Chapter 2: Bell

The plains of a new world. The fresh air felt vastly different, the grass, and even the sky felt so new that it was almost surreal.

Standing at the line between the new world and that of his secluded forest home, he glanced back.

As if he was deciding whether or not he should leave, maybe at the back of his mind he did want to stay and live alone.

However, his longing of a new world, of a possibly changed one was stronger than that of his desire for any sort of loneliness.

And so, with both feet forward he presses on.

---

[The closest town...] He wondered to himself. If he could even remember.

He was retracing his steps. As if his mind was one huge library, he looked at several books and portfolios of memories.

Alas, he remembered a map that he had read about the area. As if he was plucking out a book from his repressed mind, he flipped through pages of memories.

[The nearest town should be down towards the East...]

"Meadow Wood..."

He walked along the grassy plains looking for any sort of sign, hint, path, or even a landmark. However, there wasn't one he could see.

[Ah, well, I'll eventually find something.]

The trek turned into a day, then into a week, then finally into a month. Tricky was ageless, however, he wasn't immortal.

Everyday he actively went out to search for his next meal and a source of water. He hadn't realized, but his instincts were becoming sharper as if he was turning into an animal.

He started noticing the most miniscule of sounds within the forests and the plains, he saw and heard the slight rustling of the tall grass and branches.

He was doing it subconsciously, but he was pouring his mana directly into his eyes to see things that no human could see.

However, the pain in his eyes started to grow. He could feel his eyes slowly burning.

"AH! Wha-Wha-What's this pain!" He repeatedly rubbed his eyes as if it was an involuntary reaction.

"It burns!" He cried out.

After a few minutes of intense pain, he slowly re-opened his eyes. However, his vision had definitely changed.

His eyes could see a lot farther, it was different from his typical enchanted eyes, he could see the mana flowing around the world like a river. It was extravagant and beautiful.

[My vision... What happened... it's... improved?]

He then scoured for a nearby lake, or any body of water. Then within the reflection of the lake he saw his eyes.

His pupils were cat-eyed, his irises were star-shaped and both glowed red.

"These are...!"

But before he could finish he heard the sound of rustling. However, it sounded slightly unfamiliar, it was no animal.

The sound of rustling then grew, it grew louder, louder, and even louder. It sounded like something was rolling down a hill.

Then he heard a faint yell.

"Aaaaaah!"

Then... SPLASH.

The person came tumbling down and splashed into the lake. The water flew towards Tricky messing up his white, messy, hair.

The person in the water then swam up and poked their head out.

"Oh-Oh-No... I can't believe I tripped again."

It was a girl with long, maple-like hair. The sun that came beating down through gaps of the leaves reflected her image through the water.

It looked almost angelic.

Tricky stared at the girl. The girl looked up, saw him, and stared back. It took a second, but after a short pause the girl screamed.

"AH!"

Tricky was surprised and screamed along too, but he managed to calm himself down.

"W-Wait! Hold on! Don't... Don't scream."

The girl was calming herself down.

"I... I didn't mean to startle you. You just rolled down the big ol' hill and, well, fell in the lake that I just happened to be at..."

Tricky laid his hand out across the water.

"Here, let's get you out."

The girl took his hand then Tricky lifted her out of the water.

"Um... sorry for screaming at you... Mister...?"

The girl sat down and was trying to squeeze the water out from her clothes.

"It's Tricky..."

"What? What's tricky...?" The girl was

confused.

"My name. It's Tricky, like my name is Tricky."

"Ooh! I get it! Well, nice to meet you Mister Tricky. My name is Bell..."

Bell then noticed the eyes. Her piercing stare seemed as if she was in a trance. Then she slowly raised her hand, then her finger, she opened her palm as if she was trying to grab his eye.

Tricky grabbed her hand, "What're ya' doing?"

"It's beautiful..." She said, but eerie it was.

"Mister..."

Tricky felt a bit nervous, his hand was shaking. He felt a bad omen run down along his spine.

"You're a demon aren't you?"

Then she finished it, she finished her sentence. The single word, 'demon', echoed within his mind. It made him shiver, down to the bone.

"Me...? A demon...? Y-You must be mistaken? I... I can't be a demon."

[How much does she know? And me? A demon? Why would I be a demon? Aren't I human?]

His thoughts became clouded, he was filled with doubt and worry, this feeling was something he hasn't felt since 1000 years ago.

The girl then ran her hand down along his arm. As if she was examining a specimen from a lab.

"Hm... Nevermind, you're human after all, but that's strange, your eyes are unlike anything I've ever seen."

She clicked her tongue, "But, you know... Those who kill demons can't ever be normal."

Tricky already sensed that, after Glove. After the whole war in fact, he never felt normal, not once... ever.

The girl then stood up, this time she let out her hand.

"Come, follow me Mister... I know this place that deals with people like you... and people like me..."

[What!]

"What!"

Tricky shouted both in his mind and aloud. The girl giggled and grabbed his hand.

They pranced out the forest, until they eventually found a cobblestone path. It wasn't beaten down, rather it seemed newly built.

"Where are we goin?"

Bell was leading him by the ear, "school!"

Tricky was now fully confused.

[Who was she?] He wondered.

He stared at her back while being pulled along. Why was she running alone? Tumbling down a hill alone? It felt extremely weird, just a moment ago he was alone, and now he was being pulled along by a complete stranger.

[Was she looking for something?] He asked himself.

"I just happened to be looking for some herbs, you know!" She turned her head back, it looked as if she read his mind.

Tricky seemed unconvinced, he was doubtful and slightly cautious.

[Did she read my mind?]

Bell laughed, "Haha! From that face, you must think I read your mind or something!" She brushed off the tears of laughter from her face.

"Don't worry, I can't read minds. Your face is just too easy to read."

Tricky's cheeks turned red, he felt a little embarrassed.

"Anyhoo, I only came around to this area to find a specific plant, which I did find!" She took it out of her bag and showed it off.

"It's a rare medicinal herb that you can't get anywhere else! Anyways, meeting someone like you was entirely coincidental."

[Coincidental? Seems so unlikely.] Tricky had yet to realize his secret ability, the ace up his sleeve.

"Mister, you're pretty lucky aren't you?" Bell smiled.

However, he doubted any sort of luck he had.

[If I were truly lucky, then, where were all my friends. Family.] And so he thought.

It was a long ten minutes of continuous running, but they had arrived.

"Welcome to the Magisters Abyss, also known as the Magic Academy!"

To say the castle was merely massive would be an understatement. The castle itself was one gigantic city. The exterior walls weren't anything to scoff at either, they were as tall as mountains.

And there was the ginormous gate, the sounds of it creaking and moving made the ground shake.

[This is outrageous! How long have I secluded myself?! If this was a whole castle, then in my era, my kingdom would've been a house!]

"Hehe, hey silly, why are you just staring? Is this some sort of hobby of yours?" She forcibly tugged him along laughing as she went.