Anaya walked into an ancient building filled with cracks of time and layers of heritage. She entered her coldly colored room, took off her uniform, freshened up, and placed the white book on her study table, ready to analyze it as she had done for the past few days. While engrossed in the letters that only she seemed able to see, Anaya once again found herself puzzled by the book's secrets and enchantments.A figure slowly emerged from her slightly ajar white wooden door."Anaya, darling..."Anaya turned to see a woman in her late seventies with beautiful long white hair and wrinkles that spoke of a life well-lived. She smiled brightly as the woman walked in."Are you back from school?""Yes, Ma. I'm back," Anaya replied."How was it? How are your friends?" her grandmother asked."They're fine, Ma. Everything's fine," Anaya answered simply."I'm sure my darling Anaya is so popular and has lots of friends. Do you want food? I'll make it," her grandmother offered."No, Ma. You've been o
After dinner, Jason reminded Leo of how upset Anaya was yesterday and thought it would be best to apologize to her sincerely tomorrow. Leo knew that Anaya wouldn't forgive so easily and wondered what would be the best way to apologize. Sydney advised the boys that if they really wanted her forgiveness, they needed to do something incredibly thoughtful and sweet, like baking a cake. They loved the idea, but the only problem was they didn't know the first thing about baking.Sydney sighed at their ability to fight beasts and conjure up magnificent things, yet they couldn't do something as simple as baking a cake. She rolled her eyes, wondering how Varrick Darwin or Alex couldn't teach them such basic skills, but then again, how could they teach what they had no knowledge of? She agreed to help them out, and they stayed up all night just to prepare it.The boys always found a way to mess up the cake in the blink of an eye. Sydney was even afraid to blink, worried they would add too much
“Finally, I can get back home and rest my head.” Lucas came out of the store where he worked as a part-time cleaner, he was done for the day and wanted to head back home to rest his head. There wasn't much for him to do when he got back home, he had to rest his head. He had five jobs for the next day, “After all that work I need to get a day to sit down and relax. But if I do that then I will be down on payment and stuff. The last thing I want is that stupid landlord to come and throw me out on the streets like I can't do anything.” Lucas kicked an empty can as he walked down the street. He let out a defeated sigh as he kept walking. “Who am I kidding? The man will make sure that I don't even find another house in the city, I have to make sure I don't lose everything I have as a home.” Lucas was not the type of person that would sit back and enjoy a day off. He had been alone since his high school days, he was what people would call a total loser. All of his peers had somethi
Leo was struggling to break free from the orb that he was trapped in. He didn't know how he was going to be able to find a way out of it. Then he heard a massive explosion. Leo turned to see the smoke cloud forming where his house once stood. He was petrified when he realized that the cloud meant that his mother was no more, and he was all that was left of his family. Tears welled up in Leo's eyes, he was looking at the smoke cloud as they kept rising. “Mom, please no.” Leo's words were cut with sobs, “I couldn't do anything to save her, even in this world I am a weak pathetic being.” Leo sat down as the orb carried him away from the scene, looking at their house lying in destruction. The only thing Leo could think of was his past life and when he was still a high schooler. He lived all his life running from everyone and everything, he didn't want to be part of anything. In his former life, he had the name Lucas. He was a frail child neglected by the older people and bullied b
Leo felt a surge of energy going through his body. He was not familiar with that amount of power. Leo was originally bigger and stronger than most children in Lyron, he was some kind of different breed. But Leo never questioned his strength, he was born with it and there was nothing about it that had made him question anything. But it was a bit different now, he had awakened something within him, and he was going to be using his powers to make sure that he didn't die. Leo got up, he was looking at the Orc Bear with pure rage in his eyes and there was no way he would be letting the creature land another blow on him like that. “What is this feeling?” Leo looked at his body. Although it was covered in wounds, he could feel energy and power coming from it. He looked at the Orc Bear as it prepared to charge at him one last time. He didn't know what he was going to do. The Orc Bear charged faster than before, but Leo didn't move this time. “Come on! Show me what you can do!” Leo l
Where Leo’s home stood, a crater was formed and there was no sign of life anywhere close to it. There was no way anyone would have survived an explosion that massive. Above the crater, three beings were hovering there. They resembled the ones that had attacked Leo’s home. “So they failed to bring in Abigail and the core. I wonder what they were thinking when they tried to face Abigail. Did they forget that she was the same person who fought with Vallin? I don't even know why I was stupid enough to let them go for her when I knew that I could have come on my own.” “You thought that there was going to be a chance that they wouldn't slip up, there was nothing there to tell you that you were sending fools to fight in a battle with a warrior you got a scar from. But for her to use a forbidden spell, it meant that she was trying to hide something from us. She also made sure that she killed the three useless soldiers we sent for her. There is no telling what might have been the secret s
Leo was looking at Darwin. He would never have imagined that there was a chance he would meet someone who knew his mother. Leo was looking at Darwin, he was trying to make sure that he didn't even make a mistake. “You knew my mother? You called her name. Do you know her?” Darwin rubbed his head, he didn't even know what he was going to do. He looked at the boy in front of him. He didn't know what he was going to do to make Leo stop asking questions. “If you ask me any other questions I might blow my head away, but there is no way for me to do that.” Darwin looked at Leo. He knew that the boy was still confused and everything was happening all too fast. Leo saw that Darwin was a bit stressed out. He noticed that all his wounds were healed and closed. He was in good condition, and he knew that the man in front of him might have been the one that made sure of that. “Sorry, I don't know what to do, and it's been a strange ride for the past few hours for me. Please tell me how yo
Leo was filled with hope, knowing that there would be a chance for him to become a stronger warrior and make sure he changed his life. “Master Darwin, if I am not mistaken, you also knew my father, right?” Leo smiled as he looked at Darwin. He wanted to learn more about his family before his training began. Darwin looked at Leo, the sad young man he had seen a few minutes ago had vanished, and he was looking at a boy who had hope, and he was going to do anything to make sure that he didn't fall back into depression. “Yes, I knew your father, he was one of the funniest fellows I met. He had a temper, a very nasty one, but when we got to talk to him, it was clear that he was a good guy. But even before we found out that he was a good guy, your mother would always be the one to knock some sense into him.” Darwin smiled as he was telling Leo about his parents. It was a clear sign that he had enjoyed his time with his old companions. Something that would always comfort him. Leo cou
After dinner, Jason reminded Leo of how upset Anaya was yesterday and thought it would be best to apologize to her sincerely tomorrow. Leo knew that Anaya wouldn't forgive so easily and wondered what would be the best way to apologize. Sydney advised the boys that if they really wanted her forgiveness, they needed to do something incredibly thoughtful and sweet, like baking a cake. They loved the idea, but the only problem was they didn't know the first thing about baking.Sydney sighed at their ability to fight beasts and conjure up magnificent things, yet they couldn't do something as simple as baking a cake. She rolled her eyes, wondering how Varrick Darwin or Alex couldn't teach them such basic skills, but then again, how could they teach what they had no knowledge of? She agreed to help them out, and they stayed up all night just to prepare it.The boys always found a way to mess up the cake in the blink of an eye. Sydney was even afraid to blink, worried they would add too much
Anaya walked into an ancient building filled with cracks of time and layers of heritage. She entered her coldly colored room, took off her uniform, freshened up, and placed the white book on her study table, ready to analyze it as she had done for the past few days. While engrossed in the letters that only she seemed able to see, Anaya once again found herself puzzled by the book's secrets and enchantments.A figure slowly emerged from her slightly ajar white wooden door."Anaya, darling..."Anaya turned to see a woman in her late seventies with beautiful long white hair and wrinkles that spoke of a life well-lived. She smiled brightly as the woman walked in."Are you back from school?""Yes, Ma. I'm back," Anaya replied."How was it? How are your friends?" her grandmother asked."They're fine, Ma. Everything's fine," Anaya answered simply."I'm sure my darling Anaya is so popular and has lots of friends. Do you want food? I'll make it," her grandmother offered."No, Ma. You've been o
Leo, Jason, and Anaya made their way to the detention room with sad and solemn expressions, taking measured steps toward three hours of boredom and annoyance."Can't you just make the Dean fall asleep again?" Leo asked hopefully."And what will we do about Derek?" Anaya countered."Can't you use a sleep spell on him too?" Jason suggested."Believe me, I've tried, but he has some super strong force field on his mind," Anaya replied, frustration creeping into her voice."Is it impossible to break?" Leo asked, curious about the kind of magic required for such a spell."Yeah, if you're an amateur. But don't worry, I'll deal with it soon enough," she said confidently.They stood by the door, hesitating between staying or running back home. The Dean walked by, spotting them instantly. He quickly pulled out a wand from his pocket, pointed it at them, and yelled,"What are you three still doing there? Time for detention!"They sighed and groaned, lowering their heads as they shuffled into the
---When detention rolled around and the four students sat quietly as the Dean watched them closely. Anaya and Jason hadn’t spoken a single word since Leo left them earlier, and their silence made him rather uneasy.Derek, being his usual self, tried to get Anaya’s attention as much as humanity would allow, but his efforts were anything but fruitful. The moment the clock struck five, Anaya left without sparing them a glance. Jason let out a sigh and placed his books in his bag. The Dean told them to leave as soon as possible so the workers could clean in peace. Derek picked up his bag and sneered at them before leaving with the Dean.Leo and Jason stood on the steps in front of the school's main gate, only to realize their carriage wasn’t there. They glanced at the row of fly cycles parked nearby and remembered Varrick’s words: They needed to start traveling on their own; the school run was over.Jason sat on the stairs, not in the mood to ride home just yet. Leo joined him and sugges
Leo got home with a solemn expression on his face. He had barely eaten his dinner and didn’t even flash his famous smile. Anytime Darwin, Varrick, or Sydney asked about school, he would only give one-word answers, which was unlike him. Darwin and Varrick assumed it was just the stress of school getting to him, so they didn’t press further. They were certain Leo couldn’t have been bullied—he was stronger than most of his peers and knew exactly when to fight and when not to. Sydney, on the other hand, thought otherwise and decided to speak with him after dinner.The night grew quiet once dinner was over. Darwin and Varrick, exhausted from running around Ivandale with Alex, quickly lay down to rest. The only sounds that filled the air were the night critters and animals, adding to the soothing sounds that come with the night.Leo had already snuggled under his covers, and the oil lamp was about to be blown out when two light taps came at his door. Instinctively, he said, “Come in.” Sydne
"I'll be back," Leo assured his friends, getting up to follow Sylvia.They moved to a quiet corner, and Sylvia struggled to get her words out."Why..." she began but trailed off, her mouth opening and closing with hesitation."Why are you hanging out with her?" she finally managed to ask."Who?" Leo asked, confused.Sylvia, too ashamed to clarify, looked away. Leo followed her gaze, his confusion growing when he realized who she meant."Anaya? She’s my friend. And if you really think about it, she’s the reason I’m in this school to begin with. Besides, I’m hanging out with Jason too," he explained, trying to clear up any misunderstanding."Please... please stop hanging out with her," she stammered, still avoiding his eyes."Why?""Because you can’t." Sylvia slapped a hand over her mouth, shocked by her own outburst. Her face flushed as she noticed the curious stares from nearby students."You don’t have a reason?" Leo asked, growing more puzzled by the second."I do! But... I can’t te
"What are you three doing together?..." the Dean echoed, grabbing Derek by the collar. They immediately dispersed and took their assigned seats. The Dean shook his head, too tired to even nag."You have a new inmate," he said, emphasizing the word inmate so sadistically it felt like they were in some inescapable prison—as if they wouldn’t leave in the next two hours and be tortured for his entertainment. He casually shoved Derek forward and pointed to a seat."Take a seat and be quiet..." he snapped. "Taking out a book or two wouldn’t hurt either," he added taking his sat at the table right in front of the class.As he took a sip of his coffee, Anaya stared at him intently and unwaveringly. The boys noticed this and became increasingly curious. After mere seconds The Dean yawned for a moment before completely passing out.Anaya couldn’t help but feel annoyed at how long it had taken her to perform a simple spell and make the man fall asleep. She silently promised herself to get better
---"Hello," she said with a smile."Hi?" they replied, clearly unnerved by her sudden friendliness."Candy?" she asked, offering a variety of sweets in her palm."Yes, please!" Leo exclaimed, eagerly taking one. Jason followed suit, unwrapping his piece and popping it into his mouth."It's poisoned," she stated with the straightest face.Their eyes widened in panic as they stared at her."I'm kidding," she said, laughing hard. "Goodness, you two are so gullible."Leo scoffed. "That's not funny.""You have to admit, it's a little funny. You should’ve seen your faces," she added, laughing even harder.This was the first time they’d ever heard her laugh, and it was so infectious that they couldn’t help but laugh along with her. It was impossible to stay mad."Did you find anything new in the book?" Leo asked, grabbing another "poisoned" candy."Not much," she admitted. "I found a few strange codes and some vague riddles.""Like what?" Jason asked curiously.Anaya opened her mouth to exp
---"Detention?!" Darwin and Alex shouted simultaneously, causing everyone to jerk in fear."Sorry, Father," Jason muttered, looking down at his feet.This was the first time his father had ever been called to school for bad behavior. None of them thought they’d be back in the student affairs office anytime soon, much less for something like this.“Finally…” Alex and Darwin whispered with sly grins spreading across their faces.Leo and Jason glanced at each other, a playful smile tugging at their lips. The shift in energy wasn’t lost on anyone. The boys' words caused an unsettling silence to descend upon the room. Alex and Darwin noticed the mix of disappointment, anger, and annoyance on the woman’s face and quickly backtracked.“I mean—bad. Very bad,” Alex corrected, coughing lightly to mask his awkwardness.Finally, they took their seats, all three teenagers sitting across from Miss Willowwan.“They were caught coming late to class, and I heard rumors they came from the stables doin