Nathan

Year 2849 | Month 8 | Day 14

“Hello, I am Julia Sanders, and I’m here with the latest news covering the recent Class S Split,” a news reporter immediately begins talking with a map behind her in some sort of nice and expensive room once I turn on the tv, making me raise my eyebrows at the timing of it. “As a recap for the those of you who haven’t already heard-”

“Meaning those of you who are living under a rock,” another voice, a male one this time, suddenly chimes in as the reporter is trying to talk.

The reporter proceeds to ignore his words as she continues speaking, “-the Class S magicians of every single nation have entered into a temporary non-aggression pact with each other, stating that they will not be used to fight the battles of the nations for them.”

“Some less willingly than others,” the male voice chimes in again, followed by the appearance of an old man who joins the reporter next to the map.

Julia Sanders glances at the man and says, “True enough. Some of the more nationalist Class S’s wished to continue leading their nation as they were but were forced into this by the rest of the Class S’s that did agree to join the pact.” She then turns back to the camera and adds, “Furthermore, this change has caused a massive increase in the budgets of both the military and the academies of the Republic thanks to the increased need for magicians to fight.”

“Which Aunt Alexis is extremely happy about,” I’m suddenly distracted from the tv by Amelia’s voice, drawing me to look back and find her rummaging around in my and Aidan’s fridge as if she owned the place.

I raise an eyebrow at that before turning back to the tv and saying, “I’ll bet.”

Just wish she wasn’t strong-arming me into fighting in the arena. Even if it has been rather helpful thus far. What with getting the idiots targeting me off my back and getting me a lot more dueling experience.

At that thought, the map shown on a screen floating behind the reporter and the man changes to show the terms of the nonaggression pact signed by the Class S magicians.

“No one knows who the first Class S magician was to suggest the pact, but by now every single one of the known Class S magicians have signed it,” the woman’s voice continues, just for the screen to change to show a video recording of the Chairman of the Republic coming out of a limo and walking down a pathway into a very large and strategic building. “However, what everyone is talking about even more than the Class S magician’s current actions…”

The reporter’s words pause right at the same time as the recording freezes on the Chairman’s face before continuing, “…is how Chairman Artorius Hunter is responding to the situation.”

I move over on the couch as Amelia sits down next to me.

“Or to be more frank,” the reporter continues as I lean back against the back of the couch, “how Chairman Artorius Hunter isn’t responding to the situation.”

Oh?

That’s a little worrisome. Although it’s also not really my problem.

Not unless the doctor decided to drag me into it.

Which I kind of doubt he would even bother dealing with it himself unless he had to.

At that thought, my id card begins to chime, indicating a phone call. So I get up from the couch and make my way to my bedroom, leaving Amelia to lounge around on the couch watching the tv as I close the door behind me and pull up my id card.

Dad?

Wonder why he’s calling.

I answer the call while sitting down on my bed and setting the card to float in front of me.

And the first thing I see on the video is the image of my dad’s pale face as he rushes to say, “Nathan, we have a problem.”

My eyebrows instantly jump up at that, but I ask, “What’s wrong?”

“I can’t tell you everything about it at the moment, but know that your mother and I will be safe. Even if you can’t contact us for a long time,” he continues rather cryptically.

I furrow my brows at the, only to hear crashing sounds coming from the other side of the call, followed by the warping sound of a portal opening and the hanging up of the call without any other warning.

The fuck?

I wait for several minutes in the hopes that he calls me back, but it never happens. And eventually, I hear a knock on the door, followed by Amelia’s voice, “You still in a call?”

Right as I’m about to shout back in answer, my id card rings again. But when I look at who the caller id is, I freeze.

What the fuck is he calling…

Oh.

“Yes!” I shout back to her before immediately answering the call to see the doctor’s emotionless face appear in the video feed.

I glare at the video, just taking in his surroundings which appear to be my home before opening my mouth to speak, just to have my eyes widen in shock as a portal appears in front of my bed.

“Wha-” I begin to shout, only to remember Amelia in the other room and chomp down onto my tongue to stop myself.

Not even a second later, the doctor steps through the portal and quickly notices the blood dripping out of my mouth from my tongue.

He stares at it for a few seconds before eventually stating, “Do not worry about your parents. They are safe.”

My mouth drops open at his words, but I close it again a second later after realizing that he’s just-

“So do not make a fuss, and continue your day as normal at the academy,” he continues, still with an emotionless look on his face before suddenly tossing something onto my bed and stepping back through the portal.

-making sure I don’t do anything he thinks might get in his way…

I stare at the now-missing portal for several seconds before sighing and turning to the bed.

If there’s one good side to that man, it’s that he never lies. So if he says that mom and dad are fine, then they are.

A frown spreads across my face at the sight of a small orb that is now lying on my bed – the very same item that the doctor tossed before leaving.

But… what’s that?