Chapter 1
False PerfectionEvery member of Erudite knew the manifesto of the faction by heart, as if it were carved into their brains like epitaphs into tomb stones. From an early age, they were taught to read, absorb information. The focus of life revolved around a storm of learning. Nothing was more important to the Erudites than curiosity, which inevitably lead to the obtainment of a plethora of knowledge and through that, power. They found no need to show off their bravery, to promote peace, to adhere to truth, to practice selflessness. Because they were all things that one could gain through knowledge.
Knowledge is power. With it, you never have to be afraid of being caught in a situation you cannot get out of. Because you know how to get out of it.
Information is unity. It is honesty. If everyone knew the facts, no one would fight. Because you'd know what was right and what was wrong.
Comprehension is humanitarianism. When you understand a person's motives, you realize why they did what they did. Because not all decisions are made for personal gain -- not entirely.
Without knowledge, you were nothing. That's what the Erudite were taught to believe. Nothing could be done without understanding.
[1] Ignorance' is defined not as stupidity but as lack of knowledge.
Kyungsoo sighed and leaned back, removing his glasses and placing them on his desk. He shut his eyes and rubbed them gently with his hands. Blinking multiple times, he stared bleary-eyed at the simple black clock resting on the desk.
Aish, it's only been two hours since I began reading. I could have sworn it'd been longer, he thought.
The door opened silently, through which his mother walked in.
"Kyungsoo! Why aren't you studying?" she asked in a nasally tone.
"Mother, I just sat back to rest my eyes," he explained.
She sniffed and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose with her middle finger.
"Alright. But get back to the books soon."
"Yes, mother," he said.
She her heels and walked out of his room as quietly as she'd come in, shutting the door behind her.
Kyungsoo reached down and picked up his glasses, examining them. The lenses were so thick, it looked like he was wearing windows. He didn't need glasses, since his eyesight was perfect, but the whole faction was required to wear them because it added to their aura of intelligence. Rarely did he wear them inside his room, but he'd forgotten to take them off after venturing downstairs for a glass of water. While reading his book, of course.
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It was dinnertime and Kyungsoo sat next to his twin sister, Min Jung, at the table, across from their parents. Kyungsoo fumbled with his fork and knife, still a bit uncomfortable with using his hands for such precise activities such as cutting. His glasses made it difficult, even after years of practice, to easily perform tasks. Normally, he was able to hide this fact from his family, but today, they were eating peas, which were hard enough to eat with a fork without glasses.
"So," said Mr. Do.
Kyungsoo and Min Jung looked up simultaneously, respectfully placing their utensils on the table.
"It'll be your sixteenth birthdays soon. You do know that what means, correct?"
"Yes, father," they replied.
"The Aptitude Tests are approaching, but I'm confident in your results. After that will be the Choosing Ceremony. Make the right decision," he said, picking up his water glass and taking a sip.
They both nodded and returned to their meals.
'Right decision.' More like his decision, thought Kyungsoo, mentally rolling his eyes.
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With dinnertime over, Kyungsoo retreated to the bathroom to get ready for bed. He turned the water on, letting it warm up while he brushed his teeth.
He filled his cup with warm water and plunged his toothbrush into it before squeezing a dollop of toothpaste onto it. He lifted his head, removing his glasses before sticking the brush into his mouth and cleaning his teeth. He stared at his reflection, wondering how he'd look in yellow or tan, something other than the blue that filled his closet and his life.
Many associate blue with emotions such as sadness, but in Erudite, feelings didn't really have a place. They weren't based on facts and they weren't consistent no matter who felt them. Decisions were to never be made without sufficient research and data.
As a kid, his favorite color was blue. It reminded him of the color of the sky, of safety, of his future. But as time passed by and he grew up, he realized that he couldn't play it safe his whole life. He couldn't live his live according to what others had done. He wanted to live his life, not someone else's.
But his life, as it was, wasn't what was meant for him.
He rinsed off his toothbrush and stripped off his clothes, tossing his jeans and blue t-shirt into the hamper, which was blue. Kyungsoo stepped into the shower stall and pulled the door shut before running his hand through his hair. He allowed the water to flow down his body and thought about the Choosing Ceremony. Pouring his favorite shower gel into his hand, he turned off the water before slathering it on. He spread the gel over his body, slowly lathering it on before turning on the jet of water again.
"Ow!" he whispered, face pinched when he turned the knob too far and the water nearly scalded him.
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After Kyungsoo finished showering, he stepped out and pulled on his Monday pajamas, a white shirt paired with blue plaid pants. He threw his towel into the hamper and pulled open the door, stepping into the carpeted hallway. His feet pattered silently into his room where he quietly pulled the door shut and climbed into bed. He placed his glasses on top of a pile of books on the nightstand by his bed and shut off the light, pulling the covers up to his chin.
Thoughts flew around his head as he laid there, eyelids drooping closed, replacing one darkness with another.
What's the right decision? For me..
Maybe, the thing he'd grown tired of could help him out. Decisions, after all, were best made after acquiring an abundance of information.
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Hey guys! Finally, a month after the foreword goes up, I have the first chapter written. It's...been tougher than I'd anticipated it being. I've always just written without thinking too much about adhering to an idea. As I write, the story changes before I realize it. But with this one, I realized that I couldn't continue doing what I'd been doing. I tried to think carefully after each sentence to make sure that it worked towards the next chapter I had in mind. I'm sorry this chapter was so short but I wanted to get at least one written before I begun to buckle down and study for the AP exams. Wish me luck! ^^
This first chapter is, as always, to help set up the story ( which I at, but I hope it worked alright ). I'm sorry if this chapter isn't up to par with what you might have had in mind before or after reading anything I've written. I'll try my best to continue improving and writing more often. Please do leave suggestions or thoughts down below, and as always, subscribe if you want to continue reading!
( I'll try to get a poster made for this story after I write another chapter or two. ^^ )
The first chapter is up! Shorter than my usual chapters, but I wanted to get it out before AP exams.
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