A World Of Decree: And The Seven Laws

Deep in the valleys of the Tetrad Mountains, the stone finally began forming some sort of construction. It was large, bigger than distant farm fields a few miles away. Only the walls were beginning to form, considering the foundational layout was already set in place.

Osiris stood in the center of it all, looking at the magic taking place around him. Oryx was a few hundred feet in the distance, sleeping as the sun started to set.

A bright flash of flames suddenly appeared in front of Osiris, followed by a man stepping through them. "Good evening Lord Osiris, I have gathered enough intel on the Laws for your d.e.s.i.r.es," Alastor said as he bowed down to show respect.

"Excellent." A rough voice came out of Osiris's treacherous mouth.

"I didn't believe it either at first… But oh my, the laws are indeed seven children. About 17 years old I'd say."

Osiris didn't respond to Alastor's remark. Instead, he widened his grin, showing off his bright yellow teeth that still remained.

Three weeks had gone by since the start of the school year. Endless Sun had acc.u.mulated 40 points towards their goal of 1,000,000. A challenging task for them to put their full focus on. Law Breakers, however, were climbing the ranks fast after their defeat last year. Their humiliation in front of the school was truly embarrassing for them. They were willing to do whatever it takes to make sure they don't repeat the same mistakes. So far, they were the number one guild in the school, having a total of 341,825 points.

Calvin always wanted to suggest for his guild to challenge them. But he didn't know the odds of someone getting picked for the duel. He knew if it was a 1vs1, and Laena got picked. Not only would she lose, but her shallow heart would be crushed, so he never proposed the opportunity.

For some reason, there were countless things running through Calvin's mind this Monday afternoon. Too many things to keep track of, making him lose focus every few seconds while teaching his lecture on proper stance when in combat.

Thankfully, Mooks was always by his side, taking the lead role in teaching the class. "Now remember, when you stand, you want to feel-"

"AHHHHH!" A sudden scream from the back of the class broke through Mooks' sharp voice.

Everyone looked over in a flash, seeing a girl collapsed on the ground while twitching in pain. Her skin started to turn a yellowish tint, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

Calvin instantly sprung up from his chair and rushed over to the girl, seeing her immobilized on the ground. The students around her quickly spread to the walls of the classroom, giving space to Calvin and Mooks.

The medical department was called upon instantaneously by Calvin. Not even a minute passed as four a.d.u.l.ts dressed in white suits arrived at the scene escorting the girl out swiftly and professionally.

The class was canceled, and rumors started to spread like wildfire around the school. It was soon discovered that the girl fell victim to Osiris's curse, however, no one figured out how. The girl was a sophomore, held under 24 hour surveillance in the medical department until a cure could be found. She twitched and m.o.a.n.e.d aggressively every hour that passed, only silenced by the urge to sleep during the depths of night.

Today was a dim afternoon, filled with grey skies and razor winds. Even towards the end of the summer months, the wind can cut deep without the proper clothing to block it. Some students faked being sick as a weary and uneasy presence was in the air on this thursday afternoon.

Paying attention in classes seemed to be the biggest struggle most students faced. Some had the feeling of being watched from the crescent shadows of the classroom. Some couldn't help but feel cold despite the warmth of the classroom walls. Some were jittering something, their chairs, feet, or just nagging at their hair constantly.

Professor Gradheart dismissed the class, easily noticing the disturbance that made its way into Princewood. Atlas and Faibel got up from their desks, packing their belongings into their bags before heading to the food plaza to meet up with everyone else.

To no surprise, everyone else was already eating lunch at their usual table. However, an unexpected guest was sitting next to Leo, almost seeming a little too comfortable to question. It was the same girl from last year Leo made friends with, Katy? I think that's her name. Or so Atlas thought, before sitting down. The table did have 8 seats, so it wasn't unusual to have a full group once in a while.

"Hi Atlas! Hi Faibel!" The gingered-hair girl waved at the two of them with a bright smile. Faibel chucked a small wave in response, Atlas doing the same with a friendly grin.

"What were you guys talking about?" Atlas asked as he made himself comfortable on the small diner stool.

"Oh, we were just talking about that girl that collapsed in Calvin's class yesterday." Paris looked down as she realised how rude she sounded, "Truly a tragedy."

"Could it be.. You know… Osiris?" Leo suddenly joined in.

Katy looked confused for a second, "What's Osiris?"

Everyone's eyes quickly shifted to Katy, and then to Leo to notify him he shouldn't have said that. They sighed, realising they had no choice but to tell her now, filling her in on verything they knew on Osiris.

"Wait are you serious!" Katy suddenly seemed scared, anxious, and confused all at once. "Why haven't any of you told anyone? At least the professors?" Her voice became fl.u.s.tered, increasing it's tone as she got up from the table. "I think we should tell the Grandmaster!"

"NO!" They all shouted, dragging the attention of the nearby tables onto them.

"We can't. Cal-.." Leo cleared his throat to restart his sentence, "We were told not to tell, especially by knowing this in the first place. Don't worry, this is already getting taken care of and there's nothing to worry about." Leo gasped for a fresh breath of air in a relaxed tone.

Katy put her hands on her c.h.e.s.t, finally able to calm down and take a seat. "Let's talk about something else. Okay?" She asked with a slight bit of shakiness leftover in her voice.

A few smiles shot up in response, ready to continue munching on food and chatting about randomness for the rest of the time.

It didn't take long for their friendly conversations to be interrupted by an ominous figure standing behind Atlas. The chatter settled down as Atlas realized everyone was staring right behind him, looking a bit cautious and concerned.

Atlas turned around to see Alastor towering over him like a mountain, "Mr. Bright. The Grandmaster would like to see you in his headquarters when you can." The sickening grin he always had glued on his face seemed even more fearsome now than ever before. His eyes pinpointed themselves on Atlas, waiting for him to make his move.

"Do you know what for Professor?" Atlas seemed a little anxious.

"Always so curious are we now?" He stepped aside, ready to escort Atlas to the Grandmaster.

Atlas packed his things, following the professor out of the plaza. He could see everyone still staring at him, looking more worried than usual.

As Atlas turned back towards the direction he was walking, Alastor spoke without looking at the boy, "And please, call me Alastor."

Atlas and Alastor arrived at the Grandmaster headquarters, coming in through a small cloud of smoke Alasor created. They had a chance to gaze upon the room before the Grandmaster showed himself from his studies in the back.

The headquarters were just as Atlas remembered them from last year. The main room, no bigger than a normal classroom, and the smaller bookeep in the back. The bookeep was still the same tall cylindrical room of ancient and historical books the Grandmaster kept for himself. The main room, however, was just a mess of random accessories and items that seemed too precious to touch. But their organisation and messiness made it seem otherwise.

Alastor and Atlas waited patiently at the back of the main room, waiting for the Grandmaster to come out of his keep. Atlas wanted to ask another question, but was too afraid of what Alastor might do if he did.

After a couple minutes of waiting, the Grandmaster finally showed himself, taking a seat behind his massive desk towards the front of the room. He had a short fade of grey hair on his scalp, accompanied by a small beard to make himself look slightly younger. Despite only looking to be about 50 or so. He always wore an aggressively large fur coat on his shoulders, never fully putting his arms through the sleeves. It's as if he wore it as a souvenir, prizing it for an occasion that won't ever come.

"Ah… Mr. Bright." The Grandmaster greeted his guests in a strong voice. "Thank you very much professor for escorting this young gentlemen to my keep."

Alastor bowed with respect, "Tis always a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e."

"Now then, Atlas. I have received news from your household that something has happened to your mother."

As soon as those words left his mouth, Atlas could feel his heart drop to the floor in an instant. He tried to say something, but the words didn't come out of his mouth as he processed the situation.

"I know what you might be thinking. So, I am willingly allowing you to leave school grounds without the need for you to worry about schoolwork until you solve the situation. Also, professor Hellsgate here can accompany you for any sort of help you might need."

"It would be my p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e…" Alastor looked over at Atlas, giving another terrifying grin.

Atlas's voice was still jittery, but he managed to thank the Grandmaster for the unexpected news. "When, C-can I leave?"

The Grandmaster got up, squinting the wrinkles on his forehead, "Now."