A Simple Science

Chapter One - In the Beginning

 

The sound of many people screaming is not something one generally hears in the morning. Usually, it is an alarm (arguably more irritating, if not quite as disturbing) or comforting sounds of nature. So, naturally, the citizens of Tiarin Province were wondering what all the noise was about.

The cause was immediately evident. The Academy was burning.

Rikoru Academy of Magical Sciences. The most prestigious of the tens of 'witch academies' in the state, Rikoru was a source of pride for many of the town's people. Although not every citizen supported magic or, indeed, tolerated it, the Academy was famous around the state.

Now it was gone. Almost destroyed—buildings collapsed, grounds in flames, with not a student in sight. And the people cared.

They ran and walked, some nonchalant, others panicked. Some prepared to run straight into the fire to aid the magicians. Every citizen froze, however, when they saw the source of the destruction.

There was a man standing in the middle of the campus. He was untouched by the flames burning around him, simply gazing at the destruction. At first glance, he was the only survivor. But the citizens looked closer, and they knew.

He had done it.

And so they walked away. Every one of them. Callous it might seem, but what could they, mere townspeople, do against an enemy who had single-handedly wiped out the entire student body—and, more worryingly, the entire faculty—of Rikoru? 

Nothing.

So the town returned to business, everything normal except for the burning landmark in the center of the peoples' sights. It pained many Tiarinians to stand by and watch the carnage, but they couldn't do a thing until—

The man turned to leave. Every person caught their breath and watched as he walked away.

Just as a girl—no, a young woman, albeit a short one—raced towards the campus screaming bloody murder.

 

 

Kierinn Jacobsson had woken up that morning intending to have a nice relaxing cup of tea, stroll to school, and turn in that theory of conservation of energy essay that she had finally finished.

Unfortunately, her plans had gone awry from the moment she had woken up.

First of all, she was late. When she had opened her eyes, rubbed away the sleep, and glanced at the time on the ceiling, she had swore and sprung out of bed, dashed downstairs, threw on her sash, and raced out of the door, sprinting towards campus and muttering a spell for speed as she went.

For you see, Kierinn was late. Very late.

It was her own fault, really; she never had quite fine-tuned her alarm spell, and it had chosen that morning to die on her. 

The misfortunes only compounded from there. As Kierinn ran, she realized that her paper was still on her desk. At her room. Two miles behind her. 

She swore again.

But at least she would get to the academy in time for second class, she thought. I can't miss Physics again; I'm too far behind as it is—

And that was where Kierinn's thoughts were as she skidded to a stop five hundred feet from the school. So, consequently, it took her a minute to figure out what was happening. That minute was spent staring at the destruction in front of her—the burning quad, the collapsed buildings—and listening. Listening for anything that could give her some hope that her friends and teachers were still alive.