The second day of the second year at the academy had arrived. The previous day had been spent at Ava's house, having fun and catching up with friends. But now, the reality of academy life was settling back in, and Dakota was already feeling the weight of it.
He sat in his first class of the day, but despite the morning's excitement, he couldn't keep his eyes open. His head rested on his hand as he dozed off, only to be jolted awake by the teacher's voice.
Teacher: "Dakota! Wake up!"
Dakota: "Huh? Oh, right!"
He rubbed his eyes and quickly sat up straight, trying to look attentive. The teacher continued with the lesson, but Dakota's mind wandered. He could barely focus on the subject matter. His mind kept racing with thoughts about the past few months—how his training had been intense, and how the group had grown stronger, but a part of him felt uneasy.
---
Hours later...
The bell rang for lunch, and Dakota's group gathered in the cafeteria, all of them taking their usual spots at the large table.
Dakota: "So far, things are going pretty smoothly, but I have this feeling... like someone might challenge us for some reason."
Henry: "But we're the strongest in the academy. Who could challenge us?"
Dakota: "I don't know... I just have this feeling that someone will."
Lucas: "Even if someone does, we'll just beat them easily anyway."
Dakota chuckled, appreciating Lucas's confidence.
Dakota: "Haha, you're right. We'd crush anyone who dares challenge us."
They continued chatting casually, but as lunch break neared its end, a group of third-years walked up to them. They were all older, their presence commanding a sense of authority.
???: "Hello there, you guys are the infamous second-year group, right?"
Dakota narrowed his eyes, already sensing where this was going.
Dakota: "...Yes, we are. Do you want something?"
Dakota thought to himself, "Great, I had a feeling this was coming. Some third-years looking to make a name for themselves."
The third-year spoke again, his tone dripping with arrogance.
???: "Our group was the strongest and best before you came here, so we'd like to challenge you."
Dakota gritted his teeth, frustration boiling up inside.
Dakota: "...A challenge? What kind of challenge?"
???: "We don't know yet, but if you accept, we'll decide tomorrow."
Dakota's patience was wearing thin. He'd been right about this.
Dakota: "...Sorry, but we're not going to accept. We have other things to worry about."
The third-year smirked, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
???: "Oh, so the strongest are cowards, huh?"
Dakota clenched his fists, his anger rising.
Dakota: "Cowards, huh? You've got some nerve saying that."
The third-year continued to push Dakota's buttons.
???: "I mean, the strongest group in the academy is afraid of a challenge? I thought the strongest weren't supposed to be cowards."
Dakota's eyes darkened with a cold intensity.
Dakota: "You really think you can insult us and get away with it?"
The group around Dakota was beginning to get irritated, especially Henry. The challenge was clearly a trap, meant to provoke them into a fight. Dakota wasn't about to fall for it, but Henry was already stepping forward, fists clenched.
Henry: "You really want to call us cowards, huh?"
The third-year grinned, clearly enjoying the tension.
???: "Did I make you angry? What are you going to do about it?"
Henry was about to unleash a Flame Fist, but before he could, Dakota grabbed his shoulder and stopped him.
Henry: "...Dakota? What are you doing? Let go of my shoulder."
Dakota's voice was calm, but firm.
Dakota: "...No, Henry. Don't fall for their provocation. They're just cocky bastards who don't know their place."
Henry: "But they insulted us! We can't just let them get away with it."
Dakota: "We don't need to fight them. They want us to make a move so they can say we're weak. Let's just walk away."
Henry's frustration was palpable, but he couldn't ignore Dakota's command. He sighed and deactivated his magic, stepping back reluctantly.
???: "So, you're the leader, huh? Looks like the leader is the coward."
Ava stood up from her seat, her anger flaring.
Ava: "...You bitch, you're really starting to annoy me. And we don't even know your name."
The third-year finally introduced himself.
Andri: "Ah, yes. How could I forget to introduce myself? My name is Andri, and I'm the strongest third-year."
Ava: "Well, Andri, I would appreciate it if you stopped insulting my friends."
Andri: "I'm not insulting anyone. I'm just saying he's a coward for not accepting my challenge."
Lucas: "You need to stop calling my friend a coward."
Andri raised an eyebrow, as if enjoying the rising tension.
Andri: "Sorry, but if he doesn't accept my challenge, I'll keep calling him one."
Liam, who had been quietly fuming, finally snapped.
Liam: "You bastard! I'll fucking kill you—"
Before Liam could finish, Dakota quickly placed his hand over his mouth, silencing him.
Dakota: "Don't. If you say something like 'kill,' you'll get us suspended. He's trying to trick you into reacting, so don't fall for it."
Andri chuckled, clearly pleased with how things were going.
Andri: "You're a smart one, but still a coward. Aren't you supposed to be the strongest in the new generation? I can't believe you're a coward."
Dakota's group was visibly pissed off, but Dakota remained calm. He was used to this kind of provocation, and he knew how to handle it. He wasn't about to let someone like Andri get under his skin.
Amelia: "I know you're older than us, but you're still going too far."
Jack: "Yeah, can't you just shut your mouth?"
Luna: "You're being unnecessarily mean for no reason."
Andri just smiled, clearly relishing the tension.
Andri: "Well, if you want to prove me wrong, just accept my challenge."
Henry, still agitated, turned to Dakota.
Henry: "...Dakota, we should accept his challenge. I want to prove him wrong."
Dakota let out a long sigh. He knew this wasn't going to end if they didn't settle it now.
Dakota: "...Henry, we can't. We need to rest before we face something even worse. Trust me, things are going to get crazy soon."
Henry's eyes were burning with determination.
Henry: "...Yeah, but we still have some time left. I doubt he'll leave us alone if we reject him."
Dakota rubbed his temples, frustration growing.
Dakota: "...Ah, shit. I didn't think about that. Fine, we accept your damn challenge."
Andri's face lit up with a smug grin.
Andri: "Oh? Great! That's great! Now we'll decide what kind of challenge tomorrow. Look forward to it."
Dakota crossed his arms, giving Andri a pointed look.
Dakota: "Screw off. And if we win this 'challenge' of yours, you'll leave us alone, right?"
Andri: "Yes, I am a man of my word."
Dakota: "Well, at least you're a man of something."
Andri's grin faltered slightly, but he didn't show any sign of being rattled.
Andri: "Okay then, my dear juniors, look forward to what's going to happen tomorrow."
With that, Andri turned and walked away, and the group watched him leave with a mix of anger and annoyance.
Dakota: "Well, we really got ourselves into some trouble, huh?"
Henry: "Trouble? How could they give us trouble?"
Dakota: "They wouldn't challenge us if they weren't confident in winning. Even though I don't think we'll lose, I think we'll be in for some trouble."
Ava raised an eyebrow, sensing Dakota's unease.
Ava: "Is this one of your feelings again?"
Dakota: "Yeah, it is."
Henry: "Then he must be right. Looks like this isn't going to be as easy as we thought."
---
The group walked away from the cafeteria, heading toward their next class. But Dakota couldn't shake the feeling that something bigger was coming their way. Something more than just a simple challenge from a cocky third-year.
As the academy day carried on, Dakota found himself looking over his shoulder more than once, wondering if this was only the beginning of the chaos that was about to unfold.