Ashford Magic Academy.
One of the top, prestigious institutions in the Kingdom of Layra. A place where all aspiring Mages, Knights, and Hunters gather. The greatest education is offered, to those with the means to pay.
The Academy's campus stretched over dozens of buildings, and was as close to a small city as it gets. The campus stretched across polished white stone, its towers etched with ancient runes, casting long shadows over the courtyard. Students clustered around glowing obelisks. Having just taken their quarterly Mana Level Tests, they compared the results with one another like nobles flaunting titles.
Among them stood a peculiar group of five…
"So, how did you do?"
"I got a 400. Should be good, right?" David scratched his nose.
"E-Grade levels, huh? I got a 900." Reis muttered.
"Cutting it close. You might make it to D-Grade by the time we graduate." Jayce nodded.
"In six months, huh? Maybe…" Reis shrugged. "I assume you did get D-grade Mana Levels."
"Sure did." Jayce nodded again. "1200."
"Of course you did." Sora sighed.
"Son of a bitch." Faj cursed.
"Didn't expect anything less."
At once, the five turned in Theo's direction. Yes, there was a sixth.
"What about you, Theo?"
"Any luck?"
They asked, but already knew the answer.
"Well," He scratched his head, gaze slightly lowered. "We would be preparing to throw a party, had it gone any differently than the usual."
"A party? In your honor?"
"Haha, maybe next time, huh?"
"It's crazy that someone attending the Ashford Magic Academy barely holds F-Rank levels of Mana."
"Leave him be, you know Theo's parents had to sell everything they owned to get him here."
"That only makes it worse. Don't you think so, Theo?"
"Well, I… Um…" He couldn't be honest. He couldn't admit to them how much it bothered him. How much he detested the world and himself for failing to live up to his parents' expectations, and to the hopes they had placed on him. "It's their money, lol. Why should I feel bad about how they spend it?"
"For real?"
"Duh. They wanted to pay for me to come here, so they did. I don't owe them anything."
"What a selfish bastard."
"He's right though, lol."
"Anyways, what should we do?"
"I've been working on my Physical Strengthening all day. I'm beat… Although, my Mana Levels have increased since last time."
"You know what time it is, Theo."
"Yeah, lol."
"Theo, do you mind?"
"Time to get punched in the stomach, lol."
Of course, Theo didn't want to. He didn't feel he had much of a choice though.
"My Mana Levels might be F-Rank, but that doesn't mean your pussy Physical Strengthening is going to defeat me!" He shouted, slapping his stomach and contracting his abs with all his strength. "Hit me!"
"Lmaooo!"
"That's why I like you, lol."
"Let's see if you can knock down the weakest F-Rank around."
"Bet."
Theo did end up getting knocked down, and out.
His friends called for someone to take him to the infirmary and left Ashford Academy's campus, giggling and chuckling at Theo's selfishness and courage.
"Argh…" Theo woke up about an hour later, groaning. "The fucker got me good." He cursed under his breath, laying a hand on his stinging stomach.
His gaze remained on the ceiling for a bit, before looking around the room.
"At this rate, I might end up trying every bed they have here…" He muttered to himself with a chuckle.
"You very well might."
Frowning, Theo turned in the direction from which that voice originated.
"What are you doing here, Emma?"
"I brought you here." She answered, her gaze focused on a strand of her luscious black hair as she fiddled with it. "How many more times are you going to end up here, do you think? By the time we graduate."
The frowning Theo's gaze moved back to the ceiling.
"Why do you care?" He sighed with a shrug.
"Because there was a time we used to be friends." Emma muttered, pressing her lips together. "You have to stop hanging out with those guys."
"Huh? Where do you get off telling me what I should do? Oh, I see." He chuckled. "It's because your Mana Level reached the C-Rank. Of course, the measly F-Rank has to listen to the C-Rank."
"That has nothing to do with this! You're-"
"Please, don't shout." Theo said with an innocent smile. "We're still in the infirmary."
She wanted to retort, but managed to keep herself from doing so.
"Sorry, you're right." She ended up muttering, which pissed him off a bit. "In any case, that has nothing to do with this. Every time that you hang out with Jayce and the others, you're either bruised or-"
"Come on, Emma." Theo chuckled. "That's just what guys do. We're just messing around. In the first place, I'm the one who told David to hit me. I dared him to, really."
Emma stared silently for a moment.
"I don't think your parents would want you to hang out with them."
"My parents are my problem, alright? Now, thanks for bringing me here and for your concern. You can go."
"Theo-"
"Like I said, Emma, thanks but–"
"You realize that they're not really your friends, do you? I mean… They certainly don't see you as a friend. To them-"
"What could you possibly know about that? Are you saying that I'm not fit to be their friend?"
"What I mean is that they're assholes and that you deserve-"
"Oh, I see. You think that I'm not fit to be their friend, just like, at some point, you decided that I wasn't fit to be your friend."
"Huh? Where is this coming from-"
"Like you said, there was a time we used to be friends." Theo turned away from her, lying on his side. "Now, excuse me. I need to rest a bit."
Irritated, Emma pressed her lips together, her fist clenching momentarily.
"Fine." She sighed. "I'm sorry for disturbing you."
Seconds later, Emma was out of the infirmary.
Theo lay still, eyes fixed on the white curtain drawn between his bed and the rest of the infirmary.
He stared at those white curtains, his teeth clenched, and his face twisting.
"Fuck… You think…"
They certainly don't see you as a friend-
"I don't know that…?"
They're not really your friends-
"Of course not. If anything, they're just bullies who keep me around to make fun of me… But what am I supposed to do? No one wants to hang out with me, the person most likely to graduate an F-Rank, if not…"
Theo's eyes squinted shut.
All he could picture was his parents' faces, and all the sacrifices they had made for him.
"The truth is…"
All they had lost and gone through to give him the best chance at reaching and grasping his dream.
"If anything… A useless bastard like me…"
I don't think your parents would want you to hang out with them-
"Deserves to get beat up…"
A darkness crept into Theo's watery eyes when,
"Maybe even worse than that-"
[System Initializing!]