"Look for your names on the notice board in front of your dormitories to find your rooms" Yohan directs
We begin to disperse.
"I hope we're in the same room." Evelyn squealed
"Yeah, me too" I reply
When we reach the notice board, the path clears up for us again like before. Evelyn takes the opportunity to strut through, dragging me along. The last thing that I want is to be the sore thumb that sticks out like a rotten carcass.
I keep my gaze firmly on the floor, ignoring all the eyes following us.
"You look from the top for our names and i'll start from below" she says
"Okay"
I take note of the first name on the list. Reina Sam. I wonder in what order these names are ranked.
"Oh I've found your name" Evelyn taps me
I follow her finger to the bottom of the list, where my name is, inscribed in pencil, as if added at the last minute.
I guess this makes sense. I didn't exist to them until three days ago.
"Found mine too" she says in a disappointed tone.
Next to my name is the letter X and next to hers is the letter C
"Looks like our little princess is a weakling" a voice says behind us
"Shut it Kayne" Eve snaps
A guy steps between Eve and I, placing one arm around each of our shoulders.
"Did you know that the best students are up there" he points at the top of the list "and the worst ones are…" he points at the bottom
"Down there" he finishes
"That means nothing! Last years top graduating student was a U class" Eve defends
"Well, can our princess here be our Top Graduating Student?"
I take his hand off my shoulder and step back
"Lets go Eve"
She does the same and steps towards me.
"Good luck Princess, see you in the ring" he waves
"Who's he?" I ask her
"That's Kayne, his dad is the head Battle strategist. He's a real oaf, just ignore him" she explains
"You know him?"
"Yeah, since we were kids" she says with disdain all over her face.
We walk through the dorm gates into a long pathway that has beautiful purple and yellow trees on both sides like a canopy shade. The smell of immortal roses lingers as well and my eyes quickly spot them at the roots of the giant trees.
We reach a gigantic staircase that parts into two separate wings.
Eve looks at me sadly
"My room's that way, she points to the left" she whispers
"Okay. I'm guessing mine's that way?"
"Yeah, probably" she nods
We squeeze hands before she turns around.
I pull her back and hug her
"Oh"
I don't let go
Eve hugs me back too
"I'll come by you room once i settle in" she mumbles into my shoulder
"Okay"
We separate and climb up to our rooms.
When I get to the top of the stairs, I see giant red doors with letters boldly inscribed on them. The first letter is N. I walk down the dimly lit hallway until I reach the door with X inscribed on it.
I hold my breath and turn the door knob.
The room is large. Five single beds are lined up next to each other. Opposite them are five wardrobes for every bed. There's another door at the far corner which I assume leads to the washroom and a wide window overlooking the rest of the academy.
I step inside the room and close the door behind me.
There are 3 girls already settled in. One is asleep, another has her thick rimmed glasses and her head buried in a thick book. The last one has her eyes on me as I approach the one unmade bed.
"That's Mona's" she says
I look at her for a second
"Okay, I'll take the other one then"
I look at the last bed at the far end, close to the window and internally shrug. I don't mind the view, it's beautiful.
"Are you a first year student?" i ask as i try to strike a conversation
"Do I look like a first year?" she replies sharply
"Sorry, i thought you -"
"You thought wrong" she cuts me
"Stay away from me Anorem!" she says before covering her eyes with an eye mask and sliding under her sheets.
I exhale and settle down into my own bed and that's when I see the duffle bag that Yoda packed for me, sitting in front of the wardrobe opposite me.
I go through it for a portable weapon. The pocket knife, before stuffing the entire bag into the wardrobe.
If I thought the Academy back at Anoryl would be bad, then this place was yet to be my hottest hell yet.