Chapter 4: Brotherly Sin

When Julia awoke the next day, she quickly looked across the room to the other bed, hoping for some indication that Heichien had come back. Seeing none, she let out a deep sigh, her emotions flowing through her body. In a somewhat dazed and depressed mood, she got up and began the task of readying herself for the day. As she made her way out from the shower and began getting dressed, an idea formed in her mind, and she quickly decided what she was going to do. Abruptly leaving the room in a state that was the only indication of her distracted thoughts, she strode purposely to breakfast, the idea coursing through her brain.

While sitting at a table that was occupied by numerous female combatants, her eyes studied the room, shining for the hopeful arrival of Heichien which would allow her to abandon her plan. Seeing no sign, she mentally steadied herself for what she was going to do. Even though her plan was formulated, time seemed to only crawl by, and she absentmindedly began twirling the laser knife between her fingers. Even though she was quite full, nervousness caused her to feel like she had not eaten; as though breakfast had not even partially eased her appetite. However at the same time the thought of eating anything more nauseated her, and she internally shuddered. Finally breakfast finished, and students began milling their way towards the doors, leading on to their classes and a day full of hard training.

Glancing around quickly to confirm nobody was near, she confirmed that the teachers and students had all gone. Briskly walking out to the hall way, she proceeded quickly to the elevator, keeping as silent as possible. As she reached the soft pulsingglow of the doors they opened silently, allowing her arrival. Quickly entering a floor number, the liftspurred to life and flew down. After what seemed an age, which was in fact mere seconds, the elevator stopped and the doors opened. Cautiously making her way forward, she automatically studied her surroundings, for she had never entered this room. It belonged to her father and was restricted to all students, even her.

As she took in the gleaming marble office and elegant furniture, a portion of the wall suddenly disappeared, marking the place of which could only have been an illusion. It was then that the master of the academy swiftly walked out of the gap in the wall, and Julia saw what looked to be a winding path, leading deep into the unknown.

Noticing the intruder but not at first reacting to the unidentified interloper, the master of the academy suddenly flung himself at the girl. His knees crashed into her ribcage, smashing her to the floor and landing upon her. Being used to the way her father reacts to sudden and unknown appearances of people, she did not move, knowing that if she did he may kill her. As the man looked down at the face below him, he noticed it was his daughter, and released his grip from her throat. Getting off her and standing up, he turned and casually strolled to his desk, sitting down to begin some paperwork. Used to this type of treatment, Julia made her way to achair near to the desk and sat down, waiting patiently.

After finally finishing the work, the Master of the Academy pushed his papers across the table onto a pane of glass. With a flash they were gone, the information being compiled and reconstructed elsewhere. Glaring at her above crossed arms, his look demanded an explanation. After holding his gaze for several seconds she drew a breath to talk, but he sharply interrupted her.

"You are looking for your training partner." It was not a question, but more a statement. If she had not looked for him he would have been sorely disappointed, for training partners were always meant to look out for each other.

Bluntly replying and staring him in the eye, she said "yes". Awaiting his reply, her mind whirled with conjectures as to what he might say. What it was was definitely not expected.

"What I am about to tell you I am telling you for one reason alone. Being Heichien's training partner you are entitled to knowledge not usually revealed to combatants of your rank. I am sure you haven't forgotten the punishment for revealing confidential information, so there is no need to remind you of the unpleasantness." Looking at her with what seemed contempt; he made sure she nodded in reply.

"I had not forgotten." holding his gaze, she awaited his explanation.

"What you should know first, is that Heichien is not from this universe." It took a few seconds for this to sink in for Julia.

"Not from this Universe? What do you mean?" Her voice was full of question and she looked unto her father with a bland expression. Suddenly doubtful of his words, Julia wondered whether he was being serious or not.

"I cannot tell you the complete story; however he comes from another universe, not ours. The universe he lived in was filled with chaos, war reigned everywhere, and each galaxy was fighting another. In some cases a galaxy was split up into multiple factions, it was not a safe place to be. Democracy ceased to exist, and everybody was a combatant; non-combatants did not exist. This meant that through evolution and survival of the fittest, their combatants may have been seen as exceptional in this universe, for they were far more evolved than us."

Suddenly interrupting, Julia asked "What do you mean they were combatants? Where are they now? And what about Heichien, where did he stand in his universe?"

Holding up a hand for silence Julia's father waited for quiet before going on. Sure that his daughter had finished, he continued.

"Wait until I have finished before you ask any questions. Heichiens universe would not have been habitable for us to live in, for it was plagued with nuclear radiation with a concentration level so high that if we entered it unprotected, we would instantly be engulfed and destroyed by it. It seems, however, that the combatant's bodies had evolved to survive." Thinking he had finished, she opened her mouth to ask a question but the Master of the Academy continued on.

"Not long after Heichien arrived in our Universe, the people within the other destroyed everything and the universe collapsed in on itself, eventually leading to a universal supernova. We do not know how it happened, but fortunately we were not affected by it. Heichien was only 3 years old at the time. The sword he carries is priceless, and Heichien cannot be without it, which is why he is given special permission to hold weapons. It is a part of him and cannot be taken away; it would like be taking his brain, or his heart. We don't know what the sword is made of, as all the tests we put it through were inconclusive, which means the material does not exist here."

Julia stared hard at her father for a few seconds, forcing her mind to digest all that had been said, she then asked, "How is he so powerful? He defeated the dragon master in a second without even seeming to try! It just doesn't seem possible!" Nodding in reply Julia's father looked hard at the girl.

"We do not know how he is so powerful. It is evident he knows how and why, like us his memory is perfect; he remembers everything from birth. However the secret has yet to be revealed to us. Now, what else is there that you wish to know?" The man uncrossed his arms from his chest and looked impatiently at the girl.

"Where is he now? Why didn't he come back last night?" Julia's voice was full of question, but it also had a menacing tone that indicated she would not leave without an answer.

Standing to attention with a smooth and graceful movement, the master of the Academy walked towards the opposite wall, where a keypad lay positioned. Pressing a button that cleared that panel for use, he quickly typed in a sequence of codes. "What did you just do?" asked Julia. Before answering, the man walked back to his desk he sat down. "The room has a special magnetic field enabled, which stops some electric devices from working, such as sound listening devices. It also stops wrist-modulators from working." He then pulled back his sleeve from his wrist, where a black device was attached. Tapping it twice, he began speaking into it, he said "Send Heichien back through sector T-11. Julia is here."

After a few minutes of waiting, Julia finally saw Heichien appear from the wall like her father did, seemingly like magic. For a few seconds the illusion was no longer in affect, but it soon was visible again, hiding the pathway to the unknown.

As he stepped out, he casually but briskly walked to the chair next to Julia and gracefully sat down, ignoring the girl completely. Being a little a-taken back, Julia had nothing to say, so she waited. Finally letting out a sigh of impatience, Heichien crossed his arms and looked at Julia's father, waiting him to talk. After a few seconds, Heichien asked "Why is it you have summoned me?"

The Master of the academy looked up at Heichien, returning the emotionless gaze with his own cold stare. "There are a few reasons why you have been called here. The first being, Julia here was worried about you. Remember Heichien you are training partners, if you are going anywhere you must tell her, or she will come looking for you." Letting out an almost inaudible grunt of understanding, Heichien slightly inclined his head. Waving his hand, Heichien said "Continue." Pressing a button on his desk, a screen appeared from within the table. Pressing a key on the screen, some words appeared. "There is only one more thing. I am telling this to both of you. Heichien, Juin will be arriving here tomorrow. Juin will be partnered with someone you know Julia... it's Sindy, and they are both arriving tomorrow. Both Heichien and Julia stared at the man in surprise, for it was the last thing they had expected to hear. "Do you mean Sin is coming here? Where has she been all these years?" Waving his hand in a silencing gesture and rising, the Master of the Academy announced, "I will answer no more questions. I am sure they will answer any questions you ask of them. However there has been a request made and one that I have agreed upon. You two shall be placed in special training with Sin and Juin, like a partnership of four. Your bags have been moved to your new room, as you are in the same room as Sindy and Juin." Seeing Heichien opening his mouth in what he presumed to be protest, the man swiftly stood up and turned his back on them, ignoring anything the two were going to say saying. Reaching a door that had been hidden with an illusion, he opened it and said "I expect you will do as ordered. That is all, go and meet Sindy and Juin in the hall now. Oh and Heichien, please think before revealing top-secret information in class, nobody was meant to know about the new Rexan models yet." With that, he closed the door behind him, the entrance seeming to disappear.

Looking over at Julia, Heichien asked, "You know this Sindy?" With a dreamy expression on her face, Julia remembered back to the time that she was just a small child, and her only friend Sindy. Reality came back to her with a thud, as the question Heichien asked seconds before reached her consciousness. "Yes I do... we were close friends of sought, when we were just children. We would have been only three or so. It's strange, because I don't remember much before then."

With barely a nod in reply, Heichien arose from his chair and began walking to the elevator. Quickly snapping back to attention, Julia arose and followed suit, feeling excited, but at the same time anxious. It had been years since she had seen her friend. She had left with no goodbye, no warning, no note; she disappeared like the wind on a still day, as if she had never existed. However like all wind, it seemed she had come back. When the elevator door opened, Julia followed Heichien in and stood next to him. They did not talk, for they were in their own world of thoughts, wondering what this arrival could mean. As the door opened, the pair exited and began briskly walking to the hall, clearly wanting to see the two. Finally reaching the dinner hall, they pushed open the doors and walked in.

A loud squeal of delight met them, as a blonde haired girl that looked around the age of Julia suddenly ran towards her hugging her. The two animatedly began talking, and Heichien gave a small smirk and continued onwards. Before him with his back turned stood Juin, with headphones in his ears and music blaring, he held a long and slim bag over his shoulder while slightly moving his head to the beat of his music. Seeing that Juin hadn't noticed him, he let out a sigh. As he did so, Sindy and Julia turned to the other two, noticing that Heichiens right hand was on the hilt of his sword. With a flash, Heichien drew his sword and slashed at Juin in one smooth action, the blade swiping through the air of where Juin had been standing just a moment before.