[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/a848yMU.png[/img][/center] [center][color=f7941d][b]Chapter 0 - Summer Homework[/b] I[/color][/center] Until recently, the DWMA never had a concept such as vacations despite being a school, the many terrors of the world didn't stop attacking just because it was summer, so the students had to remain vigilant. However, seeing the peaceful state of the world as of late, the academy decided to bring the concept into its schedule, though the mission board was still filled with "summer homework" for the students to tackle during their free time. The mission to Malum Island appeared as the classes were coming to a close. The proposal was simple: Go to the Mediterranean island nation, stay at the local DWMA chapter and help them with some basic tasks, with plenty of free time to enjoy the local beaches, landmarks, and restaurants. All paid by the DWMA, of course. Weirdly, it didn't note how many people could claim the mission. Perhaps it had been an error or maybe they didn't expect many students to be willing to stay for almost three months in a foreign nation. [color=f7941d][center]•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:• ☼ •:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•[/center][/color] [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/KSeDgNF.png[/img] [sub]Ms. Opal, anxious teacher[/sub][/center] A single look at Ms. Opal's face made it clear she was living her personal nightmare at the moment. The teacher was clumsy, forgetful, a bit of a rule-freak and so anxious some speculated she had been taken into the DWMA staff just so people would compare her to Death the Kid and say "hey, perhaps that guy isn't so neurotic after all". And now she was on a boat, tasked with supervising SIXTEEN teenage students for over three months in another country. How would she handle that? It was also clear each duo wanted to do something different, some were ready for camping, some brought expansive cameras to take pictures of the historical buildings, some seemed ready to hike in the mountainous wildlands while others seemed interested in nothing but simply doing their job for the local DWMA chapter, she couldn't keep an eye in all of them at once! "How could I forget to put a limiter on the mission proposal? I could swear I had made it clear it was a four people mission," she whispered to herself, biting her nails, shaking in anxiety. "This cannot possibly get any worse!" She took a deep breath, she couldn't let this get to her! She had to do her best, she had to prove she was worthy of her role as a DWMA teacher! It didn't help that the ferry they took was so gloomy. The wood and rusty metal vessel creaked with each wave, the passenger area's furniture was an unholy combination of cheap and aged, and going to the deck was boring as the fog was so thick even parts of the boat were hidden by it. It was a far call from the plane they took from Nevada to Malta. Landing in Malum Island was hard as navigation instruments acted weird near it, one needed perfect clear wheater to do it, because of that it was safer to do the last bit of the trip through the sea routes. At least the students had each other's company. Everyone in here was a Meister - Demon Weapon duo, everyone was also forced to wear a matching color-coded wristband by Ms. Opal as if they were kindergarten students. [color=f7941d][center]•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:• ☼ •:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•[/center][/color] The bell of the ferry rang to signal they had arrived and that they would be docking soon, and, as if by coincidence, the fog started to clear. This was great news, and as the sunbeams appeared Ms. Opal took it as a signal things would start to get better. "Everyone!" she called for attention as she got up. "Please get up in an orderly fashion and make a line, weapons to the left and meisters to the right." "I am sure you all have read my 58 pages report on the island's history and geological features, but just to recall, we are landing in the Port of Torri. A beautiful region where ruins of Roman forts overwatch sprawling shrublands." As she said it, she rose her hand to the left, expecting for the fog to clear and reveal the ruins of a tower in the middle of a rocky plains area. Two issues were quick to reveal themselves. The tower seemed to have been fully repaired and what it overlooked were not plains, but a lush jungle. In fact, the whole area was like that, even near the city and the port. "W-w-what? Such thick vegetation... how can this be!? I was there fifteen years ago and the tallest plants made it to my hips. Some of these trees take sixty years to mature yet they look fully grown! Also, they are South American species I am sure, what are they doing HERE?" Ms. Opal started to mutter in her panic. "O-oh no. what if we made a wrong turn, what if just did a Columbus and ended up on the wrong continent... oh no... But wait, we just have been navigating for two hours, we couldn't have made it across the Atlantic that fast..." She noticed she was doing all this in front of her class and took a deep breath, forcing a smile, sweat running down her forehead, her body trembling. "Don't worry, this must be just... a forestation project, I am sure. Please stay in line and leave the ship at my command." The ship docked and the captain merely sat in there, showing no concern, in fact, his expression was weirdly dull, lacking any emotion. Ms. Opal was the first to leave the ferry, walking into the historic port and observing the sights, before starting to signal for the students so they would take turns in leaving the ship. "Well, weird that nobody from the local chapter seems to be waiting for us, I am sure I sent a message to them..." she silently prayed she had not messed this up as well. She checked her phone, no signal, despite being this close to the city. "Well, anyway... Let's continue onward, I am sure we can get in just based on us being part of the DWMA." She would guide the teens towards the gate, quickly taking out her DWMA staff document to show the guards so they would be let through into the country despite the lack of a passport. They looked back to her with a distant stare. "Ah, sure." was all they said, no further questioning, no further movement. The teacher was left confused at this sight. "So... I am going through... okay? O-o-okay?" she stepped past the gate and got no reaction, even after waiting a bit. "Uhm, well... Come over kids, let's move on." Thankfully when past that area people seemed more lively, all through the harbor citizens would enjoy their daily lives. Not seeming to mind that in some areas plants had overgrown and taken over walls, or that some of the TVs and billboards were broadcasting warped images, or that some people wore weird anachronic outfits such as that of a plague doctor, or that there were cave painting like symbols on the walls of some of the harbor buildings. If Ms. Opal looked miserable before, now she looked like she had hit the bottom of the well and then gone down some more despite holding that forced smile of hers. "Ah! How peculiar, how... peculiar! Maybe it's a... Uhm, fair? A festival, a new one, that I have never heard of before." she nodded to her own words. "Let me ask someone about it. Uhm, mister...ah he just kept walking, maybe he is busy, err, miss?" The students would get to see their teacher look miserable for a few minutes, trying to get hold of someone to talk with. Some would ignore her, some would talk to her but not seem to notice how odd things were, one person would even acknowledge it with an "oh yeah, it did turn into a jungle" but then just move on as if that meant nothing. Opal's legs were shaking, the teacher close to a panic attack, taking heavy breaths. "No worries everyone! I got this under control. We will just take our bus, go to the DWMA chapter and then ask what is going on! That simple. Let's move on, to the parking lot, where the bus I rented will SURELY be waiting." But before doing so she needed some water to help calm her down. She looked around and found a drinking fountain, it was a classical one, roman design, all around it was graffiti written KEEP OUT along with a symbol of Lord Death's face indicating it was done by someone from the DWMA. The teacher clearly didn't notice the latter in her stressful state, moving to it and leaning forward for a drink. "Mm! How refreshing! Right, let's go and ... uh... I feel... wah... baa." moments after drinking from the fountain Ms. Opal looked dizzy and then, out of nowhere, she turned into a sheep. There wasn't even a moment of silence and tension for the act, people walking around them kept walking on as if nothing had happened, it seemed like only the students had noticed the transmogrification. This was the turning point, this island was not merely weird, this was actual madness, the likes the world hadn't seen for a few years now, the type of thing that wasn't supposed to happen anymore. A bell rang. In the distance, they would see their ferry as it started to move away from the eerily empty port, no other ship in sight, docked or not. They were stuck in Malum Island for the moment, the locals mesmerized and unhelpful, their teacher turned into an animal and while it was clear some elements from the DWMA were still active from the graffiti, none of their members had shown up so far. In that weirdly casual chaos, their summer vacation had started. Above them, in the now completely clear sky, the sun laughed. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/DbuH6e4.gif[/img][/center] [color=f7941d][center]•:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:• ☼ •:•.•:•.•:•:•:•:•:•:•:•[/center][/color]