Yggdrasil Rot

Pillar of Light

The class bell rang just in time after Kata copied the last answer, he returned the homework book to his friend, and not long after that, a teacher came into the classroom, holding a textbook on his hand. He is still young, wearing thick-framed glasses and a sturdy body.

"Stand up! Give respect!" a girl commands her friends to salute the teacher before they start class. After the teacher returned the salute, they all sitting back in front of their chair.

"Good morning everyone, today let's start by reviewing the previous material," said Taka sensei.

He turned around and started writing on the board. His students also opened their books to take notes, except for Kata who had started to drift off to sleep instead.

***

"Okay everyone, we are at the end of the lesson," said Taka-sensei, just as the bell for the end of the first period rang.

"Don't forget to review our lessons today, because they will all appear in the midterms!" he said.

Just like before, the class president commanded her friends to give respect before Taka-sensei left the class.

"Sigh, that lesson was pretty hard," Katerine took a deep breath after two hours enduring the math class.

"I agree," Robert replied from behind. "Taka-sensei's explanation is easy to understand, but the material is quite difficult,"

"But still, no matter how difficult the lessons are, it's fine if you don't pay attention, right?" said someone else, butting into their conversation.

A girl came from the other side of the classroom. She has shoulder-length black hair, with thick framed glasses, much like the ones Taka-sensei has.

"Ah, Yuki-chan!" Katerine smiled although the tone of the class president's voice sounded a little defiant. She adjusted his glasses, and smiled at Katerine.

However, when he saw the student sitting behind Katerine, her smile turned into an upset frown.

"Hey! GET UP!" she shouted, slamming her hand on Kata's desk.

“Huh!? What? Enemy attack!?” Said him half shouted and jumped from his seat. Dark circles appeared in his eyes, and there were traces of drool running from his lips. He looked left and right, but all he found was a chuckle from Robert and Katerine, plus the class president who was wearing an angry grin on his hips.

"Oh come on, it’s just you, Yuki-buchou..." said Kata as he sinking back into his desk.

Yuki let speaking with her voice raised. “You almost fell asleep during class! Aren't you worried about your future at this rate?" snapped the class president.

Kata looked at Yuki as he curling one of his eyebrow. Slowly he closed his eyes and seemed to sink back into sleep.

"Hey! Answer me! Geez, aren't you two sick of this guy's behavior, Katerine? Robert?" Yuki asked.

Katerine and Yuki exchanged glances with each other, then they only give the class representative a smile.

***

"As a childhood friend, Kata can be a little annoying, but overall, she's still a good-natured person!" replied Katerine.

“Hey Kat, tell me again about the time you and Kata were in elementary school!” asked Robert.

"Eh? That's an old story, and embarassing at that!” replied Katerine.

"Ooh, what is the story about? Care to share the detail?” almost forgetting that Yuki was still near them, Katerine just chuckled as she let out a sigh of relief.

"When I was 7 years old, we got lost together in the mountains while traveling," said Katerine.

"Eh! On the mountain!? It's very dangerous!”

Yuki once again banged on Kata's desk, making the boy grumble, and went back to sleep.

Katerine smiled, she looked at Kata as she spoke, as if returning to her past.

“That's right, at that time my leg hurt, and I couldn't get up. Kata carried me for two hours, looking for a safe place and making a bonfire. He also brought me wild fruits to cheer me up who couldn't stop crying,” said Katerine.

“When I was getting desperate because my parents weren't coming, you know what he said? He said he would continue to take care of me, and was willing to be a Tarzan together with me! Stupid isn't it?"

Katerine's face turned slightly red when she told this, while Yuki and Robert smiled broadly.

"Hee, it turns out there is a romantic story like that?" Tease the class representative, rubbing her shoulder toward her classmate.

"Come on! I’m the one getting embarrased here!" cried the girl, hiding her face.

"What about Robert himself? Do you also know Kata since childhood?” asked Yuki.

"No, I’am little different," said Robert, scratching his hair.

"I moved from this city when I was 13 years old, we were from the same middle school and that was probably the beginning of why we got to know each other," said Robert.

“Then, we meet again in the first year of high school. Maybe the three of us have always been with each other since then, right?” interrupted Katerine with a smile. Robert answered with a nod.

"I see... Hmh... I understand now," Yuki replied as she turned to the sleeping man.

“Although lazy and stupid, this guy has a hidden talent for bringing people together.” Yuki answered.

“Hahaha, that might be true too,” Katerine replied with a chuckle.

"Take it easy! Everyone has their own strengths, some are academically smart like me, and some doing better with making friend. I believe that if Kata has more intention of developing that talent, he can land a promising job in the future!”

Once again, Yuki corrected the position of the glasses in her smart pretentious manner. Katerine and Robert, only answered their leader's behavior with a small smile.

The rest session proceeded normally as usual. Yuki and Katerine continued to chat, while Kata didn't wake up from her slumber.

However, a strong wind suddenly blew from the side of the city. Everyone in the class felt a strange tremor, and the hairs on their necks stood on end.

As if their instincts had awakened at the same time, they knew something strange was going on.

"Hey! What light is that!”

Said one of the students while pointing towards the city. Through the windows of Kata's classroom and the others, a white light shone from between Kuromori's city buildings.

Both Yuki, Katerine, and Robert were also curious. They rose from their seats and looked in the direction their friends were pointing.

As they said, there was a light slowly descending from the sky into the center of the city. As the light drew closer to land, the wind stopped, and the sound disappeared.

Everyone in the classroom and the city streets was transfixed by the light. Even though their instincts were clearly screaming orders to run or take cover, they couldn't move, as if the light had nailed them in place.

Finally, the light hit the ground, and all was silent.

One second later, a white explosion appeared in the center of the city. Yuki, Katerine, and Robert could only see white filling their eyes, and a sudden strong wind blowing towards the classroom.

Glass shattered, the hot sensation melted everyone's skin, and both Yuki, Katerine, and Robert, felt excruciating pain.