“Fire! There’s fire! Someone get the extinguisher!” a woman screamed from inside the old orphanage, seizing Mattiaz’s attention. Her hysterical cries indicated the caretakers' discovery of his scheme—the first half of it at least. But that wouldn’t stop him from creating his masterpiece.

The roof tiles beneath his feet creaked as he shook the can and resumed his work. The classical architectural design of the building wasn't to his liking anyway, and so, the vibrant oranges and spiral details of the windows fell victim to his peculiar tool of justice.

More hysteria rose from inside, and Mattiaz had to question the caretakers’ overreaction. Earlier, he had burned the curtains in the caretakers' quarters—though he was careful not to cause too much damage. Besides, it was mostly a distraction to allow him a clear escape to the roof.

“Was it Mattiaz who did this?” one caretaker shouted in a high-pitched voice.

Mattiaz stifled his laughter. It finally dawned on those slow-minded old hags. The caretakers’ revelation meant he had less time than expected to finish his masterpiece. With a forced grin, he picked up his pace as he detailed the letter ‘Z’.

“It had to be! No one else plays with fire in this house!”

“He’s not in his room!”

They wouldn’t have much luck finding him, so he thought—he would be out of here soon enough. Today, he would enroll at the Spirit Academy, the only school in the history of education that he was excited to attend—a place for supernatural humans who had awakened spirit. Initially, he meant to depart the orphanage with a love-filled farewell, but certain complications arose.

His shoulders sank as the fresh memory invaded his thoughts. Despite his best effort, those hurtful words echoed inside his conscience:

“I’m so glad he’s... It was so annoying acting like I—”

The sound of rubber scraping concrete dulled his recollection. Mattiaz spotted a red pickup truck driving into the orphanage’s parking lot. He recognized his new classmate’s round face below the windshield: Steve Abney, another first-year student at the New Baymort Spirit Academy. He had promised to pick Mattiaz up on his way to Holy Bay, saving him the trouble of buying an expensive bus ticket and travelling alone.

Mattiaz’s grey eyes widened, and a cute smile graced his light face. Steve’s timing couldn’t have been more perfect. With his getaway car in sight, Mattiaz announced his presence loud and clear.

“I’m up here, suckers!” He howled with laughter as five caretakers bolted from the building almost immediately, watching them with wide eyes as they scoured the yard for him.

“The rascal is over there!” one caretaker roared. The others looked up.

“He vandalized our orphanage!”

Mattiaz glanced back at his masterpiece. A gigantic Badazz Rider Waz Here graffiti now adorned the highest wall of the Ancio Children’s Home. It would be a pain for them to scrub off—a perfect representation and reminder of Mattiaz’s existence.

If they’re going to hate me this much, I’ll make sure they never forget me.

He tossed the can away haphazardly and grabbed his packed bag, prepared for escape. Though he enjoyed causing trouble, he didn’t want to ruin his image at the Spirit Academy too soon. Even to someone like him, running late on the first day sounded like a bad idea.

It was time for Mattiaz to say goodbye—this time for good.

He hopped off the rickety rooftop and landed on the rough pavement below. Experienced in slipping out in the dead of night, it barely hurt his feet. Mattiaz shot past the caretakers like a gust of wind as they reached in vain to capture him.

His wide grin remained as he grabbed the handle of Steve’s truck.

“Hey! Don’t let him get away!” the House Mother ordered as she pointed at Mattiaz’s retreating back. The caretakers stumbled over their feet, eager to chase after him, but by the time they had finally gotten a hold of their surroundings, it was too late.

Mattiaz had jumped into Steve’s red truck and slammed the door behind him. Without taking a moment to breathe, he grinned at his new friend.

“Drive now, talk later,” he commanded.

Steve obliged and stepped on the gas pedal with a panicked inhale. They sped out of the parking lot, escaping the shouting women with the screeching sound of rubber blazing against the concrete. The old truck roared from the sudden acceleration; Steve’s short ponytail swung as he grasped the gearshift to fix his mistake. Mattiaz reeled from the sheer speed, reaching desperately for the grab handle.

“What the heck happened? Is the mafia after you or something?” he screeched, struggling to keep his mind and truck steady as his bracelets rolled down his shaking forearms.

Mattiaz threw his head back and laughed. “Nah, it's just my loving goodbye to the orphanage,” he explained, slapping his stomach. He watched as they quickly left the orphanage behind, but a heavy feeling overcame him the further away they got. Though the adrenaline flowing through his veins was still fresh, something didn’t feel quite right.

He didn't really say goodbye, did he?

Without warning the driver, he rolled down the window. Within the constricted cab, Mattiaz stood half-assedly and climbed through the new opening, resting his butt on the door with his torso poking out.

“The heck are you doing? Get back inside!” Steve shouted like a worried parent at their undisciplined child. No one had ever attempted to escape his vehicle mid-driving. In an uncontrolled panic, he loosened his hold on the steering wheel for just a moment. The truck swerved, causing Steve to panic even more. He focused on steadying the vehicle instead of controlling Mattiaz, but his foot kept missing the brake in the chaos. Panic-induced tears welled in his eyes as he continued to drive along the unfamiliar street, cautiously watching Mattiaz dangling from the passenger’s side in his periphery.

Mattiaz inhaled the fresh air as it flew by, tightening his lucky white bandanna around his light brown hair to ensure that it wouldn’t blow away. With one hand clutching the inside handle, he spread his other arm outward, excitement building within him.

“See ya, losers! I’m off to join the Spirit Academy and become the strongest spiriter there ever was!” he screamed at the top of his lungs, punctuated by a loud laugh. “Don’t forget to watch the TV! I’ll join the Spirit Tournament in no time too!”

“Yeah, yeah, mister hero, GET BACK INSIDE NOW!” Steve pulled at Mattiaz’s legs but kept his focus on the road. He managed to pull down Mattiaz’s too-loose pants by accident, yet Mattiaz still lounged in the open window, uncaring. Steve hadn’t had much time to plan out his route, so he only drove forward while swerving through traffic. Once he spotted a somewhat serene street with few cars, he let go of Mattiaz and made the sharp turn.

Mattiaz smacked his shoulder against the roof. He winced in pain, massaging the spot for a moment before he fought off the hurt just in time for one last shout.

“Bye assholes!” He aimed his words towards everyone in the orphanage, though he knew they couldn’t hear him any longer.

Mattiaz continued to lounge on the truck's roof. His boxers were on display from his earlier struggle with Steve as they drove through Ancio, but he didn't seem to care. With the orphanage out of sight, Mattiaz examined his surroundings, taking in the town where he’d spent his entire life.

He noticed the 24/7 shop he frequented daily—even when he had no money, the nice old vendor always offered him snacks. They passed the road he took to school each morning—he remembered how the old ladies would scream at him to slow down his bike so he wouldn’t crash into someone. From behind, he heard a familiar group of girls giggling, recognizing them as classmates. He waved a shameless goodbye, knowing fully well that they were laughing at his exposed boxers.

“Would you get back inside before the cops see you? You’ll be paying the fine if they do.” Steve’s voice finally reached Mattiaz—not that the rascal hadn’t heard him before.

Satisfied with his sightseeing, Mattiaz shimmied back inside, pulling up his pants and grinning. “Can’t do that. Don’t have no money.” He plopped down onto the seat and into the unfamiliar safety of the truck’s interior. He already missed the wind nearly blowing him away, but stayed seated in consideration of Steve’s sanity.

Steve rolled his eyes and reached over Mattiaz to close his window to prevent any future incidents.

“Seat belt then,” he ordered. Steve thanked the heavens as Mattiaz obliged and finally slowed the truck to the speed limit, breathing a sigh of relief. Though the adrenaline had run its course, he couldn't get Mattiaz's insane stunt out of his head.

“So it's true what they say about spiriters being complete nutjobs, huh?" His shoulders sank, trying not to think too hard about the other students. Surely, they wouldn't be as manic as Mattiaz.

The brunette failed to grasp Steve's uncomfort, laughing out loud at what he perceived as a joke.