As the sun began to set in the autumn of 2025, Anoir's father left his workplace for the family home. One of his employees had told him about the tragedy that had occurred in Courbeton that very morning, in the Grasshopper Park. He knew that his eldest son often hung out there, but monsters in Courbeton? In his opinion, the investigation section must have made a mistake: there were hardly ever any monsters in town, at least if we exclude small-time crooks and the underworld. He was fond of sensational news, but the proximity of the event made him slightly worried for Charles Junior, and as he arrived at the front door of the house, he wondered if he should move with his family.

He wasn't at the end of his surprises, when he saw a professor of magic in his living room, drinking coffee from a translucent cup.

Luania was chatting with her, sitting on a chair.

“Hello darling, how was work?” His wife had gotten up to kiss him.

“Yes, pretty well... Hello Madame, I don't believe we've been introduced?” He shook the guest's hand and almost grimaced, so intense was the strength of the small, slight woman.

“Professor Dim, from the Scottish Fur School, I believe we have something to discuss.”

I waited in my room as my mother had asked, and from the look she gave me, I expected the worst. I spun around, pacing 100 paces, pondering the possible outcomes of what might be unfolding in the living room.

When I heard the house door slam, I knew by the sound of it that my father had returned and must be having an exchange with the teacher.

Was my father going to throw me out sooner than expected? A quick glance at my watch: 6:42pm. It's due in 20 days, he's not going to do that. Professor Dim had told me that, if all went well, I'd be going back to school in a month, and I couldn't see myself struggling to make the long journey to Scotland. So I hoped in my heart of hearts (or at least what it had become), that my family would agree. Continuing to think, I knew I had to leave the family cocoon as soon as possible to avoid implicating them in the macabre affair that had taken place with these three thugs. Haven't they got any leads yet? I must have left a trail on the way back.

An alarming calmness, however, suspended my fear: after all, it really was a monster that had attacked them, and I was innocent in the matter! A part of me suspected that I was entirely responsible, while another lulled me into innocence.

That's how I understood the advantage of no longer having a heart of flesh: my emotions were much less tumultuous, and I was no longer sad, I even felt euphoric.

*knock on bedroom door*

“Anoir? Come my boy.”

In the living room, cookies and empty coffee cups were on the coffee table, opposite the sofa where Professors Dim and my mother were sitting. When I arrived, they fixed me with a look I'd never seen before, halfway between curiosity and compassion.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

“Sit down in the chair, we've got a question for you,” my father said.

“Do you want to join the Fur school of magic?”

If I was calm, I didn't sound calm at all.

“Yes! I do, it's an opportunity I'd like to take.”

Luania, sketched a smile and Charles looked discomfited. A halo emanated from the room at that moment. Soon, Professor Dim conjured up a list of essential equipment for study at Fur, as well as a set of rules - very strict on the surface, although in truth Fur students were renowned for their rebellious behavior. The teacher, having done so, offered her greetings and left for the doorway, from which she was teleported after pressing a small button embroidered on her jacket. As for Charles, he went to his office without saying another word to his son Anoir. Luania couldn't help smiling and a small tear slipped down her cheek, a tear of joy. Her son had finally proved his worth to his father, but it would take a lot more, she knew, especially as she knew that her son had changed a lot since yesterday.

I was exhausted when I lay down on my bed, Nizé was in his sleep and his discretion was exemplary, his black plumage rising and falling in rhythm, slowly.

I grabbed my laptop and launched myself into deep reading, on the first news of this morning's monster investigation.

There were only two relayed articles that seemed reliable in the tide of local and national information.

“According to the first information from the investigation, led by investigator Tifon (there was a photo of a man in his fifties in a brown overcoat, taking notes on a notepad), a class C monster attacked the three young men at around 7 o'clock this morning, the scene showed no signs of combat, it would appear that they did not defend themselves during the surprise attack, a fourth individual, would have witnessed the scene and is thus the only witness today able to describe the event, a young man according to his size, however this individual has not yet been identified (I was relieved in an instant), Courbeton, a town known for its security, is today experiencing unprecedented turmoil, and the investigation continues”.

The article was signed “Miss Long”.

I couldn't have hoped for better! As long as I was at the Fur School, they wouldn't be able to trace me, or so I thought. I still had a month to hang in there and keep a low profile. I made a mental list of the mistakes I had to avoid: not going to Grasshopper Park anymore, walking down the street too often, changing shoe sizes and throwing away the old ones.... Wait a second, I should throw my shoes away now, if my family came across them I'd be screwed. The next moment, I drag myself out of bed and into the hallway where I'd left them. Charles Junior was playing with an ice spell by filling his sandbox bucket with icy figurines, I couldn't hide the fact that he was really gifted.

My shoes were where I'd left them, so I picked them up and headed for the garage.

The soles had small traces of dried blood, which had turned brown. I grabbed a garbage bag and stuffed them inside in one swift motion.

The final question was, what was I going to do with this garbage bag? Put it in the public garbage can? Bad idea, it could be traced back to me, I'd probably have to make it disappear.

Pyromancy would have been a great help in this case, as a burning spell would have made it disappear in an instant, but matches weren't invented for nothing.

That evening, as I hid in a corner of the large garden, burning my shoes in the smell of petrol and rubber, I became aware of something that would haunt me that night: what will my classmates be like at the Fur School and, above all, will I be able to get there without any problems?