The two boys promptly returned to Solar Springs High School, quickly transforming back to their human shapes from their sand and ice forms in the boys' hostel bathroom. With the hostels mostly deserted, it was likely that the majority of the students were in their classrooms poring over their textbooks, preparing for the next day's midterm exams. The remaining students in the hostels were either resting or engaged in leisurely activities.
In the boys' hostel, the students who were present were busy with their own thing, with some sleeping, others chatting in small groups, and a few playing cards. Two groups, in particular, caught attention: a cluster of girls sat on a bed near the hostel entrance, playing a musical game, while a group of boys were gathered on another bed by a window, enthusiastically discussing their favorite movies and TV shows. Tom and Zarie were right in the middle of the boys, leading the conversation. The sight of Tom and Zarie idle and unengaged was a rare occurrence, particularly given their roles as publishers of the school newspaper. However, midterms had started, and nobody was really interested in school news and sensationalised student gossips when their grades were on the line.
Robert and Oliver walked out of the bathroom quietly. As they walked past Tom and Zarie's group, Robert felt relieved that he and Oliver kept to themselves in school. If they'd been closer to their classmates, their long absence would have raised suspicions, and they'd be met with a barrage of questions as soon as they returned to the hostel.
"So tell me, which element did you awaken?" Robert inquired of Oliver as they made their way to Oliver's bed. Robert's was occupied by a sleeping female 8th grader.
"Light, and you?"
"Lightning."
"Cool," Oliver remarked, plopping onto his bed. "We were told to bring our magic beasts to school next week."
"Same here. I think Bening Institute of Magic and Heiss Magic School have similar curricula," Robert said, settling beside Oliver on the bed.
"No, actually, all magic schools in Comset follow the same basic curriculum," Oliver corrected him. "So, how are we gonna go about it?"
"You're asking me?"
Oliver shrugged. "I've got nothing in mind. Was counting on you to have an idea."
"Well, I don't."
"Well, we need to think of something..."
The two boys fell into a thoughtful silence, each lost in their own contemplation. Just as Poison was about to jog Robert's memory about his earlier suggestion, Robert's face lit up with a sudden inspiration, and he snapped his fingers.
"Hey, I have an idea!" He exclaimed, "'Bring Your Magic Beast to School' day is coming up next Saulday, and we're going on mid-semester break this week's Lunaday. How about we plan to go hunt for magic beasts next Nyxusday?!" Robert suggested loudly, but was abruptly silenced by Oliver's dramatic shushing motion.
"Shh, keep your voice down, Manuel!" Oliver whispered urgently. "Someone might hear us," he briefly scanned their surroundings. "If these students find out that we attend magic school, we could be in trouble!"
Robert's expression changed into one of confusion and skepticism. "And why in Valmnar's name would that be a problem?" he asked.
Oliver face palmed. "It's shocking how little you know about wizards and the magic society," he said incredulously, his voice low and laced with disdain.
"Oh yeah? Why don't you fill me in?!" Robert retorted, and it earned him a cold, hard stare, from Oliver that made him tremble. Robert promptly rephrased his request in a more polite but obviously humorous tone, "I meant to say, please, do explain..." He squinted with uncertainty, thinking of an appropriate moniker "...bro."
Oliver's glare lingered for few moments, before he rolled his eyes and shook his head. "In order to attend a magic school, one must first obtain a standard high school diploma," he began to explain. "The Magic Council use regular high schools to enforce the minimum age requirement for magic school admission. As a result of this regulation, students are typically at least 17 years old upon completion of high school and are mature enough for magic education and independent decision-making. I'd say the Magic Council likely enacted that law because they don't want parents signing up their babies for magic classes. Like, imagine a toddler casting a spell..."
"Disaster," Robert chimed in.
"Precisely," Oliver said. "The council don't want that kind of drama. Plus, I think they want to avoid such situations common in respected professions like law and medicine, where overzealous parents often pressure their children into careers they're not passionate about. Wizarding, after all, is a high-risk profession, and it demands careful consideration."
Robert nodded, or at least, that's what it looked like. "I'll be honest, Oliver, I don't get where you're going with this," he joked, grinning. "But keep going, maybe you'll ditch the extra stuff and get to the point eventually."
Oliver supressed the urge to smash an ice ball into Robert's face. Instead, he chose to ignore the comment and continued with his explanation, maintaining his composure. "Now that you know about the Magic Council's 'compulsory attendance to high school' rule, I'll explain to your repulsively ignorant self why it would be a problem if these students know we already attend magic school."
He took a deep breath. "Now, if some of these students with influential and overzealous parents, who want their children to become wizards, discover that we haven't completed high school and are already attending a magic school, they might... I don't know... convince their parents to report us to the Magic Council out of jealousy or something. Now, that could lead to complications as Manhawk, with his influence as a chiarman in the Magic Council, put us in magic schools 'illegally.' Reporting us could implicate Manhawk as well. Do you understand?"
Robert chuckled with undisguised astonishment. "I'm still baffled by how you know so much about these things," his voice dropped to a whisper. "And you're telling me that they're also aware of magic and wizarding stuff?" He nodded discreetly towards the rest of the hostel, his expression implying that he was referring to the other students.
Oliver let out a low guffaw, running his hands through his silver hair. "Not everyone is as uninformed as you, Robert," he said dryly. "Unless, of course, you're from Axille, where it's apparently possible to live in complete ignorance of magic and happenings around the world. But for those of us who haven't been isolated in Axille, or who have friends who actually talk about these things, magic is hardly a mysterious concept."
Robert gave a casual shrug. "Can't really fault me for it. Making friends isn't really my strong suit. And while my mom would often talk about magic, I never truly believed her, or the rumors I've heard... until Poison happened to me. But alright, I understand now."
Robert's voice trailed off as he gazed around the hostel, silently acknowledging the magnitude of his obliviousness, leaving him with the unsettling feeling that he'd been living under a rock. The revelation that magic and the wizarding society were no big secret made him wonder what other secrets the world held that he was missing out on. Aliens? Blood-sucking Ragals? Or maybe even the Beast of Burden? But he wouldn't know, because his immediate society was so desolate, isolated, and devoid of information about the outside world. No wonder he'd never been too fussed about making friends and socializing - Axille's isolation was rubbing off on him!
Robert likened himself to a primitive barbarian, who's so uninformed that even the sight of an aircraft passing by would leave him awestruck, believing it to be a deity touring the skies. In fact, Robert figured, even barbarians would likely possess some knowledge about magic, whereas his own life, without Poison and the subsequent events that followed his possession by the Ancestor soul, would have been shrouded by profound ignorance. He would probably have lived and died without ever realizing that magic was an integral and established aspect of the world's society.
And what's the point of having a phone if he couldn't get access to information like one related to wizards and magic? He thought. However, he would have likely dismissed such information as make-believe anyway. Besides, the Magic Council and the government wouldn't really allow explicit information about magic and wizards to be shared online. Either way, Robert felt he wasn't to be blamed for his ignorance. 'Axille did me wrong,' he thought. 'I'd definitely know way more than Oliver if I wasn't stuck here my whole life!'
Robert finally snapped out of his thoughts. "But we still need to plan the details of our trip to hunt and capture our magic beasts."
Oliver pretended to be preoccupied. "Oh, you're done thinking about your life?"
"C'mon man."
Oliver smirked. "I agree with your previous plan. It's perfect. But we need to decide on a meeting place," he said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"Perhaps we should meet in front of the school gate, the school will be deserted by then," Robert proposed. "Plus, it's the only location in Axille we can both be sure to find."
"Sounds good," Oliver agreed. "The school gate it is."
__
Dora had checked the 11th-grade art class for the fourth time since lunch, each time without finding Robert. His absence from the dinning hall was puzzling, as anyone would be starving after that day's grueling exams. Dora had looked forward to joining Robert in his usual spot at a corner table, but he didn't show up, leaving her both confused and curious.
Her concern grew as she expanded her search to the boys' hostel, the lab, the theatre, the library, and other parts of the school but he was no where to be seen. Tired of searching, it suddenly dawned on her how frequently she'd noticed Robert, who hardly interacted with any student, and Oliver together lately. This sparked her curiosity and she wondered if Oliver might know something about Robert's disappearance. But what really alarmed Dora was that, just minutes after questioning Oliver about Robert, Oliver himself went missing. She felt a growing sense of unease, and couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss, though she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.
Exhausted and worried, Dora trudged towards the hostel after failing to find Oliver in the classroom block. En route, she spotted Vanessa up ahead, apparently bound for the boys' hostel. On a whim, she called out. "Hey, Vanessa!"
Vanessa turned around, her eyes locking onto Dora's worried face. "Hey Dora, is everything okay?" She asked with the friendliest of concerned smiles. The tension between the two had faded in time since Dora last saw her with Robert.
Dora caught up with her, and they continued forward. "Yeah, I think something strange is going on with Robert and Oliver," Dora said, her anxiety tinged with suspicion.
"Especially Oliver," Vanessa muttered to herself, before realizing Dora was waiting for a response. "Oh! Sorry, what makes you say that?"
They walked into the blue painted hostel, trudging up the stairs past the male junior dorms on first three floors. "Well, they've been missing lately. I haven't seen Robert since today's midterms ended, and when I asked Oliver to help me find him, he said he would - but now I can't find Oliver either." They stepped into the senior boys' dorm.
Vanessa halted abruptly, and a slightly incredulous expression appeared on her face. "You're saying you've been searching for those two?" She asked, pointing to Oliver's bed. There, Oliver and Robert sat, appearing to be engrossed in a discussion about an action movie...
"I believe the Yellow Flaming Fox has superior abilities! Did you see that fireball?" Robert asserted.
"That candle? Ha! You've never seen a Hunched Frost Ape. You don't even know what they can do!" Oliver argued, "I'm telling you, a level-matched Frost ape would easily take down a Yellow Flaming fox." Just then, he nudged Robert and whispered, "Shh, look - your girlfriend is headed our way!"
Robert's eyes darted towards the entrance, and he paled at Dora's thunderous expression as she approached with Vanessa.
"You're in for it now, buddy!" Poison snickered, stifling a laugh.
Dora marched up to them, her face a picture of fury. "You went missing, and I had to ask Oliver for help finding you, then he vanished too! Do you know how worried I was?!" she scolded, her hands balled into fists as she struggled to hold herself back from hitting them.
Someone's irritated voice hushed. "Keep it down, would you?"
Robert smiled apologetically, rising from Oliver's bed. "Hey, Dora, I'm so sorry, I was just behind the lab. I lost my gold watch, you see," he said with a playful tone, attempting to pacify her. "I searched and searched for hours, but I couldn't find it." However, his explanation fell flat when he noticed the two girls exchange a skeptical glance, their eyes darting to his wrist and the gleaming gold watch that adorned it. "Uh, my other gold watch, of course," he added hastily, wincing at his own transparent lie.
Dora's gaze turned glacial, her face a mask of contained fury. Her voice, however, remained eerily composed as she asked Oliver and Vanessa, "Would you mind if Robert and I stepped outside for a minute?"
Oliver and Vanessa exchanged glances, wisely choosing to remain silent. A furious Dora was a terrifying sight!
But Dora didn't need their response. With a vice like grip, she grasped Robert's arm and pulled him out of the dorm, into the corridor. "Now, you'd better tell me where you were, and don't even think of lying to me again or else...!" Her voice trailed off threateningly.
Now alone, Vanessa and Oliver exchanged a look, and as Vanessa looked into Oliver's pallid, ice-cold face, she felt an involuntary shudder. There was that sense of dread that the sight of Oliver always triggered, a feeling that had become all too familiar after their short conversation about her last name few weeks ago.
Ever since that day, the sight of Oliver gradually became a reccuring nightmare; Vanessa's body would instinctively respond with a surge of adrenaline, her mind racing with fear and discomfort whenever he looked her way. She couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that Oliver posed a threat, as if he would suddenly pull out a knife and hurt her at any moment. Was this intuition? Instinct? Or mere paranoia? She wished she knew what exactly was wrong with her.
"You should probably go check on them," Oliver said to her after a moment of silence, his usual indifferent expression on his face.
"You're right," Vanessa said immediately, before scurrying off quickly, hoping to get as far away from him as possible.
Watching her leave, Oliver let out a heavy sigh and flopped back onto his bed.
"We need that girl," Xolomon's deep voice growled in his mind. "She's the only descendant of Sierah we've managed to trace."
Oliver's expression became weary and resigned. "I understand," he muttered. "But without the Oldfather's sceptre, she's useless to us. Mr. Williams has it, and we've tried to take it from him, but he's refused to hand it over or reveal where he hid it, even after you threatened to torture him."
"That fool was this close to getting his skull crush last time!" Xolomon growled.
Oliver's chuckle was more of a grimace. "Killing him won't help either, as it would mean losing the scepter forever. We need a new plan, and fast - enduring so much pain from hosting two Ancestor souls is taking a toll on my body." He released an exhausted sigh and slowly lay down on his bed, drifting off to sleep.
__
Dora listened to Robert's excuses with narrowed eyes. "I'll pretend you're telling the truth, for now." But before Robert could feel relief, she took his hand, causing him to flinch slightly, thinking she was about to lash out. "By the way, Miss Greene is looking for you. And since you're my boyfriend—and yes, you absolutely are," she added with a sly smile, "she approached me while I was searching for you and asked that I pass on a message. She wants you to meet her at her lodge as soon as possible. She sounded kinda urgent."
Robert's brows forrowed. What's it this time? "Alright... I guess I'll just head over to Miss Greene's apartment now," he said hesitantly, noticing the strange look on Dora's face.
"Despite the boys' claims that she's 'very attractive', don't let her charm suck you in, cus if you do, I'll haunt you." Her voice dropped to a playful growl. "You're MY boyfriend." She spun around dramatically, and her vermillion hair flipped back, intentionally hitting Robert in the face. She then sashayed away, her hips swaying with a deliberate, sultry rhythm. Robert rolled his eyes and laughed. "Love you too," he called after her, before plodding down the stairs and making his way to the teacher's lodge.
Crossing the school grounds, he hurried past a cluster of 10th graders gathered beside the serene school pond, deeply engrossed in a discussion, their books in hand. Other students were scattered across the lush green space, some in groups, others studying alone. His eyes swept across the sight, and he let out a deep sigh and shook his head - he knew he had to do a lot of reading that night, or else his grades would suffer a hysterical blow. He wasn't sure if Principal Carve was going to consider his double schooling and petition the teachers to be more lenient when grading his exam papers.
Robert's thoughts began to wander back to Heiss Magic School and his earlier fight with Parker and Isabel as he approached the stately building that housed the teachers, but Poison's voice suddenly lit up his mind. "Kid," he rumbled, "I say you've landed a big prize."
"What are you taking about?" Robert thought back.
Poison responded immediately. "I'll let you in on something, in case you've not noticed yet, Dora's got it bad for you, and she's not being subtle about it. A bit possessive too I'd say."
Robert grinned. "Yeah, I noticed."
"You know breaking her heart's gonna be the biggest mistake of your life, right?"
Robert thought for a moment, imagining the consequences - yeah, he'll sure as hell be damned if he did that! "I'm not planning to," he replied casually.
"And with the way she was swaying those hips, Oof! I think you're going to have your first lucky night soon, kid," Poison teased as Robert stepped through the large brown gates which separated the teachers' quarters from the school.
"No. No lucky nights, Poison. I'm saving myself for the one I'll spend the rest of my life with," Robert said, blushing slightly.
"Aww, and who might that be?" Poison asked.
"Dor..." Robert paused, his face immediately flushing with embarrassment, "I mean... I'll find out in the future," he added immediately. Poison chuckled.
Robert stepped through the main door and raced up the stairs. Within seconds he stood at Miss Greene's apartment door and knocked gently.
"Who's there?" a familiar feminine voice called from inside.
"It's Robert."
"Come in, please."
Robert slowly pushed open the door and stepped inside.
"Where have you been?" Miss Greene asked, her voice casual as she sat on a black sofa, spreading honey on a piece of flatbread. The walls of the sitting room were painted a deep, almost-black blue, and the lights were dimmed, giving the room an overall gloomy and depressing air. A coffee table draped with a black tablecloth sat prominently in the center of the room, and for a moment, it drew Robert's attention for reasons he couldn't quite explain.
In contrast, Miss Greene presented a striking sight, wearing a pink T-shirt and sheer leggings, which would have been revealing if not for the short skirt she was wearing.
Robert closed the door behind him, noticing her attire. "Um, Miss Greene," he said, his eyes darting around the room uneasily. "Maybe you should wear something a bit less skimpy?"
Miss Greene raised an eyebrow. "Should you really be telling me that?"
Robert's face grew warm. "I just meant, well, you're a teacher, and uh... I'm a student. A MALE student," he said, trying hard to avoid looking at those cute legs.
"Seriously, after what happened on that Novaday you're still gonna tell me that?" Miss Greene queried.
"Novaday?" What Novaday? There was only one Novaday Robert could never forget, and memories of that day promptly flooded his mind. That Novaday, four weeks ago, was when Miss Greene followed him to the hospital... the day he and Oliver first met Manhawk... But what did that have to do with her clothes? Then a memory suddenly surfaced - that was the day he had seen her unclothed!
Robert's eyes widened in alarm. That was the last thing he'd expect her to bring up. He had been invisible!
Poison amusement was evident in the "Busted!" he uttered with a dramatic flare.
"So, how's Heiss Magic School?" Miss Greene asked casually, taking a bite of her sandwich.
Robert's eyes bulged so wide it looked like they might pop out of his head! "H-h-how did you know?"
Miss Greene stood up from the sofa and walked up to him. Her face was expressionless, but Robert could discern a subtle grin. "Hi, I'm Eira Greene. Wizard Protector and literature teacher for Solar Springs High School," she said, extending her hand.
"Wizard what? But... but... but how?!" Robert stammered, trying to wrap his mind around the idea that Miss Greene had somehow seen him that day he had been at her apartment, even though he'd been invisible. He mentally replayed the events of that fateful evening in her apartment, but this time he imagined she could see him the entire time! He perceived her aura and was amazed to discover that she was a Mystic wizard!
"But, why didn't you say anything when you saw me standing there?" He asked, "you even took off..." he tried to say but the words caught in his throat. Miss Greene gave him an alluring smile and walked back to the sofa.
"That's a story for another time, dear, but there's an emergency. Do you remember Mr. Currie, the archeologist who came with Manhawk to see you? He wasn't the real Mr. Currie; he was a Blood wizard who tricked Manhawk with a Blood shape-shifting spell. Manhawk briefed me at the Magic Council headquarters yesterday, and he mentioned that the suspect must be a member of the Black Fraggers. To cut a long story short, I'll be personally escorting you to your magic school from now on." She explained, her tone serious.
Robert barely comprehended her words, his thoughts were elsewhere, continuously replaying that night, four weeks ago. However, one question broke through the haze. "What about Oliver?"
"Charles, or rather the Blood wizard didn't accompany Manhawk when he spoke to Oliver, so we believe he's in a safe situation," Miss Greene explained, chewing her sandwich in a manner Robert perceived as utterly graceful.
Robert nodded. "Okay, but despite being a Legendary wizard, how could Manhawk make such an oversight? Every spell cast emits a magical wave, so it's puzzling how Manhawk missed detecting it, or am I missing something?" He inquired, his expression shifting to curiosity.
"Robert, he used a magic wave concealing potion that obscured 90 percent of the shape-shift spell's magic wave," Miss Greene elaborated, pausing to take another bite of her sandwich. "Manhawk mistook the leaked ten percent as the standard magic wave or aura emitted by wizards, which, as you may already know, is typically used to gauge a wizard's level and strength."
Robert paused, thinking. However, his thoughts were interrupted by Miss Greene's gaze, and the unease that came with knowing she had seen him that Novaday promptly surfaced. "Hmm, very clever," he said, trying to sound casual. "Right, could you tell me more about this Wizard protector business?"
"Alright, you might not be aware, but there have been recent incidents of magic beasts leaving their reserves and wandering into human settlements. Notably, Axille's statistics on these incidents suddenly surged about a year ago. To ensure people's safety, the Magic Council initiated a program where wizards are placed undercover in different ordinary institutions such as schools, hospitals, and residential buildings to act as protectors. I was sent here last year, undercover, to ensure no magic beasts pose a threat to anyone in this school. Every ordinary school in Axille like this one has a Wizard protector." Miss Greene explained, hardly breaking eye contact with Robert.
Robert forced a smile. "Is the beast situation something we should be concerned about?"
"At the moment," Miss Greene said, eating the last bit of her sandwich, "no."
Robert shrugged slightly. "Alright. I'll be sure to let you know whenever I want to leave for Heiss Magic School... is it okay if I go now?" He asked, his discomfort barely contained. He would later come to wonder how he managed to remain in her presence for so long.
Miss Greene remained composed, but a hint of amusement danced in her eyes as she took in Robert's nervous demeanor. "You're free to go, of course," she said, winking playfully. Robert hastily bid her farewell and made a quick exit, practically sprinting out the door.
Miss Greene chuckled, shaking her head. "Teenagers..."