Lixorth
Alison

    “Shoot!” instructor Snowden commands the side of the shooting range while blowing whistles with all his strength whenever the disciples mess up. It's been more than the tenth time I've rubbed both my ears.

     This time the lesson is to shoot. There are five targets out front there in the form of a rectangular beam of ukulele and has a thickness similar to a 1000-page book. I'm standing in front of target number three. The two disciples on my right and left sides also already occupied his place looking very serious.

    “All in position?” instructor Snowden shouted again. “If until you absolutely can not shift your target item one centimeter, push up 20 times! Understood?!”

    “Ya!” I answered along with the other students.

     “Shoot!”

     I reached out with my palm facing towards the target. I looked at it closely as if I could grasp the target within this distance. I was silent for a moment to feel my magic and the next second I shot using water magic.

     “Bancroft!”

    The clash made me hurriedly turn my head in horror towards Instructor Snowden on the side of the field. All the other disciples also did the same thing without any sound at all.

     “Shameful! What magic is it?!”

    I swallowed spit. Let alone moving the target, my water magic alone did not reach the end there. I could hear some children laughing at me softly which made me grunt in annoyance.

    “Push up!”

    I turned to the side of the field preparing to do a push up along with the three disciples who had failed to move the target before me. The practice continued as I carried out my punishment which turned out to be quite time and energy draining. I could have exhausted my energy due to punishment, not because of magic training.

    After doing push ups, I went back into line and waited until I was in the front row. Now, some disciples saw me snide while whispering and laughing mockingly. I want to pour water on their heads to keep them all quiet. I can't think clearly if the situation is like this.

    Finally, I reached the front row. I looked at my target again while continuing to give positive thoughts to my brain. This time it can. I can't possibly get Instructor Snowden to punish me for a second push-up.

     “Bancroft, stop messing around! Where's your magic talent that people talk about, huh?”

     I'm glaring. Instructor Snowden stared fiercely, I could see flames burning in both of his eyeballs. He was so excited to see me fail.

     “Shoot!”

    THE BLUSH!

     I sighed loudly. Fail again. Fail again. Does Academy Head Riggs intend to send me to the academy just to humiliate and play tricks on me?

     Instructor Snowden walked towards the disciples lined up and stood between the target and the disciple. “Bancroft, run two circumference. The rest, continue your training.”

    I want to have the magic of my father or Mathias. Maybe, I can fly Instructor Snowden and then leave him in the puddle. I've spent almost two weeks as a student here and almost every day the teachers give me hard work, insinuating, not much either

ridicule, or even challenge me. They said my magic talent was unique and rare so they didn't want to bother teaching me, they wanted to go straight against me.

    Sucks. I just don't know what they mean. Almost all magicians have basic magic in the form of elemental magic, if my magic talent is indeed in the elemental and I can create water equivalent to Father's magic, maybe I'll get straight into Alpha class. But, I didn't. My water magic

it sucks and I have no other magic talent.

    Running around a field the size of a football field is annoying. I had to be held in the field here while my other friends studied with basic magic and also observed the magic talents possessed by others.

    “Alison!”

     I stopped running after hearing Helen's call. My clothes were soaked with sweat profusely pouring out that would not stop. The girl waved her hands high from the field gate. His sports clothes were a little dirty probably because he was trying to move the earth, trying to send an earthquake to drop the target. Helen has a talent for earth elemental magic.

    An orange squirt adorned the sky as I walked closer to Helen. “It's done? Then I'm done too, right?”

     “Yes. He also sent me a message that you can stop running.” Helen's reply slightly lowered her head in a bad mood to see me who might seem very messy this afternoon. Helen glanced at me briefly, “Oh, yes, Instructor Snowden also said you should prepare for next week. He'll still test you

dropping target.”

    I grumbled and grabbed Helen's towel and wiped my wet hair. “Yes geez. How long will he torture me? Besides, how many times have I told you that my magic isn't as strong as he imagined.”

     “Maybe he wishes you could be just like your father,”

    My eyes are pincing irritably, “Yes, yes, yes. He should have realized that I was not the same as the elite of the Union Francis Bancroft.”

    “Or maybe he was hoping for more because you entered special?”

    “I'm not so special, Helen. I'm only one day late compared to you.”

    “But, you said you got rejected.”

     Okay. I'm losing. I just stared at Helen as I squeezed the little towel hoping that my annoyance would disappear.

     “If in my opinion, anyway, so. That's why the other teachers are also curious about you, Alison.” Helen continued, her eyes widened as if she had just remembered what kind of treatment I had received from those shameless teachers.

    “OK, enough. Come on, to the room. I'm hungry.” I said I finally walked ahead of Helen out of this big field.

     “Good idea. We can have dinner before doing the Magic Things. Savanna said she might teach us how to—”

    “Helen?” I called out his name with a slight clashing tone for him to stop babbling.

     “Ya?”

     “Can we enjoy our trip to the hostel without talking? I'm dizzy.”

     “Oh, sorry.” Helen giggled which made me suddenly ten times more tired than usual. The last thing I wanted was of course to get a comfortable and adequate rest, not to listen to Helen's babble.

     Finally, I reached the first-year student dormitory building located on the very hill at the end of the Lixorth Academy education complex. Fortunately, the students were allowed to travel around the campus area using brooms, because if not, maybe my legs could be broken.

    After I took a bath, tidied up my magic equipment, and rested for a while on the bed, I finally went to the living room. Savanna sat at the dining table while researching the worn out ledger with a serious face. Just wait for the time until the girl goes into the book because it is too solemn to read.

     “You seem to have to stop pretending.” Savanna. I walked over from behind the girl and she didn't look at all to make sure it was me.

    I looked at the girl's back which was covered by long reddish curls. “What do you mean? When am I pretending?”

    “Every time the teachers order you to show off.” The girl turned over another page of the book. This time he won't see me.

    “You think I pretended to bego in elemental magic?” I approached the girl and sat in front of her trying to attract Savanna.

     “Sure.” In the end Savanna looked up and our eyes met. “You are a special student. Teachers talk about you all the time. What's wrong with showing your true talent?”

    “Oh, if I had a magical talent as great as Francis Bancroft believed me, I would not have pretended to be stupid and so an easy target of teacher anger.”

    Savanna sighed hard enough that I frowned. What's the problem with this kid? Not only did I fail in Instructor Snowden's class today, I also failed in the subjects of Basic Magic, Magic Type Analysis, Class 1 Magic Potion, etc, and other subjects that require hands-on practice. All the teachers and professors who taught incessantly told me to show off that strange magical talent. Don't know what.

    Tok tok tok tok

    Savanna and I exchanged lyrics before I finally threw my face away pretending I didn't hear anything.

    “Open door.” said flat. I snorted, my eyebrows rose. Ill-mannered.

     “No. You alone.”

     “I'm reading a book.”

     “I'm also silent.”

     “I'm coming!” Helen exclaimed from inside the room and half ran towards the front door with the hoodie peach she was wearing. I smiled in my heart. Having a roommate like Helen is not bad either. Maybe I need Helen more than Savanna the quiet and the errand boy.

     “Good afternoon, Miss Crowfield. I want to meet Alison Bancroft.”

    Suddenly I became aware when I heard my name called. My head turned to look directly at the front door, but my gaze was blocked by Helen's body which did not open the door wide.

     Helen nodded then scrutinized inside until her eyes met mine. He called out with his frenzied hand gesture. I moved lazily toward Helen.

     “Ah, Miss Bancroft. Your parents came and wanted to see you. Now in the Lobby of the Main Building of the Academy Lixorth.” The low voice of a man I recognized as one of the administrative servants in the academy. I met him before Eve and her friend threw me into the hall on the first day I came to

here's.

    “Now?” I'm kind of surprised. Lately I have never been in contact with them, even the last time was when I was surprisingly accepted into the academy. After that, they simply did not want to know what I was going through here.

     “Yes. Come on, they've arrived at the lobby.” Said the employee with a friendly smile that inevitably made me smile as well.

    I followed the clerk to the back garden of the princess dormitory and sure enough, there was already one capsule parked. The design is similar to the capsule that brought me here from Aunt Jane's house. This trip only takes five minutes.

    The Main Building of Lixorth Academy is located on the last hill in the complex, as well as the most luxurious and large building. I wonder if the Riggs Academy Headroom is here as well or not.

    In the lobby, I found Father and Mother sitting on a relaxing brown sofa. Actually not so. Dad was pondering while watching the ceiling decorations, while Mom leaned back watching Dad boredly.

     “What's up?” I started when I got to their side. I sat on the sofa beside my mother facing towards my father who was now done researching the ceiling. “I'm in trouble?”

     “How was your lecture?” father asked, there was a serious tone in his voice. I knew clearly that he wanted to give a relaxed impression in this conversation, but he failed.

     I swallowed spit. Did the teachers and professors tell them about my values?

    “Not going well, huh?” this time it was my mother who answered from next to me. I looked a little embarrassed. Of course shame. If both my parents come here, am I not in serious trouble?

     “You won't pull me back, will you?” I said a little afraid of what response I would hear.

    “Back? Where?” ask Dad.

     “So far, I can't really follow the lesson. You will not pull me back home and send me to.” I swallowed do not dare to mention the name of the country that became the place of our family exile. But I continued. “Ke smaller academy, right?”

    Mom chuckles softly. He seemed to be amused by my strange behavior. I don't know. “Of course not, Alison. You've officially become a student of Lixorth Academy, me and your father can't take you for granted.”

     Hearing that I felt all my tensed muscles and veins relax instantly.

     “Forget about it. Did you hear from your brother?” dad's voice this time intimidated me a little. However, I unintentionally held my breath as if I was afraid of being discovered that I was hiding Mathias.

    It's been more than a week since Mathias went missing and I went to the academy, but they don't seem to care about it. Of course this surprised me. Though I hope that Mathias's departure somewhere will not be followed up further by Father or Mother.

     “What happened to Mathias?”

    “You know or not?” repeat Dad a little urgent.

     I'm shaking. “No. I had absolutely no contact with Mathias after the incident at home.”

     “You sure?”

     “Yes. What's wrong?” this time I tried my luck by pressing. Who knows if Mom or Dad will reveal all of this.

     Mom sighed by my side. His eyes were fixed on Dad. “Looks like Alison doesn't know, Francis.”

    Dad rubbed his hair. I recognize that expression. Dad's upset. Either because I didn't see Mathias or there was another reason. But, if you didn't allow Mathias to leave, why would he just look for her now?

    Finally, Dad got up. He looked at me fiercely. “Don't just mess around, Alison. I need you to get into class number one here. Seriously a little.”