Chapter 1: Just another day
"Ah, I'm late!"
Klein ran along a cobblestone path, past a shimmering dragon-shaped waterfall, up a hill sparsely surrounded by verdant trees, and then down to the Academy.
Though it was an Academy, it seemed more like a large and marvelous white-marbled mansion, sparkling in the sun.
It was the usual path, and it was a usual day. He was mid-way through his first semester at the Academy of Magical Excellence, and he already had a track-record amongst his peers for being late.
Klein's short amber hair and blue robes fluttered in the breeze. He somewhat enjoyed the thrill of being late, the thrill of annoying his professors and classmates, and the thrill of pranking them with a spell or two.
'Ding. Dong.'
The large Belfry of the Academy had begun to ring, and Klein had yet to reach the Academy gates.
"Haste" Klein gestured slightly with his fingers, and whispered the word.
The wind seemed stronger, and his figure began flickering with it.
Soon, his afterimage vanished and he appeared beyond the enchanted gates as they closed.
"You're late again Klein!" A deep voice thundered from the sky.
A white robed, long-bearded man floated down towards him with a stern frown on his brows.
'Crap' Klein thought, but his eyes twinkled with mischief, and his lips made a slight arc.
"Come now, Mr. Weathers, I entered the gates before they closed. I'm safe, right?" Klein chuckled as as he rubbed the back of his head.
'Hmph' The sound from the white-robed man reverberated throughout the Academy as he continued floating down imposingly.
The students, in their classrooms, or loitering in the hallways, still waiting for their classes to commence, began to curiously turn their heads to the windows, to overlook the commotion.
The conversation between Klein and Mr Weathers was being audibly broadcast to all the students in the Academy, through a magical spell Mr Weathers had cast.
He wanted everyone to understand the consequences of circling around the Academy rules. To make an example of a troublesome student so the others would fall in line.
"C'mon old man, you aren't serious about reprimanding me, right, why don't you just let it go this time?" Klein shrugged his shoulders and raised his hands in mock surrender.
"No way. You've never arrived on time, and this time, the Academy must punish your tardiness as an example to -"
Just when Mr. Weathers was floating a metre above the ground, Klein whispered.
'Dispel'
Mr. Weathers awkwardly lost balance and stumbled on the ground before setting himself right.
"Klein! Now you've done it!" Mr Weathers roared.
"Hahaha you're getting rusty old man, stop trying to put on a show" Klein laughed as he ran past the entrance of the Academy, craftily moving so as not to be caught as he made his way to his classroom.
The students within the Academy who witnessed the event, had expressions of disbelief, their jaws hanging wide open. Then, those expressions quickly transformed into laughter and amusement.
"He - to Principal Weathers..." one student stammered, unable to comprehend what he had just seen.
"Who is that?" Another asked, unfamiliar with Klein's notorious reputation.
"That's Klein from the Department of Combat" A female student responded. She was completely aware of Klein's track record.
The students of the Department of Combat shifted uncomfortably, attempting to conceal their laughter and amusement.
"That bastard really has no filter" Victor, one of Klein's friends, said as he covered his mouth, hiding a smile.
"Do you think he'll get expelled this time?" Jane, another one of Klein's friends furrowed her brows in exasperation.
"Probably not. Even principal Weathers wouldn't want to lose an excellent student for something that petty. That's not to say he's not in deep shit though..." Victor patted Jane's shoulder as they both made their way to class.
'Troublemaker', 'Prankster', 'Scourge'. Klein had many nicknames circulating amongst the faculty and students who knew him well enough to know that those titles were completely warranted.
Heck, even his closest friends knew it. The difference was, though, whether one was amused or irritated by him.
Needless to say, in Principal Weather's case...
"KLEIN STANFIELD! TO MY OFFICE AT ONCE!" His voice rang even beyond the Academy grounds.
Klein, who was hiding himself behind a large pillar, covered his ears in pain at the cataclysmic roar. He had thought he could get away, and that Mr Weathers wouldn't be too harsh on him, but at that moment, he had only one thought remaining.
'Shit.'
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Crimson scales glinted against sunlight in the sky, giving the illusion of red glitter sailing high up in the winds.
A majestic roar rang and the citizens of Whitewater looked up in response.
The first sighting of a Dragon in the past 200 years was thus recorded, and gradually made the continental news. Enchanted transmissions allowed the news to swiftly reach the capitals of major kingdoms, states, and empires over the course of a single day.
-------
The students of the University of Harvard were currently undergoing their graduation ceremony.
Lena was called up as part of the commencement. Being one of the three graduating students chosen for this event might have made anyone else nervous, but she...
'I wanna go home already...'
She began her speech and captivated the audience with wit and vigour while inwardly complaining and groaning.
"The stock market crashed this morning, and Israel is continuing to commit mass genocide with the endorsement of the US...."
It wouldn't be fair to say that Lena was very popular on campus. She might have been a beauty, but her personality threw most people off.
Cynical, blunt, and completely uninterested in dating. She had scared off most people that approached her, and those that remained were her close friends.
"... so make sure you stay alive to enjoy the benefits of your diploma. Thank you" Lena ended her speech, and sighed inwardly, taking a quick glance at her watch.
'I wanna play Elder Ring...'
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All was well in the two worlds.
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LettuceB
LettuceB Hey! This might be my first novel here, but trust me when I say this will be an unpredictable, chaotic, and fun ride. If you guys do enjoy it, consider engaging; comments, reviews, ratings, powerstones, whatever. Goes a long way to keep an author's motivation up! Most of all, hope you enjoy the journey xD
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