Chapter One - The Trial

***

Oliver

My entire life had been culminating up to this point. If I could make it through the trial, not only would i be the youngest person in history to receive my pink robes, i would also be the first gay male to achieve the feat. the first person to ever earn their pink robes had been a lesbian, but no gay man had ever reached that status. Now here I was. I was going to show them all how hard i had worked to get this far.

My toe slipped past the start line. I drew it back hastily. If someone had seen that, they could have disqualified me. I looked up and down the row of people in differently colored exercise clothing. I was the only one in white. Everyone else wasn't in their child colors. That meant I was the only one younger than 18 competing this year. It was optional, after all. Nevermind that, I could still beat them. Then again, that's what i thought last year. But this year would be different. I could feel it.

There had always been people who held me back in life. Like my ex-boyfriend, Miles. He was sweet, and I liked him quite a bit. But he didn't like my competitive nature, and how fixated I was on my training. And he broke up with me because of it. It was still fairly recent, and of course i was sad, but it was also liberating. Now my full attention was on this.

***

Axel

I chewed on the end of my pencil, staring at the monitor. Blonde kid? I thought. Heh, I wonder how far he'll go. I was trying to contain my jealousy. I hadn't made it past the written part of the trial, for the third year in a row. Every year this blonde kid made it to this part of the trial. Every year he fell short. Last year he got second. I couldn't help but root for him, even if I was jealous. He would have tough competition this year, everyone else was over two years older than him. I put the pencil on the desk the monitor sat on.

He had an athletic and agile body, as I had seen countless times before. He was adaptable, and always seemed calm in every situation. I knew if I made it this far I wouldn't be as collected, but my sheer bulk and muscle might be enough to get me the coveted pink robes. I felt a hardy slap on the shoulder from my father behind me.

"It's rude to stare, son."

"Oh," I said, startled. I didn't realize I was staring. But I did that a lot without realizing. I glanced away from the monitor. It wasn't going to start for another minute, and everyone knew the good stuff didn't happen for a good few minutes at the beginning. I walked to the back of the office, to the minifridge. I grabbed out a soda for myself and a beer for my father.

"You know, if you want to date him you're a part of the upper class-" my father started.

"Dad, it's not like that."

"You've kept your eye on him every year. It doesn't take a genius to figure out when my son is attracted to a boy." Father opened the beer and took a large swig. "I approve, if that's what you're worried about. And if he wins, you'll be one of his bodyguards for the ceremony now that you're 16."

"I hate you," was all I could think of to respond. It wasn't like he was wrong, the blonde boy was very pretty. Not that I would ever say it aloud.

***

Oliver

A loud whistle sounded from all around, and I took off. First section was always a race on foot. I was quick, but not the fastest. I was the third person to make it to the second section. The second section was always some sort of obstacle course. This one was pretty basic, platforms at 45 degree angles were placed in a zigzag pattern a few feet above a pool of water. I started to jump between the platforms. I heard people in front of and behind me slip and fall into the water, making a loud splashing noise. I didn't break my focus.

Jump, jump, jump. I noticed there was a girl in front of me, very quickly lengthening her lead. I quickened my pace, and slipped and fell into the water. I quickly swam back to a ladder and climbed up. I would have to start all over, and on top of that with wet shoes.

I fell a few more times, but I was able to make it to the third section in fifth place. The third section was a wild card. It could be anything. This time it was multiple sections of pole chained to the ceiling, with no footholds or handholds. You had to get across a large pool that was below it. And my arms were still very wet. I shook them off the best I could and walked backwards a bit to get a running start, as the first pole was a bit away from the edge of the pool.

I cleared section three in a surprisingly short period of time, and was in second place as I ran to section four. A simple 50 yard swim. I cleared it in no time.

***

Axel

He cleared the first three sections with ease. This year's course focused mainly on agility and acrobatics, so I wouldn't be very good anyway. My father had continued his relentless taunting, seemingly fixed on the idea of his son dating a soon-to-be pink robe. I could see why, since he didn't think I could earn the pink robes myself, marrying someone with them would instantly grant me purple robes. I would have a very high social standing with that.

But that's not what mattered to me in a relationship. The whole robe thing was a bunch of crap, but it was still an interesting sport. And the competitors wore very cute outfits. I felt myself staring at the blonde boy again.

"Father, do you know his name?" I asked, pointing to the boy on the monitor.

"Oh, I'm surprised you don't. He's the son of the council member of Law. His name's Oliver, I believe."

"Oliver," I muttered. It was a fairly common name in these parts, but I had always liked it.

"Since I am a council member, I am aware he is 16, like you."

"Why haven't I seen him in my classes? And why doesn't he wear yellow robes if he is the son of a council member?"

"He is tutored privately on his family's estate. And I believe he enjoys being seen as a kid, it's much more media attention if he's wearing white robes in the trial than if he's wearing yellow." I nodded, and returned my eyes to the screen.

***

Oliver

Section five. The elimination section. This task was the hardest, and you could be eliminated if you failed. This year it was a series of trip wires strung from the walls, floors, and ceilings, creating an all but impassable net of wire. The girl in front of me, who had been in first since the start, nimbly slid through the wires.

This was the second to last section, so I needed to get ahead of her if I wanted any chance to win. It was risky, but it was my only chance. I slid through the wires, over and under, to the left and right, and did it at a pace that could end my run of the trial right now.

But somehow I passed her. And somehow I came out the other end first. But she hadn't been eliminated, so I still had close competition. I heard the people behind us dropping like flies. I ran to the final section. It was a multiple circular platform arranged in rings with some levers in the center. I stood on the platform and started to flick the levers. Each one rotated a different circle a certain way. I had finally figured the puzzle out when the girl caught up to me. By now I had been able to lift the platform a few feet, and she was trying to scramble up.

She was quite beautiful. Her hair was red and drawn up in a tight bun, her face natural with no makeup.

"Can't you just let me win? I've been trying for years, and I'm so tired." she whined. I was not expecting that at all, considering she had gotten that far, she didn't seem like someone who would complain. She gave me what appeared to be puppy dog eyes.

"Sorry, why don't you save your pretty face for the heteros?" I mocked, pulling the final lever towards me quickly. The platform shot upward and she let go out of shock.

***

Axel

"Heh," I chuckled. "That was a good one." My father nodded. "At least he's got a sense of humor. That redhead was really grasping at straws there." He nodded again.

***

Oliver

The platform joined with a stage, and there were camera flashes and spotlights. A tall person, named Berry Teller, the official host of the trial, walked over to me with the medal. They clapped their hand on my shoulder.

"This here is the newest addition to our pink robe ranks! And he is the youngest in our history, as well as the first homosexual male to acheive this level. As you may know, our first winner, over four centuries ago, in the year 2032, was a homosexual female. Now the cycle has finally come to a close. And it's my honor, as the first non-binary person to earn the robes I wear now, to bestow the medal upon this boy, who had come so close in years past and finally achieved what he has been striving for." Berry was handed a medal by someone else and placed it around my neck. The crowd went wild. I could barely force myself to blink, I was so startled.

***