As I approached the training grounds, I saw all the students waiting in a line, their eyes fixed on Principal Mark Quill, who made his way to the stage.
"The Dark Academy extends a warm welcome to all of its students. Today is the first day of classes at this school, and all the first-year students will display their strength by fighting against the more experienced students. We will offer students who do better than the seniors in the battle the opportunity to work with the elite squad and be provided with lavish facilities and a monetary reward." The Principal waited as his secretary spoke to him. Mark Quill's profile resembled a drill sergeant's as his dark eyes inspected the students again.
"Allow me to introduce the senior pupils, and I'd like to call upon Hudson Vega, the crown prince of the Vampire Kingdom," The moment Mark made his statement, Hudson stepped upstage and down the aisle with a solemn look on his face. Hudson always had a laid-back demeanor with a hint of flirtatiousness about him in a past existence.
Breaking me out of my thoughts, Maggie commented, "Hudson is hot." Hudson stood close to the Principal on the stage.
"I'd want to call on Colton Barger and The Alpha King," Mark said. Colton strode down the aisle in a dark and authoritative presence.
"Finally, I would like to call on Prince Xavier of the Gargoyles," Mark said. I saw Xavier's eyes meet my own as he walked. He flashed me a slight grin. I hurriedly averted my stare, thanking my lucky stars that no one was seeing us exchange stares.
"You must perform well against these three senior students. The volunteer will give you the numbers. Once the numbers are called, the students will enter the battlegrounds. If you need any other fighting equipment, you can locate it on the right side of the room. Best wishes, everyone." Mark concluded his speech. As the volunteer walks with the number, I see the number 19 token in my palm.
"What number did you get?" Maggie quickly verified my token number and peered over my shoulder. "You're nineteen, so you're right on my heels."
"Are you not scared to fight?" I inquired.
"No, I'm not. That it has trained me since I was seven gives me the confidence to take them down." Maggie answered confidently. I grinned as I nodded in agreement with her.
I sat there thinking about how, in a previous world, Maggie was not my roommate; instead, I was left alone in the dorm with unpleasant students throwing punches at me. One or two of the bullies gave me a good smack in the past. Finally, however, a violent crashing sound jolted me out of my horrible daydreams.
Students gathered in the battlefield's stadium to see other students exhibit their talents, and the sound of crashing emanated from the magic used by students battling. I notice Colton standing calmly, as if he were in the park, while Hudson is in attack position, and Xavier looks about at the student with a hawk's eye.
The first student on the battlefield threw a magic blast toward Colton, Xavier, and Hudson. While Hudson dodged the magic with speed, Colton thwarted the magic with his claws, and Xavier transformed into Gargoyle form and levitated in the air. Effortlessly avoided the magic hurdle by the student like it was a piece of cake, and Colton flung magic back at the student, sending him tumbling to the ground. The students in the stadium gasped as they saw the match unfold.
"Are you concerned, Aria?" Maggie said, her face tinged with lingering anxiety.
"I will not lie, but I'm nervous." Maggie glanced at me with slight surprise when I responded since I had been frigid in responding to everyone around me.
Back to back, all the pupils failed the exam, and several students needed the help of medics to remove them from the battlegrounds. Next, I saw Maggie had a determined face, and Xavier attacked. First, Maggie used the magic, and then Hudson used his vampire speed to get out of combat, but she used a barrier spell that sent Hudson to stumble backward.
Next, Colton charged with a semi-wolf form, but Maggie used power on her palms that flashed a tint of pink as Maggie scored a blow on Colton's stomach, to which Colton staggered. Finally, when Maggie was knocked back by a high-flying Xavier strike, she rose back up and continued to fight, but her endurance was dwindling. They quickly, however, took her down.
That Maggie could land a few shots, compared to other students who could touch three upper-senior hairs, made me pleased with her. The medic arrived to assist Maggie as she lay wounded on the battlefield. Before entering the battlefield, Eva's sneer told me I would lose to three seniors in combat. I ignored her and grabbed a Katana with silver metal and an oak wood finish on the grip. Because of my previous life experience, I was confident in handling myself in the fight, both sword style and with advanced spells.
I saw three sets of eyes staring at me on my way to combat, ready to strike. I was relieved to be on the defensive side since it would save my energy until I could launch an assault. Hudson's strike hit me first, but I deflected it with a speed equal to Hudson's vampire speed. He continued attacking, and I blocked them all. Finally, we both moved away from each other.
I saw Hudson's eyes flicker with amusement, but they vanished in a split second. I also noticed Xavier flying in Gargoyle form, which made it challenging to combat him physically, so I created a magical barrier to defend myself from being attacked. Xavier vanished from my sight, and I sensed another presence behind me. I recognized it as Colton, who had broken the magical barrier in semi-form, so I quickly drew my Katana and sliced Colton's upper arms.
Colton hissed a little because he may have felt the sting of silver, and he glanced at my sword a little furiously and met mine with amusement. Then, when they saw the blood gushing from Colton's arms, I could hear a collective gasp from the students around them.