Chereads / Sword And Missile / Chapter 2 - A New Path

Chapter 2 - A New Path

As soon as Instructor Noyan uttered the most important words the students had ever heard in their short lives, the room erupted in a flurry of questions.

"When will we find out?" someone from the back row shouted.

"Do they already know our jobs?" an excited girl near the door asked.

"Can't I really become a prince?" joked a student with a crooked grin, earning him several annoyed looks.

Liam remained calm in his seat, quietly observing the chaos. He didn't have anything to add. While his classmates descended into a storm of questions and speculation, his eyes wandered around the room calmly. Even Jax seemed to have quieted down after their initial conversation.

Instructor Noyan raised his hands and spoke firmly, "Quiet, please!"

Slowly, the murmuring subsided, and the students reluctantly turned their attention to their instructor.

"I understand your excitement," Noyan said, "but I ask you to remain calm. Your job assignments will be announced at the end of the day. Until then, treat today like any other school day."

Some students murmured in disbelief, but Noyan continued, "The members of the assignment committee have been observing your performance and behavior for years. One day won't change the results. In fact, it's a good opportunity to spend the day learning."

A student in the front row raised his hand. "But how exactly will this work?"

Instructor Noyan smiled reassuringly. "We will follow our regular schedule with lessons and activities. Just be yourselves and do your best."

Another student asked, "And when exactly will we find out our professions?"

"At the end of the day," Noyan replied. "After the last class, you'll all be asked to come to the auditorium where the assignments will be announced. After that, you will officially be valuable citizens of Tarus."

Liam listened attentively, noticing the tension still lingering in the air. The students continued to whisper among themselves, and he could feel their nervousness. He knew that this uncertainty was also part of the lifelong test that every person growing up in Tarus faced.

The job assignment was not just about knowledge and skills; it was also about how they handled stress and uncertainty. All of this and more were considered to assign people to their perfect job—because the freedom to choose is only possible in a world where security and stability prevail.

In a world overrun with hellish creatures, with humanity forced to stay behind walls, these two things did not exist.

"Are there any more questions?" Noyan finally asked, his gaze sweeping over the assembled students.

The students slowly shook their heads, their excitement somewhat subdued. Noyan nodded in satisfaction. "Good, then let's begin the day. Remember to stay calm and do your best."

As the students returned to their seats, Liam remained alert. He was determined to use the day to demonstrate his abilities and show that he was more than ready to accept his destiny in the army—no matter what challenges lay ahead.

The rest of the day went by like a typical school day. There were lessons, assignments, and small breaks in between. Jax tried several times to lighten the mood with his usual witty remarks, but Liam knew his friend was just nervous.

Once, while they were doing math exercises, Jax whispered, "Do you think they'll make me the court jester?"

Liam could only smirk and shake his head.

Finally, the bell rang, signaling the end of the afternoon. The students were instructed to proceed to the auditorium. The large auditorium was an impressive room with high ceilings and elegant decorations. Liam and Jax sat at the edge, where they had a good view.

Slowly, the hall filled up until over a thousand graduates had gathered—and these were only the ones from the Academy in District Eight.

After a few minutes of waiting, the director stepped onto the stage, and a murmur of silence spread through the crowd. The director, a tall figure with an impressive presence but a slightly crooked nose, began his speech.

"Dear students, today is a significant day in your lives," he began in a deep, melodious voice. "You have worked hard to get here, and today you will be rewarded for your efforts. The assignment of your professions is the first step into your future. Be proud of what you have achieved, and embrace this new challenge with courage and determination. I myself was once..."

As the director spoke, Liam's gaze wandered through the room. Amidst some familiar faces and many unfamiliar ones, he noticed another person who neither wore a school uniform nor belonged to the school administration. Liam frowned.

This person sat alone about two rows ahead, at the edge of the auditorium, seemingly inconspicuous, yet his presence caught Liam's eye. The person, a middle-aged man with curly black hair in a plain but elegant suit, watched the students intently. Liam could only see the back of his head but was sure of his observation.

However, the man remained calm and did nothing unusual. So after a few moments, Liam looked away—perhaps he was someone from the assignment committee overseeing the ceremony.

The director continued his speech, his deep voice resonating through the large auditorium.

"You are all part of a, in many ways, new era of humanity," he said solemnly. "Throughout your lives, data has been collected about you and carefully analyzed by the assignment committee. This information helps determine the perfect job for you. Each profession will not only match your skills and interests but also ensure that Tarus continues to function optimally. This is of utmost importance in our society."

The students listened intently, some with bright eyes, others with nervous expressions.

The director continued, "Today is the day you find your place in our community. Each of you will receive a role that is crucial both for you and for the city."

The first names were called, and the students went forward one by one to receive their assignments. Liam listened attentively at first, but after a while, he began to feel bored. With hundreds of students, this would take forever, and he knew he would be called late due to his last name.

His attention began to wander. He let his gaze drift around the auditorium, and his eyes eventually landed again on the man he had noticed earlier. Something about him piqued Liam's curiosity. Jax was no distraction at this moment since Liam knew his friend was too nervous for a proper conversation.

Suddenly, Liam noticed the man had taken out a notebook. This alone was unusual, as in this modern age, hardly anyone wrote on paper anymore. The books in the libraries were some of the only written materials that still existed. Liam's interest was sparked.

He watched as the man wrote something in the notebook every time a new student was called.

"And now, Emma Dalbot, who has distinguished herself through her outstanding abilities in justice and ethics. Emma will be appointed as a judge."

An admiring murmur went through the crowd as Emma stepped forward to receive her assignment. The man in the suit took out his notebook again and began writing eagerly.

Liam continued to watch him. He raised an eyebrow and squinted. Something about the way the man wrote didn't add up. He wrote way too quickly for it to be names and jobs—something Liam had initially assumed. Curious, Liam tried to get a closer look at the notebook.

When he finally managed to get a somewhat clear view of the notebook, he saw only lines or symbols—but oddly, they seemed to be arranged in a sort of system. Short, precise lines that appeared random yet organized. Liam strained his eyes further as the next name was called.

"David Davos, known for his analytical skills. Last year, he achieved extraordinary merits for our academy. David will be an engineer."

The man made some quick, vertical and horizontal strokes. It was too fast to be writing names and jobs, Liam was now certain. He squinted to recognize the pattern better. He quite enjoyed the puzzle.

Then it hit him: it was a form of shorthand.

Liam began to analyze the man's movements. Whenever the director spoke, the man reacted differently to various words.

"For vowels, he makes vertical strokes, for consonants, horizontal strokes. Never more than a few strokes per word... no, not quite," Liam murmured to himself.

The director continued, "Sophie Destina, known for her creativity and artistic talent. Sophie will be an architect."

Again, Liam saw the man write a combination of vertical and horizontal strokes until it formed a kind of symbol.

"Probably an elegant and efficient system that allowes him to quickly and discreetly note down what was said," Liam thought.

There was also the possibility that Liam was completely wrong. But he had nothing better to do than speculate and wait.

Liam whispered softly to himself as he analyzed the patterns. "Not words... not a full language... sounds... he's writing sounds, not words. Vertical strokes for vowels, horizontal strokes for consonants. They then form a sound. Brilliant."

The more Liam watched the man, the clearer the system became. The man wasn't simply writing down names and professions—he was encoding them. It was a method to write information down as fast as possible and at the same time ensured only he or someone who knew the system could read the notes.

As the next name was called, Liam attentively followed the man's movements. He could now interpret the strokes and understand the logic behind them.

The director called, "Carla Easter, known for her organizational skills. Carla will be a logistician."

The man quickly noted down a few strokes, and Liam could further understand the logic of the shorthand. It was fascinating how efficiently and precisely the man worked.

But one question remained: If these were indeed sounds that formed a word, how could the man distinguish between the different sounds? For example, the different "A" sounds like "ah," "am," and "as"? Liam couldn't directly recognize the pattern, which kept the language mysterious yet intriguing.

Another name was called, "Nina Effark, known for her exceptional mathematical abilities. Nina will be appointed as a statistician."

Liam watched the man and thought, "Nina—Ni—one horizontal stroke and then a vertical one... Na... horizontal stroke, vertical stroke. Parker—Par..." He saw the man making these strokes and felt validated in his observations.

The lengths, spacing, and overlaps were always different, creating a truly nuanced writing system right before Liam's eyes.

As Liam continued to watch the notebook with curiosity, the man suddenly paused. Liam's lips still moved silently as he tried to decipher the writing. Then he too stopped when he noticed the man had halted.

An uneasy feeling washed over him. He cautiously lifted his gaze and was surprised to find the man looking directly into his eyes.