***
Rhys left for his class early in the morning and sat down in his usual spot.
It's been 2 weeks since I first came here
Kulia sat in the desk beside him with Phan and Luka in front of him.
Luka looked back to Rhys, "Pst dude how the fuck did you manage to-" Luka was cut off with a slap behind his head from Phan.
"I'm really starting to think your a degenerate"
"I was going to ask him about his poly man not your sister, damn" Luka asked.
Rhys smiled "Think of it like play dough" you squish it with your hands to make it smaller then shape it" this advice was heard many times by Luka since he was held back a year. It's not that Luka was terrible, his grades in other classes were excellent perfect even he just couldn't manage to compress his poly any further. Luka sighs and slumps in his seat "nevermind it's ok thank though".
Rhys looked at him with pity.
"Alright, everyone, start your making your second poly Rhys, Kulia I'm expecting the third today" Yuln said smirking.
Kulia groaned while Rhys nodded.
It wasn't that Kulia was starting to doubt herself it just took her incredible amounts of effort why for Rhys it was like a child eating a a 5 Course meal each the size portion the size of the a watermelon.
Rhys smirked and looked at Kulia
"Don't tell me your finally falling behind?"
"Oh shut up Fedora but I wouldn't mind if you waited~" she said
Smiling innocently, Rhys rolled his eyes and started to focus on himself inwardly 2 polys floated with them both being as small as a golf ball he couldn't just use size to compare right now.
Its the mass inside
If Rhys were to fully decompress his polys just one of them would have the area of his body alone.
Weird…
Even though compared to Kulia's poly his was more concentrated but he felt like something was missing. Unnatural.
Meanwhile in the tower dwarfing all other in side floating ablve the Bellstrom academy the old man looked concerned over the campus.
"We can't risk getting the students injured…"
He said under his breath. "But it will only raise panic." Harley said standing by the door.
"We have to trust in the seniors to protect those under them" he said before the winds around him gathered and carried his voice throughout the campus. "All students hearing this announcement please remains calm this is not a drill stay in your rooms do not panic. All seniors and professors we are counting on you to protect those under you. Stay safe" the
Rhys looked around still surprised by how it worked.
How dangerous does this have to be for an archmage to be asking for help?
Rhys pondered before a smile tugged at his lips "you must really be a masochist to find this amusing…" Kulia said smirking.
"You keep accusing me of so with no proof"
Kulia kept teasing him until Yuln spoke up
"As you just heard class will be halted just stay in the room and talk or whatever" she said before the class erupted in chatter.
Kulia, Luka, Phan and Rhys spoke more.
The last weeks they've gotten closer. Most of the class looked at this group with either fear envy or vengeance Aisele being one of them.
She forced a smile approaching Rhys, probuthe easier out of the 4 to talk to.
"Your so amazing" she said with a smile
"Being able to condense 2 polys so-"
She was interrupted by Rhys cold stare almost like she was a shit stain he stepped in.
What the hell?
She thought to herself before Kulia butted in the conversation "what's got you liking like that Rhys?" Kulia asked while Rhys' gaze returned to normal, "S-sorry…" he said bashfully. She looked just like that man… His father. "It's ok…" Aisele responded taken aback Rhys just looked like a clueless little boy…
"It's alright, while we're stuck here together do you have any tips for condensing your poly?"
Ailese asked walking closer.
Rhys smiles bashfully "it really isnt as hard as you make them out to be it's just matter of perspective"
Kulia glares at Rhys before looking away. Alíses smiles.
He's actually pretty innocent and cute….
He's perfect to get to her.
She thinks to herself as she sits on his desk innocently showing her thighs. "Anything else?" She asked before Kulia shoves her off his desk and pulls Rhys aside to the corner of the class room. "Kulia?" Rhys asked before Ailese cursed inwardly.
"What the fuck dude she's clearly hitting on you" Kulia scolded him "I… I thought…"
Rhys' mind worked at rapid pastes realizing what she's mad about.
"Wait are we…" Rhys started then stopped seeing Kulia's eyes tear up before she turned around and scoffed "typical…" Rhys grabbed her hand looking slightly up to her. "I really am I didn't know that we were-" Rhys is interrupted by hysterical screaming in the halls as horific roars are heard chasing along.
Yuln at first thought this was the usual drill despite the Old man's warning, but a look of despair quickly grew on her face. She steeled herself and stood up "Alright you little shirs at this moment onward I'm no longer your professor so just call me Yuln" she said before a wall of steel rose from the ground blocking the door. "If you can manage it gather your things. ONLY the necessary things" she said before the whole class scrambled to grab their bags throwing out papers, but Rhys hold on Kulia's wrist lossened before he let go. "We can talk later Fedora.." she said before painstakingly emptying her bag leaving only the clothes she needed for Practical combat class and some water. Rhys looked down and did the same.
Yuln turned to the window of the class to see the fire of the students of Bellstrom caught by the Horid beasts. The beasts oddly humanoid branches sticking out from their withered and decayed skin with faces of mangled animals and lower halves of their bodies barely recognizable legs of the animals they possessed.
Alchemy
Yuln thought as she stomped her foot a small tunnel slowly forming "We only need to wait for 10 minutes and I can tunnel us into the basement and move from there" Yuln said with urgency. The class no children acknowledged Yuln's plans and waited on faint whispers and gossips. The girls huddled together and the boys more spread out. Even in a situation like now Rhys only thought of Kulia. He walked to her before getting shunned by her followers "Back up shorty" and " she doesn't want you" normally these comments would've been ignored but it pissed him off more then he thought
I didn't know she had followers
Rhys took it upon himself to be the forward one as I pulled Kulia to him. Her deep green eyes watery, lips forming a pout. "L-let go Fedora" Kulia said between breathes trying it to sob before she's pulled tight into his arms.
Rhys hugged her tightly "I'm sorry… I'm sorry I'm dumb" he whispered softly but Kulia only tears up more. "I hate you…" she says softly her face not matching her tone. "So I did good?" He said smiling lightly. "Stop looking at me like that before I really punch you" she said before he let go of her chuckling.
Phan and Luka stood a bit confused not truly horifiedbof the beast but more confused how that relationship worked. The apocalypic mood returned as the screams got closed and the whole building growled threatening to collapse.
Huh…
Odly enough no matter how one would look at Rhys he looked calm the only one staring the same feeling being seen by Yuln who was making the tunnel. "You know you really are a weird boy, Fedora" Kulia mutters her hands shaking a bit while I smirk "Stop calling me that and use my name" Kulia rolled her eyes before Luka pointed through the window.
"Holy shit?!" Phan adopted the same dreadful look as Luka. "W-what..?". Rhys moved to go see what caused-
Rhys stood motionless seeing an old man and slender pale woman both impaled organs spilt by the same black spikes that decorated the bloody courthouse.
Helplessness
The only word that can even amount to value in this moment. The archmage of the Bellstrom Academy dead. A nightmare inducing creature yellow peircing eyes and elongated limbs pounced the body devouring the Archmage leaving only his staff and his assistant's sword left as mentos. Yuln, the only one who hasn't seen the nightmare called for the children "it's ready let's go" she said before the children slid down the tunnel uncaring whether or not their clothes get dirty.
They group all down the tunnel in the basement of the finally found a moment of solace, no longer surrounded by screams and roars. Yuln gathering her thoughts on what to do next the children started panicking.
"That was the headmaster…"
"We're going to die such a stupid death"
"I didn't even get live life properly, let alone have se-" Phan punched the mysterious pervert.
Yuln paused hearing the death of the Headmaster shaking her head
The kids heard it wrong
She filled her head with ways of survival to cope. Meanwhile with Rhys his head was in shambles like piecing together jigsaw puzzle before he slapped himself
Focus
He looked to Kulia and the rest seeing them in a similar state before he walked to Yuln.
"Ms Yuln can tell me where we are exactly?" He asked trying his best to sound calm.
Yuln looked down to the boy and smiled at his bravery. "Don't worry too much we're in the storage room on the basement. Can you tell the rest to board up the doors?" She asked pointing at the 2 double doors that lead to a stairwell up into the campus. I nodded walking back to our group before pausing…
Wait how do I give a speech?
He shock his head.
Now isn't the time to be anti social
He gathered his courage and walked forward.
Forward to Phan. "Hey, can you tell the rest to help with boarding the door?" Rhys ends up asking Phan to do it for him.
*** 10 minutes
After they successfully boarded up the doors Luka being from the Holph family is naturally more adept with earth even if he can't use his poly it's still abnormally strong.
Phan smiled chuckling thinking to just ten minutes ago Rhys was too nervous to talk to the group was now engaging in some very…
Interesting banter with Kulia. "Hey Luka, you ok?" Phan asked after not hearing Luka's usual perverted comments. Luka breaks out of thought and smiles "Yeah I'm good just…" Luka turned to face Phan. "Am I useless?"
Phan a bit taken back from Luka's out of place seriousness "I mean, you can't use your poly so of course you'll be useless in a fight." Phan smirks " maybe you can get closer with Ms Yuln and make her your sugar mommy to protect you" his smirk faltering not seeing Luka react. Phan sighs and pats his back letting Luka try to compress his poly.
Kulia and Rhys were sitting side by side this time not trying to hide themselves from the students as they talk.
Rhys for a long time felt like he was back at home with his mother. "Next time you pull some bullshit like that again I'll beat you to death" she said more serious holding his hand tightly as he smiled "yes mom" he said sarcastically before Ailese with all the girls smirked though yes she was quite spooked with the current situation revenge to her matter over all else especially if it meant a chance to kill Kulia. The tunnel they came through was covered up but a low growl could be heard just on the other side trying to claw through. Yuln mentally exhausted couldn't find a single solution to escape, they could only pray and bide time for those things to lose interest and leave. Thankfully in the storage room there were tents and weapons catching Rhys' attention he walked towards the crates and smiles as he picked up a saber. Granted at best they could injurethose things, he swung it around awkwardly. "So your telling me the great little Rhys doesn't know how to weild a blade?" Kulia says snickering. Rhys ignores her as he replays the his thoughts of Khin. He was exceptionally gifted with a sword, Rhys knowing the difference between the two weapons he copied Khin's footwork the saber lagging behind.
No one's perfect
He told himself. Malyn watched Rhys in awe seeing his movements, it was terrifyingly similar to what her brother practices before he left to become a guard, sure what Rhys was doing was a more crude and flawed version it was definitely her brothers. The only conclusion she came to was that her brother, Khin was Rhys' tutor. A crack in the tunnel breaking her from thought. Everyone knew it was there but they couldn't do nothing but pray it gave up. Alas In front of the children a starved dog with a random assortment of animal parts for limbs was staring down at them the legs of a leopard, arms of a lion, and a long curled rat tail. The cries escaping its mouth like nails on metal, everyone covered their eyes their heads threatening to pop.
As the thing in front of them pounced.