Five Thousand Years Later...
...
"Attention, students! The Confirmation Examination results will be released in one hour. Be in the general hall twenty minutes early, or you might as well eat some shit!"
The academy announcer’s voice thundered across the compound, and all at once, dorm doors flew open as students rushed out.
Better to show up on time without a bath than to eat shit. And no, nobody thought it meant literally eating shit.
It meant missing your chance to graduate from the Preparatory Academy of California City. After three years in the hands of strict, merciless masters, the thought of staying a fourth felt like a death sentence.
In one of the dorm rooms, a young man with short black hair and a dry, unreadable face was getting ready like everyone else. He moved just as fast as his roommates, but where they wore excitement or nerves, Eren Blake wore nothing.
His face was just... blank.
"Hey, Eren! Come on, we’re ready! Let’s get there early so we can grab seats in the front rows!"
Daniel, his closest roommate and best friend, called out, practically bouncing on his heels. Kai and Bradley, the other two in the room, nodded in agreement.
"Sure."
Eren tied his shoelaces and stood. Together, the four of them bolted out of the dorm and charged out of the building.
The hallways were already packed with eager students fighting their way toward the general hall. They could have taken it easy with a whole hour to spare, but not when the general hall sat at the far end of campus. The Preparatory Academy sprawled across many square kilometers, and every Final Year knew exactly how big it was, having trained in every corner of it.
The verdict was clear. No one was walking to the general hall.
They ran.
Outside, the compound was already flooded with Final Years of both genders, all sprinting in the same direction.
Eren took in the scene and blinked.
"This is definitely the last time we do this."
Once the results were announced and the Paths were chosen, there would be no reason left to stay. The thought sent a quiet wave of relief through him. No more deafening morning alarms. No more sprints between training units. And above all, no more being surrounded by a crowd of students who desperately wanted to be Explorers.
Eren had realized long ago that his dream was different from nearly everyone else’s. Since then, he had learned to plan alone and keep his true motives to himself. If he told his friends, he would break their hearts. If he told the rest of his training mates, he would hand them a reason to mock and look down on him.
He never wanted either.
But today...
"Looks like I’ll get everything all at once," he muttered.
They reached the general hall twenty-six minutes before 7:30 AM and took seats on the fourth row, on the left side.
By 7:10, the hall was completely full. No one wanted to be left out. Some students whispered and gossiped in excitement. Others, like Eren and his friends, stayed silent.
At exactly 7:30, a middle-aged man with a long, full beard stepped in through a side door. He wore a shiny brown robe and carried a thick book.
Silence followed him at once. Every mouth in the hall sealed shut.
He walked up to the podium, looked over the students, and a wide smile spread across his face.
General Master Nathaniel Grassman, leader of the Preparatory Academy of California City.
They would have sworn it was the first time they had ever seen him smile.
"Ladies and gentlemen! It’s that moment of the year again," he said, stroking his beard.
"My apologies, students. I know this is not how you expected your Path Choosing Ceremony to begin, but I just had to give you one last sip of adrenaline before you leave this academy for good." He laughed at his own joke.
The students only exchanged glances and said nothing. If there was one thing the General Master hated, it was murmuring. He had been known to cancel an entire mandatory speech over it, and the Final Years, who knew him better than anyone, knew exactly how to behave.
"All right! Let’s get on with the ceremony." He opened the book. "We will start with the results. When your name is called, step forward and choose your Path."
He paused, and his tone sharpened.
"Like I always advise, don’t be a fool. We all know which Path is favorable and which is not. Still, I will not stand against your choice. That is ordered by the Government."
He gave the hall one last look.
"Now, let’s begin!"
His eyes dropped to the book.
"Kyle Randall! You scored 67 out of 100, better than 27% of your mates. Come forward to choose your Path."
A young man with long white hair rose from the front row and walked to the podium as the students applauded. When he arrived, the General Master handed him his certificate and pointed to the screen beside the podium.
"Go ahead and choose your Path."
He walked over to the screen, which displayed a couple of lines of text.
[Step onto the foot base.]
Kyle stepped onto it, and the text on the green screen changed.
[Student Identified: Kyle Randall.]
[Student ID: PA4620991.]
[Kyle Randall, please choose your Path.]
[Explorer]
[Settler]
Kyle didn’t hesitate. He tapped the Explorer icon.
[Congratulations! You have successfully chosen your Path, Explorer.]
[Step down from the foot base for the next student.]
Kyle stepped down and returned to his seat while the General Master continued calling names.
"Micheal Biscuits! You scored 73 out of 100, better than 68% of your mates. Come forward to choose your Path."
[Congratulations! You have successfully chosen your Path, Explorer.]
"Stephanie Smith! You scored 91 out of 100, better than 100% of your mates. Come forward to choose your Path."
Eyes lit up across the hall the moment her score was read, though only a few people actually reacted. Everyone already knew who she was.
Stephanie Smith had been the best student in the academy since First Year. The highest score was no shock. They had expected it.
What they were really waiting for was her Path. Everyone believed she was the only one with the guts to choose something different.
[Congratulations! You have successfully chosen your Path, Explorer!]
The crowd barely reacted. Some of them might have expected her to pick the other Path, but choosing Explorer didn’t mean she was afraid. It meant she knew exactly what she was doing, and that this had been her dream all along.
The whole hall buzzed. The academy’s best was going to be an Explorer, just like them, and the thought was motivating.
Daniel, Kai, and Bradley were practically dancing in their seats, while Eren only stayed still and watched.
After a few more names, all ending in the Explorer Path, the General Master called out again.
And finally, it was someone amongst the four lads.
"Eren Blake! You scored 69 out of 100, better than 41% of your mates. Come forward to choose your Path."
Daniel, Kai, and Bradley turned to him, grinning and gritting their teeth with excitement.
"Go, Eren! Go! Just don’t accidentally hit the wrong icon," Kai said.
"Go on! We’re all picking Explorer, and when we enter Dominion Expanse, we’ll find each other and become partners," Daniel added.
"That’s always been the plan! Now go make it happen!" Bradley finished.
Eren could only stare at them. He said nothing. He stood, left the row, and headed for the podium, a storm of thoughts crashing through his mind.
He had spent days overthinking just to keep this calm, and his decision had not changed.
"If only they knew... I’m about to betray them," he muttered under his breath.
At the podium, he took his certificate and walked to the screen. He stepped onto the foot base as ordered and began.
[Student Identified: Eren Blake.]
[Student ID: PA4636001.]
[Eren Blake, please choose your Path.]
[Explorer]
[Settler]
He stared at both options for a long moment and let out a deep, heavy sigh.
Then he straightened up and pressed his thumb against the second one.
[Congratulations! You have successfully chosen your Path, Settler!]
"Hmm, it seems we have our first Settler of the day," General Master Nathaniel announced, eyebrows raised in surprise.
Back in their seats, the three friends sat frozen, eyes wide, mouths hanging open. Daniel could not believe what he was seeing, but he could only stare as his whole body trembled.
"E... Eren," he whispered. "How could you?"