Kings On The Horizon (Vol. 4-6) ✓

112 | Queen's Visit

     "Well, that's Viktor for you. He's the master of manipulation after all."

     Krist nods his head to agree to the statement, then he looks back at the grey sky and says, "A huge storm will fall upon the five houses. That's the message that the Brotherhood Association received. I never wanted to open it up again, but do you think...do you think they're back?"

     That single question made the hair on Hans's skin stand. He didn't want to admit it, but he also thought of that before.

     "They can't hurt us anymore," Hans replies instead of answering the question, almost like he was trying to convince himself. "We're stronger now. We're not the weak freshmen students that they were able to push around back then. We're not going to let them hurt us again. We're not going to throw away our old president's sacrifices just because they decided to come back."

     "But the more Max climbs higher, the more our past gets dug out. It's frightening," Krist honestly says.

     "What happened to all of us was a whole different story that I too am not willing to retell, but at the same time, we can't keep hiding from it. Our past can't be a secret forever. In order to secure a bright future for JS High, we have to face our past eventually," Hans tells him.

     "I hope it doesn't arrive soon. Max is barely ready, and from what I witnessed, he's not ready to face his past either," Krist says, and Hans turns around to face the scenery as well.

     "Our past...and Max's past...I wonder how all of it is connected," Hans says as he closes his eyes, feeling the strong wind brush against his skin. "I wonder why our old president desperately wanted to bring him here."

...

"The class wouldn't shut up about what Viktor said at the Great Hall. They're all too excited as if they'd actually be able to do it. Fuckers can't even rank past three hundred," Ari says with a bitter look as he shoves his notebook in his bag, not even worried if his classmates would hear him or not.

     Classes were finally over and Max and his friends were on their way to head home after a crazy Monday. A lot of things happened today. First, his rank changed and he became a gaffer, and then Viktor came back and announced at the Great Hall about the school representative being sent to the House of Bishop.  Max couldn't even keep up anymore.

     "Who cares about that? The exams are getting closer. We should be studying instead of getting excited over that exchange program," Ervin says as he and Felix wait for Max and Ari to finish packing their things.

     "Ervin's right. I heard from Felix that topping the exams gives you an insane amount of points. Top 1 alone will acquire 3000 points, and that's honestly enough to make someone a gaffer," Max explains, and the others couldn't help but agree.

     "Well, the top 3 students of our year are already in this class," Ervin points out. "It's Alexeev, Ari, and Felix."

     "Isn't that great little Felix? You're going to get a thousand points!" Ari teases, immediately making Felix step on his feet.

     "Who said I was going to stay as third? Last year you only got lucky. I'm not going to allow myself to pull you guys down anymore. At first, I wanted to stay as a serf so I wouldn't catch anyone's attention, but I have to rank up and become a gaffer now too," Felix confidently tells Ari, making Max smile proudly at his friend.

     "Not if I become a gaffer first," Ervin adds with an excited grin.

     "It's a race then," Felix replies, and the two shake hands.