Humanity's Hero Of Despair

Sunlight spills through the wide glass panes of my bedroom, painting the wooden floor in soft hues of gold.

The muffled sounds of morning fill the cabin. Birds are chirping, you can hear the faint clatter of dishes from the kitchen, and Zephyr's unmistakable voice booming from somewhere downstairs.

I blink against the light, rubbing the sleep from my eyes as the events of the previous day come rushing back. Dragons. Glozaria. The first day of our second year at Hero Academy.

When I sit up, I notice Ivy's side of the bed is already neatly made, her pajamas folded atop the duvet. She must've been up for a while. Ivy must really be excited for the first day.

I force myself out of bed, quickly throwing on a nice cloak. I brush my teeth, run a hand through my hair, grab my bag, and head downstairs.

Estes and Zephyr are waiting for me in the dining area, their conversation lively. Estes sits primly at the table, sipping tea while flipping through a book, his expression calm as always. Zephyr, on the other hand, leans against the counter, eating a pastry with one hand and gesturing animatedly with the other.

"Finally!" Zephyr exclaims when he sees me. "Thought you were gonna sleep through the first day, Nico."

"Good morning to you, too," I say, grabbing a piece of toast from the counter.

"Morning," Estes says, barely looking up from his book. "I trust you're ready for what awaits?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," I reply with a smirk, though my mind drifts back to the conversation I overheard yesterday.

Ivy enters from the kitchen, already dressed in her beautiful cloak, her hair neatly tied back. "We should get moving if we don't want to be late. The carriage is already waiting outside, with the villagers wanting to send us off with some good luck."

We all roll our eyes but start moving. Estes closes his book and gets up from his seat as Zephyr finishes his pastry. We're all excited to get to the academy because we can reunite with our other friends, Leena and Matteo.

I can reunite with my sister later down the road because she is the Commander of the Magical Knights. Because of her job, she doesn't have time to attend Hero Academy. She probably doesn't even need to attend because she played a massive role in defeating the Eradicators.

Little do I know, I'll reunite with her sooner than I think in unfavorable conditions.

We all walk outside and wave goodbye to the villagers of Mistfall, who wave and shout good luck to us as our carriage rolls into the distance toward Hero Academy. We arrive at the launch platform in no time. A few Court Mages who are wind users help us ascend to the floating island of a school.

The flight to Hero Academy passes quickly, as wind rushes past us while the Court Mages carry us to the top. Hero Academy comes into view, its towers dominating the bright blue sky. We land safely on the ground as the wind magic around us dies down.

The courtyard is alive with energy. First-years all stand around nervously as second, third, and fourth years reunite with friends. As everyone gathers in front of the entrance, the noise quiets down.

Standing in the center of the middle of the entrance gates is the Hero Principal. As I notice his figure, I recognize him almost immediately. He is a very respected Court Mage specializing in wind magic.

His brilliance is so respected he is one of the top Royal Advisors to King Grey. He made headlines for spearheading the restoration of the academy and breakthroughs in elemental technology.

"Welcome to Hero Academy!" his voice spreads throughout the crowd with a light and bold tone.

"Today marks a new chapter in your journey and the journey of Humanity. You are not just students. You are great heroes in training who will protect others from harm and inspire human society to push its limits! We do not pride ourselves based on perfection, but on the ability to give our best effort to what we care about in this world."

"Gone are the days of the Eradicators, and Keeper Academy is a thing of the past. Hero Academy is about finding out who you truly are and how that affects the world around you. Whether that is through superior fighting combat, elemental technological innovation, or teaching others how to improve, we all have a place here."

The students break into applause as Avalon finishes his speech and steps aside so students can walk through. Everyone quickly walks through the gates, eager to get to their classes early. Leena and Matteo spot us from the side as the crowd clears. They run over to us with smiles on their faces. Two royal guards flank them.

It makes sense. Since they are royals now instead of nobles. It also makes sense because King Grey doesn't want them to end up like Ignis. I don't want that to happen to them or anyone else, either.

"Hey Nico! I am so happy to finally see ya again!" Leena shouts out to me as she wraps me in a tight hug. Matteo waves to me as he walks over while laughing at his sister's display of affection.

"That is not how a princess is supposed to act, sister. This time, I will allow it, though." Matteo turns toward me next. "We will catch you later at the cafe for lunch after our classes?"

"Sure!" I smile back at him.

We all start to say our goodbyes as we prepare to head to our classes. I'm pretty hyped as well since my first class is not combat class. I love learning how to fight, don't get me wrong. I don't enjoy teaching how to fight. That is another story.

Zephyr and I are the only ones left outside the entrance as our friends head to their classes. We both share the same first class together and have a little time to kill, so we speak as we leisurely walk inside the gates.

A Hero Academy administrator stops us in our tracks.

This can't be good.

"Lord Nico and General Zephyr?" the administrator asks us.

"That's us," I say, looking confused about why such formality is being used.

"Great. Please proceed with me to the chambers of the Hero Principal," the administrator says as they start walking briskly toward the main building. Zephyr and I follow suit, confused by what is going on. The Hero Principal's office brings back terrible memories of being sent to the Keeper Principal's office.

So much for me trying to enjoy my first day.