War is and will always be a waste, but a seemingly necessary one. A big contradiction, one would think. However, at the same time, one can never take a simple sentence and expect to get one meaning out of it. Though, to be fair, it is indeed a waste for most. After all, so many that may have had a bright future ahead of them might have had their head chopped off, or body filled with lead. However, one could also say that this person in question would’ve turned into a bum, who would’ve had no future without the chance to prove himself. Again, that would seem to only apply to a small minority of people.
But, what about those who seek glory, those who need something different in their lives? What about those looking for sanctioned killing? The answer becomes the military.
But enough about that. I think I’ve ranted enough. If I try to explain anymore, I think I might….
Oh well.
What I’m trying to say is that life no longer seems appealing. Everyday it’s consistently the same thing. And even when the base of it changes, the same pattern emerges over and over again. Nature sure likes regularity, doesn’t it? Those lazily bastards….
Sub-Chapter 2: Class Days
“Everybody, please stand up.” the teacher said as the entire class got up on their feet.
Within a few seconds, with all of our fists clenched, and one hand over the heart while the other was behind our backs, the class stood still, with the Riktan Anthem echoing through the long halls of the school. After a few minutes, the music ended, with what seemed to be the entire school in unison saying “IRD SHALL BLESS RIKTA FOREVER”.
Afterward, the teacher nodded towards my direction. In an instant reaction, my voice opened up with “The Class may now be seated.”. With that, the entire class took their seats. Taking mine last, I glanced around the room, noticing a few twitching a bit, but they all stopped within a couple seconds.
“Alright class, seeing as only some have completed the National History project, this period will be used as a study hall period. Those still working on it, take your time, those who are finished, please do something productive, remember, around half of you said you're going to the Central Academy, so you all, especially that half, need to make sure that you make good use of your time. Alright?”
She forgot to mention how most of us have parents spending thousands to attend here.
“Yes Ms. Akela.” the entire class said together. Once everyone sat down, I took a brief look around the class, and I saw everyone just whispering amongst each other, with a couple others doing their project. After a few minutes, the teacher left the room, with everyone barely noticing the teacher’s absence. After a bit, bored from lacking any work to do, I saw one of my classmates looking heavily confused as he tried to fill out something. Once he looked up, he only looked even more confused.
Sighing a bit, I decided to walk over to his desk, and asked in a cold manner, “Do you need help?”. Raising his head and looking completely confused at this point he replied with
“Huh?”.
I then again said “Do. You. Need. Help?”
Looking back at his paper and then at me, he said “Y..yes please. I already have most of the question finished, but the last one is a bit weird”
As I grabbed his paper, I asked him “So, what was your project on?”. Just before he answered, I saw from another folder he had on his desk, a paper with the ‘Death Repo...’, though not completely seeable, it was obvious what it was.
“What’s that over there?” I said as I pointed to the paper sticking out.
In a low voice while averting his eyes, he said “Uhhh…..Nothing.”, I stared at him for a few more seconds before he said, “Fine, I’ll show you, but first, promise you won’t tell anyone about this.”, nodding in reply, he continued, “Don’t tell anyone this, but it’s part of my analysis of the war.”.
“Why do you want to be so secretive about it?” I said in a slightly hushed voice.
“Because, not everyone is going to ‘appreciate’ it. After all, if people see it, they’ll either try to burn it or start a riot.”
“Why’s that?”
Beckoning me to come closer, I quickly grabbed a seat from one of the empty desks around us, and leaned closer inwards.
“It’s because of what I found. The casualties, you know how the public has been told it’s a total of 50 million over the course of this 165ish year war, right?”. I simply nodded.
“Well, according to this.”, holding a separate paper in his hand, he turned his body to where only I could see it. “Over 400 million Riktan soldiers have died.” he replied.
Stunned, I looked at him, jaw-dropped, and could only reply with “What?!?”.
“Quite down!” he loudly whispered. Looking around the room, we both checked to see if anyone was looking in our area. After a few seconds, he was satisfied to the point where he looked at me and said “That’s not the only problem, the thing is...”
Cutting him off, I mumbled “Why are you even telling me about this? If you’re really this worried, you probably shouldn’t have told me.”
“I don’t take pressure well, if you haven’t noticed. Plus, I’ve seen your work and your essays, if anything, you're more neutral on Rikta then most in the entire nation it seems. If I was going to show anyone, I thought that it wouldn’t be too bad to show someone like you.”
I looked around us before saying “Fine, whatever you say. Now back to the numbers, are you sure that figure is true? How did you even get this information anyways?”.
“Think about it this way, this is one of the few schools in the nation, and to add on to that, it’s nicknamed the rich kid’s school. With that thought process, it wouldn’t be too unreasonable to think someone would have access to the files. Especially a government official’s son.”.
We then stared at each other blankly for a few seconds before I shaked my head a bit before saying “Uh, sorry, a bit amazed, that’s all. I don’t exactly meet too many people who are sons of government officials too often.”
Both of us looked at each other again before we instantaneously looked down at the floor. As we did, both me and him started to chuckle a bit.
After a few minutes, I looked back at him and asked “Before you get us placed in jail for suspicious actions, what’s your name?”
“Mark. Mark Ritchey. Earth Bender”.
“It’s nice to finally be acquainted, Mark. ”.
“Same here...”.
“Kenneth Po. For future reference I’m a lightning user” I replied as a small, but genuine smile appeared on my face.
“Kenneth, hmm. WAIT, you said a lightning user?!? What even is that, you shoot lightning out of your hands or whatever?”
“That’s actually exactly how it works.”
“Huh… I mean, I guess I heard of them, but haven't met one in my entire life.”.
“You said it yourself, this school has very rare people.”
“I said rich kids, not freakin lightning users!”
“True. Can we get back to the topic at hand please”
“Fine, I won’t question too much I guess.. Anyways, was there anything else you wanted to know?” Mark said as I handed him the paper from earlier.
I quickly said “Well, the thing that grabbed my attention was why you feared others seeing it but not the teacher. I mean, it would be one thing if she were your mother, but I don’t see that for some reason. And also the last name.”
After closing his folders and placing them inside his desk, he said “Well, when this project began, she said she wanted a full analysis on the project, no matter what. That is, when I asked if I could research the apparent ‘patriotic’ gains the country was getting. Imagine if the public saw this though, somehow getting leaked. It would be even worse if any Liberty Radicals in the countryside got their hands on it. That would wreak havoc, and justify the riots. Heck, it might even bring a civil war into the mix.
“Please don’t tell me you plan on giving the other documents as well.”
“Of course not, I can only give the numbers. There’s way too much sensitive information. Afterall, these are my dad’s files, who is a government official. I’m just lucky that my dad probably won’t notice until tomorrow night, after the Council finishes debating the new bill to establish some sort of established privileges bill for everyone. Anyhow, do you think you could help me answer the last question now?”
Looking back at my hand, which I forgot I handed to Mark, and then on the desk, where the sheet was now, I gazed at the last question again before realizing what started the entire conversation. Instantly, I started to laugh a bit, with Mark also beginning to as well. Shortly after that, I replied to his question, saying “Sure, why not?”.
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