Chapter 2: First Day

A year before the 'Great Chaos,' Runo's home.

BEEP!

BEEP!

BEEEEEEEEEP!

An alarm blared throughout the room.

"Just one more minute...zzzzz," Runo mumbled, yawning before drifting back to sleep.

BEEP!

"Fine, I'll wake up!" Runo grumbled as he leaped out of bed and shuffled out of his room to the bathroom. After washing his face and brushing his teeth, he paused to admire his reflection in the mirror.

"Damn, I look good today!" Runo exclaimed, eyeing his own reflection. With his black slick hair, brown eyes tinged with a hint of red, and flawless complexion, Runo's striking looks were almost intimidating. However, a glimpse down the mirror revealed an odd choice of attire: a tiger onesie. "I really should stop wearing this thing," he muttered to himself.

Hurrying back to his room, Runo shed the onesie and dressed in clothes that complemented his appearance. A plain white polo shirt, a denim jacket, jeans, and socks were chosen.

"That'll do; I need to look good for my first day of college," Runo thought to himself.

"Runo, breakfast is ready!" his mother called out with a soothing tone.

Runo dashed downstairs and was greeted with a hearty English breakfast: bacon, eggs, baked beans, sausages, toast, and hash browns. Moments like these made him appreciate his mother's cooking skills.

While Runo devoured his meal, a sophisticated-looking man sat at the table, though his appearance was deceiving, as he was known for his boisterous and cheerful demeanor.

"He-he-he. No need to eat your food so fast; no one is going to take it!" Runo's dad chuckled, unable to control his laughter.

Runo apologized and joined in the laughter. Unbeknownst to him, his dad swiftly swiped some of his hash browns and devoured them with a grin.

"Hah, gotcha!" Runo's dad laughed with food in his mouth. After their playful banter, they finished their meal.

"Time to drop this one off at college for his first day," Runo's dad said to his wife, gesturing towards Runo with his thumb.

"Have a good day, honey!" Runo's mother smiled. Exiting the house, Runo and his dad hopped into the car for a short journey to the college site.

"Here it is, Penrith College! Have a great day!" Runo's dad said as Runo got out of the car.

As Runo admired the golden Penrith sign at the college's entrance, his dad watched him with a smile. However, that smile faded as he stepped on the gas and drove away.

Penrith College.

Runo entered the college, greeted by a bustling, crowded corridor filled with the excited chatter of new students. In the corner of his eye, a stepladder navigated its way through the crowd, and at its summit stood a plump woman with a megaphone.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen..."

"Come on, work, you little f**ker!" She screeched, giving the megaphone a solid whack against the stepladder.

"AAHHH, THERE WE GO!" a booming sound erupted from the megaphone.

"Let's turn this down a tad... there." She said, still speaking into the megaphone.

"Hello, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Penrith College. I am the vice-principal of this college; you may address me as Poppy. Please, make your way to the assembly hall for a speech from the principal. Oh, you probably don't know where that is yet. Uuuh. You see, you take a left, then a right, and then a left, and ta-dah, you will be there. Did everyone get that? Hey, you boy at the back whose hairline is already receding."

"Me?" said a boy pointing to himself, still in denial about his receding hairline.

"Yes, you! Who else fits that description over there? Well, did you hear me from back there?" Vice-Principal Poppy demanded.

"Y-yes," replied the boy, now questioning his decision to attend the college.

Runo quickly and wisely followed the directions given by Vice-Principal Poppy to avoid being singled out like the boy with the receding hairline. Even as he distanced himself from her, her voice continued to boom down the corridor, repeating instructions for new arrivals. Runo tiptoed to catch a glimpse above the crowd and spotted a sign above a double door that read 'Assembly Hall.' As he neared the entrance, Runo tripped backward in his attempt to return to his normal stance.

He was saved from falling by a fellow student, a young man with golden blonde hair, a bright smile, and piercing blue eyes. Runo regained his footing and finally got a good look at his savior, realizing that their looks were quite comparable.

"Sorry about that; I was trying to see above everyone else," Runo explained.

"No worries, no one's missing a leg," the boy replied with a laugh.

"Your jokes sound exactly like what my dad would say. My name is Runo," Runo introduced himself.

"I'm Arturo; nice to meet you!" replied Arturo.

"It looks like we're almost at the entrance to the assembly hall," Runo observed.

"I'm not excited for this; most assemblies bore me to death. How about you?" Arturo asked.

"I feel the exact same way. What are you studying here?" Runo inquired.

"Physics, computer science, and history," Arturo answered.

"That's the same as me!" Runo exclaimed.

They realized they were in the same classes, exchanged phone numbers, and decided to spend the day together as friends. Finally, they entered the assembly hall and found seats together.

A man with a shiny bald head, dressed in a suit, stepped up to the podium with a microphone to begin the assembly.

"Welcome, new students, to Penrith College. I heard Vice-Principal Poppy has been greeting you all down the corridor. My name is Principal Nagel, and I'm delighted you've chosen our fabulous institution. As you may know, we have connections to two of the seven churches, and just maybe, you'll catch their eye. I know speeches can be a bit boring, so I won't keep you long. You'll spend two years at our school before deciding your future, and I wish you all the best. Have a great first day!" Principal Nagel concluded, his words punctuated by applause from the assembled students.