I hope to update the next 2 chapters over the next 2 days.

That means 3 chapters in 3 days!

Yeah, Christmas special! XD

Enjoy the surprise.

Comments, ratings and questions are appreciated.

Point out grammar mistakes etc ,if you do see some.

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Even though we are in modern times and warfare has been increasingly relying on mobility, information, speed and superior technology, we seem to be back in the middle ages.

If our enemy would be human the aforementioned terms would still be the true, but our enemy is not human. Our enemy is the entire demon race, which does not even live on earth, but in an entirely different dimension.

So we are targets and mostly just able to defend when a demon invasion occurs.

On the possibility of attack see Chapter 4.

So what is now important?

On the first glance some might think mobility, information and speed might still be very important, which I can’t deny entirely, but I phrase it differently. The word I will use is reaction speed.

Reaction speed is the combination of noticing a demon invasion, analysing its strength, send out the proper forces to handle the situation and exterminate them as fast as possible with the least amount of forces necessary. All of this must happen in less than five minutes, otherwise the attacked town will most likely be already burned down to the ground.

So as we see it is a combination of mobility, information and speed, but to an unprecedented stage as of today.

On the importance, chances and failures of technology see chapter 7.

So how are we able to defend ourselves the best?

As I already noticed we seem to be in the dark ages again.

In most cases we can’t attack, but just defend. The biggest problem we don’t know when and where the next demon invasion occurs or even how big it will be.

So the only possible solution to this is to gather as many people as possible in one location and erect an academy. From the Academies our forces will operate.

Much like the castles in the dark ages, where the only secure places was the landlord’s castle, the place from where the knights spread out and attacked any incoming force.

For the world to survive there must be as many Academies spread throughout the world as possible.

At the same time they each need to be in range to close enough to support each other in case of an attack.[…]

-Strategy Guideline Book for the Academy up to Rank A, Ministry for Demon Extermination(MDE), by Fleet Admiral Thompson J. Nelson, Chapter 1, first edition, 2031

---Time: 2054.01.14, 17:48---

---Location: Europe, England, exact location unknown, close to Christchurch ---

---Population estimated: 63.500---

---Mikaila Everdeen---

I’m currently playing with my little sister Marie in her room.

I don’t know when I last played with Barbie dolls, I mean I’m already 10 years-old.

Now I prefer to read books, mostly Fantasy about amazing Heroes.

Haaaaa, these Heroes are always so awesome, I wish I could be like one of them!

And if you ask me, why I’m currently playing with Marie the answer is quite easy.

After breakfast at home with my family I did head out to school, taking the school bus, just as usual.

When I arrived our class teacher was already there, speaking quietly with a woman.

Instead of having math in our first period, our class teacher introduced this woman to us.

She was from the Ministry of Interior and she would inform us about the scanning process, which we would take together as a class in a few months.

I felt pride and joy, as it is the duty of every good citizen to protect its country.

We already knew most of it from our school education, parents, TV or rumours.

Even though I tried my best to concentrate and listen I lost focus after some time.

It is really difficult if you already know the stuff, it gets boring.

I still remember the important parts.

The lady said even though not everybody is chosen and can join the DCF, those who are should fulfil their duty with pride and joy.

Those of us who are not chosen should not scorn the others, but instead we should cheer for them, look up to them and try to become like them.

So only a few of us would get a chance.

My heart started pumping faster when I was told, that just in a few months I might be on my way to turn into a Hero! The image of me, standing proudly above these evil Demons, flashed through my mind and my face burned red in excitement at this prospect.

After that she explained the whole process which we would have to go through before we would join the DCF.

The insertion process comes after a positive scan. She said it would hurt quite a bit, but we shouldn’t be scared, because this is only a small price to pay for the chance to join the DCF.

She also said only those who will be proud and dutiful enough will be able to get through this and pass the test.

The insertion process apparently takes roughly 2 whole months to complete.

I was shocked when I heart this. Nobody ever told me that it would take that long!

I never had an injury that constantly hurt for over 2 months!

I’m not sure if I still want a positive scan.

Afterwards we will be trained rigorously the next 6 years, until we are 18 years old.

Only then we will join the DCF and fight the Demons.

Her talk did last nearly the entire lesson.

When she finished she asked us, if we had any questions.

Nathalie asked if we could still see our families. The woman answered that we were only allowed to see them once a month.

I had never thought about that. Yes, they obviously told us, that we would leave our families, but I somehow just didn’t connect the dots. I was shocked.

I don’t want to leave my family! My little sister Marie, my mother and father.

I went home a bit sad.

The possibility that I must leave my family makes me upset.

So that is the reason why I’m playing with Marie and her dolls right now.

Who knows how long I will still see her every day.

I have a strange feeling, that I will need to leave her and my family very soon.

As soon as my dad came home I hugged him and he just smiled at me.

Marie was in his arms. My dad always comes home before mum and on his way back he picks up Marie from the kindergarten.

My little sister stretched her arms out for me and I hugged her too.

Dad asked what happened I just gave him the information booklet the woman gave us back in school.

His face froze a bit when he saw it.

“There is no reason to fear it Mikaila. Your scan will most likely turn out negative, like those of most other kids.”-Dad

“I would be happy to have a positive scan, I just don’t want to leave you, mum and Marie.”-I

“Oh…ah don’t be afraid of the future. You are far too young to worry about something like that.

And if you do receive a positive scan, we will visit you every month. All of us, ok Mikaila?”-Dad

“Really?”-I

“Of course, we are your family Mikaila. Your parents and little sister will always visit you.”-Dad

Suddenly he nudged my nose and started to tickle me and my little sister.

“Hehehe….stop dad…hehehehe…stop…hehehe…”-I and Marie

He laughs the whole time and after a minute or so, what felt like an eternity, he stops and kissed us on our foreheads.

“Now how about I make your favourite dish for dinner, while you two go and play?”-Dad

“Yaaay!”-I and Marie

We run to Marie’s room and I arrived first.

In the door I turned around and looked back down the floor, Marie just a few steps behind me, smiling brightly.

My dad still stood where we left him, looking at the information booklet from the DCF before he turns around and walks back to the kitchen.

So right now I play with my little sister.

And I must say I enjoy it for once.

I hear the sound of a key entering the lock and opening the door.

My sister and I jump up and run to the door.

It must be mum, she always comes back at this time.

Our mother closes the door behind her, puts her bag down and drops to her knees to embrace us in a hug.

While we still hug her, dad comes out of the kitchen and starts to walk over to us smiling.

Suddenly he stops, frozen in place.

For a second I wonder why, then I hear it.

A siren.

The sound every human on earth fears and loathes hearing.

It is a long stretched and high pitched sound.

We were told in World War 2 it was used to warn the civilians from an incoming air raid.

Today there are no air raids, there are only attacks by Demons.

---Time: 2054.04.14, 10:01---

---Location: Europe, somewhere in the UK, Special Medical Underground Facilities---

---Population estimated: classified---

---Mikaila Everdeen, Neophyte---

Exactly 3 months ago I still had a family.

I can’t remember much about this day.

I can only remember screams of pain, snarling noises, metal hitting metal, stone or flesh.

Images of wounded people with pained expressions cross my mind, they are all bloodied and dirty, running, walking or hobbling down streets and alleyways.

Explosions and screams of fear and terror are all mixed up together.

I can still remember some things.

The sudden, loud, long-lasting and high pitched sound of the sirens.

My parents started to panic and grabbed us.

We took the car and drove off.

The first thing I do remember after that is something or somebody grabbing me and my sister.

As I looked up I saw a Armour. A saviour came and rescued me and my little sister!

Everything in between these two scenes is just a blur.

He dropped us at the bunker.

The last thing I saw of him is him steadily walking off to fight a gigantic Demon.

After the fight I searched for our parents, Marie just clung to me, scared.

2 days later they told me our parents couldn’t be found.

The police believed them to be death, but weren’t sure.

They didn’t want me, and especially not Marie, to identify them.

I couldn’t believe it. I was just too shocked to understand what happened.

After they told me about the death of our parents I just stood there frozen in place, while Marie started to cry. She cried for an entire week while I just couldn’t cry.

All I felt was nothing, just empty, not being able to comprehend the situation.

Then we were separated, even though I pleaded to them not to separate me from Marie.

My little sister Marie, my last bit of family that is left in this world.

I fought against them with all my strength, but they just simply picked me and Marie up and took us away from each other.

Now I’m alone, sitting on a white bench, in a white corridor, bright lights illuminating everything.

Apparently sometime in that week they did the scanning process with me, but I can’t remember.

They said something of a insertion process, but I didn’t really listen.

I’m thinking about my sister and parents.

Why did they die? Could I have prevented it?

When will I be able to see my sister again?

I suddenly hear a voice.

“Come, it is time.”

I just grab the outstretched hand of the person.

“When will I see my sister again?”

“Hm? Oh, I think you will see her after the insertion process. She is in a special orphanage. You don’t need to fear for her well-being, there are lot of kids with similar circumstances there. Are you….”

I didn’t listen to the voice anymore, I only want to know about my sister.

The room we went to is dark, there is only a bit of light from above.

I get up on a table and then straps are tightened on me.

After that steel fixations move down on me.

Only now I realize that I wear some kind or hospital garment. I have no idea when I changed into that.

“This will hurt quite a bit, so sorry for that, but we don’t have a better way yet. To most people the light is too bright during the process, so we usually dim it down to the bare minimum.

Try to think of some nice memories, something beautiful or what you care most about. It helps you to get through this, keeps the mind intact and stuff like that.

Okay little girl, here we go, don’t die on us, ok?”-somebody

A machine lowers on me and many tiny needles pierce me at the same time.

Then my body starts to hurt. Not much at the beginning and I ignore it, but it gets worse and worse and worse and worse, until I scream.

And scream.

And scream.

I never experienced such immense pain in my life.

The pain wakes me up from my state of shock and I start to cry.

Not because of the pain, but because I lost my parents and I don’t know where my sister is.

“MUUUM? DAAAD? MARIE?”

The sounds seem to echo in the dark.

And I scream until I can’t anymore.

---Time: 2054.06.20, 10:49---

---Location: Europe, Scotland, Hamilton, DCF, Hamilton Academy---

---Population estimated: 75.500---

---Mikaila Everdeen, Student, 1-year middle-school, Class 1-D, Ranking: None---

It is Saturday and I sit in a bus.

The insertion process ended roughly a week ago.

Afterwards we needed to recuperate for quite some time.

We could finally sleep, eat and wash us again.

And I could see my little sister for a day.

We hugged each other for most of the time and cried the first few hours.

Then I asked Marie how she has been.

The orphanage seems to be fine. It is more like a school, every day they have P.E and her group already starts to learn the alphabet and simple math.

The teachers are nice and seem to care deeply about their little students.

We talked a bit more about the orphanage and then our time was up.

Neither of us wanted to leave, but I told her I will visit her every month.

When she first saw me, Marie had doubts that I was her sister.

I can’t blame her, my appearance has changed.

My once blue eyes are now a radiating green and my goldish blond hair is now more a mix between blond and white. My skin also got quite pale, as close to white as possible. I was shocked when I first saw me in a mirror.

The doctors told me, that my change was unusual, but still normal.

Most people who go through the insertion process only have minor changes in their appearance, if any at all. It signifies the strength of acceptance of the genes.

Those with angelic genes inserted most commonly get a glittering golden hair colour and radiating blue eyes, green eyes and whitish hair was not the norm.

It was also the first time I was told I had been inserted with angelic genes.

The first day I after the insertion process I was fed and then carried to a bed.

The next day I was already strong enough to walk again and was led to a big dining hall.

Inside were already hundreds of other kids in my age.

The only thing you could hear inside the hall was the sound of forks, knifes and spoons scratching against plates.

All of us were still tired out and nobody wanted to talk about what happened or what awaits us.

The third day we were all lead to a big auditorium, those who weren’t able to walk yet were pushed in wheelchairs. The head of the facility told us, that we had passed the most demanding and horrible part of becoming a Complete and a member of the DCF.

We still had a few days until we would be taken to our Academy, and from then on it would mostly resemble school life. That is at least what he said.

We really had a few more days to rest and get some sleep.

Today we are on our way to our designated Academies.

My one is in Scotland, a brand new Academy at the outskirts of Hamilton.

I saw a picture of it and compared to the older ones it is quite small.

Even so it is still gigantic, bigger than any facility I have ever seen.

The bus finally stops and we get out.

There are huge concrete walls surrounding the compound, and the buildings seem more than just big.

I’m not sure if this is a school, a fairy tale castle or an army base.

We are lead into a auditorium and take the front most chairs.

We seem to be the last to arrive, behind us are other children and teenagers all up to the age of 18.

I wonder why they are here. I thought this Academy just recently opened.

A few seconds after everybody is seated a man walks up to the podium.

“Welcome to the Hamilton Academy of the DCF!

As you may realize I and my Controller are the Headmaster of this wonderful teaching facility.

I’m sure the older ones already know the drill, but please be patient for our new arrivals.

I’m pleased to present to you all our very first first-years of this Academy.

First let me introduce our teachers to you.”-Headmaster

He starts to point at roughly 50 people, which are on his left side behind him. Some seem to be normal humans, some are obviously Completes and established members of the DCF.

The normal humans mostly have a friendly smile, while the Completes have a hard and cold look.

As each teacher is named, they simply give a small nod, smile and some even wave for a bit.

As he reaches the end he points at a Complete, both seem to radiate a blue silver-like aura.

The polite, but small applause, increases quite into a roaring thunder when he finally introduces them.

“These are Patrick Dawn and Clara White, the SSS ranked Squad Blue Flower. They will be in charge of Combat training for the high-school classes, as well as the Demonology Curse.”

I hear some boys and girls from higher classes whisper amongst themselves.

“Did he say Blue Flower?”-random boy

“I heard they excel at everything and can teach you all kinds of different combat techniques. I hope we still have them in our high-school years.”-random girl

“I heard they fight using a scythe instead of a sword. I wonder if that is true.”- random boy 2

“Pfff scythe, the SSS ranked Squad Raging Fist is fighting barehanded.”-random boy 3

“Why are they here?”-random girl 2

“Now the last teacher I want to introduce to you is Ragnar Rok. He is in charge of the Combat training, P.E. and Demonology for our middle-school classes. He is a Broken.”

As soon as he said the last word, the thunderous applause disappeared in an instant.

Nobody of us first years knows, what that word means, we hear it for the first time.

But if the sudden disappearance and the following silence was any indication it meant something terrible.

The aura of that person is already unpleasant to feel.

If the SSS ranked Complete radiate like a sun and promise hope, he is the total opposite.

His aura is dark and gloomy, his face has many scars, he wears an eyepatch and his one remaining eye has an empty look.

This person looks really scary.

At the sudden disappearance of applause Blue Flower throws him a quick glance, but he doesn’t even seem to have noticed the sudden change in the mood.

The Headmaster continues to talk about the Academy and the DCF for another hour.

He told us to be proud and embrace the harsh training, which lies ahead of us.

Before we could finally leave the auditorium each of the names for the first years were called up and we were told which class we will be in. I’m in 1-D.

When he finally finished we walked over to the dining-hall for lunch.

The rest of the day we have off and can do as we like.

Tomorrow will be Sunday and we are going to have a short meeting with our class teacher.

So for now I will make a stroll over the campus with a few other girls from my class.

I hope we have a nice class teacher.