1 1. The Daybreak

Stretching wide, Ezekiel yawned loudly barely reaching the edges of his bed. He rolled over rubbing his left eye as he came over his groggyness. "Finally," he said excitedly as he sat up throwing the covers off before jumping out of bed. Smiling brightly he tapped the button beside his door twice and the walls of his room shifted. Suddenly a beautiful beach view was holodisplayed along one wall while his bed retracted into another and a closet rose up from another corner.

Getting dressing Zeik was all smiles as he hummed to himself," its gonna be a good day. Yeah, I'm 16 and can leave this place," he danced around his room as he straightened his jackets collar before swiping his finger across the back of the bedroom door. It shifted and a mirror replaced the once solid black rectangle. He smiled at his choice of outfit, black baggy cargo pants from today's day and age( think Disneys Aladdin sort of style but with cargo pockets down the sides and black), a soft grey undershirt under a leather sleeveless black vest, black and white high tops, white fingerless gloves, and black baseball cap that was a gift from his older brother before he left for Gumaria.

Sighing Zeik thought about the way the world worked now a days.' People are considered adults at the age of 16. At that time they can either go to Gumaria, which is what 99% of people do, or stay down here on earth where they help the machines keep us children alive. If they chose to go to Gumaria, they never returned.' For some reason no one was able to figure out, no one under the age of 16 could survive for more then a few minutes on Gumarias surface. When pregnant mothers have children, they had them in special hospitals. The babies would be sent back to earth in incubators to live out their lives until they were old enough to leave if they chose. " Tch, doesn't matter anyways given I'm leaving myself today." Today was January 19th, 4081, which so happened to be Ezekiels 16th birthday. He was lucky to turn 16 the day this quarters batch were set off to leave.

Taking a deep breath and shaking his limbs out Zeik snatched up his backpack from the floor and pushed the button to open his room door. Stepping out onto the moving hallway floor he made his way towards his training facilities. "Today's only a half day for me. At lunch I finally get to leave."

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Taking off his hat and stuffing it in his bag Zeik gritted his teeth trying to hold his temper. All day today the snot nosed little rich kids Brad and Erik had tormented him knowing today was their last chance. He'd been shoved, made fun of, knocked down half a flight of stairs, and even shoved in a trash can. "Come on this is the last hour. You can do this Z, you can do this," he mutter to himself the same words his brother always used to say to him. Soon the class started and the teacher bored on about survival skills Zeik had long since learned.

Soon Zeiks head fell forward off his hand and the sudden jolt woke him up in a start. Just as the teacher was about to yell at him for his outburst the bell rang letting them know today's lesson was over. "Now don't forget to turn in your papers later this week. Now go, and Ezekiel you have a good one this will be the last time I see you in my class. I hope Gumaria treats you well and I want you to take this," he held out a jet black small book to Zeik.

As everyone was leaving class Zeik walked towards his teacher speechless that he would send him off with something. "I'm sorry sir but what is this?" Zeik gently took the book looking at its cover while he asked the old man. "On Gumaria people found many wonderful things. one of the things that helps people explore on Gumaria are skills and powers and such that can be found all around up there. Just so happens a friend of mine sent me this book forever ago and I never used it. It's a skill book and since I'm staying here I don't need it. You go and be a good hunter and I hope that skill whatever it is helps you out." The old man smiled at Zeik patting him on the shoulder. Zeik speechless thanked him over and over bowing to him. "I promise you I'll make you proud to have had me as a student sir. I will go and be the best hunter there ever was!" With that Zeik ran off towards the office where he'd meet with the officials who'd show him off world.