1 Death Letter

A feeble-looking young man with dark circles under his eyes was sitting on an old, rusty bench in the middle of the park. In his dirty hands, he held a letter, a beautiful document that seemed out of place in his worn-out appearance.

Many would rejoice at the sight of such a letter, but for Ash, it brought only a headache.

Moving his tired eyes towards the document, he prepared to face the contents within. Then, he began to read and... immediately scowled.

"I should've expected this..."

Eyeing the document with an intense and somewhat hateful look, Ash grimaced but forced himself to continue. It didn't matter whether he liked it or not, he had to at least read the entire letter, it was an official paper after all.

'You have been officially invited to complete mandatory training in the Hunter Academy...'

He stared at the document, crumpling its once pristine surface with his thin fingers.

Hunter Academy... He had heard stories about that place. Tales of grueling training, treacherous missions, and the abnormally high death rate of its students.

"This is a death letter, you bastards..."

Cursing and shaking his head, he quickly finished reading the letter and groggily stood up.

As soon as he did, though, he felt multiple gazes piercing through him from all directions. People wearing suits that he could only dream of owning were staring at him with condescending glances, their eyes filled with judgment and superiority.

Ash looked down at his own tattered clothes and grinned. He, indeed, looked out of place here.

"Lucky them..."

Watching the well-suited people rushing past, he uttered with a bit of envy.

Then he squeezed the paper, wrinkling it and carefully placed it into a nearby bin. Usually, he wouldn't bother doing that and would simply throw the trash on the ground, but he currently was in no mood to draw unnecessary attention to himself.

With a heavy sigh, he turned away from the judgmental glances and made his way out of the park.

As he walked down the city streets, Ash couldn't help but feel a sense of bitterness and resignation.

Since the letter had reached him, he realized that his fate had been sealed.

No matter how much he hid or tried to escape, Ash knew that soon personnel would come to ensure his compliance with the mandatory training. He had seen countless times in his life how those who resisted were forcefully dragged away and finally his time had come.

It was better to just accept his fate, grim as it may be.

With a heavy heart he kept walking until a fountain blocked his path. Looking down at his reflection in the glistening water, Ash tried to smile.

A blurry image of dirty silver-haired youth with bright amber eyes and hollow cheeks stared back at him.

Splash...

Shoving his hands into the water, he splashed his face, rubbing away the thick layers of dirt and grime that had accumulated because of sleeping in the streets.

"At least I look a little presentable now."

He uttered to himself before stepping away from the water and continuing his journey.

It was the first time he ventured so far into the rich part of the 'garden', so he felt quite vulnerable.

Everything was foreign to him, from the elegant buildings adorned with intricate architectural details, to the polished streets devoid of even a hint of litter.

The areas were also brightly illuminated by massive lamp posts that never flickered or died out like the ones in the rundown areas of the 'Garden' where Ash was accustomed to.

"So bright..."

Looking up at the dazzling lights, he shielded his eyes with his hand. It was not often that he had seen such brightness.

More than a century ago, the world was plunged into an eternal darkness, the sun obliterated from the sky in a cataclysmic event. It was no wonder Ash wasn't used to such a vibrant and luminous environment. Such light was available only to those who were privileged and fortunate enough to live in this part of the 'Garden'.

Many considered light a symbol of life and prosperity, but to Ash it was just blinding.

'I shouldn't linger here for too long...'

Pinching his nose and exhaling a shaky breath, he wobbled forward trying to find his way through the maze of opulent buildings and unfamiliar streets.

Luckily, he approximately knew the general direction he needed to go. Although it took some time, he managed to spot a dark marble building in the distance.

It was a branch of the Hunter Academy, the place where the letter instructed him to go.

"..."

Observing the building with wary eyes, he slowly approached it. However, he didn't enter immediately.

First, Ash tried to glance through the glass windows, hoping to catch a glimpse of what lay inside but the windows were heavily tinted, preventing him from seeing anything.

Then, he tried to listen closely for any sounds coming from within, but it turns out that the building was sound proof, as no noise leaked out.

Standing before the large door, he glanced at their polished surface and hesitated for a moment.

He knew that the moment he entered, his life would never be the same.

Now, he could still run away and return to the slums of the 'Garden', try to hide from the authorities. 

Maybe even go and try to live in the 'Darkness'?

Ash felt a shiver run down his back.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath.

Creak…