Timeskip

Sapphire…

Over the past four months, I had learned a lot and had grown a lot. Everybody was keeping in touch in our group chat. New technology had come out. Everybody had phones now.

8 months… Over the past eight months, we had grown a lot. I had finally hit a PR of 18 and Brian had also hit 18. Nothing is really progressing anymore. I started to enjoy my childhood with Brian…

18 months…

I'm fourteen and back in school everybody is sad and they all have white streaks and bags under their eyes. I'm 14 and nothing interesting has happened which I stood but some things are becoming very apparent the new technology is progressing faster than ever and glass and metal skyscrapers have already been built in the now metropolis Ljos city.

The discrimination has become more apparent. Life overall has just become better, but at what cost? More discrimination everybody's been on edge about the war. And that's where today pans out.

There have been fights with Gryza's small military scuffles.

I still have insomnia. I hope they find a medicine that can cure it, it makes me feel self-conscious about the way my eyes look. And how I feel when the birds start chirping and I'm still awake after a few glimpses of sleep.

I covered my eyes up with bangs once again wavy curtain bangs to be specific. "I still don't understand why you cover up your eyes? They're beautiful." Brian looked at me. I shook my head, uncovering my face from the bangs. He smiled. "See? You look just beautiful." He said, caressing my cheek. I appreciate him. Brian makes me feel comfortable with my insomnia.

I left out of the dorm in a hurry. I need to stop getting so distracted sometimes I still have to meet up with Leona for our early morning chat. Ever since she told me she has depression, I've been trying to make sure she's always comfortable.

I feel like I can relate. I used to be very depressed. It made me feel worthless, like everything I did hurt someone else that I cared for. It always made everything look dark and grey. But then Brian came along and helped me out of it.

And I'm hard shipping her and Raimy. Honestly, they're like yin and yang. But they used to act almost identically. Always seeing them blush at each other. But Leona is shy and won't woman up? I guess.

I finally arrived at Leona's dorm room with all of my school things. She greeted me. "H-i S-a-p-p-h-i-r-e." I responded, "Hi how are you doing?" G-o-o-d she said in sign language, smiling. "I think since you're already "besties." With Raimy that you should just ask him out."

She shook her head. I-m s-h-y. Oh, for the love of God. "You realize that if both of you never make the first move you'll never start dating?"

… Currently Brian Tenner and Raimy.

"You realize that if both of you are never going to make the first move, you'll never start dating?" I said, telling Raimy a piece of hard-cold truth. He looked down. "I just don't want her to hate me."

"What would she hate you for?"

I said, leaning in. "What if she just doesn't want a relationship and I make her uncomfortable?"

"Well, Leona isn't like that, she doesn't hate for petty reasons and what if she does want a relationship?"

Tenner said, reading my mind. He looked down in thought. We finally beat him being shy! YES! He can't argue with fact!

…Sapphire first person

The school day finally started. There was a strange silence in the halls. No one really knew.

How to talk to each other anymore. Once we got into the class, it was silent. They had hired new teacher. He suddenly turned on the tv...

"Military country Gryza attacks major fishing harbor by the sky!" …. The war has finally started. The reporter was covered in dirt grime and was slightly injured. Everyone started panicking. Was school going to be canceled again?

No. That's not going to happen. Our new teacher's name was. Mia Scott is a wise @$$ to be frank prof. Malick and her get along well, which I never thought I see two people as cynical as they get along with one another.

"Yeah, yeah the war has started."

I'm going to fight I guess. My life is one big mess. No happiness. No consistency. No permanency. Just fight, fight, fight. I'm getting sick of it. As soon as I'm mellowing out this happens. Why can't I just catch a break? And also why is it coming so early? Were they trying to catch a jump on us?

...

Suddenly, there was a big announcement. "Everybody line up in the hall of the east tower!"

Everybody lines up in the halls. There were thousands upon thousands of people there. It was completely silent in the halls. There was a faint voice handing off numbers as I got closer to the front the voice became louder.

As I got to the front, I saw a man handing out slips of paper. "Sapphire…" He paused as he read I had no last name. "You will be on the front lines should this country ever need extra reinforcements on the battlefield. These slips of paper contain words from your close/loved ones for the battlefield. Keep this close to you as you never know if you'll see them again."

I walked away down a more private hallway. Never see them again? I had never thought of that. What if I never saw my friends again? Brian or my brother, what if I never got to see Olivia or great-pa again? I opened the note

The slip of paper said… Sapphire, as someone who is hopefully considered close to you in your heart, I would like to bestow upon you a new last name considering your situation. I would never let a fellow friend to the kingdom walk around with no last name, as though she were a lowly slave.

Best wishes in war,

love, and life, Mary Fylar.

To Sapphire Victoria.

I smiled brightly. Such a bittersweet day.

There were more words on the paper.

Love u sis.

Ether.

In the messiest handwriting, I had ever seen. My brother's name was in immaculate handwriting.

"Hehe." I giggled, knowing who wrote this letter. Ether (eh-thur) His first letter sad I wasn't there to record. I bet Ryhem helped him out.

I folded it I'm going to go get a blacksmith to forge a pendant for this. I heard the tapping of footsteps down the hallway. It was Brian. "So this is where you disappeared off too." He said, looking around. This part of the school is where nobody comes to because it is where hundreds of students were brutally murdered by Lokust. It brings back trauma for them, but for me, it's a place where I can be alone with my own painful yet calming thoughts.

There was still something against the wall, a sort of mural to those who had died in hopes of never forgetting. A blood-red background with a blonde chiseled man with wings flying towards a utopia of green and other winged people. But flying with him were hundreds of children ascending into the heavens where they belonged.

It brought tears to my eyes every time I looked at it. But knowing I did everything I could to help them and to save them comforted me.

"I hate this part of the school it makes me feel like I never did enough like I could've saved someone else even just one more if I could I'd go back in time just to save one more person just to save one more family from crying and having to bury their loved ones."

Oh. Am I evil for not feeling guilty?

Am I bad for feeling like it's not my fault?

Am I just that stupid?

For feeling like it's not my fault?

I looked away. My face was full of sadness, but I don't want him to feel like he did something wrong, just because he expressed how he felt. He swung to the side just to see my face. "Did I sadden you? I'm sorry. Tell me if I did something wrong. Please?"

"No, no it's me."

"Are you sure?" No, this is why I keep it all to myself. "Yeah, I'm sure." Walking more, I believe they cancelled class. I walked through the crowded hallways. There are more bullies at the school, of course, because of the discrimination being intensified. But still it surprised me that even after all the things they had been through, they still wanted to discriminate against each other.

What a bunch of sick people. Even after all the murders now known as the worst child mass murder in history across all countries. They must know their fellow peers are going through it right now, but they still act like nothing is ever going on and just bully them closer and closer.

I had a disgusted look on my face while going into the bathrooms. Those murders had made them messed up in the head. There were actual delinquents in the school. Just people who acted badly. Walking back to my dorm, I jumped on my bed with so many memories in such little time. So many bad memories. I'll appreciate the good from now on. I keep telling myself that but I never do because there is always another danger around the corner.

…

I got my pendant and went back to my dorm. I immediately went to sleep.

I woke up looking at the clock. It was only 15 minutes. Going to sleep again, I had a nightmare. A monster came and hunted me in my dreams of darkness chained to the wall my wrists and back were burning with unimaginable pain. "I will forever haunt you." Two youthful voices that belonged to my late friends said.

I didn't sleep again.

…

I meditated until morning to the birds, a wake-up call for me. It was still 6 am, but I got bored. I sensed a presence in my dorm. Creeping around, I grabbed my sword and used my footwork becoming completely silent.

What do they want? I saw their lingering shadow on the couch. "Come out Sapphire. I know you're there," Mina said. "Hello," I said, calming down and getting less tense.

"You look like you haven't slept."