Seven Chances

<Chapter 1: Eternal Struggle>

"Are you a saint or sinner?

Do you know which is better?

I wonder which path you'll take

Your future is what you make."

-Anonymous

I never really understood that poem I had to face turmoil and danger just to understand what it meant. Once you stare into those cold, lifeless eyes of the fallen you finally find the poem's real meaning. That poem was an old memory from forgotten lessons of the past, those that were discarded for they had no meaning. Hearing that poem for the first time, it held no meaning to me, it was a poem created by someone in the past, and serving as lessons that will eventually be forgotten because they served no purpose, except to remind us of our history. Those lessons weren't useless at all, I didn't realize then how much this poem would relate to my life.

That day, it was a normal day, as normal as a student's day could be, the day went by normally. Then, the rest was a blur, like it was a dream that never happened. Standing here today, I know it's much more than a dream, far from a dream, at times I ask myself if I would have done that day differently if given the chance. Back then, the fear of change consumed my very life, change was unpredictable and chaotic, and I could never understand it. That day my life was changed, for better or for worse, I can not say, but I do know one thing, I've learned to truly live because of that change which I once thought as a nuisance in my life.

The bell rang noisily, echoing through the empty halls as I made my way to my class. The day had started off normally, if you call starting a fight in some random alleyway normal. It was hard to run to class when the floors were made of marble, blue lockers at the sides. This was the second bell, the warning bell, and I was five minutes late to class. The first subject wasn't something I cared about, Myths and Legends, the professor hated me since I was known to be a delinquent.

Professor Aloysius Laguardia gave me an angry glare as I walked past him and sat down. I didn't greet him because he wasn't going to bother listening to my excuse this time. His black eyes glared at me a little longer before he decided to return to what he was writing on the board. He wore a brown suit, not a wrinkle in sight, his brown hair matching what he was wearing. I took one look at the board and scoffed, today's lesson was about charms, this class was ridiculous.

A laugh to my right snapped me out of my frustrations. Seated to my right was Cheyenne Laguardia, his black eyes were sparkling with amusement at my tardiness. Sunlight coming from the window lightened his cherry red hair. Cheyenne was the closest person I had that I could call a best friend, despite our differing personalities we got along well, to his father's chagrin. In most people's eyes I was a bad influence, still, I am not the reason why Cheyenne dyed his brown hair.

"Charms are an object infused with magical properties or sometimes even a spirit. Can anyone name a charm?" Cheyenne's hand shot up before the professor could even finish the question. No one else raised their hand except him, not like that was new or anything. Professor Laguardia sighed before pointing at Cheyenne to give his answer.

"The Crest of Alleviatio is a charm spoken about in some legends but no one has ever seen what it looks like." Professor Laguardia's eyes flashed with a look I have never seen before it disappeared. I shrugged it off and continued spacing out, that's what I usually do in school. Appelia High School expected the best from it's students considering it was a prestigious school, but that never really mattered to me, as long as my grades are at average level I should be fine.

The lesson passed by so quickly that I barely noticed the teacher leave. Cheyenne nudged me with his elbow as he got up to leave for the next class. Bag in hand, I quickly got up to follow him, most of my classes were with him. This was lucky, considering how he's my only friend in this deathtrap of a school. Others were too scared of me to even try to talk to me, not like it mattered.