Roy fiddled nervously with his ever-present headband. He furiously racked his brain for any indication of the reason as to why he'd been called to the principal's office- surely he hadn't breached the school's code of conduct? It was inconceivable! Roy had read through each and every rule, and it was his job as the upperclassman representative to spread awareness of the code and enforce it!
Suddenly, Roy felt the air around him chill. His spine tingled with foreboding, and the ground shook as the principal, a man of utterly massive proportions, stomped into the office, glaring at Roy with unmasked hostility.
"SON OF ELIWOOD!" the principal thundered.
Roy flinched, bewildered. "Yes, Mist- I mean, Principal Hector?"
With a thud, Hector slid into his seat. His eyes bore into Roy as he opened his mouth.
Roy braced himself for the worst, but Hector instead released a rolling, shaking laugh.
"Oho! Every young man needs a bit of fear drilled into him, eh? I just wanted to give you my congratulations for winning the election for the upperclassman representative to the student council!"
Roy let out a sigh of relief. "Whew. You really had me going there, Principal- I was certain I had already let down my peers. On the first day of my official duty, no less!"
Once more, Hector chuckled. "Lilina rooted for you the whole way. What a pair you two make! You're almost… too close."
Roy grinned. "She's so kind to everyone. It's a wonder she's not taken- it seems like everyone is hooking up one last time before college, if I must be frank."
Hector's smile faded. "It seems so, but it would certainly be a shame if anything so happened to change you and Lilina's friendship."
Roy nodded, confused at the implications of Hector's statement. "Sure would. We've been friends forever, though- I can guarantee that I won't abandon your daughter any time soon."
Instead of allaying Hector's fears, as Roy had hoped, his stare only grew colder. "Remember that, Roy. Do not let your friendship change."
"Um, yes sir!" Roy gulped.
Immediately, Hector's grin returned. "Good! You should be on your way, then- you don't want to miss first period, now, do you?"
Roy almost broke into a run upon seeing the time, but opted for a brisk walk instead- he wouldn't want to set a bad example for the students he was meant to direct. Unfortunately, even a brisk walk afforded little time to react to students slipping around a corner.
"Eek!"
"Oomph!"
Books flew everywhere, and a small pair of glasses clattered to the floor. Roy rapidly stooped down to collect the dropped items in horror and embarrassment, profusely offering apologies as he did so.
"I'm sorry, so sorry- Oh, I should've looked around the corner!" When no response came, Roy glanced up at the student he had collided with. She was squinting at him, though Roy was unable to tell what she was thinking.
"I… I can't see without my glasses…" she whispered.
"Oh! I'm sorry, I'm in a hurry this morning…" Roy explained. Once he handed the glasses back, he took another glance at the student. Though he knew nearly everyone at the Lycian high school, he had no recollection of this girl from any of his classes. She had purple hair and dressed very conservatively, though the weather outside was hot as the summer had not fully melded into the moderate temperatures of fall. "Are you new here? I don't recognize you."
The girl seemed to consider her options before replying. Or maybe she was shy? Either way, her response came after a slight delay. "Yes… I just enrolled here this year."
Roy stuck out his hand amicably. "Welcome, then! I'm Roy, the upperclassman representative to the student council. I can arrange a guided tour, a briefing of the rules, anything you like to make you feel welcome!"
The girl appeared bewildered and overwhelmed. "Um…! I… hi, my name is Sophia… I.. well…"
Noticing her discomfort, Roy quickly backpedaled. "That's only a few of the options, granted! If you're not quite ready, I could offer some of my time to give you a tour, just the two of us, if that sounds more tolerable."
For the second time that morning, Roy appeared to have said the wrong thing. Sophia's face flushed, and she squeaked something unintelligible before running off down the hallway, dropping a book in the process.
"Sophia, wait! You dropped this!" Roy shouted, but there was no response. He picked up the book and stuffed it into his backpack- he could find her and return the item later.
And then the late bell rang. Roy once again adopted his brisk walk- this time, to the attendance office, where he would acquire a late pass. It was his responsibility to demonstrate proper conduct in the event of a tardy, after all!
Echoes of something akin to laughter echoed in Roy's ears, but he dismissed them as the products of a night of little sleep. Though the whispers bore a strange resemblance to the chants of dark magic...