It was the last day of the school year, and as the final bell of the day rang through the hallways of Markswood High, the halls immediately exploded with noise.
The chatter of students quickly erupted in the hallways, with students slamming their lockers shut and their sneakers squeaking against the waxed floor as they ran around the halls.
Some students clustered in their usual groups, with the athletes pounding each other on the back, and the girls linking arms and gossiping, while the quiet kids shuffled out in small pairs.
Amidst all this chaos, Max Calder stood alone, a young boy with messy black hair who stood about five feet and six inches tall. As he strolled through the crowded hallway like a ghost, Max kept his head down, his hands stuffed deep into the pockets of his frayed jacket.
The jacket's hood hung low over his face, hiding him from the people he least wanted to see. But just as he was about to take his final step out of the school building, a sharp yank on his hood jerked him backward, nearly choking him.
Max staggered back, nearly falling before catching himself. The hood of his jacket ripped off his head, causing him to let out a groan before even turning around.
He already knew who it was, and sure enough, when he spun, Max saw Derek Vance standing there behind him with a wide grin playing on his face.
His perfect teeth gleamed as he smiled like he owned the place. Behind him, his two cronies stood folding their arms, already hungry for the show.
"And where do you think you're going?" Derek asked, his voice smooth and casual, but his eyes glittered with malice. He tilted his head, grin widening. "Last day of school, Calder. You really thought you could sneak out without saying goodbye? Come on. Gotta give you one last farewell beating."
Max clenched his jaw, his fists tightening beside him as he stared at Derek. His stomach twisted, but he forced his face into something blank, something that wouldn't show how badly he wanted to disappear.
He thought about shoving past Derek and running, but he didn't bother because he knew he wouldn't get far. "Look, Derek," Max muttered, his voice dry with exhaustion, "it's the last day. Why don't you just skip today's routine?"
For Max, this was a daily routine, something he had been enduring all his life from Derek and the rest of the world because he was the only person alive unable to form a contract with a magic beast.
At a certain age in this world, it is mandatory for everyone to form a contract with a magic beast. These beasts are powerful entities and are ranked from Grade F, the weakest, to Grade S, the ultimate strongest.
Right now, Max was already seventeen, and for everyone else, sixteen was the right age when they became eligible to form a contract with a magic beast. Last year, when Max tried forming a contract with a magic beast, it ended in failure, and in the process, he earned the title of the beast-less child.
Max's words only made Derek chuckle. "That's cute," he sneered, his grin stretching wider. "Get ready for your farewell beating."
Before Max could get a word out, Derek's fist shot forward in a devastating punch.
The punch landed square in Max's stomach with a sickening thud, sending a sharp stinging pain through his body. The air exploded out of Max's lungs in a strangled gasp. Pain ripped through his body, hot and merciless.
He doubled over, dropping to his knees, his hands clutching his stomach as the hallway spun in his vision. Derek's grin turned into a laugh as he loomed over Max, relishing every second.
Max's hands balled into fists at his sides, his nails biting into his palms as his fury grew. For half a second, he pictured himself swinging back at Derek, he even imagined the shock on Derek's face if he ever actually managed to land a hit.
He tried to calm himself, but Derek caught the look in his eyes. "Oh? What's that glare for?" Derek crouched low, his face close to Max's, and his smile went cold. His voice dropped into mock sympathy. "What are you gonna do, Calder? Summon your beast to eat me?" His grin returned, this time even crueler. "Oh, wait… you don't have one."
The laughter from Derek's friends echoed down the hallway, each note like a spark searing in Max's ears.
His stomach burned with pain, but beneath it, his anger burned hotter. He forced himself to swallow it down, clutching his gut with one hand while the other trembled uselessly at his side.
Hunched over, he muttered through gritted teeth, the words spilling out before he could stop them. "Yeah, I know. I don't have a magic beast and I am unable to form a contract with one. But how could I forget when you make sure I remember it every damn day."
The laughter behind Derek faltered into a hush. Then slowly he crouched down in front of him, his grin fading into a cold, flat stare. For the first time, the mockery left his face, replaced by something darker and more serious.
"That's right," Derek said softly, almost like he was teaching a lesson. "You shouldn't forget that." His eyes narrowed, glinting with contempt. "In this world, everyone is born with Magic energy. The more you have, the higher your chances of taming a magic beast are. And the stronger you are, the higher you climb in society. That's how it works."
He leaned so close Max could smell his cologne, his lips curling with contempt and his voice dropping to a chilling whisper that only Max could hear.
"But you?" Derek's lip curled. "You're nothing. Nothing more than a mistake. A dirty stain on the world. People like you who can't form a simple contract with a magic beast shouldn't exist at all. And for that…" He paused, his gaze piercing into Max's. "…you deserve nothing better than death. Allowing you to live and only bullying you is my own way of showing you mercy. You better appreciate it."
Before Derek could add another word, the sharp echo of approaching footsteps cut through the hallway. He turned his head and spotted a teacher approaching.
In an instant, the cold look on Derek's face melted away. The scowl and sneer were gone, completely replaced by a false, bright, almost boyish smile, the kind he reserved for authority figures. To them, he looked harmless, even polite, as if he hadn't just driven his fist into Max's stomach.
He straightened himself, dusting off his uniform as if nothing had happened, then jerked his chin toward his friends. As he walked past Max, Derek leaned in with one last warning. "Remember, Calder, it's not over yet."
Then without another glance at Max, he turned and strolled casually down the hall. His lackeys followed behind him, the echoes of their footsteps fading as they disappeared around the corner.
Max stayed hunched on the floor, clutching his stomach tightly, while his hatred boiled hotter with every step Derek took away from him.
Slowly, gritting his teeth against the pain, he pushed himself upright. As he did, he watched as the tall teacher buried his face in a stack of papers and walked right past him.
His eyes flicked briefly to Max, then away again, as if he hadn't seen a thing. He didn't say a single word or offer to help, just acted like he hadn't seen a thing.
Max stared after him, his lip curling. He hadn't expected the teacher to rescue him. After all, that was how teachers avoided him alongside everyone else. There was no reason to risk trouble over the kid with little to no Magic energy.
Max dusted his uniform and threw the hood of his jacket back over his face before making his way out of the school compound.
"That's what I expected," Max sighed. "Why help the kid who is unable to form a simple contract with a magic beast? I'm not sure I would even help me if I was in his shoes. Not only can I not form a contract with a magic beast, I'm not even sure I have any Magic energy. Derek's right, I'm nothing but a stain on this world."
As he strolled out of the school compound and down the road, everyone that saw him only shot him a cold glare, filled with disdain for him. He quietly avoided them, by this time, he was already used to it.
On his way home, Max took a sudden turn down an empty alley. This was a shortcut that would lead him straight to his apartment, but just as he made the turn, he was suddenly approached by three familiar faces.
Max slowed to a halt. Before him stood Derek and two of his usual minions. Derek wore the expression he always carried whenever he saw Max, one filled with disdain and hatred.
"I told you it wasn't over, didn't I?" Derek said to Max.
Max exhaled sharply. "Didn't you already have your fun? Just let it go."
"Don't talk to me like we're friends. No way someone like you could ever be my equal," Derek said, the malice in his voice clear as day.
He jerked his Chin at the two boys standing beside him, signaling for them to hold Max in place. Without wasting a moment, Derek's two lackeys bolted forward. One grabbed Max by his right hand while the other grabbed him by his left; they forcefully pinned him to a wall.
As he was pinned to the wall, Max tried his best to free himself, but all his efforts proved futile. Unable to move, Max began begging for Derek to go easy on him.
"Derek, please, this isn't my fault. I didn't ask to be born without Magic energy. If anyone's to blame, it's my dead parents! Just let me go!" Max begged desperately.
Ignoring his begging, Derek began slowly walking up to Max, his face twisting with a cruel, devilish grin. "Like I said earlier, people like you shouldn't be allowed to exist."
Seeing the murderous intent in Derek's eyes and hearing his words, Max began fearing for his life. "What are you planning to do?" Max asked, fear gripping his voice.
As he spoke, Derek didn't slow down. The murderous intent in his eyes grew even stronger, strong enough for Max to sense it from where he stood. "I'm going to do the one thing that everyone else isn't going to," he voiced. "I'm going to end your miserable life."
Hearing this, Max knew Derek wasn't joking. He immediately started using all his might to struggle, trying to free himself from the grip of Derek's two minions, but unfortunately for him, he wasn't strong enough.
"Are you for real?!" Max barked. "Killing me will only end you up in jail."
"In case you're forgetting something," Derek said with a pause, "I'm the sole heir to the Vance empire. There's no way my dad will let me go to jail for killing someone like you."
Max knew that Derek was right. After all, Derek was the son of one of the richest politicians in the world, and Max was a nobody, a beast-less nobody at that.
With how corrupt the world is, he knew that the worst that would happen to Derek for ending his life would be a slap on the wrist, nothing more.
"Crap," Max cursed in his head. "Is this how I die? And he's right, there's no way he'll be punished for ending my life. I have to think of a way to get out of this, and quickly."
As Derek drew closer, he slowly began removing the black gloves he was wearing on his right hand, revealing the high-ranking wolf tattoo on the back of his hand. The tattoo represented his contract with his magic beast.
Immediately, it began to glow a bright crimson color. Then, out of his chest, a bright light emerged, and from within the light his magic beast materialized before Max.
The beast was a massive wolf, standing at a towering height of seven feet. Its body was clad in jagged crimson armor, with flames burning deep in its glowing eyes. As it landed on the ground, its claws carved deep into the concrete, showing a glimpse of its true strength.
The beast stood in place after it was summoned, thick smokes flowing from its nostrils. The beast didn't move an inch, not without Derek's command. "This," Derek said proudly, stroking the armored beast's side, "this is what a magic beast looks like. It's too bad you won't get the pleasure of having one. On my command, it'll tear you apart."
Max froze in place, terror locking his entire body. His legs went numb, his breath shallow, and his heart thrashed in his ribs.
Max's voice cracked, tears sliding down his cheeks as he shook his head. "No, please don't do it," Max begged.
"There's no need to beg," Derek said. "Your fate is already sealed. You are going to die by my hands." With the demonic grin still playing on his face, Derek gave the order for his beast to tear Max into shreds.
As soon as the command was given, the wolf lunged at Max. Its jaws clamped down on Max, its fangs tearing through his flesh. Pain detonated across his body, causing him to scream soundlessly while his vision shook.
Derek's minions immediately let go of Max, jumping back to keep their distance.
They watched as the wolf sank its fangs into Max, sending massive jolts of pain through his body that made the earlier punch from Derek feel like a mosquito bite.
The grin on Derek's face twisted even more, showing his satisfaction as the wolf devoured Max, blood pouring hot across his skin.
"What the hell?" Max cried, but the words couldn't leave his throat, only echoing in his head. "Is this how I'm going to die? A shitty death worse than my shitty life. Crap, I can't die now. Not now. I still have a lot to live for, even without Magic energy or a beast contract. I don't want to die."
As the beast's claws dug deeper into his body, a sudden rush of hopelessness washed over Max. Then slowly, his eyes began to dim, with Derek's twisted grin being the last thing he saw. Just before darkness overtook him, Max began feeling a sudden warmth enveloping him.
Then at the brink of death, a brilliant white radiance exploded from Max's chest, so bright it could blind them. Derek cursed, stumbling back as he shielded his eyes from the light with his hands.
His wolf, on the other hand, completely froze, whining like a puppy with its tail tucked in fear.
Confusion quickly swept over Derek and his minions. They knew that Max didn't have a magic beast, so they didn't understand the light emanating from him.
Derek's eyes widened. "What the hell?! He's supposed to be beast-less! So why is there a beast light emanating from him?!"
Max began to levitate off the ground as the glow surged brighter, gradually engulfing the alley and temporarily blinding Derek and his friends. As the light grew brighter, a colossal shadow unfurled across the wall behind Max, its wings vast as storm clouds and its horns curved like blades.
The shadow on the wall emitted an aura so strong that it made Derek's beast retreat, whining as it dissolved back into his tattoo.
The shadow on the wall resembled a dragon, letting out a loud roar like a primal thunder that shattered Derek's composure. His cronies bolted instantly, and even Derek turned pale.
With Derek and his lackeys gone, Max suddenly collapsed to the ground, his body wrecked and his consciousness fading. The bright light around him soon dimmed, until only a faint glow remained.
As the faint glow engulfed max, a deep voice immediately began echoing inside Max's head, saying just one word on repeat.
"Kill them," the voice said. "All of them."
As the voice echoed in his head, max instantly felt a sudden dark presence, one that wasn't his own for sure. "What the heck was that?" He asked in his head.
But before he could wonder about it any longer, a blue screen appeared out of nowhere before Max, hovering in front of him. The screen displayed a message that seemed too urgent for Max to ignore.
"System Online."
"Do you wish to form a Contract with Drakonis?"
"Benefits include complete healing and restoration."
On seeing this message, Max didn't even try to find out what the system was or the contract with Drakonis. All he was focused on was the benefit that could heal him and restore his body. Without any hesitation, Max mustered up the strength to accept the contract.
Max's lips trembled. His vision blurred. But he forced the words out, his voice a rasp. "Yes, I accept," Max voiced with the last of his strength. And then the world went black.