290 Solemn

The entirety of sector one, the academy, was massive.

From the map Atticus had seen, there were five different major areas in the academy.

And at the very center of sector one was the academy campus.

The academy campus was unlike any school or universities back on Earth; if one were to take in how large it was, considering the states back on Earth, it was twice as large as New York.

The academy campus had everything one would need in a city. It was divided into multiple regions, and each region had different purposes.

The location Atticus and the other first year leaders had access to was nothing more than a drop in the ocean considering the number of facilities available in the academy campus.

Unlike what Atticus had thought, the number of recreational facilities in the academy campus was a lot. The first years simply didn't have access to it yet.

Nestled within the heart of the bustling campus, a towering skyscraper stood as a beacon of architectural prowess.

Majestic in its height and imposing in its presence, this structure captivated the skyline.

Cloaked entirely in glistening transparent glass, the building exuded an air of modern elegance.

Each expansive glass panel was meticulously outlined by crisp white lines, tracing the edges with precision.

Within the highest floor of this imposing skyscraper was a very plain looking office.

The office was incredibly plain. There was a shelf filled with books, a large obsidian desk, and exactly two sofas, each facing the other with a table in between them.

That was all.

The pristine white color that covered the entirety of the office made everything look even more plain.

Inside the office, there was only one presence.

Standing by the transparent glass was a man.

He had a touch of brown hair and was impeccably dressed in a tailored white suit.

Both hands clasped behind his back, the man gazed at the beautiful scene of the whole academy campus from the top of the building, through the transparent glass like wall as though a father looking at a child.

The whole space was completely quiet, a silence that was constantly being broken by the sound of an occasional sip of tea from a small cup.

If one should look closer, they would see that the cup was floating in the air by some invisible force.

The cup periodically floated to his mouth and then by the side the next instant.

It was a serene moment.

Alas, this peaceful moment was abruptly shattered by the sound of the unassuming door, at the opposite end of where the man was standing, sliding open without any heads up.

And from the other side, a woman who bore a striking resemblance to the brown haired man, with the same hair color, walked into the office.

The brown haired man didn't even need to turn to see who had entered the office. There were a handful of people amongst those present in the academy campus that could enter his office unannounced.

"Staring at the students again, huh, Dad?" the brown haired woman remarked as she immediately spotted the man standing by the window.

With a subtle shake of her head, she gracefully settled onto one of the plush sofas.

Propping both legs casually onto the table, she crossed them with an air of nonchalant ease. Her hand found its place behind her head, contributing to the effortless relaxation as she leaned back into the embrace of the sofa.

""

The brown haired man, Harrison didn't offer any response, the room descending into an awkward silence.

Isabella chuckled a bit, a little amused, and didn't say anything after. She knew her father well, after all.

After a few seconds, Harrison finally spoke, his voice filled with sagacity and wisdom, "Isabella," he called out.

Isabella winced.

'Shit,' she released a slightly frustrated sound, 'Not this again!' She thought in frustration.

Isabella took in a deep breath, 'Calm down, calm down, maybe it wouldn't be long this time around?' She thought, trying her best to reassure herself.

Isabella knew her father well, too well. Anytime he called her name like that, a very long lecture was about to ensue.

A lecture that always bored her to death!

Don't you hate it when your parents lecture you about something you were already well aware of?

With a small sigh, Isabella decided to respond, "Yes, Dad?"

Harrison went quiet once again, not saying anything.

'This will be a long one,' Isabella released a deep exhale. The last time something like this happened, she had to listen to him speak for one frigging hour!

Harrison's voice brought her out of her thoughts, his gaze lingering on the bustling students below as he asked, "Isabella, when you look at all the students down there, what do you see?"

Isabella observed them from her position, her eyes narrowing slightly. "I see self entitled sheltered brats who feel like they're the center of the world, well, apart from some."

Harrison fell silent, allowing the ambient silence of the surroundings to fill the void.

After a contemplative pause, he responded, "Isabella, these young minds are more than just 'brats.' They are our achievements, the culmination of our hard work the ones destined to carry forth our legacy. They represent our future."

There was a brief pause, during which Isabella noticed her father's gaze drifting towards the students below.

He continued with a solemn tone, "Our generation is on the brink of passing the torch, and, truthfully, it pains me to admit that we've encountered shortcomings. The path meant for the next generation should be smooth, yet they are poised to inherit a road fraught with challenges."

Isabella became silent.

It was true that her father's speeches had always been super boring, so boring that she always fought to stay awake.

But this time around, Isabella could feel it. The weight of every single one of the words he spoke.

The weight was palpable.

It was then that Harrison's words registered in her head, 'Shortcomings?' she thought.

Sure, the current state of the planet was dire, thousands of people were dying on the battlefields every single day.

But even then, they were all trying their best, right? It wasn't enough for Harrison to say their entire generation had practically failed in their duties.

That was too much.

Just as Isabella was about to speak, her form froze as she heard Harrison's next words,

"They want Sector 10,"