Well… what can I say? Never had a class ignited in me such a flame of knowledge and curiosity. It was also the very first time I attended a class from beginning to end without sleeping, that's how exciting it was. Magic is sublime.
The professor went into detail in her discipline, and I must admit she does her job very well, with her cute little doll-like voice. No kidding, her voice truly has something pleasant—or rather, funny—to listen to. The kind of voice that makes you want to make a young woman cry just to hear the sound of her tears, and I imagine that in my case, it also contributed to giving me that exciting desire to hear even more about magic. Far be it from me to have perverted ideas, but she truly has a lovely voice.
A remark I had better keep to myself, because I'm surely not the only one crazy about her, seeing as my dear friend, Daniel Arwin, a.k.a. the chubby kid, hasn't moved his head a single time since the beginning of the class. He was listening to her and watching her with such passion that I am still surprised he hasn't already jumped on her drooling like that perverted guy in ecchi mangas made for little virgins. Anyway, he and I were probably the only ones who were in such ecstasy over this class, because the others seemed bored. The twins sitting near me wouldn't stop laughing and whispering little jokes without disturbing the class.
Seraphina was sleeping on her brother's legs who, strangely, was quietly following along. In front of them sat Paradox on a chair, without a word or sound. She was simply listening and, like me, taking notes in her notebook. When I arrived in class, I had already noticed her sitting on the other side. But since the last time, we hadn't spoken or seen each other, so I don't really know how to act or approach the future with her.
Until the end of the class, she did not look at me a single time, and every time I tried to look at her, the memories of that night overflowed in my mind. I don't want to judge her, nor condemn her, nor reprimand her actions or anything whatsoever, because after all, it is her life. But I really can't move on or simply forget her. At the end of the class, I was telling myself that I was going to see her and try an approach like, "Hey, hi, it's been two days," but I couldn't.
Instead, I waited for her to stand up and leave the room without a single glance or word. I stood up in turn and left… accompanied by the twins. I believe I've made my first classmates.
— Hey, are we going to the fourth round? Apparently, there's a training area there, we could have some fun, right? suggested one of the twins, the boy.
— No, I prefer the cafeteria. Besides, I'm a bit hungry. I haven't eaten since this morning, replied the twin sister while yawning.
She was the exact copy of her brother. Just like him, she was ginger with curly hair and a face that was beautiful and extraordinarily smooth. It was another kind of beauty, soft and pleasant.
— You're a real walking stomach. If we had to listen to you, we would be taking classes in a restaurant, replied her brother before turning to me. And you, my buddy, what do you want to do? Fight with magic or go eat and shit all day?
It was quite a question, even though he asked it in a sarcastic tone. But for me, who had just spent weeks eating garbage, it was a true dilemma to choose between going to eat high gastronomy from another world and finally seeing real magic at work with my own eyes. It was a dilemma.
— Hmmm, magic or good food? That is not easy, I repeated in a serious tone while tilting my head as we had just passed a corridor.
— Hey, don't tell me you're actually thinking about it? asked the twin brother.
— Well yeah, I haven't eaten anything this morning either, and I admit I'm curious to discover the dishes of this world. Will there be dragon with sauce? Giant crab from the deep sea? The leg of a chicken that lived a hundred years or giant basilisk? Hmm.
— Eeeeh, are you really serious or are you doing it on purpose? the twin brother was astonished.
— In any case, I'd like to taste all that one day, replied the twin sister.
— Why am I not even surprised? And besides, I doubt dragon meat is edible, and even if it were, it would surely be bland…
— You're mistaken, dragon meat is very good, replied a voice behind the twin.
Turning around, we saw the twins behind us: Seraphina and Khael. So, I found myself in the company of two pairs of twins, even though Seraphina and Khael didn't resemble each other at all, the complete opposite of the other duo. The young girl had surprised us with her statement, so the red-haired twin quickly hurried to get the truth out of her, even though he didn't have to insist for long. Seraphina was the kind of girl who couldn't care less about lying. She said what she thought and what she wanted, and that was it.
— Once, I killed a dragon. It was really too strong and too big, so we ate it, she affirmed.
— Are you kidding us? asked the red-haired boy. A dragon is powerful enough to kill a skilled magician, and I'm talking about normal dragons, because the originals ridden by the Afrims and the Deranged are on a completely different level. What kind of dragon did you manage to kill?
— Well, I don't know. It was really big and it had killed all the livestock, so my father declared that we would eat it.
— It was a simple dragon, and it's true: Sera killed a dragon all by herself, without needing anyone's help, her brother confirmed.
If Seraphina had that detached and nonchalant personality, not very confident or convincing, it wasn't the case for her brother. The cold-bloodedness and natural charisma emanating from Khael were enough to convince anyone, and even more so if that person was a young girl going through puberty who spends half her grooming time masturbating over concrete abs. Yes, I'm talking about the red-haired twin whose eyes went wide, astonished, at the mere sight of the boy.
And I noticed that I've never had that effect on anyone.
— So your sister is a monster, not a human, the red-haired boy replied. I like that, he murmured under his breath.
— In itself, it's not entirely false. But because of that, we attracted the hatred of many people, especially those fighting to prevent dragons from disappearing, Khael informed.
— Dragons are disappearing from this world? I asked him.
— You really know nothing, do you, the red-haired girl replied. But it's normal if you're a Homo sapiens.
— The original dragons have almost gone extinct in reality, and all because of a single person, said the red-haired boy. A magician going by the name: Alister Crowley!
I don't know if it was fate or the fact that this name felt familiar to me as a Homo sapiens, but when I heard that name for the first time in this new world, I felt my soul shiver. It was strange, but equally curious, because what I felt at that moment wasn't fear but more excitement. Like a little shiver running from my toes to my hair. A promising sensation that convinced me this name hadn't reached me by pure chance.
But at that moment, I suspected nothing, and my only concern was finding a way to get rid of Khael and gain points with our new friend, the red-haired twin. So I quickly took action.
— Alister Crowley, huh? I said with a thoughtful gesture. I hope he's not as useless and twisted as the one who bore this name in my world.
— Huh? Are you saying there's an Alister in your world too? Could it be the inter-world twins theory or are they just the same people? shouted the twin, looking at me with bright eyes, devouring curiosity and desire. Can you tell me more?
— Of course, because I knew him personally, I lied, surprising everyone around me.
I can't even describe their astonishment.
— And what if we continue this over a good, full table? I added, trying to score points with the gluttonous twin.
— Good idea, Seraphina agreed, when I received a violent blow to the head, right in the middle of my skull.
Craaaaaaaaaaaaaaaac
— Khaaaaaaaa!!! I screamed, holding my head while my nose and tears ran down my face.
For a little moment, I almost lost consciousness.
— You filthy little rat, where do you think you're running off to? shouted Shahid Jey Zaviel. Did you think you could escape your task? he asked, handing me a bucket and a broom.
— Are you out of your mind? Do you want to open my skull or what?
— If you can still speak, it means I missed. Take this and go clean the yard.
— Not a chance. I'm a student now. I'm entitled to respect.
— You're nothing. You're entitled to nothing, so obey if you don't want to end up in the dog cage, he replied with a look that said: don't tempt me, I'm not in the mood.
So, I retrieved my sacred cleaning artifacts without angering him further. I don't know what's wrong, but it seemed serious, and I don't want trouble now that I've almost realized one of my dreams.
— Well, then it'll have to be another time, dinner. Hahaha! mocked the twin as he continued on the path with the others.
— It's true, you were the one cleaning the toilets. I had forgotten. Well, see you later, said the red-haired girl, following her brother and Khael, who left without a word.
— Do you want me to help you? Seraphina asked.
— No, it's fine.
— OK, see you later. And have fun.
And they left… all four of them. Enraged after Shahid's departure, I ended up violently throwing the bucket to the ground, screaming my anger.
— Fucking hell, I was so close, and here's the result! WAAAAAAAAAAAAA!
After letting out my anger, I grabbed my things and put on my apron to go perform my task as if nothing had happened. The hardest part was pretending I didn't care about all the faces and mocking smiles of my new classmates I passed along the way. But I had no choice, I had to endure it to achieve my dream.
A few minutes later, after avoiding the mocking glances of my classmates, I was walking down a corridor when I witnessed a rather classic scene, if not the most classic kind in a school-themed work: school bullying.
The chubby kid from last time was being beaten up by a pretty tough guy and his two little followers. After covering him in bruises, they pissed on him before tearing up his drawing, trampling on his feelings with unhealthy pleasure. And when they saw me coming from their side, they stopped before straightening him up like a good friend. Then they continued on their way as if nothing had happened.
One could have thought this scene was ordinary and that, once again, it was just a bunch of virgins picking on someone weaker. But passing near the bullies, I caught the gaze of their little leader, and I saw nothing but malice. So I quickly looked away and continued on my way. Didn't want to get myself into unnecessary trouble.
That said, I wasn't the type to turn a blind eye to this kind of scene either. I always thought that if it happened, it was because everyone decided to close their eyes instead of acting, but for now, I couldn't change this situation. So I did the only thing I could.
— Are you… eeeh? I asked, trying to remember his name.
He had told me last time, but I wasn't focused enough to remember. One must understand, I thought I was going to die, so…
— Arwin, Arwin Daniel. That's my name.
— Oh… yes, I remember now. So, how are you, Arwin Daniel?
The boy picked up his torn drawing, and I could notice the sublime image of the teacher he had drawn last time, completely ruined. A sight that made me as sad as the boy. He threw the drawing in the trash and used a spell to remove the piss from his clothes before answering me.
— How am I? he repeated. Of course! he replied, without hatred or anger on his face.
Just a serious look, rising above all this nonsense. Suddenly, a radiant gleam seemed to emanate from Arwin Daniel. Something that told me this boy was not like everyone else.