Graduation

“May I please call upon Lucian Ashred and Alain Isebran to come up on stage?”

The Headmaster asked the two boys sitting among the massive crowd of students.

Alain was a boy who was never fond of being the center of attention. He would rather stay stuck to his chair like everyone else and watch another person take the spotlight. But today was a special day. It would be a shame to accomplish something and not be acknowledged for it.

“Just stand up already!” Lucian grabbed him by the arm and pulled him up.

Alain sighed and allowed his best friend to take the lead.

The light on the windows of the halls shone brightly today. The crowd erupted in claps and cheers for the two boys walking on the crimson carpet leading to the stage. Alain was overwhelmed by all the noise and wanted to cover his ears. He didn’t know where to look. Countless eyes were on his face, which had steamed up into a beet-red color. Meanwhile, the boy named Lucian Ashred was different. His bright orange hair basked in all of the glory, face shining like the reflection of the sun on the windows. He was full of confidence, ecstatic as the students sang him praises. Compared to him, Alain’s hair was jet black, like that of the shadows.

“Just smile and wave, Alain,” he said. “Smile and wave.”

Alain mustered up his best impression of a smile, then he waved at the people cheering for him.

Finally, they made it to the top of the stage. From here, Alain could feel the weight of everyone’s stares on his shoulders. The headmaster silenced the crowd, then he began to speak.

“On behalf of the Alexandrian Hero Academy, we would like to congratulate you for the excellence you have shown throughout your four years with us. And for that, we shall reward you with the Stellar Medal!”

The other teachers put a medal around each of their necks. Alain lifted it up to his face. His eyes shone at the sight of its golden glimmer. Its design resembled that of a shimmering star in the night sky, an image representing the heights these two boys would reach one day. Both had a bright future ahead of them, and the kingdom was looking forward to it.

“Normally, we only give this to one person each year,” the headmaster said. “But we couldn’t decide who deserved it more, the staff had debated for weeks! Who could have guessed that there were two generational talents born in the same year?!” he laughed. “However, out of careful consideration, we have all agreed that you both are equal in our judgement!”

“Let’s go!” Lucian cheered. “Alain, give me one!”

Lucian and Alain raised their hands in the air and clasped them together, creating a resounding pop that echoed across the halls.

“Brothers for life!” Lucian yelled.

“Brothers for life,” Alain said with a sincere smile.

Alain may not have wanted to stand out from the crowd, but he was just as happy as Lucian about what they had achieved together.

“But,” Lucian continued. “This isn’t over.”

“You’re right,” Alain nodded. “We still haven’t settled on who's the best.”

Lucian looked at him with a deadly smirk. “One final duel, Alain. Then we’ll go our separate ways.”

“The score is 150-150. My 151st win will be the last,” Alain grinned.

Lucian scoffed. “You mean your 151st loss. Be ready to cry.”

“Congratulations to all our new Heroes!” the headmaster addressed everyone. “May you make the Alexandrian Kingdom proud! Fly high, young stars!”

Everyone in the crowd cheered in celebration of their graduation. A new dawn has come, and the next generation of Heroes have arrived to take over.

                                                                                    ⚔

In the Alexandrian Hero Academy, there was a forest nearby where students came to train and hone their skills as future Heroes. Everyone called it the Training Woods, but for Lucian and Alain, they were not just doing training. They were not just best friends, they were also their best rivals, always pushing each other to their limits.

“Same rules,” Lucian said. “Whoever drops to the ground first loses.”

“All right.” Alain nodded.

He extended both of his arms outward, then he opened his lips.

“Soul of Invention: Dual Blades of Ice.”

Ice materialized from his hands, forming into swords as identical as brothers.

“Soul of Invention: Ice Armor.”

The ice began to surround Alain’s entire body, and the pieces started to take shape. A helmet for the head, a chestplate for the thorax, shoulder guards and gauntlets for the upper limbs, and leggings for the lower limbs. To put it simply, he had turned into a knight of ice. It would take a tremendous amount of control to keep it all in tact, but that was exactly why Alain was one of the Academy’s two geniuses.

However, his rival happened to be the other genius.

“Going all out from the start already?” Lucian put his hands in the air. “Why not take it slow?”

“We both know it’s gonna end up this way,” Alain said. “It always does.”

Lucian sighed. “Fine.”

He drew his steel sword with a loud zing. Sure, compared to Alain’s ice blades, it was an ordinary weapon. However, Lucian’s strength didn’t come from the quality of his blade.

“Soul of Annihilation: King of Inferno.”

Flames burst out from the boy’s body, shooting up high into the sky. The grass underneath him burned into ashes, but the trees in his vicinity didn’t catch any open flame. That’s because Lucian had impeccable control over his power. His flames were burning with passion, but focused into one place. Four years of discipline taught him that.

He swung his blade, unleashing a wave of fire onto Alain. Alain crossed up his blades to block the attack. They exploded in front of his face, causing the ice in his sword to form cracks.

“Hah! Looks like your swords can’t withstand my power!” Lucian laughed.

Alain threw his cracked blades at Lucian, but they melted just inches close to his face.

“I see that you’ve lowered the temperature of your blades again. But it’s still not cold enough for my flames.”

“Doesn’t matter, I’ll just make new ones.”

Alain charged towards Lucian, then ice blades began to form on his hands once again. He swung the blade on his left, aiming for the boy’s right thigh. Lucian parried the blade away, but that was meant to be a trap from the real attack. Alain thrusted with his right blade, striking right through the opening on his left waist.

“I’m never falling for that again.”

Lucian stepped back just in time to evade the attack.

“But you fell for it eleven different times,” Alain said, lunging and swinging both blades outward.

Lucian ducked right below the blades.

“And you fell for this one twelve times.”

He spun and performed a sweeping kick, sending a wave of flames beneath Alain’s feet. Alain leapt into the air, then he dropped down to stab Lucian from above. Lucian jumped out of the way, causing Alain’s blades to shatter as they hit the floor.

“Missed me.” He stuck his tongue out.

Before Alain could create new blades, Lucian countered with a thrust towards his thigh. Alain slapped the sword down with his left gauntlet, then he stepped back and created some distance.

“Nice reflexes. I thought I had you there,” Lucian said.

Alain looked at his left gauntlet. It had melted from the impact of Lucian’s flaming blade earlier. He extended his left hand.

“Soul of Invention: Ice Spear.”

A different weapon appeared this time, a pointy blade with an extended shaft longer than Alain’s own body. He spun it around behind his back, then he pointed it straight towards Lucian.

“Longer doesn’t mean better, you know?” Lucian said.

“But I’d wield it better than you ever could,” Alain answered back.

He swung the spear downwards, forcing Lucian to raise his sword up to block it. Alain followed up with a thrust. However, Lucian knew better. That was a fake thrust meant to bait Lucian again from the real thrust.

Lucian blocked Alain’s attack and shattered his spear. “You always pair a feint with a stab. Can’t you get a little more creative than that?”

“Soul of Invention: Ice Axe.”

Alain materialized the weapon in his hand and threw it at Lucian.

Lucian swung his blade, vaporizing the axe into thin air.

“Why do you have to be so good with every weapon? That isn’t fair,” he said and groaned.

“What’s unfair is that your flames burn everything I throw at you,” Alain retorted.

Lucian rolled his eyes. “Whatever, let’s just continue.”

The fight ended up lasting for a few hours. Lucian and Alain had lost sense of time, exchanging blades without a care in the world. Both of them refused to lose. No matter what the other had thrown at them, they would always find a way to counter it. They’ve known each other for four years. All of the tricks they had up their sleeves, they had memorized in the back of their mind. Two prodigies. Best friends. Rivals. Three hundred fights. It was safe to say that they knew each other more than anyone else in the world.

Eventually, the two had finally reached their limits. The ice on Alain’s body had melted into mere droplets, while the flames of Lucian vanished into thin smoke. Yet they still refused to fall. In the end, it came down to their fists.

“Alain!”

Lucian threw a punch. It had a sloppy form, a far cry from that of an experienced brawler. But Alain ended up getting hit on the face. He staggered back and almost fell to the ground, but he managed to keep himself balanced.

“Lucian!”

Alain countered with a sloppy punch on his own. They both traded blows one after the other. It was like watching two drunkards fight in a bar.

“Why won’t you go down?!” Lucian yelled.

“I could say the same for you,” Alain spat.

They grabbed hold of each other's hands and banged their heads against each other.

Three hundred times. They had fought each other three hundred times. Everything came down to this very moment. It was going to end with one person on the ground. Then they would say their goodbyes and fulfill their duties as Heroes. That was what their destiny was supposed to be.

But fate had other ideas.

A single misstep. That was all it was.

Alain shoved Lucian away. He expected Lucian to push him back.

But instead, Lucian tripped on a rock.

It was Alain’s victory.

However, life was filled with countless coincidences.

Who could have known that there was a fallen tree trunk nearby? One that just so happened to have a large pointy branch? And who could have known that Lucian would trip and fall exactly where it was?

What a cruel coincidence.

Alain watched it happen. He watched as the branch pierced through Lucian’s chest.

“L-Lucian. What are you doing there?” he muttered.

Lucian coughed out a load of blood.

Alain’s face turned into a ghostly pale.

“N-No. This can’t be happening.”

“Damn, we got carried away.” Lucian tried to chuckle, but he ended up coughing out more blood instead.

“Lucian! Stay with me!” Alain screamed at me. “I’ll pull you out, just hang in there!”

He tried to move Lucian’s body, but Lucian screamed out in pain.

“It hurts…..”

Alain’s body shivered. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for this to happen!”

“I know….”

“This isn’t real,” Alain muttered to himself. “I must be dreaming, right? This is all just a nightmare, right? Answer me!”

Lucian held Alain’s sleeve. “Damn it….I don’t want to die.”

Tears dropped from the boy’s eyes. “I still have to protect……my hometown.”

“I can’t……die……”

Lucian’s grip lightened, then his hand let go and hung down, lifeless.

“Hey.” Alain shook his body, but there was no response. “This is all one big joke right?”

He stared into the boy’s eyes. Lucian’s eyes had lost their light. The boy whose eyes once sparkled with energy was no longer with him.

“LUCIAN!”

Alain yelled out into the evening sky. Up there, he watched as a star fell from the clouds.

                                                                                   ⚔

It was dark.

Cold.

Alain struggled to breathe. The air was heavy inside.

Alain was a boy who was never fond of being the center of attention. He would rather stay stuck to his chair like everyone else and watch another person take the spotlight. But today was a special day.

Today was his day of judgement.

All eyes were on him, and this time, their gazes were not of adoration. He could not see their faces clearly, but he could sense it. For the first time in his life, everyone looked at him like he was a disgusting piece of human garbage. Their words were sharp as knives, tearing away at Alain’s heart.

Murderer. Madman. Disgrace. Devil spawn. A danger to society.

Those voices echoed in his mind.

The judge in front of him slammed his hammer, silencing the insults of the crowd.

“Alain Isebran. You have been convicted of the murder of Lucian Ashred. What do you say in your defense?” he asked.

Alain struggled to find the words to speak. He had been reduced to nothing but a babbling infant.

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Apologies do not dismiss what you have done.”

“It was an accident,” Alain muttered. “He wasn’t supposed to fall on that branch.”

“And yet he did. Because both of you fought during the day of his death.”

“It was a friendly duel! We both agreed to fight! I had no ill intentions!” Alain’s fingers clawed on the wooden platform in front of him. “I didn’t mean for him to die!”

“We cannot prove the intentions of your actions, Mr. Isebran. There is only one fact that we can all agree upon. Lucian Ashred’s blood is on your hands,” the judge shut him down. “You know what happens to murderers, correct?”

“Death penalty!” the people chanted. “Justice for the poor soul! This demon doesn’t deserve to live!”

Alain had nothing left to say. No matter what his intentions were, it was his responsibility. He was to blame. If he hadn’t pushed him onto that branch, this never would have happened.

“I’m sorry, Lucian,” he muttered to himself.

“A life for a life,” the judge said. “The law of the Alexandrian Kingdom dictates it so.”

The crowd cheered.

“Justice for Lucian! Death to the evildoer!”

Alain hung his head down. All he could do was watch as the judge said his final words.

“Alain Isebran. For the murder of Lucian Ashred, you are pronounced guilty. I hereby sentence you to the death penalty.”

                                                                                   ⚔

Alain stood on a stage once more.

The last time he was on a stage, the lights were all bright and fancy, and everyone showered him in claps and praises. He was happy that day. Back then, he had his best friend by his side, a boy who stuck with him since the last four years of his life.

But now, he was all alone.

It was a gloomy day in the capital. The skies were dark and dreary, and the crowd yelled out in fury and anguish, chanting curses to his name.

“Death to the murderer! Death to Alain Isebran!”

Alain no longer wore the medal of the Stellar Honor. Instead, he wore a noose strapped tightly around his neck. An award befitting the filthy criminal.

“Lucian was a sweet boy!” an old lady screamed at him. “How could you do this to him?!”

“I’m sorry…..”

That was all that he could answer. He had said those words countless times. There was nothing he could do but mutter those words over and over again. If he could, he would be willing to exchange his life for Lucian’s.

Alain’s eyes had grown swollen from all of the sorrow in his heart. Eventually, they became too dry to shed even a single tear. He replayed the scenario in his head. Alain imagined a future where he had fallen to the ground instead of Lucian. Sure, he would have lost the duel, but at least wouldn’t have lost his best friend. Lucian would be in his face for the rest of the day, gloating about how he had finally bested him once and for all. But in the end, they would have been Heroes serving the Alexandrian Kingdom for the rest of their lives.

“I’m sorry, Lucian,” he muttered again.

Alain Isebran.

That name would forever be stained with the death of the great prodigy Lucian Ashred.

The trapdoor underneath him burst open, and he sank down with the rope strangling against his neck. He could not resist. His arms were tied to his back, so all he could do was flail around and gasp for air. Alain wanted to scream, but there was nothing his lungs could give.

It hurts, Lucian.

He wanted all of it to end, but the rope continued to pull. It felt like it was trying to rip his head apart. To him, it was as if time slowed down for the sake of prolonging his agony.

Please stop….

His vision blurred, then he felt his body begin to weaken. And as if his pleas had been answered, death sent him down into the darkness.

Everything was quiet here. Peaceful.

Alain’s body felt weightless. The burdens he carried were no more. He had finally paid the price for his sin. This was the end. He could finally rest and move on to whatever awaited him in the void.

……….

“Would you two like to try out for the Royal Guard?”

A voice asked him.

The next thing he knew, he was in an office. Bookshelves on both sides, two large couches in the center with a red carpet patterned in golden blossoms, and a wooden desk stacked with paper works, where the headmaster of Alexandrian Hero Academy sat down with his fingers interlaced.

Alain sniffed the air. He remembered that the headmaster loved the smell of jasmines. Then, he realized that he was supposed to answer the question.

“I would be honored to.” He placed his hand on his chest.

Alain said those words with composed dignity, but on the inside, his heart was squealing with joy. It had always been his dream to join the Royal Guard. It was the highest honor for a Hero after all. If he could pull it off, he would be able to make his family proud.

“Sorry, but I will have to decline.”

Alain looked at Lucian.

“H-Huh? Lucian? But why? Don’t you understand how important this opportunity is?!”

He shook his head.

“Nothing is more important than the promise I had made.”

Alain couldn’t fathom what Lucian was saying.

“I promised my hometown that I would protect them from the barbarians, after all!” he said with a smile.

Lucian’s smile was as radiant as Alain remembered it to be. His face shone with an intense light, blinding Alain until everything became white.

Then it all disappeared.

The scene had changed completely.

Everything smelled like that of a damp earthy scent. Alain opened his eyes, only to find himself buried deep underneath the ground.

W-Where am I?

A pile of dirt fell on his face. He coughed and spit out the debris that had entered his lips. Alain saw a shovel dropping another batch of dirt. This time he evaded it and shielded his eyes.

“W-Wait!” he yelled.

“H-Huh?!” the man above the ground peeked inside.

Alain sank his fingers onto the dirt and clawed his way up the hole.

The man screamed as he watched him rise from the grave.

“Y-You’re supposed to be dead!”

He stepped back, but he ended up tripping on his foot and falling to the ground. Alain stood over the man and extended his hand towards him.

“Are you all right?”

The man’s face went pale.

“It’s the undead!” he yelled, then he passed out.

Alain dropped his arm. The realization slowly started to settle into his mind.

“He’s right….I’m supposed to be dead.”

He looked at his hands, opening and closing them. They felt numb. Weak. It felt as if the strength in his body had left him.

“It doesn’t feel the same anymore,” Alain said.

He extended his hand.

“Soul of Invention: Ice Shovel.”

The shape tried to form in his hand, but Alain felt a sharp pain in his chest. Before he could complete its creation, the tool ended up shattering into pieces.

Alain gripped his shirt. “My soul….it’s broken.”

His eyes widened. “Did it sacrifice itself to keep me alive? Such a thing shouldn’t be possible.”

There was no other explanation he could think of. Alain couldn’t accept it. No one in the history of Alexandria had ever performed such a feat. It was a miracle that he never wanted. A miracle that should have been granted to someone else.

He dropped to his knees and looked down on the ground.

“W-Why me? I don’t deserve to live again.”

Alain grabbed an ice shard and pointed it to his throat.

“Let me die in peace.”

His arms shivered as it pushed against his skin. He winced as blood dripped down from the tip of the ice.

But just as he was about to finish the deed, a voice echoed in his mind.

“I promised my hometown that I would protect them from the barbarians, after all!”

Alain threw away the shard in anger.

He wailed out into the open sky. Alain burst out with everything that he had. Strangely enough, there was no one else around to hear it. Perhaps he didn’t deserve to be buried within the capital, so he was buried in the middle of nowhere, where no one would ever visit him. The boy went on and on for a long while, but eventually, he had to accept that this was his new reality.

Alain got up on his feet.

“Fine. I’ll fulfill your promise in your stead, Lucian. I’ll protect Bordertown for as long as I live, I swear it.”

Before he left, he took the shovel from the unconscious man and filled the hole until all of the dirt reached the surface.

Alain planted the shovel on the ground.

“From here on out, Alain Isebran is dead. There is no more place for him in this world.”