Steven had only rough dreams but couldn’t remember them after just a second.
Waking up to a loud knocking at his door, Steven sat up, his hand already reaching for a lamp on a small table nearby, picking it up like a weapon.
Until the door slowly opened and Irose’s old face peeked through the door. ’’Sir, it’s time to wake up.’’ His gentle but firm voice called out.**
Setting down the lamp, Steven let out a sigh. ’’Is it already that late?’’ Even though he had closed the curtains before going to sleep, it didn’t seem like there was any light behind them.
’’It’s already 5 am, sir.’’ The old man walked through the room, opening the curtains as barely a shiver of morning light entered his room.
Steven simply turned around in the bed to get away from the light. ’’Then why wake me? I don’t have any classes today.’’
But his butler only stared at him in confusion. ’’Wasn’t it you who booked the training facility this morning?’’
Slowly rising from his bed, Steven walked over to one of the closets, searching for clothes. ’’No, but it will be fine. Thank you, Irose.’’ Dismissing him with a sway of his hand.
Shortly after the old man had left his room, he changed into new clothes, ready to find out who was calling for him at such an hour.
Wearing a simple pair of jeans and a one-coloured grey shirt, he made his way towards the training facility. Walking past a few servants who gave him acknowledging looks as if they knew of something different.
He wanted to ask but had a feeling what Irose said yesterday was roughly the same. ’’Little birds are spreading rumours.’’ He whispered to himself.
As he finally walked through the main gate outside, he walked past one of the diamond students from the second table, drenched in sweat.
But it didn’t seem to be the person looking for him. Instead, he continued his way to the training grounds through the morning light, which felt comfortable in combination with the cold wind.
The facility could barely be called one, as it was pretty much just an arena barely big enough for a magical duel. Walking through the stone entrance, somebody was already standing in the middle of it.
Her blue hair illuminated by the rising sun behind her, June stared at him, her hands hidden behind her back. ’’Oh, welcome Steven. What a coincidence to meet you here.’’
There was something in her voice which Steven didn’t like, something around a mix of excitement and fear.
’’Yes, truly a coincidence.’’ He answered flatly, getting suspicious, but June’s magic was calm like a lake, barely a ripple of strain on it.
Walking forward, he now too stood nearly in the middle of the arena, roughly a dozen metres away from her. As she suddenly moved slowly towards him.
Preparing himself for a fight, Steven already moved his finger in his pockets, ready to cast a wind blade. But she didn’t attack; instead, she held him in nearly a metre away from him.
As she started to visibly shake. ’’I... I just wanted to apologise for what happened yesterday.’’ She spoke as she moved her hand forward, holding something out towards him.
’’Please take this...’’ She whispered, but Steven was frozen in place about what was happening; as he slowly grabbed it, she moved back quickly.
While trying to inspect whatever he was holding, he could watch her back up slowly and then run away at full speed.
As worry began to rise in his body, he was holding something mechanical, probably a magic device. And how she was acting was most likely a bomb.
Readying himself for an explosion, he focused completely on his barrier, but even after a minute of sweating it didn’t happen.
Slowly turning the device around, he scanned it for magical traces, but there was just a weak one inside, not even enough to ignite a fire.
As he found something resembling a clock on the downside and a few buttons above it.
His body was telling him to throw whatever he was holding as far away as possible, but his magical sense told him otherwise.
Slowly pressing the first button, a loud bell-like sound rang out; only then did he realise what he was handling.
It was a clock, and not just any; it was an alarm clock, but why was somebody gifting him a thing like this?
As suddenly somebody called out to him from the small watching stance.
’’Steven, right? Man, you’re a player.’’ A young man’s voice spoke; as Steven turned his head, he found a man roughly twenty years old. He had dark hair and brown eyes while being slightly smaller than him.
’’But no wonder, after what you did yesterday.’’ The man continued.
’’And you are?’’ Steven asked, trying to find a crest on the young man’s body, but there was none.
’’Lumiel, the seventh who arrived. We both sat on the balcony.’’ He answered, his pride visibly hurt.
’’Oh yeah, sorry, but what were you talking about, the Frostes girl?’’
’’Man, are you living behind the moon? Even I as a commoner know about her, June Frostes, the lost daughter and traitor.’’ The young man answered while jumping over the fence and entering the arena.
’’Traitor for what?’’ Steven asked, watching carefully every step of the man.
Who stopped at his question? ’’I don’t know it exactly either, but something about a broken marriage.’’ Slowly walking closer again, he raised his fist.
’’Up for a round? I want to know what the first table is made of.’’
’’Are you sure you want this? I don’t want you to miss your first classes on Monday.’’
Steven answered smilingly as she placed his gift on the ground outside of the arena.
As a first projectile flew barely past his head, Steven could only feel great; finally, somebody interesting to fight with!
Slowly raising his hand tauntingly. ’’Show me what you got.’’