Devil's Contract

Sometimes memories haunt you in a way where you can't love yourself or the person you've become. Sometimes you fight so hard to forget a bad memory that it ends up being hard to let go. Then there are times when you refuse to let go of those tarnished memories because they are the only one's that drive you to live. To remind you that you aren't done yet. You still have something to fight for. Those, those memories are the hardest to live with. You know what you have to do, but you just can't bring yourself to truly accept those thoughts.

"Rena, it's time to get up. You're school called to remind me of your trip, why didn't you tell me you had a two day field trip to Sector B?" Rosa asked opening the door.

Rena looked over from her place on the bed, cursing deeply in her mind.

"I didn't plan on going though," Rena stated.

"Heh, that's funny. I thought you said you weren't going," Rosa asked with a laugh.

"That's exactly what I said," Rena stated again.

A huge angry mark appeared over Rosa's head, "now you only go through school once. You have to take all the chances to invoke fun learning. You have no choice in this matter."

Rena sighed knowing that she couldn't get through to her aunt in this state.

"Fine," Rena sighed and grabbed her bag to fill up with cloths for the next two days.

"Good, have lots of fun! Tell me all about it later!" Rosa smiled happily as she left the room.

Rena sighed knowing there was no way out of this one.

The pier at 6 in the morning wasn't so bad. It had a nice dusty rose color for the rising sun. It was the summer season but the mornings felt cool.

A breeze blew by waving her hair.

"Good morning," she turned to see the stand in teacher, "we'll be setting sale shortly. We'll discuss groups when we board the boat."

Nirvana- Boat to Sector B

Date: 11, July, 0026

Time: 8:23 AM

"Ah, how boring. Why are we visiting this part of the city? It's just so...dirty," Aya sighed in an annoying way.

"Aya, you shouldn't say that. It's all a part of our history. We only know so much from history class, we have to see it for ourselves," Wreika said with a matter of fact voice.

"But it's break," Aya w.h.i.n.ed.

Rena sighed at this exchange. How she ended up in a group with these two was beyond her.

"Right, Rena why don't you join in our conversation. You don't want to be here either do you?" Aya asked.

Rena looked up from her book. Honestly, she agreed with Aya on this. They were supposed to be on break, but her aunt received a reminder call from the school about today's Two-day trip to Sector B of Nirvana. Her aunt happened to be getting ready for her own trek across the entire old country to write about this serial murderer. So now, after trying to hide this stupid trip, she ended up going on it anyways.

"I have to agree," she sighed putting her bookmark on the page. It surprised the two but they quickly picked up momentum with their conversation.

"See, even our anti-social team mate agrees," Aya stated.

"I see, well we have to go anyways. So we've got to deal. Also remember, we don't have to do our assigned homework because we are going on this trip. We just have write about what we learned or keeping a diary for the next two days," Wreika reminded.

That was the only good thing about the trip, but Rena had already planned on doing the homework instead of the trip.

The boat bobbed and all heads turned to the upcoming island.

It wasn't always an island. This whole water way wasn't always flooded. Under the waves lay the decaying buildings of the old parts of the city.

"The water really rose high, didn't it?" Wreika asked looking down at the waving water. What is seen are the tallest buildings that didn't get toppled over during the great floods.

"Maybe it's still rising?" Aya asked also looking over the railing.

The boat shifted making everyone stumble. They were heading into the port. In the background they could see lots of buildings that were run down or breaking from the years past.

"Why are we coming to this run down place? Wouldn't students' get hurt?" The class representative asked the acting teacher, Mr. Shayne.

"It's for educational purposes Elizabeth. Besides we aren't staying in those buildings. There is a section of the city being rebuilt and it has comfy accommodations for students. This isn't the first trip to these sectors," Mr. Shayne stated.

"Tch," Elizabeth clicked her tongue and walked back toward her group.

There were 16 students and 1 acting teacher. The whole grade was made up of 172 students and 6 teachers. None of those teachers were willing to come, but this assistant agreed. The school agreed to let him chaperone this trip since they already spent money on it.

His name is Nelson Jamason Shayne, and he is connected to the board of directors in the school district. He has dark black hair set in a messy style and cold grey eyes. Outside his looks, he isn't a bad person. He is strict and stoic about most subjects, making him a difficult figure for students to like, but once students' come to him he makes the student feel important. He is the embodiment of the Perfect Teacher. Knowing when teaching a lesson is appropriate and when being a listener is needed.

"Alright let us get ready to leave the ship. We can't come back if we forget anything, so make sure you have everything with you," Mr. Shayne stated with a clap. The students' followed the instructions and made their way to leave the ship.

The amount of people on the boat wasn't much. Aside from the student's Gilda's Academy for the Gifted, there were some construction workers come back to work, a few people just wanting to leave the city, and a young child with crazy eyes.

Rena looked behind her to see the blue eyes watching her back.

"Rena let's go, we don't want to be separated and have to look for you," Aya stated as she pulled up her bag a bit more.

Rena returned her attention to her group mates, "yes," and they unboarded the ship.

On land they grouped up with a man in a suite. He was most likely the propriator of the island and he'd be explaining the itinerary for the trip.

"Welcome students. I am glad to see so many of your here," the man in the suite said.

Truth be told, the biggest hoard of student's he'd ever seen was less then 10. It was an experience to have more then that.

"I am Johan Christopher Robinson, I am both the acting mayor and the owner of the site you'll be staying at for the next two days," he said pointing to an area that is lit up, "before we head off to that area I will ask that you all stay in your groups. There's a lot of construction areas and most places are unsafe still. With that out of the way let's head off."

The land was in brutal shape. There were places that had rising water and the upper levels had decaying buildings. Along the path also had growing plants you'd see in a swamp.

"Gross," a girl, Emily, screeched as she squelched into the murky water.

"My, my, are our city children so used to the dry land that this little bit of water shakes you?" Johan asked getting a chuckle from the class.

"Well, you didn't say there would be water along the path. I thought this whole area would be out of the water?" she asked with sure fire anger.

"Of course there would be water close to this edge. We just came from the docking port and every year the water rises throughout this land. You can't expect a clean cut out road for you," he explained.

"See here, we're seeing an old city becoming a jungle from these plant growth. After the water levels started to rise more land was being consumed each year. In the abundence of water the plant life began to thrive. It's both a beauty and a scary thing. This tells us that we still have a lot of learning to do." he explained touching a leaf.

"That's all nice but I'd like to get to a dry place and change out of my shoe. You can say all you want, but a wet shoe will just cause me distress and a chance of illness, Mr. Robinson." Emily explained.

Emily is one of the more outstanding students in the school. Her academic career has marked her as the top student and still rising. She is in the gifted course for moving ahead. Her end goal is a seat in the political world.

"Yes, yes. Let's get moving again," he said and the class followed him to the lit area where some completed buildings lay.

The biggest building had nothing on the sky scr.a.p.ers the main land of the city had. It was labeled as a make shift hotel.

"This is the building you'll be staying in. It is called the Marina, and there are rooms set up for two groups of students to use. The rest is up to you, Mr. Shayne." Robinson stated and walked away.

"Alright, I have your room assignments. I'll read your groups off. Come get your key when I do. After you have settled in I'll let you have the afternoon to yourselves. Tomorrow we'll be visiting the open construction areas," Mr. Shayne explained and started to read off the list.

Rena, Aya, and Wreika were in room 3 along with Elizabeth, Emily, and August.

"What a total bummer. I can't believe that tool just made me walk all the way in wet shoes. He should have warned us!" Emily was still complaining about her unfortunate accident.

"You should have done your research," Elizabeth stated as she adjusted her glasses. She looked at the book in her hands and turned to another page.

Aya and Wreika put there things on the sleeping mats and headed out. They didn't like being around the advanced members of the academic classes.

"Oh, right. Rena, was it. You were supposed to be a member of the elite class weren't you? Why are you settling for the weaker classes?" Elizabeth asked recalling an interaction with the student council members.

Rena looked up from her bag. Her red eyes met deep black ones.

"I'm sorry but I don't disclose information with an elitist," Rena stated and walked out of the room after she had what she wanted.

Rena left the building and looked up at the pale grey sky. After the world went through it's final war, the sky ended up covered by a grey cloud. The sun beats through easily but not much else did. All kids and a.d.u.l.ts have grown up with never seeing the moon or stars. Instead it's left to the imagination of those who dreamed.

"Excuse me," a young child asked. It was the same child from the boat.

Rena looked down at her.

She had dark blue eyes and pure white hair. Her smile was crooked and dark just like the atmosphere around her.

"I know you're not human, why are you following the norms so easily?" she asked almost peering through Rena's soul, "you aren't what you say are you? I found a figment unlike the rest of you."

Rena gripped her hand tightly.

"What are you talking about? I'm just a normal student on a field trip," Rena gave her best smile.

"Come with me, I'm sure your curious, about Alpha, aren't you?" the child asked with a koi smile.

Rena's eyes grew wide but she didn't show anything more.

"You don't have to trust me. I'm only here to relay a message to the boy in sheep's clothing. What you learn is up to you if you take it as truth or uneeded information," she explained and began walking away.

Rena looked around but inevitably decided to follow the young child.

They came into a clearing with broken down buildings sticking up from the murky water.

"War is a scary thing. It takes all the things we create and turns it against us. It shoots down the impressive architecture and causes mother earth to correct itself in one way or another," the girl said as she turned to face Rena.

"What side do you take? The side of destruction or the side of reconstruction?" she asked with a smile, "I'm for the later."

"You say that, but it's still destruction with either choice, that's what your saying, right?" Rena asked.

"Of course. You can't have reconstruction without some form of destruction. Which is why I've come. I'm here to see what side you've chosen, Ren," she asked her eyes giving off a feint glow.

"And for who are you working for? No one knows my true name nor the truth about what happened. What is it you really want?" Ren asked giving off an equally dark aura.

"Heh, calm down, calm down. I'm only the messenger remember. I'm here for your answer nothing else, but if you don't co-operate I will use force to get my answers," she stated with an agitated tone.

Ren looked her up and down. Despite the dark aura she is giving off and the agitation he'd sprung up on her, he felt no malicious intent.

He sighed, "I'll answer if you will answer one of my own questions."

She simmered down and smiled, "I gave no word I'd keep any secrets, but I will answer only one question."

"Why do you need to know my answer?" Ren asked.

"Why? You ask. Heh, I don't know much about the big bosses or their thinking, but you have a strong connection to the main body. They are in need of your services, but they don't trust a fragment. You are broken and there's a chance of repair, so they can't put full faith into someone who can slip through the cracks like you have," she explained.

"Heh, I see. It might not be me that their after though. As you said, I am a fragment and a broken one at that," he sighed.

"Now give me you're answer. Which do you prefer? Destruction or Reconstruction?" she asked again.

"There's no difference in their eyes, but I prefer destruction. I'll destroy their organization and return what was lost to me. I'm not going down without a fight," Ren stated.

"My, what a bold boy you are. I can see many fun things to happen in this future of ours. How many paths can we create I wonder?" she asked as her body began to fade away.

"Paths?" Ren asked as she disappeared completely.

He sighed and returned to the building his classmates were staying in.

Destruction or Reconstruction. What do they want to reconstruct?