March 1st. The inauguration of the Noxian Resonator Academy. Luciel was excited about school life as he never had one. He didn't have any friends of his age. He was mentally older as well. This environment was the one place he wanted to start a new life.
"So all that gloom and grief for nothing, huh?" Sat beside Luciel was Elina, who was driving him to the academy. After constant nagging and begging to Raphael and the Board of Education, Elina was given the role of an overseer in combat training. Basically, she could go anywhere she liked as long as it was a combat training class.
"Shows how close we are." Luciel smiled, hugging his backpack. He was cladded with the academy's uniform. The uniform was refined as most prestigious schools would be like. Navy blazer with golden crest embroidered on the chest pocket. A crisp white shirt underneath and a deep burgundy tie with thin gold stripes to complement it. The trousers were of dark gray color.
Luciel thought the uniform was stuffy. Luckily, it was only needed on special events or when there was a school gathering.
Luciel looked down and fixed his tie. "What about mother? Is she going to be at the academy also?"
Elina gave a shrug. "I'm not sure. I can't contact her for the last few days."
"Knowing her, she's going to be at the gate and surprise us."
"She did say that she would make it happen. She has a lot of influence." Elina grabbed the snack placed on her thighs and gobbled it down.
"I'm happy that you two are going to be there, but at the same time, I'm not."
Elina slightly turned her head to look at Luciel. "Why?"
"Luna is going to embarrass me in front of everyone, while you're going to give me hell during training." Luciel sighed, looking at the traffic jam to District 3. The academy was surrounded by high security of the military. It was also where most Distortions happened. Gateways to the Chasm.
"You're welcome." Elina smiled. "That's called connections. You can't go up in the world without connections. Also, you're the person who would care the least about anyone's opinion."
"I want to try and make friends like a normal teenager, okay? Can't just follow around you and mother every time."
Elina laughed out loud and spat out crumbs of Krispies. Luciel's face distorted in disgust but also found it endearing. Calming down, Elina said, "Isn't this the rebellious nature of a teenager! I can't believe I'm witnessing it with my own eyes. I never believed what old man Murphy told me."
"You broke the table in half." Luciel gave her the side-eye. "I think your rebellious phase was ten times worse than mine."
"Oh, please," Elina shrugged. "That's just me living life. I'm proud of my teenager years."
"Can't argue with that." Luciel gave a dramatic eye-roll. He wondered how Elina was when she was a cadet in this academy. A chaotic, overly-friendly, troublesome kid. Just thinking about it made him laugh.
"What're you laughing about?" Elina interrogated.
Luciel stopped laughing immediately. "Nothing."
The trip continued without a hitch. Traffic was bearable during the morning. Luciel and Elina made an effort to wake up early, after all. They were excited to be together in a new environment. For Elina, it was nostalgic coming back here, but the school must have changed after a decade, so she felt thrilling to have a return as an overseer.
Soon enough, they arrived at the enormous iron gate. The academy looked like a grand fortress, indestructible against any force in the world. Even monsters would feel little looking at this gate.
"Brings back fond memories." Elina's gaze lingered, studying every detail and taking in the precious moment of being here, being present in a much different circumstance.
"Doesn't it?" A rather familiar voice echoed behind them, velvety and clear. The two turned around to see a woman with silky blonde hair, striking emerald eyes as deep as a lake, and a model figure.
"Mother!"
"Luna!"
Both of them were happy to see Luna. The positions in the family were quite confusing. Elina and Luciel saw each other as siblings the same as how Elina and Luna viewed each other, but Luciel called Elina mother. Well, it worked out this way in the end.
Luna came over and hugged both of them. "Our Luciel grew up so much. I never believed this day would come." She suddenly got teary and hugged Luciel some more. All he and Elina could do was smile.
"Thanks to you, mother." He felt the warmth of a mother who truly cared for her son. He didn't know why Luna loved him so much, but that was all the reason why he wanted to give her the love she deserved back.
"Let's go in. I can feel some stares already." Luciel shivered. There was no way people didn't recognize heroes of such caliber hanging around one student. Luna was the world-famous healer and could be called a celebrity and goddess among people, while Elina was the rising star and newly-appointed Legion Commander. Propaganda was important for the military. It invoked loyalty of the people.
As the three walked the path to the auditorium, stares and gossips flowed around like bees around beehives.
"Wow! Isn't that Luna Evangal, an—and Elina Gulova!?"
"Who's the student they are walking with? Is this real?"
So on and so forth. Luciel didn't care about it obviously, but he didn't feel comfortable either.
"Feeling uncomfortable, sweetie?" Luna asked. She seemed to know everything about Luciel and sometimes to a frightening level.
"Just a bit. I'll get over it soon." Luciel affirmed.
"You'll get more attention once you show that prowess of yours." Elina butted in, walking around confidently as if nothing bothered her. "Do it moderately for now, though. You don't want everyone to be suspicious of you, especially the higher-ups. Even the Grand Marshal wouldn't be able to stop all of them."
"I know. I'll do enough to get into Class Seven."
Luna chuckled heartily. "You said that, but if you managed to achieve it, it'd be the first in the history of this academy."
"So, Class Eight?" Luciel became unsure of which level he should be aiming for.
"No," Luna replied, walking elegantly on the school's pavement. "Class Seven is the best class to start off for someone at your level. Elina taught you all the basics, no?"
Luciel nodded. "Yes."
The academy had a system of twelve classes from Class Twelve to Class One. Based on the student's evaluation by the end of each month, they could be promoted to the next class. These classes could be categorized into four divisions.
Class Twelve and Class Eleven would be the basic classes. Most new cadets would be in this category because of the lack of knowledge about their newly awakened powers and everything about The Hollow.
Class Ten to Class Eight would be the intermediate classes. Frankly, the societal standing was a deciding factor that separated basic and intermediate classes, except for those with immense talent. If someone were born in a family of Resonator or just a rich family in general, they would have access to plenty of knowledge beforehand and even training. That was Luciel.
Luciel heard that people could be forcibly awakened. He didn't know how, but he knew how expensive and dangerous it was. The rich had their ways.
Class Seven to Class Four would be advanced classes. Advanced lessons about controlling Echo Energy, specialization, commissions, and many more opportunities were opened once one stepped into this division. Luciel had to aim for that.
Class Three to Class One would be graduate classes. Finishing Class Four would grant a cadet an official Resonator license already, but if that cadet wanted to take it further and become an elite in this superhuman world, graduating from one of these three classes was a requirement.
"I forgot to ask. What was your graduating class?" Luciel had a vague guess about Elina and Luna, but he wanted to hear it himself.
"Elina graduated Class One, obviously. She was a genius. Still is." Luna briefly looked at Elina before continuing, "Your mother graduated Class Three. I was a slow-burner. I didn't become an A-Class until I turned twenty-six."
"I have such impressive alumnae guiding me." Luciel chuckled.
"That's why graduating Class One is a must," Elina menacingly said. "I would be oh so disappointed if my student were to graduate any lower," she deadpanned.
"Stop pouring all that pressure onto your little brother, would you?" Luciel groaned. He didn't know how hard it was to graduate from Class One, but he sure as hell knew that Elina's training was brutal and outright abusive. Luna had to be there sometimes to cure his injuries. If you need an S-Class healer to heal your wound, your conditions must be rather fucked.
"Anyway, don't worry. I'm planning on beating you, sis."
Elina put her arm around Luciel and pulled him close. "I'll look forward to it."