Where The Dead Ones Go Book 1 -Magistracy-

Chapter 10

I am sitting outside the only hairdresser in the town of Elysian, run by Aphrodite's daughters, of course.

To my surprise, the moment we stepped outside the hospital, we found ourselves in this town located at the heart of the citadel.

Not as big as the downtown district of Aurapolis but every essential establishment can be found here.

The Hellenic Citadel school compound is located somewhere north of this quaint town exclusive and built only for students and staff of the educational institution.

Speaking of students, there are a lot of first year students like me roaming around.

They are all wearing black coat and tie uniform with orange plaid skirts or pants.

I looked down on my skirt and wondered if they send the wrong one to us.

Instead of orange, ours is red plaid.

The door of the hairdresser opened and I looked up to see a boy standing in front of the bench I am sitting and looking down on me.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Vivet," the boy apologized as he gave me a sweet smile, "The stylists have to call backups to make me look presentable."

"I..."

"Is there a problem?"

Idiot!

Problem?!

Of course, there is a problem!

Just...

Just look at his face!

His thick and untidy hair is hiding this face of a god all along.

Strong and defined manly jaws, long pointed nose, pink and thin lips, and piercing gray eyes. His hair is now buzz cut military style that emphasized his pointed ears that added to his already godly handsome face.

"Please, enough, Vivet," he begged me in my mind as his face blushed profusely, "Besides, have you take a good look in the mirror yourself? You didn't even look at one when you combed your hair."

He then pulled me up from my seat and have me face in a mirror just outside the salon.

"Take a good look for once, Vivet."

I followed his order and look at the face of a girl before me.

She has a small pointed nose, small, full pink lips, and beautiful and caring black eyes. Her dark and wavy shoulder-length hair is a bit messy but seemed to add to the seemingly mystical aura she is exuding.

"Yeah, Vivet. The one you see is you," the boy thought proudly as he smiled happily at the mirror that showed his perfect set of white teeth, "If I have a godly face then you, in turn, have the face of a goddess. That makes the two of us."

I just chuckled and shook my head as I looked up at my companion, "But really, you are very, very, handsome, Morris. Who knew a homeless punk like you is hiding a face like that?"

"You know, most guys and

girls just took one look of disgust at me before turning their heads away and pretending that I did not exist when I am living at the streets?" he asked before patting my head playfully, "Aren't you one lucky gal who happened to take chances on me and you now got the first prize! Congratulations?"

I just chuckled and played with my hair, "Yeah, maybe I hit the jackpot, Morris."

"Are they immortals?"

"For real?!"

"They are wearing our uniform though."

"Red?"

"Wow, just look at their

faces!"

"So handsome and beautiful!"

"Wait, forget about the guy, check-out the girl!"

"She seemed to be familiar."

Morris suddenly wrapped around my arm and nudged me to start walking towards the school gate, "See? They're not only looking at me."

"Fine, you win. Now, let's head straight to the stadium. That's where the opening ceremony will be held, right?"

"True. But are you sure you want to do this, Vivet?" he asked when we near the magnificent golden gate which is thrown wide open to welcome new students like us to the school grounds, "I mean I know I want to be here, but you?"

"It's fine, besides, I treat this as a promotion of sorts from my boss," I pointed at our nameplates pinned on our right chests, "Might as well enjoy my new work assignment, right Morris?"

He laughed as he happily takes in the scenery, "Of course, Vivet. But man, this feels, I don't know, nostalgic? Weird, but I am just happy to be here!"

"All first-year students please head to the school stadium for the welcoming ceremony! I repeat..."

When we arrived there, it is already full of students and we are forced to sit on the last of the vacant seats at the back to listen to an old man already halfway through his speech.

We followed the stream of teenagers walking westward far right of the main school building.

"...Hellenic Citadel was founded exactly one thousand years ago right after the divine marriage of Psyche and Eros. As a matrimonial gift, the gods and goddesses granted the wish of the bride to establish a school for mortals regardless of parentage a chance in attaining only the best wisdom and experience the gods and goddesses to the children of our world."

"According to this brochure the usherette gave me, that man is the Deputy-Headmaster of the Hellenic Citadel, Airon Lindel, a celebrated Auralian mortal whose prowess with air elemental magic earned the approval of all the wind gods

and Zeus himself. He is technically the one who calls the shots in the citadel since the headmistress is more of a symbolic leader meant to show the world the unity and prestige of this educational institution," my companion said as he stares at the paper in

his hand before looking at me, "I heard about this man during my time on the streets and they are all good things."

I nodded and listened m

ore on what the Deputy Headmaster has to say to all of us, "After the examinations that how should I say it, "very fitting for the thousandth times we've done it", I think it is safe to say that even after millennia, we haven't seen everything yet. Each school year is full of surprises. Twists and turns that not even in our wildest dreams can even predict what will happen next. That is why I implore all of you, the thousandth batch of first years, "Always be ready. Be aware, beware. Above all else, trust your friends old and new". In my years of being the Deputy Headmaster of the Hellenic Citadel, this is the first batch and hopefully not the last whom I witnessed that some demigods chose friendship over glory. Family over recognition, Individuality instead achievement. So as I end this speech of mine, let me remind you that there are many paths to victory and there are many types of victory. Mabuhay ang ika-isang libong batch ng Hellenic Citadel First Years!"

Morris and I followed the lead of other students and stand up to clap our hands as the Deputy Headmaster finished his speech.

"Finally, we present this Golden Laurel Award to the two who received the highest scores at the entrance examinations of the demigods last week. We now call on Zenith Mycenae from the Magistracy of Pagos and Vaski Wilkins from the Scythian Emirate to come forward and receive the award!"

The heavens suddenly rumbled as the ground shakes the moment the children of the two of the big three of Olympus stood up from the front to accept their award.

Two boys wearing the same color of uniforms that I have walked towards the stage. Black shoes, black and red plaid pants, white undershirt, and black coat with red linings.

The other students started panicking as the two climbed up the stage...3

"Gods, not again!"

"We almost lost our lives back then during the examinations if not for the daughter of the goddess of hope!"

"I thought the feud is over?!"

"Maybe we should have checked where the emergency exit is before entering this blasted stadium!"

"That's it! if I survived here, I will apply for Prime Hermes Insurance."

However, Morris and I just looked at each other and chuckled despite ourselves.

"I managed to hold on my own against those two," I thought that made the son of the god of death laugh even more, "This is nothing."

"Hah, well, I was skewered with vengeance by them and survived, don't me, Vivet," Morris said proudly as if it is an achievement for him, "Whatever they might throw against us, I am sure we can manage to survive in the end."

We nodded at each other as we silently watched the two princes tried to take the golden laurel for their own and stopped when they noticed the other trying to get it as well.

A few more moments of silence and Vaski grudgingly let go of the crown and let Zenith get it.

"Ah, yes, the ancient covenant between Zeus and Poseidon," Morris said sadly as he looked at Vaski who stepped back to let Zenith take the spotlight from him.

"I think Ms Irene taught that one to me," I answered in my mind as Zenith himself doesn't look all to please that he managed to win this one only by mere technicalities, "Poseidon must always be the second when it comes with any dealings with Zeus for eternity to keep the peace."

My companion just shook his head sadly as we stand up after we heard the announcement.

"All first-year students please proceed to your respective classroom designations written at the brochure given to you before the ceremony earlier. The main school building is located in front of the compound entrance gates. Once you arrived there please wait for your homeroom adviser who will give out your curriculum for this school year. Thank you."

I looked at Morris who looked behind the brochure he is holding and reading what is written, "Let's see here, Vivet. Hmm, Auxiliary Class Third Floor for Viviere and Mortheo."

"Well, let's get going. They are staring at us again," I urged him in my mind as I glanced around us and pointing at our direction as we walked outside the stadium on our way to the main building.

"Maybe it's a bad idea to get a haircut, after all, Vivet," he whispered in his thoughts as we finally entered the main hall and head straight for the third floor to search for our designated classroom, "Or maybe you shouldn't have combed your hair."

I just laughed at him as we tried to wade through several first years in the hallway, "Too late for that, Morris. We just need to find that classroom and we can have a breather. Let's see here, eleven, twelve. Wait, where's Auxiliary Class?"

"Uhm, Vivet, I think it's that red door on the corner," Morris said in my mind and I saw what he is seeing, "There's the Auxiliary Classroom according to the bronze plate above it. Pretty hard to miss, don't you think?"

I nodded and headed in front of it and let Morris knock three times before opening it slowly.

"Oh s**t," he exclaimed in his thoughts when we saw the two boys sitting in the front row of the classroom and looking at the two of us intently.

"You've got to be kidding me," I whispered in his mind as we slowly walk inside and saw that the only remaining seats are the ones between our bitter enemies a week ago.

I sat beside Zenith as Morris takes the seat next to Vaski and gulped nervously after I closed the door behind us quietly.

The tension is clearly high. The wind is definitely stale and hostile as the floor beneath us is trembling steadily.

"Hey, Vivet? That is you right, Vivet?"

I looked behind me and heaved a sigh of relief when I saw who is calling my attention.

A familiar petite girl wearing her flower hairband is smiling sweetly at me, "Narcine! Thank goodness you're here!"

"And it looks like Rebie and Taurei as well," Morris said as he pointed at the two seatmates of the daughter of Persephone who is looking curiously at him.

"That voice, Morris?!" the Pagosian demigod of unknown lineage asked, "Really?"

My companion nodded and scratched the back of his head, "Really, buddy."

"I thought you were done for after being skewered like a kebab," Taurei said before lowering down his voice as Zenith and Vaski glanced at his direction, "I mean, it's good that we all meet again and we are in the same class, right, Rebie?"

The voluptuous and quiet demiurge daughter of the goddess of the waves nodded a little and removed her black glasses, "I must say I am rather impressed that you managed to finish your job, Vivet. I think I should give you two more credit from now on."

"It's all thanks to all of you helping us along the way," I said humbly as she gave me one of her rare smile, "Truly, I feel the same as Morris. I am happy that we meet again and in the same class."

"Please, contain your joy for your close friend is also here," Rebie said as she pointed behind her and I shed a tear when I saw the daughter of Athena crying silently as she waved at the two of us before waving her hand as a teacher finally entered our classroom.

We all turned our attention to a woman in her late thirties who dropped her large and expensive-looking back on the teacher's desk unceremoniously as she fanned her hands impatiently.

"You! Yes, you who is sitting beside the demiurges of Amphitrite and Persephone. Please get the fan at the back of the classroom and turn it on at number four. Goodness gracious, why is it this stuffy here?" she asked in irate voice before turning to the son of Zeus, "Can you at least let the air circulate for a bit? I don't want to explain on my first day back at teaching how the hell did my class destroyed their air conditioning this early in the school year."

Taurei and Zenith immediately followed the orders of the rather strict teacher surprisingly quick and thanks to that, the air finally lightened and the teacher sighed in relief before talking again.

"Now that our ventilation is fixed, let me introduce myself to all of you," she said in a clear voice as she looked at each and every one of us, "I am Lani Peregrin, daughter of Hebe and the adviser for Auxiliary Class. Any questions? Yes?"

"Why are we here in this class?" Taurei asked in a suspicious tone that made Ms Peregrin raise an eyebrow at him, "Shouldn't we supposed be dispersed evenly to other first year sections consisting of mortals and demigods combined?"

"A good question! But we have to answer that later. For now, introduce yourselves to me and your new classmates one by one. Let's start at the the very back of our classroom. Yes, you at the back. Come here in front and tell us your name, place of birth and your godly parent."

So we are starting the first-ever homeroom class with the tried and tested introduction...