"Class, pay attention now. As you are well aware by now, it's getting close to the 'Coming of Age' ceremony. There are signs that it might even start over the next few days so you all better have your notification devices nearby."

The class murmurs and stirs with these words, they take a moment to quieten as the teacher stands before the class without reaction.

“Now, today we still have to stick to the lesson plan but tomorrow is still planned to be a scheduled day off so make sure you relax and do your exercises” the teacher finishes speaking as the class stirs again.

A young man sitting in class, his back slouched as he’s trying to stay awake during these days of long lessons, his short black hair neatly trimmed while his blue eyes scan the room now and then for any movements between yawns.

“I’ll quickly run you all through the basics…” the teacher talks up the front as the young man almost falls asleep, his consciousness able to pick up fragments of this basic knowledge such as, “compression leads to stronger power” and “easiest way to bond with an animal is during its incubation period”.

The young man feels a poke in his stomach from the side, his back jerks up suddenly drawing some eyes to him as he turns his head.

“Sam, wake up.”

“I am” the sleepy young man responds.

“Yeah, now you are. Teacher is sharing his experiences”

The sleepy young man sits up and pays attention to the teacher talking out the front, everyone else in the class is quietly listening to the tale of something they’ll need to go through soon.

“The ceremony is ancient so it looked just like it did when I was a kid and every time I went after that, you’re lead into the hall by your age group where they send you for a medical inspection first. It’s not too long after that you’re dressed in ceremonial–

“Teacher, what do you mean medical? Do we need to take some sort of exam?”

“That’s something you’ll find out when you arrive, everyone has to undergo it so don’t worry about it.”

A few people stir in their seat uncomfortable for some reason, the teacher continues to speak as Sam wonders about those words.

“Nothing else really happens, it’s just waiting in a big queue where it tells you then standing on a stage when it says. If you follow everyone else then there’s no way you can mess it up.”

“What if they mess it up too?”

“The country heroes will be around too so you won’t mess up.”

Several people in the class immediately perk up, one of them raises their hand in an excited voice, “Who will be there?”

“How am I meant to know? I know know the old generation heroes. You’re the new generation so most of the important ones will be there and if your important hero isn’t there. I’m sure they’re out doing hero things instead then.”

“Won’t we have a chance to meet them later?”

“Of course, you could even be placed under their units while you undergo compulsory training.”

The class quietens down at the mention of compulsory training, it’s a sensitive subject to many because a few of them will have lost people in relation to that training. It’s most peoples first exposure to any level of danger beyond some sort of monster invasion which hasn’t happened for over 30 years.

“When will we be required to undergo compulsory training?”

“You guys, well you will probably receive your orders after the ceremony.”

Many people in the class exclaim in shock, Sam too is surprised at this news as everyone has assumed you had to hit at least 21 years old before undertaking that training.

“Why?” one brave person speaks up.

“I don’t know, it’s just how it works. You guys will be fine as there hasn’t been reports of anything beyond Stage 3 appearing on the outskirts in over 25 years. Perhaps the theory of monster degradation is true.”

“That theory can’t be true because humans would be getting weaker too and we’re always getting stronger.”

“Yeah, we’re always getting stronger like my hero Hell-claws, he’s fifty times stronger than his predecessor, the legendary Satan’s Jester. We’re always getting stronger in unusual ways.”

The class breaks down into several different discussions as they talk about their new heroes and how they can be compared to the older ones, even Sam thinks about this for a few minutes before dismissing it completely as he’s almost entirely uninterested in heroes and fighting.

Sam pulls out his phone as the class has no organisation to it, he has to maintain a few games and read something interesting when,

“Teacher, Sam has his phone out. You remember what the principal and superintendent said” a nasally shrill voice comes from behind him.

Sam groans and puts his phone away quickly but it’s too late, all eyes are on him so they can clearly see him.

“Thanks for bringing it to my attention Marty. Sam, that’ll be another demerit.”

Sam stealthily flashes his middle finger up at Marty before responding to the teacher, “Alright. If you have to, nothing that we can do about it.”

“Teacher, Sam is displaying a vulgar gesture to me” Marty speaks out again, the whole class can be heard quietly groaning.

“Sam, please refrain from doing that within the classroom. You are not permitted to any freedom of expression or speech while on government property as a student, as the last city-wide all citizen assembly retold us.”

“Ok teacher” Sam pulls back his finger and sits up straight.

“Thanks, Thank you for being a good citizen Marty.”

The class returns to normal after Marty spends a few moments in self-congratulations, Sam expends much of his energy holding back slapping the annoying person that has been seated behind him for a few years now.

The teacher doesn’t have much time to cover anything more as the bell rings signalling the end of the day, Sam quickly picks up his things not wanting to stay here and be tormented further by Marty for whatever perceived infractions he might have done.

Sam enters the hallway that is filled with people, most people just focus on the people within their own class as nearly everything is done by age-groups by the government. In the future, you’ll most likely be in a a life-or-death battle with someone your age but have to still refer to someone older as ‘sir’.

There’s an easy path for him to head to the exit but his trip will force him to cross paths with someone that he doesn’t want to, he holds his breath and quickens his step as he nears the spot.

The people are at their lockers sorting out their bags and other things, talking to their friends as per usual. Only the people of his own age-group will be attending to the ‘Coming of Age’ ceremony so it’s just business as normal for them as they prepare for the day off tomorrow.

Sam comes up to the spot, his eye wanders to a particular spot before he forcefully looks forward.

He just caught a glimpse but his heartbeat is already racing, he is nearing the door and his lungs are screaming for oxygen but he holds it back as he reaches the doors finally without anyone stopping him.

The young man bursts out with a big breath exiting the doors, a few people look at him but don’t stop. It takes a few breaths for his heart to settle down, the person that he caught a glimpse of is someone who he has longed to speak to for so long but he doesn’t want to ruin his single chance at that opening.

It has just built up into this thing where he will never be able to come up with the perfect line so it has become something that causes him grief, his heart races and his muscles lock up as he even catches the familiar perfume they wear.

Sam pushes these thoughts out of mind and boards his bus, the school that he attends is a standard single story school with multiple wings that houses various age groups, this one is the older age group but he is at the end, technically the elders of the school yard yet no one feels like taunting their juniors.

They’re all aware of how fragile life here is, the bus enters a street where Sam can spot all the large buildings around that have battle scars and metal plating over them if they’re over several stories. Many people still prefer to live in individual houses yet that doesn’t mean the monsters will take that into consideration.

The streets aren’t busy as the bus travels around the rural streets, this place is near the front line so it’s considered rural yet rural gets far more funding from the government as it’s where all farmlands are thus all the buildings are relatively modern with some defences compared to inner cities.

The passive defences are really all that can be bought with all the extra funding, the most important thing to repel an invasion is active defences and that’s where the human element comes into it. Each person is required to enter into the military, where they’ll be required to serve in loyalty of their country and their city.

This means that nearly everyone inside the city has trained their bodies and their energy to an extent, in fact nearly everyone in the world is training their body in some way after the incident 75 years ago where huge amounts of monster hordes invaded the final mega-cities and forced humans to adapt to how it is now.

The bus crosses the city further, the stores and shops are mostly empty as no one has any money to spend at them. Everyone is forced into nearly subsistence level living by the conditions that forced them into this sort of rural town but no one will complain as they have an ok life.

“It must be nearly time for the flying swarms to show up, I wonder if it’ll be the west or east side this time?” a voice comes from Sam’s side, a young boy who just entered school is sitting there.

“I think it’ll be both this year, maybe all of them. If we’re going by patterns though, western.”

“Ah you’re a western thinker too? Why did you say all of them though?”

“Never mind, it’s coming up to my stop. I’ll be taking the ceremony tomorrow so gotta focus.”

“Oh good luck, my parents will be there.”

“Cool, well enjoy your day off tomorrow.”

“You too.”

Sam presses the button and walks towards the door, the bus comes to a stop shortly after where he’s able to get off without incident. It’s just a short walk to his house from the bus stop where he lives in a multiple bedroom unit attached to a several others yet he doesn’t know the other people.

The steps feel unusually heavy today as he walks towards his door, the keys feel heavy as the enter the door where he enters the quiet house. There’s nothing he needs to do except wait until he gets the notification that tells him there’s 12 hours to prepare.

People over the years have complained about the abruptness of this messaging system but nothing can be done, it’s from pre-disaster.

Sam eats his meal, checks some news and then jumps into bed feeling unusually sleepy where he has multiple dreams about what’s coming up. The night passes by, his parents come home but know that he’s asleep so do not disturb him as they go about their business before also going to bed.

His dreams are strange as he thinks about all of the creatures that’s possible at the ceremony, how many legendary figures arose from nothing when they got some sort of special creature. Their special feats and their names entering the history books, Sam dreams about it all night leading to a restless night.