Arrival

The enormous flying craft slowly descended towards the dome of the citadel, casting long shadows over the empty ground. The airlock that separated the inner world of the city from the scorched expanse of the outer world opened. The aeron, gradually reducing the power of its engines, smoothly entered the open space.

A siren blared, announcing the imminent landing. Near the platform where the aeron was soon to land, a multitude of workers in special suits scurried about. Clad in exoskeletons, they were engaged in various tasks: some were responsible for transporting cargo, others for repairing or preparing the landing sites. Somewhere in the distance, a foreman was shouting at his workers to stop slacking off.

Slowly flying to the sound of the siren, the aeron approached the landing site. A strong gust of wind swept across the surrounding area. The huge metallic monster, blowing away everything nearby, finally landed. Its engines were completely silenced, and the siren was shut off as well.

A telescopic ramp was attached to the giant airlock of the aeron. Once docked, the door began to open. The sound of numerous mechanisms could be heard; steam poured from the gaps that appeared, and then the door opened. Behind it stood people, many of whom did not look older than twenty. Holding their luggage, they moved forward, eagerly discussing the recent events.

"Did you see how that nexus dealt with that creature? I wonder what class it was. Do you think it was a goliath?" a short-haired guy asked the bespectacled guy next to him.

"Maybe, but wasn't it too big? It's probably a colossus."

"Aren't colossi even bigger? How about a bet? The news will soon give detailed information about it. I bet twenty bucks it's a goliath."

"Deal. By the way, did you see the serial number of that nexus?"

"It was thirteen, I think. Why?"

Among the crowd, a young man with a bag slung over his shoulder walked along.

At the exit of the ramp, they were met by a woman. She appeared to be about thirty-five, dressed in a strict, perfectly fitting suit that emphasized her impeccable professionalism. She gave the group an appraising look, then slightly straightening her shoulders, she said:

"Welcome, dear cadets. My name is Margaret Crow, and I will be your guide today. Please follow in an orderly fashion, do not fall behind, and feel free to ask me any questions you have."

Her tone was both confident and calm, brooking no objections, and the crowd almost instinctively followed her, led by her assured steps.

"We are currently in the aviation block of citadel number seventeen. It was established eight hundred fourteen years ago, during the time of pushing back the 'mortal zone' which occupied the territory of the third block."

Suddenly, from the crowd following her, a question was heard:

"Excuse me," he began, "how often do you encounter nephilim?"

Margaret slowed her pace slightly, listening attentively to the question, and turning her head towards the cadets, she said:

"Contact with nephilim is quite frequent," she replied, "this is because the citadel's route passes close to the outer boundary of the third block. But don't worry, we usually encounter guardian-class creatures, less often goliaths."

"What class was the nephilim that attacked today?" the guy who had earlier made a bet with his friend interrupted her story.

Giving the guy a cold look, not quite matching her friendly facial expression, she said:

"Ryuji Takeshi, arriving from the eighth citadel, correct?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Good question, a point for curiosity. Regarding your question — it was a very rare precedent. It was a colossus-class nephilim. You were all very fortunate to witness a battle with such a creature."

Margaret smiled sweetly, but her eyes still clearly conveyed a coldness.

"Let's continue."

Quickening her pace, she led the group further.

Following Margaret, the group encountered a rather sparse spectacle. In twenty minutes of walking, apart from the guide's stories and descriptions, they saw only bare walls of metal corridors. Occasionally, panoramic windows showed almost identical blocks.

Bringing the cadets to the next energy barrier, she stopped.

"Dear cadets, please prepare your identification numbers. If you do not have one, you will be sent back to your citadel or city. In doing so, you will lose your cadet status and will not be able to reapply until the next intake."

"Beyond this barrier is the entrance to the next block, where, after passing the checkpoint, you will officially gain cadet status and with it, access to accommodation and free movement within citadel number seventeen."

Finishing her monologue, she reached towards the blue barrier, which lit up green and disappeared.

Passing through the energy barrier, the group entered a spacious room. It sharply contrasted with the narrow metal corridors — high ceilings, white-gray finish, soft lighting.

In the opposite corner of the room was a checkpoint, which was a fairly ordinary sight: four separate passages, separated by similar energy barriers. If you looked closely, you could see many barely visible cameras overhead. In front of the barriers were panels for reading biometric data and identification numbers.

"Do not rush and pass in an orderly fashion. After passing the post, remain on site."

Hearing Margaret's command, the cadets began passing through the checkpoint one by one, applying their identification numbers to the panels and allowing the scanners to verify their biodata.

The barriers flashed green time and again, confirming successful authorization.

Then it was the turn of the blond youth. He stepped forward and placed his hand on the sensor. The bracelet on his wrist blinked, and information appeared on the screen:

*Name: Cassian Tenebris.

*Age: 18.

*Gender: Male.

*Height: 179 cm.

*Weight: 65 kg.

*Registration: Block #3; Citadel #2.

For a moment he was bathed in green light, and the screen read:

*Identification successful. Welcome to citadel number seventeen.

He was about to move on, but suddenly a siren wailed. In the adjacent lane stood a nondescript youth, silently staring at the screen that read:

*Identification error! Identification error!

His face clearly displayed a panicked expression.

The young man froze for a moment, then nervously glanced at Margaret Crow.

"Excuse me, but... it seems something's wrong," he said uncertainly.

She, looking at him, gave a sweet smile and said:

"Don't worry," Margaret added, addressing the entire group. "This happens; you just need to undergo additional verification."

Looking over the rest of the group, she added:

"Continue with the verification process."

She signaled to two checkpoint staff members, who approached the cadet and led him to a separate room.

The remaining cadets exchanged looks, but no one asked any questions. They continued passing through the terminals, awaiting the completion of registration. Cassian, following earlier instructions, passed through the barrier and found himself in a similar room where the registered cadets waited for the others.

After a few minutes, Margaret entered the room with several people in equally strict suits. They did not introduce themselves, but each held a small device in their hands.

"Now we will assign you special individual tags. These are not only your passes but also communication devices allowing interaction with the Citadel system. Just extend your hand, and we will activate them."

Once the procedure was completed, Margaret led the group forward again.

Passing through the dull corridors, they reached a panoramic window offering a magnificent view.

Tall, sleek buildings of white metal and glass rose to the sky, with their sharp, minimalist facades and straight lines, as if cut from a clean sheet. Perfectly laid roads, occasionally accompanied by artificial trees.

Hoping to find something unusual, Cassian slowed his pace. But after surveying the entire view of the city and finding nothing interesting, he moved on.