Seren セレン Volume 1

Prologue

Try not to fall asleep...

The universe... An immeasurable space that surrounds the Milky Way. It is filled with stars and galaxies, black holes and planets. The Milky Way's closest neighboring galaxy is the Andromeda. Both are similar in many ways, such as their shapes and sizes, solar systems, and life-harboring planets... But those are only a few, and just in case you were wondering... No, not all of this is about astronomy.

So, like Earth of the Milky Way, there is a planet in the Andromeda known as Seren. These two planets are very similar, yet also very different at the same time. They are like two sides of the same coin, each with unique features that the other might not have originally had. Seren and Earth are connected by a portal that is commonly known as "Whirlwind". The reason why it's called this is because, according to those who have gone through it, it comes in a rush of wind that can knock even the largest of creatures off their feet. The portal appears in both worlds and, sometimes, in several locations at once.

According to legend, whatever it takes from one planet, it gives to the other. The reason is unclear, though. Some claim that it's to create some sort of a balance while others might argue that it just switches things around. As for the planets' characteristics, they both have a lot of the same, or similar, forms of life and...

"Teacher!" a student interrupted with a noticeably tired raised hand.

"Is it a question? Or do you need to go to the restroom?"

"Question." The teacher gave them his full attention. "Do we have to learn this? It doesn't seem very important."

The teacher opened his mouth to reply, then searched for a better answer. "You know what... That's a good question." He leaned back against the desk and the class listened curiously. "I know it doesn't seem very necessary," he continued, "But I think it's important for you all to know what these things are in case there comes a day when you might have to face them yourselves... Make sense? Good. Any more questions?"

There was faint, but audible snoring coming from the center of the classroom and all eyes fell upon the sleeping individual. A student gave them a sharp nudge and she jolted awake and shouted at the top of their lungs, "WAGH! NO! LEAVE MY BURRITO ALONE!" The class laughed and the student looked around puzzledly.

"Okay..." the teacher commented in a mix of amusement and concern. Turning back to the board, "Now where was I? Ah, here we go...

...same, or similar forms of life and a lot of the species that you might think are native to this world were actually brought here by Whirlwind. Native Serenian species include creatures like dragons and fairies... The nekos and nikos...

"Question?"

"Yes, what are nekos and nikos?" Their classmates shouted criticism and the student raised his hands in defense.

The teacher took a deep breath. "A neko is a being that is part cat, or feline... I think we have a couple of nekos here? Can you stand and maybe show the class your hybrid forms? No, you don't have to." A few students rose and summoned their forms. A few hybrids had wings, antenna, or bright and cat-like eyes. "Keep standing. Now can the nikos stand?" Their features were noticeably different as some had canine or reptilian features. The hybrids had a mix of multiple features like feathery hair and claws, fangs and other mismatched parts. "Now nikos are the ones who don't have any cat parts. Why does it single out cats? I... honestly don't know. Maybe the one who invented it is a cat person." The students chuckled. Once they'd changed back into their human forms, another student raised his hand. "What about those of us who aren't nekos or nikos?"

"Right. Those would be the fairies, merpeople, reapers, nymphs and others. How many do I have?" A few stood and showed off their forms while others simply raised their hands. "I didn't realize I had so many. Anyway, you can all take your seats... In Seren, things are different than here on Earth. Serenians tend to stop aging at around, oh 16-"

"17 to 29 years old." a student corrected.

"Right! Thank you." He continued. "Also, they have certain... powers which come in different types. What are they, class?"

"COLD, FIRE, AIR, EARTH, WATER, NATURE, LIGHT, SHADOW, CHANGELING, LIGHTNING, TELEPATH, ENERGY, AND FORCE!"

"There's one more. What is it? Does anyone know? It's not a very common one." A student rose their hand and there was a golden cuff bracelet with a chain that had several attachments added to it. "Yes?"

"It's Chane."

"Yes. Chane is probably the rarest of types and is very powerful. Do you mind demonstrating at all? You don't have to..." He nodded. "You sure?" He confirmed once more before getting out of his seat. "So in Seren, they all have specific weapons and/or armor. People with Chane have the ability to summon any type of weapons or armor they want, but usually stick with one or two. Which do you have?"

"Um, neither... I change clothes." He then summoned a different t-shirt.

The teacher was surprised as he had never heard of that certain Chane. "Is it the same for accessories and jewelry?" The student summoned a gold necklace and sunglasses. "Yeah... Real swag. Now take a seat." He dismissed the accessories and sat back down. The teacher looked at the clock. "I don't have a whole lot of time left, so I'll wrap this up quickly." A few students sang a jesting cheer and the teacher gave them an amused, yet stern look. Once they fell silent, he went on. "Like I said, things are different in Seren and what I mean by that is genetics are... inconsistent as two parents who are, let's say, both cats can have children who have completely different powers, appearances, and forms. If you ever go to Seren and if you've either never been there or don't have Serenian traits, once you're there, it's very likely that you will gain these traits. Any questions before class ends?"

One student rose her hand. "At most, how many traits can you have?"

"At most?" He thought for a moment. "I believe the most forms anyone has ever had were nine... The most power types you can have are two... With armor, it either comes in parts or as a full set and comes in different kinds... And for weaponry, it's usually two or three kinds of weapons unless you have Chane. Anything-" The bell rang, cutting the teacher off. "Alright! That's it. For those who helped, thank you. Have a good day, everyone!"

Prologue fin