Ballad of Heaven: Clash of the Cursed

Chapter 6 - Thoughts and the Rain

Niel and Adalaide jolted awake rushing towards the front door of the apartment at the sound of Elena's scream.

"Mom!" Adalaide shouted as they entered the main room, finding Elena placing a beaten and bruised boy on the sofa.

"What happened to him?!" Niel panicked, approaching them.

Elena knelt down, inspecting the injuries. "I don't know, just grab me a wet towel and a bucket of water quickly!" she yelled.

Niel quickly grabbed a towel, dampened it, and filled a bucket before handing it to Elena. She used the towel to clean the blood off and applied cold water to his bruises. "This is the best we can do for him at the moment," she said, standing up. "I doubt the hospitals are open at this time of night."

"So what do we do about him?" Niel asked, glancing down at the boy.

Elena looked down at the boy, his face appearing more serene. "For now, we'll let him rest here. In the morning, we'll ask him what happened."

("Poor thing...") Adalaide thought, holding her hands together tightly.

Early in the morning, before the sun had even peeked, another knock was heard on the door. Niel, still awake, went to open it.

As he opened the door, a tall, imposing man stood there with his arms crossed. "Are you Niel Seishin?" he asked.

Niel rubbed his eyes, confused. "Uh, yes, sir," Niel said, unsure of the man's purpose.

"Good," the man stated. "Be ready in five minutes; you're going to the Osanaki Knights program event today."

("You mean this morning...") Niel thought. "I thought I was supposed to start my first day next week?"

The man turned around. "Since this is a major training period for the students, they don't want you to miss anything crucial," he explained, turning his head. "Unless you want to be left behind and stay weak..."

Niel's eyes widened, and his heart pounded. "I'll be ready in five!" he exclaimed, bolting off into his room.

The man looked forward again, smirking.

A few minutes later, Niel, sporting a makeshift Knight outfit with his scarf, and the man strolled through the quiet morning streets of Aladon, less populated at that early hour.

"What... are you wearing?" the deep-voiced man asked, eyeing Niel's attire.

Niel glanced down. "Oh, this?" He pulled the cape on his back and thumped his chest. "This is my Knight armor. Cool, huh? Stayed up all night making it!"

The man sighed. "Very well," he said, continuing to walk. "What do you know about this program?"

Niel nibbled on a small piece of bread as he spoke. "Well, what I do know is that younger kids learn the basics of knighthood and receive training. That about sums it up, right?"

"Hmph," the man grunted. "You pretty much know the basics. The program consists of three stages: High, Mid, and Low level students and depending on the level, the faster you graduate. Each student is placed based on their scores in the entrance exam. But, on rare occasions like yours, you got recommended by a high-ranked Knight of Aladon, meaning you can skip the exam."

Niel smirked. "Then I'll use this advantage." He looked up at the man. "What's your name, anyway?"

"You can address me as Commander Bo," he replied, stopping in front of a tall stone building. "We've made it."

Niel gazed at the building and followed Commander Bo inside, climbing the stairs past various numbered rooms until they reached room 25. Commander Bo opened the door.