ANTihilation

The moment Zuno exited his house, his feet landed straight on the street, with the bright sun above him displaying his pale skin to the world.

Today was his last day in Pavee, and he wanted to spend it happily. With the money he had left, Zuno decided to visit his favorite shop and buy his favorite sweets; it wasn't a lot, but enough to get at least one.

After walking for a while, Zuno finally reached the store he was looking for. It was a small and neat bakery with sturdy stone walls and cute flowers by the window. There was also a tiny wooden covering before reaching the door to shield you from the sun's rays. To Zuno, the shop resembled peace.

With his hand sliding into his pocket, gripping all the money he had left, he walked into the shop. The moment he did, he heard a small, gentle voice call his name.

"Hi Zuno, it's been a while since you stopped by. Did something happen?" The girl said with a bit of worry in her voice.

The person who spoke to him was Zoey Unfrier, the adoptive daughter of the store's owner. She was adorable with natural red hair and captivating eyes resembling Sapphire. Her height was about five feet and two inches. He didn't know her weight but assumed it to be around 110-120 pounds.

She and Zuno started making small talk before an older man walked from the back of the bakery, where the kitchen was.

"Come on, Zoey, It's rude to dig into others' business! Especially with a customer we haven't seen in months!."

Zuno let out a short chuckle as Zoey's face reddened with embarrassment at the man's words. The man was William Unfrier, Zoey's father and the owner of this tiny bakery. 

"No, it's fine. It's fine." Zuno said, still chuckling from earlier, and started to put his right hand into his pocket, fiddling around with the cash inside before taking out the only copper Ziann he had and placing it on the table.

"The usual, please." 

When Zuno finished ordering, William Unfrier replied with a smile and nod of the head before returning to the kitchen. Now that her father's interruption was over, Zoey continued her conversation with Zuno.

"So, why did you disappear on us, our most valued customer?"

Zuno didn't want to answer her, but he knew how Zoey was and that she wouldn't stop pestering him until he gave her a satisfactory explanation, so with a deep sigh, he was forced to spill the beans.

"I've been busy and lately… I was drafted for combat."

The answer was still vague, but Zuno knew the end of his sentence was enough to keep her from digging further into his life.

"That's a shame…"

Zuno heard Willaim mutter this, which caused him to look over at the kitchen entrance, where William had interrupted them a few minutes before. There was a look of shock on Willaim, but another emotion there, too, was more present than the other: grief.

Zunos glanced back at Zoey, noticing that her facial expression matched her father's. Zunos head slumped, his eyes staring at the wooden counter below him; this feeling of dismay was short-lived as his nose filled with a familiar scent. Willam had strolled over and placed two of his favorite delicacies before him.

"I've only ordered one, I-"

William quickly interrupted Zuno before he could finish his sentence.

"It's on the house. Just return to us so we can make you some more."

A newfound resolve filled Zuno as he scoffed down the sweets, savoring the taste with each nibble; after finishing the meal, he glanced at the clock in the corner of the building. It was 11:30, and he only had about 30 minutes to get to the center of Pavee.

"Shit, I'm going to be late."

Zuno quickly scooted the barren plate toward Zoey and William before jumping out of his seat, waving them goodbye, and heading out the door.

As Zuno left, William touched Zoey's shoulder and comforted her.

"He'll be okay, he's a strong kid."

Zoey glanced up at her father's before looking back at the door Zuno had just left.

- - -

Zuno hurried toward the main hall, accidentally bumping into a few people before apologizing and continuing. Upon reaching the hall, he saw its whole figure and sizeableness. It was a vast building made of dark stone walls, with stone pillars holding up the front. About 50 people stood in a line outside the building, being surveyed by people with clipboards who were in front of the doors.

Zuno rushed to the back of the line, quietly waiting for his turn to be surveyed. He noticed some of them were sent away rather than entering the building.

'Lucky bastards'

After a few minutes of waiting, it was finally his turn to be interviewed. The interviewer looked down at his clipboard and then up at Zuno, giving him deja vu of the actions Xavier did at his house. It seemed like his last name was confusing them, and it annoyed Zuno.

"Zuno Kucax, correct?" The interviewer asked impatiently while tapping his pencil on the clipboard, his eyes glaring into Zuno like daggers. Zuno quickly nodded to the interviewer. It was about five minutes of questions before the interviewer finally checked something off on his clipboard and granted Zuno entry into the main hall.

The inside of the building was even more alluring than the outside. The walls were tailored with the art of old Pavee leaders, and there was a stage at the end of the hall. The building was also filled with people, focusing on the people on the stage. One of them Zuno recognized clearly—it was Xavier.

Zuno watched with the others as Xavier walked toward the center of the stage. Behind him were about ten men and women in uniforms, all armed with rifles, a rare sight during these times. Xavier was also dressed in a uniform slightly different from the one he had at Zuno's house. It had a black pin on its collar, resembling a soldier ant, while the guards behind him had silver pins on theirs.

Xavier stood there for a while, his eyes glossing over the people before him. After a moment, he would clear his throat; it seemed like he was readying himself for a speech.