SPRING, MARCH 2018
RANAHEIM
SUPREME VALOURE ACADEMY
Kolzon summoned Grovan to his office. Reaching into his desk drawer, he pulled out a white envelope and placed it on the table. “Open it.”
Grovan complied, scanning the contents of the letter.
Dear Mr. Bullon,
 We are well aware of your bravery and involvement in the unfortunate altercations with the evil conjurers. Regrettably, this incident resulted in the loss of several lives, including some esteemed members of the academy. However, we are pleased to inform you that due to your exceptional abilities as a Valoure, you have been appointed as one of the instructors at the Supreme Valoure Academy for the upcoming school year, from May 2018 to March 2019.
We have great confidence in your expertise and believe that you will bring valuable knowledge and skills to our students. Your dedication and courage make you an excellent addition to our teaching staff.
Warm Regards,
Supreme Valoure Academy
The letter bore the signatures of both Headmaster Kolzon Barphan and President Robert Dale, leaving Grovan with no choice but to accept. He might have considered refusing if he were still affected by his Arcanian appearance. However, now, he fully embraced his identity as a trihybrid. Not only could he tolerate pain, but his conjurer abilities had also returned.
_________
SUMMER, AUGUST 2019
NORTH CALUM
VEILBREAKERS NEST
In just over a year, the Veilbreakers had already successfully demolished six Arcane Laboratories using a consistent approach. Their strategy involved enlisting one of the researchers and utilizing Cresson’s ability to manipulate memories. Fortunately, Dr. Johnson’s experiments involving children were limited to Papua New Guinea, making the task easier.
At that time, Rinporter made certain that the captured children were safely returned to their homes. To ensure that they would not be discovered by the enemies, he utilized the technique taught to him by Keiro: erasing Dr. Johnson’s memories of their encounter after Cresson’s powers wore off. This strategy was employed in all of their operations. However, when it came to finding the culprit who replaced President Dale, they had no luck. It appeared that all the researchers, like Dr. Johnson, were under some kind of spell, responding with a mindless La-la-la, La-la-la whenever someone asked them about the mastermind behind it all. Apart from that, everything was going smoothly.
Now, there were only four remaining laboratories in specific territories: Russia, Mexico, the United States, and Ranace. Although Dr. Johnson mentioned the existence of another laboratory in Ranace, the Veilbreakers were unable to locate it, despite Rinporter’s portal perception ability. As a result, they decided to concentrate their efforts on other countries. Their next target was Mexico.
Locating the laboratories was as straightforward as connecting the dots on a map. They were able to identify their locations by following a clear pattern or set of clues. Typically, the labs were situated in areas with the highest levels of violence.
“We’ll start in Tijuana,” Keiro said, pointing to its location on the map in the Northwest of Mexico, along the border with the United States. “If we’re unable to locate the lab there, our next destination will be Juárez, and so on. Got it?”
“Got it,” Rinporter replied. “But . . . don’t you find it strange that our operation has been going so smoothly? It’s almost as if demolishing six of their labs hasn’t fazed them at all.”
“That’s a valid point, but it could also mean that we’re simply doing an exceptional job,” Cresson chimed in.
“Exactly,” Keiro agreed, offering a small smile. “We should definitely give ourselves credit for our hard work and success so far.”
Chuckling, Rinporter said, “Well, I guess so. So . . . when are we—” He was abruptly interrupted by a piercing scream that echoed from the main floor of the house. “That was Marie’s voice!”
Everyone’s attention was immediately grabbed, and they were about to rush upstairs when the door suddenly swung open with a resounding bang. Two men clad in purple vinyl sweat suits, with the word Arcane printed in golden color on their backs, barged in. They brandished tranquilizer guns and swiftly threw a smoke bomb into the room. The purple smoke quickly filled the basement, rendering the Veilbreakers unable to use their abilities.
Keiro’s adrenaline surged as he disregarded the danger and launched himself at the intruders, delivering a flurry of blows while skillfully evading the incoming darts and syringes. Cresson and Rinporter swiftly joined the fray, their combined efforts leading to the capture of the two assailants. Keiro instructed Cresson to check on Marie and Bryan’s well-being while he and Rinporter kept the captured men pinned to the ground.
However, just as Cresson was about to ascend the stairs, the tension escalated further. Two more individuals emerged: one with blond hair, sporting a punchable smug expression on his face and holding two tranquilizer guns. The other, towering over six feet and five inches tall, callously dragged the unconscious kids by their collars, treating them as if they were nothing more than burdens.
The blond man fired a shot from his gun, the sharp and long dart clattering to the floor. He swiftly shifted his aim, menacingly pointing his guns at the throats of the defenseless children. “Release my men, or these kids will suffer the consequences.”
▼
Grovan had just finished his last class and was excited to head home. He had promised to be home early to train Bryan and Marie, and since it was the weekend, they could hang out tomorrow. Meanwhile, Bryan and Marie, instead of attending a regular school, were homeschooled by Cresson. The kids were quick learners and had become fluent in English. They had even learned about the history of Ranace, and how it transformed from a mere island to an independent country.
I can’t believe how much they’ve grown. Marie is soon going to be a young lady, and Bryan is such an amazing child. He’s just like me, Grovan thought, chuckling. For the past two years, he had acted as their father and had never broken his promise to them. He always made sure to be the best father he could be and spend quality time with the kids. Unfortunately, he was sterile, so he wouldn’t be able to experience having a biological child. When Marie and Bryan came into his life, he was overjoyed. One of his dreams had finally been fulfilled.
Bryan will soon reach my height. Why am I so short? Oh, right. God doesn’t give everything. If I had the height too, I would be almost perfect. He sighed, then chuckled. “Here I come, kids, be sure to be prepared.”
Last year, the kids had asked him to help them train their powers, and he gladly agreed. Marie had mastered the ability to conjure a large amount of water, while Bryan could manipulate any liquid source, although not as powerfully as he could control Marie’s water.
As Grovan found a secluded spot at the academy, he used the portal ring to transport himself to the hideout. However, upon arrival, he noticed that random items were scattered on the floor. His heart raced as he saw syringes and darts strewn about. Without wasting a moment, he hurried to the main floor to search for Bryan and Marie. To his horror, he found them lying unconscious on the ground. Desperately, he tried to wake them up, but his efforts were in vain.
Carrying each of them to the safety of the bed, he reached for his phone and dialed Keiro’s number, but there was no answer. The same was true when he tried calling Cresson. Hopeful, he dialed Rinporter’s number and finally heard a faint but familiar ringtone. The sound was coming from the basement.
With a mix of fear and determination, he made his way to the basement, following the source of the sound. And there, on a table, he found Rinporter’s phone, alongside Keiro and Cresson’s.