An alarm was going off in a room where a young green-haired boy slept, but despite the loud noise, the boy remained motionless as if he didn't hear a thing.

'"Wake up, Hans. You can't be late on your first day of school", a woman's voice called from a distance.

Hans raised his pillow over his head as if trying to drown out the sound of the alarm. A few minutes passed, and the alarm continued going off, but he remained motionless.

A root broke through his bedroom floor, sliding its way up Hans's bed, wrapping around his leg like a snake, and pulling him off the bed.

"Ouch," Hans rubbed his head, now in pain. Opening his eyes, he revealed his bright green eyes resembling emeralds.

The root retracted under the floor, and the floor began to repair itself until it looked as good as new.

Hans looked in the direction of the alarm, which was still ringing, and opened his hand in the direction of it.

A root erupted from the floor like before, but this time, it pierced the alarm, breaking it and making the room fall silent.

"That's better."

Hans went to the washroom, where he cleaned himself up before going to the dining room on the other side of the house. After walking through the long hallway, the smell of runny brown eggs and sizzling hot bacon hit his nose.

Hans sniffed the air taking in the wonderful smell.

A hint of drool fell from his mouth, but he quickly wiped it before entering the room.

When he entered the dining room, two young women in light armor were situated on opposite sides of the door. They looked almost indistinguishable, possessing blonde hair and blue eyes with sharp pointy ears, making them stick out. Their facial features and even their body types were impossible to tell apart. The only thing that set them apart was one had a single white highlight in her hair.

Before entering the room, he greeted them with a slight bow.

"Good morning, Prince Hans." They said in unison, bowing their heads toward him like a king.

Hans's eyes twitched.

"Didn't I say to call me Hans? Also, what's with the dramatic bows? Save that whole honorific thing when the leaders of the other kingdoms are here". Hans gave them a stern stare urging them not to do it again.

They both giggled.

"Sorry Hans, we just wanted to tease you a little."

Hans stared sternly at the girl, who responded and was ready to lecture her until someone interrupted the conversation.

"All right, girls, enough with the teasing. He's already late to wake up as it is".

A woman's voice came behind Hans, making him jump and turn around. Seeing who it was, he rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment and gave a slight smile.

The woman was tall and pale, which made her features more noticeable, bringing to light her beautiful face and long dark green hair with silver highlights that reached her waist. Her eyes, like Hans, were the color of emeralds.

This was his mom Sky Carnell, the Queen of the Kingdom of Carnell.

"Sorry about being late, Mom. I was so comfortable I didn't want to move". Hans laughed nervously.

This was a lie. Hans stayed up last night binging the final season of one of his series on a tablet he snuck from Mom's room. By the time he finished binging his show, he had realized there were only a few hours to sleep before he had to wake up for his first day, so he hurried and went to sleep.

This was unknown to his mother, who told him he had to sleep early last night because it was his first day. At least, he believed his mother didn't know about this.

Sky crouched down to look at her son's eyes.

"So, are you going to hand it over, or do I have to take it myself? ". She said with an eerie smile.

Hans dropped his head, not wanting to look at his mom, and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small rectangular object. It was the tablet that he stole from his mother the other day.

He handed it to his mom, who grabbed it and placed it in her pocket.

The twins busted into laughter.

"It seems like you don't know how to stay out of trouble," the woman with a white highlight in her teased.

After regaining their composure, they greeted the Queen.

"Welcome back, your majesty." The women said simultaneously.

"Hey, Lia. Thank you for watching the food until I returned from fetching my husband".

Sky rubbed the girl with the white highlight as if she was her kid.

"Also, seriously, no need for all that. Even my husband finds it uncomfortable. "

She turned to the other girl.

"You too, Ella, thank you. You guys always seem to be there when I need help, so thank you for that."

Sky turned to the dining room and let out a sigh.

"Liam won't join us for breakfast today, so there's no reason to wait. If you two haven't eaten already, you're free to join us" An annoyed expression appeared on her face.

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"As usual," Sky mumbled, walking to the seat at the end of the large table.

The twins glanced at each other and nodded.

"Sure," They said in unison.

They all sat and began eating while discussing their plans for the day. Today was a typical day for them, but for Hans, it was different. Today was his first day of school. It was the day every kid looked forward to. Today he awakens his element, a power that would grant him supernatural powers. This was also the first step in his cultivation journey.

Hans was six, putting him at the age where his core solidified. A core was what contained one's life force. It also stores spiritual energy, which one would use to perform the many mythical arts of their elements.

When someone awakens their element, it opens the doors to many different occupations. The fire element was most popular as it would open the doors to various occupations, like creating unique weapons and armor. It also allowed one to perform alchemy.

"I wonder what element I'll awaken?', Hans thought out loud.

The gazes in the room all shifted toward him, making him uneasy.

"It's hard to tell what someone would awaken. Most races awaken an element closely related to them, but this isn't always true. For example, when I first awakened, I awakened the water element, which works well with the power of a Dryad. Still, when I awakened my second element, I got the fire element which isn't compatible with Dryads power. I got my flames more because of my heritage, so it's slightly different, but you get the point."

Hans gazed at his mom, taking in the new information. He never saw his mom use her second element. He rarely even saw her use her first elements abilities, as she typically only used her Dryad abilities.

"Are Dryads not usually able to wield flames?" Hans asked.

Sky chuckled.

"Of course not. Dryads are weak against the flame element, but we're not normal Dryads after all. Aside from our family, no other Dryads possess the ability to wield flames. Flames are a Dryad's greatest enemy and don't mix well with their abilities."

These Dryad abilities are called innate abilities. Innate abilities varied between races, but each race had innate abilities that were unique to them.

Hans only learned the innate ability plant manipulation, which he uses daily due to his mother's instructions. This was the foundation of a Dryad's ability which Sky was strict on him mastering.

Sky was all about mastering the fundamentals of everything, so when Hans was capable of walking, he would have to train every day with his mother learning martial arts styles and forging his body. The training was torturous, but it gave him a head start on others his age.

His body is considered abnormal for a six-year-old due to how it's been morphed through countless hours of training. With his mom training him in martial arts and his dad training him in swordplay, his body was molded into a weapon.

"We will just have to see what your element is when we reach the academy. Don't worry too much. Even without an element like fire, Dryads are still exceptionally powerful".

Sky went back to eating, and Hans did the same.

After finishing his food, Hans pat his stomach, which was bloated and full of the delicious food his mom had cooked. Sky smiled.

"Ok, Hans, go upstairs and get dressed. We will leave in twenty minutes".

Hans nodded in agreement and hurried upstairs to the washroom.

When entering the washroom, he took a quick shower and afterward threw on a black jacket with jeans to match it. On the back of the coat, a silver phoenix was present.

This symbolized the Kingdom of Carnell, named after Hans's family. It is a Kingdom known for its incredible natural beauty and diversity.

Hans made his way to the entrance of his home, where his mother was waiting in a long green dress and a glass of red wine.

She often drank wine when it came to special occasions, and today was such an occasion.

Hans looked at his mom, studying her outfit.

"Dad was right when he said dresses don't suit you," Hans commented.

The twins, who now appeared in casual clothing, giggled at his remark.

Hans tended to say what was on his mind without worrying about the consequences.

A large vein appeared on Sky's forehead.

"Oh, he said that did he?"

"Yep, he said that dresses don't suit someone with your type of personality last time we were having dinner with Ms. Ren."

Hans paused and attempted to emulate his dad, puffing out his chest.

"Such a fierce woman should just wear casual clothing. It suits her better, anyway. Dresses should be worn by feminine ladies, not women like her."

The twins burst out in laughter. This was cut short when Sky released a pressure that sent chills up their spine.

The glass of wine in Sky's hand shattered, leaving glass shards by her side.

"I see"

Sky wore an eerie smile and walked closer to Hans, wiping the spilled wine from her arms.

Seeing her reaction, Hans began to realize his mistake. He never meant to make her upset.

"Sorry, Dad. It seems like you must endure another earful when you get home." Hans thought.

He wanted to mess with his mom but got his dad in trouble instead. Han's father tended to tease Sky often. Most of the time, this resulted in him getting chewed out. Despite this, he continues to tease her.

Hans picked and mimicked his behavior, but anytime he teased her, his dad would often take the punishment in her place.

"Han’s."

Sky lowered herself to meet Hans's eyes.

"Be sure to tell your dad not to expect anything waiting for him when he gets home."

A cold chill went through Hans's body. He shook his head in agreement, afraid to say anything more.

The four exited the palace, where a driverless carriage awaited them. This was one of the many means of transportation throughout the kingdom.

Most individuals stuck to carriages with drivers due to them being more affordable. Driverless carriages took numerous spiritual cores and a lot more money to maintain. For Hans's family, however, this wasn't an issue.

The ride was bathed in awkward silence. The twins refused to speak, afraid they would face Sky's anger.

Hans looked out the window admiring the architecture of the kingdom. Many of the residents' houses were seated in the massive trees due to the high population of elves.

Elves preferred their houses being seated in trees. It was like an instinct for the race, as many are archers.

Looking out in the streets, kids were laughing and playing with one another.

Hans mourned for friends. One of the many reasons he was happy about attending the academy was so he would make friends.

With training and studies on top of being a royal whose life was always in jeopardy, he never could go outside and play. This made him isolated from other kids his age.

"Screw training," Hans mumbled, watching the kids play with the ball.

Sky's face softened upon hearing his words. She knew what he meant, but hearing his words still hurt her. She, like him, had to dedicate herself to studying and training, unable to enjoy her childhood.

This was one of the many obligations of the royalty. This is why Sky and his dad implemented a rule requiring all royals to attend the academy with their peers. This would allow them to better understand life outside of the castle. It also gave them a chance to experience life from the perspective of ordinary people.

After a long ride, a massive mythical tree came into view. The center of the tree opened up like a mouth. Many people were walking into this "mouth," giving the illusion that an enormous titan was eating them.

Hans chuckled at the idea of the people walking into a titan's mouth.

"Who knew people would voluntarily enter the mouth of a titan," Hans thought.

The closer to the entrance, the more Hans felt warmth from the tree. Being a Dryad, he could sense the warmth of the tree. Although others couldn't, he could tell the tree was full of life.

Lining up near the entrance, food trucks sold many kinds of different foods. Parents were buying their kids treats while the kids wore giant smiles.

Giant statues featuring members of various races lined up on opposite sides of the entrance. The statues were so enormous they made Hans feel like an ant.

"Wow."

Hans stuck his head out the window to better view the statues. It was his first time seeing this in real life, although he had seen it many times in the vlogs he watched.

This was the entrance to the most outstanding academy in the forest. One where many dreamed of attending. The place where he would begin his path to cultivating.

Sky giggled, watching Han's reaction.

"Welcome to Mythical Arts Academy," Sky announced.

Sky stood up and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"This is where you will be for the next four years," she said with a smile.