"Now then I apologize for the rough beginning to your first day here but I would suggest you get used to it happening."

I follow dean Rivers as we make our way past the schools entrance. The dean nods a good morning to the gate guards as we pass before turning his head to look at me.

"I understand how this may sound but as I have previously mentioned before, we here at Broad River academy feel that since you were born with these gifts you should exercise the right to use them. No need to worry though, any damages incurred can be easily fixed before the eighth bell. That includes both property and students."

I nod my head mutely, i'm not all that big on talking unless I have to and something tells me dean Rivers was more interested in the sound of his own voice anyways.

The dean continues to speak as we make our way towards the front entrance of the main building. Along with us comes a steady stream of well dressed students.

Occasionally a student with wings will fly by overhead or someone would teleport though the crowd. I see one really short girl grow long mechanical spider legs from her backpack and walk above the crowds heads.

I notice all of this from the edges of my vision but keep my focus forward. As uncle Raj likes to say, "Let the improtant ones drone on and think you're listening, even if you're really not."

As we near the front entrance I notice a small group of students off in one corner glaring at a slightly smaller group that glared right back at them. It was clear a fight was seconds away from breaking out.

I glance at the dean but the man just keeps walking, droning on about the schools achievements or something equally irrelevant. He doesn't even glance the groups as we pass them and only the younger looking guys watch him walk past.

Without incident we make it into the school entrance which is basically just a long very grand looking hallway leading into the auditorium which has several branching hallways.

Above the front entrance hung a large banner with an image of a siren sitting on the shore and staring into the waves as her feet. I only stop to look for a moment as dean Rivers doesn't seem interested in pausing to let me sightsee.

As we make our way down the hall and into the auditorium the sounds of Avatar combat reaches us. I choose to ignore it as dean Rivers leads me down a hall while glancing at a piece of green paper in one hand.

Along the way I try to keep my eyes trained forward as much as possible. Grandma once tried to teach me the arts of stealth...emphasis on the once. I did however pick up an interesting little skill. As Sun Tzu said, "knowing your enemy is half the battle."

I may suck at being stealthy but in return I got pretty good at noticing when someone was watching me...and right now I was getting enough "casual" glances to send chills down my spine. These guys were nowhere near grandmas level.

Lost in my thoughts I almost fail to see the old janitor walking past me. With a subtle shuffle I place my broader frame out of his path.

So imagine my surprise when a moment later I feel a bony shoulder gently bump mine with surprising force. Then the world turned to hell. Like a flip being switched my entire being seized as the world lost its color. Before I knew it I was on the other end of the hall.

Miasma pours off my body like steam off boiling water. Void black armor covers me from the neck down and an old, rusty crown sits crookedly on my head.

Six decrepit looking skeletons surround me in a tight circle. I don't need to see to know my eyes are glowing an otherworldly green. For several long moments I stay there crouched like an animal caged.

Chills brush my spine like the caress of death. Even in my armor I didn't feel safe. Reflexively I extend my hand out to my side to summon my trump card. Just as i'm about to color suddenly returns to the world and I realize the entire school is staring at me.

I may be thick skinned but having that many eyes staring makes even me blush. I stand up while dismissing my armor and Skeleton Minions. For a second i am completely invisible as everything I summoned turns into miasma and covers me.

Smoothly I shuffle several steps back and to the left. I'm glad I did as a moment later the miasma dissipates. In its place is the old janitor, standing exactly to the right of where I was just a moment ago. The old man looks deep into my eyes for a moment before laughing gently.

Suddenly I couldn't even comprehend why I had been so scared of him. I didn't let that thought take hold, I knew better. The old man turns around all the while chuckling softly, I don't take my eyes off of him until he walks all the way to the end of the hall and turns towards where the fight still raged out front.

I finally release the breath I didn't know I was holding and stand up. Ignoring the many stares still pointed at me I turn my head, looking for dean Rivers. I find him all the way on the oppisite end of the hall still looking at the green paper while droning on about the school...he didn't even stop while all this was going on.

I decide it was wiser not to say anything and simply rush to catch up with him, I pointedly ignore the numerous stares around me as I try to fix my now much looser backpack straps. Damn armor is awesome but it always ruins everything that isn't directly covering me...favorite birthday present jackets included.

After finally getting the straps tighter I notice something...missing. Raising my head I look around, students pass by talking on their way to class but that's not what has my attention. Neither is it the short girl with the mechanical spider legs coming out of her backpack now walking along the ceiling.

Suddenly I realize what it is, I can't hear the sounds of fighting coming from out front anymore.

A chill shoots down my spine and I keep my head pointed forward and my body ramrod straight the rest of the trip...I made extra sure to stay clear of the more elderly staff that I passed.

You've been confronted by a force so much older and more powerful that the earth beneath your feet trembles at its might. For not only recognizing but impressing this entity you gain a bonus. Second bonus achieved for impressing another much less mighty being...your school dean.

+5000 EXP

+10000EXP

+1000 EXP

...and suddenly life is full of sunshine and roses again. This must have pushed me almost a full year closer to my fifth Level...and it turns out the dean wasn't so inattentive after all (*cough* tsundere *cough*)

Three turns and a flight of stairs later I find myself in front of an open classroom door. Students are filing in all around me as the dean finally turns to look at me for the first time since I got here.

"All right then young man i believe, now that you know more about our illustrious institution of learning that you are capable of beginning your first class with us."

I opened my mouth to respond but was cut off as dean Rivers pushes the green paper into my hands and immediately walks off.

"Well that was certainly an eventful walk to class." I mutter sarcastically as I walk into my classroom.

Inside is pretty much what I always expected a normal classroom to look like. Along the wall opposite to the door are a row of windows giving a nice view of the football field and track. In the front of the room stands a plain wooden podium and crammed into the corner of the classroom next to the podium is what I can only assume is the teachers desk.

I notice that all the seats are in pairs. Looking to the elderly man behind the podium I fearfully respectfully open ask him where to sit.

The old man glances up at me and smiles in a way that only the elderly can, like he wants to pinch me on the cheeks and tell me about the "good old days" at the same time.

Grandma does the same thing...only her idea of the "good old days" is...different. Coming back to reality I realize the old teacher is gesturing towards an available seat close to the windows. There was a guy probably my age already sitting at one of the desks with his eyes trained down on his phone.

I nod and thank him before moving down the row of desks towards the pair i'm sitting in. Along the way I hear quiet whispers from the students settling into their own seats.

"So that's the new guy?"

"Heard he beat down Oliver..."

"Yeah apparently he trashed the guys car too..."

"...Hey he's kinda cute isn't he?"

...I'm sure that last one was just wishful thinking on my part.

While lost in my thoughts (i've been doing that a lot lately) I suddenly realize that i'm already at my desk...this is totally going to be awkward isn't it?

It is only just occuring to me for the first time that i've never really talked to anyone my age except for Miroku. Just as i'm sweating over my newfound social anxiety the guy raises his head up for the first time giving me my first good look at the man that would soon become my closest friend...and worst enemy.

"Nice to meet you, the name's Kade.”