Nia stood outside the infirmary door, her heart pounding with a mixture of anticipation. She raised her hand to knock, then hesitated. What if Elara didn't want to see her? What if she was still angry about what happened? After all it was partly her fault that Elara got kicked out earlier than expected. If only she was not so weak, then she wouldn't have needed Elara's help I taken down Lirien. And because of the energy Elara used when fighting Lirien, She was left almost drained when Kai entered the mix, and that caused her to suffer humiliation. Taking a deep breath, Nia knocked softly on the door, the sound echoing in the quiet hallway. After a few moments, the door swung open, revealing one of the nurses in the infirmary, her expression soft and gentle.
"You must be Nia," The nurse said softly. "Lady Elara has been expecting you, please come in."
Nia swallowed nervously, her legs where shaking, but she still managed to step into the infirmary. On one of the beds, she could see Elara being tended to by a nurse who had the healing specialty.
Elara's eyes softened slightly as she laid eyes on Nia, "Nia! You've finally come, I have been waiting for a while now, I thought you weren't going to show up." Elara said with a slight chuckle, her voice weak.
Nia swallowed nervously, suddenly feeling tongue-tied. "I… I wanted to talk to you... Privately" she managed to say, her voice barely a whisper.
Elara nodded, understanding her words. "Please excuse us for now," she said while gesturing for the nurses to excuse them. The nurses then stepped out a moment later. Elara then gestured once more, calling Nia to her side.
Nia walked over and sat down on the chair beside her, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. She had been afraid that Elara would shut her out completely. For a moment, neither of them spoke, the silence stretching between them like a chasm. Finally, Nia cleared her throat, gathering her courage.
"Elara, I…I'm sorry" she said her voice thick with emotion. "If only I was stronger, you wouldn't have gone through this"
Elara reached out, taking Nia's hand in hers. "We're both sorry, Nia," she whispered. "I feel like I've let you down, like I couldn't protect you."
Nia looked up, her eyes welling up with tears. "Elara, no, it's not your fault. You're an amazing friend, and I'm so grateful to have a friend like you."
Elara looked at Nia, her face full of emotion. "But I should have been stronger, faster. I should have anticipated the attack."
Nia's eyes welled up with tears once more as she squeezed Elara's hand. "You're not to blame, Elara. Next time, I will make sure not to trouble you like this again."
Nia stood up her face filled with determination. "If you can, we should head over to the main hall. The rankings are about to be announced."
Elara nodded, dragging herself of the bed, she got up and together with Nia supporting her, and they made their way to the hall.
…
Meanwhile, in another part of the infirmary, Aria laid on the hospital bed, his body still weak from the Ordeal he had to endure when facing Kael, added with the battle royal. He slowly opened his eyes groggily taking in his surroundings. He was in a separate room in the infirmary. He tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over him, forcing him back to the bed. The nurse who was tending to him examined his injuries with a grave expression on her face.
"You pushed yourself to hard, Aria, is it" she said softly, her voice tinged with concern. "Your body needs time to heal, time to recover from the strain you put it through"
Aria nodded silently, his eyes fixed on the ceiling above him. He knew that he had overestimated his own abilities, that he had been to reckless in his pursuit of victory. And now he was paying the price for his arrogance.
The nurse placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, her touch warm and comforting. "But you're lucky" she continued, her tone gentle, "you didn't sustain any serious injuries, nothing that won't heal with time and rest."
Aria said nothing, his indifferent face carrying a pondering expression, his thoughts a whirlwind of confusion and frustration. He had come so close to victory. And yet, in the end, he had fallen short, defeated by his own pride.
He sighed, 'It seems I still have some growing to do…wait, I think before I was knocked unconscious they said something about me being the 99th participant to be teleported out' He thought, his hand placed on his chin. He then looked at the nurse, his blue eyes shining in the dim room, as he carried a cold look causing the nurse to blush in reply. "Where are the rest of the students?"
The nurse didn't say anything still mesmerized by his appearance, a moment later, she snapped back to reality, "Oh…The students, they were all sent to the main hall to see the results and ranking "
Arias eyes narrowed as he struggled to sit up again. This time he managed to prop himself on the pillow. "What ranking?"
The nurse smiled. "The first year ranking, you should go and see for yourself since all you need is a little rest to recover."
Aria threw off the covers and swung his legs to the side, his head spinning. He took a few deep breadths them stood up, his legs trembling beneath him. He then stood up and made his way to the hall, each fluid and calculated as if he was never injured which left the nurse shocked. As he entered the hall, he saw the students gathered around a large screen displaying the ranking. Aria's eyes scanned the list, his expression unchanging as he saw his name at number five. He could see Kael's name at number 3, and a Kai Gravitas at number 1.
'Hmmm, that must be the last man standing in the battle royal' Aria thought carrying a pondering expression. 'I wonder how strong he is.'
The sergeant then approached him, a hint of a smile on his face. "Aria, I know you're disappointed, but it was because of the first test where we couldn't read your results that lowered your score putting you at five instead of two."
Aria's voice was cold and detached. "I'm not disappointed, Sergeant. I'm simply acknowledging my results."
The sergeant was about to reply, when a woman with a busty figure climbed the stage. She had deep green eyes, and long black hair. She was wearing a white Army uniform with golden stripes at the edges. When the recruits saw her, all of them seemed to become composed, different from how rowdy they were before she climbed the stage. Even the sergeant beside him saluted with respect in his eyes, and the students followed suit making Aria wonder who she was as he saluted as well.
"My dear students," She began, her tone filled with pride and coldness. "You've shown great courage and determination in the face of adversity. You've proven yourselves to be true warriors, true future champions of humanity."
She paused allowing her words to sink in, to resonate with the students gathered before her.
"And though some of you may not have achieved the results we were hoping for," she continued, her voice gentle but firm. "I want you to know that this is only the beginning of your journey. You have 6 years to grow, to learn, and to become the heroes you were meant to be."
A ripple of excitement ran through the hall as the crowd listened to the speech.
"You have the potential to become heroes, to make a difference in this war against those vile beings," she continued. "But it won't be easy. You will face challenges, obstacles and setbacks. You will be pushed to your limits, and beyond. But it is in those moments that you will discover true strength, your true courage, and your true character."
The students listened intently, their eyes shining with determination and resolve.
"So I urge you to keep moving forward," She said. "To keep pushing yourselves, to keep striving for greatness. Because in the end, it is not the ranking that matters but the journey itself. It is not the destination, but the path you take there. I hereby announce all of you as students of Moonlight Academy, make us proud" She ended, as she walked of the stage.
The students erupted into applause, their cheers echoing throughout the hall. And as they filed out of the hall, they knew that they would carry the woman's words with them, that they would remember the lessons they had learnt, and they would strive to become the heroes they were meant to be.
...