Why did he have to be unlucky?
"Well done sweetheart!" Their mother, Emily exclaimed.
"This calls for a celebration! The years of hard work have paid off!" Their Dad added.
Their parents were extraordinary.
Emily Flynn was a skilled Sagea healer, and she was respected for her compassion, empathy, and innovative approaches to Sagea care.
Asher put on the most realistic smile and flung his arm around Rowan.
"This is his big moment, we need to sign the application form from the school as soon as possible!"
Rowan was living in the moment but could also tell what his brother's intentions were.
Asher didn't want them to know. It was the little secret he wanted to keep from his parents.
The evening drifted by. Asher's dream was over even before it began.
He curled up in his bed, entangled in his emotions.
Kaito appeared beside him.
Asher stared with a blurry vision as the tears trickled down his nose.
"Why did it have to be you!? Why? Just go back!"
Ahser cried himself to sleep, hoping that it would all be a bad dream once he woke up.
Ahser woke up to big news, his father, a Sagea researcher, would be leaving with his mother for an important mission.
Ahser would have to stay with Rowan at Ravenhurst Academy.
A prestigious school that trains people to become Sagea masters.
"Hey, I know this is tough, you don't need to do anything there, just live there for a while" Emily smiled as she packed their bags.
They had discussed it with Rowan and left Asher out of it, assuming he was a bit off yesterday.
Their Dad, Ritler, stepped in, "Now you two are grown up enough to handle certain matters. When the letter arrives-"
"We must prepare for the following day, and make an impression...Dad, I know, I'll take care of the little guy"
Rowan assured them, knowing that this was the first time they'd be alone in a long time.
For Asher, it was overwhelming, but it was also a chance, an opportunity.
His parents wouldn't have to know about his bonding ritual but all the students will recognize him. The failure.
Which would he choose? Not letting his parents find out or enduring the long-term disgrace?
The bonding rules, was he going to attempt breaking them?
Maybe it was all happening for a reason.
There was a knock on the door. Rowan opened and was surprised to see a golden disc, hovering mid-air.
The disc allowed itself in and projected a screen with vital information and their pictures.
"Name: Rowan Flynn"
"Age: Seventeen years old"
"Sagea: Erebus, the two-tailed wolf"
"You have been accepted into Ravenhurst Academy. The rules will be handed to you on your first day physically"
"You're already awarded with the golden crystal uniform; which will be delivered to you at sunset"
At Ravenhurst Academy, the ranking system provides a clear hierarchy, with distinct privileges and responsibilities for each tier.
The uniform differences and special activities reinforce the ranking system, creating a sense of prestige and motivation for students to strive for higher ranks.
Rowan looked concerned, "Hey, I get the reason why you hid this from our parents, but still, it's risky"
Ahser had already thought about how things would end, but he ignored it.
"I'll be fine, as long as you promise to stay quiet about it!"
Rowan raised his hands in mock surrender, "Well, chill...I will" He sighed. "Also, don't tell me you plan on hiding your Sagea."
Asher stopped in his tracks.
"That has nothing to do with you! You've got your own stuff to worry about, very soon you'll be having rivals anytime and everywhere and you'll be everyone's target! I don't need your opinion or sympathy!"
Rowan frowned. "Oh, so that's how you see things, huh? You're just jealous of my own success and too weak to accept your pathetic destiny!"
The words hit hard like rocks on Asher's ears, and he grabbed a frame and was ready to strike Rowan.
Rowan was also ready to retaliate but their Sageas appeared, each Sagea stopping their owners from hurting themselves.
Erebus growled softly, while Kaito clung to Asher's feet which was very annoying.
But the boys understood their Sagea despite their anger.
Rowan turned and left with Erebus, his steps heavy as they walked out the door.
Kaito hopped off Asher's feet. "Follow me," he said.
The ability to communicate with Sageas was impossible for the Argentum students, the top 5% of those who had strong Sageas.
It takes quite a while for the bond to become stable between humans and Sageas. For people to become Sagea masters, they need to undergo a training that starts immediately after the bonding ritual.
Ravenhurst Academy was established right after the first Sagea masters came in contact with their Sageas.
The war between the Sageas that occurred thousands of years ago broke the Liminal gate, a barrier that separates the human and Sagea realm.
This enabled the Sageas to trespass into the human realm. It resulted in the destruction of the human realm, where there were only two survivors who experienced the battle.
They made a pact with the Sageas to make peace between both realms, and also established a school that helped humans to understand the Sageas.
Maybe things were weird for Asher, but he began to accept the weird encounters.
"Follow you...? Wait...What?". He tried to wrap his head around the situation. He didn't know all about Sageas but was aware of some vital information.
"You can speak? Or is this some form of telepathy?" He asked, assuming he had been overthinking the situation.
It was strange, there was something about Kaito that Asher didn't know about.
"Yes...I can, now can we go to that room of yours? You gigantic being..." Kaito replied before hopping away, gesturing for Asher to follow.
Erebus growled softly behind Rowan. He was both angry and worried. His brother's life was at risk and he'd be responsible if anything should happen.
Erebus walked in circles around Rowan.
"I don't know how to deal with this, and I also don't want to hurt him either by revealing it".
Erebus stopped and tried to pat Rowan on the head, but he avoided the creature's touch.
"Erm, I don't think I'm ready for that yet"
Erebus retracted his paws and bellowed. Rowan felt the sense of relief wash over him and looked up at the massive creature in awe.
"It's so strange how we understand each other...what did I even do to deserve a Sagea like you?"
He rubbed the creature's fur, not expecting anything to happen, but his hand glowed with a purple light while imprinting 'EREBUS' on the back of his hand.