"Oh shoot!" Ashton mumbled to himself as he tried to get back up from the floor he had fallen to.
No one seemed to care about how hard he had fallen, no one gasped, no one muttered 'sorry' they all just kept staring at him. It was like he had been brought into the land of the dead where no one sympathizes with you in whatsoever grave situation you fall in.
Ashton got back on his feet and patted away the dirt that had kissed his cloth. He was awaited by the glaring eyes of the one who had woken him up. He had sharp, angular features, dark eyes, and an intense gaze. His hair was slicked back and he was wearing dark, somber clothing. He was elegantly tall with a lean, muscular build. There was something unsettling about his expression, and he exuded an air of power and menace. The overall effect was intimidating and foreboding.
'Hush! Enough with the descriptions…I do not like this guy!' Ashton thought to himself.
"Ashton!" The guy called.
"Wait! You know my name?" Ashton asked lowering his brow in an attempt to beat this grim guy in a menacingly eye look contest.
"The 20' AA liner who had just arrived at this academy last night. He had failed at protecting his comrades door and slept all night instead and now, he is late for his first lesson." The guy announced loudly that everyone in the building could hear his voice.
Ashton looked around, and then said. "Me?"
"Follow me!" He commanded, his voice husky.
As if drawn to this 'grim guy' by a spell, Ashton's feet followed in the same path the guy led. As they walked on, Ashton felt the path was familiar but then, he thought to himself;
'You got into this academy last night and now? You think you're some sort of chosen hero who will be reawakened because a path you have never walked on seems familiar? Shut you!'
As they walked on, the whole place really was different from the night before. Every corner was buzzing with students, disciples, people, people and more people. After a while, they got to a building. Strangely, he started to have doubts he had been to this place before. He wasn't quite sure when or why he had this strange feeling lurking in his mind.
'Am I really an awakened hero? Was I here in my last life?'
The more he thought about these things, the more he felt he was running wild. His unclarity became settled when he finally saw some strange characters embedded on the wall. As he looked on, he felt stupid to have thought he was some ''super human incarnate'.
'Fuck me!' he cursed at himself.
The same building they had gotten to was where the welcoming ritual had taken place. The inscribed characters were now clear to his vision, but still could not get the context nor the meaning. It definitely was not the language he was accustomed with. He finally shrugged off this feeling with a sigh and walked up the stairs with the grim guy leading him into the embarrassing moment of last night.
Inside the hall were hundreds of people, probably students. They were all seated now and Ashton couldn't help but wonder when all these seats were moved back into the hall that was empty last night. A guy was standing on the podium, addressing the large crowd and probably, he was teaching them something. Marcus was inside the hall as well, standing four feets behind the teacher-guy. Both Ashton and Marcus locked eyes and their non-gay instinct kicked him making them look away at the same time.
'Pretty boy is here huh?!' Ashton thought to himself and hissed.
The grim guy pushed him forward a bit making him almost kiss the ground for the second time again! Everyone's attention was diverted to him and he felt really embarrassed.
"Go sit over there." the guy said. "Bummer!" He added on a taunting voice.
Ashton fumed, wanting to raise his fist up for a blow but he knew he couldn't stand up against this grim guy not with all these hawk eyes staring at him even without them, he probably would not stand a chance against him. He unclenshed his fisted palm and said;
"Was the bummer part necessary?"
"You do not talk back!" The guy said and walked away towards the podium to stand next to Marcus.
Ashton hissed again and sat on an empty seat that was closest to where he was standing.
The lecture continued, it was about the languages of the world.
"...the most powerful Mage in the beginning of the world foreseen the future. The whole world bowed to language called 'Ainglish' and this great Mage taught the language to his followers and soon, the 'Ainglish' language was far spread across the world, dominating all local languages."
He continued by asking if anyone had a question. Ashton raised his hand up to say something and with that, he got the teacher's attention.
"What is your question...Ashton?"
'Hell! He knows my name too?'
Ashton cleared his throat briefly and said.
"We all know we speak the ''Tallin' language and not ''Ainglish'. So, does that mean your teaching is bluffs? About the whole forseeing the world's future language?"
It was just a question, yes! But, the whole hall was thrown into a pandemonium of laughter. Ashton's eyes darted around the hall wondering why these people suddenly started laughing at him, but he found no subtle answer.
"Is he dense?!" Someone yelled from the crowd still gagging in laughter.
"Now, who knows the name of this great Mage Master?" The teacher asked again, ignoring Ashton's question.
Fleets of hands were raised up and all Ashton could do was look. The teacher glanced at them all and pointed to a guy who had old glasses on.
"Speak up, Gareth."
The Gareth guy stood up hastily and said;
"Master Alden!" he yelled his answer out, his voice boisterous.
"Right!" The teacher admitted. "When did all these happen?" He looked up again to see whom to pick from the next round of fleeting raised up hands. Finally, he found one. "Jamil!"
Ashton looked and there, amidst the other students was Jamil. He stood up and replied to the question with great enthusiasm.
"The year was not speculated. Hence, it was tagged as BA- Before Apocalypse."
'Was Jamil always this smart?' Ashton thought to himself again as the teacher nodded in approval of Jamil's answer and asked yet another question.
"Where is he now?" The question seems to be like a trick question because everyone knows he has died! A very long time ago. But, Ashton was really getting bored of the lecture. Trying to lift his mood, he shouted;
"Folklores?"
"Enough with your jest already Ashton! I cannot have you stay in my class and disturb this gathering. Get out! Now!" The teacher yelled his brows furrowing as he pinged towards the exit.