The third day

After waking up, Reo performed his daily activities before heading to school with his friend, Michael. Upon arrival, he made his way towards the classroom, where sunlight was spilling through the large windows across the room, opposite the door. He settled into his seat and offered a courteous "good morning" to his classmates.

Shortly after, Miss Olivia entered the room and instructed the class to brace themselves for a day full of enriching knowledge. However, the crux of her announcement was related to a large, unexplored continent located far away. She informed the class that the king had imposed a ban on crossing into this particular landmass due to reports of individuals mysteriously disappearing when attempting to do so. This intriguing piece of news meant there was an entire continent out there, remaining undetected and unexplored.

Upon Olivia's departure, Professor Tomiya made his entrance to the class. "I believe it's time to continue with our lessons," he announced. His gaze landed on Liam, who was instructed to assume his position at the front of the class. Unflinchingly, Liam walked to the front, settled into the chair, and closed his eyes, channeling his elemental energy into his mind.

As an hour lapsed with Professor Tomiya attending to his suitcase, Liam called for the professor to take a step back. His hand was extended, palm facing upwards, and announced, "Light Elemental Skill Number One - Full Slash". With his hand clenched into a fist, it began radiating with light before it moved swiftly to the side. Although invisible, the effect of his action was evidenced by a slash mark on the ceiling.

Nevertheless, that was not the end, as damage ensued causing the ceiling to exhibit cracks before finally succumbing to collapse.

It was apparent from the fear in his eyes that he didn't anticipate the building being affected. He had his suitcase; this situation was certainly unfavorable as it might be deducted from his salary.

He halted the training, recognizing the wisdom of using the training ground instead. The session was discontinued as he took his suitcase, and directed us to form a line. In an orderly fashion, we proceeded towards the training grounds.

The training field bore a striking resemblance to a decaying, abandoned colosseum, with visible fissures marking the walls. In this backdrop, Amelia Vermont caught my attention. I watched her perform an elemental control exercise from the perch of her seat. Upon completion, she rose and declared, "Elemental skill number 1 – Fortress." With that, she slammed her palm onto the ground, prompting ice to sprawl around her in a protective circle. The lesson concluded duly.

Post-lesson, Reo approached Amelia to laud her successful acquisition of the elemental skill. She reciprocated the sentiment before signaling farewell with a wave, and then departed alongside Emma. Subsequently, Reo ventured around the building in search of Michael.

In the midst of this search, he encountered Alice ambling down a hallway. Out of courtesy, Reo bowed, mustering the etiquette to utter, "Good evening, have you seen Michael anywhere?"

"No, he might be at the council meeting room. Follow me, I was heading there myself," she instructed. They walked for a bit before she mentioned, "The council room is situated on the third floor."

A question arose, "Are you aware that Michael, apart from the students of this school, is all alone?" Confused by her statement, Reo queried, "What do you mean?"

She explained, "Michael Stones hails from a prominent family, owners of a company that produces particular accessories with 'Sorrow Blues'. These accessories have the power to inhibit one's abilities, often used when imprisoning individuals. However, a tragic day erased his entire family. Whilst visiting a friend's house, an unforeseen event resulted in the demise of his family. He had left to alert the kingdom's knights, but upon his return, the house bore no signs of struggle or conflict. Some speculate that his family was abducted, while others believe they were murdered."

After hearing the news, Reo's expression turned somewhat gloomy and melancholy. It reminded him of his own predicament - he also had yet to regain memories of his own parents and any experiences before he met John.

"We can pick up this discussion at a later time," Reo advised, as we arrived at the student council's meeting room. There was someone already inside. "For now, you can return home. I plan on staying back for a while."

Before departing, Reo peered inside the meeting room. Afterwards, he waved, said "See you back at the dorm," and left for the dormitory.

While making his way home, he happened to notice a local store with a 'now hiring' sign. He made a point to stop and inquire about the potential employment opportunity. The person he had communicated with was a woman; she had black hair and brown eyes, elegantly dressed in a long black dress, complemented with a matching black hat. She was interested to know about his availability for work. Given that his school day concluded at 3:30, he informed her he could start at 4 p.m. and be available until 7:30 p.m. Consequently, he secured a job that paid him 5 semi-coin each day. The place was named "The Muffin House", a place revered in the neighbourhood for serving the city's best muffins.

She informed him that his role would commence the following week. After the conversation, he exited and headed towards his solitary dorm, a wave of loneliness washing over him. The monotony there was nearly unbearable. He decided against spending the entire afternoon in meditation.

Instead, to familiarize himself with the area, he opted for a stroll around the neighborhood. As he traversed down a street lined with wooden houses, he noticed a stream of carriages bustling along. The carriages, however, were horse-drawn as opposed to being powered by Vax lizards.

Upon reaching a left turn, he ventured into a dim tunnel leading to the city center. The tunnel was cloaked in darkness, overrun with dust, cobwebs, and cockroaches, making him feel as though he was under scrutiny; but he pressed on.

At the end of the tunnel, he was greeted by a spectacular sight: a sprawling water fountain ensconced in an impressive white edifice boasting a circular glass rooftop.

"He took this to be the church," he quietly muttered to himself, making his way towards the edifice. Inside, he found it deserted, save for a woman. Based on her attire alone, he deduced that she was likely a nun. She was clad in a tunic enveloped by a scapular and a hooded cowl.

"Excuse me, the church is currently closed. Please consider visiting at another time," she informed him, busily sweeping the church floor.

Intrigued, he ventured to ask if she required any assistance. Yet, she courteously rejected his offer.

"No, thank you. I am accustomed to this. It's my duty to ready the church for opening hours," she explained.

Reo pivoted, taking in the full scope of the expansive church interior. Central to its design was a sizeable desk occupying pride of place at the front, specifically destined for sermon-givers. Rows of seating occupied most of the remaining space, all cleverly aligned for an unobstructed view of the front desk.

Adorning either side of the desk was an intriguingly diverse selection of musical instruments. A towering harp, surpassing even my own height, sat with a solitary stool beside it. Other instruments populated the ensemble, including drums, a trumpet, a saxophone, a guitar, all punctuated by the commanding presence of a double bass.

Before he left, he approached her and asked for her name. She introduced herself as Sophia, while he shared his name, Reo. After they exchanged pleasantries, Reo bid her farewell, left the building, and noticed the setting sun.

At this point, I decided to return home too. It was highly probable that I would find Michael there. Sure enough, upon arrival, I observed that Michael was in meditation. His substantial aura was apparent, even from outside the room.