Chapter 11: Harshest Reality
Hearing his name, Kairi felt a wave of relief surge through him as his goal of being accepted into the academy was accomplished. He didn't have to stay at his home and remain trapped in his little hometown when he could become a prestigious mage at the capital and support himself and his family whilst being independent.
'I'll be a mage first and foremost and Sophis will be my path to success!'
Riné approached from behind Kairi as he was distracted by his feelings. The other was glad that someone he considered a friend was accepted as he felt a new rounded joy in seeing others besides himself facing opportunities. A memory flashed in his head as Riné desired to congratulate Kairi sincerely.
The memory was of a man lying on his back on the ground yawning tiredly. A cool sophisticated image of heavenly majesty was on full display by the sleeping beauty. Their long hair was fully let down as they looked toward the young child to their right who was swinging a wooden sword. The two were starkly different from the current day. The older man had black hair with green tips while the child had a full head of azure blue hair.
"What should I do if I want to thank someone"
The child asked their master eagerly before pausing their blade swings. The master blew the hair from his face out of the way before continuing to lie down as he thought of an answer.
"A friend of mine said men love being thanked with physical contact. That friend of mine though was an assassin so I would trust their word because they knew their way around hearts. Wait forget that-"
Riné contemplated this thought at the time taking it as a lesson as his master would always answer any question he had at the time and the majority of his social skills came from the tips his master told him. Taking this advice to heart Riné stepped toward Kairi before holding his hands together and lifting them toward his chest with a blush. A friendly gesture made a million times worse, looking to a partner for praise after an achievement, as Riné held a slight smile mixed with embarrassment, paired with his appearance, made it look from the outside like a couple.
"Congratulations Kairi..!"
Grasping Kairi's hands together Riné gave a heartfelt gesture holding their hands together and lifting them toward his chest. In this situation similar to a schoolgirl congratulating their significant other Kairi's thoughts instantly vanished. Looking down toward the flustered Riné whose expression of admiration made Kairi freeze in place. The confused Riné shifted from flustered to confused as he turned his head confused unintentionally appearing endearing to Kairi as his azure eyes sparkled.
'Damn. I'm glad I went to Sophis.'
Kairi didn't respond to Riné's congrats as Riné shook the other's hand for a reaction continuing to hold their hands together while the other was in bliss before the student president continued.
"To those who earned acceptance I congratulate you and to those who didn't, don't lose hope. When you keep hope is when you truly embody a mage and the Daelk spirit."
A group of sullen examinees exited the arena as those who were accepted remained. From over a hundred examinees that day, only thirty were accepted and remained. A shocking amount of denied however considering the different days of exams being held over a hundred students would be accepted for a bi-annual year period before new examinations would occur. The bar was high as resources were limited and those unable to prove their qualification were ineligible for admission to avoid wasting higher resources. For those of the lower to middle class only emerging talents with upper-class youths are attending the top academies and only the elite of talents are attending Aletheia.
"You will be sorted amongst your age and level when considering your year here with the main purpose of Sophis being development and nurturing…"
As the student president spoke it began to sound like static as Riné felt a splitting headache, and he felt a familiar nausea similar to the feeling when he landed the instant kill. Taking a step backward Riné began to feel a fever developing before his head splitting as he moved to the back of the group being noticed by Mime and the others however before they could ask what was wrong Riné leaned against a wall before covering his face with his arm.
'Again…? How much more time do I have if it's recurring this often? It hurts…"
What lasted for a couple more minutes felt like an hour to Riné as they tuned their voice out waiting for the exam to formally end to leave.
"And long live the Daelk Empire. Headmaster Leila any word?"
The student president bowed to the audience and to the headmaster who smiled as she swung her arm as the blue sky emerged overturning the night.
"Surpass your peers and show the true essence of Sophis."
As her tone inspired the examinees and students in the crowd to cheer Riné stepped out of the arena before heading toward the restrooms bumping into others in the crowded hallways mumbling quiet apologies and sorries as the static grew louder before collapsing near the entrance to the restroom.
'It's too much I'll break at this rate…'
Losing consciousness Riné fell into darkness. In a clearing illuminated under a sunlit sky of blending orange and yellow where the gales of wind moved the reeds, under a willow tree sat two. Riné was fast asleep laying their head on the lap of the older individual as the two shared a great resemblance. The one who met Riné a decade before, the master of Riné, had their expression hidden by their obsidian hair that seemed to have luster with the green moving with the wind as they played with the sleeping Riné's hair moving it from covering their face before smiling.
"As a falling leaf approaches the ground, the cone approaches a beginning, Mi Rin your story begins here my one and only disciple, my only sword."
Feeling the touch of his master he opened his eyes sitting up rapidly only to not be met by the one he called master but a dingy room. The room smelled of a musty odor sticking to the walls as the lack of furniture, such as the bed he was on and a small table to his left were the only things in the room. Riné felt the bed and examined himself sensing no irregularities as he stepped off the bed.
'Whose house is this? Are they a…threat?'
Riné opened the door to the room readying for the worst to summon his blade only to be met by the sounds of commotion from familiar voices.
"This place reeks dude!"
Mime covered his nose as he looked toward Kairi and Keth who were standing while he was sitting in a recliner chair. Keth scoffed in retaliation.
"Try finding a place with this low of rent and you can complain then."
"You got any snacks or drinks?"
Holless began to open cabinets and the pantry closet scanning the different options and stores with curiosity to Keth's dismay.
"Touch my pantry and you'll regret it."
Riné felt assured. Luckily when he blacked out they managed to find him and move him to a safe location as Riné let his guard down he lay back onto the bed before sitting in a cross position and closing his eyes before moving the mana from their air around three different points. As the mana traveled the path seekers follow at three different points Riné's magic center became illuminated in the center of his chest however as the mana grew in quantity an abnormality appeared. In the center of his head where the brain took its realm stood a translucent core. Compared to the center in Riné's chest this core was less full however its existence meant a pressing issue.
'The second core is acting up frequently.'
Riné had two magic cores?!