Chapter 1 - Leonel Morales

Leonel barreled down a set of spiraling stairs. With a leap, he cleared the railing, foregoing the last of the steps to land in a living room. Jumping over a couch, he rounded a corner into the kitchen to snatch a bottle of foul green liquid.

"Thanks for the daily dose of cow shit, dad. Really appreciate it."

A middle-aged man looked up from his tablet, pushing his glasses up with a couple fingers. He was lounging behind the large glass doors that opened from the living room into the backyard when his son's usual defamatory statements entered his ears.

"In another rush toward failure?"

"I'll succeed this time!"

Instead of launching himself out the front door, Leonel actually made his way back up the set of spiraled stairs.

"That's what you said the last over hundred times."

Leonel didn't wait for his father's next sarcastic statement. He pushed opened the attic doors and swung himself out of the three-story high triangular windows. His actions looked no different from an attempt at suicide, but his hand just barely caught the ledge, swinging himself upward to latch onto a weakening water drainage pipe.

Like a spry monkey, the plastic lid connector of his bottle hanging from his teeth, he climbed to the roof, landing on the angled tiles with a practiced ease.

[Subject: Leonel Morales]

[Infraction Code 118.67.2 - Unauthorized scaling of a residential building. Under the Parkour and Freerunning Act of 2034, this is classified as a Type 1 Misdemeanor]

[It is advised that subject Leonel Morales immediately cease illegal activity to avoid charges]

Leonel ignored the beeping female voice emitting from his wrist, his eyes having locked onto his next target.

The suburb Leonel and his father lived in was decently well off and could be considered a part of the upper middle class. However, the location of their home could only be described as odd. Or, rather, the entire suburb community was out of expectations.

The community existed on a large flying platform that orbited a main city below like the Moon did the Earth. These so-called Floating Paradises acted as a solution to the housing crisis of 2066, effectively fixing the problem by creating more surface area for housing.

Nowadays, only the obscenely wealthy could live on the surface. Leonel's destination happened to be this lofty surface world. Though, while most who lived on these Floating Paradises could only catch a glimpse from time to time, Leonel traveled down almost everyday.

'... 17 seconds.'

Leonel crouched on his home's roof. His and his father's home happened to be at the very edge of the Floating Paradise. Of course, there were several safety measures taken. But, that wouldn't stop Leonel.

Despite his vantage point, he couldn't see the backyard his father had been sitting in. In fact, his home looked completely empty from the outside due to a privacy setting.

He swung his head back, taking a big swing of his dad's green concoction. In that moment, not only did his tongue seemingly light on fire, but even his lungs burned. One would think he was breathing in a raging fire's smoke instead of drinking a smoothie.

"Agh... Really outdid yourself this time, old man."

Leonel suddenly took a leap. At first, it seemed that he wouldn't make it very far. He'd fall three stories and come out with a broken leg if he was lucky.

However, that was when a sudden gust of wind crashed into his body. If it wasn't for its sturdy straps, the backpack to his back would have been flung off entirely.

A fierce WHOOSH filled Leonel's ears as he was taken into the skies.

His arms and legs spread out, a refreshing smile playing his features as though he didn't realize that he looked no different from a madman to any sane observer.

He was a lone man above the clouds, free falling without a care in the world. His clothes whipped against his own body, revealing a hidden toned torso.

Surprisingly, almost an hour ticked by before Leonel's watch beeped once more. Realizing he would be running late if he wasted anymore time, he hopped on his bike. But, his pace was much slower this time, not wanting to ruin his effort by sweating once more.

He didn't have long to go. The streets leading to his school were nothing like the congested communities he had passed through before. It was like entering a whole new world.

There was greenery all around, ancient trees vibrantly recovering from the winter months, and winding paths that led to beautiful architectural feats.

This place was the third ranked academy on Earth, a prestigious place only for the elites of the younger generation — Royal Blue Academy.

"Leo!"

"Good luck!"

"We have bets on you succeeding this time!"

Leonel grinned as he passed by a few groups of students preparing to head to their classes, waving in acknowledgment.

Soon, Leonel's gaze landed on a massive dome-like building. It stretched hundreds of meters in every direction and had several entrances just from the front.

Even among Royal Blue Academy students, there were different separations. To be able to step into this building, only the highest ranked seniors could do so.

However, even with such a masterpiece before him, Leonel's view was completely filled with the sight of just one young lady standing near the top of a wide set of white marble stairs.

She looked like a dainty fairy descended from the skies. Her long, flowing black hair gently waved in the wind, only resting at the small of her back every so often. Her eyes were a warm amber that bordered on gold, making her seem like a goddess separated from the world.

A small group of friends stood around her. Their banter caused her to smile a shy smile that gripped Leonel's heart and refused to let go.

When she looked up and met Leonel's gaze, he felt that the entire world aside from her had turned various shades of white.

Her delicate tanned yet fair skin, the small slope of her nose, the way the wind gently caressed her thigh-length dress, revealing the curves she so modestly hid.

Though not an inch over 5'7", she had a presence that captivated the world, one larger than even Leonel himself believed he had.

The young fairy blushed profusely when she saw that it was Leonel, a crimson tide waded from her slender collarbone and up her neck, coating her soft cheeks.

"Aina..." Leonel's voice was powerful and filled with emotion as though this was the very first time he was doing this.

"Ah, he's here again." One of Aina's friends teased.

"Stop enabling him." A fiercer friend rebutted. "Poor Aina has been getting harassed to death by him for the last four years. Get lost!"

Leonel seemed used to this good-cop, bad-cop routine. But the truth was he couldn't even see or hear them. His senses were incomparably focused.

"I won't stop until I have a real answer from you." Leonel's gaze burned. In that moment, his pale green eyes seemed to gain a new light, becoming a green more vibrant than even the trees around him. "I must be your man. Will you have me?"

The surrounding students all simultaneously stopped as though collectively holding their breaths.

Aina's cheeks grew several shades of red darker, almost becoming as ripe as a tomato. Her small lips trembled before she turned and ran up the steps, disappearing into the Academy halls.

Leonel gained another glare from Aina's fierce friend before she and the much kinder young lady rushed after the embarrassed Aina.

In the end, Leonel could only sigh. Seemed that today was yet another failure.