RECAP

As hard as it is to leave those skill points alone, I'll wait until I chose my class to allocate them. That way I can get the most out of my build.' Matthew said to himself. 'Now I just need to keep my mind occupied until then.' His eyes wandered to the desk with a varirty of different books and scrolls he assumed detailed the history of Wizard City. 'Jack pot.'

He practically jumped off the bed snd rudhed towards the desk, noticing a small stoll was stored underneath it. He pulled it out and sat down, moving most of the books aside and focusing on one scroll in particular.

The history of Wizard City, and how it came to be.

Matthew opened the scroll slowly. He saw runes and cunreal writing he did not understand. He felr disappointment swell in his chest before holographic images appeared just above the scroll. Several images in fact, all with English text just below them. Matthew smiled. This was so much better than boring Algebra textbooks.

He spent hours looking and reading through each book the Headmaster left for him. He didn't feel tired in the slightest, which took him by surprise. He thought he'd get restless sitting in one spot for so long, doing something that seemed boring. But he didn't. Matthew assumed it had something to do with his video game powers, which besides seeing his stats along with some settings he found out he could not change, he hadn't learned as much as he would've liked. He just couldn't bring himself to take his focus away from the books he read. Each one he finished filled him with more curiosity.

Before he knew it, it was dawn. Sunlight seeped into his dorm through the window. He had finished reading the last book that was on his desk,feeling accomplished in himself. Just when he had decided to wander Ravenwood for the first time or look more into his powers, he heard a knock at his door.

'Guess it's time for my tour.' Matthew thought excitedly.

PRESENT

"Good morning, young wizard." Ambrose greeted as soon as Matthew opened the door to his dorm. "I hope I did not come too early." He said sheepishly.

Matthew shook his head, smiling. "Actually, I was wondering what took you so long." His gaze then turned to someone standing next to the Headmaster. He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. There stood a tall white feathered pelican who wore very formal attire and a scholarly hat. His sleeves were comically too big for his skinny feathered arms, his bird-like feet left naked besides some white cloth Matthew couldn't help but assume were socks. The pelican wore a small pair of glasses that rested on his beak. Those couldn't possibly be of any help where they were. He scribbled something in a small notebook he had, not looking up to make eye contact with the newcomer.

"Oh, it does bring joy to this old wizard to see such an eager student." The headmaster announced before gesturing to the pelican next to him. "Matthew, this is Mr. Lincoln., our school registrar. He helped in getting all your paperwork in order, enrolling you here at our school."

'This…is going to take some getting used to.' Matthew thought to himself, staring at the sentient pelican. 'And I thought a talking giant oak tree was bad…'

"It's very nice to meet you, young wizard." The pelican said eagerly, his gaze never tore from his notebook. He continued to scribble notes. Apparently, he was an excellent multi-tasker. "As the headmaster already said, I am the registrar here at Ravenwood. I just wanted to see you personally and welcome you to our amazing school." He looked away from his notebook. Not to look at the newcomer, but to the watch he wore underneath his huge sleeve. "Oh, would you look at the time? Well, it was nice to meet you but I have much to do today. I am sure we will see each other again." Mr. Lincoln gave a low short nod before walking away, writing in his notebook as he left.

"... He's not going to run into anything walking around distracted, is he?" Matthew asked when the pelican was out of ear shot.

Ambrose shook his head. "No no, he knows Wizard City better than anyone. Although I do apologize for his behavior. He is always very occupied with his work." He then gave the teen a smile. "Are you ready for your tour? The teachers are getting ready to see you as we speak." His eyes then widened, staring at his attire. "Oh, heavens. How could I forget? I did not show you our wash rooms yesterday. Come, I will get you a new set of clothes so you can relieve yourself and get washed up."

Matthew raised an eyebrow. He had stayed up all night and never felt the urge to use the bathroom. He wasn't tired in the slightest either. Even if he had been in limbo for years, he should've gotten tired at some point while reading those books. He wasn't even hungry. Why wasn't he hungry? The teen assumed it was because of his video game powers. He'd have to look into it later. Matthew put the thought aside, he nodded and followed the headmaster. His mind wandered to the books he had been reading.

Bartleby was more than just a giant talking oak. He was the brother of both Grandmother Raven and Grandfather Spider. The headmaster had already explained this to him. But what he hadn't explained was that while both grandparents created the first beings, Bartleby created the song of creation. With it, he molded the first version of the Spiral. The First World. The First World was possibly the closest they could've gotten to making a perfect universe. This bothered grandfather spider, who thought life in the First World was dull and boring. His son held immense power, and they did nothing with it. He unleashed chaos to the Spiral.

Fighting ensued between the three elemental beings. Their battle brought destruction to the First World. Leaving it a barren wasteland. To stop the conflict, Bartleby sang the song of creation once again, this time to put the elemental beings to sleep. Their slumber was ensured to last eons.

Raven was furious at spider for his betrayal. And for it, she took his heart. Sealing it away while casting spider in the deepest and darkest abyss. But his influence left a permanent mark. For when Bartleby and Raven began recreating the Spiral, chaos would follow shortly after. Their perfect image of the spiral, now a lost dream. Eventually Raven could not take the heartache of spider betraying her anymore. She disappeared for many millennia, leaving Bartleby alone to watch over the spiral. Alone, in a vacant world.

Many years later, Merle Ambrose, who Matthew learned hailed from Avalon, went out to explore the spiral out of curiosity. In his travels, he met Bartleby, and befriended him. Together, they rebuilt the world Bartleby was bound to, into their image. They founded Wizard City, as well as Ravenwood. They did so in hopes that their students would help prevent chaos from overturning the spiral.

There were more details that he read in the books, like how the different streets in Wizard City were named, or how the headmaster based his city's architecture on the buildings found in Avalon. But that wasn't really all that interesting. What really kept Matthew up was his curiosity over this Malistaire guy. The one who supposedly stole Bartleby's eye of history. The one he used to glimpse into the past, able to remember everything that has occurred since he was created. Matthew wondered why this Malistaire guy would take it. What could he need it for? Even the Headmaster seemed nervous talking about him. But he was not mentioned at all in the scrolls or textbooks. Maybe whatever happened with him, had happened recently.

"Did you find those books to your liking, young wizard?" Ambrose asked, breaking the silence. "I lent you ones that explained how the spiral came to be, as you'd be unaware of the truth, being raised on Earth."

Matthew broke from his thoughts to look around him. The school grounds of Ravenwood were crowded. Nothing like how he found them last night. Beams of sunlight slipped through Bartleby's branches, while the murmurs and conversations of other students invaded his eardrums. Wizards of all sorts and sizes passed them by. Male and female wizards all wore different varieties of styles and colors made Matthew's head spin. Some of the students were very young, no older than perhaps 12. While others towered over the rest, easily over 6 feet tall and clearly adults. A few students snuck glances at him, staring at him intrigued. Others sent menacing sneers and glared his way. He wondered what their deal was. Matthew sighed and tried to ignore it. Even in an entirely different world, teenagers still act the same.

"I did, actually." Matthew said after a moment's pause. "I learned a lot from them. I had no idea Bartleby had such a huge role in the creation of the entire spiral. Or that it was grandfather spider who unleashed chaos."

The headmaster turned his head to look back at the newcomer, his eyebrow raised intrigued. "My, you certainly did your research, young wizard." He mused. "Spider's betrayal is mentioned at the end of one of those scrolls I gave you, which I know is extensive. I assumed it would take you days to read all those books."

Matthew cursed under his breath. He said too much. He tried to play it cool and shrugged. "I guess I was a bookworm in my past life. The story of how the Spiral came to be fascinated me. Oh, and I read that you're from Avalon." He remembered, now trying to change the subject. "What's it like? Autumn's friend mentioned he was from there."

"You are referring to Thomas BattleFlame, yes?" The headmaster asked.

Matthew nodded. "Sure sure. So, is Avalon similar to Wizard City?"

Ambrose smiled and continued the tour, urging the teen to follow with a quick nod of his head. "Avalon does have its similarities with Wizard City. They both have lush green grass fields and their environment is quite pleasant. But the people and culture are very different." He explained. "Avalon is a world of fire breathing dragons. Kings and queens, loyal knights and treacherous gremlins. They built their society around honor, and obtaining glory. The most loyal of knights join the highest guard, called 'The knights of the Silver Rose'. This group aligns themselves with King Artorius. A great honor indeed." The headmaster then smiled wistfully, as if thinking back on an old memory. "I was once the head counselor for King Artorius. But that was many years ago…"

Matthew noticed his smile dropped. Whatever the headmaster remembered as his time as head counselor to the king, they were definitely not happy memories. "Do you think I'll ever get a chance to visit Avalon?" The teen asked, trying to get the old wizard out of his thoughts. His attempt worked.

"Oh, most definitely." The headmaster beamed, his dejected expression evaporated completely. "Every year we have a select group of student wizards explore different worlds. I'm sure you'll have no issues being selected. Seeing how enthusiastic you are about learning puts no doubts in my mind. Oh, here we are." The headmaster stated, stopping in his tracks.

Matthew looked ahead to see another stone brick building. Except this one was rectangular instead of the square classrooms. It was decorated with small lights and designs of Wizard City. The schools of magic were also painted on the sides. There were two entrances, one with a blue flag with a male wizard silhouette, the other entrance had a pink flag with a female wizard silhouette.

He noticed another building to the side. A cafeteria, he guessed. The outdoor cafe was 'n' shaped, the middle littered with picnic tables, flower beds and small fire pits. The space it took was massive, easily able to accommodate hundreds of people. Light poles were placed at each corner, while inside the building he saw small eateries, all taking a small portion of the building.

This area was bubbling with life. Students crowded the cafeteria, all enjoying their food and socializing at the picnic tables. Matthew felt nervous seeing so many people he didn't know. He wondered if he'd be able to fit in. The idea of becoming the most popular guy here now seems like an impossible dream.

"Here are our student restrooms, as well as the cafeteria." The headmaster said. "I will allow you to wash up and get something to eat. I'm sure you are famished. Feel free to mingle and make new friends, but don't take too long. In about 30 minutes the teachers of Ravenwood will be ready to receive you, as well as some other new students."

"There are others?" Matthew asked.

"Of course." The headmaster said with a smile. "We are welcoming to all students across the spiral. Naturally, we'd get a lot of eager applicants. Now, if you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to." His single eye then widened, as if remembering something very important. "Oh, but before I forget. I have a favor I must ask of you."

"What is it?" Matthew asked, looking at the headmaster expectantly.

"I think you understand the magnitude of your situation, given the circumstances. I trust you haven't told anyone of your reincarnation?" The old man asked in a whisper. His face held no mirth to it. He was as serious as a heart attack.

Matthew raised an eyebrow. Where was this coming from? "No, I haven't." Matthew answered. "I assumed you didn't want anyone else to know when you asked Autumn to leave your office yesterday."

"You assumed correctly." Ambrose said with a nod. "I would prefer if you kept it that way, especially from Autumn."

"What? Why Autumn?" Matthew asked, confused.

The headmaster sighed. "I know that girl. She is kind and caring, but far too curious for her own good. She wants answers to her predicament. To find the reason as to why she was brought here." The headmaster gave him a look underneath his monocle. "Answers you will not have."

"What makes you so sure?" Matthew asked skeptically.

"While your methods of entering Wizard City are fairly similar, the reason for your arrivals may be for completely different reasons." Ambrose explained. "The fact that your arrival came with a purpose, makes me question why hers did not. Whichever entity brought her did not want anything to link back to them."

"What're you trying to tell me, headmaster?" Matthew asked with narrow eyes. "That you think Autumn might've been sent here to sabotage Wizard City somehow?"

Ambrose grumbled worriedly. "I cannot say for sure. But I cannot rule out the possibility." He then placed a hand on Matthew's shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. "I had hoped I would be able to shield you from the responsibilities Raven has thrown on you, young wizard. At least for some time. But alas, I cannot. I need you to promise me you will not tell Autumn of your reincarnation, or of your mission. Who knows what sort of trouble she will get herself into when she thinks she has found her purpose."

Matthew hesitated. He had already planned on keeping it a secret. But now that the headmaster was telling him it was important he kept it a secret from everybody, especially Autumn, he couldn't help but gulp nervously. "...I promise I won't say a word, headmaster." He said with finality in his voice.

Ambrose smiled gratefully and nodded, taking his hand off Matthew's shoulder. "Thank you, young man. That sets my tired old soul at ease. Do try to mingle with the other students. Enjoy yourself. And do not forget to be at the center of Ravenwood in half an hour."

Matthew simply nodded numbly. With that, the headmaster said his goodbyes walked away. Matthew felt anxious. How could he possibly keep that big of a secret forever? Autumn was nothing but nice to him. He didn't want to repay her with secrecy. He decided he'd push the feelings to the back of his head, even if he struggled to do so.

He stared at the group of wizards, suddenly feeling underdressed. He decided he'd take his mind off everything and wash up in the restrooms. Matthew didn't want to smell like a wet dog on his first day. He quickly stepped inside, mentally preparing himself for the crowded public restroom. Only to find it much more spacious inside than it appeared outside. He saw rows up on rows of stalls, and to the very end, he saw shower curtains. The showers were even more spacious than the restroom itself. Too many people in the restroom was clearly not an issue.

Matthew took his time to undress and wash up, enjoying the hot water at his disposal. While there he decided to look into his gaming abilities. No one seemed to be around so it felt appropriate. His lack of need for sleep and food left questions in his mind. He wondered if it was a perk of some kind. His eyes widened when an idea popped in his head. He muttered "perks" under his breath, expecting a notification to appear.

Ping!

List of your passive perks!

-Gamer's longevity:

Able to go without sleep or food for far longer than the average person! But be weary, if you push yourself too hard, you will be rendered unconscious until your body has replenished itself completely. The duration of unconsciousness varies on how hard you push yourself!

Matthew's lips broke into a huge toothy grin. With this perk he could farm for gear far longer in the future, or easily pull all-nighters for tests and get good grades. He'd even be able to train his body for far longer, making the process of getting stronger much faster. He willed the pop up to disappear and returned to his shower.

When he finished, he was surprised to see a new set of clothes neatly folded next to his discarded ones, noticing it looked very similar to Thomas' attire. But instead of being red and black, his had a black base with brown outline. A fur lined hat sat on top of his new clothes, the colors matching his attire. Matthew smiled and put the outfit on. Now he wouldn't feel underdressed.

The teen stepped out of the restroom, feeling refreshed. His new clothes felt slightly uncomfortable and form-fitting, but he was sure he'd get used to it in time. Matthew made his way to the cafeteria to get something to eat. Not that he was hungry, but curiosity got the best of him. He wondered what the people of Wizard City ate. He was slightly disappointed to see they did not have any meat. Mostly salads or tofu burgers. But he realized why when he took a look at the people serving the food.

They were anthropomorphic animals. Most notably, cows. They stood on their back legs, their front limbs used as hands. Even with their hooves, they managed to serve food without much issue. They wore aprons and hair nets on their heads, their ears sticking out like white marshmallows.

"New student, are yah?" One of the servers asked him. They had a feminine voice. Their fur was mostly white, with a black spot over their left eye. Matthew could not tell their gender from their face, although they did have longer eyelashes than their companions. Could he call her a lunch lady? Lunch cow? No, that last one sounded way too harsh. "We've been getting more students recently."

"You can tell?" Matthew asked, grabbing the tray of food. It consisted of a salad, some bread that looked buttered, as well as some cooked tofu that smelled pleasant.

"You have that awestruck look all over yer face." The lunch lady said with a teasing smile. She had a thick accent. Like she was a farmer or something. Huh. Ironic. "And by the way you're eyeing me up, you must be from a far off planet of the spiral."

Matthew blushed. "O-oh, sorry. I didn't mean to be rude-"

The lunch lady laughed. It was a mix of a chortle and a long 'mooo'. "No offense taken. I don't mind the newbies staring at me. Makes me feel purdy." The lunch lady said, batting her eyelashes. Matthew wasn't sure how to respond. An evil part of him wanted to say 'in my world, we eat your kind.' But he didn't. He didn't want to come off as psychotic.

"R-right." Matthew muttered. "Well, thanks for the food. I'm sure it'll be delicious." He said, taking his tray and walking away

"Oh, I assure you, it will!" The lunch lady called out before serving the next student.

Matthew looked around uncomfortably, eyeing if there were any free tables to sit at. There were none. All the tables were full of friend groups, chatting it up and laughing. Matthew felt like an outcast. He didn't want to sit at a random table uninvited and try to make small talk. That'll be embarrassing for everyone involved.

"Hey Matthew! Over here!" A voice called out. Matthew whipped around to see his savior, noticing it was Autumn calling out to him. She sat with a few other wizards who looked back to see who she was calling out to. "Come sit with us!" Autumn exclaimed with a smile.

Matthew smiled nervously and made his way towards the group. He could tell they were sizing him up. Especially a familiar face he immediately recognized. "You can sit next to Thomas." Autumn said.

Matthew resisted the urge to frown. Thomas gave him a look, then begrudgingly scooted closer to the girl he was sitting next to to give him space. "...Thanks." Matthew said before taking a seat. He resisted the urge to sink his head to stare at his food. "I was worried I'd have to eat on my own." He admitted.

"I know the feeling." Autumn replied. "The new kid jitters are rough, especially in a school as big as this."

"You're actually handling it pretty well." The girl next to Thomas stated. "You should've seen Autumn. She was a mess." She teased, trying to hold back a laugh.

"I was not!" Autumn proclaimed. She huffed and poured in annoyance. "I got lost getting to class, okay? And I got nervous with so many people around."

Matthew looked over Thomas' shoulder, who was being surprisingly quiet, to look at the girl next to him. He looked over her head to see her name; Aurora RoseThorn. She had pitch black curly hair. A single strand of hair hung over her face, next to her right eye (Warlock). Aurora had fairly tanned skin, and noticed her jawline and cheeks were sharp. He could tell she was some sort of athlete. Her eyes were round with long eyelashes, her pupils were a light shade of red, almost pink. He couldn't help but stare at her.

"Yeah, but it was still funny." The red eyed teen chuckled at her friend before turning to look at Matthew. "What? Do I have something on my face?" She asked, wiping her chin and cheeks with a napkin.

"No, not that. Your eyes just caught me off guard." Matthew said, "I've never seen anyone with red eyes before." He then caught himself and backpedaled on his comment. "Not that it's weird or something. Sorry, I just-"

The girl in question laughed. "Relax newbie. I'm not going to gouge your eye out. I get that a lot. I'm used to it." The teen reassured. "It's actually a common gene in Dragonspyre. My parents have a darker shade of red. I got lucky. Most people they meet think they're villains or bad people because of their pupils. But they're actually really nice."

"Dragonspyre?" Matthew asked. "Is that another world in the spiral?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah, apparently it used to be a lot like Wizard City. It was a society of wizards. They even had a school kind of like Ravenwood."

"Used to? What do you mean?" Matthew asked.

"It's now Hades' incarnate." Aurora explained. "For some reason the ancient Dragon decided to wake up from its slumber, and was clearly in a bad mood. It destroyed Dragonspyre. Those who saw the signs fled here to Wizard City as refugees. The place is now full of ghosts of those who didn't make it out, lava spewing everywhere. It's apocalyptic. After destroying everything, the ancient Dragon went back to sleep like nothing ever happened."

"Oh." Matthew replied smartly. "Sorry to bring it up. I didn't know."

Aurora scoffed in amusement before turning to look at Autumn. "No wonder you're friends with this guy. He apologizes almost as much as you do." She teased.

Autumn gave her friend a weak glare. "S-shut up."

"Like I said, newbie, relax." The red eyed teen said, turning to look at him. "That was ages ago. Like, almost a thousand years. My grandparents weren't alive to see it, so I sure as hell wasn't either. We're practically Wizard City natives. No need to apologize. Seriously."

"Right. Sorry-" Matthew stopped himself when he saw the teen raise an eyebrow at him. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I didn't catch your name." He said cautiously, trying to change the subject. He watched her face brighten, her lips morphed into a smile. She certainly had a firecracker personality. She seems easy going until you do something that annoyed her. He'd have to take note of that.

"Aurora." She said, pointing to herself. "Aurora RoseThorn. PVP captain of Age 2." She said proudly. "And that isn't going to change anytime soon."

"Just like you ranking up isn't going to happen soon either…" Thomas muttered, munching on a piece of tofu.

"Oh, you are just begging for a bruising." Aurora goated. "Big talk coming from the guy who got their face planted into the dirt multiple times by yours truly."

"Only because you have two years more experience." Thomas countered. "If it were an equal fight, I'd definitely pulverize you."

"Prove it then, tough guy. Right now." She said, pulling at his collar.

Thomas choked on his food while he was pulled away. "Wha- now? But I haven't finished eating. And class is about to start!"

"Quit your excuses, we're going to the ring to settle this." Matthew shouldn't have enjoyed watching the guy be dragged away. But he couldn't help it. It was funny. He watched as Aurora pulled Thomas away, eyeing her attire. It looked a lot like a duelist outfit. It was very formal, almost like royalty. Her collar was big around her neck, a white ribbon placed at the center. Her blouse was black with a red outlines, which ended as a modest athletic looking skirt that reached past her knees. Her skirt was completely black. Behind her was a long cape, with the sigil of two rapiers clashing against each other with golden outlines. "We'll see you guys later. This won't take long!" Aurora yelled out, letting go of Thomas' collar who begrudgingly followed her.

"Don't hurt him too much!" Autumn yelled back before sighing. She placed her elbow on the table and leaned her face against her hand. "Those two are always at each other's throats. Both hotheads. But I guess it's to be expected, they're both pyromancers."

"Pyromancers?" Matthew asked. "So, they use fire magic?" Autumn turned to look at him with a sweet smile. He gulped nervously at her gaze. Her green eyes sparkled beautifully.

"Yup. It's one of the elemental schools taught at Ravenwood." She explained, then pointed to herself. "I specialize in life magic. Life wizards are called Theurgists." Autumn then tilted her head at him. "What school did you end up in, Matthew?" She asked curiously.

"Balance, apparently." He said, "I think the headmaster called it Sorcerer."

Autumn's eyes widened a little. "Balance huh? We don't get a lot of those. Usually it's pyromancers or diviners. Sometimes necromancers."

"Necromancer seems obvious. Death wizard. But what are diviners?" Matthew asked.

"Only the best and hardest hitting school in Ravenwood." Another girl said from across the table. She had been conversing with two other wizards the whole time.

The guy across from her was dark-skinned with black hair that was combed into a mohawk (Yaxche). His eyes were narrow with dark brown pupils. He looked older, maybe 18 or 19. He wore an outfit similar to Matthew, except he had strange symbols added to it. The symbols resembled a weight scale with a gold outline. His outfit was completely white which brought out the gold color to the symbols. The name over his head was Brandon NightSlayer.

Another girl sat next to the one that spoke up, the name over her head was Natalie SoulBringer. She had long and straight black hair that reached her shoulders (Restless Titan). Her skin was pale as snow, her face round like a peach. She had what seemed a permanent scowl curving her black lips. Her pupils were also black, almost like obsidian. Matthew had to squint to make sure it wasn't just her black hair that covered one of her eyes. The depressed looking teen wore a big black cloak that covered the entirety of her body. Natalie turned to look at him, her scowl never left her features. Matthew took note to never stare at this girl directly.

"Hardest hitting school? Sure," Brandon said with a shrug. "but definitely not the best school."

"It's true and you know it!" The girl insisted. Matthew eyed her slowly., looking up at the name above her head. Fallon Moon. She had similar hair to the girl next to her, straight long black hair (Valiant Defender). Fallon was shorter than the rest, giving her a petite frame. Her skin was fair, with freckles that dotted her cheeks and nose. She had eyes that were small and slitted, giving her a sort of mischievous look. Her pupils were a bright sapphire blue that were honestly captivating. Fallon wore an outfit similar to Autumn's, except it was all black. There were also symbols on her outfit, this one with lightning bolts and purple storm clouds decorating it. "Why do you think so many people gravitate towards the storm school?"

'Storm school huh? So that's what diviners are. Storm wizards.' Matthew thought.

"So, you're a sorcerer, huh?" Brandon asked, turning his head away from the girl yelling at him.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Fallon exclaimed. She was promptly ignored. The older teen simply wore a half smile, not tearing his gaze off Matthew.

"Yeah, apparently so." Matthew replied, "even the headmaster said sorcerers are rare."

Brandon nodded. "We are." He said before scooting closer to Matthew. He extended his hand towards him. "Brandon NightSlayer. A pleasure."

Matthew was taken aback by his courteous introduction. What was a guy as well mannered as him talking to the screeching storm wizard? "Matthew DuskBorn." He said, grabbing his hand to give it a firm shake.

Brandon nodded and smiled,. He shook Matthew's hand for a second longer before letting go. "We sorcerers gotta stick together you know? Not a lot of us here. If you ever need any pointers, I'll gladly give you a hand."

"Thanks man…" Matthew said slowly. He wasn't sure how to reciprocate Brandon's kindness. But he definitely appreciated it. The older teen already felt like an older brother.

Brandon gave him one last smile before getting up. He turned to look at the fuming girl with the calmest face Matthew had ever seen. "We can talk about this later, Fallon. I gotta get to class." He waved everyone goodbye before taking his leave.

"Yeah, you better leave…" Fallon muttered under her breath, watching him walk away.

"Don't be like that, Fallon." Autumn said with a sigh. "Why do you always try to antagonize him?"

"Because I hate how calm he is!" The blue-eyed girl yelled. "One day I'll get him to yell at me. You'll see!"

"You want him to yell at you?" Matthew asked, unable to stop the thought from leaving his mouth.

Fallon stopped and stared at Matthew intently. Her gaze was sharp and analyzing. Like she was trying to will a bolt of lightning to strike him down. "You haven't touched your breakfast." She said simply before flipping her hair at him, turning away. "C'mon Natalie, let's get out of here."

"...Whatever." The other girl said softly, getting up slowly to follow Fallon.

"...What's her deal?" Matthew asked, turning to Autumn who gave a defeated look.

"Sorry, Fallon has a bit of an ego. Most diviners do. Believe me, compared to other storm wizards, she's pretty humble."

"Wow. That's not concerning at all." He muttered. "So, are all the schools like a bunch of people with the same kind of personality?"

Autumn shrugged. "Kind of. Obviously there are some outliers. Most diviners are prideful, but there are a few who have a good hold of their ego and are actually decent people, able to cooperate with a team. Pyromancers are usually competitive, but I've met a couple girls who just like to sit by a cozy fire and read a book or something. Theurgists tend to be down with nature. They go with the flow and enjoy the simple things in life. But there's definitely some people in my class who are real go-getters. Won't take no for an answer." She then placed a finger under her chin, tilting her head to the side in thought. "Now that I think about it, I haven't really met a sorcerer who was all that different. Including you, sorcerer's tend to be well mannered and likable. Easily the best team players of any school."

"You think I'm likable?" Matthew asked with a teasing smile.

Autumn rolled her eyes, a small smile tugged at her lips. "You know what I mean."

Matthew chuckled, "So, are you headed to class too?" He asked. He looked around to see the cafeteria was almost empty. Only a few wizards were left.

"In a bit," Autumn said simply. "I wanted to ask you a couple things first." She then eyed his food, which hadn't been touched. "Wouldn't want you to eat by yourself either."

"What did you want to know?" Matthew asked, trying his best to remember table manners and not eat like a caveman. The food was surprisingly good. He tried to hide the fact that he had butterflies in his stomach. He was glad he could have this one on one conversation with Autumn. Maybe they'd have a chance to get closer to one another.

"When you were in the lake unconscious, did you see anything? Hear someone, perhaps?" Autumn asked slowly.

Matthew felt tofu get stuck in his throat at the question. He coughed and reached for some water, which to his surprise Autumn had in her hand. She offered it to him. He took it gratefully, chugging it down until he was sure he wasn't going to die from choking on a piece of lousy tofu.

"I guess you did then." Autumn hummed, staring at him with her hand on her chin.

Matthew felt betrayed. He should've realized she was only talking to him because she wanted to learn more about her situation through him. Actually, he already knew that. The headmaster even warned him about this. But he let himself become infatuated with her. He hoped she was simply interested in him. He guessed he was wrong. This whole time, she was playing sweet so she could get what she wanted to know.

"I don't know what you mean." Matthew said slowly, staring at her. Autumn didn't have a smile on her face anymore. She was all business now.

Lie unsuccessful!

"You almost choked on your food." She said with a smirk. "That tells me otherwise."

"You did that on purpose." Matthew grunted. "You had that water ready. You were only welcoming and nice so you could get answers out of me."

"I need to know what you saw, Matthew." She insisted, ignoring his comment. "If the headmaster won't tell me, maybe you will."

"...I can't."

"Can't?" Autumn asked slowly. She leaned in closer, staring at him. He could smell the perfume on her. It was sweet. "...Or won't?"

"I can't." Matthew repeated, louder this time. The promise he made to the headmaster echoed in his mind. "I can't because I don't remember anything before waking up in that lake."

Lie unsuccessful!

'Didn't need the pop up to know she doesn't believe me.' Matthew thought to himself. 'I can see it on her face."

"As expected from a sorcerer." Autumn said with an annoyed expression, leaning back. "You're a terrible liar." She stared at him intently with crossed arms. "You promised you'd tell me anything you knew." She accused.

"I promised to tell you anything I learned about Earth, which for your information I remember very little." Matthew countered, his eyebrows furrowed together. "Whatever answers you think I have, I promise you, I don't."

"Hmph. Fine." Autumn said before getting up from her seat, her hands gripping each other behind her back. "I'll get you to admit what you saw. One day." She gave one last smile. A sort of smug smile. "We're still on for later today? That tour I promised you, remember?" She asked.

Matthew couldn't help but get mixed feelings. He was annoyed that she tried to play him the way she did. He didn't like what she was playing at. Was she being fake? ...Was he being fake for not telling her? No, no he wasn't. Autumn wasn't entitled to any of his personal information he didn't want to share. Not to mention he made a promise he'd keep his origin a secret. He'll keep his promise. Just like he'll tell Autumn anything he knew about Earth when he learned more about his past life, like he promised he would.

The brown eyed teen then realized that Autumn was the go-getter Theurgist she mentioned earlier. Not taking no for an answer. The outlier. Matthew thought about saying no, rejecting her offer and moving on with his life...But he didn't. If she wanted to play this game, then he would gladly play along. "Of course I remember." He said with a big smile to match hers. He watched as her lips fell to a frown. "After class, right?"

"Right..." Autumn confirmed, now frowning deeply. He could tell she didn't expect this move from him. He guessed she assumed he must be an outlier to other sorcerers. But he didn't care. Without saying a word, Autumn left. She walked away towards the life school, her hands still behind her back.

Matthew felt guilt tug at his heart. He could only imagine how much she wanted to know why she was brought here. But if he was going to be anything in his new reincarnated life, he would be a man of his word. If he said he'd do something, he'd do it. If he promised to keep a secret, then he would take it to his grave.

Even if it meant shouldering the responsibility of keeping the Spiral safe on his own.