" It is good to have you back" the coach laughed pulling Aliza off the floor with one hand. He picked the healer's potion and tossed it at her.
" It is more potent than the last one" he warned.
Healing potions for Mages were harmful to mere mortals, though it had never affected Aliza so strongly she still pretended it did.
" I will rest and take it coach " she accepted.
" Retire to bench" he gave his order.
Aliza hopped to the bench, she fell on it.
'boomm…. Boomm…
The sound of fighting filled the room and her ears.
" Hey " Joseph sat down next to her.
" Yeah, hey " Aliza replied; she gave an awkward smile as she had no idea what to say to him. " Hmm… Congratulations on becoming a mage. "
" Thank you so much. The first would be for congratulating me the other is for helping me unlock my potential."
" Oh wow how did that happen, " Aliza asked?
" The last match before this loosened a few of my nodes "
" I guess it would have loosened eventually but congratulations," she said.
Joseph looked at her face as she drank up the mages potion He wondered how she handled it. Her nodes were said to be blocked.
Aliza felt her chest hurt after ingesting the potion, her mouth also hurt as it was super bitter.
" Can you not get your nodes unblocked? "
Aliza was not sure who spoke to her as her consciousness flickered.
" Hmm" she shook her head to get rid of the sleepiness.
" I asked why you could not get your nodes unblocked," Joseph repeated.
" The headmistress would be able to get it done easily." He proceeded to say.
To people like them the headmistress was omniscient there was nothing that could not be done especially a blocked node.
Joseph wondered why someone given the title of the CHOSEN would not be able to use Magic.
It just did not make any sense and the headmistress had not addressed them in any way after announcing her arrival.
" Right, Maybe she is waiting for something." Aliza sighed.
Sometimes she wondered exactly what she was doing in the Academy with such a title.
The headmistress did not care about her. Aliza felt she had something against her in a large sense.
She wanted to quit the academy but she was waiting for Aunt Margaret to return. As soon as the eleven-year mark was met she would be able to graduate.
Aunt Margaret had promised to return after a few years when she went on a trip. Aliza prayed she was okay, she had tried to ask the headmistress where she had gone but the lady refused to see her.
To others, the headmistress was someone to look up but Aliza did not like her.
She had always felt unnerved whenever the headmistress called her.
" For what, " Joseph asked.
" I don't know" Aliza replied.
They sat in silence as Aliza's injury slowly healed.
"Brother"
" Brother " the voice called softly.
'Not again' He was tired the voice constantly hunted him.
It all started after he visited the forest.
The forest was creepy and he never liked visiting no matter what time it was.
Call him a coward but this forest gave him chills and being in here at night was even worse.
His heart felt like it had gotten stuck in his chest, and the surroundings felt like he was being stared at.
It felt like the darkness would come out and drag him in. He felt dumb he could not believe he had walked in for some old family heirloom.
If he died the heirloom would outlive him.
The wind gently grazed his skin.
Goosebumps rose all over his skin it felt like someone was breathing all over him. Without wasting time he ran so fast he felt like his legs were about to fly off the ground.
He could see it. Just a little more and he would leave the forest.
He arrived at the edge of the forest when his feet stumbled on what seemed like his family heirloom.
Somehow it felt like he was pushed, falling out of the forest he lay on the floor as he watched the darkness in the forest creep away as a barrier prevented it from coming out.
His eyes blurred as he surrendered to his darkness.
" Brother' The voice called out to him again.
'No no no' he thought aggressively as he covered his face with a pillow shoving it against his ear.
He was tired of hearing the voice of what seemed to be a lady with a small childish tone. Her calls were sometimes cheerful like she was inviting him to play.
He remembered he was woken by the sunlight that shone on his face.
He had found himself at the edge of the forest outside and surprisingly right beside him was the heirloom he had walked into the forest.
The sensible part of him had said he should abandon the creepy heirloom but he assumed he might have seen things.
" Brother, brother BROTHER, BROTHERRR' The voice screamed, his ears began to bleed a little as the voice grew louder.
Feet stumped on the floor he ran out of his house to find himself a doctor. Or maybe a shaman in the city.
" Aliza " the coach called her to stay behind as she packed her things.
" Sir ' she answered and waited as she watched him pick up a bag.
Her brows furrowed, she did not know he needed a bag anymore at his level.
The coach turned towards her and handed her a parcel from the bag. " here"
" What is it" she placed it near her ear and shook it.
" I have no idea, it was sent with your name attached.
"Okay"
Aliza wondered who could send her a parcel from outside and even deliberately avoided the headmistress.
She had no family, well one that she knew.
" Oh Aliza a word of advice avoid the new girl." the coach said then left her to think.
Rather than waste her time trying to figure it out, Aliza felt it was a better idea to ignore it. Without opening the gift she tossed it in her bag.
The glass windows shimmered as light rays struck their surface creating a wave of colours. The daisies danced to the sound of the wind as warm air blew a few fallen leaves.
The skies retained the sky blue shade, though it seemed a little stale.
Gloomy, that was exactly how the academy had felt like for ten years, even the years of pretend friendship was not enough to clear her thought.
The warmth and woody homey smell of the bench charmed its way into her heart. Her head gently rested on the old wood.
The cave was not place so easy to find. Her guardian and teacher had brought her here a few years before she left.
She told her if she ever wanted a place of absolute privacy this was the place to come.
Aliza remembers joking if the Headmistress watched their every move. To others, it might sound creepy but Aliza could not vouch for her.
" You said you do not need power" Darca whispered in a mocking tone.
Aliza did not need to see her be sure her eyebrows were raised with a smirk.
" You said, you got this."
" but that was you getting your butt kicked." Darca mocked even more.
Before she could speak, Nilia spoke up in her defence.
" Of course, she does not need power."
' finally' Aliza let out a sigh of relief, someone was by her side even if she was the only one to see the person.
" she is already too weak"
And the hope she had was lost.
" Poor Aliza, you must be bullied and beaten every day." it sounded so pitiful.
" She must be suffering immense emotional torture "
" Yes, I say we give her power to avenge herself." Nilia agreed.
" THE ANCIENT AND THE HOLY, WE SUMM… "
" Stop" she shouted putting a stop to their ritual.
She felt touched though summoning ancient ones had never been a good idea.
" I am not weak and even if I were can you relax," Aliza said.
" Aliza" Darca called out doubtful.
" I promise, I am fine. I am not as weak as I look. You will see." She promised them.
She pulled out a colour crystals she asked June to keep. She also pulled out one of the animal's horns.
In the dark cosy cave secluded from the outside world, Aliza hammered into the colour crystal reportedly.
Her mallet hit the crystal over and over leaving small rock debris as it smashed. The rock continued to crack becoming a piece smaller each minute.
' a drop of caramel ' she whipped out a single caramel drop gently letting it fall unto the rock.
A light brown glow shimmered on the rock, dimming slowly as she continued to hammer on it with the mallet.
The rock was reduced into smaller pieces was tossed into a transparent glass bowl. The light shimmered Brown with a whole other rainbow of colours.
Aliza wished she could finish the processes today but she did not have time. She needed to be off to another class.
Heavy tired footsteps approached the firm black door. On it was a plaque written the History of Darriassel.
The door looked firm and solid maybe a little boring just like history was, pushing the heavy door open. Aliza was greeted with the sight of a partially filled class absent a teacher.
She took slow breathes and steps to her seat. Her head lay on the table as the lulls of sleep threatened to pull her away.
" Is she back"
" I thought she died"
" Where did you hear that?"
" Sources "
" Well your sources better not report to the newspaper or they are done for."
" I heard she quit"
" Have you ever heard anyone quit the academy?"
" No, but have you heard anyone stay in the academy without magic."
" like how is she going to graduate."
The prickly gaze peered deeply into her wanting to become worms and dig into her brains. She was used to the stares though they hurt most of the time.
The words were what she could not understand and she did not think she could understand.
They spoke ignoring the fact that she was right next to them. They seem to have forgotten all mages' hearing was amplified with or without magic.
She wished she could create real magic and keep them watch as she waltz all over the place casting spells they could only dream of.
Throughout time it had always been such loneliness and wishes that had brought about the destruction of everything even itself.
Aliza had such thoughts on a basis but shoved t under piles of blank emotions. She closed her eyes again hoping this time they would go away.
" Maybe she would get a free pass."
" No way " " Not possible"
" The headmistress is not unfair that way."
" By the way, I heard she is not a team player."
" Settle down."
The student took a sit and cut their chatter no longer paying attention to Aliza.
"Today's class would be of a lady called Midoriya the ink. " The teacher dressed in the orange turtle neck gown covered by the official brown cloak.
He had his hair wrapped in a bun.
Simon was a history researcher that settled in the academy after the great war. He earned his place by sharing his knowledge with not completely interested students
" Midoriya the ink was not a person of great powers but she defeated the demons that came out from the hell lands. Midoriya was born to Dunam and Sallurn powerful fighters who slayed demons with a swink f their axe
Sadly they were lost at the hands of the inferno colour demon the ancestor of the colour beast when she was but a wee child. "
Casting the usual illusion spell he sank the whole class into the picture settings of the years he spoke of.
History classes like this were built with illusion stones to make It easier.
all around them was the image of sand and dying demons or maybe according to what they looked like in history, they could see a general description of Midoriya as a child.
Unlike the tales of Darriassel's kingdom which was very clear the distant years made history more of a guess.
" Midoriya was then sent to an old school-like structures where they thought sword fighting and axe throwing. Being the weakest among her pairs she ventured out of sight and looked for her part." He continued.
Aliza noticed the eyes that had once ignored her had focused back on her looking suspicious.
'It was about Midoriya' they were probably thinking she could relate.
" Midoriya suffered a lot before finally finding runes, casting aside countless judgmental eyes she began to draw runes. This caused her to have ink always in her person as that was what she used.
Hence the name Midoriya the ink. As the first major pioneer for runes acceptance, she used it to slaughter an inferno savage demon.