Wool Orphanage, Orphan Dormitory
The alarm rang, waking up the boy on the top bunk first. He got ready for school, but there were no signs of the boy on the bottom bunk waking up for another half an hour.
When the alarm buzzed for the second time, the boy on the bottom bunk woke up in a panic. It was already 8:00 AM.
Panic washed over his face as he realized he was late for school—he had only 30 minutes to get ready.
Alex jumped out of bed, drank a jug of water from the table behind the bunk, and dashed into the bathroom.
He brushed his teeth frantically, staring into the mirror. As he brushed, he noticed a flashing infinity symbol in the corner of his vision.
He spit out the foam, rinsed his mouth, and gave the infinity symbol a deep, thoughtful look.
He had been seeing this symbol since the day he was born, but up until now, he hadn’t been able to figure out its meaning.
If you’re wondering how he remembered something from the day he was born, it’s because this wasn’t the first life he’d lived.
Technically, the life he was living now was his second. Although he remembered his past life, he didn’t like to dwell on it.
Alex set aside the mystery of the infinity symbol for now; he had more pressing matters—like getting to school.
He quickly dressed in his school uniform, bolted out the door, and ran through the hallways of the orphanage, dodging other kids as they strolled by.
Just as he was coming down the stairs, he heard the sound of a horn. Without a second thought, he dashed straight for the main door, skipping his favorite English breakfast of sunny-side-up eggs and pudding.
Outside, he saw the yellow school bus with the driver glaring at him for making him late once again.
Alex ran to the bus and climbed aboard, offering the driver an apologetic look.
"Sorry, I forgot to replace the batteries in my alarm. It won’t happen again next time."
The driver gave him a displeased look but turned the ignition and started driving.
Alex sat at the back of the bus, his favorite seat, staring out the window as cars and pedestrians passed by. His mind wandered back to the infinity symbol, its light pulsating in his vision.
He knew he was the only one who could see it. Once, he had asked a classmate about it, and she had looked at him like he was crazy.
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Lost in thought, Alex didn’t notice when the bus came to a stop in front of the school. He quickly got off the bus, not wanting to upset the driver further.
After walking for a while, he made it to his classroom, sat down, and prepared for the day’s lessons.
The day passed in a blur—English, Math, Science—and before he knew it, the school day was over.
If you asked Alex what his favorite part of school was, he would definitely say football, with unshakable conviction.
He rushed to the locker room, grabbed his cleats, and sprinted to the football pitch.
There, he found his friend Ben, the team’s goalkeeper, looking frustrated.
"Hey Benny, what's wrong?" asked Alex.
"Alex, mate, I can't play today. I've got a dentist appointment," Ben replied.
"Benny, why are you worried? I’ll play in your place. You always worry about the little things."
"Hand me your gloves and jersey, and go get your teeth checked without any stress," Alex said cheerfully.
"Thanks, mate. I’d be in trouble without you," said Ben.
The match started, but things didn’t go as planned. The score was 1:2, and despite Alex's best efforts, he had already let two goals slip by.
Judging by the looks from his teammates, he knew he was in trouble if he let in another.
He positioned himself defensively as the striker from the opposing team sprinted toward him and kicked the ball.
Alex dove to the left and punched the ball out of bounds. While he had saved a goal, he had given the other team a corner kick.
Tension rose as both teams crowded around the goal for the corner kick.
The ball soared into the air, and Alex focused intensely on it. He calculated where it would land and positioned himself accordingly, expecting the ball to fall straight into his arms.
Pleased with his effort, he celebrated, making victory gestures to his team.
Then, the infinity symbol, dormant for 12 years, suddenly expanded, filling his entire field of vision.
Alex froze, blinded by the overwhelming symbol. At that moment, a player from the opposing team, in full stride, smashed his foot into the back of Alex's head.
Before he could make sense of the blinding light, Alex’s body went limp. Half-conscious, he could hear shouts and felt someone carrying him away.
The next thing Alex knew, he was back in his bunk. A throbbing headache pulsed through his skull. He sat up, leaned against the wall, and sipped some water from the glass on the table, nibbling on a few biscuits.
While he was drinking, he heard a knock at the door. He got up to answer it but noticed something strange—the white infinity symbol that had always annoyed him with its pulsing light had completely turned black.
Before he could investigate the change, the knocking grew more insistent, so he hurried to open the door.
Standing on the other side was the matron, along with a woman dressed in a strange medieval outfit.
"Alex, how are you feeling? I know this isn't the best time, but this lady here is a teacher from a prestigious private school. Congratulations, Alex! You’ve been offered admission on a full scholarship."
"The lady will brief you on the details," said the matron, smiling warmly as she gestured toward the woman.
"I’d appreciate it if I could speak with Alex in private," the woman in the odd dress said.
"Of course," the matron replied.
The woman entered the room and closed the door behind her. She looked at Alex, hesitant to speak.
As she considered what to say, Alex's attention was drawn to the now-black infinity symbol, quietly pulsing in the corner of his vision. His hand instinctively reached out and touched it.
"Well, Mr. Alexander Knight, you're a wizard," said the woman in the strange outfit. Just as the words left her mouth, Alex's vision filled with floating windows displaying text.
UNLIMITED BUFF SYSTEM
NAME: ALEXANDER KNIGHT
POWERS: MAGIC
DEBUFFS:
BUFFS: SATIETY (2 HOURS) +/-