I heard the sound of footsteps approaching behind me again.
"Luë Aluden?"
I turned around and it was instructor Vance, his gaze was rather different now, far more attentive and curious than when I had first entered his classroom this morning.
"Instructor Vance?" I said.
"Instructor Stellan had told me all about what happened in the spar you had with a fellow student," he smiled. "Keep it up, your martial prowess is worthy of praise."
I smiled, "I still have a long way to go… but I appreciate it."
He gave a slight nod. "Good. That mindset will serve you better than talent ever could."
Vance's glance shifted toward Yulien. "Yulien, you're going to do great things hanging around people who challenge and benefit you. I'm proud of you both."
Yulien bowed in respect. "Thank you, Instructor. I'll make sure I don't waste the opportunity."
Vance glanced at the clock on the wall to look at the time. "Oh—lunch break's about to start in ten minutes or so, so you'll both need to return to our class. Do you want to walk with me?
Mireya glanced at us.
Vance looked at her. "You're in a different class, I assume? Placements are temporary, so you'll all see each other soon enough."
Mireya gave a light shrug. "It's fine. I have a feeling I'll be seeing both of you in the same class anyway—seems like we're on par in strength."
Vance let out a soft chuckle. "So that's a yes from both of you?" His gaze shifted between me and Yulien.
Yulien nodded. "Yeah, I'm good with that."
I glanced at them both. "Sure, I'll head back to class too. But we're going to the cafeteria once lunch break starts, right?"
Vance shook his head. "Not quite. They're still prepping food for the flood of students, so all instructors were told to bring their temporary classes back for ten more minutes."
I turned to Mireya. "Will you see us in the cafeteria later?"
She smiled. "Definitely. I'll come find you two when I get out of my classroom."
And so, we walked back to class B-2 with Instructor Vance, we had entered the class and there were students already waiting in the class for Lunch break to start.
Instructor Vance tapped his desk with his finger so they could pay attention to what he had to say. "As you all know, today's class is temporary, and although instructors today weren't told to teach students, I still taught you all the levels of power that most of you know about already.."
He went on to say, "And when lunch break ends, all of you will head to the auditorium. The headmaster will be giving a speech there. Any questions?"
I raised my hand. "How are we all going to fight each other in the arena? Are we all taking turns in a duel?"
He nodded slightly, arms folded behind his back. "Good question. There will be multiple duels at a time—five, to be exact. One instructor will be observing each battle."
He paused for a moment before adding, "Oh, and I forgot to mention—after the headmaster's speech, you'll all head to the dormitories. Each of you has been given a packet that includes the dorm you're assigned to and its key. If you've lost that packet, you'll need to talk to your counselor. Other than that you guys are free to relax, walk around the room and hang out if you desire to do so."
After that, the class started getting noisy again as students talked amongst themselves. Then the bell rang—it was time to get out of class and meet up with Mireya at the cafeteria.
Yulien and I walked out of class, eager to meet up with Mireya. We hurried to the cafeteria, hoping to find her there
As we rounded the corner toward the cafeteria entrance, I spotted Mireya standing near the benches. But she wasn't alone. A tall, well-dressed young man with a smug grin was leaning close, speaking with too much familiarity.
"You've got the kind of beauty that should be admired," he said, voice dripping with arrogance.
Mireya's smile tightened, but she didn't back down. "Thanks, but I'm not interested."
He said, "You're playing so hard for no reason. Just give me a chance and let's have a conversation over there at that table. You won't have to eat the free food—I've got you covered with the paid meals."
Mireya responded, already tired of the conversation, "No thank you. And besides, I've already got friends to sit and hang out with."
The noble chuckled, stepping a little closer. "Don't be so cold to me. I insist—just one conversation."
Yulien and I exchanged a look. We both knew it was time to step in—before Mireya ended up beating a noble on the very first day at the academy.
Yulien stepped up to the noble and said, "Hey, you. She already has a boyfriend, and you're still hitting on her like this?"
He jabbed a thumb toward me. "This is him, right here. So if you're trying to woo her, you're basically asking to mess with him."
Mireya's jaw dropped in shock at his sudden declaration.
I decided to roll with it. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, I gave the noble a calm look. "You trying to court her?"
Mireya paused for a moment, then caught on quickly. She leaned into my side, crossing her arms with a smirk. "Yeah. So maybe go find someone else to bother before you embarrass yourself any further."
The noble's face twisted, his face screaming irritation and disbelief. He looked at me and Mireya then walked away in shame.
Mireya stayed close to my side, but once the noble turned and walked away, she let out a sigh. I glanced at her, then at Yulien—who was looking way too pleased with himself.
She raised a brow at him. "Really?"
I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Boyfriend.. Yulien?"
He shrugged with a proud grin. "It worked, didn't it?"
Mireya and I shared a look, unimpressed.
Yulien smirked, clearly enjoying himself. "Come to think of it, your arm is still wrapped around her shoulder, isn't it?"
I blinked, then glanced down. Sure enough, it was.
Mireya looked up at me with a small smile. "You know, I don't mind. But you're making it real convincing."
I cleared my throat and quickly stepped back. "Right. Uh… forgot."
Yulien chuckled, entirely too satisfied with himself.
We found a spot near the corner of the cafeteria, not too crowded but still lively with the conversations of fellow students.
Yulien gave a devious smile as we reached the table. "I'm not hungry. I won't be getting anything—you two can go together and grab food."
Mireya squinted slightly. She could feel it—his intentions weren't exactly subtle. I know being a vampire came with some innate abilities, and emotional perception was definitely one of them.
She leaned closer to me and whispered, "He's up to something."
I whispered back to her, "I know, he's been at it since you were approached by that guy.. Anyway, let's get in line now."
And so we walked to the line for food. We spent about three minutes waiting, the silence between us thick—none of us said a word. Yulien's mischievous little stunt had definitely cast a shadow over the mood.
I broke the silence as we walked back to the table, asking her a question, "Is he always like this?"
She laughed and said, "We rarely talk but I assume he has definitely always been like this."
I smirked and shook my head.. "Figures. He's got that kind of vibe written all over his face."
We sat back down at the table, getting ready to eat our food.. I'm thinking of something to talk about since the silence has hit the table.
Yulien said, "What's wrong? Anything happened while you guys were getting food?"
Mireya, squinting with her eyes said, "Oh you know what you were doing, you're doing too much Yulien."
I said, "I agree, we both know you left us both alone to get food.. I'll have you know it was a little awkward because of how silent it was."
Yulien snorted, clearly pleased with himself. "Awkward silence builds tension. That's like the first rule of romance."
Mireya rolled her eyes but smiled faintly. "You read too many novels."
I chuckled. "Or he's composing some romantic tale in his head with us as the main couple."
Mireya scoffed. "Please. If anyone's the main character in his ridiculous fantasy, it's himself. We're just the poor souls dragged along for emotional support and dramatic flair."
I said, "I agree. Yulien seems like the type to hold full conversations with his reflection."
Yulien held up his middle finger. "First of all, mirrors appreciate me. Second, I cast everyone I care about in flattering roles. You're welcome."
Mireya leaned on her hand and cringed. "Flattering.. Huh.'"
I changed the topic, "Anyways, I've heard that they're doing 5 duels at a time tomorrow in the arena.. Surely you guys think it's gonna take a long time, right?"
Yulien said, "Mmm, the instructors will probably spend the entire day just sorting everyone into classes based on how well they performed."
Mireya rolled her eyes. "Great. So, a whole day is wasted on just figuring out who's mediocre and who's lucky."
We fell into a comfortable silence, the clatter of trays around us filling the cafeteria. Fifteen minutes later, with lunch nearly finished, the noise began to die down as students prepared to move on.
I said, "It's time."
Yulien furrowed his brow, "What's he gonna give a speech about, anyway?"
Mireya said, "Probably how we're all doomed if we don't survive the first week."
The chatter in the cafeteria dimmed as everyone began moving toward the auditorium. The hallways were loud from the footsteps of students walking through. With the crowd pressing forward, we joined the steady stream, making our way to the doors that led inside.
Inside, the auditorium was already filling up, with whispered conversations among fellow students. At the front, the headmaster stood behind the podium, adjusting his robes and clearing his throat as he prepared to address the students. His sharp eyes scanned the room, settling on the crowd with a calm, steady gaze—ready to begin the speech.
The Headmaster cleared his throat once more, his voice calm but carrying authority as it echoed through the auditorium.
"Good morning, students. I am Headmaster Thalen, and it is my honor to welcome you to the start of another year at Grace Academy. This institution has long stood as a beacon of knowledge, discipline, and growth. Each of you has earned your place here through dedication and talent, and it is my hope that this year you will challenge yourselves further than ever before.
"Expect rigor in your studies, but also expect opportunities to learn, to lead, and to forge bonds that could even last a lifetime. The path ahead will not be easy. There will be moments of doubt, and moments that will test your resolve. But it is through these trials that you will grow stronger.
"As always, our instructors will assess your progress carefully and place you where your potential can best be realized. Take every lesson to heart, for knowledge is a power that can never be taken from you.
"Let this year be marked by your courage to face the unknown and your willingness to strive for excellence. I look forward to witnessing all that you will achieve.
As Headmaster Thalen stepped back from the podium, the room filled with applause. Hands clapped steadily, The sound grew, then gradually faded as the headmaster gave a small, appreciative nod before stepping away.
I glanced at Mireya and Yulien, noticing the steady calm in her expression. Yulien was already grinning, clearly eager for what was coming next.
"Tomorrow's dueling is going to be interesting," he said softly.
"Yeah," I replied. "Let's just make sure we're ready."
Mireya said, "Well I'll see both of you guys later on, we already have to go check out our dormitories."
She stood up, brushing her cloak back over one shoulder, and gave a small wave before slipping into the stream of students heading toward the exit and going to the girls' side of the dormitories.
Yulien stretched his arms behind his head with a yawn. "Guess we should head out too. Nothing left to do but settle in and pray we don't get stuck with snorers."
I gave a faint smile, but my thoughts were already drifting towards the events of the duels, the evaluation, the eyes that would be watching.
Yulien glanced toward the hallway leading to the boys' side of the dormitories. "Ready to see where we'll be crashing?"
I nodded, falling into step beside him as we moved through the bustling corridors. The chatter of students filled the air. I felt a mix of excitement and nervous energy. The boys' dormitories were just ahead—rows of sturdy doors and narrow windows, promising a place to rest before the real challenges began.
As we walked, I tried to push aside the weight settling in my chest. Tomorrow would really come soon enough. For now, it was enough to find my room and prepare for the days ahead.
After a moment of silence, Yulien glanced over. "Hey, about that move you pulled on Mireya during sparring—what did you even do? You barely gave her a chance to react."
I shrugged. "It's based on the wind orb she uses, but I combined it with martial expression, using it to compress and focus the air into a shockwave on the very tip of the sword."
Yulien raised an eyebrow. "So, like a more concentrated, harder-hitting version?"
"Exactly. It's like taking the wind's force and focusing it into something that hits faster and stronger. I've been working on controlling it better."
Yulien smirked. "That's pretty smart, ever found a name for the technique yet?"
I shook my head. "Not yet."
Yulien laughed softly. "Well, when you do, make sure it sounds impressive."
I chuckled. "No promises."
The boys' dormitory stood ahead. Each room was shared by two students.
Yulien opened his packet and looked for what room he was assigned to. "What'd you get?."
I unfolded mine and read aloud, "Room 214."
He looked at me, squinting slightly. "Room 214, huh?"
I met his gaze and squinted back. Without a word, we reached out, clasping hands tightly before pulling each other in for a quick shoulder bump.
"Roommates," Yulien said with a smirk.
I nodded. "Roommates."