Afternoon, Saturday.
"Zane, Hey, wake up, the class started." Waking up, the first thing I saw was Anna's face close to mine.
"!"
I looked around, rubbing my eyes.
I was in my classroom, at Nova.
After the lunch break, I fell asleep.
'Weird.'
For some reasons, I'm getting way too tired these days.
"You feeling good? You have dark circles." Anna asked in a worried tone.
"Yeah, completely fine, just a bit tired, nothing to worry about."
"I'm not worrying… but you should be."
"Huh?"
"Look front, Miss Angelica is glaring at you."
My gaze shifted to the front, where Miss Angelica Rainfield, our Monster Analysis Professor stood.
Her sapphire blue eyes were shooting daggers at me. She seemed angry.
'Ah Shit!'
"Mr. Skylark… can you guess what I hate the most?" Miss Angelica's voice echoed throughout the classroom.
Her voice is as sweet as honey. Her features were amazing, her blue azure hair was smooth and silky. She is a beauty straight out of a fairy tale, She—
'No! Zane… Focus. Focus.'
'Sleeping people?' I answered in my mind, groaning internally as I stood up.
"Uhh… sleeping people?"
The second the words left my mouth, I knew I had messed up.
'The fuck-type of answer is this.'
"Y-You! …meet me after the class."
Miss Angelica seems even more angry, I noticed, a vein popping oh her forehead.
'Noooo! Fuck my rotten luck!'
"Y-Yes mam! I'm sorry!"
"Sit. And focus on the lecture, I will be asking questions."
The lecture continued, with her explaining ranks of monster.
"Monster species are classified into ranks, from F to S," she explained.
"They are further categorized based on their respective domains—fire, water, earth, wind, and ice."
Her voice was captivating. As she continued. She explained how lower-ranked monsters (B to F) lacked intelligence, making them more predictable. But things were different with Rank A and above.
Scribble… scribble
"These monsters are intelligent," Miss Angelica said. "Some wielded weapons, others possess enchanted artifacts and that's what makes them extremely dangerous."
Scribble… scribble.
I jotted down the notes furiously, trying to keep up with her pace.
"And remember this, Mr. Skylark," she added suddenly, her gaze fixed to me. "Lack of focus in the face of such creatures will lead to death."
'Oh! Come on!'
I froze mid-scribble.
She didn't even have to raise her voice, her words feels like a slap.
"Pfttt–"
Anna's laugh beside me, she can't seem to hold it in.
Noticing her laugh, I glared at her.
The lecture ended and the bell rang, signaling our next class to start.
Miss Angelica, collected her things, but before leaving, she threw a final look my way.
That side glance sent a chill down my spine, making me flinch. Beside me, Anna was dying of laughter now.
"Pfttt hee hee hee, her aim is so sharp, she doesn't even need a weapon," she teased, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"Glad to hear, my suffering is amusing for you," I muttered, standing up.
"Anytime," she grinned.
Our next class was the open elective, where Anna and I had chosen different subjects.
She waved to me as she walked toward her classroom.
"Try not to piss off another professor!" she called out.
I rolled my eyes and made my way to my elective: Elemental Science.
As I entered, I spotted Aria sitting in the front row, her posture was straight, arranging her notes.
'Well, I'm not surprised,' I thought, slipping into a seat near the back.
Our professor, Wilma Whitlock, entered shortly after.
Her lecture was fascinating, diving into the principles of elemental forces and how they interacted with both nature and artifacts. For once, I was fully attentive, hanging onto her every word.
Time flew by, and before I knew it, the class was over.
"Zane Skylark," Professor Whitlock's voice cut through the departing chatter as I stood to leave.
"Come to my office after this."
'What!? Why is every professor asking me to come to their office.'
This time. I swear, I didn't do anything.
"Yes mam." I answered with a polite smile.
The classes for today, ended.
As I walked to the corridor, I decided to face Miss Angelica first. The sooner I meet her, the better.
Keeping my head down I walked down the stairs. But before I could reach her office, I spotted someone familiar up ahead.
"Elise?"
Her eyes met mine, and a huge grin spread across her face. In the blink of an eye, she dashed toward me and practically tackled me into a hug.
"Zane!" she exclaimed, hugging me tightly.
"Ugh, Elise, stop!" I lightly pushed her away, trying to free myself from her grasp.
Elise, my overly enthusiastic sister, was wearing the Nova uniform, just like me. Except for one difference. On the right of her coat, her rank was proudly displayed: 03.
'Woah! Rank 3.'
Noticing my gaze, she smirked. "What's your rank, little bro?"
I hesitated for a moment but decided to just tell her. "190."
"Hmm…" Elise tilted her head, Then, she smiled. "Not bad! You've got room for improvement."
"Thanks for the motivational speech, Coach Elise." I answered making a salute pose.
"You're welcome!" she grinned, clearly catching my sarcasm.
"Oh, by the way," Elise suddenly remembered something. "Are you coming to the fresher's party this Monday?"
"Fresher's party?" I asked, confused.
Her eyes widened. "Wait… you don't know?"
"Nope."
'Actually, I do. Anna told me this morning.'
"Zane! It's the welcome party for first-years, hosted by the seniors. Every year the first year's get one!"
"Oh."
"'Just Oh?' That's all you've got to say?" Elise crossed her arms she looked annoyed.
Narrowing her eyes she asked. "You are coming, right?"
"I wasn't planning to—"
"What?!" She looked at me like I had just committed a crime.
"Zane, you have to come! How else will you make friends? What, are you planning to be a loner for the rest of your life at Nova?"
"…That actually doesn't sound so bad," I muttered.
"Zane Skylark!" Elise scolded, jabbing a finger at my chest. "You. Are. Coming. To. That. Party, no arguments!"
"Fine, fine," I sighed, raising both my hands in defeat. "I'll come."
"Good!" She smiled. "See you at home, lil bro!"
With that, Elise waved and walked off.
A few minutes later, I found myself standing in front of Miss Angelica's office door.
Haah…
I took a deep breath and knocked.
Knock. Knock.
"Come in," came her voice from inside.
I opened the door and froze in my tracks.
Sitting inside the cabin was not just Miss Angelica but also Professor Whitlock.
'What the…? Why is she here too?'
"Take a seat, Mr. Skylark," Miss Angelica said, motioning to the sofa across the room with her beautiful slender hand.
But her expression was serious.
'Am I fucked?'
End of Chapter.
[A/N]: I uploaded 2 chapters today, due to yesterday's 'NO' chapter.