-Magic: Level C (Score: 40/100) - Previously demonstrated potential in magical application.
'Level C? That's not bad right?', he thought as he stared at the score. "This means I should be able to use magic!"
A laugh escaped his lips, 'Great, I'm not totally useless'.
Glancing down at his hand, "So what is it, this power that had Riven get accepted? Can he control things with his mind? Or even cast illusions!?"
A surge of determination sparked, 'If it says Level C, then there's hope yet'.
Turning his attention back to screen, if his magic reading was average...maybe he had potential elsewhere, so he took a gander.
-Spirit bonding: Level E (Score: 5/100) - Minimal affinity detected; no specialisation
His smile faltered a tad, 'Guess I can't spirit bond'.
Moving on:
-Taming: Level D (Score: 16/100) - Basic control potential; no form training necessary
Riven rubbed his chin, interest rising a bit, 'Taming huh? I could work that. Bond with a beast, that'd be cool'
Turning his attention to the last.
-Ki Resonance: Level E (Score: 3/100) - Below average aptitude
Sigh
Letting out a soft sigh, he let his shoulders slump a little.
Still, he found himself smiling, 'D in Taming, and C in Magic....there's hope for me yet, maybe I can even get those scores higher'.
Digesting his new scores, he went over to the next section, 'Academic Placement':
Listing his assigned division, he sat up straight, intrigued to see what he'd get -
Division : Magic
Course : Fundamentals of Core Manipulation
Instructor : Daryn Sol
'Magic Division? Figures, only thing I have real potential in'.
Staring at instructor line of text, Riven grew curious.
Tapping the name, a small profile popped up on the side of the screen.
A stern, looking man with dark copper hair, tied in a ponytail; sharp eyes that seemed to glow with ember hues, and ebony robes embroidered with fiery lines - the man's image screamed noble.
Beneath the portrait read -
Master Daryn Sol
Element: Fire, Wind
Affiliation: House Sol
Rank: A-Rank Mage - Noted for his excellence in Fire Manipulation and strict focused teaching style.
Riven raised an eyebrow, the name 'Sol' sounded important, but it meant nothing right now.
Scrolling further, he discovered a student review-
"His lessons feel like your standing in a volcano....one of the most intimidating teachers"
A dry laugh escaped his mouth, "Volcano? You gotta be kidding me...", he stated, eyebrow raised.
Leaning back, his eyes drifted back up top to the glowing tabs.
He could feel a headache rising.
He squinted at the 'Rankings', his curiosity was peaking, despite a dull ache building behind his eyes and the back of his head.
'No...not now'
His head throbbing harder.
He closed the tab.
Placing the device back onto the desk.
He pressed his fingers on his temple
Closing his eyes, he could hear the ventilation hum quietly in the back.
'Tomorrow....tomorrow i'll figure it out.'
Slowly getting up, he strode over to his bed.
But before he laid down...
He looked over to the window.
With everything that had occurred, and all this new information, he still hadn't got the chance to see how the outside world looked like.
With a quiet sigh, he dragged his feet towards the window.
Pulling the thin curtain aside.
The view was breathtaking.
Towering spires of steel and glass rose high into a sky filled with hues of violet and blue. Hovering rail lines charted through, as pods zipped silently between the towers.
Down below, wide streets were filled with countless pedestrians, all walking through life; some even walked with 'pets' that looked more like beasts.
'It's beautiful', he thought, unknowingly pressing his face against the cold glass, his breath fogging the view.
Minutes felt like hours as he just gazed outside....
Finally, with the throbbing affecting his immersion, he closed the curtain; letting it fall shut, before shuffling back towards the bed, the distant buzzing of the city echoing in his mind.
---
Sleep came quickly, as images flickered across his mind.
A cramped apartment room lit with a flickering light-bulb. Wallpaper peeling off of the walls. A fan whirring across the room, standing atop a worn wooden desk.
Sitting on a chair in-front of a laptop, slouched shoulders, baggy eyes; he saw himself.
Click Click
Skimming through different forms of entertainment, he could feel the exhaustion building on-top of him.
The screen changed.
Pacing through a quiet street, sky bathed in shade; cold breath escaped his mouth as he listened to music. He felt at peace.
The dream darkened, before it was replaced with the image of a young boy sporting brown hair. Cross-legged on the floor, he appeared to be meditating. Beads of sweat rolled off his forehead; his phone buzzing in the background.
'I'll definitely make it, for them!'
Orbs of light hovered over his person, before he started to glow a crimson hue.
The dream cut short.
----
RING! RING! RING!
Groan
The ringing of an alarm, disturbed the rest Riven had been bestowed.
"Five more minutes-", he mumbled, head buried in a pillow.
However, the ringing did not stop.
Minutes passed before he showed signs of annoyance.
Exasperated, he stood up, walking over to the holo-phone, turning off the alarm.
"Guess I'm awake now", he said, "And i'm still here".
Messing with his hair, he walked over and used the bathroom.
Hopping in the shower, he stood there, analysing himself.
'Did this guy not even eat?', he thought, questioning the thin, almost malnourished form.
'Okay, I got about less than 2 weeks until the academy begins....'
'I don't even know how to use magic yet. What should i do?'
Racking his brain, he left the water flow down his body:
'Maybe I should just wait until the academy starts....no, I can't do that, entering into something unprepared? That's asking for death...'
He seemed to have reached a dead end. With no leads on how to use this so called 'power' of his, how could he possibly survive the academy.
"It's not like I can find some cheat item or ability, I don't even know what this place is!", voicing his frustration out.
'How far am I even from the academy?', he questioned, not even knowing that.
Massaging his scalp, he decided to leave that thought, placing it at the back of his mind.
Staying under the water a little longer, he then turned off the tap, stepping out into the cold air.
Wringing himself dry, he brushed his teeth and stared at the mirror a little longer before leaving back into the bedroom.
'The more I walk in it, this apartment isn't bad, definitely better than my old one', he thought.
With the front door meeting a small kitchen to the left, and the bedroom straight ahead with the toilet on the right, the room was small, but still spacious.
Opening his closet, he picked out a casual grey shirt, and black shorts.
'Ok...now to see where I am.'
Reaching over, picking up the holo-phone, he turned it on. Navigating to the map icon, a soft blue glow projected into the sky, revealing a 3D model of the area.
His eyes scanned the screen, until he found a shortcut labelled "Current Location".
'So I'm in the capital?', he questioned, remembering the information from yesterday.
Trying to find the academy, it didn't take long, as a large icon appeared near the city's central district :
'Two sectors away...'
Calculating the distance, it seemed the journey there would take about 45 minutes.
Placing the device down after looking at the routes there for a little bit. He got up, closing the phone and placing its thin design into his pocket.
'Time to go explore this place', he thought, not wanting to stay inside forever.
Stepping out of the apartment, he was met with a residential block, cluttered with apartments; letting the door shut behind him.
The air was mixed, carrying the smells of faint engine fumes from drones floating around, and a seemingly manufactured flowery scent.
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he strode down some steps and walked until he found himself on the pavement. Countless people embarked with purpose: robes swaying under the rising sun and cars floating overhead.
Staring through a cafe window, he spotted a girl his age hovering around a glowing spirit orb. Nearby a street performer practised Ki strikes, punching ripples in the air, pleasing the passing viewers.
'It's so different...but at the same time, it's not...'
Pondering on a thought as he just watched.
A low growl however, drew his eyes down to a child walking with what seemed to be a small dog, expect it's tails had quadrupled, and small flames escaped its ears in intervals. Another passed by, travelling with a small winged serpent sitting atop his shoulder.
...
'I take that back!'
Walking aimlessly, the views of strange creatures, and magic displays that seemed to be 'natural', continued, on and on.
The wide polished roads gradually turned to thin and cramped. Foot traffic slowly died down; roads plentiful of people, showed only the elderly, sitting outside with kids running around.
The sound of floating pods had disappeared now.
The further he walked, the more looks he had gotten, but he was oblivious.
Venturing through alleyways, he was absently exploring.
Turning a corner, he was looking up at few buildings until he came to an abrupt stop.
Raising an eyebrow, he looked left and right, locking in on it one more time before saying:
"What is that?"