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"Hurry, hurry." An eager voice sounded in the bustling main street of Auro, able to be heard above the mumblings of the crowd. "Grandma, it's about to start!"

"Ah, Jonathan, stop shouting." Megan chided as she directed the boy away from the flow of the crowd.

It was not that she could not understand her grandchild's excitement, but it had only been three month since the disaster that destroyed Auro's gate. It wasn't yet time for anyone to be raising their voices.

But yes, today was a special day. That was true.

The wizened old woman directed her gaze to the the spot where the new capital building stood, towering high above the rest of the buildings.

With a soft smile she pulled Jonathan to her side, clutching to him tightly.

He was still a little too young to understand that his mother and father were never coming back.

"Let's go Jonah," she took his hand and ignored his confused gaze, "it's not everyday we get a new minister."

This day and age, it was rare for anyone to die suddenly. Most lived well past one hundred and fifty, even Megan was in her late one fifties and she still had plenty years ahead of her.

But her daughter had been thirty-four when she disappeared. She had been taking a business trip to Silo when the capital lost contact with the rest of the fallen districts.

"Ah," Jonathan gaped at the capital building in awe as they slowly made their way to it. "It's so big!"

"Yes."

It was much bigger than the other one. His grandmother agreed as she took in the now visible flicker of the stronger shields that reenforced it. It only served to remind her of the fragility of life before.

It had been so long since humanity had faced a tragedy such as that one.

"Who do you think is going to be minister next?" Jonathan bounced on the tips of his toes as the giant announcement screen floating above the center stage of Auro came into view.

Megan followed his gaze and slowed down her pace.

On the screen was a woman with striking white hair and a very pale complexion. Though her appearance was shocking, the fact that she wore North's colors put Jonathan's grandmother at ease.

The woman on the screen wore white and the similarity in color with her skin and hair only made her sapphire eyes stand out. Her lips were coated in light blue gloss and her fingernails had been painted the same soothing color.

"My name is Dawn Draekon." She started, her tone cool and apathetic as she stared straight into the camera.

"Yay! We made it!" Jonathan cheered when they stopped walking.

Behind Dawn and on her right was a man with an eye-catching head of red hair that brushed his ankles. He also wore a color of North that happened to match his hair, a deep crimson red suit that brought attention to his eyes, a blue that rivalled the new minister's.

"As you know, three months ago, North, as well as the other nations were face with a tragedy. We lost half of our population in a single day," her she paused as the audience took in the new information, "and in order not to panic the masses, the information was kept confidential. As the head of the Cipher Squad, I was among the few to first get information about Nicia's destruction. Search teams were established but most of them came back with no results. North's major towns and the supporting areas had been wiped clean of humanity activity. I'm truly saddened by this loss, as was Corey Roya."

Raising her hand to her chest, Dawn Draekon performed the north's salute. "The minister sacrificed himself for the good of the Nation. Because of his efforts, the beasts that had invaded North were completely destroyed, but at a cost. I am afraid to announce that Corey Roya is no longer capable of performing his duties as acting minister, and as Vice Minister, Gideon Westley, is still recovering from his injuries, I will be taking over as minister."

A series of subdued claps sounded out at the announcement before the new minister cleared her throat.

"Among the many casualties of this invasion was my father, the President of Earth, and leader of The Order, who died of unknown causes and his second-in-command, Rose Draekon, who has disappeared. With no one to lead it in it's time of peril, the religious organization has been dissolved. . . that is all."

The white hair woman took in a deep breath as she concluded the speech and took a step back.

"Minister Draekon, with the death of the President. . ." a reported could be heard from behind the camera.

"A suitable person has replaced the vacant post for the time being." Dawn answered stiffly.

"Minister Draekon, past ministers of North have been chosen through combat, why was this not the case this time around?" Another reported seemed to ask almost immediately.

"I took this post automatically because at the moment there are no suitable candidates to compete for it."

"Do you mean to say all suitable candidates have been killed off by the invasion?"

Before the new minister could open her mouth to answer, another voice asked, "Do you think you will receive stigma for being North's only female minister?"

"What are your plans for the reconstruction of the districts?"

"Will the families of the deceased be compensated, and how?"

"Now that the Order had been disbanded, where will we worship the Code?"

At the continued questioning, the red haired man by the minister's side chose to step forward. "The minister will not be taking anymore questions."

At his words, armed men dressed in navy blue surrounded the minister and escorted her down the stage into a customized Auto by the side of the elevated platform that soared above the crowd and flew out of Auro.

"My name is Hezekiah, captain of the minister's private guard. This interview is over." The red haired man said sternly to the reporters behind the camera, making the eager voices fall into silence.

"Grandma. . ."

Megan turned to the boy, worried by his tune. "What is wrong, child?"

"I think. . ." he looked up, back at the blackened screen. "I think I know what I want to choose as my profession for my ceremony when I turn nine."

Megan's heart leapt into her throat as she studied her grandson's longing expression. "No. . ." she croaked and took a shaky step back.

Jonathan seemed not to hear her as he raised his tiny fists into the air. "I'll become a soldier!"

"I'll be like the minister," he continued, his eyes growing bright, "and my dad. I'll save North!"

No. This time Megan said nothing out loud, she didn't stop Jonathan or ask him to keep quiet. In a month, he would turn nine and join the military academy, because he had immense talent in that aspect.

When he turned eighteen he would officially join the army, and when he clocked twenty-seven he could choose to retire but he won't, because by then he'd be filled to the brim with northern pride.

This was the fate of many little boys in the north, because North was the defender of the nations, Earth's unstoppable spear. And it needed soldiers to stay alive, more so now that most of it's elite soldiers were gone.

A moment after his deceleration, Johnathan turned to Megan, a frown on his face. "What's wrong Grandma?"

"Nothing, Jonah," his grandmother said weakly, forcing her hand to stop trembling as she patted his head, her heart breaking as she thought of the next words she would say.

"You will make a wonderful soldier."

Jonathan beamed at his grandma, unaware of the true pain she felt at the thought that she was letting her only grandchild walk willingly into the profession that killed his father.

"Let's. . . go home."

The new minister's speech was over. Megan didn't have a reason to stay so close to the dreaded capital building anymore. She took Jonathan's hand and rushed to the nearest teleportation booth, planning to cherish everyday she spent with her grandson before he left for military school.

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