'That day, I never thought my life would change so drastically after meeting him.'
The rain showered the earth intensely, and dark clouds covered the skies. And amidst the rain, two figures faced each other: One, visibly a boy, was under an umbrella while choking and looking down on the other one, a girl with glistening shoulder-length black hair, who crawled on the ground, completely drenched.
'Yes. Maybe it was fate, or just a simple coincidence. One thing is certain…'
Clinical tubes, a frozen landscape, a path made with a trail of corpses, a bloody battlefield, smoke clouds that arise from an inferno, and at the end of that gruesome road, stood two figures whose lips were on the verge of intertwining.
'By that point, I had already made my choice. And with it, there was no turning back.'
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The morning, with the sun rising and casting an extraordinary view on the horizon, had arrived with a crisp, clear sky.
Inside his room, with a red tie tied tightly on the collar of his white shirt which was itself covered by a gray-black jacket with a red emblem of a golden rose with a cross behind it embedded on it, and pants of the same color as his jacket, a black-haired boy packed his belongings with meticulous care at the anticipation and curiosity of his next destination mingled with a certain tinge of sadness.
At that moment, someone knocked on the door. It was a man, seemingly in his early thirties, tall with sparkling brown hair and focused blue eyes.
"Did you finish packing everything?" the man asked, his voice tinged with a lingering sense of concern and happiness.
"Yeah," the black-haired boy said, closing his suitcase which contained essential items: a sturdy water bottle, clothes, a few day-to-day tools, and a small first-aid kit. "I'm ready to go whenever you are."
Walking inside the living room, the both of them found a woman who was preparing the dining table for breakfast. She was a beautiful red-haired woman, with emerald-green eyes, and though her body was covered by an apron and clothes, it was evident that she was blessed with a generous figure.
"Oh! Ace! Chris! Good morning," she said softly.
"Good morning," the black-haired boy with his ash-gray eyes and handsome features, greeted.
"Good morning, honey," said the man, Chris, as he then gave her a peck on the cheek.
'As always, Chris and Miss Ellie are such a happy couple,' thought Ace as he stared at them with a deadpan expression.
"I'll go wake up Shaw," he said, leaving the room as if trying to escape the couple's lovey-dovey demonstration.
As Ace entered the room that was behind the second door on the left of the corridor, a seemingly spirited 12-year-old boy with reddish-orange curly hair, green eyes sparkling with an innocent wonder and a small face lit up with mischief, suddenly tried to jump on him.
With a sigh, Ace swiftly evaded him and then proceeded to give him a chop to the head.
"Ouch!" the boy, Shaw, exclaimed holding his head in pain.
"Guess you still haven't learned your lesson, huh?" said Ace with an annoyed yet seemingly distant tone.
"Well, this is the last time I'll be able to see you in a while," said Shaw with a hint of sadness and loneliness in his voice. "I thought that I could finally catch you by surprise this time."
"Is that so? Unfortunately, you're ten years too young to try and catch me off guard," said Ace with a bothered and exasperated expression.
"Hmph. Snob," Shaw muttered.
"I heard that."
After their small exchange, the family gathered for breakfast.
Indeed, today would be the last day that Ace would be home for a long time. And that was because today would be the day he joins the Academy.
After the delectable breakfast, a heartfelt goodbye session followed.
Ace was given a necklace as both a souvenir and a charm by Ellie while Shaw skirmished around before giving him a hug.
With an aloof and indecipherable expression as if finding this situation mundane, Ace proceeded to depart. "Goodbye. I promise to return on holidays," he said, his voice resolute despite the emotional tension in the air. He waved as he stepped away with Chris who was giving him a lift to the academy.
Entering the car after packing his luggage in the car, 'Well then, time to go,' Ace, behind his stoic expression, felt a mix of excitement and contempt at the new path he was undertaking. 'Off to Therion Academy.'
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In another location, within a certain classroom while everyone was enjoying their break period, two girls were chattering away.
"Have you heard the rumor?" said the first girl, her short blonde hair accentuating her lightly dark skin and bright amber eyes.
"You really love your gossips, Mira. So, what is it about?" the second girl, a beautiful 14-year-old with dark shoulder-length hair and beautiful blue eyes, responded while still reading her book with an indifferent expression that was quite reserved.
"C'mon Emi~! Just for once, can't you put down your book and listen to what I have to say?" said Mira who seemed to be pouting at her classmate's total indifference.
With a sigh followed by an expression of someone trying to comfort a pouting child, "Okay, okay. I get it. So, what's this about?" she put down her book and listened intently.
"Apparently, there's a new student that's transferring in."
"And so? What's so surprising about it?"
"Hehe~," grinned Mira. "Dear Emilia, you're not ready for what's coming for you."
"Sure, sure. If that's all you have to say, then," started Emilia before being interrupted by Mira who revealed another piece of information.
"Rumor has it that he's a Special Admission student."
Emilia was completely frozen. 'A Special Admission student? Only a handpicked few chosen by the Dean himself get the honor of enrolling as Special Admission students.'
"Hehe~," giggled Mira. "I knew that one would pick your interest."
"Fine, you win. I'm completely beaten."
"Nice. But still, I wonder what that transfer student is like. Aren't you also curious?" asked Mira, as the bell signaling the end of break period rang throughout the corridors and hallways of the academy.