The sun was low in the sky, in the evening near nighttime, a boy named Akito and his friend, Miryu, were playing in a nearby playground near their residence. Akito was on the swing, which was being pushed by Miryu.
As they played, Miryu abruptly fell when Akito accidentally pushed the swing too hard. Out of nowhere, a man suddenly came to greet them. The man had an unusual attire, which was a dark mage robe with red stripes all over. The man also had a red color for his eye and red-colored hair.
"Hello children, what are you doing out here at night?" The man said with a moderate voice.
"We're playing together.." Akito answered.
"Yeah" Miryu continued
The man suddenly asked Akito and Miryu for their parents.
"Are your parents around?" he said while looking side by side. "
No, they're at home," Akito told the man.
"Oh, wonderful!" The man said while feeling relieved, followed by him asking Akito and Miryu.
"Any one of you want to go and get some ice cream?".
Miryu thinking twice about following the man tries to convince Akito to not follow the man.
"Akito, I think we shouldn't be talking to strangers..". Akito thought the man was trying to give a kind gesture by offering them ice cream, and so Akito told Miryu,
"But he's offering us ice cream, isn't that nice ?"
Miryu knew the man was up to no good ever since the start of their conversation, knowing what her parents had told her to not trust any peculiar strangers and to be aware of demons that lurk at nighttime to find their prey or to turn the victims into one of their own. "It could be some kind of poison." said Miryu. Akito finally agreed with Miryu, "Fine." Akito said while sighing. The man losing his patience asked Akito and Miryu. "Took you long enough." Akito with a down face tells the man, "I'm sorry mister, but we can't.". "Aw that's unfortunate.." the man said while looking on his side followed by him saying, "But I insist that one of you should come with me."
Miryu spoke, "We're going back home soon." followed by Akito saying "Y- Yeah.". The man was furious, his face had a sinister smile and desperation. Out of the blue, the man suddenly laughs hysterically as if he was possessed. The laughter made Akito and Miryu uneasy and making them gaze at the man in confusion and dismay. The man then said something that made Akito and Miryu terrified, "You see, you don't have any choices..". Akito and Miryu quickly reacted and tried to run for their life, Akito was in the lead but Miryu falling behind. Eventually, the man quickly captures Miryu by her hand and carries her. Akito quickly charged towards the man with a clutched fist and he tried to punch the man. "Put me down!", Miryu said. Akito then punches the man on his back but the man caught Akito's fist before it could land a strike on the man.
"Ah! Such a brave boy.". Akito's face grew anxious due to the man's quick reflex, Akito then comprehended that the man wasn't human, he was without a doubt, a demon. The man then throws Akito further away by 5 meters which made Akito badly wounded. Akito was laying on his back with his nose bleeding while facing Miryu. Akito put his hands up as if he was trying to reach Miryu but the man quickly casted a magic gateway to another location, that seemed like a gateway entrance to the underworld which he brought Miryu with him. "Akito! Save yourself," Miryu shouted. Akito with his trembling voice, "No..Mir..Miryu..". Akito immediately fainted after a second due to the injury he had suffered and all he could see was white. In his mind, the word Miryu was repeatedly spoken...
An alarm clock rang loudly, waking Akito from his sleep, he was in his bed after waking up from his traumatic nightmare. Only a ray of sunlight had shone through the slightly opened window curtain. Akito yawned while walking gearing up for school. It was his last day of high school and he was graduating. After he wore his outfit, he ran downstairs. Before he would step out to go to his high school, Akito's Mother greeted him, "Good luck on your last day, Akito" with a smile on her face. Akito's Father then spoke, "Don't get in trouble" as a reminder for Akito. "I know." Akito said while opening the door, followed by her mother, "Don't forget to buy groceries". Akito nodded and headed out.
As he walks his way through the residence. He walks past the Castle of Althia, which was beautifully located on a nearby hill which he viewed from afar. The castle is massive, living there would be leisure for life. As he walked, he saw two of his school bullies leaning on a wall of a corner. They were waiting there for Akito. "What's up loser", Ano said. As Akito was walking past them, Hiro, the second bully said, "You wanna get beaten up, do ya?". Akito without thinking twice, splashed water on them using his magic he had learned while his stay at high school. "Bastard! Get back here!" Hiro shouted. While running towards Akito, Ano shouted, "Get him!" to suspense Akito. Akito ran as fast as his legs could, but eventually, he was surrounded on a dead end of a dark alleyway. Though he hadn't just stopped there. Ano and Hiro tried to charge Akito, but Akito knew what he could do. He casted smoke magic, the smoke was too thick to be able to see anything. He took the chance to slip past them. But he was then seen by Ano. "Keep on running! you won't get away from me." Ano shouted, followed by Hiro shouting, "Coward! I'll get you". Akito was able to run, he was drenched in his own sweat. He then went inside his high school. He entered his class and went to his seat.
As he was looking outside the window, he was thinking to himself of becoming a Mage for the Royal Mage Brigade. Even though he didn't know how he would achieve, as soon as he started to think of how he could accomplish such a thing, he got smacked back to reality when his teacher threw a book at his face. The book was massive and heavier than it looks. Feeling embarrassed, Akito continued to focus on his class.
After class, he was a laughing stock of the whole school. As his classes ended, he went to get groceries as his parents told him to, and soon after he went on to go back home, as he did not want to get caught up by his classmates. As he walked through the dim light street, he was all alone, just like what he wanted. But before he was going to make it through his residence, it was already 8 PM and his house was a mile away. After some walking, he saw a group of Penta Authorities ransacking people's houses and horrifically murdering them. Bodies are all spread all across the street, with blood all over the place, and up the street was a bunch of corpses of civilians and the corpses of the Royal Mages. As soon as he saw that, he was close to barfing out what he had eaten 3 hours ago. He walked slowly past the Penta Authorities, knowing that if he makes a noise, it would be the end of him. As he was about to step forward, he was seen by one of the Penta Authority which he hadn't noticed until he walked up to him. Before the Penta Authorities could react, there was a White Cloak, brightly dimmed in the shadows of the rooftop. The logo on the cloak was not an ordinary Mage Brigadier insignia... It was an Officer insignia, with a skull on its logo. After the Penta Authorities made themselves ready for the fight, they were unexpectedly taken out by the mysterious brigadier in the cloak in a blink of an eye. The man had made an unknown cast which ended the battle quickly. As the mysterious cloaked brigadier approaches Akito, he helps Akito up from his traumatic pose. As he tried to comfort Akito, he introduced himself to Akito, and the mysterious cloaked brigadier was one of the well-known best Mage in the brigade. "Are you okay? I'm with the Althia Mage Brigade". Akito asked, "How did you end them so quickly?". Colt spoke, "I'm an Astralarium Magic-user". While helping Akito up, he spoke, "you should hurry back home." He then told Akito to hurry back home as the Penta Authorities might come back again. Akito had reached his home, which is where he was glad to be. After making dinner, he went on his living room chair and turned on the TV. As expected, the incident aired on the news with Colt being interviewed. After some time, Akito fell asleep on his couch.*
The next day, Akito woke up late, and he heard knocking on the door. Colt was on his front door unexpectedly as he was opening the door. He then went to talk with Akito, but before he could, Akito insisted that he come back after he finishes buying groceries after he had forgotten to buy some other groceries yesterday. Without resisting, Colt agreed to Akito. As Akito had come back, Colt had waited in Akito's living room and Akito went and took a seat. And so they began talking. "So Akito, I'm here to offer you a choice of a lifetime.", Colt said. "You see, the Althia Royal Mage is recruiting. As it may seem as if our enemies had only grown in numbers, therefore we need to grow ours.". Akito was looking down on the floor because he was indecisive. He didn't know either to decline nor accept. "So please, join us.", Colt continued. Akito then had already made up his mind but he was still indecisive. "I would love to.. But what about my parents? Will they allow me to?". "I've talked with them, they've decided to agree to it." Colt responded. "Knowing everything had been cleared up, Akito decided to agree. "Alright, sign me up.".
"Pack up your stuff, we're moving in an hour.", Colt responded. Akito went to pack his stuff. When he was packing, he saw a picture frame. It was a picture of him and his friend, Miryu.
"I'll find you, Miryu.." muttering to himself. It was then interrupted by Akito's Father, "Akito! What are you doing up there?". Akito quickly answered, "I'll come down in a minute.". Akito went down and went downstairs to his parents to bid them farewell. "I'm going out now.". "Take care, Akito." spoke Akito's Mother. Akito then walked out with Colt, waiting for him outside. Akito proceeds to follow behind Colt.
To Be Continued. [Chapter 2]