He struggled as the vines tightened around his neck. Although the thorns were now piercing his flesh, their poison had long since numbed him. Just before he lost consciousness, the announcer yelled:
"Alright! That's ten seconds. The winner is our school's reigning champion—Aura!"
Once that was announced, Aura released her opponent from the ensnaring vines and reached out her hand to help him to his feet.
"You fought hard," she said with an encouraging smile.
He was a bit awestruck by her expression, then, after regaining his senses, took her hand and stood. The crowd cheered for both combatants. Although the boy had lost, he and Aura both waved triumphantly to the audience.
"You're never going to get a boyfriend if you don't show some restraint," Aura's older sister, Mirror, chastised with a sigh. Knowing Aura wouldn't respond, Mirror continued, "Guys like a girl to be frail and cute..." Her nose wrinkled as she saw Aura putting back on her tattered school uniform. "If you want, I can help you."
"No," Aura finally replied. "Graduating is my only goal. Everything else is an unnecessary distraction."
Mirror started to protest, but Aura ignored her and headed to her room.
"Good job again, Aura," one girl congratulated.
"You were awesome like always, Aura!" a boy yelled from down the hall, and a few of his friends laughed at his enthusiasm. Aura gave no response; she simply continued on her path to her dorm room, unlocked the door, and gave herself a much-needed nap.
Only two hours had passed when the bell rang for night training courses. Since she had already fought earlier, Aura would be exempt, but training, especially at night, was extra credit. That meant she could graduate faster, and Aura wouldn't pass that up, no matter how tired she was. Without taking the time to do her hair or wash her face, she headed out.
Janx was the teacher today. He was only around a decade older than the students, so he had a very relatable and understanding personality and was probably the most beloved trainer in the school.
"Welcome, everyone. Please engage in your personal stretches. You have ten minutes. When your warm-up is over, the training will begin."
His eyes found Aura, who was already staring at him attentively. He sighed, then gave her a tired-looking smile. Aura began stretching without saying a word, but before even a minute had passed, Janx came in front of her.
"Remembering to rest is also important for a warrior."
"I don't have time," she retorted bluntly.
Janx frowned and squatted down in front of her.
"No time for what?"
Aura leaned down, extending her fingertips far past her toes. Then she stood and twisted to loosen her hips.
"I have to become an ALPHA Soldier... as soon as possible."
Janx frowned more deeply.
"Don't push yourself too hard," he said, ruffling her hair—only to be pushed away by an embarrassed Aura.
"Don't do that," she chastised.
He laughed softly and went to check on the other students.
"There's no time... I... have to graduate as soon as possible," she mumbled to herself.
Her muscles ached so much that even making it back to her room felt like a chore. Aura thought about the reason she wanted to graduate.
"I'll prove I'm not a cursed child… I'm a blessing; I'm a protector—for the people who matter to me."
Forgetting to close her door, Aura passed out face-down on her bed and fell into a deep sleep.
The alarm rang one hour before class started. Aura had to rush to take a shower. She sniffed herself to see if she could skip it… The answer was clear—no, she can't skip, she definitely needed one. A bit disgruntled, Aura hurried to clean up. She scrubbed herself as quickly as possible and dashed out of the bathroom, almost tripping. But when she ran back to her room to grab clothes from the bed, she realized her door was open, and standing in it was a stranger.
She froze, too startled to move. The stranger sent a smug smirk in her direction.
"I wasn't expecting such a wonderful display on my first day transferring into this school," he said, covering his eyes with a wide smile, then pulling the door closed.
Aura was unsettled, but realizing she could be late to class, she shoved her embarrassment aside and got dressed quickly. She tied her hair into a ponytail, towel-dried it until it mostly stopped dripping, and rushed off to class.
Dodging bodies and weaving through the crowded hallway, Aura made it to class five minutes early. While no one was watching, she pumped her fist in victory and took her seat, quickly pulling out her textbooks.
That's when the boy who had seen her earlier entered the room. Ms. Emerald removed her glasses—the way she always did before a serious announcement.
"This is Fenix," she said, pointing to the new student.
"Hi," Fenix said, smiling brilliantly.
Aura looked down at her desk, hoping not to be recognized. She didn't want any distractions from her studies, especially one caused by her own carelessness.
"Fenix is an honorary student. As you know, some children are not here by choice. Fenix is one of those students. His power is very unstable, so keeping a safe distance is advised—at least until he learns to contain his energy. Please be kind to him, but don't forget to exercise caution."
While Ms. Emerald spoke, Fenix stood beside her, giggling, covering his mouth.
"Please take the empty seat in the third row."
Aura looked up to confirm it—regrettably, the desk next to hers. Their eyes met for a split second, but she quickly broke the gaze. Fenix looked amused. He never stopped smiling, which made Aura slightly uneasy.
To her relief, he didn't speak to her—not even after class ended. (Maybe he's already forgotten or doesn't recognize me), She thought. That eased her nerves, filling her with a small sense of relief.
As the day went on, Aura realized Fenix was in all of her classes. It was a bit troubling, but since he didn't talk to her, it wasn't enough to ruin her mood.
"Alright, I hope everyone stretched before class today," Cleaver, the martial arts instructor, announced. "There's no time for warm-ups—we're having sparring matches. As you know, abilities that aid in combat are not allowed, and of course, no weapons. Now, who wants to go first?"
As usual, Aura raised her hand—not because she liked fighting, but because she preferred to get it over with.
"Aura? Alright. Who wants to be her partner?"
Moments passed. No hands went up—until Fenix volunteered.
"I might as well, since no one else seems willing," he said, hopping to his feet and stretching.
Cleaver laughed. "You're brave. Must be because you're new here—I usually have to pick someone at random to fight this fiery girl." He glanced at Aura. "She looks happy someone volunteered."
Aura blushed lightly. "I'm just happy we can begin sooner than usual," she argued.
Cleaver led them to the sparring field.
"Remove all jewelry. Aura, take the west side. Fenix, east. When you're ready, raise your hand."
They took their positions. Aura removed all her clothes except for her shoes and sports underwear (spandex shorts and a bra). Fenix simply loosened his tie.
They raised their hands, but Cleaver pointed at Fenix.
"Remove your ring."
Fenix frowned. "This ring is my seal. I don't want to put my cute classmate in danger."
Aura sighed and put a hand on her hip. "Just let him keep the ring!"
Cleaver sighed. "Alright. Your report did say you must keep your seal on at all times—I didn't realize it was a ring. Anyway... you may begin!"
Aura got into position. Fenix, however, looked distracted, staring into space.
She charged.
He dodged.
She quickly followed up with a roundhouse kick. This time, he jumped back and grinned.
"I wasn't sure at first... but you're definitely the girl from before. I'd recognize that flat chest anywhere."
Aura's face turned bright red. Furious, she unleashed a flurry of attacks. He dodged them all. She blamed herself for letting her emotions get the better of her.
While she was busy scolding herself internally, Fenix gently tapped her forehead.
Aura looked up—too late.
"Five points for..." Cleaver began, hesitating, "Fenix!"
The class erupted with whispers.
"He actually hit Aura."
"And he wasn't even trying!"
"Maybe she'll finally get knocked off her throne."
"Alright, separate. Five feet apart," Cleaver ordered.
Fenix backed up with that same constant grin. Aura, still stunned, followed the command.
A head shot is worth 5 points, an arm hit is 1, chest hits are 2 points, a stomach hit is 3, back 4. Anything below the waist is forbidden—0 points.
Aura's head had never been hit before. She was furious.
She took several deep breaths before round two.
"Start!" Cleaver shouted.
Aura charged. Fenix leaned back to dodge her punch, but she immediately shifted to a low kick and knocked him off balance. As he fell, Aura punched him in the chest.
"Ah... That kind of hurts," Fenix chuckled, getting up and rubbing his chest.
"If you value your life, you'll forget what you saw," Aura whispered coldly.
"And what if I don't value it?"
She froze at his response.
"Alright, back up, you two!" Cleaver yelled.
They returned to their places.
"That's 2 points for Aura. Last round coming up—maybe she'll make a comeback."
Fenix dusted himself off and gave her a wicked grin.
"I think I value the memory more than my life, Aura!" he yelled so loudly that the whole class heard.
Aura's face went completely red. Her classmates whispered feverishly, wondering what he meant. Cleaver didn't seem interested and only yelled,
"Begin round three! Start!"