Beyond the door, crowds of girls roam the halls, sparing not even an inch.
'Oh yeah, Carolice assigned me to the girls' dorm. Well, this'll be awkward.'
"Would this count as an excuse if we're late?"
"We have two hours to our name, Akiro," Shalius says, looking out into the crowd. "We won't be late. Let the halls widen a bit." She closes the door.
Kailus steps away from the door. "L-let's relax for a while."
He sits on the couch and unloads his feathers. Akiro follows and fluffs her tails before sitting beside him. Shalius remains by the door with her ears against it.
'Morning shows are always the best.'
He flicks through the channels.
"Lucky Top's Adventures—Boring. Tangled Mangos—boring, Exploding TNT—boring. Yup's brother—boring. AstroSpiff's Expeditions—borin—"
"Did you just call the Yup's brothers boring?!" Akiro gasps, covering her mouth. "You sad, lonely boy. Let me show you what childhood is." Akiro goes to grab the remote.
Kailus leaps from her grasp. "No, get your greasy hands off me," he yells back at her.
Kailus throws the remote in his robes as he holds her arms down. Akiro, persisting as always, manages to gain the upper hand, getting on top of him. She pats him down while holding one of his wings hostage.
"Don't move," she utters, while continuing to search him.
"Ow, hey," he yells, yanking one of Akiro's tails—giving her nociceptors a shock. She immediately jumps in the air and in a swift motion:
Thud!
She lands headfirst on the carpet. "Ow, ow, ow," she silently curses, staring at Kailus with vengeful eyes. She gets up and lunges back, her vocals loud and raspy. "Oh, now you've done it!"
They start to yank and pull. Cotton and fur were ripped from another as the floor.
Shalius adverts her attention toward them and teleports Kailus and Akiro to a corner. "Akiro, stop attacking Kailus."
Akiro's mouth formed a perfect O shape. She looks at Kailus then back at Shalius. "W-what, he.. he attacked me," she exaggerates, repeatedly pointing at Kailus.
Shalius opens the door and pushes through the crowd. "No, now get out. We need that energy for practice, remember?"
"P-practice," Akiro asks, her eyes twitch at her word. "So you're five paws down on it, huh?"
Shalius vanishes in the crowd.
"Wait up!"
Kailus follows as Akiro is left alone, frozen in time.
'So you're five paws down on it, huh?' Akiro repeats in her head.
Kailus and Shalius walk side by side, their wings brushing in the cramped hallway. Akiro trails behind with her tails shuddering at the thought of Shalius' warning.
'She must be lying. Surely, she wouldn't do that? Fairies aren't that strict—I hope.'
Outside:
In Infront of the college's entrance, a crowd gathers around a board, their voices overlapping onto another.
Kailus turns to them. "What do you think they're doing," he asks, staring through their souls.
Shalius squinches her eyes before shrugging. "Something we'll do in the future, I suppose."
"You sure about that?" Akiro asks with a scrunched face.
"Only time will tell," Shalius ominously adds.
Inside:
Rows of students stand idly, waiting behind another:
"MOVE!"
"OH MY FUCKING GOD, STEP YOUR ASS UP!"
"Man, I'm gonna fail this test."
"WHO FARTED?!"
"That's why your head's shaped like an egg, it's premature!"
Their legs give out as they shove another to get to a destination.
"I thought the girl dorm was worse; this is even worser," Akiro shouts, gazing at the blocks of students.
"Akiro, what did you say?" Kailus shouts.
"Forget it," she yells back.
"What?"
"I SAID FORGET IT, GEEZ!"
"OH… OKAY!"
They push through the crowd and gather looks from others.
"Whoa, that's a Charged one?"
"Lisa, you said you wanted a strong man~," she quips, nudging her friend.
"These freshmen are something. You see that?"
'I thought I would be safe in these crowded halls. They're all looking at me.'
He nestles his face in his wings.
Akiro taps his shoulder and speaks into his ear. "What are you doing?"
"The smell is getting to me," Kailus responds, coughing and waving the air. "Starting to burn my nose."
Akiro lifts her head and sniffs the air. Her head shakes before turning back to him. "Smells alright for me."
Kailus lowers his wings. "Then, I guess it's over."
Meanwhile, two teachers watch Kailus from afar.
One of the teachers, an archangel, holds a hand to his counterpart's ear. "Look over there, it's a Genesis Angel, and even better, a charged one. His physique is perfecto, yet his posture's imperfecta."
The other archangel nods, covering one side of her mouth. "With such a posture from a CHARGED Genesis Angel, that's concerning for the future. I can't stand seeing children so weak. They're so precious and can grow strong like us with proper training."
The male archangel smiles approvingly. "Ye-yes! Everyone must feel proud, for the truth shall set them free!"
"Yeah! May he come to us, and we'll show him true theology!" the female archangel adds proudly as they clasp their hands.
Kailus smiles at their enthusiasm. 'They remind me of my father. Pray, they aren't as playful as him.'
When he turns around, his roommates are gone.
'They couldn't got that far.'
Kailus skis through the crowd of angels until he finds the cause for the blockade: a group is trying to get up.
'That's gotta hurt.'
Akiro's and Shalius' POV:
Halfway through and past the big convoy, the halls became more maneuverable and audible.
Akiro fluffs her hair and tails back in place. "Finally! I'm free~!"
"Thank goodness we're out of the blockade," Shalius says, taking her time to brush every feather and hair strand. "I could've sworn Kailus was with us."
Akiro dashes to the cafeteria. "We can't waste time, Shalius. The halls are open and the cafeteria line is only getting longer. He can get some food off your plates."
Shalius pauses for a while before going with Akiro.
Back:
Kailus emerges from the crowd and looks around.
'Shalius! Akiro? Roomies?'
Most of the angels are walking straight.
'U-uhh, straight??'
He flows with the crowd until suddenly he feels three taps on his shoulder. Looking back, a shiny angel stares at him with glittery eyes. "Oh my gosh, so the rumors are true."
Kailus heart thumps at the sight of her. "You're charged as well?"
"Yes, a half-vampiric/angel hybrid," she exclaims, showcasing her pointy teeth. "Pretty cool?"
Kailus nearly explodes from the information. "An angelic-vampire hybrid? Do you still drink blood?"
"No, I don't need blood like my mother," she replies, grinning. "Is your healing doubled?"
"Yes," he explains. "I can cut my arm and heal it in 1 hour max just from my aura."
The girl raises her eyebrow, interested. "Wow, what's your name?"
"Kailus Afton, yours?"
"Juliet Hymel."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Juliet," he says, embracing her tightly.
Juliet pushes back slightly. "No, for me. Do you know how lonely it is to be charged? Everyday, people call me a glitter bomb. It's like everyone has a slur for everything."
Kailus jumps excitedly. "Yes, oh my goodness, I can't describe how much I loathe that wretched name. What about Flashlight?"
"Now, you know ball. Rumors talk about a 'prodigy' entering this college. So, I went snooping around the corners and found you, lightbulb. You're quite different from what I heard. Anyways, I'll catch you later, freshener. Treasure those breakfasts while you still have them."
"Cya!" Kailus waves as she disappears into the crowd.
A blush spreads across his face. 'She's so cool. Oh my gosh, hehahahaha!'
After a while, he finds the cafeteria crowded with both genders.
Akiro and Shalius are infront of Kailus by seventeen beings, with thirteen infront of them—making it thirty in total.
'Shh~, it's gonna take a while. Might as well look at my choices.'
He looks at the options on the board: d'waffles, faircakes, seggs, angel-toast, and olives.
'They have many alternatives, don't they, Shalius?'
Whilst waiting, his stomach continuously growls at the cafeteria's aroma.
'Well, aside from the short range of food, they're skilled cooks I'll give them that.'
Lost in the scent, nearby students whisper behind his back: "A charged Genesis Angel?" "Yeah, the rumors are true." "How quickly do you think he heals?" "Probably instantly." "Should we go ask him?" "No, he's probably had many come up to him. Give him a break." "But I—" "No." "The true question is: how would he fare in the trials?" "Excellent, for sure."
Finally, he reaches the counter and exchanges a few words with the cafeteria lady before heading off.
As he walks toward his roommates, he notices parts of his food pulsing faintly.
'That's not normal.'
He glances at others' food: non-magic races like night angels didn't glow, magic races (like the many healer angels and few fairies) gleam brightly, and halfies (like Kailus) have a slight glow.
'This must be magic protein. Never had this before.'
He joins Akiro and Shalius. Other students try to engage with them, but Akiro ignores them, and Shalius remains silent.
Akiro reclines in her chair, her stainless-steel plate before her, basking in pure bliss—unaware of Kailus's gaze.
She continuously mutters nonsense: "Pork~." "Beef~." "Chicken~."
"You need serious exercise," he mumbles worriedly.
Shalius coughs a bit. "Well, aside from… her babbling, I waited to enjoy this extravagant meal with you. As for my bacon, Akiro ate it while you were in line. She was quite needy of its nutrients."
Kailus' eyes brighten up. "Aw, thanks!" His halo shines a bright yellow.
People nearby shielded their eyes from the bright beam.
Background:
A fairy shouts. "Hey, would you—"
"What's wrong with you? You're in Angelica. Not his fault he has a lie detector over his head."
Back:
Shalius smiles. "For you, my friend."
Kailus returns the smile and eats along.
When he bites into his food, a loud crunch echoes in Akiro's mind. She instantly opens her eyes like a cat smelling fresh food.
"Hey Kailus, can you be a blessing for little o' me and hand me—"
Shalius looks at Akiro with a reddening aura. "For every bite you take upon yourself is fifty reps later for compensation. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
"Ugh, we have a food officer over here," Akiro scoffs, giving Kailus puppy eyes.
'She's starting to scare me. Is this what a food addict is?'
A while later:
They finish eating as the bell rings. Shalius and Akiro leave in a hurry as Kailus tails behind. He tries to keep up, but the crowd quickly engulfs them.
Pushing through, he searches desperately, bumping into people and muttering feigned apologies, until a hand grips his shoulder.
'Oh no… Was I pushing too hard? Please don't overreact?'
He turns around, expecting the worst, but instead sees Carolice kneeling and panting.
"Sorry… Kailus," Carolice says, catching her breath between words. "Here's the… schedule… I didn't want to interrupt your.. breakfast, so I waited… until the bell rang. Thank God I caught up to.. you."
"Take this slip if you're late to class. I'm sorry for yesterday." Carolice hands Kailus a late slip along with the papers, then blitzes away, leaving sparks of light behind her.
He glances at the first period: Class 209, History.
'Since I have this slip, I can go at my own pace without worrying about tardiness.'
He reads the schedule carefully.' It's unusual: eight subjects, split into four per day, alternating between Red and Blue classes. Red Class being: History, Morality, P.E., and Monopoly; and Blue Class covering: Health, Magic and Potions, and Racial Biology. They alternate daily, like a pattern. I actually like it—it gives a lot of leeway.'
A group of angels bumps into Kailus. "Step aside if you're standing in the middle of the hallway. I'm already late to Ms. Damaris!" one snaps.
Kailus steps aside and salutes. "Sorry!"
'I guess that's my sign to go.'
History class:
Kailus lets out a loud sigh. 'Finally, I'm free!'
He looks around the room, absorbing its unique layout.
It's a D-shaped room. At the left, rows of seats went along the curved edge, with nine tiered rows forming an elegant arc around the central podiums of seats. A whiteboard sits on each desk, accompanied by a soft, cushioned chair behind it.
Glancing right, the teacher's desk faces the students, a regal chair nestled behind it. A microphone, a thick book, and a coffee machine sit neatly on the desk. A mountainous layer of shelves filled with various books lay behind it.
Above them all, a single stained-glass dome bathes the floor in rainbows.
Akiro calls from above. "Took you long enough! Where've you been, Kailie? Shalius was about to leave."
Kailus responds. "Kai—know what, forget it. You left me in that crowded cafeteria while I was getting up! I'm surprised this room's still empty."
He settles beside Shalius and starts rifling through the desk, finding sketches, folders, magic pens—everything in one. Underneath, the desk bears the number 24, with Shalius's at 23 and Akiro's 22.
Across the desk's upper center, an instruction reads in bold: "Write your name."
Kailus complies as the desk pulses with a soft glow with mana rippling from it. His name embeds into the desk before fading away.
Stunned by the aura, he blurts aloud, "Is this perma magic?"
Shalius, sensing the desk's magic, writes her name: "Shalius Eneurm."
Akiro peers at Shalius's desk, intrigued. "No middle name?"
Shalius replies flatly, "Why would I need one?"
"It's just… normal," Akiro says, puzzled.
Propping her head on her hand, Shalius mutters, "Says you," her expression blank.
Akiro shrugs and draws her name: "Akiro Ohashi Kogitsune."
Shalius furrows her brows. 'Did her parents really give her all of the most basic name combinations? No wonder you chose survival of the fittest.'
Kailus runs his fingers along the mana transport. 'I sense air and teleportation magic within it, along with a faint voice. That's probably connected to that microphone. Holy, these desks are incredible! There's an entire coding in it, but it's too advanced for someone of my caliber to try and interact with.'
More students pour into the room. Kailus glances up to study their appearances—already engrossed in his findings.
Instead, he catches sight of familiar faces—old classmates—staring back at him. They murmur among themselves before deciding to sit far away from him.
A pang of shame hits Kailus, though he understands.
Akiro notices his awkward position. 'Hm, looks like Kailus is getting used to the chairs. They are a little rough when you first sit on them.'
Shalius notices too, but her eyes remained unchanged.
The room grows noisier by the minute until one seat remains, the corner seat beside Kailus.
'Wha—no one took a corner seat of all places? Am I that unbearable?'
Akiro laughs heartily. "Man, a corner seat left open? Did you not wear deodorant today?"
"…"
"…"
Akiro rolls her eyes. "You two are so dull. Lighten up a bit."
At that moment, the door opens. Chatter immediately dissipates as their eyes plagued their every move.
Loud whisping echoes amongst the students: "A time elf?" "No way."
Though the man's face suggests forty, his flawless, porcelain skin, piercing green eyes, and pointed ears say otherwise—a living paradox amongst all. He holds a cup, sipping at every opportunity. An addict you can most definitely see with your very eyes.