It was the day of the academy opening; the classes to prepare this year's fifteen-year-olds for awakening were about to commence.
Inside a classroom,
An elegant lady dressed in white robes walked in. She was greeted by fifty pairs of dazzling eyes.
"Morning class?" The lady greeted.
"Morning," the class replied in unison.
"Some of you know who I am." The lady paused. "As a matter of habit, I'm Elder Walath, the head of Amala Academy, and the chairperson of the Early Stage School."
"I only have three days to get you ready for the awakening." She picked up a piece of chalk on the teacher's desk in front of the class. "I will get straight to business."
She moved to the green wooden board facing the class. She drew a straight vertical line.
"Mortals, both humans and wild beasts, are born with a soul." The eyes bored holes into her. "Don't look at me like that; this is common knowledge."
She drew a humanoid figure, having the vertical line at the centre forming a spinal cord.
"This is your soul," she pointed at the humanoid figure.
She tapped the vertical line with the chalk. "This is the Inner Lattice, a spiritual channel present in everyone's soul."
"The Inner Lattice has been there since birth, faint and dormant." Her voice calmed. "You can think of it as a spinal cord, but for your soul."
Edwin tilted his head, looking at the two people beside him; their whispers were disturbing him. Everyone was learning about the Inner Lattice for the first time.
"What are you looking at?" The girl gave him a stare.
"Isabella and the genius himself, Mateo." Edwin mocked. "You're disturbing my focus."
Isabella Shoshone and Mateo Tara were his close friends.
"Silence!" Elder Walath shouted. "First day and you're already this annoying." The noise died down.
"Alright, our souls depend on something called Myrr to keep functioning. Think of Myrr as the energy our bodies use, but for the soul."
"Myrr is the breath of life; it is found in all living creatures in this world."
"Mateo! Are you paying attention to this woman?" Edwin asked.
"I don't get anything she is saying. I will just ask my big brother," he responded.
"We have learned two things. First, Myrr—the essence all souls require. Second, the Inner Lattice—a dormant vertical line inside your soul." Elder Walath continued.
She set the chalk down. "That is enough for today. Familiarize yourselves with the campus before you go home." She walked out of the classroom.
"Edwin! Mateo! Let's go check the library." Isabella stood up. "The small forest around the library is so breathtaking."
At that moment, a small boy sitting in front approached the trio. "Are you guys going to the library?" He asked.
"How old are you?" Isabella asked, surprised.
"Same as you," the boy answered, glancing around as if the conversation barely concerned him.
"Wait… you're fifteen?" The trio stared. He looked ten at most: baby face, big eyes, round cheeks, and short stature.
"Are we going or not?" the boy pressed.
"Of course we are," Isabella replied. Edwin and Mateo stood up.
Just as they were about to leave, Isabella asked again, "I don't mean to be rude, but… are you really from this village?" Edwin and Mateo had a similar question drumming in their heads.
"I live in the band near the route to Norai," the boy said. "I'm the only fifteen-year-old there this year, so I'll be the only one from outside the village attending the academy."
"Oh, so you're from Kona." Isabella nodded. "What's your name?"
"Molai."
The trio exchanged looks.
"Do you have a death wish?!" Mateo blurted.
"Why would I?" Molai asked innocently.
"You just called yourself the Venerable's name," Edwin pointed out.
Venerable Mola was Amala's land spirit, regarded as a god by the villagers.
"Oh! It's Mo-la-i, with an 'i' at the end," the boy explained cheerfully. "Actually, Molai Kona. I'm the band leader's son. Probably would've been next in line if I'd been born earlier than my elder brother."
The trio blinked.
Bands were small human settlements of twenty to a hundred families. Every village governed at least one band. Amala had Kona, while some villages controlled three or more.
"Let's go to…" Before she could finish, Molai was shoved aside.
"Demon! You shouldn't be here!" A tall boy with blonde hair had his face twisted in anger.
"The academy is allowing the child of misfortune to attend the pre-awakening classes?" He shouted, inviting attention from other students.
"I won't allow it in the name of Venerable Mola and our ancestors." He slapped Edwin. It was not the first time. He and his friends had bullied Edwin since childhood.
"William, leave Edwin alone." Mateo stepped forward but was blocked by a chubby boy and a slim boy, William's loyal dogs.
"It's him, the devil child, the murderer," whispers could be heard. Isabella stood frozen.
"My parents told me to stay away from that thing; he is a curse bringer." A girl and her friends spat on the floor—the village symbol of cleansing to ward off evil spirits.
William's fist landed on Edwin's nose; it broke, blood streamed down. Before Edwin could wipe the blood, a kick smashed him down.
He dared not utter any word or fight back. William was from a noble family; his grandfather was the longest-serving member of the council of elders.
"What's going on here?" A girl in a blue huipil dress, her head covered in nicely done braids, approached.
"Oh, Lady Barlelina, I'm doing the village a favour. As the daughter of the village head, are you trying to allow this curse here?" Barlelina stood still.
As Edwin rose to his knee, a slashing kick from William slammed straight into his heart.
He coughed out blood. "Ooh…" His hands clutched his chest; no words came out of his mouth. He couldn't breathe. He spat a mouthful of blood.
He tilted his head up and glanced around. Isabella, Mateo, and Molai were shouting, but he couldn't hear.
He glanced at Barlelina.
He dropped his head, hitting the floor. No breath came out of him. His heart stopped.
Edwin Mathias was dead.
"William, what have you done?" Barlelina scrambled down. William had a confused look. "I… I just hit him a little." His heart skipped a beat.
"Call the teachers, guards!" Molai rolled Edwin over; he closed his wide-open eyes. "He might still be alive!" He shouted. "Water! Hurry! Bring water."
Students scrambled out of the classroom. They were scared. Only Mateo, Isabella, Molai, and Barlelina remained. William was carried out by his dogs; his legs couldn't move.
His vision blurred.
"He just moved!" Molai shouted. "He is still alive!"
"Edwin, how are you feeling?" Isabella asked.
"Who the fuck is Edwin? Ooch!" At that moment, memories of old Edwin slammed into his mind.
"Transmigration, baby! Goodbye, corporate suckers! Goodbye, Earth! Goodbye, cancer!" He ignored the pain in his chest. Then quieter, "Sorry kid, I'll walk your journey for me."
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Molai asked.