Why does this guy keep staring at me…? Elyas thought as he tried to avoid the teacher's hateful look. Before the class had the chance to turn quiet, or for any of the two men to confront each other, the bell rang.
RING! RING! RING!
To think we still use bells…
"Class is dismissed." Anick said as he hurriedly walked out of the door, seemingly happier to be done with class than the students. 'Michael had to go through all that…If alive.' The thought of his son destroying his body and going through centuries of struggle, did not sit right with him.
But that only made his resolve stronger. He had to understand this world. He had to survive it. But before that, he needed to understand his own powers, and that needed time. Alright, I got a few answers, let's do this again. As he got ready to leave, someone marched in.
Barely fitting through the doorway was a man with braids and tanned skin. His muscles and most of his robust body was exposed under his tight robe. His choice of attire reminded one of a monk, but unlike the real thing, the giant's robe was embroidered with golden lines. The robe tightly grabbed onto every inch of the man's body, showing his firm stature even through thick cloth.
He spoke without giving anyone time to process his sudden appearance. "You have physical training next." He paused, thinking before adding, "Don't run away." Then, as abruptly as he entered, the giant left. The entire class was dumbfounded.
"Who was that guy?"
"He's scary…"
"I think he's the trainer."
"Oh really? How did you come up with that genius?"
Elyas put his escape plan on hold, listening to the chitchat of his classmates. It was then that he felt it again. Someone was staring at him, so he quickly looked around and soon found the silent observer. It was Cid.
...This kid again. Do I have something on my face? Everyone keeps staring at me today.
Doesn't matter
Elyas got up and left class. Only after he was gone did his classmates realize that they missed the opportunity to talk with a Legacy.
…
Hiding in the bathroom from his classmates, Elyas was going over what he had learnt so far by writing it down in his yellow calendar.
"From a conversation in the hallway I heard that D.E.B stands for Dreamers Education Bureau. Moreover, I think I finally understand why I get a thumping headache whenever I use my powers… it's literally my heart. Beating and pumping Will into my head."
Elyas was happy with his results so far. He had managed to answer one of his questions while also learning more about Dreamers and himself. He put away the makeshift notebook. "Well, I think they should be done looking for me." he said as he opened the stall's door.
RING! RING! RING!
A bit faster than expected…but not having to hide from those little demons anymore is welcomed nonetheless. As Elyas walked towards his class, he considered wasting time just to avoid the inevitable barrage of questions from the children. But when he saw his destination, he froze. The robust man was standing by the door.
The giant looked down at him and spoke. "Follow me."
Elyas, confronted with the menacing tall man, kept quiet and did as told. They walked down an especially long corridor. Sunlight peeked from the tall windows just to assault their eyes. The cold breeze banged against the glass, trying to do the same. "It's not everyday that we get a Legacy as a student." Said the man, his back facing Elyas as they walked.
He added: "What brings an associate of the Protocol to our humble D.E.B?" The interrogative tone of the man was not lost on Elyas. He considered his words carefully before answering.
"To be honest with you, I didn't even know what D.E.B meant till today. To clarify, I'm not part of the Protocol either, my friend who helped me enroll is." The trainer abruptly stopped, turning back towards Elyas. "...Do you take me for a fool?" Elyas expecting his answer, calmly replied:
"No. I'm telling the truth. I was trapped somewhere for four hundred years. My friend from the Protocol saved me and is currently helping me integrate back into society." The giant paused, looking at Elyas with doubt. After a pregnant pause for examination, the giant turned back and resumed walking.
He wasn't going to fight with a student for his baseless suspicions, let alone a True Legacy that had connections with the Protocol. Elyas had long figured out that a conversation like this was inevitable. So, he had prepared an answer in advance.
Sometimes it's better to come clean. I don't have any reason to hide the truth anyways, so I'm not going to. That was mostly true. But he had a few dangerous secrets as well. Like his second Wish which If revealed, would not lead to any good.
After a bit of walking, they reached a set of stairs leading down to the basement. An underground class room? Elyas, although surprised and a bit apprehensive, followed the instructor. After thirty or so steps, they reached the basement's first floor. Elyas's eyes widened as he saw the view.
Walls several metres high made of concrete. cubic pillars of the same material, with a few sawed off bits of rebar visible in them. A wide open area illuminated sparingly by fluorescent lights. What Elyas was looking at was…
A parking lot.
"Welcome to the training ground." The instructor said, seeing Elyas' shocked state, he smiled and added: "It's impressive, right? As much as I would like it to be, it's not ours. It's owned by the Protocol… So don't break anything."
"No worries…" Elyas said, still entranced by the familiar setting.
To think I would be this happy to see a parking lot. He chuckled inwardly and followed the trainer. Soon, they stood in front of a group of kids. Some wore clothes resembling out of fashion gym clothes. Others shirts and pants that looked too comfortable for training.
The rest were a mix between robes and something vaguely resembling a suit made of hide. There was one thing common between all of them though. They all had an intricate golden badge pinned to their chest. The badge depicted several trees, under which three droopy circles were stretched wide and thin, almost resembling mist. Mistwood…The designer must have felt really clever.
The giant cleared his throat. "I'm Julius, your physical trainer. In this class you'll be learning about the basics of combat. The importance of a ready body and in the following weeks, the basics of Will control and how to be a proper Dreamer."
Oh, so this is the guy I shouldn't miss the classes of, noted.
"For today we'll be focusing on basic strength training and cardio. Any questions?" Julius asked, not getting a response he continued. "If you look to your left, you'll see a few kids running around or sparring. If you don't manage to reach the minimum credits of today's test you'll be joining them."
The entire class as well as Elyas turned their heads. All they saw were a few collapsed bodies on the ground and people dragging themselves forward or crawling instead of running. Is this legal?…Now that I'm thinking about it, it's a test for children, so an adult or even a teenager should pass easily, isn't this a little unfair?
As Elyas thought, the giant spoke once more. "Everyone get ready, the test will start in five minutes." After that, he walked up to the half-conscious students and carried them away. Five minutes passed in a flash.
In the same ground where several students lay flat minutes ago, now new lines of five had formed. In the first line, a skinny man wearing a brown vest atop a grey shirt could be seen among the children. Elyas was waiting for the call, just like the rest of the first five. Julius was standing next to them, leaning against a pillar. His hand was raised, and In a flash, he cut the air and shouted:
"Go!"