None of the students at the Academy of Magic want to be friends with Rick. They call him Richard the Failure or Richard the Dumpster Rat. The reason is simple – he is the only commoner in his class. He still wears his untidy hairstyle, the same one he had when he arrived, and looks at others with a wolfish gaze, as if he were in the slums. Actually, no; in the slums, it was much easier for him. There, he even smiled at times. At the academy, even the teachers constantly pick on him, reminding him of the generosity of the academy's rector who admitted him. If Rick were to meet him again, he would give him a piece of his mind; let the old man creak. Rick would repay him for all the punches from classmates, for all the scolding from teachers. It might be unfair, but justice has long left the walls of the academy.
"This spell sets in motion inanimate objects," Mr. Rook explains to the students, a tall man with a touch of gray in his hair. "With due diligence, some of you may even learn to create golems in the future."
Mr. Rook points to his desk. Suddenly, the clay figurine lying motionless on it starts to twitch.
"Motus magnum," the teacher continues repeating the incantation.
All the students watch the figurine intently. Suddenly, it raises its head as if awakening from a nap, then sits up and crosses its legs. A sigh of admiration sweeps through the room.
"Well, now each of you mold a doll from the clay on your desks and try to make it move," Mr. Rook says.
Rick's heart beats very fast. He wants to complete the task better than anyone else. If he succeeds, maybe they will finally like him. However, the figurine he creates doesn't obey him. It remains completely immobile, as if glued to the table.
"Not working?" the disappointed teacher asks. "It seems Mr. Rector overestimated you after all."
Rick feels a bitter taste in his mouth. Why did Mr. Rook say that to him? Many of Rick's classmates also failed with their figurines. So why single him out for reprimand again? He hears unpleasant whispers behind him, he turns around, and sees mockery on the faces of his fellow students. His temples tighten. Fortunately, the bell rings, saving him. Rick jumps up and hurries to leave, avoiding becoming the target of mockery again.
"Hey, Dumpster Rat, where are you going?" the group's bullies catch up with him in the corridor.
It's dark and quite scary. It seems this part of the castle hasn't changed since the Victorian era. Even the armor in the corridors is still standing. Rick tries to escape, but one of the bullies grabs him by the collar. The solution comes to Rick naturally. He looks at the armor behind the bully and exclaims in desperation:
"Motus magnum!"
In an instant, the iron armor starts moving with a creak. The heavy metal gauntlet descends onto the bully's shoulder.
"Hey, what are you doing? You can't use magic on people!" he protests.
"Where do you see that I'm using it on people?" Rick says with a voice trembling with excitement. The metal hand squeezes the shoulder, making the bully grimace. He is forced to step back, along with his friends.
Rick, not believing his eyes, watches them go. It's the first time he hasn't received slaps and kicks after encountering them. Suddenly, a grand idea comes to him. He will create his personal guardian golem. Let anyone try to harm him now!
For many days and nights, he spends time in the abandoned storeroom on his floor in the campus. He managed to find various parts of armor on the academy grounds and secretly brought them here, assembling them together. His golem will be strong because it's made of steel. But at the same time, it will be agile, as each bend of the metal torso is accompanied by a spring mechanism.
The only thing left is to set it in motion. Last time, Rick succeeded because he was in distress. But for his plan to work and his guardian to always be with him, Rick needs to master this spell perfectly. He tries again and again. Sometimes, he even manages to make the armor move slightly, but that's all he can do.
In despair, Rick sits opposite his incomplete protector and starts crying. He doesn't understand why he needs this education if everyone hates him here. Maybe it was better for him to die of hunger in the slums? There, at least, he wasn't alone. He had friends – fellow ragamuffins like him. Now he misses them terribly.
The metallic hand descends on his head with a creak. Rick freezes in fear. But the armor just gently strokes him, as if comforting him. He looks at it in amazement. The armor seems to have come to life.
"How is this possible?" Rick whispers bewilderedly.
"I don't know," the armor replies.
It even talks! Rick leans back, almost falling. But the armor holds him by the shoulders. It doesn't seem to want to harm him. Did Rick really succeed? The pounding in his head echoes. He touches the armor and, just to be sure, looks inside to make sure it's not someone's prank or joke. But no, the armor speaks and moves as if alive. It even seems to have emotions.
"Why are you touching me?" he asks, embarrassed. From his tone and question, Rick himself becomes uneasy.
"I'm just so happy for you!" is all the armor can say.
"Really?"
"Yes," Rick nods. "You can't imagine how lonely I was without you."
Rick planned to create a golem to protect him. However, now he is ready to protect his steel friend himself. Every day after classes, he rushes to his storage room to spend time with him. Rick is very afraid that someone will discover their secret hiding place, so he is cautious. Neither punches nor sarcastic remarks from teachers scare him anymore. He simply doesn't care, as real joy has entered his life through his golem. They can talk for hours about everything and nothing. And each time, Rick feels such warmth in his soul as he never knew before.
"Do you have a dream?" the golem suddenly asks.
"Let me think... I guess I would like to escape from the academy with you and travel the world together," Rick answers awkwardly. "And what about you?"
"I would like to kiss someone close to me. Just don't laugh. I'm already eighteen, and I've never kissed anyone."
Eighteen... Rick hasn't felt this way in a long time. As if his golem is actually a person with memories, habits, and a personality. And now he is almost convinced of it. However, before asking the golem that fateful and very unpleasant question, he approaches him, tiptoes, and kisses. The armor has no lips, only a cold visor. However, Rick feels as if he is being answered. He senses the emotions and sincerity of his friend. His only, dearly beloved friend.
Suddenly, the commissary and Mr. Rook burst into the storage room. Behind them, Rick sees the smug faces of his classmates.
"Richard, get away from this armor!" the teacher exclaims.
"What? Why should I?" Rick protests. "This is my golem! I won't give him to you!"
"Stupid boy! Can't you see that there is a ghost in this armor?" the commissary exclaims.
"I don't care if it's a ghost or whatever! I won't let you harm him!" Rick blocks the seniors' path to the armor.
"Exsilium!" the commissary exclaims, hitting Rick with a spell directly. He feels a powerful blow and the dizziness that follows.
"Devil! What have you done!" Mr. Rook exclaims. "Did you want to extract his soul?"
"I didn't mean to..." the commissary mumbles. "What do we do now?"
"Take him to the infirmary quickly. I'll destroy the armor myself..."
Rick wants to shout, asking them not to dare touch his friend. Regardless of who he is, he deserves the right to exist. But Rick's consciousness fades rapidly, and he doesn't manage to say anything.
Richard comes to in the infirmary. Initially, he even thinks he died and ended up in heaven - it's so bright here. White rooms are flooded with sunlight. Artificial, as far as Rick can judge. Initially, Rick tries to escape. He needs to know what happened to his golem. However, soon Mr. Rook comes to him and personally informs him that he dismantled his golem.
"Forget about him," the teacher says sternly. "Inside him was a ghost. And you were possessed by that ghost."
Rick knows it's not true. He loved the one inside the armor. He loved him with all his heart. Mr. Rook leaves, and Rick is left alone in the corridor. Endless sighs of regret escape his lips. Oh, if only he had been more careful...
Someone sighs nearby in unison. Rick turns around and sees a boy his age, pale, thin, and tall. His hair looks overgrown and untidy. Strangely enough, this sight captivates Rick.
"There must be a weighty reason for such melancholy," he remarks, sympathetically looking at the boy. "I judge by myself. I recently lost a friend."
"Condolences," the boy replies sadly. "In that case, the reason for my melancholy will probably seem ridiculous to you."
"It would be low for me to laugh, considering that I asked," Rick says.
"How to say..." the boy muses. "Last month, I fell out of the astronomy tower window and was unconscious for a very long time. All that time, I had a very good dream in which I made a friend. And strangely enough, I grew very fond of him. He even planned to escape from the academy, taking me with him. And he fulfilled my dream..."
The boy looks away and blushes.
"Will I see him again?.." he asks with a sigh.
Rick, on the other hand, can't believe his luck. Tears well up in his eyes. He's alive! Real! And he's right here. No matter what he is, he has earned the right to exist. Overwhelmed with joy, Rick rushes to him and hugs him.
"It's you!.." he babbles incoherently. "I mean, it's me. In short, I'm from your dream! I'm Rick!"
"And I'm Michael."
The boy looks at him skeptically. Then, as if recognizing him at last, he smiles. And a second later, he leans down to his lips and kisses. Happiness floods Rick. In none of his even boldest fantasies could he imagine finding a close person in the academy. Perhaps that old rector did not do such a bad thing by taking Rick out of the slums.