The sky bright as ever, birds chirping, and the winds blow calmly across the trees. Today was a good day, a great day in-fact.
Why?
It was the day Ugo graduated from the basic education aspiring Ascenders and other members of society had to go through in order to be considered sound members of society.
– – –
"Finally, today's the day I graduate so i can begin my training to be an Ascender."
The boy, dark skinned, he has hair braided of which run along to the back of his head, his eyes? Both of which had differing colours, his right was yellow, as bright as the morning sun, the other was a deep blue like the oceans reflecting moonlight.
This boy, Ugo, has been dreaming of this day for as long as he can remember and today, that happens.
"But hasn't your mom been training you? You act like you're new to the experience altogether".
This time, a girl speaks, his friend, an ambitious student who also aims to be an Ascender, she has deep red hair and a slender figure as well as her snappy and hyperactive personality. Her name was Raizel.
"Yeah, but you know he's never actually been in the academy, just rudimentary combat training and some magic."
Another boy speaks, his skin, pale and his hair deep black as the midnight sky, His name. Vin. Just Vin, unlike his other friends, Vin was an orphan with no adoptive family or any family to speak of.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right" [Raizel]
"Doesn't matter anymore, once we graduate, we can all apply to be Ascenders and become heroes" [Ugo]
"Yeah, the ceremony starts in 10 minutes, will your mom be coming to congratulate us?" [Raizel]
"Usually, they wouldn't send the top ranked Ascender to a common high school graduation but she's making an exception for me" [Ugo]
"Well, let's go prepare then, wouldn't wanna mess up our first step to achieving our goals" [ Vin]
– – – –
"It's been a wonderful time teaching you all, we will now welcome the Ascenders to give their congratulatory speech and words for those who wish to become Ascenders."
The event has started, the Ascenders are here, Ugo's mom is present and as usual expresses her love by waving through the Ascenders table, everything seemed to be going well. However, little to everyone's knowledge did they know that this day would hold tragic events that would shake this magical world to its core.
"And now, we welcome the White Night herself, the Sylene Lunaria"
The crowd gets loud, praises and applause from every angle as the White Knight approaches the Alter.
A dark-skinned woman in all-white battle gear approaches the stage, she has a long sword that was white as well and a hood that only made her appearance seem more mystic.
"You all have done well in completing your studies today, i wish you the best what you wish to do, even if it's not becoming an Ascender. On that note, Academy enrolments should all be sorted by now, there will be an assessment of your capabilities to see if you're really Ascender material, you have a week to get packed and meet at the Ascender Academy for the assessment, until then, Congratulations." [Sylene]
The crowd claps and goes crazy over the beauty of the White Knight but before long, an explosion engulfed the VIP guests consisting of figures like the local Mayor of the City.
The event has been thrown into chaos, Ascenders are helping the people evacuate, screams of fear can be heard from streets away. The Ascenders spring into action…. the smoke clears and the mayor seem to be unharmed as he is covered in the shield of one the Ascenders, he releases a sigh of relief as the other Ascenders keep guard and prepare for a possible second assault.
"Are you okay sir?" [Sylene]
"Yes, i'm okay thanks to your soldiers" [Mayor]
"How did the attacker get so close without us noticing ma'am?"
" I don't know, but it seems like it was advanced teleportation magic, let's just be happy the user isn't accurate enough to make direct contact" [Sylene]
Sylene orders her soldiers to circle the mayor incase of a second assault, and a second explosion occurs, this time taking out one of the Ascenders.
"Damn it, someone locate the source of that magic" [Sylene]
"Yes Ma'am!"
The Ascender begins a chant and a blue whip seemingly crystalline made from magic itself manifests through his chant and begins to follow a path to the caster of the teleportation magic. Even then, another explosion occurs, this time, it appears inside the mayor, causing the mayor to scatter into bits. He is dead.
"I've got you now!" [Sylene]
Sylene has managed to predict the location of the Caster from the trajectory of the chain's movement, the Caster was phasing through reality. They were there and not there at the same time, but this was no issue for the greatest Ascender in the Country.
"Shining Night" [Sylene]
Sylene has unleashed an ability of hers that allows her to become a somewhat metaphysical entity, maybe a shadow, maybe nothing or maybe just "darkness" what we do know, is that she is damn good at her job.
"I've Got you now!" [Sylene]
The White Knight speedily approaches the caster's phased form, before the caster can cancel the phase spell, Sylene grabs a hold of them, forcing her, the phaser into this plane of reality via the sheer force of her magic alone.
The caster attempts to use explosions to retaliate against her new opponent. It doesn't work. Sylene cuts the very explosions themselves, the caster seeing this knew beating said person was an impossibility, so her attempted suicide for the fate that awaits them if she gets caught is far worse than death.
"You don't get to decide how you die, not today!" [Sylene]
She runs her sword through the explosion about to erupt in the Caster's chest, cutting the magic itself and not the physical form, this was made possible by Sylene's other ability, "Blade of the unseen" which allows her to interact with non-physical objects.
"You're spending a long time in jail, we're gonna have to find a new Mayor now, we will definitely have to find out who is behind this by all means necessary." [Sylene]
The Caster is then chained with magic nulling chains which cut of the flow of magic in one's body, she's then taken to the prison for further questioning and sentencing.
"Sigh, when will all this violence ever end? It seems like there's been more and more terrorist attacks recently, don't you think Kaska?" [Sylena]
A young man with scarlet hair and a large axe hanging by his back replies.
"Yes, do you think it's all connected somehow?" [Kaska]
"Not sure but given the scale it's something worth reporting to the Swords of Liberty" [Sylene]
Ugo soon rushes over through the crowd to see his mom up close.
"Mom, you were great! You stopped the evil witch with your powers, once i pass the assessment i'm gonna train to be just like you mom!" [Ugo]
"You know your dad still wants you to be a researcher, right?" [Sylene]
"But it's so boring." [Ugo]
"Don't talk about your father's work like that!" [Sylene]
They exchange other pleasantries before Sylene forces a kiss on Ugo's face in front of his friends with the whole-hearted intention of embarrassing him and letting him go and prepare for the trip to the assessment grounds.
Sylene is awarded for capturing the criminals but there's not much to celebrate, the city had just lost a good man.
– – – –
Some time passes…
It's a dark night now, and discussions can be heard in a pitch-black room. The only thing even visible is but a sliver of Sylene's all white attire. What could they be talking about?
"And you are sure that this witch possessed the same mark as the other 4 terrorists?" [ ]
A deep voice asks in this dark room.
"Yes, i am, after proper investigation and interrogation, we were able to get nothing out of the terrorist but upon further examination we discovered a mark on her left thy." [Sylene]
"This is most troubling, why do you think that cult is planning on killing so many leaders? And why now?" [ ]
Another voice then replies.
"I don't know, but what we can be sure of is something is happening, something big, we have to prepare for the worst." [ ]
– – – –
"Sigh, i'm back sweetie. Is Ugo done packing for the trip?" [Sylene]
A man soon replies with a warm familiar tone.
"Yes my love, in-fact he's been done for over an hour, him and his friends are all waiting for you to take them to the Ascender academy for their training" [ ]
"Oh Honey, i'm so tired right now, there was an attack at Ugo's graduation today, i'll just head out with them tomorrow. Don't stay up too late with your gadgets love!"
This man she conversed with was her Husband and Ugo's father. His name is Leon and he's a leading researcher for the country's most prestigious research facility.
After a while Ugo rushes downstairs in confusion.
"Dad, is mom back? Are we still going today?" [Ugo]
"No son, your mother is very exhausted after what went down at your school, you should understand that best seeing as you were there, i would have taken you but as usual i'm always so busy with research!"
Ugo's face shows a little disappointment, but his spirit has not been killed.
"Okay dad, i guess it can wait another day, goodnight dad, don't stay up too late!"
– – – –
The morning sun shines on a new day, birds chirping, cool winds breeze by it was the perfect day to begin a young man's first step to accomplishing his dream.
"Yawn, today's finally the day huh, I'll finally be heading out to take my first steps as an Ascender in training!"
— — — —