A young man walked up to the stage, with his swagger oozing through the whole crowd. He spread his arms to almost invite the crowd into his thoughts.
"As of this year's second semester, I have scouted the Primes of this year. Please do agree with me, since y'all have no choice."
To the auditorium, filled with at least 3000 students, two mysterious figures marched up to the stage. The stage lights shine on them to reveal….
"Please welcome, Heet Treaf and December Oris!!"
>>
December and Heet, followed the crude map that Lye had made for them. Then again, the infrastructure of the academy protrudes miles and miles outside it.
The city of Neils is enormous, filled with shops all around. The roads are very well kept, and everyone seems to be noticibly nice and not aggressive as the two expected. Seemed like the uniform along with the accessory he gave came in handy.
The amulet that Lye gave them basically granted access to almost any amenity. They stopped by to eat breakfast at a certain shop, the locals were eyeing them but not acting upon them.
It seemed that many people impersonate as Zahl students to gain short term credit, or bragging rights.
Eventually they reached the entrance . Upon looking up, the pair could see two huge pillars parallel to each other. They seem to float maybe 10-20 feet above the ground, and probably span 1000 feet. Around the thick pillars were spirals, perfect spirals falling down from the top, where it supposedly originated from.
"So this is Zahl, huh?"
Decembers' eyes were taking in all of the eye candy infront of him.
"Mhm! I sneaked in here too. The security was shit, so…"
December turned to Heet with a face that projected his inner thoughts.
"Of course you did. That's what makes you so attractive."
Heet bowed as a response.
They walked up toward the gate, where the security guard, stinking of booze stopped them.
"Yur not 'llowed in he'ar."
December showed him the amulet. The guard sobered up instantly at the sign of Lye, hiccuping.
"Come on in then, we don't have much time."
December thought to himself.
Lye really scares these guys huh?
Then again he's in a whooole other realm.
The guard stumbled his way to the gate and raised it. What greeted Decey and Heet was the really artistic centerpiece. He didn't know how to describe the sight. There was luckily a sign, which read, "Golden Ratio".
It was quite literally the graph of the golden ratio, cladded in gold, and brought to life in the third dimension. The geek inside Decey was screaming at this point to investigate further.
They marched on into the extravagant structure that they from now could call home for the next four years.
After talking to some officials, they were escorted to the auditorium and sat there. It was very spacious. Decey eyeballed it to maybe fill 3000+ students here.
He thought to himself,
Everyone in this room will sooner or later become someone I have to surpass.
Heet on the other hand was rapidly turning her head to take in information better. Decey looked at her, completely absorbed in her beauty.
"What? I'm curious too."
He chuckled.
"You look like a goddamn rooster."
"Oh don't be a dick."
That's so hot, Decey thought.
The next moment, both of them found themselves teleported backstage, behind the man himself who had done that.
"My star students!!!!!"
Lye hugged the duo as hard as he could.
"Lye!! It's been a while!"
The others watching felt very disturbed after hearing Decey talk to Lye as if they were friends. Others just walked past, not wanting to face the unnecessary ordeal they'd face.
"Why did you bring us here though?" Heet asked.
"Hehe. Just run with it K? Trust me, you two are going to topple the politics, economy, everything that Zahl has built up to till now. And I'm gonna be in the front row seat, laughing my eyes out."
Decey and Heet decided it'd be better to not find logic behind Lye's words and just unanimously thought it'd be best to follow him.
At the stage, there were some faculty asking eveyone to be quiet. It was Lye's cue to shine.
He turned back before exiting backstage.
"Stay alert kids."
>>
What the fuck. Why am I and Heet on the stage???????
"I scouted them a few weeks ago, and brought them here. I count it that all of you will give them a good tour of our amazing Academy, as your newly appointed Primes."
Applause filled the room, to the point where the auditorium was shaking. Some people were sulking that they didn't get the position, others thought they could steal it from them via the duel system, others just stayed quiet.
Decey just smiled and waved, Heet did the same too, since both were super confused and very much angry at Lye for doing this so spontaneously.
"Do you know what a prime is..?", Decey whispered to Heet.
"Yeah, basically we're at the top. That fucker really did this to us with no prior information whatsoever. 'Stay alert' he says."
"Just smile and wave, smile and wave."
>
After the announcement of the Primes, Heet and Decey tried to hide from everyone else, they hid in the folds of the curtains
"Hey uh, Lye asked me to come to his office for something important."
"I thought we could-
Welp, that's for the better anyways. I'll check out my dorm room then. My schedule and everything are there anyways."
Heet grabbed Decey's hand before he left and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Stay safe, who knows what that maniac will do to you."
Decey was stunned to say the least, all he could afford was a nod. He somehow left the endearing domain of Heet and ventured on to that bastards' office.
The corridors were filled with students, who all were staring at Decey. Go figure, he did bag the role everyone had been working so hard for by doing nothing.
Someone blocked Decey's path.
"Excuse me, you're blocking me."
As Decey looked up, he saw a white student with a buzz cut, a scar on his cheek, circling off at his eyebrow. He looked like your everyday jock.
The guy grunted and offered his hand.
"Dean Lann. Nice to meet you."
Decey was baffled. He expected the guy to shove him off and rant about how hard he worked just to get his role stolen, and punch the shit out of him. This is something else.
Murmers were heard throughout the corridor.
"Oris.. isn't he Atlas's brother then..?"
"He's the son of the Savant."
"He must be tough, seeing as how Dean is still standing."
Decey took a step back and shook Dean's hand.
"I'm December. Nice to meet you too"
He felt the calluses in Dean's hand. He must have been training very hard. The height of this specific 6'4 beheemoth seemed to suggest that clearly.
Everyone else had begun to greet themselves to Decey. This is not at all what he'd expected.
Maybe being one of the Primes isn't such a bad thing after all, is what Decey thought until a very familiar and annoying voice broke through the crowd
" Everyone, Decey here won't be taking autographs. He's busy with me."
Lye, the headmaster, had turned his goofy facade off to assert himself of a man with infinite power. Everyone else scattered.
"Headmaster, what a pleasure seeing you." December made sure there was acid in his words.
"Hehe. Follow me then."
Lye and Decey navigated through the crowd, and walked for minutes in he corridors. They were filled with chandeliers of white and green. Lye stopped infront of a white door. He opened it and signaled Decey to enter.
"My good sir, after you."
Decey entered what he thought was heaven. It looked white, plain white. There was nothing else in here but white. The paint was white, the desk was white, maybe this was how Lye went insane, Decey thought.
Lye pulled out a chair for Decey to sit, as he sat behind his desk.
"Now I'm sure you have some questions."
"Some…? You made me and Heet the centre of attention on the first day." Decey spat.
"Woah woah, chill kid. It's not that serious. All I did was make you two into the Primes."
"Yeah, that's the problem. Why did you do that?? What even is that?"
"The Primes are basically the cream of the crop, usually reserved for people who finish their first year here. This is the first time two first years were qualified to join the Primes, that is due to my judgement from what I've seen that day. They get special benefits to learning and a better dorm room and training room, you name it kid. Best of all, you get authority."
"I don't want authority. I have my own reasons to be in Zahl, not so I can lead my own clique. I just want to be lowkey here."
The last thing Decey wanted was to be famous or anything. The more people know about him, the more riskier it is to stay in Zahl. He knew what happened to his parents, safe to say he didn't want the same thing to happen to him.
Lye kept his feet down the table and looked at Decey, dead in the eye.
"Decey, your Function, your degree, your intelligence and most importantly, your curiosity. They will make you the king of this academy. By far the most overwhelming student this academy had ever seen. You're an Oris now, remember? Your mother was one of the greatest Defined, your brother will follow her footsteps anytime soon.
Aren't these qualities enough to make people know your name? The same can be said for Heet. She may not be as smart as you, but her instincts will rival your qualities. That's why instead of people wondering why you're on top with no prior background in the near future, and to deter those brats snooping around your history, I did that."
Lye pointed towards Decey's pocket. He took out the amulet that he gave him.
"This isn't some accessory you gave us right?"
"It's proof that you're now one of the Primes. They also have a feature that lets you instantly teleport to anyone else holding the amulet. All of the others have it, me included, for safety issues."
"Look, this is all great. My question is, why is investing in Heet and I such an importance?
Why are those safety features necessary?"
Decey had a bad feeling about this. Lye is incomprehensibly more intellegent than anyone he'd met. He knew things that people weren't meant to know.
His instincts all led to the suggestion that its related to him…
Ø
Lost, the demigod, told Decey in that something bad will happen, and with Lye really reinforcing the training and collection of powerful Defined…
The dots were all floating around December. It was his choice to choose if he could bare the consequences of joining them, or wait and later regret never joining them.
Decey looked at Lye, trying to discern his expression. All Lye gave was a wry smile, behind that smile was an uncanny feeling Decey couldn't put a finger on.
"I'm a very curious person, you know? Seeing you in action, the whole mold intuitive concept. I just couldn't believe it. It sparked something inside me.
And I'm this close to figuring it out."
If this was the truth, or only part of it, Decey had no way of knowing.
>>
Decey went to find his dorm room. His head was only filled with Lye's expression. He was hiding something, and Decey thought it'd be better to not find out.
Lye slid in a card that had his dorm room number. The dorms weren't that extravagant, but Decey loved it regardless. For him, if there's a bed, a nice window, it's good enough.
Is what he hoped for-
Decey stood infront of a door, labeled 14, and knocked on the door.
"Hello! Anyone there?"
Thuds could be heard from inside the room. Must be someone really strong, Decey thought.
It'd be hilarious if it was the guy I met in the-
Dean opened the door.
"You're the new roommate?"
Decey chuckled. Dean seemed to misunderstand.
"Why are you laughing?"
"No, not at you. I was just about to say what would be the chances you'd be my roomate. Because we met before?"
"Ah-"
Decey walked in, to what seems is a very average room. Two desks, a window, bunk beds, and separate bathrooms.
Score!
After freshing up, he decided to take the top bunk. Decey had a lot to sleep on.
"You awake?" Dean asked.
"Yeah, what's up?"
"How did you get into the Primes?"
Dean was genuinely curious. Decey thought he was an exception to the trope.
"I'll be honest, I really don't know. Lye did whatever he thought was fun, and that's why Heet and I are in this situation."
"Lye..?"
"Yeah, the headmaster."
Decey could feel Dean's voice shake. He didn't know why.
"You call him by his name, and you're still alive…?"
"I mean, he asked me to. And let's be honest, he looks young. It feels weird to call him headmaster."
Dean chuckled. His appearance definitely scared some people. Decey realized his actual charactor- just a kid, with really good genetics.
"It does feel weird, but you don't know how scary he can be. All of us naturally respect the Headmaster. No one would ever dare go against him. Not in a dictatorship way, he's just…"
"He has that presence."
"Yeah, exactly. Also, is Heet your-"
"Mhm." Decey felt the need to put a lot of oumph in that 'mhm'.
"What's your story, Dean?" Decey decided not to linger on the topic of his girlfriend.
He however seemed to very much enjoy the title promotion.
"I was born in a good family. Trained since I could remember. My family has connections to the Headmaster directly, so joining here wasn't a big deal. All I want to do is make my family proud."
"That tracks. I feel like most kids here have something similar."
"You and me both."
The silence was longer than the two would care to admit.
"Do you know Atlas?"
"Oh your brother? Ever since he got a letter from some officer from the Real Set, he's been in his dorm room ever since.
After that
No one knows where he left."
Decey's heart skipped a beat. He had a bad feeling about this. He knew Atlas, he wouldn't do something as reckless as this.
That is, only Decey's notion of Atlas uptil that event. He felt like deep within, he knew why Atlas dropped out. To get revenge.
"He probably went on vacation."
"Some suggest that, yeah. You're his brother right? If anything, you should have an idea."
"I'm worried that my idea is the most probable one."