2 Unknown Intentions

In a workshop, an older looking Keir could be seen working on a hoverboard.

He seemed to be around fifteen years old, with him not seemingly having gained much height.

The hoverboard he was working on looked less bulky compared to his old one.

He wore a black tank top with blue cargo pants that held some tools. His hair has grown a little past his ear, with a hairband to hold back his fringe.

He stood in front of a stone table with a fire torch in hand and goggles covering his eyes.

He pulled out the fire torch, turned it off, and stared at his hoverboard with a look of satisfaction.

Pulling his goggles up, he wiped away the sweat and hung the torch on the wall, sighing to himself, "I hope this works now.. building one by myself sure is hard.."

Taking off his thick glove, he threw it beside the board and wore a different glove from his pocket.

A small light in the corner of his eye, he opened up his palm and entered the interface world.

A layer of light blue coating covered everything in his vision. He turned towards the board and swapped up, opening up the data installation page.

He opened up another file page beside him and pulled the page beside the file page. Transferring the codes over to the data page, he briefly scanned through the codes.

As it was transferring, he took the board off the table and headed out of the small workshop.

He immediately felt the cold breeze the moment he opened the door, causing him to quickly close the door and run towards a wooden building not far.

'I forgot about the weather… how much time had passed?' He thought with a sigh and placed the board beside the door. He removed his headband to let his hair down and stared at the data that was still transferring.

Deep in thought, he didn't see someone else in front of him.

"You better not test the board in my house.." A muffled voice spoke. He glanced up to see someone wrapped up head to toe in cloth. Being only able to see the pair of golden eyes underneath the cloth.

"What the.." Keir wanted to laugh but held it in, "Yes boss… I'm not that dumb.."

"I like what I'm hearing.." The person pulled down the cloth, "Boss... has a nice ring to it."

The voice sounded robotic without the cloth.

Standing not far from Keir was a middle-aged woman with a respirator mask covering her mouth and nose to down her neck.

There was an ugly scar separating the bottom half of her face with the top. Wearing a long winter cloak with another jacket underneath, with a glove on.

She had the vibe of something you didn't want to mess with. And because she looks the part too…

"Ain't you overdressed?" Keir asked, seeing her pull down her hood to reveal her grey ponytail hair.

"Ain't you underdressed?" She asked instead, looking at him, not even wearing a jacket for such cold weather.

He shrugged, "At least I'm dressed."

That last sentence caused them to burst out laughing.

"I think you should return back home." The woman said, "I've heard that the war had come to a standstill cause of something about a new force bullshting peace."

"That doesn't sound new.." He said while dusting off the snow off his body, "Isn't there always people protesting about peace?"

"That's what everyone thought, but those that tried to attack them was never seen again." The woman spoke with a heavy tone, "Kai, go home. Your parents might be returning soon with the current situation."

Keir just stared at her like she had said the most ridiculous thing ever.

"Go. Home?" He scoffed, "Do they even remember they had a son?"

She bit her lip, thinking of a reply when the door opened and a young man entered.

He looked around eighteen, wearing a thick jacket similar to the woman. However, the left sleeve was hanging loosely.

"Ramona. Kai." He nodded towards them, pulling his winter goggles up to reveal a pair of amber eyes, his eyes seemed rather calm compared to Keir's glittering eyes. He took off the goggles and clipped them to his belt.

Before the two could reply, he continued, "I've got news that there's a new academy that has been built. They are recruiting any students under the age of twenty."

He said while pulling up his hood, swapping the snow from his black hair.

"Any?" Keir asked, feeling like that news was rather skeptical.

"Mm." The boy confirmed, "Sounds suspicious, but that's what I've seen it on the news."

"This whole situation is not adding up.." Ramona sighed while shaking her head.

"Are you gonna enter?" Keir asked, which was replied with a nod, "Mat, you don't know their intention for it."

"If I can get to my goal, I don't care what intentions they have for opening the academy. Academy is a place for learning anyways, even if a war happens in it. The knowledge I gain can never be taken away." He calmly stated his thoughts, his right arm touching his left sleeve, "I can only learn so much here."

"Amant.." Ramona asked, "What other news have you gathered?"

"Let's not stand around the front door and head to the living room." Amant said, "Don't you two find it squeezing here?"

The two shrugged their shoulders and just strolled to the living room. Amant sighed and shook his head, following behind them.

The hallway was only big enough to fit one tall adult, which is Ramona. With a few doors down the hallway, there wasn't anything hanging on the wall. It's just a plain wooden wall.

Entering the more spacious room compared to the one at the front door. There was one big chair on the left side, with a long couch at the opposite side of the room. With a lamp at the corner of the room to light everything up.

Ramona removed and hung her cloak on her chair, while Amant just unzipped his jacket.

Keir and Amant took the two ends of the couch, with Amant taking the right side.

After settling down, Amant took out a device and projected his recording, "I was only able to capture the ending and not the whole news."

In the display, it showed a big television that's in the middle of the town.

On it, the tv showed a text followed by an audio of a man.

[ "The new generation wants peace! The older generation scoffed at that idea! Join MagiTech academy! Showing them peace isn't a mere illusion! Make friends from the other side that you always wanted! Let's study together for peace!" ]

The projection disappeared and just left a deathly silence between them.

"When is it starting?" Keir asked, glancing at Amant.

"You can't be serious.." Ramona said, "You two are really just going to join them?"

Keir shrugged his shoulders, "I want to find a way to merge magic with tech."

Hearing the word magic caused Amant to flinch a little.

"I'm going to stay away from that side and just focus on tech." Amant said, "Tell me when they start killing you."

"They ain't evil." Keir rolled his eyes, "Besides, there will be teachers stopping any fight."

"Just saying." He scratches his ear and added, "You never know what magic can do."

"Kai, are you going to at least return home?" Ramona asked, "Your parents should be informed at least."

Keir glanced towards the window without replying, leaving the air stale.

Amant followed his gaze and saw the snow falling, "The cold sure is nice." He smiled while saying that, trying to change the mood of the room.

"Mm." Ramona and Keir agreed, lessening the heavy atmosphere between the two.

After a while, Keir turned to Amant and asked, "Did the ad say how to get in the school?"

Amant nodded, "Yeah, and the requirements is quite strange.."

Keir tilted his head while Ramona leaned back.

"I knew it's too good to be true. Free education without a cost? Studying with the other side without blood? Yeah right." She said, "So, what's the requirement?"

The two waited for Amant's answer, as he seemed to be thinking how to explain, so he started with, "It's simple enough, yet it feels too simple?"

@@

In a dimly lit office, where the only source of light was from the window.

A chair was facing the window, with a man holding a cigarette between his fingers. He took a puff and opened his eyes.

Revealing a pair of amber eyes, however staring into his eyes, felt like staring into an abyss. There doesn't seem to be any emotions behind it.

"Dude," someone standing behind his table asked, "Why are you putting so much effort into this school, if you had foreseen the result?"

The man took another puff, staring at the snow falling outside the window. His deep voice slowly explained, "Defying fate, will lead to an even worse outcome."

The person standing behind the table, eyes narrowed when he heard the reason.

The man started chuckling, which felt chilling, considering his eyes still remained the same calmness, "I know what you are thinking...," he took another puff, "From someone with the title of Fate Slayer, following fate? Dillon, I met you cause of fate. Don't think fate always has to be changed."

Dillon scratched his nose and said, "It's just interesting, seeing you so passive this time."

The man took a deep puff and put out his cigarette, his gaze seemingly focused on something else, "Let's just sit back and watch everything crumble."