Bran's POV:
Today, I awoke with a renewed mind. Previously, I would wake with shame over stealing someone's body, feeling like a thief and liar. I think we're all liars... But it felt wrong for me to keep up with this circus performance.
So I opted to reveal the truth, regardless of the consequences, or to dismiss it as a joke. However, he was surprised. He abruptly heard a voice:
"Bran, you awake yet?"
"I am; do you need help?" I asked.
He giggled slightly:
"Not really, just wanted to make sure you didn't forget something important"
I exhaled and rested my head on the pillow, hands beneath my head.
"Forget what?"
"Yep, you have forgotten"
"Remember, sir, that I do not know all of your son's memories, nor am I him. Didn't you vow to help me from now on?"
"I told you not to call me sir; I am father in this world." Also, today is Wednesday, the 14th, at 8:39 p.m."
"So what?" I asked, my voice heavy.
Suddenly, a recollection struck me as I jumped out of bed as quickly as I could, and the solution, which I already knew, was provided to me:
"Because it's a school day today," he added, accompanied by the tic-tac of a clock:
"You have about 9h00 am to get there"
I dashed to the bathroom and quickly cleaned my teeth while taking a shower, as one minute was not enough. I applied deodorant to musk my armpits and torso while moisturizing my legs, face, hands, and arms.
I searched my closet—original Brandon, that is. I picked out brown shorts, a white muscle vest, and a black top and placed them in my backpack, I dressed as quickly as possible.
I had to arrive since I remembered that Original Brandon has a history of tardiness. If he is late again, it will swiftly harm his employment and graduation records.
I was finished in 10 minutes, and I knocked on Richard's door to tell him I was leaving. Then I grabbed two slices of bread and placed them in my mouth, thank heavens I had kept my pager in my backpack during my predicament.
I started wearing shoes left close to the door by someone, possibly Ashley. I left the house while still eating a slice of bread.
After that, I looked at Brandon's watch, which he hides in one of his clothes for unknown reasons. I checked the time: it was 8:50.
I had ten minutes to get there, but another memory reminded me of a 17-minute shortcut to school. It was too long. Suddenly, an idea caught my attention, as my eyes glowed purple again.
Brandon resided in a modest district with easy access to the metropolis. The suburbia was situated near a hill with a forest leading to the city. Taxi drivers utilize the following path... I sprinted fast and stayed focused on the task at hand, avoiding hazards like trees, tree roots, stumps, and falling branches.
To the path I was following, a stream of trees stretched as far as the eye could see, indicating that I was on the verge of a dead end. I ran faster and smiled as I went off the edge. The woodland extended to the city center, near the school.
"Curse body is active"
My body began to emit an energy I was unaware of. I reeled my hands backwards as they got elastic, with my strength still low owing to not eating breakfast, my limiter was a kilometer of enormous power as I grasped two trees that served as slingshots. I was pulled back toward the earth, but this time by gliding. I covered around 5 kilometers of ground, which was sufficient.
I got to the end of the jungle by gripping trees and hopping from one branch to the next. I landed pretty securely by doing a somersault and rolling into a ball before standing up.
Because I was still on the verge of plunging into traffic. I regained my balance and looked at my watch: 8h58, two minutes remaining.
'Damn' I cursed inwardly as I looked to my left. As I emerged from the trees, I noticed a building with a scholar's aura that towered above me. I decided to run again toward the building as i avoid cars and annoyed driver and honks.
At the gate of the academy***
A security guard was checking individuals in while he used a device to scan cars arriving, while another was scanning card barcodes and phones that flashed the barcode.
At 9 a.m., several students and cars were allowed to enter because no one else was. As the man locked the auto gate, he spoke with his friend:
"Aye, man I told ye that was an easy job to do"
The other one stretched his arms, cracked his knuckles, and said:
"Sure, you were correct. I was hesitant because this was a profession dealing with teenagers.
"Young adults"
"Pardon"
"Sorry they said they preferred to be called young adults"
"Sheesh, who gives a f*ck, they are children for all we know," he added, taking a key from the security office near the gate and a cigarette from his pocket. He motioned for his friend to light it for him before the friend could get out the lighter.
He immediately noticed a boy running toward the fence, and I cried out, "Isn't electrocuted yet?"
The security shouted back. "Only at night, why ask?"
"Because he is going to jump it"
"Say what now?"
I grinned again as I put out my tongue and answered "Good, sorry for this"
"For…" Before he could finish his sentence, I dashed for the security office, where I utilized the side as a launchpad to ascend the gate.
I did it, and it was a smooth ascent up the pole; when I reached the top, I slid down and performed a somersault to soften my landing, just like in parkour. I was rubbing my chest and mentally telling Void to turn off Curse body.
The security guard, who was smoking a cigarette in his mouth, gasped as it fell to the ground, the keys in his hand. He stared at his companion, who had no expression on his face, as if this was a standard practice at the academy.
He then sighed:
"I'll ignored it this time, Brandon. Go to the assembly; the deputy principle is currently giving a speech. "Hall East Wing."
I smiled as I ran towards the main entrance, waving goodbye. The security man holding the keys then asked:
"You know that kid?"
The other person then said:
"Yeah, that was one of main reasons I can't take this job well sometimes"
"Why is that?"
He then pointed and added:
"That Half-breed has been a pain in my buttocks for the last three years with his antics..." I just let them happen because they aren't my problem. Now it's her problem. This concludes the list. Come secure the gate, I have some Brandon Wilson Lore to hit you with," he said, holding his head slightly. "Damn, I need coffee."
***
Hall east wing
Young men and women engaged verbally with people they knew or in the process of knowing them. The loud voice, the sounds of shifting chairs as they sat down and continued to chat, when suddenly the sound of something interacting with the microphone as it made that sound that was both annoying and irritating, as an irritated voice of an elderly sounded:
"Mmmh, I had no idea we'd be playing a symphony without a conductor. Let us solve that"
Suddenly, everyone felt a palpable gaze with concentrated intent that forced everyone to sit down and remain quiet, making the woman smile. The woman was tall and thin, with cream-silver short hair that resembled the earth's 80s reminiscence, making her appear pixie cut. She donned an ensemble that added glitter and style while also dazzling slightly.
She cleared her throat:
"Now that the godforsaken buzzing is gone, I can begin but before that… it would appear we are a bit short on our third year"
As she spoke, she looked to the left, where a row of casually dressed men and women sat down. She scowled and said:
"Seriously, what do you expect from a half-breed? Young Lord Matthews, where is your friend?"
A black-haired teenager stood up and responded:
"He will be here about…now as always"
'Maybe he slept in again; you need to quit covering for him, Master Matthews,' Mormont reflected as he adjusted his glasses.
As he stated, someone broke into the room while he was being pursued by two guards, who caught him by leaping on top of him as he fell to the floor, but the two guards eventually forced him to stand.
The woman snorted and shrugged. "Well, Mr. Wilson, welcome back. Last time I saw you, you stated you'd be a hunter like your father and said, quote, "I can't keep wasting my time with an old snapper of bones trying to teach me modern technology." I'm puzzled, Mr. Wilson, why you're back.
Brandon was let go a little as he said with a wry smile, "That plan is still in place, but it might not be if you continue to teach technology."
The woman gave Bran a glance and said:
"Sit down Mr. Wilson, next I might be very respectful when calling your name"
Brandon then sat in the back row, while first and second years glanced at the vice principal as she prepared to speak.
She then said:
"Good morning, newcomers and sophomores. Some of you know me as the Vice-Principal of our academy; my name is Aileron McCarthy. Call me Ms. McCarthy. So I'd like to welcome everyone to our free city's academy, Hollow's Den of Learning. People don't like the name, thus it's typically referred to as the academy. Anyway, before the knighting ceremony for newcomers, I'll explain.
Bran's POV:
I already knew what the knighting ceremony was from Brandon's previous memories. Knighting was a fancy name meant to mask what was going on here; it was more of an assorted ceremony that created greater segregation and prejudice if not cultivated properly.
This school's four halls educate students different methods to use their factor and inner energy. The Casting Hall, named after Prometheus, is the most well-known hall.
The casting hall focuses on the interaction of the world's energy with your own. This hall will teach you how to cast spells related to your factor by chanting the spell, wordless chanting, circle magic, and so forth. In games and movies, characters often enchant things to combat threats. There is only one rule in this hall. Prepare to face any scenario, and if not, head to the barbarian hall.
According to historians, Prometheus was a careful and closed-off individual who taught people in the background of fighting parties collaboration during raids.
I sighed as I heard the Vice-principle's rendition, which was sugar-coated to sound more impressed to join this hall. The hall required individuals who were intelligent, adaptable, and crafty during combat... The Edge Lord attacks again.
The second hall, assimilation hall, was the most well-known since it was visited by one of Hollow's Peak's most powerful Usurper. Supreme is the equivalent of Superman in this planet, but as an elf. This hall honours strength, might, and bravery, similar to Gryffindor in the Harry Potter books.
The hall attracts muscle-born individuals who seek to connect with their own energy and physique, rather than relying on external sources. These individuals may become their group's tanks.
The third hall, known as the Martial-caster hall, focuses on the interaction between the body and inner and outside energy. This is a more body-focused hall that deals with the development of a greater level of transcendence, but it is not well-known since it asks students to let go of certain things that may weigh them down.
It has four methods: breathing, grinding, bending, and martial casting. The Breathing focuses on increasing and dominant strength through breathing and meditation. Most people avoid this hall since they are not taught to fight in the first year until they perfect breathing methods.
Grind focuses on the bodily component, which holds your magic and is required to interact with the outer world's energy from defeated enemies. To learn regulation and severance, humans must kill creatures without using spells and simply with their own hands.
Bending as in Avatar. This approach now works with spells that require the body to act in order to summon and conjure, such as dancing or using martial arts.
Martial casting is the same as Wizardry but while in a combat manner.
Martial casting can be done in a multitude of ways, depending on ground martial arts, focus, responsibilities, and so on.
Then there's the final hall, which is for folks who are fascinated by machines and mystical technologies. Cyclops and other chaos users dominated the Research Hall.
The smartest race in the planet, they are the leading race in taking technology to new heights. The Cyclops became like this in order to avoid being connected with the stigma of being muscle-bound idiots who enjoy fighting and f**king.
They may exist in different halls, but we occasionally share the same classes and some lessons, even if we are in different halls. The halls exist to prepare us for the occupations we hope to pursue when we attend university or look for work. The skills we learn will shape the future we want for ourselves.
After the Vice Principal was finished, she gave a confident sigh and added:
"Today we will have a distinguished guest who will perform the knighting ceremony; he has been the academy's benefactor for a long time. His father, along with the academy's founders, contributed to its construction 41 years ago. Dear classmates, please greet the man who has been cherishing us for so long... Mr. Lumley Green
When I heard the familiar family name, my scalp tingled, which prompted another flood of memories to surface.
Alice has mentioned that Ashley was a wealthy girl who wanted to avoid family problems and opted to care for my father to show her that there is life outside of her family. She also added that Ashley had a brother she could trust but avoided like a plague named Lumley Green. The person asked Ashley to take her seat at the family table so that he could instantly help her cut ties with them, but Ashley declined for unclear reasons.
…
I noticed the man with short curly hair and a captivating demeanor as he stepped onto the stage, dressed in a black suit and tie that he straightened as he moved up the steps and into stage. He shook the vice-principal's hand with a courteous bow and a bright smile on his face, accepting the applause and whistles from the crowd of people who recognized him.
"Lumley Green, the true prodigal son of the Green dynasty"
"Hey, isn't he adopted into our family? "How can he be a prodigal son if not raised by the family?"
"So he is a bastard"
"Shut your mouth, it amazes me to see you two knuckleheads being politically involved in something without it being about legalizing a new drug you got your hands on"
"Who are you calling a knucklehead" Before a brawl could break out, a gust of wind blew from the stage, quieting the murmurs and gossip surrounding Lumley. The vice-principal clasped her hands and added:
"That is not how we welcome people, airing out his business, which you have no right to do. So, what do we say when a guest arrives?
Everyone got up, including the first-year students; the sophomore bowed and said in unison:
"Good morning, sir. We welcome you to our Free City Academy. Thank you for taking time out of your hectic schedule to come meet us, sir.
The second and first years also spoke it in that sequence, then Lumley groaned and added:
"No need, happy to be here"
He clasped his hand as well. Four adults entered the assembly hall, one leading them with a sword coated in sparkling stones and painted gold in his hand. Lumley then spoke:
"Let us begin, shall we?"