An hour later—after returning Spirit's jacket and getting her autograph...
Finally made it. Just in time, too.
Liam slowed his bike and cruised through the gates of his new school:
Dawn Academy.
The institution was famous for churning out powerful and influential people, offering four major courses designed to guide its students towards great heights in the world.
The most popular were Business and Science, each possessing several sub-courses.
The other two were highly selective and difficult to continue in, yet easily the most widely known.
The Hero and Hunter courses.
Dawn Academy was known for producing some of the strongest in both professions, making it a beacon of sorts for those seeking quality training.
And the place was massive.
There was enough space for a large mall, numerous dormitories, a stadium capable of seating several hundred thousand people, an entire area dedicated to teachers, and more. The whole academy was surrounded by a massive wall with several guarded entrances.
Rumours say this place has more security than a prison, Liam thought as a small drone-like robot flew in front of him, guiding him towards the school's enormous underground car park.
The mini-drone led him to a spot seemingly meant specifically for motorcycles, then flew away.
Wonder if I could build one of those.
Liam locked his bike with a scan of his hand, adjusted the satchel over his shoulder, and made his way out of the underground space.
As he walked, he took note of the vehicles around him.
Then stopped.
"An Aurora Akrivos..."
Liam gaped at a large black car.
"That's one of the top fifty most expensive cars on the planet... Who owns this thing?"
He shook his head before jogging off.
It should be fine. My motorcycle's got its own anti-theft system, which is definitely strong enough to put someone in the hospital, so that car is one hundred percent safe.
A few minutes later, he was walking down a large paved path alongside several other students, parents, and members of staff.
It was lined with neatly cut hedges, topiaries, and flowers. Behind the plants on either side stood two gigantic marble statues facing each other, each atop a large white-and-bronze pedestal.
Many people had stopped in front of them to take pictures. Some laughed, some posed, some were even solemn.
Liam approached each one and read their plaques.
On the left stood a brawny man wearing what seemed to be a soldier's uniform. One foot rested atop what appeared to be a dead monster. He had lowered his body, resting an arm across his raised thigh, while his other hand held a spear loosely at his side.
His gaze was steady, almost as though he were challenging the man opposite him.
The plaque read:
BANE, THE FIRST HUNTER
The Man Who Put Everything On The Line To Protect Humanity.
This is honestly so cool, Liam thought. A strange feeling welled up inside him, and he gave the statue a salute. He remained smiling for approximately three seconds.
Then he noticed people watching him.
He froze.
One of them, a red-skinned girl with horns on her head, began giggling and whispering to her friends.
Liam chuckled awkwardly to himself. He slowly lowered his hand, turned, and removed himself from the scene.
Why did I do that?! he screamed at himself while maintaining a neutral expression.
His ears reddened as he hurriedly turned his attention towards the other statue.
It depicted a slightly shorter man, though one just as brawny. He wore a one-piece suit covered in mechanical features. A smiling child sat in the crook of one arm while his other hand rested atop another child's head.
Four more children stood around him, the smiles on their faces mirroring his own wide grin.
His plaque read:
IRON, THE FIRST HERO
The Man Who Put Our Hearts At Ease With His Very Presence, A Symbol Of Peace And Hope For All.
Liam gazed up at the statue smile, and chuckled in surprise when he found himself smiling too.
These guys are legends, he thought.
If not for their example, who knows where we'd be now?
He turned to walk away, but paused for a moment to look up at the smiling statue before him. His gaze rose from the grin to the eyes, and he stopped there.
Wait... he thought as he realized something.
He looked back at the Bane statue, then the Iron one.
Both statues were looking each other directly in the eye.
Liam raised his eyebrows. Woah. That must have taken a while.
He left the statues behind and made his way towards the distant auditorium.
The building was three stories tall and shaped like a cylinder. Liam took in his spotless surroundings as he stopped at the back of a long queue of students waiting to get in.
I'm almost in!
There were five other queues, each ending at a long white desk with a member of school staff sitting behind it.
After roughly ten minutes, it was Liam's turn.
"Please submit your letter of acceptance," a pretty woman with antennae sprouting from her hair said with a smile.
"Y-yeah."
Liam searched his satchel, then pulled out a thin white card.
It was completely blank.
The woman placed it onto a small scanner to her right. A blue light passed over the card, and a small chip popped out from the back of the scanner.
She took it and inserted it into a black wristband covered in orange circuit-like patterns.
"Welcome to Dawn Academy."
Liam nodded vigorously, not trusting himself to speak without stammering from excitement.
He made his way through one of the many entrances to the auditorium and slipped the wristband onto his arm.
The orange patterns suddenly glowed.
A holographic panel appeared above his wrist.
[DAWN ACADEMY COMMUNICATION AND INFORMATION DEVICE]
[STUDENT No. 397]
[WELCOME, LIAM J. PAXTON]
My very own CID!
Liam grinned.
This thing was built by an old student of this very school, and it's hit the markets like crazy. Mom said they were unnecessary, whether we could afford them or not, so it's nice to finally have one of my own.
The CID blinked again.
A small holographic map appeared, displaying two dots at separate points. One blinked green while the other remained solid red.
It took Liam a minute or two of moving around to realize that he was the green dot.
The red one was his destination.
Damn, he thought. So convenient.
He began making his way through the building, then reached a semicircular, theatre-style seating area.
So this is what this place is like...
The auditorium was already half full, and Liam had to avoid the crush of moving people several times by squeezing past them.
Eventually, he spotted a small group of students, roughly twenty in number.
A floating screen hovered above them.
[HUNTER]
Finally made it.
Liam sighed in relief and took a seat behind the others.
The entrance exam wasn't easy. I scored average on the physical test, but got a perfect score on the theory. I guess it was enough to get me a spot.
He shifted in his seat.
I think they'll show us the results later today.
Liam pulled a small black chip from his bag and slotted it into the side of his wristband. After fiddling with the settings for a moment, he entered the code needed to activate it.
My Virtual Information Transfer chip. Doesn't store anything itself—it connects devices to my personal database so I can store and retrieve whatever I want.
A screen appeared.
[DO YOU WISH TO CONNECT THIS DEVICE?]
[YES/NO]
Liam selected YES, then opened his storage.
Diagrams.
Blueprints.
Designs.
Notes.
And all his relevant fiction and nonfiction.
Perfect.
He hummed and opened a file.
A long rectangular panel appeared.
Scarlet Soul, volume sixty-five.
Liam smiled.
The second-to-last book. I don't really want it to end, but it is what it is.
He opened the first page.
This story seemed like it was meant for me, honestly. Artizan and Blackmist better give it the best ending possible.
Time passed as Liam engrossed himself in the story, his imagination making each still image move with life.
The occasional chuckle, gasp, or sigh escaped him as he read. At times, he would whisper something to himself.
He was approaching a jaw-dropping climax when—
"What's that?"
Liam flinched violently.
His head swivelled round, annoyed at whoever broke his flow.
An incredibly cute girl was sitting right beside him, looking at the screen in front of him with interest.
...Huh?
He blinked repeatedly, then narrowed his eyes.
Wait, have I seen her before?
"Hello?"
He jumped at the voice. She turned her eyes towards him, expectant.
"A-ah! I-it's a... c-comic c-called Scarlet S-soul."
Dang it!
"Alcoholic named Carnate Bowl? What's that?"
She leaned closer, confusion crossing her face.
"Could you please speak up?"
Liam's brain ceased all functions for a brief moment.
The girl's sweet scent tickled his nose, and her dark purple eyes seemed to draw him in. A strand of long pink hair fell across one of them.
Liam shook his head and blinked hard, desperately trying to ignore the burning sensation in his ears.
"I said, it's a comic called Scarlet Soul."
The girl's eyes widened.
So did her smile.
"Really? I'm a big fan. What volume is that?"
She is?!
"S-sixty-five. Why?"
She raised her hand and tapped her CID.
"I only have up to volume sixty. Mind sending me the rest?"
Liam swallowed, shoved his thoughts somewhere deep inside his brain, and forced himself to speak.
"N-no problem. Just give me your contact and I'll send them immediately."
She smiled. "Sure."
She gave it to him.
A few moments later, the transfer was complete.
Liam stared at the confirmation.
Is... it supposed to be... this easy?
"Thanks," she said with a smile. "By the way, where are you from?"
"Um, the Labone region. You?"
"Cantonments. That's actually not too far from Labone."
"Yeah..."
Liam nodded.
Silence.
The awkwardness began creeping in.
Can't flop. Need a topic. Maintain the flow.
His brain scrambled desperately.
You can do it, brain!
"Did you..." He hesitated. "What middle school did you go to?"
She put a finger against her chin and looked up slightly.
"Yeah, I attended Ace Prep. You?"
Liam blinked.
"So did I..."
He looked at her more closely.
"Now that I think about it, you do seem familiar..."
Liam didn't notice the sideways glance she gave him.
"Oh, well." She shrugged. "Maybe we did... What's your favourite TV show?"
...That's pretty random.
Liam paused to think.
"Weaving Fate. I like trying to solve problems, so the mystery and suspense got me hooked pretty fast."
The girl chuckled and waved a hand in front of her face.
"Really? Mystery annoys me, mainly because very few of my predictions come true. I prefer a good psychological thriller, and some romance on the side."
"So, Stop And Think?" Liam asked.
She turned towards him in surprise.
"You know about it?"
"Yeah. Taught me a lot about how manipulation can be found in almost everything we do. It's a great story too..."
Liam's voice trailed off.
For the briefest moment, sadness crossed the girl's face.
Then it was gone.
"Well," she sighed, "everything considered, being able to plan like that protagonist would make my life a bit easier."
Liam nodded.
"I mean, who doesn't want to be able to create twists and turns to stop your enemies?"
They made eye contact.
The girl smiled.
"Guess we have that in common."
Liam's ears turned crimson.
He attempted to hide them as stealthily as humanly possible.
Sharing a common interest with a girl I just met? One this cute, too...
His thoughts slowed.
The only time something like this happened was—
Loud music suddenly cut him off.
When it faded, the auditorium filled with applause.
Liam and the girl turned towards the stage.
A tough-looking man stood there, sporting a well-trimmed grey beard, short grey hair, and scars across his face and hands.
He wore a black tuxedo, which gave him a more professional edge.
The man raised one hand for silence.
He got it.
"Welcome, all, to the Opening Ceremony of Dawn Academy."
Liam's eyes widened as the man's deep bass reverberated throughout the hall.
That man is—!
"I am the Headmaster of this prestigious institution..."
He surveyed the auditorium.
"Luke Garcia."