Academy of Transcendence

In today's paper: Pre-Awakening...Gate?

“Now I’m confident you know what makes him talk, right?” Asked the Maestro, kneeling besides the student who was knocked into a deep sleep. The studently laid there, hopelessly unconscious, though it did not stop the admin from tying him down with leather straps as if he was a lunatic. But it wasn’t personal - everybody in this underground chamber received the same uncalled-for treatment. But of course, if one wakes to discover a secret dungeon full of tethered down students, one may go out and make some unfavourable accusations.

“Of course,” the prefect sighed, “ the good old days - he always boasts about them. Before his good old town was…reused. I did extensive research to make sure it all comes out accurately.”

The Maestro bowed his head in a slight chuckle, “Hm- I don’t think much research was needed. His descriptions of old Gahlow was vivid enough. Anyone could construct an accurate depiction of it.” He said as he connected the last glowing, black oleaginous wire to his scalp. It was a rather peculiar and out of the ordinary piece of equipment to be used by the academy healers, and quite the headache to use - it was a pad, that wrapped around one’s scalp, springing forth seemingly hundreds of hair like wires, inexcusably similar to the sensors that grew from the numerous tentacles of some loathsome beasts.

The prefect shot the sleeping student with a gaze of disgust, tracing with his eyes the wires that connected his head, to the academy's unlucky pick.

“Alright! I’ve altered both your brain connectivities, and now you two are bonded - bonded like two conjoined twins without the unpleasing physique! How do you feel? Everything’s all nice and snug now?”

"It feels like I’m being kissed by a baby leviathan…”

“Well that’s awfully specific! Speaking from experience?”

“If I had, I wouldn’t live long enough to see the Paragon lose to a rookie.”

“You know, I would be offended for him… but he’s not here!” They howled in laughter as the Maestro slapped him in the back with zeal, causing the prefect to let out a yap in surprise.

The amused Maestro wiped a tear from his eye, and dug his hand into a leather knapsack and pulled out a small box of chocolates, cutely decorated with a black velvet ribbon. He gave the prefect a cheeky smile before popping the glossy red lid open, revealing an appealing set of assorted chocolates, all finely embellished with chocolate drizzle, chocolate shavings, what looked to be crushed walnuts, and jelley.

“Feeling a bit famished?”

“Well now that you mention it….” He reached out his hand and picked out the chocolate with the drizzle embellished on top of the crushed almonds, and popped it blissfully into his mouth.

“Oh my… it’s… not like anything I’ve ever tried! The almonds are a bit different too-”

“Oh, those aren’t almonds, prefect. Those are the shavings from the bones of a fully realized pattern screamer! Makes for a good mind opener -"

SLUMP-KAPOOF*

The prefect collapsed from the bed, falling limp onto the stone floor, pieces of unchewed chocolate spewed from his mouth from impact. The Maestro recoiled a bit in surprise.

“Well, the ingredient wasn't faulty…”

Tall golden fields, reflecting off of golden skies, an empyrean below and above, dashed with silver clouds. Little town houses dotting the horizon, enthroned on quaint little hills, peeking subtly above the emerald and golden glow of the patches of houses that gathered around it.

And in the very center of the field, was a small man, laying ever so happily on his back, not yet quite awake.

bzzzzzzzz*