A few hours ago,
"Are you sure you're not going to join this year's test?" Hannah asked me after helping father with the crops. "I told you, I'm already done with it." I reminded.
She looked at me sternly. She is suspicious. Though I might not have shown any interest in the test, they also did not see me train since that day.
In the end, it was all just her suspicions without anything backing it up.
"I'm surprised. You are not the person that would easily give up like that. I guess people change." She added.
She is convinced.
After that day when I realized her feelings toward me, I figured everything out. "I'm sorry, Hannah." I thought to myself. "This year will be memorable," I told her.
She smiled and agree with me. "You're the one that sparked all the next mages to do better. Of course, this year will be much more thrilling." Her innocent and sweet smile melt something within me.
I knew it, I also felt the same. A mutual feeling towards each other.
Amid our conversation, father arrived and looked at both of us as if he knew he just interrupted something.
"Excuse me. Please pretend that I'm not here." He said as he entered the shed. Hannah immediately got flustered and turned away.
I saw my father's head sticking on the door, he wants to listen to our conversation. "Father, we can see you." I pointed out.
The door is not a solid block of wood. It's made of bamboo and his huge figure is just too huge to hide. He looked like an elephant trying to hide behind a shrub.
It was awkward to the max.
"I'll be leaving now. See you later." Hannah left in a hurry. She did not even look at me when she left. Her face must be red for her to act like that.
I did not dare turn to face my father. I know that he is disappointed not to hear anything. "Sheesh! I thought I was going to hear something good." He said disappointingly.
It was not even a romantic moment yet here he is saying something like that to me. "I'll just pretend I did not hear that," I added as I clean everything.
I can't see my father behind me, but I know that he is staring at me intensely.
"Father, please tell me what you want to say. I feel a bit uncomfortable with you staring at my back so intensely."
He stayed silent. His silence bugged me a little, so I turned to him. And to my surprise, he is holding an aquamarine-colored feather.
My eyes widened in shock. "Where did he get that-!" the corners of my father's mouth rose. At that moment, I knew that he knows everything.
"You did a good job hiding this fact from everyone. William, you're not done with the test, right?" his voice sent chills down my spine.
It was a look that my father did not give me. It was the first time I felt that ominous aura coming from my father. He is usually an easygoing person, but the one I'm facing is the complete opposite of how he is.
"How did you know- since when?" I asked worriedly. "Just only recently. Did you think you can convince your father that you will give up that easily? You're underestimating me." He said with a smile.
"You felt it too, right? Hannah has the same feelings as me. But unlike her, I'm here with you every day."
The feeling of awkwardness that I felt earlier is now replaced with worry and fear. I did not expect that father would bring this up or it may be the reason why he intentionally appeared before us.
"Yes," I replied.
At this point, there is no use hiding the fact that I am still practicing. Father has evidence, that feather is everything that he needs to catch me in my activities at night.
"Good luck."
I was surprised. I did not expect to hear that from him. "I thought you are going to scold me," I muttered in surprise. Father just looked at me but instead with a scary look on his face, he smiled.
"You finally found what you are looking for. There is no way that I will not be glad about that. Your hard work paid off."
He hugged me tightly.
It was not hard work, it must be luck that I encountered that magical beast, or it may very well be heaven's will, fate.
A great shadow loomed above the stage, everyone gasp in shock while looking at the figure flying in the sky.
The mages from the Red Tower as well as the organizers of the test were baffled as it slowly descends from the sky.
"What is that? A magical beast?"
"There's no way there's a magical beast here in our town."
FLAP! FLAP! FLAP!
Every time it flaps its wings, it sends a freezing wave of wind. Snow fell from the sky as if it were winter. A season that has never occurred in their region, not even once.
Some of the mages saw this as a threat and everyone near the stage backed away in fear. The capable mages prepare to fire their spells toward the creature.
Andre and Volt were also about to do the same, but Andre realized something even from a great distance. It was not a magical beast.
"... impossible." Andre's entire body shakes in fear. He cannot comprehend what he was seeing. Volt jolts after seeing Andre behave like that. "Hey, are you okay?"
"That's no magical beast," Andre spoke in terror.
At this point, the creature is distinguishable to everyone.
Its aquamarine-colored wings reflect the sun's light brightly. The blinding light descended along with the creature.
It now stands in front of them, and everyone were shocked beyond belief. It was human. The ground below him instantly froze like the glaciers,
The feathers covering his facial features slowly come to light and it is familiar.
"Impossible. How did this happen?"
"What is this monstrosity?"
"Is that magic."
All of them gasp in awe, the person standing before them is no other than the Void Mage that influenced the test greatly.
It was William.
He has arrived.