All cadets selected for the officer''s division were directed to another place within the Shepherd Tower. They had two days before the rest of the officer cadets arrived. Lia and Edith parted with a hug, and Edith promised Lia she would put in a good word for her once she graduated so that she could better choose where she would be stationed.


    Kenan, Cole, Edith, Cornelia, Cyril, and Virgil sat in a waiting area to see where their barracks would be. There was a silence among them, especially those that Cole beat them moments ago.


    “So where is everyone from?” Cornelia spoke up and said.


    “My sworn brother and I are from Greenwood City. Also, my name is Kenan,” He said, introducing himself.


    “I''m from a neighboring city called Redbird,” Edith said.


    Cornelia, Virgil, and Cyril all had a confused expression.


    “Where on earth is that?” Virgil asked.


    Kenan laughed at their expressions. “Our cities are under 75 years old so you probably haven''t heard of them. How about you guys? Where are you all from?”


    “Well, given that my last name is Nomad, I''m from a human colony. it''s not very big, maybe 50,000 people or so.” Cyril spoke.


    “Do all people from human Colonies take on the last name Nomad?” Edith asked him.


    “Most of us do it just because it''s easier to find others from human colonies that way once we get to big cities. You can''t imagine the difference between city life and a human colony.


    “I''m actually from Jacob City, born and raised. My dad was a shepherd officer, so I''ve lived a pretty good life here.” Virgil said.


    “I’m from Wi-Fi City,” Cornelia said softly. She looked completely different without her helmet on. She had light brown skin with even lighter brown curly hair.


    “Isn''t a Wi-Fi city like the most technologically advanced city in the country?” Kenan said.


    “Heck yeah, it''s the major city closest to us. We passed it on our way here. I always wanted to go, but it''s so expensive.” Cole said.


    “Yeah, it''s alright,” Cornelia said, shifting in her seat.


    “So, what exactly is your ability,” Cyril said, looking at Kenan.


    “Is it super strength? Because you knocked that guy out pretty easily.” Cornelia said, eager to change the subject away from her.


    Kenan couldn''t keep back his smile. “Along with being an awakened Sentient, I also have a mimicry ability.” Kenan activated his abilities on his hand, turning it into a silvery metal.


    “How did he do it just within his hand? Every Time I do it, I have to do it throughout my whole body. Edith thought. “You''ll have to show me how you did that later.” She said.


    “Just the two of us?” Kenan said, eyebrows raised.


    Edith blushed a little and said. “Only if you want it to be.”


    Kenan “Coughed” and quickly looked away. “I didn’t expect her to say that.”


    “But how in the world are all three of you Sentient beings and from some remote city? The odds of that happening are less than one percent. Heck, the fact that you''re even a Superior and qualified to be within the Shepherds is a miracle in itself,” Virgil mentioned.


    “Well, I just became a Sentient not too long ago, at least within 48 hrs. Oh yeah, that reminds me that I should tell my parents, right? I should be able to beat that old man now.” Cole said, rushing up from the lounge area to call his parents.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    “I wonder how powerful that old man of mine is right now," Kenan thought. His aunt was way too vague about it whenever he asked. He looked up to three pairs of eyes looking at him as if asking him something.


    “Yeah, he awakened on the way here. Edith saw it,” Kenan said.


    Three heads snapped in Edith’s direction. “Honestly, it was the craziest thing I have seen in my entire life. Kenan and I explain to him how he needs to meditate on his martial arts, and then he gets up and awakens right in front of us.”


    All three of their jaws dropped. “He’s an actual monster,” Virgil said. My dad awakened 4 years ago, and he''s been meditating on his martial arts for at least 20 years! He said, sinking back into his chair. If I told him this he would probably bite his hand off.


    “There was only one Sentient being that I knew, and he was the protector of the human colony,” Cyril said.


    “Yea there aren’t that many awakened beings in general it''s mostly the Elder families that produce them besides the Shepherds that is,” Cornelia said.


    “Really? Mhm, I never knew that?” Edith said.


    Kenan remained quiet the whole time. He didn''t want them to know he was tied to an Elder family. Mostly because he hated most members and felt like he cheated into becoming a Sentient, he was sure that only one of his three cousins would be a Sentient; he wasn''t sure about the other two. The real geniuses are Edith and Cole, and their awakening is like the chances of a mosquito killing a tiger.


    Before another conversation could happen, Cole returned with a young enlisted shepherd lady to direct them to their barracks.


    ***


    Kenan wasn''t sure what floor they were on within the tower because his and Cole''s living quarters had no windows. The room provided the bare minimum of what they would need: a bed, a desk, a closet, and a bathroom to share. Their room was just big enough to fit all of the young enlistednshepherdnch bigger needed.


    Kenan was glad he got to roommate with his sworn brother and anyone else, and he could feel it being too crowded. They were in their room and about to sleep for the night. They were told they could use the next three days to get familiar with each other and prepare for the training they were going through.


    Kenan got up from looking at the ceiling and faced Cole, who was throwing a ball against the wall and catching it from his bed. “Hey man, there''s something you gotta know about me and my family, well, my extended family.”


    Cole caught the ball and sat up to listen. “What happened, do? Do owe them money or something?”


    “Nah, nothing like that,” Kenan takes a deep breath. “ I am from the Ogun Elder family, and my dad is the firstborn son. So I''m tied to them indefinitely regardless of whether I hate them.”


    Cole put a hand on his neck. “To be honest with you, bro, I don''t know much about the whole Elder Families business. But from the sound of it, they are rich and powerful. Anything beyond that is news to me. Why do you hate them?


    Kenan exhaled. “Thank God I got a brother who lived a simple life under a rock. This makes it a lot easier for me. Anyways among the powerful families especially the Elder families arranged marriages is commonplace it ties powerful families together and some other political stuff that I don’t care to get into. My Dad, being the family''s first-born son, was destined to have an arranged marriage just like it was. He didn''t accept it, especially after meeting my mother.


    “This led the rest of the family to resent him and despise my mother. They treated her like trash to the point where my father cursed all of them and threw away his birthright. I grew up somewhat around my extended family, especially when I was younger. But as I got older, we would only see them at major gatherings. Then, after my dad was MIA, I didn’t see any of them except my Grandfather. Then. Kenan tightened his fist.”


    My mother died, and she was buried at the Ogun Family grave. Tradition says that all members must attend in the death of the immediate family member, but it was only me, my aunt, and my grandfather who attended. I didn’t know how much they despised my mother, but to go against the family''s rules, they just let me know how they didn’t see her as family. I will not be connected to a family who treats my mother that way. . . I hate them. Kenan spoke as he clenched his jaw.


    Cole suddenly grabbed Kenan''s Shoulder, startling him a little. “Your enemies are mine as well. So, if you want to go to war against the ones who treated our mother badly, point me in the direction, and I''ll lead the charge.


    Kenan wanted to cry at his words. “Our mother,” he thought. “This fool I only met a week ago truly does see me as a brother.” “I will fight for him till the ends of the earth,” he said as his eyes began to water.


    Cole grabbed some tissues and patted his sworn brother on the back to comfort him.


    “If you tell Edith I cried . . . I''ll kill you,” Kenan said, throwing the tissue in the trash.


    “What about it? My brother is a sensitive guy, and nothing is wrong with that.” Cole joked.


    Kenan made a mocking face at Cole. “I''m not a sensitive guy.”


    “Bro, you accepted those tissues way too quickly. You would have made me awkward if I wasn''t a momma''s boy.” Cole said while putting up his hands in defense.


    There was silence, and both of them paused and started laughing.


    “But know, seriously, if you tell Edith, I’ll kill you,” Kenan said, holding up a knife-hand.


    Which made Cole laugh even harder.


    “Anyways, I also told you that because I have three other cousins my age, they should be joining us here at the Officers Division. I don’t have any personal beef with them, but since they stand with my family who were against my mother, they''ll taste the end of this fist.”


    “Are they just as strong as you? Wait, aren''t you supposed to have fire ability? I don''t know much, but know that the Oguns wield fire.”


    Kenan''s eyebrows furrowed. “I don''t know. I honestly was expecting to wield fire as well. honestly, I think my dad did, right?” He asked himself. “I asked my grandfather about it, but he didn''t say much; he was pretty shocked once he saw my mimicry ability. As for my cousins, they should at least be on par with me and one that definitely could be stronger.”


    “Stronger than you? That''s exciting.” Cole brightened.


    “I haven''t seen them in three years so I''m unsure. Also, remember, bro, my martial arts is centered around an any way. You haven’t seen what I can do. Also, I''m going to use a weapon next time we fight.”


    “Really how come?”


    “Because I think I''ll lose if I don’t,” Kenan said, leaning back on his bed. “After seeing your fight today. Bro your ability to determine the flow of the fight is amazing. You''re not anyone to take lightly.”


    “I''m glad you think so,” Cole said while getting up from his bed and stretching. “I''m about to go to the cafeteria to eat. Are you coming?”


    “Nah I''m going to meditate,” Kenan says positioning himself.


    “You''ll have to show me how to do that later. I''m not sure how to gather Ruah at all.”


    Kenan nods his head as he closes his eyes. “I got you, bro.”


    Cole left and Kenan was left Alone with his thoughts. “ Who knows my cousins could be way stronger than me now. They have a master guiding them.”


    “This system is amazing, though I was able to analyze quite a few people. I should have tried it in one of the Shepherds, but who knows, that could have a way of feeling themselves being analyzed. The last thing I need is someone realizing I have Psionic Technology. If it got exposed, I would have no choice but to go to my family.” Kenan rolled his eyes intentionally at the thought.


    “I wonder how things are going in the family anyway?