A World Of Decree: And The Seven Laws

Professor Zelle's classroom always seemed to be… Odd, to say the least. It was like the classroom was split into two, but not realistically. One side held nothing but random vials filled with mysterious liquids, books that were only good at collecting dust, and a rotten stench that's never been dealt with. The other, however, was kept clean, almost too clean. The walls were decorated with golden silk over polished wood, the shelves and cabinets were made of similar material, but were always empty for reasons unknown, and the windows were so clear it's as if they weren't even there.

Leo had the luxury of sitting beside one of the windows, glaring at the grey sky filled with rain and smog. Katie sat beside him; she was the ginger-haired girl Leo met last year in Calvin's class. Their friendship has grown ever since, only escalating to more serious terms. Cratuja was also in the class, but he usually slept through it, as did most of the students.

"Today's lecture will be on specificity." Zelle began, already boring the front row with his sleep induced voice. "There is a reason why certain spells cannot be learned by others, while some spells can be learned by nearly every individual."

"For example." Zelle scanned the room with his only eye, picking the perfect target for his demonstration. "Mr. Purgis… MR.PURGIS!" Zelle raised his voice, waking Cartuja from his daily classroom slumber.

"Huh.." Cartuja Yawned, "Oh.. What's good?" A few classmates hid their laughter.

"Can you please join me at the front of the class, considering you were paying your utmost attention." Zelle's sarcasm sounded a little too serious.

Cartuja hopped up from his chair, slowly making his way next to Zelle.

"Now then, I'm sure you all remember the spell you learned at the beginning of the year - Detect."

A few nods were given as a reply, but most just agreed without moving.

"Detect is a spell that can be learned by anyone who possesses magic within them. However, due to the rule of specificity, there are certain spells you will never be able to learn… Each one of you has a specific claim to a particular aspect of magic. Mr. Purgis here," Zelle gestured towards his volunteer, "Excelles at magic revolving around speed and agility. For example, If he were to try to learn a spell from magic that revolves around metal, he would fail no matter how many times he tried. DNA and genetic code is the main reason for this, but this doesn't mean that some magic seems almost pointless or completely irrelevant."

"Lots of highly skilled mages can expand upon their speciality, making it a truly remarkable feature to be proud of." Zelle turned to face Cartuja, "Mr. Purgis here has recently fought in a Guild Battle, securing his victory with a very rare spell. However, the spell he used wasn't attributed to his specialty in speed-related magic. The spell he used can theoretically be learned by anyone, but not everyone will be able to learn it."

Cartuja yawned again, "Ight' Imma head back."

Zelle instantly reached out and grabbed Cartuja's shoulder, "Not so fast young man. I still need you for a demonstration."

"Whatever." Cartuja said, bored.

"I will now ask Mr. Purgis a question, followed by a spell that only I, or others that specialize in my magic can learn." Zelle turned to face Cartuja in the eye. "Do you know any other spells other than the one you used in the Guild Battle?" Zelle said with a slightly more deeper tone. His voice seemed as if another was saying it, hypnotizing Cartuja's thoughts instantaneously. "Confession." Zelle let the spell do it's work as an invisible wave of goosebumps ran up Cartuja's spine.

Cartuja's eyes looked as still as the sun in the sky, staring into a blank space only he could see. "No." He answered in a calm voice before reverting back to himself and trying to figure out what happened.

"That's it!" Cartuja demanded, "I'm goin' back to my seat."

The class laughed, and Zelle accompanied them, "As you wish."

"Now then. Who else would like to volunteer?"

…

The same day, Calvin told the Laws about Osiris and his malicious d.e.s.i.r.es. Without a proper explanation and a flurry of what seemed like betrayal, the Laws left his office, heading towards the Plaza with mixed emotions running through them with every step.

The Plaza was quieter than usual, even the faint sounds of crickets can be heard, despite there not being any. Most of the food stands were closed, and only a few students would walk by every now and then. The atmosphere was tense, and the air was cold. Something was off, but nothing seemed like it was.

Everyone sat down at their usual table, and Leo began to speak first out of the group. "So all this time we were just pigs, being raised to be sent off to slaughter." His voice had anger in it, but his face remained still.

No one dared to speak a word, keeping the silence steady and calm like a sea with no waves. Faibel thought it through entirely, only coming to a realization after a few minutes of aimless staring and calculating the sequence of events in his head. "This doesn't make any sense." Faibel dragged the wandering thoughts of the table onto himself. " Why would Calvin train us if he knew we would just be sent off to Osiris to die anyway."

"Four eyes has a point," Cartuja chuckled like he already knew why.

"Laena is already cursed, and Atlas was already put in danger with his mother a while back. Osiris could have already killed us easily if he wanted to. So why drag this out any longer." Faibel paused, showing a slight glimpse of his intelligent smirk, "Osiris is doing this to kill the Grandmaster. Not us."

"How can you be so sure?" Paris remained angered by all the sudden news she received earlier, brushing her hair to the side.

"I can't say I am one hundred percent certain, but it's a very likely possibility." Faibel crossed his hands, adjusting his glasses in the process.

"What a smart boy…" A voice was heard approaching from behind them. However, when they turned around, no one was there, that is, until they turned back to face the table and Mooks was sitting carefully in the center.

Mooks hopped onto the open seat at the table where Laena would normally sit, but before he could start, Paris's first reaction caught him off guard. "Mooks! Are you really Calvin's-"

"Brother?" He interrupted, "Yes… I'm surprised he told you about that. But I guess there was no point in hiding it. Besides, that was a very long time ago."

Paris gave him a light pet on the top of his head, "Wow, you're so SOFT!"

"Although this is very unprofessional," Mooks sighted, "I'm not going to say that it doesn't please me to be pet. I am an animal after all. Nevertheless, Faibel here is completely correct. Grandmaster Selvis was the man who initially got rid of Osiris, sending him to purgatory. It only makes sense for him to want revenge."

"But how did Osiris come back from Purgatory?" Leo asked, now more confused than angered.

Mooks attempted to laugh again, but his feline mouth made it seem like he was on his deathbed, "Do you remember Abbadon Sylver?"

"How can we forget." Atlas clenched his fist tighter than a knot on the table.

"Well, based on what makes the most sense, he had something to do with it…" Mooks paused for a bit, making a sweeping gesture towards Paris for her to stop petting him for his brain to work faster. "Abbadon most likely used his magic to exchange his soul for Osiris's. But that's just a theory. Someone else could've been involved as well. Someone who can travel to purgatory on command."

"How is that even possible?" Faibel questioned. "And why?"

"I don't believe it was Abbadon's intention." Mooks answered. "He most likely met with the Oracle… Or perhaps, the Oracle forced Abbadon to do it."

"Oracle?" Faibel and Rina said in unison, but everyone had the same response.

"The Oracle is a man that possesses the power of all 12 curses. And he'll do anything to keep anyone that shares a single curse with him alive. He can travel between realms, worlds, and wherever he chooses to go." Mooks licked his paw. "That's why Calvin trained you. He wants you to fight against him. Because when a soul is separated from a physical body twice, it is gone forever, Lost in the depths of Death's chamber."

"Oracle, Laws, Zodiacs, Hors.e.m.e.n…" Cartuja blabbered, "This shit just never ends.."

Mooks tried to laugh again, this time seeming a little more delightful, "You're telling me…" He said evasively, "There's a reason stories and myths are made. They might be made up, or they might be some sort of unknown phenomenon. But they do exist, somewhere, somehow, binded to reality. All thanks to fate. All thanks to magic." Mooks hopped back on the ground and started walking away. "Sometimes, I still think about the times I was a human. But those days aren't coming back."