《The Bloody Titan》


 Book 1 - Chapter 1

    Author''s Note:


    Well, it begins. Anything in Italics is the main character''s  thoughts. Enjoy the ride.


    ---


    A tall, lanky figure in tattered rags leaned against the wall of Ion''s Blacksmith shop.  He eyed a flock of well-to-do merchants walking down Scholar''s Path; there were pompous elven men and haughty Academy applicants, each of them looking at the area in disgust. A predatory gleam shined in the tall figure''s eyes.


    He slipped behind a portly Elven man that was straggling behind the group, bumbling through the path. Then he bumped him, sending the elf stumbling forwards onto his face.


    "Sorry, are you okay?" Tall figure


    "Watch where you''re going idiot" he said.


    The tall figure scooped him up and lifted him to his feet with ease. He apologized profusely while patting the dirt off of the elf''s clothes. The elf started to get flustered and his face turned a scarlet color with veins bulging from his forehead. His jowls were shaking with each breath. In the confusion of it all, the tall man deftly swiped the mans pocket, retrieving a bag of coins.


    "That''s enough," the elf said."That''s enough!" he yelled, pushing the tall figure away with all the strength he could muster.


    The tall figure stumbled away, "Sorry sir, I''ll be on my way!"


    The tall figure hurried away, slipping behind Ion''s Blacksmith shop. The elf''s voice grew fainter and fainter. He cut through an alley and ended up behind a public bath house. He counted his spoils; there were 10 silver coins and 3 bronze coins. Bastard probably spent all his money on alcohol.


    "Johan!" a voice called out.


    The tall figure spun around, hiding the bag of coins behind him. A small, earthen green orc stepped around the wall into view. He was a good 7 inches shorter than Johan, putting him at 5 feet 5 inches. His almond shaped, turquoise-green were as clear as a fresh pond. The hook nose and square, rugged jaw that he sported were trademarks of his race. He padded forward like a panther, his footsteps not making a single sound.


    "Darin," Johan breathed out. If it were someone dangerous, he might have had to give up all the money he just filched.


    "What did ya get?" Darin asked, trying to peak around to his back.


    "Only a couple of silver coins," Johan shrugged. "It''s still early. I''m probably going to go back for more. You?"


    "Some bronze coins," he said, taking his haul out from his pockets. "Let''s head to the Forum. It''s testing week for the Academy, there should be some marks up there we can pinch."


    The two of them walked to the main road. Crumbling beige mud brick houses towered over them. The stench of exposed garbage and dry urine hung heavy in the air. Nearby, several bodies laid scattered about in tattered clothes; it was hard to tell if those were living bodies or just corpses. That didn''t stop the flies from gathering. Johan and Darin walk as if used to this world; as if it''s not worth mentioning.


    "What do they do for the Academy trial anyway?" Johan asked.


    "Hrm. I heard that you need to show some kinda magic talent. Lift something heavy, break something hard, something like that," Darin said.


    "Sounds easy. If Arcane books weren''t so damn expensive, I''d probably be in the Academy right now."


    "You should try out anyway, you never know!"


    "Try out and do what? Sing them a song? I can''t control mana. Somehow, trying out for an arcane school without any knowledge of the arcane sounds silly to me."


    "Smart ass. Sometimes they let people in if they show promise. With memory like yours, they might let you in."


    "My memory''s nothing special. Yours just sucks."


    Darin punched Johan on the shoulder. They headed down Scholar Path and entered the Forum. It was filled to the brim with people from all corners of the continent; Brawny orcs, pretentious elves, stocky humans, brazen dwarves. Merchant stands lined the path selling everything from potions, scribed artifacts, clothing to jewelery.


    Johan and Darin stuck out like a sore thumb. Johan wore a stained shirt and stood a head taller than most of them. Darin was a hard looking kid with clothes that were just barely better than Johan''s. They looked like a pair of beggars that stumbled into the wrong part of town.


    "Find a mark," Darin said. "Meet up at Safe Place if you run into trouble."


    "Yes boss!" Johan saluted him and walked off.


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    Johan stalked into the cacophony of this prosperous crowd. He kept his head down and didn''t make eye contact with anyone. Occasionally he would meekly whisper, "A little money for some food, sir?". People ignored him and kept going on about their business.


    He waded through the crowd, his deft hand invading numerous pockets. People were none the wiser. He filled his pockets with ease, while his eyes kept darting around looking for a big win. He spied a tall, burly orc flirting with a curvy human woman by an alchemy stand. The orc leaned against the stand and was loudly telling tales of his adventures, working in a joke here and there making the woman laugh.


    Johan cut through the crowd and prowled behind him. He walked up behind the man and swiped his pocket with ease, then darted into the crowd. The orc glanced in Johan''s direction then patted his pocket out of reflex. His eyes widened and he let out a snarl of rage.


    Johan shoved his way through the crowd and ran for the alley. The powerful orc bullied through the crowd with ease. Johan bounded over a cart that abruptly moved in his way, effortlessly continuing his run upon landing. The orc didn''t bother avoiding the cart; he barreled through it, sending food and wood flying in all directions. The man pulling the cart was thrown against the wall like a rag doll. Johan winced at the sound of the impact.


    The orc screamed, "I''ll kill you!"


    Johan didn''t even look back. He darted through the maze-like alleys like a mouse through a maze. He reached the Sinclair river and leapt in without hesitation. The cold water shocked the breath out of him, but he still swam desperately down the river, the orc bellowing curses at him as he did.


    He left the river some ways down, and headed into the heart of the Lower City. He was completely soaked. His clothes now weren''t only tattered and dirty, but they were wet and the clung to his body. He also lost a shoe while swimming, leaving one foot exposed. He arrived at an abandoned house. Part of the roof collapsed, leaving a pile of mud brick and the inside of the building exposed to the elements. This building was on it''s last legs. He walked around back and scaled the wall to the roof. At the center of the roof, just before the area that collapsed, was a crate.


    The blazing yolk-yellow sun began to set. Johan stripped off his clothes and wrung the water out of them, then laid them down in the crate. He let out a heavy sigh, dropped onto his back and stared at the clear sky. His muscles ached and his heart was still thumping loudly from the excitement. He closed his eyes and relaxed his body. He loved the way the wind hugged his body, caressing old wounds and breathing new life into him. He lost himself in the feeling.


    "Here already, huh?" Darin says.


    Johan sat up and stretched a bit, "Yeah, got chased around by some brute."


    "Gotta pick your marks better than that," Darin said. He pulled out a hefty bag of silver coins and juggled it in his hand. "I made out alright".


    "Bah, you''re not impressing anybody." Johan waved his hand dismissively.


    Darin walked over and sat down near Johan, staring into the night sky.


    "What''re you gonna do with all the money you''re saving?" Darin asked.


    Johan sat there for a while in deep thought, "I''m going to buy an arcane book on cultivation. After I study it for a while, I''ll apply to the Academy."


    "I can''t picture you up there with those snobs," he started to laugh. "Knowing


    you, it''ll probably happen though."


    "Don''t jinx it."


    "I think I wanna apprentice some blacksmith. People always need weapons and I''m


    good with my hands," he wriggled his fingers around.


    "Why not do that here? There are a couple of decent smithys here."


    "Nah, the culture here is rotten. People only care about what family you''re


    from or how much money you have. It''s stupid."


    "Where then?"


    "Probably Abramiln. Hopefully a dwarf there will take me in."


    They sat there in a deep, comfortable silence. Johan reached into the crate and pulled out a thick sheet. He laid it on the roof and laid down heavily.


    "I''m gonna get some sleep. Have to be up early tomorrow," he said.


    "Still sleeping on the roof?" Darin shook his head. "See ya tomorrow."


    Johan went to sleep with a fire in his heart. He nearly has enough money to


    purchase an arcane book and enter the Academy. His life can soon begin.

 Book 1 - Chapter 2

    Author''s Notes:


    Here''s chapter 2 of the story. I have the draft for chapter 3 ready. I may put it out. Not sure yet. Hope you enjoy. Criticism welcomed!


    ----


    Johan woke up in the early morning to warm pink skies and the cooing of birds. He stretched his sluggish body and did a few push-ups to get his blood pumping. After he finished, he sat back down and watched the sun rise with half-lidded eyes. His body was completely still and his mind entered a state of tranquility. He could feel the wind essence hug his body, embracing him like a lover.


    He heard a name spoken, in a language he''s not familiar with. Though the language was strange, he felt a certain intimacy with the name; it felt like he remembered something he had forgotten long ago. However, hearing the sourceless voice set off the alarms in his head; he shot up and looked around in a frenzy. There was no one around him; the morning was still young and the streets were hardly filled.


    Thinking nothing of it, he climbed down the side of the building. He walked down a narrow path and reached a large building, that had a sign upfront that read "Fallon''s Orphanage". It was a clean, white building that was probably the healthiest building in the Lower City. Warm orange clay tiles lined the roof like an animal''s scales. The wind seemed to slowdown at the house, leaving a gentle huffing sound in it''s wake and carrying with it a sweet nectarine smell.


    He sighed and entered the building. It was quiet; everyone was most likely in their room. He headed up stairs and found Darin sleeping in a bunk bed by himself. Johan kicks the bed.


    "W¡ªwhat''re ya¡ª" Darin said while flailing his arms in self-defense.


    "Let''s go," Johan said.


    Darin mumbled several obscenities and pulled on some clothes. Johan walked over to the door frame and leaned against it, taking a long look at the entire room. Kids from age 10 to 18 were stuffed in the room on bunk beds. Some shared beds, placed side-by-side like sardines in a can. Though they each arrived at the orphanage in their own way, the one thing they all had in common were their gaunt features.


    Johan and Darin left the orphanage and started walking towards the Forum. Merchants and peddlers were scurrying out of houses, lugging a fleshy bag of items to sell. Several youth can be seen dashing down the path towards Academy Trial House, likely trying to secure a good place in line before the doors officially opened.


    "Amazing how fast these kids move," Johan said.


    "I''d move like that too if I learned cultivation when they did," he said.


    "The past is the past, no need to be bitter about it," he said and then chuckled.


    They arrived at the Forum. There were large pristine buildings that lined the path, stopping just before the stone stairs that led to the Upper City. Countless merchants set up their stands in front of these buildings, laying out all of their merchandise and calling out to passerbys. The Academy Trial House was to the right of the stone stairs, and it was a fairly small, unimpressive building. However, the line in front of the building was anything but small; it winded down the dirt path and snaked through the nearby merchants and their stands. The students were animatedly talking amongst themselves and giving each other tips. Johan clenched his fist and turned his back to them.


    "Find a safer mark this time," Darin called out to him. "Same meeting place as last time!"


    Johan waved his hand in recognition and walked off. The main crowd hasn''t arrived yet, so he felt it was a little too soon to begin his work. He sat down at a nearby fountain; it was a large structure with the statue of an angel in the center that jutted water. The angel had an hour glass body that was adorned with small wings on her back. Her ears were pointed and her features slender, which spoke of her Elven heritage. He sat with his back to the statue and watched the line of students preparing to take the Academy Trial; A hard, feral look started to settle on his face.


    Those lucky brats never had to starve a day in their life...


    Nearby, a young Elven man entered the Forum and saw the coiling line. He sighed heavily and looked around the area. His eyes fell upon Johan sitting at the fountain. He smirked and swaggered over.


    "Hey, what''re you looking at, boy?" he called over to Johan.


    Johan snapped out of his brooding and stared at the youth in front of him. The youth had swirling locks of chestnut brown hair. His ocean-blue eyes squinted and seemed filled with spite. He sported a slender body and had flawless, glowing skin. The chic, tight fitting clothes he wore were probably worth more than Johan can steal in a month. He had an emblem on his chest that represented the wealthy family he came from. Johan sighed, got up, then started to walk away.


    "I didn''t say you could leave, boy."


    Johan sighed even heavier this time and turned around to face him. The nearby students, merchants, and peddlers all turned around and focused on Johan and the Elven kid in front of him. A couple of kids in line could be heard laughing.


    "Problem?" Johan asks.


    "What''re you doing here?"


    "Going for a stroll."


    "Going for a stroll through the Forum? Looking like that?" the youth pointedly stared at Johan. Johan was half a foot taller than the youth in front of him, putting him at six feet tall. He had caramel-brown skin under the tattered beige rags that he wore, a military hair cut, and a square, hard jaw. Numerous scars could be seen on his forearms which were mementos of his struggle. Stifled laughter came from the onlookers.


    "Is that illegal?"


    "You have a smart mouth for a titan peasant," the kid said through his teeth. "You see, I think you''re out here to steal."


    "No, I''m¡ª"


    "Don''t defend yourself. Just apologize."


    Johan stood there staring hard at the noble. People around him already went back to their business, likely writing this off as an everyday event.


    "I didn''t take anything," he finally said.


    "If I say you''re a thief then you''re a thief!" the youth said. "You have no right to question me, now apologize!"


    "Screw you," he snarled.


    The youth rocked back as if slapped. People around him began to laugh again, causing the youth to flush. He whipped his head back to Johan and gave him a savage look.


    "The penalty for stealing is losing your fingers," the youth said, balling his fist.


    Johan began to inch around the fountain, trying to place an obstacle between him and the elven youth. Here we go again...


    "Don''t be a coward. Take it like a man and I''ll¡ª"


    Johan spun around and sprinted down the dirt path towards the Lower City. He flew down the slope, his heart thumping harder than what felt healthy. There was a flock of people headed his way carrying their goods. He weaved through them with hasty precision. One man unfortunately couldn''t be avoided so Johan bent down at the waist while running and rammed his shoulder into his chest, sending the man sprawling to the floor. He glanced over his shoulder and swore; he saw the youth leisurely running towards him, keeping pace with apparent ease.


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    Of course... he knows how to cultivate...


    When the youth saw his reaction, he began to laugh merrily and upped his pace. He was less than 10 feet away now, and rapidly gaining ground. Johan cut to the left and bounded into a nearby alley. He narrowly avoided a tree that seemingly just sprang into existence, and by some miracle managed to maintain his balance. He winded through the maze-like alleys in an attempt to bide his time, but the youth was still hot on his trail.


    He lunged out of the alley and took off down the main path again. Sinclair river was in sight, but it was a straight run and there was still considerable distance to travel. Johan glanced over his shoulder and the youth was closing in with startling speed. He had no chance to outrun him on a straight path.


    Johan''s breath became labored and he started to panic. His eyes darted around frantically looking for a way out. People only watched with vague interest, making sure to stay out of his way and not showing any sign of wanting to help. He swallowed hard and then forcefully suppressed his fright. His mind became as still as a calm lake and his body began to move by instinct. He became fully aware of his surroundings; The wooden beams that formed the base for a house under construction across the street, the alley cats that scurried along the side of the path, the smell of oranges that were being sold from a cart to his left, the crackling energy that was emitted by the youth that was nearly at his back, and, most importantly, the cool embrace of the wind that welcomed him. Then a foreign voice reverberated in his head again; telling him a name.


    Out of reflex, Johan spoke the name and suddenly the wind around him became aroused. The wind supported him and gently pushed on his back which gave him a significant boost in speed. The youth behind him dropped his jaw and almost tripped over his own feet. He began to yell towards Johan, but Johan was too focused and desperate to hear a thing. Johan arrived at Sinclair river and leapt in without reservation. He swam to the other side and then continued sprinting. He glanced behind him and saw the youth staring at him, his face red and his brow furrowed.


    Johan kept on running, fearing the youth may change his mind and decide to give chase again. He ran as far as the border, then nearly collapsed by Scholar''s Gate at the border of the village. Two men guarded the gates, not wasting a glance on Johan. The two brawny men stood at least six feet tall. They had powerful, round shoulders that stood above their barrel chest and rippling six pack. Their muscles looked as if they were made of iron. The gleaming iron arm guards that they both wore were covered with deep scratches and what looked suspiciously like dried blood. Johan marveled at their apparent strength but was too tired. He felt his chest burning, his brow was beaded with sweat, and his head hurt.


    Several hours passed while Johan sat by the gate. He was still shaking from the ordeal, and his mind was full of questions. The beaming golden sun was hanging directly overhead, steadily making its way west. Johan stood up and went to Safe Place. He didn''t want to risk going back to the Forum and running into that youth again. He stole an apple on his way to sate his hunger.


    At Safe Place, Johan sat cross legged and tried to calm his thoughts. His mind was a jumbled mess of fear, confusion, and anxiety. He took several deep breaths and sat still in silence for about an hour. He opened his eyes and felt refreshed, as if an enormous weight was lifted off of his chest, though he still felt a bit confused.


    He decided to speak the name again, and the wind was aroused once more. It gathered in front of him, creating a small whirlwind that scattered dust and debris around. Johan''s eyes widened. He began to whip the wind back and forth, testing his limits. He tried to lift himself but it proved to be too difficult.


    All of a sudden, drowsiness overcame him and a splitting headache wracked his brain, making him pass out.


    "Johan, wake up," a nearby voice said.


    Johan opened his eyes and saw Darin peering at him. The sun was no where to be found now and the sky was painted a deep purple-black with white stars littered throughout like little snowflakes. The moon hung high overhead as a glimmering alloy-silver orb, sending tendrils of moonlight lofting through the night sky. Johan let out a groan; his headache faded but the fatigue was still there.


    "Hey, how''d you make out?" Johan asked.


    "You know... you wouldn''t wake up. What happened?"


    "I got chased around by a noble this time," Johan said. "Little bastard was quick on his feet. Almost caught me. He quit chasing me after I jumped in the river though."


    "A noble... how''d you outrun a noble? He couldn''t cultivate or something?"


    "He could cultivate, but... when he was about to catch me, I spoke a name and the wind pretty much blew me to safety."


    Darin stared at him, searching his face for any signs that he just told a joke. Johan started to laugh.


    "I''m serious," he said between breaths. "I actually passed out after using it for too long."


    "Show me," Darin said.


    "I guess you don''t care about me passing out, huh," he said.


    Then he spoke the words of the foreign language. The wind encircled Darin, whirling around him like a small, weak tornado. The wind searched his body, making his clothes flap with excitement. Darin stood there dumbfounded, his mouth trying to word something but failing. Johan started to feel the fatigue set in so he stopped his little display.


    "T¡ªThat''s divine speech!" he said.


    "Divine... speech, is it?"


    "If you bothered to come by the Orphanage once in a while, you''d know what it is."


    "Just tell me already."


    "It''s one of the four branches of the arcane arts," he said. "More importantly, you have to apply to the academy now!"


    Johan sat there for a while, stroking his chin. "Are you sure it''s that big of a deal?"


    "You learned the name of the wind without getting any kind of arcane education." he said as if that explained it.


    Johan shifted in place, "It''s not like I can afford the tuition."


    "They make exceptions for tuition sometimes! Just try it!"


    Johan threw his hands up in surrender, "Okay, okay. Tomorrow."

 Book 1 - Chapter 3

    Author''s Notes:


    Hello, guys. Here''s the third chapter. Hope you enjoy. Comments and criticisms appreciated.


    Edit: Woops. Had an error in the title.


    ----


    Johan woke up before sunrise. His heart was already thumping hard, and calming himself was a struggle. He did light morning stretches and push-ups to take his mind off of things, and then sat down to meditate. There was a lot of anxiety in his heart, and he wanted to go into this situation as clear headed as possible.


    He sat there for an hour, letting thoughts ease in and out of his mind. The sun began to crawl into the sky, painting everything a dim orange. He opened his eyes and called the name of the wind. He reached out his hand and made the wind  caress his hand and travel between each of his fingers. His brow furrowed from the concentration it required, and a mild headache set in. After a minute of controlling the wind, he laid back and relaxed; the exercise taxed him a bit but it gave the feeling of a great workout.


    He climbed down from the roof and went to the Forum to wait in line. No one was there yet. The only sound that could be heard was the gentle cooing of the wind. He stepped in front of the Academy Trial House door, sat down, and closed his eyes. Within minutes, a mob of youths excitedly ran up to the door, lining up behind him. He ignored it and continued sitting down in silence, trying to put himself in the right mood to tackle this situation.


    People were talking excitedly until the door cracked open, and a volcanic voice called for the first applicant to come in. Johan''s heart began to thump violently, and his hands became clammy. He stepped in and saw three men sitting behind a long table, their gazes fixed on him. Each of them wore a long deep-purple gown and had their cowls pulled back, revealing their aged, weathered faces. Before Johan could speak, the owner of the volcanic voice stepped in front of him.


    "Payment," the man said.


    "What? How much?" Johan asked.


    "30 silver," he said. "Pay up or get out."


    Johan grudgingly dug in his pocket and fished out 30 silver coins. He brought some money from his stash just in case something like this happened. Of course Darin would forget to mention the small fact that one had to pay to try out.


    The man stepped out of his way and let him present himself to the three men at the table. Johan bowed respectfully, and awaited instruction.


    "Tell us about yourself, kid," the first man said.


    Johan fidgeted in place, "My name is Johan and I''m 14 years old. I''m from Fallon''s Orphanage in the Lower City."


    "Must be rough," the first man said. "Have you had any practice in the arts?"


    "None, sir."


    "Johan, there are hundreds of students out there that have been training in the arts since they were little. Why should we give this spot to you?"


    "I''m confident that I can surpass all of them, if given the chance. I just need the books. That''s the only thing holding me back."


    The third man snorted and said, "You''ve got a mouth on you, peasant."


    Johan stayed silent and gave the third man a withering look. The man sat back in his chair, his eyes hard and feral, waiting. Johan didn''t respond. He didn''t want to give that man a reason to kick him out. They held each others gaze. Neither of them were willing to back down.


    "Well, let''s get on with it," the second man said. "By the looks of it, your spark is still unrefined. What will you be showing us?"


    Johan stared at the third man for a little longer, then turned his head to face the second man. He closed his eyes and took two deep breaths, ignoring the jeers from the third man at the table. His mind went silent and a gentle calm came over him, melting all of the anxiety away. Then he spoke the name of the wind. The wind blew at the table, scattering several papers and writing utensils. The first and second men gaped, while the third man just sneered.


    "That''s enough," the first man said. "You said you were never taught?"


    "That''s right sir."


    "When did you learn the name of the wind," the second man asked.


    "I learned it yesterday. I can''t use it for¡ª"


    "Who cares?" the third man broke in. "Are we really gonna waste a spot on this kid? He has no connections, no family, no status, and he''s a titan."


    "Yeah, but¡ª" Johan said.


    "He came up with the name of the wind on his own though," the first man said. "Assuming he''s telling the truth."


    The three men at the table gave him a calculating look that made Johan fidget.


    "He''s not getting my vote, so you might as well send him out," the third man said, breaking the brief silence. "Unless you''re gonna sponsor him."


    "That''s..." the first man paused for a long moment. "I''m sorry, Johan, but we¡ª"


    "I''ll sponsor him," the second man said.


    Johan stood there watching everything unfold, unsure of how he should feel. The third man glowered at the second man, while the first man looked indifferent.


    "Welcome to the Academy, Johan," the second man said.


    "Wait a minute. What''s the catch? What does it mean to sponsor?"


    "It means that I''ll put you through the academy. Your tuition is waived and you''ll be given an allowance. However, if your grades aren''t up to par then..." he shrugged. "You''ll be my slave and you''ll spend the rest of your life working to earn back what I invested in you."


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    Johan rubbed his chin in deep thought and then said, "How do you benefit from me doing well?"


    "If I bring a talent into the school, I''ll naturally be rewarded," he said. "Anything that increases the prestige of the school is a plus. You''ll learn more about it later, go to the Upper City and wait for further instruction."


    "May I visit a friend before I leave?"


    "Go ahead, but before that..."


    The second man pulled out a silver tablet from under the table, fished a chiseling tool out from the sleeve of his robe, and then began etching away. It only took a moment before he was done and gestured for Johan to come over.


    "This is your new identification tablet," he said. "With this you can travel to the Upper City without running into any trouble."


    Johan frantically stuffed the tablet into his pocket, afraid that he would change his mind. The man only looked at him with faint amusement. Then he stepped back, bowed deeply and promptly walked out of the building. His face was very serious when he stepped out of the building, and, because he headed in the direction of the Lower City, some people on line seemed to assume that he failed. They laughed at him as he walked off, but Johan didn''t even glance at them.


    Johan walked slowly down Scholar''s Path to Fallon''s Orphanage. He didn''t take any shortcuts; he wanted to enjoy his last stroll through the slums. His heart was beating fast and hard, contrary to his extremely slow pace. His body was trembling and his steps were unsteady. Before he reached Fallon''s Orphanage, he spotted Darin ahead of him, in front of a food cart.


    "Yo, Darin!" Johan said.


    Darin whipped his head in Johan''s direction, "You took the test already? What''s the news!?"


    "I got accepted," Johan puffed out his chest proudly. "I''m about to head to the Upper City. Tag along."


    They began to walk back up Scholar''s Path towards the Upper City. The sun hung high over them, beaming brightly and energetically. Johan took a last look around him. The buildings were tattered, dingy, and on the verge of collapsing; people lay in the streets baking in the hot sun; shaggy animals scurry here and there scavenging for food. Yet it felt comfortable to him. This is the life he had become accustomed to.


    "The trial was kind of annoying," Johan said. "Those three people had complete control over my fate at that moment. If they said no, then I''d be out 30 silver coins and sent back to the slums. I hate feeling powerless..."


    "Well, this is your chance to change, Johan..."


    "Yeah. You''ll be hearing stories about how amazing I am in a few years," Johan said and then started to laugh.


    "I don''t doubt it..."


    "Listen, I have two money stashes in the city¡ª"


    "Stop, you might need it."


    "I''m getting an allowance, I''ll be fine," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "The first stash is in a buried in the dirt underneath a crate behind the bath house. The second stash is buried next to the bush underneath the tree at the orphanage; it''s marked with three rocks sitting side-by-side, so you''ll know."


    "Johan, I¡ª"


    "There should be about 120 silver coins all together. Use it to get where you need to go."


    Darin''s eyes started to moisten. He blinked the tears away and rubbed at his face. Johan sighed and put arm hand over his shoulder.


    "Come on, Darin. I''ll feel bad if I have to leave with you crying like this." he said, his voice starting to crack. "When I visit the orphanage, you better not be there. You better be in Abramiln working your ass off. Got it?"


    Darin nodded and wiped his tears away. They arrived at the base of the endless stone stairs that led to the Upper City. The steep stone stairs looked as if they were carved into the face of the mountain. Numerous youths darted past them and bounded up the stairs with feline grace.


    "Well," Johan said. "I''ll come visit you when I graduate, brother."


    "Show them who''s boss," Darin said between sniffles.


    "I''ll do that. Take care of yourself."


    Johan gave him a big bear hug and then began to ascend the stairs. He glanced back after a few steps and saw Darin standing exactly where he left him,  watching him go, his eyes red from the tears. Johan waved goodbye, turned around before Darin could see him cry, and then began trekking up the stairs. There were numerous kids walking up at the same time, but the stairs were wide enough to fit four men, side-by-side, so it wasn''t too cramped.


    There were youths constantly darting past him, very nearly hitting him on occasion. By the looks of it, most of them were using their spark to strengthen their muscles, giving them frightening speed and stamina. Johan shook his head and continued walking.


    This isn''t race. Whether you get there first or last, we''re all going to the same place.


    Johan ascended the stairs slowly, wanting to enjoy his last moments of peace before starting his new life.

 Book 1 - Chapter 4

    Author''s Note:


    It''s pretty late. I''m almost certain I missed a couple of glaring typos or mishaps. Please bear with me! The next chapter is already finished. I''ll put it up in a few.


    ----


    Johan''s jaw dropped upon reaching the Upper City. A wide cobblestone path stretched forth in front of him, snaking through the lands. Large slate-gray stone buildings lined the path, each with a grand arch upheld by large cylindrical pillars, that stood taller than the tallest tree in the Lower City. The clouds would occasionally travel so low that they kissed the top of the buildings. Johan''s heart began to tighten at this sight. It was a far cry from the dirt roads and mudbrick buildings that he knew of his whole life.


    There were a considerable amount of students there awaiting instruction. Johan swept his gaze across the crowd. People of all creeds and colors stood there, looking just as nervous as he felt. He clenched his fist, and took a seat just outside of the crowd. Although the crowd was very talkative, no one even looked at Johan. He was still dressed in rags from Fallon''s Orphanage, which made people think twice about associating with him.


    After 3 hours of waiting, the last students arrived. Johan heard a commotion from the people at the front of the crowd and stood up, trying to find the cause. Then a sonorous voice boomed out from in front of them.


    "Welcome to the Academy," the voice said. "I''m Viktor Yul, the Headmaster."


    Johan tried to peer over the students, but there were too many of them. Viktor was efficiently hidden from Johan''s sight by the mass of bumbling students in front of him. Johan curled his lip in frustration and backed away from the crowd.


    "First things first, let''s go to Long Hall for something to eat," Viktor said.


    They walked along the cobblestone path to Long Hall, which happened to be one of the closest buildings to their location. With each step Johan took towards the building, the hearty aroma of hot stew became stronger. He began to salivate  uncontrollably. The only major meal he had in the last day or two was a single apple.


    The students shuffled into the building and spread out to make room. Long Hall was filled with the scent of cooked meat, hot stew, and steamed vegetables. A rogue winded carried that scent throughout the whole room, carefully wafting past Johan''s nose as if to entice him. He wondered what it would be like to eat a hearty meal at a place like this every day.


    "Take a seat wherever you like," Viktor said. "And don''t be shy. You''ll be in each others company for years to come!"


    Johan darted forward and took a seat closest to the entrance at the the long mahogany table in front of him. The noise of chairs scraping and forks falling echoed throughout the hall as students stormed the tables. Johan looked at the front of the room and saw a stock dwarf standing with his hands behind his back, calmly watching everything unfold; he immediately knew this to be Viktor.


    Vitkor had long curly blood-red hair that was tied into a neat braid. The lower half of his face was covered with a bushy red beard that dropped down to his chest, also tied into a braid. His hairy arms were as thick as tree trucks, marked with faint pink scars, and his molten-yellow eyes gleamed with intelligence and cunning.


    "Once again, I would like to welcome you to the Academy," he said. "It''s my pleasure to welcome such a wonderful group of promising students! Give yourselves a round of applause for making it this far."


    Viktor led the clap, and then all of the students at the table began cheering and clapping along. Johan sat quietly at the table with an eerie stillness, watching Viktor closely. For a brief moment, their eyes met. Johan quickly wilted under the pressure of his gaze, and looked away.


    "This Academy is one of the leading schools on the Arcane Arts and, as our students, you''ll learn how to bend the universe to your will! In this world, might is right. When you leave our Academy, you''ll have the might to do anything you want in life." he grabbed a nearby cup of water and drank it whole.


    "Our goal here is to prepare you for the real world. As such, the faculty is  here primarily to serve as guides. You all will plan the events. You all will police the campus. You all will manage the Houses. You all will hand out punishments, within reason. We give you the power to run your lives, and it''s up to you decide whether or not you will let that power control you," he said, and then paused for effect.


    "However, the faculty will be here to lend a helping hand, should you all run into trouble. Enough talk. You''ll learn more about our academy in due time," he snapped his fingers.


    A group of elves, humans, and titans rushed out of a room to his right. They pushed large carts that were packed with food.There were large roasted chickens, pots of stew and soup, warm white rice littered with spices, steamed potatoes, sliced pumpkin, bowls of fruit, and more. Johan stared slack-jawed at the approaching delicacies. Saliva fell out of his mouth like water from a faucet.


    "Betcha never seen so much food in your entire life, have you," a nearby student said to him, laughing.


    Johan snapped out of his fantasy, his face turning red. He wiped his mouth and leaned back in his chair, trying to ignore the laughter. The servants walked from table to table, placing large platters of food down, allowing the students to serve themselves. Johan ignored etiquette and tore at the food in front of him with reckless abandon. The students around him shook their head and laughed.


    An hour later, everyone had finished eating and began talking to each other. Johan was slumped in his chair, groaning meekly. He couldn''t remember the last time he had a full stomach. There was a hush, and then suddenly the entrance doors opened and nine people walked in. Five of the people wore purple robes with their cowls pulled down. Four of them were youths that wore casual clothing and walked with an air of dominance. They walked to the front of the hall and stood by Viktor.


    "These," Viktor said while gesturing the five robed people to step forth. "Are your teachers. They will be your guidance, your support, and your family for the next chapter of your life."


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    The first robed figure padded forth and said, "I''m Ansley Barnett, and I''ll be teaching you about Divine Speech. I also serve as the Housemaster for Brienne House."


    The second robed figure meekly shuffled forth and said, "I''m Kana Mori, and I''ll be teaching you about Faith. Please take care of me."


    "I''m Wolfe Zachary. You''ll learn scribing from me," the third robed figure said curtly.


    The fourth robed figure eased forward and said, "I''m Keene Ulrich. I''ll help you understand your Spark. I also happen to serve as the Housemaster for Junpei House."


    The last robed figure quickly stepped forward and said, "I''m Reid Hughes. I''ll teach you about the vast history of mana!"


    What''s he so excited about?


    "Give your teachers a warm welcome," Viktor said and then paused to allow the students to give a round of applause. Then he gestured behind him to the youths that just walked in and said, "These four are the prefects of our houses. It would be wise to obey them, because they are the ones that can either make your stay a pleasant one, or make you wish you never came here."


    The first youth stepped forth and said, "I''m Dixon Jean of Brienne House. I hope we all get along famously."


    The second youth stepped forth and said, "I''m Than Guthrie of Cathal House."


    The third youth stepped forth and said, "I''m Kenta Watanabe of Junpei House. I urge you to work hard and make the most of your time here! It''ll be your best years, even though sometimes it''ll feel like your worst!"


    The fourth youth stepped forth and said, "I''m Paige Otis of Fergal House. We''ll get along just fine as long as you don''t undermine me."


    Viktor clapped his hand and said, "Well, that''s that. On the back of each of your plates is a name. That will be the house that you will be assigned to."


    Johan flipped his over and read ''Fergal House''. He looked up from his plate and stared at Paige. She was tall for a human, reaching nearly 6 feet in height. She stood stone still, with her hands rigidly behind her back and her feet shoulder-width apart. She had a thin waist that led to hips that were just wide enough to pull off a coke bottle figure. Her soft lips were a faint cherry-pink color, pressed into thin lines. Her midnight-black hair tumbled down her shoulders in free fall and her crystal clear blue eyes looked as if they could peer into your soul.


    "Alright, now it''s time for each of you to personally meet your prefects. Please head on outside," Viktor said, and then led the Prefects out.


    Johan tore his eyes away from Paige and left with the rest of the students. They were made to stand in four separate groups, each group filed into neat lines. Each prefect stood in front of their respective group. There were only about 25 people in Johan''s group.


    "We''re going to the dorm to get you all situated," Paige said, then spun around and briskly walked away. The group scrambled to follow her.


    They arrived in front of Fergal House in short time. The entrance was an arched doorway with the statue of a human with a majestic spear. Paige spun around, pulled out a thick little pouch from her belt, and then said, "Okay, line up. When you approach me, give me your name and then reach into the pouch and pull out a single envelope. Each envelope will have your room number and the matching key."


    Within a few minutes, Johan reached the front of the line. He observed Paige closely; she had a majestic air about her. Even though she was shorter and looked more attractive than dangerous, he was sure that she could beat him up with ease.


    "Johan," he said while holding her gaze. She stared back at him, faintly amused. He pulled an envelope out of her pouch and stepped away.


    "Listen up! Boys and girls are separated in the House. Each floor is split in half, with one side for each sex. You lot will be on the first floor. If you are caught sneaking into the other side, you will be punished. If you are caught trying to pressure my girls, you will be punished. Do I make myself clear?" she said.


    The students all agreed, taken aback by her domineering attitude. Johan thought nothing of it and entered the building. His peers darted around him left and right, filled with a seemingly limitless amount of energy. One of them glanced at Johan and said, "Hope I don''t have to room with that guy." People around him began to laugh. Johan just let out a heavy sigh.


    Everyone who insults me... I''ll remember each of your faces.


    He hesitantly opened the door to his room, and was greeted by emptiness. The room was devoid of all personality; the walls were painted an off-white color and the only objects in the room were three naked beds. The window was open, letting a cool breeze drift in, cooling off Johan''s clammy hands. He heaved a sigh of relief and walked over to his bed. Just as he was about to lay down, someone knocked on his door. He opened it and saw his sponsor impatiently staring back at him.


    "Take these," the sponsor said. "I can''t have you walking around the school looking like that. On that note, there''s a bathing area down the hall, go clean yourself."


    Johan received a bag of clothes, and three aged arcane books, and 5 gold coins. He froze in shock and tried to stammer out a response.


    "Th¡ª"


    "Class starts in 5 days. If you don''t finish the year among the top 20 students in your class, I''m pulling my support and making you my slave. Don''t disappoint me," sponsor said, and then walked off.


    Johan stood still for a couple of minutes, staring at the arcane books in front of him. One of the books was titled, "On The Practice of Cultivation". With shaking hands, Johan lifted the book and flipped through the pages.


    My life... is officially starting!


    He immediately began reading the book and trying to understand it''s contents. He would read a chapter, try out the exercises, and then reread it again with the intention of memorizing it before continuing onto the next chapter. He spent the next 8 hours going through half of the book before he succumbed to sleep.

 Book 1 - Chapter 5

    Author''s Note:


    And here''s the second chapter for the day.  Finally a bit of action, huh? Lol, can''t wait until things pick up, personally. Writing these chapters have taught me a lot. Hope you enjoy.


    ----


    Four days have passed since Johan arrived at the Academy. Four days of incessant studying and practicing cultivation. Rays of light poured into his room and caressed his body as he sat on the floor, absorbing mana into his spark. The sound of a key unlocking the door to his room tore him out of his concentration. He shot to his feet and sat on the only single bed in the room.


    Two youths walked in; a human and an elf. The human was an average height male with short tufts of rich brown hair. His face was smooth and devoid of any malice or anger. The elf was nearly Johan''s height and had long, straight blond hair tied into a pony tail. His eyes were a shiny golden color to match, and his complexion glowed in the sunlight. He watched Johan with faint curiosity.


    "A titan for a roommate, huh," the elf said. "Could be worse, I guess. I''m Yudai Ueda."


    "Don''t be rude, Yudai..." the human said. "Hello there! I''m Arvin Sherman."


    Johan stared at the two for a moment, feeling like his sanctuary was being invaded. He finally managed to say, "Hello. I''m Johan."


    "Not much of a talker, are you? Well, titans aren''t exactly known for their wit anyway," Yudai said.


    "You don''t have to squeeze an insult into every sentence, Yudai," Arvin said.


    "Don''t sweat it, he doesn''t look bothered."


    Johan felt all of his enthusiasm and energy draining from his body. The last four days of solitude had been a godsend to him. He watched the two of them at the door to his room and had to fight to keep the annoyance from his face.


    The two of them walked in and a handful of servants followed them, lugging large, bulky bags over their shoulder. Within moments, the once empty room was now filled with color and life. Paintings were hung from the wall, carpets were rolled in, and fragrances were sprayed about the room. Johan sat on his bed with his eyes half-lidded, watching all of this with a a frown.


    "Everyone''s at Long Hall for breakfast, lets go," Yudai said to Arvin.


    "Sure. Come along, Johan," Arvin said.


    Yudai glanced at Johan, as if he forgot that Johan was even in the room. Johan thought long and hard about rejecting the offer, but eventually said, "Okay."


    The three of them left their room and walked to Long Hall. The air was thick with tension. Arvin fidgeted endlessly, glancing left and right at Johan and Yudai.


    "So, what''re your goals at the Academy, Johan?" Arvin asked.


    Johan shrugged and said, "I just want to learn magic. Not sure what comes after that."


    "You don''t need to go to an academy to learn magic," Yudai said as if talking to a slow child. "You can just buy the books."


    "Yeah, but that would require money," Johan said.


    "Ahh, your poor, is it? Could have fooled me."


    "And you''re rich?"


    "Obviously."


    "Wrong. Your family is rich. Your only accomplishment in life was being born to a rich family. You probably haven''t earned a thing in your entire life."


    Yudai whipped his head to Johan and said, "Watch your mouth¡ª"


    Arvin quickly said, "I¡ªI wanna learn about healing so I can travel the world and heal peoples illnesses!"


    Johan and Yudai stared at each other for a while longer before letting the matter drop. Arvin heaved a sigh of relief.


    "So Yudai, what do you wanna do?" Arvin asked.


    "I want to be a map maker. I want to travel the world, exploring foreign and uncharted lands," Yudai said.


    "That''s... more specific than I expected."


    "Yeah, well, it seems like a good life. Free from your family and not having to keep any obligations."


    "You wouldn''t last a day in uncharted lands without your precious money and faithful servants there to keep you alive," Johan said.


    "You¡ª" Yudai began.


    "Ah, we''re here!" Arvin said.


    Long Hall was filled with several groups of students, the sound of chattering echoing through the room. The smell of cooked chicken and steamed vegetables filled the air. Johan was able to keep himself from salivating; he managed to get used to the delicious smells after four days of experiencing them.


    "Look at that," Johan said to no one in particular. "Everyone has already formed their little cliques."


    "Don''t be like that. You just have to reach out and try to talk to them," Arvin said.


    Johan shrugged and walked off to go find some food. He filled his plate with any meat he could find, and then squeeze some veggies in on top. After he filled his plate, he looked around for Arvin and Yudai but couldn''t find them, so he sat at the table by himself and tore into the food.


    "Don''t I know you?" a melodious voice rang out.


    Johan turned around and grimaced when he saw that the voiced belonged to the elven youth that chased him throughout the city the other day. He was with a group of humans and elves, all of them looking at Johan as if he were an exotic animal.


    "Nope. Definitely not," Johan said.


    The elven youth and his friends laughed, then said, "Don''t be like that! You''re in better clothes now, but a pig in clothes is still a pig, you know?"


    Johan faced his food and began to eat. The elven youth swaggered around the table and sat in front of Johan. His friends all sat around him.


    "What''s your name?" the elven youth, asked.


    "Yudai," Johan said.


    "Yudai... your parents must have really looked up to us elves, huh?" the elf said.


    Johan kept his silence and continued eating. "Well, my name is Hidou Aihara. We must have gotten off on the wrong foot. My friends and I were about to head to Cochaigne to check out the recreation room, why don''t you follow us?" Hidou said.


    Johan took his time finishing his food, savoring the annoyed look on Hidou''s face. He wiped his mouth and then stared at the faces of Hidou and his friends. He took his time, studying each of their expressions. They each had beaming smiles, but Johan could spot a false smile when he saw one. He sighed, and then said, "Fine."


    They left Long Hall and walked a long way to Cochaigne. Johan made Hidou and his friends walk in front of him, not wanting to expose his back to them. It was a quiet walk for Johan, and none of them tried to bother him or invite him into their conversation.


    Cochaigne building was the largest building that Johan has come across since joining the Academy. He had to crane his neck to see it in it''s entirety. Inside, the images of godlike figures were painted on the intricately designed ceilings, engaged in fierce battle. Johan walked forward while staring at the ceiling, his heart fluttering from the scenery.


    Johan cursed under his breath when he entered the recreation room. The first thing he saw were two students clobbering each other with thick wooden swords. The echoing sound of wood on flesh made Johan wince. Johan looked to his right and saw Hidou watching him with a smirk.


    Hidou grabbed two wooden swords from a nearby rack and then led Johan into one of the various rings scattered along the grounds. He tossed Johan the sword and said, "I won''t feel right until I''ve beaten you down at least once. Don''t take it personally though."


    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.A shiver ran through Johan''s spine. He gripped the sword and tried to find a comfortable stance, but it was too new to him. He bent his knees and gripped the sword tightly with his right hand. A cold look settled in his eyes.


    Hidou''s friends began laughing and Hidou just smirked and shook his head, then dashed at him. Johan took a step forward and then threw the sword at him with all the power he could muster. Hidou deftly knocked the sword out of the way, then leapt at Johan with his sword raised above his head.


    Johan waited until Hidou got close enough, then sent a column of wind barreling into Hidou''s raised hands, stalling his strike. Johan quickly took advantage of the delay and slammed his fist right into Hidou''s nose with a loud crunch. His body spun in midair and landed in a messy heap. Blood spurted out of his nose and stained his white shirt. His face turned a shade of pink and he snarled at Johan.


    Johan felt like he just punched concrete. His bloody knuckles throbbed endlessly. He winced from the pain and then darted backwards. Hidou dashed at him, not giving him any distance, sending a flurry of chops and swipes at him. Johan managed to parry a few strikes, but some got through his defense and clobbered him in the ribs and arms. Johan caught the sword in his hand and tried to punch Hidou in the face again, but Hidou swiveled to the left and kneed him square in the stomach.


    He doubled over and spewed his recent meal out in front of him. He felt as if he had just been hit by a metal ram. Hidou dodged to the side and then slowly raised his wooden sword over head. With a shout, he slashed down, bludgeoning Johan in the back of the head. Johan managed to utter the name of the wind just before the strike, decelerating it a bit.


    He laid sprawled out on the floor, warm blood sputtering from the back of his head. He struggled to keep hold of his consciousness. Hidou peered at him on the ground, pinching his bloody nose. Then he spun around, and walked off with his friends.


    Johan laid there for what he felt was an eternity. Students were sparring nearby, completely ignoring his sorry state. After some time, his head stabilized and the blood stopped flowing from his gash. With massive effort, he managed to get on his feet and staggered out of the room.


    "You look like shit, friend," someone to him.


    Johan looked to his right and saw a man behind a desk looking at him with a bright smile. The man wore purple robes with his cowl pulled down.


    "Well, I feel as bad as I look," Johan said through gritted teeth.


    He was about to walk away until the man said, "Well, we have restoration pills. You can get five free restoration pill a day, each one after the fifth will cost you 50 silver."


    The man pulled a pill out from a bag and tossed it at Johan. Johan searched the mans face, looking for any signs of deceit. He couldn''t find anything, so he finally said, "Thank you."


    He walked down the hall and immediately popped the pill into his mouth. A warm energy coursed through his body and massaged the gash on the back of his head, soothed his rattled brain, and mended his fractured ribs. Within 3 minutes, the feeling of pain was gone.


    He chanced upon a meditation room and went in. The room was completely empty; there wasn''t a speck of dust or furniture to be seen anywhere. Johan felt comforted while staring at the milky white walls; it felt like he were watching clouds drift through the sky on a clear day. He sat down on the generously padded floors and began to take several slow, deep breaths.


    A small Elven girl immediately walked in, breaking his concentration. She had loose, straight black hair that cascaded over her shoulders. With her eclipse shaped eyebrows furrowed, she stared at him with emerald-green eyes. Johan smiled at her. She swung her head away and walked to the other corner of the room. Johan ignored her presence and went back to his mental exercises.


    He closed his eyes and envisioned mana particles floating all around him, hanging in the air like mist on a rainy day. He could feel the different types of mana; most of the particles were dull and average, a few shined brightly and had a bit more energy, but there were a special few particles that shimmered brightly like stars in the night sky and bustled with energy. After a deep breath, he envisioned all of the special particles around him swirling around in front of him like debris in a tornado, and then he began to breath it all in, drawing it into his spark. The high quality mana particles felt heavy and tried to resist him, but he was able to overcome the resistance and draw them in anyway. As time went on, he became more confident and daring, and started to suck the particles in with increasing speed.


    His chest started to feel warm as energy coursed throughout his body. It was euphoric. Johan lost track of time and remained like this until a horn blared, snapping him out of his concentration. He sighed and began to leave when he noticed the elven girl staring at him slack jawed.


    "Oh my, you Elven girls are so forward," he said, putting both hands on his cheeks.


    "Don''t flatter yourself! " she said. "What were you just doing?"


    "Ah, I''m new to this whole cultivation thing. I was giving it a go. It felt pretty good actually."


    "You¡ª"


    "They sounded the horn, you know? We should get going."


    They left the room together and began walking towards the houses. She kept peaking at him, and then turning away when he tried to make eye contact. He sighed heavily.


    "So... what house do you belong to?" he asked.


    "I''m in the same house as you," she said curtly.


    "Oh? Can''t believe I didn''t notice such a cute little girl," he said, then gave her a wide smile.


    "Y¡ªyou pig!" she said, starting to turn pink.


    "I''m Johan, what''s your name?" he asked after a hearty laugh.


    "None of your business."


    "Ah, that''s true. So what classes do you have, Elf?"


    "Don''t call me¡ª"


    "I have Spark Theory early in the morning tomorrow. Then History and Scribing after lunch."


    She stared at him for a while with her brow furrowed before saying, "I only have Faith class tomorrow."


    "Fascinating. Anyway, we''re here. Bye."


    She tried to say something to him but he ignored it and walked away. He saw no reason to be polite to a person that doesn''t respect him enough to give a name. When he walked into his dark dorm he saw Yudai and Arvin in their bunk beds. Arvin looked like he was sleeping, but Yudai was wide awake and began to laugh as soon as he walked in.


    "I heard a Titan got put in their place, any idea who it was?" Yudai asked between laughs.


    "News travels fast, huh," Johan said.


    "Don''t worry. No one expected you to beat him anyway."


    "That''s fine, because I wasn''t worrying. He had years of cultivation practice behind him. I''ve only been cultivating for a few hours. Even then, I was still able to break his nose."


    "You don''t have to lie."


    "Believe what you want."


    Johan laid flat on his bed and began to envision the mana particles floating above him. There were more special particles here than in the meditation room. He began to greedily draw all of them into his spark. His body began to tremble as more energy filled him. He managed to keep it up for two hours before he drifted off to sleep.

 Book 1 - Chapter 6

    Author''s Note:


    Hey, guys. Comments and concerns welcome. I may have made some mistakes; please help me out if I have.  Might release another chapter today or tomorrow, who knows ~


    ----


    Johan was in the Spark Theory classroom with his classmates. The creamy, spotless walls had the strange quality of putting one''s mind at ease. Sitting in this room, Johan felt all his apprehension and worries melt from his body. In front of the room sat Keene Ulrich; his deep eyes sweeping across the students in front of him as if measuring their latent potential.


    "Cultivation," Keene began. "First begins with absorbing the essence of the mana around you. I want you all to close your eyes and find your center."


    Johan closed his eyes and quieted his mind. He began visualizing the mana particles floating around the room, drifting through the air like glimmering snowflakes. His heart always warmed at the beautiful scenery that cultivation brought.


    "Now, I want you to take deep breaths. With each breath, visualize a white mist entering your nostrils and settling in the spark at the center of your chest."


    white... mist?


    Johan tried inhaling this white mist he spoke of but had no luck. The quality of the air around him was changing faintly; as the students around him drew in the mana particles, the energy in the room was slowly, but steadily, dropping. He started to get frustrated with his failed attempts at inhaling this ''white mist'', worried that he was missing out on something. So he did what he was used to and began to inhale the special, powerful floating particles hovering in the air. He wasn''t timid about it, he greedily yanked them from the air and began drawing them into his spark.


    "Who''s doing that!?" Keene said.


    Johan''s eyes shot open. He nervously looked around him and saw all of the students wide eyed and doing the same. His eyes met Elf''s, the same elf that witnessed his cultivation practice in the meditation room. She stared at him with squinted eyes, and Johan just smiled back in response.


    I''m guessing that the special mana particles cause the energy levels of the room to drop drastically, while the weak mana particles only cause a slight disturbance...


    No one volunteered to take the credit for rapidly draining the energy in the room. Johan didn''t want to attract unnecessary attention to himself until he was strong enough to defend himself from jealous and threatened students. So he sat there silently, feigning interest in finding the person responsible for the act.


    "I don''t know why you want to keep quiet about this," Keene said. "Being able to absorb so much mana makes you a hidden talent! Your sensitivity to the mana in the environment must be exceptional."


    Everyone still kept quiet, waiting for someone to take the praise.


    "Well, I can''t force you," Keene said. He sighed heavily then shrugged.


    "Anyway, what you all just experienced was cultivation by meditation. That is primary method most practitioners use to strengthen your spark. But what is the spark?" he asked, sweeping his gaze across the room.


    The students mumbled incoherent answers. No one seemed brave enough to give an answer.


    "Timid bunch, aren''t you?" Keene said, shaking his head. "It''s best to think of the spark as a cup. You draw the mana essence around you into that cup with the goal of filling it. When that cup is full, your spark will reform itself; we call that rebirth. Each time your spark is reborn, it is strengthened several times over."


    Keene reached into a bag that sat beside him and pulled out two cups. One was a small shot glass, while the other was a large golden goblet. He placed them in front of him for all of the students to see.


    "Every cup is not made the same; there are large cups and small cups. Likewise, there are people with sparks that can hold a large amount of mana, and those on the opposite end. Having a large amount of mana means you progress slower than those with a small amount of mana, because you have a larger cup to fill. But it also means that you have a larger amount of mana at your disposal."


    Keene poured water into both cups at the same time. The shot glass overflowed almost immediately, while the goblet took a moment before becoming full. Johan leaned forward, eagerly watching all of this unfold.


    "We judge practitioners by the amount of rebirths they have gone through. With 9 rebirths and under, you are an Adept. From 10 to 24 rebirths, you are an Arcanist. From 25 to 50 rebirths, you are a Saint. From 51 to 100 rebirths, you are an Immortal. From 101 to 500 rebirths, you are a Grand Immortal. From 501 to 2000 rebirths, you are a God. What comes after isn''t known."


    The students were all chattering quietly at the information. Johan was shocked; the fact that the spark reforms itself was enough to give him a new goal, but now he learned that to become an immortal you needed to reform your spark over 50 times. He was eagerly plotting new goals in his mind.


    Keene let the students chat amongst themselves for a minute, then said, "Cultivation by meditation is the primary way of cultivation, but not the only way. There is also cultivation by assistance. This involves taking pills or drinking potions to absorb mana essence. This is a very expensive method. There are amazing potions out there that hold mana essence more potent than anything you will experience from meditation. However, only the richest families among us will be able to cultivate that way."


    Johan gritted his teeth and his expression darkened.


    Of course, the rich still have the edge in life...


    "The last method we''ll talk about is cultivation by refining. This is something that you all won''t be allowed to do for some time. It involves reaping the spark from a dead practitioner, and absorbing their essence into your own. This method was created during times of war and allowed people to make leaps in their cultivation levels."


    Keene clapped his hands and then abruptly stood up, "Now! Stand up all of you."


    Johan was still mulling over all of the information in his mind, getting up slowly like a newborn zombie. The teacher went on to tutor them on how to circulate the mana throughout the body to strengthen the muscles. Johan felt that it was a strange sensation to have mana course through his body. He felt his muscles drinking in the mana and his power increasing as a result. Johan immediately stopped paying attention for the rest of the class and began circulating the mana throughout his body, trying to familiarize himself with the act as soon as possible.


    Before he knew it, the class ended and it was time for lunch. On his way to Long Hall, he saw Arvin and Yudai walking with each other, so he went over.


    "Hey guys," Johan said.


    "Hey Johan, what class did ya have?" Arvin asked.


    "Spark Theory. Finally learned how to use mana to strengthen my muscles," he said, sticking out his chest.


    "That''s cute," Yudai said. "I learned that was I was about 5 years old."


    "F¡ª" Johan said.


    "Cool, I had history class. Was as boring as you''d expect, but I met this really cute girl," Arvin cut in with his eyes gleaming.


    "Oh, what''s her name, I wanna see her!" Johan said.


    "You''d just scare her off, tell me her name instead," Yudai said.


    "You guys will meet her eventually if I can get her to date me..." Arvin said.


    "I can give you some advice if you need, you know? Girls want me so badly I have to beat them away with a stick," Yudai said with a smirk.


    "Yeah, right. What girls want you, Yudai?" Johan looked around. "There aren''t even any girls looking in your direction, you loser."


    Yudai spun on Johan with his face red, "That''s because you''re scaring them away!"


    "Don''t be mad at me because you suck with the ladies. I even have this cute little elf shining on me," he said, struggling to keep in his laughter. Even Arvin was covering his mouth and chuckling a bit.


    "Go f¡ª" Yudai said.


    "We''re here!" Arvin said, cutting him off.


    They got their food and sat at a random table in the room. Johan''s plate was filled with a mountain of food. He greedily made sure to take at least one of each meal available to eat. Johan sat there rubbing his hands together with a ravenous gleam in his eyes. Arvin and Yudai stared at Johan with thinly veiled shame and disgust.


    Johan shrugged and said, "A big boy''s gotta eat."


    Johan tore into his food without shame, attacking it like a starved lion attacks it''s prey. Even while eating, he was circulating the mana around his body, strengthening random body parts.


    "Well, well. If it isn''t Yudai," a melodic voice rang out.


    Yudai looked up, confusion clear on his face, and said, "Do I know you?"


    "I wasn''t talking to you," the voice said. "I''m talking to that savage Titan in front of you."


    Johan turned around and saw Hidou approaching. Then he went back to eating his food, ignoring the angry stare from Yudai in front of him. Johan almost choked on his food from laughter.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    "Ah, me and my friends are a bit hungry. Get us some food will you? We''ll wait, don''t worry¡ª"


    "I''m glad your nose healed well. Is everything okay, though? You looked pretty banged up when I last saw you..." Johan said with mock worry in his voice.


    Hidou rocked back as if slapped, then stared at him with a cold gleam in his eyes, "Looks like you haven''t learn your lesson!"


    Hidou started to approach Johan again, with his face distorted in rage. The students nearby formed a circle around them, all of them excitedly making bets on who will win the fight. Johan glanced at Arvin and Yudai and only saw them watching with faint interest. He sighed and got up. Johan relaxed his stance and began to circulate the mana in his body.


    Johan towered over Hidou, staring down at him with indifference. The air around him became heavy and stifling, making Hidou flinch back. Then, without warning, Johan slapped him across the face. A thunderous sound echoed throughout the hall, making Arvin and Yudai wince. Hidou shrieked and was sent sprawling backwards into his friends, making them all land on the ground in a messy heap.


    Johan was shocked and excited by the strength of that slap. Hidou sat up with a look of rage and confusion on his face. Blood trickled down his lips in small streams. Johan stared at Hidou on the ground and felt laughter well up inside of him. He heard someone whisper from the crowd, "That laughter... He''s a demon..."


    Hidou lunged at him and sent a flurry of punches flying. Johan didn''t bother dodging; he was high off the feeling of power coursing through his body. He accepted and returned each punch, battering Hidou''s chest and face. The repeated sound of bone on flesh rattled throughout the room, silencing the crowd.


    Johan had a slight advantage. Hidou was buckling under the pressure of Johan''s merciless hits and was slowly pushed back until he reached the wall. Johan wasn''t even going all out at this point, he was just testing the limits of his power. He looked at the pale, worried look on Hidou''s blood spattered face with extreme delight. As if reacting to Johan''s pleased expression, Hidou snarled and sent a wild, wide punch at the side of Johan''s head. Johan deftly slipped the punch and clobbered Hidou in the ribs. He put his entire body behind that punch, sending Hidou soaring towards the crowd like a ragdoll in flight.


    Hidou growled in pain but managed to stand up again. Johan was impressed by his fortitude. He dashed at Hidou, then pivoted to the right and rammed his fist once again into his ribs with a loud roar. The impact sent vibrations throughout Johan''s entire body, rattling his bones. Hidou''s body went airborne once more, crashing into an empty table a few feet away. Johan heart clenched for a second. He was worried that Hidou was dead. Then Hidou coughed out a mist of blood, making Johan sigh in relief. Johan began to walk over to Hidou to check up on him when a shadow leapt out from the surrounding crowd and landed a heavy kick on his side.


    Johan was sent staggering a couple of steps away. Pain began spreading throughout his body. He looked at the shadow and saw that it was a tall student dressed in all black. The student looked at him with indifference, power radiating from his body. Johan knew that he was no match for the student.


    "What''s going on here?" The student asked.


    "This kid won''t let me eat," Johan said between pants. "I was just trying to eat when he started a fight with me. You know how people treat Titans..."


    The student locked eyes with Johan for a moment, then looked at Hidou before saying, "Is this true?"


    Hidou''s face was deathly pale. With massive effort, he managed to raise his head to look at the student. His face contorted with pain and rage; he was about to say something until he met the students eyes. He shuddered then mumbled, "Yes..."


    The student stood there, rubbing his chin in contemplation. Johan just watched, his body shaking from all of the adrenaline. The student then said, "You both are in sorry shape. Nothing was damaged by the fight. Your own wounds will be your punishment. Don''t let this happen again, or I will beat you both within an inch of your lives."


    Johan felt a cold shiver travel up his spine, and reluctantly said, "Yes, sir."


    Johan looked down at his shirt and saw large splotches of blood. He put his hand to his face and it came back dyed in red. He felt no pain but knew he was clearly in bad shape. Johan cut through the crowd of onlookers and began walking to the Cochaigne building. When he left Long Hall, he heard frantic light footsteps following closely behind him. He looked behind him and saw Elf walking over to him.


    "Don''t worry, Elf. I''m just fine!" he said, then revealed a bloody grin.


    She winced and said with more anger than necessary, "I''m not worried about you."


    "Oh well," Johan said. Then began walking and ignoring her presence.


    She rushed beside him, trying to keep up with his long strides.


    "You''re lucky that the brotherhood jumped in when they did. You could have killed him," she said.


    "Then that should make him lucky, not me." he said indifferently.


    "If you killed him, you would most likely be executed. Killing is punishable by death unless it''s in self defense, and what you were doing wasn''t self defense."


    Johan shuddered a bit, "Seriously?"


    She gave him a look and then shook her head. She didn''t say a thing for a while; she just kept pace at his side, furtively shooting glances at him.


    Johan tried to fight down an annoyed feeling that was creeping over him and said, "Is there something I can help you with?"


    "Why didn''t you reveal yourself in Spark Theory?"


    "Who told you that was me? That could have been anyone."


    "I''ve seen you do it before," she said, squinting at him.


    "No you haven''t," Johan said, as if that solved the matter.


    "How many rebirths have you had?" she asked him.


    "Zero."


    She stared at him for a while before saying, "Seriously?"


    "Yeah, I only started cultivating after I joined the school. How many rebirths have you had?"


    "I''m on my third rebirth," she said.


    Johan flinched, and said excitedly, "Isn''t that impressive or something?"


    "It''s not too rare among nobles," she said. "That kid you fought looked like he was on his second rebirth. Yet, you were overpowering him and you haven''t had a single rebirth."


    She arched an eyebrow at him, inviting an explanation. A pang of frustration flowed through Johan.


    "Why don''t you ever have anything interesting to talk to me about? Like love or drama? It''s always 99 questions with you."


    She sighed and then said, "So, I heard that a group of hooded people have been promising students power and money for their loyalty."


    Johan laughed and then said, "Oh? Sounds shady. Does this group have a name?"


    She shrugged and said, "Don''t know. But anyone going around promising people power and wealth is a villain."


    "That''s funny, because Viktor Yul himself said that he wanted to give us power. What''s wrong with that?"


    "Anyone who promises you power and wealth is just trying to use you. It''s common sense."


    "So Viktor Yul is using us all then?"


    "That''s different."


    "How so?" Johan said, then laughed.


    "This school was meant to empower us! The school was created as an opportunity for ordinary citizens to become powerful enough to shake the heavens."


    "What does ''ordinary'' even mean?"


    "That¡ª"


    "Poor people are the majority in this world, yet there are only a handful of poor people in the school. Poor people, being the most common citizen, should definitely be the ''ordinary'' people you speak of. Unless us poor people are so beneath you that you don''t even consider us citizens anymore?"


    Elf silently stared at him with a pout. Johan smirked at her, enjoying the expression on her face.


    "We all use each other, Elf. No one does something without motive."


    "That''s not my name! My name is¡ª"


    "I don''t care," Johan said, chuckling. She stood there, shaking with rage. Her face was dyed a shade of pink and she sputtered, trying to form a sentence. Johan ignored her and walked off.


    He walked into Cochaigne and retrieved a Restoration Pill. He felt the warm sensation course through his body, massaging his cuts and bruises. He couldn''t help but sigh in ecstasy.


    "Johan," a baritone voice rang out from behind him.


    Johan spun around violently; he hadn''t heard anyone approaching him. He saw a large figure covered in jet black robes. A large hood was draped over his head, covering most of his face. The parts that weren''t exposed were covered by some kind of leather. An oppressive, malevolent aura radiated from his body. Johan stared at this figure with unease.


    "How would you like the power to crush any noble you want?"

 Book 1 - Chapter 7

    Author''s Note:


    Next chapter here. Thanks for reading guys. Just woke up, so forgive me for any mistakes please, lol.


    ----


    Johan maintained his distance and tried to keep his legs from visibly shaking. He observed the tall figure in front of him; the figure stood at least 7 feet tall and thick muscles showed through the dark robes. It was the first time that Johan had to look up to a person while talking since coming to the school. The air around the figure seemed to ripple, as if shaking under the pressure of his power. Johan unconsciously began to circulate the mana around his body.


    The figure laughed then said, "Don''t be so alert. I''m just here to talk... today, anyway. Follow me."


    The figure turned without waiting to see if Johan would comply. Johan watched the back of the figure, giving serious thought to running away. However, he wasn''t sure if retreating would even work on someone stronger than him, and he was curious about what the figure could offer him. He jogged up to the figure while maintaining a respectable distance.


    "Our group, the Dark Brotherhood, has produced some of the top students this academy has ever seen!" the figure proclaimed proudly. "We have a secret cultivation technique that allow you to raise your cultivation levels with ease. We even have ancient texts that can help you with your scribing. You will be a king among your peers."


    Johan regarded him silently before saying, "Where are we going?"


    "We''re going to watch one of the welcoming rites currently underway. Numerous students have accepted our offer; you''ll probably see a few of them shine in the upcoming months."


    Johan nodded, then said, "Go on."


    "The Dark Brotherhood believes in the pursuit of pleasure. The Academy wants to shackle you: eat at this time, no sneaking into the girls dorms, no killing, no leaving the Academy grounds, and so on. We say, do whatever makes you happy," he said, spreading his hands. "We''re also a family. And if someone should wrong one of our family members, like some annoying, arrogant noble, then they would be wronging all of us. People would fear you and treat you with respect, whether you are a titan or not."


    "So what did I do to earn such an invitation? Why do I deserve such generosity?" Johan asked sardonically.


    "Not many titans are willing to stand up for themselves. They''ve been treated like trash their whole lives, and they grow to welcome it. You ignored all the jeers and nearly crippled a noble today! We value people that are thick skinned and headstrong. Most of all, we value an open mind. Notice how you didn''t immediately reject me, but actually followed me to see what we''re about."


    Johan accepted the compliments with a nod of the head and said, "And if I refuse?"


    The figure flinched for a second, then said, "Most people don''t understand the greatness of the Dark Brotherhood. We don''t invite anyone and everyone to our group, and we don''t give second chances. People who reject our offer will undoubtedly go on to regret it."


    They walked on in silence until they reached what looked like a broken down wooden shack. The tattered door swung from the hinges, threatening to break off at any moment. Old furniture filled the ground inside of the shack. It was so crowded that most of the floor couldn''t be seen. The figure waded through to the center of the shack, tossing furniture in all directions. He reached down and opened a cellar door, revealing a staircase that led underground.


    "Let''s go," the figure said.


    The staircase was so dark that Johan could hardly see his hand in front of him. He followed the sound of the figure''s heavy footsteps, and groped along the wall to maintain his sense of direction. His heart began to thump rapidly and his breathing quickened. He could hear a faint mewling echo throughout the staircase, making his skin crawl. Johan circulated the mana in his body and strengthened his muscles to the best of his ability, just in case he needed to make a run for it.


    They reached a long, dark hallway and continued walking. There was a flickering torch placed on the walls every couple of meters, succeeding only in painting the surroundings an eerie shade of orange. The faint mewling that echoed throughout the halls graduated to shrill moans, and were accompanied by fanatical chanting in a language that Johan didn''t understand. The pungent smell of sweat and sexual fluids hung heavy in the air. The color drained from his face and he began to curse the fact that he agreed to follow this man.


    They exited the hallway and arrived in a poorly lit large, circular room. At the center of the room was an intricately carved ceremonial circle. Inside of that circle was a mass of people thrusting and grinding against each other. Johan''s eyes focused on a beautiful human woman that was being taken by three men at the same time. She bounced up and down on a man, shouting incoherently before arching her back in ecstasy. A man took that chance to shove his member in her mouth. Johan turned away quickly, but the wet sound of body slapping against body and grunts of pleasure beat their way into Johan''s mind.


    An... orgy?


    Johan steadied himself and then glanced sideways at the figure. He noticed that the figure was pitching a tent and panting heavily. Johan flinched, stepping away from the man.


    "What is this?" Johan said, struggling to keep his voice level.


    "We''re welcoming our new recruits, of course. Some of the most beautiful women on campus are here, ripe for the taking," he said, licking his lips.


    Johan''s stomach did backflips. Johan managed to croak out, "What''s the cost? What do people give up to get all of this?"


    The figure waved his hand dismissively, "Nothing much. Our family is built on trust, so we ask for your True Name and a sacrifice before letting you join."


    Johan flinched, "Sacrifice?"


    "Though we value pleasure, we also value loyalty. Sacrificing the thing most dear to you is the best way to throw away your old life, and become a member of our family. It''s a minor thing, considering that you''ll be able to grow in ways you never thought possible."


    Johan stood there silently, trying to ignore the screams of passion ringing throughout the room and the heavy stench of sex in the air. The figure waited patiently before asking, "So what''ll it be? Join us."


    He glanced at the orgy and almost puked. He wiped the saliva from his mouth and shot the figure a disgusted glare.


    "You know that giving another person your True Name is just asking to become a slave, right?" Johan said levelly.


    "That¡ª"


    "The sacrifice is one thing, but giving you guys the power to rule my life? Don''t see how that''s a smart thing to do at all."


    "There are very few people in this world capable of using the True Name for malicious intentions like that. Every True Name has a specific pronunciation. To make use of it, one would not only need to have a stronger spark, but they would need to be able to perfectly repeat the True Name with the exact same intonation."


    "That sounds difficult to you?"


    "You¡ª"


    "Sorry, but I''ll pass."


    "Not everyone is lucky enough to get an invitation, you know. How ungrateful." the figure said slowly. "I''ll let you go for now, but should you try to tell anyone about our ceremony or our ceremony location, I''ll kill you."


    A murderous aura radiated from the figure, slowly reaching for Johan like the tentacles of an octopus. Johan flinched back and began to walk backwards into the hall. The figure stood there silently, watching Johan go. After walking away a few meters, Johan spun around and began sprinting for the exit, glancing over his shoulder every few feet, only to find the figure standing as still as a statue.


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    He left the broken down shack and immediately fell to his knees. He was gasping for breath at this point, clutching his chest. The crisp, clean air of the outside world was like a sip of water after days of dehydration. His heart thumped ferociously, threatening to break free from his chest. Images of the orgy crept into his head causing him to vomit.


    History Class was starting soon, but Johan was in no mood to sit in a classroom. He went to the meditation room and sat there for an hour, slowly gaining control over his rampant emotions. Then he spent the next hour after that cultivating his spark, trying to take his mind off of things.


    After cultivation, it was time for scribing class; one class that Johan didn''t'' dare skip. Scribing is one of the staple abilities of any practicing arcanist. He entered the classroom a little late and swept his gaze through the students. There weren''t any familiar faces, so he randomly picked one of the numerous tables and sat down. Wolfe Zachary stood in front of the room, his arms crossed and looking down at all of the students.


    "Okay, okay. So as you all know, or should know, scribing is the use of ancient runic alphabet to produce magical effects," he said tiredly with half lidded eyes. "There are 128 known letters to the runic alphabet, and certain combinations of these letters will produce certain effects. Questions?"


    Johan raised his hand and asked, "What''s the relationship between Scribing and Naming?"


    Wolfe quirked an eyebrow and said, "Why do you ask?"


    "Naming is the Divine Speech. Maybe Scribing is like... Divine Writing? They could be one in the same."


    "True, that is one theory out there. This is still a fairly new discovery, so I can''t really give you a definite answer. We''re still trying to understand the grammar and syntax of it all... good question though."


    A few students shot Johan a look. Johan just sighed. These people get pissy over anything...


    "Scribing has it''s benefits when compared with Naming. Scribed Artifacts can grant you control over magic that you normally wouldn''t be capable of handling. For example, the most common scribing enhancement is ''Force Multiplier'', which obviously does what it implies. A Namer would have to first divine the name of Force, then gain enough mastery over said name for it to be of any use. Us scribers just have to pick up the artifact and supply it with our mana; it''s that simple."


    Johan frowned at his seat. Seems like naming isn''t as special as people make it out to be...


    "However," Wolfe continued. "A Namer that gains mastery over a name will be able to use it much more efficiently than a scriber can. One discipline isn''t better than the other, but scribing is definitely the more popular option."


    Wolfe reached into his bag and unfolded a large poster. He pasted it to the blackboard at the front of the room and said, "These are all of the runic letters known to the public. I expect you all to memorize every character within the month. Shouldn''t be hard; it only took me about two weeks to memorize it," he said smugly.


    The class ended fairly quickly, and Johan left to the scribing room in his dorm. He felt a presence behind him as he walked, but every time he glanced over his shoulder he couldn''t find anyone. A cold chill ran through his body that had nothing to do with the weather, and he quickened his pace.


    He entered the scribing room and found that it wasn''t empty; a small elven male sat at one of the tables reading a book. Daggers, carving tools, and shavings  were scattered on the surface of the table. He looked up at the sound of the door opening and saw Johan enter.


    "Hey there," the elf said.


    "...Hello, I''m Johan."


    "I''m Takumi. Well come on, sit over here."


    Johan slowly approached the table, a little put off by the friendliness in his voice. He sat down at the opposite side of the table, staring at all of the materials in front of him.


    Takumi laughed and said, "I''m messing around with effect stacking right now. The power you can get out of these runes is amazing."


    "Effect... stacking?"


    "Yeah. Write the same runic pattern over and over on the same object," Takumi said while picking up a rusty looking knife from the table. "This knife has five force multiplier enchants carved into it. If one has sufficient mana, they could activate all five at once which would multiply the force of your strike 100,000 times over!"


    "Hmm, can I give it a shot?"


    "Sure," Takumi said while handing over the knife. "But it requires a lot of energy to use. I can only activate two of the enchantments at once, and I''ve reformed my spark 5 times."


    Johan grabbed the rusty knife and observed the hilt. Though the knife was in poor condition, the carvings on the handle gave it an antique look. Johan channeled his mana throughout his body and sent it into the knife. He felt his mana rapidly draining. Two of the enchantments began to glow. Johan whipped his arm out, slashing into the air. His arm was a blur, the only thing that could be heard was the raging of the wind caused by his abrupt motion.


    "Impressive. What rebirth are you on? Your fourth? Fifth?"


    "Um. Yeah."


    "That''s how it is. I''m guessing it''d take a person with more than 25 rebirths to activate all five at once," Takumi said with a shrug.


    "So a saint is capable of something like that, huh." Johan said.


    Johan grabbed a chisel and tried carving one of the knives that were laying around. However, his hands were shaking too violently to do anything worth while.


    Takumi laughed then said, "What''s wrong? Nervous?"


    Johan shook his head and said, "I saw something a little weird today. It kinda threw me off my game."


    "You''ve met them? The Dark¡ª"


    There was a knock on the door that cut him off. Takumi and Johan looked at the door and saw a tall figure in dark robes with a large hood covering his face. He stuck out his thumb and ran it across his throat, then turned around and left. Johan and Takumi sat there in silence for a moment.


    "It''s those people again," Takumi said after a sigh.


    "They approached you?"


    "Yeah, they tried to recruit me to their screwed up little cult. Wasn''t pretty."


    "The orgy was a little weird..."


    "They showed you an orgy?" Takumi said after a nervous laugh. "They showed me a group of guys raping a girl they kidnapped from the Academy."


    Johan flinched hard and then asked, "What did you do?"


    "What can I do? I''m not a super hero. There were at least 6 people there, all of them probably stronger than I am. They threatened to kill me if I reported it, and I think they''re crazy enough to do it."


    Johan shuddered in his seat. "Why isn''t the Brotherhood doing anything about it? Or the faculty?"


    "There have been a few scuffles between The Dark Brotherhood and The Brotherhood. But The Dark Brotherhood always comes back; they''re never beaten down badly enough to actually have to go into hiding. There are always students that will be tempted by power and women; which means it''s easy for them to recruit new members to make up for their losses," Takumi said with a shrug.


    "So... are we going to ignore the fact that that guy definitely just threatened one or both of us?"

 Book 1 - Chapter 8

    Author''s Note:


    Was a little burnt out from web design and churned out two chapters, lol. Running on 4 hours of sleep too, lol. Will give it a proofreading afterwards I guess.


    ----


    Students swarmed the Academy grounds, every one of them marching to class with the practiced efficiency of a worker ant. Johan emerged from Long Hall with Arvin and Yudai, and began walking down the snaking cobblestone path. The sudden golden rays of light momentarily blinded Johan, causing him to stagger a bit.


    "What class are you guys headed to?" Arvin asked.


    "Naming," Johan said.


    "Spark Theory," Yudai said at the same time.


    "Ah, I have History right now. Miyu will be there," Arvin said, fluttering his eyes. "She''s really great, I''m telling you guys!"


    "You''ve been bragging about your girl for days now, man. Show us some proof already," Johan said.


    "I agree with the big idiot for once," Yudai said.


    "If even the virgin agrees with me, you know I''m onto something, Arvin," Johan said.


    Yudai shot Johan a fierce glare, only to be met by Johan''s indifference. They started arguing amongst themselves, ignoring Arvin''s presence.


    "I''m serious guys, she''s beautiful and has a great personality," Arvin said.


    "Yikes, ''Great Personality''. We all know what that means..." Yudai said.


    "At least you won''t have to worry about her disappearing..." Johan said.


    "Speaking of disappearances, what do you think''s going on? One of the girls from my class suddenly went missing. She definitely didn''t seem like the type to run away," Yudai asked.


    "Who knows," Johan said with a shrug. "The Brotherhood says they all ran away, but that does seem a little suspicious."


    "Can we get back on topic, guys?" Arvin said.


    "I guess... tell us more about your heavenly blessed beauty," Johan said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.


    "So yeah, she''s pure and innocent. Kind of reminds me of my mom, actually..."


    Johan and Yudai immediately snapped their head to look at Arvin. Arvin had a completely innocent face; his bright expression shining like the light at the end of a dark tunnel. They glanced back at each other then looked back at Arvin.


    "That sounds... a little nasty," Yudai said.


    Arvin shook his head, "You guys don''t understand. My mother is literally the nicest person I''ve ever met in my life. She somehow managed to get through life unblemished by the evils and temptations of the world."


    "Everyone thinks their mother is the nicest person in the world," Johan said unimpressed.


    Yudai laughed and asked, "Is that why you try to be so nice all the time?"


    "I was actually a bit of a... bully as a kid. My parents had money and I was cocky because of it. My father was an accomplished bounty hunter, you see. Every night, he would leave to hunt down a big, bad rogue arcanist, and come back the next day with a pile of money. He''d target the strongest and most ruthless criminals in the kingdom," Arvin said with pride.


    Arvin suddenly went quiet and stared into the distance, as if carefully considering his next words. With his mouth threatening to tug into a frown, he said, "Then one day, he didn''t come back. You live by the sword, you die by the sword, as they say. Apparently, the criminal used my father''s remains as a sacrifice and tried to place a curse on me. Imagine it: I''m eating lunch with my mother one day and a wraith appears behind me and tries to enter my body," Arvin said, shuddering.


    "My mother, in an instant, leapt across the table and redirected the curse to herself. To this day, I have no idea how she managed it. But the curse ravaged her with full force. At first, nothing happened. We were shaken up by the sudden attack, but we were okay. Then, as if the strength drained from her body, she fell down. She broke both of her legs and an arm from that fall. The fall was so light that it couldn''t even hurt a child, let alone an adult. The curse apparently took the strength from her bones and muscles," Arvin said, his face contorting in a rare display of rage.


    Johan and Yudai walked alongside Arvin in respectful silence. They kept glancing at each other; Johan was trying to figure out how they stumbled into this touchy topic.


    "Did they ever find the person that did it?" Johan asked.


    "No," Arvin said curtly.


    Arvin walked on in silence for a few more steps before saying, "My mother never blamed me. She never expressed regret. The only thing she told me was to fix my attitude and try to see the good in life. She had that look in her eye that people have when they give up. I wasn''t about to let my mother die, so I gathered some of our reserve money and hired an arcanist to whip up a potion to put her into a coma. Since then, I''ve looked for ritualists that can reverse the curse, but not one was able to do it. All they succeeded in was taking my damn money. So I took the rest of my savings and joined the Academy. I''ll enter The Holy, and learn how to remove her curse myself."


    "So that whole thing about joining to save a bunch of strangers was bull¡ª" Johan said.


    Yudai cut him off and said, "That really wasn''t your fault, Arvin. Your father was in a dangerous field; it could have happened to anyone."


    "But why did my mother have to end up in that state? Why couldn''t it be me?"


    "That¡ª"


    Arvin raised his hand and said, "I''m not looking for sympathy. Was just answering your question. Anyway, we''re here."


    Johan watched the two of them leave, feeling a bit awkward. He trudged through the mass of rushing students, suddenly reminded of his time with Darin. He had to fight his habit of filching all of the nearby pockets while pushing through the crowd. He couldn''t help but wonder if Darin made it to Abramiln safely. With a heavy sigh, he walked into his classroom.


    The classroom closely resembled the Spark Theory classroom; there was no furniture or dirt to be found. Without even entering a meditative state, Johan could still feel that the air was thick with mana particles. He looked at the front of the room and saw Ansley Barnett watching him closely. Ansley leaned back against the creamy walls with his hands resting in his pockets and his long, dark hair tumbling over his face. Piercing sapphire eyes penetrated the dark locks of hair, watching Johan with what seemed like faint interest. Johan nodded in respect and sat at the back of the classroom.


    Within 5 minutes, all of the late students entered the classroom. Several students actually tried to make conversation with Johan, but he disregarded all of them. It only took five minutes for Johan to make enemies of half of the class.


    "Hello, everyone. My name is Ansley Barnett," he said with a bow. "Some of you may remember me from the opening ceremony. It''s nice to see you all again."


    The class rumbled with incoherent greetings by various students, while Johan only watched silently. Ansley then called each student to the front of the room to introduce themselves. Some students made jokes causing their peers to rock back and forth in laughter, some students brought up their lineage causing their peers to gasp in shock. Johan watched it all unfold with indifference, until it was his turn. He went to the front of the room, blandly told his name, then went back to his seat. People were talking over him as he introduced himself, clearly uninterested in who he was. Ansley patiently waited for all of the introductions to finish before continuing.


    If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "Most of you probably know that Naming falls way behind Scribing in popularity. But do you know why that is?" he quirked an eyebrow and asked. None of the students took the bait, they just waited for him to respond.


    The teacher sighed before saying, "Naming has everything to do with one''s sensitivity. When you learn the name of something, you have to know the target intimately: it''s feel, it''s taste, the sound it makes, it''s composition, etc. This isn''t something that most people can be taught. We can tell you the process to learning a name, but actually learning the name all depends on how sensitive you are to the effects and composition of what it is that you''re trying to name," he said as he picked up a large silver spear from the ground beside him.


    "For example, this spear," he held it up for the whole class to see. "Has been enchanted with Wind Manipulation. I don''t have to know a thing about wind to use it."


    The teacher tightened his grip on the spear and a gust of wind howled throughout the classroom. The wind ran into Johan''s face with enough force to cause ripples on his skin. Some of the smaller students were bowled over by the force of the gust. The sudden demonstration of power left Johan feeling more than a little agitated. He glared at Ansley at the front of the room. Ansley stood at the front of the room, completely unaffected by the wind and looking at the students with indifference. Then he put the spear down.


    "Though we call it "Naming" it''s easier to think of it as... "Phrasing". Every thing has at least 4 ''Names''. 4 ''Names'' make up a ''Phrase''. After learning the first name of something, you have to familiarize yourself with it, which is called ''Connecting''. Connecting with a named object allows you to learn the other 3 names, which obviously grants you more power. For example," he said.


    With just that brief warning, he spoke three names and a howling sphere of wind descended in the center of the room. Suddenly, Johan felt like he was hit by a brick wall, and was dragged across the floor by the powerful bursts of wind. Every other student was tossed around like a rag doll, some even being lifted into the air. As the sphere began to rotate faster, the room began to shake and the howling became deeper and louder. Johan''s heart began thumping loudly. He managed to grab the door hinges and glanced at the front of the room. Ansley stood in the midst of that torrent of wind unaffected, watching everyone with slight amusement. Then the winds began to lessen until it died out.


    "I''m terribly sorry, but experiencing the power of naming is the best way to understand it. I just spoke three names of wind, and I was holding back considerably. When I learn the fourth, I''d probably level the building even if I tried holding back. I wouldn''t do that, though," he said with a straight face, seemingly unaffected by the groans of students around him.


    Johan struggled back to his seat and asked, "How many names do you know?"


    Ansley said, "I know the names of around 20 different things, wind included. I don''t know the fourth name of any of those things, though."


    "Well what are they?" another student immediately asked.


    "Tsk tsk. Knowledge is power, my friend. I don''t go around telling people exactly what I''m capable of, and neither should you."


    The rest of the class flew by, with Johan paying close attention. Johan was shaking with excitement. He decided to skip lunch and immediately went to the meditation room. He spent the entire trip there thinking of several things he would try to name.


    Great, it''s empty.


    He sat at the center of the meditation room, closed his eyes, and called the name of the wind. A faint sphere of wind settled just above his lap, rotating slowly. His mind was completely focused on the the wind in front of him: on it''s essence, on it''s temperature, it''s speed, the feel of it beating on  his skin, it''s movement. There was nothing else in the world but him and the wind right now.


    The second name of the wind came to him like the whisper of a seductive lover. He couldn''t fight the grin that appeared on his face. He was about to speak the second name when the horns blared, shocking him out of his relaxed state. His eyes shot open and he realized that the sun set long ago.


    Shit! I missed Spark Theory...


    He left the meditation room and walked through the chilly dark night to his dorm. He walked while watching the vibrant night sky with all of it''s luminous white stars and distant galaxies. His breathing quickened as he considered all of the possibilities that existed for a Namer. He fantasized about one day becoming strong enough to even leave the planet and soar through the solar system.


    He entered his dorm and it was silent. Arvin wasn''t there and Yudai was gathering books. Yudai turned around upon hearing the door open and regarded Johan with a smug face.


    "Don''t mind me. One of my classmates invited me for a late night study session," Yudai said with a wink. "I''m going to learn a lot about female anatomy tonight, you know?"


    "Virgin," Johan said.


    "I understand, you''re mad that you have to sleep alone tonight. Even Arvin''s out, probably getting some tail," Yudai said, shaking his head.


    Yudai walked to the door without saying another word. At the door, he glanced back at Johan, then shook his head and sighed before leaving.


    I have to catch up on the cultivation I missed today...


    Johan laid flat on his back on his bed and calmed his mind. He visualized all of the mana particles surrounding him and was surprised; the special particles in the air were abundant. He began drawing in all of the special particles, absorbing them into his spark. His spark reacted enthusiastically, vibrating intensely as it drank the particles. It made a feeling of ecstasy course through Johan''s body like a bolt of lightening. He felt like he was about to make a breakthrough.


    Suddenly, his spark dispersed, breaking up into special mana particles. At the center of where his spark once resided was a vibrant violet core the size of a large fist that glowed warmly. The dispersed mana particles orbited the violet core, slowly being drawn in. Johan felt power surging through his body as the violet core drank in more particles.


    This... this is rebirth?


    After the violet core finished absorbing the particles, it slowly started to lose it''s luster and dimmed. Johan panicked, and began drawing in all of the special mana particles around him, pulling them into the orbit around his violet core. The violet core greedily drank in the particles, regaining it''s luster.


    Johan''s forehead began to drip with sweat as he strained himself; he drew in all of the special particles around him, reaching further for them than he ever has before. Though the violet core began to shine even brighter, it also began to shrink, which made Johan panic. He managed to keep drawing in the particles for a full two hours before he passed out.

 Book 1 - Chapter 9

    Author''s Note:


    Second chapter for the day out. On four hours of sleep, I should really be tired, but I''m not. Maybe another chapter will come, I dunno.


    ----


    It was early in the afternoon and most of the first year students just finished their last class for the day. The sun was just beginning to reach it''s peak, beaming brightly overhead. Johan walked side-by-side with Elf into Cochaigne. As always, he walked with his head up to admire the paintings and architecture on the ceiling.


    "You''ve only just had your first rebirth. You''re really far behind," Elf said.


    "Ehh, quality over quantity, my friend. In any event, I need to test out this new found power in actual combat," Johan said.


    Johan felt the thrill of battle rush into him as soon as he entered the recreation room. The sound of students snarling and wooden swords clanging rang throughout the room, settling in his body and provoking his soul. He clenched his fist until his knuckles cracked and walked forward with a smirk. Elf sighed  and followed closely behind him.


    "Isn''t that the titan that got beat up within the first week or something?" a nearby student said.


    "This guy really doesn''t learn his lesson. He thinks because he''s tall that he''s strong or something?" another student said.


    Johan walked to the center of one of the empty sparring circles and crossed his arms. He swept his gaze across all of the onlooking students, taking note of the irritated looks that colored their faces. He let out a hearty laugh that only seemed to agitate the onlookers even more. Elf sighed and put her hand to her face, standing just outside of the sparring circle.


    A muscular human stepped into the circle with veins bulging from his forehead. He stood a head shorter than Johan, but more than made up for it in muscle. He had the neck of a bull and arms as thick as tree trunks; it was hard to believe that he was still so young. He unclasped a large wooden club from his back and did a few practice swings with it. The club cleaved through the air with ease, the shock wave sending dirt and debris flying with each swipe.


    A nearby student gasped then said, "Club Fiend! No one has been willing to fight him recently... looks like he''s going to take his anger out on the stupid titan. This guy must be too unlucky."


    "No one told the idiot to swagger in like that," another student said.


    The Club Fiend chuckled before saying, "I hope you''ll exchange a few pointers with me. I''ve been getting rusty."


    Johan smiled wildly and said, "Sure thing!"


    Club Fiend frowned then said, "Where''s your weapon?"


    "No need," Johan said while waving a hand. "Let''s just get started."


    Johan immediately began circulating his mana; it raged throughout his body like rogue waves. His heart began to thump ferociously, putting his nerves on edge. He relaxed his stance and stood there with his frosty eyes locked onto Club Fiend.


    Club Fiend snorted. He clenched the hilt of his club and swiped in Johan''s direction. A burst of wind barreled into Johan''s chest, but it felt like a gentle summer breeze to him. He scratched his chest and quirked an eyebrow at Club Fiend. Club Fiend pursed his lips and his face turned a subtle shade of pink. Nearby students began to laugh.


    What was the point of that? I guess we''re just testing each other?


    Johan spoke the first name of the wind and sent a concentrated torrent of wind crashing into the Club Fiends body. The wind struck him in the chest like a large rock, sending him sprawling out of the ring. The onlookers nearby began to laugh even louder. While on the ground, Club Fiend snarled and stared at Johan with a look of murder. He slammed his shimmering club into the ground, leaving a deep crater. The crowd immediately stopped laughing.


    "I wasn''t ready yet!" Club Fiend said as he shot back up to his feet.


    "I hoped not. Come on, already. You haven''t even made me move yet..." Johan said.


    Club Fiend darted at him with a shout and his club raised high. Even after seeing that powerful strike, Johan dashed straight at Club Fiend, ignoring the threatening presence of the club. He threw his right fist straight at his head, making Club Fiend flinch and swivel down and out of the way. The club flickered brightly, and he bludgeoned Johan in the ribs with the hilt.


    Johan felt the air rush out of his lungs as he flew a couple of meters out of the ring, kicking up dirt and debris. He staggered to his feet, gasping for breath and fighting the searing pain that ran through the side of his body. He rubbed his ribs and stared at Club Fiend with chilly eyes; noticing the fearful look on his face. Johan gave Club Fiend a bloody grin that was interrupted when he coughed out a wad of blood.


    Force Multiplier, huh?


    "Ahh, he''s done for," a nearby student said.


    "He took the full force of that hit," another said.


    Johan took a deep breath and steadied himself. He drew on more of the mana coursing through his body to strengthen his muscles. He ran towards Club Fiend, completely ignoring the pain that racked his body. Club Fiend stood his ground, holding his club in a defensive position. Johan spoke two of the names of the wind, sending four bursts of wind howling towards Club Fiend like large cannon balls.


    Club Fiend''s face flickered between rage and fear. He immediately raised his club and swung down, dispersing the first wind cannonball with a thunderous explosion. The impact sent him reeling backwards. The next three wind cannonballs pummeled his defenseless body with a loud explosion. His limp body crashed through a lineup of onlookers and slammed into a wall. The unlucky bystanders were laid out on the ground, groaning in pain.


    He fell out of the crater in the wall. Blood spurted profusely out of his nose and mouth, leaving scarlet splotches on his shirt and staining the ground. Dust slowly formed around him, concealing his presence. Johan looked on apprehensively, then called the first name of the wind, blowing away the dust.


    Club Fiend''s body was gone, making Johan flinch in fright. He heard a roar above him, and saw Club Fiend falling towards him from above with his club raised high. Johan gathered as much mana as he could into his muscles, and threw a heavy punch at Club Fiend. Club Fiend met the punch with a two handed swing of his shimmering club. The club and fist met with a crackling explosion, sending both of them flying. The shock waves of the impact swept numerous onlookers off their feet.


    Johan slowly got to his feet; blood trickled out of his mouth and his shoulder was dislocated. He gritted his teeth and popped his shoulder back into place, growling in pain after doing it. Club Fiend slowly got up, his body shaking with rage. His originally white shirt was now tattered and dyed a scarlet and earth brown color from blood and dirt. The blood pouring from his face and the manic gleam in his eyes made him look like a crazed killer.


    "I''ll make you bleed!" Club Fiend said with a snarl.


    His club began to flicker brightly, and the space around it began to ripple. He gripped the club with both hands and swung horizontally with a loud shout. An enormous blade of force swept towards Johan with a shrill screech. Onlookers covered their ears, while Johan only grimaced in discomfort. He lunged over the attack, but didn''t completely avoid it; part of his calf was sliced. It cut through his reinforced flesh like a hot knife through butter. If he took that head on, he''d die without a doubt.


    For the first time since starting the battle, a look of uncertainty flashed on Johan''s face. Club Fiend smiled and raised his blade once more. Johan didn''t give him the chance to prepare himself. He spoke the two names of the wind and sent a torrent of wind cannonballs howling towards him. Club Fiend grimaced, and rapidly swung his sword, releasing a shrill blade of force with every swing. The force blades and wind cannons collided loudly, canceling each other out with muffled explosions. Students unlucky enough to be near the impact were sent flying in all directions.


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    Club Fiend kept slashing at Johan, sending force blades screeching towards him. Johan used the wind to increase his speed as he darted towards Club Fiend, zig-zagging wildly and dancing past the attacks. Club Fiend staggered back, swinging madly but not catching Johan even once. His back hit the wall, causing him to flinch violently.


    Johan took advantage of that brief distraction and closed the distance between them. Club Fiend swung his sword horizontally in a strike aimed at the side of Johan''s head. Johan ducked and slipped under the strike, then sprang up with an uppercut, digging his fist deep into Club Fiend''s stomach. Club Fiend was lifted off of his feet and pinned against the wall by Johan''s fist. Club Fiend stared at Johan with fear clouding his eyes, his eyelids twitching in a struggle to maintain consciousness. Johan looked back with a predatory gleam shining in his eyes.


    Club Fiend eyes rolled into the back of his head and he spat a mouthful of fresh blood onto Johan''s face. Johan flinched back and dropped Club Fiend onto the floor. He tore off his shirt and wiped his face down, but did a sloppy job of it. When his vision returned, he saw Club Fiend laying down on his back with the whites of his eyes showing. Johan sighed proudly. He walked over to Club Fiend''s body and grabbed him by the foot, then spun around to drag him out of the recreation room.


    He noticed everyone staring at him slack jawed. He looked at the scenery around him and noticed that the sparring circle was wrecked; there were numerous fractures and craters that littered the ground, there was a hole in the wall from where Club Fiend hit it, several students were knocked unconscious during the battle, and there were blood splattered the entire room. Pained moans echoed throughout the room, causing Johan to feel just slightly guilty. He noticed Elf staring at him with a pale face and wide eyes. She turned away immediately after making eye contact.


    Well... guess I might''ve gone a little too far there.


    Hidou tossed his bloody shirt on the ground and headed for the door. Nearby students watched in horror as he dragged Club Fiend''s limp body by the foot. As he approached the exit, he spotted Hidou standing in the midst of his friends, looking in the complete opposite direction. Johan laughed loudly and approached him.


    "Hidou, my friend!" Johan said. "If I saw you, I wouldn''t have bothered to fight this stranger," he said, lifting Club Fiend by the foot to show him off.


    Hidou winced and said, "You''re a savage, you know that? You make me sick."


    "What you mean is that I frighten you. It''s okay, little Hidou. I won''t hurt you," Johan said.


    Hidou flushed and balled his fist. Johan slowly lowered Club Fiend''s body and began circulating his mana. He flashed a bloody grin and leaned forward, sticking out his cheek to invite him to strike. Hidou''s friends nervously looked from the bloody Johan to the limp body he was dragging with him, and then staggered backwards.


    Noticing his friends trying to leave, Hidou snarled and decided to leave himself. Johan chuckled to himself and left too. When he reached the door, Elf came running up beside him. She followed beside him in silence as he approached the faculty member that gives out Restoration Pills. He grabbed two of them. He took the first one and force fed it to Club Fiend, and accepted the other one for himself. He left Club Fiend lying on the floor in front of the faculty member and left the building. Elf followed in silence, furtively glancing at him constantly.


    "You always do this, Elf," Johan said finally.


    "What?"


    "You slither up next to me, then glance at me until I break the ice."


    Elf rocked back as if she were slapped and said, "Why ''slither''? Don''t I have legs?"


    "Fine. You crawl up next to me."


    "That isn''t much better!"


    "What do you want?"


    "Club Fiend had 5 rebirths."


    "Cool."


    "You said you were on your first."


    Johan didn''t respond.


    "He left a crater in the ground with a single strike, yet the most he was able to do to you was dislocate your shoulder."


    "If you have something to say, say it," Johan said, letting the annoyance color his voice.


    She sighed and said, "Your spark seems to be abnormally strong. I want you to teach¡ª"


    "Absolutely not," Johan said.


    Her face turned red and she said through clenched teeth, "At least let me finish my request!"


    "No need. Go learn from your teacher."


    "I have things I can teach you too, it''s not like this would be a one sided thing."


    Johan stopped walking and slowly turned to her, "You mean... like adult things?"


    She flushed and said, "You really piss me off!"


    Johan watched her stomp away, enjoying her cute expression. He spun around and walked down the cobblestone path, ignoring the stares from passing students. He closed his eyes as he walked, enjoying the cool breeze of the wind on his bare chest. He unconsciously called the name of the wind and let it sweep out in front of him, feeling out his path. The wind brought back the heavy stench of sex and blood, making his eyes shoot open.


    He spotted a bloody limping figure in front of him. Students that saw the figure approaching all left the cobblestone path. The figure trudged slowly, limping on his right foot. His hair was matted down with dry blood, and Johan couldn''t even guess the original color of his tattered shirt. The smell brought back  unwelcome memories of the Dark Brotherhood and their welcoming ceremony. Johan wrinkled his nose in disgust and rushed past the figure. He glanced back only to drop his jaw in shock.


    "Arvin! What the hell happened to you?" Johan asked.


    Arvin regarded Johan with a chilly look and gritted teeth. The bright expression that he was known for was no where to be seen; his eyes were half-lidded and bloodshot. His nose was wrinkled and his mouth was tugged downward in a deep snarl. Dry streams of blood painted his face a murky scarlet color, striking a frightening contrast to his unblemished sky-blue eyes. A bloody hand print could be seen on his ruffled, torn shirt. Johan wrapped an arm around him and helped him walk home. They both walked home in silence; the only thing Johan could hear was Arvin''s ragged breathing.


    Yudai was in the dorm room, lying on the bed reading a book. When he heard the sound of the door opening, he put the book down briefly to glance at who came in. He gaped when he saw the state Arvin was in. Then he looked at Johan, who happened to have some of Arvin''s and Club Fiend''s blood on him. Johan and Arvin both had grave looks on their faces. Johan pulled a chair out for Arvin to sit on, and then sat on the edge of his bed.


    "You guys look like you took a bath in blood..." Yudai said, wrinkling his nose.


    Arvin sat in a chair with a heavy thud. He stared at his hands that were folded in his lap with distant eyes. He didn''t move for minutes; Yudai and Johan didn''t dare try to break the ice and get him talking.


    Arvin finally said, "They got her."


    "Who''s they?" Johan asked.


    "Got who?" Yudai asked.


    "The Dark Brotherhood. They killed Miyu."