Evening came by. Each room from the dorm was locked and the hallway was dark. The only light source that can be found were the lamps located on each end of the corner.
The gush of wind strikes the night with ease added by the howling chilly atmosphere. It was quiet and everyone else is already asleep.
Footstep can be heard in the center hall. A mysterious figure holding a lamp was navigating the whole floor. Its physical appearance cannot be determined. He carried an object on his other hand which seems to ooze out some dark purple smoke. There was a creepy vibe engraved into the object as if it has been possessed by numerous souls who screams in hell.
The shadow took the alternative path on the other side of the hall and ascended to the fourth floor. His movements are rather erratic, a trace of anxiousness can be smelled in his nature.
By reaching the fourth floor, he goes straight to the first room. It was a room that is prohibited from entering. Even the candidates won't be able to have permission.
"Mystifarmus..." Using his left hand, he raised the door by using magic that can unlock anything. The lock instantly opened, it unlocked the metallic rod wedged on the side of the door. He decided to go inside the room and closed it.
The lamp illuminated a small portion of the area. He raised it to see a bit clearer on the whole room.
It wasn't neat at all.
The room was full of empty boxes, wooden shelves that have so many cobwebs, strings, some old pictures, and antiques that are hung on the wall and displayed on the table. And for the rest of the floor, multiple scattered books piling on top of each other can be found.
The mysterious shadow continued to walk through the stretched room. Each step he made creaks the floor. After reaching the other shelves, he goes on the left side and found a large mirror that reflected the whole room. A mirror that is hung diagonally.
He placed the lamp on the nearby table and approached it.
"This should be it..." He whispered. The smoke on the bag started releasing more clouds of dark matter. He untied the seal and removed it from his side.
It was a book with a blank cover coated with a rough texture. The book has a small miniature of a skull on the upper right corner bound by the chain. Its raspiness and thick pages are giving a bad sign like it was a book known to be used by a witch or a demon. The shadow raised the book and the purple smoke blew the place.
While it is doing its part, the eye of the modeled skull flared up in an instant, giving a purple glow. The shadow noticed this change. After seeing its glowing eyes, the large mirror that is covering the wall on the end of the room suddenly became engraved with a spiral dark matter that he cannot comprehend. The reflection on the mirror dissipated and it was replaced by a mysterious spatial conference that is powered up by the mysterious book.
"A portal?" He wondered.
Curious about what it is gonna do, he goes straight on into the spiral mirror and was encapsulated by the brimming dark matter. Upon entering, every smoke in the room was vacuumed in by the mirror causing it to close and returned back to its original state. The mysterious man was trapped inside and nothing happened.
Inside the dark mirror, he found himself in a void filled with a streak of hazy lines. As he walked straight into the path, he heard multiple whisperings into the unknown. Crept by this feeling, he rushed running off the path.
The cryptic whisperings began to grow louder to the point that it was already torturing his brain. He screamed until he went out of the boundary.
The overwhelming voices of the undead consumed his body into the void. His body turned black. His losing mind made him vulnerable from the unknown. Soon enough, they all possessed his body. It almost looks like something was awakened inside the creepy realm of the unknown.
The scream of the mysterious man resonated throughout the room, echoing all the way on the other side of the realm.
Aran's keen sense was alive at that moment.
He heard the faint sound of the scream of the undead. His right ear twitched in an instant and he woke up from the sound. He quickly pushed everything on his way including the pillow and blanket to rise up. He noticed that everyone is already asleep.
(What is that?) He waved his head left and right and stood up.
He goes into the window and opened the curtain. The cold wind entered the room and the curtains waved back and forth. It was midnight and the whole world is sleeping soundly. His mind was still hazy but he managed to calm himself down.
(That sound...) He gazed around the room and found Huck sleeping soundly on the other bed. He smiled and closed the curtain, going back on his own bed.
No one knew what happened inside the mirror room. Aran had a mysterious hunch but he didn't get to investigate it. The portal that connects the underworld to the surface has been opened.
***
It was another bright day. Everyone is going to class in the morning as usual.
Huck and Aran walked together with their magic books and weapons on their side.
"Aran..." Huck called out to him as they reached the outside area of the hall.
The path that they are taking has twenty supporting pillars on each side. And beyond those pillars was a massive field that is connected on the training grounds and into the garden as well. Many candidates are hanging out on the field while the others are just studying under the tree on their own. Other than that, there's a group of candidates stringing and practicing their own spell outside the training grounds with the help of the other instructors. Their class wouldn't start until the afternoon so they have a full time of leisure to move around the academy in the morning.
"Yeah?" Aran has a gloomy look on his face.
"Why do you look so tired and empty?" He asked.
"Huh? Do I look like one?"
"Yeah, you have been gloomy for like a couple of hours now and I noticed that you are somehow appealing to the negative side of the world if that makes any sense at all." He chuckled.
"Well, I haven't got any sleep at all so I am kinda tired. But don't worry, everything is fine. I think the fact that I have to use magic every day is also making me exhausted." Aran sugarcoated the reason by relieving him of their past performance.
"I see, well that is something to consider. Though, I think it also has something to do with your reputation."
"Reputation?" Aran tilted his head on the side.
"Yeah well, you have been struggling on doing your own thing because there are so many people looking upon you and even hating you for being popular," Huck said.
"Well, I am glad that you noticed. That is why I told you in the first place that being famous doesn't equate to any good things at all. It is a pain. Oh yeah, by the way, have you seen Eunice?" They reached the second building of the academy.
"Hmm? Dunno, she is probably doing her own training somewhere else. Why do you ask?"
"We need to discuss our plan for the upcoming Magic Triathlon you know? Almost everyone is talking about it. I am kinda excited when Miss Julia announced it."
"Magic Triathlon, huh? That seems fun. But I didn't jot down the details, can you tell me about it?" Huck replied.
"Well, it is basically an Athletic Contest consisting of three different events, typically swimming, cycling, and long-distance running. Though in this case, instead of normal excursion of our physical body, we will be using magic and different kinds of strategies. Everyone is free to attend and join the contest. Oh yeah, I also heard that they are planning on implementing a new event for the triathlon as well." Aran explained the premises.
Throughout the years in the Fosier Academy, a Grand Athletic Festival would be held in the middle of the year for all of the candidates. The name of the major event is Magic Triathlon.
Each section would be having a race in three different categories including swimming, cycling, and long-distance running. The purpose of this event is to improve the endurance of each candidate while simultaneously using magic. An individual's magic molecule can only be used within a short period of time. But if it is trained, it can improve their mana pool and that would be essential for long combat.
"A new event?" Huck asked.
"Yeah, it has something to do with sports though. Like gameplay or a match. They plan on executing it on the fourth field arena just a couple of meters from our place. It is pretty exciting. We should totally watch the game if we have the time. But for now, I think we should focus on talking about the triathlon since that contest will be heading towards our way in the next few days." Aran answered.
They reached the end of the pillared hall. The central area of the Fosier building was home for all of the candidates who like to hang around.
"Sure looks lively in here..." Huck gazed around, he found every single candidate out in the open place.
"Well, it is technically our free time so they don't have any choice but to explore and hang out. Hmm, I should probably head inside the class. I am not comfortable with the crowds." Aran felt the overwhelming mass. He is still not uncomfortable.
"Sure, you go ahead. I think I will stay on this to see other groups." Huck replied. Both of them fist-bumped each other and headed in the opposite direction.
Sighing in comfort and relief, Aran walked directly towards the section C route. He got away from the crowds easily and find himself walking alone in the silent hall.
The large window that was arranged in an array illuminated the whole path. The curtains were weaved, slightly arranged, and tied to let the sunlight fill the blossom. Due to its accompaniment of different colors, the arrangement of the light is reflected in a constant bloom of colors as well. What makes this academy beautiful inside is the fact that almost everything around is abstract yet the beauty that it provides is higher than conceived standards.
The flooring is made out of tiles as well. It was easy to walk and there is no trash around. Aran tried to look at the different designs embarked on the walls and in the windows as well. The sunlight is awfully brimming so it is a little bit difficult to see the other designs without flashing or hurting your eyes.
As he walked straight on the path, a woman's voice called out to him.
"Aran Crossford!"
Startled by this, Aran lifted his gaze and stumbled upon a beautiful woman with long curly silver hair. She wears a dress that has laces around the skirt. Her slender arms and voluptuous figure contributed to her beauty.
She bowed in front of Aran but it is not the usual bow he sees every time. It was a curtsy that is normal for the daughters of royalty or nobility in their kingdom. He saw her gorgeous face reflected by the glistening glow of the sunlight.
Her clothing seems to be more fashionable and not that suitable for combat. Aran noticed her high profile look and realized that she was a noble.
"Umm, hello." Aran suddenly bowed in front of her. He figured that he needs to act formally especially since it was someone from the higher ranking.
"Good morning, my name is Louise Anne Mahrisse Silvestre, I am the third daughter of the noble family of Silvestre. I am here to give my formal thanks to you for saving my life back then." She introduced herself in a royalty manner.
(Saved her life?)
"Umm, can I ask what do you mean by saving your life? Pardon me." Aran seemed confused.
"Ara, you don't really remember?"
"I am really sorry, I think I must have missed you..." Aran averted his gaze. He tried to remember what happened but nothing clicked on.
Hearing his response, she pouted. Her cute state is pretty lovable.
She was disappointed that Aran couldn't remember her at all, after that, she chuckled.
"Hahahaha!"
"Umm, I am really sorry..." Still feeling bad about this, Aran stepped back for a little.
"No no... Hah... That was so unexpected. Normally, guys wouldn't be able to forget me because of my power and beauty. They are all stuck with their feelings that are beyond what it takes just to get noticed by me. And you are actually the first one to not recognize me and not only that, you didn't even care to remember." She made a remark as she chuckled.
Aran smiled but it was filled with confusion and dismay and he doesn't know how to interact any further.
"You are interesting..." She continued. Her words struck through Aran's brain.
"I was the one you saved from when that freaky magician attacked with his magic. Remember that time when he shot his magic spell on me and you deflected it?" She explained where she recognized him.
"Freaky magician? Fireball? Oh... Oh! OH!" Aran finally remembered. "It was you?! That girl who barely got burned?!"
"Yes! That was me! And you saved our lives! I was in the front area at that time. And seeing you... It was like, I don't know! I couldn't explain..." She then began to twitch and squirm in place. Her cheeks were touched by the red color.
"Umm..." Aran tried to approach her.
"You were like my knight in shining armor! You are really heroic and I... I wanted to express my gratitude to you... So umm, can you uh..." Still twitching from embarrassment, she lost her role model composure in front of a guy who saved her. Her confidence and professionalism dissipated as well.
She draws something from her bag, it is enclosed in an envelope. The size is not that big and it looks like a letter. Mahrisse handed it out to him.
"This is...?" Aran looked down.
"Umm, please read it when no one else is around. I thank you again for saving my life, It was really a great pleasure meeting you... Umm, goodbye then!" With that, she suddenly rushed to head upstairs to her own section route. She couldn't help but feel the overwhelming pulsating of her own heart. Her hand is shaking. All of the novelty traits and honorable practices she has to undergo suddenly vanished and her keen perception of her surroundings was blinded by her inescapable encounter with the man with whom she has affection.
It was perfectly normal for nobilities to fall in love with someone who saved their lives from grave danger. Especially if the villain was trying to kill everyone. They think it is like a fairy tale. They met their knight in shining armor and so on and so forth.
Mahrisse was powerful on her own, but she is weak when magic is not dominant in a fight. If the masked magician from back then didn't cast the limitation charm, she would've been able to help and save everyone. But since she couldn't, she had to rely on someone else.
Aran's popularity stretched out from the way he fought bravely. Everyone else was talking about him. It died down after a few weeks and Mahrisse got the chance to talk to him personally.
Aran analyzed the envelope. The casing is thin but the size is big enough to enclose another object within the letter. Aran noticed a bump on the end of the envelope. He didn't bother opening it since there is no time. The envelope seemed to have abstract designs with a caption of his name. An invitation perhaps? Or something that is very important for Mahrisse herself.
"I should probably take care of this after class is over..." He mumbled as he walked inside the section C room.