Chapter 1

The crackling sound of thunder in the distance, the spark of lightning that lights up the sky and the warmth of the rain hitting my skin, it felt nice but as the warmth in my body slowly started leaving me I didn't feel scared anymore, I felt relieve.

Broken ribs, collapsed lung and a missing arm and eye, the fear I felt was replaced by anger and frustration "you said you'd help me protect them?!" the frustration in not having the power I needed "what more will you take, what else do you want from me!!" I couldn't do it, I wasn't strong enough "please tell me what I did I do wrong? Answer me, Tell me why!!" I screamed but no one listened, I cried out but there's no one there, as I sank deeper and deeper into despair, everything I wanted to protect was just out of reach, I did everything I could but it wasn't enough "I don't care anymore" as I felt my self fading, a voice rang out "has my voice at last reached you, my lord?" it said, even though I've never heard it before, it felt nostalgic and warm, like a mother's "forgive me, my lord. For you were not yet ready." I was confused as to what it meant but I wanted to know. "Who are you?" I wanted to know if I could have done more "my lord, I am the last queen of ...." I couldn't understand what she said at the end but I know I've heard it before. "my lord, it is not yet your time." I see, your...

I struggled for so long but I was never alone, was I? "will we meet again?" I asked the voice as It started to fade, I wanted to know more about you, "yes my lord, we will meet again when the time is right." Then I understood, "you were always there weren't you?, Always by my side, thank you." I said as my eyes slowly opened.

As my vision slowly returned, I saw my friend kneeling over me crying, the ground was wet from the rain and all I could hear was her voice calling me name, all I could see was her face drenched in tears as she sat next to me "get up... please" she said trying to get a response from me.

I'm such an idiot for not realizing sooner "I'm sorry I wasn't unable to protect you" my voice barely audible, because of my weakness you lost someone precious to you, it's my fault. "I'm sorry" I want to comfort you but I can't feel my arm and it's so cold, the only thing keeping me awake is the pain I feel all over my body.

As the rain fell, I could feel my body giving out but she stayed by me, sobbing as she called out to me "Louis!?" she yelled.

Her face was easy to read and I could always tell what she was thinking "he protected me but I was useless" your wrong, "I couldn't protect him" your wrong, "it's my fault this happened to you" your wrong, you did help me, you were always there when I needed someone and when I had no one you were there for me, it was always you who helped me when I needed you.

"Louis! get up, please" you were always like this weren't you, you always hated fighting and seeing people get hurt.

"it's ok, please don't worry" I said with a weak voice and smile to comfort her "I'm fine, you don't need worry about me, I called the Med team, they'll be here soon" she said with tears running down her face "you'll be ok" she said with a shaky voice as her eyes looked in the direction of my missing arm.

"I'm glad" I said as I felt tired, "I'm happy your ok but let me rest for now."

As my eyes closed, the sound of the rain started to fade with the light of the sun poking through the clouds her voice rang out once more "hang in there, Lu!, don't die!" even as everything goes dark, I could still hear her voice.

Right then, her oldest friend, dies with a warm smile.

Two year earlier~

The sound of the rain outside my window was always nostalgic but I never liked the rain because it felt cold to me.

"Uis.. Louis!" A voice kept ringing in my ear "five.. more minutes" I said groaning as I tried to go back to sleep.

"Come on Louis get up, your gonna be late for school" said an annoying voice as I felt my covers being forcefully pulled away.

"Come on sis, let me sleep a little longer" i said in a sleep voice, I didn't get much sleep cuz I stayed up all night long formulating battle plans and strategies for an online game me and my friend played.

"It's your own fault for staying up so late, now get, up!" She demanded as she pulled my covers away with enough force taking me with them in the process down to the cold hard wooden floor of my room.

"Damn it, that hurt!" I cried out as I started to pick myself up off the floor "damn sis, that wasn't very nice, you know I'll get you back for that" I said to her in a mischievous tone.

"I'd like to see you try" she said Crossing her arms as looked down at me, accepting my challenge.

Across my room reflecting in the sun light coming through the window, are the trophies I've earned through out the years in many tournaments and Lilith's the same, we've always been like this, training since we were younger.

My younger sister Lilith, is both the karate junior champ and the Kendou national champion, we started training together after she turned 5, and we've trained together ever since for 13 years. Her skills with a sword and her hand to hand combat techniques are top notch but she still acts like this with me when no ones around but in front of others she's prim and proper, nothing like her self at all.

As looked at her, she gave me a worried look "Dad didn't come home for a few days, have you heard anything from him?" she asked waiting for a response, dad did tell me that he was coming home yesterday but I guess he didn't "he probably locked himself in his office again but don't worry I'll go check on him later" I said trying to reassure her.

"I hope he's at least resting" she said worriedly "I'll go prepare a bag of clothes and some warm food for him so please take it with you and make sure he eats, ok?" she asked as she turned to leave my room.

"don't worry I will" I answered her as she left closing the door behind her. "Damnit old man, why do you always make her worry like this?" I said sitting in my empty room "She should worry about her self a little more" I said staring at a picture frame sitting on my desk across from me "he's been like that ever since Mom disappeared.."

It's been 10 years since the disaster known as Phantoms, an incident where half the student body and staff of the sacred Academy disappeared. There was a flash of light that envelope the Academy, the teacher's tried to help the students that were left inside get out and as panic spred from the lack of vision caused by the light started to die down, the next thing we knew they were gone, the students in the academy and the stuff that were helping them, they disappeared without a trace and among them my mother, The authorities search for 3 years but couldn't find anything, they were just gone.

As I left the house, all I could think of was the last time I saw Mom and the way I treated her on that day "your not my real mother, so don't act like you are" all I did was take out my anger and frustration on her, even though she tried her hardest to be a part of our family, I never tried to accept her, even though dad and sis did "my real Mom's dead" I just that to her but she just smiled and hugged me softly with a sad look in her eyes, as if to say "it's ok, I understand" I didn't mean to make her sad but I just ran away without apologizing, that was the last time I saw her, after she disappeared, dad was never the same after losing them both it broke him, since then he's shut himself in his lab researching the incident trying to figure out a way to know what happened and if we can bring them back.

30 minutes later~

"I.. I made it running all the way to here, I need to catch my breath" I said breathless as I stood outside main gate of the academy, it was a large iron gate with many symbols covering it "That.. was murder, guess I'm gonna have to get up early from now on" I'm surrounded by students walking calmly and others like me running their legs off to make it on time "You look interesting, so what's your name?" Said a male student behind me, I must have been to exhausted to notice him approaching me, both our uniforms were different from everyone else's was the first thing I noticed as I turned to greet him.

"I'm Louis, Louis Jazz, and what's your name?" I asked as I took a better look at him, he seems different from the other students, both his shirt and blazer are sleeveless. I wonder if he's also a close quarters type like Lilith? I thought as I looked around checking the other students and sure enough, some were sleeveless while others had short on and almost all of them and a weapon with them. Was I supposed to bring my sword with me!, Well no use thinking about that now.

"the names Jack Diem" he answered with a grin "it's nice to meet you" he said offering his hand. As he reached out I noticed, that he had scars all over his arms, he must have trained hard "likewise, nice to meet you too" I said shaking his hand with a smile as we started walking in through the gate "so this your first day too?" He asked looking at my uniform, as I looked over the students earlier I noticed that some had badges on their shoulders and others didn't with the most I've seen on them being 5 on their left shoulder.

"yup..." I answered unenergetically, though I'm not surprised since I stayed up late, I guess we'll just our badges later maybe.

"come on man, cheer up! we've got time for some fun you know" he said with a mischievous laugh "Not really, as we're late for orientation as it is" he's got way too much energy in the morning, I really envy him "we gotta move fast, otherwise we'll get in trouble on our first day" I yelled as I started running again.

So this is it, the sacred Academy Tower! with a grin on my face and a bag slung over my shoulder I ran, hopefully I won't be late and I'll keep my promise this time.. Mom.

The Academy's said to have been built by the God's descendants, towers as high as the clouds. In a world were fiction is now mankind's reality, we find ourselves living alongside the beings we read about in myths and legend And it's thanks to the advancements of both Science and Faith that we've learned to harness and master the powers that begin to manifest from both worlds merging, and the places where we're trained to master them are known as The Eternal Towers, Tropaion.