A World Of Decree: And The Seven Laws

It was a sunny day in the midst of an August afternoon. The woods were scourging with life, while simultaneously filled with nothing but broken stones and dead bark scattered across the mossy ground. The usual rustle of leaves and bushes filled the empty sounds that echoed between the oak trees, only to be interrupted by splashes of water and things being broken in the distance.

Small mammals would run away from the commotion going on around the small clearing in the woods, scared of what might happen if they were to get caught in an unnecessary encounter. The clearing from one year ago was now almost triple in size, only being expanded by fallen trees and nature's own doing. The smell was still similar however, it still remained the same even after the harsh winter. Mushrooms and flowers that grew around the fallen trees would fill the air with an earthy smell, almost like stuffing your nose with a chunk of green moss.

*Thud*

Atlas was flung against the tree at tremendous speed, whiplashing his black hair against the sturdy bark, able to soak up some of the damage from the impact through the muscles on his back that developed over the summer.

"Not gonna lie!" He coughed, "You got me on that one!" He smirked as he glanced at his opponent. He quickly jolted back up as his dirty sneakers sunk into the ground below by a couple of centimeters. He could see the white soul of his sneakers was no longer the same as when he got them.

"Don't tell me you're giving up on me now?!" Rina questioned him with a slight smirk of enlightenment on her face, knowing damn well it would piss him off. She flung her elegant dirty-blonde hair behind her shoulder, showing her unforgettable beauty in the glimmering sunlight.

Seeing Atlas still perched up against one of the trees, she threw another attack before he could regain his balance. Swiftly and smoothly, Rina raised her hand in the form of a claw, swinging it towards Atlas to unleash a deadly force of water blades in his direction. The four blades of water flew through the air at full velocity, ready to slice their target into pieces.

Atlas quickly gripped his fist into a tight knot, concentrating all his magic energy into the muscles of his forearm to block the attack. The blades were moving so fast, a person who doesn't possess any magic at all would already be split, however, Atlas could see the blades of clear water approaching so slowly, almost as if they were in slow motion. This gave him plenty of time to swing his forearm across the vertical blades, not only breaking their formation, but also sending a massive gust of wind in the direction of his swing, swiftly picking up rubble from the ground into the open air.

They've both gotten much stronger since the end of the school year, learning new abilities and techniques to help them in combat. Atlas even managed to use his magic to simply change the direction of certain magic that's casted upon him, controlling the power of the duel.

"Hmph," Rina grunted, hoping her attack hit, but also wasn't expecting it to. "Guess we'll call it a day then? Big day tomorrow." She relaxed her stance, feeling worn out from all their practice.

Atlas also relaxed for a bit, but ready to counter another blow if she decided to sneak attack him, "I can't believe the summer is already over… It feels like just like last week I showed you this.." He paused for a moment, looking at the clearing, or whatever it once used to be. "Guess we kinda tore this place up, huh?" They laughed, slowly making their way down the path to the exit.

The pathway back slowly began to form new life in their step, cleared from all the dirt and rocks they flung around during their training. The trees slowly began to become thick again, and they were already out of the forest before they even had a chance to look back one last time.

"Hey Rina?" Atlas stopped her as they set foot on the grass that lead towards the entrance of the woods.

"Yea, what's up?" Rina was a little surprised by the expression on Atlas's face, having a feeling of unease about what he was about to say.

"Ever since we became the Laws. Have you ever," Atlas stopped, feeling like he shouldn't say what's on his mind just yet, but realized he needed to now since he already started the conversation, "Had weird dreams." He felt like a kid asking that question.

"Weird dreams?" "You mean like nightmares or something?"

"Not exactly. It's almost as if someone is trying to reach us while we sleep. Like they're reaching for something we have?"

Rina thought about it for a few seconds, curling her hair in the process while looking at the open sky above. "Hmm." After a few moments, she quickly remembered something, shocking her like a tremendous realization. "YES!" She yelled.

The scream nearly broke Atlas's ears, sending him stumbling backwards a few steps while trying to regain his hearing.

"I'm so sorry," Rina apologized after realizing how loud she truly was, "But I do remember. About a month or so ago. I had a dream of a great dragon, flying above me as it stared deep within my soul. It felt so real, and yet it instantly woke me in the middle of the night. There were a few other instances, but that was the weirdest dream I had."

Atlas sighed, shrugging it off as nothing more than just a coincidence and his body not used to such a metaphysical change. "Ah, forget it. Must've been some rough nights in my place, don't sweat it."

"Are you sure?" Rina looked worried.

"Yeah, it's no big deal. Just excited to go back tomorrow I guess."

"You can say that again. Speaking of which, my house is that way," She pointed towards the left, knowing Atlas's house is towards the right. "I think my family wants me home early today, got some major packing to do."

"Same here. See you tomorrow then?" Atlas replied in a soft voice, wanting to go for a hug but felt awkward doing so.

"Yea, see you." Rina couldn't help but want to go for a hug as well, but didn't want to be the first to initiate it, so instead they both just waved each other goodbye.

The following day, Atlas and Rina both packed their bags and headed towards the Maverick train station with their families. The crowd of students with their luggage and necessities piled into the station.

Benches were filled with people waiting, talking, celebrating and doing whatever else they needed to before saying their goodbyes. Small trains leading to different schools slowly began to roam in, clearing the crowd quite quickly.

The outdoor scent gave off a pleasing vibe throughout the usual train station smell of iron and sparks flying about. It got old quite fast, thankfully relieved by the gentle wind that shuffled itself in through the open gates.

Atlas was standing next to his mother, carrying a backpack, a suitcase, and a small backpack just like last year. Those three compartments had all the things he needed for the year, and he could always buy more if he truly d.e.s.i.r.ed to.

After about half an hour, only a few families remained. The previous train shuttle just departed, and the Princewood train made its way from the distance to pick up Rina and Atlas. No one from Maverick passed the entrance exams this year, so there were no new faces they needed to meet.

The Princewood train was the same one that brought them back a few months ago. Small, shiny, and quite smooth for something so sturdy. It had a set of thick glass doors on the side, bordered by a silver lining. The main colors seemed to be silver and black, making it seem a little futuristic for the current time era.

Atlas could see Rina give her luggage to a man that stepped down from the silver steps of the train. He was about 5'10, wore a suit and tie, and had an average amount of brown hair combed into a smooth wave on his head. Atlas could see a short stubble of facial hair around his chin, already being able to tell exactly who the man was.

"Alright mom. Guess it's my turn to go," Atlas looked at his mom while trying to escape her fierce hug.

"Sweetie," His mom smiled at him, trying her best to hold back her tears of joy, "You father would be so proud of you. My son, attending Princewood Academy. I still think I'm in a dream sometimes." She gave him one last hug before finally letting him go, "Good luck sweetie, Stay safe please."

"I'll try my best," he chuckled, proceeding towards the suited man that was waiting for him with a slight smirk on his face.

"Atlas Bright," the man said with a mighty voice, "Please leave your luggage to me and take your seat. Next stop, Princewood Academy."

"It's good to see you Calvin," Atlas replied as he placed his bags on the ground.

"Go on bud, she's waiting." Calvin winked as he signaled for him to step on.

Atlas stepped onto the silver steps, slowly climbing them as he entered through the glass doors. A small wooden corridor greeted him on the train, leading to an ominous brown door to his left. He turned the silver handle, feeling how mysteriously cold it was for no reason. He swung the door open, seeing a small room with cushioned seats mounted towards the walls. They aligned perfectly with the large windows that were hidden from the outside, almost like a two-way mirror. A small round table was sat in the middle, accompanied by a glass bowl of fruit on top.

Rina was sitting with her legs crossed on one of the seats, smiling as she saw Atlas walk in. "Are you gonna stand there all day or are you gonna sit down?" She laughed.

"Oh, Right," Atlas chuckled, sitting across from her in a gentle manner. Sometimes he just couldn't keep his eyes off her. She was truly truly the most beautiful girl he's ever seen.

After a few moments, Calvin walked in and sat next to Atlas. He slightly unbuttoned his suit, letting out a sigh of relief. "I don't know how Zelle wears this all day. It's so uncomfortable." They all laughed in unison as the train began to move.

Atlas and Rina both glared out the window, seeing each other's parents about to make their leave from the station. Rina's parents had a mix of worriedness and happiness on them, while Atlas's mother was practically chasing after the train for her boy.

Calvin decided to break the mellow silence between them, "Second year at Princewood. Bet you guys are excited huh?"

"Excited?" Atlas questioned him, "I'm thrilled!"

"That's good to hear." Calvin slowly lowered his voice, "I have a feeling this year will be thrilling indeed." He said as he looked out the window.

Rina and Atlas weren't too sure what he meant by that, but they could still feel some sort of unease in their stomachs. They both knew this year will have a lot of tricks up its sleeves.