𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐅𝐋𝐀𝐌𝐄 - 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

2 - Unexpected Surprise

A blaring alarm jolted Julius awake and he slammed his fist on the nightstand in an attempt to end the outrageous trumpeting which disturbed his peaceful sleep. Groaning in frustration, Julius squinted through resisting eyelids and shut off the alarm. Flopping on his back with a sigh, the few seconds of relaxation on his perfectly comfortable bed were cherished deeply before he kicked off his heated blankets and slammed into the closet door. Recovering from both sleepiness and pain, the thought of Mr. Hara and the prank burned stronger than ever in his mind.

Checking the clock, which was quarter to six, Julius threw on a wrinkled shirt and some baggy pants. Realizing that he had to pick up food at the market, he retreated back to his closet and carefully selected a handsome set of clothes in hopes of impressing Lucille. Dashing into the bathroom, he popped a mint into his mouth, attempted to style his brown mess of curls, and checked his appearance. Mrs. Angevin was preparing a meal in the kitchen and greeted Julius only to see him sprint out the door.

The sun was peeking over the eastern trees, sending rays of gold over the joyful streets of Lordera. Julius made his way to what he and Torin called the "spy station". It was a small lookout point disguised by clothing lines on the roof of a shop. This location was one of several stations spread across the city for different views. Here, the two could watch Mr. Hara's reaction to the dulan juice without being seen. Although it was common knowledge that Julius and Torin were the mischievous pranksters of the neighborhood, nobody seemed to try and catch them.

With spring in his step, Julius trotted down the street and lazily pushed the shop's door open. The employee greeted him warmly, accustomed to his regular visit. Pretending to be interested in a pair of dressy pants, Julius slowly made his way to the back of the store, eyeing the stairs.

  "You think I don't know?" the young lady was leaning on the counter.

"Huh?" Julius stopped inspecting the fibers of a purple hoodie and looked up. The employee was smirking at him, "where you go every time you come here."

  Julius shrugged, "yeah. Problem?"

The lady gave him a knowing look and turned back to the computer on her desk. "None at all."

Relieved, Julius walked purposefully to the back stairs and climbed up. After carefully navigating through storage boxes, the trapdoor to the roof was within reach. A distant bell chime sounded from below. Julius easily recognized Torin's voice. "Hey lady. I'll just uh-"

"Following the other fellow? Mhm, go ahead."

"Righty-o, thanks."

Smiling to himself, Julius lifted the trapdoor and settled down behind some red socks. At the sound of a creak, Julius turned to see Torin's freckled face pop out. "Salutations, my good comrade!" He joined his partner and peeked through shirts to see Mr. Hara's house. "When does he come out?"

  Julius checked the massive clock tower which stood near the glistening Academy. It was nearly six o'clock. "Three minutes tops."

As he waited, Julius gazed longingly at the Eastern Academy; its glass panels reflected the sun beautifully, casting bright rays down on its onlookers. Even after being bombed, the building's grandeur remained. Builders were flying around the Academy doing repairs, so a scarlet blanket of ferven surrounded most of the school. During the previous day, a terrorist attack had been led against the Academy, resulting in explosions and damage done to the building. No citizens were harmed, and the Keltan Order had taken care of the terrorists.

The top of the school reached so high, clouds danced around it, and even the birds seemed to admire its grandeur. In only eleven days, Julius would walk among some of the greatest Keltans of his time. The Academy was every child's dream: the chance to be trained and use their powers. His parents had told him the history of ferven, their league, and planet many times over. Each day his uncontrollable excitement grew stronger, and now it was at its peak. His birthday was tomorrow. A child's most memorable birthday was their twelfth. The age at which you were to begin your training and become a true Keltan. Once you reach your twelfth birthday, you enroll at the Academy and enter the golden doors at the start of the first semester, August thirtieth. Every child's twelfth birthday was celebrated by most of the neighborhood, as it signified maturity and their path into adulthood. It was custom to hold a large gathering where all could attend to feast and dance. Julius's parents spread the word to all of their neighbors and posted invitations to his party around town. Julius had been in shock the past week as the days flew by. His sense of reality was clouded by pure disbelief. The idea that he would be using ferven was too incredible to comprehend.