Path of the Carnivore

All hell broke loose.

…That is to say, the silence that once permeated the hospital room was interrupted by the sound of the door slamming against the wall. 

Before Draven even had time to comprehend it, five kids rushed into the room, their eyes filled with tears and expressions of concern.

"Draven! You're alright!"

"Big Bro Dray! We were so worried!"

"He's okay…he's really okay…"

At first, he flinched at the sudden onslaught of goodwill — but before he could make an action he'd soon find himself regretting. His once foggy mind finally cleared up, replacing hostility with a sense of familiarity.

'These kids…they're part of the Shelter, right?'

But how? He thought…

He saw it, he saw them burn. Those crackling flames, the smell of ash perforating his lungs as he could do nothing but watch their bodies succumb to the crimson fire.

Yet here they were, barely having any injuries whatsoever. 

Even the mental trauma that should've accompanied the tragic event seemed menial based on their behavior.

It was as if it never happened, 

Or perhaps he imagined the whole thing?

"Glad to see you too, but you guys're holding an injured person pretty tight, aren't ya?"

Draven gave a hearty chuckle to the kids, prompting them to release him from their grip.

"S-Sorry…we're just so glad you're okay…" 

The oldest of the five stepped forward, a young timid girl with short auburn hair. 

Her eyes darted across the room, careful not to look at Draven directly.

Though it seemed she wanted to, she never got too close to him. Shrinking back at the occasional glances the other kids would give her.

Noting her demeanor, Draven tilted his head

"You alright, Becka?"

With a startled jump she moved even further away, some of the kids even shot menacing glares in her direction. Reproaching her for whatever she'd done in the time Draven was unconscious.

"Becka started it! She messed with the kitchen without anyone watching her!"

"Yeah, then you stepped in before it got really dangerous…but by then…the gas…"

At those final words, their gazes became solemn.

Nodding, Draven turned back to face Becka, gesturing for her to come closer. Much to the displeasure of the other children.

Once she was close enough, he placed a hand on her head — a gentle smile found itself on his face as he spoke.

"Don't feel as if you're to blame…I protected you because I wanted to."

He thought for a moment before continuing.

"You made a mistake, that's fine, don't pressure yourself about it. Alright?"

Becka's eyes suddenly lit up, giving an energized nod of understanding.

"Good. Besides, Y'know I'm way too strong to be held up by something like this!"

Draven proudly flexed his bicep, though the fact he was able to hadn't slipped his mind.

Certainly his injuries had been worse than theirs, bandages cloaking his musculature almost entirely—but none of the pain nor severity of the wounds he'd imagined had been there.

'Did I really just imagine the whole thing?'

"Alright, Alright. That's enough, kids. I need to speak with Draven here, so do you all mind giving the two of us some time to talk?"

A well-dressed man stepped into the room, his appearance was one that demanded both respect and attention. Dressed in a black suit fitting of only the most noble of royalty, he gazed at Draven expectantly.

His jet black hair almost seemed alive the way it was careful never to cloud his vision.

As he spoke, the other kids shivered. 

Swiftly, the group ran out of the room, but not before Becka gave him one final hug, a soft grin on her face.

Draven returned the smile as she left with the others. Hoping they'd be able to patch things up with his intervention.

"U-Uh…who are you?"

He turned to face the regal figure.

"Ah, excuse my manners. You may refer to me as Sergeant Forestier."

"Sergeant!? Then that means you're a—"

"Yes, I am a member of the Gate Corps, a Jumper. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

At those words, Draven flinched. Feeling as if his entire world had been flipped sideways. 

This guy was really a Jumper!

Those who obtained special abilities through the awakening of their 'Gates' and used them to propel Humanity to even greater heights were given the title. Not just by society, but by the strange 'system' that announced their awakening in the first place.

As far as research goes, there wasn't a single person even in the slums who didn't know about them. Especially considering it was a one-way trip to success and prosperity.

Draven couldn't possibly imagine a situation in which a Jumper, a Sergeant no less, would come to meet him personally.

"S-So to what do I…owe the pleasure?"

"Right. You see Draven. When you were first recovered, the doctors figured you were nothing more than another victim. Yet, during the time you were unconscious, you somehow managed to open your Gate. You understand what that means, correct?"

Taking careful measures to ensure he didn't expose his excited grin, Draven gave a nod to the Sergeant.

The awakening of a Gate meant you'd awakened access to your 'Ego'. The spiritual manifestation of your soul. 

Usually they had been awakened using a Key, which were strange objects present all across the world that you could thrust into your chest. Effectively opening your associated Gate.

Of course, Keys didn't always look like their namesake. But he still couldn't recall a time when he forced something into his chest like that.

"We're assuming one of the fragments resulting from the gas explosion had actually been a key, to some extent. It's an outlandish theory, but we can't exactly dismiss it either considering your Awakening."

Fragment…?

In that moment, Draven's eyes widened, he recalled the vast wasteland he'd been dreaming about. 

At the end of that torturous dream he attempted to escape from the nightmare by piercing his chest with one of the fallen fragments of those spikes.

Had that been when his Gate had opened? 

But that didn't make any sense, didn't Keys usually have to physically interact with the body?

"Draven?"

Draven jumped, quickly brought back to reality by Forestier's words.

"Right, sorry. I was just…lost in thought."

The Sergeant gave a polite smile as he continued, almost as if understanding Draven's strange actions. 

This was of course a lot to put on such a young boy after that incident.

"Essentially, I've come here to test the extent of your capabilities. You can of course do research on your own time and submit it to the Academy, but for now we simply need to understand the level your Gate is at so we can put it into the system."

This time, Draven could no longer hide his smile, Forestier's words were no different than dangling a carrot in front of a starving pig.

"Academy? You mean…you mean I'm really going to be able to get in?"

Joining the Academy meant success. It was as simple as that, the best opportunity any Jumper could be provided was free access into it. Basically guaranteeing them a free ride to a life of luxurious comfort.

"Indeed, considering the scale of the accident's effects on you, consider this a sort of…insurance. After all, Shelters are the responsibility of the Gate Corps, if a gas explosion occurred it was due to our own negligence. For that, we apologize."

Still grinning, Draven hurriedly nodded his head "Where do I get started?"

Without any further discussion, Forestier retrieved a thick metal jewelry box from his briefcase.

The box was no smaller than Draven's palm, it was primarily navy blue. The box was adorned with intricate gold gilding, designed in a beautiful floral pattern. 

In the center of the strange contraption was a large crystal ball, emanating a quiet hum so low Draven could hardly hear it.

"Place your hand here and it should provide us an approximate judgement of your Gate's status."

With a gulp, Draven slowly lowered his hand onto the device.

Almost immediately, a powerful shock ran through his forearm. Quickly causing him to jerk back as the ball tolled, Forestier didn't make a single expression as the process was completed.

After a few moments, the gentle hum of the glass ball stopped, followed by a brief ringing sound. 

From a small slit in the back of the box, a piece of paper found itself in Forestier's hand.

With a somewhat unperturbed look, he divulged the information to Draven. 

"Your Gate Ranking is…Novice. That's not bad, of course. Practically everyone begins the same way. It simply means you'll need to put more effort into your progress at the Academy."

Despite being classified as the lowest of the low, Draven's smile hadn't dimmed by even an inch. No, in fact, it'd gotten even wider. He was a genuine Jumper, after all.

When this was all said and done, he'd need to check his Gate himself. Maybe, just maybe despite the lack of potency it currently held, he possessed some ultra-powerful ability never seen before!

That hope kept his positivity brimming.

After his Gate was properly scaled; the Sergeant would go on a briefing about the various things Draven could expect as a Jumper. Different techniques and tips he'd need to know to get started with his gate, and even took measurements for his uniform.

"Alright then, Draven. We'll give you a week to recover from your injuries while continuing to support you in any way we can, you may also bring whatever you wish into the Academy before you get settled."

Placing the strange box back into his briefcase, Forestier gave a final bow to Draven as he stepped toward the doorway. However, he momentarily paused as if contemplating something.

"...I'll be seeing you, Jumper Draven."

Shaking his head, Forestier left the room. Closing the door behind him to signal for the children not to return yet.

'What was that all about?'

Draven dismissed the thought, maybe Forestier was expecting some instant prodigy. Though, he couldn't care less what other people thought of him.

Not when it came to things he could not control, at least.

Right now, he was given the chance to make life better not just for himself but the kids in the Shelter as well. He could give them a better life, one they deserved.

Filled with newfound ambition, he slowly closed his eyes. He didn't necessarily have experience entering his Gate, but it felt as if the process was engraved into his body, no different from breathing or blinking.

With a deep sigh, he allowed himself to drift, his body feeling as if it'd been thrown into a sea of water as his consciousness sunk deeper into his spirit.

'This is…amazing!'

His body suddenly went from physical to incorporeal, allowing him to see through his figure in the infinite blackness before him.

The space was devoid of any objects, an infinite void expanding through all possible sides.

That was except for two entrances before him.

One was a massive mirror, scaling at least twice Draven's height. The mirror's frame was constructed of a strange, pearl-like material. Giving it a crude, misshapen appearance.

The glass of the mirror rippled with mysterious allure, as the reflection it gave of Draven followed suit. Yet somehow, he couldn't help but feel as if something was wrong with his reflection.

The second was a…hole? Or perhaps an esophagus?

Whatever it was, it seemed almost bottomless. The walls of the peculiar opening were lined in rows upon rows of sharp…teeth.

The fissure constantly opened and contracted albeit only slightly, as if awaiting to be fed.

But it wasn't the appearance of the entrances that shocked him. In fact, Gates could take the shape of many things—the only real consistency between them was the fact they were all entrances.

No, what shocked him…

Was the fact he had two.