Aiden stared at Alex, his face pale. The word echoed in his ears, each syllable a heavy blow. No. It couldn't be true. Not his sister....not his father...not everyone. A wave of nausea washed over him and he squeezed his eyes shut. A gentle hand touched his shoulder.
"We're so sorry for your loss." Diane said, her voice soft.
A choked sob escaped Aiden's lips. He didn't know what to say, how to feel. Everything he'd known everything he'd loved, was gone.
"You're safe now." Alex said, his voice firm but kind.
Aiden sank back into the pillows, tears stinging his eyes.
"Please leave me alone." Aiden said.
Diane and Alex looked at each other with a nod.
"Sure." They both said.
For days, Aiden mourned his family's death. He barely eats the food given to him. Another day passed and he stopped mourning their death, now his mind is focused on one thing...and that was revenge.
Alex enters the room and watched as Aiden pressed his face against the window, his gaze fixed on the bustling marketplace below. Vendors hawking their wares, and children chasing each other through the cobbled streets. Aiden traced the people's movement with a flicker of curiosity, battling the cold resolve in his eyes.
"What's this place?" Aiden said, as he looked at Alex with a curious glaze.
"This is the Atlantian kingdom." He said, his voice strained." But you are safe here within the walls of Zeru's academy."
Aiden's gaze lingered on the scene outside, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his features. Alex shifted uncomfortably they was a blue glow in Aiden's eyes that sent a shiver down his spine.
"Here." Alex said, handing him a well-fitting black school uniform with a sliver wing badge.
There's been a misunderstanding." Aiden said, pushing the uniform away. " I don't have any abilities."
" You do have abilities.....you don't remember?"
Aiden clenched his fists. "I have to remember." He muttered.
" Don't worry, you will regain your memories sooner or later." Alex said with a reassuring smile.
The door creaked open and Diane peeked inside. Her eyes widened slightly as they landed on Aiden. She gave Alex a subtle hand gesture, which he acknowledged with a curt nod.
" The council of masters has summoned me." Alex said, his expression unreadable.
"The council?" Aiden asked
"Yeah, they're the ones that oversee everything in Zeru academy." Diane said.
"I see.." Aiden said, a light smile lingering on his face as he offered Alex a casual fist bump. "Catch you later then."
The easy camaraderie in his voice hinted at his enjoyment of Alex's company. Diane who had been leaning against the doorway, straightened and met Aiden's gaze.
" Ready for the warrior class?" She asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Warrior class?" Aiden blurted, confusion furrowing his brow. "I...I don't understand."
Alex cleared his throat. " Ahem, well it's like this..."
" Don't worry I will tell him all he needs to know about the warrior class." Diane cuts in.
"Okay." Alex said, with a huge and satisfying smile on his face. " Good luck Aiden." He fist bumped Aiden as he proceeds to leave the room.
"So, all set?" Diane asked, a curious lilt in her voice. Aiden hesitated, his gaze fixed on the uniform draped on over his arm."
" No, not yet." He said.
Aiden stepped into the bathroom. The cool tile a welcome contrast to the warmth of the day. He reached for the scissors at the shelf, a familiar weight a comfort in his hands. Reaching up, he gathered a section of hair that kept falling across his eyes. With a decisive snip, a strand of hair fluttered on the floor. The sound of the scissors echoed faintly in the small space. Aiden continued, carefully trimming until the hair brushed his forehead just right. Leaning closer to the mirror he examined his reflection. A satisfied smile curved his lips. The change was subtle, but he felt lighter, more ready to face whatever came next.
Aiden suddenly squeezed his eyes shut, but the unwanted images burned behind his eyelids. The monstrous shadow beast, his parents, Freya....the memory flickered, leaving a dull ache in its wake. A wave of anger crashed over him, so intense that it felt like a physical blow. He gritted his teeth, the pressure building in his jaw. No. He wouldn't let this consume him. He would find his strength. He would get his revenge. A fierce determination hardened his gaze as he opened his eyes, the image of the bathroom replaced by a steely resolve.
He emerged from the bathroom, a new resolve etched in his face. Diane stood up, her smile widening.
" Are you ready?" Diane asked.
Aiden hesitated for a moment, his gaze flickering to Diane. " Yeah, let's go," he said, his voice tinged with curiosity. " There is a lot I need to learn about this place." He thought.
Aiden walked beside Diane, his head craned back as he gazed at the towering academy walls with a sliver wing symbol. The walls seemed to stretch endlessly, their smooth, dark stone gleaming in the morning sun. He felt a strange mix of awe and trepidation. This place held secrets, he could sense it.
As they rounded a corner, a collosal statue came into view. A man sculpted in heroic pose, stood poised for battle. His hand gripping a might sword, his face resolute. At the base of the statue, a bronze plaque gleamed in the sunlight. Aiden approached it, drawn by unseen force. He traced the inscription with his fingers Zeru, hero of the kingdom. A brief silence fell between him and Diane as Aiden absorbed the weight of Zeru's sacrifice.
Meanwhile, Diane was using her ability to communicate with Alex.
" So....what did he say?" Diane said.
" He doesn't remember what happened to him." Alex said.
Frustration gnawed at Diane. Aiden's blank memory was a road block.
" There was a reaction.....a flicker I didn't expect." Alex said through their mental link.
"What was it?" Diane responded.
"He had blue eyes, it was glowing." Alex said.
"Blue eyes..." She thought, her gaze lingering on Aiden. "What makes you so special?"
Aiden stole a glance at Diane, her eyebrows furrowed as she stared intently ahead. He cleared his throat and hesitantly spoke.
"So anything you can tell me about warrior class?"
Diane didn't respond for a moment, her mind a whirlwind of thoughts. Aiden's memory was a complication and she wasn't sure how much she could reveal. Finally she seemed to snap out of it, a strained laugh escaping her lips.
"Right, warrior class!" She exclaimed, her voice too touch high-pitched. " Let's just say it's uh, an interesting place to start." She quickened her pace, leaving Aiden a few steps behind with a confused look on his face.
"Warrior class" Diane began, her voice regaining it's focus. "They're the frontline fighters, the ones who meet danger head-on. They are different paths within the warrior class, some specializing in raw strength, others in swift agility, and so on. But remember they train rigorously, honing their bodies and mind into weapons."
"I see.. so what's my ability? Aiden asked.
" I don't know, he didn't tell us anything." Diane said.
"Who?" Aiden asked.
"Arthur fernir." She replied.
"Who's Arthur fernir?" Aiden said out loud.
Everyone including Diane gasped when Aiden asked the question. Some looked at him up and down and wondered where he came from
" Do you know him." One asked.
"He doesn't know Arthur Fernir? The Arthur Fernir?"
Someone should hold me, I don't want to put this kid's face to the ground." Another said.
Aiden noticed the other students glaring at him. He lowered his head a bit and turned to Diane for help.
Arthur Fernir is one of the big three in Atlantian kingdom, second only to King Vulnar." Diane explained.
"The big three?" Aiden's voice laced with surprise and intrigue.
" Some say they are the strongest in the entire kingdom." Diane explained. " They're incredibly skilled."
"And Arthur is among the big three?" Aiden asked
"Yes."
" Is he stronger than Zeru?"
" That's a tough one, it's a never ending debate." Diane chuckled. " But I think it will end in a draw."
"What about King Vul..."
"This is it." Diane said, a triumphant smile breaking across her face.
" This is what?" Aiden asked his curiosity piqued.
"The warrior class." She answered.
Aiden felt nervous and he took a deep breath, he closed his eyes for a while. Then he opened them and proceeded to enter the class but Diane stopped him. She whispered in his left ear.
" The strong survives."
Aiden paused, the words snaking through him like a chill. "The strong survives." They felt like a cryptic warning, a glimpse into something darker beneath the surface of this academy.
Aiden slowly nodded his head in response and clenched his fist, remembering what happened to his family.
" I will become stronger than anyone in history." He thought to himself as he entered the class with a bold expression written all over his face.
Meanwhile, in the midst of darkness, a being with crimson eyes awakens.