Draeyer Academy
Drae Skyland
Northeastern Space
A sea of endless fire. The feel of skin being peeled away on his back. Deafening screams in his ears. A cruel laugh.
Alec shot up on the bed panting as he hunched over. He reached for his back and felt few of the raised scars. He slumped back down on his pillow, and stared up at the cavernous ceiling of the unfamiliar room. It's been a while since I dreamed that, he thought.
"Glad you're awake." He turned his attention to his left, and spotted Kreis walking over to him, with Gael falling into step behind him.
"Where am I?" Alec said. He sat up, and took notice of his bare-chested state, and searched for a shirt. Gael threw him a white top, and quickly donned it to cover his scars.
"You've been out for the entire afternoon," Gael said, as he stood beside the cot. "Do you remember what happened?"
Alec looked down at his lap, and he sighed.
"I don't remember anything after I fell off the lake," he said. He turned his gaze up at the two men and continued. "But, I am sure that I turned murderous and tried to kill someone."
Their eyes widened, before they gave each other a glance and nodded. Alec raised a brow at their actions, as he edged close to the wall and leaned his back on it.
"We assume this isn't the first time it happened?" Gael said. Alec nodded, as he roamed his gaze around the white room lined with cots similar to the one he rested in.
"Care to tell?" Kreis said. Gael sent him a glare, as if silently sending a message that the both of them could only understand. Alec kept quiet, as he fixed his gaze on the two men.
"Do you think that the people of Gelun would hate me so much just because they blamed me and my brother for the epidemic?" he said. He looked away from them both and stared at the white sheets beneath him. "I don't lose my temper easily now, unlike before. But when I do, and reach a certain level of it, I still lose control of my mind."
"I used to hear the townspeople openly insult me and Alen. It was fine when it was about me, but insulting somebody already...dead...is just disrespectful.
"Often times, I found myself behind bars whenever I woke up from my 'black outs'. They eventually let me out, because I was still too young. As years passed, I learned to control myself, and they also stopped speaking ill of my brother."
"What about the scars?" Kreis said. Alec tensed up at the question, and his sweaty hands curled around the sheets. He avoided eye contact with them.
"Was it their punishment for you in jail?" Gael said. Alec's eyes widened after hearing his cold and unyielding tone. He shook his head, and looked up at them in alarm.
"No," he said. "They never went far, except a punch or two on my stomach. I've had these scars since I was young. I can't remember where I got them."
"You mean to say your brother didn't tell you?" Kreis said.
"I asked once, but he never answered. He was always good at diverting from one topic to another."
Silence filled the room after that, and Alec's sigh broke it soon after when he peeled the blanket off himself, and got off the bed.
"What about Professor Gravis?" he said. As he puts on his boots, his eyes widened when he heard their deep laughter filled the room. Alec arched an eyebrow at them, and waited for them to calm down.
"Gravis...well," Gael said, "he said he'd be grateful and more than happy if I don't transfer you to a different Combat and Weaponry class after you almost came close to doing what you did to him." Alec's face lost emotion, as he stared at the two grinning at him like what they heard just now was something so normal.
"Please tell me you're being sarcastic," he grumbled.
"We're not," Gael laughed. "Gravis isn't the typical type of teacher that would push away a student who came close to actually beating him, even if by luck. His words, not mine."
"Well, being one-armed and still accepted to teach already makes him the 'not-so-typical-teacher' kind." Kreis added.
"I'm going to be facing him again next week?" Alec said.
"Isn't that obvious already?" the two chorused.
Alec groaned loudly as made his way around the bed, and out the door, ignoring the laughter of the two "adults" back in the room.
"Seriously, they're like children," he whispered once he stepped out. Not a moment after that, a large amount of air left him as slim arms wrapped his torso in a tight embrace. He looked down at the familiar blonde, as she grinned up at him while pulling away.
"I heard what happened," she said. "You're okay now right?" A light crease formed between her brows, as she asked, and Alec unconsciously mirrored it.
He looked over her shoulder―head rather, since he was taller―and spotted Knox carrying his satchel, with a familiar brunette leaning on the wall next to him. Both their blue eyes stared at each other, before he looked away from her. He turned his attention to Solana, and patted her head.
"I'm fine," he said.
―――
"Where are we going? I was just about to go to bed," Alec said. Truth be told, he was sure that he would be wide awake until later that night, like all the times before. The fact that his guardian just barged into his room, and dragged him out after forcing him into the nearest decent clothing, still kept the crease between his brows visible.
"We're meeting with the Headmaster, and the head of the Star Dorm at the top of Amethyst Tower," Gael said over his shoulder as he continued walking down the dim white corridors of the academy.
A few minutes later, they turned a corner, and he saw a set of spiraling steps at the end of the hall. Gael placed his foot on the first step, and shielded his eyes for a moment at the bright light coming from the top.
"Why?" Alec said. "Oh wait, let me guess. It's another thing you planned out for me behind my back."
Gael looked over his shoulder, and instead of answering, just gave him a small smile. They continued their walk up, until they reached the landing. Alec's eyes first caught sight of the large window to his left, allowing a view of the night sky dotted by millions of stars. Other than that, the room was made of plain grey stone with a podium in the middle where a silver bowl could be seen. A single lamp-crima shone on it, making it obvious that it was the only significant thing in the room.
He turned his attention back to Gael, only to find him standing next to Headmaster Donovan, and a smiling Knox.
"Why am I not surprised to learn that you're the head of the Star Dorm?" Alec muttered. Knox laughed at his blank expression, until he immediately calm down when he saw the stern look Gael gave him.
"Why am I here?" Alec said.
"Do you already know what Sentires are?" Donovan asked as he fondled with his short beard. He stepped forward, and walked over to the podium. Alec and the other two followed behind them.
"I only know that they are people who have unique magical abilities, like Draeyers," Alec said.
"Very good," Donovan said as he stopped in front of the stand. He peered over the silver bowl, and smiled at something he saw inside.
"The difference is that, unlike Draeyers, they don't receive powers from Draes. They already have it the moment they are born," Donovan said. He turned to Alec, and tilted his head to the side to motion him to come closer. Alec frowned as he did, and peered into the bowl.
He quirked a brow at the clear teardrop-shaped crystal inside before the headmaster's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"The Council of Heavens has recently decided to group the Sentire students of this academy, unlike before. It was because to help keep better eye on their growth, and teach them the proper ways of using their powers."
Alec gave Knox a glance, when he heard a faint snort come from him, but shifted his gaze back to the old man.
"And you think, I'm a Sentire," Alec said.
"Nobody is able to do what you do Alec. Nobody can control Draes, like you," Gael said.
"I don't control them," Alec said, with a shook of his head. "I have no power over them. I just simply allow them to interact with me. I'm sure that there are those who can do the same."
"There are none. Draes are loyal creatures, up to the point that they'd ignore or be hostile to others aside from their Draeyers. Areisha's Emera is enough proof for that." Gael said.
"But, with this Sentiral Stone we still have to make sure though," Donovan said. He raised his hand, the palm facing up the ceiling. "Give me your hand."
Although reluctant, Alec placed his hand on top of his. Donovan enclosed his hand around his and placed it over the stone. Alec's eyes widened when a small knife slid down the sleeve of his free hand, and poised it at one of his fingers. He kept his silence, as the old man poked the tip of his middle finger until a small amount of blood welled up. He faced the finger over the stone, and drop of blood fell to the stone. The moment it did, the red liquid sizzled, and seeped into the crystal stone.
Alec's hand flew to his eyes as a bright light came from the stone. He winced at the burning sensation he received, causing him to rub his eyes. When it disappeared, he blinked numerous times till he saw the other three doing the same.
"Well," Donovan said as he wiped his eye, "that was the brightest I've ever seen." He stepped closer to the bowl and leaned over to look. Alec disappeared, and stared at the now green crystal.
"Green," Donovan said.
"Looks like Kreis would be happy to know that our suspicion was right." Alec turned to the three, with a light frown on his face. He stared at Knox, whose smile seemed to be growing with every passing second.
"Another addition to the Star Dorm," he said.