'Is he actually asking what my name is right now? And... did he just compliment me? These things... they have never happened before.' Sol thought to himself, quite surprised by this Kennan character.
He didn't really know how to feel about it. Should he have been happy, or confused?
Without thinking much about it, he attempted to answer, "I'm S--" However, just as the tip of his tongue made a hissing noise to say his name, he abruptly stopped.
In his mind, he saw flashes of incidents where he was bullied and ridiculed in the past due to his family history and name.
Right now, the boy in front of him actually found him interesting. Although Sol probably wouldn't want to admit it, it wasn't a bad feeling. It was actually quite nice for a change.
'I won't tell him my name. If I do, then he will just hate me as well.' Sol turned around, gasping and holding his breath before quickly walking away from Kennan.
"Hm?" Kennan curiously exclaimed, tilting his head slightly as he saw the nervous Sol quickly shrink into the distance.
"He's definitely interesting. I wasn't wrong about that." He mumbled under his breath, turning around and walking the opposite way.
Sol made his way to a side entrance of the academy and got inside past a security scanner.
He went to his first class, History. To be specific, it was the history of the Sanctuary of Seeranthel.
The classrooms were large and spacious, with high ceilings and rounded walls. They resembled college lecture halls for the most part, but some classrooms were created specifically for the different subjects.
Sol always sat in the very back-right corner of each class. This way, he was allowed to be left alone. Still, even though he attempted to be invisible in his school life, he was picked on by kids here and there.
After a few back-of-the-neck slaps and personal insults, Sol entered his second period of the day; Alchemy.
Sol actually liked this class. There weren't any scary kids in it, and on top of that, Alchemy fascinated him. For this reason, he was quite good at it as well. Well--at least, in terms of book knowledge.
Actually performing the art of Alchemy took Ether Energy, which he lacked up until this day. For this reason, he still hadn't created a single Low-Grade Ether Pill or Elixir, even though he had merely one more year before finishing school for good.
Once he did, he knew he would be thrust into a world of fast-paced responsibilities and scary obstacles, none of which he wanted to face.
Nonetheless, he wanted to face these challenges and come out even greater at the end of them. However, what dictated that he was able to actually face these potentially beneficial challenges was whether he actually passed the school year or not.
Speaking of which, he wasn't even sure if he was going to be able to ensure a good grade in the upcoming exit exam. Just thinking about it was enough to send shivers down his spine. However, he managed to distract himself with Alchemy class.
While other students went to their stations, creating Low-Grade Ether Pills and other medicines, he sat at his desk studying the subject.
His teacher, a young-looking, beautiful lady in her late 20s, gazed at Sol as he studied with a slightly somber look in her eyes.
'Tsk... it's sad to see. Students without any Ether Energy ability are truly disabled in this world. On top of that, he has to deal with his family situation and bullying. I wonder just how he makes it through without giving up...'
After Alchemy class came to lunch in the canteen. The cafeteria was large--a large room with an advanced design and many types of sitting areas.
From one person to up to ten-person benches and tables, the canteen left little to be desired.
They even had a view looking out into the training fields of the Academy, and farther out from that was the Jetai Forest. The scene was breathtaking to behold.
Sol walked over to the long lunch line and grabbed his tray before picking out the foods he wanted to eat.
He grabbed a small cup of salad and fruit, along with milk. That was all he ate in school, as any more would prompt his stepmother's side of the family to get angry with him.
It wasn't as though they couldn't finance more food, but imagining Sol eating to his heart's content was something they thought of with disdain. They hated the idea that Sol could do as he liked, especially since he was a bastard who leeched off of them his entire life.
After getting his lunch, Sol made his way to a round table near the windows where he saw his only two friends waiting for him.
"Sol! You didn't get your drink spilled on you today! Nice job!" A slightly obese kid named Roan waved his stubby arms as he comedically exclaimed.
"Che! Don't be silly bro. They won't let him off the hook, especially not today. I heard Sol speak back to Henlai or something on the Huun." A lanky kid who went by the name Isal retorted with a scoff.
"That rumor has already spread around this much? Damn... I better watch out I guess." Sol added as he sat down in between the two. They all sat facing the windows with their backs to the rest of the canteen.
"Yeah... well, it
is what it is. I don't think you 'watching out' is gonna do much." Roan said, not very confident in Sol's words.
"True. But... at least they pick on us less now that you sit with us. You really are a lifesaver man!" Isal exclaimed, raising a fist up to Sol.
At that moment, Sol was slightly taken aback by Isal's words. That's when the facts that he had slightly forgotten reentered his mind.
'That's right... these two are only my friends because I soak up the negativity around them, like a sponge soaking up water.' He depressingly thought to himself.
"Hey... speaking of which... isn't that Ulao Henen?" Roan suddenly said, looking as though he had seen a ghost.
Hearing that name stunned Sol as well, making him leave Isol hanging.
"Looks like he's coming over here for some reason," Roan added his body still as a deer stuck in headlights.
"He's angry..." Isol commented on this.
"And he's staring directly at you, Sol." Roan finished it off with this.
At that moment, the students near Sol and the others quieted down as murmurs of quiet whispers quickly began to ripple through the area.
'Ulao Henen... the Terrorizer.' Sol mused as a horrible feeling of fear assulted him.
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