Unlike the usual mornings Cheryl experienced and got used to, where he usually woke up himself or Aurivon, the star would gently wake him up with its violent blue rays.
The academy was totally different, almost like barracks for young soldiers, which they practically were in a whole different aspect and scenario where they had abilities.
The morning bell rang off, signalling every student who had been in the school long enough to know exactly what it meant, while the new students, who had no idea what the loud ringing bell meant, spiked into panic from the sound.
Filled with fear of the unknown, they reacted out of adrenaline.
Cheryl, who had slept earlier than the rest, was among the first to wake up in panic, but he couldn't just arise and start running out to nowhere.
He slid his leg off his bunk bed, his heart beating fast, yet slowly inside his chest as he tried to calm himself with thoughts of funny moments in his life.
'Sadly I don't have any of those memories, though a loud ringing like this usually meant danger or an emergency.' He remembered, already rising to his feet still trying to calm himself of the possible meanings of the loud bell.
Also, the fact that multiple students were now highly panicked and struggled to run out of the dormitory through the narrow space provided to move in between bunks.
Though the situation seemed desperate, he surely knew joining a line like that would surely lead to an injury, or worse death from being stepped on by multiple people who aren't using their brains but running on pure adrenaline.
'Think Cheryl, think!' He spanked his forehead multiple times to see if any brilliant ideas would suddenly come up.
"Wait..!" He recalled something, glancing up at the bed above his.
'He's not panicking? He hasn't reacted since the bell started ringing. Who is this guy? How can he be so calm in a situation like this? Or doesn't he know his life is at possible risk?!.'
The thought led him to try reaching for his exposed leg so he could grab his attention.
He reached for the leg and began tapping on it multiple times to try and wake Manuel up, but he didn't seem to respond to any of his physical contact with his leg.
So he rather climbed up the bunk bed to see for himself, whether he had probably died from shock or had been in a situation like this before, long enough to remain calm.
'But wait, why do I care if he's alive or not. I should rather think of myself and my safety, not about someone I literally just met today.!' He nodded to himself, climbing back down before he reached the top bunk.
As he stared back at the chocked up line, a man surrounded by a menacing aura walked into the room. Pushing the students back from the door with his mere presence or practically because he was an adult and demanded respect.
"I need you all to quiet down at once!!" He yelled, unusually loud enough for everyone to hear.
It obviously didn't work the first time, not until he smashed his hand into the wall, causing a small explosion.
At this point, everyone was too shocked to speak, and he finally had their attention. He first quickly fixed his outfit, then proceeded to clean the dirt off his fist before he raised his head to the students.
"I am guessing you all have been evaluated but haven't been oriented yet, which explains the sudden panic at the school bell." He started with a soft cough inwardly.
'That was a school bell?!.' He stared, just realising the continuous ringing had stopped.
The man walked forward slowly, clearing his throat before he continued his speech.
"So here at the academy, we believe in strengthening the five D's of success at the base of every student. Which is currently the point you all are in now." He stopped, dipping his hands into his pocket.
'Five D's of success? I've never heard of that before. I wonder what it means.'
A foot lowered beside his face. In a split-second reaction, he dodged the careless swing of his bunkmate.
"What the hell is happening? Why's everyone awake so early?" Manuel yawned, sliding down his bunk bed.
'So he seriously didn't hear everything?, even the annoyingly loud bell?!!!.' Cheryl glanced annoyingly at Manuel.
"Shh, an instructor is giving a speech. Do not interrupt him, or we might get punished!" a bunkmate beside them whispered.
"Obviously none of you all know the 5 D's of success, but that's why I'm here, to inform you about it. Do well to listen properly, for I will not be repeating it twice." He warned.
"The first is determination. Determination is the firm intention to achieve a goal, even when faced with obstacles, difficulties, or setbacks, and we want our students to be well determined and face strong opponents."
"The second is dedication. In simple terms, it's showing up and giving your best every time because it matters to you."
At that point, everyone in the dormitory had grown quiet. His voice was the only sound being made within the whole dorm.
Even students from the other dorms gathered together to hear his words with various instructors also on standby in case of guidance.
"The third is Discipline. Doing what needs to be done whether you feel like it or not. Being disciplined requires self-sacrifice and time, always be ready to stick to the command no matter what."
"Unto the next." He clears his throat to continue from the next.
"The fourth is Diversity. Diversity refers to the presence of differences within a group. This can include differences in race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, abilities, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, and more.
It values the unique perspectives and experiences that individuals bring, promoting understanding, and respect across all types of human variation." He explained properly, almost like he was holding a dictionary or a textbook.
"And lastly, we have direction. Direction gives your actions meaning, it's knowing where you're headed and why."
"Together, these 5 D's build a mindset and environment for long-term growth and meaningful achievement."
"Think of it like this: Determination gets you started. Dedication keeps you going. Discipline keeps you on track. Diversity makes the journey richer and direction ensures you're going the right way."
"Do you all understand what I just explained?!" He yelled with a loud voice.
"Yes, sir!" They all shouted.
"Good, now get yourself prepared. We're doing morning warm-ups in the next thirty minutes." He ordered, walking out of the room with respect.
'Wow, the five D's of success. It is really inspirational.'