Jae Ren's Point of View

The stone paved road leading to the wide doors of the main building was littered with students. Like my old high school, they came in all shapes and sizes. Unlike my old high school, these students were mostly creatures I haven’t seen before. Thankfully, there were students who I noticed were like me: normal-looking except for the entourage of intimidating students following them.

As I walk to the main building, I could see different Witches with guardians and warlocks with their brothers. But I noticed there are cases where witch sisterhoods and warlocks with guardians.

Onew told me once that that there are warlocks destined to never have brothers, so they create guardians. And some Witches form such great bonds with others they form a sisterhood where they do a blood bonding to ensure its strength.

Maybe it was Onew forcing me to wear something girly, or maybe it's because I forgot to charge my phone last night that is making my mood go bad.

I'm walking as fast as I could to the school, but this place has a really large... front yard?

This place uses portals to get to different buildings scattered about the hectares of land. It's crazy. I heard it would take you 6 days to walk the whole area on foot. Though I'm sure they're just rumours.

I was nearing the big wooden doors of the main building when I stepped into someone’s pen, almost slipping if I had put more pressure onto it.

"Oh wait! That's mine! Sorry."

A girl with a bright smile bowed apologetically, retrieving the pen from the floor. "I dropped it while I was writing notes about the place..."

As she bent down, I could see a scaly, black tail protruding from her lower back.

“Thanks! See you around!” She waved and ran ahead, her tail swishing from left to right.

What was she?

By the way, where was VIXX? They should've been here with me ages ago. I wonder where they were...? Maybe I really should buy them cell phones... Each.

"JAE!"

I half-turned, only to crash into a sturdy chest.

"Oops! Sorry!"

"OWWW!" I fell back, rubbing my nose. "N! Do you even know the concept of pain?!"

"Well... Y-yeah..." He hoisted my back on my feet by my shoulders since my hands were putting pressure on my nose. "Sorry! I didn't know it was you. Connection problems... you know the deal."

"This is exactly why you should never run!" I snapped, still holding my nose with my left hand. "I think I'm bleeding..."

"Oh my God... Here." He opened his sling bags back pocket and revealed a handkerchief. "I didn't know you were this... fragile."

At least he knew how to treat a bleeding nose.

"What a wonderful first day..." I sarcastically said. We were sitting on the grass just beside the paved road.

"Do you remember? This happened before already. But last time... your nose didn't really bleed." He laughed.

I remember. That day when I told them to stay at home but they disobeyed me and went to school anyway.

The day they first met Jinyoung.

"Where are the others?" I asked, noticing the lack of voices around me. I've been so used to their presence, it suddenly feels cold without them.

"Well... I don't know... They probably already ran past you or something. It's really different without our instincts. I feel handicapped." He admitted as he uncapped his bottle of water and dabbed some on the slightly bloodied handkerchief. "Here. The bleeding stopped so you can just wipe the remaining blood off your nose. Sorry again, Jae. I didn't mean to. Hurting you is always the LAST thing on the things I want to do. Heck, it's not even on the list!"

I chuckled. "I know. It didn't really hurt." It did. But I know how bad he must be feeling right now, judging from the frown creased on his forehead while he was staring down at me. "We better head to class."

"Sure. Which building are you in first?" He helped me up and we walked to the main building together.

"Sciences Building. You're in Physical Education first, right?" I asked. Apparently, guardians study mainly to aid their master. Whether it be health, or physical tactics. But they still get one or two extra subjects of their choice.

"Yup. Hyuk is supposed to be with me, but I guess he already went on ahead. Those guys... They probably couldn't smell us from the different scents in the area." He sighed. "Anyway, here we are. The Portal ports."

We stopped walking just right in front of the empty secretaries desk. She's probably slacking off on the job. At the right side of the desk there are 7 gates, and on the left there are 9. All of which lead to different parts of the University. The first three on the right are restricted to only water creatures because they lead to the underground water canals. The rest lead to buildings open to many creatures except the last door on the left which are for the Craft Users or Witches and Warlocks.

It was a lame name they conjured up, but I guess they didn't know what to call both kinds. Since at first, the two were thought to be different and the male counter-part of Witches were supposedly Wizards. Until they found out witches were more closely related to warlocks.

And besides, wizards are extinct.

Witchcraft and Warcraft. I guess the name makes a little sense...

"So...? Are you just gonna stand there or are you going through the 4th Left gate? Sciences building?" N waved a hand in front of my face. "You're really nervous, aren't you?"

"What?! No I'm not!" I refuted. "I'm just in a daze, that's all..."

"You are! It's why you're in such a bad mood!" He happily figured it out. "Don't worry, Jae. I'm sure they'll like you! Creatures of the same kind get along quite better than those outside their kin. Just try it!"

"I'm not..." I denied once again. "I'm going. You should go too." I walked past him.

I do feel guilty for taking my bad mood out to him, maybe I'll apologize later. This attitude of mine is probably why I don't have much friends...

"Good luck!"

Or maybe I don't have to. "Thanks. You too, N. Look after the others okay?" I smiled and waved before going through the pitch black darkness of the gate.

The exit of the tunnel was just another open gate with a light. The other students passed right through as if they were used to the blinding the light while I still needed to cover my eyes.

"Welcome to Sciences Building, Freshies! This is your initiation right!"

We were dumped with a cold liquid which I suspected-just from the smell-that it was not water. I'm grateful I was covering at least a part of my face.

"EWWW! MY MOUTH WAS OPEN!"

"What the hell is this?!"

"Slimy..."

"C-c-cold."

“Damn. My phone.”

"Stop whining, you guys! All freshmen undergo this initiation right! Well... at least the ones who major in Science. It's tradition! My name is Yoseob. Nice to meet you guys!" The one who pulled the rope to the gallons of liquid on top of us smiled. He looked nice... friendly, even, but his actions told me otherwise.

"I'm sorry, but it is tradition. Every year, the Freshmen who enter the Science building get dumped with a mixture of ice water, egg whites, and other things I wish to avoid revealing. You guys are the 3rd and last batch of Fresh men to enter. I’m Doojoon, the President of the Science Club. It's my last year as the president here, so whoever gets elected next has the privilege of doing this next year to the Fresh men. It could be you guys if you strive hard enough. Being president isn't restricted to anyone."

Why do they keep calling us fresh men?

"Well, get to class! The teachers would understand." The one with blonde hair smiled and turned with a wave.

"See you, guys!" Yoseob cheerfully waved goodbye and left with his four friends.

"Damn it..."

"So this is what Oppa was warning me about..."

"I knew I shouldn't have taken up a Science major!"

"They said the Arts building has a tradition like this too, though..."

The crowd of freshmen, including me, walked to our individual classes with moans of regrets and complaints. How come Onew never told me about this?! AND HE MADE ME WEAR A SKIRT TOO!

I sighed and entered my class. There's no hope being mad now. Even though I'm freezing cold, I have the contentment of being in the same situation as all the other Science majoring Fresh men. I guess it's convenient for this prank because whatever you are majoring in, is the first building you would enter. It's schedule-restricted.

"Good Morning to you all. I see the Science Council Tradition has greeted you all very well." The teacher in front smiled even though waves of groaning and complaints greeted him back. Everyone in the room except him was wet. Except...

How come the guy next to me isn't wet?

"My name is Lee Hyuk Jae, but call me Seongsanim Eunhyuk or Sir Eunhyuk, if you please..." Did the guy beside me dry himself out? I could've done that too very easily, but I ran out of time- Ironically. Maybe he was in the first batch of freshmen so he got more time to do so? "... today you're going to introduce yourselves one-by-one. Name, Age, what you’re taking up for college, and of course, your magic. We'll go by row."

He didn't have a trace of the sticky, yellow-ish liquid on him. He was leaning on the desk too, as if he was sleeping.

Was he?

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