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[h1][b][color=f72f39]Alexander Kherol[/color][/b][/h1]
[h1][b][color=f72f39]The Last Ascendancy Commander[/color][/b][/h1]
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[center][h3]Everything's Alright[/h3][/center]
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[color=f7941d][b][/b][/color]
[color=f72f39][b][/b][/color]
2454 AD

Earth

He was only twelve. But his demeanor, his posture, the jacket hung over his shoulder and the neatly-combed white hair didn't tell the same story. Every stride was him growing up before age, breaking boundaries, meeting everyone's high expectations of the genius kid. His last one was through the gates of the University of Mortier. 

[color=f7941d][b]"Alex!"[/b][/color]

Before he even realized who that was, he was already jumped on, to the curious gazes of the passerby, all almost a decade older than the boy. He felt her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders, her body weighting on his back like a hanger, her fragrant reeks of dirt and grass as she edged her cheeks near him. After hours studying and working in the disinfected labs with these cold mindless equipment, this feeling was a bit overwhelming. 

[color=f72f39][b]"Sarie?"[/b][/color] It didn't take him long to recognize who it was. [color=f72f39][b]"How did you find me?"[/b][/color]

[color=f7941d][b]"I asked!"[/b][/color] She replied almost immediately, her tone unusually cheerful, as if she had just brushed a huge weight off her shoulder.

[color=f72f39][b]"Who did you ask?"[/b][/color] He knew he was quite a sensation in his neighbourhood, but he doubted if they'd just outright tell him where exactly he'd be.

[color=f7941d][b]"Your mom."[/b][/color] She replied. [color=f7941d][b]"She said you're done in the afternoon, but I didn't know when in the afternoon, so I just came here early. Didn't expect ya to be this late."[/b][/color]

[color=f72f39][b]"How long did you wait?"[/b][/color] Alexander asked.

[color=f7941d][b]"Four hours."[/b][/color]

Four hours?!

[color=f72f39][b]"What did you do?!"[/b][/color] Alexander was very much perplexed. He quickly prompted his friend to get off his back. He looked at her in that emerald eyes. She seemed completely oblivious to her actions, even proud almost. [color=f72f39][b]"How do you wait for me for so long?"[/b][/color] 

[color=f7941d][b]"I was in the field right over there!"[/b][/color] She pointed in the general direction. [color=f7941d][b]"I just ran around, catching some cicadas or talked with the birds."[/b][/color]

Geez. She didn't need to do this. Didn't she have friends who she'd rather hung out with. He was the closest one sure, but he's probably not the only one. Unless she'd have to be very lonely to keep hanging on him like that. She didn't seem like that kind of girl though. 

[color=f72f39][b]"Why though?"[/b][/color] 

So why?

[color=f7941d][b]"...You didn't show up at the park to play for a while."[/b][/color] She said, her tone went down significantly. [color=f7941d][b]"So I was curious to what ya up to."[/b][/color]

[color=f72f39][b]"Oh I see."[/b][/color] He patted her on the shoulders. [color=f72f39][b]"It's mostly schoolwork. I just have more than usual."[/b][/color] He gave her a warm smile. [color=f72f39][b]"I'll come when I'm free. You don't need to do this."[/b][/color] 

Her lips curled uncomfortably. [color=f7941d][b]"No I do. It's not fun anymore."[/b][/color] She confessed. The white-haired boy looked at her worryingly. [color=f7941d][b]"I have many friends, but you're the only one who's fun to hang out with."[/b][/color]

He was the only one who didn't look at her the same way as people do: a collection of funny labels that resembled her. Rustic. That girl with a comical accent. The shameless one. None of that he ever said to her. Despite being pretty much out of reach for her to be around a boy of his stature, he was a nice friend, never belittled her for her status, never made fun of her for her looks, how she acts, respected her thoughts, and always one to laugh at her antics, even if he was on the receiving end of it. Even though she still had other friends willing to play, she never had one willing to appreciate her presence. 

Alexander stood there, silent. The gentle autumn breeze continued, as if to rush those busy commuters home to the warmth of the setting sun. 

[color=f72f39][b]"Do you want to...uhhh..."[/b][/color] It never took him this long over a math problem in comparison. [color=f72f39][b]"...get something to eat?"[/b][/color] He stumbled. 

[color=f7941d][b]"Sure!"[/b][/color] Sarie replied, her enthusiasm seemingly on the recovery, but it didn't feel the same way again.[hr]
After indecisively wandering through the food district, having too many snacks to choose from, both of them decided on some chocolate cookies. Classic but delicious and quite nice for growing up kids. To add the icing on it, they were just passing by a beautiful beach. It was artificially made, but the scenery and authenticity was great enough that the two didn't really care if they were fake or not. They just wanted some company, after having drifted away from each other for long. 

[color=f72f39][b]"You know what...thanks, Sarie. Thanks"[/b][/color] Alexander said. Sarie was a little confused. [color=f72f39][b]"I didn't know I needed this."[/b][/color] He sat down on the grass above the walkway parallel to the beach. [color=f72f39][b]"You know about the Prodigy Supplementary Program in our city?"[/b][/color]

[color=f7941d][b]"Nay. I have no idea what that is."[/b][/color] She shook her head, to which Alexander laughed. He forgot this wasn't a college student, a professor or a school teacher he's talking to.

[color=f72f39][b]"It's something for people like me. I excel in schools. They decided I could be better if I have a different curriculum, so my time at school will mostly be at...well...where you waited for me. Studying high concepts that you don't wanna know."[/b][/color] He said. [color=f72f39][b]"It took a lot more time than others my age."[/b][/color]

[color=f7941d][b]"So that's why you've been off."[/b][/color] The orange-haired girl caught on. Alexander nodded. 

[color=f72f39][b]"I like the atmosphere, the people are great, smart and respectful, but...it just isn't the same as this."[/b][/color] He said. [color=f72f39][b]"I've always found you a unique friend."[/b][/color]

People usually keep to their own groupings when it comes to friendship, especially as it was just as cool to people as it was disgusting to hate on those who aren't them. Rich kids on rich kids. Poor kids on poor kids. Kids with their addictions to that one FPS shooter. But Sarie? As shameless she was sometimes, that confidence and her obliviousness to this was appealing. He didn't need to approach her to connect a diverse group of friends. She approached him, not with drools of being with the cool kid, nor begging for attention. She just did, because she liked him.

[color=f72f39][b]"I can ask my program advisor. They probably would let up on me."[/b][/color] He said, smiling warmly to her. Considering he was still doing better than others in the program, it probably isn't much to ask. [color=f72f39][b]"So we can play together more often."[/b][/color]

Sarie, upon hearing this, gave the young Alexander the biggest hug she had. A hearty laugh was shared. It was as if their friendship was once again blooming.

[color=f7941d][b]"Alex. Are those your friends?"[/b][/color] Sarie said after breaking away from the hug, looking behind him. Alexander looked behind him as well. There were two men in black suit and sunglasses walking in their direction on the walkway. 

[color=f72f39][b]"...No. I don't know them."[/b][/color] He knew a lot of adults in the university, but none of them resembled these two. None of them had that edgy aesthetics. 

[color=f72f39][b]"Why'd you ask?"[/b][/color]

He didn't get a reply. Because before she could, those two men were already right next to both of them. The girl is interesting, but the boy was their main target. The renowned prodigy of Alexandria. One of the man grabbed Alexander by the neck from behind, his arm choked him, a knife's edge placed right near his face. The warm happiness just earlier turned into terror, but their fear only just registered. Alexander was just suppressing the tremor in his arms and legs, while Sarie was just paralyzed. Her arms wrapped around herself, her lips too trembling to even scream. Her knees pointed into each other as she battled herself to look away with her wide eyes and shut them tight. 

[color=gray][b]"I got the boy. You go grab her."[/b][/color]

The other man in black nodded and approached Sarie. In plain view of the also shaken Alexander. He didn't know what was going on. Just a few seconds ago, they were eating chocolate and chatting, now he was being choked. She was going to be choked too. What's going to happen to both of them? What's going to happen to Sarie? He didn't even run the possibilities. He was terrified. But what could happen to her was even more terrifying. That was not to sit. He might be choked, but he was not choking. 

Alexander felt the stinging pain running across his palm as he suddenly grabbed into the knife itself by the edge, his hands bare to feel the metal on his flesh. His other hand grabbed onto the handle of the knife, around the man's hand. Briefly submitting to his animal instinct, his teeth mounted onto the man's hand like a predator sinking its fangs on its hapless prey. Blood spilled out of both their hands. In a sudden and bad pain, the man let go of his grip of both him and the knife, which went right into Alexander's hands then right back into the man's abdomen. The other man realized what happened, turned back and impulsively lunged at the boy. A quick slash through the hand, coming close to almost severing his fingers clean was the price to pay. Their task had met unexpected disaster.

The spine-chilling stare, blood dripping from both his teeth and his other hand, gently laid on his dear friend nudging her to back away. This is no soft-spoken child. 

[color=gray][b]"HEY! YOU!" [/b][/color]

The commotion had alerted the neighbourhood. The two men could see people running to the two kids’ aids. Their initial attempts at stealth had failed. The boy was too resistant. Normally they would switch to stun weapons, but they were both quite badly injured beyond their expectations. With time rapidly closing in on them, the two men decided to retreat, their hands gripping on their injuries. 

As the adrenalines died down, the knife slipped from his hand and fell onto the dirt. And soon after, himself.[hr]
Thankfully, it was just simple blood loss. 

But Alexander wouldn't know how close he had come to losing his hand right there. 

The next thing he knew, he was in the hospital, his hands well-patched up with several stitches. Outside of a blood transfusion, he was fine. His parents were here, having cried pretty much the entire night, even after knowing he was ok. What was more entrenched was that they had taken actions. They knew of the missing prodigies. They knew what would happen to them. They knew now he would be next. He made it out alive today, but what if they came after him tomorrow, the day after, when he wasn't ready to defend himself?

But they weren't the only one to sob for him. 

[color=f7941d][b]"Alex?" [/b][/color]

The hospital door slowly opened, then halfway through swung open violently. 

[color=f7941d][b]"ALEX!" [/b][/color]

Alexander couldn't muster a response before being smothered. She clinched him in her arms, pressed him onto her chest, his head pinned in one spot, his hand raised in concerns. Her hold was so tight they could feel each other's breathing. But she wasn't ready to let go. If hugs could heal, she'd do it all night. 

[color=f72f39][b]"There there. It's fine, see?"[/b][/color] He raised his arms, trying to laugh it off before returning her hug. 

[color=f7941d][b]"I thought I lost you..." [/b][/color]

He saw the blood stain on her shirt, still there. It all happened so fast, he didn't even remember what happened exactly, but there was only one man close enough to her that moment. It was his blood. Blood given to save his best friend.

[color=f72f39][b]"It's ok. It's ok..."[/b][/color] His bandaged hand, the hand that protects her, now patting her from behind. He softly whispered. [color=f72f39][b]"Everything will be alright."[/b][/color]

[color=f72f39][b][i]Everything will be alright...[/i][/b][/color]