To the dark future

by Overlard77

Lincoln Loud embarks on an unwanted journey into an alternate distant future, where things are totally different and he will see humanity like never before.

12. Chapter 9: Understand your place part 2

The entire place was shrouded in darkness. And then, a light emerged.

"What?... Where am I?" Lincoln asked, disoriented. His memories were a complete blank: he had no idea where he was or how he'd ended up there.

"Attention!" a voice thundered through the room, and it was then that Lincoln realized where he was. He found himself in an enormous, dimly lit hall, surrounded by hundreds of other soldiers, all as young as he was - just children. And to make matters worse, they were all dressed in military uniforms, including himself.

"The time you've all been training for has finally come. We are located in a distant world, far from the Empire of man, in the galaxy", the voice announced, and then went on.

"We know nothing about the enemy, what they're like or what weapons they'll have. But we do know this: they represent everything we hate and fight against!"

As the voice continued to speak, the massive hall seemed to waver. Then, as Lincoln looked further ahead, he noticed a high platform, and on top of it, he saw the silhouette of the person giving orders. Although their face remained hidden in the darkness, it was clear that they wore an officer's uniform.

"The ship is now in position. We are directly above the enemy. Just remember, the key to victory is the element of surprise".

The officer paused, then his hand moved to a lever beside him, and he shouted.

"Surprise!"

He pulled the lever, opening a kind of hatch in the floor, causing everyone to fall through while screaming.

It was then that Lincoln began to struggle to his feet, wincing in pain. He looked around and saw the others also slowly getting up, clearly battered.

The terrain they found themselves in was a barren and lifeless wasteland. Then, without warning, the earth began to shake, and all the young soldiers looked around in fear.

Then, they appeared. In the distance, an army of grotesque, humanoid creatures of various colors was approaching, mounted on reptilian beasts. The enemy wielded a type of rifle that resembled a toy, but with the appearance of a water pistol. Except it didn't fire water, but deadly lasers.

In an instant, all the young soldiers sprang into battle position, ready to attack.

In that instant, a colossal battle unfolded, one that would be the envy of any science fiction epic or blockbuster game. But the harsh reality was that witnessing such chaos up close was far more terrifying than watching it on a screen. The xenos forces were mowing down young soldiers left and right, with no end in sight. As the mayhem raged on, a young soldier with white hair was frantically trying to flee the battlefield, sporadically firing at any alien that dared to get too close.

"I need to get out of here, now!" Lincoln shouted, desperate to flee the lost cause.

"Lincoln... Turn back!" He heard his name and spun around, catching sight of some of his friends, Rubén, Kron, and Harold, amidst the chaos.

His only desire was to get out of there. But the sight of his friends filled him with concern.

Then, he saw an enormous monstrosity: a massive reptile about to crush his friends. Fear paralyzed him, and all he could do was watch as his friends were about to be flattened. In that moment, he did the only thing he could do. Lincoln turned around and fled without looking back.

Lincoln kept running until his path was suddenly obstructed by enormous rocks, forcing him to come to a halt.

Forcing his way through, he was able to continue onward, and it was then that he noticed a surprising detail: he was no longer in a desert, but in the middle of a street, in the heart of a city.

Lincoln was stunned. How had he gotten there? But what really threw him was that the street looked eerily familiar, as if he had walked it before.

The sounds of the battle could still be heard in the distance, the screams and gunfire echoing through the air, although the street around him was empty. Lincoln ran a little farther, still fearful of the battle, and then he saw something that brought him joy for the first time in a long while. It was his home.

Lincoln approached the house slowly, his mind struggling to process the familiar sight, but he knew it like the back of his hand - it was his home, the Loud House.

A wave of joy washed over him, and he rushed towards the home of his childhood.

Upon arriving, he knocked hastily, unable to contain his urge to shout and cry tears of joy.

"Guys, open the door! It's Lincoln, I'm home!"

He continued like this for a while, but no one opened the door. "Open up, I'm back!"

But the door remained shut. Lincoln's anxiety spiked as he scanned the surrounding area, only to be met with an unsettling silence and a deserted street.

Lincoln suddenly had an idea and hurried over to the window. He peered inside, scanning the familiar living room, but it was eerily empty.

"What's going on? Why isn't anyone coming to let me in?"

Lincoln wondered impatiently. After the loud knocks he had given the door, someone should have heard him, especially in a large family like his.

Lincoln looked around again, but saw no one. He also noticed two other details: first, the Vanzilla was gone, which explained why no one was answering the door, perhaps they had all gone out; and second, a more unsettling detail: an absolute silence. The sounds of the battle had ceased a while ago.

All of this created a deep sense of unease in him; the situation was completely surreal. But there was another reason that increased his discomfort: for some inexplicable reason, Lincoln felt like he was being watched.

Looking in all directions, everything seemed the same: a completely empty and desolate neighborhood. However, the feeling of being watched persisted, as if multiple eyes were staring at him from different directions.

No longer wanting to stay there, Lincoln began to move away from the window. Suddenly, he remembered something else: the back door, where his dog usually entered.

He quickly ran to the back of the house, and there was the pet entrance. He was ready to enter. But then...

"I knew you were a coward. But I thought you at least had the dignity to stay in the battle."

Upon hearing that, Lincoln turned around, and there was someone he didn't expect to see. Instructor Otto Vélez, and by his side, Major Okenred Pock.

"I-I mean, sirs, I..."

"You disappoint me, Lincoln, truly," Major Okenred interrupted, his voice laced with clear disappointment.

"Listen, I didn't..."

Before he could say more, he heard the back door open. And when he turned his head, instead of seeing one of his sisters or his parents, he saw two officers in dark suits.

And in an instant, they grabbed him by the neck and dragged him inside.

Instead of seeing his familiar kitchen, he found himself in a dark room, with only a table in the middle and a single light that cast faint illumination.

"Wait, listen! I assure you it was a mistake, it wasn't my intention, I swear. Please, I won't run away again, I promise."

"You're right. It won't happen again. You see, Lincoln, everyone serves the Empire of Humanity. One way or another."

I heard a eerie voice echoing through the dark room, as the uniformed men placed him on the table and tied him down by his arms and legs. Although he couldn't see the faces of the subjects, since everything was dark, he got the feeling that they had sadistic grins.

"Wait, what are you going to do to me?" Lincoln asked with fear in his voice, trying to break free from the restraints.

"We already have a plan for you," replied the eerie voice in the background.

The little white-haired boy heard what sounded like the noise of machines or tools, like chainsaws or drills.

His nerves were escalating, and then he was able to see something around him, several silhouettes approaching him, each one holding something in their hands.

And as they approached the faint light, he was able to see them better. They were robotic parts.

Arms, legs, cables, and other mechanical parts.

"Wait... Please..."

That's when the silhouettes also pulled out cutting tools and approached Lincoln, starting to cut off his limbs.

He could only scream.

It seemed to last for hours, there was nothing he could do. Then they attached the mechanical parts, and then, one of his torturers said:

"Now, remove his tongue and brain."

With that said, he saw tools approaching his mouth.

"No, stop! Ahh!" He screamed with desperation and horror in his voice.

Just seconds before a pair of scissors-like instrument approached his mouth, he frantically moved his head from side to side, looking around, but he could only see the dark silhouettes of his torturers all around him. And for a moment, he could see how the eyes of some of them seemed to glow with a deep blue light in the darkness.

Then, he only felt his tongue being cut off.

XXX

"Aaahhh!" With a scream as he opened his eyes, he didn't see darkness, nor sinister silhouettes surrounding him. It was just his room.

He began to feel relieved as his breathing returned to normal. It was just a nightmare. A horrific nightmare.

Then he looked around his room, and then at the sunbeams streaming through his window, and suddenly he remembered where he was and his current situation.

"Ah, good, it was just a nightmare." He muttered dryly. Then he quickly got up, starting to get dressed for his next class, not wanting to be late.

Quickly, he put on his uniform and finished placing his fingerless gloves. He looked at himself in the small mirror in his room and just stood there, staring at how he looked. Then, he focused on the scar on his face: the claw mark he got during the initiation test, in that cave, at the hands of that large and monstrous bat.

Time had passed, but Lincoln still struggled to fully adjust to his new situation.

But he tries. Still, it's hard. Every challenge, test, and task here can push a person's endurance to the limit, and in this case, that of a mere twelve-year-old child.

Seriously, it was tough, and that's saying something, considering he grew up in a large family with ten sisters.

But he thought he was doing well, or at least as well as he could. There would be many who probably wouldn't last a week, under the pressure and all the work and effort he was forced to endure. Not many could handle it. But how was he able to?

Lincoln, trying to find some sense, had thought of a theory: the reason why he might have endured so much was because he had grown up in a large family with many sisters who always pushed him to his limits. He was always in unusual situations. That's what he thought.

Putting his thoughts aside, Lincoln headed to his next class. That day, they would begin with physical education tests. He could only sigh. He wished it was like the exercises from his old school, but unfortunately, it wasn't.

XXX

"Almost there... almost there..." Lincoln repeated with effort, panting as he climbed the steep and narrow stairs, the heavy backpack weighing down on his shoulders.

The exercises and tests were becoming increasingly exhausting and demanding. Before, they only had to do a hundred push-ups; now they had to do five hundred, and if they messed up, they had to start over. And now he found himself in the middle of one that was giving him trouble.

The current exercise consisted of climbing a large spiral staircase with no railing, and due to its narrowness, he had to climb using both his feet and hands; he had already taken this test before, but he still hadn't gotten used to it. He just wanted it to be over already, and he wondered why they had to do this. Was he really going to be climbing staircases in the future? Ships in this future didn't have elevators, after all.

He stood there lost in thought, once again. Then, a fellow recruit who was behind him, or rather below him on the staircase, called out to him.

"Hey, come on! I'm fed up with carrying this blasted pack."

"Stop yelling, I'm just taking a break," Lincoln replied. And then he looked down, remembering his situation; he had forgotten how high up he was, and he felt vertigo wash over him.

"For real, how did they manage to construct a staircase this narrow and high?" But that was a question to ponder later. Summoning every last bit of energy, he pressed on to the end of the stairs.

When he finally reached the top, he sat down on the floor to catch his breath. But a shout caught his attention.

"Come on, what are you waiting for! You have to go down the other staircase and then climb back up. You'll rest when we tell you to."

Lincoln bit back a frustrated groan and continued with the exercise.

"Not like he was going to receive a medal or prize at the end or anything. But whatever."

XXX

"Stay strong. You need to be resilient and withstand the pain. That's the only way you'll be prepared for battle."

All the recruits were standing in formation, listening to a long speech, just like the days before. With the small difference that now they were receiving a small lash on the back with a rod. The officers were walking around and, from time to time, would strike a student at random with the rod. The reason? To toughen them up, as their instructor Otto would say: "A true soldier can withstand pain and remain steadfast."

As he listened to the sermon, Lincoln occasionally heard the sound of the officers striking a poor recruit on the back, while the recruit struggled to stifle a cry. "They're very young, they still can't take much, that's why we'll toughen them up," an officer said loudly."

A while back, Lincoln would have been horrified and outraged by this treatment, and he still thought it was cruel. But with everything he had seen so far, he had to admit that this wasn't as cruel as... Or was he just kidding himself? He still thought it was terrible, if not as bad as the other trials. But still, perhaps in older generations students were punished with ruler slaps or a cane, but here it was done not as punishment, but as a hardening method.

He doubted that any NGO or child welfare service, or even human rights organization, would approve of all this. But the people here wouldn't care, based on what he had learned so far about this place. The enemies humanity faced were so dangerous that they had to become stronger. But still, a small part of him wondered: was all this treatment really worth it? Was such harshness really necessary?

"Attention!" a voice shouted from behind him, and a moment later he felt a sharp pain in his back as he was struck.

"Aaaaahh!" Lincoln yelled before being silenced.

"Shut up and stand at attention!" the officer barked, and then struck him again on the back.

Lincoln could only endure, trying not to cry out. Along with the pain, he felt desperation, frustration, and a growing anger.

His 'dear' fellow recruit Ansel, who was standing nearby, had a smirk on his face, seemingly stifling a laugh. But his amusement at Lincoln's pain was short-lived, as a passing officer disciplined him as well.

Despite himself, Lincoln felt a twinge of pleasure and satisfaction as he watched Ansel struggle to keep quiet... Was he really taking pleasure in Ansel's pain? Or was he just becoming more hardened? No, Ansel deserved it, and it's not like they were being excessively brutal or anything; that would be genuinely cruel.

He resisted the urge to rub his back, lest he appear vulnerable and invite another blow from a nearby officer. As he endured this training and treatment, Lincoln thought to himself: 'The enemy we're up against had better be worth all this'.

XXX (A long time ago)

Lincoln was still scared. Despite some time having passed since he watched that horror movie, the fear hadn't completely disappeared. However, watching the Blarney the Dinosaur movie with his parents helped him overcome a large part of his fear.

Halloween was just around the corner, and therefore he had to overcome his fear. Now it was his turn to scare and collect candies.

It was nighttime and he was heading to watch TV with his sisters. Unfortunately, when he arrived, they were watching a horror movie. Since it was the Halloween season, the TV was airing a horror special.

Lincoln muttered to himself: "Shoot", thinking with frustration.

The movie was "Alien the eight passenger". Lincoln had already seen it before, but after his recent experience with "The Harvester" movie, he wanted to avoid anything that might inspire fear. However, with his sisters present, he might be able to overcome his fear, especially considering he already knew the movie.

Lola suggested: "Come on, girls, let's watch something else".

"It's a horror special, there's nothing else to watch", replied Lucy. "Although I'd prefer something with ghosts or vampires, this is fine".

Leni chimed in: "I want to watch 'Dream Boat'".

Lori told Leni: "They won't be showing that tonight".

As the sisters continued arguing, the movie on TV showed the scene where a crew member encounters the cat, only to be grabbed by the alien.

Lincoln couldn't help but let out a small scream of terror.

The sisters stared at him for a moment, then Luan yelled: "Lincoln, look behind you!"

"Aaah!" Lincoln was startled by his sister's warning, but when he looked back, he saw nothing. "Don't scare me like that, Luan!", he scolded.

"What's wrong, Lincoln? Are you scared?", Lynn asked, laughing.

Recently, the sisters had discovered that Lincoln had watched the movie "The Harvester" and had been terrified. Although he hadn't told them himself, their parents had probably mentioned something to them (or maybe they had overheard it secretly). Ever since then, some of his sisters had been trying to scare him.

Lincoln, nervously, replied: "No, it's not that... it's just that... you guys are terrible!"

Luna, teasing him, replied: "Come on, bro. Don't be a chicken. We're just messing with you!"

Lori, with a mocking smile, replied: "Yeah, Lincoln, are you going to start crying now?"

Lincoln, frustrated, replied: "I'm not crying! I just... don't like being scared."

The sisters continue laughing, but Lori observes Lincoln and notices that he's genuinely scared. Seeing him like that, a part of her feels guilty, and a sense of responsibility kicks in. At that moment, she takes on her role as the older sister.

Lori lets out a sigh and then speaks in a softer voice: "Hey, Lincoln..."

The sisters fall silent and look at Lori.

Lori walks over to Lincoln and consoles him. "Sorry, we didn't mean to scare you for real. Sometimes, we're just joking around and don't think about how you feel."

Lincoln sighs and says: "It's okay, it's just... I'm scared that something really bad could happen... Like a killer or a monster". He starts to ramble, spouting nonsensical ideas.

Some of the girls roll their eyes as they listen to their brother's concerns.

"Well, who told you to sneak and watch an adult horror movie?", Lola asks, earning a stern look from Lori.

Lori speaks tenderly: "Look, Lincoln, it's normal to feel scared. We all feel it sometimes. But you don't have to face it alone."

Luna speaks seriously: "Yeah, little bro, if there's something scaring you, just tell us. We're here to support you."

Luan chimes in: "Yeah, and besides, it's not like monsters or ghosts, or aliens exist", she finishes with a smile.

"I must correct that part about aliens, big sister", said Lisa. "Extraterrestrial life forms are not something typical of the horror or terror genre, but rather of science or speculation. We must remember that we may not be the only form of life in the universe. It's something we still have to discover. Although I doubt they resemble those creatures from old movies, and our chances of seeing one are very low."

"And ghosts talk to me", Lucy adds with a smile.

"Besides, it wasn't a paranormal killer in that movie you watched, Lincoln", Lana said, not considering how her brother would feel hearing that. "Killers are real, they're not supernatural".

"Thanks for the support, girls", Lori said sarcastically.

Leni, smiling, suggests an idea: "We can build a pillow fort! That way you'll feel safer, Lincoln."

Lincoln, smiling slightly, asked: "Would you guys really do that for me?"

Lori smiled and said: "Of course we will. We'll do it together. There's nothing to be afraid of as long as we're together".

"And we promise not to scare you along the way!" adds Luan

"Thanks, girls. You guys are the best", Lincoln said with a grateful smile. "Oh, and Leni, sorry for waking you up this morning saying it was time for school". Lincoln apologized, somewhat nervously, remembering the scary nights he had endured and the lie he had told them to have company in the darkness.

"No big deal", Leni responds cheerfully. "I was wondering why school was closed. I thought the teachers had overslept and that's why it wasn't open", she says with a laugh.

"Yeah, Lincoln! Now don't be afraid. Remember, Halloween is coming up soon and we have to collect a lot of candy", Lana said cheerfully to lift her big brother's spirits.

"Yeah, please, I'll be the one to collect the most candy", Lynn boasts confidently, as if she's already the champion. Lincoln and his other sisters ignore her, used to her bragging.

"Yeah, Lincoln, just don't get scared again over something that doesn't exist, okay?" Lori says with a reassuring smile. Then she adds firmly...

"And remember this: monsters don't exist".

XXX (present)

Lincoln was still reeling, despite already knowing what lay ahead. Or so he thought. But what he was seeing now in his strategy class sent shivers down his spine.

In that day's class, the future commissars were shown fragments of videos and images of one of the most feared threats in the galaxy: the Tyranids.

They began discussing strategy, and then Instructor Otto explained that they would be studying one of the major enemies they might face in their future.

This was the first time they were exposed to intelligence, in the form of audiovisual footage, about the enemies they would one day face.

Their instructor also warned them that maintaining confidentiality was crucial, and that sharing this information with anyone outside the class would have severe consequences.

He compared them to the Zerg from the strategy game Starcraft. He wasn't a huge fan of the series, but he had played it and would say they were a equivalent. He also compared them to the insects from the movie Starship Troopers, which he had seen a long time ago, and were the closest equivalents that came to mind.

He already knew something about the Tyranids thanks to Inquisitor Balerius. They were a hive-minded insectoid species that consumed everything in their path, and according to what was known, they were not native to this galaxy.

Were they a nomadic species? Were they searching for a new home because they had already consumed their own?... Or were they fleeing something even more sinister?

Whatever the reason, he put those questions aside because what he was seeing left him frozen in horror.

The few video fragments showed these enormous insects advancing fearlessly by the thousands, mowing down soldiers who desperately tried to fight back. Laser guns were not very effective. And the images were even worse: dismembered soldier parts, massive Tyranids with razor-sharp claws tearing civilians' bodies in two.

All of this was projected by a device resembling a player, with a skull incorporated into it, in which an eye projected images. He still hadn't gotten used to these servers or machines with human parts, which made him feel even more uncomfortable.

"Now, let me tell you this: based on what you've already seen, it's unnecessary to say that the Tyranids primarily attack at close range. However, they make up for it with their sheer numbers. One strategy would be to use heavy firepower and maintain a defensive position to prevent them from advancing. The soldiers seen in this footage, although they formed a large defensive line, lacked support from siege vehicles and failed to deploy their full arsenal in time. This material was barely salvaged for viewing and study." Instructor Otto concluded his explanation.

When the instructor finished speaking, the next part of the video showed soldiers firing at a massive creature. Suddenly, the enormous Tyranid insect turned around and spat a kind of acid, melting the poor unfortunates, who could only scream in agony as they suffered a horrific death.

The terrifying and revolting sight left a deep impression on all the recruits. Lincoln let out a horrified word, overcome with shock.

"Jesus Christ," Lincoln breathed, his voice barely audible, but still loud enough for Guido, seated next to him, to catch the words.

"What did you say?" he asked.

"Ah, I said... J... Sanguinius," he replied with some nervousness, still forgetting that he was in a different world and time where the so-called Emperor of Humanity and others like his Primarchs were revered. He needed to stop forgetting that, or he would likely be accused of heresy and severely punished.

Guido simply looked at him with a dubious expression, as if he doubted what Lincoln had said, but he ignored it when the video continued to show another part of the battle.

Lincoln couldn't help but feel horrified. These were just images and videos, but he still felt the terror. He had already seen monsters like the wild creatures during the initiation test, but this was different.

"Monsters don't exist." The phrase echoed in his mind, and he couldn't help but feel a mix of irony and despair about his current circumstances.

The product of his fear had been an old murderous farmer, but that was in the past. Now, one of his main concerns would be facing monstrous alien beings, with an insatiable hunger for his flesh.

At least he wouldn't have to worry about a deranged human trying to kill him anytime soon. But the truth was, he was still grappling with the idea of taking another human life. He was aware of the numerous threats to the Empire, yet he couldn't help but hope that he wouldn't have to confront the moral complexity of killing a fellow human before facing the alien horrors that lurked in the darkness.

XXX (next class)

He was already worn out and eager for the day to conclude. The task at hand, however, was one he found utterly unappealing. His current assignment involved taking the life of a small animal.

He remembered how he and Lana, a long time ago, saved some frogs from being dissected for their science class. Although they got into trouble that time, helping his sister and saving the frogs made him feel better.

And now, in a twist of fate, they were supposed to find and kill these very animals.

The creatures they were supposed to kill were called Fluffalons, a native species of the planet. When he saw one, he realized it was a type of rodent, resembling a cross between a rabbit with its long ears and a squirrel with its body and tail. It had a somewhat adorable appearance. But his objective was to kill them.

The class was gathered in the warehouses, where the creatures had taken refuge. As Instructor Otto had told them, these creatures were a pest and needed to be exterminated. Each recruit was given a sack to store the bodies of the Fluffalons they would kill and a knife to do the deed.

Despite all the trials and situations, he still didn't feel comfortable with the idea of killing an animal.

As Lincoln walked, Guido approached him and spoke up.

"Hey, Lincoln, I think I saw some Fluffalons over there," he said, pointing to some crates not too far from where they were standing.

Lincoln didn't feel comfortable, but they headed over anyway.

When they arrived, they moved one of the crates, but nothing happened. Then, Lincoln moved another crate, and suddenly three Fluffalons scurried out in a hurry.

"Quick, catch them!" Guido shouted.

The small rodents scurried off in different directions, causing Lincoln and Guido to split up.

Lincoln chased after one, and it might have escaped if it hadn't darted into a dead-end alley. There, Lincoln caught up to it. The small creature writhed and squealed uncontrollably.

He recalled watching videos of rabbits being caught, and they made a similar sound. The creature squirmed and squealed in his hand, while he held a knife in the other.

"Are we really doing this? How am I supposed to do this?" Lincoln didn't want to do it, he didn't want to kill it. But why was this any different from the creatures in the survival test? He had killed that flying insect when it bit his foot, beating it to death. Why? Because it was a venomous insect that wanted to harm him. And this creature? It was just a small rodent. Was that the difference?

He wasn't naive, he ate meat and knew it came from animals that were killed to be processed. His mind was trying to come up with excuses to justify doing it.

"Ah... I just can't bring myself to do it," Lincoln muttered. He glanced around, making sure no one was watching. He knew he might get in trouble, but a plan had begun to form in his mind.

After a while, Lincoln arrived where Guido was waiting, and Guido asked him: "Were you able to catch one?"

"No, they slipped away," Lincoln said, his voice laced with frustration.

"Ugh, seriously, it's tough to catch these critters," Guido complained, holding an empty sack. Then he continued: "But we have to do it. I'm not thrilled about killing them, but they're a pest and they're eating our food, so it's gotta be done."

Upon hearing that, Lincoln grew concerned. But there wouldn't be any problems, since they were in the storage rooms, near the provisions and other supplies.

Lincoln couldn't bring himself to kill the small Fluffalon creatures, so he came up with a plan. The little one he had held in his hand was spared, and instead, he tucked it into his sack. He did the same with a few more Fluffalons, managing to catch a handful, and then, when no one was looking, Lincoln released them into a duct that led towards the sewers. He knew it wasn't an ideal place to leave them, but he wouldn't abandon them to their fate. Or so he planned. He saw this as an act of kindness, something that proved he could still be himself, even after everything he'd been through. That's how he wanted to see it, anyway - it was the excuse that popped into his mind.

It was as they passed through the door leading to the storage room that they heard something. Both of them felt a spark of curiosity, since it sounded like things were falling over.

At first, they hesitated, but curiosity got the better of them. They slowly opened the door, and when they saw what was happening inside, they were alarmed.

It was a group of Fluffalons devouring their food reserves. They were eating everything they could find: wheat, bread, and more.

"What, how did they even get in here?" Guido exclaimed, clearly perplexed.

The two of them rushed in, trying to stop and catch the small thieves. Just then, Lincoln spotted an open duct, and another Fluffalon scurried out of it.

"They must have gotten in through there. They crawled into the duct and... Wait... Could it be?"

Lincoln had an idea of how they got in. He told Guido to try and catch them while he went to look for something. Obviously, his partner didn't like the idea, but they had to catch those creatures.

Lincoln left the storage room and headed to where he had released the Fluffalons. It wasn't far from his current position, and when he arrived and opened the cover, there were none left. Which meant his theory was correct.

Lincoln's eyes widened as he muttered, "Oh oh..."

When Lincoln returned to the storage room, he found Guido surrounded by other comrades who were lending a hand, and Instructor Otto, whose expression was far from happy.

Once all the Fluffalons were rounded up, the entire cadet class assembled, and Otto called for - no, demanded - an explanation.

The recruits, lined up before him, felt like guinea pigs under the piercing gaze of the commissioner. The tension was palpable, and the echo of their superior's boots resonated on the cold concrete floor of the warehouse. Otto, his badge gleaming on his chest, ran a hand over his face, struggling to contain the anger bubbling up inside him.

"How is it possible that a handful of insignificant creatures managed to invade our provisions?" he asked, his deep voice echoing off the walls. "Did you leave the door open? Are you not training to face threats, whether they be xenos or just a pair of furry gluttons?"

The recruits pointed to a vent where the small creatures had entered. They then explained that they had heard screams and, when they arrived, they saw Guido trying to catch them. But they were too small. Guido added that he wasn't alone, but was with Lincoln, who had gone to look for something.

Otto's gaze shifted to Lincoln, and he demanded...

"So, Lincoln Loud, what was so important that you left your partner alone trying to catch a pest infestation?"

"Ah... I went to check how they got in, sir," Lincoln replied.

"I see. But exactly, why was that necessary? Couldn't you have done it later?"

Lincoln tried to think of a believable excuse that wouldn't be the truth. Something told him that telling the truth about how he hadn't dared to kill the small creatures would get him into trouble.

"Or did you know something that the rest of us didn't, Lincoln?" Otto pressed, his tone suspicious.

Lincoln started to get nervous, and Otto's gaze wasn't helping. So, he began to speak, telling a half-truth, or trying to. The instructor asked question after question, until he started to get fed up. And Lincoln blurted out that he didn't want to kill the Fluffalons. One thing led to another, and now Instructor Otto and the entire class of cadets were staring at him.

On many occasions, he had seen fearful glares from his sisters when they got angry with him, from his parents on occasion. But the look of controlled fury he was receiving from Mr. Otto froze him completely. If looks could kill, he'd already be dead.

"So... I'll ask you directly: Do you think the life of a tiny parasite is more important than a human life?"

"What?! No, of course not!"

"You know, we're all going to die, that's a fact. You're going to die, I'm going to die. But I'd rather see a member of the great Imperial Army die for a more useful reason, or at least have their death not be the result of stupidity," Otto said. Then he began to draw his pistol from its holster and continued.

"No, that they would die of starvation due to stupidity like trying to save a few small creatures, because a stupid and cowardly little boy... who seems to not understand his place! And simply doesn't want to get his hands dirty!"

When he finished his outburst of anger, he drew his gun and pointed it at Lincoln. In an instant, the young man felt a wave of fear flood his body, and he was frozen in place, unable to move.

Then, Otto pulled the trigger.

Only a few recruits shouted or screamed. There was silence, and Lincoln remained standing, I mean, from the shock of the shot that passed just a few centimeters from him. Slowly, he turned around and saw where the bullet had hit, which wasn't a laser beam.

Not far from them lay a dead Fluffalon, bleeding out.

"One got away," said Instructor Otto, who seemed to return to a normal demeanor. Then he added, "At least we'll have a bit more meat for lunch."

Everyone remained silent. Especially Lincoln.

Otto frowned, and then continued: "Those small and repulsive creatures are a plague, aren't they? And you can't simply hunt and kill them all?" He asked in a tone so cold that all the recruits couldn't help but feel a chill run up their spines.

The other recruits exchanged nervous glances, feeling the weight of the reprimand. The Commissioner's shadow loomed over them like the ominous sign of impending punishment. Otto continued, his tone growing even more menacing.

"So, what do you propose to do to make up for this mistake? How will you ensure the security of our provisions from now on? Because I intend to make sure that each and every one of you understands the weight of responsibility that rests on your shoulders. And specifically you," he finished, pointing at Lincoln.

An uncomfortable silence settled over the group until a trembling voice emerged from the back. It was Ansel, "Well, sir, we could establish a p..."

"Silence!" Otto interrupted again, raising his hand. "I don't need mediocre suggestions. I need decisive solutions!"

Then, Otto continued: "Fortunately, there weren't many of them and they didn't eat everything in the storage room. Yes, I see bitten and discarded bread. No, the entire Schola won't go hungry. But that doesn't save you," he concluded, addressing Lincoln.

The young man nodded, feeling as though the weight of the universe was piling up on his shoulders. Otto straightened up and took a step back, looking at all the recruits with a mixture of disdain and determination.

"Therefore, your punishment is as follows: all of you will go without food for four days, and for Ansel's attempt to speak up for his comrade, I'll add one more day. Therefore, it will be five days without food for all of you, to make up for the food lost today."

Everyone's face fell instantly. But before anyone could groan in frustration, Otto added something more.

"Everyone, dismiss. Your time here is over." As they all turned to leave, he added, "Everyone except you," he ordered, pointing at Lincoln.

Once everyone had left and only Lincoln and the instructor remained, the latter spoke.

"I'll tell you something: your progress in physical education classes is a bit slow compared to your peers. I'm not saying you're bad, you're improving, and believe it or not, I've seen worse. You excel in other areas, like strategy. But at this point, I expected a bit more from you. It seems you need a bit more toughness, discipline that your parents didn't give you." Lincoln could only look at the instructor with fear. Then, what he said next frightened and confused him.

"Your special punishment will be confinement in the cage for the next five days."

Before Lincoln could utter a word, a fist came crashing down towards his face, and everything went dark.

XXX

The cell is small and dark, with cold and damp stone walls. The only source of light is a very small slit in the top of the wall, which lets in a faint and musty ray of light. The air is dense and smells of dampness and confinement. There is no furniture, not even a bucket or any kind of object to urinate in, just a small patch of straw on the floor that serves as a bed. The shadows seem to move in the corners, and the silence is overwhelming.

"What have I done? All this... over a stupid mistake."

Lincoln sits on the floor, his arms wrapped around his knees, gazing intently at the narrow beam of light.

"Why didn't I think things through? Now I'm trapped in this... prison." Lincoln thought, once again he was confined, but at least this time he wasn't shackled.

Lincoln started talking to himself, trying to calm down. "Come on, breathe. It's just five days. It's not the end of the world..."

Yet his inner voice grew more scathing.

"It's not the end of the world? You're here because of your own fault. If only you had been more careful... But no, you're weak, Lincoln. You've always been...", he berated himself, his inner voice growing increasingly harsh and critical.

Trying to ignore the inner voice, he stood up and began to pace back and forth, feeling the intense cold of the stones beneath his bare feet. When they put him in there, they took away his boots, his shirt, and even his gloves, leaving him with only his pants and underwear.

"This isn't fair! I did it for a good reason! I don't deserve to be here!" His voice echoed through the empty cell, and the echo of his words only served to remind him of how utterly alone he felt.

"All I wanted was to do something good, to show that I'm still capable..."

"What's truly important? Is it that you can live here without harming anyone, or is it that you didn't want to let Lana down, even though she's not around? And isn't it hypocritical to try to appear virtuous after all the terrible things you've done... after you attempted to slaughter those animals and brutally killed that giant insect?"

It's true. When you think about it, it's ridiculous and contradictory. Besides, the Fluffalons were a plague and could contaminate the food. Even Guido said he didn't like having to kill animals, but he was willing to do it. Why shouldn't I do it too?

"It wasn't like the frogs he saved that day caused a problem with the food. Besides, at the time, my sister and I weren't in a place where food was stored. This was different. And how was I supposed to get the Fluffalons out without anyone noticing, knowing they wouldn't stay quiet in a bag? I should have thought it through better. Even with the frogs, it was problematic and in the end, I still got caught."

'Hey, why don't you show a video of sad animals or you playing with one of those Fluffalons? Maybe it'll work, like it did with the director,' said the voice in his head with a mocking tone. Then it continued, "And if you want to make up for the food and save those little ones at the same time, you can make up for it with your own food. You've hurt yourself for others before, do it now too.'

He stopped and sat back down on the floor, resting his head against the cold wall. He just wanted to silence the voice in his head. The truth was, he was annoyed and frustrated with everything. Although he'd be lying if he said he didn't find some truth in his conscience. This place is very different, he knew that by now, after the months he'd been here, he'd seen and understood it better, it's cruel and harsh, he was lucky they didn't blow his brains out when he was in the warehouse. But because a part of him refused to understand.

"Accept it, Lincoln, you need to change, not this place, and you'd better do it now before they kill you... or something worse," he told himself. That was the truth, the classes wouldn't change for him or anyone else. He then heard his stomach growl. He was already hungry. But unfortunately, there was nothing he could do about it.

Time passed, with little to do, and he felt like it was an eternity. Many thoughts ran through Lincoln's head, and his feelings were in a state of flux. At times, he was depressed, on occasion, he was sad, and he shed a few tears. And at other times, in brief moments, he showed anger, a growing rage that he tried to suppress.

Time went on, and he grew increasingly exhausted from hunger, and the smell didn't help. With no proper bathroom facilities, he was forced to relieve himself in a corner, and the stench lingered.

All he could do was lament and wait for his punishment to finally come to an end.

...

While he was lying on the floor, attempting to sleep and feeling feeble from hunger, he heard the door creak open. As he raised his head, he was blinded by the light and saw a figure approaching. Then, he felt himself being seized by the shoulders and hauled outside, until he was abruptly released, slamming onto the chilly ground.

"Congratulations, your punishment has ended," a man's voice said. Lincoln struggled to stand up, his body weakened by the ordeal. His eyes, adjusted to the darkness, took time to adjust to the light. As his vision cleared, he saw a glass being offered to him. With a frail arm, he grasped the glass and drank its contents in one swift motion. The water was refreshing, but he wished there was more, as he had drained the glass in a single gulp.

"Good as new," said the same voice. Then he heard another: "Now get up and go to your room. Tomorrow you'll resume your normal schedule."

Slowly, Lincoln was led to a hallway, then he was forced to continue on his own, walking barefoot, until he passed through a hallway with windows. There, he saw that it was nighttime.

The floor was cold, and each step was taken with little enthusiasm. He just wanted to get to his room and his bed, at least he could rest on something comfortable. Luckily, most of the hallways were empty, and he made it to his room without incident. He collapsed onto his bed and stayed there. The last thing he heard was his stomach growling for something to eat.

XXX

Lincoln finally returned to his regular classes after completing his punishment.

He arrived early to avoid any trouble. He no longer knew what they would be doing in that class, he just wanted to get it over with and be able to go eat. Not to mention that he needed to take a shower.

When he arrived, all eyes were on him, several of them annoyed, as they too were hungry and just wanted to get the class over with as quickly as possible so they could head to the cafeteria. He could only ignore them.

But neither he nor anyone else knew that today's class would be different.

The classroom door swung open and everyone stood up to greet Instructor Otto.

Instead, a stranger entered the room, someone none of them had ever laid eyes on.

"Good morning, class," said the stranger, offering a nod.

"Good morning, sir!" the class responded in perfect synchrony, a reflex honed by routine.

The man had fair skin, short black hair, brown eyes, and was clean-shaven. Anyone would say that his appearance was ordinary. The only notable thing was his smile, which seemed like a confident and relaxed smile, giving him a friendly air. His suit was nothing special either: it was the standard uniform of an officer.

"Let me introduce myself. My name is Lufor Keir, and I will be taking on the role of your instructor and mentor, for the time being."

The class fell silent. Then their new instructor continued.

"In case you were wondering, Mr. Otto will be away for a while, as he has taken on a different assignment. So, I will be educating and guiding you on a new path of duty and responsibility."

"Now that this has been said and the matter clarified, let us proceed with our classes. Everyone, please rise and follow the path to the gymnasiums. We have sword training to attend to."

The class filed out of the room and made their way to the gym. Lincoln was unsure what to think of his new instructor. He appeared more laid-back and even affable compared to Otto. However, Lincoln had learned to be cautious in this environment, and he suspected that this new instructor was probably just as demanding as his predecessor.

XXX

Sword training had been growing more intense by the day. Having glimpsed the horrors that awaited them, Lincoln could comprehend the necessity of their rigorous training. The memory of the Tyranids still haunted him. Despite this, he didn't relish the experience. Everyone had shown some progress with their sword skills; Lincoln had as well, although he lagged behind his peers. However, this particular class felt different. The training was less brutal and demanding than usual, and there was an added motivation to excel, one that came from their new instructor.

"You know what you're missing to take your skills to the next level? Motivation. But I'm not talking about the kind that comes from fear or intimidation. My approach is to incentivize progress and reward success." With that, he produced a large sack and held it up for everyone to see.

"In this big bag, there are treats, a special kind of candy for those who manage to surpass themselves. A reward for anyone who is willing to improve."

The class was suddenly infused with enthusiasm. They tackled sword training with renewed vigor, followed by other exercises that were just as challenging as before. But now, they had a tangible incentive to push themselves: earning a sweet reward.

While a single treat couldn't possibly satiate the deep hunger they all felt, the promise of something sweet still sparked a desire within them, driving them to push forward.

The class went on, and several students were rewarded with the treat they had been working towards. Lincoln, however, didn't quite meet the mark, but the training sessions eventually drew to a close, and the students moved on to their next class.

However, just as Lincoln was about to depart, Instructor Lufor called out to him, halting his exit.

"Sorry to stop you, but may I inquire as to your name?"

"Ah, sir, my name is Lincoln Loud," he replied, offering a respectful greeting.

"Let me share something with you, Lincoln. You didn't receive a prize this time because others excelled in certain areas. However, I did notice your effort and dedication, and that's exactly what I'm looking for. So..."

With that, the instructor glanced around, ensuring no other recruits were nearby, and then pulled out a cream-colored treat from his bag for Lincoln. Lincoln couldn't believe the generosity and reached out to take the sweet. But then he hesitated and asked, "Okay, what's the catch?"

The instructor's expression turned amused, and he chuckled before responding, "No trick, I assure you. You earned this reward through your hard work, and that's all that matters." Lincoln's skepticism lingered for a moment, but then he took the treat, brought it to his nose for a sniff, and finally savored the flavor. The sweetness exploded on his tongue, and he couldn't help but crave another bite.

Once he'd swallowed, Lincoln turned to Lufor and expressed his gratitude: "Thanks a lot, seriously. Now, if you'll excuse me, I should get going. I have another class to attend."

"Of course, that's exactly what I was going to say. Now go, young Lincoln, you have a responsibility to fulfill." With that, Lincoln left feeling happy and grateful for the treat and the new instructor.

As Lincoln departed, Ansel lingered, observing him. He caught sight of the instructor handing Lincoln a sweet, and it rankled him that he hadn't received one himself, even though he had worked just as hard.

XXX

After the exercise and days of punishment, Lincoln was finally able to take a shower. The water was chilly, but he didn't let it bother him, as he was still warm from the physical activity and was slowly growing accustomed to the cold showers.

The rest of the regular classes followed, and finally, lunchtime arrived.

The dining area was bustling with people, as was the norm. Lincoln and his friends had claimed a spot on the floor, sitting in a circle, since all the seats were taken, and they had to get creative with their seating arrangement.

The food, as always, was bland and unvaried, yet Lincoln still managed to finish everything on his plate.

During his time there, Lincoln had started to get used to the food, or perhaps it was just because he didn't eat as frequently, and the daily exercises left him exhausted and ravenous. Even when the food seemed questionable, like when Lincoln found a worm in his gruel, although he felt disgusted and stopped eating, his fellow recruits continued to eat. If they too felt repulsed, they simply ignored it.

That memory was unpleasant, but after going through a harsh punishment and going without food for a while, he wasn't about to be picky.

His fellow recruits knew he had been punished. Guido had told them how the entire class had been punished after the Fluffalon incident, and that Lincoln had been sent to a cell.

And speaking of Guido, Lincoln noticed that he hadn't come over to talk to him in their other classes. He assumed it was because Guido was still upset with him for causing the Fluffalon accident. Well, he couldn't blame him, but it still bothered him a bit. He'd try to talk to him later.

Putting that thought aside, Lincoln did his best to answer his friends' questions about why he was punished and the incident with the cell.

"Hey, you're still breathing, what's the big deal? You've made it through living with ten sisters, after all," Kron said with a chuckle. The rest of the group shot him disapproving glances, irritated that he wasn't taking Lincoln's punishment more seriously.

It seemed that having ten sisters still made an impression. Just two months ago, Lincoln had finally told them that he had ten sisters. He had previously mentioned that he had sisters, but when he revealed that he had ten, it was a bombshell. He still remembered their reactions.

XXX (flashback)

The group was gathered together once again. Seated at a table, they shared some anecdotes until they started talking about their families.

"My older brother is on the front lines, fighting against the heretics," Marlowe said, a flicker of pride in his eyes. "He's a true hero."

"That's great", Harold replied, "I only have a brother back home. Actually, I'm the older one. I still miss him", he finished with a hint of nostalgia.

Lincoln, who had been listening silently, decided to join the conversation. "Well, I have ten sisters", he said with a smile.

An awkward silence followed the statement. The rest of the table looked at each other, and then everyone burst out laughing.

"Come on, Lincoln! Ten? Are you kidding me?" Darek teased, still laughing.

"No, I mean it," Lincoln said firmly, his expression solemn. "Ten sisters. My family has eleven children in total."

Darek stopped laughing, his expression turned more serious. "Seriously? That's... impressive and a little intimidating."

"Impressive? Why?" Lincoln frowned, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "It's just a bunch of girls."

"A whole bunch of girls!" Rubén exclaimed, still incredulous. "You must be the king of the house! Don't they drive you crazy? How is that even possible? And how do you survive?"

"It's chaos, to be honest", Lincoln admitted, feeling like he had shared too much. "But at the same time, you learn to be patient. Each of them has their own personality, and that makes it a constant challenge. But it's also fun, because there's always something to do, someone to talk to". Lincoln said this with a hint of nostalgia.

Kron looked thoughtful. "And how do they treat you? Do they respect you or are you just the brother who gets bossed around?"

"A little bit of both," Lincoln replied, chuckling slightly. "Sometimes I'm a role model, and other times I'm just the guy who has to do the chores. But overall, they take care of me. They're always there for me, and I'm there for them."

The surprise on his friends' faces slowly faded away, transforming into a kind of admiration, or almost all of them, as some thought differently. "That's... really admirable, Lincoln," Franz said, now with a more serious tone. "Not everyone can handle a situation like that. You must be strong."

Hannah nodded, setting aside her teasing tone. "Yeah, you're right. It can't be easy being the only guy surrounded by ten girls. You must have some amazing stories."

"Well, there are a lot," Lincoln said, feeling a bit more upbeat. "From clothes fights to endless gossip sessions. Sometimes I wish I had a brother, but there's also something special about being the only guy."

"You definitely have a unique perspective," Harold said, smiling. "Not many of us can say we have a family that large."

"Actually, I wonder, how did it end up being so many girls and only one boy?" Marlowe asked.

Lincoln simply shrugged, and before he had a chance to respond, Kron chimed in again.

"And... Are they all still alive?" Lincoln turned to look at him, feeling a bit uneasy.

"What do you mean by asking if they're all still alive?"

"Ah... Just ignore it," Harold said, annoyed by Kron's question.

There was a moment of silence after that, and then someone spoke up again to break the awkward silence.

"So, why don't you tell us more about your sisters?" Rubén asked, his curiosity now evident. "What are their names? What do they do?"

Lincoln smiled again, knowing he had captured their attention. Obviously, he couldn't tell them everything; he'd have to leave out certain parts, but he'd tell them as much as he could. "Well, let me tell you about my oldest sister, who's a real leader, and then there's the second oldest and the youngest ones, who always get into trouble..."

(End of flashback)

That memory passed through his mind, and even Harold seemed more impressed than when they told him about seeing a gryph during their trial. Although he didn't believe them, seeing one of those creatures here in these times seemed impossible.

Trying to change the subject, he told them about the new instructor who had arrived, apparently a temporary replacement for the previous one. This sparked curiosity, as they told him that a new substitute had also arrived for their large class about two days ago. This caught Lincoln's attention, who thought it was a coincidence. He then asked them questions about what instructor was like, if he was similar to the previous one, or if his methods were different. He was slightly surprised when they told him that the classes were a bit more relaxed than with the previous one, just like with their new instructor, Lufor. They told him that the new instructor's name was Bayron.

They continued to ask each other questions for a bit, until they finished their lunch and returned to their afternoon classes.

XXX

It had been almost two weeks since the new instructor arrived, and a change was noticeable. Lufor Keir was different from Otto, not just in personality, but also in his methods. He wasn't as hard on his students, and Lincoln could say that he liked that. He even showed understanding, not always, but it was an improvement.

Lincoln listened as his classmates shared their thoughts, and opinions were divided. While many of them appreciated the new instructor, a small group, including Ansel and Cynthia, felt that he was too lenient.

Guido was torn; on one hand, he liked the new instructor, but on the other, he was concerned that his approach might not be sufficient to prepare them for the challenges ahead. Lincoln shared his reservations, considering what they had learned about their adversaries.

But he was content. This would be a brief respite before returning to the grueling tests.

Personally, Lincoln preferred that Mr. Otto didn't return for a while. Moreover, another thing he felt comfortable with about Mr. Lufor was that he also showed himself to be more sociable with the recruits. He noticed how he interacted and allowed questions without insulting or yelling.

Currently, Lincoln and the rest of his classmates were cleaning a massive war tank, which, according to what he had learned in class, was called a Leman Russ, and it was huge. He had never seen a real tank before arriving at this place, and from what he had learned, there were even bigger vehicles here. He just regretted having to clean it; it was a task assigned by the new instructor Lufor, and it was exhausting. But not as exhausting as other trials. Besides, he wasn't alone; he was scrubbing grime off the wheels.

Despite this, he felt exhausted. He had been struggling with sleep for a while, plagued by recurring nightmares. His mind was haunted by visions of the future, the battles he would face, and an unsettling sense of being watched. It was a feeling akin to sleep paralysis, leaving him feeling drained and on edge.

He continued with his work. Meanwhile, Ansel, who was above, looked at him and then glanced around. When he didn't see anyone, he intentionally pushed a bucket of water right above Lincoln.

"Agh... What the...?" Lincoln looked up and saw Ansel, who had a small smile on his face, and simply said: "Oops, sorry, it was an accident."

Lincoln was on the verge of responding, but Instructor Lufor appeared out of nowhere and bellowed: "Ansel!" Ansel's grin vanished, and he attempted to defend himself: "I swear, it was an accident..."

"We're going to talk about this, understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good" after that, he turned to where Lincoln was and said "Loud, come with me"

Lincoln complied. They stepped aside to a spot a short distance from the others, and once they were out of earshot, the instructor began to speak.

"I assume you can get back to washing?" Lufor Keir inquired, his expression warm and friendly.

"Yeah, that's fine, I just hope I can clean myself up after this"

"No problem. When you're done, you can head to the showers. You have my permission. What do you say?"

"Seriously? Thanks!" Lincoln said, happy.

"No need to worry, and I'll take care of Ansel later. But there's something else on my mind that I'd like to talk to you about."

"Ah, okay, what is it?" Lincoln asked.

"Tell me, Lincoln, what's been your overall experience like here?, and please, be honest"

Lincoln gazed at Lufor, whose warm smile remained unchanged. The question seemed unusual to Lincoln, but he decided to comply and respond honestly.

"To be honest, it's been exhausting, a lot of exercise and tests. Being honest with you, it's a bit more relaxed now, but overall, it's been draining."

"Mmm... I figured as much, you're not alone in feeling that way, you know?"

"Really?"

"Absolutely, it's to be expected. This place can be incredibly demanding, and sometimes, downright brutal."

Lincoln found that strange. It wasn't every day that someone who ran this place would admit to its harsh nature.

"Cruel? What do you mean?" Lincoln furrowed his brow, feeling a slight unease in his stomach. Lufor's tone seemed to carry a weight that he couldn't decipher.

Lufor leaned forward, his gaze intensifying. "Discipline is important, I know, but sometimes I wonder if there's a purpose behind all this suffering. Have you ever wondered if there are other ways to achieve greatness, beyond blind obedience and pain?"

Lincoln remained silent, the question striking him like a bolt of lightning. He was from a different time, where things weren't so radical. But here, everything was different. If he had liked to change a few things, but he didn't think it would be a good idea to say so. Of course, he wouldn't tell Lufor that he wasn't from this place or time either; revealing that truth to the instructor would only bring more problems. He thought about what Lufor had just said and didn't know exactly how to respond, so he just said what he had learned during his time in this place: "No... I never really thought about it that way. I've always believed that... sacrifice is necessary to serve the Empire."

"Ah, the Empire," Lufor said, his voice tinged with a hint of sadness. "A system that promises grandeur and glory, but all too often yields only desperation. But what if I were to tell you that there are other ways? Ways in which power is derived not from suffering, but from insight and liberty?"

A chill ran down Lincoln's back, and he couldn't explain why. "What are you getting at?"

Lufor smiled again, but this time there was something more in his expression, something that made Lincoln feel like he was being drawn into an abyss. "Imagine a place where you don't have to constantly fight for the approval of those who only see you as a number, a cog in their machine. A place where true strength comes from accepting yourself and the powers that lie beyond this world. There are those who can offer you that, Lincoln. They can set you free."

"Set me free?" Lincoln replied, incredulity clear in his voice. "From what exactly? From discipline?"

"From the illusion of control," Lufor said, his voice smooth and persuasive. "The Empire tells you what to do, but there are other voices that invite you to discover who you truly are. To explore your deepest desires and to embrace the power that resides within you, rather than suppressing it."

To be honest, as he listened to that, Lincoln felt torn, trapped between the loyalty that had been instilled in him here and the tempting seduction of change, one that could be like his life before. But there was something that didn't sound right. "I don't know... it sounds dangerous."

"Everything worth having is dangerous, like the trials you undergo here," Lufor pressed on. "But that's precisely what makes you strong. You have the opportunity to be more than just an Imperial soldier. You can be the true master of your own destiny."

The conversation grew more intense as Lincoln struggled to maintain his stance. Lufor's words began to resonate in his mind. Was it possible that there was something more beyond what he had been taught? Beyond the rigidity of Imperial dogma?

"Just think about it, Loud," Lufor said, his voice barely above a whisper. "The truth is out there, waiting for you to discover it. And I'll be here, ready to guide you if you decide to take that step." Lufor finished speaking,

As soon as Lufor finished speaking, Lincoln started to retreat. But before he could beat a hasty retreat, Lufor's voice stopped him: "Lincoln." Lincoln turned back, and the instructor went on.

"I want you to remember what I told you, without pressure. But I also want to ask you to keep this conversation between us, to keep it our secret, okay?"

The smile on Lufor's face remained, but instead of feeling comfortable or happy, Lincoln felt a chill run up his spine. Without saying a word, he simply nodded with a small smile and left. He tried to walk normally, but once he was far enough away, he quickened his pace. Without looking back.

XXX

That was weird. That's all Lincoln could think.

Night had fallen, and Lincoln lay in his bed, replaying the day's events in his mind.

When Instructor Lufor Keir first appeared, he seemed like a trustworthy and respectful man, friendly to his students and approachable in general. Lincoln and most of the others liked him, and he felt at ease in class. It was ideal, and problem-free.

But what happened that day made him think, when they spoke, he felt something different, he felt uneasy, like when a parent discusses an uncomfortable topic with their child. But this was, he would say, even more serious, he even felt fear.

Was that really it? Various ideas and options ran through his mind, and he came up with a theory about what was happening: one of the most plausible options was that this was some kind of test, but what was its purpose? To demonstrate his loyalty to the empire and not take the easy way out, he thought, and that could also explain Instructor Otto's disappearance. Maybe he had left as part of the test, and when the time was right, he would reappear to punish those who had failed.

That seemed like a plausible explanation, at least, as plausible as anything could be in a place like this. Lincoln didn't have many other theories, and considering the bizarre tests and situations he'd faced here, that seemed like a reasonable option.

But the fear and discomfort he felt when Lufor spoke about freedom and taking a different path, that disturbed him for some reason. It was as if something inside him, or some instinct, was warning him to be careful, as if there was some darker intention lurking beneath the surface.

The idea of being relaxed and devout now seemed suspicious, but back then, when High Official Okenred Pock intervened on his behalf, it had seemed like a blessing. Or was it because Mr. Okenred hadn't subjected him to a chilling sermon about challenging the status quo here? Something didn't add up.

He wanted to put those thoughts aside for now; all he wanted to do at that moment was sleep.

XXX

Meanwhile, in the shadowy streets of the city, far from the watchful eyes of the Schola Progenium, two figures met in secret, shrouded in the darkness of the night.

"Mr. Keir..."

"I told you! Don't mention my name!" he whispered, his tone warning, his gaze nervously scanning the surroundings, as if he expected someone to emerge from the shadows at any moment.

The man in front of him simply frowned before continuing, his voice low and urgent. "How's everything inside the Schola? Have you had any luck with the recruits?"

"My progress is slow, but steady. I already have several recruits in my pocket, although they still don't know what's in store for them. But don't worry, when the time comes, they'll be ready to do my bidding. And when that happens, nothing will be able to stop us."

"And no one suspects anything yet?"

"For now, there are no signs of alarm, but we must remain vigilant. Obtaining those documents was a difficult task, and if something goes wrong, it will be too late to correct. But I guarantee you that by the time they discover it, we will have made too much progress for them to stop us."

"Very well, our cult has also gained momentum, with more followers joining the cause. But I have a question that concerns me: are you certain that most of these recruits will join us? There's a significant risk that some of them might be loyal to the false emperor, and that could be disastrous for our plans."

Keir smiled with a mixture of disdain and anticipation, his eyes gleaming with a dark light that seemed to illuminate the night. 'They have potential, yes... but they're products of the system, creatures conditioned to serve the Empire. They haven't yet seen the truth that we know, but that will change. The key is to be patient, to let doubt seep into their minds. And I can feel it... I can feel several of them already beginning to question the truth they've been taught."

"And what if we can't convince them all in time? What if they decide to remain loyal to the Empire, despite our words?" The hooded man's voice trembled slightly, revealing the anxiety that consumed him at the prospect of failure.

"Then we'll lose them, but it won't be a significant blow. There are others, many others who are becoming aware of the futility of their suffering. The Empire is a giant stumbling, and we are the spark that can ignite the flame of change," Keir replied, his voice filled with conviction.

"And what about the other instructors? Those at the Schola aren't fools. They must suspect something about us." The man glanced nervously at the empty streets, feeling the weight of the nocturnal silence.

Keir looked at him with disdain. "Don't underestimate the power of misinformation. Most of them are as blind as the cadets themselves. They're too busy with their own authority and ego to notice the small cracks forming in their world. As long as we remain cunning and cautious, there won't be a problem."

"We must intensify our influence. We need to ensure that they feel increasingly drawn to the ideas we're sowing in their minds. It's a delicate process, and we must act with subtlety. Luring them into the darkness requires time and strategy," Keir said, his voice now softer, almost seductive.

"And what if we're discovered? The Inquisition wouldn't forgive a betrayal within the Schola," the hooded man said, his voice trembling with anxiety.

Keir leaned in closer, his gaze burning and piercing. "The Inquisition is not an obstacle we need to worry about for now,' he said in a low, confident voice. 'Our primary target is the Schola Progenium. Once we have that fortress under our control, we can expand our influence to other areas of the planet."

The Inquisition was a force to be reckoned with, but the Empire's system was not without its vulnerabilities. Earlier, their intelligence had alerted them to the arrival of an inquisitor on the planet, prompting widespread fear. Initially, they wondered: Had they been found out? But as it turned out, the Inquisition's presence was unrelated to their activities. Instead, they had been investigating a separate matter, one that piqued their interest. However, their enthusiasm was short-lived, as the inquisitor had seized the artifacts they coveted. The loss was a significant blow, as those artifacts could have been instrumental in furthering their agenda.

But the story didn't end there. There was an additional element, a detail that Lufor would only discover later, through a revealing vision. A vision that would lead him to a white-haired boy, a character who seemed to be connected in some way to the inquisitor's case and the confiscated artifacts.

The hooded man swallowed hard, feeling a mix of fear and excitement. "Understood, Lord Ke... sir," he corrected himself quickly, making sure not to repeat the mistake.

After that, they shared some information with each other, and Lufor gave instructions on their next moves.

With the meeting concluded, Lufor Keir bid farewell and headed towards the Schola Progenium, his objective clear and his determination renewed. "I will not fail,' he swore to himself, a sinister smile spreading across his face. 'I'll show those naive fools how it's done, and the Gods will bear witness to my triumph." With those words, he vanished into the night, ready to carry out his plan and fulfill the will of his masters.

XXX

The days went by, and Lincoln still thought about Instructor Lufor's talk. From that day on, he felt something different in general, and it wasn't good.

At that time, he also saw other recruits being called to speak in private. He paid attention and noticed the faces of his fellow recruits, which varied. Some had a neutral expression, but others seemed nervous.

The truth is, this situation made him uncomfortable. Generally, in situations like this, he and his friend Clyde would try to dig deeper to uncover what was behind it, like when he thought Bobby was cheating on Lori, or when he thought he was adopted. In both cases, he got too involved, and the truth is, he wasn't exactly right either time. Still, the thing about his origins, although he wasn't adopted as he had thought, was indeed something unusual.

But this was different. There was something inside him that didn't feel right, like an inner voice warning him to be careful. For a moment, he thought about the explanation that this might be a test. But what if it wasn't? What should he do? Should he tell someone in authority, like Mr. Okenred Pock?

But if Mr. Okenred Pock didn't believe him, or if all this was just a test, Lincoln knew he'd have to uncover the truth on his own. He didn't have Clyde by his side to help him, or his group of friends to support him. He didn't even have his sisters, although that might be a blessing in disguise. They might have meddled and complicated everything. No, this time Lincoln was on his own, and he'd have to rely on his own skills and instincts to uncover the truth.

At that moment, the cadets were grouped at their desks, listening intently to Lufor, the instructor who had captured the attention of many with his unorthodox methods.

"Mr. Lufor," a cadet raised his hand, interrupting the class, one of Lincoln's classmates, Ansel, with a curious expression. "I've noticed that our classes have become a bit more... watered down, so to speak. Why has the focus changed?"

Lufor paused for a moment, observing Ansel with a gaze that mixed interest and subtle criticism. "Soft, you say?" His voice was smooth, almost playful. "Don't you think knowledge should be accessible? True teaching isn't just about barking orders and making students feel like mere cogs in a machine. It's about igniting the spark of understanding."

Ansel furrowed his brow. "But, sir, isn't that necessary? Some of us have grown up with the idea that pain and discipline are what forge us. Shouldn't it be that way in a place like this?"

Lufor smiled, but his gaze was piercing. "Ah, the old mantra of sacrifice. Listen, Ansel. Discipline is important, I admit. But what truly forges an individual is the ability to think critically, to question, and above all, to understand the nuances of reality. Life isn't simply black and white. Sometimes, the shadows can offer more clarity than direct light."

Lincoln felt a bit uneasy about what was said at the end. The way Lufor spoke seemed to challenge everything he had been taught so far. On the other hand, bleak or discouraging talks about the life of soldiers were a daily occurrence here, and other cadets were murmuring among themselves about what the instructor had said.

"And what about those who don't understand? Those who need rigidity to thrive?" Ansel asked, his tone challenging. "Aren't we opening the door to weakness?"

"Weakness," Lufor repeated, letting the word hang in the air. "Weakness is a relative concept. Sometimes, what appears to be weakness can simply be a different kind of strength. Each of you has the potential to be a leader, not just a soldier. And a true leader doesn't just command; they inspire."

"But, what I'm trying to say..."

"Ansel, let me tell you that I can understand your concern to a certain extent. The next war you'll be fighting may be something serious and frightening," Lufor said, interrupting Ansel. "But you shouldn't question me, I know what I'm teaching, I have the experience, and I know some of you may not fully approve of my methods, but I guarantee you it will be worth it. My goal is for you to improve, and that's exactly what I'll do. And one more thing, now that I've said that, I want to see you after class."

"...Yes, sir," Ansel replied, without much enthusiasm.

"Excuse me? Say it louder, I didn't hear you."

"I said YES, SIR!" Ansel shouted back.

"...Very well, let's continue," Lufor said, resuming the class.

XXX

Lincoln had a notion, an objective.

When the class had ended, he stayed behind, listening in on the instructor and Ansel's conversation. However, he couldn't actually hear anything, and he couldn't get closer without being seen.

Therefore, he had another plan: to spy on Instructor Lufor, wanting to see if he would engage in any suspicious activity. He would do it during lunchtime, since they had free time then, and he didn't want to do it alone, so he spoke with Guido. Unfortunately, he couldn't convince him. As it turned out, Guido's conclusion was correct. Some time ago, Lincoln had spoken with him, and Guido had told him that he was upset about the Fluffalon incident, where Lincoln had tried to hide the creatures out of pity, and they had been punished by being deprived of food for five consecutive days. Lincoln had understood and apologized for it. Guido still looked somewhat upset, but he didn't press the issue.

Despite Guido's refusal to join him, they continued discussing Mr. Lufor and his behavior in class. Lincoln told Guido about his plan to follow the instructor during lunch, but Guido declined to participate. He didn't want to get into trouble or miss lunch to follow someone around. However, he told Lincoln that he wouldn't stop him and would even share Lincoln's plan with the rest of the group during lunch. Lincoln felt a bit relieved knowing that Guido wouldn't oppose his plan, but he also realized that he would need to be careful not to get caught by Mr. Lufor.

Lunchtime had arrived, and Lincoln set his plan in motion, starting to spy on Mr. Lufor.

He had to admit that it had been a while since he'd done something like this, and he felt a pang of nostalgia as he found himself in a situation that was reminiscent of his old mystery-solving days. Although it hadn't been years, just months, it felt like it had been longer. And this time, it wasn't just a game - there was a real risk of being discovered.

After all, the Schola Progenium was not known for being lenient with curious students.

Lincoln watched as Lufor walked away, and then he discreetly fell in behind him, following at a distance.

Lincoln maintained a safe distance, careful to avoid any recruits or officers who might blow his cover. He trailed Lufor for a while, navigating through lengthy hallways, and was fortunate to have the pillars along the walls to use as cover.

The place was enormous, and even after all the time Lincoln had spent at the Schola, he still hadn't explored or seen every part of it. This particular area was unfamiliar to him, as he had never been through here before.

At some point, Mr. Lufor stopped and looked around to make sure he was alone. Then, he entered through a wooden door. Lincoln remained outside the door, unsure of what to do. He decided to slowly open the door, and from there, he could see how dark the interior was. He opened the door a bit more and noticed that there was a staircase leading down with a light at the end. He thought about what he should do, having come this far, he couldn't turn back now. He steeled himself to go down.

Just then, he caught sight of someone approaching and swiftly closed the door, careful not to make a sound, worried that it might be Lufor returning. As he listened, he picked up on a conversation nearby, the voices of two older men. His plan to spy had been disrupted, and he swiftly beat a retreat, hoping to avoid detection.

His mission was foiled, and to make matters worse, he missed lunch, leaving him to go hungry that night, followed by a series of unsettling nightmares.

XXX

The following day, Lincoln sat in class, but his thoughts drifted away. He couldn't help but ponder the room Lufor had entered, and his instincts nagged at him, hinting that there was more to uncover, but what secrets lay hidden?.

He thought about going to that room, not now, but he should go to get to the bottom of this whole affair.

After the class ended and lunchtime arrived, he returned to the door where Lufor had entered earlier.

But this time, he would make sure that no one was around and that Instructor Lufor was nowhere to be found.

The moment of truth had arrived. He followed the same path as the day before, checking to make sure no one was nearby. Then, he entered the door and descended the stairs.

The darkness was palpable, a dense fog that enveloped him completely. Lincoln stopped, waiting for his vision to adjust to the lack of light, but soon realized it was a vain hope. The darkness was total, with no windows or lights to mitigate it. It was as if he was immersed in a void, with no points of reference or sense of direction. Only darkness.

He moved forward, looking around him in case someone was there, although it didn't seem like it. There was no sound, and the place where he found himself was large, with several crates, which he knew because he bumped into some of them. Even so, he felt almost cornered, although that could be due to the nerves inside him.

As he moved forward, he saw, or rather, sensed a door not far away. It was barely noticeable, but it was there. When he approached, he was hit with a nauseating stench that made him stop in his tracks. In that moment, he felt a sense of dread, of true fear, and for an instant, he wanted to turn around and get out of there.

He no longer wanted to know what was on the other side, and the fact that he was in a place where training and punishment were brutal was discouraging.

But a small part of him was still determined to see what lay beyond the door.

He had already invested too much to back down now.

He had a feeling he would regret it, but he would do it anyway.

Steeling himself, he approached the door, preparing to open it.

Slowly, he began to push the door open, and as he peered inside, he saw only darkness.

There was no light, giving him a sense of fear. He stood there, frozen, his nerves on edge, hesitant to take a step. Then, he heard something.

"Aaahhrg" echoed from the back of the room, and Lincoln froze, paralyzed by fear. He couldn't move, and then the sound continued, and he realized that it sounded almost like a moan.

At first, he thought about turning around and running away, but then he also heard a voice.

"Now... what... do you want?" The voice left him frozen, because something about it seemed familiar.

Lincoln began to approach slowly, the voice sounded weak, but not weak enough that he didn't recognize it.

"What the hell... do you want?" The voice asked again, this time a little louder.

Only then did Lincoln's eyes widen in shock as he finally placed the voice.

"Mr. Otto? Is that you?"

"W... who... is it?"

"Ah, Mr. Otto, it's me, Lincoln Loud," he replied, his voice slightly nervous.

"...You... What are you doing here?"

"I...I... it's complicated. But what are you doing here, Mr. Otto?" Lincoln replied.

"Free time, you numbskull," Otto retorted, his sarcasm still sharp despite his weakened state. Lincoln chose to overlook the jibe, and Otto went on.

"I was taken prisoner... here, some time ago."

"Prisoner?" Lincoln asked, his nerves now on edge.

"By a bastard heretic... named Lufor Keir."

As soon as he heard that, Lincoln felt a stab of panic, was Lufor an imposter? Lincoln's mind began to recall his conversation with Mr. Lufor, and what he had said, now some things were starting to make sense.

"But," Otto continued, "the filthy bastard isn't alone, there's someone else, another imposter... I heard his name... it was Bayron."

Lincoln's eyes widened as he remembered the conversation with his friends, he had heard the name Bayron before. A chill ran down his spine as he realized that the situation was far more sinister than he had initially thought.

"And where is the real official? I mean, who did Bayron replace?" Lincoln asked.

"My partner Borga. They also captured him, he's... here."

Despite the darkness, Lincoln's gaze scanned the room, and he spotted a still figure in the distance. A man was bound to a chair, his body lifeless. The source of the putrid smell became horribly clear to Lincoln.

"Well... What are you waiting for? Get me out of here!" Otto said, snapping Lincoln out of the stunned state he was in, frozen by the sight of the corpse.

Lincoln responded quickly, "Ah, yes... Right away," and began to untie Otto. As he worked to free him, Otto started to whisper about the atrocities that had been inflicted upon him and Instructor Borga. Lincoln finally managed to release Otto from the chair, and in doing so, he noticed that Otto's right arm was gone.

"Let's go... let's get out of here," Otto said without much enthusiasm.

As they hastened to leave the place, Lincoln looked around nervously, fearing they would be discovered. He felt vulnerable, worried about what would happen if Lufor or someone else found them. They just had to get out of there and report what had happened to put an end to it all. Along the brief path they took, Otto tried to ask Lincoln a few questions, such as what Lufor's plans were, and if no one had suspected anything about the impersonation.

Lincoln responded nervously and hastily, doing his best to answer Otto's questions. Then, he also asked Otto how he had been captured. Otto didn't want to give many details, perhaps due to his condition, but he said they had used a paralyzing agent extracted from insects native to the planet, the Thel mosquitoes.

Finally, they reached the door that led upstairs. Lincoln had to help Otto climb the stairs.

Freedom was within their grasp, but unfortunately, they didn't get far. As they opened the door, they were met by Lufor himself and his accomplice, Bayron.

Lufor kicked Otto, who, being weak, fell easily, and Bayron grabbed Lincoln by the throat.

"Ah, ah, ah, what do we have here?" Lufor asked in a mocking tone. He then looked at Lincoln, who was trying to break free from the heretic's grip in vain.

"Ah, Lincoln Loud, I see you've discovered the little secret," he said with a smile.

After that, both Lincoln and Otto were forcibly taken back downstairs before anyone could see them.

As they descended the stairs, Otto managed to push Lufor with force, who in turn stumbled into Bayron. Lincoln, attempting to escape, bit down hard on his captor's hand, releasing himself instantly. Seizing the opportunity, he fled, racing up the stairs and opening the door.

Bayron quickly got up and began to rush upstairs, but was stopped by Lufor.

"Halt! Let him go."

His companion, Bayron, looked at him with incredulity.

"But... sir...".

"It doesn't matter. He won't be a problem, trust me. Nevertheless, it seems we'll have to accelerate our plans. I'll take care of this trash," Lufor said, the last part with a hint of humor as he grabbed Otto. He then continued.

"I want you to contact the others, tell them to send a portion of the recruits here to the Schola. We're going to need them."

"Exactly, how many do you want me to bring?" Bayron asked, seeking clarification.

"More than half. Now go, and also prepare to block the transmissions."

XXX

Lincoln ran as fast as he could through the empty corridors, needing to reach some of the facility's officers as soon as possible, or shout for help if necessary. He ran non-stop, driven by the fear of being caught, and the likelihood that they were already searching for him.

"Halt!" a voice shouted from behind him, and then he felt someone tackle him to the ground.

"No, let me go!" Lincoln shouted at his captor, struggling with all his might to break free. It was only then that he realized who was on top of him - a young recruit, just like him. And he recognized who it was.

"Ansel?" Lincoln said, incredulous.

"Shut up and don't move, you damned traitor!"

"Get off me!..." Lincoln stopped struggling as he heard Ansel's words, "Traitor?... What do you mean, traitor?"

"Oh, stop playing dumb, mutant. I followed you yesterday when you met with Lufor. That man is not loyal to the Empire, I know it. What did you discuss?"

"Wait... Aren't you supposed to be taking me to him?" Lincoln asked.

"No, who do you think you're talking to? I'm supposed to take you to the officers, like Okenred," Ansel replied.

"Wait, you idiot... I'm not a traitor! I was spying on Lufor. He's the traitor, and another instructor is in on it too. They have Mr. Otto locked up, and I managed to escape. I'm trying to get help, you fool!"

"But you always spoke highly of him, didn't you think I'd notice the special treatment you received?" Ansel said skeptically, still holding Lincoln in place.

"If maybe, but I didn't know what he was planning. Now I see, and we need to get help fast, let me go!" Lincoln said urgently.

Ansel didn't have time to respond when someone grabbed him from behind.

"Are you going to stop already?" a voice threatened, one that Lincoln recognized immediately.

"Guido!" Lincoln exclaimed with joy.

"Let him go" Guido ordered Ansel, as he pulled him off Lincoln.

After a brief struggle, the three of them stood apart, Guido demanding to know what was going on, while Ansel continued to accuse Lincoln. But Lincoln quickly clarified the situation and warned that they needed to alert the Schola Progenium as soon as possible about the threat.

"Fine, fine, so what's your brilliant plan?" Ansel asked, still sounding skeptical and unconvinced by Lincoln.

"We need to warn the entire Schola right now about what's happening. Otto is still being held captive, who knows what they'll do to him."

"Then let's go see Okenred now," Ansel said.

"Let's go, we're wasting time. Lincoln and I will go immediately, you can go look for help for Otto," Guido said.

"And why do you two have to go with the Magister? And what am I supposed to..."?

"Hey!, let's not waste any more time, agreed?" Guido replied, interrupting Ansel with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

Lincoln was slightly taken aback by his friend's reaction, but he understood the situation. After that, the three of them parted ways, Lincoln and Guido heading together, while Ansel went off on his own.

As the two ran, Lincoln spoke up. "Hey Guido, I know this isn't the right moment, but thanks for helping me back there, seriously."

"No need to thank me," Guido replied.

"No, seriously, thanks. I'm glad you were there."

The two of them were running down a hallway, lucky to have avoided running into Lufor or Bayron. But unfortunately, the hallway was also eerily empty, and they didn't encounter any officials who could help them. Maybe their frantic running would even attract attention, but that wasn't a major concern given their situation. In fact, it might even be beneficial to ask for help.

Lincoln tried to find the way that would lead them to their destination, but Guido had taken a shortcut, claiming it would get them there faster.

In that instant, the two of them stopped to catch their breath, as running had left them exhausted, but they had to be quick. Lincoln looked around, making sure they were safe, as he had felt a sense of near-paranoia. Guido also nervously scanned their surroundings.

Then, Guido turned around to look at Lincoln, who was still catching his breath. Guido took the opportunity to move closer, and what he said next left Lincoln confused.

"Forgive me"

"Ah, what did you...?" He didn't finish the sentence when he felt a pinch on his neck.

"Auch! Hey, what the...?" As he turned around, he saw Guido with a guilty look, holding a syringe-like object.

"What... what did you give me?" Lincoln asked with a hint of fear.

"A paralytic," Guido replied.

"A... what?... Wait... Why did you inject me with that?"

Guido looked at him, sighed, and replied, "Because I had to."

"But... What are you..." Lincoln stared at him, and suddenly his mind began to grasp what was happening.

"Oh no. You... You're with..." Lincoln's voice trailed off as his body began to feel weak, and in those seconds, his emotions swirled in his mind: confusion, fear, and anger.

With a surge of strength, Lincoln pushed Guido away and tried to run in the direction he thought might lead him to more people. But he didn't get far before his body began to weaken. It was as if his body refused to respond. He tried to keep going, but his body collapsed to the ground.

He didn't know that the toxin Guido had injected him with was the same one used by Otto, extracted from a large insect that paralyzes its victims. The toxin only paralyzes the body, but the subject remains conscious and able to feel, essentially feeling everything as they are devoured alive by the mosquitoes.

Although, on this occasion, Lincoln wouldn't be eaten, and another thing was that the paralytic didn't last long, only a few hours.

Now Lincoln found himself on the ground, unable to move, only able to look around. He saw Guido approach and put a bag over his head, and he felt himself being dragged away. Soon after, he heard a voice talking to Guido, and then he was taken away, his destination unknown. Poor Lincoln could only feel fear about what was going to happen.

XXX

Currently, Lincoln was tied to a chair, still with the bag over his head. It's not as if he could do much in his state. He didn't know how much time had passed, but to him, it felt like hours.

He was scared, terrified, and he also felt a sense of sadness and guilt.

Sadness about his fate, about not being able to see his family again, about what they were going to do to him. And guilt, over his friend Guido's betrayal. How could he have stabbed him in the back? Was it his fault? Or had Guido been involved in this all along? No, that couldn't be, Lufor must have brainwashed him, but still, he should have noticed something was off.

"Well, are you still there?" Lufor asked with a careless tone, and right then, the bag was removed from Lincoln's head. At first, the light blinded him, but it was temporary. Then, he saw where he was. It was a room with little decoration, lit only by a single light bulb above him. There were no windows, and he wasn't alone. Lufor was there, and so were other recruits, some of whom he recognized as his comrades. Among them was Martin, the boy whose shirt he had stolen during the drunkenness test. And Guido, who wouldn't look at Lincoln, instead staring at the floor, his face showing a hint of guilt.

"You know, Lincoln, you shouldn't have run. Now you can suffer an uncertain fate," Lufor said, pulling out a gun, a pistol to be exact.

Lincoln still couldn't move entirely, he could only move his eyes desperately, staring fixedly at the gun in Lufor's hand.

"So, as you can see, I have this gun and it's loaded with a single bullet, and it's going to be used now."

As soon as Lufor finished speaking, Lincoln felt his breathing become more intense. Meanwhile, Lufor approached him, and just a few centimeters away, he extended the gun.

And at the same time, Lincoln felt a pinch in his neck. What had happened? Lincoln thought, confused and fearful.

"Hahaha" Lufor laughed and then spoke again "Oh, calm down, Lincoln, this shot isn't for you."

Lincoln felt a burning sensation that began to spread throughout his body. As this was happening, Lufor continued to speak.

"You see, Loud, I'm not angry with you, yes, maybe a little disappointed that you tried to escape, but it's understandable, you were confused. So let's clear this up once and for all."

"You see, it was necessary for the cause, our cause. Because we see the true state of the world and we want to change that, so much unnecessary death, so many false sacrifices." Then he approached Lincoln and whispered in his ear. "You should understand it, after all, you're not from here, are you?"

Lincoln stared fixedly at Lufor, who had a complicit smile on his face. The twelve-year-old boy felt a chill run down his spine at those words. He... does he know? Does he know about my place of origin? Lincoln thought with concern.

But he was pulled out of his thoughts when Lufor continued speaking.

"In case you're wondering, what your friend just injected you with is an antibiotic for paralysis. It will make the effect of the toxin disappear, and you'll be able to move. Although you won't be able to move with as much speed, so this time I'll give you a few minutes to recover, okay?"

With that, Lufor withdrew, leaving Lincoln alone. He spent the minutes still trying to make sense of everything, and he could already feel himself regaining his mobility. But that didn't lift his spirits much.

Then Lufor returned and asked him to stand up from the chair. He obeyed, trying not to appear scared, but without much success.

"I have a surprise for you, Lincoln. Look who we brought."

Lincoln looked where Lufor was pointing, and what he saw scared him. It was Ansel, who was sitting in a chair, injured.

"We managed to capture him before he could ask for help, the poor fool trusted the wrong people. And now, the moment of truth has arrived."

Lincoln looked around and among the recruits, he recognized one of Ansel's friends, who didn't seem bothered by seeing his friend injured. 'That's what he meant by trusting the wrong person', Lincoln thought, just like he did with Guido.

As he said that, he approached Lincoln and handed him a gun. It was a pistol with regular ammunition, with a single bullet, just as he had said earlier.

"I had planned for you to kill that old insolent man, your former instructor, Otto. Of course, you escaped too soon, but well, we can still do something."

All the recruits moved away, forming a circle. Then Lufor placed his hand on Lincoln's shoulder and said: "I know your relationship with this boy hasn't been very pleasant. Well, this is the moment to take your revenge, and with his death, you'll have earned a place among us. Kill him and you'll be one of us. You won't have any more pain or hard trials, or scrounging for food from the trash and leftovers. Or you can take the wrong path, but I wouldn't advise it. What do you say?"

Lincoln felt cold sweat run down his forehead as he held the gun with trembling hands. Lufor's voice echoed in his mind, a mix of threats and promises of power. He had said it as if the words could undo the moral values that had been instilled in him throughout his life, both before and after arriving here. It was true that Ansel could be rough with him, but killing him and becoming part of this strange cult, whatever it was, wasn't what he wanted.

Ansel, for his part, didn't take his eyes off Lincoln. The fear in his eyes transformed into a silent plea, as if he knew that his life hung by a thread. His gaze conveyed what he was thinking: "Don't do it."

At that moment, Lincoln remembered everything he had done since he arrived at the Schola, and what he had been taught, their brutal and exaggerated methods, and the unbearable exercises and tests he had been forced to undergo. And now he was presented with the opportunity to change all that through another cruel test, for someone possibly even more twisted, one that he didn't want to do and wouldn't do. That's why he had to find a solution to this. He knew he had to act, but he couldn't allow the madness of the Chaos to define him.

With a quick movement, he lowered the gun and pointed it at the floor. "No!", he shouted with all his might, making Lufor and the other traitorous recruits jump in surprise. "I'm not going to do this!".

The room fell silent for a moment, and the recruits looked at each other, confused by the young man's sudden rebellion. Lufor frowned, and his expression darkened. "You're a fool, Lincoln. You don't understand what's at stake. The power you could have...".

"The power isn't worth anything if I have to lose my soul!", Lincoln exclaimed, his voice resonating with a determination that even surprised himself. The words had come out of his mouth without thinking, driven by desperation and the urgency of the moment. He had only said what came to his mind in a rush, even if it sounded a bit dramatic in his opinion. But as soon as he said it, he knew it was true. His heart was pounding hard, driven by a mix of adrenaline and the instinct of survival. Without thinking twice, he took a step back and prepared to run, ready to face whatever came next. The decision had been made, and there was no going back.

Lufor, who had initially remained silent, began to laugh, causing Lincoln to stop in his tracks, his nerves on edge. Lufor's laughter was not warm or pleasant, but rather the opposite.

"Are you serious? You're really not going to kill him. Why? Because you're afraid to get your hands any bloodier? Because you don't want to be with us, the true..."

He stopped when Lincoln raised the gun, pointing it at him. But his smile didn't disappear from his face. He just looked at Lincoln and said: "You know, you really disappoint me. I'm giving you an opportunity to have what you want, and you simply reject it. You won't even pull the trigger. You couldn't shoot someone who deserved it, like your foolish friend here, and you won't shoot me now."

Lincoln was surrounded, he didn't have many options, and he wasn't sure that, in the possible case that he killed Lufor, the other recruits there would react well.

Time was running out and his fears were growing, until he looked up, seeing the only source of light in that room, a light bulb, and only then did he have an idea. It might not even work. But he had to try.

"Please let it work" was Lincoln's last thought.

"He's right. I'm not going to shoot you." After saying that, he raised the gun to the ceiling and fired.

In a second, the entire room was plunged into darkness. Lufor rushed to where Lincoln was and grabbed his neck. Only to hear a different voice.

"It's not him... Wait... it's me" was the voice of another recruit who begged for air. Lufor released him with force and shouted: "I know you're here, you won't get very far!"

No order was necessary for everyone to start searching the room, but it wasn't an easy task.

Then Lufor went to where Ansel's chair was, put his foot down and felt nothing, and just as he thought, it was empty. Shortly after, he heard the door open and saw two figures leave.

"Disappointed and angry" was an understatement for what Lufor was feeling at that moment. He shouted an order to the assembled group, and they rushed out with all possible haste.

XXX

Lincoln and Ansel ran as fast as they could, but it was complicated. Still, with adrenaline pumping in their hearts, they kept going.

"And now what?" Ansel asked hastily.

"Simple, we look for help. And this time we don't stop for anything," Lincoln replied hastily. They still had to keep trying, they didn't have many options, and surely Lufor and the traitors were looking for them.

But while they continued their desperate run to avoid death, or something worse, in another part of the Schola, Bayrón, Lufor's accomplice, had managed to gather a few officers and staff members and deceived them into following him. It wasn't easy to convince them, as they suspected something was off, since they had been told that Okenred wanted to have a conversation with them, and they hadn't been warned in advance, only he had been informed. But he succeeded, and in their moment of vulnerability, along with some of the recruits who had joined him, he managed to eliminate them.

He was forced to leave that brute Otto with some of the young recruits, while he prepared the plan to isolate the Schola and clear the way for his cult.

All of this was happening while the two recruits continued on their way to warn others about what was coming.

In the next few hours, the place will be embroiled in a conflict for control between two forces, and in the end, only one will emerge victorious.

XXX

In the class of Imperial soldiers, a group of young recruits continued their training as usual, the break time had passed, and with their hunger momentarily sated, they had to continue.

But there was a problem, their instructor Bayrón was nowhere to be found, he had left them alone, without saying exactly what he would do, and in his place, he had left some recruits a few years older to supervise their exercises.

Right there, Rubén, a short boy, asked his friends: "Hey, what do you guys think is going on?"

"Why are you asking?" Marlowe asked his companion, looking at him.

"Well, because the instructor isn't here, and he just left us here with supervision."

"To be honest, I have no idea," Franz replied, who was standing nearby.

As they continued their conversation, Kron looked at the recruits placed by Bayrón, he didn't know why, but something about them gave him a bad feeling, when he looked at their faces, they looked at the recruits as if they were watching them, but not in the way a superior would, making sure their soldiers were doing their job, no, more like they were making sure they didn't try to escape, or as if they were making sure nothing was out of the ordinary, Kron had seen that look before, from certain older kids, in some gangs before he got here, maybe he was exaggerating, but he had a hunch.

Just then, another recruit arrived and Kron saw him whisper something to their supervisors, and in the moment he said that, their faces changed instantly, and with that, they called for attention, all the recruits stopped their exercises and paid attention.

"Listen up, everyone! Stop what you're doing and form up immediately!"

The recruits look at each other, but obey the order. The small group formed by Kron, Franz, Rubén, Marlowe, Darek, Harold, and Hannah, begins to follow their companions, and as they pass by a door that leads to one of the corridors, they see something that catches their attention. Two students were there, they looked exhausted, and seemed very nervous, as if they were being pursued, and then they recognized one of them.

"Lincoln?" Harold asked, and as soon as he heard his name, the white-haired boy turned around, and upon recognizing him, he approached, pushing his companion with urgency.

"Hey, what are you doing here? You shouldn't be..." Darek didn't finish speaking when Lincoln silenced him, and looked around quickly. He slipped between the group with Ansel, they didn't understand what was happening, but he told them not to say anything. Just then, they saw a group of recruits running not far from where the duo was, these recruits looked around, and in passing, they saw the formed group staring at them, they held gazes for a moment, and then continued on their way.

"What was that?" Hannah asked, confused, the rest were also confused, they noticed how Lincoln looked around, then asked: "Isn't your instructor around here?

"To be honest, no. Mr. Bayrón left without saying where he was going and left us with these young replacements."

Lincoln was about to speak, but then Ansel interrupted him.

"Are you an idiot?" Ansel scolded Lincoln, understanding the possible mess he had gotten himself into, he had entered the class of one of the infiltrated heretics and with the betrayal of trust by his own class, they could very well be talking to potential traitors.

"Wait a minute. What are you talking about?" Hannah asked, confused.

Lincoln looked at his friends, each one of them, he saw the confusion on their faces, he had doubts, because what Ansel said could be true, but... And what if not? Well, if he's wrong, he'll undoubtedly be the biggest fool on that planet.

After convincing them to move away from the class without being noticed, Lincoln begins to explain, and despite Ansel's complaints, Lincoln tells them something about what happened, how he followed his instructor and found the real one, revealing that Lufor was a traitor. How they tried to capture him and Ansel, and now they were escaping.

Everyone was left with divided opinions, some were surprised, others skeptical.

"Are you serious?" Harold asked.

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Lincoln said sarcastically. And with some urgency, looking around him. Ansel, who was by his side, was already preparing to run, in case Lincoln's friends tried to jump on him.

"That means... We're in serious trouble? And you also said that our instructor Bayrón is an accomplice of Lufor?" Darek asked.

"Yes, and we need to warn the rest of the Schola, but I need your help."

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go with him" the group looked at Kron, "What? What did I say?".

"Are you serious? You want to go with them in the middle of a class, do you know the trouble we could get into?" Harold said.

The rest of the group thought the same, they didn't share the same emotion as Kron, not to mention that they had been called to meet, so Kron pointed to the supervisors and said: "Look, they're distracted, we can leave now without being noticed, Okay?"

They were lucky to be in a large class, no one had noticed yet that they were forming up, since they had been farther away from the class.

"Guys, please" Lincoln begged his friends, they just looked at him still undecided, they knew about the punishments they could receive for disobedience. But what they heard from Lincoln left them thinking, although his friend Kron didn't take long to make a decision. "Look, you guys stay there, I'm going with Lincoln and the other paranoid guy now."

The others were still undecided, but then someone else joined, it was Rubén, the truth is that he was nervous, and didn't want to have problems for disobeying an order, but, if Lincoln assured that there was a threat, he would help, and so, little by little, the others followed. Harold was the last one who wanted to stay, but when the others were leaving in a hurry, he decided to follow them at the last moment.

Now they were all walking together in the hallway, while Lincoln was telling them his plan, Ansel was waiting for the moment to start running as soon as these recruits showed themselves to be traitors and tried to catch him, he didn't trust them and being friends with a phenomenon like Lincoln made him trust them even less, yet, Lincoln was also the one who freed him, saving him, so he wouldn't do anything, for now.

Un momento de tensión y confirmación de las sospechas de Lincoln. Los reclutas se acercan y, en lugar de actuar con normalidad, corren hacia Lincoln con intenciones hostiles. Sus palabras revelan que están buscando a Ansel y que tienen órdenes de capturar a Lincoln.

At that moment, Lincoln saw two recruits approaching, and he asked the rest to hide to prove his point. They quickly hid, and just then, the recruits saw him and ran to catch him. "Stay still this time," one of them threatened. "Where's Ansel?" the other asked.

"He's gone, he's already far away," he told them. The two recruits looked at him, and then one of them punched Lincoln in the stomach and replied, "You know something, phenomenon? Mr. Lufor was kind enough to give you a chance to join us, and all you had to do was kill someone, and especially someone who was just a nuisance to you. But you chose to be a fool, actually, it's better this way, we don't need weaklings like you."

As the two were preparing to give Lincoln a little beating, before taking him to the heretic instructor, they see some students approaching, they go on alert, and then recognize the group. "What are you doing here? Why aren't you in Mr. Bayron's class?"

"Ah, we decided to take a walk to pass the time, you understand," Kron replied, then looked to one side and suddenly shouted "What's that!" The two recruits turned around, and in that second, one of them received a punch to the stomach, followed by another to the face. The other recruit turned around and when he saw what had happened, he prepared to attack, but was quickly taken down by the rest of the group, including Marlowe, Darek, and Harold.

"Did you hear that?" Lincoln asked, holding his stomach in pain, to which they confirm. Ansel also comes out after they manage to immobilize the boy, and Ansel asks if they knew those recruits, to which Franz confirms that yes, because they are from the same class, they also claim that they spent a lot of time with their instructor Bayrón. After that, they leave the boys unconscious and hidden in a place, now that they know that what Lincoln was telling them was true, they must come up with a plan. Lincoln is also a little relieved, although he doesn't show it, because this could confirm that his friends were not traitors.

After that, everyone heads through the corridors, avoiding any recruits who might be with the heretics. Of course, it's possible that they might not be, and in the case that they were, they were the majority, maybe they could knock them out. But maybe it would bring them problems, especially if there was an officer and he misinterpreted the situation, or also that the officer was a traitor. They wouldn't know.

There, when they saw that there was no danger nearby, they were discussing, they agreed that they should split up into teams and each one should go to a different place to seek help. Everyone made a decision about where to go, Lincoln, Ansel, and Harold would go together to seek out the highest authority in this establishment, Okenred Pock.

With that plan, everyone separated and departed immediately.

XXX

In another part of the Schola, someone was walking down the corridors accompanied by their group of loyal recruits.

This man had a hazelnut-colored skin, green eyes, and brown hair, and a toned body, showing that he was someone in good physical condition. But one shouldn't be fooled by his appearance, he wasn't just muscle, he also had a certain charisma, perfect for his undercover work. He was Bayrón, the infiltrated heretic.

Bayrón was preparing to strike. He took care of some officers who could have caused him problems, and he had already isolated the Schola, in case they tried to ask for help from the outside, along with requesting reinforcements. Just as Lufor had asked him to.

It wasn't easy, that's why I used those recruits, who I managed to indoctrinate with more success. I even had one reserved for a special occasion, not far from here, in case of problems.

Not to mention that most of them were young recruits, because they were closer to him and easier to manipulate, still, he and Lufor managed to manipulate some of the older recruits.

Just then, someone appeared in the middle of the path, the heretic stopped with some surprise because he knew he was facing someone in authority, it was Okenred Pock, he was wearing a military uniform more suitable for battle. And for some reason, he didn't look very happy.

"Mr. Okenred... what are you doing here?" he asked, sounding confused."

"Greetings as well, Instructor Bayron. I was heading here because there's something urgent I need to take care of." He paused and then asked: "And, might I ask what you're doing here with these recruits? And why aren't you in your classroom teaching?"

Bayron began to tense up, something wasn't right and he knew it. Without anyone noticing, he held a small device in his hand, it wasn't a weapon, it was to send a signal. He pressed it, waiting for his message to be received.

"Well, sir, you see, I was giving a class, but a problem arose."

"Hmm, and what problem would that be?"

"You see, it's something more personal, I assure you it's nothing serious."

Okenred just looked at him, then let out a emotionless laugh. "You know? I also have a problem, which is that I found out you gave a warning to certain officers without my permission, not to mention how I find you here near the communications room. Can you explain it to me?"

"Ah, about that...".

"But you know what bothers me the most?" he asked, interrupting him. "Besides the methods you and Lufor have used on the students, one of the recruits was waiting for me outside my office, telling me I had to meet with Lufor immediately, and when I told them I wouldn't do it and asked them why, they just got nervous and one of them pulled out a gun and threatened me!" he said, almost shouting. Then he continued, "They were weak and inexperienced," he said, pulling out his blood-covered sword.

Without needing to continue with that farce, Bayron pulled out a gun, while the other recruits prepared to jump into a fight. Surprisingly, Okenred didn't flinch and kept talking "You know? Although the papers they showed me seemed authentic, I already had suspicions about you and Lufor, of course, it would be more of a hunch than proof, and I suppose Otto and Borga were captured by you, weren't they?" He finished with a clear anger in his voice.

"Well, what if it is?" Bayron laughed, still pointing his gun at Okenred. "It's a bit late now, we can still take care of you."

But clearly, Okenred was prepared. In a second, the sound of lasers was heard, the recruits at his sides began to fall. Bayron looked to his sides, and when he looked back, he saw five soldiers with laser guns, aiming at him. Then he felt a great burning sensation in the hand where he was holding his gun. When he looked forward, two more soldiers emerged right behind Okenred.

One of them was the one who shot his hand. He just held his hand in pain, then was knocked down by one of the soldiers.

"I've already let your cult grow within my great academy, it's time to put a stop to it. I would kill you now, but I need you to tell me some things, if you don't mind?"

The guards took Bayron away, but Okenred stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Bayron's gaze directed at something behind him. When he turned around, he saw a nine-year-old boy wearing a Schola uniform that seemed too big for him. The boy was thin, with brown hair and pale skin, and his posture revealed that he was carrying something on his back. But what really caught Okenred's attention, and that of the officers beside him, was the boy's gaze. His eyes seemed empty, as if they had been stripped of all emotion. It was a gaze that many imperial officers had seen before in child soldiers and recruits, but there was something about this boy that was different.

"Your boy, identify yourself!" one of the soldiers ordered, but the boy didn't respond, he just started walking in their direction.

"Stop right there, recruit!" Okenred shouted, but the boy kept advancing. There was something about this boy that wasn't right, because he appeared here and now. Then Okenred looked at Bayron, and there he noticed that Bayron had a small smile on his face. Only then did he understand. "Fire! Kill him!"

The soldiers obeyed Okenred's order without hesitation, raising their guns and opening fire. The boy, with unexpected speed and agility, began to run towards them, but the laser bullets were already in the air, hitting him and making him stumble. However, it was too late. Although the boy couldn't get any closer, he had achieved his goal. With a sudden movement, the boy activated the device he was carrying on his back, and a devastating explosion shook the air, sending the soldiers and Okenred flying backwards. The world turned into a hell of fire and smoke, and everything seemed to freeze in a moment of absolute terror.

Everything was spinning for Okenred, not to mention that he couldn't hear anything. Slowly, he began to get up, or tried to, his body hurt. The pain from the explosion was so great that he barely felt a pinch in his neck. When he looked up, he saw Bayron, in a similar state to his own, with a syringe. And before the heretic could do anything else, he received a punch from a wounded Okenred, which left him on the ground. Then, with a monumental effort, he approached the bastard and pulled out a knife from his waist, ready to cut his throat. But Bayron managed to hold him back, barely, with just one hand. They struggled until Major Okenred began to feel weak, as if his strength was abandoning his body. That's when he understood that what Bayron had injected him with was a paralytic. With one last effort, he tried to stab Bayron with his knife. But unfortunately, his body stopped responding.

Bayron struggled to move Okenred's inert body, his smile growing as he considered the implications of this unexpected turn of events. It wasn't a problem, not yet. He stood up, looking at Okenred with a mixture of contempt and curiosity. The kick he gave him in the face was almost casual, a gesture of dominance rather than anger. Then, he leaned over Okenred, his voice low and venomous. 'I'd love to torture you, Okenred. I'd love to see the fear and pain in your eyes. But, for now, I think you'll be more useful alive. At least, until you're not."

Bayron began to walk down the hallway until he stopped not far away, looking around at the surroundings among the bodies of the guards. He only saw one alive, or rather, writhing in pain. It was good that he had warned that little one, he knew it would be useful to have him nearby for an occasion like this. He also thanked the gods that the syringe with the toxin hadn't broken. If it weren't for the pain that coursed through his body from the explosion, he would be even more ecstatic. But even so, he survived, and that's what counted. After all, he had to live to see the chaos that was coming.

XXX

Thel Amar is a world like many others in the vast empire, which spans a large part of the galaxy.

It wouldn't be the worst planet to live on, but even so, like many other worlds in the empire, there would be hunger or unfavorable situations, and that's why there would always be some force lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to act.

And as such, at one point, chaos also tried to take its place. A long time ago, a small chaos cult arose on this world, but it was managed to be stopped and eradicated from the planet, without having to resort to an exterminatus. Still, many innocent people died just for being in the wrong place. But it was a small sacrifice for the good of the world.

Now, a new cult has been reborn, like orks that you exterminate and they come back, this group was born less than a year ago, but they had been gathering strength, and now they had a plan, they had to have the power of the planet, and one of the main points would be to take the Schola Progenium, of course, they would do it in their own time, gaining the trust and loyalty of the young recruits, that way it would be easier. Obviously, they wouldn't do it with all the classes, at least not for now, there were places they should keep their distance from, one of them was the Sisters of Battle. They were a dangerous group, too loyal to the Emperor, to the point of exaggeration.

Of course, with one part of the plan ruined by a certain white-haired boy, that plan fell apart and now this cult of perversion had the duty to take the Schola by force. The risk of being discovered would increase, but if they did it quickly, they could continue with their mission.

On the outskirts of the Schola Progenium, a group of soldiers was patrolling the entrance, although some were chatting among themselves, since there wasn't much to do, it wasn't as if they were in the middle of an invasion. Then some of them noticed a group of four vehicles approaching.

They were cargo trucks, although they were also used to transport soldiers. The guards approached with their guns firm, in case of an attack.

"What do you want?" one of the guards asked.

One of the men who was driving the truck smiled in a friendly way, showing an expression that tried to be reassuring. "Provisions! We bring supplies from the Sector's Supply Commissary. We've brought food and ammunition. Everything you need to continue your training here at the schola."

The guards exchanged glances, somewhat suspicious, but the routine of the day-to-day had made them lower their guard. "Do you have the authorization papers?" asked the tallest guard, keeping his gun firm but not pointing directly.

"Of course, of course," replied another of the men, pulling out a document that seemed legitimate. "Here you are, everything is in order. There's no problem, we're just the ones in charge of bringing what's needed."

As the guards were reviewing the document, a subtle but significant noise was heard from inside the truck. It was the sound of metal clashing, as if something or someone was getting ready to come out. However, the relaxed conversation of the guards had created an atmosphere of trust that would soon become deadly.

Suddenly, the truck closest to the guards burst open and a group of hooded figures jumped out, armed with knives and firearms. Without giving them time to react, they attacked the guards with relentless fury.

"It's an ambush!" one of the guards shouted as he fired, but he was quickly knocked down by a brutal blow. Chaos erupted in an instant; the guards' screams echoed through the air, mingling with the sound of gunfire and the crunch of violence.

With a ferocity that bordered on madness, the cultists threw themselves into the fight with an inhuman savagery. "Quickly! Let's finish them off before they can sound the alarm!" one of the cultists shouted, as his followers moved with deadly precision among the guards, stabbing and shooting without mercy or remorse. The scene turned into a bloody chaos, with the guards fighting for their lives and the cultists advancing relentlessly. Although some of the heretics managed to be eliminated, it soon became evident that the cultists had taken the advantage, and that the battle was about to become even more brutal and merciless.

In the midst of the chaos, the cult of perversion knew that every second counted. With the schola vulnerable and the recruits' attention focused on what was happening inside with the internal confusion, their attack had to be quick and decisive.

Once the guards had been neutralized, the leader of the group of cultists gave a curt order to a group of his followers: "Check the area, make sure there are no more hidden guards." The hooded figures quickly dispersed, checking every nook and cranny of the area. After a few moments of tension, they returned with a nod of assent. The leader then approached one of the hooded figures, who was waiting in silence, and whispered an order in his ear.

"It's now, give the signal for the rest to come, Lords Lufor and Bayron must already be taking care of clearing the way for us, they must have succeeded if we haven't heard any alarm from inside."

With that said, the hooded figure heads to one of the trucks, ready to call in a whole group of cultists, ready to take the place by force.

XXX

Nervousness was palpable as they made their way through the empty corridors, heading towards Principal Okenred's office. None of them dared to deny the anxiety that consumed them. With caution, they avoided being seen by other recruits, but what caught their attention the most was the total absence of life in the corridors. The silence was unsettling, and it only seemed to increase their nervousness.

Lincoln took advantage of the moment to ask Ansel, "Hey Ansel, I know it's not the right time, but can I ask you what you and Lufor talked about, you know?" Ansel's gaze made Lincoln shrink with nervousness, but he just sighed and replied, "He tried to tell me to change my ways with a soft tone, explaining that a change was coming. Then, in class, when I asked him about his soft methods, he proposed that I could keep being tough, even said I could punish certain students that he didn't want to. He also offered me a candy, and although I hate that idiot, I tried it, and I admit it tastes rich."

"But I wasn't going to accept it, his words were strange, and the attempt to change his approach, with me, caught my attention, something about him didn't give me confidence. Then I saw you when you started following him, I thought that whatever it was that he was hiding, you were involved, accept it, you talked a lot with him and I saw how he gave you candies and treated you special. Although I admit that he spoke well with several students, I should have seen it coming what would happen, and that bothers me," he finished with frustration in his voice.

Despite the fact that he hated to admit it, it was true that he spoke well with Lufor. It wasn't common in this place to have a superior who was pleasant and understanding, and yes, he liked that he gave them candies, that was something he appreciated and considered good. Now, the truth was that he felt a little ashamed. "You know, for a moment I thought you'd say something like you thought I was with him because of my hair color," Lincoln said with a small smile that disappeared when Ansel continued.

"If that too, I thought that being a mutant like you would have something to do with it," when he said that, Harold intervened in their conversation.

"What does his hair color have to do with it?"

"Well, I don't know if you noticed, but his hair color isn't normal. I've heard cases like that, they're mutants, humans who present a deformation. Sometimes it's something simple like hair color, and other times it's something more, like an extra arm or eyes where they shouldn't be. Not to mention his accent...".

In a second, Lincoln approaches Ansel, tired of hearing that, and confronts him. "I'm not a mutant, but you are a foolish ignorant for believing ill of people. My grandfather had white hair and he's no mutant, let that be clear to you."

Ansel, annoyed, responds, "Hey, I'm just saying what I've been told, admit it, your hair isn't normal, you're not just any human..." Before they could continue, Harold interrupts, calming them down, this wasn't the time or place to fight, he also did it to help Lincoln.

With that cleared up, they continue on their way. But then something happens, the three of them hide in another corridor, there they see a group of recruits advancing, there were hundreds, and those leading them were recruits with weapons.

The three of them hear one of them shout, "Let's go, follow me, Master Lufor asked us all to gather immediately."

When they heard that, they felt their hearts pounding with force. That was not good at all.

After witnessing that scene, they left quietly, taking another path. But that wasn't the only group they ran into and had to hide from, everyone was heading to the main hall.

"This isn't good," Harold said with fear in his voice, to which Ansel adds "Things are going to get very bad, and us here, seriously, what exactly do those crazies plan?"

"Nothing good, that's why we need to hurry and warn...".

"Hey, look, do you really think that even if we make it on time and warn them, we'll be able to stop this?" Ansel interrupted.

"Well, what else can we do? We don't have many options," Lincoln replied.

"Do you even know where the office is that we're heading to?"

"No, to be honest, I don't know, and do you know where it is?" Lincoln asked.

"No, I mean, are we just walking in circles?" Ansel says, annoyed, and before Lincoln can respond, Harold speaks up again.

"Listen, I don't know either, but that doesn't mean we should stop. The others have already gone to warn the rest of the schola, so we shouldn't stop either."

Giving his friend the reason, Lincoln says they should continue. After that, they see two corridors, not knowing which one to take. Lincoln goes ahead and then comes back to warn them that this corridor could be the right one. He wasn't prepared for what happened in his short absence. When he quickly returned, he had to hide. Because his two companions had been caught by a group of armed recruits, there were ten of them. He stayed listening, not far away, making sure he wasn't seen.

"Where is your friend, the phenomenon?!" one of the recruits holding a gun to Harold's head asked. "I already told you, he left a long time ago, we don't know where he might be," Harold replied.

The guy kept staring at him as if he didn't believe him, then Ansel, who was being held by the arms by two of the recruits, spoke up. "Hey, why would I be with that mutant? We separated a while ago, stupid bootlicker." This earned him a punch to the stomach. When they saw they couldn't get anything else out of them, they took them away. At that moment, out of the corner of his eye, Ansel saw Lincoln hiding, and he also looked at him, but Ansel didn't say anything. In fact, he nodded slightly with his head, so it wouldn't be noticed, as a signal for him to continue on his way.

After seeing his companions being captured, Lincoln was left alone again, now he had to continue on his way with even more haste and urgency.

XXX

In the grand hall, a large meeting was being formed, many of the recruits were there, Lufor was at the front and by his side was the injured Bayrón, who had already told him about his encounter with Okenred. He also confirmed that he had successfully blocked communications with the outside and had managed to contact the cult, which was confirmed when a small group arrived at the Schola a short while ago, confirming that they had secured the door and that reinforcements would be arriving soon.

The recruits formed here were mostly already traitors, and those who weren't, well, he would make sure to change that. If they hadn't been forced to change their plans, he and Bayrón would have had time to manipulate many more, as they had planned. But even with the little time they had, it wasn't possible. Still, to say that there were few within the grand military complex who joined the forces of chaos would be an error, and with the forces that were approaching, this place would fall in less than a day, that's what he expected.

Now Lufor stood in the middle and prepared to speak with a microphone to the entire audience gathered. "Attention everyone, my brothers gathered here have been summoned, because today there will be a change, one that will unite the entire planet, one that will change our lives for the better. Everyone here, each and every one of you, will be a fundamental part of this grand plan."

His words motivated those new followers of the cult, while the loyal recruits to the empire who didn't understand what was happening were only confused. But some of them felt a strange sense of danger, in addition to the oddity of who was speaking, who was not one of the main officers.

"Now listen carefully, we must gather all our forces to deliver the great blow of force against our enemies." After saying that, he paused and then asked a question "And now I have one for all those gathered here who have not yet received the message: I know you must be confused, but I guarantee you that there is nothing to fear, so I ask you now"

"Will you join our cause?"

XXX

Not much time had passed since his companions were captured, Lincoln stopped for a moment to take a short break, he also stayed thinking, exactly what would happen after he manages to warn, it's already obvious that things are getting worse, putting that aside Lincoln prepares to continue, and then, he notices a group of armed men with no military uniform or from the Schola, he hides and listens to them.

"I already told you it's around here, I remember the instructions, that idiot Onpock's office... or whatever it's called around here."

"His name was Okenred," his companion corrects him. "What does it matter what his name is, they've already captured him, now we need to get there and see what Lufor wants."

That's when his fears escalated, Major Okenred had been captured. He no longer knew how to act, of course, his friends had gone to warn other places, hopefully, they would succeed. But he couldn't give up, and that's when another plan formed in his head, maybe he should be the one to warn, about what's coming, and that's when his goal of going to the office of the principal person in charge took on another meaning, since with what he just heard, he now knew where he had to go, he just had to follow these men and he would reach his destination, then he would see what he could do.

XXX

When the opportunity to join the cult arose, several of those gathered did not know what to think, then after Lufor continued with a few phrases to attract them to his side, armed men without the Schola uniform appeared and when those who were not already traitors simply rejected this madness, that's when the executions began. Several tried to escape but were subdued and put in a corner. At that moment, a group of cultists approaches to speak with Lufor. They told him that a group of young recruits captured two students who were with the white-haired boy, one of them was the one who escaped from them. When he asks if they know anything else about the white-haired boy, they simply shake their heads, irritating Lufor.

Lufor leaves, leaving Bayrón in charge of directing the recruits, he had to take care of a matter.

Not long after he left, Bayrón began to explain the plans to his followers and to those who still hadn't joined, who had been cornered. Bayrón was preparing to give them an ultimatum and join his ranks. And then something else happened.

The doors of the great hall opened and those who entered were senior-year recruits armed along with some of the priests and guards of the place. They quickly reacted, opening fire on the heretics and traitorous recruits who tried to stop them. The priests had been informed by some young recruits, Rubén Darek and Marlowe, who interrupted a prayer, could have been executed on the spot for such sacrilege, but quickly explained the situation and although they initially doubted, they accepted, corroborating what they said. They saw recruits with arms without permission and after capturing some, confirming what they said, they quickly prepared to stop this heresy. They gathered several senior loyal recruits, which brings us to this situation.

Right there, one of the priests raises his voice "This madness must stop now. Surrender now and your souls will be purified for this betrayal, or you will suffer with pain for this sacrilegious act!"

The two sides stop due to the situation, and then Byron, who witnessed this, just laughed. These foolish old men who worshiped a false idol, were they going to tell him what to do? Pathetic.

Bayrón stepped forward, his laughter echoing in the great hall like a mocking echo. His gaze fell on the priest who had spoken, his eyes shining with a mixture of contempt and defiance. "Purification? Pain? You don't know what you're talking about. You are the true heretics, clinging to a god who abandoned you eons ago. Chaos is freedom, it's power, and you're too blind to see it."

Some of the loyal recruits exchanged nervous glances, the tension palpable in the air. Some of them seemed to question what they had learned at the Schola, while others remained firm, clinging to their ideals. But they all knew that time was running out. Confrontation was inevitable.

One of the senior recruits, a burly man with some scars from past trials, stepped forward. "We will not be seduced by your words. The truth of humanity is greater than any promise of power. We will defend the Schola and our brothers!"

A murmur of assent ran through the ranks of the loyalists, and Bayrón felt his anger grow. "Fools! Do you really think you can stop us? The truth has already begun to infiltrate your hearts!" With a gesture, he ordered the cultists at his side to prepare.

The sound of guns being cocked echoed, and the atmosphere became even more tense. The priests grouped together, forming a defensive line, while the loyal recruits raised their guns, ready to fight.

"For the Emperor!" one of the recruits shouted, raising his bolter in defiance. It was the shot that started the chaos. Bullets flew in both directions, the deafening sound of battle filled the air, as the cultists and the loyalists clashed like titans in the heart of the Schola.

Bayrón stayed there in the back, watching his followers launch themselves with savagery against the loyalists. Looking for the priests, his eyes fixed on the spiritual leader who had dared to defy him. With an agile movement, he dodged a projectile that whizzed past his side and with his gun began to fire towards the priest.

"I'll make them understand the truth!" he shouted with a fervor that was almost manic. But before he could kill, another loyal recruit intervened, stepping between the shot without hesitation, and died on the spot. The balance of the battle was shifting, and the Schola had become a battlefield.

As chaos reigned, the cultists began to gain ground, they were the majority and several had been filled with promises and words of greatness, making them more fervent. Although, the loyalty of the senior recruits and the fervor of the priests were pushing some of the traitors towards desperation, being young and fearful, also the loyalists who had been subdued were now fighting with their loyal companions to the empire. However, Bayrón knew that the situation was not lost. With a tearing cry, he summoned his followers to unite and renew their attack.

"Don't give up! Chaos is our ally! Draw them into the darkness!" Bayrón's words resonated in the minds of those who still doubted, and some began to yield, ceasing to fight alongside their former comrades.

The bullets continued to fly, and the smell of gunpowder filled the air as the conflict intensified. The Schola Progenium, a place of hope and renewal, had become a scene of betrayal and blood. Every shot, every cry, every fall resonated like an echo of despair. It didn't take long for the heretics to gain ground, forcing the priests and loyal recruits to retreat. And the battle had only just begun.

XXX

After a while, following the heretics without them noticing, they arrived at a door, which was the office of the person in charge of the Schola, where the cultists stopped. He hid there and listened to them talk. "Well, let's go in..."

"Wait," one of them interrupted. "Mr. Lufor said we should wait for him before entering."

"So we just stand here doing nothing?" another heretic asked.

"That's what he said, we were supposed to wait for him," while they continued their conversation, Lincoln tried to come up with a plan to get them to leave and clear the way, but he didn't know what to do, there were four of them, he would have to find a way to get all of them to leave. Then he had an idea, it wasn't a very complex one, it was something simple, but he didn't know what else to do.

As the heretics continued talking, they heard a noise at the end of the hallway, and to make sure it wasn't a threat, two of them went to investigate what it was. When they left, the two who stayed behind waited for their companions, but they were so focused that they didn't notice that the door behind them opened and closed.

"Huh? Did you hear that?" he asks his companion, who turns around and looks at the door. "Yeah, I heard it."

Inside, Lincoln had managed to sneak past the heretics right behind them, without being seen, it wasn't easy, but now he was inside the director's office. He made a noise by breaking a small decorative statue to get their attention. He also hoped he wouldn't get in trouble for it later. His plan was for all four of them to go investigate, but he still managed to do it, and to be sure, he locked the door with a lock that was as silent as possible, since the heretics were on the other side. Unfortunately, it was unsuccessful.

As he was walking away from the door, he heard a noise that froze his blood, he heard the sound of the door trying to open. Luckily, without success, thanks to the lock he had put on. "Was this supposed to be closed?" he could hear from the other side, one of the men trying to open the door. Lincoln let out a sigh, the feeling he felt was like he had just walked right past a pack of sleeping lions without waking a single one.

"I told you I heard something, there's someone in there, and we need to get them out," and that feeling of relief disappeared when he heard that. Now he had to be quick and find something useful in there. It was also then that he realized what the principal's office looked like, where he was, it was huge, bigger than his living room, there was a large desk with some papers and books scattered around, and a kind of microphone for speaking through the loudspeaker throughout the Schola, or so he thought from its design, it was strange. Maybe it was something else, but what else could it be? And the office was also full of files, books, and more, he also saw some weapons hanging as decorations.

Putting those thoughts aside, Lincoln focused on searching for something useful, and he also heard them struggling with the door, making him hurry. Then he headed to the desk, trying to find anything.

As he was doing that, he saw something that caught his attention, on one part of the desk there were three buttons, he didn't know what they were for, but when he heard the door being forced, he panicked and pressed one of the buttons without knowing what it would do. He just hoped he wouldn't activate some self-destruction mechanism for the entire Schola.

XXX

The heretic forces advanced relentlessly, reducing the few remaining loyalists and forcing them to retreat towards the grand corridors. The battle seemed lost. Bayron and his followers had to put an end to this quickly in order to take care of the rest of the place. Bayron knew they couldn't afford a prolonged confrontation. The sounds of gunfire and lifeless bodies would soon attract the attention of the other inhabitants of the Schola. Although his group of followers was numerous, Bayron was aware that they weren't enough to control the immense institution, this group of loyalists was small, a tiny group. That's why his objective was to be quick and efficient, finish off this small group of loyalists and then move on to his next objective, until his reinforcements arrived to take this site.

The fight in the grand hall of the Schola Progenium was becoming increasingly desperate. The Imperial loyalist forces, although brave, were being cornered, retreating under the relentless advance of the cultists and traitors. War cries and the sound of firearms echoed through the corridors, and the atmosphere was filled with smoke and the smell of gunpowder.

Bayron watched from an elevated position, his face lit up by the flickering light of the explosions. The situation was critical, and he knew he had to act quickly. 'Finish them off once and for all!' he ordered, his voice resonating among his followers. "We can't let these loyalists organize. Once we eliminate them, the Schola will fall before us."

Despite Bayron's confidence, the pressure of the battle was beginning to take its toll. The loyal recruits fought with desperate fervor, but they were being pushed further and further towards the grand corridors. The cultists, with their crazed gaze and unshakeable fanaticism, seemed unbeatable. Alongside them, the young traitorous recruits fought with a ferocity that didn't seem fitting for their age. Although some of them showed signs of fear and doubt, their determination to fulfill their objective seemed to be stronger. The situation was becoming increasingly critical for the loyalists.

Suddenly, a distinct sound rose above the din of the battle: the thunder of firm and decisive footsteps approaching with an unrelenting cadence. Bayron furrowed his brow, intrigued and worried at the same time, and he wasn't the only one. His followers and also the loyal soldiers who heard the sound interrupted their fight, looking around with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. The battle seemed to stop for an instant, as if everyone was holding their breath in anticipation of what was going to happen. And then, a shadow rose in the threshold of the main entrance, and the lights of the corridor reflected off the metal of his armor, projecting an intimidating glow on the wall.

The Sisters of Battle, the Sororitas, had arrived.

Like a torrent of faith and power, the Sororitas of the Schola Progenium of Thel Amar burst onto the scene, armed with bolters and empowered by the determination to protect the Empire. All the sisters, from the veterans to the young recruits who had barely begun their journey, threw themselves into the fray with a fervor that seemed unbreakable. Their battle cries echoed like battle hymns, and the thunder of their bolters was like a divine response to the prayers of the loyal recruits. The battle took a radical turn, and hope was reborn in the hearts of the defenders of the Empire.

"For the Emperor!" the sister superior shouted, a beautiful woman with snow-white hair and a scar above her cheek, as her unit advanced in formation, firing with lethal precision. The cultists, caught off guard by the sudden arrival of these sacred warriors, hesitated for a moment, allowing the loyalists to regroup.

Bayron felt fury take hold of him. 'We can't let this continue'.

"Kill those religious fanatics!", one of the heretics shouted, and with that cry, they all aimed their guns at the Sisters of Battle. The battle intensified, and the Sororitas charged towards the enemy without showing fear or hesitation. The veterans and the young recruits advanced together, their guns at the ready. The heretics opened fire, but the Sisters of Battle didn't stop. With bursts of gunfire, they swept away the enemy, blowing the heretics to pieces. One of the Sororitas, with her explosive backpack, threw herself at the enemy and fell on top of them, cutting the heretics in half with her sword. Other Sisters of Battle fired from the sky, their bolters raining bullets down on the enemy, causing a bloodbath in the heretic ranks.

The battle intensified. The Sororitas, unrelenting in their faith, confronted the cultists with a ferocity that shook the ground. Their shots were like flashes of lightning in the darkness, and each bolter strike seemed to drain the vitality from the heretics."

"Hold the line!" one of the Sisters ordered, as she moved among the loyal recruits, urging them to fight. "The Emperor is with us!"

The morale of the loyalists was rekindled, and they began to fight with renewed determination. The cultists, who had previously seemed invincible, now faced the true power of the Empire. Bayron, frustrated, watched as the enemy now regained their strength.

"We can't retreat! This place is ours!" he shouted, trying to maintain his group's strategy. But with every move, he realized that the Sisters of Battle were not just warriors; they were symbols of faith and resistance that ignited the spirit of those around them.

The younger recruits on his side were intimidated by the imposing figures, and several of the children, who were young and still uncertain, tried to run, only to be cut in half or burned with the sacred flamers by those madwomen.

The battle erupted into a whirlwind of gunfire and screams, and as the cultists began to be pushed back, Bayron knew that time was running out. He had to find a way out of there. Although he didn't like it, he was forced to order a retreat.

Just then, without anyone expecting it, amidst the chaos of the battle, a loud sound echoed throughout the building. It was an alarm, signaling danger in every corner of the Schola Progenium. Some of the loyalists and Sisters of Battle wondered why it had taken so long to sound the alarm, but it was welcome nonetheless, and now everyone in the place was preparing.

The battle had now intensified, the loyal recruits receiving great support from the Sisters of Battle, as the alarm sounded throughout the Schola.

XXX

As the battle raged inside the Schola Progenium, a new challenge emerged outside the complex. A heterogeneous army of men, women, and children, all armed and determined, advanced in orderly rows towards the main entrance. They had taken their time to arrive, but now they were there, ready to claim the place. However, their advance came to an abrupt halt when they encountered a wall of laser blasts that blocked their path. The main entrance, which they had expected to find unguarded, was now defended by a lethal barrier of fire that prevented them from entering.

At the entrance of the Schola Progenium, a group of older recruits and some Sisters of Battle quickly formed up in response to the alarm. When they saw the large army of heretics approaching, they knew they had to act quickly. Despite the lack of preparation, they formed an improvised defensive wall, ready to face the attack.

But the heretics seemed unconcerned by the lack of laser guns or protection. Their armament was simple, as they had no laser guns or decent protection, but their determination was fierce. With a madness that seemed to consume them, they charged towards the entrance in their hundreds, without fear of death. The soldiers defending the entrance were quickly overwhelmed and forced to retreat, leaving the way clear for the heretics.

The scene was chaotic and bloody. The heretics advanced relentlessly, despite the bullets raining down on them. The soldiers and Sisters of Battle fought valiantly, but it seemed they couldn't contain the tide of heretics that was sweeping over them. The situation was desperate, and it seemed that the Schola Progenium was on the verge of falling into the hands of the heretics.

"Shit, there are too many! We have to retreat!", one of the recruits shouted, panic reflected in his voice. But he didn't realize that one of the heretics, a woman with a frenzied gaze, had gotten close enough to aim her gun at him. Just as she was about to fire, a fellow recruit knocked her down at the last second, saving his friend's life. Then, he turned to him and spoke with urgency...

"Keep your eyes forward when I give an order," he said. The young man was athletic, with bronzed skin and black hair with brown eyes. His name was Pargu, a senior recruit with some experience, and close to graduating. He fired his laser rifle as he retreated.

Now, with the alarm sounded, the entire Schola was preparing for combat, and with the Sisters of Battle helping to expel the heretics and traitors, it seemed they had a guaranteed victory. But with the thousands of heretics who had arrived, things became complicated.

With no other option, the defenders of the Schola were forced to cede ground to the enemy. The battle spread throughout almost the entire institution, with some isolated areas that had not yet been reached by the violence. But even in those areas, treason and death lurked. Some recruits who had succumbed to Chaos, but had not yet revealed themselves, had already begun to appear, killing or eliminating the loyalists who stood in their way. In one of the halls, a group of heretics had waged a fierce battle against a group of loyalists of the Empire. Their savagery and fanaticism drove them forward, regardless of numerical superiority or tactical disadvantage. Their only goal was to sow destruction and chaos, and they would not stop until they achieved it.

And when it seemed like they were going to lose, reinforcements arrived.

"There are more hidden!", one of the heretics shouted, but his warning was cut short when a laser bullet blew his head off. The young loyal recruits were stunned to see who had fired the shot. It was one of their instructors, a grown man who had been a role model for them. But now, his appearance was very different. He looked gaunt, as if he had gone through a terrible ordeal, and was missing his right arm. Despite his condition, he had managed to shoot with precision and eliminate the heretic. And he was not alone. He was accompanied by other young recruits, all of them armed and ready to defend themselves.

After eliminating the last of the heretics, the instructor turned to the recruits and gave them a firm order: 'Soldiers, we must regroup. Follow me, we're going to meet up with the rest of the loyal forces. We need to keep those fanatics at bay and regain control of the Schola.' His voice was authoritative and confident, and the recruits felt inspired to follow him. Despite his physical condition, the instructor seemed to have an energy and determination that motivated them to move forward.

Despite the pain and fatigue that consumed him, Otto remained firm in his determination. The past and present tortures could not break his spirit, because he was a man of duty and honor. And he would protect this sacred Schola from any enemy. Then he and the rest set out, among the recruits who accompanied him were Harold and Ansel.

Just before the battle erupted, Harold and Ansel were dragged to a dark and gloomy room, where they found Otto tied up and gagged. The two recruits were shocked to see their instructor, but Ansel was the one who was most shocked to recognize him. He looked exactly as Lincoln had described, and his condition was even more desperate than they had imagined. There, they were tied up with their hands behind their backs alongside Otto, the three of them standing in a circle facing each other. After a brief moment of confusion, they realized they were alone with two of their captors, two young recruits who didn't seem to be enjoying their situation, perhaps because they wanted to be present in the battle with the others, or because they feared being caught. One of them was from the Commissar class.

There, while the three were tied up, one of the recruits who were guarding them withdrew, not before saying something to his companion, leaving the one who was a member of the Commissar class.

Ansel decided to provoke the one who stayed, calling his attention to the fact that his companion had left him, treating him like trash. This recruit couldn't bear Ansel's insults and approached him to confront him.

Taking advantage of the momentary distraction, Otto, who had been watching closely, saw that the traitorous recruit had his back to him. Ansel noticed this and, with great force, kicked him backwards. Right then, Otto grabbed him with his legs, holding him firmly, and did something that left the two recruits stunned for a moment. Otto gave a huge bite to the neck of his young captor, making him scream or try to, as his blood poured out in abundance and he writhed in agony.

Trying to ignore this, Harold took advantage of the opportunity to walk over to Ansel, chair and all, and asked him to turn around so he could start untying him. The two of them untied themselves with all haste, and just then the other young heretic returned. Quickly, Ansel grabbed the weapon of the recruit who had been killed by Otto, and fired without hesitation, killing him. For a moment, Ansel stood still, taken aback by his action, because it was the first time he had killed a human, even if he was a traitor.

With that, Harold untied Otto, who stood up with some pain, but after that, they got out of there.

After managing to escape, the three of them set out, eliminating any heretics they encountered. Finally, they arrived with the other loyalists, where Ansel and Harold were reunited with Hannah, Franz, and Kron. They told them how they had gone to the Sisters of Battle, and were almost punished with blows for interrupting their classes. Something similar happened with Rubén, Darek, and Marlowe when they warned the priests, but even so, they were warned about the threat. They insisted, but with little success, until their friend Ana appeared. She spoke up for them and assured them that they wouldn't lie without reason. After that, a few of the Sisters saw what was happening and confirmed the facts. And so, they prepared for battle and to expel this enemy.

They regrouped and launched a counterattack, with Otto leading them and showing ferocity and bravery in battle, which brings us to where we are now.

XXX

Lincoln was still in the office of the headmaster in charge of the Schola Progenium, listening as they continued to try to open the door, although he no longer felt as scared. They couldn't knock down the door, and at one point they even started shooting at it, but surprisingly they were unsuccessful. It seemed that the door was made of an extremely resistant material.

And as for the button he pressed, it was an alarm, as he verified when he heard it blaring throughout the room. He had feared that he had pressed a self-destruct button, but fortunately that wasn't the case.

Maybe things aren't so bad after all, now he just had to wait and...

[Creaking] and that's when he started to hear that sound, the door opening. Not with an explosion or anything, it sounded like it would normally. Without time to think, Lincoln panicked. And quickly, he looked for a place to hide. It was just then that he heard a voice.

"You're really a headache, come out now, we know you're here." He recognized the voice instantly, it was none other than Lufor Keir himself. Although he didn't shout with force, Lincoln could notice the anger in his tone.

Keir laughed with disdain, his voice loaded with irritation. "I know it's you, Lincoln. The intruder who managed to infiltrate this room and trigger the general alarm. Believe me, you're only making things worse by hiding. There's no escape, Lincoln. There's no place you can hide. Please, don't prolong this unnecessarily. Come out and face the consequences of your actions."

Lincoln flattened himself against the stack of papers, holding his breath to avoid making any noise that could give away his position. His heart was racing, but he strained to remain calm and think clearly. His plan was simple: wait for Lufor and his men to approach and pass by close enough, and then make a desperate dash for the exit. It was a risky plan, but Lincoln had no other option. He remained motionless, listening intently to the footsteps of Lufor and his men, and waiting for the perfect moment to make his move.

At first, it seemed like his plan had worked. No one appeared to have noticed him, and Lincoln began to move stealthily, trying not to make any noise. But his attempt to escape was short-lived. Suddenly, a shrill cry echoed through the room: "There he is!" One of the heretics had spotted Lincoln and was now pointing at him, alerting the others. Lincoln froze, his heart sinking in his chest. He had been discovered.

Without hesitation, Lincoln sprinted towards the door with desperate speed. It seemed like he was going to reach it, like he was going to escape from his captors. But Lufor was not a careless leader. He had anticipated this possibility, and he wasn't going to make another mistake. He had left one of his strongest men guarding the entrance. The man, a giant nearly a meter tall, blocked Lincoln's path and sent him crashing to the floor with a brutal kick. Lincoln tried to get up, but the heretics pounced on him, grabbing his arms and preventing him from moving. He struggled, but he was too weak to break free from their grip.

"I told you not to resist," Lufor said in a low, menacing voice, as he approached Lincoln with a gaze that chilled his blood. Lincoln felt a shiver run down his spine as he saw Lufor's gaze, a gaze that seemed to have become even wilder and more ruthless than the last time, when he saw his true intentions.

Lufor's kick to Lincoln's stomach was brutal. The air escaped from his lungs, and he would have collapsed to the floor if the heretics hadn't been holding him firmly by the arms. "You really caused us a problem, Loud," Lufor said in a voice full of anger and contempt. "You alerted the Schola and assembled a small army, but we can still salvage this situation. If we act quickly, we can move forward with our plan."

After finishing speaking, Lufor delivered a strong blow to Lincoln's face, drawing blood from his nose and mouth. Lincoln felt dizzy and stunned, but Lufor didn't seem to have any intention of stopping. His gaze was ferocious and ruthless, and Lincoln realized that he was in grave danger.

Lufor laughed with disdain, his gaze loaded with anger and disappointment. "And I gave you the opportunity to join us," he said, his voice full of sarcasm. "Although I must admit that you surprised me, Lincoln. I thought you would join our cause, that you would let yourself be seduced by the promise of power and control. But no, you decided to follow your own path, and I was surprised by your persistence, your ability to escape time and time again."

Lufor gazed at the two heretics who were supposed to have been guarding the entrance to the office, his gaze loaded with anger and contempt. "You even managed to get in here without my men seeing you," he continued, his voice full of disdain. "I don't know if it's because you're talented, or because my men are... foolish." The two heretics exchanged nervous glances, feeling the weight of Lufor's anger upon them.

Lincoln gasped, trying to recover the air he had lost after Lufor's kick. He was scared and nervous, but he knew he had to think fast if he wanted to survive. With a weak voice, but with a hint of determination, he said: "Well... I've already sounded the alarm. It's only a matter of time before all your plans fall apart. You can leave now before you get caught..."

Lincoln stopped, waiting for Lufor to react. But instead, Lufor laughed, a cold and ruthless laugh. And without warning, he erupted into hysterical laughter, a laughter that seemed to come from the depths of his soul. The other heretics joined in, laughing with a ferocity that made the scene seem surreal.

Lufor approached Lincoln, his laughter still echoing in the air, and grabbed his hair with brutal force. Lincoln let out a cry of pain as Lufor shook him violently. "Do you really not understand the situation?" Lufor screamed, his voice full of anger and contempt. "And who do you think you're talking to?"

Lufor gave a signal to the men holding Lincoln, and they released him without hesitation. Lincoln collapsed to the floor, trying to catch the breath he had lost. But before he could get up, Lufor delivered a brutal kick that sent him crashing back to the floor. Lincoln tried to get up again, but Lufor's foot came down on him, pinning him to the ground.

Lufor laughed with disdain, his gaze loaded with anger and contempt. "You're a real case, Loud," he said, his voice full of mockery. "The voices told me you would be easy to corrupt, but clearly that wasn't the case. Even your friend Guido was easier to corrupt. Do you know he's outside this room, along with other recruits? Do you want to talk to him now?"

Lincoln didn't respond, while they continued with their business, the heretics searched the large room for anything of value, some taking some of the decorative weapons. Lufor snapped his fingers and they all stopped what they were doing to look at him. He made a gesture for them to withdraw, leaving only him and Lincoln alone.

Lufor looked at him with a sinister smile, enjoying the situation. "So, we're finally alone, Lincoln." When Lincoln lifted his head to look at him, he saw a smile that terrified him even more than the previous one. When Lincoln thought that Lufor couldn't put on an even more sinister smile, he saw that he was wrong. Now, Lufor's smile was that of a true madman, undoubtedly leaving any horror movie killer from Lincoln's time in the shadows.

Lincoln wanted to get out of there, but he couldn't. He could only look at that monster, feeling his heart beat strongly.

At that moment, Lufor lifted him up and threw him forcefully onto a bookshelf while he just laughed sadistically. "You know something, you must be worth it because I'm having fun, I could understand why they wanted to corrupt you, you're a special case, but I'm not going to give you another chance. No, maybe you're worth something to them, but they never said in what specific sense, so I thought a sacrifice could be useful. I should kill you quickly and go to safety, but I want to do this in the slowest way possible."

Lincoln only felt the pain from the impact, and he began to get up as quickly as he could while watching Lufor approach. There, he also noticed something he hadn't seen before - the crazed heretic had something at his waist that he drew out at that moment. Lincoln had seen that weapon before, it was a chainsaw sword.

"Let's make this fun, shall we?" Now, without a doubt, Lincoln felt like he was in a real horror movie. No, he was in something worse.

Right there, Lufor lunges at Lincoln, but by pure luck and reflex, he manages to evade the cut of the weapon. Lufor tries to pin the sword to the floor, but Lincoln hastily rolls away, barely avoiding the sword.

There, Lincoln starts throwing at him whatever he finds on the floor, notebooks and books that were scattered on the ground. Lufor only managed to catch what Lincoln threw at him, a book hit him in the face, but that didn't erase his sadistic smile, and he continued attacking Lincoln.

He barely managed to evade the attacks while trying to flee, but he only ended up running around the room with Lufor behind him, laughing.

Lincoln tried to back away, but without realizing it, he found himself up against the large desk behind him. Lufor lunged at him, his chainsaw sword gleaming in the dim light of the room. Lincoln tried to dodge the attack, but Lufor was too fast. The chainsaw sword bit into the desk, just inches from Lincoln's side, and the motor roared as it tried to break free.

Lincoln took advantage of the opportunity to try to escape, but Lufor was too strong. He delivered a brutal blow that threw him onto the desk, and Lincoln tried to get out of there, but Lufor held him down with one hand while hitting him with the other. The chainsaw sword was still stuck in the desk, useless, but Lufor didn't need it to overpower Lincoln. He had him completely at his mercy.

Lufor chuckled to himself, his gaze fixed on Lincoln with a cruelty that made Lincoln's heart freeze. "Well, a few blows before death," he said, his voice full of sadism. "Do you know why we came here, to that idiot's office? It was to make sure no one could ask for help, and you beat us to it, although it was also to look for some things... But that can wait."

Lufor shifted his gaze from Lincoln and looked back, his eyes scanning the room. He felt Lincoln trying to break free, moving barely, but unable to do much. "There's something here that can serve us," he said, his voice full of interest. "I know that idiot Okenred had some papers that will help us when we want to take over other influential parts of the planet." Lufor laughed again, his gaze returning to Lincoln with the same crazed smile. "But first, I'm going to give you a little show, Lincoln. A show you'll never forget..."

But before he could continue, Lincoln interrupted him with a trembling voice. "Wait... Please, before you go on, can you answer some questions for me?" the little boy begged, his body shaking with fear in Lufor's hands.

Lincoln's face reflected the horror he felt, and Lufor laughed inwardly at the fear in the boy's eyes. "Does it really matter at this point?" he asked Lincoln.

"Please, at least tell me, why are you doing this?"

For some reason, he decided there was no harm in answering Lincoln's questions. After all, it wasn't as if the child could do anything to stop him. "What do you want to know, little one?" Lufor asked, his voice full of curiosity and sadism.

"What is it that you want, Lufor? Why are you doing this?"

"Ah! The right question," Lufor replied, still gazing at the small child. "You see, recruits are just tools in a much larger game. They're nothing more than pieces on a board, willing to be sacrificed to achieve a greater end. Their death means nothing to me. What matters is the power we can gain by destabilizing this schola."

Lincoln looked at Lufor with a mix of confusion and disillusionment. "So... what about all the recruits you convinced to follow you?" he asked, his voice full of incredulity. "You said you'd show them the truth, and that you'd change the system to improve our lives. Was all that a lie?"

Lincoln's gaze locked onto Lufor's, searching for answers. The room fell silent, only interrupted by Lincoln's ragged breathing and Lufor's silent laughter. Then he replied.

"Of course, I'll show them the truth," he said, his voice full of irony. "But let me tell you, the truth comes at a cost, and to improve the lives of these poor fools... you have to make sacrifices."

Lincoln looked at Lufor with a mix of indignation and horror. "So, you mean they'll make the sacrifices and you won't?"

Lufor laughed again, his laughter sounding more like mockery than a expression of joy. "Ah, but I am the one guiding them towards the truth," he said, his voice full of conviction and authority. "I am the one saving them from ignorance and oppression. And to do that, I have to make difficult decisions."

Lincoln looked at Lufor with an accusatory gaze. "You... you didn't care about the recruits..." he said, his voice full of bitterness. "You just wanted to use us, didn't you? You only used us for your own purposes."

"Well, I won't deny there's some truth to that," he said, his voice full of indifference. "I don't care much about any of you, and I don't care if you die now. You've ruined our plans, and we'll have to make drastic changes to recover. But don't worry, Lincoln. I'll have others who will help me achieve my goal. Those fools who follow my orders without questioning anything, they'll help me get what I want."

"And you think you'll get away with it? What about the Emperor? What about the ideals that..."

"The Emperor is just a symbol, Lincoln. A symbol that the weak and the naive use to justify their own existence. But at the end of the day, power is all that matters. I'll have power. And if I have to stab my own people in the back, I won't care. And soon, this schola will be nothing but a memory." He replied, interrupting Lincoln.

Lufor stepped closer to Lincoln, his gaze icy and ruthless. "I'll have power," he said, his voice menacing. "And if I have to stab my own people in the back, I won't care. I don't care about anything or anyone, except my own goal. And soon, this schola will be nothing but a memory, a memory of a weak and decadent past that will be replaced by a new order, an order in which I will be the one in command. And the Gods will see it!"

"Your plan is madness, Lufor. I won't allow it," Lincoln whispered.

Lufor stepped closer to him, his face now just a few centimeters from Lincoln's. "And what are you going to do about it?" Lufor asked with sarcasm. Lufor had already unloaded his anger, and now he just wanted to see the desperation on Lincoln's face. But instead, he didn't see that desperation; in fact, Lincoln was smiling. Or at least, he tried to, given the pain he was in. This made Lufor wonder if he had hit the boy so hard that he was now delirious.

Then, Lufor followed Lincoln's gaze and focused on his left hand, which was near a device on the table. Suddenly, he realized it was the microphone. It was pointed towards him, and Lufor looked at Lincoln and then at the microphone, and suddenly, everything clicked into place. He understood what Lincoln had been planning, and a feeling of rage took hold of him.

"You're really a pain, you know?" he said, and then punched Lincoln in the stomach. He continued, "But you know, it doesn't matter. What matters is that even if the whole Schola heard that, it changes nothing. It's too late to turn back now, and they know it." Then he grabbed the microphone and said, "You heard it, kid. We're in this together."

Lufor laughed, his voice resonating through the room. "You heard it, kid. We're in this together," he repeated, and then continued, "And soon, everyone will know that I'm the one in charge here." Lufor's voice rose, full of triumph and ambition.

After saying that, he threw the microphone and turned back to Lincoln, who was still lying down and restrained on the table by him. "You know, it's already quite late. It's time for your blood to flow as a sacrifice".

With that said, Lufor took the chainsaw sword that was still embedded, and with a great pull, he yanked it out of the desk.

"But wait!" Lincoln pleaded, his voice full of desperation and curiosity. "You didn't tell me who or what your leaders are. Who are the ones helping you?"

Lufor laughed again, his smile wide and sinister. "Ah, about that. It's not like I'm going to tell you everything. Just let me tell you this" he leaned in to whisper, "My masters are those who see your dreams".

Lincoln just looked at Lufor, not understanding what he was referring to.

"Well, let's begin" Lufor said, raising the chainsaw sword, ready to cut Lincoln. He tried in vain to get the sadistic madman off him, but Lufor had strength. He could only watch as he raised his arm. And then...

"Aaargh!" Lufor screamed in pain, behind him, without him or Lincoln noticing, someone had approached with a dagger.

Lincoln barely managed to lift his head, and when he did, he saw someone with blond hair, and was surprised to see him. It was Guido.

"Arhg... Damn you, now you want to play the hero of the empire?" Lufor says with pain and anger, due to this betrayal. They had stabbed the knife into his back, specifically in the waist. He knocks the child down with a fist, turns his back on Lincoln preparing to kill Guido with the sword, and then Lincoln takes advantage of the moment to attack, seeing the dagger still buried, he reacts with a kick, burying it even further and making Lufor let out another scream, and stumble. Guido starts to get up, and Lincoln also gets off the table, believing this is the best opportunity.

Now both of them are standing, Lincoln looks at Guido for a moment, then looks at Lufor, only to see the sadistic heretic jump towards him with speed, even with a dagger lodged in his back. He is pushed by Guido, almost being cut in half.

Lufor changed targets in an instant, swinging the sword towards Guido with deadly speed and precision. Guido barely managed to dodge the blow, but the sword cut him in the stomach, cutting through the fabric of his clothing and leaving a wound that was far from superficial, which began to bleed profusely.

Guido barely managed to react when Lufor attacked him again with another deadly blow. The chainsaw sword now cut a large part of his body, leaving Guido on the ground, weakly convulsing as his life slipped away.

Lincoln was frozen in shock, barely able to react to seeing his friend die.

"Ha ha ha... Idiot, he thought he could beat me" Lufor spat out, exhausted and with a sadistic laugh, then tried to attack Lincoln, who barely stepped back, feeling the droplets of Guido's blood splashing onto his face.

"You'll die now!", Lufor shouted, his voice full of fury and determination. "I can't fail... I must not fail!", he repeated, wielding the chainsaw sword with deadly precision.

In a moment of desperation, Lincoln saw his chance and reacted with an improvised attack, just before Lufor could deliver another deadly blow and was only a few steps away from him. With a rage and desperation that drove him, Lincoln kicked Lufor with force in the groin, twice in a row, which caused Lufor to loosen his grip on the sword and double over in pain.

In that moment of distraction, Lincoln took advantage of the opportunity as Lufor bent his head in pain, to launch another improvised attack. With a quick and precise movement, Lincoln jabbed his fingers into Lufor's eyes, making him scream in pain and rage.

Lufor, with brutal force, pulled Lincoln's hands away from his eyes and delivered a powerful headbutt that left him dazed. Then, he dropped down on top of the child, crushing him with his weight.

Without giving Lincoln time to react, Lufor began to pummel him with fury, his face contorted with rage. But realizing he no longer had his chainsaw sword, which had fallen during the struggle, Lufor hastened to find another weapon.

Then, with the dagger that Guido had lodged in his body, and with a grunt of pain and effort, he yanked it out. Now, with the dagger in his right hand, Lufor grabbed Lincoln by the neck with his left hand, his fury and rage undisguised.

"Now I'll kill you for sure", Lufor spat, his voice full of venom. "It's you or me. And believe me, I don't want to fail them, because the punishment would be great". Lufor laughed with a cruel smile before continuing. "Before I kill you, I have to leave the mark so you know who you belong to".

With a sudden movement, Lufor ripped open Lincoln's shirt and began to bury the dagger in his chest, right where his heart is. Lincoln felt a sharp and piercing pain from the cut, and tried to shake Lufor off, but was unsuccessful.

Lufor made a diagonal cut, and then another, forming a cruel "X" on Lincoln's chest. "Now a vertical line..." was the last thing he managed to say as he made the cut, but he was interrupted by a strong blow to the throat. It turned out that Lincoln, in his desperation from the pain, and facing death, tried to grab something nearby and felt something hard. It was one of the decorations that was on the desk, which fell when he was thrown. It was a metal piece, with a sharp part, and with all his might, Lincoln struck Lufor right in the jugular, the blow was mortal. In a second, the heretic's body fell on top of Lincoln, this time lifeless. It was fortunate that the dagger did not remain lodged in Lincoln due to the weight of the body, as Lufor's hand deflected it after losing control of his body and dying.

It had all happened so fast for Lincoln, first he was captured, then tortured, then the battle with Lufor, Guido's death, and it ended with him finally killing that madman, and now he found himself under his body, struggling to breathe. All that without mentioning the pain he felt. Regaining some strength, Lincoln began to push the body to get out from under it, but it was a difficult task. After he managed to get out, the poor boy just lay there on the floor, catching his breath, and staring at the ceiling.

As he slowly stood up, he saw the body face down of the monster that had deceived him, and the other recruits. He felt a deep anger for everything he had put him through.

And then he looked at Guido's body with blood coming out of the cut and his mouth. There, Lincoln approached to see his friend, with a blind hope that maybe he was still alive.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the case. When he felt the lack of breathing and saw the empty look on his face, Lincoln just stood there, looking at him with pain and sadness. He had lost another friend here, he had betrayed him, but in the last minute, he helped him. And it ended up costing him his life.

With all that, Lincoln had forgotten about the battle that was taking place there, but the question now was: What should he do?

The monster that was leading this attempted heist was already dead, and he had managed to trick him into revealing his plan to the entire Schola. He was lucky to have checked out that device out of curiosity and tested it before the cultists entered the office, so he knew how it worked, more or less. But would it really work? He remembered what Lufor said over the microphone, and although it made him angry, he didn't pay attention to it.

Then, something crossed his mind. He had already had quite a few wild ideas since arriving there, and now he was willing to try another one. It was unlikely to work, but it didn't matter. He would do it anyway.

He began to walk towards the desk, holding the microphone in his trembling hands. Around him, the chaos of the battle still echoed in the corridors, but at that moment, what he had to do was the most important thing. He had to inspire his fellow recruits and demoralize those who had fallen to the side of Chaos.

His thoughts swirled in his mind, and adrenaline still coursed through his veins. He had defeated Lufor, but the feeling of triumph was overshadowed by the pressure he felt in his chest. He knew that the lives of many depended on what he said next.

He took a deep breath and approached the microphone, his voice shaking at first. "Recruits... comrades...", he began, feeling his nerves rising and wondering if anyone would even pay attention to him with everything that was happening, and that would be understandable. "We are in the midst of a battle for our souls, for our humanity. Each of us has been put to the test, and there are those who have chosen the path of Chaos. But we... we are stronger than that... The leader of this rebellion, Lufor Keir, is dead."

At first, his words were hesitant, but as he continued, passion began to rise in his voice. "Remember why we're here. Remember what we've sworn to defend. Humanity, the Emperor's light, everything we've learned in this Schola. Each of us has a place in this universe, and we can't let the madness of Chaos take that away from us."

He took a few seconds to breathe and continued. "Those who joined Chaos are not our enemies by choice, but by deception. Lufor and his followers tried to destroy what we are, but we have resisted. Those who are still undecided, listen: Chaos is not liberation, it's slavery. It's a trap that promises power, but leads to destruction. You heard it from him, from Lufor, and if you're afraid, don't be afraid to follow a sadist who only wanted to use you. Don't fall for that lie!"

Feeling as if the energy of his words was beginning to resonate with his comrades, Lincoln felt more confident. "We've all faced challenges, yes, but together we are stronger. Remember those we've lost, those who have fallen in this struggle. Let's not let their sacrifice be in vain, let's not allow our loved ones to suffer the consequences of our actions. Let's fight for them! Let's fight for our Schola! For the Emperor!"

As his speech continued, Lincoln felt a change in the atmosphere, and continued. "We are not just soldiers, we are guardians of hope. We must stand up and fight, not just for ourselves, but for all those who are still lost in the darkness. Victory is within our reach if we stand together!"

As he finished his speech, without him knowing it, a unified cry echoed throughout the Schola Pogenium, where hundreds of recruits, soldiers, and battle sisters were gathered. "For the Emperor!" was the chant that rose from the lips of the loyal recruits, and the energy in the room transformed into a whirlwind of determination. Lincoln felt a surge of pride and strength as his heart pounded with force.

He really did it. He gave a speech in front of the entire huge school, which probably wouldn't pay attention, he thought, due to the battle. But he did it anyway, even quoting and mentioning part of a sermon he had heard a while back. And that was despite him not usually paying much attention to those prayer sessions and whatnot.

Suddenly, Lincoln, tired and hurting, looked behind him and there, located behind the desk where he was standing, he saw a large painting that he hadn't noticed before, because he was more focused on trying to survive the madman who was trying to tear him apart. It was an image of the Emperor of Humanity, in all his splendor, in the midst of what seemed to be a battlefield, with his sword held high. The Emperor's great face had a serious and severe expression, and seemed to be looking straight at him.

For some reason, Lincoln felt nervous when he saw that gaze, but already tired and hurting, he didn't give it much thought. It must have been more due to the paranoia of his recent situation, he decided to leave. He had to help his comrades against the heretic threat.

XXX

The battle continued, in one part a group of young warriors continued fighting against the heretic forces, among them were Ansel, Hannah, Franz, Darek, Marlowe, Rubén, Harold, and Kron, along with some officers and instructors like Otto, holding off the enemies. A while ago, they had heard the voice of the heretic Lufor Keir on the loudspeaker, in a conversation when they heard the young man's voice, their closest ones recognized it. Everyone heard how he had plans for expansion and how he was only using the recruits as cogs in his plan.

When that audio was heard in a large part of the academy, the recruits, especially the younger ones who had followed Lufor and his cult, had felt some nerves about the things he asked of them, but still followed orders. And then, when they heard the words of the man on the loudspeaker that encouraged them to change for something better in their lives, they felt doubts and fear.

In a room far from the conflict unfolding in the Schola Progenium, Director Okenred Pock was tied to a chair, his face marked by tension, pain, and exhaustion. Around him, a group of traitorous recruits had been listening to Lincoln's speech through a loudspeaker, his words resonating in their minds and sowing doubt in their hearts.

The faces of some of the recruits began to change, confusion and regret replacing the madness that had led them to join Chaos. One of them, a young recruit with eyes full of uncertainty, murmured. "Why are we following these lunatics?"

However, not everyone shared that feeling. Among them, a group of more veteran heretics, loyal to the cause of Chaos, remained firm, looking with disdain at the recruits who doubted. "Don't be fooled by the words of a child", said one of the heretics, a man with scars on his face and an intense gaze. "Chaos is power. There is no room for weakness."

But the truth is that the spark of resistance had been ignited in the minds of some. A pair of recruits, driven by the sudden clarity offered by Lincoln's speech, began to exchange determined glances. "We can't keep going like this", one of them whispered to his companion, "We have to free the director and put an end to this."

The tension in the room increased as the undecided recruits joined their comrades' cause. "What are we going to do?" another asked, his voice trembling between fear and determination.

"We're going to free him" whispered the most determined recruit, nodding towards Okenred. "If we help him, we can organize the resistance. He will guide us, and not only that, remember that he is the main person in charge, maybe with that they will forgive us".

Some of the traitorous recruits began to move towards Okenred, but the heretics quickly moved to block their path. "Don't you dare touch him!", the scarred one shouted, raising his weapon. "The director is our prisoner. I won't let you touch him!"

The atmosphere became charged with tension, but the recruits who were wavering began to feel the weight of the decision they had to make. "We're not traitors! No more!", one of them shouted, and with that, he raised his weapon and fired at the heretics, attacking with a mix of desperation and determination.

The confrontation erupted, and the recruits began to fight against the heretics. Although some of the latter were more experienced and brutally loyal to Chaos, a slaughter ensued in which several children who had wanted to fight for the Empire died at the hands of the heretics. However, the gunfire stopped when the recruits emerged victorious, although the fear and nerves that still lingered were palpable. They had won, but barely.

Finally, one of the recruits who managed to get rid of the heretics quickly approached Okenred. "I'm going to free you, sir!", he said as he began to work on the ropes that held him prisoner.

"Hurry! We don't have much time!" urged another of the few survivors, as the sound of battle continued to resonate outside.

With one final tug, the ropes came undone, and Okenred stood up with some effort, feeling energy barely flowing through him again. "Now, let's put an end to this once and for all! We'll fight for our Schola!" urged another of the recruits there.

But Okenred just stood there, looking at them, saying nothing. There was a brief moment of silence, and then the head of the Schola, with a cold voice and a hint of anger, said: "You... will answer for this".

When he said that, the recruits present stared at him with a certain fear. But then he added...

"But... for now, we'll focus on retaking the Schola from this twisted enemy". After saying that, he bent down to take one of the weapons from one of the dead heretics. There, he ordered the young recruits to follow him.

The recruits, initially nervous, now united by their desire for redemption and struggle, prepared to face whatever was necessary. The liberation of Director Okenred was just the first step on their path to restoring the Schola Progenium and defeating Chaos.

XXX

The great battle had now spread across much of the Schola, and although the heretic forces were already overwhelming, the loyalists continued to fight with ferocity.

In a corridor, a group of soldiers and recruits set up some bombs in an improvised tactic, killing several heretics who passed through there.

In other areas, the Battle Sisters fought with devotion and brutality against the invaders, and the loyalists also managed to create barriers in certain parts of the Schola. Additionally, something else was that, while not all, several of the recruits who were influenced by Lufor and Bayron, defected from Chaos, some threw away their weapons, others turned against the cultists, and also freed their prisoners, as they did with Okenred.

And another thing that happened is that, in the midst of the battle, a group of heretics infiltrated through some corridors, reaching an unprotected and isolated area of the Schola. There, they entered a series of rooms, killing some recruits and instructors who were around. Then, they penetrated deeper in search of an armory or any other resource that could help them.

What they didn't know was that one of those specific rooms was used to train a certain individual with a special ability.

But it was too late.

The cultists entered cautiously, their eyes scanning the dark room. However, what they found was not what they expected. In the center of the room, illuminated by a faint beam of light filtering through a slit, stood a man, his silhouette not very large, possibly a teenager. His presence was palpable, like a shadow looming over the place. Because someone who carries the Pariah gene tends to have that effect.

The heretics, in their ignorance, did not comprehend the imminent danger. As they approached, they felt a wave of discomfort and unease. The man with the Pariah gene was a human being who emanated an aura of rejection, an energy that seemed to absorb the very vitality of those who drew near.

"What... what is that?" one of the cultists murmured, his voice trembling. The tension in the air became thick, as if they were being crushed by an invisible force.

"No... it can't be!" another one shouted, instinctively backing away. But it was already too late. The influence of the Pariah gene spread like a miasma, enveloping the heretics in an indescribable terror.

One by one, they began to attack each other, their minds filled with panic and confusion. Madness took hold of them, and the room became a chaos of screams and desperation as they killed each other, unable to bear the presence of the man who radiated such a deep repulsion.

In the end, silence took over the space. The bodies of the cultists lay scattered on the floor, and the man with the Pariah gene stood still, unmoved and serene amidst the carnage. His gaze, cold and distant, scanned the room as if he didn't care at all about what had just happened.

XXX

For Lincoln, it was a bit complicated to walk through the corridors, not only because of the pain from his wounds, but also because of the heretics and the exchange of gunfire.

Something strange was that, when he came out, there was no one. Outside, he remembered that Lufor was accompanied when he entered the office. What had happened to his escort? Maybe Guido had taken care of it. But what about everyone? Maybe he had distracted them before coming to help him. That no longer mattered. Lincoln tried to put it aside.

At that moment, one of the traitorous kids, who had not been affected by Lincoln's speech, lunged at him with a knife. But he was brought down by a blow to the head with a rifle, courtesy of one of Lincoln's companions.

"Oh... Thanks Cynthia, I didn't recogni..."

"Get down!" She shouted, pulling him to the ground, as bullets whizzed by. Almost grazing them.

Lincoln looked up and realized he was cornered, his breathing ragged as a group of armed heretics approached him, their eyes filled with madness and a thirst for blood. Fear returned to him.

But then, a thunderous boom echoed through the air, and suddenly, an imposing figure appeared. A Battle Sister, her wings propelled by advanced technology, dove down towards the heretics. With deadly precision, she pulled out a flamethrower and, with a determined swing, activated it. The blazing flames erupted with fury, enveloping the cultists in a shroud of fire.

Screams of pain filled the room as the heretics writhed in agony. Lincoln watched in horror, the scene was brutal and terrifying. The Battle Sister moved with grace and ferocity, a true angel of death in the midst of chaos.

Cynthia stood up, rifle in hand, and with her other hand lifted Lincoln, pulling him out of his daze from the brutal death he had witnessed. "Let's get out of here", she said. He didn't hesitate and, in a hurry, they left the area.

They moved away from the battlefield. There, far from danger, she congratulated him on his speech and told him that it had been heard throughout the Schola. He also took the opportunity to ask about the battle itself: "How's it going?", "Are they winning or losing?". Then, they arrived at an area where the loyalists were organizing and defending. There, Lincoln met up with his friends and was relieved to see that they were all alive. They also congratulated him and then asked if it was true that Lufor, the leader of the invasion, was dead, which he confirmed.

"It's not that easy, Loud" when he heard that voice, he turned around and saw his instructor, standing upright, although wounded, holding himself up as best he could.

Another thing that caught Lincoln's attention was the servo-skull that was following him.

"These crazies are motivated by something more, even killing that bastard won't stop them", Otto explained. "Now we need to call for reinforcements, but to do that we need to get to the communications room."

"Alright, who's going then?" Darek asked.

"You" Otto replied dryly. They stared at him in silence, and then Ansel spoke up "ah... Excuse me"

There, Otto explained that they would go in a small group to the communications room. When they asked why not to go with a larger group, he replied that he needed as many soldiers as possible available to hold off the enemy. That's why, and also because he wanted to send them, since they had proven to be useful. Then, he explained where the room was located, giving them directions and explaining how certain devices worked to enable communication, and to help them, he would also send the servo-skull with them, which could assist with the mechanical aspects. The group wasn't entirely on board with the plan, but they didn't have many options. Otto urged them, as time was of the essence. And so, after he handed them some laser guns and grenades, they set off.

They encountered complications, with the battle raging around them, but with some help from the soldiers and Battle Sisters, they managed to clear a path, and from there, they followed Otto's instructions in haste. They arrived at a corridor that would lead them to their destination.

But when they turned a corner, they saw something that froze them with fear, ahead of them was a large group of heretics, and among them, they spotted Lufor's accomplice, Bayron.

Lincoln felt a wave of fear, and quickly hid with the others since they hadn't been noticed.

"What do we do now?" Rubén asked worriedly. As everyone looked at each other.

Lincoln peeked out and saw them, he didn't know what to do, there were too many, not enough to make a large army, but still, there were several.

"Why don't we just throw the grenades at them and blow them to pieces?" Kron suggested. To which Harold replied: "They're a bit too far, they'll see us and shoot us".

"Isn't there a way to get closer?" Ana asked, and Rubén added. "I doubt it, and I don't think we could go through the ceiling" he said while looking up.

While they continued to propose ideas, Lincoln just thought about what they were saying, trying to find a way to get through. Then, he looks at the servo-skull floating just behind them. Lincoln still felt a bit nervous, but he approaches it, hoping that the small robotic skull will listen to him.

"Hey... excuse me, I need to ask you something, can you help me?" The servocrane moves closer, the others look at Lincoln wanting to see what he's planning.

Meanwhile, Bayron, who was with his escorts far from the battle, had managed to escape by the skin of his teeth. Things weren't going as he wanted, and if what he heard was true, Lufor was dead. He cursed how things were turning out. But he had to stick to his plan. Now he was heading to the communications room to request more reinforcements. He had to crush this attempt at resistance from those fools. As he did, he reflexively scratched his right hand, causing a slight pain. That was the hand those bastards had shot. He would have to do something about it.

Then, while he was still lost in his thoughts, he heard a noise not too far away, that sounded almost like a buzzing. He looked in different directions with his gun raised, but saw nothing. Some of the heretics also heard it and looked around, but saw nothing.

Then, by reflex, Bayron looks up, and there, high above, he sees a servo-skull, with its tentacles carrying something like a bag, and upon closer inspection, he realizes that one of the tentacles is trying to grab something from the bag, but is having trouble. He raises his gun to shoot, but then the servocrane drops what it was holding, falling on top of the heretics. One of them sees what's in the bag and screams when he realizes.

They were grenades, and one of them was missing its safety pin, which was what the servocrane was trying to remove. They didn't have time to run or throw the bag; with the detonation of one, all of them exploded, causing total chaos. Bayron, being farther away, survived, but many did not, and others who were at a distance were affected by the explosives.

And there, turning a corner, young recruits emerged and started shooting at everyone who was still standing. Taking advantage of the heretics' stunned state, they attacked with all the speed they could muster.

The surviving heretics began to advance, as best they could, their guns at the ready and their eyes filled with fury. Without time to think, after that, when they saw that the young recruits had the upper hand, they retreated.

The recruits were pleased, their plan had worked and they had the enemy within reach. The heretics turned a corner, with Bayron leading the way, he was so hasty that he didn't notice in time the sword that pierced him. There, in front of him, appeared someone who shouldn't be loose. Major Officer Okenred, and right behind him, some recruits who began to shoot at the other heretics behind Bayron. He recognized them, they were traitors who had defected to his side, but it seemed they now wanted to be with the loyalists again. "Damned ingrates" Bayron thought as he turned his gaze back to Okenred.

"That's for all those who died because of your followers, disgusting spawn", Okenred spat with venom, before pulling the sword out of Bayron's chest and, with a slash of the sword, cutting off his head. It was done, the main leaders of this group were dead, but the battle was not over yet. Just then, the group of recruits arrived and looked at Okenred wielding the sword and Bayron's decapitated body.

Everyone saw their wounded superior with burned and torn clothing, and they all saluted him, but he just ignored them, it wasn't the time for that.

Although he asked Lincoln why he wasn't wearing a shirt, Lincoln told him about his idea of using the servocrane to drop grenades, and that he had used his shirt as an improvised bag, which was already torn anyway. Upon hearing Lincoln's plan, Okenred himself couldn't help but laugh.

They also explained to him what they were trying to do and where they were headed. He understood and accompanied them with the other recruits. They had a brief conversation, and then Okenred told Lincoln's group who these kids were. Obviously, there were mixed reactions: some prepared to fight, but Major Okenred assured them that they wouldn't cause harm, and that they weren't their main concern.

Lincoln had mixed feelings upon learning that his speech had indeed resonated with some recruits, although others were not very pleased.

Finally, they arrived at the communications room. There, they saw that part of the equipment had been damaged earlier, likely by heretics like Bayron. However, the part they had damaged was for internal communications, like in Okenred's office. Since they didn't know how to make it work, they left it in the servocrane's care.

The servo-skull began working on the communications machine, trying to repair the damage caused by the heretics. After several minutes of work, it finally managed to establish a connection with the central base.

"Connection established!", the servocrane exclaimed in a robotic voice. "What message do you want to send?"

Everyone looked excited, and then Okenred approached the machine and began to speak. "This is Major Officer Okenred Pock. We urgently need reinforcements. The situation at the Schola is critical. We are under attack by a enemy of savage heretics, they are attacking with force and we need help to contain them."

The response took a while, the concern was palpable, and then they heard a voice. "Reinforcements on the way. Hold on until they arrive."

When they heard it, everyone got excited, but Okenred silenced them, now they had to help the others until the reinforcements arrived.

Lincoln and his team prepared to hold out until help arrived. They headed towards the center of the battle, where the heretics were launching a fierce attack.

As soon as they arrived, they saw the number of bodies accumulated on the ground, both heretics and loyalists. Otto saw them and was relieved when he saw who they were with. He informed them of their situation: it wasn't good. They confirmed that they had been successful, now they just had to hold on.

The fight was intense, but Lincoln and his team managed to hold out as long as they could. But it's easier said than done. There, all the loyalists formed a defensive line, holding back the heretics, who began to throw themselves wildly, even at the cost of their own lives. The bullets that reached Lincoln almost hit him on more than one occasion. The sight and sound of screams, crying, and death all around were something that no one in their right mind could endure. Lincoln just kept shooting whenever he could. The truth is that he couldn't hold on, but he did anyway. By his side were his friends and comrades, fighting together. He couldn't back down, and besides, even if he did, where would he go afterwards? Some time had passed, but for him, as for many, it felt like hours.

Outside the Schola, a small army of cultists were formed and ready to invade the Schola, but then something else happens. Those who were gathered outside the Schola were caught off guard by an intense bombardment. They had heard something, but didn't react in time. Combat ships flew through the skies.

The reinforcement ships unleashed a barrage of projectiles on the cultist positions, causing a large number of casualties. Valyrie ships also arrived, and several assault troops began to descend, starting another firefight. But with the recent losses, the heretics, demoralized and confused, began to retreat in disarray.

The reinforcements began to enter through the entrances, initially having trouble with the hundreds of heretics, but gradually managed to make their way through. Now, the heretics and traitors found themselves surrounded.

Lincoln and his team, reinforced by the arrival of fresh troops, launched a counterattack to regain control of the Schola Progenium.

The battle had been intense, but they had finally achieved victory. Lincoln and his team took a moment to rest and recover, but unfortunately, it was short-lived, as they had to start helping the wounded, carrying bodies, and conducting searches to find the heretics who had fled. In fact, the battle had ended, but now another issue needed to be addressed. The coming weeks would be very tough for Lincoln and all the recruits, as well as the officers.

XXX

After the attempted rebellion inside the Schola Progenium, all recruits and staff members began the arduous task of cleaning and maintenance due to the battle fought inside. There were no classes for the recruits, but those days were replaced with hard work on reconstruction and cleaning, everyone had to help. Not to mention that the repair and cleaning work took time, and sleep hours were few.

Searches were organized throughout the Schola for possible heretics who tried to hide, and so it was. Searching through halls or remote rooms, they found cultists. When discovered, they tried to defend themselves, and some even killed themselves before being captured.

The heretics and traitorous recruits who were captured were subjected to terrible tortures to make them confess everything, from their plans to where they had their operational bases, who else was involved, and more. Even those who decided to help the loyalists after Lincoln's message. There was no mercy or compassion, except for a small exception for the recruits who helped Okenred, he himself made sure their deaths were quick and painless.

Little could be extracted from the heretics. When they finally could take no more, they were killed. Both the heretics and the young traitorous recruits were incinerated, burned at the stake.

The Eclisearquia of Thel Amar took charge of directing them, along with a great purge to eliminate this heretical force from the planet. Not to mention that the main person in charge of the Schola, Okenred, helped in every way he could in the search for the heretics and the cult. This was for another reason: he had to ensure that the Eclisearquia did not make a wrong decision and cause a genocide on the planet in their quest to exterminate the chaos on the planet.

He was someone with experience and knew that chaos was a danger to be taken into account. But he also knew that the imperial forces often take somewhat... impulsive actions. Not to mention the inquisitors.

But the truth is that the work didn't end. After dealing with that battle, a total search and cleanup was ordered to eliminate any sign of heresy or treason in the Schola and also outside. An exhaustive search was ordered in all rooms, from recruits to staff members, instructors, professors. Everyone. Without exception.

As could be expected, they also searched Lincoln's room. They found nothing, so they left him alone, although they left his room in a deplorable state. But well, he couldn't say anything understanding the situation. Not to mention the great luck he had, as during the inspection other recruits were considered traitors, despite not being so. This was because they had certain objects that the Eclisearquia considered heretical. Those poor recruits would suffer for something they didn't do. Lincoln was saved without realizing it, from imperial punishment.

This search and cleanup lasted for weeks. Mandatory curfews were imposed, where the punishment would be a swift execution. Although it's not like the recruits were allowed to go out at certain hours of the night anyway.

Later they heard the news that after a long search in the cities, the cult members were found, and they were hunted down to the last member without mercy. They had to make sure to leave no one alive.

Finally, a month had passed. There, at the Schola Progenium, an event was held to honor the fallen, and recruits and staff members who bravely participated during the attack were also called to be honored and rewarded. Among them was Lincoln Loud.

They were each awarded a medal. The Empire has its own medal system, but the ones they distributed now were specific to the planet itself.

The medal was a skull, with a hammer and a sword, with an orange and blue ribbon.

It was awarded to those with achievements or merits that surpassed others or did something heroic and difficult to do.

It wasn't awarded to just anyone, especially not to so many at once, but this occasion was special.

Everyone received their medals, among them were Ansel, Kron, Hannah, Ana, Cynthia, Harold, Marlowe, Darek, Franz, and Rubén, along with some of the older ones like the battle sisters or Otto, who now had a robotic arm, as Lincoln observed. There, Lincoln was the last one to receive it.

"And finally, Lincoln Loud". Okenred Pock walked up to Lincoln, the young recruit snapped to attention and rendered a crisp salute. Then Major Okenred went on.

"Lincoln Loud, for standing firm in the face of threat, for your valor, and even more so your loyalty. You will be decorated with the highest honor that this Schola can bestow".

When he finished speaking, he kneeled before Lincoln and fastened the medal to his chest. Then he put his hands on Lincoln's shoulders and, with a gentle smile, inquired: "How are you feeling, son?"

"Fine, sir, thank you" replied the young Loud, with a kind and slightly nervous smile.

"I'm glad to hear that". After that moment, he stood up and returned to the center, addressing the entire Schola Progenium, using a loudspeaker.

"Here is the best that the Empire of Humanity can assemble, today we showed what we can do, in the face of adversity, and against anyone who would seek to harm us". He paused, looking at everyone gathered there, and then continued.

"Here we stand, warriors, soldiers, and all who will fight with loyalty, bravery, and courage, and you can see it for yourselves. We are humanity, we are the Empire of Man, and we are the loyal servants of the Emperor!"

A burst of cheers and applause echoed throughout the hall, a great ovation to celebrate the Empire's triumph over a vile enemy once again. Everyone applauded the heroes of the Schola Progenium.

Lincoln was still reeling from the stress of what he'd experienced, a lot of it, and it wasn't something he'd forget soon, but for that brief moment, standing there in front of a crowd that applauded him loudly, he felt good. Maybe just for a moment, but good.

Lincoln smiled slightly, feeling a light weight in his heart. The crowd surrounding him continued to applaud, and he felt overwhelmed by emotion. He wasn't used to receiving praise or recognition, at least not like this, and the small sense of satisfaction and pride he felt in that moment was something he hadn't experienced in a long time. He just stood there, still.

After the ceremony came to an end, everyone began to disperse, and Lincoln found himself chatting with his friends.

Just then, Instructor Otto calls out to him, Lincoln follows not far behind, and there Lincoln asks "Yes, Instructor Otto, what's going on?".

Otto, with his characteristic firm stance and serious gaze, turned to Lincoln as the other recruits dispersed, basking in the euphoria of the moment. "Lincoln, come here for a moment", he said, beckoning him with a hand gesture.

Lincoln approached, feeling a mix of nervousness and anticipation. It had been some time since the attack, and although he had managed to be recognized for his bravery, Otto's figure had always had an intimidating effect on him.

Otto fixed him with a piercing stare, and for an instant, Lincoln felt the air grow heavy. "Don't think that just because you helped save the Schola, or because you helped me, I'll be any softer on you in the weeks ahead. You'll still get the same grueling tasks as always. So don't let your guard down", Otto said, his voice blending seriousness with a hint of dry wit.

Lincoln nodded quickly, feeling the weight of responsibility still on his shoulders. "Understood, sir. I'm ready for whatever challenge comes next", Lincoln replied, trying not to sound tired.

"Good answer", Otto said, smiling genuinely for the first time in a long while. That was something to consider, given what had happened. "And I want you to know that you're not as useless as I thought. You've shown courage and determination when many others would have given up."

Otto's words resonated in his heart. It was a praise he hadn't expected, and he felt both relieved and excited at the same time. "Thank you, instructor. That means a lot to me...", he said with some emotion and also nervousness.

Before Lincoln could continue, Otto cut him off, raising his voice. "I'm not done, fool!" After that outburst, he spoke again in a more controlled tone. "What I mean is, you might just survive longer than you look like you will."

With that, Otto rendered a military salute, using his left hand, the human one, and bringing it to his forehead in a gesture of respect. Lincoln, surprised but inspired, returned the salute with firmness. "For the Emperor!" he exclaimed, feeling a renewed sense of purpose.

"For the Emperor!" Otto replied, his voice ringing with conviction. "That's all. Now get out, I have things to do." He ended with a tone of indifference.

XXX

The corridor of the Schola Progenium is austere, with gray metal walls and flickering lights illuminating the path. As Lincoln Loud advances, the echo of his footsteps resonates through the solitude of the place.

The medal hanging from his chest glows softly, a reminder of the bravery he showed in stopping the Chaos cult's invasion. It was a medal he had earned on his own merit, without needing to belittle his sisters or anyone else around him. Finally, he had achieved something that proved he was someone, something that gave him a sense of pride and accomplishment.

And this was his first physical award. Not to mention the one his sisters gave him, Lincoln appreciated the gesture they had made, but deep down, he would be lying if he said he hadn't wanted something more, something that truly made him deserve it and not just out of pity. Yet, for some reason, Lincoln didn't feel happy.

Maybe it was because of what he had to go through, and the things he saw and experienced.

Two days had already passed since the ceremony where he was awarded alongside everyone who fought during the heretic invasion. Currently, he was walking to a mass, alone, because he had been one of the last to leave class and wasn't in a hurry. Now, he found himself lost in another conversation with himself about his situation. Some time ago, on the night that marked one month since he arrived at the Schola Progenium, he had made a promise to himself to strive and stay strong in that place, to prove to everyone that he could fight and stand his ground.

But it was really tough, especially considering what happened not long ago.

He still remembers the battle that took place recently, the thunder of explosions, the screams of his comrades, and the desperation of facing forces that seek to corrupt everything they touch. Although he received a medal for his bravery, the image of the faces of those who died, like Guido, along with the bodies scattered all over the ground, that's not something that's easily forgotten.

His hand closes into a fist around the medal, feeling the weight of the metal against his palm. This medal, which should symbolize honor and glory, reminds him of the cost of victory. The truth is, he doesn't feel like a hero: he feels more like a survivor. It's what he has to do here to survive.

As he looks down the hallway, right in front of him, he sees something he didn't want to see: a servitor. Seeing one still makes him feel somewhat uneasy, so he decides to ignore it. As he gets closer, he notices that it's smaller than other servants he's seen before, and he realizes it's a minor. He'd say they're roughly the same age.

As he passed by, Lincoln, out of curiosity, decided to take a look and saw his face. He stared for a few seconds and recognized him. It was a classmate of his, Martin was his name. The same boy whose shirt he had borrowed. He remembered seeing him with the traitors. Now he was here, with mechanical parts instead of a normal body. He didn't have a mouth as such, and cables ran through his face.

But what disturbed Lincoln the most was that, unlike the other servants he had seen, who had empty and emotionless gazes, Martin's gaze was one of horror and agony. It seemed, somehow, as if he was aware of his situation and felt pain, but couldn't do anything about it.

Lincoln stood watching him for what felt like minutes, feeling horror and a sense of nausea. It was true that this boy had attempted a rebellion by following a madman. However, Lincoln didn't feel satisfaction at his state, in fact, he felt pity for the poor guy. And he could understand it, he had been deceived and manipulated, just like he himself had been at first.

A torrent of emotions swept over Lincoln. Guilt washed over him, that poor boy must have been deceived with the promise of a better life, something like Lincoln's old life on Earth. Something he could obtain by joining a cult with twisted goals.

Without knowing exactly why, Lincoln approached the servant. The machine looked up at him, and in that moment, young Lincoln smiled as best he could and said: "I... I don't know if you can hear me, ah, I mean if you're aware, or if you remember me, but if you do, let me tell you that I'm sorry for what happened to you".

With a determined gesture, Lincoln removed the medal from his neck. It was a symbol of his loyalty to the Empire, but in that moment, it meant much more. He approached Martin and placed the medal on the servant's chest, right over the cold metal armor. "This is for you. You may not be who you once were, but I think you deserve this. Don't let the horror consume you. Fight, even if it's within yourself. Remember who you were."

The servitor didn't respond, of course. His gaze still reflected suffering. But in Lincoln's heart, he wanted to do the right thing. It was a gesture of compassion in the midst of darkness, a reminder that even in the darkest moments, humanity shouldn't be completely extinguished.

"May this remind you that there's hope, even in the darkest places," Lincoln said, his voice trembling slightly. "Don't let them turn you into a mere object." He tried to continue smiling, but the servant's face made it difficult, so out of respect, Lincoln gave a military salute and bid farewell, saying: "Glory to the Emperor"

With one last glance at Martin, Lincoln took a step back, feeling a mix of resolve and sorrow. He knew that this encounter would stay with him forever. The fate of his former companion Martin was a reminder of what could happen to anyone, including himself, if he didn't remain steadfast in his loyalty to the Empire and in his fight against the darkness.

With firm steps, Lincoln continued on his way to the mass, the last thing he wanted was to be late.

XXX

Once again, Lincoln was faced with a task that wasn't exactly enjoyable. He and his class had to hunt down fluffalons that had somehow gotten into the storage rooms again. Since the first time he did this task, he hadn't liked it much. Now it only brought back bad memories, partly because of the punishment he received when he tried to do what he thought was right, and partly because of Guido, who was no longer with him. He was trying to catch one when he thought he saw something in a box not too far away from him.

As he approached, he noticed something moving, and he slowly peeked inside to see a small fluffalon, which hadn't yet noticed Lincoln. The gray-haired boy crept closer to the little creature, and just as the animal turned around and saw him, it was too late - Lincoln quickly grabbed it by the ears.

There in his hands, the small creature wriggled and squealed, and he was once again hit with the image of a helpless, crying animal. Lincoln stared at it, holding a knife in his other hand, and simply observed. At that moment, the memory of his sister Lana flashed through his mind: saving a small life.

"See? Frogs are way cooler on the outside," he recalled her saying a long time ago.

And then he also remembered all the recent events, and his actions here. Lincoln just looked away, not wanting to look, and plunged the knife into the animal's neck. The squealing stopped. Now he only felt the animal's blood pass through his hands. It was uncomfortable and unpleasant. But he just ignored it. (It was a good thing he took off his gloves before doing so.)

From then on, Lincoln simply repeated the process without thinking too much about it, and without looking. Unbeknownst to him, someone was watching: Instructor Otto, who was ensuring that he fulfilled his duty. It wasn't necessary to know that he was satisfied.

XXX

Once again, night fell, and it was time to rest. He wanted to clear his mind and put all thoughts aside.

But it was complicated, just like the previous days. Among his thoughts was the fact that he had killed people for the first time, even if they were enemies who wanted to hurt him, something he knew he had to do. But he didn't expect it to happen so soon. Moreover, he now had a nervous tic in his eye. In fact, he already had one because of his sisters. But this was on a whole new level.

The memory of Guido's death still haunted him. Guido, who didn't even have a surname. He had mentioned his story once, when they were talking: he was an orphan, and had been selected to attend the Schola Progenium, a great honor for him. But now, he was gone...

But he just wanted to put it all behind him, close his eyes, and be done with it.

He was tired, but sleep was slow to come, until he finally managed to fall asleep.

The dreams felt short, and the nightmares had become almost routine, especially in those days due to the terrible experience. But tonight would be different.

XXX

He found himself walking in a desolate and dark landscape, it was as if it were night, but without the light of the moon and stars.

Despite being alone, distant screams and growls of beasts could be heard, creatures that could crush him with their own hands. At one point, he began to run when he heard a growl nearby. But he didn't know which direction it was coming from.

Then, he also heard a laugh near him, and he wouldn't say it was a human laugh. It sounded distorted and unnatural, and he felt his fear growing. He could barely see what was in front of him, until he tripped and fell to the hard ground.

More sounds began to echo around him: growls, roars, screams, and more deep, unsettling laughs.

And then, it happened.

A brief flash of light illuminated the dark sky. There, Lincoln looked up, and what he saw, for some reason, left him frozen. Something was approaching him; it looked like a meteorite, a small asteroid of white light. It came closer and closer, and as it drew near, the sounds around him began to fade until there was only silence.

And in that moment, he didn't know why. But his fears and worries were also fading away.

Then what appeared to be a small meteorite began to slow down as it approached him.

The light that had seemed white then turned golden, and the fragment of star came to a stop not far from him, simply hovering there, like a candle in the midst of an abyss of darkness.

Lincoln stood up and began to approach the light cautiously.

The light emitted a peaceful vibe, although he didn't know why. Then the light began to shine with greater intensity, causing him to cover his eyes with his hands.

He tried to glance at the golden light for brief moments, out of curiosity, and that's when he noticed something.

In front of him, within the great golden light, it wasn't an energy orb as such, it was brief, but he could make out a silhouette.

It seemed to be the silhouette of a child, a child slightly smaller than him, by a few centimeters, floating above the ground.

The image left him frozen, wondering, Who was this boy?

He seemed to have his eyes closed, but for some reason, he felt like the boy's gaze was fixed on him.

Who was he supposed to be? Why did he feel so fragile, yet at peace?

He didn't notice, but the landscape around him began to change, it stopped being so dark, although the desert scenery remained the same, and then the dream became calmer.

He expected to hear something, some word, an answer. But the figure of the child simply remained there, doing nothing more, and Lincoln just kept looking at him calmly.

XXX

Lincoln didn't know it, but the dream he had was not at all ordinary. Nor did he know that others in the galaxy had had a similar or identical dream.

The previous nights hadn't been pleasant for him, but tonight, for the first time in a long while, Lincoln Loud was able to sleep in peace.

XXXXX

Hello everyone, here it is. That's all for now. This is the first episode of the year. I want to apologize for the delay.

I also really hope you liked this chapter.

Now, a few things to clarify about this episode: the opening scene, when Lincoln is dreaming, is a scene from an episode of the Futurama series.

The idea that a cult of chaos tries to infiltrate the Schola was a suggestion from a user named TizianoArena123. Originally, I wasn't going to do it because I didn't want chaos to appear so early in this story, but then I started thinking about it and saw how I could connect the dots.

And another thing I need to clarify, which I've been asked about on the page where I write: in this chapter, Lincoln mentions the game Starcraft, and no, Warhammer does not exist as a franchise in the universe of The Loud House. This is because I understand that the Starcraft saga exists thanks to Warhammer, I just made a mention. Additionally, it would be strange or ridiculous for Lincoln to say something like "hey, I just realized I'm in a fictional universe that I know and I should take advantage of it", no, that won't happen. Take it this way, that in the universe of The Loud House, Starcraft exists perhaps because its developers were inspired by something else.

That's it. Now, to answer some questions.

Jan 7. Guestimus: You're welcome. I'm glad you like the story.

eduardo.bettin26: I'm glad you liked the Sanguinala episode. Now, I should answer something. About Ana, sorry, no, she's not Lincoln's love interest, I thought it was clear. As for his love interest, it hasn't appeared yet, it'll be later on, and I hope you enjoyed this episode.

smallszay106: thanks You.

I have a request to make. I know this story hasn't been around for long like others, but I'd appreciate it if you could recommend it or talk about it to your friends or acquaintances. Also, some time ago, I saw two fanarts of this story. They were made with AI, but I still appreciate the effort.

Well, that's all for now. Sorry if I was brief with the questions. But that's all I'm going to answer, and to be honest, I'm currently tired of writing and translating. Thanks, I'll read you in the comments.