Third Person POV
The Next Day.
The students who were late yesterday woke up extra early and rushed to school to avoid repeating their mistakes, also out of fear of Commander First.
They waited at the closed school gate from 5:00 AM until 6:30 AM, until the key holder finally arrived.
"You're here early, huh?" said the key holder, impressed.
Fast Forward.
The students were seated in their classroom. Tala's room was eerily silent—so silent it felt as if a Spriggan had passed by. Standing at the front, by the blackboard, was their handsome teacher. Judging by his appearance, he seemed to be in his twenties.
"Morning," their teacher greeted coldly.
"Good morning, Sir!" the students responded in unison.
He smiled at them, but it wasn't enough to ease their tension, his smile remained cold.
The teacher scanned each student's face, making them uneasy.
"Hmm... I see. I thought Hanan would take all the fire-based students? Don't tell me there are only a few fire users this year?" he murmured.
Ish glanced at the teacher. 'So, he's our teacher? He looks like a student!'
'His eyes are beautiful. Sky blue, like the heavens—prettier than my blue eyes,' Dy thought.
With his enchanting sky-blue eyes, the teacher smiled at Ish and Dy, having noticed them staring.
"Class, I am your adviser, Askad Tala. Just a quick task, write your names on a 1/8 piece of paper, along with your address, contact number, and ExSkill."
The students immediately rummaged through their bags.
"1/8, Sir?" someone asked, just to make sure.
"Sol, do you have a 1/8?" Dy asked, slightly combing her blond locks with her fingers.
"Nope, Sis," Sol replied coldly.
"No way? A student without a 1/8? What about a whole sheet then? So irresponsible!" Azure chimes in, a fake surprise on her cute face. She put her index finger on her lips as she thought deeply. "Hmm... wait… AHA! I think there are lots of leaves outside. Why not use those?" She suggested, a smirk displayed on her face.
"Azure, shut up. If you're not going to share, don't talk," Seth snapped, his voice deadpanned like his expression.
"Excuse me?" Azure shot back, she was taken back and if Seth want trouble she'll give him hell.
"You're excused," Seth replied nonchalantly.
"Guys, let's not judge Azure. Maybe her paper was bought with her parents' sweat and hard work," Maye said with a sad expression.
'What's this girl's deal? She's too kind,' Ish thought, confused.
Seth paused, feeling a slight tug in his heart. He pulled out his hidden one whole sheet and handed it all to Maye. Azure, Sol, Dy, and even Ish were shocked. Was this a genuine display of affection or just a farce?
"Don't be sad anymore! Take my one whole sheet—heck, take my bag too—just be happy again!"
"So dramatic," Dy rolled her eyes. 'But what if... someone loved me like that? Wait! What am I even thinking?!'
'Is he serious?' Ish was in disbelief. He just sighed.
Maye didn't take the one whole sheet. Instead, she asked Seth to just give everyone a 1/8. Seth eagerly agreed, especially after seeing the smile of the girl who made his heart race. Azure, on the side, rolled her eyes, feeling a bit jealous.
Because they were busy bickering, they didn't notice the slight change in Azure's demeanor—guilt, regret, and hesitation.
'Was I too selfish?' Azure questioned internally. 'They're students; they should have paper. But it's not my fault... duhhh!'
Teacher Tala grabbed a piece of chalk and wrote something on the green board. He tapped the board lightly to get everyone's attention.
"Demonstration?" the students read aloud.
Teacher Tala dusted the chalk off his hands. "Correct. A demonstration of ExSkill. That's what we'll be doing today."
"Wait... does that mean… a practical activity?!"
"Means what?"
"Ask Google."
"I hope it's not too difficult..."
Teacher Tala smirked at the murmurs he overheard. He was excited to see his students' hidden potential. He had already heard about their ExSkills from his loud co-teacher and was quite intrigued. He wanted to see how well they could actually use them.
Because to Teacher Tala, what's the point of a powerful, flashy ExSkill if you don't know how to use it?
"Wait, sir… I have a question."
"Hmmm?"
"Isn't this kind of activity meant for the Hero Track students? We didn't enroll in the Hero Track… and there's no Hero Track in ALVAACAD either, so..."
"Good point! Thanks for the question. Everyone, listen! If you didn't know yet, ALVAACAD is different from normal schools, even those that have a Hero Track."
nod-nod
"We shouldn't rely only on Pro-Heroes for everything. Do you agree?" His expression expected full agreement, so everyone just nodded along.
nod-nod
He grinned and continued, "What would you do if you were in danger? Just wait for a Pro-Hero to save you?"
shake-shake
"That's right! We need to learn how to protect ourselves! Am I right?"
nod-nod
"This lesson, added to your P.E. curriculum, will train you to properly use your ExSkills and understand their potential. You've learned the basics in previous years, right?"
nod-nod
"At ALVAACAD, we upgrade ExSkill informatics. Always remember—Heroes aren't the only ones with the right to understand their gifts. Even ordinary civilians like us have the right to use them. There are times when Pro-Heroes can't save everyone, so we can't always depend on them."
nod-nod
"Well then… prepare yourselves, because we're heading to the Woodsea! Oh! But first, go to Room 143 to get your P.E. uniforms."
"Woodsea?"
Woodsea. A forest located in the East Coast District. Since the East Coast was quite far, outside of Green Ville District, the students used a dimension door to get there quickly.
"Wow! ALVAACAD really is something else!" Seth's eyes sparkled as he stepped out of the portal.
"This thing is amazing! It's like... Doraemon's pocket!" Ish was in awe.
"I have nothing to say..." Azure muttered.
"But you just said something?" Dy quipped, causing Azure to roll her eyes.
"So this is the Woodsea?" Maye observed, there is admiration in the tone of her voice.
The forest is vast with green living things: plants, trees, and of course they heard chirps from birds and probably this place isn't just a training ground but a sanctuary.
Sol took a deep breath. "Do you smell that?"
"Huh?" Ish raised a brow.
"Body odor?" Seth joked.
"No! It smells like the ocean!" Sol clarified.
"No, genius! We're at the East Coast!" Azure pointed out. "What do you guys expect?!"
Woodsea was named… simply because the owner or discoverer felt like it.
"Be amazed 'till your heart's content," a voice from another section said.
Class Tala was surprised to see students from other sections too. They thought they'd be alone.
"What's going on? Why are students from other sections here?" Ish was confused. Something felt off...
'Wait! This isn't a combat battle, is it?!' He paled at the thought. 'I know there's an initiation, but Rin said—'
Three sections—Hanan, Mayari, and Tala—watched each other, their faces showing different expressions. When the teachers arrived, curiosity filled the air.
"Alright! Since you're all here, let me introduce myself and explain what's happening. First, I am Teacher Adya Hanan, the adviser of Class Hanan. The reason you're here is to demonstrate your ExSkills so we, your teachers, can analyze, improve, and adjust them. With me are Teacher Asanya Mayari, the adviser of Class Mayari, Teacher Askad Tala, the adviser of Class Tala, and, of course, your Diwan, Ken Moss, a healer."
Class Tala grew anxious. Whatever they were about to do… it wouldn't be easy. Especially with three sections combined.
"You got this, Ish." Ish's determination burned—but so did his nerves.
Why am I nervous? What's wrong with me? Calm down, Ish. Maybe it's just the coffee. Chill!
He wiped his sweaty palms on his jogging pants. His palms became sweaty when he was anxious.
Unlike the nervous Class Tala, the other sections were eager to show off their ExSkills.
'Ish, this demo is your chance to shine.' —Rin.
—to be continued...