The group leisurely walk across the campus, students step aside fearfully while taking quick glances at them, but not daring to look a certain one in the eye.
"I still cannot believe you are actually wearing that bucket hat in the middle of winter," Arthur says with an incredulous face.
"These beautiful things are meant for all seasons, alright," Giuseppe responds as if it was obvious.
"Leave it be, Art. You know he is code-locked into wearing those things. He is the type of guy to wear beach shorts in a snowstorm if he felt like it. Besides, I don't really think you have room to talk," Tandav says with a small smile, while looking Arthur up and down with visible mockery in his eyes.
"Are you tryna fight?" Arthur narrows his eyes at Tandav.
"Did you two hear about the new combat instructor?" Daniel interjects, changing the subject.
"Nope,"
"Nah,"
"I haven't,"
"I have,"
The rest deny it, Daniel releases a mental sigh of relief that he has successfully averted another fight. But the fact that Giuseppe, of all people, had heard of the new instructor shocked him.
"Well, I don't know her name, but apparently she used to be some kind of war veteran. I overheard Mr Grey and Ms Killian talking about it earlier," Daniel says in an interested tone.
Marcus's eyes widened for a brief moment at Daniel's words, an optimistic look appeared in his eyes before going back to normal. Giuseppe glances at Marcus silently before deciding to pretend he hadn't noticed anything.
"Eve said her name is Mavana or something like that," Giuseppe says.
"I see…" Marcus says, the fleeting optimism in his eyes diminishing slightly at Giuseppe's words.
"We should get going," Tandav suggests as he clicks on his watch and a hologram appears.
[11: 05 am]
"Looks like we are already late," Arthur says, Giuseppe glares at the entire group at that, immediately blaming everyone but himself for this.
Beep Beep
To their surprise, a school-wide announcement was made at that moment, a notification was delivered to every student's connector.
[Announcement: All classes for students of Year 1 have been cancelled by Combat Instructor Mavena. Combat Class has been changed to 11:15 am to 5:30 pm. Students of Year 1 are urged to join Instructor Mavena at The Combat Arena, as soon as possible.]
A wide smile threatened to tug at Giuseppe's lips.
'I like her already,'
***
The Combat Arena of Glory Academy is a colossal, high-tech battleground, designed to test the limits of its students in both physical and strategic warfare. A seamless fusion of advanced simulation technology and brutal real-world conditions, the arena can alter its terrain at will, shifting between scorching deserts, frozen wastelands, dense forests or even low-gravity environments like the moon—all at the push of a button. This technology is powered by the Simulation Core underneath the arena.
The main battleground is an expansive, circular arena with a floor made of adaptive nano-alloy plating, capable of reconstructing itself into obstacles, trenches or towering structures. Suspended high above, holographic screens project live battle data, tracking combatants' vitals, techniques, and tactical efficiency.
Referee drones hover around the field, ensuring that every duel remains within academy regulations.
The spectator stands wrap around the arena in large rows, capable of holding thousands of students, instructors, and elite guests. VIP observation rooms are lined with reinforced glass and analysis equipment allowing for accurate data readings.
In one of these VIP observation rooms, the newly appointed combat instructor, Mavena can be seen talking to her assistant.
Mavena strides into the room with an imposing presence. Tall and powerfully built, she carries herself with the confidence of a warrior who has seen countless battles. Her dark ebony skin, scarred yet smooth, contrasted sharply with her long, wild, curly white hair flowing down her back, streaked with faint silver strands.
She wore a dark, form-fitting combat ensemble, designed for both mobility and protection. She wears a black, cropped top with off-the-shoulder sleeves, reminiscent of compressed sleeves, exposing her toned midriff. The outfit is completed with tight black pants adorned with golden accents and thigh-high slits.
Despite her rather simple uniform, her fit, athletic physique is impossible to hide. Her sharp, cold green eyes shone like a viper, sweeping across the room, assessing everything with a single glance.
From the observatory podium, she can see the tens of Year 1 students sitting in the spectator stands. But she easily notices that a certain few are missing.
It just so happens that those missing few are the noteworthy students she was explicitly told to keep an eye on.
"Where are they?" Mavena asks her assistant. Her voice, melodious and graceful, held an underlying edge that left no room for questioning.
Linda, her assistant, was a petite woman at 5'3, dressed in a neatly pressed black suit, giving her the look of a civil servant. Her long, reddish-pink hair flowed past her shoulders, contrasting with the soft yellow eyes hidden behind sleek silver glasses.
Without even needing to question who the people she was referring to were, Linda answered.
"They were last seen making a commotion in the grand library at 11:00 am, I will track their connectors now,"
A mass of holographic screens appeared before her eyes, she navigated through them with swiftness that almost rivalled that of Giuseppe—before long, she enlarged one of them and placed it in front of the eyes of Mavena.
She gazed silently at the live-feed image of Marcus Vathen, Arthur Rain, Tandav Soman, Daniel Gonzales, and finally Giuseppe Castellano.
The video showed the five of them walking leisurely towards the arena, which they would reach in only a few minutes.
At that moment, Giuseppe looked directly at the drone sending the live-feed to Mavena and Linda.
He grinned widely, his eyes turning to crescents. A smile full of malice.
The sight of that smile caused a reaction out of Mavena, a smile that mirrored his own threatened to tug at her lips.
It was as if the two had already reached a tacit understanding without even meeting each other.
They were cut from the same damned piece of hell.
____________
A/N :)