Chapter 6 #3
Dazed, I turned to see who had thrown the band. As expected, four idiots were staring at me: the quartet of my nightmares. Adrian, Ethan, Naoki, and Miverik—each one worse than the last. They were drawn to trouble like moths to a flame, and during my five years here, I'd avoided them at all costs.
“Stop being a killjoy, Lutiève,” said Adrian, a tall Interian with golden hair and bronzed skin who looked like he'd stepped out of a commercial for arrogant douchebags. “You know we don't want trouble with you—we just want to play a little with your pet pig.”
Breno clenched his fists, so I stepped in front of him.
“It's not worth it.” I pressed my palm against his chest to hold him back. The last thing we needed was a suspension. “Please, don't get into trouble.”
Behind me, the four boys mocked me, saying my begging turned them on. I heard my friend take a deep breath.
“It's not worth it,” Breno said, as if trying to convince himself. Then, while the idiots laughed like a pack of hyenas, he led me away. “I'd love to make them swallow every word, but today isn't a good day.”
“What's different about today?” I asked, curious. Not that I wanted Breno getting into trouble on my account—he'd done that plenty in the past and it only led to more problems.
“The director is coming.”
“The director? Why the hells is the director coming today?” I tried to remember if there was a physical test scheduled, and a chill ran down my spine. I hated tests. “Is there an exam today?”
“No. I heard he's coming to pass along some messages, so just stay quiet and hold your position.”
He'd barely finished the sentence when the director arrived.
The fae was a blood elemental, rigid as stone and tall as a bear.
The wrinkles around his eyes told us he was somewhere around 600 years old.
When he entered through the double doors, the conversations and murmurs stopped and everyone snapped to attention, as if they were marionettes controlled by invisible strings.
At his side was a young Amperian woman with black skin—as dictated by Ampér's genetics—and braids interwoven with golden threads tied in a large bun atop her head. She regarded us with curiosity.
The director stopped in front of the class. His gaze swept the training room. From the way his hand kept opening and closing at his side, I could tell that whatever he'd come to tell us made him nervous. When his inspection ended, he struck his fist against his chest and called out:
“Stronger than the walls!”
“We endure!” we shouted in unison.
That was Interion's motto. Each nation had its own motto, but since everyone here lived within the walls, they had to salute using the internal customs.
“At ease!” he roared, and the twenty students shifted to rest position immediately. “I've come to convey some important messages. But first, I'd like to congratulate you on the excellent results you showed last semester. The nation is proud to call you its sons and daughters.”
“HOO-RAH!” we shouted once more.
“This semester, we'll have two changes.” He paced back and forth, observing our reactions.
“The first is that this class will receive a new student.” He pointed to the Amperian at his side.
“Aish is a fourth-year student, but she's been showing advanced results on her tests, so we decided to place her with you. I expect you'll make her feel at home.”
We looked at the new girl, who emanated a peculiar aura.
Although she was even shorter than me and her smile showed friendly interest, something about her said she wasn't someone to mess with.
Maybe it was the sharp gleam in her eyes or the way she stood perfectly still, like someone reading the room, waiting for an attack.
“The second piece of news is that we'll have a change of trainer.” The director straightened his posture, appearing nervous.
“Cauê will be serving with the army this semester—he left on a mission this morning with the 8th Cleanup Squadron. So today, I have the honor of introducing your new instructor, who will be with you until the final test.”
His gaze swept the room but didn't find what he was looking for. A bit awkwardly, Lionel called out:
“You can come up here, General.”
My heart stopped for a second, then skipped two more beats and did somersaults inside my chest. In slow motion, I followed everyone's search for the new trainer.
I prayed quietly: “Gods, please don't let it be him.” I scanned the room, but my instincts weren't foolish, and I couldn't deny the presence that pulled my eyes to the back of the room.
At the entrance to the hallway leading to the locker rooms, a shadow moved, making me snap to attention. It was clearly darker than normal. I caught a flicker in the darkness. Then he stepped out from behind the director’s shadow.
Every student held their breath because standing before us was the legend of Interion: the soldier with the most battlefield victories, the elemental wielding the dark power of death, known across the nations as “The Shadow.” And there I stood, frozen in front of the director and the general, looking like a complete idiot, neck-deep in serious shit.