Chapter 1: The Rush

The crowded sidewalk between Tokyo’s massive skyscrapers pulsed with motion as Taichi pushed his way through, his breath visible in the cold air as he ran.

“Sorry! Sorry!” he said as he bumped people’s shoulders, his short black hair skimming against the wind. “I just really need to make that… bus…”

Taichi’s eyes widened in shock – the crowd eased up, but he saw his bus leave right before his eyes.

“Missed it, huh?” a man on the street said with a friendly smile. “That uniform – you’re headed for Eclipse Academy, yeah?”

Taichi nodded.

“I heard that the bus would take me there, but without it, I’m kind of lost because I’m new. Do you know how to get there?”

“A transfer student?” the man asked, smirking. “I see, so that’s how it is. Head west until you hit the first bridge that you see, cross it, then turn left. If you run straight from there, you’ll reach the academy.”

“Oh, really? Thank you, sir!” he started moving away while folding his hands. “I would thank you more properly, but I’m in a rush. I hope I see you again so I can take that opportunity. Bye!”

The man chuckled.

“See you soon, Taichi.”

Taichi froze mid-step. “I never told him my name…”

He glanced back toward the man, but the crowd had swallowed him up. After a moment’s hesitation, Taichi exhaled and kept running.

Taichi ran toward the school at top speed, the foot traffic easing up as he cleared the large office buildings. He saw the ornate bridge passing over a small, glimmering creek within seconds. He crossed it, looked at the straightway before him, and ran.

He kept running and running – his speed only accelerated across the length of the sidewalk, his clothes ruffling with each weighty step, and the chain from his arrowhead pendant was riding up his neck. At the fastest speed his legs would allow, Taichi zoomed across, leaving a cold breeze behind him against everybody he passed. Bundled in their winter coats, they couldn’t help but feel a shiver down their spine as they watched him practically glide across the floor. The closer he got to the academy, the less foot traffic there was, letting him go even faster.

Then, at last, he saw it.

A skyscraper of blue-tinted glass gleamed in the distance – Eclipse Academy. The grounds surrounding it sprawled with single-story training halls and open fields where students sparred. Taichi’s eyes widened, a smile breaking across his face.

“That’s it!” he shouted, pushing his feet against the ground even harder. His watch flashed the time – if he kept this pace, he’d just barely make it.

As he continued approaching the school, he heard a bag fall right by him, drawing his attention.

Before his eyes, 3 large men were surrounding a girl wearing a uniform from Eclipse. Taichi looked down at his watch and back up at the scene, sighing. There was nobody else around them to help.

“Come on, you’re from Eclipse. You’ve got money,” one of them sneered. “Empty your pockets.”

“I don’t think I will,” the girl said coolly. “Get out of my face.”

“She thinks she’s tough ‘cause she goes to that fancy little school?” another jeered, towering a foot above her. He raised a hand to strike – but his arm stopped mid-swing, gripped tight.

“You’re making me late for my first day,” Taichi said flatly, his hand tightening until the man winced. “Three of you, huh? Hardly seems fair.”

“Stay out of this!” one of the others barked, swinging at him.

Taichi yanked the arm he was holding, pulling one thug’s punch into the other’s jaw. He spun like a falcon in motion, his kick snapping into the third man’s chest and sending him sprawling, unconscious.

He turned to finish the fight, but he didn’t get the opportunity.

Behind him, the girl was commanding a shining light and radiating a massive amount of heat, making him sweat in the bitter cold of winter. Her long golden hair rose with the air as the light started to fan out into flames and embers, scorching the ground.

“What is… that?” Taichi muttered, watching in awe.

“Go back to the hellscape you belong in if you don’t want to become a piece of charcoal,” the girl said.

The two of them grabbed the unconscious third and ran away without a second thought.

“I…” Taichi started. “I guess you had that kind of had that handled, huh?” he said with a chuckle, scratching the back of his neck.

“I apologize for the inconvenience I caused. I’ll make it up to you,” she said, bowing her head.

“Oh, no, no… honestly, I deserved to be late. I missed the bus and had to run out here. No need to apologize!” he said, clearly flustered.

“My name is Yuki Asumi.”

“Oh, I’m Hayato Taichi. Call me Taichi.”

The two faced an awkward silence as they slowly started walking to campus, accepting their fate of being late.

“So, Yuki Asumi,” he said, glancing sideways. “Yuki, like… snow?”

“Yes, I know, it’s ironic for somebody with a fire element aspect, you’re not the first to make that joke,” Asumi said with a pout.

“Fire element aspect?” he asked.

“You just saw it, didn’t you?”

“Oh, that light show thing?” Taichi asked.

“That’s my aspect.”

“I see…” Taichi said, confusion flickering in his eyes.

“Wait, do you not know what an aspect is?” she asked. “How could you get into this school without knowing that? Actually… how can you get anywhere without knowing that?”

Taichi shook his head. “I don’t know what an aspect is, but I just received a letter from the headmaster informing me that I have been accepted into the school after submitting my online application. I guess I’ll need to ask him to get me up to speed.”

“You didn’t…?” Asumi sighed in disappointment. “The headmaster only gives a one-on-one audience to the rank #1 student. The chances that you’ll get any information out of him are… small. Beating our rank #1 is no joke. What’s your aspect?”

“I just said I don’t know what an aspect is, so I don’t think I have one.” Taichi dismissed. “I’d like it if you could explain it, though.”

“You...” Asumi sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Fine, I guess I owe you this much for being late because of me. So, an aspect is a kind of magic that only a select few possess. It’s like a genetic mutation that lets you control an element – fire, water, earth, lightning, wind – plus boosts your physical abilities. Based on how fast you were moving, you definitely have one. Some people get weird or combined aspects, but that’s rare. You use mana to fuel it – your own life energy. Use too much, and you’ll die. That’s the gist.”

“I see… I think I caught most of that.” Taichi said, nodding along. “Thanks!”

“Yeah, yeah… don’t mention it. We’re even now, so we don’t have to worry about any of this.”

Once they entered the school gates, Asumi sped ahead in her own direction.

“I’ll see you around, Taichi!”

He stared up at the towering skyscraper, awestruck, as he took his first shaking steps into the campus.