THE GATEKEEPER

Chapter 1

Atlantis City

A young man groaned as he leaned against a pole beneath a clock in the middle of a bustling city square. "She’s late," he said.

While looking for the girl he was waiting for, the man kept an eye on the crowds that were going by.He had fair skin, looked about seventeen or eighteen years old, and even though it was midsummer, he was wearing a plain white t-shirt and a black leather jacket.A brown belt with a silver buckle supported his blue jeans, and brown boots with no lace covered his feet.His head was covered in spiky black hair, and a pair of sunglasses covered his eyes.Drake was his name, despite its oddity.

Atlantis City, a floating city built on the ocean floor about 100 miles off the coast of the south-eastern United States, was the square in which Drake was standing.The ruins that are believed to be the real Atlantis were discovered about a decade ago on the ocean floor beneath the current city, so this location was chosen.The Atlantis City Construction Project was initiated by the US government eight years ago because so much of the world was captivated by the idea of living on the ocean above Atlantis. It started as a small, off-shore float where archaeologists and scientists of all kinds could rest in between dives to explore the ocean ruins.The conditions were that donations would be used to pay for the city's construction, but not even the US government anticipated the overwhelming response.In just eight years, Atlantis City had grown into a sprawling metropolis that covered several square miles of the ocean's surface. Contributions came from all over the world.

The city of Atlantis had everything a major modern city could need.Cars were the only means of getting to and from the city. They could take the Atlantis Rail Line, an ocean-floor subway, or the bridges that were built when the city was first built.Because the passengers on board the Atlantis Rail Line could see the ocean floor as they rode the subway for an hour and a half, it had become a popular mode of transportation.Boats were a different way to get to and from the city.The majority of residents are American, but more people of other nationalities are starting to move in.

Drake himself had been fortunate enough to live in this vibrant new city;He had entered a lottery that offered two scholarships to the city college.It included a room in an apartment, almost everything else, except for food and other necessities for daily life.

The only requirement was that he get enough good grades on his final exams from high school. Since he had graduated a few years earlier, all he had to do was send in his old grades.Drake was unaware that his name had been selected because he had not even bothered to watch the lottery draw when it was broadcast on television.He didn't find out he had won until he got a letter from the winner a few days later.He saved money by walking to and from campus because the apartment was only about a quarter of a mile away.He had a steady income because he worked part-time on the city's construction.

Drake surprised both his employer and coworkers by being able to lift and transport small, solid steel I-beams on his own, something that normally required two strong men.

Drake received a substantial increase in his weekly pay and was required to continue working for him by his employer.So, Drake was living happily and didn't worry about his monthly bank statement.Before the start of his third year, he had just finished his second year of college and was in the middle of summer break.

He was currently awaiting the arrival of a close friend, with whom he had planned to spend the majority of the day a few months ago.Drake was debating whether to board one of the sky rails for a bird's-eye view when a female voice rang out after waiting a few more minutes.Sorry for my delay!

Drake turned his head toward the path where the voice came from and recognized a hand standing out over the groups, waving at him.A young woman with fair skin and who appeared to be Drake's age emerged from the crowd a few seconds later.Her waist-length hair made her appearance stand out the most;It was black like Drake's, but unlike Drake, it had a brilliant sheen that gave it the appearance of shining in the sunlight.She wore a white blouse with some embroidery, a black skirt that almost touched the ground, and a pair of black high heels that were the same shade as her eyes as Drake's outfit.She carried a small, black purse by her side.The girl's pale blue eyes were staring up at Drake's face when she got close enough to him to see that they were almost the same height.

"Let me speculate;Drake guessed that it was hard for you to get away from your father, and he didn't even bother to say hello when the girl stopped in front of him.

She hung her head and let out an affirmative sigh.That is correct.He continued to bother me about why I would have been out the entire day without anyone else;He might be right about me seeing someone, I think.I have no idea how long it will be before he learns about you.

"What's the problem here?"Drake made a comment, cocking his head to the side in disbelief.And by "seeing someone," what do you mean?Dislike we're out on the town or anything.We're just friends spending the day together;If he found out about me, I doubt he would get too personal with me about that.

The girl nearly fell over when Drake said it wasn't a date, but she immediately fixed her posture.Drake, I don't think you are aware of how possessive and protective my father is.He probably would have a heart attack if I got even a scratch.And he wouldn't allow me to remain in your company if he saw your face and found out I was with you.

“Oh?I was unaware that my face appeared so evil.Alice, are you suggesting anything?Drake looked intently at Alice after taking off his sunglasses.He had very strange eyes;His Alicees were a brilliant yellow color and the sclerae were black instead of white.On his right eyelid, just below his eyeball, was a small scar.Drake had once managed to frighten himself by staring in the mirror in this manner.But when she saw his eyes, Alice just smiled.

"No, no, I was not at all implying anything!Sincerely, I find your black eyes to be incredibly cool.However, my father is definitely one of those people who tends to judge a book by its cover.

Drake sighed, "In all honesty, your dad sounds like a real piece of work."Does this apply to all parents?I wouldn't know because I don't have any.

"Oh, get off that!"Alice exploded.Drake avoided the punch that she threw at him in a playful way.Despite Alice losing her balance, she was able to avoid falling.Before turning around to face Drake once more, she straightened herself.He was not always this way.He didn't start acting this way until I was six, when my mother died.

Despite the fact that Mr. Tyrion is the city's mayor, "It's still surprising that your father even has the time to spend on this nonsense."

Peter Tyrion, Alice's father, is a middle-aged man who came up with and oversaw the Atlantis City Funding Project eight years ago.As a result, he eventually became mayor of the expanding metropolis, which was a very busy position.

Twelve years ago, after his wife and Alice's mother died of a heart condition, he made his only child, Alice, the center of his life.Since then, Peter has kept an eye on his daughter, which Alice found to be extremely life-threatening.

Between school and her curfew, Alice found time to sneak away and have a little fun after they moved here three years ago. He got promoted to Atlantis City mayor and became engrossed in his duties.The two of them met about a month after Drake arrived in Atlantis City, almost two years ago, during one of her adventures.

After staying up late to work on a project, Drake had been walking back to his apartment from college later than usual in the afternoon.He heard a guitar on the opposite side of the street as he passed a cafe on the tree-lined sidewalk.He turned around and saw a young woman with glossy black hair holding a guitar on the sidewalk across the street.The girl opened her mouth and sang, but she didn't speak English.Drake only knew because he watched a decent amount of anime that she was singing in Japanese after a moment of listening.