(Chan)

               “Crap! I’m late!” Chan’s amber eyes went wide in the darkness as he jumped up from his navy blue sleeping bag. He shivered slightly as his toes hit the cold hard gym floor. He was a First Year student at Nebulus University, the only magical school in Iilrona Realm for Guardians in Training.

 

               Guardians were the protectors of the nine Realms. As part of their duties, they kept citizens safe from attacks within their borders as well as out. They also went on special missions, or adventures, beyond anyone’s wildest imagination, and much more that Chan didn’t even know about, since he wasn’t a Guardian yet. There were so many possibilities as a Guardian! Chan had dreamed about it, like nearly every other Iilrona citizen, since he was young. It was nearly impossible to become a Guardian, however. There were five years of intense training and studying a Guardian had to endure. Each year was tougher than the last. Even as first years, the pressure was already high and classes didn’t even start until next week!

 

               That’s right, Chan reminded himself. This week is orientation for Guardians in Training. We may have thousands of potential Guardians now, but by the time school begins we’ll lose over half of them. I need to do my best in order to succeed and bring justice to my Realm.

 

               He reached up into his thick ebony afro and pulled out his workout clothes and running shoes. He had infused his hair with special spatial magic long ago that allowed him to store anything he wanted in there. He wasn’t quite sure of the limit of what he could hold, but as of now he had his entire wardrobe, a few random household items like mixing bowls and blenders, several dozen sets of weights and various workout equipment, and finally his arsenal of magic-wielding weapons that he had acquired over his 19 years of life.

 

               Careful not to step on any of the sleeping thousands of first years wanting to be Guardians, he made his way to the locker room to change. I should’ve been up an hour ago! He chastised as he tripped over someone. Oops. Now I can’t get my full ten mile run and workout in! I’ll have to cut it to five miles and a couple hundred reps of push-ups. He quickly changed and dashed out of the gymnasium, begrudgingly meeting the first light of day, ashamed he hadn’t been out sooner. He preferred to run in the dark. With his dark skin, he could hide from enemies easier that way. He did some quick stretches and began running north, away from Nebulus University’s enormous campus. He ran parallel to the road, keeping his guard up, just in case.

 

               Nebulus University was Iilrona Realm’s largest school beyond primary level. Not only in size, but in population as well. There were hundreds of schools in Iilrona, but NU was the biggest and most famous. It was known throughout the realms as producing the best Guardians. Chan had been lucky enough to be born in Iilrona, so getting in was a piece of cake.

 

               In Iilrona, magic was used on a daily basis by every citizen from the royals down to the townsfolk. Primary school was for those citizens between ages six and sixteen to learn the basic and fundamental uses of magic. After age sixteen, one had the option to either continue in their magical education, join the military, or pursue a career offered in their town. Most citizens chose to further their education. Chan tried to enter the Guardians program before when he was sixteen. He made it past the preliminary tests but failed in the fieldwork test. His powers weren’t as developed at the time and his lack of confidence in himself led to his downfall. But he wanted to become a Guardian of the Realm no matter what and that required strict discipline and years of training. For the next three years, he trained every day to become powerful and confident enough to reapply. Now that he had passed all preliminary tests with flying colors, his true test of courage would begin once Orientation Week officially began.

 

               No turning back now, he thought as he sped off down the path away from Nebulus University. He remembered hearing stories about how tough training was from a Guardian he once met back in his hometown Alteire, called the Alabaster Cyclopes. He graduated from Nebulus University a few years after the infamous Top 10 had. He was the only one that year. He happened to be passing through the capitol, so Chan had asked him about being a Guardian.

 

               His fourteen-year old self was extremely timid and shy. When he heard the Alabaster Cyclops was in the capitol, Alteire, he frantically rushed around the city trying to find him so he could sign his Alabaster Cyclopes Limited Edition Guardian trading card. Chan was a big collector of the Guardian Trading Cards and had nearly every Guardian ever. Whenever a Guardian in Training became a full-fledged Guardian, they had a trading card made of them along with some information like what their weapon was and magical affinity. For example, the Alabaster Cyclopes had an affinity for blizzard magic, meaning all his attacks were snow-based and hit with the intensity of an arctic storm. Not too many people collected the Guardian cards anymore, but Chan didn’t care. That simply meant less competition for him to get the good limited edition cards. When Chan finally found the Alabaster Cyclopes, he was all too happy to sign the card and even gave him a few pointers about being a Guardian.

 

               “Lemme tell ya somethin’, kid.” He began in a gruff voice. “The Top 10 were the biggest graduatin’ class any magical school in all the realms had ever seen fer Guardians. And there were only ten of ‘em! That’s how hard it is ta be a Guardian.” He smiled. “See this?” he pointed at the white eyepatch covering his left eye. “Lost that durin’ orientation week. Orientation! School hadn’t even started.” he chuckled at the memory. “No one thought I was gonna last the year, but I stuck to it. I trained longer, studied harder than anyone else in me class. I became so powerful I ended up bein’ known as the Alabaster Cyclopes. That’s how ya know ya really made it big, kid, when they give ya a nickname. When I was the only one in my class who graduated, everyone was shocked.” He looked Chan in the eye. “Kid, if ya really wanna become a Guardian, you’ve got ta prepare y’self physically, emotionally and mentally for one helluva trip. Is it worth it in the end?” he got a gleam in his slightly wrinkled eye. “Fer me, the answer’s always been yes. E’ry damn day I’m livin’ up to my fullest magical potential. What could be better’n this?”

 

               Nothing. Chan thought to himself. Nothing could be better than this. Chan’s thick eyebrows knit together with determination as he sped up. Sweat trickled down his brow as he remembered how hard he’d had to train since then. He wasn’t going to let anything, or anyone, stand in the way of fulfilling his dream to become a Guardian.

 

               He wasn’t born into an extremely magically inclined family, which meant he’d have to work harder than most other students. He was a pure blooded human, meaning he had no magical creature blood in his ancestral lineage. But that also gave him an advantage. Pure blooded humans were born with weaker magic than magical creatures such as elves, fairies, and mermaids. However, magical creatures were born with a limit as to how powerful they could become. Humans had limitless potential, so they could keep getting stronger and stronger given the proper training. The only way to surpass their magical limit for magical creatures was to obtain their Aura Stone. Humans who found theirs simply got exponentially more powerful.

 

               Chan didn’t know much about Aura Stones yet. He assumed they’d discuss it in class since it was a requirement to have your Aura Stone in order to become a Guardian. All Chan knew was that everyone had an Aura Stone somewhere out there. Once found, their Aura Stone gave them incredible power that was said to rival the gods. Chan honestly doubted Aura Stones were that powerful, but considering he hadn’t found his, who was he to say? He’d already gone on a couple of journeys throughout the realms over the past few years attempting to find his Aura Stone. Unfortunately he’d had no luck whatsoever. These Aura Stones were what set Guardians so far apart from any other citizen. Guardians had incredible power and had to use it responsibly in order to protect the realms and their citizens. Not many humans became Guardians. They were seen as the weaker beings and were the ones mostly needing protection. Chan was different. He wasn’t going to let his lack of natural magical talent cripple him in his quest for justice.

 

               He finally reached his five mile limit and scanned the lush landscape for any signs of enemies or Erseugen. Seeing no sign of either, he dropped down and began his hundred push-ups. The grass was wet with morning dew, but that didn’t stop him. He had been training like the Alabaster Cyclopes said for five years straight. In only a few hours, his time as a Guardian in training would officially begin at Nebulus University. He was prepared for whatever would happen to him.

 

               The Erseugen were creatures the Demon of Destruction had created thousands of years ago when it rose from Hell. They were monsters; a grotesque hybrid of demons and animals that ravished the world completely when first introduced to the mortals. Ever since the Demon rose from Hell and brought the Erseugen, animals had nearly all vanished from existence. For hundreds of years the Demon of Destruction and it’s Erseugen armies roamed these lands, destroying all life, nearly bringing the apocalypse. No one knew what the future would hold, if there even was a future.

 

               Luckily, a powerful group of nine heroes banned together to stop the Demon. There was a witch, wizard, nymph, nephilim, giant, dwarf, Sphinx, human, and an Immortal. Working as a team, they were able to stop the Demon and trap it in a volcanic island far out in the middle of the West End Sea, where it resides to this day. This team was later known as the First Guardians. Everyone looked to them as the saviors of the world. They all went their separate ways after a while and established the nine realms and borders that were still in effect.

 

               Chan hoped he could learn more about the First Guardians in class. He wanted to know so much more! He finished his work out and began heading back as the sun rose higher in the sky, promising a new day filled with adventure.

 

(Ersa)

 

               Meanwhile, back at Nebulus University Ersa closed her silver eyes tighter as the morning sun peeked through the windows. She groaned and rolled over, sunlight growing like a weed. It wasn’t that she hated the light, she actually drew her magical powers from heavenly light, it was the fact that she still wanted sleep that upset her. Giving up, she got out of her sleeping bag and began to roll it up.

 

               I suppose I’d better run to the loo before the others awaken. She shrugged to herself, gathering up her things and heading over to the women’s locker room. The locker room was a monochrome drab blue that looked like it hadn’t been repainted in decades. There were fake pearl accents lining the lockers and mirrors for decoration. Ersa hoped the dorm rooms weren’t so distasteful. But, then again, the Guardians in Training notoriously got the crappy leftovers no one else on campus wanted. She supposed it was to build character and toughen them up for the “real world,” but who knew?

 

               A small line was forming for the showers, so she decided to skip for the day, thankful she had picked up some dry shampoo the other day. She went to the mirrors and sinks and claimed one for herself. She took a tiny blue water crystal from the dozens lining the bracelet on her wrist and set it in one of the slots above the sinks so she could wash her face.

 

               Crystals were magical rocks that naturally formed throughout the nine realms. They could be picked up by anyone at any time and used in its raw natural state, or polished and refined to be sold at markets and in stores. Different colored crystals held different magical properties that allowed the user to conjure up various types of magic. They helped focus and enhance one’s natural magic so that one could perform numerous tasks by using it. Crystals could also be combined and fused together for many uses. The ones that were polished and refined gave the user access to more powerful magic. The larger the crystal, the more magic it held. There were mountains made of crystals all over the realms. Extremely powerful magic-wielders could take these mountains and condense them down into tiny crystals that could be worn as jewelry. However it was extremely rare for anyone to be powerful enough to do that. The Top 10, from Nebulus University, had each transformed a mountain into a tiny crystal to enhance their already powerful magic and Aura Stones.

 

               Aura Stones were similar to crystals in that they helped focus and enhance one’s magic. However, Aura Stones were much more unique than crystals. Everyone had their own Aura Stone somewhere out there that, when found, gave them access to their fullest magical potential.

 

               Ersa silently prayed to the gods that she’d find hers easy enough. No Aura Stone meant no graduation for Guardians in Training.

 

               “WHAT THE HELL?!” Ersa heard someone yell from the showers. Instinct and curiosity made her hurry over to see what was going on and if someone needed help. “Oh good! You’re OK.” She heard from the stall closest to her. “Mind if I use this? You seem to be done.”

 

               “Get your own damn shower, pervert!” she heard the girl who yelled demand.

 

               “I can’t!” the other, more high pitched voice whined. “All the other showers are full and there’s a line outside the locker room circling around half the gym. Plus I sort of forgot a water crystal.”

 

               “Well, sucks to be you.” The angry girl growled. “Out! Now!”

 

               A gorgeous tall tanned girl tripped out of the stall, fluffy pink towel covering her busty figure. Her lower lip jutted out in an adorable pout and her big periwinkle eyes were downcast. Her hair was long and flowing, nearly down to her knees, and was golden on top with an ombré fade to orange at the tips. To Ersa, she looked like a model who had just finished a photoshoot.

 

               She plopped down on the floor, looking like a lost puppy.

 

               Ersa was about to offer one of her water crystals when the same stall opened again. Out stepped a petite pale girl with an angry scowl on her otherwise calm features. Her plum colored hair was plastered to her forehead and her magenta eyes looked intensely at the tan girl on the floor.

 

               “Here,” she tossed the blonde a water crystal. “I’d better get it back, Amber.” She warned, glaring at the girl.

 

               “Yay!” Amber’s eyes lit up. “Thank you, Jet! You’re the best” she gave Jet a hug, big breasts squishing against her tiny body.

 

               “Whatever.” Jet huffed and walked away.

 

               Well, Ersa turned around and went back to her mirror. That was weird. I guess it’s good they’re so close...

 

               She brushed the dry shampoo through her light pink hair and pulled back her bangs with a navy headband speckled with white daisy print she had bought a few years ago at a fashion show in Alteire.

 

               She would pull her hair back into a ponytail before they started the day’s training, but before that was breakfast. She really hoped they had tea; she could use a steamy cup right about now.

 

               She let her thoughts drift in wonder about the day ahead as she continued getting ready. By the end of the day she’d be part of her very own team and would have a nice dorm room to call home. She hoped her roommates were okay with a lot of clothes, Ersa had all her belongings with her, which included a stockpile of clothes she’d been acquiring over the past 16 years.

 

               As she finished up, she gave herself a once-over. She disliked the small beauty mark under her right eye, but it was part of her. With enough makeup, she could easily cover it up, but then it would look like a zit. She sighed, the makeup would wash off with the sweat from the day anyway. She decided to leave her earrings in, two studs on her right ear, three on the left, and two cartilage piercings. They were tiny and shouldn’t get in the way. She was wearing a simple navy sundress with a cream colored moto jacket that made her skin look more tan than it actually was. Simple ballet flats covered her feet, completing the look. She’d change into something more appropriate for combat later, but for breakfast it would do.

 

               Truth be told, she wasn’t entirely sure of what would happen during day one of training. She knew they would be going into Fariyoh Forest, the forest surrounding Nebulus University, otherwise she hadn’t a clue. Apparently day one was where they tended to lose most of the trainees, either due to quitting, not passing, or even death in some instances.

 

               Ersa knew she’d be fine. She wasn’t about to let some stupid Erseugen get in her way.

 

               She left the locker room just in time to see two guys across the gym looking like they were about to start fighting.

 

               “YOU FUCKING BASTARD!” yelled the dark skinned man. His muscles were tense and it looked like a vein was about to pop in his forehead. He was yelling at a dark tan muscular man with minty green hair. “TAKE IT BACK!”

 

               “Ha!” the other guy held up his fists, ready to fight. “Make me, dickwad.”

 

               “Terrin,” a blonde haired guy with a long ponytail placed a hand on the dark skinned man’s shoulder. “I-it’s ok, dude. I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but-”

 

               “NO!” Terrin barked, not taking his eyes off of the minty green-haired guy. “Una-ren, this is NOT okay! Assholes like this shouldn’t even be here. How the hell did someone like you even get in?”

 

               “’Someone like me?’” the tan guy scoffed. “You mean stronger and more powerful than both of you cunts combined?”

 

               “SHUT UP!” Terrin yelled, fists starting to glow purple with magic. “Take back what you said about Una-ren right now, or I’m gonna kick your punk-ass!”

 

               “Come at me, bitch!” the green haired guy straightened up and held his hands out to the sides, palms up, challenging Terrin.

 

               “AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!” Terrin yelled, hands glowing even brighter as he rushed towards the other guy.

 

               Oh, shit. Ersa looked on as the two exchanged jabs and punches. Should I do something? She frowned.

 

               Suddenly the green-haired guy slammed Terrin into the wall, breaking the cement on the opposite side of the gym. As Terrin fell to the ground, steam from the guys’ locker room mixed with the tiny bits of concrete in the air, creating a misty-look around Terrin.

 

               “WHAT IN THE NAME OF EITA’AH IS GOING ON HERE?!” everyone froze in their tracks as the deep booming voice echoed through the silence. Even the two fighters stopped mid-punch.

 

               Ersa turned to her left to see the silhouette of a tall, buff man standing in the entrance on the far side of the gym. He stepped in, shining boots clacking menacingly on the cold gym floor. His dark grey eyebrows were so deeply knit that it somehow made his baldness look even worse than it was, which came as a surprise to Ersa. His royal blue uniform and golden insignia on the front left no doubts in anyone’s mind; he was a true Guardian.

 

               The man stopped walking when he reached the two boys. He looked from the messed up wall to the two bruised boys standing in front of him. He crossed his muscular arms and narrowed his crimson eyes. He gave an exasperated sigh, as though contemplating retirement for the billionth time. He shook his head and muttered “rookies” under his breath. He walked between the two and stared them both in the eyes. In a split second, the man had both of them in a headlock and was yelling at them. “WHICH ONE OF YOU PUNK-ASS PEONS IS GONNA CLEAN UP MY GYM?!” his booming voice echoed down the halls of Nebulus University.

 

               “Done.” A child-like voice broke through the silence. Everyone turned to see the wall fully restored to its previous wall-like glory. A girl with long dark green hair and pointed ears stood beside the wall, smiling happily in her purple dress pajamas. “Now I can go back to sleep.” She smiled proudly at herself, flipping her long hair over her pale shoulder, apparently oblivious to the situation around her.

 

               The bald man let the boys go and shoved them towards the wall. “You two piss-ants ain’t always gonna have a pretty lady to cover your asses.” He frowned. “FIRST-YEARS!” he yelled to get everyone’s undivided attention, even though the floor was already his. Everyone watched silently as the hulking wolf-bear of a man marched back towards the door. He turned and addressed everyone. “Listen up children,” he yelled angrily. “For those of you unfortunate enough to be stuck under my care, you will call me Professor Soji or sir at the fucking least. And if I don’t see you in 10 minutes in the dining hall, then your sorry asses can kiss your Guardian careers goodbye. No exceptions!” He turned on his heels and slammed the door behind him.

 

               As soon as he left, everyone erupted into a massive panicked chaos.

 

               Guess I’d better find the dining hall. Ersa let out a sigh, realizing she’d been holding her breath the whole time Professor Soji was speaking. She hoped some of the other professors were a bit nicer and less intimidating than him…

 

(Kai)

 

               “Tch.” Kai scoffed from his perch in the rafters of the gym. He readjusted his headphones and turned up the volume on his music. Everyone was so noisy down below him. Even with his massive headphones, he could still hear their annoying shrieks and hollers. He just wanted to finish his stupid chapter in peace. He flipped his blackish blue bangs just as his alarm went off on his phone, telling him it was time to go to the dining hall and await breakfast. He sighed, putting his book away in his backpack. Guess I’ll have to wait to see if Ser Jerr defeats the dark knight or not. He stood and jumped down, falling several stories and landing gracefully on his feet like a cat. He rolled his blackish brown eyes at the chaos all around him and made his way to the dining hall. The corridors of Nebulus University were vast and a bit confusing if you weren’t familiar with the area. Luckily Kai had roamed the halls last night and had a basic understanding of where everything was on the enormous campus.

 

               Each realm had one magical university for Guardians in Training. Nebulus University was one of the biggest schools in all the nine realms, big enough to be a city. Much bigger than Kai’s hometown Frej’e’tah. Then again, most small towns were bigger than Frej’e’tah. Being one of the biggest schools, Nebulus University offered a plethora of courses to study. One could chose anything from Art to Zoology. Guardians in Training was the most popular major. In fact, Nebulus University was known for having the best Guardians out of all the realms.

 

               The school was founded by one of the nine of the First Guardians, the human, who also created the borders of Iilrona Realm. Though he’d been dead for thousands of years, Kai’s grandfather still talked about him as though he knew him personally. It was really annoying, actually. Here was his grandpa, the Elder of Frej’e’tah going on and on about stories of the First Guardians as though he were there himself. Pfft, please. Though his grandpa was old, he doubted he was that old. But, Kai had to admit, the stories were entertaining and everyone loved them.

 

               Kai finally reached the dining hall and made his way to an empty round table in the far corner of the grand hall. The vast hall had over a thousand tables and nearly ten thousand seats, it would be easy for Kai to fade into the background here. It was brightly lit with light crystals lining the walls. There were no windows since the dining hall was towards the center of the school, however the walls displayed beautiful moving pictures of the fall season, even though there were a few days of summer left. There were bright leaves blowing softly in the breeze, warm colors flooding the hall. The high ceiling had similar images, making one feel as though they were in a forest. Only the tall wooden beams holding the walls and arched ceiling up reminded everyone they were still inside.

 

               Even the carpet was a soft green, like grass, littered with leaves in various shades of red, orange and yellow. The tables weren’t quite as impressive. Just the standard round table with cream tablecloth and silverware wrapped in red napkins. There were empty glasses turned upside down that filled with water when they were turned upright. The only centerpieces were some condiments and sugars. Very basic. A surprisingly lackluster arrangement, Kai had expected more from the Realm-famous school. So disappointing.

 

               Kai opened his book and prayed no one would sit down next to him. No sooner had he thought that, a hauntingly beautiful girl appeared across from him. She had long blackish green hair with straight-cut bangs. The rest was pulled back in a high side ponytail with a big bright red bow at the top. Her eyes were large and bright purple, making her look like a confused cat. Her skin was so fair, it looked almost translucent, as though she were a ghost. She had slightly pointed ears and a vacant expression on her childlike face. She gasped suddenly with excitement and grabbed a slice of bread that was sitting in the center of the table and began buttering it. She started humming a tune that sounded foreign to Kai- Wait! Where did that bread and butter come from? He wondered as two girls rushed in and plopped down next to the first. No no no! He purposefully grabbed the table at the far end of the dining hall with fewer chairs so no one would sit next to him. This was the opposite of what he wanted.

 

               “We…made…it…” the tall blonde girl panted, giant chest falling up and down. “I’m Amber!” she beamed when her periwinkle eyes made contact with Kai’s. “This is Jet!” she patted her petite friend who looked as though she were about to fall asleep or be sick. She was slightly paler than the weird girl sitting across from him. She had plum purple hair cut short at the top with a long black braid coming down from the back of her head. She had a lip and eyebrow piercing that made her beautiful features look more menacing. She also had gauges in her ears, like Kai. The only difference was she had a bar through her left ear and he did not. Her tired magenta eyes glazed over as she attempted to look at Kai.

 

               Jet nodded before slamming her forehead on the table, breathing heavily as though in a deep sleep. Kai silently prayed she was just tired and not sick. He didn’t want to deal with that on top of being stuck sitting with people.

 

               “Kai.” Kai narrowed his blackish brown eyes and tried to concentrate on his book again. Amber began excitedly talking to Jet about the day ahead, even though no one seemed to have any real idea about what was going to happen.

 

               He paused mid-page and stiffened. He felt a powerful, dark presence behind him that sent a shiver down his spine. He turned to his right as a light pink-haired girl sat down, the feeling vanishing. She leaned back in her chair casually and flashed a mischievous grin at him. “So,” she looked at each of the others, who had stopped what they were doing to look at her. “Anyone know what’s for breakfast?” a spark of recognition lit in her silver eyes when she saw the others.

 

               “Well for me,” a deep voice to Kai’s left said as a dark skinned man with a huge ebony afro sat down “The ultimate protein-infused smoothie.” He reached up into his afro and pulled out a basket of fruit, a blender, and a white energy crystal.

 

               What the hell?! Kai looked at his hair in shock as the pink haired girl leaned forward.

 

               “Spatial magic?” she raised an eyebrow, curiosity flashing in her silver eyes.

 

               “It is indeed.” The dark skinned man smiled as everyone’s conversations flared up again. “I’m Chan, by the way.”

 

               “Ersa,” the pink haired girl smiled.

 

               Can’t I go one day just being left alone?! Kai sighed at his misfortune as a tall pale blonde haired guy walked up. “May I sit here?” he asked politely. Oh, sure. Just join in the party. Kai sarcastically wondered if he should just stand up and walk away before it was too late.

 

               “I don’t see why not?” Ersa flashed her mischievous grin again as the new guy sat down next to her.

 

               “Love your jacket by the way!” the guy beamed. “Isn’t it a Tsuki Illumous Original?”

 

               Kai sighed again as the two began excitedly talking fashion.

 

               A moment later, a strong-looking man with minty green hair sat down at the final open seat at Kai’s table just as all the light crystals began to dim. A single spotlight shone on a group of important-looking people at the opposite end of the dining hall. As soon as everyone quieted, the lady in the middle stepped forward, her picture replacing the trees on the walls so everyone could see her. She looked to be about a middle-aged human and had her light brown hair wound in a tight bun atop her head. She adjusted her glasses and smoothed her royal blue pencil skirt and began speaking into a mic. “I am Headmistress Zenith and I want to personally welcome you all to Orientation Week for the Guardians in Training program here at Nebulus University.”

 

               Aaannnnd here’s where I stop listening. Kai sighed and tried to adjust his eyes to read in the dim lighting. Finding it near impossible, he gave up and turned his attention back to the Headmistress.

 

               Whatever. He could read the book later in his room. Once they were assigned rooms, anyway. Hopefully his request for a single had been approved. He sure as hell didn’t want to be stuck with weirdos like the ones he was sitting with.

 

               “Now,” Headmistress Zenith stepped aside and the tall, buff balding man who had just screamed at everyone in the gym stepped forward. “Professor Soji will explain today’s events.”

 

               “Listen here you first year maggots!” Professor Soji yelled and paced back and forth, arms firmly planted behind his back. “Call me Professor Soji, or sir. As I’ve already said. But I know some of you have the intelligence of an ant, so I’ll repeat this only once. Also, you only got thirty minutes to eat your breakfast. After that you’ll meet us all on the roof to be randomly teleported into Fariyoh Forest, all that nature shit surrounding the school. From there, you and your teammates will have until sundown to make it out of the forest and back to Nebulus University. And just who are your teammates? Everyone sitting at your goddamn table, that’s who! If any of your teammates don’t make it out before sundown, they’re kicked out of the Guardian program. If they die, they’re kicked out. That being said, if one of you lily-lizards wanna piss out now, then feel free to talk to me or one of these other fine professors standing before you. Remember we’re not gonna force you to do any of this stuff, but you WILL be graded accordingly and anyone NOT willing to do EXACTLY as we tell them WILL be kicked out of the program. See you in half an hour.” He smiled maliciously and stepped aside for Headmistress Zenith.

 

               “Have a great year, everyone! And please remember to have all legal papers and wills signed and dated before you leave.” she smiled sweetly as the light crystals brightened.

 

               Kai looked at the seven other faces of his new team and sighed. Yeah, he definitely should’ve left when he had the chance. Now they’d be stuck together for as long as each of them lasted… He just hoped everyone else would bow out sooner rather than later. He did NOT want to deal with teammates now, or ever. He began to eat the grey slop that appeared before him. “Breakfast” was served. What was this horrible looking stuff? Oatmeal? He had heard rumor of this mushy mess from travelers who dared venture outside Frej’e’tah. Nasty. As the others began to converse with each other, he wondered just how long any of them would last out there…