Chapter 5: Welcome to the Night Watch
1201 Words
The shrill wail of the emergency siren continued to echo through the academy.
Red warning lights pulsed across the ceiling as the recruits hurried after the officer leading them through the maze of steel corridors. Every few seconds another blast door thundered shut somewhere in the distance, making the walls tremble beneath their feet.
No one spoke.
Even Jace had stopped joking.
Lyra noticed Night Watch officers rushing in every direction. Some carried sleek black rifles slung across their backs, while others disappeared through doors marked with symbols she didn't recognize.
No one looked frightened.
They looked... ready.
As though this wasn't unusual.
A recruit near the front finally gathered enough courage to ask.
"Sir..."
The escorting officer didn't slow down.
"Is this part of our training?"
The officer looked over his shoulder.
"I hope so."
His answer sent a chill through the group.
If a Night Watch officer hoped it was only training...
...what happened when it wasn't?
After several minutes, the recruits stopped before a pair of enormous steel doors.
The words above them were carved into polished black metal.
ASSEMBLY HALL ONE
The doors slid open.
The room beyond was massive.
Rows upon rows of seats curved around a circular stage in the centre. More recruits were already inside, easily numbering over two hundred. Some had clearly arrived before Lyra's group, while others were still filing in through different entrances.
The room buzzed with nervous whispers.
"Did you hear the alarm?"
"I heard the Outer Barrier was attacked."
"No, someone escaped."
"My cousin told me aliens haven't crossed the Barrier in years."
"Then why the lockdown?"
Nobody had an answer.
Lyra and the others found empty seats halfway down the hall.
Jace dropped into the chair beside her.
"Well..."
He looked around dramatically.
"...if this is a welcome party, they forgot the snacks."
Mina sighed.
"You think about food at a time like this?"
"I think about food all the time."
Kai sat quietly with his hands folded.
His expression hadn't changed since they arrived.
Noah leaned forward, watching the officers.
"They're hiding something."
"They've been hiding something since they came to get us," Astra said softly.
It was the first time Lyra had heard her speak.
Her voice was calm.
Almost distant.
Lyra glanced at her.
Astra wasn't watching the stage.
She was watching the officers.
As though studying them.
The conversations stopped the instant every Night Watch officer stood at attention.
Not because anyone ordered them to.
Because someone had entered.
An elderly man walked slowly onto the stage.
He wore the same black uniform as the others, though his coat was longer and bore a single silver insignia over his chest.
His grey hair was neatly combed.
A thin scar crossed his jaw.
He didn't carry a weapon.
He didn't need one.
The respect in the room followed him like a shadow.
Commander Selene stepped forward.
"Recruits..."
She spoke clearly enough for every corner of the hall to hear.
"You are in the presence of the Director of the Night Watch."
"Director..."
"Cassian Draven."
Every officer saluted.
Cassian returned the salute before stepping to the centre of the stage.
He looked over the recruits for a long moment.
His eyes weren't cold.
They were tired.
Like someone who had spent too many years carrying burdens no one else could see.
When he finally spoke...
His voice was surprisingly gentle.
"If you're looking for heroes..."
His gaze swept across the hall.
"...look somewhere else."
The room fell completely silent.
"Heroes seek glory."
"We seek survival."
He clasped his hands behind his back.
"The Night Watch was founded to protect the Void."
"Not governments."
"Not politicians."
"Not fame."
"The Void."
He paused.
"And the people who call it home."
"You've all spent your lives believing the world is safe."
"You've been told the Barrier keeps danger away."
"You've been told Jenny watches over every citizen."
He nodded slightly.
"Jenny has saved humanity more times than history can record."
"But even Jenny..."
He looked toward the academy ceiling.
"...cannot be everywhere."
A ripple of unease spread through the hall.
"Every year, citizens disappear."
"Every year, settlements are attacked."
"Every year, Night Watch officers die protecting people who will never know their names."
The words landed heavily.
Lyra looked around.
The excitement she'd seen on some recruits' faces had disappeared.
Cassian continued.
"The safest place in the Void..."
He paused.
"...is wherever the enemy isn't."
No one laughed.
"You were brought here because someone believes you possess potential."
"That does not make you extraordinary."
"It makes you responsible."
He raised one finger.
"You will obey orders."
A second.
"You will protect your squad."
A third.
"You will never abandon a teammate."
His expression hardened.
"If you cannot trust the person standing beside you..."
"...you will not survive long enough to worry about the enemy."
Lyra glanced at Jace.
He noticed.
"What?"
"Nothing."
"You looked at me like you expect me to get us into trouble."
"I've known you for less than a day."
"And?"
"...I think it's possible."
Jace grinned.
"There she is."
"The Princess finally smiled."
Lyra shook her head.
"You really aren't letting that go."
"Never."
Even Mina smiled.
A young recruit near the front slowly raised his hand.
"Director..."
Cassian nodded.
"Speak."
"Why were we chosen?"
The entire hall leaned forward.
Cassian didn't answer immediately.
Instead...
He asked a question of his own.
"What is potential?"
Silence.
"It is possibility."
He looked across the room.
"Some of you already know what you're capable of."
"Others don't."
"But every one of you possesses something the Night Watch believes is worth protecting."
He paused.
"When you've earned the truth..."
"...you'll receive it."
The recruit sat down.
Still unsatisfied.
So was everyone else.
Suddenly...
An officer hurried onto the stage and whispered into Cassian's ear.
The Director listened without interrupting.
His face revealed nothing.
When the officer finished...
Cassian gave a small nod.
"Very well."
The officer disappeared.
Cassian turned back toward the recruits.
"The lockdown has been lifted."
A collective sigh of relief echoed through the hall.
Whatever had happened...
It was over.
Or at least...
It seemed to be.
Cassian looked around one last time.
"Today's events are a reminder."
"The world outside these walls is changing."
"So must we."
"Your training begins tomorrow at zero six hundred."
"Do not be late."
Without another word...
He turned and left the stage.
Every officer followed.
Within seconds...
The hall was filled with whispers once again.
As the recruits stood to leave, Lyra adjusted the strap of her backpack.
She felt eyes on her.
Across the room...
One Night Watch officer stood perfectly still.
Watching her.
Not Jace.
Not Mina.
Not the crowd.
Her.
He lifted a hand to the communicator hidden beneath his collar.
His voice was too quiet for anyone nearby to hear.
But the reader knows what he said.
"Candidate Fourteen has arrived."
Static crackled through the earpiece.
Then a calm voice answered.
"Good."
A brief pause followed.
"Don't let her out of your sight."
The officer glanced at Lyra one final time before disappearing into the crowd.
Lyra never noticed.
But somewhere inside the Night Watch...
Someone had already taken a special interest in her.
- Writer
