Beyond?

“Dark magicians are those who undermine the social order. They are in pursuit of ever more power despite being granted the greatest of all gifts. In this pursuit they don't care how many they have to sacrifice in order to reach new heights. Their arts are called the dark arts because only darkness can result from their use.

All those with the gift of magic are therefore called upon to slay dark magicians on the spot, wherever they may be found, whoever they may be.”

-First law, Regarding the Dark Book of laws.

***Free City States of Nict, Tri***

***Azir***

This world is my paradise! There is no need to fear for your survival. The country is at peace and my parents are providing me with everything I want. Be it books or tools to build some interesting artefacts. My father plays with me from time to time and shows me spear techniques, but everything in a very light hearted manner. My body isn't yet up to the task after all.

Mother helps me everyday to train my ability. I am fine with it, even though her lessons are a little bit taxing.

Then I invest an hour a day into being with my little sister, trying to teach her words and numbers. It's best to start early and she is so cute.

From time to time we get visited by my grandmother Quamar. That's the only complaint I have about my life. Quamar seems to hate me. She is a real dragon. Luckily my mother can keep her at bay. The old hag even once tried to attach some kind of curse to me. Luckily I could counter the spell which baffled her. Afterwards she started to ramble something about dark magic and the spawn of evil.

The other visitors to the household are some servants who only show up for cleaning and vanish again like a breeze of the wind.

Oh, I almost forgot about Daylen, he is my father's advisor. But he doesn't concern himself with me at all. He just shows up to talk with my father about stuff regarding the city and that there are much more people who try to cheat with the taxes these days. Well, I think there aren't more than before. The difference is just that the guy who is calculating the tax reports has changed. “Haaa...”

My aunt Jade joins him from time to time to do some small talk with my mother. I like her visits because she always brings me a present. She seems to be very grateful to me for saving her life.

I blink and look at the wristwatch on the table in front of me. It's a very delicate device. I used telekinesis to carve the nuts, bolts and gears out of metal. It's a hobby of mine to build clocks in my free time. I am fascinated by these devices which are meant to measure time, but fail inevitably.

Just one last gear. I take a forceps and try to insert the last gear into its place. Of course I could assemble the whole clock with telekinesis. But this task is like meditation to me. It would be boring to use...

*BAM!* “Azir!”

“Darn!”

Valda kicked the door to my room open and stormed inside. I was so surprised that I flinched and deformed one of the gears. “A week's work! Mom, what is it?” I turn to my mother and look accusingly at her.

“Did you play through the entire night again? I told you that you have to sleep at night!” She snorts and holds a bag towards me. “Whatever. I'll have to take a look at your sleeping habits.” She holds a bag towards me. “Take that and come. We can't be late, or you have to wait another year.”

I grab the bag which is made out of hard leather and take a look inside. All this stuff inside it looks strangely familiar, but I can't place them in the right context. “Late for what?”

Valda grabs my hand and pulls me from my chair. “School of course! You are five years old and a new semester is starting.”

“School?” My eyes turn big and round upon the dreaded word. “But I am not five! I am a little less than four years in this world! And what could a school teach me? I probably know more about...”

“That's not what the forged documents say.” Mother doesn't care and pulls me forward. “They may not be able to teach you anything new, but you'll at least learn some common knowledge and common sense. And you'll learn the ropes in dealing with your generation. Maybe you can manage to forge some important future connections with other clans.”

I furrow my eyebrows while we leave the house. “How does school in this world even work?”

Mother smacks her head. “You are so smart in most areas. I always forget that you are a complete dunce in some things. Listen. Since you are talented in magic you have to enter the great academy in central city at the age of five. Don't worry, it's just a short trip through the City Gate with a carriage. Then you get a standard education until the age of fifteen. If you prove worthy, you can choose a higher education which lasts until you are twenty five. This also allows you access to the great Bibliotheca des Patres. It's a library with all the remaining knowledge of our forefathers. You may deem this price worthy to spend some time in a classroom.”

Maybe. Maybe not. But access to a famous library would be cool. Playing a student could be also interesting. I would have more than enough time to search for a suitable girl which is easy to manipulate. Or I could go for multiple ones.

*Smack!*

“Don't go down that route!”

“Ow! What was that for, Mother?” I rub the back of my head as we enter a carriage. Maybe I could go with one girl on every finger? One girl for each night as soon as I am old enough? Or even better, try all of them!

*Smack!*

“Think about the reputation of our clan! It has to be a good match! I won't allow just anyone.”

I gasp. “How... How the hell do you know what I am thinking!”

Valda snorts as the carriage starts moving. “I am your mother. I know you best.”

I place the leather bag protectively between me and her. “You've known me only for a little less than four years!”

She smiles with closed eyes and place one hand on her cheek. “~But to me it's like I've known you for all your life.~”

I look out of the window to avoid eye contact with her and watch the passing streets. The houses are made out of red bricks and the streets are neatly arranged. Tri doesn't look like a city which grew over time, but like it was designed at the drawing board and built accordingly.

The people who have no magic are all commoners, but according to my information they live a surprisingly good life. People with magic are something like protectors to them and the clans are almost worshipped.

Magic makes their lives easier and the artefacts, which are created by magicians, are helping in all aspects of daily life. Of course the clans are always working hard on their image to achieve this. There are rigorous penalties for anyone who harms a non-magician.

I watch the streets with people. Some of them are even bowing to the carriage. Then we arrive at the Gate. It's a simple huge ring with the broad street leading through it. The Gate seems to be made out of silver and the sun is being reflected on the surface which is covered with runes.

A steady stream of carriages is passing through it in both directions and we enter the row of waiting carriages. The row is moving steadily and it doesn't take long until we pass through.

The capital Nict on the other side isn't any different from Tri. The only change I can recognize, is that the sun is at a slightly different position in the sky.

“What do you say to the Gate?” Mom smirks at me.

“Neat device, but a bit clunky. I could build it smaller if I had the materials.” I continue to watch the streets until I realize that my mother is staring at me with a blank expression.

Then she sighs. “Don't tell that to anyone. It would create an uproar. Why am I even surprised about it?” She mumbles while she looks at the ceiling of the carriage.

I frown. “When I attempted to escape my dying world I built a similar teleportation device.”

She lifts an eyebrow. “What went wrong?”

I clear my throat. “That erm... when I was done, I activated it and teleported a test subject far, far away. I could clearly tell that everything worked properly. It was when I stepped onto the platform that I realized something... and that was that I had no idea where I should teleport to. Space is vast and most of it is empty. And I had just one try.”

Valda smirks. “That sounds like you. Ah, it seems like we arrived.”

The carriage stops and we step outside onto a huge plaza. There are bigger buildings than I saw earlier throughout the city. It's clearly the campus of the school. Valda leads me to one of the bigger buildings. “The campus is safe, but you shouldn't walk alone in the streets. The carriage will bring you here every morning and get you in the evening, just look for the sign of our clan on the carriage.”

I nod and we head towards a big building where we find a secretary waiting for us. Valda fills out some documents which are handed to her. Afterwards she hugs me and we say our goodbyes. A servant leads me to a classroom. The door is marked as 1C. From there on I am left to my own devices.

Without another choice I enter the room and find it in utter chaos. Children of my age are running left and right while playing with each other and screaming. This is hell!

I count eleven boys, including me, and twenty nine girls. Quite a big class. Forty students? The teacher's table is in front of a big chalkboard while the ranks of tables for the students are a little elevated. The classroom looks like a stadium.

“Move it!”

Suddenly I am shoved into the classroom. I glance behind me and find a man in his forties who makes shooing motions. He walks to the teacher's desk and slams his suitcase onto it. Then he turns to the class.

“SILENCE! Everyone who hasn't found a seat within ten seconds has to write ten pages with all letters of the alphabet until morning!”

Everyone scrambles to get a seat, but because I am still close to the exit there is no way for me to get up to the students' tables in time. The ranks are quickly filled. Only a few seats are left open in the farthest right corner at the back of the classroom.

A small girl is sitting there. Her hair is black and turns gradually white at the tips. That strikes me as a little odd. I never before saw someone with two hair-colours in this world. The free seats are arranged around her and I don't have much time left.

I throw myself into the chair right beside her. In the meantime the teacher starts unpacking his stuff. So I turn to the girl, grinning. First impressions are important. “Hi! My name is Azir. What's yours?”

The girl looks at me with a confused expression while pressing her lips together, turning them white. She doesn't answer and looks out of the window instead.

How rude! But then I hear the whispers.

“He sits beside the demon!”

“Mother said that I shouldn't talk to the regression.”

“Doesn't he know fear?”

“You shouldn't mingle with someone without a clan.”

.