《Strings of Destiny》 Prologue: A String of Destiny Late at night the surroundings are oddly quiet, you can only hear the sound of the wind whispering to your ears. There''s a mysterious lady on her 30''s with a Slim body, beautiful purple eyes and black hair. She is wearing a dark cloak covered with blood. While lying on the riverside and gazing to the sky. *panting* ''The bleeding wont stop...'' Her wounds seem to have been caused by a piercing strike on her arms and her body. Lady: ''The stars in the sky are so beautiful... If only I have much time left in this world, I would like to watch this scenery until the sun rises.'' '' Why did I end up like this?'' *Coughs* ''it''s getting worse...'' The mysterious lady reaches out to her pocket and holds a strange looking box that glows so bright like the stars above. ''This is the only way to escape on this mess, I''m sure those aristocrats are coming after me. I don''t have any other options left, let''s see how this thing works''. The mysterious Lady opens the box and take a look inside of it. After she saw what''s inside the box she grins mischievously. ''It''s empty... that guy manage to get what''s inside. Not a problem I still got the box ''. The lady uses some kind of magic to create a weird looking key and She put the key inside the box. ''I guess my little ''show'' ends here now, I''m sorry... This is the only way I can think of right now, I want to see you again... even when that time comes neither you or me can recognize each other anymore''. The Lady''s eyes started to get teared up and her hands shook as she holds the box. As soon as the lady closed the box, she lose her conciousness and the box glows eerie and even brighter. After the box has been fully charged it releases a condensed energy that goes throughout the town and destroy everything on its range. *Boooom!!!* After the explosion of magic, the box shattered into pieces. As for the key inside, it got blown somewhere after the explosion. Also the mysterious lady nowhere to be seen. The explosion caused quite a commotion and there''s two men on a distance staring at the pillar of light that the box''s explosion caused. Man in white cloak: "tsk we''re late, the box of xxxxxx has been destroyed let''s hope for the best for the people on the vicinity of explosion" ''you witch... Look what you''ve done'' the frustrated man said on his mind Servant: "that''s the first time I heard you mentioned the name of that box my liege." "That thing was never meant to be mess with in the first place" "I see, so what does that box really do?"Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. "It doe- WATCH OUT !!" a tree falls above them and the Servant almost caught by it. "Are you alright?" "Yes Mr.Headmaster, thanks" "Let''s leave this place" The Servant revealed that the man on white cloak is a "Headmaster". The Headmaster looks like on his 40s with a white hair and long beard. His eyes are golden yellow and looks fierce like a Lion hunting its prey. As for the Servant He looks like a man on his late 20''s he have a black eyes and black hair. He wears a white uniform that looks like a servant from a royal family. The two men leaves the place without saying a word and the Headmaster clenched his fist. Next morning the small town that experienced the explosion last night are not looking so good. Half of the town is damaged and many townsfolk lost their lives and properties. The people of the town wondering what caused the explosion. Female Villager: " Did you hear the blast last night??". Curious Villager: " I don''t know it''s actually real because I dreamt of a explosion in my sleep but now I think it''s not a dream at all ". Female Villager: " I''m just glad my family are safe whatever happened last night". Curious Villager: "Yes, you''re totally correct on that part". As time passed by the Town is losing its shape and transforming into a ruins. The ruined town used to be a calm and vivid place that lives in harmony, but now its just a bunch of rubble and dust everywhere around the former town. The townsfolk of the town are forced to leave their homes and migrate to somewhere else. The incident that happened on the town is all over the news. Most people don''t even care because they''re busy on their own lives than to pay attention on a tragedy that happened on a small town, but there are some that gives pity on the residents of the area. The aftermath of the explosion left the ruins with its concentrated magical essence lingering on its atmosphere. Meanwhile At the manor over the hill of the Ruined town. Inside of the manor there''s a big room filled with luxurious and fancy things like it''s a throne room. Servant: "My liege I''m here to report. The scout report near the former Town in the west is still the same as before. Headmaster: "is that so? Hmmm.. let''s monitor it from afar for now but if anything strange happens commence a patrol and report immediately" Servant: "Understood Headmaster, we will deepen the search so we can gather more info" Headmaster: "Go now, I can''t ignore this because that is very important treasured artifact of my family and now it''s gone¨C destroyed by that ''witch'' ". Servant: "Yes sir, I''ll take my leave. If you''ll Excuse me". The servant left the room. The Headmaster turned his chair on the big window behind him *sigh*. "I wonder where that witch go, I need to know what kind of item she put on that box before it caused some trouble on many people''s lives... " "Just how heavy she wished for that the box caused to explode like that, Luckily she didn''t get her hands on this...". The Headmaster pulled out a pure white gem on his pocket, with the looks on his face you can see that he''s relieve for a moment even though the box is now gone... The Headmaster tapped his fingers on the armrest and his eyes are focused to the horizon. The weight of the incident is still lingering on the corner. What is that box? What so important about it?... (Few Days Later) The wind blows gently, Leaves are rustling and the birds are chirping on the top of the trees enjoying the calm breeze of the forest. There''s a Merchant that is strolling deep inside the forest. The Merchant carries a large bag that full of various Items that he get from his travels. While the Merchant is walking on his way out to the forest he saw The KEY. Merchant: "Hmm? What a strange looking key... Who will put a key on the forest? Maybe someone else dropped it. Anyways I''ll take it with me maybe I can sell this on some cities". The Travelling Merchant picked up the key on the ground and the Merchant noticed something about the key. Merchant: "I think I struck gold on this one hehehe" The Merchant examining the properties of the key with his sparkling eyes. "I can sell this treasure for a high price that''s for sure! ehee hee~~" The gems on the black key are faintly glowing with bluish and a touch of purple light. The Merchant proceeds to stroll on the forest to reach his destination and the key alongside him. [Strings of Destiny] Chapter 1: A New Beginning Chug chuff, Chug Chuuf, Chooo¡ª A luxurious-looking train that have a matte black body with gold and silver lining pulled into the station and opened its doors. Station Staff: "Passengers of the train 365 please prepare to board... The train will undergo quick maintenance that will take 10 minutes, Board the train before the maintenance is finished. We apologize for the inconvenience. There''s someone standing on the station. He has white and messy hair with a pair of bright red eyes. ''I still have a few minutes before boarding the train'' *sigh* ''Might as well grab some coffee.'' ''Where''s the vending machine here?'' *walks* ''there it is'' *Click click beeep¨C thug* It''s been a while since the last time for me to have a free time like this. *swsh-* Coffee here tastes good too, I took a sip again and I heard the train whistle. ''Almost time for the train, Better hurry up or else I''ll get left behind.'' I boarded the train, The interior was stunningly elegant. Where''s my seat?... "Ah, there it is!" Station Staff: *ding dong* "All passengers of the train 365 please board. The train are preparing to depart the station." *ding dong* Leaning back into the seat and took another sip of my coffee. How many hours again before I arrive on Estelle City? Uhh... I forgot but maybe 5? This is gonna be a long ride. My name is Kiyan Feit, I''m a college student this coming academic year, I like games and music. Most people mistake my age because of my behavior, sometimes I sound like an old man when it comes to certain things but I''m only 19years old. Anyways... What kind of life awaits me on the city? I''m nervous but I''m looking forward to it. I pulled out my phone and opened a rpg game. Sometimes I wish that magic really do exist... like on this game, it would make a fun twist on this world, imagine you can do the things you can only imagine haha but it''s not gonna happen... A train Attendant comes near on Kiyan and greeted him with a smile. "Good morning, Sir. may I see your ticket? " "Sure wait a sec" Kiyan put his hand on his pant''s pocket ''hmmm where''s my ticket?? Oh no! this is not good!!'' "Uhmm I think I lost my ticket... Perhaps I can pay on cash??..." "That''s bad but I''m sorry, we don''t accept direct cash payments from our passengers." ''What a way to start a day Kiyan'' "What would happen if I don''t have a ticket Miss?" "We will going to drop you off the train" *Grins* "Whaa??!" An old man wearing a leather coat with brown eyes and hair interrupted in our conversation. "Here Ms. Attendant, take this ticket I''ll pay for the boy since I happened to have a spare ticket." "Sure Mister, I''ll be taking two tickets... And done!, thank you. Enjoy your trip, Excuse Me." I thought I''m a dead meat *sigh* I should thank the guy who save my ass because of my carelessness. "Thank you Mister for paying my ticket, how much do I owe you? I''ll pay." "Don''t mentioned it, you don''t need to pay me back. It easy for someone at your age to mess up things. Anyways I am Will Slackerburg, just call me Will. " Ouch! that was kind of offending but he''s not wrong about that either, also Will Slackerburg... Slackerburg?? Such a weird surname. "Thank you so much Mr. Will." Mr. Will waves his hand at Kiyan and Kiyan slightly bowed his head. After that Kiyan stared at the scenery on window of train. The vast ocean and mountains with a lot of pine trees at the scene. "Where are you heading to young one?" "Kiyan Feit, you can call me Kiyan, Mr. Will. I''m heading to Estelle City." "Nice to meet you Kiyan Feit, If u don''t mind, what''s your business there Kiyan" " I''m trying my luck on the city for a better life." "What a coincidence that''s my destination too" " Oh really? What''s your business on that city?" " I''m just paying a companion of mine a visit. Do you have plans to look for a part-time job?"If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. " Yes, I need some money for my education and daily expenses too. " " You''re a hardworking soul, good for you. I hope all that hard work pays off one day. By the way, why not ask your parents for assistance?" " I live alone Mr.Will, my parents passed away when I was little. My grandmother raised me and now she''s gone too..." Kiyan''s statement left Will in shock and He bow his head slowly. " I''m sorry, I didn''t know that they''re not here anymore " "It''s okay I already move on" ''Not really...'' "You said you''re going to Estelle City right? It''s quite crowded there but it''s a prosperous city that striving whether day or night." "Seems like you''ve been on that city for quite some time Mr. Will" "Yeah but I only go there for some formal affairs " "Aren''t you pretty old for work?" " I''m still good as new Kiyan, Don''t underestimate me I can still lift a huge boulder HAHA! " ''...'' Kiyan got silent for a bit. " It''s fun to have a chat with you but I''ll leave this car for now I''ll attend a meeting on the other car. See you around Kiyan" Kiyan: "Thank you again Mr. Will, see yah" Will waves his hand at Kiyan as soon he leaves his seat. Mr. Will and I had a good conversation. I wonder what meeting he is attending but thats none of my business, I should focus on my own. I checked the time on my phone, It''s still early *Oahmm mhm* My eyelids are getting heavy... Kiyan''s eyes completely shut. The moment Kiyan fell asleep he dreamed of something that seems like he''s on a weird place. "What is this place?" I murmured, my voice swallowed by the silence. The air shimmered like starlight, and the vast expanse stretched endlessly in all directions. It was eerie and breathtaking, like standing at the edge of the universe itself. I should take a look around to seek for my answer. Walking feels like I''m floating I feel so light, hmm? What is that? an object? No but a door. Who could possibly put a door on here, so many unknowns but I''m curious. Just imagine Kiyan¨C that you''re on a game scenario where you need to explore mysterious places. Kiyan walk towards the door. ''now I feel like I''m not moving... or is it just my imagination?'' Kiyan proceeds to walk on the unknown space ''yep, definitely not moving but it feels like the door is getting farther away from me'' ???: "KIYAN" Huh a Girl''s voice? Who''s there?? " You may be aware or not. Keep it on your mind that every choices you make will not change anything" Show yourself I can''t see you! And what are you talking about? " Keep on walking the path what you think is right and we''ll meet eventually when the right time comes." To be honest I can''t understand any of this. Can you tell me at least what is this place? "How should I know? I''m just a nobody" You''re not helping at all! whoever you''re. " Oh Seems like our little chat is over. Farewell for now Kiyan" Hey don''t leave yet, tell me more about everything, who are you? '' She gives me chills when she talk '' who is she?...'' "..." "Mr. Feit" Kiyan opened his eyes and saw the attendant in front him. "Mr. Feit we''re at the Estelle City Train Station" "Already? Ohh sorry I fell asleep, Thank you Miss" "You''re welcome Mr. Feit" Ughh I overslept, I only wanted to take a nap also what a strange dream. Anyways the train just arrived at Estelle City, time to go. This is all of my things. Kiyan carried his backpack and some luggage on his hand. Now, what residence again my apartment located?... I looked at the advertisement paper on my hand [Apartment For Rent!!! Moving out to Estelle City? We Gotchu! If you''re looking for a place to stay why not pay our place a visit! The rent is so "AFFORDABLE" and the service quality is at finest! We''re Located on Lily Street at Estelle City See you~ Benefits: Downside: Quality Service NONE!!! Low Rent Cost Spacious Room Free Electric and water bill Quiet... If you''re interested contact us!! Here''s our contact infos: 09xx xxx xxxx 123-456-789 [email protected]] Looking at this ad again, I couldn''t help but reconsider. It felt sketchy... since this is the only apartment that is available near on the university it''s not bad at all. I can save some money too. Lily street where is that? I should ask some locals. Only few people around here I was expecting a crowded environment like Mr. Will said. The scenery here is quite nice plus the breeze are so refreshing. I can''t believe I''ve got a chance to live here, oh I should ask that guy for directions. Kiyan asked a big looking man who''s standing on the side of the road. "Mister can I ask?" "Huh, What is it? If you''re asking for directions, well you talked to the wrong person I''m not good at directions. Try asking that woman over there" *BurrpS* ''is he drunk? '' "Thanks Mister" '' I''ll try to ask that person for directions'' There''s a woman wearing a office uniform standing on the other side of the road. "Uhm Hi, can I ask for directions?" "are you talking to me? Sure! where are you heading to?" " I''m looking for this residence, by any chance do you know where I can locate it?" *Points my finger on the ad paper* "Hmmm I didn''t know the exact place but if it''s on lily street, you can go far right and you''ll see a caf¨¦ there, that''s the Lily Street." "Thank you so much" *lowers my head* "Happy to help~" Kiyan walks towards the direction that the woman had the pointed out and eventually, he saw the caf¨¦. Caf¨¦ right?, Oh is that it? Seems like it. *Grururuggru* Perfect timing I''ll stop by at the caf¨¦ might grab some snacks as well. Is this the caf¨¦ that the woman mentioned earlier? *Cling clingss* There''s a blonde hair girl with yellow eyes and cute face over the counter of the caf¨¦. "Hello " Kiyan said after he entered the caf¨¦ "... Oh Welcome!! How can I help you?" "Ma''am can I have a cup of hot coffee and some of that cookies?" "Sure Thing! Black or with sugar and cream?" "Black coffee please" "Comin'' right up, you don''t look like you''re from around here. First time here at Estelle City?" "Yeah, I just arrive. I''m moving here" "Wow, where are you from?" "Personal Space... Uhmm btw do you know where I can locate Lily Street?" "Oh, yeah right sorry. This street is already the Lily Street Mr. What?" "Kiyan" "Nice to meet you Mr. Kiyan, my name is Mari" "Nice to meet you too Mari, but why there are no other people here?" "Oh... Most people here at Lily street are busy at noon. They come here around nighttime. " "What are they? A vampire? Just kidding" "Here''s your order that would be 200 Estrellean Bills. Since it''s your first time here the tab is on me." "Really? Thank you so much Mari, what a treat" *sips* "taste good!" "Glad you liked it~ " *Munch munch* "Thanks for the meal. Mari can I ask something?" "Yes, Mr. Kiyan?" "Why I feel so strange about this street? Like something is not normal." "Everything is normal here maybe it''s just your imagination. You can stay here as long as you want for the day I won''t charge" "Oh right! Perhaps do you know this apartment?" *Hands her the ad paper* Mari''s expression doomed and not saying a thing. "... Seriously?? HAHAHAHA!" "Why''s that? Mari??" "She''s only trolling with this ad HAHAHAHA!" "What do you mean ''trolling'' ? Please explain." "Okay okay, first of all I''m sorry for laughing like this. Yes, I know that place Second that''s just a normal household of a friend of mine. " "Normal Household? So you mean... IT''S NOT FOR RENT?!?!" "Exactly HAHAHAHA!, That''s why I''m laughing so hard right now! I never thought that someone will took the bait on her suspicious advertisment" " I really messed up real bad on this one" But don''t worry *hiek* ahem! I''ll call her through phone so we can think of a solution here. Okay? ''I feel like I''m losing myself right now ugh...'' *Bammm!* "Mr. KIYAN ARE YOU ALRIGHT?! HEY, ANSWER ME!" Kiyan collapsed at the table after hearing Mari''s statement. Chapter 2: My New Life Starts Here! Mari is panicking due to Kiyan being unconscious on the table. "HEY MR.KIYAN WAKE UP!!!" Mari said with a uneasy tone. '' What should I do? Maybe I should try calling Her to come over '' *Beep beep beeeep* After sometime there''s a loud footsteps outside the door. Then someone entered the coffee shop. She''s a beautiful lady she has long black hair with highlights of purple and her eyes are like amethyst. "MARIIIIII!!!!" "You finally arrive! What to do here? He collapsed" "Who''s that man? How did he..." "I know! But what should we do to him?" "You need to calm down, I think your ''Friend'' here is fine" *Hmmhmm... * "I''m still alive? Hello Ms. Mari" *Sobs* "I thought you were dead!" "Why are you overreacting? I just collapsed because of embarrassment earlier..." "What''s your name? " Said by the Woman who just entered the caf¨¦. "Your friend Mari?" Mari nods at him and Kiyan looked at the woman. "I am Kiyan, Kiyan Feit" "Let me go straight to the point. How did you enter the caf¨¦? " " I opened the door? Why?" Kiyan said with a confused look on his face. "Who told you about this place?" The woman said with skeptical tone. "I''m asking for directions and a woman from earlier told me that if I go far right from the train station I''ll saw a caf¨¦ and that''s where I can find lily street" ''...'' The woman becomes silent for a moment. She seems lost in thought. Mari''s expression changed and she laugh again. Mari smirked as she turned her face to the woman. "Oh yeah right! Claire, remember that fake ad you made as a joke?" ''so her name is Claire...'' Claire raised an eyebrow. "Yeah? Why?" Mari pointed at me, barely stifling her laughter. "This guy thought it was real." "Oh Really? You''re joking right?" "No ma''am, I definitely fell for it" ''You''re so stupid Kiyan you already know something is wrong about that ad and proceeds anyway'' " Where did you saw that ad Kiyan?" " I''m browsing on my phone for a place to live because I was planning to move here at Estelle City and then I saw your ad. " "Basically, you came here to rent a room on my residence because you thought it was a apartment, am I correct?" " Yes, because the ad indicates that it is an ''Apartment for Rent'' " Claire sighs feeling uneasy. "It''s fine you can live at my place. Since I''m the one who caused this" " You''re not joking Miss?!" "My my, what a rare sight, Claire is acting so matured now " *OwO* "Shut up Mari! Yes, you can stay at my place but I can only give you a room are you okay with that, Kiyan?" " Yes, I''m okay with that" "I''m Claire Flauren. You can call me Claire. " "Don''t forget about me! I''m Mari Gold" *she laughed playfully* ''how iconic'' "Why aren''t you surprised Kiyan?!?!" *Pouts* "Mari Gold... Like the flower?" "Beautiful right?!?!" "Just don''t mind her she''s like that everytime." "Anyways let''s go Kiyan, We''re leaving Mari" "Bye Ms. Mari, thanks for everything " "No problem Kiyan, nice to meet you, Have a safe trip~" *waving her hand* *Cling cling* Me and Claire left the caf¨¦, as we walk together there''s a akward silence between us. ''Uhm'' "Let''s wait till we get to the house to talk" "Okay..." (Few minutes later) There''s a big modern looking house in front of Kiyan. "We''re here, let''s go inside" ''This house is pretty big '' "Okay, by the way do you live alone Claire?" "Hmm? Yeah why?" "Nothing, I just thought that this house is big for a single person"Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The both of them entered the house. When they''re on the living room, Claire sat on a chair. "Alright Kiyan, sit on that chair and answer my questions with honesty. If you dare to lie I will kick you out of the house. Understood?" ''I have a bad feeling about this'' "Okay, what''s your questions?" "So, Why''d you plan to move here?" "I want to study on a university here at Estelle City" "Oh? if you were planning to study on a university then why did you fell for my stupid ad?" ''I know this is coming, I''ll just say it looked nice so I got interested, that sounds good'' "Because it is near on the university that I want to go also free utility bills so I can save some money." ''I didn''t said that! But it''s actually the truth though'' "HAHAHA dummy, that''s smart of you and stupid at the same time. " "Alright", Claire said with a shrug. "You can stay here. I''ll handle the bills, but in return you''re on chore duty. If that doesn¡¯t work for you, the door¡¯s right there." Her bluntness caught me off guard, but I nodded quickly. "I¡¯ll do it. Thank you for letting me stay." "It''s a deal, then. your room is on the 2nd floor, the last door on your right. Here''s your room key" Claire tossed a key to me. "Uhm Claire?" "Yeah?" "What did you do to me earlier?" "You tried to lie? Too bad¡ª I only see truths" ''what does that mean? It''s not important right now. At least I manage to get a home'' "... I''m going to my room now Claire." "Make yourself at home" So many rooms, It almost looked like a legitimate apartment for me. My room is on last door on my right... "There it is" *Click click, creeeeeakkkk* This room is pretty cozy. I''ll start unpacking my things tomorrow. I''m tired both physically and mentally. "Haaaah, The bed is very soft and comfy too" '' I need to get some rest, better if I''d take a nap.'' Meanwhile on downstairs, Claire''s in the kitchen. ''What I''ve done? I mean it''s okay to have a company but why a potential student on the school I''m working.'' [Claire Flauren a ''teacher'' at Astralliz University, she is 28 years old] ''I guess I''m not alone here anymore, that makes me somewhat happy'' *smiles* (Few hours later, 7:30pm) *Knock Knock, Knock Knock* ¡® Why there''s no one answering me? Is he dead? ¡¯ " Oi Kiyan are you alive? It''s Dinner Time, if you don''t answer I''ll enter " ''seems like he''s sleeping'' Claire entered Kiyan''s room. *Creeeak, thug* '' He''s indeed sleeping, I knocked so many times and he''s still sleeping. He sleep like a log.'' Claire tapped Kiyan''s shoulder. "Wake up Kiyan" "Hmmm..." Kiyan opened his eyes... "Claire? What are you doing here?" "What do you think? Waking you up, obviously. Dinner is ready come downstairs when you are ready, I''ll be waiting there. " "Okay" *Click, thug* *Yawn* ''What time is it now? '' I checked the time through my phone . ''7:33pm huh. Claire is waiting I should prepare myself.'' Kiyan stand up and go to the mirror on the table. "It''s been a while since the last time I saw myself on the mirror." Kiyan stared on his reflection in the mirror. The reflection shows a image of him with a messy white hair. "Even how hard I try to fix my hair it goes back on being messy. I''d better go downstairs" Claire is sitting on a chair holding her phone. "I did the chores for today. Have a seat" "Thanks Claire." Kiyan said with a smile. The foods on the table are so tempting to eyes and it''s mouthwatering. "We''re having a feast! Did you make this all by yourself?" "Who else?, I made a lot for tonight. Consider this as your welcome party" "Party? sounds good!" "Don''t mentioned it. You said you were enrolled a university nearby right? Would you mind telling me the name of the university." "Ah yes, the name of the university is Astralliz University. Why you ask?" *slurps the ramen* ''So he is a potential student of mine...'' "You see, I''m working in there. I am a teacher at Astralliz University." " Acckk!!! Pardon? Can you repeat that?" Kiyan is shocked on what Claire said. "You heard it right there''s no need to repeat it." "I''m surprised that you''re a teacher. Can you tell me what does the University look like?" "I''m too lazy to explain. Where''s the fun if I''ll spoil you about the details? Go see it for yourself. Tomorrow is the first day of the classes be sure you''re ready." "Yeah, you''re right" Campus life huh... My new life is just began, I''m looking forward for tomorrow. "Thanks for the meal" said the both of them. "I''ll take care of the dishes Claire" Kiyan stand up to clean the table and wash the dishes. "Hey Kiyan, when we meet at the campus don''t just call me "Claire" out of blue, okay?" "Okay, uhm by the way what subject do you teach?" "I don''t teach. I''m just a Adviser you can always meet me at the student council office" "I see, I''m done here I''ll go back to my room. Goodnight Claire" "Goodnight " I wonder what kind of classmates I''ll meet tomorrow. Time to go to bed early tonight. Meanwhile at Claire''s room. She seems like talking to someone. *beep beep* "Any Disturbances on the surroundings Mari?" "It seems pretty normal to me, I can''t sense any magic beast around the town tonight." "That''s good to hear, hey Mari is it me or you sensed it too? I tried to use a Truth Revealing magic on Kiyan and seems like he have sensed it." "Why would I call you at my shop over nothing? The fact that he entered my shop so casually earlier made me left in shock" Mari''s Coffee Shop is not your ordinary caf¨¦. It is surrounded by a magic barrier that Mari created so any abomination of mana can''t enter the barrier or hurt anyone inside the parameter. Only Mari,Claire and others can only enter the shop. "He is quite something... maybe he can wield a REGALIA? What do you think Mari?" "That''s possible but if so¨C we need to assist him after that he can help clearing on missions" "Let''s continue this talk tomorrow Mari, Goodnight " "Goodnightyy Claire~" *Beeep * ''Kiyan Feit, Who are you? I should sleep for today.'' (Next Morning 6:30am) *Yawn* That''s some goodnight sleep, I should ask Claire about on what time does the opening ceremony starts. Where''s her room again? If I remember correctly her room is on downstairs. *Knocks* "Claire?" no response. "Yes Kiyan? Need something?" "AHH!! You scared me why did you sneak up on me like that?! " Kiyan exclaimed. "Anyways what time will the opening ceremony starts?" "Ahh yes about that, you need to be on the auditorium before 8:30am the program will start at 9am." "If you need something talk to me at the campus, I''ll leave early than you so lock the house when you left." "Okay, understood " "I''ll be going now, see you later" "See yah" Claire left the house. '' I need to get ready too. '' Kiyan goes to the bathroom. *Haaahhh... * "The water is so refreshing it''s so warm." ''This is it, Don''t do anything stupid on your first day Kiyan. You got this.'' *Splash Swiish¨C* That''s some nice bath. What should I wear... I still don''t have the university uniform so maybe I''ll wear my old uniform. Kiyan goes back to his room to get dress. "Where is it? I''m pretty sure I put it on my ba¨C there it is!" Kiyan wore a white polo with a black necktie. He look in front of the mirror and fix his attire. I''m ready, time to head out. It''s been a while since I last wear this uniform. "I''ll be going now" Kiyan shuts the door of his room and goes outside the house. '' How''s this lock work? Weird lock. I think this should do the trick'' *Click click* ''and done'' Where''s the location of the university again? If I head to the north of Lily Street I''ll reach the shopping district right? Then If I go straight to left I''ll get into the campus'' area. Time to get moving. '' I didn''t expect that the Estelle City is so quiet and beautiful, it''s so peaceful here.'' Kiyan is talking to himself. There''s a lot of students walking on the streets. ''My school life starts here'' Kiyan arrived at the entrance of the Astralliz University. The building ahead is huge, it has 5 floors and a rooftop it almost looked like a mansion "Wow the Astralliz University is so big!" "I know I can find you here" said by a Woman''s voice "Oh Hello Claire" Claire raises an eyebrow "You''re forgetting something" "I''m sorry, Ms. Claire" "Sounds good, I''ll take you to the auditorium that''s where the opening ceremony will be held" "Thanks Ms. Claire" Claire and Kiyan walks inside the campus. Astralliz University is one of the biggest universities on Estelle City. Astralliz University is known for its high quality standard of education. They arrived at the auditorium''s doors. "This is the auditorium Kiyan, most of the school events are held here" ''The auditorium is so big... It feels like I''m watching a theatre'' "Thanks for the tour Ms. Claire" "No problem, I''ll be going now, The ceremony will start soon, find a seat. " Kiyan sat on middle isle of the auditorium. After some time a pretty girl with a pink hair with blue eyes sat beside of Kiyan. "Mind if I sit here?" "I don''t mind " Kiyan replied to the girl. "Are you a transfer student? Your uniform is different" "My name is Roselle Slywiltz, you can call me Rose for short. What''s your name?" ''Seems like I''ve met her before...'' "I''m Kiyan Feit, Nice to meet you Rose " "Nice to meet you too Kiyan. Oh the opening ceremony is starting " Speaker: "Attention all students, please be seated as our Principal will now deliver his speech. Please welcome the principal of Astralliz University Principal Carter Evans Von''Cloude" Chapter 3: 1st Day at Astralliz University The Principal of Astralliz University walk towards the podium and starts preparing for his speech. "Pleasant morning to our dear students of the Astralliz University, I am Principal Carter Evans Von''Cloude. It is my honor to welcome you all here. First and foremost I would like to give you all my deepest gratitude for choosing to spend your time with us, as we embark in another year full of challenges, failures and successes. " "My hopes are high that we will be able to witness everyone, flourish and grow. This university is founded in the dream of providing quality education and guidance to support our students in their exciting journey in life... " The principal keeps going on His speech. Meanwhile at Kiyan''s seat, Rose who seemed bored, ignored the speech. "Hey Kiyan, what do you think of Astralliz?" The bored Rose whispered to Kiyan. "Hmmm... I must say the school is quite nice in my opinion" "Are you into studying or what? Ugh... Wanna ditch school after this ceremony?" "Are you serious?? It''s the first day of school and you''re thinking of ditching classes??" "Why not? It would be fun~" A serious looking male student with a short black hair with green eyes, approaches Rose. "Can you shut up you little dimwit?! I''m trying to listen here!" "Mo-oh~ your being mean to me again Shin!" "Just shut up for a moment, Rose you''re causing a ruckus you know?" "Fine!" "What''s your name transfer student?" ''He noticed immediately that I''m not from here'' "Kiyan Feit" "I''m Shin Narukami, Shin is fine. Allow me to apologize for the disturbances that Rose caused" "No no it''s fine, really. nice to meet you Shin" "Likewise" The Principal is still not finished on his speech. The students are getting bored and annoyed. Girl at the backseat: "How long is he going to keep talking about nonsense?!" Boy at the backseat: "I don''t know, all things that he''s saying are just the same" "I know right we''re just going in circle" The Principal keeps talking and seems like he reached the end of his long speech... "That''s all I want to say, I hope all of you experience a wonderful school life here at Astralliz!" *Student claps* *clap* "FINALLY, I CAN GO DITCH MY CLASS!" "Not so fast Rose" *Whack* "Ahhhhckkkk.." Shin knocks Rose down but quickly catches her in his arms, leaving Kiyan shocked by what just happened. "You saw nothing right?" "I guess, haha..." Kiyan laugh nervously. "Come with me Kiyan" "Where are we going?" ''I hope he''s not asking for help to bury Rose''s body...'' "We''re going to the student council office" ''Student council office, Claire is in there right? Knowing that she''s in there makes me somewhat relieved'' "Sure Shin, I''m right behind you" Kiyan and Shin (Rose?) leaves the auditorium. "I know that you''re wondering why I put Rose into ''sleep''. I''ll tell you everything once we arrive at the office" ''of course I''m curious! Who knows if I am the next target?...'' "Are you a member of student council Shin?" "You can say that I am a member. We''re going to the 3rd floor that''s where the office located" "You seems to have a lot of stamina, you carry Rose like you''re holding nothing at all" "I''m used to this, there''s nothing to be surprised of" ''used to what? Carrying bodies?...'' Kiyan said on his thoughts "I see" Kiyan replied. The two of them walk until they reach the office. (Few moments earlier) Claire who''s idling at student council office receives a call from someone. *Beep beep* "Hello, Claire are you there? This is Mari" "Yes, I''m here Mari, I''m at the school right now. What''s the matter?" "I''m sorry, but there are magic wolves near on your location" "!!! There''s a ceremony happening here. I''ll go handle it. Where are they?" "If I recall correctly, I sensed the monsters marching toward the school gate."Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. " Thanks for the information Mari. I''ll go now" "Take care, Claire" *Beep beep* Claire leaves the student council room and rushed to the location of magic wolves. "This is strange... definitely strange! Why are they appearing in the morning? Mana monsters only show up at night, so why are they wandering now? I must finish them quickly." Meanwhile, at Kiyan and Shin''s end, they arrived at the student council office. Shin opened the door and greeted "Morning, Clai¡ªstrange, why isn''t Claire here?" ''Yeah that''s strange Claire told me I can always find her here. WHERE IS SHE WHEN I NEED HER! I''M ALONE HERE WITH A MURDERER!'' Kiyan started shaking. Shin put down Rose on the couch. And he sits on the chair. "Do you plan to stand there all day? Come on, have a seat" The anxious Kiyan sat in front of Shin. "Is Rose going to be okay?" "Huh? Of course She''s okay, I just knocked her out " "I see, why''d you do that though?" "Obviously, she''s going to ditch class. Also Claire wanted to say something to us" (Astralliz''s Entrance Gate) "There you are filthy wolves " Claire said with a angry expression and a bright glow of light covered her hand. A beautiful Sabre was summoned. That Sabre is Claire''s regalia. "A small group of white wolves with fierce eyes stood in front of Claire. Each wolf had a blue mana crystal embedded in its forehead." "Let''s get this over with" Claire charges to the wolves. *Roaaaarrrgghh!!!!* *Shingg¡ª Shhrccng¡ª* She Slices off the head of the wolves swiftly and every move she make are so graceful that feels like she''s dancing. *Shingg¡ª* *Greeeuuueeghhh* A wolf pounces to Claire and she avoided the wolf''s attack. She aimed for the wolf''s head and slashed it with a gracefull attack. *Shiinnngg¡ª* *Pant pant* "I-Is that all of them? I''d better head back" The bodies of the dead magic beasts disappear in thin air without living a trace and Claire head back to the office. Meanwhile at the office, Kiyan and Shin are sitting on a chair waiting for Claire to return. *Shuuug thug* Someone opened the door, Kiyan and Shin turned their head to the person at the door. "Welcome back Claire" Kiyan said "Where you''ve been you''ve been? Something happened?" Shin asked "Thanks, sorry I went outside. I had to take care of some business. And yes Shin, something happened." "Really?? What is it?." ''I didn''t know what they''re talking about'' Kiyan remained silent "Mari called me earlier and notified me that she sensed a group of magic wolves marching here at the university. So I confronted them" " How many did you encountered? and Why didn''t you contact us for back up?" "I didn''t call you guys because you''re in a ceremony plus it''s just a small group of wolves" "I''m sorry for interrupting but what''s this magic wolves thing? Monsters? Please explain it to me" "I let you explain Claire" Shin sits by the window *Ahem* "All that you''ve heard earlier is true, Kiyan, but the thing is, those monsters only appear at night. We call them ''abominations of mana.'' Under some strange circumstances, they appeared in the morning." " How do you defeat those monsters Claire? You use weapons or magic or any some sort of things?" " We use magic sometimes but mostly we used our ''REGALIA''" '' I can''t even catch up on the current situation and then there''s another. Give me a break '' " So you''re telling me that magic really do exist on our world? " " Yes magic exists, but only few can control their own mana " Claire cast a fire spell on his hand. " You can really use magic! WOW... Also what is this regalia thing?" " Regalia is a item that you can summon, it can be a weapon or any item also your regalia''s appearance will reflect on your personality." '' so it''s like a buff on the game I played'' "What''s your regalia Claire?" "Lock the door" Kiyan locked the door and get back to his seat. Claire summons a bright light on her hand and a Sabre emerges on her hands. Kiyan is flabbergasted on what he just witnessed. '' I''m speechless... She summoned a weapon out of nowhere '' " This is my regalia a Silver Sabre ¡° " Wow... Hey Claire do you think I have magic too or a regalia? " "I can''t confirm that yet. But we''ll help if you want to learn to control your mana and master magic. As for your regalia... I can''t promise that you''ll be able to possess one." "I want to learn, please teach me and is there a possibility that I don''t have regalia?" "I''m afraid to dissapoint you but yes, there''s a chance. I''ll make this short for you, in this world all living beings does have a mana on their body. " "Everyone with mana can use magic but not everyone who''s able to use magic possesses a regalia." "How can I manifest a regalia?" "You can only manifest your regalia once you mastered your own mana" " I see, I''ll try my best please guide me" "That''s why were here, seems like you''ve met Shin and Rose already, things are going to be smoothly now. Also why''s Rose sleeping on the couch?" Kiyan got silent and looked to Shin. " I knocked her out at the auditorium, She''s trying to ditch class again so I made the call of knocking her." " Why are you guys so noisy? " Said by Rose who just woken up " Are you okay Rose?" Kiyan said slightly worried " ME?! OKAY?! SHIN KNOCKED ME OUT, I ALMOST DIED EARLIER!! " Rose shouted "Please lower your voice when you''re at the office" " Claire is here? I''m sorrryyyy... I got carried away" "Thanks for calming her down" Shin said while sitting on the window " Anyways since everyone is here including you Kiyan. I won''t introduce them to you since you guys are already know each other. " "My concern is the appearance of magic beasts in broad daylight; that''s our priority for now. I wonder what''s causing this. Shin and Rose, prepare for a operation tonight. We''re going to patrol around the city. You can come along Kiyan, if you want but stay behind us." '' I wonder if I have magic or a regalia '' "Yes, I''ll come too" "That''s good to hear, is that clear everyone?" " Yes ma''am" the three of them said. "One more thing, Kiyan you said when you arrived here at Estelle City a Woman told you about the location of the caf¨¦ right?" "Yes but why are you asking me that now?" "That''s Rose and Shin on a patrol duty" '' no wonder when I first saw Rose at the auditorium I felt that we''ve met before, but her appearance is so different '' " Why their appearance are much different if that''s them? " " Hehehe~ that''s my magic, my magic is disguise. I can change my appearance or someone else''s " " So you mean that big guy on the street is Shin that you put a disguise on? " " Exactly!! You''re so sharp" " Tsk what time we''ll meet later tonight Claire?" Shin said "The usual time, around 10pm at Mari''s Caf¨¦" "Understood" " You better go to your classrooms now or I must say classroom. You three are on the same class and your section is Class 2-F." ''what a surprise, or she arranged this... '' "Yayyyy!!! Let''s go Kiyan, Don''t act I forgive you already Shin hmpph!" "Whatever you say Rose" Shin replied "We''re leaving now Claire, see you later" Kiyan said " Goodluck you three on class. " The three of them left the student council office and headed to their classroom. Shin and Rose entered the classroom and Kiyan left standing outside the door waiting for their homeroom teacher. A woman wearing a glasses with a short brown hair and beautiful orange eyes walks towards Kiyan. " Are you Kiyan Feit? " The woman asked " Good morning, Yes ma''am. " " I''m Herschel the homeroom teacher of Class 2-F. I''ll go inside the room so I can introduce you to others." *Shuuuu thug* sliding door noises "Good Morning Class, I''m Ms. Herschel Oland just call me Ms. Herschel. I''d like to Introduce to you our transfer student, Please enter the room." Kiyan opened the door of the classroom and walks beside of Ms. Herschel. Kiyan faced on his classmates and saw Rose waving her hand and Shin looking at him. "Now would you like to introduce yourself " Ms. Herschel said. " Oh sure, My name is Kiyan Feit and I am 19 years old" Girl''s talking "He''s quite cute and handsome" "I know right, I wonder if I can be friends with him" "He''s okay but my love on Shin will never end" "Quiet down ladies, you see Mr. Kiyan here is talking. Now proceed Kiyan, sorry for interrupting " " I am from a town far away from here. I just moved here on Estelle City yesterday. I hope we all can get along." Kiyan bowed his head. "Thank you Mr. Kiyan, your seat is on the last row near on the window beside of that girl with a pink hair" Ms. Herschel points her finger at Rose and Shin is in front of my seat. '' that''s some nice sitting arrangement'' I sat down on my seat and Rose whispered to me "Hey famous guy, don''t get so cocky that you''ve got all the attention of the class on your first day" "Don''t mind him Kiyan, she''s always like that" " Don''t stick your nose where it doesn''t belong Shin!" "You girl with a pink hair quiet down the class is starting" "I-I''m sorry, Ms. Herschel " " Well deserved " Shin grins at Rose "Youuu...." Rose clenched her fist " You two settle down hehehe" The class just started. Kiyan looked at the window beside him and his eyes are staring at the blue clear sky above. ''My new life really brings a lot of surprises. Unlike in my previous school that is boring. Seems like I''m going to enjoy my stay here, having a friend like this two and Claire and Mari by my side feels so captivating '' Chapter 4: Old Acquaintance *Riiiiinnnnnnggg* the school bell rings. "Alright students that''s all for this period. Class dismiss" Ms. Herschel left the classroom. Kiyan''s classmate goes to him to have a conversation. "Wanna go to a karaoke later? Kiyan?" Girl classmate asked "I''m not good at singing hehe... Also I''m not available for today I''m still busy arranging my stuff at home" "Awww okie, let''s hangout sometime okay?" "If I got the time sure" "That''s a promise then, let''s go to karaoke girls" The atmosphere becomes heavy because of the glares. ''I can already feel their gazes on me...'' Kiyan''s male classmates are glaring at him like he''s a prey. Rose stand up and look at the two. "Shin and Kiyan let''s go to cafeteria to grab some lunch" "That sounds good Rose you coming too Shin?" "It won''t hurt if I join the both of you" "Yayy!! I think we''re going to be a good trio" "If only you''re a little normal I can agree to that" " I am Normal! You''re saying mean things again " "Where''s the cafeteria Rose?" "It''s on the 2nd floor Kiyan, Let''s go~" The three of them left the classroom and while they''re walking on the corridor they''re chatting so lively. "Uhmm guys you''ve been on a operation before?" "Yeah" Shin and Rose replied "How does if feel?" "For me... I''ll say just stay alive the whole night. I''m positioned to take down enemies swiftly" ''hehhh¡ª that doesn''t sound good'' Kiyan broke a cold sweat "Hey Shin don''t scare Kiyan so much, but I can''t say it''s not dangerous either. Don''t worry we have Claire and Shin believe it or not he''s quite capable " " I know Shin is strong because he carried you on his arms while you don''t have conciousness earlier." "..." Rose blushed furiously and shout "WHAAAAATTTT?!!?! SHIIINNNN!!!!" "Shut the hell up! You''re so loud, how do you think you woke up on the office without someone carrying you? " "WHY DID YOU KNOCK ME OUT IN THE FIRST PLACE?" '' This two are like cats and dogs '' "Uhm How do you guys conduct a operation?" "Good question. At night we search for a mana portal, every portal leads to a magic beast''s nest and were going to fight them there. Once the enemies are cleared a portal appears inside the dungeon and that''s our way out" Shin explained. " Is that the only way to leave a dungeon? " "There are two ways to escape a dungeon as Shin mentioned earlier when we successfully conquered a dungeon a portal will appear that''s the first one. The second one is simply going back on where we entered" "I see, if I''m not asking so much can you tell me what''s your regalia guys?" Rose look at Shin and Shin Nods. "My regalia is a pair of daggers" "Mine is a Masquerade Mask" " Wow you guys awakened your own regalias. I envy you two" " You''ll get yours soon too Kiyan just follow Claire''s instructions and you''re good. Anyways we''re here at the cafeteria let''s enter" Kiyan and others entered the cafeteria. Inside of cafeteria is so spacious and it is full of students enjoying their meals. "Awwww is there any table left? Let''s order first I''ll take the meatball soup with veggies" "Order me a ramen too Rose" "Come on Shin, get it yourself! " "Grab me a omelette rice too Miss Rose~" "Even you Kiyan?! Look what you''ve done to Kiyan, Shin! He''s treating me the same as you do now. This time is okay since Kiyan have some manners unlike the other guy here" Rose rolled her eyes and go to the counter "We had to find a table for us, seems like that table is not occupied" points my finger on the table. Kiyan and Shin sits on the table waiting for Rose to return. "Yo Shin, is it okay for us to treat Rose like that?" "Hmm? It''s fine trust me she''s just a little stubborn sometimes but she''s a kind person" " Are you perhaps... lovers?" Shin closed the book that he''s reading. "Can you repeat that? I can''t quite catch that" "I said if you two are¨C" " Enough of course not! We''re just friends and helping Claire when she needs us" his face is sweating. '' his face telling me something else'' "Okay I won''t ask more about that" "That''s good to hear, Kiyan be prepared for later I''m not joking that you can die during our operation so keep you guard up" " Thanks for the heads up " After some time Rose arrived at the table carrying our meal. "There you go kind sir, THERE YOU GO YOU DEAD EYED FISH SIR." Rose gave my order and she''s glaring at Shin. "Thanks for the food" the three of them said together and they eat their food. Meanwhile at the student council office. Claire is sitting on a office chair looking at the past records of the operation.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. *Ring ring* Claire picks up the telephone "Hello?" Lobby Attendant: "Is this the student council office?" "Yes this is Claire, why are you calling?" "There''s a old man here at the lobby looking for you Ms. Claire" '' a old man perhaps he''s...'' Claire said to her mind. "What''s his name?" " His name is Will Slackerburg. " "Granted allow him to enter. I know him" "Understood Ms. Claire" *Click* '' Why he''s here again ? I''ll better arrange this paper as quick as I ca¨C'' *Knock knock* " Come in " The door opened and a old man enters the room. Mr. Will removes his hat and waves his hand at Claire. " You''re still fast as ever Mr. Will" "Hoho I''ll take that as a compliment. You look so well Madam Claire, beautiful as always" It seems like the ''companion'' that Mr. Will mentioned was Claire. In the meantime at the cafeteria Kiyan seems lost in thought while eating his meal. "Why the long face Kiyan?" "Huh? Ahh nothing, I''m just thinking of something" Shin raised an eyebrow. "Come on, we''ll listen whatever bugging your mind. Right Shin?" *Nods* " I already told you that it''s nothing but if you really insist. I just felt a cold familiar sensation just now" "Hmmm?? That''s so boring. Just ignore it maybe it''s just your imagination " "Maybe you''re right" They finished their meal and stays at the table for a while. "What''s our next class??" Kiyan said "If I recall correctly next is mathematics. Wanna skip class?" "That''s not mathematics, our next subject is History and I''ll tell Claire if you ditch class" "You''re such a snitch Shin!" *Pouts* "I think it''s time to head back to our classroom?" "Yeah you''re right Kiyan, hey Rose time to go " "I heard Kiyan you know, give me a minute at least" "You can have all the time you need but you''ll get left behind" "That''s unfair! Fine I''m coming" The group decided to return into their classroom preparing for next period. On the other hand Claire and Mr. Will are talking about something at the office. Mr. Will pulled out a white envelop with a wax seal and he gave the letter to Claire bowing his head. " What''s that letter Mr. Will?" Claire ask and raising her eyebrow when she look at the letter. After she saw the seal her eyes suddenly widened. " Is this from my grandfather? " "Yes Madam Claire, Headmaster Vermil is requesting you to come back at the Palace" " You already know my answer right? I''m not going back on that place." Claire said with a annoyed voice and gritted her teeth. " You''re still so stubborn like the old days Madam Claire or should I say Little Claire?" Mr. Will Smiled at Claire with a pleading eyes. "I always respect your decisions. Just call me Madam Claire when you need something." "Thanks for always being by my side Mr. Will even when I make some selfish decisions you''re always assisting me on everything." "My pleasure to serve you Madam Claire I''m always happy when I see you growing up so well. Please take care of yourself. I''ll get back to the Manor to report." Mr. Will stand up and wear his hat "Until next time Madam Claire I''ll take my leave" " Take care on your way Mr. Will. Thanks for the visit" Will turned his back and leaves the room while waving his hand at Claire. *Sigh* Claire looks frustrated on what happened with her conversation with Will, She closed her eyes for a bit. After a few moments she fix her composure and started looking at the reports of the last operation again to prepare for later. Ms. Herschel entered the classroom to start the next period and greeted the students. "Good afternoon class, Please be seated and prepare yourself. We''re tackling today the history of Estelle City and who established the city" The lesson goes on and Kiyan spotted Rose that she''s drooling. Rose fell asleep before the class started and that doesn''t look good. Kiyan gently kicked Rose''s desk to wake her up but she won''t budge at all. Seems like Ms. Herschel noticed that Rose is sleeping and she threw a piece of chalk at her. "Ouch!!! WHO DID THAT?!" said by Rose with a Angry expression. "I did, why? And why are you sleeping on my class?" Rose''s expression transitioned from angry to shock and her jaw dropped when she heard Ms. Herschel''s voice. "I''m sorry Ms. Herschel I didn''t know the class is starting already " bows her head. The class giggled on what happened to Rose''s carelessness and she glared at them that caused them to stop. " Forget that get on your seat, I''ll continue the lesson. Does anyone have an idea who founded Estelle City?..." Time passed by and the class ended as the bell rings. " Hey guys are you going home?" Kiyan ask. " Unfortunately we can''t go home yet. Claire sent me a message that indicates that we need to go at her place after school." Shin replied. " Let''s go together" "You''re not required to go, You can go home for now. Only me and Rose are ordered to go there." Kiyan stared at Shin dead in the eye " but I live at Claire''s place" Kiyan said with a straight face. "YOU LIVE IN WHERE?!?!!" Shin is so shocked on what Kiyan said. Rose''s eyes widened and she blushed " Oh my~ I didn''t know Claire''s type are younger than her~" "Hey don''t get the wrong idea here okay? I stayed there because of a... Nevermind I don''t want to talk about it" "Come on don''t be shy" *OwO* Rose''s is very curious on what happened. " Let''s go, I think she''s waiting for us" The three of them left the classroom and on their way at Claire''s home. While walking, Shin is reading a book and Rose are fantasizing some things because of what Kiyan said earlier. "What are you reading Shin?" " Apothecary Mysteries a ''medicinal'' book" "That''s amazing why are you reading that?" " To make my poisons more effective; sometimes I drink a little dose of my poison to build up a resistance for it" Kiyan''s expression darkened when he heard Shin''s statement and a cold sweat come out on his face. '' Is he crazy? That might kill him but I guess thats for some safety measures '' " So you''re really an assassin " " You can say former assassin, I used to serve the nobles to assassinate their targets but I got bored on that profession I can''t see the light anymore" "..." "How many people did you assassinate already?" " Hmmm.... Over 300 I think? I started doing that job when I was 7 years old so I think that''s fair. Don''t worry I don''t kill when you''re not worthy of my blade" They arrived at Claire''s home and entered inside the house. As soon as they enter, Claire is sitting on a chair with a Crystal orb beside her and some blue potions. " You guys are here" " What do you want to discuss Claire?" Claire looks at Kiyan while holding the crystal ball. " Shin and Rose I want you to teach Kiyan simple elemental magic. As for you Kiyan can you put your hand on this ball?" "Sure Claire" Kiyan puts his hand on the top of the ball and it glows faintly. "As I expected, your current mana is pretty low; here take this mana potions it can boost your current mana" Claire handed three blue potions to Kiyan. "I only need to drink this and done?" " Yes but I should warn you that it tast¨C" Kiyan drank the three bottles of potion all at ones. His face turned blue as he gulp the potion. " IT''S SO BITTERRRRRRR!!!!" Kiyan said with a loud voice. "Why it taste like that?" "What do you expect? It is a potion after all I was going to warn you but you drank it all. Put your hand again on the ball" Kiyan touches the ball and it glows slightly brighter than earlier. " So it really did boost my mana" " Now, stay here and listen to Shin and Rose for some basic magic you''re quite ready to cast those. I''ll go to my room" Okay " Listen Kiyan, I can''t cast a magic without incantation since my magic are more on physical attacks. You can ask Rose for magic she look like that but she''s pretty capable and I''ll teach you physical enhancing spells." "Are you praising or insulting me? Anyways here''s how you can cast a magic Kiyan. You need to visualize it first on your mind and focus your mana control on where do you want it to appear for example..." Rose raised her hand and a ball of fire has been casted on her hand. Easy right? But you can also do this she opened her mouth and she breathes fire out of her mouth. Try giving it a try. '' that''s quite impressive I didn''t expect that she''s that good. Putting aside her personality '' " Can I do that without incantation?" "That''s what we''re going to find out. If your mana doesn''t flow when you visualize your magic you have same case with Shin" "I see, here I go Haaahhh" Kiyan closed his eyes and he''s feeling a weird sensation flowing through his veins. ''Why it''s hot? My hand feels like burning...'' Kiyan opened his eyes and he saw a small flame on his hand. "Congrats Kiyan you can now use magic!" "OUCH! OUCH! MY HAND IS BURNING!!" Kiyan shouting and started blowing the flame on his hands. "I forgot to tell you that you need to cover your body with mana skin so you can''t hurt yourself on your spells hehehe" "YOU SHOULD''VE SAID THAT FIRST!" "I''m sorry hehehe" Rose said with a playfull smile "Next I''ll teach you physical enhancement magic" "Does that gives you more physical attributes" "You can say that but that''s not all; physical enhancing magic can gives you a lot of things like speed, strength, and precision and many more" ''seems like Shin knows his own stuff too'' "I''ll give you an perfect example" *Blinks* " And you''re dead" Shin whispered on Kiyan''s back " That''s so cool! Feels like you''ve teleported behind me" "That''s right that''s the only one of things you can do with physical enhancement magic. I suggest train your body so you can benefit more on that skill" '' this feels like I''m training on a magic academy just like the one on the game I played before'' "How do I cast it Shin?" " You don''t need an incantation for that but you need to feel your mana flow aggressively throughout your body and your body produces a different color of aura depends on the buff you cast. Just like Rose said earlier you also need to visualize the buff you want to get" " I see so if I want to get strength enhancement I should keep it on visualizing it" Kiyan''s muscles are becoming stiff and his body produces a red like aura but it didn''t last long. "Haaaahhh...." "That''s how you do it but it continuously drain your mana and your stamina faster" "So it has its drawbacks after all" "That''s right, that''s why I''m only using those on desperate moments" "Alright guys that''s enough for now, start preparing your stuffs and later at night we will commence the operation we will meet on Mari''s Caf¨¦ at 10pm" Claire said "Yes ma''am" The three of them replied. ''I can finally use some basic magic. I wonder what the dungeon we''re going to raid looks like.'' Chapter 5: Mischievous Portal... Later that evening Kiyan was in his room sitting on a chair in the corner. Kiyan seems he''s deep in thoughts with a worried expression on his face. *Sighs Heavily* " I Should change my clothes before I go" He goes to the wardrobe and he wears a different pair of clothes. As Kiyan got dressed he looked at the mirror; He is wearing a black jacket with a white T-shirt and black pants. " I''m ready, I should go now at Mari''s place. Claire said earlier that she''s waiting for us there." Kiyan left his room and locked the house. Kiyan walks in the dark alley of Estelle City and it feels like there is a shadow behind him then he turned his head around and he saw nothing. '' I feel like someone''s following me'' While He is walking the shadow pounced Him from behind and Kiyan screamed out of terror. "AHHHHH!!! DON''T EAT ME I DON''T TASTE GOOD" After Kiyan Screamed he heard a girl''s laugh, it turns out that the shadow who''s following him is Rose wanted to scare him. *Laughs* "You looked like a little girl Kiyan HAHAHA!" Rose can''t control her laughter "That''s not a good joke! I thought I''m gonna die" "I''m sorry HAHA, I just cant helped it" " Shin is not with you?" " Yeah, I think he''s there already that guy takes the operation way more seriously than me" " We should hurry too and no more funny business" "I get it, don''t worry HAHAHA I already scared you that''s enough for today" Rose smiled mischievously. Rose and Kiyan walk together until they arrive at the caf¨¦. Meanwhile at the front of Caf¨¦ Shin, Claire and Mari appears to be discussing something. " Is there any signs of portal Mari?" "I can sense a huge amount of mana near at the plaza but it feels so strange it changes location everytime I scan it. Now it''s on the shopping district perhaps this is a monster not a portal?" "That''s possible but we must stay vigilant if it is a portal or monster." "They''re here" Shin said to Claire "Sorry for the wait" Rose said with a smile "Alright since everyone is here we should commence the operation now. Mari don''t scan the portal, we''re heading to shopping district to find out what''s causing that " "Understood" The group went to the shopping district, to their surprise when they arrived on the shopping district there''s nothing in there. Claire suspected that this is not a normal portal like the ones they''ve been encountered before. Since the portals usually didn''t change its position once it appeared. "Mari can you still sense the portal?" "Yes Claire, I sensed it near on Estelle City woods" "Alright we''re heading there" The group went to the woods. When they arrived at the location they saw a Vivid Blue portal that looks like a wormhole. The portal gives a eerie atmosphere on its surroundings. "Let''s make a plan first before we approach the portal. I already have an idea but our chances of succeeding is very little" "What''s your plan ?" Shin asked "I''m planning to position Mari and Rose to locate and secure the area; Shin and Kiyan we''re going to dash inside the portal before it change it''s location" " We''re using physical enhancement magic?" "Precisely, it''s been only a few hours and seems like you can keep up already Kiyan, but in our current situation I''ll drag you with me. Better to reserve your mana for now " "Understood Claire, that means only the three of us will clear the dungeon ?" "Yes, I assume that once we jump into the portal it will change its location that''s why I am assigning Mari and Rose to locate it so if we leave the portal the parameter is safe" Kiyan looked at Mari and Rose with a worried expression. " Don''t worry Kiyan, me and Rose will be alright" Mari said with a reassuring voice "Please keep your guard up. We''ll be safe out here" Rose winks at Kiyan. "Alright prepare to dash Shin and Kiyan we only have a slim chance on succeeding" "Got it" Shin and Kiyan replied. Claire Holds Kiyan''s arms and Shin casted a Speed enhancement magic a green like aura covered their body. ''I feel so light, is this what happens if you cast a speed enhancement spell?'' Kiyan said on his mind. Claire is waiting for the right time to give the signal. "Now!" She shouted and Shin dashes to the portal with Claire and Kiyan behind him. "Take care guys" Mari said on them. After Kiyan, Claire, and Shin entered the portal the portal shrinks and dissapeared. " Let''s do our part too, Rose" " Of course, let''s track down that portal" Inside the dungeon, Kiyan feeling a little dizzy because of the sudden change of speed. The dungeon''s interior is so dark and filled with a bunch of crystals that brimming with mana.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. " Claire the dungeon seems off. Mostly when we entered a dungeon theres a small group of beasts welcoming us but now... Not even a single soul to be seen" " Since the portal isn''t acting normal. I assume that the inside of this dungeon will be something special. Keep your guards up, Kiyan stand behind me" "Under.. stood... Sorry I got a little dizzy" The three of them proceeds to explore the inside of the dungeon. It feels so empty inside and the only thing to be seen is a bunch of crystals. "What are the conditions to clear a dungeon, Claire?" " We need to kill all the monster inside of the dungeon but sometimes other dungeons have a ''boss'' that monster is much powerfull on the other monsters" "Sound scary, I hope there''s no ''boss'' type of monster on my first dungeon " "I can''t confirm that yet, don''t lower your guard down¡ª" *ROOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRGHHHHHH* There''s a loud roar in the distance. It seems like coming from a huge beast. "Speak of the devil, Kiyan and Shin prepare for battle any moment now it can jump on us whatever it is" Claire and Shin summoned their regalias. Claire''s sabre is emerges on her hand. Shin summoned his too, a pair of jade green daggers with a black handle was summoned on his hands. As for Kiyan he''s trying to cast a fire but it''s not going too well for him... The group follows where the roar is coming from. Meanwhile at Rose and Mari''s end they''re still finding the portal''s location on the outside world. "Hey Mari do you have any leads where that portal go?" "Strange, I can''t sense the portal now ever since they''ve entered" "Could this be... The portal dissapeared?" Rose said with a trembling voice "I''m afraid to say but that''s a possibility. I hope that''s not the case here, let''s continue our search" "Okay Mari " Inside the dungeon Kiyan''s group encountered a giant door with a weird symbols on it. The pattern is like a face of a demon. Kiyan and Shin tried to push the door to open it but it won''t budge. "It''s not working, is there any other way to open this?" Kiyan said while panting. "Maybe there''s a hidden mechanic on this door in order to open it" Shin replied "Whatever is behind this door has a high possibility of being a boss room. Hmmm? Is that a door knocker? Lemme use that and see if it will work" Claire knock on the huge door using the door knocker with a face of a bear on it. The door suddenly shake and opened slowly behind the door there''s a huge area full of giant crystals. "Wow that actually work! Let''s go" "Stop Kiyan, don''t move a inch. Shin prepare for battle" "Understood Claire" A giant white bear with a crystal claws comes out on its lair. Kiyan is shaking after seeing the bear with a fierce face. "This is not what I anticipated, Kiyan run to the door when we engage on the enemy this is too much for you to handle." Claire gritted her teeth "But what are you guys gonna do?" "Don''t ask for questions now, this is not the time. just follow my orders" *ROOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRGGHHHHH!!!* The giant bear charges onto their location and scratched the ground leaving a trace of its giant claws. "Run now Kiyan!" Shin slash the bear''s arm with his daggers but his attacks seems like not doing any dmg to the giant bear. The bear''s skin is so thick it can''t be pierce easily by any attacks. Shin continues to slash the bear and Claire is attacking on the other side. *ROOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRGGHHHHH" The giant bear swung its arm, hitting Shin and sending him flying over the wall. "Shin!!!" Claire shouted while fighting the giant bear. The bear turned its head to Claire and punches her. "Ugghhh!.¡­" The bleeding Shin gets up on a pile of rubble holding his daggers. "I''m not done yet, you stupid bear." Shin smirked taunting the bear The bear roars and attacked Shin''s location. Shin casted a multiple physical enhancing magic on himself a red, green, and purple aura comes out on Shin''s body. Shin charges to the bear''s neck trying to give it a fatal blow but Shin''s attack only graze its neck. "I only grazed it, heh that''s better than not doing any dmg at all. Just how thick that skin is?" In the distance Claire casting a fire magic. A lot of magic circles appeared around the bear and started shooting fireballs at the giant bear. *ROOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRGGHHHHH* The bear seems like affected on Claire''s magic. "My turn now. [DOUBLE CAST]!!" Claire casted another spell while casting fireballs a giant lighting spear appeared on a yellow magic circle but the bear managed to dodge it. Kiyan who''s standing near at the door''s entrance, watching Shin and Claire fight the giant bear. He can''t help but be amazed by what is happening before his eyes. ''wow... So this is how they fight monsters. Can I do that too?" The giant bear rampage, swinging its arm and stomping on the ground. Shin attempted to deal a finishing blow to the bear but the bear activated its skill [Paralyzing Roar] " THIS IS BAD! I CAN''T MOVE MY BODY!" Shin said with a worried look on his face. Claire can''t move either, the bear punched Shin causing him to faint. "Ughhh...." Shin fainted on the ground . "THIS IS NOT GOOD! WHAT ELSE I CAN DO TO DEFEAT IT?! DAMMIT!!" Claire said with a angry voice "I CAN''T MOVE!" The giant bear is going after Claire but suddenly Kiyan shouted at the bear that caused the bear to change its attention to Kiyan. "WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE KIYAN?! DO YOU WANT TO DIE?!" Claire shouted at Kiyan. "I''d rather die than leave you guys here," Kiyan said, his face is serious and a surge of mana coursed through his body. The bear charges to Kiyan, the bear is preparing to attack Kiyan but a gentle white aura covered Kiyan''s body and his eyes turned golden yellow. "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO SHIN AND CLAIRE!" Kiyan shouted as a bright glow of light emerged from his hand. A figure of a sword materialized, though it lacked a physical form, appearing instead as a glowing image of pure light. Claire''s eyes widened on what happened to Kiyan. "That''s a... Incomplete regalia... Kiyan you sure do have a lot of surprises. I am amazed also what''s with that pure white aura?..." ''In order to cast a magic I must visualize it right?'' Kiyan remmembered what Rose told him. "HAAAAHHHH!!" Kiyan dodged the bears attacks and slashed the bear''s arm tha leave a large cut on its arm. *ROOOOOOOOOAAAAARRRRGGHHHHH....* The bear tried to use the skill [Paralyzing Roar] at Kiyan. [?????] nullified the effect of the [Paralyzing Roar]. Kiyan continue to slash the bear''s body with the sword of light on his hands. "What did Kiyan do? Seems like he nullified the bear''s skill... Who are you?? Really..." Claire is so amazed and yet so puzzled on what is happening. '' I want to cast a magic that will pierce through this bear... What''s this thing I''m holding? I don''t care I''ll just kill this bear with my own hands'' Kiyan said on his mind. The bear lost its balance and get on its knees. Kiyan grabbed the opportunity to take down the bear by piercing its heart with Kiyan''s sword. *GROAARGH....ROOOOOOOOOAAAAARRR....* After Kiyan stabbed the bear''s heart the bear fall onto the ground and started to turn into ashes. Claire is able to move again and she rushed to Kiyan. *Panting* "Is it over?" Kiyan said on his self. Kiyan''s appearance back to normal and his eyes turned red again. The sword of light dissapeared too. "Kiyan!!" Claire is shouting. "Is that Claire? My body feels so numb I feel like I''m losing con¡ª" Kiyan fainted on the ground. Claire catched Kiyan with her arms. While Kiyan is resting on Claire''s arms, she looked around to find Shin. Claire spotted Shin near on the wall bleeding. She hurried to Shin''s location while carrying Kiyan. Claire lay down Kiyan on the ground to check on Shin. "Hey Shin! Can you move??" Said by Claire with a uneasy voice. Shin is not responding at all. After a moment a blue portal emerged in the center of the dungeon. Claire looked at the portal and she Carried Shin on her back and then she walk towards the portal to get Shin out of the dungeon Outside the portal Mari and Rose are still searching for the portal but they didn''t find it. "We''re going on circles Mari! We''ve already searched this area before." Rose seems frustrated "But we need to find it no matter what" a portal emerged in front of Mari and Rose. "There it is!" Mari and Rose said together. Claire is coming out of the portal carrying Shin. "Take care of him, I''ll go get Kiyan inside he''s still there and unconscious too" "WHAT HAPPENED INSIDE CLAIRE?" Mari is worried "I''ll tell you the details later but for now take care of Shin" Claire goes back inside the portal again to get Kiyan. He grabbed Kiyan''s hand and carefully carrying him on her back then she goes out of the portal with Kiyan. When Claire get out of the portal she saw Mari carrying Shin and the portal behind her is shrinking until it''s gone "We need to head back to the shop, Mari and Rose" Claire said while panting. "U-understood!" "Focus on them Claire and Mari, I''ll be on guard if there are any monster roaming" "Appreciated Rose" Claire replied The group head back into the shop. Shin is severely injured because of the bear''s attacks as for Kiyan there''s a lot of questions that don''t have a clear answers for now. Chapter 6: Who Am I? The group arrived at the caf¨¦ and they rushed into the staff room. Claire put down the unconscious Kiyan at the bed and Mari put Shin on the other bed beside Kiyan. Claire sat on a couch with a exhaustion etched on her face. Mari looked at Claire and gave her a wet towel. "Use this towel to wipe your face Claire. What happened inside the dungeon?" " Thanks, I don''t know either, but one thing is for sure that Kiyan can manifest his regalia. Even though it''s not complete it killed the boss that Shin and I struggling to deal with" Claire''s face seems puzzled on what happened earlier. Mari''s eyes widened on Claire''s statement about what happened on the dungeon. "you mean he manifested his regalia earlier?" "I''m sure he manifested it, but the problem is that it''s incomplete. It makes me wonder¡ª is it possible for someone to manifest their regalia without mastering their own mana? I can''t think straight right now." "It¡¯s better if we talk about this tomorrow. You should rest too, Claire. I¡¯ll watch over them tonight." "Thanks Mari" *yawns* "what time is it Mari?" "Currently it''s 3:12am in the morning " Mari replied while holding her phone. "That late already? I''d better to take a sick leave later. By the way where''s Rose?" "She''s at the shop''s counter staying on guard. I told her earlier to take some rest too but she didn''t listen to me" "Anyways Mari, I''ll take a nap for a while. Goodnight if it''s still night" "Trying to be humorous? HAHA Goodnighty Claire" Mari left the staff room to let them rest and she went to the counter to check on Rose. When she arrived at the counter she saw Rose sleeping on top of the counter. " I told you earlier take some rest too Roselle" Rose murmurs on her sleep and Mari covered Rose with a blanket. Mari locked the door and take a nap too at the counter. In the morning Kiyan woke up, feeling so tired. He turned his head on the right side of the bed he saw Shin covered with bandages on his body while reading a book. "Yo Kiyan you still alive?" Shin said with a sarcasm " I''m the one should be asking you that. Are you alright?" " Better than before I must say, Thanks to Claire he defeated that giant bear and dragged us out of the portal." " I must correct that statement of yours, Shin. " Claire who''s sitting on the couch interupted on our conversation. "Why''s that?" Shin looked at Claire with a confused reaction and he closed his book. " You see, I am affected by the paralyzing skill of that bear from before I can''t move my body too. Even I, is surprised too but Kiyan killed the giant bear" Kiyan''s eyes widened because of shocked and disbelief. "Wait, me?? Are you serious Claire?" "What?..." Shin is dumbfounded on what Claire said. " Yes you heard it right. I have a good news and a bad news which one you guys wanna hear first?" Kiyan and Shin looked at each other and said "Good News" "Alright, the good news is I confirmed that Kiyan has a regalia, BUT under some certain circumstances it''s not yet complete. I''m not sure what''s the cause of that but I''ll make sure to uncover that mystery" " Wait Claire, Kiyan just learned magic yesterday how could you say that he have a regalia? Also what is this ''incomplete'' thing" " I know there''s a lot of questions on your minds right now but I can''t answer that for now. As for how I confirmed that Kiyan possesses a regalia he manifested it on the battle last night and used it to kill the bear" "..." Shin remained silent for a while after hearing Claire''s words. Kiyan looked at Claire with a straight face. " Can you tell me... What''s the appearance of my regalia? Since you''ve mentioned before that regalias reflect on someone''s personality right? I wanna know more about myself too" "I''m afraid to dissapoint you, but all I can say for now is it''s like a sword made out of light but it''s not the final appearance of it since it''s incomplete" " I see, thanks Claire" Kiyan said, his face is gloomy and somewhat sad. "We''re the ones that should''ve thanking you instead, Kiyan. If it weren''t for you me and Shin died on the hands of that bear" Claire bowed his heads at Kiyan. " What''s the bad news Claire?" Shin said, while looking straight at Claire. "Oh, about that you two are late on class. Ms. Herschel texted me earlier that you guys better be late than absent today because she''s giving something important task today. So, Chop chop get moving"Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "!!!" The both of them shared the same expression knowing that they''re late and still chatting casually with Claire. "Where''s Rose?" Shin asked. "She''s already on the campus" " She went on the campus all by herself leaving us here??" *Nods* Shin left the room quickly to go to the bathroom to change his clothes. "What about you Claire? Why you''re not at the campus right now?" "I took a sick leave. There''s some spare uniforms on the bathroom you can have that since you don''t have one yet" "I''m going to change now too, thanks again Claire" "Yeah yeah, take care both of you" Kiyan go to the bathroom and opened the mini wardrobe on the corner. There''s a complete uniform for Astralliz University. Kiyan immediately wear the uniform and fix his face in front of the mirror. Kiyan''s reflection showed him wearing a dark blue coat over a gray blazer, paired with a white polo and a neatly tied black necktie. '' I look more like a student of that university since I have the official uniform'' Kiyan left the restroom and saw Mari at the counter waving at him, Kiyan waves back at Mari "Where''s Shin?" Kiyan asked Mari who''s drinking her coffee at the table. "He''s outside waiting for you he also said ''HURRY UP!'' " Mari laughs playfully. "Thanks Mari I''m leaving now, thanks for letting me stay here" " No problem, Take care~" Meanwhile, in front of the caf¨¦ Shin is standing in front of the lamppost waiting for Kiyan. After Kiyan leaves the caf¨¦ they started walking towards the campus direction. The morning breeze sweeps through the streets of Estelle City and cherry blossom petals are falling on their branches. Shin''s face looks puzzled and he''s silent while they''re walking. "Shin are you okay?" "Ohh yes, I''m fine just thinking about some things" "I thought you''re not feeling well" "Sorry I''d made you worry, but thanks" "It''s okay, no problem Shin by the way what''s bugging you?" "Hmm, answer me how did you kill that bear? Do you remmember anything?" Shin said with a curious tone. "About that a barely recall what happened last time but I can manage to remember that I casted some magic." "What kind of magic? can you remmember?" "Hmmm... I just followed Rose''s instructions, I think of something that can pierce through the giant bear. After that I felt like my body is brimming with power. That''s all I can remember " "Can you try to remember what magic did you use?" "I''m sorry, doesn''t ring a bell but I''ll try my best" The two of them arrived at the campus and headed to their classroom. Shortly after, they noticed Ms. Herschel is standing at the classroom''s door. "There you are you two, Ms. Claire already told me the reasons why you guys are late." "We''d appreciate your kindness ma''am" Shin and Kiyan bow their heads. "Alright, listen to me I have something important to say for the both you. Principal Carter wanted to meet you on his office also your friend Rose is already there, please go to the Principal''s office at the forth floor" "Thank you ma''am, we''ll go in at the Principal''s office now" Shin said. ''Why do I feel something''s about to go down. I don''t usually get this kind of feeling but let''s see what will happen'' Kiyan is sunk deeply on his thoughts. Kiyan and Shin goes to the Principal''s office. In the other hand Rose who''s sitting at the couch at the Principal Office talking at Carter. The two of them seems like discussing about something. "Good morning, Ms. Roselle. Thank you for paying me a visit here today." "U-uhh, no problem Principal Carter. If you don''t mind, why did you call me here?" Rose said while feeling nervous. "Please wait for the others before I''ll tell you the details" Carter leans back on his chair and he gets a folder under his desk. Shortly after there''s knocks on the door of the Principal''s office. Shin and Kiyan entered the room and Rose is looking at them. " Be my guests have a seat" Shin sat beside Rose, while Kiyan sat on the other couch. "Since everyone is here, allow me to get onto business. I call you here because Ms. Claire requested to me that she wanted to be your adviser. She also mentioned that the three of you have great potential, and she wants to help you develop it further. If you don''t have any objections I''ll approve that right away. What''s your thoughts?" ''why did Claire asked a request for the principal?'' Kiyan is talking to himself "If we agree to that Mr. Principal, what''s the consequences of that?" Shin asked politely "Ahh good question, I''d say there''s no consequences BUT you''ll work extra if Ms. Claire asked for your help. That''s all." "I see, then I have no objections about it " Shin replied "How about the two of you?" Carter looks at Kiyan and Rose "If Shin is okay with it then I''ll go too" ''I don''t see any reasons for objecting the idea, but why the Principal gives somewhat odd vibes'' "I''ll go too" Kiyan said "Perfect lemme arrange your papers. You may go back on your classrooms now." Outside the office the three of them is on their way to the classroom. While they''re walking Kiyan break the ice and started talking about nonsense. "Uhm guys how about we call Claire about this? What you guys think?" Kiyan said "That''s a pretty nice idea!" Rose pulls out her phone and dialed Claire''s number. *Riiiingggg Riiinggg* "Hello this is Claire, what''s up Rose?" "Hi Claire, Kiyan wanted to ask something to you" ''!!! That''s not what I said Rose!" Rose gave her phone to Kiyan. "Uhm Hi, is it true that you requested to the principal to be our adviser?" "Ohh? Yes I requested that because I''m a student council adviser only. I can''t handle other students unless they are a part of the student council body that''s why. I''m sorry I forgot to tell you guys about that because of the previous operation" "So that''s how it is, thanks for explaining Claire" Kiyan felt relieved and he gave the phone back to Rose then Claire hung up. "That''s a valid reason, let''s head back" Shin said "Alright" Before they reach the classroom the school bell rings. Rose checked the time on her phone. "The first period is over already? How long were we talking with the principal?" "Let''s hit the cafeteria instead?" "Probably yes and let''s wait for the next period after lunch" Shin replied "Yay! Let''s go~ I wonder what''s on the menu today" Rose seems happy After some time at the cafeteria Kiyan finished his meal early and decided that he wanted some time alone, which he promptly told Rose and Shin. The two looked at each other and nodded at Kiyan. "Haahh... Maybe I should go to the rooftop it''s peacefull there, Plus it''s been a while since the last time I get to my favorite place on every school" While Kiyan is near on the top floor he saw a vending machine before the rooftop''s door. Kiyan decided to buy a iced coffee in can and proceeds on his way to the rooftop. Kiyan lay down on a bench at the rooftop and closes his eyes feeling the breeze that soothes his worries away. ''Going back while we''re inside the dungeon, I''m watching Claire and Shin fighting that bear. When I was watching them there''s a urge that I want to help them, but there''s nothing I can do at the moment. Until I saw the bear punched Shin that sends him flying and caused him to faint, I don''t know what''s gotten into me, did I get angry? Or just a sense of camaraderie?'' '' I can''t really remember, All I have on my mind that time is I want to kill that bear and I tried my best to cast a magic that can pierce through that bear, but did I succeeed? According to Claire I''m the one who killed the bear... Even though I didn''t know how I actually did it, I''m happy that we''re all able te get out of there.'' Kiyan get up and sit then he opened the coffee on his hand and took a sip of it. Meanwhile at the top of rooftop''s bulkhead there''s a image of a Student who''s looking at Kiyan. ??? "It''s not every day that you see a student hanging around this parts of a luxurious university" Kiyan looked up to find out who''s talking, and he saw an attractive male student who was sitting on the top of the bulkhead, he has a dark blue hair with a silver colored eyes staring at him. Chapter 7: Compassion for Those Whos Struggling The male student who had been sitting on the rooftop''s bulkhead jumped off. He approached Kiyan with a curious expression. "What are you doing here?" Kiyan asked "Me? I''m just hanging out here, but today was a surprise." "Am I bothering you?" "Hmm? No, not really. May I ask why are you here? If you don''t mind" "I''m just looking for a quiet place to think about something plus I just miss hanging out on a school''s rooftop; it''s my favorite place on my old school" "Mind if I sit beside you?" "Sure, go ahead" The male student sat down beside Kiyan and looked at Kiyan. "What''s your name?" Kiyan who asked "Ohh, sorry for not introducing myself earlier. My name is Azriel Crowford" "Nice to meet you, Azriel Crowford. Mine is Kiyan Feit" "Likewise Kiyan, if I''m not intruding can you tell me what''s on your mind? It''s okay too, if you don''t want to say it" Kiyan hesitated for a moment, shortly after he''s speaking his mind. "Hey Azriel, If you''re in a life and death situation are you willing to sacrifice yourself for someone?" Kiyan said with a troubled look on his face. "I didn''t expect you to think about that kind of stuff..." Azriel looked perplexed by what Kiyan had said to him. "But if I were in that situation... yes, I¡¯d be willing to sacrifice myself, especially for something or someone I hold so dear." Azriel replied genuinely. "I see, thanks for listening to me" Kiyan smiled at Azriel "I''m always up for someone''s story" Azriel looked at Kiyan and he seems worried. Azriel think for a moment and whispered something... [ "Whatever is on your mind, I hope you find peace, even in darkness." ] A calming wind blew across the school''s rooftop, gently felt by the two. "Did you say something Azriel?" Kiyan said "I didn''t say anything maybe it''s just your imagination..." "I see. Suddenly, I feel at ease¡ªmaybe talking to you about the things on my mind helps me calm down." "Good for you, Kiyan" The two spend some more time at the rooftop. Few minutes later the school bell is ringing. Kiyan stand up and finished drinking his coffee. *RIIIIIINGGGGGG RINGGGGGGGGG* " I need to go for now. It was nice talking to you, Azriel" "Anytime, Kiyan. We can be friends if you''d like. If you ever want to meet, just come here¡ªI''m always here during lunchtime." " That''s a good idea! See yah, Azriel." "A''ight, See yah." Kiyan rushed to the door and left the rooftop. As for Azriel, he looked up into the sky and closed his eyes. Meanwhile at the second floor of the building. There is a girl shouting in the hallway. "KIYAAAAANN!!! WHERE YOU''VE BEEN?!" said by someone with a girl''s voice. It turns out the girl is Rose and Shin is with her. "Ohh Hi, Shin and Rose. Heading to the classroom too?" "Yeah, why you look so down earlier and now¨C look at you, you''re so lively" "Let''s save that for later we''re late for our next period" Shin interupted "You''re right Shin, Don''t worry Rose HAHA. I''ll tell all the details after school " "If you say so. Let''s go~" Rose Clings to Shin''s arms. ''Oh? What a sight to behold'' "Oi¨C what are you doing Rose?!" Shin becomes flustered and wiggled his arms to get rid of Rose. "Hey! That''s rude!" Rose pouts. Shin walked ahead of the two, embarrassed by what Rose had done to him. Rose laugh on Shin''s reaction and smiled. "Let''s go too Kiyan, HAHA" "Yeah..." Inside the classroom Ms. Herschel is doing some paperworks on the teacher''s table. Kiyan sat on his seat preparing for the subject. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. After some time Ms. Herschel stands up and clapped her hands to gather the attention of the students. "Alright students. Keep all your belongings under your table and get you history book. We''ll start our lesson" "I''m about to discuss the geographical area of our city. Does anyone know why they call Estelle City the city of dreams?" No one wanted to answer Ms. Herschel''s question and suddenly, Kiyan''s eyes met Ms. Herschel''s gaze. "How about you Mr. Kiyan, do you know why it is called the city of dreams?" Kiyan stands up and thought for his answer... He remmembered what Mr. Will said to him while they''re at the train. "I think it''s because the Estelle City is striving whether day or night" "You could say that, but the correct answer is that the Estelle City offers more opportunities for people who wants to grow. Plus, Estelle City is considered the capital of our neighboring towns and cities." "Thank you Mr. Kiyan, you may be seated" ''Luckily I didn''t embarass myself in front of the class'' " Let me give you an example of our neighboring towns. When you venture on the west of the Estelle City gates and travel a few miles you will arrive to the Nightingale Town. " "The Nightingale Town are known for it''s night market and street performers that perform at night, rumors says when you are feeling stressed out you can relieve that stress when you go to Nightingale Town." "Pssst, guys wanna visit that town sometimes?" Rose said with a low tone of voice " I don''t mind a little excursion, but for now listen on Ms. Herschel first" Shin replied. "How about you Kiyan?" " Sure, I''ll go. if you guys are going too" " Yay let''s set that trip if we got the chance!" "Hey pink-haired girl quiet down, I''m talking here" Ms. Herschel pointed her finger at Rose. "Sorryyyy ma''am " "I told you earlier focus first" Shin whispered "Anyways, where were we? Ohh the town in the south, The Sereneal City." "The Sereneal City is where you can locate the beautiful Nirvana Beach. Also known as one of the best tourist attraction in that city." "That''s more like interesting than the Nightingale Town" Rose murmured *Riiiiiiiiingggggg Riiinnnggggg* "Ohh time already? Okay class, let''s discuss more about Sereneal City on our next meeting. Class Dismiss." Ms. Herschel leaves the classroom and the other classmates left too. "Now spill the beans, Kiyan" Rose is excited and Shin is listening too "It''s not, a big deal but I met someone in the rooftop when I was idling there earlier." "Is it a girl?!" Rose''s eyes widened and full of excitement "No, he''s a guy. His name is Azriel Crowford" Shin thinks for a moment if he heard someone named like that. "I haven''t heard someone name Azriel Crowford" Shin said "Yeah, that''s new to me too" "Do you know what is his year level Kiyan?" "I didn''t ask him about his personal information, the only one he told me is his name." "Well you got a valid reason. This is your first time meeting each other right? That''s weird if you asked someone about all that on your first meeting" "Ohh, yeah that''s definitely weird" Rose follow up " Anyways, What''s your plan guys ?" Rose asked "I probably going to rest on my room for the rest of the night. My body still aches from the last battle" Shin said to Rose "Me? Hmm maybe I''ll go to Claire''s house to rest too"Kiyan replied to Rose " You two are so boring... It feels like I''m talking to a old man who wants to spend his life recalling his youth days" " You can say all that because you didn''t participate on last battle" " WHAT DO YOU MEAN I DIDN''T?! ME AND MARI ARE TRYING SO HARD TO FIND THAT PORTAL" "Technically that''s not the battle Rose" "Uhhh... Yeah you''re right... Fine! Go rest at your home. I guess I''ll pay Mari a visit" Rose seemed embarrassed on what she said. '' Sometimes I can''t get enough of this two haha'' said by Kiyan on his thoughts and he laugh. "What are you laughing at Kiyan?" Rose raised her eyebrow "N-nothing" " I''ll be going first yo leave" Shin started walking towards the classroom door. "Hey! Wait for me!!!" Rose move quickly and followed Shin and she turned back her head for a moment on Kiyan. "Bye for now Kiyan" Rose wave her hand and rushed to the door so she can catch up on Shin. " The two of them is so cute, haha. I should prepare to leave too" Kiyan stands up and left the classroom. While he''s walking at the hallway he saw Azriel who''s standing on the school locker area. "Yo Azriel, going home?" "It''s you, not really I''m still waiting for someone" " I see, your girlfriend?" "Huh? I don''t have time for that kind of stuff" " Now that''s cold. anyways, I''ll be going now see yah around" "See yah" Kiyan left the building and started walking home. '' I''m craving for something savory tonight. I have some spare money... I should drop by at the convenience store to buy something '' He thought for a moment while walking Kiyan went to the shopping district and entered the convenience store. " Welcome to 7-evelyn Sir! " The lovely cashier said. '' hmm... If I wanted something savory what should I buy?'' After some time Kiyan come up with an idea, he headed to the vegetable section and looked for some cabbages. ''how about a Cabbage Pancake? That''s a good idea also I can show off my cooking skills to Claire'' Kiyan bought the necessary ingredients for the cabbage pancake recipe and then headed straight to Claire''s house. When Kiyan arrived at the house it''s still locked. He unlocked it and entered the house then he go straight to the kitchen. "This is perfect¡ª I have all the ingredients for cabbage pancakes. I should start cooking before Claire gets home." Kiyan started chopping some ingredients and heated the pan. Meanwhile, at the caf¨¦, Mari and Claire are sitting on a couch. Claire have a troubled look on her face and Mari seems like she''s deep on her thoughts. " You say that Kiyan possesses a regalia but it''s incomplete?" "Yes, but that''s not all, there''s a white aura that covering his entire body while battling the giant bear, it almost looked like a veil" "That''s interesting, so he''s welcome to the team?" "Don''t joke around, I already welcomed him as a member before we go to that dungeon last night" " He piqued your interest?" *OwO* " Somewhat, he''s very interesting and quite capable" *Gasps* "Is that a love confession just now?" Mari is blushing and feeling shocked "Shut it, Mari! That''s not what I meant!" Claire exclaimed, clearly embarrassed after realizing what she had just said to Mari. "If you say so~" Mari whistles "Shut up!!!!" Shortly after¨C Rose entered the caf¨¦ and looked at the two. " Hello Mari and Claire, what''s going on? I heard Claire shouting" Rose is curious " CLAIRE JUST CON¡ª" Claire put his hand on Mari''s mouth preventing her to speak. " CONNECTING THINGS ON WHAT HAPPENED LAST NIGHT. It''s nothing Rose don''t worry" "If you say so..." "Say more unnecessary words Mari you''ll know what will happen to you" Claire whispered on Mari''s ears and Mari nods. " Where''s Kiyan and Shin. Rose?" Claire who asked "Those two bummers... They both headed home" " I see, I lost track of time too. It''s getting late I should head home too" " You miss hi¨C" Claire glares at Mari before she even finished speaking that caused Mari to Shiver. ''That''s scary...'' Rose said on her mind "I''ll be leaving for now see you all tomorrow" Claire said "Bye Claire, See you~" Rose replied, as for Mari... she froze in one place after Claire glares at her like that. (Flauren Residence, 7:00pm) Kiyan who''s cooking at the kitchen just finished preparing cabbage pancakes. He look so proud on his own creation. "I''m home" Claire said who''s in the doorstep. "Welcome home, Claire" "What''s that smell? It smells good and unique" "Heh, behold Savory Cabbage Pancakes! I''m the one who made it" Kiyan is overflowing with confidence. "I made one for you too Claire, Here" Kiyan served two plates of the cabbage pancake that he made on the table. Claire sat on the chair at table to taste the pancakes. ''This is pretty good'' Claire said on her mind. " I didn''t know you got some cooking skills with you, I must say I''m impressed" ''Claire is praising my cooking!! Such a good feeling'' " Don''t underestimate me, as for someone who lives alone I need to learn how to cook for myself" "Ohh yeah right, I wanted to asked you this before. Where are your parents Kiyan?¡° "My parents huh... I can''t remember their faces nor their voices, my grandmother told me that they died when I was little. That''s all I know" ''I don''t want to believe that story... It feels like there''s more about that, I need to know what it is'' Claire said on her thoughts "Can you repeat that again Kiyan? I can''t focus because of this delicious food on my plate" Claires eyes widen and glimmered. "Eh? Okay I''ll repeat it since you''re enjoying my food. hehe~" "I said earlier that I can''t remember their faces nor their voices, my grandmother told me that they died when I was little. That''s all I know" ''Huh? It didn¡¯t change... Is that really true? But something feels off about that story. I even used my Truth-Revealing Magic, and it¡¯s still the same... This is so frustrating!'' "Claire? What''s with that look on your face?" "Ohh... It''s nothing. You don''t have any memory of your parents am I correct?" "Yeah, but why are you so curious about it?" "I know it''s none of my business but are you perhaps looking for them?" "..." "I''m sorry, I didn''t meant to hurt your feelings" "Don''t worry, Claire. I''m not traveling to look for them. I travel because I follow where the wind blows." "What age did you start travelling?" "If I recall correctly I started travelling when I was 15years old" " That''s impressive that you manage to travel on your own despite of your young age" "It''s not that easy but I managed to pull it off" "What about the money? Where do you get it to cover your expenses?" " About that... I tried selling newspapers and doing some other part time jobs on different cities I''ve been before" "..." Claire becomes silent for a moment. ''I want to give you a hug right now Kiyan... Only if you know...'' "I guess that''s all I can say for now Claire" " I see, I won''t force you if you don''t want to share it on me. But if you need someone to talk to just call me I''ll listen to your stories " "Thanks for the meal Kiyan" Claire stand up heading to the location of her room "Thanks for listening and You''re very welcome Claire" Kiyan started cleaning the table and washing the dishes. Claire stopped walking and turned her head to Kiyan. "Hey Kiyan, you said before that you follow where the wind blows right?" "Yeah? What about it?" " Soon you''ll be leaving Estelle City too?" Claire said with a sad tone of voice "... I don''t think I''m going to leave Estelle City. This is the first time I¡¯ve felt like I belong again." Kiyan smiled gently at Claire "Is that so? Then stay here as long as you like. You''re always welcome here." Claire smiled then she goes to her room. Kiyan''s eyes are teary after hearing what Claire said to him. He wipes his eyes off and continue washing the dishes. '' I''m so lucky that I chose to move here at Estelle City '' After washing the dishes, Kiyan sat on the couch and closed hi s eyes. After a few moments, he fell asleep while sitting there. After some time later Claire goes out on her room to grab a glass of water. She saw Kiyan sleeping on the couch. " You''re still a child but you already experienced the bitter side of life. Take a rest, Kiyan" Claire covered Kiyan with a blanket and she grabbed a glass of water then she goes back to her room. Chapter 8: Love and Lies The next day, birds chirp atop the trees, and the leaves rustle gently in the breeze. Rose, just woken up and yawns as she sits up in her bed. "It''s morning again... I guess I should start preparing for school" Rose get up on her bed and go outside of her room. She''s brushing her teeth on the bathroom and suddenly she checked her phone. "WHAAATTT?!! 7:28am ALREADY? I''M LATEEEE!!!!" Rose rushed to the shower and took a quick bath after that she immediately go back to her room to dress up. "Where''s my necktie???" Rose looking around her room " I know I hanged it in my wardrobe but I can''t find it" after a few moments Rose found her necktie on top of the table. She put it on quickly and brushed her silky pink hair in front of the mirror. Rose went downstairs and left the house. Rose ran towards the school''s direction. Meanwhile inside of the Class 2-F classroom, Kiyan and Shin chatting about kinds of medicine. "Are you planning to apply as a doctor Shin?" "No, I don''t have any plans. I only started reading medicinal books because I find them interesting." " I see, by the way why Rose is still not here. The class is about to start" "She''ll arrive here any second now. Probably she overslept again" Rose is running then she saw the University Gates are closed. The guard is not letting any late comers to enter. Rose is one of those late comers... "Why did this happen to me?!" Rose exclaims, looking irritated. Suddenly, her expression shifts as she comes up with a brilliant idea. "That''s right I should use that!" She hides behind of the tree and summoned her regalia... [ Mask of thousand faces, heed my word. Reveal thy self, Ever-changing Persona ] Rose''s appearance changed. she appears exactly like Ms. Herschel. "I hope this works" She went to the school gates and talk to the guard on duty. "Good morning kind Sir" "Ms. Herschel? What are you doing outside the campus?" The guard looked so confused "I needed to meet someone outside of the campus for private affairs. Can you open the gates for me?" "Uhh I don''t know, but I haven''t seen you go outside the campus... Wait a second ma''am I''ll open the gates" The guard opened the campus gates for Ms. Herschel(?) "Thank you, Mr. Guard. Chuu~" Rose sent a flying Kiss to the guard "I feel like I''m having a heart attack... Thank you Miss Just tell when you need anything " The guard is blushing and closed the gate after Rose walk towards the campus doors. After Rose entered the building she went to the women''s comfort room but she didn''t expect what is waiting for her there. She saw the actual Ms. Herschel looking in front of the mirror fixing her make up. Ms. Herschel turned her head at entrance and she saw another figure of herself. Ms. Herschel blinks after Ms. Herschel closed her eyes. Rose undo the transformation and her appearance goes back to normal. "Why are you looking at me like that Ms. Herschel?" Rose play dumb "Oh... hi pink-haired girl, nothing maybe I''m just hallucinating. You''re from class 2-F right?" "Yes ma''am" "after you use the bathroom head back to the room. I''ll start when I get back there okay?" "Understood ma''am " Rose head to the toilet and pretended to use it. When she comes out Ms. Herschel already left the comfort room. "That was so close! I should go to the classroom" Rose entered the classroom and headed to her seat. Kiyan waves his hand at her and she waves back. "Wassup guys... " Rose said and she sighs heavily " Why do you look so tired?" Kiyan asked " Lot of things happened... " Rose rest her head on top of the desk " I already warned you before that don''t sacrifice your sleep for those comics that you''re reading" Shin said while reading his book. "Wow coming from the one who reads a book everytime he got a chance" Ms. Herschel entered the room and go at the teacher''s table. She checked the class attendance and started the class. " Everyone, you know the drill. Keep your things under your desks and listen to my lecture. Today we''re tackling mathematics¡° ''My brain stopped already after I heard the word mathematics '' Kiyan said on his mind " Get your books and open it on page 23. You can see that there is a series of questions need to be solve, this is only a pre-test so the scores will not be recorded" The whole class becomes quiet and started answering the problems on the book. (30minutes later...) " I''m going to announce the scores of those who passed the pre-test." Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "Top scorer Shin Narukami" the class applauded "All the names that I''m going to mention are the ones who passed" " Emily, Liz, Kiyan, Harry. The rest failed the test" "WHY MY NAME DIDN''T MENTIONED?" Rose said with a shock expression " You''re not listening Rose? You failed" " You don''t need to point that out Shin. This sucks..." *Riiiiinnnnnnggggggggg* "That''s all for this math class. See you all later after lunch. Class dismiss" Ms. Herschel left the room and some of the classmates too. Someone is walking towards Shin''s desk. It''s your girl classmate Emily she has short brown hair with bangs and brown eyes. Shin looked at Emily with a normal look on his face. "What do you need?" Shin raised an eyebrow and asked "If you don''t mind wanna have lunch together Shin? I prepared so much¨C I wanted to share it with you" Emily said ''this is not looking so good...'' Kiyan looks at Rose who''s emitting a hostile aura towards Emily... " Sure, I don''t mind" Shin replied... As soon as Rose heard Shin''s reply she falls silent and the emotion on her face changed. Emily and Shin left the classroom to eat lunch... "Hey Kiyan, do you have plans?" Rose asked with a cold tone " I''m sorry but I do, I''m going to meet Claire at the student council office to do some paperworks" "I see... Goodluck then" Rose left the classroom ''I hope she''s okay... I should go to the office too'' Kiyan headed to the student council office as for Rose she went to the school''s garden and sat on a bench there. " Why did Shin agreed to eat lunch with another girl... He doesn''t like me ?" Rose is feeling sad while drinking her orange juice. Meanwhile at the rooftop Shin and Emily are sitting on the bench. "Which one do you like Shin?" Emily said after she opened her lunch box " I''ll take that octopus" Emily tried to feed Shin but he declines the offer. "I have my own chopsticks, I can feed myself." "Ohh.. Okay here take as much as you like" Shin ate all the octopus and Emily is blushing while having lunch with Shin. "Hey Shin, are you free after school?" "I don''t have any plans I think, why?" " Would you like to go out on a date with me later?" "Hmmm? Only if you help me with something, sure I''ll go" Emily gasps and agree immediately to Shin''s condition. "That''s not what I expected Shin, but it''s fine I guess...¡° Emily replied " You can go back to the classroom Emily, I''ll rest here for a bit" "You want to lay on my lap?" "No, I''m fine I just need to have some ''me'' time, thanks for the meal" "If you say so... See you after school Shin" Emily left the rooftop and Shin stared at the corner of the rooftop. "You can now reveal yourself, Azriel Crowford" Azriel lifted his camouflage and walks toward Shin. " As expected for a former assassin, your senses are sharp" "What do you need?" "Nothing actually, I''m just resting here then I heard you two are coming so I hid myself" "Kiyan mentioned you before, you seems like a good person but where did you learn how to use magic?" "Family teachings, I practice magic since I was a child " "Is that so? I won''t question you anymore. I''ll leave for now, if you''ll excuse me" Shin left the rooftop and leaving Azriel alone. " Luckily he didn''t draw those poison daggers that he''s hiding or else something''s about to go down" Azriel said after Shin left. The school bell is ringing, Rose who''s sitting in the garden wanted to ditch the next period. " I want to go home..." Shin who''s standing behind Rose at the garden. " I know I can find you here" " What are you doing here, lover boy?" "What are you saying? Time to head back to the classroom " " I know!" Rose head back to the classroom leaving Shin behind. The next period is starting and Kiyan is not on his seat. Rose looks very sad, her head is resting on her arms while waiting for Ms. Herschel. Emily turned her head to Shin. "Don''t forget our date Later, Shin" Shin didn''t respond as for Rose her eyes widened after hearing what Emily said and pretended that she didn''t hear anything at all. Ms. Herschel entered the room carrying a basket with bunch of fruits. "Our next period is, art class. Try to replicate this basket full of fruits on the top of the table. I''ll rate your grades base on your works. So unleash the inner artist in you" "Mr. Kiyan can''t attend this class because Ms. Claire borrowed him to do something " Rose seems unmotivated at all she''s not starting to draw even 10minutes already passed. ''date huh... I guess I''ll try to spy on them later '' After some time the art class finally ended. Emily rushed to Shin''s desk. " Let''s go Shin!" Emily seems full of excitement Shin looked at Rose as she left the classroom without saying a word on him. Emily and Shin left the campus too and the two of them went to the shopping district. Unaware that Rose is tailing them on the distance. "Hey Shin, why do you want to buy a necklace?" "I wanted to give it for someone I treasure" Emily blushed and twiddling her fingers "I-I see... Let''s go" Shin and Emily walk into a jewelry shop. Turning to her, Shin asks. "Which necklace design do you prefer?" "Me?! A-anything will do, as long it''s from you..." " I mean what''s a good design" "I believe in simplicity wins all so¨C I think that necklace with a star shaped pendant is good" "I see, thanks" Shin approached the clerk at the jewelry shop and asked, "Do you have any necklaces with a heart-shaped pendant available?" Rose, standing outside the shop, watches them through the glass. Tears stream down on her face as she takes in the scene before her. "I guess this is over. What does Shin see in Emily that I don¡¯t have?" Rose mutters softly, her voice is trembling as she sobs. Inside the shop, Shin bought the necklace with a heart shaped pendant leaving Emily in shock even though she picked the star shaped one... " Do you have any places wanted to go Emily?" "Of course! How about the sweet shop over there" Emily pointed her finger on a sweet shop nearby and they headed there. Rose didn''t follow them anymore and she left the shopping district. Shin and Emily took a seat at a small table inside the shop, placing their orders as they chatted quietly. "This is a sweets shop Shin why did you asked for a matcha tea? Theres a lot of other options here look" "That''s what I like to order" "Ehh you don''t want a strawberry parfait?" "Hey Emily, thanks for helping me pick out the necklace," Shin said with a smile, grateful for her assistance. "... You''re welcome Shin" Emily becomes silent and she walks towards the shop''s door "Where are you going? I thought you wanted to eat?" " I lost my appetite " Shin quickly stood up and tried to follow Emily, but she ran away. Determined, he rushed in the direction she had fled to catch up with her. It''s getting dark already but Shin was able to catch up with Emily. She is sitting on a bench near on the lamppost. "Why did you ran away?" Shin asked "Do you think I''m that dumb? How can you call this a date? You''re just asking me to help you out to buy a present for someone! You didn''t actually wanted to go out with me" Emily lashed out on Shin "But I told you that earlier when were at the rooftop" "I know... but I didn¡¯t think it would end up like this" Emily replied to Shin "I hate you Shin!!" Emily shouted at Shin and slapped his face then she walked out. "I didn''t mean to go out with her earlier; I just needed someone to help me choose a gift for her..." Shin says, touching his cheek where Emily had hit him. "I''d better go to her house to give this to her" Shin left the shopping district and walked in the direction of Rose''s house. As he passed by Estelle Memorial Park, he spotted Rose sitting on a bench, crying. Shin walks slowly towards Rose and approaches her. "Why are you crying here, Rose?" Shin asked "Nothing... What are you doing here? Stay away from me" "Why? I am looking for you and then you''re pushing me away?" " I saw you with Emily buying an accessory on a jewelry shop" "You followed us? Uhhh.... I guess there''s no way I can hide this from you... Here, take this" Rose wipes her tears on her eyes. "What''s that?" "The accessory I bought on that jewelry shop" "Isn''t this for Emily?" *Sobs* "That''s what she thought too HAHAHA, You see? She slapped my face earlier" "I''ll do that too, if I''m Emily " Shin laughs and smiled at Rose "Then I''ll gladly take the hit, if it''s you" Roselle''s eyes widened on Shin''s statement. "Stupid..." "I know, why not open the box? I hope you like it. I picked that one myself " Rose opened the small box that Shin gave to her. She saw a necklace with a heart shaped pendant with a pink crystal on the middle. "I like it! Thank you Shin " Rose smiled with a tears on her eyes. Shin wiped off Rose''s tears. "I''m glad that you liked it" "Shin, put this necklace on me" "Sure" Shin gently helped Rose put the necklace around her neck. "That looks good on you" "Thank you Shin" "Shall I walk you home? It''s getting late" "Let''s go~" The two of them left the park and walk together. ''Sometimes, not everything you see says it all '' Shin said on his thoughts Shin looked at Rose and she''s smiling because of the gift. Chapter 9: Prelude of Dawning Memoirs Kiyan and Claire are arranging some paperworks at the student council office. Kiyan looked towards Claire. "How many papers do we need to organize exactly? Claire..." Kiyan seemed tired judging by his facial expression " I think this is the last batch, why you ask?" " It''s getting late, look at the window it''s dark outside" "Ohh... I lost track of time. Alright sort those papers and we''ll go home" Claire started tidying up her desk. ''Finally I can rest now! Wait... I''ll do some cooking when we got home right?!'' Kiyan is scratching his head gently and started sorting the papers. After some time the two of them finished on what they''re doing and left the office. Claire and Kiyan are walking in the hallway of the university. " Does the university operate even at night, Claire?" " Not really. We''re probably the only ones here." "What are those paperworks? I''ve seen one paper earlier that indicates a event " "You''re right. those papers are important because it is the list of events for this academic year" Claire replied. "I see. The one I saw before was an "Educational Tour." What''s that?" "An educational tour is a trip taken to explore and document historical sites or learn about the culture of a particular place." Claire explained and they leave the building. While they''re walking outside Kiyan looked at the starry night sky above. He felt comfortable at the moment. Claire noticed that Kiyan is gazing at the sky. " The moon is beautiful, isn''t it?" Claire said to Kiyan "Yeah, it''s so calming to observe the night sky after a tiring day" " Well, I can''t oppose that idea either. When I was still in my hometown, I used to look at the stars too whenever I felt uneasy." Claire smiled gently while looking up the sky. '' I wanted to ask why she left her hometown, but I don''t think this is the right time for that. I might open a topic that will ruin this moment, plus it''s a rare sight to see Claire smiling '' Kiyan said on his thoughts "How long do you plan to stare at me?" Claire turned her head to Kiyan "Ohh sorry, I just thought about something. Let''s go" Kiyan and Claire continued walking on their way home. As they passed the shopping district, Kiyan spotted a ramen stall in the distance, and his stomach rumbled. ''I should invite Claire to eat on that ramen stall. I really don''t have the energy to cook when we got home...'' "Hey Claire, do you want to eat on that ramen stall?" Kiyan points his finger at the stall. "Hmm, You''re hungry? Sure I don''t mind" They walked over to the ramen stall and sat at a nearby table. An old man tending the shop warmly welcomed Kiyan and Claire. "Welcome Customers! Please pick what you like" Said by the old man and he passed the menu and Kiyan looked at it. "Hmmm... Pork steak ramen, Beef Ramen, Tonkotsu Ramen and One-of-Everything Ramen... What is this ''One-of-Everything Ramen'' Mister?" Kiyan asked to the old man. "Good question Young one, The name itself says it all. It contains everything also that''s our best seller too!" "I''ll have beef ramen bowl" Claire said to the old man "Coming right up beautiful Miss" Kiyan still can''t decide whether if he''s going to try the best seller that he had no idea what it looks like or the same order as Claire. Few minutes later Kiyan has decided and he picked the One-of-Everything Ramen... The old man started to cook their orders. After some time the old man serve the food on top of the table. The ramen that Claire ordered has a very good aroma and mouthwatering side dish. As for Kiyan''s order¨C there''s a big bowl full of random meat and vegetables... "Please enjoy your meal my dear customers" The old man get back to the counter. "What''s this?! I thought it''s going to be a pleasant looking dish!" "Here goes nothing¡ª " Kiyan continued ranting about his order while Claire calmly eating her ramen. He took a spoonful of his ramen, Kiyan was shocked by how delicious it tasted. " I hope you heard the quote says ''Don''t judge a book by it''s Cover'' Kiyan" "..." After they finished their meal Kiyan went to the counter to pay and he apologizes to the old man. " Don''t sweat yourself young man, I always get that all the time when it''s their first time trying that dish" The old man smiles at Kiyan filled with satisfaction. Kiyan and Claire left the ramen stall and they both headed home. When they arrived, Claire sat on the couch at the living room. "Claire are you going to use the shower?" Kiyan asked "Maybe later, you can use it first if you want" Claire replied "Okay" Kiyan went to the bathroom and opened the tap to fill the tub with water. ''I should take a quick shower before soaking myself into the tub'' Kiyan took a quick shower and he went to the tub. While he''s on the tub, Kiyan seemed tired and he''s relaxing. The moment Kiyan closed his eyes he remembered what happened to Shin and Rose earlier. "I wonder what happened to those two... Even me didn''t expected that either. I hope Rose can handle it so suddenly" Kiyan soak his head on the tub Claire who''s browsing through her phone. It seems like she''s composing a text message. She let out a deep sigh and put her phone down. *Beep beep* Someone is calling on Claire''s phone and she picked up. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. "Claire speaking, what''s up Mari?" "About your request, there''s no signs of portal appearance or monsters roaming around tonight" "... I can''t say that I''m not happy that there''s no operation going on, but that''s suspicious" "What do you think about the situation?" "There''s nothing I can do for now, if you can''t detect anything. let''s leave it that way" " I see, where''s Kiyan? He''s with you?" " He''s taking a bath, whatever is on your mind don''t you dare to say it" "Awww you can read me like a open book " "We''ve been together for years so I can tell" "That''s so sweet of you. Bye for now Claire, I need to close the shop" "Bye Mari, Goodnight " "Goodnighty Claire~" *Beep beep* Mari hang up and Claire lay down on the couch. Kiyan is comes out of the bathroom with a towel covering his lower body. "Claire I''m done with the bath, you can use it now" "Yeah, thanks." "I''m going to my room, Goodnight" "Goodnight" Kiyan go upstairs and Claire stands up and she headed to the bathroom. Inside the bathroom she removed her uniform revealing her smooth and flawless skin. Claire looked at the mirror and she washed up her make up in the sink revealing her natural beauty. "Which bath bomb should I use for today? Since it''s spring maybe I''ll use the cherry blossom ones" Claire picked up the Cherry Blossom themed bath bombs and threw it on the tub. Shortly after the bath bombs dissolve she hop on the tub and lay down while closing her eyes. The room is covered with a sweet smell of cherry blossom. "Nothing beats a cold bath at night after work" Claire exhales "Ever since Kiyan live with me everything changed on this house. When I got home after work I''ll cook for my food even how tired I am. Sometimes I fell asleep on the couch without noticing it, but now I feel so light..." "I am tired yes, but why do I feel so calm... I guess knowing someone living with you can really cure those loneliness of mine. Thank you¨C Kiyan. Even though I''m the one should be caring for you right now, but you''re actually the one helping me" Claire smiled and started stroking her arms. A few minutes later, Claire got out of the tub. She put on her maroon bathrobe with gold linings and grabbed a white towel, wrapping it around her head. Claire left the bathroom and she went inside her room. Meanwhile Kiyan who''s sitting at the table on his room. Seems like he''s writing on a small notebook on top of his desk. "It''s done¡ªmy very own diary! The last time I made one of these I didn''t use it much. I even lost it, but this time is different. I want to cherish every moment, I''m going to have a lot of fun with my new friends!" '' If this is only a dream, I don''t want it to end. Let me experience this forever '' Kiyan pinched his cheeks "Aww! that felt so real! maybe this is reality and I''m just getting to the exciting part of my life" Kiyan put his diary inside the drawer of the desk and he went on his bed to sleep. While he''s sleeping Kiyan dream of something familiar. ''This Place... I think I''ve been here before. '' Kiyan murmured and he''s standin in front of a old cabin. He opened the door of the cabin and walked inside. When he entered the cabin Kiyan saw a woman like she''s on her 30''s with a blurry face sitting on a chair... "Who are you?" Kiyan is puzzled " You''ve forgotten me already? How sad" The mysterious woman replied " How about take a seat and let''s chat for a while?" Kiyan sat on the chair in front of the woman. "Are you the same woman in my dream before?" "What if I told you that''s me? What are you going to do?" Kiyan think of his words before answering. " You said something strange last time, can you at least tell me what was that all about?" " Let''s just say when the inevitable comes, what will you do?? " " What do you mean by that? " "Don''t worry Kiyan you''ll find your answers someday. I believe there''s a right time for everything " " Why can''t you answer it directly?" " I just can''t, I hope you can understand. I''ll send you back to the reality " The Woman snap her fingers and a portal was summoned behind Kiyan sucking him into the vortex "W¨Cwait!!!! " Kiyan got sucked into the portal... Kiyan woke up breathing heavily, he checked the time on his phone and it''s still early in the morning. " Was that a nightmare? I don''t think I can go back to sleep again" Kiyan let out a deep sigh and he go downstairs "It''s just 5:30 in the morning... What should I do?" Kiyan grabbed a glass of water, and suddenly, an idea struck him. He went to check what ingredients he had in the fridge. " This is great we have a few vegetables and eggs I can make a good breakfast recipe from this!" Kiyan started chopping the vegetables and beating some eggs, after that Kiyan heated the pan and put some oil in it. Claire comes out on her room wearing her pajamas and her eyes are still sleepy. She looked at the kitchen and he saw Kiyan cooking some dish. " Why are you up? It¡¯s too early in the morning." Claire asked Kiyan "Morning, I just woke up and I can''t go back to sleep. So I decided to cook a breakfast for us " Kiyaan replied "What are you cooking?" "Just some colorful omelette, I just added some vegetables to make it beautiful " "I see, I''m going to brew some coffee. You want some?" "Sure Claire, Thanks" Claire put some tap water on the heater and preparing the coffee granules. Kiyang finished cooking and started serving on top of the table. "Breakfast is ready Claire" "Just a moment I''m almost finished here too" Claire poured a hot water on the mugs and walk towards the table holding the coffee. "Here''s your coffee" Claire passed the mug to Kiyan Kiyan and Claire pray and started digging in. While they''re eating Kiyan is still thinking about what''s the meaning of his dream, Claire noticed that there''s something troubling him judging by his facial reaction. " What''s the matter? Something''s bothering you?" "Oh¨C sorry, it''s nothing I just had a bad dream earlier..." "About what?" Claire said while eating her food. "How can I explain this, honestly I can understand it in the first place. I kept dreaming of a middle aged woman that''s telling me random things" "What does she look like?" Claire seems curious at the matter "That''s the thing actually, I can tell that she''s a middle aged woman but her face is blurry" Kiyan squinted his eyes as if he''s trying to remember everything "What ever it is just don''t mind it, maybe it''s just your imagination messing with you" "Do you believe that''s the problem with me?" " Well you can''t tell what''s happening on someone''s head " Claire''s eyes glimmered while looking at Kiyan. " Every choices you make will not change anything..." Kiyan looked at Claire "You used your magic on me again don''t you?" "Yeah sorry, but what does that mean?" "That''s what I''m asking to that Woman too, but she only said that she can''t tell me that information " "Let''s save that for later we need to prepare ourselves, the sun is rising." Claire finished her meal "Yeah, you''re right Claire" Kiyan cleaned up the table and went to the bathroom in second floor. He''s looking at his own reflection on the mirror and washed his face then went to the shower. Meanwhile Claire who''s in the other bathroom taking a shower too. Seems like she''s conflicted about on Kiyan''s dream but she can''t do anything... Time passed, Kiyan and Claire got dressed and they left the house together. The two of them headed to the campus earlier than usual. While they''re walking on the sidewalk Claire talked to Kiyan about something. "Today is Friday right? You''re going to meet Mr. Nathan. He''s the P.E. Teacher of Astralliz University." "What does he looked like? Is he a good teacher?" "Why do you think I''m telling you this informations? He''s pretty strict when in comes to Exercises and Physical Activities" "Plus he got a short temper so don''t mess with him if you want to go home in one piece" "That''s sounds crazy¡° "Crazy is the right term, so do your best. Try to stay alive." The two of them arrived at the campus and they parted ways. Kiyan goes to the men''s comfort room to change uniforms and he went to the gymnasium to prepare for his P.E class. When he arrived at the gymnasium he saw a tall man at the distance, his hair is black with a pair of onyx colored eyes and he is wearing a round glasses. The man is panting in the middle of the basketball court. Kiyan walk towards the man and he approaches him then he offered a bottle of water. The man looked at Kiyan and suddenly postured himself like a tough guy with a serious look on his face. "Who are you? Why you''re here so early?" Said by the man. "I just wanted to warm up before my class started" " You''re from class 2-F?" "Yeah, can you tell?" "Of course, I am your instructor Mr. Nathan Sterling" '' He''s a lot more different on Claire''s Story...'' Kiyan said on his mind "Nice to meet you Mr. Nathan" "What''s you name?" Nathan asked "My name is Kiyan Feit from Class 2-F" "Can you keep a secret what you saw in here?" ''what did he mean by that?'' Kiyan murmured on his mind "What do you mean by that Sir?" "You saw me wheezing like a old man earlier, right?" "What about it?" "I can''t tell you the details. Can I trust you that you won''t tell anyone?" "If that''s a secret, sure I won''t tell anyone about it " "Thanks" After that Kiyan sat on the floor waiting for his classmates. " That''s not what I expected from him. He seems like a soft person than a strict instructor. Also why does he keep it a secret, getting tired after a physical activity is natural..." Kiyan pulled out his phone out of his pocket and opened a news app. While he''s browsing through the net he saw an article that shows a calamity. As he scrolled down, he came across an old article about a town that had been destroyed years ago. He stared at the article curiously and read some paragraphs on what happened there. "This place is somewhat familiar to me..." Kiyan tried racking his brain for any memory that could remind him of the place. He didn''t find any.