The sun was barely rising over the ruins of the city when Aiden and Ethan hit the road, their hearts heavy but their minds determined. They only had a vague idea of the direction to take, following the succinct instructions Max had given them. The magic school, he had told them, was several weeks' walk north, hidden in the mountains.
But first, Aiden had to allocate the characteristic points he had gained during his recent level up.
He decided to allocate 4 points to agility, 4 points to endurance, and 2 points to strength. During his last fight, he realized how much his lack of combat experience was holding him back, and even his superior speed didn't allow him to compete with veterans who predicted his moves. Agility was therefore his priority, as well as his endurance, which at the same time increased his health, given the number of hits he was taking without solid combat training. Finally, a little extra strength is always interesting.
Name: Aiden
Species: Dhampir
Level: 7
Exp: 0/640
Health: 100/220
Strength: 15
Agility: 20
Intelligence: 12
Endurance: 19
Skills:
- Enhanced Night Vision
- Close Combat: Level 1
Points to allocate: 0
The first days of travel were strangely calm, almost monotonous. They walked from dawn to dusk, stopping only for short breaks, always on the lookout. But the devastated landscapes seemed strangely empty, as if life had deserted these places.
"It's too quiet," Ethan muttered one evening, as they set up camp in the ruins of an old gas station. "Where have all the monsters gone? It's like they've disappeared."
Aiden shrugged, while sharpening his crowbar with precise gestures. "Maybe they fled something," he suggested. "Something more dangerous than them."
This thought left them silent and pensive, contemplating the flames of their meager campfire.
To stave off the boredom and apprehension of the journey, they immersed themselves in training. Each break was an opportunity to practice combat, to test their powers. Aiden focused on his speed and strength, pushing his limits every day. Ethan, meanwhile, honed his mastery of gravity. Both being beginners, they didn't progress much, but at least they weren't regressing either.
A routine set in, made up of walking, training and keeping watch. The days blended into each other, in a strange impression of being out of time.
But this tranquility was brutally broken during their second week of travel. As they were crossing the ruins of a small town, a deep growl suddenly resonated in the silence. In an instant, Aiden and Ethan were in combat position, back to back, scanning the shadows.
Silhouettes slowly emerged from the rubble, advancing with a shambling step. Ghouls, Aiden realized with a shudder. They had already fought them.
The fight was brief but intense. The ghouls weren't very strong, but numerous. Aiden mowed them down with his weapon, his superhuman speed allowing him to avoid their claws. Ethan, meanwhile, crushed them under gravity fields, grinding their decomposed bodies.
When the last ghoul collapsed, they were covered in foul-smelling black fluids, but unharmed. They exchanged a glance, half-relieved, half-disgusted.
"Let's get out of here," Ethan breathed. "This place gives me the creeps."
Aiden nodded, wiping his weapon on a torn piece of cloth. The smell of death permeated the place, heavy and oppressive.
They resumed their journey, the adrenaline of the fight gradually giving way to an uneasy weariness.
A few days later, as they were walking along an old highway, an unusual noise reached them. A regular hum, like an engine. They froze, incredulous. Since the Awakening, no vehicle worked anymore, for lack of electricity and fuel.
But the noise was getting closer, undeniable. And suddenly, emerging from behind a hill, a sight appeared that they never thought they would see again: a bus, driving in their direction. But it was different from any they had ever known. It seemed luminous, pulsing with a strange energy. A blue light surrounded its body.
The vehicle stopped at their level in a muffled hiss. The door opened, revealing a man in his forties, with graying hair and a sharp gaze.
"Aiden and Ethan, I presume?", he said in a cheerful voice. "I'm Raven, a recruiter for the magic school. They send me to pick up promising young talents like you."
The two friends exchanged a suspicious glance, their hands on their weapons. Was this a trap? A ruse by their enemies?
Raven raised his hands in a calming gesture, a slight smile on his lips.
"I understand your reluctance," he said calmly. "But believe me, I mean you no harm."
He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a medallion similar to the one Max had, and that the guard of the refuge had given them.
"Max is an old friend," he explained. "It was difficult, but I managed to catch a message from him recently, and he asked me to watch over you. You have his trust, and therefore mine."
Slowly, Aiden and Ethan relaxed, lowering their weapons.
"Alright," Aiden finally said, making the decision for both of them. "We'll follow you." It was really strange, how Max could have managed to contact someone from so far away? And why did he have contacts with the magic school? But the man had presented them with the medallion, the same one they had received at the refuge. They couldn't say no. It was not a coincidence and they trusted Max.
Raven nodded, clearly satisfied.
"Perfect. Then let's be on our way, young people. The school awaits you."
They got on the bus, which started smoothly, as if powered by an invisible energy. Through the windows, they watched the landscape go by, a mixture of apprehension and excitement knotting their stomachs.
After several hours of travel, as the sun was declining on the horizon, the bus began the ascent of a steep pass. And suddenly, around a bend, it appeared to them.
The magic school.
It was a vast complex of buildings with a strange architecture, mixing modernity and tradition. Slender towers stood alongside glass domes, arches of carved stone spanned metal walkways. The whole exuded an impression of quiet power, of ancient knowledge and futuristic technology.
"Welcome to Elysium," Raven declared as the bus passed through a large gate adorned with strange symbols. "Your new home."
Aiden and Ethan contemplated the school, their hearts pounding. Here, perhaps, they would find the answers to their questions. The strength to protect what was dear to them. And, who knows, a way to bring light back to this devastated world.
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How can there already be a magic school? Is this a good thing or a bad thing?