Graduations and Transitions
2160 Words
Indeed, we have accomplished all the steps required to graduate and become full-fledged soldiers.
But in return, someone important to us is not here to clinch those same achievements and witness us marching onto the stage and getting those diplomas.
Yes, she's none other than Ivanka Wallis.
No matter how hard we try, there is nary a trace of her.
Maybe she was abducted and imprisoned somewhere secret?
Or maybe she intentionally kept us all in the dark about her whereabouts?
But the most important question I wanted, and still want, to ask her is...
Why?
And that is why... I set out to look for her myself, with the tacit approval of Laika and Yulissa, who are also as concerned as me regarding her sudden disappearing act.
With the commanding officer's and superintendent's approval, I begin my search, starting with the campus itself.
The entire military school campus is designed in a way that no hidden passageways or secret chambers are allowed to be built, as per current laws prohibiting all kinds of secret fraternities and their respective hazing activities to be conducted on the campus grounds.
I try every nook and cranny of the campus, but nary a trace of her can be found.
And when I visit her room, Room 501 of Hugh Jeffrey Salazar Building...
Only Cadet Rita Magdalena Mordio and her personal belongings, which are already packed up and ready to go, are there.
None of Ivanka's things are present, as if she never stayed here in the first place.
She only has this to say about the missing girl.
“It pains me that everyone except Ivanka will graduate and become soldiers. I've spent a good three years knowing her personally, and I knew her to be an upright woman who has the potential to be a leader. She may even become the future general, to be honest. But look at this current situation. I couldn't do everything to dissuade her from the path she's walking now... and I'm afraid she'll pay the price for it. But still... as one of her teammates in Glittering Eternal Trigger, you may be the key to saving her.”
I nod silently.
Well... if I could save Ivanka the same way we three helped Heherson save Clarissa...
...then everything would go back to the way it was... all seven of us, still solid after all those years.
I couldn't find her in the campus, so I try to find her in the capital.
To avoid tiring myself, I ask people who frequently talk to her, namely the shop merchants.
They all say the same thing: She just wanders without greeting or talking to people; and if anyone dares to talk to her, she just declines and moves on.
There are also “missing” posters depicting her face, all plastered in authorized walls within the capital.
But those posters don't do a thing, as the constabulary is still struggling to even get a lead on her whereabouts.
I couldn't find her in the capital, so I try to find her in her hometown – Sumsy, Slatberg Prefecture.
Only the worried faces of her dad, Rogelio, and her mom, Varyana, greet me once I visit the Wallis residence.
“We've tried everything. The Royal Constabulary, private investigators, even adventurers – but we still couldn't find her,” her dad laments.
“I fear she's no longer our only child we used to know. I fear... she's changing for the worse,” her mom follows.
“Even so... please attend the graduation ceremony, and just imagine her receiving the diploma and all, even though it will not exist.”
“Yes,” I solemnly answer. “I'll still do everything I can to get your daughter back. I'm her friend, and that's all that matters.”
Her mom wraps up, “May the Most High bless you in that search, then.”
I couldn't find her in her hometown, so...
For now, I'm raising the white flag of surrender.
Time to have a talk with the military equivalent of the principal, then.
Regrettably, the superintendent, Lt. Gen. Caralde, marks Cadet Ivanka Wallis as “Failed” and “Missing in Action”, as he discloses...
“We've tested all possible avenues of getting her back to our fold like you did, but we just couldn't find her; so we had to make this decision, even if it ached us all, the management, inside. She was a promising soldier, indeed. We knew she wasn't trained wrong, but why? I guess the answer is still up in the wind.”
“Sir, thank you, sir,” I calmly respond to him.
“You still have a graduation to attend,” he states while patting my shoulder. “Can't have that promise broken, right?”
“Sir, yes, sir.”
“I won't delay you any longer. Dismissed.”
There's no use crying over spilled milk, right?
The 8th of Bloommonth, 1019 CE. Moonday. 9 ante meridiem.
The auditorium of Lebenswasserheim Royal Academy Military School.
The commencement exercises of the class of 1019 CE, which is code-named “Effordom”, formally start.
The tradition of naming LRAMS cadet corps after ancient pre-kingdom terms which best describe the collective aspirations of the entire class started with the inception of the school itself.
In the ancient tongue, “Effordom” means “a great collaborative effort”, owing to the efforts of cadets coming from four different races – humans, elves, half-elves, and feralkins – working together.
Just as he conducted his speech during the freshman orientation, the Chief of the Royal Armed Forces, General Fal'nith Syounirl Iosephus, conducts his graduation speech to the same class, the cadet corps we're all in.
The perfect bookends, if I say so myself.
“Just as I introduced you all to this school, I am also the one sending you off this school and into the actual world of the military. 'Tis such poetic beauty.
“The beauty that constitutes our kingdom, with its varying cultures all held together by a cohesive belief of progress, harmony, and understanding.
“The beauty that sprang forth from the fairy of legend.
“The beauty our illustrious founder and his descendants swore to protect, and are continuing to do so now.
“It is our duty to protect this beauty, too, as defenders of the realm.
“We're not made for all those beautiful eye candies in life; we're made to experience the ordinary. Because we can and will prove ourselves to be extraordinary in these seemingly ordinary times.
“So... as you all transition from cadets to soldiers, please take heed of this.
“Courage is the power of the beautiful mind to overcome fear, while fear is beautiful wisdom in the face of danger. There is a thin line between extraordinary courage and needless stupidity.
“Thank you and good morning. By Sacred Water We Stand.”
After the general's speech, His Highness King Virgil Almarius proceeds with the handing of diplomas to each graduate.
As per proper procedure, we first salute His Highness and the general before we shake hands and be given the diplomas.
We can see all those parents and relatives applauding every time a cadet rightfully earns the diploma.
And yeah, Yulissa and I can spot our parents applauding at their loudest once we receive these fancy pieces of paper.
Once the diplomas are all handed over, the King's Saber, which is a ceremonial replica of the founder's sword, The Tenetkeeper, is then awarded to the class valedictorian, who is nicknamed “the Baron” or “the Baroness” depending on the gender of the valedictorian.
“The Baron/Baroness” not just gets the highest grades and merits, but is also the exemplar of the cadet corps that is also the graduating class – instilling discipline and efficiency to everyone.
And to my and Yulissa's pleasant surprise...
“The recipient of the King's Saber, the class valedictorian, the Baroness... is none other than... Cadet First Class Laika Santiaguel!”
We can't believe it! Our long-time childhood friend... is the valedictorian!
We're so happy for her!
It should count as no surprise that someone like her would receive such recognition.
Yulissa and I are all smiles and all hands in applause as she receives the King's Saber with her firm yet elegant salute.
She also receives a chevron, the longest one in the corps, that is worn on her cadet uniform as the mark of the Baroness.
After all the diplomas and extra awards of recognition were awarded...
His Highness commands everyone here in the auditorium.
“Three cheers for the graduates. Hip-hip... hooray!”
“HIP-HIP... HOORAY!”
“HIP-HIP... HOORAY!”
“HIP-HIP... HOORAY!”
At last, the graduation ceremony for “Effordom” Class of 1019 CE is over.
We, the remaining members of team Glittering Eternal Trigger – Laika, Yulissa, Hershey, Joey Ramon, Bienvenide, and I – all decide to record a sphaeramnis clip as a parting gift.
We six all take turns in recording our last moment together as cadets, as we will all be deployed to different places, or pursue specific branches of the Royal Armed Forces, or even both.
Nevertheless, we will all receive copies of that clip each as keepsakes.
“At first, we were just knuckleheads having to adapt to the life of a prospective soldier. We were scared, we laughed, we cried, we were pains in the rear... yeah, we were crazy,” Bienvenide starts.
“But now that the end is already here,” Joey Ramon follows, ”we gather here once more, for the last time, to remember all those mixed nuts of emotions. They were never clear, but at least we can look back at them and have some chuckles.”
Hershey appends, “As an old bard's song says, 'Yesterday's a treasure, today is here; tomorrow's on its way, the sky is clear', nya. And as they say, our own adventures still continue, even though we're not adventurers, nya. So please treat the future like we treat blank sheets of paper... we must go nuts writing our tales, nya!”
“Yes, it may be cliched to say this,” I continue, “but those 'farewell's are more like 'see you again's. It ain't the end of everything, you know. And if there is one, we'll all do our best to cancel it!”
Yulissa proceeds with the following...
“We all may be miles or even oceans away, but we all know where home is.”
And Laika, the valedictorian, the Baroness, ends with the following...
“Our kingdom... our family... our friends... total strangers we meet and help along the way... and most especially ourselves... They all contain the essence of home... the heart. And those hearts of ours... will unleash a years-long miracle that will pave the way to a glittering eternity, the thesis of our world of infinite light. So... once again... this isn't farewell. This is 'see you again'.”
After the recording of the sphaeramnis clip, we six all share a tearful group hug before we disband for real, our paths all measured by the four winds and more.
Only the core three – my childhood friend, my little sister, and yours truly – still remain as close-knit as ever.
And we three, after a hearty celebratory lunch in our hometown of Khahimyan and some rest...
We head towards the place where it all began.
The site of the Littleland River Pagoda Tragedy that happened on the 2nd day of Learnmonth, 1005 CE, marked by a memorial tablet.
5 post meridiem.
The sun is setting after a day of providing sustenance.
It's now the biggest witness to what we declare next.
“It's been more or less fourteen years in the making, huh... but here we are,” I initiate.
“Time sure flies. Right, brother?” Yulissa goes next.
“We all don't know what the future holds for us... but one thing is clear,” Laika follows up. “And you know what it is, right, Keenan?”
“Yeah. I still remember the words I swore that day. And now... we'll renew our promise!
“We swear to one another... that we will all uphold love, uphold the law, and uphold life, as soldiers of the Kingdom of Lebenswasserheim! We will all protect His Highness the King, our glorious kingdom and its citizens, and most especially... one another.”
“Yes!”
We then bump our fists to ratify our renewed promise, as the sun is slowly descending to give way to the night.
Our time at Lebenswasserheim Royal Academy Military School is formally over.
At last, we are soldiers ready to defend the kingdom at a moment's notice.
And our childhood promise... we will keep on maintaining it.
Because it's just the beginning of a greater journey.
- Writer
