higher pedestal than yourself." Enzo now stood up from his chair and looked me right in the eyes. "You're gifted, Klyson. But you don't realize that. You only look down on yourself while looking up at others. You dig your own grave."
"I don't understand…"
"Oh, but I do. I used to know exactly how you felt. You must feel belittled and overpowered by those who surround you, don't you? Eighth with his 'sublime scouting skills,' and Seventh with her 'outstanding defensive capabilities'."
I realized he'd repeated some of General Michael's words. "He said that."
"The General? I know he did. He monologued while we watched it all go down. Then came your moment."
I began to cringe as I listened.
"Leading the game-changing flank that could end the battle, but instead putting everyone into a predicament. The battle in that moment was leading to your personal loss."
I chugged the rest of my whiskey, nearly slamming the glass down onto his desk. "Did you bring me here just to remind me of my failure!?"
"No. Calm down, Klyson. Take a seat." He pointed at his chair, but I rejected.
"No."
"Trust me. Sit. You're going to need it."
I suddenly felt the need to comply. I'd almost forgotten Enzo was the highest-ranking commander just under General Michael. So I sat, and he looked down at me.
"Tell me, what do you see me as, Klyson?"
I had an immediate answer. "An epitome. The top of everything I've ever done or pursued."
He sighed to this. "This is exactly why you faltered in the battle against Invidan."
"How?"
"Because you're horribly humble! You let your momentary loss take over you completely, and you let it stay like that because you compared yourself to the others and their Fractals. It's like you don't see value to yourself at all. It disgusts me."
"But when I'm alongside everyone else, like Eighth and Seventh, all of whom have Fractals that can easily outshine me, how could I possibly value myself at all?"
"Because you're Fractless. You're one of a kind in a society full of people with Fractals. You are the unique one among the normal."
"When people around me can run super speed, fight with super strength, form walls that can withstand the shot of a tank, or can even fly in the sky, how could I possibly be the 'one of a kind'?"
"Because you don't need any of those Fractals to prove yourself."
"But that's how I've thought my whole life!"
My mind had found itself in the deep-end. I was coming to understandings I'd never approached my entire life—ones that I'd acknowledge without coming to truly comprehend. All my life, I'd known I was unique. I was Fractless, while everyone had Fractals. I was powerless, while everyone else had powers. But surprisingly, I never got discriminated for it. In fact, I was even blessed for it with more opportunities. But now that I look back on it all, it was more like a handicap, since the people knew I wouldn't be able to keep up if the aid hadn't been set in place.
I stood out, but not in the way I wanted to, even if I wasn't looked down upon for it. Those with Fractals saw the Fractless as equals, and vice versa. Even with abilities present and absent among the population, there was no divide due to the difference. But as much as I tried, I couldn't come to terms with it.
I'd always felt the difference.
I could train my whole life to run a marathon but never come close to the speed Ninth could achieve when using his Gravity Imbue Fractal. I could retain a 20/20 vision for both my eyes but never see as clear or as far as Eighth could with his Eagle Vision Fractal. Everyone around me could do the things I did but better, and it was all because of Fractals. So when First told me I didn't need any Fractals in order to prove myself, my mind immediately disagreed.
"How is it possible, in any way, to prove oneself without a Fractal? There's absolutely nothing special about a Fractless person like me. Everything that I can do, someone else with a Fractal can do better! It's impossible to excel more than a person with a Fractal!"
"That isn't true."
"Yes it is!"
"It isn't."
"Yes! It! Is!"
"It isn't," Enzo kept telling me. "How deeply have you rooted this belief of yours? Even our nation doesn't look down on the Fractless, yet you do it anyways."
"Because the Fractless are just useless. I'm just useless. People like us have it hard…"
"Wrong." He immediately shot back. "So, unbeieveably, wrong. The Fractless do not have it hard."
I thought back on all the tribulations throughout my life, and realized there were very few. I'd only benefitted from being a Fractless. Still, I chose to pity myself in being a minority.
"If anything, the Fractless have it the easiest. For their circumstances they have leverage past assessments that most people fail. And the Fractless aren't even looked down-on for lacking Fractals. Some people look up to them."
"I know," I told Enzo. "I know all that."
"And knowing all that, it still doesn't satisfy you?"
I thought for a moment, and shook my head. "No. Even if it's helped me all my life, carrying me to an honorable position in the Tenfold, it still doesn't feel like enough. Because no matter where I end up, I'll always be surrounded by ones with Fractals, and overshadowed."
"You shouldn't be overshadowed. You shouldn't be letting that happen."
He was beginning to irritate me. "How? How could I not look like the weaker one when I don't have a Fractal?"
"You don't need to do anything because the Fractless are already on top!" Enzo nearly screamed at me. I could tell he was getting heated. "How are you so blind to it all? Do you need glasses, Klyson?"
"What?"
"It's right in front of you. It's crystal clear." He leaned in so he could say it to my face. "The Fractless have it going for them the most in this country. The Fractless are the PREVELIGED."
His statement confused me, but he just kept going. "From the moment of birth, the Fractless are already blessed with all sorts of opportunities. Every door imaginable is opened. Having the inability to use a Fractal means having the ability to do absolutely anything else in life. The Fractless are born with this kind of power. People with Fractals can't overshadow the Fractless because everyone else already has a Fractal. It's average. But being Fractless? That's unique."
Throughout my life, from the moment of birth, people were always on my side. Everyone was friendly to me and looked out for me. People went out of their way to raise me to greater heights than I deserved. And it was all because I was Fractless.
Enzo was right, and I knew this. But I continued to disagree.
"If the Fractless are as honoured as you say they are, then why did I dishonor everyone during the battle with Invidan today?"
"Because you're stuck-up on a mindset that puts the Fractless six-feet underground."
"You say all this like it's easy being a Fractless."
"Because it is."
"How would you know!? You're First! Anyone in the Upper Four must have one of the most blessed Fractals imaginable! You were basically carried to the top with it!"
"Don't you dare group me with those ants and their Fractals!" Enzo slammed his hand on the table with frustration. But immediately, his tone came out calm. "Klyson, I'll let you in on a little secret. How about that?"
"What…?"
"It's something only the people in this building know. Besides, of course, the Overseers."
"What are you trying to say now…"
"I talk as if being a Fractless is easy because I know it is." Enzo smiled widely. "I am Fractless."
I looked him in the eyes and could tell he was being dead-serious. But I couldn't believe it. "Bullshit."
"Does it make sense now, Klyson? I'm interested in you because we are the same."
My mind was spinning. The information I was processing didn't align. The highest-ranking commander in the Tenfold, First, was Fractless? And he stood right in front of me—someone without a Fractal. He was the first other Fractless I'd ever directly met in my life, and I couldn't believe it. I absolutely couldn't believe it.
"You're messing with me. You brought me all the way here just for a joke?" I told him.
"Tell me why the fuck I would waste my time inviting an ex-lower six commander up to my suite just so I could tell him a joke? I consider my spare time to be valuable. I'd never waste it on just anyone, but you, you're special. You're Fractless. You're unlike the others. But you're just like me."
I was starting to catch my breath. It felt like the whole world was a lie. All of my previous thoughts concerning the Fractless were being forcibly shut-out by this anomaly who stood before me. Enzo contradicted everything I'd understood about the Fractless. Enzo was First in the Tenfold, was regarded as one of the most prestigious individuals in Melysia's military, and owned this entire high-end top-floor suite of a government building that we sat in, and he was Fractless. Enzo had attained all the things I could never fathom to attain as a Fractless, yet he was Fractless himself.
"You're Fractless?!?"
"I have no Fractal," he reassured me. "Plain and simple, just like you."
"How… How in the world did you get to this level without a Fractal…?"
"I've been saying it to you all along, but you haven't been listening. I didn't need to do anything to get here. My position as a Fractless in the community did the work for me. All I did was take advantage of the privilege. I told you, the Fractless have power, even if not in the form of Fractals. I mean, look at me. I'm at the top of the Tenfold!" Enzo began to laugh almost hysterically. "Me, a Fractless, is higher-ranked than Second, Third, and Fourth, even though they all have strong Fractals! Me, a Fractless, is also higher-ranked than that Eighth and Seventh you're so hung-up on having strong Fractals. Do you get it, Klyson? Having a Fractal doesn't mean shit! You talk about constantly being overshadowed by everyone else with Fractals. Well guess what? Me, a Fractless, is quite literally overshadowing EVERYONE ELSE! Just like you said, I am the epitome. But simultaneously, I am Fractless. Those two terms can coexist, believe it or not."
"I can't believe it…"
"Believe it, Klyson. Understand it. Absorb it into your mind and soul. The Fractless truly are the blessed of this world. That is Melysia's flaw. They give us power in status to compensate for the lack thereof in genetics. But with statistical power, we can do so much more than what a single Fractal can do. This is how I got to the top."
"This is too much to take in. This is absurd…"
"What's absurd is that power for the powerless is possible. All you have to do is manipulate the masses, manipulate the higher-ups, and manipulate yourself to use that pretty privilege to its highest potential. Listen to what I'm telling you, Klyson. As Fractless, we are like brothers."
I began to question the odds of such an outcome. To start, it was already extremely rare for a Fractless to even exist. The Fractless in front of me also just so happened to be one of the most powerful figures in Melysia.
"Welcome to the truth," Enzo began pouring the both of us drinks again. "Take in the beauty of it all: the nighttime sight of downtown Melysia, the intricate interior of this beautiful penthouse suite, and the power I have in my hands as First of the Upper Four. It is all a product of being Fractless. Being anything otherwise would only bring less. This is why I wanted to meet you. Watching you on the battlefield, I could only see lost potential. As your fellow Fractless, I desired to awaken you. Realize the power that you have, Klyson."
He slid the glass back to me, raising his own for a cheers. "To being Fractless."
I stared at the drink for a moment, seeing the reflection of fireworks through the glass window across me. We both looked up and watched.
"That's to celebrate the victory against Invidan," Enzo said.
The explosions in the sky reminded me of the bombings back on the battlefield. My hand began to shake. I hesitated in reaching for my glass.
"Klyson. What happened out there today was the last of its kind. If you let it cling to you, then you don't deserve the power of a Fractless."
I continued to visualize the suicide bombings within the explosion of the fireworks. Red sparkling flares expanded in the sky, but so too did the blood of those Angels spraying across the blitz. I was caught between two worlds: one of my failure as a Fractless, and one of my reignition as a Fractless.
"What if I fail again like I did today?" I thought to myself. This overlapped with a counter-thought. "What if I never let that happen again?"
It was impossible to cross over into the realm that First stood in. As much as he tried to convince me, with philosophy and proof, I didn't have the lifetime of confidence and experience that he had to get over there. Nonetheless, he'd helped me realize one thing.
Being Fractless was not a disadvantage.
I raised my glass to his. "Cheers."
His smile was lit up by the colorful fireworks in the distance. "Cheers, my Fractless brother."
We clinked glasses, and downed our drinks to the view.