A large tree stood tall in the middle of a field of flowers. Each flower was beautiful, each with its own story, its own dreams, its own love. But soon the petals began to wilt as another tree rose beside the first, this one hollow and lifeless. From the living tree stepped a radiant knight clad in silver, and from the dead one emerged a skeletal figure wearing a cracked crown. The flowers trembled as the two faced each other, and just as they moved to strike, a blinding light engulfed the world.
Clack Clack Clack
A young man sprinted down the stone-brick road, his leather shoes striking hard against it. At 192 cm with a wide frame, he towered over the crowd. His blue eyes flicked across the street. Wooden buildings leaned into one another, weathered but sturdy, their beams darkened from age. Market stalls spilled over the square, hawking spices, old coins, even charms that supposedly kept demons away. A fountain shimmered under the noon sun, its spray catching in his pale pink hair.
Kale slowed for half a heartbeat, chest heaving, before spotting his destination beyond the fountain: a spruce-wood shack with Alchemy painted across the front. The paint was flaking, the windows boarded. Nobody else would think twice about the place, but he loosened his chest at the sight of it.
Knock Knock
"Open up, Nickle!" Kale slammed his fist against the door. It creaked open on its own. No one stood there. The dim room revealed rows of plants crowding against spotless clay tiles that seemed almost to shine.
He stepped in. His foot slid forward like the ground had vanished. He toppled backward with a loud thud.
"Ow!"
"I told you I'd be cleaning this morning, Kale."
Groaning, he rubbed the back of his neck and blinked up at the voice. Nickel stood above him, green hair falling over sharp yellow eyes, arms crossed.
"I didn't know it'd be that slippery. Help me up!" Kale whined, holding out his hand.
Nickle tugged him to his feet. Standing, Kale loomed over his 173cm frame, grinning sheepishly. Nickel, as usual, only scowled.
"You're late. Class starts in five minutes."
Kale brushed himself off. "Don't worry about it. Professor Walnut never thinks badly of you, even if you're wrong. It's because you're a teachers pet!."
Nickel's frown deepened. "That's doesn't mean we won't be late."
"Don't sweat it dude" tapping his chest "I'm a professional sprinter at this point, we'll be there at no time"
Nickel exhaled sharply through his nose, the closest he came to a laugh, before striding to the door.
Kale hurried after him. "By the way, why are you always cleaning in the morning? The place already looks like you worship the floor tiles."
"Alchemy requires precision," Nickel said flatly. "If you trip and knock over the wrong jar, it isn't just broken glass you'll deal with. You'll be lucky if the walls are still standing."
Kale blinked. "…Huh. I was mostly joking. That's terrifying."
Nickel didn't answer. For a moment, as they cut through the market square, Kale thought he saw his friend's eyes flick toward a shadow in the alley. A figure stood half-hidden there, watching. But when Kale turned his head, the space was empty.
"Something wrong?"
Kale shook it off with a grin. "Nah. I thought I saw someone. Probably a ghost will come to drag me to class on time."
Nickel said nothing, but his gaze lingered on the alley a second longer than Kale liked.
"Kale!"
Kale shot up from his desk, hair bouncing as he smacked his knee. "Ow! Ow, ow!" he cried, clutching it while half the class snickered.
"Why do you even come if you're just going to sleep?" Professor Walnut, a red-haired man at the front, rubbed his temples with a sigh.
"I-I wasn't sleeping, I was just resting my eyes!"
"Really? Then tell me, what was I teaching?"
Kale's eyes darted desperately around the room until they landed on the blackboard. "Uh, obviously the history of the Apostles"
"Lucky guess. Sit down."
Kale slumped into his seat with a sigh of relief as the lecture continued.
"Now, although the Apostles have existed for over 1,200 years, there have only been ten generations. Eleven in Westeria and Esia. This is because during the World War, the Apostles of Esia, and our very own Westeria, perished."
Kale's mind drifted. The words World War sent a strange shiver crawling down his spine, though he didn't know why. He chalked it up to boredom and doodled spirals on the edge of his notes.
Ring Ring
"That's all for today. Don't forget, tomorrow we're visiting the War Remeberence Museum."
Kale groaned. "Why do we have class trips? We're in university!"
"Shut up, Kale!" someone shouted, to laughter.
As the class filed out, Kale lingered. He caught Nickel at the professor's desk, speaking low. He couldn't make out the words, only the urgency in Nickel's tone and the sharp glance Walnut gave toward him before they both fell silent.
Kale frowned. "What's with them?" he muttered, before grinning to himself. "Probably planning to kick me out of class trips. Honestly, that'd be the dream."
But he couldn't shake the look in Nickel's eyes when he thought nobody was watching.
Kale left the classroom, dragging his feet down the hallway. Hollowmore's corridors stretched on forever, sunlight pouring through the glass wall and forcing him to squint.
Boom
The ground lurched. Dust rained from the ceiling as the entire school shuddered. Kale crouched, heart pounding, and looked up just in time to see the roof tearing free, sunlight spilling where it shouldn't.
"What the hell…?" he muttered, stumbling forward.
He broke into a run, but a voice thundered down the corridor.
"HALT!"
Kale froze. Slowly, he turned.
At the far end stood a broad-shouldered old man, his bald head catching the sun like polished stone. A thick grey beard hung from his chin, bristling with authority.
He swallowed hard. I can practically see my reflection on that bald head of his…wait is that the Apostle Coal?
The old man ran down the corridor, in a burst of speed that made him flinch. "You can't leave this area until I'm done investigating, come with me" the old man picked him up by his head and began to walk him to his class.
"Uhm if you don't mind me asking what's going on?" Kale spoke, legs dangling in the air.
"I can't speak on the situation until everything is sorted out, just shut it for now"
Gulp