To her surprise and unconcealed delight, Lea was exempted from participating in basic combat training, all thanks to the medical certificate from Doctor Timur and her physical therapist.
To make up for that exemption, she had to attend the elective lectures on top of the mandatory lectures.
Lea was taking a break before the next lecture in the lounge when her peace was suddenly disturbed by the loud noises outside.
She looked out the window.
Turns out, a group of Awakeners in combat gear was passing by.
Lea paid no mind to them and went back to reviewing the reading material from this morning's lecture.
"We should go in soon, it's almost time for Professor Ellie's lecture."
Rose-Anne, a non-awakened from the Special Summer Programme, closed her laptop and reminded Lea of the time.
Unexpectedly, Lea gained a new friend.
It happened because Lea and Rose-Anne kept seeing each other during the elective lectures.
Lea attended those elective lectures because she had to but Rose-Anne attended the lectures voluntarily.
When Lea asked Rose-Anne about it, her non-awakened friend shared her ambitious goal, "I'm aiming for the internship at the Awakeners Association."
Rose-Anne wasn't just saying it. From the look in her eyes and the confidence in her voice, she was determined to get it.
Employment aside, the competition for getting an internship at the Awakeners Association at any branch in the world was famously cutthroat.
Admiring Rose-Anne's determination, Lea cheered her on.
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In the lecture room, Professor Ellie began her lecture without bothering to check whether everyone was already seated.
"Alright everyone, today we will be discussing the dangers of handling resources extracted from rifts, and what countermeasures should be applied to avoid casualties from improper care."
During these kinds of discussion-based lectures, things can get pretty heated, especially for those who speak against the lecturer's contradictory and sometimes questionable approach to the subject matter.
Those people were usually students who were part of the Special Summer Programme with few to zero encounters or experience with rift-related matters.
The entire time, Lea would just sit back and pretend she was watching a scene where two lawyers from opposing sides debate when clearly the lecturer had the upper hand all along. That was how the two-hour lecture quickly went by.
"You can read as many research papers as you can find related to rifts, but let me remind you now, nothing can compare to experiencing it yourself."
Professor Ellie shot a glance at the students who were eagerly voicing their opinions earlier before speaking to the rest, "If your goal after you graduate is to be part of this mind-boggling world, the best advice I can give you is to reset your common sense. The things you already know don't apply on this side."
Lea, reminded of her first experience inside a rift, unknowingly nodded her head in agreement to the professor's advice.
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When Lea was starting to think this mandatory basic training wasn't so bad since all she had been doing was attending lectures like an ordinary university student, her peaceful days were shattered at the announcement sent on the group chat.
Head Trainer Mike: Rift Exploration training starts next week. Check the details.
As the name stated, the training course is being held inside an actual rift, not a virtual simulation.
Lea opened the pdf file attached with the head trainer's message. Scrolled past the details, down to the list of names and sure enough, she found her name.
She stared at her phone screen in doubt.
Rose-Anne was packing her laptop into her bag when she noticed Lea's odd behaviour so she asked, "Something happened?"
Lea showed her phone instead of saying it herself.
"Rift Exploration Training."
The three words in bold caught her eye.
"Hmm…"
Lea hummed dejectedly.
Rose-Anne returned the phone with a question, "Are you really going?"
"It says attendance is mandatory," Lea responded gloomily.
If she were a flower, she would wilt on the spot.
bzzt bzzt
Lea glanced at the new message notification that showed up on her phone screen then abruptly stood up, surprising Rose-Anne.
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"Rose-Anne, please come with me."
While Lea was still glum about having to go to the Rift Exploration training, she just received a separate message from Head Trainer Mike, telling her to meet him.
Since she didn't want to meet him by herself, she begged Rose-Anne to come with her as they headed out of the building.
"I need emotional support."
"Okay, okay, I'll go with you. Stop begging, you're breaking my heart."
Rose-Anne agreed easily. If it was her brother, she had to coax him several more times before he agreed to her request.
"Thank you, I'll treat you after."
Rose-Anne raised her pinky finger and said, "That's a promise."
Lea locked her pinky finger with Rose-Anne's to complete the deal. Then, they headed to the training facility where Head Trainer Mike said he'd be.
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Training facility.
The two girls waited at the lobby of the training facility. The girl with short hair and speaks with a British accent was curiously looking around while the other timid-looking girl with glasses and a cane remained quiet.
"Awakener Carter."
It took a little elbow nudging from Rose-Anne for Lea to react because she was still not used to being called like that.
Lea was about to stand up when Head Trainer Mike gestured for her to remain seated. The last time she saw the head trainer was when he directly informed her about her exemption from combat training.
"About the Rift Exploration training," Head Trainer Mike went straight to the point. "Participation is mandatory."
'So I can't escape this with a medical excuse.'
Lea unconsciously pouted.
"I recommend you find someone to pair up with in advance. They don't necessarily have to be someone in the combat group."
While Lea was still processing what she just heard, Rose-Anne immediately understood what Head Trainer Mike was telling her and took the initiative to ask, "Can it be a non-awakened from the Special Summer Programme?"
She was practically suggesting herself.
Head Trainer Mike turned to look at her.
Perhaps startled by his stern gaze, Rose-Anne quickly added, "I'm asking for a friend. She's also in the programme and she knows how to fight."
"Students from the Special Summer Programme are not prohibited from tagging along but they need to submit a participation request form and get it approved. If your friend is interested, e-mail the form to me at least three days before the set date."
Rose-Anne nodded after getting a satisfactory answer.
Lea was a bit surprised to hear that. Since Rose-Anne was a non-awakened, she expected Head Trainer Mike to say that they weren't allowed but instead told her how to participate in the training.
The head trainer left after saying what he wanted to say, and since they no longer had any reason to stay at the training facility, the two girls left the training institute and took the tram to go to a cafe where Lea treated Rose-Anne to a matcha latte as promised.
"Who would even want to partner up with someone who uses a cane to a rift?" Lea grumbled with her head down on the table.
"I know someone who would." Rose-Anne paused to drink her matcha latte before speaking again, "About the friend I mentioned earlier."
Lea raised her head and said, "Oh that, were you being serious?"
Rose-Anne was about to answer but she was interrupted.
"I'm not too late, right?"
Both of them looked up at the same time to see who interrupted their talk.
It was Rose-Anne who reacted first to the sudden newcomer.
"Uh, Lea, this is Erica. Like me, she came to this city for the Special Summer Programme," Rose-Anne introduced her friend in a hurried fluster. "Erica, this is Lea. She's the Awakener I told you about."
Lea looked at Erica closely.
A girl wearing a full training outfit; she looked about fifteen years old but her Asian features could mean she may actually be a couple years older. She also had the same short hair length as Rose-Anne except that Erica's hair was black while Rose-Anne had dark blonde hair.
Erica sat down on the empty chair beside Rose-Anne, and when she noticed Lea's not-so-subtle scrutinising gaze, she spoke as if she was used to it, "Just so you know, I'm nineteen."
Lea sipped her mango smoothie in embarrassment for getting caught staring.
"Did you come straight here from the gym, or were you lost again?" Rose-Anne asked upon noticing the sweat on Erica's forehead.
"I was not lost, I just took the long way," Erica responded with slight irritation before changing the subject. "So when are we going to the rift?"
"I haven't gotten to that part yet," Rose-Anne told Erica in a lowered voice.
Then, two non-awakened girls looked at Lea simultaneously. Rose-Anne took on the role of explaining the gist of their current situation while slowly drinking her mango smoothie.
The gist is Erica applied for the Special Summer Programme not just to gain experience but also because she has always wanted to test her martial arts skill against a rift creature. However, there was an unforeseen setback in her plan.
"There's a rule that states a non-awakened individual(s) cannot enter a rift without the accompaniment of an Awakener(s) who is officially registered at the Awakeners Association."
"I thought I was getting closer to achieving my goal but there's another obstacle blocking my way."
Erica slumped down on the chair with a dejected look.
"So, you want to pair up with me because of that rule?" Lea asked to confirm.
Erica nodded with a pair of expectant eyes as if she wasn't dejected just a second ago.
Lea fiddled with the cup in her hand to give herself some time to gather her thoughts.
'Actually, there isn't much to think about. I need someone to partner with for the training and I don't know anyone else in the training institute besides Rose-Anne.'
"I'm a non-awakened but I can fight better than those Awakeners with amateur skills," Erica confidently boasted about herself.
'She does give off the sporty vibe. But before I agree to this…'
Lea slowly opened her mouth to say, "I don't know if Rose-Anne told you but I'm currently doing physical rehabilitation. I still need a cane to walk."
"No problem," Erica accepted without a second thought.
Lea turned to Rose-Anne with a look that said, "Is this really okay?"
Rose-Anne could only smile apologetically on behalf of her friend. Then, as if she just remembered something, Rose-Anne slowly asked, "Lea, there's something I've been curious about but I never had the chance to ask."
"About what?"
"Have you been inside a rift before?"
Erica showed interest at the mention of 'rift'.
Lea leaned back on the chair before answering, "Just once, not by choice."
'A rift survivor,' Rose-Anne and Erica shared the same conclusion in their heads.
Lea could tell by their faces that they wanted to ask what happened but were hesitant to say it so she told them with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Nothing much happened. I was leaving the restroom when I suddenly found myself standing in a rift. Then, I was chased up to a tree by a pack of Mini Cerberus until my brother came to save me."
The way Lea summarised the event of her first rift experience so casually like she was recounting what she did last weekend left the two girls who were listening feeling dumbfounded.
Ignoring their funny expressions, Lea said, "I'm pretty much weaker than the average Awakeners, do you still want to pair up with me for the Rift Exploration training?"
"You wouldn't have survived a rift if you're as weak as you say you are," Rose-Anne disagreed with Lea's honest evaluation of herself. "Also, physical strength is not the solution to everything."
Beside her, Erica nodded vigorously, showing that she thought the same as Rose-Anne.
"So you're okay if we're assigned in the rear?" Lea rephrased her earlier question.
"Yes," Erica answered instantly.
"I'm joining too," Rose-Anne expressed her participation, surprising Lea. "Mostly because I'm worried about leaving you alone with Erica."
"What do you mean by that?"
Erica was slightly upset by her words to which Rose-Anne returned with a half-teasing and half-questioning gaze, "Did you or did you not get lost on your way here?"
Erica sulked in her chair and her silence proved Rose-Anne's point.
Since Lea had no more questions to ask, Rose-Anne took that as her agreeing and concluded this interview, "I assumed we're all in agreement to group up together for the Rift Exploration training."
Lea and Erica nodded.
After the three girls decided to officially team up, Rose-Anne took care of filling out Erica's participation request form along with hers and submitted it on the spot.
Then, they spent another two hours in the cafe fuelled by cakes, researching and planning about the upcoming training before Lea was picked up by her dad on his way home from grocery shopping.