Theo wanted to head to his room and relax after a long day of testing, but he realized he needed to take a shower first.
When he got to the bathroom, it was already crowded with other students also taking showers. Everyone seemed tense, keeping their distance and avoiding eye contact. He hurriedly showered and dried off, eager to get to my room.
His room, number 52, was on the third floor of the building. As Theo approached the door, he noticed that the lights were already on inside, indicating that his roommates had arrived before me. He hesitated for a moment before entering, feeling a bit nervous.
'Come on, Theo. Don't worry. It's not such a big deal,' He thought while trying to boost his confidence. He opened the door and went inside.
**********
Some time ago…
'So my room is on the third floor, huh?' Jack thought to himself looking at the spiral staircase. He didn't know whether he should feel excited to live with random strangers for the next year and a half or not.
'I guess we will find out.'
Jack went up the stairs and found my room. He entered and saw someone with brown hair sitting on the bed, taking their stuff out of a bag. Jack approached them and asked, "So, you're my roommate?"
The person looked up at him awkwardly and simply said, "I guess."
Jack introduced himself, "My name is Jack Rivendell. Nice to meet you." he offered his hand for a handshake.
The person accepted his handshake and said, "Likewise. My name is Aiden Brown."
Curious, Jack asked, "What is your rank?"
Aiden held out his hand to show him his purple ring and said, "I am Rank 6."
"Wow, high ranker in the house!" Jack exclaimed, impressed. "Do I gotta show more respect or something, being a low ranker and all?"
Aiden just smiled calmly. "Nah, no need for that. Let's just chill and talk like regular dudes."
"That's good," Jack said. "Being a low ranker, I was honestly a bit nervous about ending up living with a high-ranker like you. But you seem pretty cool."
Aiden said, "I try my best."
"Anyways, our other roommate hasn't arrived yet."
"No idea," Aiden shrugged. "He should be coming soon, though."
Just then, they heard a click and the door unlocked. Their third roommate entered the room.
**********
When Theo entered the room, he was surprised to see the person in front of me.
'Well, of course. It had to be him.' he thought to himself. His roommate turned out to be Jack.
"If it isn't my friend Theo." He walked towards him with open arms, but Theo didn't reciprocate the gesture. Theo choose to ignore Jack and walked over to Aiden.
"My name is Theo. It's a pleasure to meet you", he said, trying to be polite.
Aiden replied, "The pleasure is mine, I am Aiden Brown."
Jack then introduced himself again, "I am Jack Rivendell."
"Yes, I heard you," Theo said.
Jack added, "It's such a coincidence that we have the same room, right?"
'What are the odds for it to be a coincidence, I think?' Theo thought.
Theo quickly gathered his belongings, intending to head straight to bed. However, his encounter with Jack had invigorated him, and he no longer felt exhausted. Instead, he decided to take a walk and buy some essentials from the on-site store at the military academy, rather than venturing off campus.
As he made his way to the store, the night breeze chilled him, but he was grateful for the warmth of his sweater. Theo was relieved to be alone after a long and stressful day filled with a test, an encounter with Casper, and the unexpected situation of being roommates with Jack.
Determined to clear his mind and enjoy his walk, Theo strolled through the vast military academy campus, finally arriving at the store twenty minutes later. Despite its small size, the store was buzzing with activity, filled with students who had formed social groups and were enjoying themselves. Theo walked past them and entered the store.
At the counter, Theo encountered an ordinary-looking guy who didn't appear to be a military officer. He purchased shampoo, a toothbrush, and other necessities, as well as some snacks for his walk back to his room. Mindful of his budget, Theo didn't want to spend money on unnecessary items.
When he went to the counter to pay, the man said, "That will be 150 quills, sir."
Theo paid the amount and left the store. He opened his snacks and began to eat them as he made his way back to his room.
Top of Form
As he walked back, he saw a group of four students surrounding another student. It was clear they were bullying him. Theo couldn't tell their rank from where he was standing, but four against one seemed like a cowardly move.
"Hand over your money if you don't want to get hurt," one of the bullies said.
"No way, I'm not giving you my money," the student stood his ground, refusing to give in to their demands.
"Well, look at that. Aren't you brave?" The guy with freckled cheeks grinned and punched him in the gut. The student being bullied fell to the ground, clutching his stomach.
"How was that, huh?" The guy with freckled cheeks bent over and grabbed the student's hair. Despite being in pain, the student took his chance and punched him in the face with all his might.
The freckled cheek fell back, screaming, "Son of a ….." He was furious. All four of them started kicking the guy on the ground.
"Hey, what are you guys doing there?" a patrol officer shouted from the distance.
All four students had taken off running as soon as they saw the officer. The patrol officer picked up the student and took him to the infirmary.
Even before classes had started, a hierarchy was forming. The strong were preying on the weak, just like it happens in the real world.
This left a distressing taste in his mouth. Theo finally made it back to my dorm room, which was quiet and dark, with only the sound of soft snoring coming from his roommates. He didn't want to disturb them, so Theo quietly entered the room, put his belongings in a corner, changed into his pajamas, and went to bed.