Demon Soldier

"Stay focused, Hakim!" A man yelled, shaking his fist in the air. "Don't make a mistake if you still want to go to the academy! Just remember what I taught you, and do your best! I know you will! I believe in you," he said, cheering on. "Just don't do that trick that Lily taught you, okay?" He said before seating back down. 'I need to do the best I can,' Hakim thought to himself, gathering a ball of aura in his hands. It started off as a small mass of light, but it soon grew to become larger than both his hands. His eyes glowed purple, while the air around him began to distort. He could feel the energy in him rising, and hurling his hands forward, a ball of aura went flying in the air, heading towards a target not too far away. Seeing this, he hoped that the attack would be strong enough to gain him a good score. Looking closely, the attack had quickly covered the distance, hitting the target directly at the center. Not long after, a device attached to the target began a few calculations, before a number eventually appeared on a screen. "I… I did it!" He yelled, shaking his fists in the air. Seeing this, the crowd went wild cheering for him. Kyle had just overcome a major milestone in his journey, but of course, this was just the beginning of things. Heading back to the contestants' area, it was time for another teenager to head out and undergo the same tests as him. Meanwhile, a girl had walked up to him, while he was seated somewhere in the room, staring into space. "You did good out there," she said, punching him on the shoulder. These two seemed like they had some sort of a relationship, as they had spent the remainder of the time talking to each other, catching up on things. "So now you'll be heading to the academy? You know, the town won't be the same without you. Everywhere's gonna get quiet without you around," she said. "Oh? Will you miss me?" He replied, raising an eyebrow. Her name was Sasha, and she had been Hakim's friend ever since they were little. They had been close since then. "Shut up!" She said, elbowing him in the gut, causing him to hunch forward from the impact. Today, everyone who was at the age of sixteen was admonished to participate in an event that would determine whether or not they would make it into the academy. This academy that was famous all over the country is called The School Of Shadows. It is an institution where beings from another world learn to use their powers properly and become powerful people in the future. Ever since he was little, Hakim had always wanted to attend this school. At the diner table with his family, he would constantly hear his parents talking about how they wanted all their children to go to this school. Indeed, it was one of the most prestigious schools in the country, but that was mostly because it was where great wizards like Jason Monk, Selina Bain, and even Together Zume studied and even worked. These were some of the most powerful people in the entire country. Their involvement at the academy had quickly made it a hotspot for parents all over to be eager to send their wards over there. They wanted the best for their children, of course. Hakim had just completed the test that would determine whether or not he was strong enough to attend the academy. The School Of Shadows is a dangerous school filled with all sorts of powerful students. Things such as fights and even student deaths were quite a normal thing over there. As long as the student that was killed held no form of significance, then no one really cared. Hakim comes from a middle class family with little to no social significance. He knew that he needed to grow stronger so he could survive at the academy. Later that day, the students who had managed to score at least the desired score were gathered in a different room to face someone who had come as an ambassador from the academy. He was an old man wearing knightly armor. Glancing at the teenagers, he let out a loud 'hmph' before clearing his throat to address them. "My name is William Vine. As you can see from my crest, I am an ambassador from the School Of Shadow. Today, you all have proved that you deserve a spot at the academy. In a week's time, you all will be taken from your homes to the academy. Until then, spend this remaining time you have with them, and also keep on training. The fact that you passed, doesn't automatically mean that you're powerful. Right now there are students at the academy who are even stronger than a few of the teachers. That is what you will have to contend with once you get there," he said, before heading off. 'Students who are stronger than the teachers?' Hakim thought to himself. Once everyone was given permission to leave, Hakim quickly headed back home to tell his family the good news. It was early in the afternoon at the time, so only his mother and younger sister were at home. He then decided to wait until his father and brother had gotten back from work for the day before sharing the news with them. Later that day, once everyone was seated at the table enjoying their dinner. He decided to finally share the good news with his family. Upon hearing this, they were all smiles and we're congratulating him for getting in. Although his little sister looked sad about it all. She was going to miss the brother whom she always loved to torment. Who else would she play with once he's gone? Their older brother was always out working with their father on the farm, while their mother was always busy with household chores and her trade. Her name was Nadia, and she was the youngest of the Shulra family. The rest of dinner went by with everyone in a better mood than they were before. Being middle class, everyone had to pull their weight, and while Hakim would be heading to the academy, there would finally be one less mouth to feed around the house. He was also glad that he wouldn't be such a burden to them in the future. During the course of the next week, Kyle would spend his time training non-stop. He needed to be at his peak if he was going to have any chance of survival. In this world, there are multiple races of creatures that inhabit it and call it their home. Amongst them, there are beings called Demons, and Hakim just happens to be one of them. Every creature had their own social hierarchy, culture, and way of life, but they all still manage to live together in this world. As a Demon, Hakim could potentially unlock powers such as possession, mind control, teleportation, and all sorts of other powers. Although he had yet to unlock his first ability, he decided to focus more on physical training for now. This was why he wished to attend the academy on the first place, to understand what it truly means to be a demon Also, his friend Sasha would visit him from time to time to help him spar. She was a year younger than him, so she was going to have her shot at getting into the academy next year. But for now, she was more than happy to help out his family while he'd be away. A week had passed by, and it was now time for Hakim to head off to the academy. That morning, a man dressed in dark clothing with a hood covering his head appeared at his doorstep. In his grasp, was a long staff with a curved blade at the top. Most would know him as the grin reaper, but he was merely one of his apprentices, and he was here to take him to the academy to begin this new journey. He bid his family farewell as he placed his hand on the man's shoulder. Then, tapping his staff on the ground, a puff of smoke had enveloped them both, and once the smoke had dispersed, they had vanished. Nadia suddenly burst into tears, while her mother quickly picked her up to console her. Everybody was going to miss him while he was away. Jared, the head of the household, then turned his head to look at his first son. They were already running late for work, so they quickly finished off and headed back out to the farm. Meanwhile, Sasha decided to head back home and get ready for school as well. Now, Hakim was about to start his journey in this new world. __________ Thanks for reading. And join my Discord server.