They said that we should enjoy our lives to the fullest because we don't know until when we will still be breathing, that any minutes from now, someone might shove their knife in our heart and punish us until we got our last breathe. Who knows when we will die? No one and we couldn't even predict our own death.
In our case, maybe we'll die from overworking. No, it's just that, we don't have any time to rest because, in just a little mistake, we will be lost in the lessons that were being taught.
“How can you produce something so tiny? As if you haven't done physical training before. Failed!” Napangiwi ako.
It's the 34th student who has failed in this class because the praeceptor doesn't like what the student just produced.
“Another failure!”
“F!” And again.
Even though I'm feeling pity for those who have failed in class, because it means they will start from the beginning, back to zero, I couldn't since I don't have any time to worry about anything but to save myself in this class.
Because this is something I'm lacking about.
Today is the unity day, which means all students are equally put together, where the levels, as well as sections, are being put aside and the students are randomly assigned to professors to teach them a stricter lesson than what they normally teach.
Well, this is their kind of celebration.
“Do you want to die?” ani ng guro na nakaputol sa aking iniisip at dahilan ng pagbaling ko rito. Her face shows disappointment as she gazes at everyone in this room who couldn't meet her gaze in embarrassment.
Natahimik ang lahat hanggang sa muling magsalita ang guro.
“In an actual battlefield, there's no stop button where you can escape your death and fly away.” The professor sighed heavily. “Alright, dismiss. Take this day to rest and let's meet again tomorrow to test your ability. I'll be giving second chances to those who've failed. Don't disappoint me,” aniya at mabilis na umalis sa loob ng silid-aralan, at doon lamang nakahinga ang karamihan.
Indeed, all of us are so drained from those summoning classes we've been attending ever since our endurance training was finished. I kind of understand why, especially when in a fight, all we have to do is to give everything that we can give in able to survive.
Hindi ko man sigurado, ngunit napansin kong mas lalong maging mahigpit ang akademyang ito sa pagtuturo simula nang aksidente kong marinig ang usapan sa loob ng admin office noon.
Our time is so limited and the only thing they can do is to train the students as fast as they could, even though they're sacrificing the rest that we must take, too.
It was announced that we'll summon our familiar in no time, which was supposed to be at the end of the month. The adjustment on the schedule made us struggle but I understand why, it's because our time is limited.
However, those people don't know the academy's purpose and it's the reason why they're getting annoyed at this academy, which no matter where I go, all I could hear was their rant towards how it was ranked as the top school on Forsaken Expanse when the way they manage is trash.
Everyone has their own opinion though.
Isang bagay na gumugulo sa'kin ay 'yung batang nakausap ko noon. Mula kila Mika ay wala raw akong kasamang bata nung nakita nila ako.
How the hell was that?
The child's voice still lingers on my head, especially her creepy laugh! Every time I am alone, her creepy laugh will echo in my ears, making every fur in my body stood up!
“Xiel, I heard that we're going to hunt monsters outside the academy as our trials. I'm excited!” Shinoa, who's now walking beside me, beamed in playfulness again.
Sinulyapan ko lang sya saglit bago ibinalik ang atensyon sa harapan bago bumuntong hininga.
“I don't know what to feel for those who are unlucky,” bulong ko habang nakatingin sa mga nagtetraining na paulit-ulit nasasabihan ng bagsak.
Kapag lumabas kami ngayon ay hindi lang kaming mula sa Special Section, kundi lahat kaming mag-aaral ng Lockéhart Academy. Isama pa na maaaring mababangis na halinaw ang makasalamuha namin mamaya. If they are lucky enough, they will survive. But if not. . .
Napabuntong hininga akong muli. Natahimik si Shi sa aking sinabi. Tulad ko ay unti-unti nyang ibinaba ang ice cream nyang kinakain sa kawalan ng gana.
I, on the other side, burned the ice cream using the violet fire I'm slowly mastering until it disappeared into ashes. Binitawan ni Shinoa ang ice cream nya sa lupa at doon ay nagkaroon ng maliit na halaman na strawberry mismo— ang flavor ng ice cream na kinakain nya.
“Hindi ko rin alam kung bakit biglaan pinupush tayo para lumakas kaagad. Parang kasisimula palang ng klase pero ngayon mas lalo na tayong hinahasa. I don't know but it seems so fast. May mga narinig nga akong reklamo mula sa upper levels, masyadong maaga raw ang ganito at hindi pa ready ang lahat.” Pagpapaliwanag nito nang may lungkot da kanyang boses.
“It seemed that this academy is preparing us for something big that may happen.” Natigilan ako sa kanyang sinabi at hindi ko maiwasang mapatingin sa kanya na deretso ang atensyon sa harap.
Yes, Shinoa. They are.
But I chose to keep my mouth shut because I know, ears are everywhere.
“Alam mo na ba ang balita?” Humarap sya sa akin, kinunutan ko lamang sya ng noo.
“What news?”
“The youngest prince of Northern Kingdom will study here.” My mouth gape. What the freak.
No, there are many princes from the Northern Kingdom, since two royalties are managing it. Aphrodite has a younger brother, there's no guarantee that it's him.
Maybe it isn't him, because for sure, there won't be peaceful days for Lockéhart Academy if ever it's him.
“You have only one rule, survive for three hours. Once you finished the trial, all of you will be teleported back to the academy by the bracelet you're wearing. Lockéhartians, are you ready?”
No one speaks, and their nervousness keeps lingering through the tense air of our surroundings.
The professor chuckled. “I assume you are.” Isang wasiwas ng kanyang kamay ay bumukas ang gate. “All of you are free to wander everywhere for three hours to avoid getting caught by monsters lurking in the forest. Click the red dot of your bracelet once you're facing a dangerous situation. Good luck, our students! May the odds be with you.” At sa isang kurap, nasa labas na kami ng akademya.
People around me started grouping themselves. Hindi ko na pinagkaabalahang hanapin sila Mika dahil napakaraming nandito at sama-sama ang lahat. Instead, I started to move forward because nothing will happen if I wait. It's all about our actions that count.
I don't know how long I've been walking until I saw a perfect spot. Isa itong napakalaki at kulay itim na puno na malayong-malayo sa iba. It's emitting a dangerous aura which made those dangerous beasts avoid it, which became my target for my perfect sleep. Mabilis akong lumundag sa sanga at sumandal sa katawan ng puno, ipinikit ang mga mata at hinayaang kainin ng kadiliman.
Why does sleeping is so good? I would trade everything for sleep.
THIRD PERSON'S POV
The air is tense with disbelief expressions on the face of students while their gazes are locked at a certain place. Terrified, not for themselves, but for the princess who's sleeping peacefully at the large trunk of a tree, only if it wasn't known for its curse.
The news about a demon that took refuge in the cursed thing spread fast that everyone, no matter where part they were in the forest outside the Lockéhart Academy, came rushing towards a certain place to see if that rumor was true. And what's worst? It's the First Princess of the Drazzehuss, the largest empire in their world, and from the most powerful clan of midnight children.
Kaia Xiel, on the other hand, was oblivious of her surroundings. Deep within her dreams, a girl begging for help, wishing to be freed from the curse keeps bugging her that she was unable to wake up even she wanted to. It began when she followed a woman who was been cursed by an evil witch, eventually made her into a dangerous tree that whoever touches it, their life force will be sucked and their soul will perish for eternity.
Students of Lockéhart Academy are gathering around that tree, planning to save the princess to receive any recognition from the most powerful clan, but is waiting for the miracle to come.
Lahat ay nag-aalala at natatakot, maliban na lang sa dalawang prinsesa na hindi alam kung maaawa o matatawa dahil ang matalik nilang kaibigan ay doon pa napiling matulog habang nakatingin rito.
Kaellus, on the other hand, with a dark expression from annoyance at the dog following his back, halted from entering the office of his father when he heard what was talking inside.
“How can we save the princess? It's the von Sy'yski that we'll be fighting with once she dies on that spot.”
And without further ado, he teleported at the place where the students are performing their trials, to where the cursed tree is located, leaving the clueless man who doesn't know whether he enters the room or just leaves and goes back to their kingdom.
Phoebe was really scared for what will happen to her first friend, the one that taught her that it's okay to feel fear, but do not be oppressed by it. She's nervous of might happen to the first friend who welcomed her with open arms. Only a few of them know how good Xiel is, which people failed to see because they would only open their eyes at the bad moves she makes and put a blind eye to her every good deed.
But it was completely different for those two people and her brother who knows Xiel more than everyone because something like this wouldn't easily affect Xiel, not when it's cursed. It was the reason why Shinoa and Mika remained chuckling while watching the tense expression on those students around them, especially when Xiel doesn't even know what's happening as she remained sleeping soundly.
And amidst the tensed surroundings, with the cold wind whispering to creatures' ears, leaves are dancing and the smell of mud occupies the place; the dangerous aura from the tree keeps increasing, alerting the students from the danger it may bring.
But everyone tensed when the omnipotent aura stopped on their place before he jumped his way towards the tree that engulfed those two inside.
Kaellus lifted the princess as it was the most fragile glass existing in their world, which everyone saw, and the reason that the prince took account of something this fast, even though he wasn't ordered to do so, is something that surprised the students of Lockéhart.
Just as when Kaellus knows they wouldn't be able to get out, he made his crimson flames dance through the barrier;
it was so powerful that it brought peace to their senses, knowing that they don't have to do anything to save the princess, since the prince has come to save the damsel in distress.
Only that Kaia Xiel isn't like that.
Yet no matter how hot and powerful Kaellus flames may become, the princess just won't wake up as she was drowned at the side effect of the curse, fighting through it so she wouldn't fail towards its trap.
Phoebe, who remained amazed while gazing at the divinity of flames that igniting through the barrier of the cursed tree, emitting a golden light that everyone would notice that it's not just ordinary flames, but the flames from someone who would soon be their King, the next owner of Lockéhart Academy.
Until an unfamiliar scent entered her nostrils, and an arm dropped around her shoulder, followed by a husky voice from someone that made her tense.
“What the heck was happening here?”
That when she looked at the owner of the voice and the hand on her shoulder, she froze, as her eyes caught the view of that crystal-blue eyes, glistening through the dancing flames in front.
Phoebe's ability is fear, but she felt her terrifying fear as she gazes at the same familiar eyes that caused her nightmares years ago.