Arthur West

"Hey, West!"

West! Wake up!"

"Wake up, Dunce Apprentice!"

Following that last shout, a firm hand connected with Arthur's face. He had fallen asleep during class, and his 'considerate' classmates were told by the teacher to wake him up. Given the opportunity, the students decided to employ the best method they could think of: slapping him awake.

Arthur heard his hateful alias, one that had been assigned to him very early in his school life and was now synonymous with his own name. Feeling the sting of the slap, he jerked and fell back in his chair while a hand reached for his right cheek. He blinked rapidly before feeling for his glasses and putting them on.

When they saw his wide green eyes magnified in the glass, one of the children started laughing.

The student sitting in front of him had turned around to deliver that slap, and the two on either side of him were sneering and snickering. Arthur was sat in the middle row, horizontally or vertically; the very center of the classroom. By some miraculous design, his usual bullies were also the students sat closest to him. He had asked many times for the seating to be reassigned, but his homeroom teacher never saw the point.

It was afternoon, and the bit of the compound that Arthur could see through the windows was tinted in the afternoon sun's array of decorative lights; the golden trees were serene, the grass glittery. To Arthur, it seemed peaceful out there- or anywhere that wasn't the classroom.

The teacher sighed, "Try to stay awake, Arthur. You may not need this class, but I won't tolerate disrespect. Not even from someone who's going nowhere."

Arthur wanted to wince, but any sound would attract the attention of the students around him. He wanted to frown, but any indication of a negative or recalcitrant attitude would only cause him more problems.

As stoic as he could be, Arthur sat up and listened to the lecture.

"10,000 years ago, the demons sought world domination. They came dangerously close. The Emperor's forces were defeated, the God Realm was subjugated-- the entire southern continent of our realm was laid waste to. But, by miraculous circumstances, the end of the world as we know it was averted."

"The Queen of the Demon Realm, Razalith Van Werren, was assailed by a certain rogue. This man bested her in combat, vanquishing her from the world."

"He would come to be known as the Demigod Prince, a half-god-half-man warrior with incomparable magic power that singlehandedly turned the tides of war in our favor. Thanks to him, the Runia Royal Family was able to escape from the dungeon of the demon's castle and return to the Empire."

"From there, he pushed for an alliance between the God and Human realms, uniting us against our common enemy. In our most hopeless time, he was a beacon of hope."

"It is thanks to him that the world has settled into an era of peace. The demons were utterly helpless without the queen, and they were swiftly defeated. Their lands were seized and cleansed, but the Demigod Prince was merciful."

"Instead of wiping out the demons, he made an example of the leaders by way of public executions. The rest were taken as slaves, and have adapted to life as servants since then."

"Thus ends the lesson."

After that, Arthur was made of questions. At this point in their history classes, they had only ever focused on the advancement of human civilization following the destruction of the demons and the demon realm. This was the first that he, and the rest of the class, were hearing about such matters.

The teacher could sense their amazement and shock, their puzzlement and their confusion. He cleared his throat and spoke up again.

"All- no- most of you are graduating from being Apprentices. As such, you will be required to know much more. Despite the relative unimportance of the theory aspect, a lot of the better Journeyman level schools require a high grade in that regard. Practical examinations are going to become less and less vital, since it only counts for half of your total score. If you cannot balance both, then you can only settle for mediocre Journeyman schools."

Arthur's eyes widened amidst the gasps and mutterings of his fellow students. The teacher started to gather his things, then picked up a large folder from his desk.

As Arthur was preparing himself to ask a question, adjusting his glasses and finding the nerve, he heard the teacher say, "I have some letters for you all- oh, uh, not you, Arthur."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Arthur forgot about his question instantly.

The teacher's eyes darted back and forth a bit as he tried to think of a way to say it, but he sucked his teeth and said, "You failed the practical examinations, Arthur. You won't be graduating, you'll remain an Apprentice."

Arthur fell back in his seat, but this time for an entirely different reason. Subconsciously, he reached for his pocket and touched the object inside of it. As the final spark of hope ignited, he looked up at his teacher and gulped.

"But I applied on time... We paid the fee as well..."

"Your parents will be informed by the Headmaster and the crystals will be refunded."

That was Arthur's olive branch, but it too had been cut down. His hopes of dashing the title of the Dunce Apprentice were dashed instead. Worse yet, he knew his parents would take the news horribly.

Arthur stood up, thankful that his black hair had fallen into his face. He did not want the others to see the raw emotion on his face.

"You don't need to be here any longer, Arthur. You may take your things and go."

Hearing this, Arthur took up his bag and fit the strap around his neck and shoulder. He wanted to rush out, but managed to walk out somewhat calmly. Surprisingly, the students weren't laughing or throwing remarks, but were silent. Arthur approached the door, about to open it.

"Another thing," the teacher said, causing Arthur to stop. "If your parents want to beg for a second chance, I suggest they go do it at another school. The Headmaster feels the same way."

He did not turn around. Arthur simply nodded and opened the door, then left without closing it. He wanted nothing more than to leave the compound and find a place where he could finally stop suppressing those emotions.

As he exited the main building, he walked across the grass toward the exit. The entire compound was gated and fenced, but there were three booths at the very front. These were the teleportation stations, designed to identify a child based on the location imprinted on special stones.

When Arthur finally fished his stone out of his pocket, a tear fell and the anxiety grew. He felt conflicted about going home for just a moment, and stopped in front of the booth.

That was when he heard a loud chime reverberate around the school, marking the end of the day and of the school year. After today, students would graduate to become Journeymen, spend some time at home to rest, then begin applying for Journeyman level schools all over the country.

Arthur had wanted to ask a question regarding that very topic, but he was devoid of hope now. There was nothing he could do.

He did not want the other students to catch up to him, so he readied the stone and stepped into the booth. There was nothing in it but a magic circle, waiting to be activated. He stepped into it and brandished the stone, and the circle lit up.

The various symbols shifted, growing larger and shrinking at random intervals. Finally, they all locked into a final position and flashed brightly. With that, Arthur was gone and nothing but sparkling specks remained where he had been.

When he opened his eyes, he was at his doorstep.

His house was also gated and fenced, but instead of having a booth there was simply a fortified magic circle on the floor. He left the space within that circle and walked to the door, on which was a lion's head knocker. The eyes of the lion turned blue for a moment, recognizing Arthur and unlocking the door.

He went inside, hoping to run up to his room and release the emotions within him.

Instead, he heard a deep grunt and felt himself run into something. Opening his eyes, he saw a figure dressed in a black coat, holding a suitcase and briefcase. They were standing in the doorway when Arthur came in, and when he looked up he realized that it was his father. He was middle-aged and muscular, tall as well, but not hulking. His hair was long, straight and black, like Arthur's, but his eyes were a hazy gold color.

Those eyes regarded Arthur with indifference, and he merely said, "Excuse me," as he bypassed his son.

Standing off to the side, Arthur's mother had tears in her eyes and gripped her sweater tightly. When she saw Arthur, she sniffled and reached out to him. A number of words were said under her breath, and she started sobbing again.

Caught between both parents, Arthur did not know where to look. His father was leaving, evoking a desire in him to ask where he was going. His mother was crying, making him feel both uncomfortable and even more saddened than he already was. To top it all off, he was suppressing his own devastating emotions.

Indecisive, Arthur turned to his father and saw him shutting the door. His father's gaze was as cold as ever, but this time he seemed to be glaring at his son instead of the usual emotionless stare. He spoke no words, but his feelings were conveyed. The door shut, and he would never open it again.

By the time Arthur realized what had happened, tears were already streaming down his face. His mother approached and hugged him from behind, adding her own cries to the mix. For the rest of that evening, that week, that month and that year, Arthur and his mother's life would never be the same as it was.

She lost a part of her when her husband walked out, and she had to find the strength to carry on for the sake of her son and herself. But Arthur had a different issue- a different kind of change.

He did not see the value in any more hard work, nor did he see the point to trying any longer. To him, he felt like all his emotions had leaked out of him that day, and they could not be replenished. He no longer felt hopeful toward his future. In fact, he felt that he had lost all hope entirely.

He shut himself in his room, and rarely ever came out. His mother tried all that she could, but he refused to leave the house and try to socialize with others his age. He would not even go to the store for something to eat when she had to work all day, but chose to starve himself instead.

Four years passed him by in solitude, save for the interactions he had with his mother. That, however, would change the day that his mother announced she was getting married.

Everything would change. For Arthur, for his mother, and, likely, for the world at large.