Many generations ago, when the world was newly unified under the reign of governor Katan 1st, the governor ordered to remove any kind of limitation to travelling between countries. If you’re okay with the rules of the vice governor of the place, you could settle anywhere you like.

Everyone who would’ve read that according to the history books given to Red Star high school students would have the same idea about what came next : Hotlandians would spread all around the world while many people from other continents move to Westernia, which was in the time the continent of progress and freedom. What’s notable is that nothing alike happened at all, and Westernians are the one who called home all around the world. It also could be because even if there was no man made boundary splitting lands anymore, it was still costly to move to another country.

Red Star opened shortly afterwards. Its first chairman, known only as Jenkins, an obvious Westernian, simply vanished after the school started flourishing, 30 years ago. His successor, Jenkins Jr. made Red Star a lot more commercial, but beneficiated everyone. The staff was top-notch, the students were all learning, and the Red Stars, the sports teams, were doing well.

And when you say high school sports team, you immediately say jock. You may ask, what is a jock? A jock is your average romance movie antagonist. Arrogant, violent, and has no real redeeming quality beside their athletic prowesses. They are very popular, but fall short later on in their life.

Question is, why am I bringing all this up ? Well, Alterius did not go from meeting the old man to travelling around the world in a single day (Old man Odham actually spent more than a week hiding inside the attic after lying two days under Alterius’s bed. He was also eating more than twice the food Alterius consumed daily in a single meal.), and his last days at Red Star were far from being boring, they were packed with bizarre occurrences. And the most striking adventure he had was him becoming a provisional football player for the Red Stars completely out of the blue, and for the least logical reasons that could run in your mind.

    It was coincidentally a Monday, most hated day of the week for everyone, but for Alterius, it was even worse. Monday was the day their math teacher did “drastic things” : It could be a test, him giving more or less homework to the class , or like this time around, switch the places the students sat in.

Alterius leaned back in his chair. (As long as he don’t put one of those too close-)

The teacher looked straight at the back of the class, and announced the magic words.

“Samantha, you’re going next to Alterius, Jake...”

Alterius threw a pff around.

(“This day is not going to end peacefully isn’t it.”)

It did not.

Lunchtime was always a busy time, many students of the academy bring their lunch from home. The cafeteria, however, is never short of customers.

Alterius was sitting at a table at the corner of the large room, consuming his meal as fast as he could.

(“I just gotta go as fast as I can so that I...”)

“Hey you.”

Alterius scrunched up, then regained his composure as fast as he can while turning his head towards the voice.

“If you talk to Babe, I’m gonna make you...”

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“I do not care.”

Jake frowned. He was feared among the students of Red Star for his physical prowesses, some random guy just interrupting him like that was something far from ordinary for him.

“I don’t want you near her, okay?”

Alterius has already returned to eating his lunch, only muttering okay while chewing.

Jake then retreated, causing the ground to shake with every step.

“Jake Riddgelton, a moron with a body enhancement Soul Shard named Impact, rare as hell to find, like Elemental Shards.”

Edwin, that was sitting in front of Alterius, stared at his buddy with a concerned look.

“I really do wonder if ya’ll be okay, he’s insane.”

Alterius shrugged.

“No issue. I watched some of his matches. He’s pretty straightforward.”

After lunchtime was over, Alterius was walking in the hallway when he suddenly stopped.

(“3… 2...”)

Edwin, understanding that something was shady, followed suit.

“Why did ya… ?”

Alterius hushed.

(“Now!”)

He suddenly started running, only to stop right before entering the intersection that was in front of them.

A sound reminiscent to that of an airplane echoed, followed by a crash and a scream.

Alterius then walked to the class like nothing happened, pushing his way through the commotion that was quickly forming.

Edwin, however, ran to see what happened.

Behind a hole in a wall was jake, who visibly was the source for the roaring heard before.

(“Alty knew he was coming for him. That's pretty smart of him. Or is it?”)

The classroom was missing Jake, which went to the nurse’s office.

When hearing what happened, Samantha disappeared too.

(“Like anything of value was lost anyway.”)

The class was unusually silent, and not because of the two lovebirds that were missing, no one but Litér, the French teacher was talking, when suddenly, Zavier, the Student Council President kicked the door open.

“Alterius, you are asked to go to the director’s office.”

"Hey, you can't just barge into my classroom like this !"

"Student Council, sir."

He stood up, visibly looking annoyed, and executed the orders without further discussion.

The Director’s office was bright enough to blind whoever dared going inside it, giving him a sort of Holy silhouette.

“I have seen what you have done, Ruissell...”

Alterius gulped.

(“I only wanted a quiet life, c’mon! That’s not even my fault!”)

“And I do know it is not your fault.”

Jenkins stood up and gave his back to Alterius, that still did not recover from the flash of light that hit him when he entered the room, and the rollercoaster of emotions he just went through.

“Unfortunately, we now need someone to replace Mr. Riddgelton for the next exhibition match, that idiot not only has obliterated a wall in the academy’s grounds, but also his left hand.”

“I can’t take his place, sir, I have no knowledge of Westernian foot…”

“There is no discussing the matter, son.”

He violently turned around, fixating his gaze on Alterius.

“We are missing strategic minds. Raw power is abundant, but someone that thinks as rationally as you do, instead of punching someone because of a teacher that changed his girlfriend’s classroom location… We have none in the football team.”

The director sat on his chair and put his head on his hands.

“You are to start training today with the team after class. No excuse shall be tolerated.”

 He then leaned and crossed his legs.

“Good luck son, I’m sure you’ll lead the team to victory.”

Alterius stood and opened the door leading outside the office.

“Also, and just to ensure full cooperation...”

A cold breeze ran through Alterius’s back, that decided not to face Jenkins.

“A bad performance of you or the team will result in your expulsion from Red Star Academy, so give it your best. I do not want to lose this match.”