The Population of Observers

Life at Katursh Dai Academy wasn't always the greatest. An obvious known fact to anyone who didn't get sent there willingly.

Rudy was one of those people. She lived in a small village on the coast.

But Dai Academy was feared in the rural areas of Katursh.

It was a ploy to get more soldiers, so the second Rudy got tested when she was 14, she knew that it was over.

She knew what she had to endure for the rest of her life. So she said goodbye to her mom's and little brother, accepting that her fate is to die in the middle of battle.

The one thing she noticed when she arrived was the falsity of everything. It was everywhere.

The carvings on the walls showed stories that she couldn't even fact-check. The books in the library, all censored. The study classes were rigged.

But the fakest thing was the people. Just like in real life, the rich people survived.

You could get sent by the government to Dai Academy, but the rich will send their kids for a more 'real' education.

She scoffed at that thought. The rich kids? Getting an education? Kids like Jade and her posse have it the easiest, a little batter of the eyes and a flash of mommy's money, and they're out!!

But then She came along.

Rudy didn't have any issues with Her at all actually. Everyone was really excited for The Shadow Twins to be entered into the academy. Well, the rural kids anyway.

They came from a small town just like them, maybe The Shadow Twins could help!

But the very day She arrived, She was with one of the rich kids.

"It doesn't make any sense!! She's supposed to be just like us!! Why doesn't she understand!?" Rudy had ranted to her own group of friends.

They would always hang out in the library, it was their unofficial meeting place if you will.

Rudy was leaning up against the door when she felt it just slightly open. She stopped her sentence peeking out to see who it was, when she spotted Her with a cart of books rounding the corner.

Rudy thought that was weird but not the weirdest.

The first day of school with The Shadow Twins attending was awkward.

Well, you couldn't turn anywhere without hearing about The Shadow Twins. Now, Rudy was one of those people, or was, after she found out she was hanging out with the rich kids she decided to stay away.

Rudy decided to just focus on her studies and, other things, after

The Shadow Twins hype will probably calm down or will move to just the rich kid's circle.

But even a week after, the hype around The Shadow Twins didn't die down. The taller one never came around, nobody barely saw him. But, She started to shine.

Around three weeks is when Rudy actually came into contact with Her.

Rudy and her friends were just wanding over to their next class when Rudy gets run over by someone moving way too fast.

The impact had both Rudy and the other person falling right to the ground.

"Ow, oh Celestia! What the kaza!" Rudy rubbed at her side when she looked over to the other person.

It was Her.

She groaned, it looked like She dropped her books and, chalk?

She looked at a disbelieved Rudy, and a realization came across Her face.

"Oh my Celestia, I am so sorry! Are you alright? I was running pretty fast." She ran Her hand through Her hair.

Rudy's first reaction was confusion, utterly unblinded, confusion.

"Uh, yeah I'm fine.."

"Good." She picked up her belongings and got up. But She did one more baffling thing.

She held out Her hand, for Rudy.

Rudy, on autopilot, took Her hand. The ease that She had pulling Rudy up shocked her the most.

"I'm Ren, and you are..?" she moved her belongings to Her left arm and held out Her right hand.

Ren...

"Rudy.." she had returned the handshake. Spacing out a bit.

Apparently, Ren had introduced herself to the rest of Rudy's friends and had left because when Rudy realized where she was, Ren was gone.

Rudy was stunned by simple words, Rudy had thought Ren was just another rich kid, not caring about anything but their reputation.

Maybe She is different, Rudy had decided. Rudy hadn't sensed the fakeness that was in everything, no, Ren didn't exude that aura.

Ever since Ren and Rudy had that first interaction, Ren had always made an effort to acknowledge Rudy and her friends.

A wave from across the hallway. A nod passing each other in the hallway. Even some talk in the cafeteria line.

Ren's friends obviously had a problem with it, maybe Ren knew, maybe not.

Rudy didn't quite care, Ren was good in her books.

A couple days after the encounter ren had hung out with Rudy and her friends in the library.

They weren't in the usual meeting place and they were all just studying at one of the regular tables. Ren had come over, She asked for Rudy to check over some of Her spells.

Of course, Rudy helped but there really wasn't anything to help with except making the spell more specific.

—

Having friends is kinda the coolest thing ever.

Y'see Jade and Kiki are great, but they don't really know much about mana. Of course, the thing I need the most help on is the thing they can't help me with.

Especially after kiki had run in on me passed out, she really has been hovering.

I had this really embarrassing run-in with this one girl she had tan skin and pale yellow hair, her name was Rudy (I think), she has really been useful.

She's not the best at mana, like Marissa, but she's really great. Especially at pointing at the smallest things.

Me, Rudy, and her friends were all studying in the library, the clock had struck 7 times though so they decided to go back to our dorms.

Rudy and my dorms were the same way, surprisingly she had a dorm on the first floor too.

Her friends also had dorms on the first floor though they were the other way.

We passed by a teacher, I guess because he stopped us.

"Your Ren, right?"

"Yes sir."

He sighed relieved and composed himself.

"We need you to check in on the other Shadow Twin"

Oh Celestia, what did Akari do now?!

"Understood sir, may I ask why?"

"Well, Akari has not attended any of his classes and we've only spotted him at the cafe." he looked bored almost.

"If he does not come to his classes soon we will have to take some extensive matters soon. So we wanted to speak to you first before taking extra time to do something, that may be unnecessary" He took a while to articulate his words towards the end of his sentence.

Fine whatever, tell Akari to get off his ass and go to bed.

I nod and then me and Rudy are back on course for our dorm rooms.

"So um.." I glance over at Rudy, she looks confused. A look I've seen a lot on her face.

"Why hasn't the taller one come out?" I giggle in my head at the double meanings of her words.

"You can call him Akari, and honestly.." Mara, he hasn't come out because Mara died and he loved her, supposedly. But I can't just air out our business to everyone and everything.

Rudy looks at me expectantly.

"Something happened, in our old town, it's partly the reason we're here. And it's been affecting him a lot, I guess."

Rudy looks like she wants to know more but Akari's door comes into view.

"We're here." I hurry up my steps a bit, I just want to get over with this.

First, I knock on the door. "Akari? It's ren, ya there?"

A shuffling comes from the other side of the door, but silence. That fucker.

"Yo, I'm coming in!"

I open the surprisingly unlocked door, but the scene I'm faced with is ridiculous.

Akari, in his full getup, cloak and all, hanging half out the window, about to jump. That jump is pretty long because even though we're on the first floor, it's located a couple of floors off the ground. He looks back at me, blinking a bit.

Then it hits me.

"Akari, get the hell out of the window you suicidal shit!"