"Ryuu~!" A muffled voice called out from the distance, deep from within the house, causing a young man to stir in their bed, a larger young man in fact, being about 6'5", an eternal scowl sat on his face, his rotund body turning in response to the excess sound.
"Ryuu~!" The sound became closer before a sudden thudding followed. A moment of silence was earned, and then the door was swung open, all concerns of privacy thrown to the wind. "Ryuu!"
A young woman wearing a coat over what looked to be a school uniform stood there, observing as the barely conscious young man peeled themselves off from their bed, looking to her bleary-eyed, grumbling to themselves.
"The First Trial is today, let's go see off our favorite people, okay? Wake up!"
Ryuu shook his head slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Yeah... yeah."
It was a special, almost grim time of the year. In this world filled with magic and power beyond normal human recognition, those who were blessed with such abilities, once every half-decade, youths with abilities are sent into their "First Trial."
This is to test their mettle and to check if they are worthy of a "Class."
A class is almost as if one were knighted by the very Gods themselves; those chosen in this process are always born with a "Power" of their own. Everyone with abilities, or even a class, is given a star rating equal to the level of strength and versatility their ability possesses, the lowest being a 1-star, the highest being an 8-star. Mind you, this only applies to the abilities one may possess.
For Classes, the highest amount of Stars one could have would be a 10-star Class, a category only given to about 4 people in the entire world.
The problem is, not everyone is born with a Power. Joryuu and his Sister are some of those people. Those without Powers are discriminated against, a minority. Luckily, without the knowledge of who their father is, the prejudice against them is significantly lessened, but that is a matter for another time.
Ryuu, when he was young, luckily also became friends with others sharing the same condition as he did, including Kaya, the happy-go-lucky young woman who had so unceremoniously woken Ryuu up on the day of the First Trial. Couldn't blame her much, though, it was an important day for his closest friend, an even more important day for his sister, most of all, Sakura.
Ryuu had known Cyril since he was a child-- an exceptionally talented young man with a 7-star ability who is admired amongst his peers, along with that was Elise, who had a 6-star ability of her own in contrast.
Kaya is convinced Elise and Cyril have the hots for each other, which seems to be a common opinion carried by the greater populace of their school. Ryuu knew a secret, though, a secret that only Cyril and his sister held close to their hearts.
Not long ago, his sister, only a year younger than Cyril, had discovered that they had a mutual interest in one another, leading to a deeper relationship between the two.
Ryuu supported the relationship, of course, but due to Cyril's popularity, he advised caution, which they listened to.
Ryuu got himself into uniform, following behind the excitable Kaya. He crossed over to the stools set out in front of their kitchen counter, setting himself down onto one of the seats to partake in breakfast his younger sister had prepared for him.
A somber look sat on the young woman's face as she washed her own dishes, Ryuu slowly picking at his meal, observing the two girls standing a foot apart in his home.
Kaya's hair was short, painted a light brown, fading into a dark auburn tint at the roots. His sister had shoulder-length black hair, a pair of stylish glasses sat on the bridge of her nose, carrying a similarly stern expression that Ryuu and she seemed to have inherited from their estranged Father.
Ryuu sighed, "It'll be alright. Cyril and Elise are strong."
Sakura nodded, "I know... but you can... It's impossible to predict these things. Things could easily go wrong-- maybe someone tries to..."
"Sakura. All we can do is believe in them right now, okay?"
Kaya chuckled, "Yeah, it's better not to have a negative mentality about this stuff, y'know? It'll only stress ya out. It's better to send them off with a smile, okay?"
Sakura slowly nodded in affirmation, looking to Kaya. "You're right."
"On a more positive note-- Ryuu."
"Hm?" His head perked up in response to his name.
"You got that sword you made for Cyril?"
"Oh, yeah. Hopefully, it'll be a worthwhile boon for the First Trial."
Kaya lightly slapped Ryuu's shoulder. "Don't worry, we all believe in you."
Ryuu chuckled.
Eventually, after they had finished eating and gathering their things, they all set out for school. It almost felt like some sort of Graduation Day if it weren't for the fact that even the First Trial was dangerous enough that the mortality between all of those who enter it is within the 60-70% range. It wasn't an easy test; it was anything but, especially for those with no real experience in the field of combat, regardless of all the training that they had subjected themselves to.
Ryuu made sure to slip the gift he had made for Cyril over his shoulder before they left, proceeding their way through the city, crossing over to the Academy itself in where many were gathered, some slathering each other with gifts, parents mulling about, watching as their children socialized with one another.
They made their way into the facility, soon spotted by Elise and Cyril, both causing them to run over, Cyril's peanut gallery following behind, Coral, and Sasha.
Cyril sported dark-brown hair with emerald green eyes, being of a decent size himself compared to the more giant-like Ryuu. He was handsome, but it was his heroic outlook and stubborn confidence that carried him to where he is amongst the school's elite.
Elise herself was a girl sporting platinum-blond hair and a pair of bright silver eyes, a gorgeous woman in her own right, holding herself with elegance and power with her every step, which dissolved quickly at the sight of her best friend, Kaya.
Then there were Cyril's cohorts, starting with Coral, a shorter young woman with caramel skin, frizzy black hair that sat atop her head. She observed Ryuu, his sister, and Kaya closely before meeting them with an enthusiastic smile.
Then there was Sasha, sporting a similarly bright blond color to Elise, hair draping over her shoulders and back, her cold blue eyes looking down at everyone she sees. To make it simple, Ryuu found her intimidating, not because she was unfriendly in any way, but each move she made in conversation or through political moves amongst the other students at the school seemed calculated. So far, Ryuu believed that the only person she's ever been genuine around had been Cyril himself.
In a swift crossing of paths, that impression he had of her was struck down immediately as she closed in on Ryuu's personal space. "Looks like you all finally arrived. I was waiting."
Cyril looked confused as he was interrupted mid-greeting, glancing at the two before freezing up and providing some momentary distance, distracting himself with Sakura's company.
Ryuu cocked a brow, "Why?"
"I figured you could do me a favor when I'm out."
"Uh... okay? What do you need? A weapon... or?"
"I want to become friends, accomplices."
"What? Why?"
"Because Cyril trusts you the most, meaning you're a good person, meaning..." She paused, "I'm just interested in becoming friends... I've been too shut off so..."
"What made me the first choice?"
"'Cause you're the most normal?" Sasha laughed, stating it as if it were a matter of fact.
"I'm normal?" Ryuu chuckled in turn, still looking at Sasha with a curious expression.
"Despite people shunning you for your inherent attributes, you're the most friendly I know so far. I'm already friends with Kaya, so... no way I'll reach out there and... I dunno. I know it sounds odd but... I think we would have a nice relationship... as friends."
"Uh... yeah... okay?"
"And..."
"And?" Of course, there's more.
"I need a favor-- after we make it out, of course."
"What type of favor?"
"A favor between friends."
Ryuu sucked his lips in, holding back a chuckle as his brow knit in further confusion. "Doesn't... specify shit."
"You take photos, right? I want to... do modelling as a hobby, sort of..."
"And you want me to help?"
"I think it would be fun."
Ryuu scratched his head, "O-Okay..." He chuckled, "Whatever, I'm down. I don't have a reason to say no."
"Good." She tapped Ryuu on the shoulder and went on her way.
Once Cyril noticed that Ryuu wasn't being accosted by one of the Academy's beauties any longer, he approached, giving an odd passing glance to the young woman as she left. "Uh... guessing it was a riveting conversation?"
Ryuu shrugged. "Not sure what that was. Normally, people either avoid me cause of my glare, think I'm a creep, or hate me cause I'm powerless, so I'm just as confused."
"Well... you... have an admirer now? Congrats, dude."
"No... no, don't give me that." Ryuu chuckles. "Anyway, how are you all feeling?"
Cyril sighed. "Feeling... certainly feeling something. I'm thinking..." Cyril leaned in to whisper. "I want to give a more... I want to do a proper farewell with Sakura."
"Well... when you come back, I'm sure you'll be powerful enough to not have to worry about people's perception of you two anymore."
Cyril chuckled. "Yeah... probably. But... yeah. I want to give a proper farewell." He swallowed, "Ryuu... make sure she doesn't go looking into other options while I ain't around." Cyril chuckled.
"I'll make sure she stays as loyal as possible, I guess?" Ryuu shrugged, "Dunno how I'd do that though."
"Uh... I dunno. I'm... joking, of course." He slapped Ryuu's shoulder. "It would make sense if she moved on, especially if we're gone for too long."
"Don't go thinking like that."
"It's not unreasonable, though, is it?"
"Occam's Razor."
Cyril scoffed, observing as Elise stuck close to Kaya, almost glued to the young woman. "Is Kaya still...?"
"Oh yeah."
"I really... need to clear things up."
"Don't, she's horrible at keeping her mouth shut."
"I'll clear it up when I get back then."
"Come back alive, alright?"
"I'll try my best."
Ryuu's expression darkened. "No... not 'I'll try.' Promise, okay?"
Cyril's expression soured, following up with a nod. "Okay. Yeah... alright. I won't die. I'll come back no matter what."
Ryuu grabbed the sword strapped to his back, handing it over to Cyril. "Use it. It'll be a boon, hopefully."
Cyril examined the sheath of the blade before removing it from its leather holster, holding the grip in his hand, spinning the blade with an admiration of its luster, clear on his face. "Thank you, my friend."
"Of course."
After goodbyes had been made, tearful or otherwise, soon the others had made off to their separate ways, the group of students that left for the First Trial gathered up by the Academy's staff to a safe area in which they could easily reappear, whilst those uninvolved left the Academy's grounds.
Ryuu walked with his friend, his family, left behind by the people they care for, as they went off to become saviors of the world. Ryuu was content; he believed that Cyril would come back to them safe and sound. Ryuu thought about saying his goodbyes to an old friend of his, Sam, Sam Locke, but held off on that, not wanting to create any conflict for both of them before she had left on such a harrowing journey.
He only wished they could've left on more amicable terms, her mysterious hatred of Ryuu's existence persisting to this very day.
Kaya looked at Ryuu with a quizzical expression on her face. "So... Sasha...?"
"What?"
"What were you two talking about?" Her words lingered.
"We were ju-"
Click. The sound of the sidewalk wasn't beneath him any longer, and he was left blinking at his surroundings lit up by a blue ever-vibrant glow beaming in through various windows of this bizarre gothic monastery that had suddenly appeared before him.
It was run down, completely ripped apart by the tides of time. Ryuu looked around with only his eyes, slowly turning to get a better feel for his surroundings, his heart dropping to his stomach.
This wasnot supposed to happen. This is the opposite of logical; this was antithetical to everything he had ever known up until this point in his life. Ryuu could barely muster any strength as his body gave out from under him, only being capable of letting out a whispered, "H-How?" Directed to the universe or whatever higher power that may have been watching him.
[Congratulations! You have been chosen for the First Trial!]
This world was uglier than it had originally seemed, and Ryuu would be made aware of this fact, whether he liked it or not.