2 CHAPTER 2: Schelo

Year 635.

Sweat trickled down Ray's spine as the heat around him attacked his body. He stood still in the humid room, focusing on the cool air that entered his nostrils and the warm air that passed out of his mouth. Paper thin walls formed a nearly nonexistent boundary between him and the outside. While he concentrated within the confines of the room, the gardens outside bustled with laughter and joy.

The room, a cube of 6 metre per side, was held together by 4 teak wood pillars at each corner. Six, one metre wide and six metre long panels situated adjacent to each other formed the ceiling.

The rustling sound of the sliding doors opening alerted Ray and pulled him out of his focused state. He looked up in irritation to confront the person who had interrupted his training. A scrawny young boy stood at the foot of the door, a folded towel placed gently in his hands. "Mister Schelo asked you to meet him at the study." He said in a soft and wavering voice.

Ray walked closer to the boy to grab the towel and the difference in their stature and overall lifestyle became very apparent. While Ray stood at 6 foot 3", the boy was a measly 5 foot 6" despite both of them being 17 years old. The lack of nutrition the boy received was also made clear by his thinning limbs and overall emaciated look. Compared to Ray who had a thick muscular body, the boy was nothing but a stick with limbs.

Ray snatched the towel out of the boy's hands, making the boy shudder and take a step back. Ray smirked as he wiped the sweat off of himself and returned the towel to the boy. He put on his shirt that had been lying on the floor and blew the flame off of the candle in the middle of the room.

Ray walked out of the dark room with a malicious smile as he knocked himself into the boy, sending the boy tumbling onto the ground. The boy didn't say anything, and nor did the other servants who were tending to the garden. Instead they all looked away in shame.

"Get off the ground already!" Ray shouted at the boy, who stood up with a pained expression.

"Look at me." He said in a calm yet malintent voice, but the boy did not comply and continued to face the ground.

"LOOK AT ME!" Ray shouted, his voice sending shivers down all the servants' backs. The boy's face whipped upwards instantly as his eyes watered and tears rolled down his cheek. His big round eyes stared into the empty void behind Ray's as his body shook violently. Ray's smile widened as he watched the boy quiver in fear. He began laughing maniacally and walked away at the supposedly amusing spectacle he had created.

The sound of Ray's laughter echoed in the boy's ears long after Ray was gone. The shock in his eyes remained even after the other servants consoled him.

"Poor thing," thought an older servant standing alone in the corner as she looked at the boy. "Having to work day and night for that revolting boy must be a pitiful existence."

An eerie silence stained the garden as its joyful atmosphere was wiped clean by the unforgiving hands of reality. No matter how one looked at it, these servants were treated like slaves. This may not be the case throughout the country, but in the Vilhorm household it was to be expected. The family that had once fought for the sake of the people had now been turned into a stinking pile of entitled men and women who believed they deserved everything the world could offer. Anyone who was indebted to the family was forced into manual labour, cursing all their descendants into a deplorable existence.

The Vilhorm residence spanned 20 thousand square feet housing 4 interconnected gardens surrounding the 2 storied mansion. The servant quarters were located a couple hundred feet away from the mansion and lacked the appealing beauty of the grandiose structure.

As you entered the mansion you would be greeted by a brightly lit spiral staircase that took you up to the other floor. A dazzling chandelier hung from the ceiling, providing its surroundings with a subtle yet noticeable glow. The master bedroom situated on the top floor, was flanked by the children's and guests' bedrooms. Ray's bedroom was located to the left of the master bedroom where his parents resided.

The ground floor contained the kitchen, dining room, office and other rooms which were essentially used as storage space. An indoor pool and a steam room were located at one of the corners of the mansion and were regularly used by guests and residents.

The study, located on the first floor, was a rectangular room that doubled as a library. It stretched 20 feet across and 25 feet wide and its walls were packed with books and scrolls containing all types of information. Three desks faced the empty wall between the book racks and a slim man with a receding hairline was seated at one of them, reading a book.

A knock at the door startled the man who looked up from his book. He knew who was at the door but waited to regain his composure before letting them in. "Come in!" He said and the door swung open. A young boy with green hair, wearing a loose shirt, walked into the well lit room and bowed down to the man.

"Welcome Ray," the man spoke as he bowed down slightly to greet the boy.

"Good morning Mister Schelo." Ray replied, bowing even further as a sign of respect.

"I called you here to know how far you've progressed since last week. Though, I doubt you could have broken through the Gold stage already." A sense of disappointment along with curiosity filled the room, curiosity evidently overtaking the disappointment.

As research furthered in the subject of magic, new techniques were developed. As time went on, the techniques evolved and became harder for the general public to perform. This called for a ranking system that classified certain techniques based on the amount of technical knowledge required and the sheer complexity of said technique. Similarly to the rank of each technique, the users were assigned Stages with the same name. These Stages acted as proof that the user could successfully perform every technique ranked below said stage.

Starting out at the lowest rank: Bronze. This rank constituted techniques that the common folk could use in their everyday lives, enhancing their performance in particular fields.

Bronze was followed by Silver and then Gold, both of which included techniques that could only be learnt at schools or special classes. Gold being more complex than silver.

Broken Diamond was the next rank which comprised of techniques whose execution depended highly on the skill of the user. The techniques were oriented towards combat and mainly to fight off multiple groups of people. The level of innate talent required to utilise the techniques from this rank meant that many people would remain stuck in Gold for the rest of their lives.

Following Broken Diamond were 2 stages that housed techniques of various uses. After crossing Broken Diamond, one would have to choose from the two ranks since the uses of the techniques varied greatly for both of them. Once the user had chosen one of the ranks, they were barred from using techniques from the other. The reason for this restriction was due to the lethal nature of the 2 types of techniques trying to co-exist within one person's body.

"So Ray, layout this week's progress for me." Mister Schelo commanded,

"For starters, I've nearly perfected [Air Crystallisation]." A proud smile plastered itself across Schelo's face as he heard the words come out of Ray's mouth. His first thought was that Ray was bluffing, but after taking another look at the child's unwavering face he knew the reality of the situation.

But Schelo needed to make sure. He believed in his own hypothesis, but he needed evidence to back it up.

"Why don't you give me a demonstration then?" Schelo said after a moment of deep thought.

Ray smiled gleefully. He wanted desperately to show off his skills and would take any chance to do so. As both of them exited the study, Ray's heart began racing. He hadn't mastered the technique yet but was glad that Schelo was interested to see how far he had come. The two exited the mansion and headed off to the gardens behind it, Ray's mind still flooded with excitement.

The sweet fragrance of the rose plants invaded Ray's nose, instantly calming the boy and clearing his mind. The fresh air was a relief to Schelo coming from the musty study where he had spent 20 minutes waiting for Ray.

A few maids and servants were tending to the plants but quickly evacuated when they saw Ray and Schelo standing in the middle of the garden. Ray stood at the centre, surrounded by empty space, while Schelo stood a few feet further away and observed the boy.

"Begin once you catch your breath," Schelo said as he watched the nervous boy preparing to execute the technique that would guarantee his promotion to the Gold stage.