A week had gone by in the blink of an eye. During this time, Asher had attended all of his classes and had a general idea of which classes he should take seriously and which ones he could mostly ignore. History and Magical Theory, for example, were two classes that he wished to excel in. History because of the need to know more about this world and Magical Theory because he hadn't completely given up on learning how to control his magical prowess. He hadn't paid any attention to this class in the past because his inferior magical core made him feel like absolute shit. Asher didn't want to be reminded every day that he couldn't become the powerful man he had always aspired to be.
On the other hand, Asher couldn't care less about Math and Zatheusyl Official Language. Why force himself to learn things he did not need to learn or that he already knew? He would be fine as long as he knew the basics of math and he already knew about their language. Other than those classes, Asher attended Creative Arts class and Magical Application. As the names suggested, Creative Arts focus more on expressing the students' creative individuality while Magical Application was to learn how to effectively use their magic. Asher received a few incredulous glances, and while it made him feel inferior to his peers, he decided to stick with the class no matter what.
It was now time to meet with Zacharia and give him a tour around the school. Asher had made sure to walk throughout the school at least once to remember all of the important details and drew Zacharia a little map detailing which room was which and where he had to go to take his respective classes.
Today would be just Asher and Zacharia since Pithos wasn't going t be around. According to him, he had been given a task via Archer from Zacharia. When Asher asked about it, Pithos told him that he couldn't say much other than that Zacharia would explain things to him later today.
Right now, Asher was waiting at the front of the school entrance for Zacharia's arrival. There were many students who had just woken up and were walking in the direction of the school cafeteria that kept glancing towards Asher in curiosity. Just who was he waiting for?
Almost forty minutes later, Asher could see a carriage in the distance. The carriage, much like Asher's on the day of his arrival, was relatively simple looking. He could only guess that Zacharia wanted to keep a low profile, but with a that judged you in regards of which carriage you arrived in, it would be impossible. The thought of this made Asher laugh softly as the carriage stopped in front of him.
The coachman appeared to be frightened as the door to the carriage opened with a slight force. Out came Zacharia who was wearing the school uniform. A dark green blazer, red wine sweater, light brown button-up shirt, brown khaki pants, and a dark blue tie. The aura he emitted felt totally different than what Asher remembered. It appeared more gentle, albeit just as intimidating as before.
"Good morning, Lord Zacharia. Have you been well?" asked Asher in a polite tone as he slightly bowed. Zacharia nodded before waving the coachman away. The coachman left as quickly as he could as he heaved a heavy sigh of relief.
Zacharia then eyed Asher before speaking. "Just call me Zacharia. We are going to be partners from now on, so it would best to create trust."
"I'll first give you a tour around the school and inform you about which classes you should take. After that, we can talk about whatever you want."
Zacharia nodded as he walked next to Asher. He had noticed the hidden meaning behind his words: tell me all about the Rising Faeries once we end the tour. Zacharia couldn't help but feel glad that Asher wasn't as stupid as his eldest brother.
Asher first explained the general layout of the school. "Once you entered school premises, you would find the girls' dormitories to the left and the boys' to the right. If you kept walking straight you would enter the building where people took their respective classes. Finally, behind the school building, you could find the training ground and a small forest."
"You can find the freshman classes, the plaza, the auditorium, and the cafeteria on the first floor. There are also a few clubs that use leftover classrooms. The clubs on the first floor are all mostly about sports and physical or magical training since the training field is close by," said Asher as pointed out a few classrooms and the freshmen students. "Freshmen like to believe that they are better than the rest and are mostly very annoying and loud, so I suggest you stay clear of them."
Actually, there would be no need for Zacharia to avoid the younger students. Most of the freshmen would avoid Zacharia on their own because of his silent intimidation methods. Asher could already feel the gazes of a few freshmen students as they walked by.
Asher then lead Zacharia towards the large cafeteria and showed him the menu to which Zacharia narrowed his eyes and scoffed.
"Don't eat anything here. If you end up eating here then make sure to take your maid with you and pay attention to what's in the food. You never know how or when they'll strike," Zacharia glared towards the menus as he reminisced about the past. He then left the cafeteria, leaving Asher all alone. Asher could only sigh and ruffle his hair as he turned to follow him out.
After having left, Asher took Zacharia to the second floor of the building. "In here you'll find sophomore classes and clubs that focus more on art and creativity. There's also a special room where only sophomores and above can enter, although only sophomores ever go there. If we ever need to find each other for some reason then we can meet each other there."
"The third floor is where you'll be taking your classes. This floor also has a special room but it's reserved only for juniors and seniors, no one else is allowed," Asher stopped talking and laughed sheepishly. "I'm also allowed to enter because I have special permission given to me by Kio. So we can also meet there."
"And I assume those are from the student council?" Zacharia asked while looking towards the group of students that were handing out pamphlets to the other students. Those that belonged to the student council wore a badge on their chest that was imbued with magic. Among those students was Zyair who was currently receiving one of the said badges. After having received the badge, he turned around and saw Asher.
"This must be Lord Zacharia, correct?" Asked Zyair in a respectful tone. It was slightly different than what Asher was used to, but he thought nothing of it and nodded.
Zacharia stared at Zyair silently, almost as if contemplating whether responding to Zyair was a waste of his time or not. In the end, Zacharia smiled coldly as his eyes glistened. "And you must be the person who was supposed to help me around the school. Zyair, was it?"
In contrast to Zyair's polite yet slightly distant tone, Zacharia's was the absolute opposite; he wanted to provoke Zyair and see how he would react. Asher had no idea why Zacharia had suddenly turned colder while speaking to another person, but Zacharia had his reasons.
The student council is not to be trusted, especially if the student just recently joined. Zacharia had to be extremely careful of who he and Asher came into contact with. Now that Zacharia was out in the open instead of hidden away in his estate, he had no idea of whether or not the Rising Fairies or his own father would take action against him. Asher was now by his side as an accomplice and a person who had come into contact with this group, so his safety was not guaranteed. The best he could do to protect this person who wasn't aware nor used to this type of situation was to investigate and monitor the people around him and the food he ingested. Maybe even have someone by his side 24/7, but they did not have the manpower to do so.
Zyair kept his smile, although it grew slightly colder. His eyes stared at Zacharia in a calculative manner. "I do hope that Asher has been a good guide. This is his first time doing this and might not be as informative as he should be. Are you sure you wish to continue with him?"
Asher couldn't help but frown at Zyair's words. He felt slightly hurt, but he understood why his friend said what he said. He was, in a way, trying to protect Asher from what he deemed to be a suspicious person. Asher himself deemed Zacharia as a suspicious person; however, they would have to spend more time together since they had a case to solve.
Zacharia was a strange phenomenon that Asher had little to no understanding of. Despite being so young, he was involved in a dangerous case as if it were nothing. He could speak to Nikola in an authoritative manner, almost as if he knew that if she stepped out of line, he could swiftly end her and her family. He still treated Nikola respectfully despite Asher's strange entanglement with the Rising Faeries and allowed her to express herself and search for clues of his innocence instead of just nipping off the bud to stay safe.
Above all else, he just seemed perfect. His appearance, the way he carried himself, and the way he managed conversations with other people; he was just perfect in every sense of the word that it almost seemed fake. There's no doubt that Zacharia was real and was pumping blood through his veins, but there was something that didn't allow Asher to rest peacefully while in his presence. Zacharia intimidated Asher. Asher felt as if he could never understand who this person was, and it made Asher feel profound unease.
"I'm thankful for your concern, but Asher has done a great job so far. I wouldn't dare continue this tour with another person."
Zyair nodded before glancing towards Asher. His gaze had immediately changed into the one Asher was used to always seeing on his face. Only this time his eyes held a hint of worry.
"You decided to go to Magic Manipulation, right? Are you sure you'll be okay there?"
Asher hadn't told anyone about his inferior magical core, but it was a known fact that he was the weakest amongst his brothers. No one dared to say anything to his face, but they didn't need to. Their constant gazes were enough to let Asher know that he was being silently ridiculed and looked down upon. Even the teachers where slightly hesitant to pick up this piece of work. If Asher had worked on his magic beforehand then maybe they wouldn't be as hesitant. He was a newbie, after all, and everyone else had already created their foundation.
He could only smile in response. It definitely wasn't okay. Asher's convictions were swaying dangerously and were about to topple over. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to learn a thing.
Zyair frowned before placing a hand on Asher's shoulder as a way to comfort him. "Let's meet up later at our place. Sound good?"
"Sure."
Zacharia and Asher were alone once again. Asher thought that that was the end of that conversation, however...
"I'll join you whenever you take that class."
"Huh?" Asher's eyes widened at Zacharia's words.
Zacharia glanced towards Asher and frowned. This child was truly pitiable. "Do you think I haven't been planning anything?"
"You are weak, Asher. You are extremely vulnerable when on your own. Maids aren't allowed to follow you everywhere, your older brother can't always stay by your side, and your magical beast also has to fulfill his duties. If you want to live, you need to, at the very least, know how to protect yourself."
Zacharia glanced at the inside of a classroom. After noticing that it was empty, he took Asher inside and closed the door behind them. "The Rising Faeries tried taking you in but failed. They will try to silence you in order to avoid unnecessary troubles. Now that we are in this school, it is the best time to either kill or kidnap you. You could be walking through an empty hall, you could be making your way back to your room, or you could be going to the training field. There are so many instances where you'll be left alone."
Zacharia's obsidian eyes were sharp and his words were scalding. He felt his emotions grow stronger the longer he stared at the teen standing in front of him. Asher couldn't help but lower his gaze and clench his fists. He felt beyond frustrated. Frustrated because of his weakness, frustrated because of his inability to judge their situation, and frustrated because Zacharia of all people was the one who was informing Asher of this.
"Everything about you is lacking. Your physical strength, magical abilities, and confidence. Your foundation is either nonexistent or incredibly unstable. I won't allow you to get in my way of survival, because your life is not the only one at stake."
The intensity of his words still hung in the atmosphere. Zacharia was glaring at Asher, his gaze holding contempt and deep hatred. Asher slightly rose his gaze to meet Zacharia's eyes before lowering it once more. He could see the feelings behind his eyes; he could feel the emotions behind his words. However, there was one thing he was unable to see: fear.
Zacharia slightly shook. To Asher, it might seem as if he was shaking in anger, but that wasn't the case. Zacharia was scared. He was scared of his father, scared of the Rising Faeries, scared for his life, and scared of himself. He wanted to grow strong enough to soar above the ground and ignore all else. He wanted to release himself from the shackles that were placed upon him. As he stared at Asher, the pitiful child who he has to help and protect, Zacharia couldn't help but see himself. How he hated seeing himself.
"I'll break you," Zacharia whispered and laughed silently, his eyes empty and dark. He wasn't seeing Asher and he wasn't being himself. He was being controlled by his father's old teachings. "I'll break you, Asher Pierce. I'll break your confidence, your self-esteem, and your mind. You'll be left into tiny little pieces and I'll take my time in rebuilding you. I'll make you become someone who is strong enough to stand on their own without any help."
After realizing what he had said and what he was doing, his eyes softened as regret nestled itself within him. He then did what he wished someone had done to him all those years ago. Zacharia's hand found itself on top of Asher's head as he reminisced about the short time he was truly happy while in Xestal. Zacharia had once promised someone to never become like his father, and he was almost about to do just that.
"Pay no attention to what I said before and listen to me now."
Zacharia's sudden change in tone made Asher raise his head in confusion. Wasn't he being criticized for his weakness? Wasn't he being berated like before? Instead of seeing Zacharia's cold and distant gaze, he was being greeted by gentle anger. One that was not being directed at him, but at someone else.
"I'll break you. I'll break the shackles that have been placed upon you since you were a child and I'll also encourage you to break them yourself. I'll rebuild you, and I'll encourage you to rebuild yourself. You won't become a puppet, you won't be shackled to anyone, and you won't feel inferior when standing against others. I'll help you become your own person."
Unlike me.