Thank you to everyone who submitted a character! If your character doesn't show up here, that doesn't mean that he or she will not be in the story. I just wanted to feature a couple of characters before jumping in, and these five made the most sense to me. It's not favoritism or anything.
Once again, thanks to the awesome pinkpencil3498 for being my beta! Without further ado, here is the first official chapter.
"Easy is the descent to Hell."
Things often turned out badly when his mother went uninvited - without expressed permission - MOST DEFINITELY NOT WELCOME - into his room. It was only too clear that things were not going to go the way he had planned as he watched her turn around, an opened, half-white, half-black letter clutched in her hand.
"What is this, Alexander?" Scheiße, the full name, how can I get out of this-?
"Ah, it's just a letter for me, you know, private business, not important to you at all, just another day in the life-", he replied hastily.
"Getting an acceptance letter from Île des Rêves World Academy is not another day in the life, Alexander Weiss!" his mother shrieked, dragging her son forward into the family room with a surprising amount of strength. Ignoring her son's protests of "Not my Capitols Jersey-owwww, not the ear either!", Mrs. Weiss clouted her son about the head.
"I have been waiting, praying for the day when you would get an invitation to join the prestigious ranks of the former and current students of Île des Rêves World Academy! I taught you everything you needed to know and drove you to every single hockey game, no matter how big or small!"
Her voice grew softer here, but her grey eyes locked onto her son's blue ones with a piercing gaze. "All the traveling that your father and I have done to sustain your hockey career has put a burden on us, Alex. Nevertheless, both your father and I feel that your education is just as important as your hockey career, especially in the case that you become critically injured soon into your career and lose your job.
"We want you to get a world-class education so that you'll still be able to succeed even if your hockey career doesn't last long. I always dreamed that you could become a lawyer after your hockey days, or a doctor, even a politician - someone with a strong educational foundation and a life of prosperity, something we couldn't quite give you. Now HERE is a perfect, once in a lifetime opportunity to set yourself up on the path to success, and you HID IT FROM US?"
"Kathrin? Liebe-?" came the soft voice of Alexander's father, Maxwell Weiss, who looked sleepily into the room. He blinked once at the sight of his wife yelling into his son's face before continuing: "Why are you yelling at Alexander again?"
"He got a letter from Île des Rêves World Academy-" (is she ever going to stop saying it like that? Alexander wondered with some frustration) "-and he hid it from us!" Mrs. Weiss's eyes suddenly lit up with excitement, and her scowl transformed into a brilliant smile.
"Why am I scolding you when I should be celebrating the happiest day of all our lives? Alyssia! Come down now!" Kathrin yelled, although her voice rang with increasing anticipation. In response, a small young girl barreled down the stairs of the Weiss' small house, her blonde hair flying in front of the rest of her body.
"Come, Alyssia," Kathrin Weiss commanded, motioning to the largest chair in the living room. As the young girl sat down, the stern woman dragged her husband and son down on the other side of her and on to the chair. Giddily, she brought out the letter and began to read it out loud to the rest of her family.
Dear Alexander Weiss,
We, the Board of Admissions, are formally honoured to extend an invitation to you to join the esteemed ranks of our students for the upcoming school year at Île des Rêves World Academy.
Shiki Sakamoto's fingers gently grazed the elegant black script as she gaped openly at the letter. Everyone in London knew about Île des Rêves World Academy, a boarding school of world-class rank, as its name implied, whose large campus was located on the French island of Corsica. Besides the rich cultural experience, Île des Rêves trained its students, who came in known as "Super High School Level" students for their proficiency in certain fields and careers, to follow their own castles in the air and achieve their dreams. Furthermore, graduates of Île des Rêves received the official rank of Super World Level in their specific talents.
The name Île des Rêves alone could open doors for even a prospective student. Île des Rêves alumni were among the most successful and influential members of the modern world; if Shiki were to join their ranks, her name would be held in the same standing as royalty. Portraits of each of the class presidents decorated the websites; their eyes were lit with anticipation, and their eager expressions stood as emblems of hope for a new nation. And they wanted her to come?
For a moment, Shiki tried to imagine herself as class valedictorian. Her eyes shut firmly as she saw herself standing behind a podium, faced with the difficult task of addressing a crowd composed of equally gifted students as she was. A blurry image of the official website floated through her mind, and Shiki caught a glimpse of her own reddish-brown eyes staring out from her pale face. Perhaps her hair would be its natural black again - then again, she did like how the current white color stood complimented her normal outfit
Could she join the ranks and become a symbol of hope for the world? News of a horrible disruption of the world's order as it had been known came in snippets from different sources; no one company wanted to be the bringer of such horrifying news. Nonetheless, despite the fragmented pieces of information, Shiki had managed to piece together the fact that something terribly wrong had happened in Japan - her home country! - and the world needed a new light in such darkness.
The Board of Admissions believed in her! Shiki realized, and she grinned excitedly. They must have known about her - about her life, about her designs, about the Mistake - and they still believed in her! They still believed that she stood out among the rest of her competitors; they were completely confident that she could be a Super World Level Video Game Designer! Surely there was nothing that could lower her spirits now-!
"Guys!" she called to her friends, who were still upstairs. "You won't believe what I just got!"
We are highly aware of your proficiency as a Florist; indeed, you have stood out greatly among other competitors within your career choice, such that we believe that you truly deserve the "Super High School Level" title. Furthermore, we are completely certain that you would be a perfect match to join our new class of "Super High School Level" students at Île des Rêves and eventually graduate as a Super World Level Florist.
"What do you think, Elspeth?" Lyra Harrington wondered as her eyes skimmed the letter. It's pretty weird, huh, she thought, staring at the peculiar letter; the left side of the letter had intricate black script against a pale white background, but the right side had a much more jagged font, and the page background was completely black, with red script to compliment it.
"The French can be weird, lass," Elspeth replied easily as she braided her granddaughter's dark red hair. " I s'pose they're the school colors - white, red, black. Cors'ca sounds nice, don't it?"
Lyra gently tugged her braid out from her grandmother's hands and turned to face the older woman, her hazel eyes serious. "You really want me to go? Even though it's so far away? Even though I'm the only-"
"Tch; hush, lass," Elspeth scolded. Lyra stopped, and for the next couple of minutes, the only sound was the roar of waves as they crashed against the Aberdeen shore. At last, Elspeth spoke again.
"You've lived here in Scotland all your life, Lyra; it's time tah get a change. You'll make new friends, I'm sure, but you should still be able to keep in touch with your old friends. It'll be good to get some fresh air, and a new experience." Elspeth's voice lost its harsh Scottish burr as her voice fell to a whisper. "I won't mind you leaving, if that's what you're worried 'bout."
Lyra touched a fish on her charm bracelet absentmindedly, but her own faint, choked sobbing belied her nonchalant manner. Again, the waves filled in for the silence of their conversation. Lyra tasted salt in her mouth, but she wasn't sure if it came from the salty air by the oceanside or from her own tears.
"... So - then - what kinds of plants do you think I'll find in Corsica?" Lyra asked at last.
In order to celebrate your acceptance into Île des Rêves, we cordially invite you to spend a vacation with us in the Caribbean Isles. Here, you will also be able to meet and get to know the other students accepted into Île des Rêves for the upcoming school year.
"Can you BELIEVE IT?" The helmeted girl said to the flight attendant, who simply nodded acquiescently. "I'm MINDBLOWN!" she continued, her hands flying from her head as they opened wildly in an "explosion" gesture. The flight attendant nodded again, this time giving her customer a polite smile as well.
"I mean, I know that I'm a really good motorcycle racer," the younger girl explained, motioning to her white and blue racing suit and similarly colored helmet, "but getting an acceptance letter from one of the top schools in the WORLD? Amazing!"
"Elma Bellomi?" the patroness inquired after checking her customer's flight information and ticket. The younger girl nodded in return, doing a happy thumbs-up dance as well.
"That's me!" Elma confirmed cheerfully, pointing her thumbs back at herself. "Hey, do you know where my specific destination is? I got invited to 'the Caribbean' for vacation, but I don't know about any specifics."
The flight attendant frowned as she scanned Elma's boarding pass. "No, actually - it doesn't say. Your flight terminal is D18, if that helps," she observed, handing it over to Elma so the younger girl could see for herself. Elma took the paper in one hand, and her other hand came to stroke her chin thoughtfully as her left foot tapped the ground in an impatient rhythm.
"Ah well!" Elma sighed eventually, shrugging her shoulders in a "what gives?" manner. "Maybe I'll get to travel all - over - the Caribbean!" she exclaimed, gesturing grandly with an open arm to the wide expanse of air in the airport. "What do you think?"
The patroness struggled for a response that wouldn't confuse or scare her customer, whose helmeted head was cocked like a puppy's own. At last, she responded, "Yes - I suppose that's possible-"
"Great!" Elma interrupted, doing another thumbs-up dance. In response, the flight attendant gave her energetic customer a weary smile.
"Have a great day!" Elma called as she walked away with her two carry-on bags, faintly humming along to the tune of "Escape".
The flight attendant would have responded, but before she could do so, her legs buckled out from under her as the syringe in her neck quickly emptied itself.
Our ultimate goal here at Île des Rêves is more than simply to train our students to achieve titles and ranks to distinguish themselves from their present and future competitors. Rather, we believe that any student's journey at Île des Rêves should as a whole be an experience of both learning and maturing. Our school is one that firmly believes in the concept of self-improvement, and we hope to impart humility, determination, and a certain level of ambition in our students during their time spent at Île des Rêves.
"Fannar Geirsson?"
Fannar looked up from the floor on which he had been pacing. D16 ... D17 ... D19? Where is D18? He quickly spotted an official-looking valet beckoning him over. Adjusting the maroon tie around his neck, he walked over to the person who summoned him.
"Congratulations on your acceptance into Île des Rêves," he greeted easily, his voice lilting in a such a way that Fannar quickly realized that he was foreign.
"You have a private flight to your destination, Mr. Geirsson," the valet continued. "Shall I escort you into the private aircraft?"
"Yes; thank you," Fannar replied easily, a kind smile on his face. The valet gave an equally warm smile as he walked with his guest to the exclusive gate.
"All in-flight entertainment and refreshments will be free, seeing as you are such an honoured guest," the valet explained, his voice echoing in the small hallway leading to the aircraft.
I suppose I deserve such extravagant treatment for my talents, Fannar agreed, an arrogant smirk flitting across his face. Under the weight of his carry-on, he rolled up the sleeves of his blue collared shirt, stretching out his arms afterward.
Once Fannar had settled into the large, singular chair in the center of the plane, he began to doze, even while the automated safety message played and the plane took off. Île des Rêves will be a good opportunity for me to sharpen my persuasive skills, he thought sleepily. Perhaps I'll get to explore some of France's history as well-
"Thank you for flying with us today!" a surprisingly young voice rang through the plane, disrupting his train of thought. "To thank you for your patronage, we have supplied a movie that you hopefully should find be-very enjoyable to watch! Furthermore, if you look under your seat, you should find quite a nice surprise awaiting you!"
Confused, Fannar looked under his seat and found a covered silver platter. He brought it up to his table and lifted up the platter. Anything but hákarl, anything but hákarl-
"Pönnukökur?" he wondered, pleasantly surprised by the sight of thin pancakes stacked upon each other on his plate. How did they know-?
"We try to cater to the needs of our customers as best we can," the childish voice spoke again through the intercom, as if to answer his question. "If you are interested, please take the headphones that are being lowered from the plane to tune into the movie!"
Sure enough, a high-quality set of over-the-ear headphones fell into Fannar's lap. Curious, he put them over his head, glancing up from his meal quickly to watch what was playing. He noticed that it seemed to be an animated film and quickly lost interest. Putting aside his empty plate, he leaned back in his seat.
His slumber was disturbed by the haunting sound of a young girl's scream. Looking back to the screen in confusion, Fannar found his stare met by two wide, deep blue eyes set in an ashen face. Fannar shuddered, disturbed by the intensity and level of anguish in the gaze. The screen quickly changed to a cut of someone who most likely was the same girl running away, and Fannar turned back, lifting the headphones away from his ears. He fell back, still holding the headphones, and tried to fall back asleep.
He woke up again to the sound of the scream again playing from his lap, where his headphones had fallen. Ignoring the raw emotion that came from it, Fannar adjusted the volume as close to mute as he could get it, and sank back in his chair, slowly falling asleep. At last, now I can get some peace-
Squelch.
Fannar's eyes shot open; he glanced around nervously, shocked by the unexpected sound. He looked forward, at the screen, and immediately wished he hadn't.
The girl - the one who had had an emotional breakdown - was collapsed against a wall, her blue eyes closed in defeat, certainly dead. Blood spattered the floor and walls, and the hilt of a knife - which explained the horrible squelch - protruded from her stomach.
Fannar stumbled unevenly towards the bathroom, ignoring the lit seatbelt sign above his seat. Gasping, he held onto the sink for dear life, his stormy grey eyes wide with horror. After the initial wave of nausea had passed, he collapsed to the ground, hugging his knees, his expression frozen in shock.
He stayed that way for a long time.
"Drop all the oxygen masks - take out the life vests in case of a water landing - just do something!"
"What?" the childish voice asked. "What is the meaning of this?"
"WE'RE GOING DOWN!"
We sincerely hope that you choose to join us for the upcoming school year and for the orientational summer vacation; your acceptance into Île des Rêves is a great honor both for you and for the honor of our World Academy. Truly, you do deserve the Super High School Level title bestowed upon you.
We, the Board of Admissions, offer you our sincere welcome to Île des Rêves World Academy and wish you the best wherever you go.
Here, the signature blurred.