Enter Desperation

Calm

"There, that's the last of that." The boy closes the washing machine door and glances at the clock. 15 minutes left until school is over.

He changes into his usual white tee and brown shorts before slinging on his bag. On his way out he grabs a metallic contraption and wears it on his wrist. In a haste, he slips on his sandals before dashing the few flights of stairs down, bumping into a man of a much larger size than him at the lobby.

"Sorry! Sorry!" The lean figure shouts back, before rushing off.

"Tsk, watch where you're going." The man then muttered, "Stupid Void."

The boy tightens the metallic band with slight discomfort, meddling with the heavy buckles for the straps. Why couldn't they make a more comfortable version of this though, he laments in thought. On the band are inscriptions carved all over, the contents written in a mix of English and another language consisting of basic information of the boy. As he ran through, one can notice the name "Cordial Venis" written on it.

That is the name of the young boy, a citizen of the city of Synla.

To an outsider, Cordial is just an ordinary 13-year-old Void with a medium height. He had natural brown hair with black eyes, along with a very smooth looking face that had little to no signs of pimples or scars. Among other Voids in comparison, he has a higher stamina and performed well in his last fitness test.

However, Cordial is different, for he had possessed a very unique gift: 'Luminois' Eye'.

Despite lacking Vitality, he is able to identify the many aspects and elements of magic with ease. On concentration, he can deduce the shape of a Caster's Vitality, determining what magic they are capable of using in moments. This special gift is considered to be rare for Casters, even more so for Voids, meaning when he applied for registration at the top notch integrated high school of the country for Casters and gifted Voids, Synla International, they could not refuse.

Yet, even with his eye, Cordial had to still abide to the laws governing Voids, so every time he left the house, he has to wear that retarded metal band for identification and protection purposes.

Cordial finally arrives at Synla Elementary. Unlike other schools in the country, this school had been specially built for integrating Voids and Casters together, even managing to produce young graduates with stellar results. It is not huge, but the school has been well-designed to accommodate both classes together.

"Feels like I was here in my uniform just yesterday."

Due to his father's busy schedule, Cordial needed to hold off high school for a year to take care of Yumi. With his father's major projects finally ending at last, Cordial had been more than happy and thankful when he got the go-ahead to apply for enrollment to the school at last. With school starting in 5 days, he has been more than eager to begin classes, hopeful of meeting new friends and learning more about the world of magic.

John...

His best buddy in elementary. Ever since they parted ways after the graduation, he had lost touch with him, along the other guys from the class. It had been almost a year since they communicated, each of them leaving the country to study abroad, with no method of contact whatsoever.

I wonder how they're doing...

Mid-thought, a loud familiar gong interrupts him, the signal for the end of school. Right on cue, the floodgates open, with students starting to pour out of the halls and buildings in swarms. Many of them run out into their parents' embrace, covering the gate area with yellow. Among the crowd, Cordial spots outlines of wrist bands similar to the one he is wearing. He smiles, recalling the fun times he had spent in school, hoping it will be even better in high school.