Maple High School Academy Year 1
Journey to Nightshade - The Beginning

The Beginning

“ADA CAN I help?” elleanor asked as she stood up and smiled at a woman who had just entered the library.

The visitor simply pulled the tip of his lips slightly. He approached Elle who was still showing a friendly smile. “I think it's a bookstore?”

Elle widened her smile. “You must be a first time traveler coming to Meeneral Town.”

The woman raised her next to her perfectly engraved eyebrows.

“Almost all tourists who first come to our village always think our library is a bookstore,” obviously Elle, “You don't have to worry, our library provides various types of books. We have also classified books according to the needs of citizens and tourists. So, can we help you?”

The iris of the woman's eyes seemed to sparkle. “Bulkah?”

Elle nodded in confirming. “So, what book are you looking for?” The glasses girl began to notice her visitors. A woman in her thirties. Wearing a bright yellow mini dress with a small cherry blossom motif. His burgundy hair was long wavy and elegantly tied. Thin makeup strokes make her face look more stunning.

Elle praised in her heart. This woman seemed to be not just an ordinary traveler. She's incredibly graceful.

“Actually I was looking for information about plants and also animals.”  The woman said with a firm tone.

Elle looked round her eyes. He hears the needs of the woman in front of him. The girl immediately got up from the circulation table and approached the woman. “You have come to the right place. My father was a botanist. He can definitely help you.”

“Bulkah?” The woman asked doubt. “Can't you just help me, Miss?”

Elle smiled awkwardly. “I think my father was the right man, Mam ..”

“Ah, yes. My name is Tucie Rerr.”

Elle nodded politely, despite frowning. The girl was astonished by the name she heard. “Mam Tu–Ci ?”

Tucie chuckles. “No. Call me Tu–Si.”

Once again Elle nodded.

“Can you help me, Miss?”

“Eerr .. instead I mean to be impolite. However, I am only a child, Mam.”

Tucie laughed crisply. The sound of laughter that made the girl before him even more looked at him in admiration.

“You're a polite child, Miss. Must be a learned man.”

Elle's face blushed. A pink look adorned his cheeks. “Thank you, Mam. but I only studied at home.”

“Really?” Tucie widened her eyes in disbelief.

“Iya. Didn't I tell you my dad was a professor?”

“No. You just said your dad was a botanist,” Tucie said with a smile.

“Yes. My father was a professor in botany. Currently he is researching the Hope Lily Flower, the pride flower of this village.”

“Oh, apparently so,” shrewd Tucie.

“How about I take Mam Tucie to meet my parents. Both of them are at home now. You can also ask about the plants you are looking for.”

Without waiting for the second invitation, Tucie immediately nodded. “However, how about the buk store –, uh I mean your library?”

Elle flicked her right hand. “This is not a big city, Mam. After all who wants to loot books?”

“Sweetest. Though books are the most precious treasure,” murmured Tucie.

The brown woman then followed Elle's steps leading to a door behind the stairs. Tucie realized that the library had two floors.

As soon as Tucie passed the doorway, she was immediately faced with a dining table with four comfortable-looking wooden chairs.

There was a couple enjoying tea. The two stared at Tucie and Elle in turn. Looking at the expression of the two, the yellow dress woman realized she had not introduced herself yet.

“Papa, there is someone who wants to meet you,” Elle said cheerfully.

“I'm sorry I've been so presumptuous. I have not properly introduced myself. My name is Tucie Rerr.”

The two people sitting at the table looked at each other. The male acted first by standing up and smiling towards Tucie. “Good morning. Sorry if we accept you in a less than reasonable situation like this. I'm Basil Thompson, and this is my wife, Karen.”

The woman who was sitting opposite Basil, got up from her seat and moved closer to Tucie. “Pardon us entertaining guests in the dining room.” Karen greeted Tucie with a warm embrace. “This must be because of our little daughter.”

“Mama,” says Elle while frowning.

“No. No. This is purely because I am the one who really wants to meet you both.”

The three members of the Thompson family were now staring at Tucie in wonder. Especially the youngest family members.

“Do I better need to get out?” ask Elle politely.

Both Basil and Karen looked at each other before allowing Tucie to sit in one of their dining chairs. Meanwhile, Karen immediately prepared an additional tea.

"Why don't you come sit down?” tucie asked the glasses girl who kept paying attention to her.

“Who are you really?” ask Elle. In the end, the girl revealed what was going through her mind.

Tucie laughed crisply. It made Basil and Karen look at him in amazement. “You three should sit down first.”

For some reason, the three members of the Thompson family followed Tucie's words.

“Good. I'll introduce myself first, my name is Tucie Rerr. I came as a representative of Maple High School Academy. I'm here to tell you that we're giving your daughter, Elleanor Galina Thompson the chance to be a student at our school.”

Basil and Karen looked at the old Tucie. Both of them tried to digest the information just delivered by a beautiful woman in a bright yellow dress in their dining room.

“Maple High Shool Academy?” ask Karen.

Tucie nodded.

“Never heard of.” Karen and Basil both shook their heads. Elle remained silent in her chair. He closed his eyes and began to think.

“You mean, I get a chance to go to school like any other kid? Study in a classroom and have friends? “ Elle stared at Tucie with sparkling eyes.

Tucie nodded back with a smile.

“We have never heard of such a school. And on what basis our daughter got a school opportunity in ... High School ... yes .. that's.” Basil tries to restrain Elle from chirping his happiness. As the head of the family, he should be alert and careful.

Tucie took a deep breath. “Maple High School Academy is not a school like in general. We are only interested in educating students who have certain advantages, such as Elle. I've been paying attention for a few months, your daughter has a special talent in linguistics.”

Elle again developed her smile. One of his greatest desires, which was to attend school, would come true.

“You are not wrong people?” asked Karen in a tone that sounded relaxed, but also worried.

“How could I possibly wrong people. Seeing her interactions for months, makes me confident in the abilities possessed by your daughter.”

“Is our daughter obliged to attend the school you represent?”

Tucie laughed again. “Of course not. We will give you time to think about our offer. And if you and Elle agree, we'll do an entrance exam.”

“Is the exam a written test?” tanya Elle who began to feel worried when she heard the word ‘ujian’.

Tucie. “No, Son. The test is just a simple act. You just need to write your name in a book. If your name does not disappear in the book is finished writing, then you are automatically accepted.”

“That's it?” Elle and her parents looked at each other in disbelief.

Tucie nodded. “However, there is something to know, that Maple Academy, in addition to training the abilities of talented children, their strength will be used to prevent the return of the Golden Asteroid.”

“Will that lamgit thing come back to Earth?” asked Karen with a panicked face.

“As per the forecast, yes. That's why we train talented children to be able to prevent the terrible disaster that happened again.” Tucie stood up gracefully then gave up the Maple Academy Book Guide to Elle to get to know more about Maple Academy, then she resigned.

“Where are you going?” ask Elle.

“I have to say goodbye. My job is done. Next, I will give you time to think about this opportunity.”

Elle looked at old Tucie, then she immediately exclaimed, “I want to go to school there!”

Basil and Karen stared at their only child. “Elle, don't joke. Preventing meteors is dangerous!” exclaim Karen.

“Ma, I'm not kidding. This is a chance to go to school like any other normal child. About the meteor, school or not there, the danger remains. No one guarantees safety should Elle not go to school there and stay in this village.”

Tucie looked at the small family who was deliberating at the dining table.

“So, how do you decide?”

“Begini, Mam. You said there would be a test. For me, it is better to know the test as soon as possible. If I fail, I will not lose time. And even if I graduate, it means I've saved time.”

Elle's parents looked at each other. Both of them judged the reason for their daughter to be quite reasonable.

“Are you sure, son? Because if you graduate, we're asking you to go to boarding school at our school. You'll be away from both your parents.” Tucie asked again.

Elle looked at her parents, then she nodded. There was no doubt emanating from the light of his eyes.

Tucie then pulled out a book from inside her leather bag. A black book that looked worn. He also took out a quill pen complete with his ink. On the table is now open a book with a page that looks empty.

“Please write your full name right on page 12.”

Elle took a long breath. He took a quill pen from Tucie's hand and looked at his parents. Basil and Karen both nodded. Trying to channel faith in their daughter. Elle smiled, then scrawled her name on page 12.

Her name was perfectly written, as if another hand was guiding Elle as she was blasting the ink. They waited almost a full minute to see the reaction of the book. During the wait, Elle hopes her name is not erased, she already hopes to be able to go to school and have classmates.

Slowly, the black ink strokes written on the page faded away. Elle held her breath seeing that, her dream was dashed already. Sadness blurs his feelings. Suddenly, Elle's name reappears. But now the black ink turned into gold ink.

Tucie smiled as she looked at Elle. “A unique talent. We rarely get gold ink. Congratulations, you are accepted to Maple High School Academy.”