Chapter One: Classes and Tests

The beginning of so much to come

Mystery Haruhatsu, a thirteen year old girl sat at the back of her spell-casting class in the first period on the first day of the first year of school and trying to disappear into the desk; literally. She hated the dreaded first day, hated being dragged to the front of the class to explain who her mother was and the look her classmates gave her when they found out her mother was the Headmistress and hated the looks the teachers gave her when they found out the Headmistress’s daughter had no powers. She just hated it.

     Mystery lifts her head up to check out her classmates and see if there are any potential friends in this year’s students. To Mystery’s right there was a sleeping elf and an energetic sprite. To her left there was a pretty and quiet vampire sitting next to a hyper shape shifter.

     “This blows; why would she send me to a school with a freaking dress code. I HATE wearing school uniforms!” A fourteen and a half year old boy said in a grumpy tone. “Just because she’s the freaking Queen of the-”

     He is interrupted by a mage student passing by.

     “Sheesh! Even in a school like this, they could get me hunted.” He finished. He continues to wander off to pick up his schedule, but on his way he caught the glimpse of a student that seemed to know this place: Mystery.

     All the classes burst out the doors as soon as the teacher’s dismissed them, Mystery lagging behind the rest of her class. Just as she walked out the door, she saw the boy with spiky silver white hair and black side burns.

     “Hey, can you tell me where my class is?” He asked.

     “Sure.” Mystery replied. “What class do you have next?”

     “Swords - I think.” He said.

     “Hey, I do as well.” Mystery said. “Just follow me and I’ll show you where it is.” The boy stuffs his thumbs into his pants pockets and follows the girl leading him to class.

     Mystery and the boy were walking down the halls to their swords class until the boy saw a bunch of second and third years looking at them. The boy was starting to twitch.

     These jerks are judging me. I just know it! The boy thought with gritted teeth. It’s just because I'm only a half-human. An aura was starting to emerge around him. It was his aura; it had the appearance of black fire covering his body.

     “Hey, we’re here.” Mystery said snapping the boy back into reality. His aura vanished in an instant.

     “Oh, okay… By the way: the name’s Edwin Warlock; not like you’d care.” Edwin said looking away, uncaringly. He glanced more closely at Mystery, inspecting her and suddenly said, “Hmmm… I don’t know what it is, but you remind me of the Headmistress... Why is that?”

     CRUD! He’ll probably figure out that the Headmistress is my mom.  Mystery thought, beginning to panic a little.

     “That’s...” She paused to think about whether or not to tell this potential friend about her mother. She came to a conclusion. “That’s because my mother is the Headmistress.” She sighed and waited for the usual response of disgust she would get from others.

     “Cool!” Edwin replied.

     “It’s not my- wait, what? You’re not disgusted?” Mystery asked, disbelieving.

     “No.” Edwin answered. “You probably know lots of stuff other students don’t; like where classes are for example.”

     “Oh.” Mystery said both confused and surprised that he wasn’t just trying to be nice.

     “Well, to be honest, you don’t seem too fond of the idea of being the Headmistress’s daughter. But since you were so honest I guess I should tell you that-” He bends down to Mystery’s ear, whispering: “please keep it to yourself you got that?” Mystery nodded. “Good. If anyone else finds out, ‘they’ll’ have my head. These magic users would jump on the idea of hunting one of the princes of darkness.” Edwin had a strange feeling to be able to tell someone about his unique heritage. “Warlock is my father’s last name. I am the son of Lilith, the Queen of the underworld. I was booted out and forced to come to this school because I refused to devour human life forces. So remember, just keep it on the DL okay?” Mystery nodded her head again. Edwin suddenly grew hot in his face since ‘nice’ was still a foreign language to him. Edwin actually felt secure. It was like they’ve been friends forever.

     The two walked in the swords class, Edwin shoving his hands into his black trench coat pockets with metal skulls on the shoulders.

A young girl around sixteen walked up to the doors of the large castle, out of breath. Without laying a finger on the wooden doors, it opened with many young girls and boys walking around the courtyard. The girl slowly and shyly walked through the doors which soon closed as she had come in causing her to fluster. She quivered her lips and made her way through the crowd.

     The girl wandered the halls absentmindedly while staying close to the walls. She wasn’t really sure why she was here. A great feeling of protection drew her to this place. She looked back with fear, a fear that looked to be like she was being chased or followed. She continues to walk and she found an office with a few students seated in what looked like a waiting room.

     “A new student I’m guessing?” A boy with milk chocolate skin asked from behind her. The girl squeaked turning around and nearly tripped on her boot heel, the boy catching her wrist and helped her stand up straight.

     “Y-ye-ye-yes?” She shyly stuttered. Her hands were trembling violently. This is a school?

     “May I have your name?” He asked cupping her hands so they wouldn’t shake so harshly.

     “C-Cr-Cro-Cro-C-Crona.” Crona replied. Her snow paled cheeks lit a pink hue.

     “It was nice to meet you Crona.” He said, kissing her knuckles. “I hope I get the pleasure to see you again one of these days.” He removes Crona’s large round framed glasses and takes out a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes the glasses clean. He sets them back over her freckled nose and crimson eyes. “Don’t want fogged up glasses now, do we?” He smiles with a chuckle and walks into the door titled: Headmistress Office.

     Crona had sat down in one of the chairs waiting to go into the Headmistresses Office and once there were no more people in the waiting room who came out of the room she was in, she got up and hesitated. She wasn’t sure if her stuttering would be acceptable to the head of this school, but if she wants to be safe, then she’d have to go in there. She came to the door and took the handle, slowly opening it and walked in.

     “Please take a seat.” The Headmistress spoke up while scanning a file she was to look over. The girl sat down in the chair set in front of her desk and played with her fingers nervously.

     “Crona Zay Hill. You live in a small town in the state of Utah and you attended public school for your freshman year of High School, and you were once human, but not anymore. You were… turned.” There’s a pause. “Tell me miss Hill,” she stands up and walks towards Crona, “what brought you to Mystic Academy?”

     “I-I-I don’t kn-know… I was… b-be-being chased b-b-by the va-va-va-v-vampire who t-turned m-me.” She stuttered nervously. She then thought how on earth this woman obtained such documents on her.

     “Tell you what. Come take a quick test so I can see what classes you need to take.” The woman said and walked over to another door. The girl followed.

While Crona was taken into the mysterious room to take some kind of test, the dark skinned boy the girl had met earlier snuck into the Headmistress’s office and rummaged through the files of all the students who are currently attending, or will be in the coming months. He came to the file he was searching for under “A”, but it was blank and claimed that whoever the student was is a simple weak human.

     “Damn it.” He grumbled, stashing the file back into its rightful place. Frustrated there was nothing on the target student, he glanced at Crona’s file on the desk. Curious, he decided to take a peek into the girl’s information. He was surprised with what the girl’s bio held. He had eavesdropped on the small conversation before the Headmistress took Crona away for her test and it seemed the Headmistress could have told the girl about something she did not know of when she claimed she was turned.

     The doorknob to the testing room clicked and the boy had suddenly vanished into thin air.

     “It looks like you’ll be in most of the night classes on Monday’s, Tuesday’s, and Friday’s for your main lessons you need to take, and the rest of the days are day time lessons for general studies.” The Headmistress informed Crona, adjusting her white framed glasses. She handed the girl her schedule and continued, sitting back into her arm chair: “On Tuesday’s, Friday’s, and special events, all students are to wear their uniform. You’ll find yours in your dorm room; number 302.”

     “Th-tha-thank you.” Crona thanked the Headmistress.

     Crona walked out of the office and saw the boy who had caught her when she nearly tripped. He waved to her and called, “Hey Crona! Come here a sec.”

     Crona walked nervously towards the boy.

     “How’d it go in there?” He asked.

     “F-fine.” She replied.

     “Oh, you’re new so I’d like to show you around. May I?”

     “Y-Yes please.” She said averting her eyes to the floor.

     “I forgot to introduce myself earlier. I am Noah Fiddlehorn.” Noah said lifting Crona’s chin up for eye level and smiled warmly.

     Noah had shown Crona all around the school and lastly took her to the girl’s dorms. He told her that if she were in need of him, he’d be in the boy’s dorm in room 039 and left. She looked up at the large building and walked in.

She wandered the empty halls and eventually found room 302.

     Walking into the room, it had purple wallpaper and brown lining, an empty white book shelf to put all her school books in after she starts her classes, a matching desk, and a bed with clean white and pink sheets. She walked to the bed and threw herself into it and tried very hard not to remember the events that had recently occurred to her before coming to this school.

It was Edwin’s second day at the academy and his little adventure with Mystery gave him a scope of the school. As usual he became a loner. He has always preferred to stay in solitude and was never one to trust anybody. It was amazing how he could even put his trust into Mystery keeping his secret. He could not put his finger on it, but he just felt he could trust her. He would make sure that he kept her little secret as long as she kept his.

     The strange thing was, she knew who and what he was; the heir to the Warlock family. They were always born half-demon. It was usually one of the lower, but somehow he bore Lilith’s blood which meant he had the potential to become the King of Demons.

     Edwin had no interest in the politics of the underworld though and this is the reason why he was banished to the human world. In order to become a full demon, he must devour a virgin’s life force, but his human side would not let him. All he wants is a mostly normal life without the fear of being hunted by slayers or mages.

     He was surprised of the Headmistress, knowing his lineage, accepted him. Edwin knows that darkness grasps at him, but he would refuse to let it take over.

     He was called to the Headmistress’s chamber for whatever reason was needed. He signed the paper work and entered.

     “Hello there, you must be Edwin Warlock? I do not know if you were informed, but one must take a test to see what level they are at.” The Headmistress said. She put down documents on the Warlock boy. “Since you are a forge master that would mean you can use alchemy to forge weapons from manna. Can you demonstrate by forging your seven swords, Mr. Warlock?”

     Edwin had a look of terror upon his face.

     “Actually, I can only summon one at this time. It’s rather embarrassing to admit. I’ll be fifteen in two weeks while my father was able to summon all seven at fifteen... Kind of depressing.” Edwin said.

     “That it is fine since I already know who you are. Proceed into the exam room.”

     Edwin suddenly sensed something as Crona walked past the office. There was no doubt in his mind that he knew that girl was a vampire fledgling.

     She’s a newbie to the creature of the night thing. Hmm… Newborns are always trouble, but there is a sense of humanity around her... That's a relief. If she can grasp at that, than she should be fine. I’ll have to befriend this girl, for I too know too well what it feels like to have darkness grasp at me. He thought and walked up to her.

     “Hey you, who are you?” Edwin asked Crona, startling her.

     “W-well I’m C-C-Cro-” Crona began, Edwin interrupting her.

     “Just spit it out already!” Edwin bellowed.

     “U-u-um..." Crona stammered. She was very nervous around him.

     “Sheesh! Me first I guess. I’m Edwin Warlock.” Edwin said. Crona then realized Edwin was actually trying to be nice but wasn’t really sure how to verbalize it.

     “I-I’m Cr-Crona, i-i-it’s nice to m-m-meet you.” Crona stuttered. She noticed he wasn’t quite human either; this in turn made her a little more comfortable around him.

Meanwhile, Mystery was being bothered by a forest elf known as Zakerieh Spellwhite and he was trying to ask Mystery out. He had been with Mystery ever since she started school, is a year younger than her, had known Mystery most his life, is in the same level as her, and has a slight crush on her. Every year Zak tried to ask Mystery out but usually failed.

     “Mystery, I’d like to ask you something... now I know you’ll turn me down again like you do every year but I have to at least try or my love for you will never be returned.” Zak said.

     No! Zak, no matter how many times you ask me, the answer will always be no. We’re just friends. Mystery wanted to say. Mystery looked up at Zak and her face flushed as soon as she made eye contact with him. She hung her head from guilt and embarrassment. She hadn’t realized that Zak knew she didn’t like him; at least, she didn’t like him like that.

     “I’m really busy at the moment. Sorry, but I have to leave.” When she stood up with her things packed away, she walked out the classroom door and gray cat ears suddenly appeared from her head. Mystery covered the ears with her hands as she quickly ran to her dorm room.

     Locking the door and moving her hands away from her head, the cat ears perked up. Then big black angel wings came sprouting out of her back and a black cat tail near her tail bone. Mystery knew something about her was changing but she didn’t know what it was.

     Mystery had heard of stories of her mother’s talent many times, but never thought it would happen to her. For weeks now she had been noticing strange things happening to her. Strangers walked up to her and told her about their problems and she heard people say things without moving their lips and when she asked about it, they told her they hadn’t said anything. Mystery realized she had been reading their minds.

     “Wha-What’s happening to me?” Mystery asked as she looked at herself in the mirror. Mystery fell onto her bed and felt her white haired cat rub against her cheek. “Hey Midnight. If only you could talk I’d be able to rant to you about my problem...”

     “Oh Mystery;” said a voice, “I can talk although you are the only one who can understand me. That’s one of your new powers.”

     “Who said that!?” Mystery asked, bolting up.

     “It was me, Midnight, your pet cat.” Midnight said.

     Midnight!? Mystery thought.

     “B-but- but animals can’t talk!”

     “True, but this is your new power.” Midnight said hopping off the bed, walking towards Mystery’s legs, purring as she rubbed against them. “You can now talk to animals, Mystery. Isn’t that exciting?”

     Mystery blushed and mumbled, “I- I guess it is.”

     “You should tell your mom about the great news!” Midnight mentioned with excitement.

     “Tell my mom? Are you- hmm...I guess you’re right. That way I can go up a level or two.” Mystery said. “But I’ll tell her later.”

     “Just be sure you tell her.” Midnight said.

A girl with long jet black hair walked up to the school gates, entering. She was, all in all, a troublesome person.

     The girl blew her bangs out of her face as she walked into the Headmistresses office as the elders of the city had forced her to come due to some issues with pranks.

     “Hello. I’m Juno Silversheen, forced to come here because of some troublesome elders.” Juno added at the end thoughtfully.

     “Ah, I see. Well, for now, just go to the testing room. I’ll be there in a minute. You do know what I mean, yes?” The Headmistress asked as she was reading over Juno’s documents.

     “Of course; and what tests will I be taking exactly?” Juno asked.

     “The magic test, of course; archery as well, I’m presuming.”

     “That's what I thought.” Juno replied, promptly leaving for the room that she had passed earlier.

     When she got to the testing room, she saw Crona having a conversation with Edwin, soon seeing her walk out of the room.

     I wonder what that was about…? Juno thought, a smile appearing on her face.

     Juno noticed that the other person, Edwin, was a half-demon, because he didn’t give off as ugly an aura as the full demons. The half-demon walked off, waving all the while, to his test.

     Juno looked at the door that led to where the testing area was being held and sighed.

     “I can’t believe how long this is taking-” Juno said as she was called off to take her test, “Or not.” She finished, walking towards the sound of her name.

     “In this half of the test, you have to first attack the instructor with offensive magic, and in the second half, defend yourself against the instructor’s magic.”

     Juno smirked and had the shadows all-around turn into hands and wrapped themselves around the instructor's neck, choking her.

     “T-that’s enough...” The instructor gasped and Juno made the shadows disappear.

     The instructor shook her head and then formed a fireball in her hand.

     “Fireball, huh? Can’t you be more creative?” Juno laughed out as the fire was enveloped in shadows. “Nice try, but, no.”

     None of the fireballs made it past Juno.

     “I’m guessing I passed?” Juno asked.

     “Yes. And please wait for your next test, archery.” The watching Instructor informed, before Juno left the room.

Though Edwin dare not show it, elves freak him out. Not by appearances but because elves hate demons and demon hybrids. He figured it was because they have existed as long as demons have. He did not understand it since they are both creatures of magic, but elves were creatures of natural magic where demons were formed from the negative energy of man: Vanity, Lust, Wrath, Greed, Sloth, Gluttony, and Envy.

     “Edwin Warlock, it is time for the test of might.” The Headmistress said.

     “Well, later, I’ve got to bounce.” Edwin said to Crona, waving her off as he left. She decided it’d be best to head to her classes and walked off.

     Once Edwin entered the testing room, he noticed that there was a samurai in the middle of the room.

     The samurai turned around.

     “Hello Mr. Warlock. I am Professor Tachibana. I am the might examiner.” Professor Tachibana said. “The test is simple. You must parry and then strike at least three times. I was told you possess a magic sword. Where is it?”

     Edwin held out his palm, three spheres of magic formed in his hand. One fire, second water, and the last one a golden color. The gold one formed into something that looked like a stone sword, the fire sphere hid different parts of the slab forming what actually looked like a red hot sword, and finally the water orb cooled the sword. It was a long sword. There was something in runic code on the blade of the sword.

     “Translate.” Edwin ordered. The runic code formed the word ‘Vanity’. “This is my first of the nether blades: Vanity. The best part about my blades-” he let go of the sword and it was floating; Edwin closed his eyes, “is that I don’t have to hold them.” He opened his eyes, they were still red but this time they were glowing.

     The sword flew past the professor’s sword and cut him three times. They were just scratches. Edwin avoids killing if possible.

     “I think that means I pass right, master Tachibana?” Edwin rhetorically asks.

     “It does. Who would have ever thought the underdog of the Warlock family would be this skilled. Even if you did control the sword with your mind I will let you pass. Next is your test of magic.”

     “Darn... I don't know any offensive magic. Well, there is the hidden power of my sword ‘Vanity’. Maybe that’ll work?” Edwin thought aloud.

     The teacher was looking at him in a strange way.

     “I can hear you. You know that, right?”

     Edwin’s face flooded red for he didn’t realize he was thinking to himself out loud.

     “Jeez, mind your own business would you?” He said curtly, walking into the next room as his sword landed in his hand.

Juno continued with her test, passing the archery test in a flash.

   After Juno had passed her test and got her schedule and uniform, she followed some people to her first class.

     Hmmm… Archery? Why am I doing it today? I don’t feel like it. And what-! Juno thought as she looked closer at the schedule. First level!? I'm going to die of boredom… Unless... Juno started to smile wickedly as an idea popped into her head.

     Juno walked into her class, acting all nice and like she wasn’t up to any good, when she was.

     She waited for the teacher to come in and he introduced himself.

     “Hello, I am Mr. Evans, am I am your archery teacher. Please watch this demonstration of archery.”

     He went up to the wall that was covered with bows and arrows, and grabbed one bow, a couple of arrows and an arm guard.

     “You first take the arm guard and put it on the hand that is holding the bow steady, you can try it without the arm guard, but it is not my fault if you get injured from whip-lash. Then you draw back and-” Mr. Evans said as the string snapped in his face.

     “Ouch…” He muttered, and grabbed another bow, to try again.

     He drew back and when he was halfway, Juno made his bowstring’s shadow snap, thus breaking the bowstring. This happened multiple times until he decided to let the students have a turn. The students took over, getting the hang of it and there were no problems at all. Mr. Evans tried to use the bow again, and the same thing happened.

     As time flew by and class was done, the mystery of why the bowstrings only broke when Mr. Evans broke was never found...

   And thus, Juno got moved up three levels that day.

Mystery came back into the classroom she was in, panting and asked, “Does anyone know where my mo-” Mystery almost said mom but caught herself. She had gotten used to the new school year and not talking about her mother. “I-I mean the Headmistress is?”

     “Actually-” A female student began.

     “No? Okay, I’ll just wait here.” Mystery said quickly ignoring the girl and sitting down.

     “Hi Mystery, are you okay now?” A voice asked from behind her, Mystery nearly squealing in surprise and smacked Zak on the back of the head.

     “Jeez, Zak, you need to stop popping up on people. You scared the bejeebes out of me.”

     “What’s bejeebes?” Zak asked.

     Mystery shrugged. “I really don’t know.”

     “You humans have a strange language.” Zak said.

     “Come on Zak, we’re going to miss the test!” Mystery said taking Zak’s wrist.

     “I thought you don’t take the test because of your - you know - talent problem?” Zak whispered.

     “Don’t say it like that, I sound retarded then. Anyway, who said I didn’t have powers?” Mystery grinned slyly.

Author's Note

Story by: Thread Heads
Art by: Sarah H. (me)
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Please leave a review on your thoughts and (if any) any grammar tips

Reviews

[aj milton]

Entertaining little story so far, well done.

Grammar Critique: Mostly you used the past tense - ie 'She said', 'he walked' etc. But in a few places you slipped into present tense ie 'He is interrupted', 'he continues'. It is normally considered to be better to stick to one tense unless maybe you change a whole paragraph for a good reason to emphasise something.

[yuki]

very nicely done :) thanks for sharing :)

[Sarah H. (Shadow Mage)]

Thank you for your feedback ^-^