CHAPTER 1 : THE CHALLENGE

Like many other students from Miamoto's Academy, Lukas was a genius. Not only in informatics, engineering, mathematics, but also the secret subjects from the Academy. Only those with special skills were accepted in their walls. They were what most would call blasphemy or myth: Black magick, white magick, elemental magick, various pagan and occult rituals; they could all be practiced with 100% safety and success within the Academy's walls.

Like his classmates, Lukas was part of a special group of students, blessed by the touch of the Gods, capable to see and speak with their Guardian Angels. These were entities of great power, some of them older than mankind itself. Some were cruel and bloodthirsty. Others just and wise. Due to their skills acquired through the link with their guardians, they could do what most could not: summoning demons, spirits, monsters and creatures of all manner with great and terrible power.

When Lukas woke up, he could see a tall figure sitting on the end of his bed. It watched him with legs crossed and back straight. It had a dark grey cape wrapped all around him, and Lukas was never able to see what was hidden by the cape, only guessing he was wearing black pants or some type of long black boots. He couldn't tell where the boots finished and the pants started due to the "damned long cape", like he used to say. But he no longer was curious about it. Today was the last day of school, and he only had one class. Well, more like an instruction class of three hours for the graduation day. And when night fell, it would be party time!

Since he was one of the ten from his generation, Lukas had his own room. After a soft grunt and struggling to get up, he was able to get out of the bed, breathing slowly while instinctively took a hand to his injured ribs. He and Azazel used to spar from time to time, just for the fun of it. Of course, Lukas was only human. Plus despite his skills; he wasn't able to defeat the fallen angel-yet. Azazel smirked before stand up as well, following him while Lukas limped to the bathroom.

"I warned you not to fight. We should have waited for that later." Azazel said a few steps behind him, watching while Lukas slowly took the pyjamas.

Lukas sighed while turning on the water and closed his eyes, focusing. A dark mist appeared out of nowhere, quickly wrapping around himself before vanish like smoke, revealing his naked athletic body. His light skin was bruised due to the fight, and Azazel watched the three black birthmarks on his back, just like Orion's belt. The skin was darker there, like if tanned. Stepping into the shower, Lukas turned around to close the door, glancing at the fallen's mischievous smirk.

He closed his eyes and moved under the stream of water, feeling his body relax with the hot water as the steam rose. Soon, he could only see Azazel's shape in the other side of the glass door and turned his back to him. His pride was wounded, because he had lost the fight. But more than that, it was because after one year of training, even after mastering some of the most difficult spells, he still could not make Azazel break a sweat.

"Towel, please?" Lukas asked after turn off the water

"There you go," Azazel replied. Lukas looked surprised as the towel flew into the shower and fell onto him. Lukas smiled before beginning to dry himself.

"Thank you, Azazel." And then he waited for the usual reply, but instead of a "Bleh.", this time the answer was "You're welcome. Now hurry up. Class starts in twenty!" Lukas stood a few more moments surprised, blinking and wondering why the change of answer. But quickly a smiled formed in his lips and he said nothing more. He didn't need to ask why, because he knew it. More than sparring rivals, more than Guardian and Protected, they were friends.

Lukas exits his room 15 minutes later, wearing the usual dark blue uniform of the Academy, leaving only the last button open, revealing a black tie and a bit of his white shirt. He was wearing brown pants and black boots. After the three-hour "class", Lukas and his friends quickly moved away from the other groups, walking to the Northern Section of the Mansion.

Even if they could see their own Guardians, they couldn't see the others. But that didn't meant the Guardians couldn't see every entity and spirit. While the ten students talked about their plan to summon Bloody Mary for real, Azazel and the others were having a more fun talk. Although Azazel was suspicious about the reason the white dryad was so happy that day. Oshi was a dryad with four eyes. Unlike other of her kind, her skin was white and textured like the bark of a tree. Oshi and Azazel were the strongest of the group, such as Alara and Lukas. The group stopped in their spot, under an apple tree.

"Lukas, I have a challenge for you!" She said, smiling when their friends whistled and laughed.

"Pfff, I can handle anything you have in mind, Alara!" He replied quickly, looking at her while leaning against the tree, his right hand wrapped over his stomach and rubbing his sore ribs.

"Oh, is that so?" Alara mocked.

"Anything!" Lukas stood up firmly, his hazel eyes shining with his fighting spirit, his inner flame burning with intensity. The hazel turned to gold for a moment.

"Well then-this is my dare. I dare you to summon Bloody Mary alone! And bring us something as a proof-her head." Everyone gasped and looked at each other, surprised and somewhat and smirking with the idea. After all, even if they were a group, they all knew about the war between Alara and Lukas to find out who was the best. Lukas grinned and step closer, looking at her eyes.

"That's no problem." Alara shook her head at Lukas' answer, a smirk crossing her lips. "I dare you to summon her—alone."

"It's a trap." Azazel said with no joking tone on his deep voice. "Not even you can summon a spirit from the Mirror Dimension. It's more complicated than summoning a wraith or shadowwalker," Azazel insisted, shaking his head and placing a hand on Lukas' shoulder.

Everyone knew Alara tried to summon her a couple months ago, failing and being punished for one week after release a group of rogue vampires inside the Academy's walls. Luckily for her, the GrandMaester had been able to change them back to human, since a bitten victim only truly becomes one after a couple days. And when people learn how to walk between the Realms of Life and Death, everything is at reach-even bring the dead back to life.

Lukas and Alara, were enemies since day one. And he knew that was a test for him. How could he even hope to defeat Azazel if he refused the challenge? In the heat of the moment, Lukas raised his right hand.

"DON'T DO IT!" Azazel shouted, and grabbed his wrist. Lukas felt the sudden cold that invaded his body. For the glimpse of a moment, the feeling like he shouldn't do it; bad things would happen.

But he was not only one of them... he was the number One! Shaking his arm free from Azazel's grip, Lukas stared at him. "I can do it! I will never be able to beat you if I fail. You don't cross the line. Our true power can't awake until we experience Death or almost Death! And even HE will not take my soul this night!"

The fallen sighed lightly, but nodded, staring at him with his white eyes. "Good luck."

Lukas smiled and turned back to Alara, lifting his right hand. "For the Old Gods, I accept the challenge! I shall summon Bloody Mary... or die trying!"

Everyone laughed and applauded his bravery, even Alara. "Good luck, champ." She said mockingly.

"I will succeed!" Lukas assured before spinning on his feet and walking away.

Azazel, however, didn't follow him.