This thread is the new version of my book. I will ask an administrator to lock the previous one.
If you wish to be added to Silverlight, please PM me with the following:
- Character name (and if possible, surname) along with description
- Aura color (all Aura is displayed in the form of flames)
- Weapon (will be detailed in the story later on)
Chapter 1 – Just another Day
“Hey! Are you listening Byaku?” Says the familiar voice. I look up at the girl standing before me, as I hear the line I know all too well. “Not really” I reply, looking down at my laptop again. I hear the familiar “Tch…” as she turns away and sulks, trying to guilt trip me into listening. A trick that may have worked the first few times, but wore out very quickly.
While she seemed to be your typical 16-year old, Christen Kaede was at the top of her class, scoring mainly A’s and the occasional B. She was also quite the pretty girl, with her long, black hair, sparkling amber eyes and large figure. “All right, all right, go on. I’m listening.” She turned back to me, narrowing her eyes slightly as she normally did, trying to see if I was actually going to listen or drift back to my work when she wasn’t looking, as I sometimes did. “Just to make sure you’re telling me the truth…” She reached over and closed my laptop. I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. She smiled slightly and sat down her bed, taking out her phone and headphones. After putting on some music, she sighed and continued. “Well, like I was saying, there’s a new transfer student coming to Nexus tomorrow”. “A new student, huh?” I said in my usual calm tone. Oh, by the way, my name is Byakuran Shirayuri, a 15 year-old, male second year student at Nexus Academy. I have white hair with a blue streak on the right, sapphire blue eyes and a very slim figure. Back to the topic at hand, I found myself unsurprised at the transfer student, since Nexus was an internationally renowned Academy, and had been for the past 12 years. Staring into space again, I see” said Christen, her ambient amber eyes glancing at me from the bed. I looked at her questioningly. She smiled once again. “Oh, don’t give me that look” she said jokingly. As I turned around to re-open my laptop, I heard a knock at the door. “Come in” I said. Christen sat upright as the door opened to reveal a teacher in the hall. ”Evening ma’am” Christen and I said at the same time. “Evening, you two. Lights out in 25 minutes” she said politely. “Yes ma’am” we replied. She bowed slightly and closed the door. Nexus Private Academy has really strict protocols when it comes to lights out. Ah, and in case you were wondering, Christen and I shared a room. We were the leaders of the disciplinary committee. We ensure people followed the rules, as well as stayed within the dormitories during the night. “Well, let’s round them up” said Christen. “Roger that” I replied, turning on the mic. “Attention all students, lights out in 25. Please ensure you are within your respective quarters before lockdown. Thank you.” I turned off the mic and went to the bathroom to get changed. As I came out, the first thing I noticed is that Christen wasn’t on her bed anymore. I suddenly felt a light pressure on my back. “Christen, you know my answer.” I said in an even yet slightly annoyed tone. “Aww, your no fun” she said quietly. I sighed. She tried this almost every night, and every time my answer was the same. “You know my reason.” But she just gave a soft laugh at that and said “Well, once in a while won’t hurt.” I sighed. “My back is fine, I don’t need a massage. Remember what happened last time?” The first and last time I let christen massage my back after a long day resulted with me unable to move for a week. Sometimes the girl didn’t know the strength that came with her large physique, especially since she trained every day after school. “That was so not my fault…” she said, sulking again. “Well then, I’m gonna hit the hay. Night partner.” And with that, she got into her bed and was asleep within a few minutes. I got into my bed and fell asleep almost instantly after turning off the lamp.
As we entered the school building the next day, I noticed that most of the hallways were quiet. Something’s wrong here I thought. Where is everyone? “Excuse me” I said to a girl passing by “Do you know where all the students are?” “Oh, they’re greeting the new transfer student in class C-7” she said. “Thanks.” I replied, and she continued down the hall. When we got there, a whole bunch of people were gathered around one of the desks. Sitting at the desk was a girl with long raven hair, ice-like blue eyes, a slim figure and the school uniform for females, which was a plain white shirt and a miniskirt or pants. For males, it was a white shirt and long or short pants. Normally, I wouldn’t pay attention to these details, but I fell in love at first sight. She looked very shy, so I cleared my throat, and suddenly the smiles dropped. Everyone turned to look at me some with widened eyes. “Alright, back to your classes, now” I said sternly. “Those of you who still want to greet her, do it within lunch break or after school. Disperse.” The students did as they were told, and those who gave me a sulky look were met with a death stare. That was my way of keeping control, and it seemed to work pretty well, as they moved quickly after looking at my eyes. “Sorry about that, miss” I said to the girl. My name is Byakuran Shirayuri, but everyone calls me Byaku. A pleasure.” She smiled slightly at that, and stood up to shake hands with me. “Sakura Bellthorne. And the pleasure is all mine, Byakuran-sama”. I laughed a little at the “sama” part. “No need for Sama, miss Sakura. We’re all family here, even if some students don’t appreciate it.” “I see” she said, giving me the once-over with her eyes. “Would you mind giving me a tour of the grounds after hours? I want to get the layout before I end up getting lost.” Just as she said that, the bell rang, signalling the start of classes. “Ah, that’s my queue. I’ll meet you in the cafeteria after school” I said, turning to leave. “I look forward to it” came the reply. Although what happened next changed my life in a way I will never forget.
The bell rang to signify the end of the final period. As I left the classroom, heading for the cafeteria where I was supposed to meet Sakura-san, a strange chill went down my back. I knew this feeling: I was being watched. I looked around me casually, and I spotted a small girl with purple hair – probably hair dye - watching me from a distance. Her blue eyes were centred on me, a slight grin on her face. I narrowed my eyes slightly and approached her, putting up a fake smile. “I don’t believe we’ve met, miss. And to what do I owe the pleasure?” She only widened her smile a bit, and I noticed her eyes were beginning to change colour – to blood like red. She leaned forward and placed a hand on my stomach. I felt a chill go down my spine, and my head began to warm up. “What the hell did you do to me?” I whispered in her ear. “Tell me where she is and I’ll make it less… severe” she replied. She? I was beginning to lose my strength. “You mean Sakura?” The girl gave a slight nod. “She’s in the cafe…ter…ia… I mumbled those last words. The girl, seeming satisfied, put a hand on my forehead. All my strength left me. My knees buckled, and I fell unconscious to the floor.
When I opened my eyes about an hour later, the first thing I saw were the surprised faces of students. One of them shouted “Somebody fetch Kaede-sama! He’s waking up!” I recognised that voice as Sakura. I heard footsteps approaching and Christen came charging down the hall, the health teacher hot on her heels. “Everybody, get back!” shouted the teacher. They did as they were told, and Christen ran to my side immediately. “Byaku! Are you okay?” She asked franticly looking me over for any injuries or bruises. “I’m… fine.” I said. I attempted to stand, though my efforts were in vain and I fell flat on the floor again. “Now, now, none of that.” Said the teacher. “Here, let me take your temperature.” The teacher inserted a thermometer inside my mouth. When he took the reading, he whistled. “47, 3 degrees…” He took a bottle of water out of his bag and offered it to me. I gladly accepted, finishing half the bottle. “Alright, back to work everyone. Byakuran-san will be fine. Dismissed” And with those words, the teacher left to usher the students back into their classes, while he ordered Kaede and Sakura to escort me to the dormitory. On our way out, I saw that girl again. “You…” I said as we passed her. “What’s wrong, Byaku-kun?” asked Christen. “That’s the girl who did this to me, that’s what!” I said, raising my voice – something which does not happen often. Sakura turned to face the girl, her face becoming oddly calm. “So… you’re the Arcania”. The girl merely gave that devilish smile of hers and walked away.
As we got to the dormitories, Sakura closed the door behind us. “Damn it…” she said under her breath. “How could I be so careless…?” Christen and I looked at each other. I raised my eyebrow, and she shrugged. “Miss Bellthorne, what are you talking about?” She looked at me. “Later” She said quietly. “I’ll be taking my leave for now.” “Hey, wait a sec! You can’t just…“ Christen was cut off by a death stare from Sakura, which seemed to freeze her in place. “Later, miss Kaede. My patience is wearing thin as it is.” And with that, she closed the door.
Chapter 2 - Sakura’s Secret
“I can’t just sit here, Christen!” I said, quite annoyed. “You can and will, because until you get some rest, I am not letting you out of this room” came the reply. It had been about 5 minutes since Sakura left, and Christen was trying to force me to get some rest. “I’m sorry, but that’s not going to happen. I’m going after her, one way or another.” I tried to move forward, yet ended up tumbling into christens waiting arms. “Byaku, why are you so determined to follow her? You’ve only just met her.” Those words made me freeze. I leaned back and looked into christens eyes. To my surprise, she was… crying. Christen Kaede, the toughest girl in school and my partner, was standing right in front of me and crying. “Please, Byaku, I don’t want to be alone… not again. Not after Meysa…” Her knees began to buckle, so we took a seat on my bed. “Christen, I… I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you” I said, my voice shaking. “I know Byaku. I know, but still I…” I wiped a tear from her cheek and gave her a hug. “You saw what that girl did to me with one touch. I don’t want to have to put you through that again. So let’s do this together, yeah?” She sniffled and gave me that bright smile. “Yeah. Let’s go!”
As we got to the lobby, the health teacher entered the dormitory. He saw us hurrying and looked a bit surprised, as I never disobeyed a teachers orders before. “Byaku, Christen, where are you off to? I told you both to get some rest for the day” he said, looking angry. “Sorry doc, change of plans” said Christen, and we rushed past him and out the dorms. Sakura was halfway across the courtyard when she turned, probably to see what the noise was about, when she saw us. Her eyes widened with surprise, and she started running. “Hold it!” I shouted, and attempted to run from christen. She let me go surprisingly easy, a semi-shocked look on her face. As I ran, my heart began to pound and I started feeling warm. As I took my next step, my body felt light. Next thing I knew, I was in front of Sakura. She stared at me in shock. “You…How did you…” she stammered. “That’s what you’re going to tell us when we’re finished with this ‘Arcania’.” She seemed even more shocked that I knew the word. “You mentioned it before” I said, and that seemed to answer her question. “Now, where to?” Sakura seemed to come back to reality. She leaned forward. “Just follow me, keep your head down and let me do the fighting” she whispered into my ear. Fighting? I thought. What have I gotten myself into…?
Sakura led us to the empty Gymnasium, where that girl – the “Arcania” – was waiting for us. When we entered, Sakura turned around and raised her hand to one of the stands. Purple flames appeared in her hand in an instant, and she thrust her arm toward the stand. The flames jumped forward immediately, almost responding to her will, and torched the stand - but not the person sitting on it. When the flames cleared, she was sitting on what looked like a circle with glyphs. It started to descend. “Now, now Sakura-san, no need for that” she said jokingly. She flashed that smile again – but this time her teeth were something similar to a cat’s teeth. “Tch” I heard Sakura say under her breath. Sakura looked at her with a calm face. She placed her hands on the floor and jumped, moving with cat-like agility. Somewhere along the line, a shotgun appeared in her hand, and she aimed it at the Arcania. The girl looked at her in surprise, and Sakura pulled the trigger. At that range, the girl didn’t stand a chance and she seemed to disappear in the flames. When the fire cleared, there was a hole in the side of the building the size of a cinema screen. Christen and I stared in shock. We had been hiding behind a stand the entire time. “Well, now that that’s over with,” She said, landing on all fours, the shotgun seeming to have vanished into thin air “let’s get you two outa here.” She took our hands and led us out to the field track – where the same girl from before re-appeared in front of us, smiling once again. “You really think I’d die from that?” she asked, crossing her arms. “Nope, just hoped it would stall you. Apparently it didn’t do shit.” Sakura said, her face going calm once again. “What do you want, Leone?” The girl laughed. “Oh, I’m soo scared. As for what I want…” She pointed to me. Sakura put her hand up, and those purple flames jumped to life, forming a shotgun which was aimed at the girl once again. “Well, tough. I got the claim first, and you know the rules.” “As do you, miss Bellthorne. If I so wish, I can challenge you to take possession of my soon to be Hunter.” Sakura disappeared and re-appeared in front of the girl – Leone, I think her name was – and in the place of her shotgun was a longsword. “Over my dead body” she said under her breath. Leone then did the disappearing act and was in front of me before I could blink. She wrapped her arms around my neck, leaned in close and whispered “Join me, and we shall destroy them a…“ She stopped abruptly, as I had kicked her in the stomach. She stumbled backwards, and looked at me in complete shock – different to what I had seen before. “How did you…” She said, stopping abruptly as Sakura appeared in front of her, pointing the shotgun barrel to her head. “Game over. Now, behave yourself or I will incinerate you. Understood?” Leone gulped and nodded, then scrambled to her feet and ran as far as possible.
As we entered our room, Sakura shut the door behind us and said “Right, you tell anyone about what you saw, and you’ll have me to deal with. Understood?” We both nodded. She sighed, then sat down on my bed, crossed her legs, and breathed slowly – a technique for calming your mind. “If you have any questions before we leave ask them now, because there won’t be time until we get to your new home.” “New home?” Christen and I said simultaneously. “What are you talking about? We aren’t going anywhere!” said christen, her voice raising. “Christen, calm down” I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Calm down? How can you tell me to calm down when… “This time, I was the one who got angry. “Christen Kaede, Calm down!” I shouted, anger pooling in me. She looked at me with wide eyes, as I almost never got this angry. “Right” I said calming down. “First and foremost, who are you and how did you get those flames?” She smiled slightly. “I’m an Arcania” she said, and bared her teeth. “Shee that?” she pointed to her teeth, which were more like a cat than human. She closed her mouth, and waved her hair back to reveal her ears – which were those of a cat. “What on earth…” I stammered. She laughed at the look on our faces, and let her hair down again. “I’m a Neko – a hybrid of human and cat. All Arcania are… non-human, for lack of a better term. And we serve the hunters, who are often human males. It’s rare you get a female or non-human hunter, but it isn’t impossible and vice versa. It’s rare you get a male Arcania, as almost all non-humans are female.” She looked at Christen. “Miss Kaede here is also an Arcania. She’s a Dragoon, half human half dragon – I can tell from her large size and strength, as well as her sharp teeth and catlike eyes.” I looked at christen dumbfounded, yet she looked at Sakura with a frown. “But I was born and raised by Humans, so I can’t be… wait.” Her eyes went wide - they really did look like those of a feline… She went to her draw and looked for something. After about a minute, she pulled out a photo of her family, one taken when she was 8 – 2 years before her mother’s death in a car accident. “You said most huntresses are female, right?” She was visibly shaking at this point. “Christen” She cast her gaze at me, and I saw fear in her eyes. “It’ll be okay. You still have me.” She sniffed, and sat down next to me. I put my arm around her and pulled her close, then looked at Sakura and gave a nod. “Yes, most huntresses are female.” She continued. ”That means your mother was a Dragoon. She most likely didn’t tell your father because she was scared he would think she was crazy and leave her.” Christ, this girl ever heard of sympathy? I thought, giving Sakura an angry look. She ignored it and continued. “We Arcania mostly seek out our own hunters and test them to see if they live up to our expectations. In your case, Miss Kaede, I think you’ve deemed Byaku-kun here worthy of being your Hunter, as have I.” Christen and I both looked at her like she was mad. “Well, I still need to test you, but you resisted a tier 3 spell without training. That gives you some credit. Now, if that’s all, I’ll be taking my leave. I’ll speak to you again after class tomorrow.”
The next day, after the bell rang to signal the end of classes, Sakura came to my class with Christen. “Byaku-san, we need to talk. Meet me in the dorms in 2 hours.” She turned around as she was leaving and whispered in my ear “Oh, and don’t worry about Leone. She won’t be a problem anymore.” And with that, she left the classroom, taking Christen with her again. As she walked out I heard whispering among the other students. “I can hear everything your saying, you know” I grumbled. The whispers went silent.
Around 2 hours later, I checked into the dormitory and headed to our room. When I got to the door, I knocked – Christen should have just gotten back from training, so she might be changing. “Come in!” came the reply. I opened the door to find Christen sitting on her bed cross legged, wearing a white tank top, short blue jeans and reading a book, while Sakura lay on mine wearing a T-shirt with flower patterns and a miniskirt, as well as headphones. Sakura looked up as I came in. “Took ya long enough” she said, sitting up and grinning. “Yea, one of the first years was quite the bully in his previous school. Thought he could do the same here, and now he’s in the infirmary.” She laughed at that. “Reliable and strong? You’re turning out to be quite the prize. It’s a wonder you haven’t got a girl yet.” Christen narrowed her eyes but said nothing. “Now, it’s about time for me to teach you how to use your Aura.” Sakura continued, taking off her headphones, and Christen put down her book to listen. “You remember those flames I used in the Gym? That’s my Aura.” I recalled the purple flames that jumped to life in her palm. “All Aura take the form of flames at first, but this may change over time. As you gain understanding of other elements, your aura will change appropriately. Each Aura is unique, as no two entities are the same. Your Aura is basically your resolve in corporeal form. The stronger your resolve, the stronger you’re Aura will be. If for instance, you poured all your strength into protecting something, or someone, your Aura would respond accordingly and increase your physical and mental abilities tenfold. Any questions so far?” She looked over at christen, then at me. “Yes, actually. When you faced Leone, you mentioned that you got the claim first.” She must’ve forgotten about that, because she frowned. After a few seconds, her face lit up again. “Ah, yes. We Arcania have a bit of a pact. Anyone wishing to test or claim a certain hunter or, in rare cases, huntress, have to go through the court. After that, a bulletin is put out to say that you’ve been claimed and no other Arcania is allowed to interfere unless they wish to challenge you for rights to the claim, or the hunter or huntress decides to start a family.” I was a bit surprised when she said family. “You mean as in marriage or something?” Sakura almost fell off my bed with laughter. “No, no, nothing like that. A family, in this context, is like a guild. But back to the point.” Her face turned serious. “Do you have anything you want to protect, Byaku?” Okay, that came from nowhere… “Yes, I do. Christen.” Christens cheeks, went red as she turned away from me, blushing profusely. “Oh? Well, what would you say if I told you I was going to kill her?” My body suddenly tensed up, a heat starting to build inside me. “If you tried that” I mumbled, my words almost incomprehensible “I would rip you apart one piece at a time.” She smiled devilishly, and her eyes began to turn blood red – the same way Leone’s did when she forcefully knocked me out. Don’t underestimate her. You’ve seen how strong she is. And I am going to protect Christen at all costs. I can’t lose her too. No, I WON’T lose her too. As I thought that, Sakura grinned and her eyes returned to normal. The tension in my body released, and it took me some time before I realised that my body was hotter than before. “Is it just me, or did the temperature rise?” I looked over at Christen, who was now staring with open eyes. “What, did I say something wrong?” I asked sarcastically. She shook her head. “Byaku, your body…” I frowned, and looked down. Only then did I realise that my entire body was covered in a paper-thin layer of white, blue and green flames.
Chapter 3 – Change of Plans
“Well, well, looks like Leone did my job for me.” Sakura said, after looking at my reaction. I glanced at her questioningly. “She opened your Aura when she touched you on the stomach.” I stared at my hand in curiosity, watching the flames dance around my arm as if it was awaiting my will. “I wonder…” I raised my hand and pointed it at the wall. As if sensing my intentions, the flames centred in my palm. “Whoa, whoa! Take it easy there, tiger! You don’t want to accidentally incinerate another student, do you?” Sakura attempted to pull my arm down, but the flames formed a protective layer around me in the blink of an eye as if to say “Don’t even think about it”. “Byaku, did you do that?” I shook my head. “Umm, quick question… how do I turn it off?” Sakura shrugged. “Don’t ask me. Like I said, each aura is unique.” I decided to think calm thoughts in an attempt to settle me down. The flames seemed to realise they weren’t needed anymore and dissipated. “Well, that was… awkward.” Said Christen, finally speaking up. “There’s one more thing I neglected to mention.” Sakura shifted uncomfortably. There are certain Arcania which… let’s just say, don’t appreciate the hunter’s pact. Normally, hunters never stay in one place for more than two days as they become easy targets outside their domain. I’ve been here three, which is more than enough time for them to track me. There’s only one place they won’t dare touch us. We’re going to have to leave Nexus tonight.” “Wait, what?” Christen and I shouted in near complete synch. “Leave Nexus tonight?” Sakura frowned. “Yes, tonight. I don’t appreciate people parroting me, if you wouldn’t mind” Saying that, she got up and stretched. “Hmmmm, been about half an hour since I moved… I’m going for a walk.” She swung her legs off the bed, but made the mistake of facing towards me while wearing a miniskirt. I caught a glimpse of what she wore. She seemed to realise her mistake, but she just smiled mischievously. I was a bit at a loss that she’d treat something like that as a trivial matter, but Christen and I got up to follow her as she made for the door.
That evening, Christen and I were packing our bags to leave. She was listening to some soothing music in her headphones, but I saw the worried look on her face. I, too, was worried for our future. During our walk, Sakura had told us about the other Arcania. Apparently, they were a terrorist group called the White Claw. They believed humans to be the weakest race, and thus treated us like cattle. However, although they were a major threat to the balance of the economy, they followed the one rule no race dared break - never reveal yourself to a human unless no other choice is available. If anyone broke this rule, they were punished by a mysterious entity known as the Seraph. Rumours she’d heard said he’s a divine deity, but no one could be sure. By the time she finished explaining, it was already 6 pm. She walked us back to the dormitory and told us to start packing. “Wait a second” I said. “If what you say is true, then how do we know they didn’t find me before you did? For all we know, they could be right here in the school.” She’d frowned at that, and said she was going to check the perimeter. We made our way up to our room, began packing, and that leads us to the present. “Do you think they managed to find us?” I asked Christen, who looked like she didn’t hear me. I shrugged and turned around to keep packing. “I… I don’t know.” Came the reply after a few seconds. I smiled slightly. “This is just like in the books we used to read as little kids, eh?” I tried changing the subject to lighten the mood. This time, however, I got no reply.
Sakura walked in the door as we shut our suitcases, but her expression was not a good sign. “Byaku, you were right. The White Claw have infiltrated the school.” Sakura had changed her clothes. The miniskirt and t-shirt had been replaced with a thin, black fur coat and black leather boots, both with a white fur trim, a short black top which revealed her stomach and short black jeans. Christen blushed slightly after seeing her, and said “Isn’t that a bit daring?” Sakura smiled slightly, revealing her sharp catlike teeth. “I suppose. You certainly know how to lighten the mood, Miss Kaede. But there’s no time for jokes. Have you got everything you need?” she asked, looking around the now barren room. We both nodded, and she gestured for us to follow her. As the elevator door opened on our floor, Sakura tilted her head over her shoulder and raised her ear. Her body suddenly tensed, and she yelled “Get down!” We did as we were told, and she jumped over us and released her Aura. Almost instantly she was covered in purple flames. She stuck her hand out and, using it as the centre, released a storm of fire that torched the passage – and the black-suited girls within it. “Shit, they’ve found us! You two, take the elevator downstairs and wait for Leone!” And with those words, she ushered us into the elevator and hit the ground floor button. “She smiled and turned around, and we caught a glimpse of her sending one of the men flying with a punch before the door closed. For the next minute, all we heard were explosions which shook the elevator. When we got to the ground floor, we were greeted with the sly, smiling face of Leone, who had changed her hair colour from purple to silver. “So we meet again, Byaku kun” she said, stepping forward. “Stay away from us, or I’ll burn you to death” I whispered in her ear. “Oh? So Bellthorne taught you how to release your Aura, did she? Well, no matter. I’m on your side for the moment.” We narrowed our eyes at her, and she laughed. “Say what you want, these guys are a pain in my ass too, so I’m coming with you. I talked it over with Sakura last night, and I’m supposed to meet you two at the rendezvous point. But, as I’m sure you’ve noticed, things didn’t exactly go according to plan, so I’m taking you there instead. Follow me.”
We left the building and found 5 young girls in business suits waiting for us. Leone looked at the girls around us but merely gave her devilish smile. “You two might wanna get back.” She told us, and she released her Aura. The air started to shimmer around her, the temperature dropping rapidly. The pavement around her started turning a shimmering light-blue as a thin sheet of ice enveloped it, spreading like a plague. The women’s smiles wavered for a second, but recovered surprisingly quickly. One by one, they took slow steps forward, their eyes observing us carefully, looking for any type of opening. “That’s close enough, ladies.” Leone said. All of the girls stopped, but one was either very stupid or over confident and took another step forward. As her foot touched the ground, she stopped and the expression on her face became one of fear. I heard a small cracking noise, like when you put ice in a glass of water, and her skin turned white. “I warned you” she said jokingly, and Leone extended her arm and snapped her fingers. Almost instantly, the other four were enveloped in a thick sheet of ice. “Now that there are no more distractions” Leone said, the air and temperature around her returning to normal and the ice sheets on the concrete dissipating “Let’s get the hell outa here.” As she said that, we heard the sound of a window breaking. We turned around and looked up just in time to see Sakura jumping through the window of our floor, a trail of glass raining down behind her. She landed with catlike precision, her Aura seeming to dissipate. “I hope you didn’t go too overboard while I was away” she said, standing up and looking over at Leone. “Oh, I just froze a couple of their goons who tried to stop us leaving. No big deal.” Sakura looked back at us, and Christen and I gave her a nod. She gave us a feline grin before stretching her arm out in front of her, her Aura flaring up once again – this time as white flames. The air started to shimmer and distort, but this was different than Leone’s Ice Aura. “I think you two should have the honours.” She gestured for us to walk through the distorted space, and we did. As we entered it, the world around us seemed to fade and disappear. Sakura and Leone came in after us, and the exit also faded and disappeared. “Oh, there’s one thing we forgot to say.” She and Leone walked in front of us, looked over their shoulders, smiled and said “Welcome to the Aura Kingdom.”
Chapter 4 – A new face
After about 5 minutes of walking, Sakura and Leone came to a halt. “Well, this is our stop” Said Sakura, snapping her fingers. The space ahead of us distorted like the air back at Nexus, and began to gain colour. As we were about to walk through, Christen put her hand in mine. We looked at each other and nodded. Not knowing what awaited us, we stepped through the shimmering air and found ourselves in front of a large, very decorative iron gate. The initials on the front read S.B. “S.B? There’s only one person here with those initials…” Christen and I looked towards Sakura. “You should see the look on your faces” she said, laughing. “Before you ask, yes, this is my property. Now, are you going to stand there looking pretty or are you going to come inside?” We didn’t notice that the gate had opened. Sakura took the lead, Leone falling in behind her. “Come on you two, let’s go” said Leone. “Unless you want some private time…” We both blushed and hurried in. As we entered I noticed a faint glow on the gates, but not enough to make any light. The gates closed automatically, and we started our ascent to the top of the hill. When we got to the top, a beautiful sight lay before us. A giant mansion was spread out on the land before us, surrounded by beautiful gardens and courtyards where flowers I’d never seen before shone in the moonlight. As my gaze looked over the mansion, I spotted two figures coming towards us. One was a very tall girl with long, raven hair and yellow feline-like eyes, with a scythe strapped to her back and dual pistols. The other was a boy with brown hair and sapphire eyes wearing a cloak made of some type of silver material, a sword in hand and a sheath strapped to his side. As they got closer, I noticed that their faces were calm – the same kind of calm Sakura displayed in battle. They came to a halt before us, and I gave them the once over. The girl looked about 16, but she was roughly the same size as Christen, which meant that she was a dragoon. She had raven hair which flowed openly behind her, beautiful yellow feline eyes, and a very light skin colour, as well as a substantial chest. The boy had spiky brown hair, cyan eyes which looked as though they’d bore a hole through me, and the same skin colour as the girl. I also noticed that his sword hilt and scabbard had a distinct marking – a heron, although I wasn’t sure why. They both bowed in front of Sakura, who patted their heads. “Any trouble while I was away?” she asked, gesturing for them to stand up. They looked at each other, then looked toward her and nodded. Sakura’s smile wavered a bit, but quickly recovered. “Oh dear. Blanc again, eh?” They smiled, which seemed to tell her everything. “Well, let’s see what she’s done this time.”
We made our way to the main hall. As we entered, the first thing I noticed was water – a LOT of water. The main hall was about the size of a school gymnasium, with fountains in every corner that sprayed clear water onto the floor about six metres below. I looked down (bad idea) to find that the entire floor below us was full of water. There were four bridges which lead to the centre platform, one on each side. The centre was surrounded by a glass rail and had a large, ornate table sitting in the middle, as well as a lot of chairs. The platform was held up by columns of some type of white stone. As we crossed the bridge, I noticed someone sweeping the floor on the centre platform. A tall girl with dark-white skin and long, white hair was mumbling to herself as she put down the broom and headed to one of the many benches on the side, in front of the railings. She apparently hadn’t noticed us, as she picked up a book of some sort and started reading. Sakura cleared her throat, and the girl finally noticed us. She put down the book and stood up, heading toward us. She stopped in front of Sakura and, like the other two, bowed. “Evening, mistress” she said, standing upright again. “Don’t you “mistress” me.” Sakura said in a gentle yet firm tone. “What did you do this time?” The girl flinched. She seemed to think something over, but after a few seconds she spoke up. “I tried a new spell, but it ended with me torching half the training room. Avery fixed it, but he told me to do this as punishment.” She sighed, then seemed to notice us. “Hey, is he the one from the contract?” Sakura narrowed her eyes. “Yes, he is. But why do you want to know, Blanc?” The girl – Blanc – walked up to me and gave me a kiss on the forehead. “Wha-“I stammered. I turned to Christen, who seemed just as surprised. “Well, well. It’s not often we get cuties like you stay with us.” She smiled, but she was pulled away by Leone before she could do anything else. “That’s enough, sweetie.” Said Leone. I shot her a grateful look. “Blanc, where is Master Avery now?” said the girl with yellow eyes. “Stupid question, Aishuri. Where he always is – the library.” Responded Blanc. Aishuri and the boy made their way across the bridge and headed through one of the four large archways. “Blanc, please show these two as well as Leone where they’ll be staying for the night. I need to have a word with Avery.” Blanc sighed. ‘Sure, whatever. Come on you three.”
From the main hall, we went across the bridge to the left of the main entrance and through the large archway. Behind the archway, there were three hallways, one each leading to the left, right and front. Blanc led us down the centre corridor. At the end, there were a lot of doors – probably the bedrooms. She stopped in front of the first one and placed her hand on the door. I heard a click, and she opened it. Inside was a large, double bed with a fireplace in the centre of the room, and a metre long flat screen TV just above that. The walls were painted a dark shade of red, and a carpet was placed in the centre. There were also two very large computers placed neatly against the wall, and connected to two screens which sat side by side on the large desk above them. There was a walk-in closet, and a door which presumably led to a bathroom. “So, what do you think of your new room?” Asked Blanc, gesturing to me. “They’re all pretty much the same, with some slight differences of person preference.” I took a look around. “It’s not bad” I said, not knowing how to react. “Umm, miss Blanc? Is it possible for us to share this room?” asked christen very shyly. Blanc shot me a questioning glance, but I shrugged. “We’ve always shared a room in the academy” I said. “Academy? My, you are an interesting one…” She attempted to move closer, but got shot down from by a look from Leone. “Sure, you two can share the room. You gonna share the bed too, or want separate beds?” She looked between a blushing Christen and a slightly shocked me. “Umm, we’ll take it –“I was cut off by Christen before I could finish. “No, the single bed is fine. We’ll share it.” Blanc seemed a bit surprised. She leaned forward. “Is she your girlfriend or something?” I blushed. “No, but I treat her like a sister. She’s all I…” I stopped myself there. Blanc seemed to understand and pulled away. “Now then Miss Leone, please follow me to your room.” Blanc turned to us as they left, bowed slightly, and closed the door. “Well, this day has certainly been… eventful.” I said. “But christen… I’d like to know why you chose the…” I was cut off because, as I turned around, she almost fell into my arms. “Byaku, I know this is a bit selfish, but please… Just for tonight, I need someone to hold me…” I was a bit surprised, but I wrapped my arms around her and sat her down on the bed. “Christen, everything will be fine” I said, sitting next to her and hugging her. “It’s been a long day. What do you say get some dinner, and hit the hay, yea?” She looked at me, on the verge of tears. “Alright” she said softly.
Shortly after, there was a knock at the door, and Sakura peeked in slightly. “Come in Sakura” I said. She opened the door to reveal a boy with blonde hair standing behind her. She started to smile, but when she saw our expressions it dissipated quickly. “Avery, can you wait in the dining hall? I’ll be there in a second.” The boy nodded, and headed in the direction we’d come. Sakura came in and closed the door behind her, then came and sat beside us on the bed. I noticed she was now wearing a pure black dress. “You guys okay?” She asked leaning over to Christen and gently patting her on the back. “Yea, just a little shaken. Been a long day.” She smiled. “I just wanted to come and make sure you guys had settled in. I know this is all a bit new to you” she said softly “And it may feel like you’ve been thrown into this without being told which way is up, but for now, everything is fine. Nothing can, or ever will, hurt you here. Dinner is ready in the main hall, if you’re hungry. Do you want to eat in your room tonight?” Christen and I looked at each other, and I nodded. “Alright. Is there anything in particular you want?” “Nothing in particular, thanks” I said. “Alright then. I’ll be right back.” After a few minutes, Sakura came back with two plates of meat and salad. “I’ll see you two in the morning, kay?” As she left, I heard Christen mumble “Thank you”. Sakura smiled over her shoulder, and closed the door. After we ate, we went straight to bed – which, I’ll admit, was a bit awkward since I wasn’t used to sleeping with a girl right next to me. But, just for tonight, I could handle it. I didn’t know what awaited us in the morning, but I wasn’t exactly keen to find out. I fell asleep in a matter of minutes, my mind drifting into a peaceful darkness.
Chapter 5 – Morning
The next morning, I woke up wandering where the blazes I was. I then remembered the events that took place the previous night, and I felt a bit of despair. “Oh great… just what have I gotten myself into” I mumbled. Well, no use droning on about the past when we have a future to make I thought. I attempted to get up off the bed, but something restricted my movement. I turned pale as I remembered Christen was sleeping in the same bed. I opened my eyes and turned around, only to see her holding onto my arm, her chest pushing against my shoulder. “What the –“I said, then realised I was on the edge of the bed. I fell off and hit my head, waking christen up in the process. She sat up and sleepily rubbed her eyes. “Byaku? Byaku, are you there?” She widened her eyes as she looked around. “Down here…” I said, my head aching from the fall. “Great, first thing in the morning and I’ve already got a headache…” I mumbled, rubbing my injured head. “What happened?” Asked Christen, quickly moving to my aid. “U-umm…” I was quite hesitant to tell her that she had “cuddled” my arm last night, lest she hit me over the head, and with her strength, that wasn’t something I could just shrug off. “N-Nevermind that, let’s just get some food. We still don’t have all the answers from Sakura. Agreed?” She nodded, but I saw a worrying glint in her eye. “Hey, I’m fine. When has a little bruise on the head ever stopped me?” She smiled at that. “True, true. Now let’s go see if they’ve got breakfast. I’m starved!” I couldn’t agree with her more, so we got dressed and headed out to the main hall.
The mansion didn’t seem to be a complicated place, as we found our way quite easily and soon heard the sound of flowing water. On the approach, we heard Sakura’s voice echoing through the hallways. We crossed under the Archway and over the bridge to find the large table in the centre littered with plates of meat, fruit and vegetables. “I was wondering when you two were going to get up” Sakura said, greeting us with a smile. “Please, help yourselves. If you want anything, just say the word and it will materialize in front of you.” We looked at each other. Out of curiosity, I ordered two slices of toast with butter and cheese. Moments after I finished my sentence, a plate appeared out of nowhere, along with two crispy pieces of toast with butter, topped with slices of cheddar cheese. I stared at it for a few seconds before taking a bite. It was delicious, much better than the food Nexus provided. I turned to Christen, who’d ordered a light coke and toast with mayonnaise and tuna. “Ah yes, I almost forgot to introduce you Byaku!” Sakura’s words snapped me back to reality. “This is our training director and head of security, Avery di Angelo.” She gestured to the blonde boy sitting next to her. He smiled politely and gave a slight nod, so I returned the motion. “There’s also Domonique, but she’s often on her own in her room” She looked up at the archway we came in through and raised her eyebrow. “Oh? Well, well, speak of the devil. Here she is now.” I turned back in my seat to see a girl walking across the bridge. She was wearing jeans and a black shirt, had black hair and skin pale as snow, along with red eyes and a stare that sent shivers down my spine. “Mm, I was wondering when you’d decide to show up” Blanc said with her mouth full. “Just come to see the new faces” she said somewhat softly, turning towards us. Christen looked forward in her chair, this new girl appearing to frighten her. “Domonique, stop” Sakura whispered under her breath. But she slowly started walking toward Christen, a slight chill going through the air. In an instant Sakura was in front of her, her purple Aura flaring around her like she was immolated. “I don’t like repeating myself, Domonique” she said, and the chill seemed to vanish, replaced by a warm, welcoming breeze. “Tch” said Domonique under her breath. “See ya round, newbies.” She walked back across the bridge and into the hallway, now out of sight. “Sorry about that” Sakura apologised, sitting down again. “She’s not very fond of new people, as you’ve seen. She’ll get used to you over time.” I nodded. Something tells me this is going to be a long day…
~Editor’s note: He’s right, you know. It’s going to be a long day – in the pool 
~
When we’d finished breakfast, Sakura suggested that we all go for a swim to relieve our stress. “That fight made us all tense, even Leone” she said. “And what better way to relieve stress than swimming?” Blanc nudged me on the shoulder. “Especially with five beauties around you” she said. Christens face seemed to turn into a furnace. “Hmm? Is something wrong Christen?” I asked. “N-No! I’m fine” she said rather loudly. “So, Sakura, where are we going to swim?” She looked at Blanc and they both giggled. “Hold on a second” I said, noticing that we were missing two people. “Where’s the two that greeted us? The girl and boy.” I tried to think what her name was. “Oh, you mean Aishuri and Bevier?” This came from Leone. “I think they had to take care of some business. But they’ll be joining us later, won’t they Sakura?” She nodded. “Yeah. I mean, they only went on one of those bounty missions. I’ll give their target about an hour, give or take. Now, onto the topic at hand” she said brightly “Avery, can you take them from here? Leone, Blanc and I need to get changed.” Avery nodded. “What about Christen? She also needs to get changed” Sakura lifted a brow. “Oh? I though you two didn’t like being separated” she said, a confused expression now dawning on her face. “Not in general” I said, blushing “But when we have to change clothes, we do it in separate rooms.” She and Blanc tilted their heads questioningly. “Guys, it’s a human thing” said Leone. They don’t like changing in the same room as their minds tend to… wander, if you know what I mean.” She winked, and Christen lit up like the fourth of July - again. “Oh. Oh, I see.” Said Blanc, now giving us a grin. “Well, it’s up to her. Though If Christen does get changed with Byaku, I’m might join her…” This time, I was the one that went red. “Um, no. Christen, you and the girls get changed. I’ll meet you by the pool, okay?” She nodded. I turned to face the blonde boy. “Avery, was it? Lead the way.”
As we approached the building, I asked a question I was curious about since I’d met Avery that morning. “Say, master Avery, what’s your Aura? What shape does it take?” He slowed down a bit, and the air around him started to buzz with power. “Electricity, eh?” He nodded. “Though it’s more commonly known as Lightning. But don’t worry about it for today. Sakura and I talked, and we’ve agreed that it’s best for you to take today off and get used to the mansion. We’ll start with Aura training tomorrow.” As he finished, we reached the door to the building. It was one of those glass sliding doors, but I assumed it wouldn’t break as easily as normal glass. Avery slid the door open, and we stepped into a large, glass dome with a large pool in the centre, surrounded by trees and sun chairs. “Christ, that’s a lot of chairs. How many people are there here?” I asked, my voice the only sound in the room besides the pool pump. “Well, there are normally a lot more students around here, but they’ve all gone to Atlas for the tournament, which you’ll learn more about later.” He looked behind me and smiled. “Took you lot long enough!” I turned around, and my eyes were met with quite a sight. Sakura was wearing a flower print bikini which suited her figure nicely, Leone a bikini with varying shades of blue, Blanc a simple white one piece, and Christen a black bikini. “Well?” Sakura’s words brought me back to earth. “What do you think?” I Blushed. “See? I told you he’d be speechless!” said Blanc, nudging Christen on the shoulder. She looked at me, her face red as a flame. “Well” I said, clearing my throat. “You all look beautiful, I’m not gonna lie.” I was surprised when Sakura and Blanc started blushing. Avery leaned over. “Don’t mind them. They aren’t used to being around humans” he whispered. “Hey Blanc, Race ya!” said Leone, now running toward the pool. “Oh, you’re on!” replied Blanc, sprinting to catch up. Sakura and Christen’s expressions lit up again as they too ran for the pool. I shot Leone a thank you look. She winked in reply. Just then I heard a beep, and Avery pulled a phone out of his pocket. He smiled at the message. “Perfect timing. Hey, Sakura!” he called. “What’s up?” He went to the edge of the pool to show her the phone. She also grinned at the message. “Well, go on! Open the gate!” He nodded, and used his fingers to make a Christian cross in the air. When he did, a pale blue circle appeared out of nowhere. It was similar to the one Leone sat on when Sakura broke the stand, but this one had rapidly changing numbers around the edge instead of glyphs and symbols. “A68, open the gate for the students please” he said. Seemingly out of nowhere, a metallic voice spoke. “Yes sir.” I looked around, trying to find the source. “If you’re looking for some kind of speaker, don’t bother.” Said Leone. I looked at her, confused. “It’s magic.” Sakura said, looking at my expression. “Avery, I’m sorry to ask this, but would you be able to meet them at the mansion?” He nodded, and his Aura coiled around him, making a cocoon. When it dissipated, he was gone. “I’m not even going to ask because you’ll tell me I’ll know tomorrow” I said, shaking my head. “Hey Byaku, when are you getting in?” asked Leone. “In a few minutes” I said, removing my shirt. All the girls, excepting Christen, now had looks of wonder on their faces. “Wow… I didn’t think you worked out that much” said Blanc, who had closed all distance and was now poking me in the stomach. “That’s a bit uncomfortable, Blanc…” She looked up, confused. “But we always do this in our culture” she said, giving me a questioning look. “Yes, but you forget that your culture consists mainly of girls.” I watched her expression change as it dawned on her she was poking a male. Her face lit up like the fourth of July, so to cover it she dived back into the pool. “What was that about” asked Avery, who seemingly appeared out of thin air. “Ignore that, Avery. Just a bit of greetings on Blanc’s part” said Sakura, giving him a wink. “Ah, I see” he replied, resisting the urge to laugh. “Well, I thought you might want to know that they’re all getting changed and heading here to meet him” said Avery, pointing at me. “Wait a second, who’s coming here to meet me?” I asked, curious and a bit concerned. “The other students” answered Sakura. “They’ve just gotten back from the ACDG” I shot Avery a questioning look. “You know the answer.” I rolled my eyes. “Anyway, since we have our new hunter joining us, why don’t we have a pool party?” she asked. Everyone, excepting Christen, looked at me. “Why are you all looking at me?” I said, shifting uncomfortably. “Well, you’ll be the reason for the party. We just want to know if you’re okay with it.” Christen and I looked at each other, and she nodded. “Well… If it’s fine with Christen, it’s fine with me. So, when will they be here?” Avery tapped me on the shoulder. “Turn around and see for yourself.”
Sure enough, I turned and there was a horde of teenage girls coming down the pathway. One of the girls in the front seemed to spot me, as they all slowed down and started pointing. Pretty soon, they were all crowded in front of the door, just whispering, staring and giggling. I motioned for Sakura and Christen to join me. “What now, Sakura?” I asked. “Hmm…” She turned to address the crowd. “All right everyone, settle down. I’d like you all to meet our newest students and a potential hunter for our family.” She nudged us on our shoulders. “H-hello everyone, my name is Byakuran Shirayuri, and this is my childhood friend, Christen Kaede. We look forward to working with you.” We both bowed, and Sakura took it from there. “Right, now that the formalities are over and done with, we’ve agreed to a pool party in their honour. All in favour?” The hall echoed with excited shouts saying yes. “All right then! Let’s get this party started!” She made the same cross Avery did, and the Metallic voice immediately said “Party mode engaged.” The girls flooded into the pool area, and almost all of them flocked toward me, asking me questions. “Now, now, ladies, let’s not get carried away” said Blanc, putting herself between them and myself. “He doesn’t like being crowded, so don’t rush him.” But saying that only seemed to make them want to be near me even more. “That’s quite enough” said a familiar voice. Aishuri walked in the door, Bevier right behind her. She wore the same clothes I’d seen her in yesterday. Bevier was still wearing his normal clothes. “Aishuri, I’m going to hit the hay.” he said. I noticed that he was pale, more so than when we first met. She nodded. “Go on. You deserve it.” She then walked up to me, and the crowd parted, leaving her a pathway. “So, you’re the hunter in training. You certainly look the part.” She looked me in the eyes, and I returned the stare with one of my own. She smiled. “Headstrong too. I’ll be in the pool if you want to chat.” And with that, she turned and headed for the pool. Once she was gone, the girls looked at one another and giggled, then retreated to the many seating areas or got in the pool. “So, what do you think of your new home?” A chill went down my spine as I recognized the voice. I turned around to see Domonique standing there, looking at me with somewhat cold eyes. “It’s definitely different, but I’ll get used to it over time.” I replied, trying to hide my discomfort behind a smile. “Listen, about earlier… I’m sorry for scaring you and your friend. I’m always a bit, eh… uncomfortable, around new people because I don’t get out much for certain reasons.” She lowered her head in a slight bow, and I returned the gesture. “I understand. I’m not much of a people person myself. The only friends I’ve ever kept all these years are Christen and…” I stopped myself. She raised a brow. “Sorry, it’s something Christen and I don’t like to talk about.” But before I could think about it, Christen called me over. “Sorry, I’ve got to go. I’ll see you around?” She nodded, and walked off into the party. I ran over to Christen, who was now sitting on one of the many seats on the side of the pool. “What’s up?” I asked, getting into the water. Christen had always been shy around people, so she had chosen a secluded spot at the edge of the pool. “Byaku, could I stay with you for the day? It’s just, all these people… I don’t…” I put a finger on her lips. “Hey, it’s fine” I said, taking her hand. “I know you don’t like being around crowds. To be honest I’m also getting sheepish, even if I don’t look the part.” She put her head on my shoulder, her hair soft to the touch. “Thanks partner” I heard her whisper. I held her close for a minute or two. “Now, how about we have some fun?” I said, moving into the pool again. “Oh? I have an idea” she said, giving me a mischievous look. Before I could say anything, she splashed me and swam right past me while I was shielding myself. “You’ll pay for that!” I said, swimming after her.
The other chapters will be available in the comments section as I finish them