A Summoner Awakens, Chapter 9 [Refreshed]

My cane tapped lightly against the cobblestone as I walked across Main Street toward the Academy. Lights filtered from open windows, bathing the street in a pale light. The sun had vanished, and there was hardly any light offered by the canopy of the First Floor above.

Tap. Tap. Tap.

I listened to the familiar sound of the cane, admiring the town's silence after the shopkeepers had returned to their homes on the Origin Floor. Many stuck around, having turned the upper floors of their shops into lodgings, but most found it beneath them to stay here.

A few guards were present here and there along the walks, but most were lazily resting on the benches or playing dice in the well-lit areas. Crime wasn't common on the First Floor... at least not on Main Street, and the guards wouldn't risk their lives stalking through the unlit backstreets at night.

The tapping of my cane drew the attention of one of the nearby groups, but they simply waved when they noticed the Academy uniform beneath my gear. I greeted them in return and continued on my way.

Rather than taking the side entrance closest to the dorms, I decided to take the cobblestone walk that connected Main Street to one of the four main entrances of the Academy. I didn't want to get my new boots muddy if I could help it.

I looked up at the north gate, which consisted of two slightly leaning pillars supporting an arch-like structure on top. Many facets of the Academy still held these ancient structures, which we were told warded the area from corruption. I'd never heard of such a thing, and they weren't even Relics.

Two heavily armoured guards stepped out from behind the pillars as I approached. I pulled out my registration, which clearly showed the Academy's stamp of two golden shields hovering around a silver Card.

The guards eased back, and one held out his hand for my identification. I handed it over without fuss and watched as he promptly pressed a piece of Demon Glass to the corner. The glass lit up and gave off a dull, silver glow.

"Head on through," the guard nodded and handed back my registration, the slit in his helmet showing soft eyes rather than the aggressive ones he'd had before. "May the Tower's light shine upon you."

I scratched my chin, thinking he must have seen my status as a scholarship student. Though I was given hell by the students in the Academy, the working class tended to see scholarship students as their representation amongst the wealthy.

"What a fine man," I smiled and walked toward the dormitory, passing the open gate of the Academy when I reached the courtyard. There was a nip in the air...

I stopped and looked around. My instincts warned me that something wasn't right. My breath escaped in harsh bursts, and steam formed on my lips as the temperature continued to drop. The water in the fountain froze, and I struggled to take another step...

"He... Hehe... Heheh..."

A child's laughter echoed throughout the place, followed by the sound of a bouncing ball. The noise faded in and out of existence, making it hard to pin down. I swallowed involuntarily.

The hair on my arms and neck gradually rose. A cold sweat trickled down my back. It took immense effort, but I forced myself to dig my nails into my palms. Blood dripped from my torn skin, and I managed to break free from the fear effect the laughter had incited.

I turned and looked at the Academy's entrance, the fear gone and a smile back on my face, "Don't you worry, lad. It'll be your turn soon enough."

With that, I left the courtyard, and my cane's tapping resumed as I made my way to the dorms. For good measure, I cast heal to stop the bleeding, the light alerting a hunched-over figure that sat beside the doorway of the dormitory.

"Oi! Who're you?" He asked loudly, uncaring of the residents sleeping inside. "You ought to know students ain't s'posed to be about at night."

I smiled at the old miser. The caretakers of the grounds would regularly opt as doorkeepers in the evenings to keep the students in check... In exchange for extra compensation, of course. This fellow, in particular, was here almost every night working on getting that Essence. After dealing with pretentious students for so many years, he naturally became a bit of an arse.

Ignoring the custodian, I glanced at the many windows visible from this side of the building. More candles were burning than usual. The Academy never bothered paying the Church of Liberation to paint Blood Circuits throughout the dorms. I could still hear their justifications.

"Students have to understand discipline. There won't be such conveniences while camping on the higher Floors."

"You deaf, boy?" the man asked again. It had been less than a second since he'd spoken the first time. I usually wouldn't be bothered, but I'd been through a lot over the last forty hours, and his lack of decorum managed to sully my mood.

"Rowan Wilder, Sir," I said tersely, showing my registration.

"Hmmm, Mistah Wildah..." the man opened a hefty tome sitting beside a glowing Relic on his station. "Ahh, yes, you din't show up las' night either. I 'ad to take a chewin' from that ol' bat Warren I did. Where's abouts was ya?"

Rubbing my temples, I candidly replied, "Hunting."

"Hunting, eh? Fer two days?" The man scoffed in disbelief but wrote the information on the page under my name anyway. Dark purple ink seeped into the page and seemingly disappeared. I knew a similar book in the Headmaster's office would document the note. "It's past curfew, ya know?"

"What an astute observation," I said in a praising tone. It wasn't like this man had anything else to do. He would sit here for the rest of the evening, twiddling his thumbs. "Sir, your Level of Perception is astounding."

Not detecting the sarcasm laden within my words, the caretaker grinned widely, his mood changing. I sighed inwardly, not caring to bother with the man any longer. After so many years dealing with youths myself, I could sympathise with the man to some extent. That didn't mean I agreed with his treatment of them.

Nodding to the temperamental man, I pulled out my keys and entered the dormitory. Before I shut the door behind me, I could see that the custodian had laid his head on the tome, using it as a cushion to get some sleep.

The male dormitory consisted of three floors. The first included the entryway, a large common area, a small library, and the ornate wraparound steps leading up. This was the nicest of the accommodations. It was only meant for those who'd reached their tenth and final year at the Academy.

AI stepped off the stairs onto the second floor and noticed that many of the rooms were open. It was an odd sight for it being after midnight. Students rushed back and forth with pages in their hands, calling out answers to other student's questions.

It seemed that the exams in the morning had everyone worked up. That wasn't surprising since if one failed to score a passing average, the Academy insignia would be removed from their registration, and they wouldn't receive the benefits they'd been working toward.

I reached my own closed door among the sea of open ones, placed my cane under my arm, and fiddled with the ring of keys until I found the right one. About the time I'd unlocked the door and turned the knob, someone tapped my shoulder.

"Evening... uh, Rowan," a somewhat sheepish but recognisable voice sounded behind me. I turned with my eyebrow raised, seeing my classmate Luke standing there scratching the back of his head. Already in a foul mood, I knew I probably looked annoyed at his approach.

"How can I help you, lad?" I asked exhaustedly.

He looked at me like I'd said something funny but shrugged it off and replied, "Miss Warren wasn't pleased with your absence yesterday."

"Oh?" The irritation crept back into my voice, "That's all, is it?"

"Uh, no," he raised his hands defensively. "I didn't mean to be accusatory. I just... Miss Warren was worried. I only want you to consider your actions and how they can affect others. You only performed a little above average on the practical, and you missed the final day of our review before the written!"

I just stared at him blankly. Sure, that was the case, but what that had to do with anyone else was beyond me. He sighed in exasperation and shook his head.

"Look, Miss Warren is a family friend, so I know her," he said. "For whatever reason, she's worried you'll die a pointless death after leaving the First Floor. You can't blame her. Your performance has been nothing but mediocre."

My face softened, and I nodded, "Thank you for telling me."

Luke turned to leave, but I could still hear his muttering, "I don't know what Miss Warren sees in that dud. So be it. If he dies early, my conscience will be clear. Maybe he'll..."

I didn't hear the rest. Sighing, I closed the door and placed my bags beside my overturned bed. My grimace deepened when I remembered how hastily I'd left the place, never tidying up the fallen mattress and sheets.

While I tended to the mess, I thought about what Luke had said. It seemed missing the last afternoon of review hadn't gone unnoticed. Still, it wasn't like the written exam was something I had to concern myself with this time around.

Luke may have just had a guilty conscience, but I knew what he said was true. Miss Warren meant well. In some ways, I wished I'd listened to some of her warnings. If I hadn't gone up, I never would have received that Origin Card that ruined my life...

Well... Did it really ruin my life..? Or did it save me? Without that Card, I wouldn't be here. I would have perished alongside everyone else on the Origin Floor... if I had even lived that long in the first place.

Still unsure whether I should be grateful, I finished tidying the area. That done, I used a drop of Infernal Wash to cleanse myself before removing my gear. It would be wasteful to purify the pieces individually when the liquid also affected any donned attire.

Before proceeding to the washroom, I set the gear out neatly on the common room table. My visage appeared in the ornate mirror that clung to the wall. The wash nor the additions to my Deck could remove the dark bags under my eyes.

I returned to the common area after relieving myself. I pulled open a desk drawer and grabbed an old wristwatch I'd hardly used in my previous life. It was a cheap purchase I'd made on a whim months ago. The glass was cracked, but it still functioned. The timepiece was a Relic that remained attuned to the clock hovering above the Origin Floor no matter where one advanced within the Tower.

[100:08:23:56:32]

I stared at the watch for a long time before sporting it on my wrist and setting the timer to wake me in about six hours. There were just under nine days until the turn of the century... the last century.

I thought about the few acquaintances I'd made in my previous life and the many connections I'd built. Settling down had never been an option. My condition left me sterile, so there was no wife and no children for me to miss., much to my regret.

Most of my associates went off to the higher Floors or died long before the end. None had been close enough for me to consider recruiting them in this life, and the only one that could be called a friend hadn't been born yet. I chuckled when I thought of how Crole and I had met, him hiding from the guards after having stolen a bottle of whiskey.

I wasn't sure how long I stared into the darkness before my consciousness faded... and the next thing I knew, there was a pull in my mind. My eyes fluttered open. The first thing I saw was the early morning sun creeping through the window and falling warmly upon my face.

It was a soft enough light that I wasn't forced to blink. I lay there thinking about closing my eyes and going back to sleep. The tug on my mind hit again, stronger this time. I sat up, rubbed the sleep from my eyes, and glanced at the time on my watch.

[100:08:17:58:49]

The pull came again, this time feeling more like my thoughts were being yanked toward the watch, "Bloody hell, I'm up!"

I fumbled with the lever on the side of the watch and flipped it downward, shutting off the alert. Now fully awake, I stretched, washed, and performed a few exercises.

Today, rather than my old leather armour, I sported the standard uniform of the Academy's tenth-year students. Around my waist, I wore a multi-pocket belt with my Deck Box attached. I carried nothing else but my cane. For the final exam, even the pens would be provided by the Academy.

I looked over myself in the mirror. The dark circles under my eyes were gone, and I felt fresh as a spring chicken. With a skip, I grabbed my cane and walked out the door, locking it behind me.

Many students rushed about frantically in the corridor. I spied Luke leaving his room down the hall. He shot a look in my direction. Not wanting to be tactless, I gave him a slight nod before proceeding toward the stairs.

After leaving the dorm, I fell in line behind a few batches of students. The boys and girls walked and chatted merrily in their little groups, many of whom would form Parties to take on the Tower after the graduation ceremony. It was impossible not to pick up on the childish conversations.

The young men were flexing in front of the women and describing how they would bring down Fiends with their bare hands. Some women flirted back, though most were unimpressed. In the shadows of the building, couples stood intertwined and would remain that way until the last second.

With the constant entertainment of the innocence surrounding me, the ten-minute walk to the classroom only seemed to take seconds. My cane tapped quietly on the stone floor, scarcely audible over the ruckus. I walked into class, drawing a few students' attention, and then sat in my lonesome seat near the window.

I placed my cane out of the walkway and sat down, staring out the window while waiting impatiently for Cecelia to arrive and distribute the examinations. I still had tasks to accomplish on this Floor, and they couldn't be done from the classroom.

A prickling sensation caught my attention... something of an instinct I'd picked up after years of dangerous encounters. I turned and found Aurora glaring irately in my direction. When her eyes met mine, she didn't look away.

Did I miss something? Is it my imagination, or is the number one student challenging me?

I smiled and matched her gaze, unsure of what game she was playing. The other early risers didn't take long to notice our little contest. I ignored the sudden whispers that passed between the onlookers.

"Miss Price, if you continue eyeing me with such intensity, I may start to feel its courtship you're seeking this morning," I flashed my most charming smile. "If such is the case, the pleasure would be mine."

I could almost hear every jaw drop, and Aurora's eyes widened. Her face turned beet red. She jerked her head to the front of the room and cast her Sphere of Silence. I nodded in satisfaction.

That ought to be a good lesson on open animosity. These youngsters have a ways to go before ascending if they can't mask their feelings. It's not only the Beasts in the fields they'll have to look out for.

My declaration caused a lot of chatter amongst the other students, which I ignored. While the others gossiped, I turned to the window and waited patiently for Cecelia to bring our exams.

***

Zachary looked on from his seat in the back of the room, his face tranquil as ever. He'd caught it two days prior when Aurora stared at Rowan's empty chair. His interest was piqued just now while the two stared at one another. Then, after Rowan's comment...

"Hmm..."

He sat quietly, considering the interaction. Zachary had been around his classmates for years, and Rowan's sudden brazenness was... different. It was customary for the young man to roll over and let others walk over him. That never seemed to phase the man, though. He always kept a straight face and never showed his feelings in those times.

Zachary found this development intriguing.

Multiple conversations sprouted amongst the groups, including his own. He watched the exchanges and how each of his associates reacted. Looking at Rowan didn't reveal any clues to how he felt about the chatter. Zachary continued to watch the man and tried to understand what had caused this sudden change.

Rowan's head snapped in his direction. Just like with Aurora, the youth refused to look away when their gazes locked. Zachary blinked, not understanding how the young man knew he was being watched. Rowan's eyes were filled with a light Zachary had never seen before. The youth nodded and turned his attention back to the window.

Zachary's eyes narrowed slightly, but no one noticed the subtle change. He stood, intending to question the man about this newfound fervour. Before he could take a step, Miss Warren stepped in.

She held a strange orb, a massive book, and an elaborate wooden container. The woman glanced around the room and noticed that almost all her students were looking in one direction. Following their gazes, she was surprised to find that everyone was looking toward the back corner of the class.

Zachary studied her reactions. She turned toward the incompetent student, smiled, and proceeded down the stairway until she reached her desk. He remembered how the woman had asked about that very student two days prior, and his interest grew.

There was something different about this... Rowan Wilder.