Arcane Academia

Chapter 6

I stare at the stony ceiling. Where the hell am I ? I look at my hands. They're VEINY. I sit up straight.

"Ugh my head," I moan into my veiny hands.

" How the HELL did you do that?" a voice yells. I almost hiss when I see Fiore in the bed next to mine. "Oh do pain me with your calming voice," I say. " I mean it, you barely got the strength to beat me in arm-wrestling and now you throw a grown-ass fat guy over you?" she says staring in bewilderment. "Prolly the gym, " I say massaging my scalp. "Oh goodie, sleeping beauty's awake," says nurse Pottz or as she likes to say, nurse Hottz, walks in. "I'm always missed," I say stretching only to feel a stab on pain in my stomach. I hug my stomach. " I'm dying," I say falling back to my pillow.

"Drink this before, might slow it," Nurse Pottz says giving me a shit lookalike drink. "How long was I out?" I ask glugging the filth. "Day and a half," Fiore says turning to face me, " thought you were in a coma." "Honestly, I should speak with Zandar for preserving a bed for you," Pottz says snatching the cup from my hand. " I do have a knack for this place," I say. My first few years I had constantly overworked myself to reach the others this was my second bed. Oh and bullying.

"How's your leg? " I ask Fiora snapping out of my ongoing flashbacks. "Be in a cast for a week," she says avoiding my eyes. "Once we're out let's go burn the Costaz tower," I say ," that jackass Ethane better go easy on you in training. " " What're brothers for" she says. Oh yes, did I fail to mention.
" Oh she awoke!" says Lyra shoving the door open and entering followed by Marke and Cary. "An absence truly felt," I say as Lyra props herself at the end of my bed. "Quite a move at the arena, always knew you had a flair for the dramatique, " says Marke in his equestrian accent, "if you wanted to fall into my arms you should've just said so." " Oh thats why I smell," I say trying to finish my shit drink. "Zandar put a notice up today," Cary says.
" You don't say."
" Mhm, There's a huge assembly tomorrow, their announcing the final challenge before recruitment, " she says. I sit up again. OW. " No idea about what?" I ask.
" Nada, but they did say to stay away from the fields," Cary says.
" Don't even think about it," Fiora tells me.
"She's right," says nurse Potts," a prefect's agreed to assist you to two to the assembly and back but that's it."
" Mrs. Potts! Is that a new haircut?" I ask Nurse hottie.
She ignores me.

The next day I awaken to the academy's wolf howl. After Mrs.Pottz assists Fiore into a wheelchair she wheels another to me at which I decline. " Yeah, not dead yet," I say hopping off the steel bed only to be greeted by stars in my eyes but I manage to standstill. After Mrs.Pottz array of tsks. We head to the hospital wing entrance, me mostly leaning on Fiora's wheelchair, where we meet our prefect.
"Son of a -" I start.
" Ethane" Fiore says hands crossed " couldn't bother visiting. "
" I'm here now," he says reaching to take the handles of the wheelchair. I don't budge. " She needs the support," Fiore says. " Gratitude so hard Fi," I say pushing her head.
" Actually, I wanted to congratulate you for the stunt you pulled at the arena," Ethane says.
" Get in line," I say as we reach the assembly point from the hospital wing.
Its packed to the brim with its 6000 students. There's a vast open space in the centre of the academy, the house dorm towers on the sides and the school in the middle. In front of us, Zandar and all the other house leaders sit in a row behind as the principal/ military president Zelda Aleter walks upto the floating microphone.
" Welcome all students or should I say warriors, to the mere finishing line of your academics. I'd like to congratulate each one of you for making it, considering the circumstances, you'll should've had a year more yet, here we are.
Now for a test that will TRULY test your worthiness for the war and the use of arcanal firearm we will be repeating the same test from the last century-"
The crowd gasp. Wait that's..
Zelda smirks, " that's right, this year I give you..." the ground trembles, I spin around to the entrance and in the distant fields see heaps of walls merely tearing up the earth and rising. " The haunted labyrinth!"
"Holy shi-" I mumble just as students gasp, panic evident.
" You will each be battling against houses to see which soldiers rank where, you will be assessed by surveillance throughout and those who fail to end on time, well end of the road. Oh and any discovery of illegal arcane calls for instant suspension."
I catch Ethane eyeing my soul. " What?" I hiss. " Not for long ," he says. Ok, jackass. " For once, do make sense," I say

" This is INSANE," says Lyra as Cary insists I drink my shit-drink, " no mother, get that poison out of my face." Cary sighs.
" We only have a month to prep for this," Lyra continues.
" Speaking of which , when are we being discharged?" I ask the nurse. " Fortunately, you can go by tomorrow night, Fiore another fortnight" says nurse hottie. " FINALLY," I say as Fiore glares at me. " Ooh we can have victory toast then,OW" says Lyra as Fiore pulls her hair. " Bitchy ," says Lyra massaging her scalp as I chuckle.

" Stay out of trouble child," says Nurse Potts as she hands me a flask of my shit drink. " It always finds a way for the attractive ," I say with a sigh waving at Fiore as the Nurse tuts.
The cold breeze runs cartwheels through my skin as I leave the hospital wing. Its 10pm at the academy and there's not a soul in sight. I hug my robe tighter as I walk towards Zandars Tower. Dammit I hate the dark. Thoughts start seeping through my mind, blood, Kael..FOCUS REIA.
A twig snaps in half.
I spin around just in time to catch Darwin's fist. " Watch it shit," I say.
" Too slow peasant," he says as someone thrust a bag down my head. " This is revenge bitch," he says as I kick his shin. I'm too exhausted to fight the fat guy holding me.
I hear my flask break and spill across the lawn. My screams muffled across the silent night.