The Oracle

Chapter 2: New Beginnings

SORA

I groan whenever I open my eyes and I feel the right side of my head throb. I reach a hand up to grab at the side of my head whenever I realize with a start that I'm in an unfamiliar room with white walls and white beds. Additionally, there's an IV in my right arm and there are pale pink curtains separating the beds.

"Don't worry, you weren't kidnapped," a feminine voice chuckles from my left and I look over to see a blonde girl sitting beside me with mirthful blue eyes, her long hair pulled up into a ponytail with a blue bow. "I mean, actually kind of, but I saved you. So, yeah."

"Where am I?" I ask as I look around, unsure of what's going on. "What happened?"

"Well, you're currently in the hospital wing of Aria Academy," she explains. "As to what happened, I'd like to know that for myself."

"How the hell am I supposed to know that if I asked you in the first place?" I groan and flop back down on the bed before I turn my head in her direction and furrow my eyebrows. "Aria Academy?"

"Mhm," she nods. "A prestigious academy for hunting down creatures of nightmares."

"Never heard of it," I shrug and she nearly chokes on her own saliva as her eyes widen.

"You-- what?" She splutters. "But how? Even the humans in the realm above us that separates the academy from the main human world know about the academy."

"I don't know," I frown. "I grew up pretty isolated. Anyway, why am I here?"

"In case you weren't listening, I saved you," she sighs. "You went all berserk or something and I found you in the jungle. Additionally, I went against direct orders when I did save you."

"What?" My mouth runs dry and my eyes widen as memories start flooding back.

I remember my house being attacked by strange creatures. I remember running outside after my father told me to run and not look back. I remember seeing a giant explosion coming from my house and I remember the kind of fear that ran through me at potentially losing my father. I remember...I remember catching on fire after being tackled by one of the creatures and the last thing I remember was screaming out before a giant flash of light went off.

"Look, you may not know about Aria Academy but you do know about sins and virtues, right? I mean, that's a common thing," she furrows her eyebrows before I nod and she sighs in relief. "Okay, well, Aria Academy is ran by the sins and the virtues. A long time ago, one of the sins was outcast because it was found out he caused the creatures of nightmares to swarm the world. It was said that any of his children, anyone with his blood, was to be immediately executed on sight due to being too dangerous."

"What does that have to do with me?" I ask wearily, feeling like I already know the answer to that question.

"You're..." she trails off as she looks around to make sure nobody else is around before she leans in and continues quietly, her eyes sincere, "you're his child."

My breath hitches and I lower my gaze to look at my hands as I recall the bright green flames before I clench my jaw.

"Does that mean you're going to kill me?" I ask quietly, my hands clenching and unclenching.

"Were you even listening?" She sighs and leans back. "No, I'm not. I'm going to help you. I know you probably have no idea what's going on and I know your entire life has just been turned upside down. I couldn't...I couldn't just ruin some innocent person's life because of what they are. That's wrong on so many levels. So, I'm going to help you learn how to survive. I enrolled you in the academy a few hours ago. Your lessons will start tomorrow."