A/N: The chapter ahead is raw, which means not been proofread yet nor edited.
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"Master, Headmaster Jeth Draven is here to see you,"
Watts Xirquit paused from tying his necktie that he couldn't do properly before looking at Wattroid then to the door. He's in his office in ArcanumX.
"Let him in," he ordered and pulled his necktie. He give up. He can't do it. If only his Mom is with him...
Wattroid opened the door. When the Headmaster got in, they smiled at each other. Wattroid excused himself to leave them alone.
"You're rushing the opening of the Academia. THIS WEEK. Is it true?"
Watts sat down and gestured the Headmaster to sit, too.
"It is true."
"We need more time to prepare, Watts. We barely perfected the curriculums. There's no proper dry run for it either. You are pressuring everyone."
"I am pressuring everyone."
The Headmaster scoffed at his nonchalance.
"Is this because what His Equal said? You want to see Moon. You're going to send her an invitation, don't you?"
Watts Xirquit challenged the Headmaster into a staring game. The Headmaster is not glaring at him. Actually, he's so calm.
"Moon is still my scholar. We explained that to everyone before we froze last academic year: that the scholars will remain a scholar. Dead or alive, Moon is my scholar unless she won't show up."
"Moon is dead, Watts. Everyone saw how she returned to the Heavens."
His restless hands turned into fists.
"The Matriarch blessed me with a dream about her. His Equal even said it herself. The Princess is alive and I have faith in both of them. The Deities we know are heartless. Maybe only to me, to us, because we're aliens---outsiders of this world. But the Matriarch pitied me. She knew my pain. She's watching over me and did not discriminate. I have always been a believe of this world's Deities. But not anymore. They're dead to me."
The Headmaster flinched when a frightening lightning struck down. The sound it created broke the glasses of the establishments in the city. It was so loud that the children's ear bleed. Some even became partially deaf. The lightning's color was red, hinting the displeasure of the Deities that sent it from the Heavens.
"Take it back, Watts. You angered the Deities!"
But Watts is not fazed. He's glaring outside, glaring at the skies he love. But he can't anymore because some heartless beings live there.
A faceless Deity lifted his finger, pointing at him.
"Kill him."
When the archangel got his order, he bent his knee and turned around to carry out the Deity's order. As he walk to the portal, Zodiac Astrophel revealed himself by coming out of it. He faced the archangel with a smile.
"You're not touching my Daddy."
The female Deities whispered at each other.
"Kill him, too," the same Deity ordered. So, the archangel drew his sword out, prepared to launch an attack when the Matriarch came out from the same portal while yawning, too.
When she laid her golden eyes on the archangel, it's body burst into glitters and jewels.
She laughed and clapped, "Now, now. Let's not make hasty decisions, alright? Most of the Ancients hated you but you didn't do anything. But an Earthling? Got mad so easily?"
Zodiac Astrophel grinned, "They're probably trembling because my Dad is better than them. If you kill my Dad, many will hunt you. Who knows, maybe my Mom will ascend here and kill each of you?"
The Deities's hearts skipped a beat.
The Matriarch liked it very much and cuddled Zodiac Astrophel, "Aw, you're really my favorite child~"
The Deities could only close their fists.
Headmaster Jeth Draven massaged his nose bridge. He heave deep breaths, making up his mind. Then, he stand up and walked around to stand beside Watts. He took the tie on the table and put it around his neck.
"Son, I know you're strong. I know you don't know where to pour your fury. You hate them, but even though you promised revenge, you can't yourself to because they've become a part of you. They're good people and you know that. But please, look after yourself. Don't become a person you don't want to become. At the end of the day, you're still just a human. Don't challenge the Deities. We don't have the force to protect you from them."
He pushed the tie to tighte it, but not too much.
He smiled at his godchild and tap his shoulders.
"We'll do as you say. Next week, on Saturday, is the Matriarch's Imperial Ascension's anniversary. If you have any follow-ups, inform me right away. Take care of yourself, Watts. There's a limit to how much we can protect you."
After bidding his goodbye and reminders, Headmaster Jeth Draven left with a heavy heart. He's worried for his godchild. He don't know if he will call him courageous or reckless. Swearing against the Deities is blasphemous and they visibly relayed their displeasure at that. He's afraid that Watts will declared war against the wrong beings. The Warlocks are tolerating him because they understand where he's coming from. His pain. His heartache. Otherwise, Prince Ascel would've taken his head long ago.
Ohms Xirquit pressed and twisted his cigarette against the ash tray and slowly blew the last huff of smoke out of his nose.
One of their assassins, dressed in noble fashion, approached him. The assassin in disguised is smoking, too. There's enough distance between them.
"We couldn't find Sun's knight anywhere, Milord," the assassin said in a low but clear voice.
"Sun and Prince Izylidas are engaged," he added, shocking Ohms for real.
"Princess Aurora gave birth to a healthy son."
Ohms smirked. It was then followed by a series of low laughter.
"Anything else?"
The assassin nodded, "It was made official. Sun is now the Crown Princess."
Shocking news one after another. Damn.
"Go. Don't let anyone see you."
The assassin bowed and left as if they are strangers to each other. Ohms laughed again while taking another cigarette.
He always knew that Izylidas is emo and an idiot, but he never knew that he'd be a greater idiot by making Sun his woman. Though it's one of the things he expected to happen, he couldn't believe that it would actually happen. Damn.
From the smoking area within ArcanumX, Ohms looked at the tiny ants walking outside, below him.
He could smell some action going their way.
Later that day, Watts wrote a letter to his godfather about how the enrolling process must go. He made it concise and clear. That's why by Friday, Headmaster Jeth Draven began the production of invitations. By Saturday, every invitation was released and sent to the names written inside across the globe.
Izylidas woke Sun up and showed her the letters she received. The first letter is about the meeting she missed. The second was the punishment she must face for missing it, and the next ones are the invitations for her scholars. The first two letters were crumpled by her fist. Izylidas grinned.
"Oh, how thoughtful of him. This is for me?" Princess Lorreign smiled and looked at the invitations in her hands. She have two and they were nameless. Wattroid brought it himself to her as per Watts's orders.
His words, "Princess, you are with one of the brightest minds. If you have any names to recommend, I'd be very happy to take them in as my scholars---"
Her high-pitched screamed silenced Wattroid from relaying his Master's words to her. The Princess then ran to where Solana is. She's with the King, giving her a bath.
"Sister, look! Ducks!" Solana smiled in the bathtub of milk.
"Do you want to go to school!?"
The pigeon released the invitations on Celia's palms. Celia thanked the animal and watched it return to where it came from before looking down on the envelopes in her grasp.
"For Moon and His Equal."
From her room, Azarese was watching. Celia felt a pair of eyes fixated on her but she did not look back. She could only imagine that it's the Princess who's looking at her.
She denied it at first. There were signs, but she didn't want to see crazy and made herself believe that it's just His Equal's doing. From the clays in the room were His Equal resides to another set of utensils that His Equal does not use---she knew that His Equal is not alone. Sometimes, she would hear her having a conversation with someone she couldn't hear. Could it be the Princess's ghost? She thought so.
She hasn't moved on yet. She's been praying to the Deities that they return the embodiment of kindness and goodness that was Moon. She's been hoping, dreaming, wishing.
She never died to begin with.
How, nobody knows. Everyone saw it with their own eyes: how she returned to the Heavens. Returning to the Heavens is a phenomena one cannot fake. They've done trials of it using clones and clones die in a different way.
Therefore, Moon's body at that time is not a clone but a real one.
Celia gently placed the envelope to her chest. Her lips trembled, then she smiled as her tears of joy pour from her eyes.
Azarese walked away from the window.
"The bitch snitched on me."
Skadi Eira, having tea outside, sneezed and got goosebumps.
"I'm gonna die soon," she winced and looked to the window of her room.
Watts closed his eyes and let the waters of the swimming pool pull him deep. As he sink deeper, that's when he opened his eyes. He saw her silhouette figure over him, sinking together with him.
He opened his mouth to call her name but only bubbles came out of it.
She embraced him and whispered to his ear,
"Run. Run away from me, Watts."
The next day, his family scold so much that his ears would fall of. Had Kendrew not see him, Watts would've died from the waters that invaded his body.
"Wattroid," he called while reviewing the names that will go through a 'filtering' this coming week.
There are three ways to get admitted in the Academia. First, the surest way, through scholarships. Second, through enrollment. There are no exams to be taken for children and secondary. But in tertiary, there is. And lastly, through recommendations. Recommendations doesn't grant one an automatic admission. They go through a screening first, interviews, and then take exams with the other enrollees to see if they are fit to become an Academian.
Although the Academia is for everyone, not everyone can get in. It is strict, devoted into producing disciplined professionals. That's why only few can pursue the higher education or the college. Most Academians stopped after they graduate in highschool because the entrance exams for the higher education is tough. Unless you are a scholar, then it's a piece of cake.
Becoming a scholar is tough, too. First, you must possess a truly unique and useful ability. Second, impress to get the higher-ups' attention. Show them what you've got, why they must invest in you. The one with the most scholars is Watts Xirquit, and every scholars he helped to graduate all work for him, enjoying lots of privileges even after graduating.
Benefactors (like Watts Xirquit) are those who are capable of supporting a scholar. Royals, nobles, and individuals with money. As long as you are rich and can support anybody, you're a benefactor.
"Yes, Master?" Wattroid entered.
"Find the boy that Moon used to nurse before," he said.
"Do you mean Ori?"
Watts's gaze went to Wattroid.
"The sickly boy. The one who's stick and bones."
Wattroid smiled a little and nodded, "Yes, it's Ori, Master. Have you forgotten? Moon's charity is under your name now. Why do you ask?"
"Procure an invitation. I want to recommend him."
Wattroid's eyes widened, "P-Pardon? Master, the boy remained the same until now. I believe he's getting worse---but a recommendation?"
Watts Xirquit closed the file and gave Wattroid an intimidating gaze. Wattroid folded and bowed his head.
"I-I must. Forgive me, Master." And he left to do what he was tasked to.
Back then, he couldn't be wrong. He saw Ori. He was there even when everyone is already evacuating, and he remained in the same piece even after unleashing the power he's been keeping to himself.
It just crossed his mind after all this time.
Ori...
There is something about Ori na dhe mustn't let him slip away from his grasp.