1.1 Astrape
"Welcome to Vex Academy, I am Mr. Saito your Deputy Head Teacher and I'm sure you are all aware this is one of the top three educational institutions in all of Stoeicheiodis. To be here is a privilege that many of you may not be aware of, whether it's scientific enlightenment, business, intellectual interest or honing your skills in battle this is most likely the best place to do so. With the magazines you've been handed you'll find out just how vast your opportunities and options are, from our very own school where you'll be starting to our very own Vex University and as for specialization, provided you perform well enough in your preferred fields throughout your time here, direct entry may be provided.
For example, those with an interest in scientific advancements and new discoveries, you will be granted a chance to work with the best minds and in most advanced laboratories in the whole country. And for you aspiring entrepreneurs, depending on how good and well thought your business ideas are, your investments may be just as good. For those of you most interested in sharpening battle skills, there will be multiple chances of finding your place in any of the armed forces, which is what Vex Academy is most famous for after all.
Furthermore, I'd like to urge you all to give your all and I assure there will be little to no room for regret. That will be all, thank you for your time".
"Those were his first words as he addressed the whole school, or at least something like that, during that assembly morning. And I'd be lying if I said it didn't give me at least a little hope, that it is possible to change my current circumstances. My name is Astrape and I come from the country of Enosi where I live with my mother and six siblings including my cousin. My father died years ago, leaving my mother to provide for my siblings and I. It's not that I'm poor or anything, I just think that I could be able to make things better and hopefully ensure my mother doesn't need to work as a hard as she usually does".
"So yeah, there you have it Danny, that's the main reason I'm here. Who knows one day I might make a name for myself? You see I have big plans for the future Danny. To put it simply I just want to be stinking rich".
"Well, what happened to just making things better? It sounds like you want something a little bit more than better", Danny asked.
"Well, I had a change of heart".
"You call that a change of heart? You need help. Anyway, how's that going for you so far? I heard that the exams for those of us in the science field may just have been the most difficult".
"Well, aren't they always. In any case I think it's alright if I fail even just one subject, I'm sure I'll be able to do well enough on the supplementary exams, right?".
"That is exactly where the issue comes in Astrape. The word is, there aren't any supplementary exams this year".
"And you're telling me this now?! what is wrong with you?!", screamed Astrape.
"Well like I said it's just a rumor so no need to get so nervous about it. That's you're problem Astrape, you're never in the loop… Wait don't tell me you actually flunked. You didn't, did you? Astrape? Astrape? Astrape did you or did you not?", asked Danny.
"I don't know", he mumbled.
"What was that? I didn't hear what you said just now?".
"I said I don't know", he mumbled louder.
"Damn, well listen don't think too much about it alright? You don't know for sure. They're sticking them up soon so till then just hope for the best. Anyway, I got a meeting with the student council so I'll catch you later alright".
"Yeah, sure man".
"Well, guess I won't know for sure until tomorrow. Damn, how embarrassing is it going to be if I actually flunked?", Astrape thought to himself.
The sun rose on what seemed to be another ordinary day, at least as far as Astrape is concerned. To him ordinary was the best he could hope for given the time he experienced at Vex Academy so far. The impending event was fast approaching and the closer it was the heavier his heart felt.
The time had finally come and all recorded score marks were placed on the closest notice board to your classroom. Everyone rushed to see what their futures held for them. Judging from the sounds of it, things didn't seem as bad he had thought they would and that excited him. However, he wasn't one to rush in with the crowd, so instead he decided to wait until all the commotion was done.
"Yoh Astrape, you're not gonna join everyone else? Score marks are out, you heard right?", Danny questioned.
"Yeah, I heard but I'll just go check it out later".
"Hmm, sounds like you're just scared, I told you not to think too much about it".
"Ahh, Danny, that's not it you're just making it sound worse than it actually is, I just want to avoid the crowd, you know everybody's there right now but the score marks are going to be up all week anyway", Astrape assured.
"Ok yeah fair point, I can see the sense in that but I can also see that your scared still. My point still stands".
"Well, making it sound like I already flunked doesn't help you know?".
"I already tried asking nicely but it didn't seem to work, did it? Hence manipulation seems like the only solution to get you to actually look at the notice board", Danny replied.
"Huh",sighed", Astrape, " Alright I get it, I'll be sure to check it soon so don't worry okay. By the way isn't there some place you have to be? Like student council stuff?".
"Oh yeah, you're right. But don't forget to check, I'll keep on reminding you until you do, okay?".
"Yeah sure, man".
Later that day the attentions towards the notice boards faded and hence the crowds around them dwindled. Hence it seemed like a perfect time for Astrape to look upon his name upon the score board himself. He knew he just had to and it seemed so easy at first, but he seemed to have a sinking feeling about and given what's at stake that did not make things any easier.
As he walked down the stairs the sinking feeling in his chest only grew stronger and every step that he took felt heavier than the last. Reaching the hall way, he could barely keep up with his thoughts. Doubt clouded his judgement, anxiety made him breathless and the anger he felt towards himself was blinding enough to blur his peripheral vision, bumping into people one after the other.
It didn't take too long for him to bump into someone with enough force for them both to fall to ground. Having been snapped back to reality, with a dizzy feeling from the stress and then the fall, Astrape now had time to gather his thoughts together. Realizing what just happened, his focus shifted to the wellbeing of the person he just stumbled into, looking to lend them a helping hand. He did not realize however, that this somewhat simple incident was the object of attention to everyone else.
"Pardon me, let me help you with your books", said Astrape while stretching out his hand.
"What the… What's going on? Why is everyone staring? Did I do something? Or is it something I'm wearing maybe? Eh who cares, not my problem", he thought as he helped pick up the fallen books.
"I'm fine, thanks… for the help I mean", said a soft and not so masculine voice.
"Wait why does he sound so…. oh my gosh it's a girl, I just bumped into a girl and she fell to ground, no wonder everybody's staring!!", he panicked in thought.
"S... Sure, no problem, uhm… Are you okay?", he responded.
"Yeah, I'm fi…".
"Ok bye", Astrape rushed off before she could even finish her sentence.
"Huh", she sighed puzzled.
"Ah, damn it. That was so lame, running off like that. Now it's just gonna be weird every time I see her", Astrape thought to himself.
As he approached the notice board, the issue of checking his score marks didn't seem too big of a deal anymore, like it was just something to get done with and go on with his life. Until finally he reached his intended destination.
"Hmm let's see, biology, that's a B+, okay not bad, chemistry C+, that's fair I guess, physics, a B… I'll take it I guess and finally math with a… Wha…", he stammered in his thoughts.
Breathless and stunned he could not think straight yet again, he knew the Math examination had been hard on his part and this, his failure of the subject was quite possible already, if not impending. However, that didn't make it any easier for him to see it, right there in front of his eyes.
"D, I got a D. No, it can't be. But I saw it, a D. Yeah, a D. Maybe I just need to check again, yeah, yeah, I'll do that. I'll do that", acting on his thoughts he lifted his head towards the notice board again and unfortunately his eyes did not deceive him. He saw it for what it was, the sad and horrific truth staring right back at him and it felt truly horrible.
"Man, that's it then, what am I going to tell mom, there's still a chance of progressing to the next year, although my math scholarship won't work for now. Which means it has to be paid for but we can't afford that, so what now? Maybe I could just beg the administration not to cancel it. No, that won't work, I'm sure I'm not the only one to have thought of that and I'm sure it didn't work for them too.", he wondered.
"Okay, just chill, one step at a time. First, I have to tell mom, I just have to be honest it's disappointing but it's what I have to do… huh", he thought looking down to the ground in disappointment.
"That seems funny coming from someone as dishonest as me, but I can't be dishonest about this. Anyway, off to the guidance counselor's office then, I'm sure he'll understand why I have to make a call", he thought as he made his way to the Guidance Counselor's office.
"Well, I'm finally here, my hands are shaking, why are my shaking? Oh yeah that's right I'm about to call mom, to tell her I didn't make it, that I failed. This is so scary, why'd I have to be so stupid, so naïve, so unserious with my life. I can't blame anyone but myself for this, this is all on me", Astrape's thoughts felt heavier every time he stopped to think.
Nothing made sense any more. With a trembling hand he picked up the phone the guidance counselor handed to him and punched in his mother's phone number. Hearing it ring did not make thing any easier, knowing that she would answer any minute, hoping for her dear son to do the rumble on about how his day was as he usually does, only to hear the tragic news. Until finally… "Hello, Astrape? Is this you?".
"Hey mom, how are you? How's everyone at home?".
"I'm fine darling. Actually, I was planning to call you".
"Why? Is there something you wanted to tell me? What's the big news?"
"It's your brother, Jinn, he's in the hospital right now".
"What? Did you say hospital? What happened?".
"It's his leg… it's hurt, really hurt. It happened when he was coming back one night. Some huge dogs, he told me they were really huge. And… and… they just attacked him. He was badly hurt and unconscious for hours, I was so scared Astrape. I heard about it when he was already rushed to the hospital. They managed to save him and stop of his bleeding, but… he's still bleeding internally and his leg", his mother stammered from the other side of the phone.
"The doctor said the injuries sustained on his leg were too much and they're going to cost over twenty-five thousand stoices to treat or… or…", he's mother spoke in agony, her voice breaking as tears rolled down her eyes.
"Mom? Or what? What's going to happen if we don't pay the twenty-five thousand stoices?!!", answered Astrape, curious and worried.
"The wound was too big, and it's infected, so if it's not treated soon enough… they'll…", she struggled to find the words.
"Mom, it's okay, just calm down. You don't have to rush just take your time", Astrape assured her.
"No, it not okay", She exclaimed.
"Okay, yes, you're right it's not so just calm down and tell me. I'll be fine", assured Astrape.
"They'll have to… amputate it. I don't know what to do, I really don't know what I'm going to do!! Astrape? Astrape? Astrape?!!" she said loudly yet softly.
Astrape was confused, he really couldn't believe what he just heard. His breath was taken right out of his mouth and it was now significantly harder for him to utter even a single word. He panted, trying to catch his breath. His arms and knees trembling even more so than before and his palm now moist with sweat.
"What… What… did you say? I don't think I heard you", he breathlessly said. And having no more strength to hold it up to his ear, he soon dropped the telephone to the floor, and with no more will left enough in his legs, his knees soon followed.
"Lad! Lad! Lad! Can you hear me, lad?!", curiously questioned the guidance counselor. "What has gotten you shaken up suddenly? Ahh, look at this, you just broke me damn phone. You may be a student, but I can charge for the damage, if it's under the reputation of the Academy. Money ain't cheap you know? So eh… boy? You okay boy?", his steady complaints came to an abrupt stop.
"Money huh", Astrape murmured.
"What was that boy?" Mr. Tugboat questioned.
"I'm sorry about the phone sir", said Astrape as he picked up the phone and got up to leave, "Luckily there wasn't any damage done, at least I think so, so here you go. Please excuse me there is somewhere I have to go", he said, as he quietly walked out leaving Mr. Tugboat in utter shock with what he had just witnessed.
His presence felt cold and the sound of his voice chilly, his spirit hopeless and body defenseless; arms withered and as light a dry leaf in autumn, but his legs as heavy as mercury. In that moment nothing about him seemed to exude any form of presence apart from one thing.
"What the heck was that just now, it felt so cold, so dark, was it fear, what kind of Aura does that? And those eyes… What the heck were those eyes? I don't know whatever you are, but I know it's not human, no… not even in the slightest", thought Mr. Tugboat.