As Jaden waited for his appointment at the CREDHOS Academy, nothing special happened, and no HOUMs appeared anymore. This kind of development was normal since Jaden lived in a White-Grey Zone. Even though he had the badge, he wasn't officially entitled to go on missions yet. It was only because of Rei and Rush's special circumstances that he had the badge already.
He spent his time either enjoying himself with his friends and family or training and learning about HOUMs. Maybe he wouldn't make huge progress in such a short time, but any progress was significant.
A week after their initial encounter, Louf had come to visit, which was a very rare occurrence. As usual, he had created an apparent coincidence to meet Jaden away from home.
They had discussed many things, and it turned out that his uncle was much more skilled than Jaden had thought. He had taught him many new things that would be important for his adventure as a CREDHOS. Other than that, nothing really special happened, he was just waiting for the day of the appointment.
It was the day of the appointment at the CREDHOS Academy, and Jaden stood in front of his mirror after preparing himself perfectly.
He was about 164 cm (64 inches) tall and wore the dark grey uniform of the CREDHOS aspirants. Jaden's uniform looked more like a suit. He stood elegantly in front of the mirror, adjusting his long and thick black African braided hair, which reached his neck. At the end of his hair, there were some loosely fitting purple elastic bands.
There was a long braid by the corner of his left eye that extended down to his neck, while the rest of it was either short at the forehead or pushed backward. His beautiful violet eyes combined with a calm smile gave an impression of calmness and confidence, displaying great assurance.
The assurance on his face might have been related to the fact that, coming from a wealthy family, he hadn't had to fight very hard to get what he wanted. His lineage had ensured that his life was as easy as possible.
'I think I'm ready.' Jaden said, stretching the sleeves of his suit-like uniform. He then touched the CREDHOS logo on the uniform before leaving his room.
After a while, Jaden arrived in front of the grand CREDHOS Academy.
'So, this is the academy?' Jaden thought once he reached it. All CREDHOS academies were built outside of cities. It was better that way to avoid disturbing the population or escaping their distractions.
In front of him stretched a breathtaking landscape, where majestic mountains seemed to touch the deep blue sky. Lush trees formed a natural barrier, creating a soothing backdrop for the academy that modestly stood in the middle of this natural scene.
'What's better than nature?' Jaden thought as he took several breaths of air while walking toward the entrance.
The buildings, in harmony with nature, seemed to merge with the environment, their roofs covered in vegetation and their wooden facades blending into the lush landscape. In front of the main entrance, two ancient trees extended their branches, forming an arch of welcome.
The leaves danced gently to the rhythm of the light breeze, creating shifting shadows on the ground. The distant murmur of a stream added a soft, soothing note to the melodies created by the birdsong.
'What a contrast, the academy is so modern while the environment is just... natural.' Jaden thought to himself.
Once in front of the grand entrance, which was quite similar to that of the headquarters, Jaden allowed a timid smile to light up his face, a smile that reflected his determination to embrace the challenges and opportunities that would come from this point onward.
Inside the academy, he simply followed the masses and found himself in a vast, modern courtyard that resembled an arena, although without seating; there was only a raised platform where several people were gathered. Every aspirant arriving at this place was in awe, as they had never seen so many CREDHOS gathered in one place. The most famous CREDHOS were there, and in large numbers.
In this enormous crowd, Kenzo and Jaden managed to find each other, and they began a conversation that would surely have been exhausting for anyone. And just as everyone was sharing their stories, a voice rang out, creating total silence.
'Welcome, young aspirants!' The voice resonated, amplified, but without the use of amplifiers, probably due to an elemental affinity.
'Probably an affinity with the air.' Jaden thought upon hearing the voice, which seemed to emanate from very close by. The person didn't seem to exert much effort despite the large crowd.
The person who had just spoken not only had an intimidating aura but also a scar that ran across the entire right side of their face, resembling both a burn and a claw mark. Once the sound of the air subsided, the voice continued.
"If you are here today, it means you have all brilliantly passed the challenging stage that is the academy. Well, almost all of you." Though they were quite far away, Jaden could have sworn that this person's gaze was fixed on him just after that last sentence.
"This is where your careers begin!" the voice added, this time filled with great enthusiasm.
After uttering this sentence, a violent gust of wind blew, causing the long black hair of the person dressed in a dark blue CREDHOS uniform, with piercing eyes, to billow backward. They pointed at their scar with a finger.
"The life of CREDHOS is not as 'cool' as you may think. You can die on your 1000th mission just as easily as on your very first. So, if you're afraid, if you have doubts, or if you believe your life has significance..." They paused before changing their tone, tinged with disdain and contempt.
"You have two minutes! That's enough time to leave this arena and go back home."
The voice was indifferent, devoid of emotion, except for a slight tone of disdain.
'If it weren't for the agreement with Rei and Rush, I believe I would have left without hesitation.' Jaden thought.
He had always dreamed of living peacefully, and although he was learning to fight, it was purely for the thrill. Why risk his life when he could live in tranquility?
'Damn supreme HOUM.' Jaden couldn't help but curse in his head at the person who had blessed him with immortality.
For what seemed like an eternity, there was no noise, not even the chirping of birds, and no one took a step. Then finally:
"Good!" declared the person, thus chasing away the most fearful, although no one was either brave or cowardly enough to leave.
'I guess the two minutes are up.' Jaden thought before being brought back to reality by the same voice.
"I am Robert Elrey, and it is my honor to welcome you properly!" At the end of his words, there was a mocking note, as if doing things properly was absurd and comical.
Jaden was surprised because Robert had waited to drive away the "scaredy-cats" before introducing himself, as if to signify that only those worthy of staying deserved to know his name – what arrogance!
"Every year, several CREDHOS are killed, many are maimed, and many are disfigured; believe me, a retired CREDHOS is rarely a pleasant sight." He seemed amused by these last words, smiling as he uttered them.
'Robert really knows how to dampen the mood.' Jaden concurred to himself.
"But every year, several families are saved, several helpless and despairing citizens, facing a CREDHOS, find hope!" declared Robert, this time with pride and honor, before adding:
"The gift of a smile, of hope. That's what a CREDHOS is... And CREDHOS is what you are now. You don't become a CREDHOS to show off, to prove you're capable, or to protect yourself. No, novices." He shook his head and continued his speech.
"You become one for others! Starting today, you are not just protectors of citizens, but also bearers of joy and hope."
"Starting today, this uniform you're wearing belongs to the past. You are now in the service of humanity because you are now..." He fixed his gaze on the crowd, his expression hardened, and he made his voice more vibrant before concluding:
"You are now CREDHOS!" YEAH!!!!
Everyone cheered when Robert finished his speech, everyone was pumped up, even Jaden.
'This must be what they call the herd effect.' Jaden thought after regaining his composure.
However, he was still impressed. The speech was very encouraging and captivating. He couldn't help but wonder if Robert changed his speech with each new generation of CREDHOS or if it was the same every time.
But it wasn't just the quality of the speech that caught Jaden off guard; it was everyone's reaction. They were all eager to risk their lives to save others, strangers, and they were happy about it?
'So, is this what CREDHOS is all about? People spending their lives training to die for others?' Jaden pondered before questioning if he was truly cut out for this kind of life. If becoming a bearer of joy and hope by sacrificing himself completely was really meant for him.
'These guys are heroes, I'm not.' he shook his head, arriving at that conclusion. He would never sacrifice himself for a stranger, especially after realizing the grief his death would cause to his family and friends.
Unlike the others, he was only here out of necessity; he never wanted to become a CREDHOS. If he was here, it was not to save the world but rather to live freely without risking the lives of innocents.
'Because my death doesn't belong to me...' Jaden sighed with exasperation at that thought.