An hour later, (after returning Spirit's jacket and getting her autograph)…
Finally made it. Just in time too.
Liam slowed his bike and cruised through the gates of his new school: Dawn Academy.
The institution was famous for churning out powerful and influential people, offering courses that guided its students to great heights in the world. The most popular out of the four offered were Business and Science, with several sub-courses under them.
The other two courses were highly selective, difficult to continue, yet still the most widely known.
The Hero and Hunter courses.
Dawn Academy was known to produce some of the strongest in both professions, making it a beacon of sorts for those who wanted quality teaching.
It was an incredibly large establishment; having enough space for a large mall, numerous dormitories, a several-hundred-thousand-seater stadium, an entire area just for teachers, and more. The entire place was surrounded by a large wall possessing several guarded entrances.
Rumors say that this place has more security than a police station, Liam thought as a small drone-like robot flew in front of him, guiding him to the school's large underground carpark.
The mini-drone guided him to a spot that seemed to be meant specifically for motorcycles, then made its way out.
Wonder if I could build one of those, Liam thought, locking the bike up with a scan of his hand. Adjusting the satchel over his shoulder, he made his way out of the underground space.
As he walked, he took note of the vehicles around him.
"An Aurora Akrivos. . .," Liam gaped, stopping to stare at a large black car.
"That's one of the top fifty most expensive cars on the planet. . . who owns this thing?"
He shook his head before jogging off. It should be fine. My motorcycle's got its own anti-theft system, which could definitely put someone in the hospital, so that car is one hundred percent safe.
A few minutes later, he was walking down a large paved path along with several other students, parents, and staff. It was lined with well cut hedges, topiaries, and flowers, and behind the plants on either side were two gigantic marble statues facing each other, each standing on large white and bronze pedestals.
Many people had stopped in front of them to take pictures, and Liam read the plaques attached to them.
On the left was a brawny man wearing what seemed to be a soldier's uniform. One leg was standing on what seemed to be a dead monster, and he had lowered his body and rested an arm across the thigh. His other hand was holding a spear to the side, and his gaze was steady, as if throwing a challenge at the one opposite. His plaque read:
Bane, The First Hunter. The Man Who Put Everything On The Line To Protect Humanity.
Liam gave a salute, then groaned inwardly as a someone beside him, a red skinned girl with horns sprouting out from her forehead, giggled and whispered to her friends.
Why did I do thaaaat?! Liam 's ears reddened in embarrassment as he turned to the other statue.
It was one of a slightly shorter man, though just as brawny. He was wearing a one-piece suit, mechanical features all over it. In one arm sat a smiling child, and the other hand was patting the head of another. Standing around were four other children, the smiles on their faces mirroring his grin. His plaque read:
Iron, The First Hero. The Man Who Put Our Hearts At Ease With His Very Presence, A Symbol Of Peace And Hope For All.
These guys are legends, Liam thought, noticing that both statues were looking each other in the eye. If not for their example, who knows where we'd be now?
Liam left the statues behind and made his way to the far off auditorium.
The building was five stories tall and shaped like a cylinder. Liam stopped at the back of a long queue of students waiting to get in.
I'm almost in, he thought with a small smile.
There were five other queues, each ending at a long white desk with a member of school staff behind it.
After roughly ten minutes, it was Liam's turn.
"Please submit your letter of acceptance," a pretty woman with antennae sprouting out from her hair smiled at him.
"Y-yeah," Liam nodded. He searched his satchel, then pulled out a thin white card. It was completely blank.
The woman placed it on a small scanner to her right, and a small blue light moved over it. Out of the back of the scanner popped out a small chip, and that chip was placed in a black wristband covered in an orange circuit design.
"Welcome to Dawn Academy," the woman smiled.
Liam nodded vigorously, not wanting to stammer in his excitement.
He made his way through one of the many entrances to the auditorium and put on the wristband. Suddenly, the orange patterns glowed, and a holographic panel appeared.
[DAWN ACADEMY COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION DEVICE.
STUDENT No. 397. WELCOME, LIAM J. PAXTON]
My very own CID! Liam grinned. This thing was built by an old student, and its hit the markets like crazy. Mom said they were unnecessary, even though we could afford them, so its nice to finally have one of my own.
The CID blinked again, and a small holographic map appeared, two dots marking two separate points. One was a blinking green, and the other was a solid red.
After a minute or two Liam realized he was the green dot, and the red dot was his destination.
Damn, Liam thought as he made his way through the semi-circular theatre style seats. So this is what this place is like. . .
The place was already half full, and Liam had to avoid the crush of moving people several times by squeezing past them.
Finally made it, he sighed in relief as he approached a small group of students, roughly twenty in number. Above them was a floating screen, and it read: [HUNTER].
The entrance exam wasn't easy, he thought as he took a seat behind all the others. I scored average on the physical test, but got a perfect score on the theory. It was enough to score me the spot, and I think the results will be shown to us later today.
He pulled a small black chip out of his bag and slotted it into the side of his wristband. After messing with the settings a little, Liam typed in the code that would activate the small chip he'd inserted.
My Virtual Information Transfer chip. Doesn't store info directly; it connects devices to a main database, allowing the user to store and retrieve whenever they please.
A screen appeared: [DO YOU WISH TO CONNECT THIS DEVICE? YES/NO]
Liam connected the CID, then went through the storage.
Diagrams, blueprints, designs, notes, and all my relevant fiction and non-fiction.
He hummed and opened a file, and a long rectangular panel appeared.
Scarlet Soul volume sixty-five, Liam smiled in mild excitement. The last but one book. I don't really want it to end, but it is what it is. This story seemed like it was meant for me, honestly. Artizan and Blackmist better give it the best ending possible.
Time passed as Liam engrossed himself in reading, his mind making each still image move with life. Chuckles, gasps, and sighs escaped him on occasion, and as he reached a climax-
"What's that?"
Liam flinched violently and turned to see an incredibly cute girl sitting right beside him, looking at the screen in front of him.
. . .huh?
"Hello?" she turned her eyes to him.
"A-ah! I-it's a . . . c-comic c-c-called Scarlet S-soul."
Dang it! Liam groaned inwardly.
"Alcoholic named Carnate Bowl? What's that?"
She leaned closer, a confused look on her face. "Could you please speak up?"
Liam couldn't think straight as the girl's sweet scent tickled his nose and permeated his brain. Her dark purple eyes seemed to draw him in, and a strand of her long pink hair fell in front of one of them.
Liam shook his head and blinked hard, trying to ignore the burning feeling in his red ears.
"I said, it's a comic called Scarlet Soul."
The girl's eyes widened, as did her smile.
"Really? I'm a big fan. What volume is that?"
She is?! Liam thought as he answered: "S-sixty-five. Why?"
She rose her hand and tapped her CID. "I only have up to volume sixty. Mind sending me the rest?"
Liam swallowed, pushed his thoughts down, and spoke.
"N-no problem. Just give me your contact and I'll send them immediately."
"Sure," she nodded.
Is it supposed to be. . .this easy? Liam thought when the file transfer was complete.
"Thanks," she smiled. "By the way, where are you from?"
"Um, the Labone region. You?"
"Cantonments. That's actually not to far from Labone."
"Yeah. . .," Liam nodded, feeling a bit ackward.
Can't flop. Need a topic. Maintain the flow. You can do it brain!
"Did you. . .what middle school did you go to?" he asked.
She put a finger on her chin and looked up a little. "Yeah, I attended Ace Prep. You?"
Liam blinked in surprise. "So did I. . .now that I think about it, you do seem familiar. . ."
Liam didn't notice the sideways glance the girl gave him.
"Oh well," she shrugged. "Maybe we did. . .what's your favorite TV show?"
That's pretty random.
Liam paused for a moment to think, then replied. "'Weaving Fate'. I like trying to solve problems, so the mystery and suspense in it got me hooked pretty fast."
The girl chuckled and waved a hand in front of her face. "Really? Mystery annoys me, mainly because very few of my predictions come true. I prefer a good psychological thriller, and some romance on the side."
"So, 'Stop And Think'?" Liam asked.
She turned in surprise. "You know about it?"
"Yeah. Taught me a lot about how manipulation can be found in almost everything we do. It's a great story too. . ."
Liam's voice died as he caught a look of sadness on the girl's face for a split second. Then the next instant it was back to normal.
"Well," she sighed. "Everything being considered, being able to plan like that protagonist would make my life a bit easier."
Liam nodded. "I mean, who doesn't want to be able to create twists and turns to stop your enemies?"
They made eye contact for a moment, then the girl smiled.
"Guess we have that in common," she chuckled.
Liam's ears blushed crimson, and he tried to hide them as stealthily as possible.
Sharing a common interest with a girl I just met? One this cute too. . .the only time something like this happened was-
Loud music suddenly cut his thoughts short, and when it passed the air was filled with the sound of clapping.
Liam and the girl turned their heads to the stage, where a tough looking man sporting a well trimmed grey beard, short grey hair, and scars on his face and hands.
He wore a black tuxedo, and he rose a hand for silence. He got it.
"Welcome all, to the Opening Ceremony of Dawn Academy."
Liam's eyes widened as the man's voice reverberated throughout the hall.
That man is-!
"I am the Headmaster of this prestigious institution, Luke Garcia."