In hindsight I should have known today was going to be the worst when I nearly got robbed first thing in the morning.

Truth be told I never expected as soon as I got into the Academy another student would bump into me and snag my wallet. Thankfully I managed to grab her and get it back. I may have been a little tough when I threw her to the floor and kicked her but it was needed for her sake. Rather than just punishing her for the theft I felt a little bad, clearly she managed to get in by chance judging by how rough she looked. The Academy had these welfare scholarships after all so I clicked my tongue and simply declared it was punishing her for brushing against me. I did not want to watch someone be expelled on the first day.

Then some damn asshole with the head of a hedgehog sucker punched me and what made it damn worse was the fact the student committee reprimanded me. Guess that’s what I get for trying to be as nice as I could be. After the welcoming ceremony I decided I needed a breather from seeing that guy sitting just a few seats away from me. Yet as I was walking through the floral gardens I had been admiring some of the rarer flowers grown. Back at the manor, spending time maintaining the gardens had always been better than being berated over my level of incompetence in nearly everything I did. Not that I was bad but I was mediocre which was never good enough for my family that expected excellence. So I spent time with Carl who was the gardener since I was a child. He taught me all the different kinds of flowers and herbs that filled the gardens, being such an old gardener he had better knowledge than even some alchemists.

So imagine the agony I felt as I watched a blonde haired dolt start picking ‘Soleria Lostars’ a flower that had a petal structure similar to daffodil but it was a key ingredient in refinine alchemical catalysts to enhance light magic. My favourite thing about them was how they would let out a small glow like a little star at night. So I rushed over and got her to stop picking out what looked like a bouquet of them. I may have gotten over zealous for my love of flowers as she did look like she was about to cry but I could not help but cry for the poor gardener who had grown such beautiful solerias. Then some blue haired insomniac came between me and her and immediately used a magic string to try and choke me out. It even left a bruise but luckily he left me off when I backed off. Mages like them are the reason magic is so heavily restricted amongst commoners.

Despite this I had some hopes for the forest trial. If I could actually get some flags I could make use of the resources and actually sort out my academic life in the Academy. Maybe then my family would be proud of me if I was good enough to get into the Gold class by second semester.

“Damn it, all…” I groaned as I sat up. My vision was doubling and I could feel the urge to vomit. The forest had always been dark which did not help my nerves collecting flags. I managed to muster out one cantrip called ‘Sparks’ which was used mostly by Military Engineers in a way to replace a flint and steel. Issue is everytime I picked up a flag I heard the crackling or rattling behind me which made me jump and accidentally ignite the flags I picked up.

After nearly thirteen flags being ignited I had lamented it all as I got my fifth one. Then I realised by the fact I had not found many people that some students might not be as lucky as me so I tried picking up a few extra to hand out. It would be an easy way to make connections with other nobility or just some up and coming students. Then out of nowhere some weed-haired bitch slammed me in the skull with a sword. At this point I was really sick of being walked all over so I tried to fight back but as we got into the fight my nerves literally sparked back up and when she hit my hand with her palm it caused the flames to ignite backwards and it set me alight.

Even as I sit up now my eyes still felt starry-eyed from the light of the flames. The smell of blood struck my nose and it was close to just gagging as I got up using my bo-staff to get up. My entire body was trembling and the blood clung to everything from my clothes and hair. The cold really was running through my body like I was buried in snow. I could hardly keep my jaw from chattering. As I was walking trying to make my way I saw what looked to be the glimmer of a warm light. ‘Did I get stuck out here so long they started sending out search groups for students.’ I groaned as my vision kept blacking out yet I started to move after the light but despite my efforts it seemed it was moving in the opposite direction.

“Wai-” I began to cough, stopping me from crying out for them to stop. The heat from earlier had scorched my throat. Picking up the pace I stumbled to the ground hearing the crackling of leaves beneath me, those dirty brown and orange leaves reminding me of my own state covered in mud. Tears filled my eyes as I just wanted to catch up to that life and finally get some rest but even that was too much to ask for as I felt the ground beneath me give way.

‘By the stars, fuck me…’ was my only thought as I dropped down and saw a stone-like altar beneath me. Before I could do anything my body slammed against it and I crumpled on top of it. My entire body was screaming out as the sounds of cracking filled my ears as my lungs felt like they were flooded with blood. It all but confirmed that my ribs were broken. The blood dripping out my lips only made me panic as I began to cry. I just wanted to do well, make my father proud and finally do something right. The Constellations above just seemed to mock me and now as I laid here drowning in my own blood that light seemed to linger close and I began to let out a gurgle of a laugh.

‘A light spirit’ it was not the light of a torch nor magic. It was a spirit of all things, a damn creature I can barely see as it is as nothing but a faint haze only became clear when I was beaten down and pulled to my own death. The dark shadows encroached my view but within that darkness was what looked to be bright lights. I guess the stars finally looked down on me atleast once, though they slowly formed a grin. I reached out a hand desperately and a voice rang out in my ears.

‘A new toy? How fun…’ It's a voice like nails on a chalkboard, if I was not already dying this would have driven me to plunging blades into my ears as I finally succumbed to the dark.

I found myself standing along a path, the ground beneath me a paved and worn stone. Around me it was an endless abyss dazzled with stars and shades of purple. It made me cry. I suppose seeing the stars was my final wish in these moments as I saw on the edges of the path those same solerias I was so passionate about. Something inside me made me want to keep moving as I kept walking forward so I did. Each step felt heavy and the wind that should not be there whistled.

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‘Wait, whistling?’ I thought as I looked around and saw a figure behind me.

Standing tall he had a lean and skeletal-like build nearly four metres tall. Bat like wings wrapped from around his back to his front like a leathery cloak. Its jaw almost like a broken hinge hanging so low before it came back up to whistle flashing teeth as white as the stars I mistook them for and in their jaw nearly endless razor-like fangs.

“My poor boy, here you lay on my altar a sacrifice not of your own volition. Bloody and broken, I could put you back together.” Its voice no longer an agonising pain but almost a harmonious melody like a siren’s song. “All you have to do is entertain me, do we have a deal?”

His outreached hand melded from its talons and spider-like fingers into the hand of a man. The idea of having a second chance felt so good but at the same time all this day showed me just how pathetic of a person I was.

“No.” was the only response I mustered in my fright as my blood felt cold in his presence.

The grin on his face turned to one of confusion, then denial and finally horror as he spoke again. “Why would a human who had wrongfully died not want a second chance at life?” He seemed to grow bigger as I shrunk back and he loomed over me in rage. “DO YOU NOT HAVE ANY PRIDE BOY!”

It thundered in this eternal space shaking even the stars in the sky as I felt the blood trickle out my ears. Crouching down I covered my ears and trembled in terror. ‘Even a monster I have never seen before won’t let me rest.’ The tears fell from my eyes as the pain pierced every nerve and then I felt its hand on my shoulder and all I could do was dread.

“If you cannot live by yourself, then you will live as my vessel.” His eyes gleamed a dark crimson with a malice unfolding from within the monster as it uttered its own name. “You shall live not for your name, Lucas Alphonse. But rather one much more magnificent, call me… Ashroth of Pride. Lord of the Endless Expanse.”

The void seemed to flood into him expelling the blood from my lungs. Shards of bones reformed and pulled out my organs they pierced and stitched back into place. Sandpaper feels writhing beneath the skin as my eyes respond to my broken body on the altar. Though now my body was no longer as broken as I sat up and searing pain burnt itself into my chest. Pulling at the shirt I wore breaking off the buttons I cursed it. ‘Why was I wearing a shirt in a forest trial anyways?’ But on my chest the emblem of a rose strangling a snake looked as if it was carved in and scarred. With that Ashroth spoke once more.

“The son of Duke Alphonse, that Alphonse family? How the mighty had fallen.” It cackled clearly amused at just how much of an embarrassment I was to my own bloodline. “Be grateful I let you live once more. Remaining in the depths of these ruins for any longer would have killed me out of boredom.”

Too scared of the voice in my head I nodded as I struggled up and looked around this empty cavern. Clearly a naturally formed cave from the walls and ceiling that fell in by the ground around the altar was faded and worn down stone. With moss and weeds breaking through them there were four podiums one on each of the Cardinal directions or I at least assumed. Crystals of dull grey laid broken atop of them yet the strands of mana seemed to writhe like maggots from them. These were drained crystals to the extent they were not even salvageable. Yet at such a large size, each nearly thrice the size of my skull, these crystals could last even a manor like my family’s for a quarter of a millenia. With four an entire millenia worth of mana had long since decayed to nothing and judging by the moss that had settled on even them proved that they had run out a long time ago. I was unlucky enough to stumble upon this altar when whatever magic surrounded it had dissipated and became the blood sacrifice for this demon.

Doing my best I felt more energy in my body than I had in a long time as I forced myself to climb the vines against the walls. But my strength was barely sufficient as I scaled the walls barely throwing myself out as my arms burnt. Standing up I chuckled seeing the bo-staff I dropped waiting for me.

“My most loyal companion, it’s nice to see you’re here.” I mused as I picked up the staff. As I was walking I could feel the wind around me pushing me and so I listened. Hours crawled by as I managed to break through the final line of trees and saw a single examiner waiting with a board. A disinterested look in his eyes at my state as he raised the clipboard.

“Alright, show me your number of flags.” He spoke in a way that made even Selwig seem interested in a subject.

I felt a little pride considering despite it all I had managed to collect five flags into my back pocket. Yet as I went to reach for them that pocket they should be in was flat. ‘I got robbed by that bitch as well’ I cursed many more times after that as I helplessly looked at the examiner.

“I think I lost them.” I winced as I heard him click his tongue and sigh.

“Head back to the Academy and maybe get to the infirmary if you can make it. I should congratulate you in advance for being the sole student to unsuccessfully bring back a flag. Now head back you damn brat because of you I missed my date having to stay out here to make sure the last of the lot got back. What’s your name?”

“Lucas Alphonse.” I sighed disheartened by the verbal beatdown I got given. Seeing how he froze it’s clear my family still had some weight as for the fourth time today the person who walked all over me walked away scot free.

Too exhausted to even bother making a retort I shambled all the way to the dorms. Looking at the paper in my pocket I sighed seeing that I somehow got placed on the fifth floor, all those stairs were not exactly something I wanted to do after such a long day. Getting into the dorms I was greeted by the sleepy glares of a couple of my peers who looked down from their bunk beds. A policy this Academy had was to roughly equalise living standards for all students for the first semester to test whether they were capable or just privileged. I fell into the latter for most things as I went to my trunk that was thankfully placed here by the servants of the Academy and took out my nightwear before climbing into bed with screaming aches across my body. Taking out the small bracelet from my trunk I injected some mana into it and felt my body get cleaned up. An accessory of Prestidigitation to clean up was a must have for any noble as they were an incredibly cheap item in comparison to most magic items yet possessed the most utility. Although the only thing they could do was clean they were popular and mass produced by the Magic Tower. So as I let myself clean up I crawled into my bottom bunk and into the covers before falling asleep. All to the whistled melody of Ashroth playing in the back of my mind. A soothing sound compared to everything else I had gone through with consequences to contemplate tomorrow.