Wait for a second...   

Now that I look more closely, the whole school is not on fire.  

Actually, our school has separate buildings for different functions and activities, and the only one which is burning right now is the administration block. Other buildings look perfectly okay.   

As I move closer, things start to get even clearer to me.  

Damn... The damage seems really high...   

Its walls are charred black, the windows are broken, and huge, uncontrolled flames are licking the whole building.   

As I enter the school premises through the front gate, I spot many firefighters working with the help of fire engines, desperately trying to calm down the raging fire... though without any success yet.   

How did this even—  

Suddenly, I feel a strong pat on my shoulder.   

“Those guys think that someone purposely started the fire...”  

And a familiar voice speaks to me.   

I look sideways and find Ryan standing next to me with a slightly awed face.   

“Someone purposely did it? Really? Did they caught them on camera or something yet?” I ask curiously.   

“Nah, there are just speculating. I asked one of the firefighters who was lazing around and he said that there was, at least no chances of a short circuit,” Ryan answers.   

“Oh, and was anyone inside when it happened?” I ask importantly.   

Things will escalate to another level if someone got injured or worse, died from this.   

“Nah, it was empty at that time. It’s just the property loss...” He tells me.  

“Hmm... I guess it’s not as bad as it could have been then. Anyway, it’s really rare for you to come to school this early. Don’t tell me you got kicked out of the house...” I say.   

“What? Why would I be kicked out of my house?” Ryan asks, confused.  

...because it happened to me and you are my buddy?   

*Sigh*  

“Never mind, so, how come you are so early?” I ask again.   

“What do you mean? I am early for the exact same reason you are. In fact, the reason all of us are...” he answers while gesturing me to turn around.   

I look back and to my surprise, see numerous students gathered around the front of the main school building. While most of them are staring at the burning building, some seem like they have lost interest in it and are simply chatting with each other.   

“Why are so many people early!?” I ask, shocked.   

“Hmm? You seriously don’t know? Obviously because of the core stones...” Ryan answers while tilting his head a little.   

“Because of the Core stones?”  

“Yeah, everyone thinks that they can select the better-quality core stones if they arrive early,” Ryan says while shrugging.   

“Does their quality differs?” I ask, growing a little concerned.   

“Who knows? It might. Anyway, it’s not like there is any loss in just coming early for once, is there? And fortunately, they are not even canceling school today because of this fire. Well, only if it gets successfully extinguished, that is...” He answers.  

They are not canceling school? Even when a whole freaking building is burning right now?   

“Well, let’s hope it does get extinguished... Anyway, where is Leo?” I ask while looking around but failing to spot my other best friend anywhere.   

“Oh, I was on the phone with that bastard just now. He told me that he is getting a morning surprise and won’t come till it gets over. And yeah, he said this even after I mentioned the burning school building!” Ryan says angrily.   

“Morning... surprise?” I ask, confused.   

“Yeah... I didn’t get that either and the ugly bastard also refused to tell me. You are seeing this? He refused. Me. His best freaking friend. Anyway, who even cares what this surprise is? He probably must have found a stack of some lost porn vids and is fapping to them right now...” Ryan says while laughing.   

“Yeah... probably,” I say.   

Man, I really need to find out what is happening with Leo...   

“Let’s forget about that ugly bastard and talk about the beautiful princesses, alright? Did you notice the bust on all three of them? So freaking explosive! Especially the.......STOP!”  

Suddenly, Ryan shouts. His gaze is fixed behind me and there is a horrified look on his face.  

I too instinctively turn back...   

What the...  

To my surprise, there is a strange figure of a person, wearing a white-colored long cloak along with a similarly large hood hiding its entire face, slowly walking towards the burning building.  

“Fuck!! They told us not to cross the metal cones!” Ryan says loudly while pointing forward.   

Now that I look around, there are indeed many small metallic cones placed in a circular manner around the building. There is also a sign at one place reading “do not cross the cones”.   

But well, the hooded person is way ahead of these cones. Even some of the firefighters have noticed this strange person now and are leaving their work to run towards the hooded figure.  

Though suddenly, for some reason, all of them stop midway and just stand there unmoving as if their batteries died.  

“W-What happened to them!?” Ryan asks, shocked.   

“I-I don’t understand myself,” I answer, equally shocked.   

Is that person trying to commit suicide?   

Damn it! I cannot just stand here...   

But what can I even do? That person is already too close to the fire...   

Suddenly, just a few meters away from the building, the hooded figure stops and leisurely raises its hand as if trying to reach out for something.  

What the fuck is it trying to do!?   

*CRACK*  

Suddenly, with a loud cracking noise, the hooded figure vanishes into thin air...   

How the—  

“T-The building...” Ryan leaks out a scared voice, breaking my thought, and making me look up.  

N-No way...  

The fire is gone, completely.  

 

  

  

_______________  

  

  

 

  

“I am seriously telling the truth! All the fire vanished just like that! Honestly!” Ryan says while snapping his fingers. 

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. You don’t need to get so emotional about it...” Leo says while shaking his head.   

Right now, we are sitting in the auditorium which is jam-packed exactly like 3 days ago.   

Leo also arrived at school around half an hour later to the incident with the cloaked person.  

At first, he refused to believe that something like that is even possible but after he found out that almost half the school witnessed it, he reluctantly agreed that he might be wrong.  

In fact, it’s not just Leo. Anyone who wasn’t present earlier is having a hard time believing the story.   

Well, I cannot exactly blame them, to be honest. I still am finding it hard to believe what happened earlier even though I watched it with my own naked eyes.   

But damn...   

I understand that it was magic. But for a single person to just simply raise their hand and obliterate such devastatingly huge and raging fire seems too insane to be true.   

I have never seen such powerful magic being done before. Even on the television...   

But who can even perform such magic singlehandedly?  

Hahaha... I cannot believe it, I am actually grateful Maya threw me out of the house, or how else would I have witnessed such a thing?  

“Anyway...”   

Suddenly, Ryan turns and grabs Leo's collar, before starting to manhandle him roughly...   

“Tell me! What was that “morning surprise” you refused to tell me about, huh? And why are you looking at me so smugly like you have just bested me in a race or something?” he asks angrily.   

It looks like Ryan got really affected by the fact that Leo hid something from him.  

Well, Leo doesn’t seem to mind the shaking much. In fact, he actually starts to laugh while looking at me and Ryan pathetically.  

“Hahaha... Oh, it is exactly what you say. I have bested you both in a race. And I was just simply reaping the reward when you called earlier...” Leo answers smugly.   

“You... You bastard! I don’t remember ever losing to you in a race!” Ryan says, his anger increasing.   

“Oh, it was not your typical race...”  

Leo’s voice suddenly gains extra smugness.   

“... it was the race to see who loses their virg—”  

“Everyone! Please settle down!”   

Suddenly, a loud voice enters my ears, drowning whatever Leo was telling us...   

I turn around instantly and see Principal Winde addressing us all from the stage.   

When did he get there?   

“Now, I am sure you all heard about the unfortunate incident today but there is nothing to fret as no one was injured...  

“Everyone seated? Good. Now, it is a very important day for all of you as today, you are going to take your first step into the world of magic. So, I won’t waste much of your time but before we distribute the core stone and explain other things, I would like you all to meet someone special...” Principal Winde says.   

“Where are the princesses!?” Someone from the crowd yells, to which, principal Winde just simply chuckles.   

“They will be arriving in a few minutes. Though I would like you all to meet another guest ours right now! So, please applaud and welcome, the representative of Beastkins!” He says excitedly while staring to clap as hard as he can.   

Everyone else, including myself, follows his lead and start clapping... almost.   

The auditorium instantly quiets down as if someone has turned off a switch when the said guest in question enters the stage.  

Damn... It is the same cloaked person from earlier...  

Everyone stares in wonder and surprise as the hooded figure makes its way to the center of the stage. Though instead of shaking hands with the principal or sitting behind him, the figure just stands there facing all of us here directly...   

*BA-DUMP*  

Suddenly, a rumble went through the whole auditorium.  

*BA-DUMP*  

Another rumble went through. Though this time, it feels as if the whole auditorium actually shook for a second. Everyone is close to panicking now.   

*BA-DUMP*  

With the third and the strongest rumble yet, the cloak and hood of the person disintegrate into thin air...   

And the whole auditorium gasps in shock.