2 [2] New Shanghai

The train arrived at its destination. All of the passengers boarded off with their luggage. While many of them grabbed their suitcases, coats, and traveling-luggage as they were guided in an orderly fashion manner by the train attendants.

The train had stopped at the New-Shanghai Express Station, which was located in the Bay Area. The building was very large, and there were glass-paned windows, and chandeliers, that gave the station a bright and formal look, and the sound of people rushing to their jobs, and the sights of many people who would soon be sent off to do great things in their life.

The group of people all unloaded from the train and made it out through the doors. The boy, Liu, and his little sister, Mu both found themselves following the group of people to exit safely from the train. They were in the far back walking, Liu was applying a bit of pressure on his head to cope with a headache he was suffering from, he then began to think.

"Huh, I don't remember things being like this...something feels weird. Did we really arrive here like this?"

Somewhere in Liu's mind, there was a gap between the events of during the trip and shortly after he and his sister. This gap was missing a lot of information, and Liu couldn't really seem to fill the missing dots.

"In my mind, I could have recalled that the train had crashed..."

"But something here isn't right, something feels off..."

Liu was very uncertain, and even the way his body felt during this time was quite strange. He felt a bit lightheaded and lethargic, and even his head seemed to have had a never-ending migraine.

Liu wanted to make sure that he wasn't losing his mind so he turned and asked his sister Mu, "Hey sis, do you remember anything strange happening, just before we got off the train..."

"Huh...brother please don't tell me that you're so tired that you slept through the entire trip...oh what am I gonna do with you.", Mu said.

Mu looked concerned a bit, but she was laughing as well. She knew that her brother was quite the sleepyhead, but she couldn't hold in her laughter—she bursted with tears of laughter.

"Are you sure you don't remember anything happening?", Liu asked.

"Of course not, you were knocked out cold...you had fallen asleep so many times that even I began to laugh, hehe hehe.", Mu let out a sincere huckle while she tried to suppress it, but it eventually slept out.

So it seemed that She doesn't remember anything--so is it only just me? I can't possibly be the one that feels like this. My body is hot, and my head is pounding, I feel lightheaded a point in which even standing up right now is a hassle. There is something missing! Just what is it!???

Liu got frustrated and was lost in thought about what occurred. He couldn't just bring himself back to the thought of what he was doing before they arrived at New Shanghai. It was like a brick-wall blocking the flow of his thoughts.

A flashback triggered in Liu's mind.

"Yeah, that's right! the attendant lady was scolding us, and before I knew it; the train began to lose control and gained speed somehow. It's still such a blur, I can remember but i can heat and feel it. No matter what I just can't seem to recall what happened entirely." Liu's head began to ache even more as he struggled to remember what happened.

"Ehhh...there's no use. Trying to remember will just make it hurt even more.", Liu couldn't go through anymore pain. He was far too tired and was ready to crash. He was basically sleep walking at this point.

Both of them exited the train station through the front entrance. Liu and Mu walked through the heavy weighted-entrance doors, and outside was a new world that appeared before them.

Mu was ready as expected. Liu on the other hand was feeling lethargic and tired. He was too excited on their trip and forgot to sleep for 2 whole days.

The wind blowed swiftly, and the two came to a stop in the middle of the front lot, they glanced at the sky. There was an amazing view of a Deep blue colored morning sky, with many stars that sparkles through the open view.

Liu and Mu stood there.

They admired the beauty of the world that stood before them. Mu could feel the precious soothing of the wind blow through her hair. She had even began to blush from it.

The environment was full of so much peace and quietness.

The way things were in New Shanghai were far different than at their hometown.

They could be at peace here, and far away from stress, and loud people.

"So—this is it...this is New Shanghai...I guess it really isn't so bad after all,huh?"

Liu's eyes were so amazed by how bright and modern the city was, but there was a large system of lighting that complimented the city with a futuristic look during nighttime and mornings. Their morning moreover was far longer, and the moon was very outstanding in the center of the city. It shined a light so brightly that it lit the area down the street, a fir further; which had seemed to be a shopping district.

"Hey Mu what do you think, this place really is something isn't it?", Liu asked.

"Yeah, of course...New Shanghai is much bigger than our old home, it's so cool big brother!", Mu nodded.

Mu was also quite fascinated by the cities beauty, that even her eyes began to open widely as she admired the glorious view which remained far away in the distance.

"There she goes again, always amazed as ever. I'm sorta glad that we decided to come here, but what happened before we arrived is still a mystery to me.",Liu thought to himself.

The city during the morning was quite calm, and peaceful. And there was a gentle breeze, that blowed from the Bay Area. There weren't many people out at the moment, there were only individuals whom gotten off of work, and those who arrived from their trips.

"Hey brother where do we go...who is gonna be our caretaker?", Mu said while she tugged Liu's arm.

Liu didn't wanna say anything but he was better off to tell his younger sister the truth.

"Well...we don't have a caretaker, it's just us. We're in our own from now on. I hope that you can understand.", Liu Saïd while avoiding eye contact with her.

Liu paused for a moment to not even look into the face of a sister who had lost all hope, at having a caretaker and a place to stay.

"B-brother so where will we stay!...you can't honestly believe that it would be acceptable for us to just be homeless!"

"Don't worry, I know a place where we can go. Just trust me, everything's already been arranged.", Liu gave his sister a thumbs up, and she then nodded in agreement.

At this point it was gonna be up to Liu to lead on his sister, maintain a life, and academic study and to bring fame and fortune once more to their family branch.

Liu had known a place where him and his sister could stay, he led her on. They managed to catch a taxi, which of course then delivered them to the location of their stay. Once the taxi dropped them off, the two found themselves staring at a large standardized mansion, with a mysterious person standing near the curb, to greet their arrival.

Liu and his sister approached the one agent, that was apparently the leader.

"Hello, my name is Liu and this is my younger sister, Mu...we were both assigned to live here, by our family orders.", Liu said.

"Ah, yeah...please excuse me sir. We have been awaiting your arrival. I hope that your trip turned out fine.", he said as he bowed down in respect.

"Ah, please...Theres no need to bow down to us..hehehea, we are only here to take the Magic Exams, to enter into the academy."

"Oh hahaha, is that so? Well I am sure that you two will become fine magicians...", he said.

H-Huh,...what the hell are they talking about! ...Magic exams? What!, Liu took a moment to process what he heard, yet he also thought that maybe he was losing his mind from his painful headache.

Liu sighed.

~ahhh

N-no...no...no, I'm just tired. I've also been a bit lethargic. Am I really starting to hallucinate—is this normal?

"Well anyway, please come inside...we will get your luggage situated, and I will hand out your student cards.", he said.

The agent man was very strong. He easily was and to pick up Mu's and Liu's luggage with no issues. He was sorta your average man, he averages in height but he had eye-catching strength.

Mu and Liu both followed him. The walked into the modernized mansion-which resided in a gated community, in the rural area.

"Welcome...please make yourselves at home, sir."

Beyond the two doors of their new home were maids aligned on both sides of the entrance. They all greeted Liu and his sister with such bright and delighted expressions on their face. They bowed down with respect to the siblings.

"E-excuse me, but why do we have maids?...Don't you think that this is a bit too much?", Liu asked.

"It's to keep this entire house clean of course, and to make sure that you don't do anything reckless and irresponsible. You are only children, so your parents of course didn't want you to be alone...instead these beautiful caretakers will only check on you every once and a while."

That makes sense I guess, we'll it isn't like it's so bad. After all, It's important for us to focus on our studies.

Liu held his hand on his head.

His head began to ache even more, and a powerful sonic screech of pain, echoed throughout his head. He pressed his hand on his hand to ease the pain, but it began to become unbearable.

Mu Noticed. Her heart then raced a bit once she had resized that something was injuring her brother. She then asked if he was okay.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think I'm just a bit tired and lightheaded from the train ride, that's all...There's no need to worry.", Liu said.

"Alright then, I think it's a good idea if you go and get some rest. Your classes start in the afternoon anyway-just take it easy.", the agent said.

"Oh, and here. One more thing!", the agent then slid two ID verification cards from his pocket and handed them with care to Liu and Mu.

"Those are your ID cards, you will need them in order to enter and exit the school.", he said.

Liu looked down at his card. The card read all of his personal information, such as his age, height, weight, and face ID. Then under his name read school location: Orion Academy.

Next to him after his sister finished reading her card, she began to feel down.

"I-I'm not going to the same school as you...my school is a different one.", Mu pouted.

She was feeling down. Deep in Mu's heart dye wanted to be with her brother badly, it wasn't normal for them to separate. Mine relied a lot on Liu so she didn't feel confident with this change.

"Hey, why aren't the both of us being registered to the same academy?", Liu asked

"Who knows?, but I believe that it was just by coincidence. You managed to make it into the last spot of your academy, it appears to be that your family assigned you to two different schools. But anyway don't sweat it-things will be fine.", he said.

"Y-yeah, I guess so.", Liu whispered.

"Well, ...I'm off and please take care, see ya!", the agent then left after making sure their baggage was secured their rooms.

By the time the agent had left, Liu arrived to his room. And he literally passed out on the large king-sized bed. He fell back onto the soft cotton sheets and felt how delightful the texture was and he began to think, to himself.

The sharp pain started once more. Liu began to feel and endure it all. The pain was so immense that he held both of his hands on his head, but it only got stronger. The pain was immense and strong enough to deal brain damage to him. The pain then triggered a series of flashbacks.

Liu could visualize and remember for a quick moment what happened.

"Yeah, that's right. It was real--the train did lose control. And then after that—"

The pain in Liu's head disappeared.

Liu reached into his pocket. He then pulled out the mysterious necklace his mother had given him before she passed away.

Liu was the type of person that never liked holding onto old memories-so he would keep it hidden, and out of sight.

Liu realized that there somehow was a connection between the loach, and what happened earlier.

Liu could remember intense shock that the loach used. It seemed so out of his world. Lou then found himself-questioning if he was even in the same world. The idea was too ridiculous, Liu then discarded it from his mind.

"Was this thing the cause of it all...did it cause the train to lose control? It dosent seem to have any significance to it.

"I wonder, why did my mother give me this thing before she passed away...just what is this little loach?"

Liu pulled the necklace to his eye view. He began to observe and figure out what it was exactly.

The necklace was a vibrant purple color, but it also was created out of obsidian which gave it a black charcoal appearance. The loach was sorta like a key you could say.

It was fairly the size of Liu's index finger so he had no trouble holding it. He then noticed something.

"Hey...what's quite weird is I don't remember it being a key-shaped necklace. Maybe I haven't really looked at it too often."

Liu then stared continuously at the loach, and a small Dark lightning bolt stun his finger, once Liu fell asleep. The necklace somehow began to react to his touch. Before he realized it, he had fallen sound asleep, with the necklace dangling in his hand.

Just what was this necklace, and did it really have a connection to what occurred earlier that morning.

Liu was still going to figure things out eventually, but he had school later and wanted to be energized for what obstacles he would soon have to face?

The future would hold in store both destructive and creative paths.

Just which one was Liu destined to take?

avataravatar
Next chapter