The Doc comments: Hey! I got my very first review for this story, so props to damien455 for getting' the review party started. That was all I wanted to say for now.
The end of August had finally come and freshmen orientation had begun at Oxford College. The campus was a small one; the two-year college was home to only around 600 freshmen and sophomores. Though it was small, the campus was still beautiful. There was the quadrangle (the Quad) in the middle of the campus, with its towering trees that went from green to gold to red to brown throughout the seasons. Around the Quad were the buildings of the college. On one side were stood the dormitories and on the other, the academic, administrative, and recreational buildings. From a bird's eye perspective, the entire campus looked like an oval, with the Quad in the middle and the various buildings surrounding it.
Wesley walked around the campus slowly, trying to figure out where his residence hall was located. As he wheeled a heavy suitcase behind him, he absent-mindedly bumped into another freshman, who was obviously having a hard time handling his luggage. Wesley let go of his own suitcase and stared at this person whom he bumped into. He had two extra large suitcases, four heavy boxes and three bags full of clothes. Wesley thought to himself, I'm glad I don't have to room with this guy.
"Sorry about that," Wesley said. "I wasn't watching where I was going."
"No problem," the other guy said. "I'm Matt, by the way."
"Matt?" Wesley asked. "Tell me your last name's not Hart."
"Yeah," Matthew answered. "You must be Wesley Williams then?"
"Yeah," Wesley sighed.
"What's wrong?" Matthew asked.
"Look at all this junk you have," Wesley said. "I don't think the college is big enough to hold all that stuff. I thought I brought a lot, but this is a shame!"
"I needed all this stuff," Matthew objected. "Anyway, do you know where Branham Hall is?"
"That's what I was about to ask you," Wesley replied. "So I guess we're stuck. I don't know why neither one of us can find it. The campus is smaller than my bathtub."
"I know," Matthew agreed. "Say, let's ask one of the orientation people. Here comes one now."
James was headed to the Student Center when he saw two people trying to flag him down. Not knowing his name, they called him "Orientation Guy" and hoped that he could get the message. He detoured and made his way toward them. His mouth dropped slightly at the sight of so much baggage, but he kept a straight face.
"The name's Jimmy," he said. "And sorry, I don't play moving man."
"Funny," Wesley responded dryly. "We're looking for Branham Hall. Where is it?"
"Right there," James said, pointing to two buildings that were conjoined. "It's the one on the left. The other side is East Hall. You two living in Branham?"
"No," Wesley said sarcastically, "we just want to drag our bags around the entire campus so we can check it off our list of things to do."
"He means yes," Matthew added, noticing James' look of disapproval.
"Anyway," James said, "it's over there. Let me know if there's anything y'all need. Don't forget to come to the Luau this evening. It's gonna be great."
"Thanks," Matthew said. "I'm Matt, by the way, and this is my roommate, Wesley."
"Jimmy," James said as he shook Matthew's right hand and Wesley's left hand.
The moment the three came into contact, however, something strange happened. For a brief moment, their hands were locked together. A weird sensation passed through each of them; it was as if they were having a huge adrenaline rush. Each of them suddenly felt rejuvenated, like they could do anything. Their bodies glowed faintly, though it was hardly visible in the bright summer sunlight. Then, everything was back to normal.
"What the hell was that?" Wesley asked. "You have one of those electric buzzers in your hand? Let me see!"
"No," James replied. "I don't know what that was."
"I'm sure it was nothing but the heat getting to us all," Matthew suggested. "Thanks for pointing us in the right direction. Let's go, Wesley."
"See you around," James said as he continued to the Student Center.
"Did you feel that?" one of five hooded beings asked.
"Yes," another answered. "It was a powerful surge of energy. I have never felt anything like that before."
"Could it be?" the first asked.
In another plane of existence, five evil beings sat around a table, shaped like a pentagram. Each of the beings sat at one of the five points, embodying one of the five aspects of evil. The five beings, known collectively as the Council, were shrouded in mystery as they conversed amongst themselves. Candles were scattered throughout the mysterious lair, but they provided just enough light to show the silhouettes of each of the Council members.
The Council was the most powerful collection of evil beings known. Their power was unrivaled in the Underworld, and no other dared to challenge them. There was Anamalech, who sat at the point of the table that was labeled "Despair." Andras sat at the point labeled "Discord." Ardad sat at the point called "Distrust." Tenebrion sat at the point named "Darkness." Mastiphal sat at the point called "Damnation." Together with the power of the pentagram, a symbol of great evil, these five aspects of evil empowered the Council with a genuine hatred of all things good. They had no compassion, no emotion, and no sense of justice. They only cared about the spread of evil and the containment, and eventual destruction, of anything that opposed their power.
One of the Council members, Ardad, waved his hand, creating a gray mist in the middle of the table. Inside the mist, images began to form. They were images of people, young people. They were students at a small college. The mist revealed the faces of three young students who had met just moments ago, three who possessed the power to destroy them all.
"The Prophecy of the Complete," Ardad said. "It cannot be true."
"'Three will come together and free the world,'" Andras recited. "Are these the three?"
"Impossible," Tenebrion said. "They are strangers to each other. They do no even realize that that part of them exists."
"Sibyl," Mastiphal shouted impatiently as an olive-skinned woman, covered in silver veils, materialized into the room. "Look into the future and tell us what you see."
The woman looked off into the distance. Her eyes, once gray in color, had turned completely black. Her facial expression became blank and she shuddered at the images that raced through her mind. Slowly, the color returned in her eyes and she faced the Council.
"Honorable Councilmen," she said, "I have seen the future, but I am hesitant to speak of it."
"Speak!" Anamalech commanded fiercely. Sibyl took a couple of steps back in fear.
"I see," she began, "three young men. I see them doing great things, performing impossible feats of magic. I see them harnessing the powers of the universe. They are all powerful, but they do not realize it quite yet. If given enough time, they will discover the extent of their powers."
"Are they the Complete?" Mastiphal asked.
"It is not clear yet," she replied, bowing slightly. "They emit very powerful auras, but until they have come into their powers, it is not possible to determine."
"Leave us," Andras said. Sibyl, the Seer, said nothing and faded into nothingness. "They must be the three."
"We cannot take any chances," Tenebrion said. "If the Complete come into their powers, it will only be a matter of time before they fulfill their destiny."
The Doctor's back with this: Destiny? I'm sure y'all can somewhat see where this is going, but I promise the action stuff's coming. It's hard to set up characters and storylines and junk!