THE GOLDEN FORTRESS
1448 Words
The journey was long.
The black-tinted buses carrying the new students sped through the highway for hours, crossing cities, forests, and isolated military roads. Inside, the atmosphere shifted between nervous silence and loud excitement. Some students stared out the windows, others whispered endlessly, while a few simply held onto their bags, unsure of what waited for them.
Ava had her face pressed against the window.
“Are we there yet?” she asked for what felt like the hundredth time.
James sighed from across the aisle. “You’ve asked that twelve times in the last ten minutes.”
T. L smirked. “Correction. Fifteen.”
Ava turned. “You two are counting?”
T. L crossed her arms dramatically. “Of course. It’s our only entertainment while sitting in this moving coffin.”
James chuckled. “Moving coffin? This bus is way too fancy to be a coffin.”
Billy’s voice suddenly echoed in T. L’s mind and she smiled faintly, remembering the promise she made to visit. She turned back to the window, quiet for a moment.
Then—
The bus slowed.
At first, nobody noticed.
But then the entire road changed.
Outside, the dark asphalt suddenly became smooth polished stone, and engraved all across the road was one giant symbol repeated again and again:
A shining golden H.
The students gasped.
“What is that?” someone shouted from the back.
“Is this private property?” another whispered.
The buses moved deeper down the road, and the golden H symbols continued like a pathway into another world.
Ava’s mouth slowly opened.
“Wow…”
She leaned closer to the glass.
“Is this heaven?”
T. L stared too, equally stunned, but then shook her head.
“No, Ava. This is not heaven.”
Ava blinked. “How do you know?”
T. L looked at her seriously.
“Because we don’t take buses to heaven.”
For a second, Ava actually thought about it.
Then she nodded slowly.
“Yeah… right.”
James laughed so hard he almost fell off his seat.
“You actually considered it!”
Ava frowned and hit his shoulder. “Shut up! Look outside!”
The road finally came to an end—
And suddenly the buses stopped in front of an invisible barrier.
It shimmered in the air like transparent glass stretching into the sky.
A force field.
The students pressed against the windows in amazement.
The driver did not move.
One of the armed officers inside the bus stepped forward and spoke into a communicator attached to his collar.
“Checkpoint Alpha, this is convoy Delta-9. Transporting selected recruits. Requesting gate clearance. Over.”
Static.
Then a voice replied sharply.
“Delta-9 confirmed. Identity recognized. Stand by for shield drop. Over.”
The officer nodded.
“Copy that.”
Outside, the shimmering barrier began to flicker.
Then with a loud electric hum, the force field slowly dissolved downward like liquid light.
The buses began moving again.
As soon as they crossed inside—
The force field rose back up behind them and sealed shut.
The students all turned to look.
No one said anything for a moment.
Then the bus curved around the final bend.
And what they saw made the entire bus fall silent.
The HEROES Academy.
It was not just an academy.
It was a fortress.
Massive skyscrapers rose into the sky like golden towers, each building decorated with the enormous symbol of H glowing from the sides. Bridges connected some towers in mid-air. Watchtowers stood at the corners with armed guards patrolling.
But mixed with all the military security was unbelievable beauty.
Gardens spread between the buildings with perfectly arranged flowers of every color. Fountains glowed under golden lights. Trees lined the pathways. The entire place looked like a secret city built only for legends.
Ava whispered again.
“This… is insane.”
James slowly nodded.
“I’ve never seen anything like this.”
T. L stared too, speechless for once.
The buses finally stopped in a giant parking square surrounded by gold-and-black structures.
As the doors opened, a calm voice boomed through hidden speakers all over the academy grounds.
“All incoming students, assemble in the central hall immediately for orientation. Do not wander outside designated areas. Welcome… to HEROES Academy.”
The students began stepping out one after another.
The air felt different—clean, powerful, almost electric.
Ava stepped down from the bus and turned in a full circle.
“Best day of my life.”
James jumped down beside her.
“Agreed.”
T. L stepped down last, looking around carefully.
“Something about this place feels too perfect.”
Ava raised an eyebrow.
“Can you just enjoy things for once?”
T. L smiled.
“I am enjoying it. I’m just suspicious while enjoying it.”
James laughed.
The crowd of teenagers moved toward the giant central hall. Officers stood on both sides, directing them.
Inside, the hall was enormous—high ceilings, golden lights, and a giant glowing H symbol suspended in the center above the stage.
Standing at the front were three people.
Kaiden. Schizzel. Merson.
The moment the students saw them, whispers spread instantly.
“Those are real HEROES…”
“Oh my God…”
“I know Merson!”
Ava nudged T. L.
“Those are the leaders.”
T. L’s face stiffened.
Ava noticed.
“Relax. They won’t notice what happened at the orphanage.”
T. L whispered nervously.
“I know… but what if she remembers me?”
Ava looked at her bright orange hair.
Then winced.
“Well… you are the only person here with orange hair.”
T. L groaned.
“Thanks for the encouragement.”
Ava smiled.
“But don’t worry. There are so many students. You’ll blend in.”
T. L deadpanned.
“With orange hair.”
Ava nodded.
“Exactly.”
At the front, Schizzel stepped forward.
The entire hall became silent.
She spoke with authority.
“Listen carefully. Every one of you standing here has been selected because you possess extraordinary abilities. You are here because the world may one day need you.”
The students listened intently.
Schizzel continued.
“There are different divisions among the HEROES.”
She began pacing slowly.
“The Norms—those with one power.”
“The Hybrids—those with two powers.”
“The Tribrids—three powers.”
“The Quadrips—four powers.”
“The Hexadriples—six powers.”
The hall erupted in murmurs.
T. L leaned toward Ava.
“Six powers? Are they serious?”
Ava whispered back.
“You just said exactly what I was thinking.”
Schizzel raised her hand and the hall became silent again.
“There are even rarer classes. Quad Totals. Half Totals.”
She paused.
Then her voice lowered.
“And the rarest of them all… a Full Total.”
Even Kaiden and Merson seemed serious at that statement.
Schizzel folded her hands behind her back.
“None have appeared in centuries.”
T. L felt something strange in her chest.
A flicker.
Like heat.
She quickly ignored it.
Schizzel continued.
“This evening, each of you will undergo evaluation. That test will determine your classification and where you belong in the academy.”
She looked across the crowd.
“Until then, officers will guide you to your dormitories.”
Then she added:
“And take note—students from Starhaven Orphanage are the only orphanage recruits selected this year. Every other student here came from private schools and institutions.”
The Starhaven kids gasped proudly.
Ava grabbed T. L’s arm.
“Did you hear that?! That means we’re special.”
T. L smiled.
“Or they just ran out of options.”
Ava rolled her eyes.
Schizzel gave one final nod.
“Dismissed.”
Immediately the hall exploded with chatter.
Students moved everywhere as officers called dorm assignments.
James turned to Ava and T. L.
“Guess this is where we split.”
An officer pointed toward the boys’ wing.
James sighed dramatically.
“Farewell, my friends. If I don’t survive the dorm food, remember me fondly.”
Ava laughed.
“You’ll survive.”
T. L smirked.
“Maybe.”
James grinned and waved.
“See you at the test.”
As he walked off, T. L turned to Ava while they followed the girls’ line.
Her voice dropped.
“Tribrids. Hexadriples…”
Ava looked at her.
“Yeah?”
T. L swallowed.
“Are you kidding me?”
Ava stared ahead at the towering academy and smiled nervously.
“No…”
She exhaled.
“I think our lives just got way more complicated.”
- Writer
