Instructor Cross's grim statement reverberated over and over in the minds of the aghast students.
Taking a few seconds to observe the students, a smile gradually crept over his countenance. The sight of shock and confusion etched onto their faces appearing to please and excite his twisted personality—a truth made painfully clear by the bulge suddenly prevalent in his pants.
SIGH
Heaving a contented sigh, his face turned, now directed at the sea. He waited a few moments before he released his final words, letting them float around and hang in the air. "That is more than enough."
"Huh?" With those words Alex snapped out of his negative and distressing reverie, now back in the moment; terrible as it may be.
Slowly pivoting, his mind in a state of turmoil and disbelief. Looking into the eyes of the surrounding students, it was plain to see that they were just like him—disoriented and disbelieving however, slowly accepting and coming to terms with Instructor Cross's cruel and harsh message.
Alex slowly breathed out, his racing thoughts now stilling. 'Why am I even shocked by this?' Memories of his primary section years flashed by his eyes. 'I already knew how this academy was; ruthless and sadistic—just for the heck of it.'
Banishing thoughts of those hard years, Alex turned back around and refocused on Instructor Cross.
Staring at the crashing waves of the sea deflated the bulge, leaving him with the appearance of a man at peace, a simple yet misinterpreted impression easily received by a passing individual. However, none of the people present could be misled by the deceiving scene, he was a hateful demon, plain and simple.
Instructor Cross's head turned, once more locking eyes with both Instructor Romguy and Megan. Instructor Romguy nodded his head before turning around, the remnants of his vanished figure highlighted by the sound of his footsteps retreating over the wooden planks.
Instructor Cross's gaze stayed on the upper deck for a few more seconds before...
"Now, the second restriction."
...he turned back to the students, eyes glinting strangely bright. "While you were trapped, how many of you noticed that your XOC was missing?"
Strange expressions appeared on the faces of most students as his questioning statement sank in, pushing past their confusion.
Instructor Cross looked around the deck moments before his unsettling smile reappeared on his face, extending to reach his ears and stretching the skin over his face. Combined with his previous expressions and words, this reinforced him as a unstable and mad individual, giving him the disturbing look and aura of a man crazed.
"From your expressions, I would say none of you," he remarked musingly. "Well, that was to be expected; more likely than not, none of you would have that expression in your eyes if you had."
With a jerk, Alex brought up his hand and stared down at his wrist. His thoughtful and perplexing observations of an hour earlier instantly returned, leading to him nervously running his tongue over dry, cracking lips.
Instructor Cross chuckled, shaking his head. "Well, that is the second restriction. The XOC of every student who enters will disappear, and every single memory they have of it will be erased."
He glanced down at the collapsed student, who was slowly raising his body; now attempting to struggle to his feet.
Ignoring the student, he averted his gaze from his pitiful struggling figure, resuming his explanation.
"I know, that restriction makes no sense," he continued. "Basically, the whole trip is meant to make you students physically and mentally stronger. However, what is really necessary and required for survival, which many young Ranked don't realize, is a strong mentality."
"If possess that quality, and provided you live long enough, the physical strength will naturally follow. And that is what that second restriction addresses: the possibility that either before or while in The Senseless Coast a student's mental strength reaches an intensity deemed to be sufficiently resilient."
Noting the confused expressions on the students' faces, Instructor Cross expatiated.
"Just know that if any of you had noticed that your XOC was missing, you would have immediately been released from The Senseless Coast."
With that, Instructor Cross brought his hand behind his back before standing akimbo. "I hope you're satisfied with the explanation because that is all any of you are going to get."
His head then turned to face the gangplank, a smile slowly forming. "Anyway, time's up; they're here."
The heads of the students turned, now facing the same direction as the instructor. Soon enough, the sound of many footsteps became audible. With confusion clouding Alex's thoughts and reasoning, he stood motionless and quiet as the first person came into view.
CREAK, CREAK
"Ahhhh! Cross, I ain't never going to stand around in a warehouse again. Next year, if you dare mention it to me, I'll beat your arrogant ass."
In the back of his mind, Alex took in the features of the newcomer, absentmindedly running his gaze down the man's body. 'Wrinkled face, heavyset, stringy brown hair peeking out from under a leather felt tricorne hat, gold teeth, and... a silk coat with a cotton damask waistcoat?'
The man took a final step off the gangplank, leaving him standing aboard the wooden deck of the ship, locking eyes with the now blank-faced Instructor Cross.
Instructor Cross scoffed in scorn, the finely liveried man ignored the sound, instead confidently and naturally swaggering across the slightly swaying deck toward him. "Same story you tell every year, and the next year, guess what happens?" A sneer widened his lips. "You stand in the same dirty warehouse." He waved his hands dismissively. "At this point, your threats mean nothing to me."
The man covered the last few meters to reach Instructor Cross, his coat fanning out with every heavy step. Coming off the gangplank moments after the man, a line of grizzly, tough-looking men could be seen stepping onto the deck, with most, if not all, wearing either woolen or linen hard-wearing broadcloth.
Instructor Cross ignored them, keeping his entire attention on the man now standing directly in front of him, nose to nose, inhaling and exhaling face to face.
The heavy atmosphere hung in the air, the two men staring at each other, neither seeming to want to avert their eyes first.
However, a smile suddenly lit up the man's face, a twinkle appearing in his eye, brightening up his rugged exterior, followed immediately after by a booming laugh. "HAHAHA! You never change Cross, you never change."
Instructor Cross shook his head, a slight smile appearing on his face. "And I never will, old friend."