The Otherworlders Academy - An Original Teen Fantasy

S2-Ep. 5.1 (R) - What's the Plan?

Previously on "The Otherworlders":  The girls are back from their mission and classes have started up again. As a matter of pride, Sebastian is eager to be chosen for the next mission, and after pestering Headmaster Pierce (and getting a brief lecture about how the missions are to be taken seriously), he's told that he will indeed be on the next team.

Basking in the news, Seb is shocked when Headmaster Pierce greets the mystery girl he met out in front of the Academy earlier and she turns out to be Pierce's daughter, Ella. The news is actually more than shocking, it's a bummer because he really likes her but now, for sure, she's off limits!

NOTE - Just a reminder. If the chapter stops abruptly or feels too short, it's a Wattpad glitch. Just refresh the page (or click off and back on if you're on mobile) and you should be able to see the whole chapter, about 2000 words. :-)

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All the kids are sitting in Master Liu's History class. At the front of the room, Master Liu jots down the key points from her just concluded lecture on the chalkboard.

She sets down her chalk, dusts off her hands, and pivots to face the students. "So, who can tell me what sparked The Battle Under the Bridge in the fourth year of the Third Shadow War?"

She's met with nothing but silence.

Master Liu rolls her eyes and lets out a beleaguered breath. How is she going to get these kids to understand just how important history is to this whole endeavor?

She strides forward, plants her fists on one of the empty desks in the front row, and leans in. Her voice is low, yet resolute. "Alright, that's it. I've been doing my best to help you understand that, fundamentally, events don't happen in a vacuum. But clearly, the message isn't getting through. So, to rectify this, I'm assigning you a task for the weekend."

A collective groan rises up in the room.

"Ahh.. ahh... ahh..!" Master Liu retorts. "I don't want to hear it! You need to delve deeper into these lessons if you're to be properly prepared for all you'll face ahead of you. So, this is what I'm going to do. I'm going to divide you into teams, and I want you to work together to write a 5,000-word essay that I expect on my desk by Monday, noon!"

Monday?!

More groans fill the room, promptly silenced by Master Liu's arched brow.

She begins to delegate specific topics to each group of students. "Ava, Farid, and Inez. You three will report on the economic drivers behind The Battle Under the Bridge." She points to the other side of the room. "Jake, Aidan, and Sebastian, I want you to document the historical precursors to the event." She points to the back of the room. "Fiona, Cameron, and Patrick--you three will report on the cultural influences that impacted this particular event."

Master Liu looks at her watch. "Okay, since we're almost at the end of class, I'm going to do you all a favor and let you out early. But I'm only doing this so that  YOU CAN GET STARTED ON YOUR ASSIGNMENT!" She arches a brow again for emphasis. "AND DO NOT leave this assignment to the last minute, all right? Because I'm not giving you any extensions. Is that understood?"

"Understood..." the students murmur in unison.

"Alright then..." Master Liu claps. "Get to work!"

With this, the class disperses.

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A little after Master Liu's class ended, Headmaster Pierce sits in his office, his gaze falling on the three very dispirited boys before him.