Chapter 6 Thou Shalt Not Oversleep on Judgement Day
Thou Shalt Not Oversleep on Judgement Day
Arwen
Aloud shrieking noise wakes me from my sleep. I’m under attack. My legs are bound. My heart is racing. It’s dark, and all I can see is a blinking light and a loud, repeating screeching noise coming from my left.
I reach for the light, and my hand clutches around… a cell phone?
Rolling my eyes at the new piece of technology I prized yesterday, I look down to see my legs aren’t bound; I fell asleep in the stupid tight skirt from Pride.
Groaning, I turn off the alarm, and roll out of bed.
To be honest, I could use another twelve hours of sleep.
After the excitement of the last couple of days, everything feels blurred, but my life depends on this next school year at the academy, so I can’t start it off by pissing off the only person in my corner by missing our meeting.
My chest is aching in a strange way, like my heart is being stretched in different directions. Stress really is a silent killer.
I groan again as I reach my armoire and realize I’m going to have to change into yet another skirt. I grab the academy uniform and my key and slip out the front door. The hallway is quiet as I patter towards the bathroom barefoot.
I’m relieved when I realize I’m the only one up at this hour to use the showers. Thankfully, the academy provides soap and other bathroom essentials, or I would be one smelly student.
I showered in record time despite wanting to soak my bones in the warm water for hours.
After toweling off, I notice there are several accessories available over the countertops for styling hair.
One accessory is a thick rod that looks like it could be used as a torture device, while the other looks like a pair of blacksmith tongs.
I guess I need to learn a lot about appearance and upkeep that we didn’t learn in Wrath… but I have no time to experiment today. If I don’t get a move on, I’ll be late.
Stepping out of my towel, I slip into my new undergarments and uniform. I rub some lotion on my face and brush my teeth, but since I couldn’t bring any belongings with me, I’ll have to make do with no makeup.
I never wear a lot anyway, but it would come in handy to cover these dark circles under my eyes for the first day of the academy.
Oh, well… my goal is to fly under the radar. The fewer people who notice me, the fewer people to ask about my sin power.
I head back to my room, slip in quietly, and grab my messenger bag, shoes, and some supplies. Walking back out into the corridor, I make my way to the dean’s office. I notice more and more students out and about. I keep my head down and walk to the first floor.
By the time I reach Dean Bellow’s office, my heart feels like it could pound right out of my chest. This lady is intimidating, and I’m not sure why she wants to meet with me again. Will I get to ask questions this time?
I have no problem speaking my mind, but this woman makes me take pause.
Before I can knock, the door opens. “Come in, Miss Davies.” Dean Bellows is at her desk, taking notes on the files in front of her. She’s wearing glasses today.
“Take a seat,” she commands.
I move in front of her desk and sit down in the chair quietly. I’m still unsure if I’m allowed to speak. She puts down her pen and looks at me. I spot some empathy in her eyes as she assesses me before she puts her cold, unattached facade back on.
“We’re here to discuss the plans I have put in place for your stay at the academy.
Because of the unusual situation, we cannot just assign you an itinerary like any student, as you have not developed a sin skill to master.
I am hopeful that your time here at the academy will prompt your sin power to appear.
I’ve done some brainstorming on ways we can make that happen and have decided it would be beneficial for you to be in all seven basic, first-year sin training classes.
It could very well be that your sin lies outside of Wrath and that proximity to those using that sin power could make your own feel more comfortable to appear. ”
“All seven sin classes?” I gape at the dean.
That is unheard of. Factions don’t enjoy sharing any information about powers outside of their own sin class. We didn’t have many citizens from other factions visiting back home, but school taught us not to ask for detailed information about someone’s sin power if they were outside our faction.
Asking would be rude and could be seen as a threat.
“You will spend your mornings in the general Academy courses all students must take, and after lunch, you will attend two sin training classes, alternating the sins each day. This means you will miss out on the combat training course. Since you are from Wrath, you should not fall behind as Wraths typically excel in those courses compared to the other factions.”
“For now, you are to observe only, and we will reassess in the coming weeks. Of course, if your sin manifests, you need to let me know right away so we can alter your curriculum.”
I nod my understanding, taking the sheet from the dean with my class schedule and packing it away in my messenger bag.
“I’ve thought of one other way your sin could manifest,” Dean Bellows continues. “It’s possible your power could present itself if you meet and complete your bond.”
I look down at my hands, so she can’t read my face. I’ve had a lot of feelings about finding my bond. On the one hand, of course I want to find my bond. Who wouldn’t want an immediate and unbreakable connection to someone who will love and support you through the end of time?
Rumor has it, the sex is unbelievable as well.
On the other hand, I could doom someone to a life of heartbreak…
I’ve always expected to be exiled, and if I am, I’d be setting my bond up for a lifetime of sadness and torture. The bond can handle a little distance, but to know you wouldn’t see your bond again… the pain would be unbearable. Once you complete your bond, you want no one else.
Finding my bond would be a long shot, anyway.
Bonding has been happening less and less frequently in recent generations.
The statistics in school said less than 30% of the population had bonded in the past decade.
My parents weren’t bonded. History books speak of some faction mages having multiple bonds, but in the past century, there have only been five accounts of someone bonding two others.
You also can only bond within your own faction and remain at the academy. It’s extremely rare for someone to bond with someone from another faction. When someone bonds, the stronger faction gets the weaker one.
“The universe hasn’t granted me much luck in life so far; I highly doubt she will grace me with a bond,” I say a little bitterly.
“Well, we will know soon enough at the bond ceremony today. We always start the year off with the ceremony since this is the first time most students are around other peers and have the highest chance of discovering their bond. Of course, even if you do not discover a bond today, you could develop a proximity bond. Immediate bonds are more common, but proximity bonds happen from time to time here.”
Proximity bonds and immediate bonds—these are the two bonds that can appear. Immediate bonds snap into place during bond ceremonies; both parties feel it right away.
I think back to the yearly bond ceremonies Furycliff would host. It’s not possible to bring the entire territory together, but often people will take leave and travel to other cities for the ceremony, searching for their bond.
I have witnessed many reactions when immediate bonds form, some inappropriate for public display, but one thing is clear: a powerful force irresistibly draws the two people together.
Proximity bonds work differently. They happen a lot less frequently than immediate bonds do. Proximity bonds can randomly snap into place at any time with anyone. It could be someone you’ve been around a hundred times, and then one day, boom, the bond snaps into place.
People know little about bonds, especially proximity bonds.
There are members of Sloth who devote their lives to studying bonds.
It’s assumed that the bond is always there, but it’s shy, cautious.
It wants to be sure it senses compatibility, proof that it will be cared for, before tying itself to its counterpart.
Both immediate and proximity bonds require completion of the bond to take full effect.
I’ve heard of no one outright denying a bond, outside of inter-faction bond rumors, but some couples choose to take it slow.
Get to know one another before completing the bond.
Some complete it within hours. The bond will continue to pull you together once it snaps into place, desperate to complete and unite with its counterpart.
Once the two parties mix their blood in the ritual, they complete the bond.
“For such a curious girl who had so many questions after her trial, you are awfully quiet.” Dean Bellows looks over me, trying to assess my reaction to the thought of bonding.
“Apologies, Dean Bellows.” I say, unable to hold the sarcasm in my tone.
“In case you haven’t noticed, everything in my life has changed in the past couple of days, and I’m nervous.
I’m still working on the belief that this is real and not that I’m just having some fever dream after being thrown to the wastes. I’m taking it all in.”
“See that you continue to take it all in, Miss Davies. I encourage you to pay very close attention during your classes and sin training. Anything could trigger your sin manifestation. I don’t need to remind you what is at stake.”
“Of course, Dean Bellows,” I say in earnest. “I would really, really like not to be exiled.”
“I expect you to send word through your academy-issued phone as soon as your sin manifests. Outside of that, we will not be meeting again for some time. If you have questions, Miss Davies, now is the time to ask them.”
I’m sure I’m going to have a million questions. There are hundreds of questions I should ask right now about my fate, my studies, my future exile... but…
“My bed,” I blurt.
“Your bed? Is it not up to your standard, Miss Davies?” she asks, raising a brow.
“No, I mean, my stuff. Is there any way to have my things sent to me here at the academy? Like my bedding and other necessities?” I ask.
“You will find anything you need that is academy-sanctioned, in SinVail Shops. It’s a store for our students to use as needed. You’ll find it in the building past the faction tower dorms.”
“But I don’t have any money...” I say, a little red in the face.
“Our academy serves not only the wealthy. Each faction has its own method of qualifying who gets academy entrance. Your own faction is based on power level, not wealth or status. We are used to accommodating students who come from less fortunate means. The Academy provides these students with a monthly stipend and entry deposit. Before you get too excited, I’ll admit it’s not much.
But you should be able to order what you need; just bring your academy phone and the store can access your accounts through there. ”
“Oh, okay, thanks, Dean Bellows,” I reply, feeling skeptical. Nothing comes free in Vail.
I get up to leave, but pause on my way to the door as I think of one last question.
“The other students…” I continue, “Won’t they be curious why I am attending different sin trainings? Won’t that look odd?”
I hope she has a solution because the last thing I want to do is announce to the entire school that I am a sinless nobody. I mean, they’ll find out eventually, but it’d be nice to live in this little normal bubble with Holly for a while longer.
“The staff and faculty have been made aware of your situation. I do not feel the need to air out this information to the students, the same way I wouldn’t share knowledge of anyone’s sin with the student body.
It is your business. You will probably get questions regarding your syllabus and lack of sin class participation.
What you choose to share in that regard will be up to you, although I would advise against discussing any specific details from the trial. ”
I nod in understanding.
“You may go, Miss Davies.” Dean Bellows dismisses me from her office.
I’m sure it won’t be long before rumors fly about why I am in every freshman-level sin class at the academy, but not taking part. I’m sure once I confide in someone that I am sinless, it will spread like wildfire. The key is to keep quiet.
Sure, the rumor mill will churn, and it will be lonely. No one needs to know how useless I am. I’m sure Holly will stop speaking to me once I refuse to tell her about my predicament, but I’m not here to make friends. I’m a wrath, I’ll get through this.
Nobody needs to know my business, and if they have a problem with that, I will just kick their ass in this ridiculous skirt.
No one will know my secret.