"Wake up!" Tehla shouted in my ear, pulling the blanket off me.

Rubbing my eyes, I stood up. "Okay, I'll get ready!"

"No need to thank me for the new clothing," she said, pointing to my uniform on the table. "There was a clock in your old uniform, so I placed it in the right pocket of your new one. Again no need to thank me."

Walking forward, I looked back at her and smiled. "Thank you."

Entering the bathroom, I saw Tehla leaving the room.

I washed my face and dried it with a towel. Grabbing a brush, I combed my hair.

Looking into the mirror, I glanced at myself, gaping into my eyes. 'Why was I remembering my old life?'

I banged the brush against my head, dropping it onto the table. There was no reason to reminisce about my old life. I needed to move forward, but how?

I walked out of the bathroom and grabbed my clothes. Walking back into the bathroom, I put my uniform on.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Exhaling, I opened my eyes and smiled. "I need to accept this life."

I walked out of my bedroom and towards the stairs. I stopped at my parents' room and sneakily opened the door. Noticing both on the bed, I jumped on them and hugged them both.

"Huh," my dad murmured, rubbing his eyes.

My mother, on the other hand, embraced me with a hug. "Oh, and if it ain't Mr.Trouble-Maker. Getting your clothes torn," she whispered, flicking my forehead.

Getting off of them, I grinned. "I have training to attend, but I'll definitely talk to you guys later!"

My parents looked at each other confused, but they had smiles arising.

I waved at them, genuinely expressing myself. "I love you guys."

I descended the stairs, sitting down at the dining area where a maid provided me with breakfast.

"Thank you," I said, looking at the food.

I couldn't blame my parents for being shocked. This might have been my first time acting like a real child. I had only myself to blame for not accepting them. Though, I only accepted them to forget about my past. I really did hope believing in them would help. I was tired of acting...

"Sir, your food is getting cold." A maid coughed, standing straight up. Her hands remained behind her back — professionally mannered.

Nodding my head, I finished the meal. Thanking the maids, I exited the room, but on my way to the exit, Tehla stopped me.

Tehla stood in front of me, blocking me from walking. "Alren relayed a message. It regarded your schedule with the Science Department. You'll only need to attend three times a week. Something about him being too busy with other work, but you'll no longer need to attend every day."

"That's great," I smiled, looking up at her. Nodding my head, I remained smiling. "Thanks for the news, Tehla." I waved, walking outside, but I stopped, looking behind. "Thank you, Tehla. You really do help a lot. "

Tehla shook her head, standing poised. "I'm only doing my job."

After a peaceful walk to practice, the whole atmosphere changed.

A hectic building is what I entered. Almost all of the members were present, including Allura and Ash. Forsona was instigating a fight against a flustered Allura. Mythrn was trying his best to break it up. On the second floor, Melia was meditating alone. Bertin was sparring with Ash, who was already on the floor begging for mercy.

I noticed everyone already had their combat uniforms worn. I needed to start wearing the combat uniform in the mornings because it was a hassle not doing it.

I neared the locker room, waving at those that came along the way. I wore my combat uniform and placed my old clothes in my designated area.

"Alright, I'm ready," I whispered, stretching my arm.

It was finally time for me to practice some ideas. The books I acquired from the library applied to a certain degree. I was the one that needed to implement and practice those ideas. There wasn't a more perfect time than now.

Bertin nonchalantly called me as he pulled up Ash, who was on the floor.

Ash rubbed his head, probably where Bertin struck him.

Bertin remained with his placid grin, something I got accustomed to. "I already debriefed the rest about this, but there will be a tournament in about a year. It will occur before the official treaty of the three: Fech, Khausfall, and Xatus." Scratching his neck, Bertin added. "The rules aren't clear yet, but we have a required amount for members. Headmaster Vafaren stated that each faction has six groups. A minimum of two and a maximum of three in each group. Additionally, the groups will be created by grade level. Furthermore, grades combine into one group — two grades equal one group."

I didn't say it, but I couldn't have cared less. "Thanks for the information."

"Please come earlier. It makes it easier for all of us." Bertin tapped me on the shoulder. He passed me, looking at Ash and me. "Alright, you and Ash give it a go. Spar until the other taps out."

"About yesterday, I didn't mean to cause trouble-" Ash tried speaking, but I cut him off.

I stuck up my index finger, putting it in front of my face."Shhh." My eyes narrowed as I tilted my head. I didn't care much about Ash's actions, but it was only fair to beat him up a little, right?

Ash clasped his broadsword, getting into position.

I likewise took out my dull-daggers, positioning myself — left foot back, right foot forward. I additionally surrounded myself with lightning.

Bertin signaled for us to begin — dropping his hand down. He backed away, giving us space.

Ash initiated the first move, stepping forward as he swung his blade irrationally towards me.

I pivoted to the right, gaining a clear opening to strike. My right hand neared the side of Ash's chest.

I had a clear opening.

That was until the ground sprouted out circular pillars of rock.

I jumped backward, avoiding Ash's magic. I stood around fifteen meters away from him.

He repositioned his sword, running towards me. The pillars crumbled, creating a straight path for him.

I let out a deep breath, trying to enhance my eyesight, but Instead, I was met with a sting. In all honesty, I was lucky to receive just a sting. Thankfully, the sting was enough for me to stop. Attempting augmentation of my eyes so haphazardly was foolish at the least.

Shaking my head, I gripped my daggers — low to my waist. Running towards Ash and matching his speed, I brought my dagger up.

This time we engaged blades as my right dagger extended outwards, nearing his sword.

That was when suddenly, he threw three pebbles from his free hand. The pebbles grew larger in seconds. Two of the enlarged pebbles missed me by a mile, but one of them neared my right hand.

The enlarged rock — fist-size — hit my right hand. The smash caused my fingers to get caught between the rock and dagger. Trying to move my fingers was agonizing. I just couldn't, and it didn't help how Ash was still approaching.

Clutching my left hand's dagger even harder, I focused on Ash. Here I was, excited to try out half-assed ideas. I still needed to fetch them out...

Raising my right hand in the air, I held my left down. Ash ran towards me, so I didn't need to match his pace. All I needed to do was get in position and wait for him.

His sword neared my left shoulder.

Forming a lightning ball in my right hand, I waited till it exploded. 'Don't fix what's not broken," I thought as the lightning exploded.

But unlike yesterday, I got affected too. All I could see was a bright light.

Shaking my head, I forced open my eyes, blocking Ash's blade with my own.

The strike caused my blade to launch somewhere, but so did his as he dropped it.

Glimpsing at a disoriented Ash, I took a leap of faith. I jumped forward and grabbed him. I took him down to the floor using the Khausfallian techniques taught by Llram. I twisted my legs around his waist, bringing my arms around his neck and pressing against it.

"Tap out," I said, clenching my face,

Ash whaled his palm against the ground. "I g-g-give up!"

Letting Ash go, I pushed him off of me. I quickly got up, walking over him. "Better luck next time."

Ash got up, holding his head. "You could have gone easier."

Giving him a thumbs up, I laughed. "Yeah, I could have."

"Alright, let's discuss formations for your group: Allura, Wryn, and Ash." Bertin clapped, signaling Allura to come. Allura was still being disturbed by Forsona, but this opportunity freed her.

I was somewhat excited to see Allura fight, but unfortunately, the rest of the practice entailed monotonous information, mainly discussion regarding the formations of our group.

The formations were very dependent on the scenario, but to put it simply, me and Ash would be in the front while Allura would stay behind. Other than formations, Bertin spoke about recruiting other individuals to fit the requirement. The last information was the intriguing part. The faction that wins will meet the King and partake in the celebration of the treaty. According to Bertin, it was all thanks to Headmaster Vafaren.

I was excited to witness who this glorified King was. So far, everyone I met spoke about him with tenderness. Whoever this King was, he must have held a lot of respect and power. To be a leader in a world full of magic was more difficult than in my old one. At least one would presume so.

After the practice, Ash and I attended our class together: Beasts and Artifacts, instructed by Professor Kon.

It was evident to realize the new addition of students. There were far more Khausfallian students, and the once mostly filled room was now packed.

"Most fanaticize beasts for their exceptional characteristics, but what about those without magic?" Professor Kon paused, narrowing his eyes. The Professor glanced around, adding. "Just like humans, there are beasts without magic. Magic beasts obviously have a magic core, but why? Why is it that some beasts have cores while some don't? Why is it that chickens don't have magic cores while other beasts may?" He stopped, closing his eyes and opening them. "As you can see, there are many questions with no answers."

A student stood up, raising his hand. "The answer is obvious, blood lineage. That's why, if a mage marries a non-mage, their offspring will be mages."

The Professor nodded his head, agreeing with the student. But he suddenly raised his eyebrow, inquiring. "Then what occurred first: the mage or the non-mage?" He sat down on his seat next to the podium, laughing. "There is no definite explanation."

I wondered if perhaps humans evolved into mages. But that probably wouldn't be feasible. If that was the case, why didn't all humans become mages? Maybe specific humans gained magic somehow, but why wouldn't the others? I scratched my head. 'This is why I hate theoretical bullshit.'

"It's been quite some time since we evaluated coooool beasts." The Professor smirked, standing up. "Gnomes! They are tiny little critters found in fairly dangerous caverns. Recently, they were discovered, previously thought to be extinct." He opened a book, flipping the pages. "While we're on the discussion of caverns, I'd like you all to get a basic understanding of all the caverns. This includes all the beasts and their danger levels, but rest assured, you will not need to memorize them. But, I will be testing you guys regarding this information for the basic beasts and their danger levels."

Beasts were somewhat uncharted territory. I've only witnessed a few magical beasts. Yet, my interest wasn't piqued. Perhaps I was scared of what possibly could be out there.

The class seemed unamused about the test, so the Professor combated the angst. "Talking about unique beasts, let's discuss the Madegeth. Recently a few Madegeth beasts have been spotted, which is out of the ordinary. Ordinarily, Madegeths are beyond the mountains, but to be so close to the rifts is odd." He paused, grinning at all the attentive students. "Madegeths are humans infected with a virus that causes their core to rupture. Instead of instantly dying, these mages turn into horrific beast-like creatures. Ultimately, these beings are no longer mages because of obvious reasons."

"Onto the next section!" The Professor spoke, adding. "Artifacts and the common caveats."

I placed my head on the table, contemplating the difference between a Khausfallian and Madegeth. To be specific — I was contemplating why a Madegeth wouldn't be a mage anymore?

"...That will be it for today!"

Ash poked me. "Get up. Class is over!"

I stood up, yawning. "Do you want to get some food?"

Ash puffed out his chest. "Unfortunately, I have some plans with Ulotaine!"

"Haven't you heard of bros before hoes?" I snickered, shaking my head. Still, I was genuinely impressed that someone like Ash could converse with females.

Ash grew a confused face, but I shook my head. "Nevermind, you wouldn't understand." I gave him a thumbs-up. "Good luck!"

I was about to exit the room, but I couldn't get my mind across Khausfallians, and Madegeths didn't help my confusion. I stopped, going backward to the Professor. "Professor Kon, I have a quick question. If you don't mind?"

The Professor stopped packing his belongings into his suitcase. He looked at me, continuing to pack his materials. "Go on."

"Why is it that Madegeths aren't considered mages?"

"Madegeths aren't human because of their transformation into a beast," he said as he finished packing.

I gazed at the ceiling, asking. "Then why are Khausfallians classified as mages?"

The Professor dropped his suitcase running towards me. He covered his hand on my mouth, whispering. "Calm down before you get into serious trouble." He picked up his suitcase, wide-eyed. "Follow me."

Did I say something racist?! Was I going to be canceled over racism... 'What a lame way of getting expelled,' I thought, contemplating the beating that awaited me when I got home.

No, Professor Kon was too nice to get me in trouble, right?

After walking, we neared an area that I had never been to before.

"Enter," Professor Kon said, opening a door. "Welcome to my office. Take a seat."

I took a seat while the Professor sat on the opposite side of the table.

"Am I in trouble..." I squinted my eyes, looking at the floor.

The Professor began laughing. "You're just like your mom!" He continued, smiling. "No, you aren't." He poured a glass of water, sliding it to me.

I accepted the glass, drinking some water. Looking up at the Professor, I asked. "How do you know my mother?"

"We were neighbors," he answered, pouring himself some water. He took three sips before talking. "About your question, it's a tricky one. What classifies a mage? A mage is a human by definition-"

I interrupted him, asking. "Then what about dwarves and elves?"

"As I was saying, mages are human by definition. What classifies us as human? Dwarves, elves, Khausfallians, they're humans."

I looked around then at him as my eyebrows furrowed. "What about us, actual humans?"

The Professor laughed. "These terms that signify race are outdated. We all are humans, and to answer your question, since humans turn into fully-fledged beasts, they are no longer considered human. To some, this notion may be ludicrous. But the great King Arthur is urging such an agenda. It may seem absurd at first. But with scientific proof, you'd be shocked."

"I think that helps," I murmured, looking down at the floor.

I didn't lie, but my question wasn't satisfied. Sure, I knew the answer, but not the reasoning. It's not like it mattered, but how much longer could I keep pulling that card? If I didn't care about my surroundings, I wouldn't live like a sane person. I'd be more of a robot than anything else.

I stood up, creating eye contact. "Thank you very much." I began exiting the room but stopped when the Professor spoke.

"Do come again! Your presence reminds me of my childhood." He smiled, waving at me.

I waved back, closing the door.

Professor Kon, someone my mother knew. I wanted to ask my mother about her past, but it would look uncanny. I never asked my parents about their lives. Hell, I never asked if I had grandparents, cousins, or even uncles and aunts. I needed to change my old ways, but it would take time.

I was an inadequate son, but I'd change it. I whispered, gripping my fists. "I'm only a teen. If there's anything I have, it's time."