GENESIS: The Beginning of the End

By: MoodyAngst

Chapter 3: Sanctuary VII

"Oww!"

Rocky DeSantos felt pain rush through his arm as a fist landed sharply on it. He looked over to see who the culprit was, the curtain of brown hair swayed along with his movement. His brown eyes darted through the person who punched, who, in fact, was his best friend Adam Park.

"What'cha do that for!"

"Payback for making me lose my sleep. And also my birthday present." Adam replied coolly.

"Oh, that." Rocky said. "But I was only joking about that part!"

Adam can't help but laugh. "Well, be careful of what you joke about next time. It might just come true."

"Yeah, yeah whatever." Rocky droned. "I'm not buying you lunch."

"Should I be worried?" Adam asked with a smile. Rocky just clicked his tongue back at him.

The glistening whiteness of snow adorned the grounds of Sanctuary I. With its strange architecture and structures, one could almost feel that this institution were arcane in nature. As he and Rocky walked on, Adam thought about its history and its purpose why it was established.

The Repentant Omen began twenty-four years ago, an eventual incident that affected the whole world and upset its social, political, and spiritual balance. It broke the seal of the Hellish Abyss, causing it to be opened. Demons, ghouls, dark spirits and other monstrosities emerged from the evil Abyss and slaughtered most of the human race. The darkness of that evil Abyss killed or drove everyone else mad, and the survivors killed each other. Shortly after this madness, a new power emerged throughout the world. The government and the people tremble to this entity's influence and will. It was called the Anti-Demon Federation, an organization composed mainly of demonslayers and supernatural investigators surrounded by wealth and power yet clouded in a shroud of myth and mystery, especially its leaders. Rumors surfaced that there were a total of seven leaders, but their names were never revealed. What is known about this organization is that seven unique institutions simply known as 'Sanctuaries' were founded and funded by this group. These institutions were located at all seven parts of the world. Its educational system is military-like; Potential students have to go through stringent assessments and only top individuals are selected. Its only when students start attending the schools, they find that things are very different. Students will adapt and fall into the school's routine. Rumors are abound that the students in these institutions are to be trained into a mercenary special force known as 'SERAPH'. They are trained in conventional and non conventional combat skills, some techniques even beyond those used by the military. These individuals would have to rely on their skills and techniques to battle those dark entities in the near future.

So far, things are calm and peaceful. But somewhere deep inside the seven institutions there is an unspeakable force that lies dormant, waiting and biding its time. Uncertainty, fear, anxiety are in everyone's hearts. As for the seven institutions, each student just trains and waits…

"Adam? You listenin'?"

Rocky's voice broke him off from his long thinking.

"Huh?'

"I'm getting worried about you, man." Rocky said, a mix of worry and disappointment because his friend wasn't listening to him at all was present on his face. "You keep spacing off like that and I'll have to kick you in the balls just to wake you up."

Rocky let out a huge guffaw, but Adam just snorted.

"Yeah, thanks very much, Rocky."

"What were you thinking about, anyway?" His best friend asked him.

"It's nothing, really. Just thinking about the history of this school, is all."

"Oh. Not Tanya?"

"Well, yeah, a little bit. And, here's another punch for ya."

Adam punched him again in the arm.

"Yeow! What's that for!" Rocky protested.

"For that last message you gave me. Payback."

"I'm really not buying you lunch."

Christmas was coming very fast, and some of the students were on campus were already making plans on how to spend their vacation. Most of them, however, are stressing for the upcoming SERAPH Enrollment Process, which consists of a written exam and a field examination; it is quite the challenge to make it to SERAPH level, one that many fail to achieve.

Cold winds blew past, leaving a stingy sensation to Adam's face as they walked to their next class. He fastened his jacket over his cadet uniform to block out the coldness of the winter season. Rocky was rambling something about food (again), but he wasn't really listening. He felt a little different when he woke up this morning. Well, yeah, no thanks to Rocky, but it had something to do with the fact that today is his birthday. He's happy, yes, but…there's a lingering feeling that something's missing. He has felt that for years, but it had a stronger effect now than ever.

How old he was now, he asked himself. Seventeen years old? It felt as if it was just yesterday that he enlisted and was taken into the Sanctuary to be trained as a SERAPH mercenary five years ago. He had the desire to protect his loved one, but he never even thought that he, a "pipsqueak" will be chosen instead of the other kids who were much bigger than him, the ones who would always pick on him because of his small stature and skinny frame. Only young individuals with the proper combination of virtue and spirit are capable of being a SERAPH mercenary. But the headmaster told him that there was "something special" about him, something that the other kids did not have. The headmaster never told him what it was, otherwise. He didn't understand it before, and he certainly didn't understand it now.

What's so special about him that Headmaster Zordon saw?

As he and Rocky walked along the dormitory corridors, the following silence was almost immediately broken by a voice from behind.

"Yo guys, wait up!"

Light running footsteps echoed through the halls, approaching the two young men from behind. The bubbly Aisha Campbell, with her multi-braided hair held back in a ponytail by a yellow ribbon swaying along with her movement, caught up with them so they can all walk together to class.

"Hey, Aisha." The two boys greeted.

"Hey. Ooh, before anything else-" Aisha opened her bag and rummaged through it, muttering "tsk…where the heck is it…?", then pulled out a small, neatly-wrapped present and gave it to Adam.

"Happy Birthday!"

Adam, smiling, graciously accepted the present and thanked her. "Thanks, Aisha!"
"You're welcome." Aisha smiled back and then turned to Rocky. "How about you? You gave him something?"

"Uhhh…" Rocky scratched his head. "I'm, I'm working on it."

Aisha cocked an eyebrow and placed her hands on her hips. "What do you mean you're working on it? Don't tell me you forgot his birthday."

"Oh, he remembered it quite well." Adam sneered. Rocky scratched his head again and gave him a weak smile. Aisha just rolled her eyes and muttered something that sounded something like "Boys." under her breath. They were about to go ahead, when-

"Oof!"

A volleyball soared through the air and landed squarely on Rocky DeSantos's face.

"What the f-!" Rocky cursed. "Who threw that damn ball?"

"Oh, I'm soooo sorry!" A small voice echoed from afar, sarcasm and taunting fluctuations mingling with each other from the sound of the voice. "Didn't mean to, uh, 'accidentally' hit you with the ball on purpose!"

Rocky, who was red with anger (well, maybe a bit literally…with the red ball mark on his face and all), vociferously searched the area, with Adam and Aisha desperately trying to restrain him. Normally, Rocky doesn't have a short temper; doesn't get mad easily, but there's someone who could really knock him off his hammock. Finn McGavin.

"Show yourself, you little coward!"

A small figure of a girl with brown flyaway hair and green eyes landed from the ceiling, smirking in cutesy way that made Rocky's temper soar higher that it was.

"Awesome techinique, Spider's Web. Hanging from the ceiling and all." Finn said, placing her hand on her waist, smirking mischievously. "How'dya like it?"

"Frickin' stupid!" Rocky replied, motioning towards her in a brusque fashion. He grabbed the ball and threw it at the girl with great speed. It wasn't fast enough, though, as she evaded it without difficulty.

"Your aim sucks, man." Finn taunted, and grabbed the ball. "I think I'll be taking this, then."

Rocky glared at her, and she did the same, exchanging looks of pure hate and disgust.

"Think that's pretty funny, do you?"

"Oh, it was. You should've seen the look on your face. It was frickin' hilarious."

"Heh, knock yourself out."

"Ooh, hey, you know what? I think it was the other way around."

At these words, Rocky made to reach for the collar of her uniform, but Adam held him back before he could do so.

"Damn, he's strong." Adam muttered. "Hey, c'mon man. She's a girl!"

"Why am I always bitchslapped today,eh? First you, then this dwarf." Rocky exclaimed. "And, what's that you said? Girl? Don't make me laugh. She's a freakin' flat-chested tomboy! And incredibly puny, that's for sure!"

"Oh, yeah? Well, at least I'm not a big smelly ape intelligent enough to grunt and scratch his head!" The girl taunted and clicked her tongue at him. Rocky escaped Adam's grip and chased after her. Finn quickly ran away whilst laughing her head off.

"Really, whenever those two cross paths…" Aisha sighed.

"Trouble. That's the only thing that comes off it." Adam continued.

"Well, we're running late for Clairvaux's class. Shall we?" Aisha said.

"Gladly. Maybe we'd catch up with those two." Adam replied.

"Yeah, that is, if there's anything left of them, anyway. They've torn each other to pieces before we even get there."