Mystical Academy: The Mystery of the World

"Dead." He announced. I catch my breath as I stare into his emotionless eyes. "You look so tensed." He put down his sword and he picks mine. He turn back from me as he take a few steps away from me and he toss the wooden sword in my direction in very swift movement. I can't stepped forward to catch it instead I use my left foot to toss it up before it falls on the ground and I catch the hand using my left hand while I swing it forward.

I sigh and positioned in attack and defense. He watch me for a moment and he pointed the sword to me. He step little by little while we circled each other. I stare back into his eyes to make a contact. He announce an attack and I attack him as he defense himself with his sword. I twist my heels, as I make a very swift movement to finally kill him. Unluckily, he had duck down and…

"Dead." He announce again. I look down at the sword pointing on my chest. "Next time," he stood. "If you do that move make sure to have an extra sword or a dagger." He advise. "What do you think of the use of the dagger?"

"As a backup defense." I answer.

"Correct." He pulls a special dagger from his belt and show me on how to hold it. He hold it with clench fist where the sharp point of the dagger is facing down. "Use this." I took it and he attack in very swift movement. I automatically had block the dagger and the blade of his wooden sword is against my dagger. "Good."

I still don't understand why he wanted me to be something… a female knight or just a sword woman. For whom this training will be for? He spank my butt cheek with the sword. I hissed at him and put down my weapons.

"Don't over think. Focus, Catastrophe. You wouldn't be a disastrous if you don't focus."

"I am focusing here." I insisted. I positioned my sword and pointed it to him.

He put down his wooden sword and sigh. He gaze at me and simply study my position. Is he checking me out? I suddenly feel uneasy and bold on his eyes. Should I smack off his face down the ground?

"Do 20 pushups, 20 squat, 20 curls up every day."

"What?" I furrowed on him.

"You have a good stamina but it wasn't enough. You should be totally fit and flexible. I want you to be like that so you could survive in this cruel world. However, it wasn't enough. I am sure that you could survive in this training." I put down my sword and sigh as I rolled my eyes.

"Why do you want me to do this? Why training me to be some kind of warrior?"

"There are things you should learn first before knowing what's behind on another side of the wall. Those things are for survival."

"Survival?" I got his hint. He wanted me to be strong and to learn to defend myself. He became my mentor, trainer and now adviser. Should I trust this man who break Adhiti's heart? Or should I include the heart-breaking and their romance on this survival to find justice?

"Yes. You are naturally curious around you. Curiosity leads you to death. It is the same as a reporter who wanted to get the truth behind the politics for her to reveal it. Sometimes you didn't notice that you are already jeopardizing yourself. Do you agree with me?"

"How did you even know about me jeopardizing myself? You barely know me and we just met days ago, weeks or week ago?"

"Trust me," he scoop my chin and he move his face closer to mine. "I know everything, Catastrophe. I am not just your mentor or an employee in this school. I know more a lot than you do."

"Alright then," I smirked at him. "Tell me everything." I step a little closer to him and our nose is nearly touching. "Tell me everything you know."

"I will tell you. But now isn't the right time. First, you must learn the rules of swords. Second, you need to study your opponents; third, know your defenses and attacks. Lastly, don't get yourself killed by your opponents."

"That's the only rules you say?" I asked him. He cock his head as a response. He stare me into my eyes and I stare back at him. I have this urge on wanted to stare at him all the time. "Why do you keep staring at me?" I asked him just to break the hot tense between us and the deafening silence.

"I just realize that you are pretty."

I look away and scoffs on what he just said. Is he trying to be funny or what?

"People don't think me as pretty." I told him. I push the sword on his chest and he hold my hand. "They think of me as cool-gorgeous girl." I slipped my hand from him and I gave his dagger. He took it and tuck it on the belt.

"Really?" he asked as if he was surprised on what I said. He's totally mocking me. I rolled my eyes. "Alright, that's it for now. Tomorrow, meet me here at four am and pm. I had shuffled your schedule and remove a few subjects for you."

"So, what's the next lesson for tomorrow?"

"It is a surprise for tomorrow."

"Okay, I am guessing that it will be a very hard training tomorrow."

"Not that very hard." He sign me to go. I turn back and walk towards the dormitory building. I decide to jog to the corridor all the way to our quarter. But a figure on the corner of the corridor leaning on the wall makes me stopped.

"Why did you come back?" he asked me.

"Who are you?"

"Oh, I forget that you don't know who I am." He speaks behind the darkness. I move a little closer and snapped my fingers and a little fire is dancing on my forefinger to see his face. He was the guy from a while ago who keep on staring at me. "You really don't know whom you are dealing with." He smile lopsidedly. He touches my fire and his fingers are on fire. That thing makes me stepped back.

"Who are you then?" I snapped my fingers again and a big fire is on my hand.

He hold my hand and our fire dies.

"See you around." He kissed my knuckles and turn back. I shook my head and run to the quarters.

I enter the quarters without glancing at their stares. I jog on the corridor to my room and turn on the iPod on the music box. Now playing is Taylor Swift's 'I'm Only Me when I'm with you'. I remove my shirt as I enter the bathroom. I throw all my clothes on the laundry basket and turn on the faucet on the bathtub.

I pour the liquid soap. It is impatient waiting for it to fill the tub so I open the faucet on the sink and I gently waved my hand as the water followed my move. It went to the bathtub. I turned it off when it is enough. I dipped my feet on the tub and sit there and lean with a satisfied sigh.

"Catastrophe!" Marissa calls and she peek on the bathroom where I am. "Oh there you are." Good thing that I was covered in bubbles. "So, I heard that my brother taught you how to handle the sword."

"Hmm," I respond.

"He's not harassing you, isn't he?"

"Not at all." I answer monotonously. She laugh at me.

"Just tell me if he's harassing you." I heard Eliza's voice and she leans on the other side of the door frame.

"Why are you all gathered here while watching me bathing?" I asked them. They laugh.

"It is nearly time for dinner. We need to eat together. Andrew's request." Eliza answers with a little laugh.

"I will be there in thirty minutes." I answer.

"Alright." Eliza said. "Oh, by the way I had brought you a dress for the tomorrow's Night Ball."

"What's the occasion?" I asked.

"Tomorrow is the opening for the 145th anniversary of Mystical Academy." Marissa answers. "Since this is your first time to celebrate with us in the Mystical Academy, Eliza had brought you a very beautiful dress. Also, someone asked to be your date."

"And who would that be?" I asked as I pick my phone from the stool near the tub. I check the message from George. He's doing fine in Italy for now.

"He's a very handsome one." Eliza said with those dreamy eyes. She look creepy to me. When she caught me looking at her. She grimace at me. "Don't give me that look. He's not a psychopath. He's handsome and sexy. You will meet him soon."

"Alright, if you say so. But I don't like dating." I said it bluntly. My phone rings and it was Jake who's calling. Why is he calling now? I thought that Andrew had hypnotize him already not to call me ever again.

"Okay, enjoy your hot bath." Marissa said. She closed the door and I answer the call.

"Yes?"

"Hey, C." he greets.

"What is it now, Jake?"

"I just missed you. Hey, tomorrow is my birthday, wouldn't you come back in our town?"

"No. Tomorrow we have a celebration too and I am too busy. So please, stop calling me. Why won't you delete my number and I delete yours? I will block your number for now."

I hang up and I did block his number. I put back my phone on the stool and lean my head on the air neck pillow. I furrowed when there's another knock on the door. The door slightly opens.

"Dressed up in five minutes, we need to talk." It sounds like a man. Is it Andrew?

"I am tired. Why wouldn't you leave me alone?" I asked frankly.

"There is this another incident. You have to see this," I immediately pull the towel and stood and I wrapped it around my body.

It only takes three minutes to dress up and I and Andrew run to where students are gathered. Andrew shouts telling them to move away. They do and in the middle of the corridor is a body of a man wearing all black. He was lying on his own blood. His eyes and nose is covered in hood that he's wearing. His neck is wreck like some animal had attacked him.

I look at the dagger that he is holding. It was familiar to me. It is used on killing me. I didn't notice that I was already walking closer to the body. I wished that I killed him with my own hands. Nick duck down and pull the hood away from the face and I wasn't wrong. He look up at me.

"Go back to your rooms!" Patrick ordered.

"You know this guy?" My mentor asked me.

"Yes. He's one of the man who attacked our house and tried to kill me." I told him.

"Flame." He called someone that is named Flame and the body of a man started burning. Nick took the dagger from the man using his handkerchief. He studied the dagger. "This is Era's gold and steel." He speak to the man on the dark corner. The man walks as his shoes clicks on the floor.

"I don't have any idea about that, Nick." I look into the young man's attractive face. He look straight to me with a lopsided smile. "What do you think this man from Era is doing here, Eliza?" he asked her. Eliza shook her head and narrow her eyes on the man's burning body.

"They should be here. If it is from Era why an Aēr assassin would be here with the Era's steel?"

"What are they talking about?" I asked Marissa who is beside me.

"They are talking about the Kingdom in their own world."

I nod. I look outside to see a pair of blue eyes on the dark woods. Is that beast outside protecting me?

"You shouldn't burn his body here!" The Headmistress Leona scowls as she is walking toward us. She stopped when she looked at the burning body and looked at the dagger that Nick is holding. She gasped. "Oh my…" she was too surprised that makes me curious why she's acting that way. "Why is an Aērien here in human's world?" she asked.

"Hey, I should asked the same thing too, step-sister."

"Oh, Flame." She said his name mockingly. So, Leona and Flame are step-siblings. I need to take time on smirking at my mind. I can use Flame to get to my plan. What's the plan?