9 Elite School of Magic I.

Yurie and Zyda were touring around the Grey castle when they stopped to peep through a large window of a room. It was filled with unison shouts of six training juveniles. An old man with a white long beard roamed between the straight aisles of the straight rows formed by the uniformly dressed juveniles.

"You must train harder. Your fighting stance must be within the circle," the old man emphasised to his trainees solemnly like a teacher would tell his student.

"That's master Kontos. He is a sometimes sweet but tough nut!" Yurie whispered at Zyda and giggled silently at her statement. Zyda solemnly stared at the old man, intricate thoughts jammed her mind.

"He looks rather cryptic with that face of his," Zyda thought silently.

Through the window, Zyda caught a glimpse of a mysterious and familiar boyish backside that resembled Rolam's. The silhouette stood facing the wall in thought. His outstanding black abyss hair, shined brilliantly under the dim light of the room that came from the hanging sparkly green chandeliers. It made him resemble a shining knight. His seemingly smooth incandescent pale skin enchanted his physique.

"Rolam!" she whispered in an almost triumphant tone her arms gripped the window tightly as if she was ready to jump through it. Her reaction made Yurie rapidly look at her in surprise.

"Who's Rolam?" she questioned confusedly.

"Umm..... nothing. Yurie who is that black-haired muscular boy standing near the wall?" Zyda asked slightly pointing at her target with an index finger.

"Oh! the muscular one?...that's Shino," Yurie said in a whisper. A faint blush appeared on her cheeks as she looked at the boy's backside. She seemed to have a thing for him.

The trainees and their master in the room had not yet seen the two girls at the window. Suddenly Zyda sneezed, some stray specks of dust had satisfactorily tickled her straight sharp nose.

"Oh my! we are-" Yurie choked on her words when the old man and his trainees craned their necks to look at the duo. "Too late he's seen us"

"Yurie!" the old man ranted in a commanding tone.

Zyda remained glued on her spot, she did nothing but stared at the group.

"Zyda! welcome please come in" the old man politely smiled, pointing at the invisible entry door on his right.

Zyda was now used to the magic chambers. She found her way without any struggle. When she looked behind to see whether Yurie was following her but alas! she was nowhere to be seen. She was the only girl left, she somehow felt insecure. The training juveniles had stopped training and stared at Zyda with confusion and other emotions on their faces. Zyda felt like prey in a pit of vile hunters.

The boy who had been facing the wall now turned his back to face Zyda. He looked at her with a cryptic look. Zyda realised from a closer look that his face was far different from Rolam's in all aspects. His backside from a far confused her.

" Seems pretty good at hiding his mysterious persona!" she thought to herself, as she turned on her scan mode. Her eyes got drawn to Shino and she did not realize how long she had stared at him. The other party also stared at her meticulously as if it was casual.

Unaware of her unfurling energies, her hair had turned white, the V-lines appeared and ran to her temples and she started growing immensely. Her eyes..... they were blue. The colour of the ocean. Her soul ignited.....it had cultivated itself to an incredibly higher level. But still, she was unaware of her body reactions. Shocked murmurs erupted from some of the trainees.

"Oh! holy.... " shouted one of the juveniles. While the rest were coping up with the illusion at hand, the Shino boy seemed neither surprised nor shocked for he wore a poker face and proceeded to eye the girl.

Their master was also among the astonished ones as he had gaped at Zyda with awe. He had never seen this magnificent light and aura for years.

"She... is... an..... Elementalist?!" the old man shouted in awe.

"What! an Elementalist!" his trainees shouted in coincidental unison.

Instantly the clueless Zyda became aware of her magic works. But before she could realize it, everything turned normal. It's like she was possessed because, after everything, she couldn't remember what happened. The last thing she recalled was that she had been staring at Shino.

"What.....happened... huh?" she asked holding her now the throbbing head, subconsciously took a few steps backwards. The old man dashed towards her.

"Zyda!" he called her softly in a fatherly tone. For a moment Zyda remembered her dad and a sense of security immediately filled her when the old man held her.

"Thud!" her body slipped the old man's hands and pounced the floor as she passed out.

"Rayene!" hurry and take her to the infirmary," the old man said trying to lift her body.

"Quick her pulse-" the old man was interrupted by Rayene's swishy movements that were as fast as lightning.

"Whoosh" he vanished with Zyda in a blink.

"She has come. My blood. I can feel it.. she's- no! they are here!" a red-bearded old man locked in a dungeon spoke scrutinising his glowing red hands. His eyes are sinister and murderous. They were ruby red, a red strong aura surrounded him, he felt invigorated.

"Crunch!" something broke.

That was the sound of a breaking shield that had covered the dungeon to prevent the captive from escaping. The strong and the believed to be unbreakable shield had shattered like glass. Lodomore's energy was too compelling to be withstood by the so-called magical shield.

"Wake up Zyda! It's me Rolam. Wake up sis," she dreamed of a soft male voice whispering and gently shaking her. She slowly flickered her eyes open only to encounter a nonchalantly disturbing light that pierced her eyes and in amid she saw a silhouette that had been intently staring down at her.

"Ro! is that you?" she whispered, her voice filled with disbelief.