The first thing Soren felt was cold.
An all-too-familiar sensation, like a flower of ice blooming from his left chest. Spreading. Consuming. Slowly but surely creeping into every corner of his frail body.
He didn't wince.
Shrugging off the usual pain, Soren left the comfort of his mattress to prepare for the day. He moved with a practiced rhythm, gliding silently through the cramped, sterile room. Slipping his pale arms into a plain white tunic, the child then stood in front of a rectangular mirror to inspect his appearance. Messy black hair fell over his face like a curtain, and a pair of icy blue eyes stared back at him—empty, lifeless. Fixing his hair to be more presentable, Soren took a moment to make his bed before exiting the room.
In the vast corridors of Saint Helena Cathedral, the sounds of laughter and chatter can be heard throughout. A number of children donning similar white tunics collectively left their dorms to head towards the daily roll call. The younger ones had wide smiles on their faces, chattering cheerfully with one another, while the older children tend to bear a more distant, detached look.
They were homunculi. Artificial humans created by the Lunar Church.
Just like him.
Soren passed them by without a word.
It's our birthday, he thought quietly.
January 1st. The day the Lunar Church had designated as the creation date for every homunculus under its care. A manufactured birthday for manufactured lives.
None of them were celebrated.
There were no candles. No gifts. Only age.
Not long after, the assembly hall loomed ahead: a vast chamber of towering arches and colorful murals. Rows of children stood in silence, arranged by age beneath floating silver placards: 5, 6, 7... all the way to 19.
In front of them stood a handsome man with a head of white hair — Father Vastoine, their caretaker and overseer. Not far from him was a line of handmaidens who assisted him in his work
Soren stood in place for a moment before making his way towards the line marked with a silver 10.
Today was his tenth birthday. And with it came new responsibilities. Soren would be undertaking his first mission outside of the cathedral today. As he was deep in contemplation, a familiar voice interrupted his musings.
"I'm earlier than you this time, eh? The great Soren is starting to be late,"
Frizzy blonde hair, violet eyes, and a shit eating grin. Caelum was as bothersome as ever.
"I'm never late," Soren replied flatly, "just on time."
"Sure, sure." The blonde simply shrugged off his rebuttal and received a piercing glare in return. The pair's attention was soon taken over by their overseer's commanding voice.
"Good morning and happy birthday, children." the towering man spoke in a warm and gentle tone. "Rejoice! As of today, you take one step closer towards returning to the Goddess's embrace,"
'Returning to the Goddess's embrace' though the words used were sweet, Soren and the other homunculi knew what it meant.
Death.
Due to their unique constitution, homunculus have a much shorter lifespan than regular humans. The Hollow Shards implanted into their hearts from birth causes them to rapidly age and perish before they reach even the age of twenty.
Such devastating news would be difficult for anyone to come to terms with, but Soren had long accepted it. He sees himself as nothing but a mere tool, a weapon to be used by the Lunar Church against it's enemies. Attempting to change this destiny... will only lead to more despair.
"Now of course, as you grow older your responsibilities to the Church will also increase." Father continued. "Sisters, please go and handle the respective age groups you're supposed to overlook. I will personally attend to the new ten year olds" he added, voice as smooth and composed as always.
After the words left his mouth, movement quickly followed. The handmaidens swiftly and meticulously organized their assigned homunculi, taking them into their respective locations for their planned lessons and training. Father Vastoine was also fast to act, addressing the sixteen children who had turned ten today.
"Now let's get right into what you're all waiting for, children. As you all already know, as of turning ten, you are now obliged to take part in outside operations under the church's Shadow Unit." he informed. "Now, don't worry. Your introductory mission will be a simple one. You will be accompanying a senior of yours in a negotiation mission with a Baron. Make sure to make use of this experience wisely and learn a lot about the outside world!"
.