When I opened my eyes, I saw a room with stone walls and a wooden floor. I was lying in a bed, my entire body bandaged. Beside me was another identical bed, separated by a small table.
I tried to get up, but the pain wouldn't let me.
"Don't strain yourself, boy," said an elderly man, carrying some potions toward me. His hair and beard were completely white.
"W-where am I?" I asked, my voice hoarse.
"The back of Tírisi Church. We're in the city of Anáktisi," he replied. "It's a relatively large city, very close to the academy. I was returning to the city when I saw you and a young woman lying on the ground. I put you both in the cart and brought you to the church, the only place capable of healing wounds as severe as these."
"And Misti? Is she okay?"
At that moment, I managed to gather enough strength to sit up in bed.
"She's fine, young man. She went out to buy a few things. You've been in a coma for four days."
I was really surprised.
"But tell me… are you a Marked one?"
"Yes. How did you know?"
"My grandfather was one too. I spent my whole childhood with him. Before he died, he told me that the Marked emanate voices in their aura. And when I was putting you in the cart, I heard a voice thanking me."
It was probably Vlémma who said that. It would be bad for her to lose a body she had just conquered.
"Drink this," the old man handed me a cup with a healing potion, a bluish liquid meant to be drunk.
The taste was surprisingly good, it reminded me a bit of pineapple juice.
"You also need to apply this on your wound," he showed an ointment, known for its extreme sting.
"I think I'll wait to remove the bandages first, then I'll use the ointment."
"That's a shame, boy. You'll have to live with a huge scar on your body."
"I think that's the least of my problems, sir. I have a goal at the academy that will make me forget about that mark."
"Good luck, Sonno."
Misti must have told him my name.
"Your friend is waiting for you."
"And where is she?"
"I have no idea, young man."
So I got up and left through the main door.
"Thanks, old man. I'll remember to thank you in the future."
I climbed some stairs until I reached the church grounds, where there was an exit to the street. Apparently, this was the city center.
There were shops everywhere, many people passing by stores and several warriors in expensive armor. The street was made of cobblestones, many lampposts lit the way, and tall buildings cast shadows. Finding Misti would be a challenge.
I walked for hours, discovered some really interesting weapon shops, and eventually reached a market. Most stalls sold food, especially fish. However, one stall sold rings and necklaces with precious stones.
I looked closely at some pieces while the vendor watched me. It was a lady with long hair reaching her thighs. One of the accessories caught my attention: a necklace with a purple stone, striking and radiant like a butterfly.
"For your fiancée, young man?" the lady stood up and approached me, taking the necklace from my hand.
"I was thinking of my friend, but I don't have enough money… I think I'll leave it for la—"
She cut me off.
"Don't worry about that. You need to live life. Take this with you. I'm sure she'll like it."
It was almost a miracle.
"Are you sure, ma'am?"
"It's just a gesture of kindness. My husband spoke a lot about you."
"By any chance… is your husband the man from the church?"
"Yes. He brought this jewel on his last trip when he found you two."
"Thank you with all my heart!"
I waved to her and put the necklace in my pocket.
People in this world are kinder. I was used to being treated badly even by the villages we saved in the other world. Gratitude was practically nonexistent.
My group of heroes was made up of eleven people. Our goal was always to exterminate the monsters that attacked cities.
I feel like I'm forgetting someone...
As I walked the streets, I remembered the conversations of the old group gathered in a tavern.
"Pass me another beer!" said Zuk, a robust man with short red hair who drank until he couldn't walk anymore.
"That's enough, Zuk. We're leaving early tomorrow," warned Espa, the group's leader and swordsman, with hair as black as space and eyes as bright as the moon.
"Damn it, you guys are such a hassle," complained Mika, the person I loved and who I have the feeling is still alive. She was as beautiful as snow.
While remembering the scene of us all together, I saw the silhouette of a person in the distance. But I couldn't identify who it was.
I hope Mika is okay.
"Let's go home, Mika," said Kasta, the oldest woman in the group, at thirty-seven. Her body was the most beautiful in the world, but as a nun, she didn't get involved with anyone. She helped me heal the wounded in battle.
"Stay a little longer, my beauty… without you here, we are nothing!" exclaimed Ruvy, a twenty-year-old boy who fought only with his fists. He was the strongest among us and possibly one of the strongest on the continent. He was also romantic… a bit too much.
"Stop looking at her like that, Ruvy. We'd better spend our time resting rather than loving," said Ento, the only elf in the group, with sky-blue hair.
"You only say that because you're going to live forever, Ento," grumbled Fer, the irritable but beloved by all.
"At least someone will tell our stories in a hundred years," said the optimistic Yuika, skilled with long-range weapons.
"I hope God hears your wish," replied Gatus, the priest and master of magic in the group.
"Take it easy, everyone. Let's prepare to leave tomorrow. Right, Yaso?" said my best friend, Kryo, an electricity mage with blond hair and emerald green eyes.
In that world, the powers were different. The moments too. But there's always something or someone to ruin everything.
I'm almost sure I'm forgetting someone… Whatever.
I walked until I felt a sharp pain in my chest, torn by Soáu's swords. I stopped at a bench on a lookout. No one passed by at that moment.
The lookout offered a view of the entire city of Anáktisi, as well as the valleys behind it. The glow of the houses stood out amid the sunset that was about to begin.
"Sonno?"
Misti's voice sounded behind me.
"You're awake!"
She ran and hugged me. Her whole body pressed against my back; her head was next to mine and her arms squeezed my chest.
"Sorry for worrying you."
"I wasn't worried, I just needed you to carry the bag for the rest of the trip."
"Sounds like I did something wrong…"
She sat next to me, enjoying the view ahead. She was wearing a greenish hat.
"And your wounds, Misti? Are they better?"
"Most of them, but this scar will stay forever…"
Misti lifted her shirt a bit and showed the large X-shaped scar on her belly.
"I've got one of those too. It's to mark our friendship…"
"Yeah, I guess I can see it that way."
The sun was setting on the horizon. Then I thought it was the perfect moment.
"I have a gift for you, Misti. Open your hands and close your eyes, please."
"You're not going to do anything weird to me, right?"
"Not even if they paid me."
Calmly, I took the necklace out of my pocket and placed it in her hand.
"You can look…"
Her eyes sparkled, reflecting the light of the purple stone.
"It's… beautiful!"
I was happy that she liked it.
She took off her hat, placed it on the other side of the bench, and started putting on the necklace. It looked perfect on her neck. However, a strong gust of wind began. Misti's hat flew off faster than I could follow.
"Oh no!"
Then an arrow struck the hat and pinned it against the wall of a watchtower to the right of the bench.
"I'm sorry!"
A short pink-haired girl ran up to us and knelt, apologizing.
"I thought it was a good opportunity to shoot, but I ended up piercing your hat! I can pay for another one!"
"Calm down, girl. At least you stopped it from flying away. What's your name?"
The girl stood up.
"Akrivís, an archer going to study at the academy."
Misti took Akrivís's hand.
"Really?! We're going too! My name is Misti, nice to meet you! And this weirdo here, who looks like a mummy, is Sonno."
"Brat…"
"We're leaving for the academy tomorrow. I got a ride with some merchants here. Want to come with us?"
I asked somewhat suspiciously, but I thought it would be good to have an archer as a friend. She'd be useful at some point. Besides, she reminded me of someone.
"Of course!"
And so our journey to the academy began.
Thus, we set off for the academy, passing through various different places and facing small monsters along the way.
We departed from Anáktisi at dawn, along with the merchant caravan that had offered us a ride. The journey was long and varied — we crossed dense forests, green hills, and small villages. The sky, sometimes clear and blue, sometimes covered with heavy clouds, was the only constant. Misti, Akrivís, and I walked side by side, talking about what to expect from the academy and reminiscing about the days when we were still recovering at the church.
Akrivís, despite having joined us only recently, already spoke as if she had been Misti's childhood friend. She was lively and wouldn't stop telling stories about her hometown, where she had learned to use a bow since she was five years old.
"My father used to say that anyone who can hit a squirrel from a hundred meters will never go hungry," she told us, smiling and tucking her pink hair behind her ear.
"I hope you didn't use that against your classmates," I joked.
"Only against those who deserved it," she replied, winking.
We arrived at the academy about two days later.
A small coliseum, surrounded by stone columns, gathered just over three hundred people. It was there that battles capable of changing many destinies took place.
These academies were created by a very powerful man named Monóklino. That was the name he used in his incarnation, since no one could pronounce a god's true name.
Monóklino was the first god. He divided his soul, and from that came absolute good and the rulers. But he had always been a pacifist. He couldn't accept the idea of fighting his own children, so he created the academy so that humans could contain them.
The Maculated — like me — received a kind of special treatment. We had teachers assigned to instruct us, since we were vessels for the gods' powers. Even so, we still had to go through the same tests as the other students.
The crowd in the coliseum had gathered for two reasons: to choose their uniforms and to discover where we would be studying.
The blue uniform belonged to the weakest — those who lost in the first rounds. The orange represented the average — neither strong nor weak. And the white was for the best — those who reached the finals or won the battles. In addition, the Maculated received special accessories: necklaces or hair ornaments.
To achieve my goal, I needed to draw attention. But that wasn't too difficult, considering everyone there was between thirteen and eighteen years old.
Misti and I were fourteen, Akrivís was fifteen.
The academy's facade was impressive. Two castles in the distance at the back of the campus conveyed a sense of grandeur. The coliseum sat in the right corner, and there were several other buildings scattered across the grounds. In the center, a stone path led to the castles: the primary, for the weaker students, and the secondary, for the stronger ones.
But it wasn't just a place of battle — the academy also had fields and potion classes.
The sun was already setting when a giant man — he must have been over two meters tall — used magic to amplify his voice and began to speak:
"I'll explain how the battles work. Pay attention!"
The previously noisy crowd fell silent.
"The tournament will last eight days. In the first six, we will determine who are the weakest… who will receive the beautiful blue uniform!"
The boos were immediate. No one wanted that ugly outfit.
"On the seventh day, we will hand out the orange uniforms. And finally… on the eighth day, the white ones! The strongest! And one of them will earn the title of the most powerful."
Misti looked at me; Akrivís stood beside her.
"Sonno, what will you do if you win?" Misti asked.
"I don't think I'll even manage to win them all…" I replied.
"Such low self-esteem…"
For sure, my "self" from the other world would never have said that. Then, the man shouted again:
"The use of necromancy or mental manipulation through magic is strictly forbidden! Anyone who does so will be expelled from the academy!"
I'm screwed…
"That's all for today. Go to your dormitories and rest. Tomorrow we begin for real!"
I went to my new room, near the secondary castle. I was going to share the space with two boys I didn't know yet. Room number two hundred and thirty-seven was at the end of a long wooden hallway.
When I opened it, I saw a rustic and spacious room, with three beds lined up against the left wall. On the other side, there were wardrobes and desks. In front of me, a large window. The bathroom, to the left of the door, was small but had a bathtub, sink, and toilet. Much better than where I used to live.
I started reflecting on my past.
My thoughts were interrupted when the door opened. A boy with white hair and gray eyes entered. He was absurdly handsome — almost otherworldly.
"Good evening…"
"Hi…" I replied, still sitting on the bed near the window.
"You're Sonno, right?"
How did he know my name? We had never met.
"You can call me Protá. Or, if you prefer, holy son."
"Protá is fine…"
"I'm Monóklino's son. I hope we'll be good friends."
Great… sharing a room with another Maculated…
"How do you know I'm one?"
"There was a rumor going around. I guessed it was you."
The door opened again, this time with a kick. A boy with red hair entered. His eyes were different colors — one red and one blue.
"Sorry I'm late, Protá."
"Just try to open the door with less force, Thymós."
"And who's that?"
He looked at me angrily.
"Sonno Björny, from the city of Tarachi."
"I don't care… GET OFF THE WINDOW BED!"
He jumped on top of me, wrapped in an orange aura, ready to punch me. But Protá held him back with one hand. The impact created a strong gust of wind that knocked over a potted plant on top of the wardrobe.
"Did Mr. Angry Pants not understand that he got here first?"
Thymós grumbled, lay down on the middle bed, and fell asleep within minutes.
That was my first day at the academy.
A few hours later, I woke up to the birdsong. All the students were called back to the coliseum. And there was the same man from before, with his imposing voice.
"I hope you all slept well…"
He paused and looked around.
"Because now begins the coliseum battle!"