Michael led the group through the academy, giving them a tour of its different areas and explaining their purposes. "These buildings aren't just classrooms," he said. "They're where you'll train to use your abilities effectively in combat." Pointing to the gyms and tracks, he continued, "You'll also have spaces for personal training and physical conditioning." As they approached the arena, he noted, "And here's where battles take place. It's different from the test arena; this one has seats for spectators."
Zephyr's attention drifted during the tour, but he mentally noted the training areas for later. For now, he trudged along, silently wishing the tour would end soon. Michael's incessant explanations were starting to give Zephyr a headache.
'Can't this guy just give it a rest?' Zephyr thought, rubbing his temples with his hands. He knew he'd have to endure situations like this, but he believed good things come to those who wait. Browny walked beside him, flipping through his ability book. Somehow, Browny's presence comforted Zephyr as they navigated through their experiences together, from Paragox to being rescued, and then taking the test, to where they were now.
Glancing at his own ability book, Zephyr sighed inwardly. He didn't really need it since he had already unlocked his shadow ability. He was certain that everyone could only have one ability, so the book was useless to him.
'I'll just hold onto it for now and figure out what to do with it later,' Zephyr thought to himself.
After what felt like an eternity, the tour finally concluded as the sun began to set. Michael stood before them, holding a tablet and tapping away. Behind him loomed a grand four-story building, its multiple windows adorned with beautiful colors, shaping the form of a dormitory.
"Everyone, behind me is the dormitory building," Michael announced. "This is where you'll be sleeping from now on. Each of you will be assigned different rooms, some together, some not. If you see rooms already occupied, those are your roommates who passed the test yesterday."
He then presented a large bowl filled with papers. "Here's how you'll choose your rooms. Step forward one by one, and pick a paper with a number written on it. That number will be your new room number."
As soon as Michael finished speaking, everyone eagerly stepped forward to select their room papers. Zephyr grabbed one and unfolded it to reveal the number "30."
"I have number 30," Zephyr muttered to himself.
"Me too! Looks like we're going to be roommates," Browny exclaimed, clearly pleased with the arrangement.
Zephyr couldn't help but think sarcastically, 'Just what I need, seeing his face all the time.'
Once everyone had their room numbers, they filed into the dormitory building, eager to settle into their new accommodations. The hallway was bustling with students, some of them meeting people in the building as roommates and remembering Michael's words about others who had passed the test before them. Excitement and anticipation filled the air as they prepared to embark on this new chapter of their lives at the academy.
Zephyr and Browny searched each floor, passing by new arrivals who had recently passed the test, most of whom were accompanied by slaves from Paragox or other confinements. These newcomers seemed to lack basic amenities like lounges or extra clothes, but Michael had assured them that everything they needed was already in their rooms, with provisions to adjust sizes if necessary, available in his office.
After exploring the hallways of each floor, Zephyr and Browny discovered their room was on the third floor.
"Finally, room 30," Browny sighed with relief, clearly exhausted from the day's events. "I just want to rest. Today has been a long day of survival."
Before Browny could open the door, it swung open unexpectedly, revealing someone standing in front of them.
As the door swung open, revealing a handsome young man with brown hair, hazel-black eyes, and cherry-red lips, Zephyr couldn't help but roll his eyes inwardly. "Oh, great. Some snotty rich kid," he thought to himself. The fact that the guy was already in the room they were about to occupy confirmed that he was indeed their roommate, just as Michael had mentioned.
"Hello, hello! Welcome, roommates," the guy greeted cheerfully. "The name's Jackson Martin, but you can call me Jack."
Zephyr forced himself to nod in response, feeling annoyed to the core by Jack's warm smile. Zephyr despised people who tried to show kindness when he knew no one was truly kind. In his eyes, the world was a place of survival; there was no need for friends, only allies to help achieve one's goals. That was how Zephyr saw the world.
"Nice to meet you, Jack," Browny replied, shaking Jack's hand. "And you can just call me Browny."
"Well, that's a weird nickname, but okay. Nice to meet you too, Browny," Jack responded with a grin. After they released their handshake, Jack turned to Zephyr, who met him with a deadpan expression and unwelcoming demeanor.
"Hi there, roommate. I'm Jack. And you?" Jack extended his hand for a handshake, but Zephyr just stared at him, leaving Jack hanging awkwardly.
'I think I dislike this guy,' Zephyr thought to himself before briskly walking past Jack and into the room, leaving Jack with a confused expression.
"What happened?" Jack mumbled to himself. "Did I do something wrong?"
"Not at all, that's just Zephyr for you," Browny reassured Jack, giving his shoulder a comforting tap. "He's the kind of individual who doesn't warm up to people easily. Just give him some time to adjust." Having spent time with Zephyr, Browny had come to understand that Zephyr had a troubled past, which explained his aloofness and preference for solitude.
The room was surprisingly spacious, stretching about 10 meters in length. It accommodated three beds placed at each corner, with small closets beside each bed for their clothes. Another door on the opposite side led to the bathroom. Other than these furnishings, the room was empty.
"Am taking this bed," Jack declared, settling onto the one at the left corner of the room.
"And I'll take this one," Browny chimed in, claiming the bed at the right corner. This left Zephyr with the one beside the toilet.
"Hmm!" Zephyr grunted in annoyance but remained silent, raising his middle finger at them discreetly before heading to his bed. He hadn't realized they were deciding who would take which bed, but the triviality of the situation irritated him nonetheless. "The nature of these humans is still something I don't totally understand, even with Zeph's memories," he reflected silently.
....
In another room elsewhere in the building, Jade stormed in, slamming the door shut with a loud bang.
"What the hell?" a voice in the room exclaimed, startled by the sudden noise. The speaker got up from her bed, and upon seeing Jade, her expression softened. "What's wrong with you?"
"Eva, don't worry. It's just some guy who got on my nerves," Jade replied, calming down as she sat on her bed on the other side of the room. Unlike Zephyr's room, theirs had three beds and a door leading to a bathroom, with a toilet beside it.
"A guy? So, it's a guy that made you this angry. Well, we should deal with him," Eva remarked. She was a blonde with gray pupils, sharing a striking resemblance to her sister Jade, albeit with slight differences. Even though they weren't twins, anyone could tell they were sisters. Eva was the kind of person who didn't care much about anything other than training; she simply loved to train, and that's what she had been doing for a while now. However, she decided to rest and sleep for the night, but now Jade had come in and disrupted her peace.
"But before we take care of him, please let me sleep, Jade," Eva pleaded as she laid back on the bed, covering herself. It was already midnight, and Jade's disturbance was unwelcome.
'Well, don't worry, Zeph, I will get you,'Jade thought to herself, her determination firm as she prepared to lay down for the night. Tomorrow would mark everyone's first day at the academy. Jade and her sister Eva had taken the test two days ago and emerged victorious, along with others. However, due to the influx of new recruits, they were instructed to be patient until all the recruiting was over and the last batch had arrived. Tomorrow would bring a new day for them all, and Jade was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
******