Echoes of the Past

It's been four years since the survival test, but we still talk about it like it was yesterday. Since that final day of the test, we hang out together, the four of us. We saw each other often in the academy. We ate lunch together all the time. We trained together during free time. We became best friends. I really never expected it to happen. Ever since the event which turned my world upside down, I kept my distance from others. My father died helping someone, my mother died saving the children she cared about, and my brother died protecting his little sister. I told myself not to get too close to anybody so I'll only have myself to think about. I couldn't help it though. I got attached to the old ladies and the kids at the orphanage. Mike is now like a brother to me. Dan and Ris are now my best friends. If I were to be honest, having all of them by my side is very comforting.

After four years of intense training in the military, we finally became full-pledged Black Thorns soldiers. Ris joined the medical unit. It has always been her dream, plus she's quite good at it. Mike joined the defense unit. They are in charge of evacuating the civilians and barricading the area when high-level monsters appear. Dan joined the attack team, totally expected it. He's more than just a soldier, he was made second-in-command. He was a top student, not to mention he is probably the only one courageous enough to argue with the commander during meetings. His leadership is always amazing, and he had led many victorious missions. I joined the intelligence unit. Our primary task is to record everything about the monsters we fight. We are in charge of researching on monster corpses. We have to distinguish a monster's strengths and weaknesses for future emergencies. After a few months in the lab, I've learned about the strange energy that monsters emit. Even dead, a monster's corpse still emits that strange energy though the energy depletes over time. This is why all the tools made from monster corpses are stronger and more durable. Another thing I discovered, hypothesized that is, was that portals appear near a cluster of the monster tools. If I may draw a conclusion, I believe that a collective amount of energy from the tools triggers the opening of a portal. Of course, I haven't totally proven it yet. It's still just an assumption, for now. But it won't hurt to be cautious of it.

We met at the orphanage and ate dinner together. Mike talked about the cool weapons he got to practice with that morning. Ris talked about the medicine the medical unit was able to create from monster extract. I told them about the findings from the corpse of that huge centipede we defeated a week ago. And Dan, he was quiet as usual. He was just listening, as always. He nods when he needed to respond to yes or no questions. He gives one or two-word answers when asked about something. He is still a quiet man, but his presence is intense. The way he carries himself is very dignified and authoritative. He is going to be a great commander, I thought. I stood up and collected the dishes, then put them in the sink. I looked out the window. The forest near the orphanage was quiet and peaceful. Then a lightning struck and a flash of blue light appeared. The blue light grew bigger and bigger. Then, something horrifying came out of the portal. It was a giant scorpion.