Ronald and his parents (Somewhere in London)

Through the window of the luxurious limousine, Ronald watched sadly the London streets passing by, listening to his father on the phone speaking in Italian. His mom was also looking through the windows, examining the illuminated skyscrapers with a downcast expression on her face. The limousine stopped in front of a hangar when they reached Canary Wharf, one of the UK's financial centers. Several men and a fancy helicopter were waiting for them inside the hangar. As the helicopter took off, Ronald wondered how his sister was doing. It's a shame she's going to miss this awesome trip because she's grounded.

When the helicopter started to descend they were in the middle of the ocean. Ronald glanced through the window: they hung suspended at about 32 feet over the sea. A heliport rose from the waters, it was completely illuminated and from its center, several black-clad men waving glowing sticks came out to help the helicopter's pilot land.

They climbed down and were directed to a hall with walls made out of some kind of glass-like material. A pair of automatic doors slid open, revealing a strange, bald man eagerly polishing a crystal ball.

"The duke of Von Wolves is waiting for you. If you please, follow me."

They got in an elevator that took them through a glass tube to a massive submarine. Wow, thought Ronald, a submarine with its own heliport!

The elevator's doors opened and they were welcomed by a beautiful woman accompanied by two equally beautiful, uniform-clad hostesses. They escorted Ronald and his parents through a long and narrow hallway that ended at a pair of golden doors. The bald man, still polishing nervously his crystal ball, pulled out a card from his pocket and swiped it through an electronic lock. A little green light on the lock turned on, and the man placed his hand on an infrared reader. The doors opened automatically.

They entered a rectangular hall dominated by a huge table that seemed made of solid gold and could easily sit twenty people, ten at each side. A long red carpet giving out a soft wildflowers fragrance completed the decoration. Ronald was the last to sit, and his mom reminded him to put the cloth napkin on his lap. The host's seat was empty. Ronald was excited, Wow, a dinner in a submarine! Poor Suhail, she won't believe me when I tell her!

Two lawyers approached Ronald's parents, handing them some documents to sign. The strange man finally set the polished crystal ball in a weird-looking centerpiece. The fireplace moved, leaving behind a dark, gaping hole. Something was moving in the darkness, getting closer to the opening. A metallic sound came from the darkness of the tunnel, and the room lights dimmed. Ronald was biting his nails.

An outlandish man seating in a chair emerged from the opening. He was wearing a red suit, a top hat, and a black cape that made him look like a bat about to take fly. The closer this sibylline character came to the table, the brighter the light from the crystal ball in the centerpiece burned, somehow illuminating the entire hall without blinding them. The whole setting was incredibly bizarre. The chair finally stopped at the host's place and a gold rod with a cadaveric hand at its tip rose from the chair. The Duke fastened his cold stare directly on the bright crystal ball, a deranged smile fixed on his face.

"Ronald, I was expecting you." A chill ran down Ronald's spine. The Duke's deep voice echoed in their ears, vibrating through their bodies as if all the bells of a bell tower had just being struck right next to them.

"Me?"

The Duke clapped once and several waiters came into the room, filling the table with a feast-full worth of delicious food. Their host raised his cup and toasted Ronald, who thought the Duke was a very weird man. He not only knows my name but is also toasting me. What a magical night.

"I know you don't have the best grades, Ronald," the Duke continued, "but I already talked to your father and he said you'll gladly join the best

private school in Europe: the Duke of Lungstinton's Military High School."

Ronald was surprised. His sister's dream was to be admitted into that ridiculously elitist and expensive school. It was located in the heart of London and Suhail's application was turned down because her GPA was short merely a couple of decimals of the minimum required to be interviewed. Anyone who wanted to study there not only had to have the highest grades possible but also had to come from a wealthy family and to take a five-part test in only one day. The Duke of Lungstinton's Military High School had educated members of the aristocracy, and the children of famous businesspersons and politicians from all over the world.

The Duke looked at his assistant, who gave Ronald a folder with the school's logo on it and his name on a card. Ronald's eyes widened when he saw he had been admitted, without doing any exam, into this prestigious school. A thrill ran down his body, a weird mix of apprehension and excitement, at the prospect of studying there.

His dad and mom stood up and hugged him, congratulating him, while the Duke surveyed him under dropped lids with a fierce expression of pleasure perched on his face.