The ride was uncomfortable and the road was bumpy, but me and Iris were able to feel exhilarated due to simply being near each other. Looking out into the beautiful fields and watching the stars in the night sky.

Then, on the fifth day, we were standing in front of the mighty stone walls of the Kingdom of Eleiweth. 

The City of the Silver Sun was even more gorgeous than storybooks or travelers could describe. The grand city stretched for miles and was enclosed in a massive stone wall that held the banners of all the great human kingdoms around the world. And there was the main castle which was a tower that seemed to break through the atmosphere.

And then we walked to the place we came all the way to Eleiweth for, Elendria Academy. The greatest magic and combat school was a massive castle that housed millions of talented young magicians. And me and Iris had become a part of those potentially talented the excitement was so strong that it seemed like we would go mad.

As the first semester started Iris was quickly gaining an amazing reputation in Elendria Academy. She was a diligent student who gave the teachers no trouble and her magic talent was something worth a thousand praises. In just a few months, Iris would be one of the most successful students.

Out of everyone in the school, five students have the strongest magic. One of the five was Iris with her powerful fire magic that could even melt metal and scorch an entire forest. Another was a male classmate named Dante Wolfegang, who is a noble who is well known in Eleiweth and is extremely gifted with the sword and ice magic. 

Then there was Julius Prime, just like Iris and me, he was a commoner who lived in another continent. He was a third year who controlled the magic of wind using a mage staff offered to him by elf sages. Julius was also well known for being extremely intelligent, getting the top scores in all his assignments, and outsmarting everyone—including teachers! 

The final and most influential and powerful of the Top Five was Annie Virian. Her last name gives it away but Annie is the eldest daughter of the Royal Virian Family who had ruled Eleiweth since its founding. She is in her fourth year, which means that she was soon to graduate. Her skills were beyond what most humans could achieve. Not only was she skilled with the sword but she wielded magic that humans of our era rarely ever obtained—light magic.

Annie was able to use such powerful magic from birth making her a Gifted and no one else in the academy could even match her. Many even believe that her magic could be on par with the Hero of Light, Philip.

The strong Princess of Eleiweth also has the special ability to communicate and summon fairies. The reason why is that her light magic can draw in their spiritual energy. Annie also has a strong familiarity that she never uses during school due to an incident that happened in her first year.

During her second year when she was in a duel with another student, Annie’s fairy familiar apparently went wild and cut off the opponent’s legs. An incident like that would usually get someone expelled but because Annie was the literally freakin’ daughter of the King of Eleiweth, she was only given a week’s worth of detention. As for the student who lost the ability to walk, it was said that Annie used healing magic to save their life, however, they were forced to leave the school due to no longer being able to fight.

That was where Iris stood, on the highest pillar along with the greatest. As for me, I could be any lower.

The scores in all my classes were extremely low no matter how hard I tried. The reason why was that most assignments or tasks required magic skills to finish which I of course had none of. Everyone in the school was also fully aware that I was a Null and began to treat me very horribly.

It was aggravating, I dealt with such treatment in Lore but Elendria Academy made it seem like the townspeople were being generous! Students would gossip and laugh behind my back, some would challenge me to duels and would beat me because I had no way to counter their magic.

Whenever I was harassed I would try to go to a professor for help, but in the end, they would just give me an empty promise and nothing was done. 

While I was aware that I would face persecution I completely underestimated the intensity of it. Eleiweth is the great capital that values magic and so the majority of the citizens see Nulls as bacteria to the very world.

One particular group who would mess with me religiously was four delinquent second-year students. The one who led the four was a guy named Damien Jupiter, the eldest son of the Noble Jupiter Family. He was a scary-looking dude with violet eyes and a purple mohawk. His weapon was a giant two-handed sword and his magic ability was lightning and thunder.

And most days, Damien and his lackeys would either beat me up or steal my money. However, I never would show any fear nor beg for mercy. I would always try to fight off Damien but my efforts would end in my crushing defeat all the time.

“Hey, Null!” Damien would yell out to me, never using my real name. “We’re hungry! Go to the city and get us some food!”

“I’m not your damn servant, Damien!” I shouted. “Leave me alone!”

“Oh? That’s a lot of attitude for a weakling who can’t use magic!”

“I may not be able to use magic but I’m far from weak!”

Damien sighed and shook his head. He took out his giant busted sword and pointed it at my throat. 

“How many times do I have to teach you this lesson, Null?”

I started sweating. I knew very well that I would lose but my pride refused to let me show weakness.

“Do your worst bastard!”

I took out my sword and charged at Damien with a loud battle cry. The aftermath was very unpleasant and disappointing.

Using his lightning and thunder magic, Damien turned me into a punching bag. As I was getting ruthlessly beaten, the guys behind Damien laughed loudly while mocking me. And the students and teachers that walked by and saw what was happening just turned away and pretended like they didn’t see anything.

“Lightning Magic: Arrow of Light!”

After raining down a lance of lightning on my body, Damien easily picked me up by the collar of my shirt.

“You’re a stupid bastard you know that?” Damien said. “It doesn’t matter how many times you struggle because you are a Null! You will always be weak under the might of mana!”

“S…shut up…”

I tried to speak under my completely bruised and battered face, but my words sounded like nothing but useless mumbles. Damien continued to laugh and slammed the flat side of his blade onto my stomach.

“Thunder Magic: Force of a Thousand!”

A powerful shockwave blew me back and made me crash into the wall. Damien and his lackeys proceeded to cackle as they left my roughed-up body attached to the wall like a toddler trapped in a high chair. 

I stayed in that position for hours, my butt stuck in the fine walls of the academy and the dust falling onto my hair and face.

“Baxter!”

Coming to my rescue for the thousandth time was Iris. With little effort, she pulled me out of the wall and helped me walk to the nursery.

“You…don’t have to help me, Iris-“

“Of course, I have to!” Iris shouted with tears in her eyes. “There is no way I can leave you like this! Who keeps doing this to you!? Is it that jerk Damien again!?”

Iris started growling like an enraged dog. A terrifying aura coated her body as she stormed off with killing intent. With my broken hand, I petted her red head.

“Calm down girl…calm down…”

Ever since me and Iris confessed our feelings to each other, we have officially started to be in a relationship. The two of us would continue to train together like before and aid each other in the tough assignments of Elendria Academy. And on when weekends or days when we had no classes, the two of us would go on dates in the marvelous city of Eleiweth. We would go to the most beautiful and popular places in Eleiweth. Trying out their wonderful food, seeing their magic-filled plays, or seeing the most mind-blowing sights.

Back in Elendria Academy, even though we were in completely two different positions of popularity the whole school was well-informed about our romantic relationship. Of course, a lot of people didn’t approve mainly because of me but we didn’t care.

Iris would always try her best to defend me from the bullying. She would cause scenes in the hallways if any graffitied or stole my belongings and would fight anyone who would hurt me. Damien was her constant victim as she wouldn’t hesitate to flame his ass whenever he messed with me.

It was barely even a fair match since Iris was far more powerful than Damien could ever be. A battle between the two of them would always end with the delinquent second year covered in soot and beaten nearly an inch of his life.

After frying Damien like a chicken in an oven, Iris put her sword back in her sheath and flipped her hair while walking away.

“If you harm Baxter again I will be sure to leave a permanent scar on your face so that you won’t forget the consequences.”

Damien growled as he forced himself to stand up. His legs were shaking and his body trembled.

“Stupid bitch! I don’t understand what you see in a worthless man like him! Because of his lack of skill, he will only drag you down!”

Enraged once more, Iris turned back around with ridiculous speed and released a powerful strike.

“Flame Magic: Blade of Ignis!”

A line of fire struck Damien in the stomach and launched him back into the wall, creating a crack. The bully coughed up blood before falling on his face and losing consciousness. His lackeys ran to his aid while the other students who were observing the beating pretended not to see anything to inquire Iris’s wrath.

As this was happening, I was standing by the door of the classroom with an embarrassed face. It was crushing to my very pride that my girlfriend had to fight my battles for me. However, I kept those emotions to myself because I didn’t want Iris to think I was ungrateful for her help.

“Let’s get out of here, Baxter.”

Iris said with a huff. I nodded in approval as we walked out of the classroom ignoring the stares from the other students.

I said nothing as my face flushed and my eyes were attached to the back of Iris.

“You are too much sometimes…”

I said to myself, but in a very low voice so that my girlfriend wouldn’t hear.