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SoulBond: A Beacon Of Hope 9• Confession
••••••School bell rang, signaling the school day was over."Hey," Michael calls. "Hey, North, wake up" he said while poking my arm."Bro, wake up, class is over" he exclaimed."Class? I wouldn't even call that a class. That was a free period of torture" I sneered while packing the book off my desk."Yeah, she went on and on about Prom. No wonder you fell asleep" he chuckled."Yeah. When is Rachel gonna realize that after graduation, life is gonna be sticks and stones. She shouldn't get too excited" I uttered while exiting the classroom with Michael."But you are coming for Prom next week, right?" Michael asked."Maybe" I replied. "Hey, did she come?""No. I didn't see her today either" "Oh" I said, my voice laced with disappointment."I still can not believe she is moving to Australia" Michael voiced as we walk down the hall."Well, her dad isn't really in the best position to be called a parent. After all, he did just got arrested. So, she will be staying with her aunt in Australia
SoulBond: A Beacon Of Hope 10• Confession: Two
•••••Immediately she uttered those words, it felt like my heart skipped a beat, and all senses were gone. I then shift my gaze toward her, my eyes meet hers. It took a second to reply, then I said,"Yes""Oh" she uttered, her eyes now towards some distant point."Since when?" She asked."Since the 6th grade" I replied."Why didn't you say anything?""I tried. There were times I wanted telling you, but I was scared. Scared you would say no, and that could put any form of relationship we have or could have in jurperdy. Or scared you would say yes, cause if you do say yes, then what's next? what would be after that. I did not see myself good enough. What was my worth anyways. So I kept a distance, a distance that made me love you from afar""North, we are graduating next week, and after that, we get into a college. When did you plan on telling me?"I slowly turned my gaze towards the clouds, and then towards some distant point, and sighed."When I found worth"Everywhere went silent fo
SoulBond: A Beacon Of Hope 11 • Michael
North POV••••••"Yesterday was great" I said while wearing my sneakers."I hope she goes for prom. Michael needs to know she's okay and it is possible she might be my date. I couldn't reach him last night, which was odd. His line is always available" I uttered while reaching for my phone on the table.I stood up, dialled his line and walked to the door to leave the room. "Still no response. Crap! I hope he didn't get kidnapped. If he did, and his parents do pay ransom, they will definitely start to home school him. Damn! I hope that is not the case" I said as I reached the sitting room.*It is a little bit chilly today. Maybe I should get my hoodie...Nah, I'll be fine*I yourned, shutting the door behind me.It's a Saturday, so I usually go for morning jogs. I started doing that since I was 14. Because, before my dad died. He would always tell me, "A man should always make out time to exercise"I wanted to start from the age of 9, but my mom didn't let me.She would always say, "You
SoulBond: A Beacon Of Hope 12• Michael: ii
•••••"Alright, I'm on my way" I exclaimed while turning off the TV to grab my house keys."No wait! Stan is on his way to get you. He'll be there soon""Yeah.... I see him now" I said while locking the door behind me and seeing Mr Stan's black E200 Benz roll in next to the tree."Great, see you later""Yeah... later" I replied ending the call."How did you get here so fast? The hospital is like 40 blocks away" I whispered as I watched him open the back door for me."Hello, Mr North. Your lift is ready" Mr Stan in his sweet professional voice."Hey, Mr Stan" I said while walking down the stairs to get in. "Fancy ride. Thanks" I voiced as I got in.He entered and we drive off.About 11 minutes later we reach the hospital. 11 minutes of torture I'd say."Thanks, Mr Stan. But could you please slow down next time" I said while exiting the car, my voiced laced with distress."Sorry Mr North. But I did go slow because that was our first ride. I normally go faster than that""Oh, okay. Great
SoulBond: A Beacon Of Hope 13• Michael: iii
Michael POV•••••••*You mustn't be that cold Stan.*"Now tell me, why would my own son, who has a personal driver, let himself drive a bicycle" Dad exclaimed. "I got you a personal driver, a good one! So I do not see why you would want to drive a bicycle instead. When you turned 13, you decided you didn't want to school at the best school in the state, which was allowed! I didn't want to force you. You said you preferred a public school instead, and your mom and I let you. So we got a professional driver who also could protect you"His expression turns thoughtful. "Look son, you have your free will, but you are still my son, and as your father, I'm disappointed in your recent choices" "Sorry, Dad. I just didn't want to feel entitled. I want to do things for myself. I don't want to be known as the son of a wealthy man, I want to be known as Michael. Not for what was handed to me, but for what I do. I appreciate everything dad, even for flying all the way back here to see me, I really
SoulBond: A Beacon Of Hope 14• Michael: iv
•••••An hour laterMy phone rang, waking me up from my sleep."Hello?" I asked."Yes, Mr North, is it?" The person asked."Yes, it's North. Who's this?""I am calling from Jill's store. This is to inform you your violin has been fixed. Could you come pick it up""What! It's fixed. That's great! Yeah, I'll be there in about 25 minutes" I said, my voice laced with excitement."Alright""Wait, is Joe there?""Yes, he was the one who asked me to call you""Okay, thank you!" I said, then ended the call."YES! Finally! I can get to play it again. It's been a week, now I can't wait"I exited the house and got on my bike. But before I could hit the road, Ashlyn called."Hello" "Hi, North" "Hey, Ashlyn, watsup""I'm good. Are you free?""Hmm.. No, not really. Is something wrong?""No, nothing is wrong. I was wondering if you could come to the skate park""Oh, yeah sure. Are you there right now?""No, but I'm about to leave""Alright. Tell me when you get there. I'm about to go get my violin
SoulBond: A Beacon Of Hope 15• Michael: v
••••••10 minutes later.."Okay, where is she?" I muttered as my eyes scan the park.I picked out my phone and called."Hey, are you here yet?" She asked."Yeah, but I can't find you""Uhmmm, are you wearing a grey hoodie?""Yeah""Okay, look to your right, I am waving my hands""Okay! I see you" I said as I noticed her next to a tree.While riding toward her, I noticed two other people with her - A tall guy and an average height girl."Sorry, I brought my bike instead" I voiced as I reach them."Yeah, it's cool. So, how is it?" Ashlyn asked."The violin? Yeah, it looks good. They fixed it"She smiled. "That's great. Come on, let me introduce you to my friends""So.. This is Hima, and that's Dave" she said while giving an introducing gesture. "Hey, nice to meet you" Hima said."Sup, dude" Dave greeted."Hey" I replied."So, the famous North! The one who plays the violin!" Hima grinned."Famous? What..?" I smiled, blushing a little."Yeah. Ashlyn told us about you. She says she has a
SoulBond: A Beacon Of Hope 16• Michael: vi
My heart skipped a beat, but I knew with their support, I was ready to take on the skate park.Yeah! Bring it on!•••••3 hours later."Well North, you're a natural" Ashlyn said."Thanks! It took a while to get the hang of it though""Yeah! Well, it did take you 3hours to get you moving a short distance on your own" Hima said as she laughed, which caused Ashyln to release a little chuckle.I quickly turned to look at her, which made her stop. I chuckled, "Well, you're right, I guess I suck at skating" . Then began to laugh, which caused us all to bust into laughter.Still laughing, Hima asked,"Hey, where's Dave with those snacks".I looked to my left, "Oh, see him coming""Okay, guys. Sorry for keeping you waiting, I had a little hold up on my way back" Dave said as he dropped a bag filled with snacks."Oh really. Is your hold up the counter girl you've been crushing on" Hima exclaimed. "Don't mind Dave. He takes his time to get here whenever he goes to buy our lunches. And that's b
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35• The Exams: vi
••••••I head towards the elevators. Michael waits outside, looking equally drained."Hey, how did it go?" I ask."Three targets, and I couldn't reach the yellow spot" he replies, shaking his head. "Didn't expect it to be that tough."I nod sympathetically. "Same here."We exchange weary smiles and head towards the main hall. The atmosphere is tense, filled with anxious chatter.Claire sits alone, her expression serene. I consider approaching her but decide to give her space.Mia's voice echoes through the intercom. "All examinees, please report to the main hall for the announcement of exam results."The room falls silent, anticipation hanging heavy.Mia stands at the front, a holographic screen behind her. "Welcome, everyone. The exam results will now be displayed."The screen flickers to life, listing names and ranks.My heart races as I scan the list.Gasps and little cheers erupt around me. Some faces fall, while others beam with pride.I search for the names:North Davison: Rank
34• The Exams: v
••••••Mark places his phone down, stares at Tengen for moment."Let me hurry and beat you so I can get back to work""What?! You don't stand a chance! You're already losing""Really?! Let's see what you got""Alright, let me show you what this blind dude can do. Check ball"Mark grins. "You're on!"•••••••30 minutes earlier"Time expired. Task incomplete. You hit 3 out of 6 targets" the AI announces."Not bad North, you almost got it. Your determination is admirable" Diana says with a smile.No.. that was bad. I sucked."Thanks" I reply with a low voice."So, you are given 5 minutes to rest. After that, we'll test your physical strength and endurance" she says, then hands me a water bottle.••••••A while ago."Task complete. You hit 6 out of 6 targets. Time elapsed: 10 minutes" the AI announces."Good job, Larson! You finished before time" Will, the guide says, handing Larson a water bottle."Well, it wasn't that hard. If I really wanted to, I could have finished sooner" Larson say
33• The Exams: iv
•••••"Alright, kindly step into the circle. The timer will start 5 seconds after you're in"I take a deep breath.*I got this.*I step into the circle, grab the floating staff. The suit makes it feel real, the gloves have some magnetic properties, so my hands does not close completely.I stand 5 feets away from the holographic trainer, and wait for it to begin. Suddenly, it flickers and takes my form, then a staff forms on his hand.*Oh.*A drop of sweat forms on my face as the clock goes down to 3 seconds before the session starts. I stare at Diana, then back at the trainer.It then begins.I hesitate, unsure to move. The trainer charges forward, its staff flashing in a blur of light. I flinch, raising my staff in defense. The impact shudders through my arms, and I stumble back.Breathing heavily, I know I have to fight with everything I have.••••••"Time elapsed: 5 minutes" the AI announces.I force myself to move, swinging my staff widely. The trainer parries each strick with eas
32• The Exams: iii
•••••We follow her to a separate building. A building still connected to the main building, but had more floors. Over 15 floors. She leads us to the lobby at the ground floor."Each floor has doors labeled with a number. Kindly locate your room door, a guide is already waiting for you. From number 1-25 on Floor 1From 26-50 on Floor 2From 51-75 on Floor 3From 76-100 on Floor 4From 101-125 on Floor 5From 126-150 on Floor 6From 151-175 on Floor 7From 176-200 on Floor 8From 201-225 on Floor 9From 226-250 on Floor 10From 251-275 on Floor 11From 276-300 on Floor 12.The elevators can carry a maximum of 25 people. There are currently 5 elevators. So you guys will go in sets" she exclaims.We begin moving, locating our doors. It takes a while, but Michael and I finally reach our doors."See you on the other side" I voice, a little bit anxious."Yeah!" Michael replies.I walk into my room and a see a lady. An Avatar just like Mia.She has white long hair with light blue eyes. She w
31• The Exams: ii
••••••"So, the exams are today, huh?" Tengen utters, then fill his mouth with a spoon of ice-cream."Yeah. Over 300 Avatars and 207 Kaleekis. Both from our Sector and Sector B" Mark replies, face down on his phone."That's nice. Hope they will come out well"" 'Nice'? No, that's barely enough numbers""It's better than none. Remember, it's quality over quantity. And I feel like this generation is special""Let's hope so"Tengen smiles. "Yeah" "Your sister is taking the exams, I'm sure she'll do well""Yeah... She'll be fine. So far the newbies I met all showed potential. So, I'm sure they'll all do well" Tengen says, then fills his mouth with a bigger chuck of ice-cream."Next time, let people responsible for the first interaction, do their job. If you decide to go again, I won't follow you" Mark says, his voice laced with annoyance.Tengen smirks. "Huh? Common, it was fun""No it wasn't. Maybe for you it was. But for me it was a drag""Ugh, you're no fun! And why haven't you touche
30• The Exams
••••••As we stepped into the building, we immediately get struck by its serene atmosphere. The interior is sleek and modern, with soft and calming colors.We get greeted by a friendly receptionist with a warm smile."Welcome, your name please" she voice softly.We reply."North Davison""Michael Gadreel" "Okay! North and Michael," she says, checking through her computer. "Welcome, please come this way"She lead to us a sleek, modern desk, where we dropped our phones. Then she hand us each a small black wristband. "Please wear these wristbands at all times during the exams. They will track your progress and monitor your vital signs"We take the wristbands and place them on, feeling a slight tingling sensation as they synced with our bodies."Thank you," she says. "Now, please proceed to the examination area"We follow her directions to a large circular room filled with other new Angel Avatars. Few looks nervous, others determined, while few showed no emotions.We recognize none of t
29• Graduation Day: ii
•••••"Now, that was a cannonball!" He exclaims with a laugh."Hey, guys!" I say as I reach the pool."North...! Finally" Gabriel exclaims. "Do a bigger splash than Michael's"I grin, "Okay"I take few steps back, stare at the spot I decide to land on, then run towards the pool's edge and jump.But instead of landing into the pool, I jump over it and land in the tall bushes close to it."WHAT?!" Gabriel yells with excitement. "That was cool!""Shit! North, are you okay?" Michael exclaims, exiting the pool.Ella just stares, speechless, shocked by what just occured."Yeah.. I'm fine. I'm okay" I say, trying to get up."You're sure? Cause you went over" Michael says, trying to help me up."Yeah, I'm good. The bush broke my fall""Ah... What was that?" Ella asks."I... Play basketball. Yeah, so I work on my legs. I have strong jumps. Yeah, high verticals!" I say, trying to sound convincing."Yeah! Basketball. We get our strong jumps from that" Michael exclaims, trying to back me up.Ella
28• Graduation Day
••••••Michael and I put on our caps and gowns, taking a deep breath as we prepared to face the crowd. As we walk onto the stage, I couldn't help but think of Ashlyn.She should have been here with us, smiling and laughing as we accepted our diplomas.Mom waves from the crowd, I wave back. She blows a kiss, I smile, then turn my gaze to the principal giving his speech.I sigh. But as the day goes, I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment. We made it through high school, now a new chapter begins. Not as a high school graduate, but as an Avatar."Hey, mom" I wave as I approach her."Congrats to my boy. I'm so proud of you!" Mom says as she place a kiss on my forehead, then gives me a hug."Thanks mom"She smiles."So, are you still going to work?""Yeah. I told them I'll be there by 1""Oh. So you still have 40 minutes more""Yeah""Thanks for coming" I smile. "Also, I decided I don't want to go to prom""Oh. That's fine honey. If you don't want to go, you don't need to"I give a fain
27• Meet A: v
•••••"It's okay, it's okay""No, it's not. I watched you die. I let you die. I couldn't save you""It's not your fault. What happened today wasn't your fault. And I'm sure she'll say the same. You need to be strong, okay""How? How can I be? When I couldn't do anything. I just watched as a man killed today""North, strength isn't found in people who don't know fear. Strength is found in people who know fear, but decides to face it. To move forward no matter what it may be. That's true strength. So North, don't back down now, move forward, face it. Take brave but easy steps, and you'll see how much strength is within you" she voice softly.After saying those words, everywhere goes silent. I lay there in her embrace, letting her words sink in.After a while, I ask, "So, you're my Angel, huh?""Yes. I am""And is all this about fighting to restore balance real?""Yes. It's all real""Oh. Okay""Yeah. You're beacon. A beacon of hope. My Avatar""So what should I call you?""Any name you
