Threats of Fate

Fittingly, Akio celebrated his birthday on the weekend before his first day of school. Sunlight streamed through the window, and a small, lovingly decorated cake with four candles stood on the table. Akio sat eagerly in his chair, his eyes wide with anticipation, while Kiyomi stood before him, admiring the little masterpiece. A gentle smile played on her lips.

"Are you ready, my little flame?" she asked softly, her eyes full of tenderness.

Akio nodded enthusiastically, his tiny fists gripping the edge of the table. Then he exclaimed excitedly, "We're having cake for breakfast today!"

Kiyomi laughed. "Do you know why?"

"IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!"

Kiyomi snapped her fingers. The candles lit up all at once, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Akio clapped his hands in delight. To him, it was just another wonderful trick of his mother's. He admired her so much that he couldn't imagine anyone better to wield such magic.

"Now make a wish and blow out the candles," Kiyomi said, leaning down to kiss his forehead.

Akio closed his eyes, his brow furrowed. A warm tingling sensation filled his small body as he made a wish he wouldn't share with anyone—not even his beloved mother. It was something that made his little heart race, something very special—and then he blew out the candles with a deep breath. Kiyomi chuckled softly, her eyes shining with joy.

"Well done, my little flame," she said lovingly as the wisps of smoke curled into the air.

Akio beamed, and for a moment, everything was perfect—the small cake, the warm sunlight, and the reassuring feeling that all was well.

_____

In the Union, students were given ample time to discover themselves and thoroughly grasp the subjects they studied. It was customary to start school at the age of four and complete it between the ages of 20 and 22. The government had introduced this system after the last great war. Previously, students had been under immense stress, leading to dramatically declining grades and incomplete education for many. To ensure the joy of learning and the optimal development of individual skills, a school system was implemented that allowed students to attend school with minimal stress.

The government had realized that joy in learning was more effective than pressuring students to excel. Attendance improved, students faked illnesses less often, truancy decreased, and even the quietest students participated more in class. This was an outcome the government hadn't anticipated. At around the age of 10, students chose a specialized learning track, which allowed them to identify their personal strengths and weaknesses more easily and quickly. However, it wasn't mandatory for them to remain in the same track until graduation. Most transitions happened within the first two years of a track, as students exchanged ideas with one another and sometimes even swapped tracks. The system aimed to teach students early on to take responsibility and assign tasks according to their abilities.

Moreover, the concept included a provision for parents to accompany their children to school during the first two years of the foundational phase, learning alongside them. Given that the average life expectancy was nearly 200 years, these two years were considered a negligible amount of time.

_____

Akio was excited—today was his first day of school. At just four years old, he was about to begin a journey of discovery. The school, a small village-like complex of six buildings surrounding a shared courtyard, felt like its own little world. Kiyomi accompanied him on this special day, as parents were allowed to attend school with their children during the first two years to ease the transition.

Fascinated by everything, Akio held his mother's hand and marveled at the paintings, crafts, and elaborate calligraphy displayed in the hallways.

"Mom, look!" he exclaimed, pointing to the large painted letters. "Are those pictures?"

Kiyomi laughed. "Those are letters, beautifully drawn. Soon, you'll be able to read them."

Akio pouted briefly. "But I can already read."

"Yes, a little," she replied with a smile. "But soon you'll read even better. Who knows, maybe one day you'll draw letters like these yourself."

Akio looked at his mother with wide eyes and grinned. He pulled her along the hallway, always searching for new impressions, until he suddenly stopped in front of a large window. Outside, he saw a playground, and his eyes lit up.

"Mom, Mom! There's a playground! Can we go out?"

Kiyomi laughed but shook her head. "Not today, Akio. We need to get to your classroom."

Akio sighed but allowed his mother to guide him toward the room where the new students were gathering.

_____

As they walked down the hallway, Akio noticed a tall man with a stern expression walking alongside a boy about his age, with fiery red hair. The boy stared briefly at Akio, then turned to his father.

"Dad, why does that boy look so weird? Has he never seen a school building before?"

Kiyomi gently tugged Akio's hand to hold him back, but Akio couldn't help frowning. "What's with your hair? It's super-duper red! Did you paint it?" he asked the boy curiously.

The boy gave him a disdainful look. "Dad, why does he talk like a baby? Is he stupid?"

Akio stared at the boy, baffled by his reaction, and looked up at Kiyomi, who addressed the boy's father.

"Children are curious," Kiyomi said calmly, "but also direct."

Kevin's father regarded her with a serious, almost annoyed expression. "Yes, but he should learn to show respect. Kevin only said what everyone's thinking."

Kiyomi smiled coolly. "Children learn respect best from role models—when adults treat other parents and their children with dignity."

A flicker of anger flashed in the man's eyes. "My son will show respect where it's earned," he replied, fixing his gaze on Akio. "Children need a strong environment that helps them, not one that coddles them."

Kiyomi met his gaze firmly. "Strength isn't shown by putting others down. Perhaps we should set an example of accepting that every child has their own questions and paths."

Kevin listened silently to his father, briefly looking uncertain. But when his father squeezed his hand, Kevin's expression hardened again.

"Whatever," his father finally said. "Kevin will figure things out at school. As long as he avoids the wrong kids, he'll learn what matters."

Akio looked back and forth between the adults, confused, unable to grasp the depth of the conflict, but Kiyomi's gentle smile gave him the reassurance that she was strong and stood behind him. Still, the tension with Kevin and his father hung in the air like an unspoken threat.

While Kiyomi and Kevin's father continued speaking, Akio decided to address the matter with the boy in his own way. He quietly approached Kevin and whispered, "Why did you say that earlier? I just wanted to ask."

Kevin raised an eyebrow at him and replied in a low voice, "Maybe because you're a baby."

In an impulsive moment, Akio tried to trip Kevin, but Kiyomi caught him immediately and held him back. "Akio, that's not appropriate. You know we don't do things like that," she said firmly.

"But, Mom, he called me a baby!" Akio protested indignantly.

"A baby? Well, that fits," Kevin muttered under his breath, smirking smugly at Akio.

"Young man," Kevin's father called out sharply. "That's enough. What have I told you about respect?"

As Kevin cast another disdainful look at Akio, a brief surge of anger flickered through Akio. He glared at Kevin with open resentment, but Kiyomi's gentle hand on his shoulder kept him in check.

As the two families finally made their way toward the classroom, Kiyomi leaned down and said softly to Akio, "Let's be kind, even when others are not. We show strength by staying true to who we are."

Kevin and his father walked a few steps ahead, and the boy's father muttered just loud enough for Kiyomi to hear, "That boy is going to struggle if his mother doesn't teach him to stand up for himself."

Kiyomi felt anger rise within her, but she responded calmly and with conviction. "My son will learn to show respect and strength in his own way. And one day, that may be worth far more than any arrogant behavior."

Kevin and his father continued walking, and Kiyomi cast a long glance at her son, who now stood beside her, confused and with slumped shoulders. She squeezed his hand lovingly and led him toward the classroom. Though she wished Akio hadn't been confronted with such conflict on his very first day, she knew this might be his first lesson in respect and strength.

At last, they arrived at the classroom, where Frau Wirsing, an older, strict teacher with a warm smile, welcomed the new students. Kiyomi smiled in relief—she remembered Frau Wirsing from her own childhood and knew her to be a calm yet determined figure of authority. Frau Wirsing greeted each child, casting a knowing glance at both Akio and Kevin, who were sneaking glances at each other.

"Akio, Kevin," she said warmly but firmly. "I'm glad to have you both in my class. I expect us all to treat each other with respect and openness."

Kiyomi exhaled deeply as she left Akio in Frau Wirsing's care, but the skeptical look she had exchanged with Kevin's father left a bitter aftertaste.

As she walked out of the room, she murmured quietly to herself, "What could possibly go wrong?"