A young man in an expensive blue uniform sat on a bench in a train station, waiting patiently for his train to arrive. His blonde-golden hair flowed gently in the wind, and his grey eyes were watching one train go after another.
The train station was pretty crowded this early in the morning, because everyone needed to get to their jobs, academy, or school.
A woman sat next to him, glancing occasionally over at him. She wasn't the only one who gave him attention. When people rushed by, their eyes widened and stared for a moment. It wasn't because of his looks, but because of his uniform. The uniform wasn't just any ordinary one, no, it was a very known and unique one.
It was the uniform of the Moonshade Academy Program, short MAP. It was the most known and most respected academy in the entire country, if not even in the world. Not only that, it also was… well, the hardest.
Only a few students got chosen to attend MAP every year, as well as only royals or students of high regard. The Moonshade Academy Program also had by far the most difficult final exam of all. Almost 98% of the students failed, and got suspended from the school even before the final exam happened.
Another train stopped and he was thrown out of his thoughts. He quickly stood up and got into the train. Today was an important day for Nox. It was his first day at MAP, so he couldn't allow himself to be late.
As he stepped into the crowded train, people's eyes widened and stared at him like some exotic animal. Most MAP students used private transportation vehicles. That's why seeing one in person was really rare.
All the seats were taken, so Nox had to stand.
He didn't really mind though.
A man in his late twenties suddenly stood up from his seat and said, "You can have a seat here, young man."
Nox scratched the back of his head, politely refusing the man's offer. He looked to the side, out of the window, where buildings rose into the air. The train lines were built high up in the sky, as well as the streets. A beautiful sight.
Currently, they were in the capital city of the Kingdom of Japan, Moonside. Skyscrapers stretched into the sky along with buildings and train lines. The Royal Family ruled over this Kingdom.
But Nox wasn't born in Moonside.
No, he was born on the battlefield.
One year ago, a long war had ended. The Kingdom of Japan and the Chinese had a brutal war and Nox was born into it.
Raised on the corpses of soldiers, he somehow managed to survive in this hell and now, he was going to attend an academy for only the best people in the world. He wasn't really happy though, but his step-dad, the military general, forced him to.
Along his journey through the war, Nox managed to gain a fearsome reputation. He slowly began to gain higher ranks, even though he was only a kid.
Letting out a soft sigh, he stared out of the window.
BOOM.
Suddenly a shudder hit the train. Some people standing next to Nox lost their balance and fell to the ground. Nox barely managed to keep himself standing upright.
His expression darkened. The train scratched painfully along the rail.
Something was wrong.
Without thinking twice, Nox rushed through the confused crowd toward the cabin of the train driver. Pushing confused and screaming people aside, Nox had no time to waste.
Another bang hit the train, causing Nox to fall to the ground.
"What the hell is going on?!"
He gritted his teeth, pushed a frightened man away, reached the door to the driver's cabin, and kicked it open. He rushed inside and his eyes widened.
The driver was dead.
He was shot in the head. Nox cursed as the train kept driving forward, and he had no idea how to stop it.
Nox froze.
About six hundred meters away at another train station was another train, letting passengers in.
They were going to crash into it.
"Screw this."
Nox's golden hair glowed in a faint blue color and he stepped forward. He threw his hands forward, and ice shot out of his palms like a river through the windshield. The glass shattered to pieces and the ice shot down onto the rail, trying to stop the train.
The train screeched loudly, slowing down a bit. But it was far from enough. They were going to crash into it.
More and more ice flowed down on the train, trying to stop it.
It was not enough.
Five hundred meters.
Four hundred.
"Fine!" Nox said, and leapt out of the train, flying a few dozen meters onto the rail, facing the rampaging train.
It was still at a speed where it could crush any human.
But Nox was far from human.
He let out a groan and as the train was about to collide with him, he froze his feet to the rails and met the train's front with his bare hand. The force caused Nox's whole body to convulse in pain and his feet dug into the ground. The train resisted and pushed Nox back, but it was now much slower.
Two hundred...
Passengers screamed and were thrown off balance again from the sudden shudder.
Blood dripped down his expensive uniform as Nox continued to stand against the train. It was slowly coming to a stop.
One hundred...
Nox put all his remaining strength into stopping the train. Passengers and bystanders at the train station were screaming and recording.
"Damned fools!" Nox thought desperately.
Fifty...
But then, the train came to a stop.
Nox staggered backwards.
The other train they almost collided with was luckily already gone and frightened passengers rushed out.
His hands were shaking slightly and he leapt onto the train station. The murderer was probably still around. He could feel a presence.
Another Gem User.
Gem Users were people born with a magical gem inside them, allowing them to cast magic and powerful spells, just like Nox did.
He blinked a few times, and then it happened.
A bullet shot toward Nox from behind. He didn't flinch because in the same moment another figure intervened. The bullet exploded before getting near Nox's head and he dashed away.
"Be careful!" A woman with the same uniform as Nox had dissolved the attack. She had long black hair and a serious expression. Her blue eyes were dancing with anger.
She was the Gem User.
Another MAP student was a rare sight.
Civilians rushed away, screaming and panicking.
A masked person stepped forward slowly. He held a gun in his hand. His clothes were worn and his jeans ripped. He was the one who killed the driver and almost caused the train to crash.
He aimed the gun at the woman's head, hands shaking. But before he could do anything, the weapon began to melt in his hand. His eyes widened in panic and he turned around trying to run away.
Nox let out another sigh and the criminal's feet froze, making him unable to move. The woman's expression relaxed a bit and she walked to Nox. Her gaze scanned him, her serious expression remaining.
"What's your name? Are you one of the new students?" she asked, her voice calm.
Nox nodded.
"Yes, I'm one of the new students. My name is Nox. The train was out of control after this guy killed the driver. I barely stopped it."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Good job, Nox. I'm Vexa. I'll put in a good word for you at the academy. You can go now. I will take care of the rest."
Nox sighed. "Fine, bye."
He had no time to waste. He couldn't be late on his first school day. No one would believe an excuse like that. Plus his uniform was dirty now. He cursed and rushed away to get the other train heading to MAP.
He rushed through a crowd of people, jumped onto the rail with inhuman speed. It was illegal, but he didn't care.
Running with unimaginable speed, he caught up to the other train, jumped onto its roof, and slipped through an opening inside. The passengers' eyes widened in shock at Nox.
He awkwardly sat down on an empty seat, ignoring the stares. Shaking his head, he opened his electrical device, short EP. He scrolled through social media like always, checking news, propaganda, and scandals.
He didn't care about all that. He found novels much more interesting. Back when he was still at war, he never had signal, so the only way he could use his device was by reading downloaded famous novels and stories.
Looking out the window once again, he slowly saw a big white academy coming into view.
A small smile hushed over his face.
His life as a student had begun.