"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention, please?" the principal said, tapping the microphone lightly. The chatter in the assembly hall died down and was replaced with a hushed silence. "The Heiss school board has made a change to the schedule of after-school activities. Night preps will now run from 7pm to 9pm, and students are not permitted to leave their hostels after lights out. Teachers will be stationed around the school to ensure compliance with this policy. These laws have been put in place for your protection, and violating them will result in serious consequences." She paused and surveyed the young faces watching her attentively.
"I also want to urge all of you to please stay on school grounds and do not leave without proper authorization," the principal continued, her voice filled with worry and concern. "There have been reports of strange occurrences happening outside the school boundaries, and for your safety, I am asking that you all obey the rules and stay within the school grounds," she continued, fidgeting with her glasses as her words hung heavy in the air. The students sat in rapt attention, the tension palpable in the assembly hall.
"Lastly, please give a warm welcome to our new student, Oliver Swells," the principal said, gesturing towards the back of the hall. Oliver stood up, he was a very handsome silver haired boy, his skin was white and extremely pale; like a cold corpse. His face wore a focused and indifferent expression as he walked towards the front of the room. The students clapped as he passed by, some of them whispering excitedly to each other. Oliver reached the front of the room and stood next to the principal who gladly shook hands with him.
Robert was sitting amongst the crowd of students as he watched the new student, Oliver, intently. "Does anything about that guy seem awkward to you, Poison?" he thought to Poison. Poison didn't reply but Robert could sense he was studying Oliver from behind his eyes. Something about Oliver couldn't sit right with him but he couldn't identify what it was.
As the final words of the announcement rang out, the students filed out of the hall, chatting excitedly as they dispersed to their classes.
Robert slowly climbed the stairs to his classroom, his mind reeling with thoughts of the new student. There was something unsettling about Oliver; a strange aura that made him feel very uncomfortable, as if he exuded danger.
As he entered his classroom, he tried to shake the uneasy feeling and focus on something else but he noticed a familiar group of students huddled around a new face. It was Jackson and his friends, and they were all scowling down at the new student, Oliver. He felt a knot of apprehension as he walked over to investigate and was disgusted at what he heard.
"I'm sure you came to this boarding school with some money, dude. Give us some and we won't have to hurt you!" Henry, the smallest among them threatened.
Jackson watched impassively as his boys did the extortion. The other students in the class seemed to pay no attention to the scene as they were preoccupied with their business or didn't want to get involved. The rest were playing silly games, laughing and generally making a ruckus.
Jackson's eyes narrowed when he noticed Robert approaching with a frown. He cursed at him in his mind, "Damned fool, you dumped me in the lab yesterday and still have the courage to face me!"
"Hey, give the guy a break, he's only just enrolled!" Robert snapped, his voice sharp with irritation. "Let him get settled in before you start mugging him!" He shoved Henry away. He noticed Oliver's skin was much more pale and white, he looked like a frozen corpse.
"And what are you gonna do? Hallucinate?" Frank mocked as he squared his shoulders, his friends' laughter ringing in the background.
"I'll make you feel the true meaning of PAIN," Robert replied, his voice low and dangerous. Frank swung his hands wildly at Robert but before he could land a blow, he only remembered flying through the air before landing hard on the ground some feet away. He looked up at Robert in horror and scrambled out of the class.
Jackson cursed under his breath, his hands balled into fists. He was clearly stronger than Robert, and he knew it. He stalked towards the other boy, his eyes blazing with anger. "You think you're tough, huh?" he growled.
"I thought last night taught you that?" Robert replied with a small grin, unfazed.
"Last night you sneak attacked me, but I won't give you a chance to do so again!" Jackson struck out, his fist connecting with Robert's cheek with a sickening crunch. He pulled back, expecting to see the other boy reeling in pain, but instead, Robert's face was unmarred, his skin as smooth and unblemished as ever. "What the-?" Jackson stammered, his eyes wide with disbelief. Robert stood there, his expression stony and impassive.
"Is that all you can do?" Robert asked, his voice calm and even.
Jackson felt a surge of panic rise up in his chest.
"Pathetic," Robert chuckled and walked towards him, he felt his palm begining to get much more sandier than usual.
"Get that monster away from me!" Jackson yelled with fright and turned to run but a handful of students had gathered to watch the drama and some of them pushed him towards Robert, laughing and calling him a coward.
Robert moved closer to Jackson, determined to humble him this time but Dora stepped out of the small crowd of students and pleaded with him to calm down. Seeing her pleading with him, his resolve crumbled. Dora was not just a close friend, he considered her unique and very special. One could even say that she had a place in his heart that no one else could fill. But he would never admit it, because it went against his image of being tough and unemotional.
"Hurry up and show that impudent child the consequences of angering an ancestor soul!" Poison cried in his head. Robert's hand got sandier and he felt stronger.
He only released a warm smile and turned towards Oliver, "Are you okay?" he asked. Oliver stared at him and for a moment, his pulpils twinkled, froze into white ice and returned to normal.
Robert was taken aback. What had he just seen? But Oliver surprisingly scoffed and whispered in a very low, hoarse and other-worldly voice, "At last," he then stood up and left.
The students suddenly erupted into a cacophony of noise as they rushed to their seats, the room filling with the sound of chatter and the scraping of chairs. Robert glanced at the doorway and saw the stern figure of Mr. Williams, the hostel master for grade 12.
"Robert, my office, now!" Mr Williams ordered and walked away.
Robert followed loosely behind him.
"That kid," Poison said as Robert approached the office, "I'll see what I can do about him."
Mr Williams sat behind his large desk while Robert stood before him. The office was packed with files and sheets of papers.
"Take a seat," Mr. Williams said, gesturing to the chair opposite him. Robert sat down, his back straight and his hands folded in his lap. Mr. Williams leaned back in his own chair, his eyes fixed on Robert. The silence was palpable, as if the air itself was being sucked out of the room. Finally, Mr. Williams spoke, his voice stern and serious. "Robert, I understand that you had an altercation with a fellow student earlier today."
"He was the first to attack me, sir," Robert said and swallowed.
Mr Williams fixed Robert with a stern stare, his gaze unwavering as the seconds ticked by. After ten long seconds, he finally spoke. "Go to Miss Greene's office and get me a red pen, leave your belt behind, so I can ensure you'd do what I asked," Robert looked confused but reluctantly took off his belt and placed it on the large table. "Now go."
As Robert walked out the door, Mr Williams reached for the belt and slipped a tiny, pea-sized black device from his pocket. He fiddled with the belt for a moment, then placed the device in a discreet location and put the belt back where it had been. His hands worked quickly and precisely, as if he had done this many times before. Then, he sat back and waited, his expression as unreadable as ever.
"Now I'll get to hear him talk with the ancestor soul, then I'll move over to phase two, extraction," He muttered as he held out a fist sized glowing green orb.
"Well, let's confirm if he really has an ancestor soul," he said as he placed the ball in a drawer under his table and left it open.
Meanwhile, Robert had gotten the red pen from Miss Greene and as he walked back to the office, he noticed the strange plants in the flower pots that lined the corridor leading to Mr Williams' office. They looked like aloe vera plants, but with a few odd, alien-like details that set them apart. The other students had told tales of the plants dancing at night, but Robert dismissed them as mere rumours. However, as he passed by the plants, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Nevertheless, he shrugged it off his mind as he remembered what happened back at the class.
"Poison, did you see that guy's eyes? It froze! It freaking froze! I told you there was something weird about him. When I asked if he's ok, he just replied 'at last' and left without thanking me!" Robert jibbered.
"Robert, you have to be wary of dangers, my father had a servant that also caught the curse. During those times, his aim was to go around causing trouble for my brother and me. We hated him to the bone, and I think he might have turned into an ancestor soul when he died. He was a real ice freak, you don't wanna mess with him." Poison said, sounding a little frightened.
"Let me guess, another lame story? I'll buy it." Robert said.
"Well, some of it are lies but..." Poison began before being cut off by a pained groan.
"Argh!" Robert moaned, stumbling into the office and clutching his head. Mr Williams quickly put away the green ball in a hole under his chair and pretended to be concerned, "Robert, is anything wrong?" He asked.
Robert immediately felt better after the ball was put away. The feeling of relief and lightness that washed over him could be likened to the refreshing feeling of plunging into a cold shower after a scorching summer day.
"No sir, I just felt a little dizzy, here's your pen," Robert said, handing him the red pen.
"Thanks, you're free to go, and don't forget your belt."
Robert grabbed his belt and left the office.
Mr. Williams watched Robert leave, a smile spreading across his face. He reached into his desk drawer and pulled out the crumpled piece of parchment, scanning it with glee. "Haha, that boy has a damn ancestor soul! He must be the descendant of Gabor, the second son of the Ancient king. I need that ancestor soul as soon as possible and find the seal to get the boundless powers. They think wizards are so powerful? Wait till I find the seal of the Ancient king!"
As Robert ascended the staircase leading to his classroom, his mind was a whirlwind of confusion and curiosity. The lingering sensation of dizziness weighed heavily on him, prompting a cascade of unanswered questions to spill from his lips in a flurry of words. "Poison," he murmured, "why did I feel dizzy all of a sudden? What did you do?"
"To be honest, kid, I've felt that before," Poison began, "the only thing I can think of that's capable of creating that sensation and making you dizzy while I'm in your body is the orb that sits atop my father's walking staff. Or perhaps you've got a fever or something, but that's not possible 'cus I'm in you and I granted you healing powers and all, so, I'll go with the former." Poison continued, "Those kinds of staffs are known as Soul Sceptres, and they are extremely rare. My father used it to protect against dark magic such as shadow magic, blood magic, necromancy, and more. I used to play around with it, but I later discovered the hard way that it could extract souls. During soul extraction, the body becomes extremely dizzy due to the lack of connection to one's lifeline, leading to death. If it's used on you, you wouldn't die, but I might be extracted from you, like sucked out. It's still out there, and that man probably wields it. You must be cautious of him, but for now, I think our attention should be focused on Oliver."
Robert looked puzzled and excited at the same time as he digested the information. "Magic? Like wizards? Are you magic? I mean, can you cast spells?" He asked but Poison did not respond. He spotted Dora approaching and smiled. She still wore her alluring smile and charming scent.
"Did Mr. Williams punish you?" she asked, grabbing his hand affectionately.
"Nah, how's Jackson?"
"He's ranting in class. He said he was so close to knocking you out before Mr Williams interrupted."
They both laughed.
"You're aware that strong perfumes aren't allowed in school," he remarked, smiling as he caught a whiff of the sweet scent while admiring her red hair.
"Ugh, why does it matter anyway?" she scoffed, "most teachers would rather ask me about the brand than punish me. Come on, let's go to the canteen. It's break time," she said as she held his hand, and they strolled casually.