It had been a week since Elliot had been in Cor Centuria.
He started getting used to the strange classes he had especially bizarre mutations whereby Professor Winklesmut took them to the mutation house to learn about unimaginable creatures but he stood his distance from the pegasus which always have him a red eye.
Radley helped him to get to know the world he lived in better.
He knew more about Unity city which is in Libertia central and the name of the world is kelper.
He had been helpful to Elliot ever since they were roommates and Elliot saw him as his friend but didn't say it.
As for Andromeda, he couldn't tell.
He just sees her in some classes and she joins us in the dining hall but he noticed that Radley and Andromeda somehow acts like rivals probably because they were in the same club but overall they started to become friends.
Miss Donna had been a pain to the first years, always giving punishments all the time even for things that can easily be overlooked.
Poprifus was on a low key, at least he didn't contribute to the problems of the first years.
They noticed that Poprifus wasn't energetic and always goes to the school clinic to get attended by nurse Monica, he had been sick and Elliot saw that a huge part of the boot he wore was bitten off, he could tell by the teeth marks.
On a Friday night, the three knew that their principal Apollo Bamford was a person who shouldn't be messed with, they say that his stare will make a person dumbfounded and he is quiet and strict.
Elliot and Radley were done with their astronomy class in the astronomy tower and wanted to see the library.
" Aw, why does astronomy have to be by midnight? I'm feeling sleepy here," moaned Radley.
" Maybe you should have taken siesta instead of playing chess with a robot who will always beat you everytime," teased Elliot.
" Yeah whatever," replied Radley.
They were in the entrance of the library when they were stopped by the Liberian Miss Cowalski.
" What are you doing here by this time?" She asked with a face of disapproval.
" We just getting a book for our astronomy assignment," replied Elliot.
The face she made disappeared " but i don't see others taking the books now."
"Because we want to take it before it runs out, please it will be quick," said Radley.
The woman reclined on her seat " you better be careful, Apollo walks around at night, you just have five minutes," said Miss Cowalski and they walked quickly into the library until she was out of sight.
The place had ranks of bookshelves both straight and french curved, one on top of another which could be accessed by eleveting magnetic tiles.
The place was dimly lit at the time, they stopped at a place.
" Let's get the book and let's get outta here," said Radley tiredly.
Elliot strode over to the book racks and started searching.
Radley was staring at him when he heard a voice behind him.
" It's odd for someone like you to be in the library by this time." Radley turned to see Andromeda was holding a book while descending with a tile.
" Yeah it's really odd," replied Radley sarcastically.
" Got it," said Elliot holding the book and mistakenly made a book fell as Radley and Andromeda talked.
" It's there anything that you get interested in apart from mere paper?" asked Radley.
"Is there anything that sparks your interest apart from seeing a sea star turn it's stomach inside out?" asked Andromeda and Radley became red faced.
" It's just curiousity," replied Radley feeling awkward.
Andromeda chuckled " you could have seen y--".
Radley immediately covered her mouth and hushed her not wanting Elliot to know of his embarrassing event.
Andromeda removed his hand from her mouth "he will still have to know someday."
" Don't snitch," said Radley.
Andromeda raised her brow " Elliot," she called out.
" Fine, I'll give you two raymonds," said Radley in defeat.
" Deal," said Andromeda smiling deviously and Radley growled silently.
Elliot came down the magnetic tile.
" We need to go now," said Elliot feeling odd in the environment they were in.
Andromeda picked up the book that fell and took a look at a few pages.
" Just a brief history of the school," remarked Andromeda.
" Let me see," said Elliot keenly and ran to take a look.
" Shouldn't we go now?" said Radley impatient.
" You can go, no one is holding you," replied Andromeda
and Radley rolled his eyes and joined in looking.
" What's interesting about this?" asked Radley thinking it didn't make sense looking at a book with a few pictures.
" How did you think the school was made in a day?" asked Elliot.
"I don't know, they didn't actually say why," replied Andromeda.
" Why will something extraordinary happen and people wouldn't know why?" said Radley in disbelief.
" You have a point," said Andromeda.
" Maybe it was made by a thousand vermists," suggested Radley.
" Don't be delusional Radley, the news will leak definitely," said Andromeda.
" Okay, five hundred," said Radley intentionally.
" Vermoe can't make complex architecture especially with many minds, nobody knows how it was done Radley," replied Andromeda.
" Since it was not known, why wouldn't people raise questions why a large school came out of nowhere?" said Radley.
" I don't know, the school is a mystery and the people of that time may have accepted it's mysterious origin, that's why it's popular," replied Andromeda.
" I guess we will never know," muttered Elliot.
"What are you doing here?" said a voice behind them that made them jump, they turned back to see Apollo.
" What are you doing here by this time?" asked Apollo.
"We just came here to collect a book for our astronomy assignment," replied Radley.
"Does the assignment involve the history of the school?" asked Apollo unconvinced.
"No, But-".
"Silence," he said at once and the three fell silent.
" It seems to be that you three want to your curiosity to have the best of you, this school is not a castle that has secret passages so it's not advisable to go around at the school at night or else you will hear from me," said Apollo, his macbre eyes were glinting in the candlelight looking at each of them.
The bowed their heads to avoid his stare.
" I suggest Miss Donna should excort you back to your dorms," said Apollo and wanted to leave.
They looked at each other in fear and Elliot spoke up " we can go to our dorms ourselves."
Apollo looked at him and Elliot's voice fell.
" okay, but be quick about it," said Apollo.
They ran out of the library, even faster when they were out to their dorm.
and they parted ways and ran up to their dorms.
Elliot and Radley ran inside their rooms and closed the door.
"That man gives me the creeps," said Radley leaning on the door trying to catch his breath.
" I want to sleep now in case Apollo comes out of nowhere," whispered Elliot and they changed to their pajamas in the bathroom and came on their beds and slept without saying a word.
The next day, at the dining hall, Elliot and Radley were taking their breakfast.
"So how was it at your club?" asked Radley.
"Tough but cool, I was lucky to have been selected," said Elliot.
"Oh! You got in, that's great. I didn't want to go because I had flitsbale club in my elementary school. The players had a lot of pressure before a game or when they lose but it's not much of a problem," said Radley.
"So what's up with you?" asked Elliot.
" My club is great, me and Andromeda are. She is the best in fencing in the first years so far," replied Radley.
They saw at the staff table, the teachers and Apollo eating.
Radley came closer to him.
" Something tells me that Apollo knows us now," whispered Radley.
" Yeah, but it might blow over as long as we don't get in trouble again," said Elliot.
"Yeah," replied Radley.
Then a service robot came to Elliot.
"There is a letter for you from Z.A," said the robot who handed him Elliot a gold envelope.
Elliot took a look.
" Oh what is it?" asked Radley intrigued.
Elliot was wondering who gave him the letter and read the note at the back.
'Read this letter somewhere exclusive and don't show it to anyone'.
Elliot put the letter in his cloak.
"Who is it from?"asked Radley.
"It's from my grandma," replied Elliot.
"Why is it in gold, is it important?" asked Radley.
" No that's her favorite color," said Elliot and quickly left the table.
He got to the first years block and went to the boy's restroom.
He saw that nobody was there, he opened the letter and words started appearing on it.
Dear Elliot,
It's Zyaire. I said I will meet you when you've entered Cor Centuria but due to some things, I didn't do it in time. Tell you what,before dinner, go across the field, to the corner of Cor Centuria at the west side after the fields, make sure you are not being followed. I can't afford to blow my cover.
Yours sincerely,
Zyaire.
Elliot saw a symbol at the corner of the page glow red and the paper burned instantly to nothing.
He supposed that was a vermos.
Elliot was glad to hear from Zyaire in a long time and was keen to meet him.
He went for classes, technological advancement class, TA for short.
The professor who taught, her name is Professor Gwanda.
As she started teaching.
As she was teaching, she also ask questions and mostly Andromeda raised her hand to answer.
Elliot was seating beside Andromeda when he suddenly remembered something.
" Andromeda," he whispered.
'What?" asked Andromeda not removing her eyes off the teacher.
" Do you know how to write a letter?" Elliot asked in hushed tones.
" This is not the right time," replied Andromeda.
" I'm just asking," whispered Elliot.
" Hey you two at the back," called out Professor Gwanda and they stood up.
" What was the last thing I said?" She asked.
Elliot and Andromeda didn't answer.
" So, you can't answer my question, can you kindly tell the class what you two were talking about?" asked Professor Gwanda.
" We just talked about... computers," replied Elliot and Andromeda bowed her head and held her forehead.
" Okay then, I'm giving you an assignment, write an essay of the five gens of computer and submit it to me when next you have me. You can sit," said Professor Gwanda and they sat.
" Well done Elliot," whispered Andromeda and Elliot kept his mouth shut.
After class, he went for Arithmic class where he had to use his PUI . The only class that caught his attention for him that day was history.
It was taught by a short alien named Prof Benecio. He taught about an era that happened more than four hundred and fifty years ago.
"There was an era that happened a long time ago. A vermist very powerful that took over the whole world. He was widely known as Anti Dominus," Prof Benecio brought out an old painting that shows a man that looked like a dictator and he wore a mask and that fiendish red eyes.
"How he got defeated was a great mystery because according to history, he was very powerful.
Many tried to go defeat him but didn't succeed. He took out many lives, and one day he was gone. Never to be seen again," said Professor Benicio in suspense. Something in the painting gave eerie feelings to Elliot.
Elliot looked disturbed, he took a look at the painting again, there was something about it, those red eyes in the overlord's mask
After classes he came out and met Radley in the corridor and they were walking out.
" So what did your grandma tell you?" asked Radley.
"Just normal grandma stuff, how have you been and all that," replied Elliot.
They met Andromeda in the entrance.
"Hi guys," said Andromeda.
"Oh you," said Radley.
"Oh hey Andromeda," replied Elliot.
" Radley i just want to say that i won't be in the club today because I'm having a class with Mr Eko," said Andromeda.
"Who's Eko," asked Radley.
"He is an African physicist that agreed to be my tutor," replied Andromeda.
" You skipped swordsman for more math?" asked Radley.
Andromeda rolled her eyes "oh grow up Radley," she said and walked away and they were walking out of the block.
" I'm not hungry, I'm just gonna go straight to my club," said Elliot and diverted to another direction.
" Later then," said Radley aloud.
Elliot went for his flitsbale practice.
He saw his jersey, a black jersey with a blue x on the chest.
He wore it and came to the stadium and saw his teammates in his grade.
He sat on the bench next to Mein Ray who was tying her shoe.
He saw Oliver hovering around the place.
" Robin said we should stay put," said Lily aloud.
Oliver descended infront of her "so who are you to tell me what to do?"
He flew away intentionally making the force the board make her fall and he flew away laughing.
Elliot frowned a little seeing that.
" Ego," muttered Mein.
"What?" said Elliot.
" Ego, Oliver has ego that gets his head blowing," said Mein.
" Okay, he thinks he's the best at flitsbale," said Elliot.
" Yeah, we were neighbors before, he thinks so," replied Mein.
They saw Robin and older students coming in jerseys.
" Okay let's begin. Oliver get down from there," said Robin.
Oliver came down and the four came to him.
" We have been practicing for about a week, i bet it's your first time seeing these people here," said Robin and started strolling around the new players.
" These people are your predecessors in this school flitsbale and I'll introduce you to each one of them."
He came to a short person with large eyes and a large smile showing his sharp teeth.
" This is Lenard aka little Lenard , he's a second year rammer, be careful because he bites and he's relentless," said Robin.
" Yeah i bite," he said with a soar voice licking his teeth " if you call me little Lenard your dead."
"Yeah, over here we got the ash twins of the fourth year, Asher and Ashley," said Robin.
They saw a boy and girl that had antennas and looked identical.
"Hey," they said at the same time.
"Okay, over here is Lee, the third year player that is very good at making chinese food," said Robin and Lee bowed formerly.
Robin chuckled and went over to a huge intimidating alien that was seven feet tall, coal black, had dreadlocks and had four arms.
"This is Draxy, the bale keeper, this guy can catch almost anything with this arms, he's in the fifth year just like me," said Robin.
Elliot looked at him and noticed he had two pupils.
" In the school, there will be a time when we will be gone and you four will lead. I believe that you four will make us proud so, do you have what it takes?" asked Robin.
Elliot nodded, Lily said yes, Mein said yes.
" Yes, no problemo," said Oliver nonchalantly.
" Okay let's begin," said Robin and pressed a remote and the metal post levitated to it's supposed spot and the giant hour glass had micro bots in form of sand rose to the top of the glass.
" This is going to be our training mantra for now, new players vs old ones for now, but don't expect us to take it easy on you, get your hoverboards," said Robin aloud.
They got their hoverboards and started the practice.
The practice later ended in a draw but Elliot felt that they were taking it easy on him especially Draxy.
Elliot and Mein worked as a good team though, Lily felt scared on the pitch and always missed her way clumsily.
Oliver was boasting that he had potentials as the players with more experience and behaving arrogantly.
Elliot now saw him as an arrogant person.
They got out of the stadium, Robin talking with the older players and the new players went their own ways.
In the evening before dinner, Elliot went to the fields.
He made sure he wasn't followed or being watched particularly watchful for Poprifus' cottage that was seen in a reasonablly far place from the corner of Cor Centuria.
He went to the corner of Cor Centuria walls and waited till it was almost sundown.
"Seriously?" said Elliot and leaned on the wall and he fell through.
He saw himself in a small passage in between the walls covered in moss and vegetation. "Whoa," he looked in awe and the wall beside him was opening brick by brick and he saw a humanoid boy standing behind it and Elliot knew it was Zyaire.
"Follow me," he said as they started walking into a very thick forest.
The forest had a clear pathway with it's sides being a thick forest with nocturnal sounds of creatures and the sunset added to the gray darkness of the place.
Though he was with Zyaire he still felt scared.
"Where are we?" Elliot asked anxiously.
"We are in the beast forest, but don't be afraid, as long as we are in the pathway,we are safe," replied Zyaire.
Elliot saw a worn out mutant parrot flying to the pathway and crashed in the invisible barrier and fell.
" Mutants can't pass through," said Zyaire.
Elliot gulped and closed his eyes.
They kept going.
Elliot wasn't comfortable but he tagged along.
They eventually reached and abandoned treehouse.
"Wait, This is where you live?" Elliot asked aloud and his echoed and the sounds became louder and he closed his mouth realizing.
"No, yeah. Just added some touches to it," replied Zyaire.
"Those are some few touches all right," said Elliot sarcastically.
Zyaire rolled his eyes and pressed his finger against the stem, the treehouse shone light from inside. Flat stones rose up and formed stairs and the tree and the treehouse improved in wood quality and light shone from inside the house.
"Come on," said Zyaire.
"Wow, I'm impressed ," said Elliot and they climbed up to the treehouse to the veranda. Elliot came inside he saw that it had a living room, a kitchen and a ladder leading to the room and a set of old bookshelves and overall had a nice decor.
" You have a wonderful school, do you have any idea where you are now?" asked Zyaire.
" I don't know, a treehouse," replied Elliot.
Zyaire bounced to the door and unveiling a sign on top of the door with Oliver Wit engraved on it.
"You are looking at where Oliver Wit stayed. The Oliver tree, every historian's dream and you are the first person in a long time to see it," said Zyaire.
Elliot stared in awe and suprised
"why was he living in the beast forest?"
" I don't know, he was an explorer. Why not?" replied Zyaire.
" This is amazing," muttered Elliot and sat on the couch while Zyaire flew to the kitchen and started making food.
As Zyaire was cooking, Elliot couldn't help it but to check out the place.
He was looking through the books out of curiosity.
He saw old textbooks of his school subjects and some old novels.
At a point, he became bored of looking at them.
He kept the book he was holding back and a book fell out.
" Food is ready in five minutes, just remains desert," said Zyaire aloud.
Elliot picked the book. It was an old leather book he hadn't seen yet. Elliot opened it.
It turned out to be a journal full of perfectly sketched mutations and most of the introduction says ' I, Oliver Wit did this, I Oliver Wit did this, I Oliver Wit did that.' were the most common in the book, his adventures.
Elliot got intrigued and amazed he had Oliver Wit's diary and that alone motivated him to read more.
He reached a part where he drew himself and another another person with a written description stating that they built Cor Centuria.
Elliot was astonished, ' this may have details of how the school was built '.
A sound from the kitchen jolted him back to reality and he continued reading.
Oliver Wit was in one of his adventures at New Benin when he found something spectacular called the THE HEART OF CENTURIES. A crystal heart that possesses many powers and can be able to shape reality itself. The downside Oliver noticed is that it corrupts the corruptible.
His best friends Tonir Lad had the heart in hope for a better reality but.
In time to come, evil men tried to come for the heart and Tonir Lad allied with them.
Oliver Wit hid the heart the very day the school was made with the last wish to make a school with it's purpose have humans to be educated as well as for the rest of the world and made a hiding place for the heart.
And then, the school was made in a night of all nights and the heart was hidden in a safe place before he fled.
The rest of the page was torn out.
Elliot had several thoughts, this was new, he never expected that. The dream flashed in his mind again but this time there were green vines that wrapped around the statue.
He stood there holding the book and looking disturbed.
"Anything wrong, Elliot?" asked Zyaire as he was defying the law of gravity, cooking.
"I need to go," said Elliot as he took book and put in his bag and wanted to leave.
"But wait, i just finished cooking this and making ice cream," said Zyaire.
"Sorry, maybe next time," said Elliot in a haste to leave.
"Are you sure you want to go out there by yourself?" asked Zyaire and Elliot stopped and turned back "Yes," he said and turned to leave.
Zyaire stared at him and took a spoon of icecream " more for me I guess."
He went back to Cor Centuria though scared while going through the beast forest.
Later,Elliot was on his bed awake, this was the first time he had this vision in Cor centuria and he doesn't have his powers yet and that made him worried.
Radley came in the room and saw him " Elliot, do you-"
" Please I'm not in the mood for talking this night," said Elliot.
" What happened?" asked Radley.
" Just leave me alone for now," replied Elliot.
" Oh, okay then," said Radley and lay on his bed.
Soon, It was already lights out and Radley was sleeping, Elliot thought hard about the dream, what the evil had to do with, what it meant.
How will he stop it since he hasn't activated his powers yet, he felt paranoid.
Elliot suddenly heard a faint sound like a muffled roar. He lay silent to listen closely, he heard it again.
He stood up from his bed, he looked through the window, he could see a part of the city from there but he couldn't see clearly farther than the city center. He noticed smoke rising from a part of the city and heard the roar again.
Elliot squinted his eyes to get a clearer view. He saw a dark figure in the place far from clear sight.
The smoke was rising from where the figure was and the place was on fire though he wasn't certain where the sound came from that direction. The roar happened again and now he was sure the roar came from that direction. Though it looked small from afar , he knew it was bigger than how it appeared. The creature roared again and now, Elliot heard sirens from the same direction and seeing helicopters coming to that direction.