In the radiant city of Angelica, towering trees gleamed under the warm breeze, their brightness shining, ever so gracefully, on the lively grass below.
The streets pulse with life as citizens erupt in joyous cheers. Street Angels stood in corners, their harmonious hymns filling the air. "O' Mary, O' Mary, you come with my heart. Bring forth your great love, and make me all the more. For love, I have waited; it's all in your hands. Give me all your attention as this is my stand."
Inside bustling bars, chaos reigned. A massive TV broadcast an airball tournament, an angel deftly evades the opponents' tackles as the mass chants the team's name, "Ralsee! Ralsee! Ralsee!"
But when the rival team's speedster snatches the flag in his pants, ceasing his run. The bar explodes in outrage, "Booo!" "Unfair!" "Really?!"
In shops, Earth Fairies toiled tirelessly, stocking shelves with trinkets. One sighed, "Replenishing my Phylx after a long day of creating these gadgets is so mentally exhausting."
Another nodded. "Tell me about it. But as long as business thrives, we'll manage, son."
Meanwhile, in the hospital, an angelic woman is in labor. Her husband clutches her hand gently. "Let me ease your pain with my healing, love," he offered.
She smiles. "Thank you, David."
With both of their magic, they delivered a painless pregnancy with the doctor's supervision. The doctors gently took the newborn out, who wept in their arms. As they inspect the baby for any signs of illness or disability, they freeze in awe.
The baby gleamed faintly, his wings shimmering brightly, and his eyes more luminous than those of a typical Genesis Angel.
"A charged baby?" a doctor whispered.
"Unbelievable… this is my first time seeing one!" another doctor exclaimed excitedly.
David and Sphyla stared, stunned by the rare sight.
"God has blessed us," David exclaimed, tears streaming.
Sphyla smiled softly. "Indeed."
The doctor hands them the bill. "Once you've recovered, you're free to go." David pays the bill with real gold and waits for Sphylx.
David cradles their newborn son in his arms, murmuring in curiosity, "Just what will you become, little one?"
—At eight, the boy heals a wounded dove with a single touch as his father watches in awe.
"My father, David, trained me under the Solomon Rule. It was simple at first, but it grew harder over time—or so I thought."
—At ten, he ventures into the hidden library beneath his home. As he wanders around, he finds his father's open autobiography. Overwhelmed by curiosity, he takes a glimpse at its content. "When I was ten, my sister ate my ice cream, so I dunked her toothbrush in the toilet."
He giggled at it and was tempted to read more but feared being caught in this situation. He closes his book before hurriedly leaving.
"I know reading a living relative's book is forbidden, but it was too irresistible. The book proves my Father's pettiness—he once pushed me to exhaustion over a stolen sandwich. He hasn't changed at all and I know he did that over pettiness."
—At twelve, his mother dragged him to the hospital.
"I was forced to visit Aunt Anabel. She was on her break as a nurse. While they were chatting, I managed to sip some of Aunt's poison liquor. It was disgusting. I don't get the hype."
—At sixteen, he donated blood to the Vampire Queen.
"Father calls it 'training', but she drank way too much, and I fainted on the spot. I was stiff for days, missed a week of school, and had a nervous breakdown. All he gave was a golden bracelet to make up for it—pathetic."
—At eighteen, he sat with his parents, watching the sunset.
"I was finally leaving for the Oldest Solomon College," he wrote, "ready to begin anew."
While he's writing his memories in his autobiography, Sphyla calls out to him, "Kailus, sweetie, come out of the library otherwise you'll miss college!"
He leaps up, dusts his pants, and grabs his autobiography to go. The college opens to all who turn eighteen across the Golden Continent. Kailus rushes to pack his essentials, but his parents stop him.
Sphyla smothers him with kisses, causing him to drop his bags. "Oh, Kalie, how you've grown so much. Be sure to take care of yourself," she said warmly.
David hugged him tightly. "Train daily, son. Stay strong, like your father. Trust in God for stability."
Kailus grinned. "Yes, Father."
Sphyla pouts playfully. "No love for me? Oh, how you've always been a daddy's boy your entire life. I still remember when you were flying for the first time. I opened my arms, expecting you to fly into them, because that's what all babies do, 'Favor their mother'. But oh nooo… instead, you went into your bumbling, idiot dad."
David teases, pulling her close. "Well, you still have me~."
"Save that for the bedroom," she quipped.
Kailus stands in silence, gathering his supplies. He's about to leave, but Sphyla stops him again at the front door. "And one last thing, sweetie: learn to forgive yourself. I know you dwell in the past, screaming in your room."
A vivid memory surfaced:
In class, the teacher announces, "Take notes—this is for your finals."
He looks around in his bag to find nothing.
'I've given all of my pencils to my friends. I have to ask around.'
He asks the bunny girl beside him, "Do you have a pencil for me?"
She scoffs loudly at him, "How about you get your own supplies. This isn't daycare." The class roared with laughter as Kailus sank into his seat, mortified. Flashback ends.
Sphyla hugs him. "Just don't embarrass yourself, darling."
Kailus nods, grabbing his suitcase, autobiography, and a recipe book. He waves at them one last time before flying away. They wave back, watching their child disappear into the distance—leaving them behind.
David pinches Sphyla's waist, causing her to yelp. "Great, you reminded him of that!"
She smacks his head. "I was being cautious."
"You know that's my weak spot!" David groaned.
Sphyla whispers. "How about I make it up to you, now that the house is empty?"
"Fine," he mumbles, rubbing his head.
Kailus soars ahead, passing many along the way. Angelica's golden roads gleamed, lined with shops, bars, and entertainment venues, forever vibrant. The Magical Musicians' song drifts throughout the area: "I hope that you believe~ that good is defeated, but I'll tell you that the coins on the roll…"
'Ah, 'Sympathy' was my favorite when I was five,' Kailus reflected. 'Now that I'm leaving my home for a place full of strangers, it feels isolating. I only felt comfortable around my parents. Losing my only source of comfort was always my greatest fear—and fear, one way or another, always comes to challenge me. Now, I'm left with only myself—and the skills my parents acquainted me with.'
He glances at his body. 'Father's harsh training chiseled my body to perfection. I was always grateful for such. Mother always scolded him for pushing me too hard, but he was more of a coach than the drill sergeant she thought he was.'
He looks at his suitcase. 'Father made me practice flying with these, packed with weights or concrete. I dropped them countless times.'
"I love you, Dad," he murmured.
Landing at Solomon College, Kailus enters its doors. He's astonished at the interior: its marble-coated halls, the red royal carpets, a statue of Solomon in the middle of the room, a painting of the Heavenly Continent Civil War among the walls, and a peculiar statue of Lazuel in the corner.
'The "Consequence" guy...'
Distracted by the statue, he walks straight into the desk, drawing a curious look from the receptionist below. The receptionist thinks, 'These kids need to look straight. This is the fifth time this has happened.'
Kailus looks down and blushes. 'I already embarrassed myself this early. I'm such a damn idiot…'
Suddenly, they both get the same idea. 'Wait, is that a Sun Fairy/Charged Genesis Angel?'
They studied each other in silence until the receptionist broke it. "Are you, by any chance, a Genesis Angel—perhaps a charged one?"
"Ye-yes?" he stammers.
Her eyes light up. "A charged Genesis Angel? The rarest race and a charged one?! Can I touch your wings?" she asks eagerly, shaking his hand with excitement and drawing the attention of onlookers. Kailus's face flushes even deeper at whatever situation he's gotten himself into
Noticing his flushed face and the attention they're attracting, she coughs and pretends nothing happened.
'How are you so calm?!'
She straightens herself and speaks with a formal voice, "Hello, my name is Carolice. Welcome to Solomon College, the world's oldest and greatest college. What's your name so I can designate you to your dorm?"
'Roommates? I thought we'd have separate rooms. Oh no, what if I walk in naked? I don't want to wear heavy clothes every day—that would be torture. I can't do that.'
Carolice taps his shoulder. "Uhh, Genesis Angel???"
"Kailus Elevan Afton!" He instantly replies.
Carolice scans her files. "Normally, I expect a girl with that name. It looks like we have to change your dorm… hm, da, da, da."
Kailus' eyes twitch at her words. 'The audacity of this fairy to say that so confidently..'
The area remains silent until Carolice's voice rings out, "The boys' dorms are full, so you'll be in the girls' dorm with Akiro, a powerhouse kitsuné, and Shalius, an ancient fairy—room 237. Follow the rules: no excessive noise, no bullying."
"Oh, um… thank you," Kailus muttered.
Carolice smiles. "You're welcome."
Kailus heads to his dorm. Once he finds and enters the dorm, he sees a Kitsuné lounging face down on a couch in her undergarments, her many tails swaying in the air. She lazily mutters at Kailus, "Sup."
Kailus blushes, averting his eyes from her. "Hello, I'm your… new roommate. You must be Akiro?"
"Yeah, that's my name," Akiro nods. She gets up from the couch, her back to him.
"I can tell you're a soft boy from your voice. Why did they let a boy into a girls' dorm? Population increase or something? If so, you're quite lucky, eh—a powerhouse Kitsuné and an ancient fairy."
She stretches before turning toward him, her eyes widening. "A charged Genesis Angel!"
'Why does everyone say that? With how many we have in our family tree, we should be considered regular rather than some exotic species—except for the charged part. I mean, we are a native and a minority in our own continent, but that's beside the point.'
Akiro touches his wings while he's deep in thought. He yelps as she nestles into them, cooing, "So soft! Like a blanket!"
"Um—Uhh… thanks?" he mumbled.
He looks around, noticing the dorm is huge—an entire kitchen, a living room with a wall-mounted TV, and three doors upstairs, only two of which have stickers: one with Akiro's name, the other with Shalius' name. In the background, Akiro kept complimenting his wings: "Oh, these wings are so fluffy." "I could use this for my pillow." "So smooth!"
As he scans the forms, he catches a glimpse of a slightly open door with glowing white eyes scrutinizing him. Her door closed whenever they made eye contact.
Kailus asks Akiro, "Is that Shalius by chance?"
"Yeah, tried to talk to her, but she's as quiet as a Druid baby," Akiro said, still stroking his wings.
'I probably embarrassed her by staring. She was probably star-gazing at me. I've been there before. I should tell her I forgive her before she carries eternal guilt like me.'
Kailus moves away from Akiro and approaches the door. "Shalius, can I—" Before he finishes his sentence, she pulls him inside. Akiro smirks at the sight. "Lovers at first sight or is it some native pact?"
Inside, Shalius' room was a sight: colorful blossoms everywhere, a magic circle, a double bed, a nightstand, a bathroom, three wool seats, and a vanity desk. Her purple eyes sparkled, her skin was like soft eggshells, and her white dress was radiant. "Hello, Angel friend," she said softly.
Kailus, awestruck by her beauty, stammers, "Uh, hello, Shalius. I'm Kailus. I want to apologize for staring at… your eyes and embarrassing you."
She tilts her head. "You didn't embarrass me."
Mortified, he muttered, "I-I need to go."
She grabbed his arm gently. "You're forgiven. We all misunderstand situations."
Relieved, Kailus smiles lightly. "Thank you, I feel a lot better now."
Shalius asks. "Now that I have your attention. I must ask you something."
Kailus ponders. "What is it, Shalius?"
"Can you tell me about your ancestors?" She asks politely.
"It's for family only," he said defensively. "Do you not know how sacred it is, and to many others who harbor their ancestors' history? It stays in their family forever."
Desperate, she explains, "But I want to know if you're the one who saved my lineage. During the Takeover War, a Genesis woman saved my father's life by sacrificing her lifespan to revive him. I've been searching for her offspring for the longest time. At least tell me your ancestors' names?"
"Oh, Byzel and Walter Afton from my father's side, and Sophiel and Dumos Eros from my mother's," he replied effortlessly and reluctantly.
Shalius gasps in shock, hugging him tightly. "Byzel Afton! You're her grandchild! I am forever in your debt. Thank your parents for saving mine."
Kailus accepts her hug in silence. 'I didn't know my ancestors saved hers. Their books never mentioned it, not even in their bragging pages. I guess it's nothing to brag about. I can do what they've done—better and faster—without sacrificing so much.'
Shalius steps back and smiles at him. "Well, these years will be interesting."
Kailus doesn't know what to say about it. "I'll go to my room."
Shalius waves as he leaves her room. When he enters his own, he finds Akiro sitting on his bed.
"Looks like you charmed the fairy, pretty boy. Are you going to go further or what?" She teased.
'WHAT… who says that randomly?!'
"N-no!" he sputtered.
"Took too long to answer," she laughs, getting up. "Listen up, Lucy, I don't mind if you love her—just don't be noisy, or I'll join in on the fun!"
Kailus is flustered by her words, but before he can reply, she leaves the room.
He notices his luggage neatly arranged.
'Well, at least she brought my luggage to my room.'
He glances at his room as which was standard: a double bed, two wardrobes, a bathroom, and a vanity desk. He decorates the room with his supplies.
Afterward, he lies in bed, reflecting, 'Well, that changed. I expected an energetic Kitsuné and a quiet fairy, but instead, it's a bubbly fairy and a clingy, relaxed Kitsuné who's going to be shipping us daily. College starts tomorrow, and I hope I don't embarrass myself like Mother warned.' He has a vision of his mother smiling.
He thinks for a while before realizing, "Wait—Carolice didn't give me the schedule. Eh, I'll just follow Akiro and Shalius… unless our classes are different."
Suddenly, flashbacks of past humiliations flood his mind. "No," he says aloud.
He clutches his autobiography and tucks himself under the covers, whispering in his sleep, "I'm so sorry."