Chapter Eleven

A MONTH LATER

The school year had already begun, and I was excited and at the same time not very thrilled. I felt like it would be hard for me to make friends and I didn't know what Axy and her friends would say to other people in school about me, Haz always had a way of making me feel not alone. Axy had given me the cold shoulder during the past month of mostly practicing magic, She was always out with her friends anyway, more so since the incident.

I walked alone toward the Academy the early morning breeze made me pull my collar up and rub my arms together. The side of the city where Rick's mansion was located was a bit secluded, he probably bought all the houses in the area and demolished them just to get a huge porch. It was just a thirty-minute walk from Rick's mansion to the academy, the road away from the mansion was different from the road to the other parts of the city, I could hear the sound of the leaves around me rustling from the subtle breeze, to emphasize my point.

I had asked Axy if she would walk with me, but I would have had more progress talking to a wall. Thirty-one days in a month is a long time to be afraid of somebody that didn't mean you any harm, I didn't blame her though, I probably would have been scared too.

My thoughts kept me company on what felt like the most unbounded moment since I stepped foot in the mansion.

I got to the academy gate and I'm sure it took a whole three minutes for me to take it all in. The first time I was here I didn't have a look around maybe because we snuck in through a secret entrance that Rhyo showed us. The scenery was quite refreshing, you could hear the many voices and footsteps there were a bunch of buildings not too far from the entrance it was like a semi-circle and a patio on either side of the walkway, I zoned out at the beauty of it.

"ALL STUDENTS TO THE ASSEMBLY HALL! ALL STUDENTS TO THE ASSEMBLY HALL! DEAN PHIM WILL BRIEF ALL STUDENTS IN THE ASSEMBLY HALL".

The voice caught me off guard, I didn't realize that I was standing at a spot until I heard it. I tried to find where it was coming from but I couldn't see anything, well what do I expect from a school that teaches magic, at least I wasn't the only one that was surprised, some other students were doing exactly what I was.

I followed the crowd of students that were rushing into a building not far from where I was standing, you could tell that the building was the assembly hall from how red it was.

I walked into the building with the other students that were trooping in, most of us stood and just stared, it was a very big auditorium and we didn't know where to sit I guess they were also first years.

"THERE ARE FOUR SECTIONS OF SITTING, FIRST YEARS TAKE YOUR SITS IN THE FIRST SECTION FROM YOUR LEFT, SECOND YEARS THE SECOND SECTION FROM YOUR LEFT, THIRD YEARS THE THIRD SECTION FROM THE LEFT AND LAST YEARS THE LAST SECTION", ordered the same voice.

This time I didn't bother to look for where it came from I just tried to find a sit in the first year's section. It was like everybody knew each other, I kept getting shoved out of the way or told that the sit was reserved, I ended up not getting a sit and I had to climb back up to stand at the entrance of the building with some other students.

A man dressed in a purple and white robe walked up to the stage and started addressing the crowd.

"I welcome all students to the new school year, for those who do not know me I am Dean Phim the Dean of this school, to the students that advanced in class, and to the teams that completed their missions last year I congratulate you. First years I welcome you all to the wonderful academy of magic, you should get your handbooks by the end of your first classes today, the handbooks will tell you everything you need to know about this school and its rules. I wish you all a good year ahead and I hope none of you end up in my office or at least give me a five seconds head start", he concluded with a smile. The whole hall was noisy with laughter, the very brief assembly was over just like that and everyone started filing out the door.

"ALL OLD STUDENTS HEAD TO YOUR CLASSES, ALL NEW STUDENTS HEAD TO THE REGISTRATION OFFICE TO CHOOSE YOUR COURSES AND SPECIALTIES", The mysterious voice instructed.

I followed some students that looked like they knew where they were going and ended up at the registration office, I walked in.

Inside, signs were hanging on different doors around the inside of the registration office building.

The first door hung THE BOOK OF SWORDS REG OFFICE, the second THE BOOK OF NATURE REG OFFICE, the third THE BOOK OF DREAMS REG OFFICE, fourth THE BOOK OF SOULS REG OFFICE, fifth THE BOOK OF BEASTS REG OFFICE, sixth THE BOOK OF CURSES AND OTHERS.

I wondered why it was written a book of curses and others, but walked in regardless.

The desk officer inside the office was an old lady, maybe in her sixties, sitting at her desk with a shelf full of books behind her, it was a rather simple office.

"Your slip?", she said stretching out her hand.

"My slip?, my slip.....oh okay", I dug into my pocket to find the note Rickhel gave me that morning saying I should give it to the desk officer and that I shouldn't open or read it.

I found it, "you mean this", I asked her. She didn't reply just kept her hand stretched out not even making eye contact, I gave it to her and she opened and read it.

She handed me a paper that read, FIRST YEAR SPECIAL CASE COURSES

Basics of Magic - MAG 101

Basics of Summoning - MAG 102

History of Magic - HIM 101 GC

Practical Battle - PB 101 GC

Magic Tools - MAT 101 GC

Magic Tools Analysis and Creation - MTA 101 GC

She also handed me a map of the school, which I needed because I could get lost at any point.

With the help of the map I got to the building that was supposed to be my class, It was kind of old compared to the other buildings I had seen, I didn't think it had been renovated for quite some time. I walked in at a fast pace cause I had already wasted enough time, I hurriedly walked into the class and all heads turned toward me they were like 15 students in the class including the Professor made 16 sets of eyes watching me, it was a normal classroom with tables and chairs for students I didn't see any whiteboards. I quietly slid into one of the many empty chairs and focused like nothing was out of place.