A few days had passed since the incident that occurred at the cafeteria. Everything has felt peaceful and the teachers still haven't called for the students, making everyone feel a bit anxious.
"Hey, when do you think classes will start?"
Ethan began to move his legs continuously, trying to relieve the stress he was feeling. Assana stared at him and smiled, knowing the feeling of wanting for something to happen.
She stood up and walked up to him, stopping when he was right in front of him. "You shouldn't worry as much. Just enjoy the time we have now."
Ahe walked in on the short conversation Ethan and Assana were having and nodded, agreeing with Assana. "Heck, I'm sure they'll call for us."
As if predicting the future, someone knocked on the door. Assana stifled a laugh as Ahe stared at Ethan with an 'I told you' face.
"Excuse me! All students must head to the cafeteria since there will be an important announcement!"
A voice sounded outside the room which everyone knew that it was the same person that had knocked earlier. After receiving this information, they quickly got ready and headed towards the cafeteria.
The lunchroom was packed when Assana got there. There was barely any space for the group to sit together, meaning that they had to separate in order to find seats. Assana was left standing in the middle of the room for a few minutes before finally being able to find a seat.
"Excuse me, does someone sit here?" Assana asked the boy. After closer inspection, she was able to tell that this boy was Joash. He was the person that was accompanying Amos.
Joash looked up at her, surprise filling his eyes. He shook his head and Assana sat down, feeling a bit uncomfortable. What was he so surprised about? She turned to look at him and smiled.
"What a coincidence that we end up sitting together. Have you been doing well?"
Joash kept quiet for a while before nodding. "What about you?"
"Yeah, I've been fine…"
Assana was able to notice that he wasn't fully comfortable talking to her. However, when he spoke about Ataelarth, he was able to speak freely. Or maybe it was forced out? Assana shook her head, chasing away her thoughts.
She was about to say something else and try to lighten up the mood, but Amos had already started talking.
"To those who don't know, I am the headmaster of Ataelarth. I have called you here today because we have to address a few things."
"First of all, you have to decide which class you will be taking and when. You will be attending these classes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. However, Tuesdays and Thursdays will be dedicated to a special program I have sculpted alongside the teachers in this school."
Everyone began to whisper among themselves, feeling the curiosity slowly overtake them. What will they be realizing these two days?
For the rest of the assembly, Headmaster Amos explained in detail how this program works. Each student will be able to choose which classes they must take, but Tuesdays and Thursdays will be for something else entirely. They will be working on their physical strength, mental strength, among others. Every student will be placed in a specific class depending on their strength, intelligence, and how capable they are while handling different types of situations.
This system bothered Assana. Why must they separate the weak from the strong? If only she knew that they were placing students based on their magical abilities and if they were able to control the power they will soon possess.
Assana looked at Joash from the corner of her eye. He didn't seem shocked or even the slightest bit surprised by how Ataelarth functions. This was certainly different from other schools that's for sure. Seeing everyone present, Assana began to doubt her abilities. She clenched her fists tightly while glaring at the ground.
What was so special about her anyway? The headmaster was the person that went to her house in order to have her attend this school. As far as she knows, she's never done anything to gain recognition or anything out of the ordinary that would make people remember her. Assana was only just an ordinary girl.
Joash stared at the Assana's tightly clenched fists. He was reminded of the first time he got here. He was all alone with no one to help or talk to him. Joash was educated about how this school works, so he wasn't bewildered like many of the other students were. However, there was a huge piece of information that Amos purposely hid, making Joash smirk slightly. The old man was at it again.
Turning back his attention towards Assana, his smirk turned into a frown. The first few days he was here he felt like he didn't deserve to be admitted into such a prestigious school. In other words, he knew what she was going through right now.
Joash stretched out his arm but then hesitated. Would she feel weirded out by the fact that he was observing her?
He ignored this thought and gently placed his hand on top of hers, breaking her from her train of thought. "Don't underestimate yourself. you're here for a reason, trust me."
After he finished those words, his name was called out, meaning he had to leave Assana behind. He turned back to look at her one more time and smiled slightly, trying to calm her down. He was able to make Assana forget about those dark feelings. What he didn't know was that he actually made her feel nervous because of something else entirely.
"Maybe he was just uncomfortable after all…" Assana whispered to herself before hearing her name being called out. She walked towards a rough looking teacher that had a scar over his right eye and dark, messy hair that reached his shoulders.
"You will be with me every Tuesday and Thursday. Don't you dare be late," he said as he roughly handed her a piece of paper.
"Write what classes you will be taking every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and give it to the teachers you chose."
Assana nodded and walked away. She wasn't able to find Ahe, so she made her schedule all by herself before handing it to the teachers. She was now one step closer to a new future, one that she never asked for.