Revamped!

[HELLO 2018 AND HELLO NEW ARC!

Reminder - Jacin lives in Artemisia, Luna and goes to a military school. This chapter will include subheadings as to where each part is taking place.]

Forming Clay Soldiers: Part One

Artemisia, Luna

The time 2:37 AM flashes in neon numbers from the alarm clock that sits on his bedside table. Jacin paces around his dorm room, quickly throwing on the first dark sweatshirt and jeans he can find. He almost couldn't find them behind his cadet uniforms. Taking a sharp breath, he looks at the empty backpack on his bed and starts filling it with items he knows that he will need. Jacin packs lightly, taking the bare necessities with him. As he zips up his bag, he looks at his charging cell phone right next to his alarm clock. For a second, Jacin thinks that he should bring it with him so that he'll have something to communicate with - but then realizes that's what they'll use to find him.

Jacin slowly opens his bedroom door, looking at the dimly lit hallways of Andromeda Academy's dormitory. He slides through the crack he left and quietly shuts the door again. Jacin throws on his hood and runs down the hall, taking the fire escape as his way outside. From the balcony, he sees the patrol officers scouting the perimeter of the school.

"Aces…" Jacin curses.

Knowing that his military school was heavily guarded like this, he takes a moment to think about his next move. Jacin looks around and spots the nearest guard's blind spot. He knows that he has to move fast and stealthily towards the fire escape. Jacin jumps the rest of the way off the fire escape. He lands on his feet and starts sprinting. Once he reaches the stone fence that borders the academy, he doesn't hesitate to climb over.

"Look at that cadet over there! He'll be a good one to represent Luna overseas, wouldn't he?"

It's like he can still hear that voice.

He needs to get out of here.

Jacin lands on the ground on the other side and feels liberated, no longer trapped in that institution. Jacin gets up, brushes himself off, and walks forth into the streets of Luna. When he's far enough from his military school, he takes a break on a bus stop bench. Jacin reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a notebook and a pen. He clicks the pen open as he opens to a blank page in the notebook and starts to write.

"Dear Winter…"

-o-

The next afternoon, Jacin's mother, Clarissa Clay, walks through the dormitory hallways towards her son's room. Many cadets move to the side when they see her, welcoming her with a salute. Clarissa wasn't a soldier nor was she a veteran. She was the school's sweet global literature professor who could be intimidating when she wants, but it was her veteran-turned-dean of Andromeda Academy husband that gets everyone's backs stiffened.

As she walks, her soft blond curls bounce on her shoulders as the heels of her shoes click against the tiled floor. She approaches her son's door and knocks.

"Jacin," she calls, "are you feeling well? You haven't been in your morning classes nor are you answering your calls."

No response.

"Jacin?" Clarissa knocks again.

Still no response.

Clarissa tries the door handle and to her surprise, it opens. She walks into the empty bedroom, not seeing Jacin there at all and his cell phone on his nightstand. Instantly, her motherly instincts kick in and she starts to panic. If Jacin wasn't in school nor was he here, where could he possibly be?

"Garrison!" Clarissa screams as she runs out.

The nearby cadets whisper amongst themselves as she passes.

-o-

Sitting outside the dean of Andromeda Academy's office is Cadet Liam Kinney. His leg shakes due to his unexpected nerves. Nothing scares him much, except now when he has no idea why he's here. He couldn't be in trouble, right? He hasn't done anything bad (at least that he knows of). Even his classmates were surprised when he got called down since nobody saw that coming from him out of all people. As he walked the halls, he hears whispers about Jacin, thinking Kinney had something to do with whatever's happening with Jacin. Kinney hasn't even seen Jacin today, let alone know what he was up to.

Hearing someone come his way, Kinney's head shoots up towards the sound. When he sees that it's only Iko, Kinney scowls and wonders to himself if his day could get any worse. He has nothing wrong with Iko … or so he says. She irritates him but he bothers her so it's balanced.

"Wow," Iko states the closer she gets to him. "Never thought I'd live to see the day that Cadet Liam Kinney gets called down to the dean's office."

"What are you doing here, Iko?" Kinney asks her. "You don't even go to this school."

"Excuse you, Liam, I go to the sister school right next door and you know that. So that should technically be Cadet Linh Iko, to you."

Iko flips her hair, which has recently gotten blue braids into it. She waits for a reaction from Kinney but his face is still a rock.

"I couldn't care less about your rank," Kinney honestly tells her.

Iko rolls her eyes as she takes a seat next to him. She crosses one leg over the other as she sees Kinney twiddle his thumbs.

"But why are you here?" Kinney asks her.

"Not sure," Iko admits. "This morning, I got something equivalent to a subpoena to get my ace down here."

Kinney was about to say that he got the same thing, but gets cut off by the opening of the dean's door. Both Kinney and Iko stand up in sync, raising their arms to salute at their superiors. Then, their arms are frozen due to what they see inside the office. They see Commander/Dean Garrison Clay and his wife, Clarissa, both dishevelled and distraught, yet still trying to maintain the professional appearance. Jacin's parents called them down here. That's not the part that worries Kinney and Iko. It's the federal detectives in front of two empty chairs that have them uneasy.

"What crimes have you committed recently?" Kinney whispers to Iko, barely moving his mouth.

"Nothing I can remember," Iko replies the same way. "But don't be surprised if I throw you under the bus."

"I hate you."

"Kiss my ace."

Commander Clay clears his throat. Iko and Kinney lower their arms and follow the arm motion telling them to come in and take a seat. They shuffle inside, quickly taking their seats at the other end of the table next to each other. They look up at the adults, unsure of which one would speak first.

"We're sorry to have called you down under such circumstances," Commander Clay tells them, "but I'm not going to beat around the bush. Where the stars is my son?"

-o-

Commonwealth, The Earthen Union

Winter excitedly opens the mailbox and searches through the mail. She quickly leafs through the envelopes, expecting a letter from Jacin but there's nothing from him. Not thinking much of it, Winter walks back into the house with the mail that did show up. She steps into the kitchen and hovers over the recycling bin. Winter leafs through the mail again, throwing away the junk mail and flyers. When finished, she walks over to Levana, who leans on the kitchen island while sipping her morning espresso and hands the mail that was for her. Levana glances at the envelopes and throws them away.

Winter sits on the opposite end of the island and sulks as she bites into an apple. Cinder enters the kitchen wearing her blue-collared work uniform with black jeans and sneakers. She notices Winter's mood as she puts a bagel in the toaster.

"What's wrong?" Cinder asks.

"Jacin's letter didn't arrive," Winter replies.

"That sucks." Cinder's toast pops out and she proceeds to smother a thick layer of cream cheese and jam on it. "That's why Iko and I video chat."

"The pen is mightier than the wifi," Winter says.

Cinder bites on her bagel, chewing it as she thinks that statement over. "I think you mean, 'the pen is mightier than Andromeda Academy's curfew.'"

Winter smirks. "Exactly. Jacin is no Iko who will just break curfew, especially since his dad is in charge. And you know Jacin doesn't like being on his phone."

"Exactly. Well, I'm off to work. I'll see you later."

Cinder finishes her bagel as she leaves the kitchen, saying goodbye to Winter and Levana on her way out. Winter continues eating her apple, still thinking about the lack of a letter she would be reading about now if it did show up. She could've sworn one would show up. It's not that Jacin promised he sent one and she estimated how long it'd take to get here, she woke up with a gut feeling she'd get something from him today.

"Winter!" Cinder exclaims from the doorway. "Someone's at the door for you!"

Then, it hits Winter. Maybe Jacin didn't write because he was planning to surprise her with a visit. Winter puts her apple on the kitchen counter and runs over to the front door. She sees a man in a soldier's uniform from Andromeda Academy. Cinder stands behind the soldier, making a phone gesture with her hand to tell Winter to call her about this when it's done, before heading off to work.

Winter looks up at the soldier in a stunned silence. If there's one thing that Levana taught her from personal experience, it's that it's never good news if a uniformed man shows up at your front door uninvited.

"Miss. Hayle-Blackburn?" The soldier asks.

Winter nods, unable to speak. She can hear Levana slowly making her way to the front door.

"We have some questions for you involving Cadet Jacin Clay."

[Hmm, where has Jacin gone off to? But hey, first physical appearances of Iko and Kinney! And I will eventually explain why Iko is Linh Iko.]