Lyle and his new classmates sat still and quiet for a few minutes. Then the new freshmen began talking loudly, the building suddenly filled with noise and chatter, students out shouting each other as they tried to make their shock and awe known.
Lyle found himself looking at Irnel and Irnel looking back. They burst into chatter, each one trying to speak and understand the other at the same time.
“Have you seen that! That’s the first time I’ve seen it with my own eyes! The-”
“That was crazy, is that how cultivation works? Darn, I should have not sto-”
“Crazy part is that Erin is in our year! Someone our age has a freaking-”
“Nevermind that, Cultivators are so powerful. Nobody’s gonna mess with me when I get back home”
“Core! She is so gonna be stronger than us when we all start to train.”
They were both out of breath and panting by the time they finished. Lyle suddenly felt someone bump into him, pushing him away from Irnel and into another student. The student didn’t seem to mind, and just pushed Lyle back, too engrossed was she talking to the one next to her. Lyle looked around and spotted the bumper. It was Fredrick. Lyle felt his blood boil. First, he runs away from the fight with the senior, and now he pushed him aside to go to the front? Lyle followed after Fredrick to the stage. After pushing their way out of the crowd, Lyle calmed down a little, Fredrick’s face was red and his eyes had that murderous gaze, all set into the unconscious Erin. Lyle realized that he followed an angry Fredrick and was probably going to make a scene too late. They were finally at the front of the stage, with Lyle just ahead of the crowd.
Fredrick touched his necklace and the stone glowed blue. When he spoke, his voice resounded in the room. “That was supposed to be mine!” The room suddenly felt cold, and a shiver ran down Lyle’s spine. All the attention was now on Fredrick and some were even on him.
“I was the first to the second test, I didn’t use any pills for the exam and I was rated as exceptional in my talent! Why was I 11th and not 1st? There must have been some mistake! Someone added a 1 on my placement. That girl doesn’t deserve that orb. I do!”
The previously quiet room fell deathly silent. Lyle could hear the craning of the neck of the people inside the building, going from Frederick and into the principal. The principal for his part looked calmly at Fredrick and, to his utter horror, Lyle.
“Do you share the same opinion as him?” the principal’s face showed no obvious emotion besides curiosity.
“No, sir! I was just about to confront Fredrick’s behavior as a roommate when I realized where I was going. I do not share the same opinion he does.” Lyle entered the crowd as fast as he possibly can.
The principal looked at Fredrick “Hm… I see. Do you mean to say that you are the best new freshman in this school? Am I right?”
Fredrick shouted immediately. “I should be number 1!”
The principal nodded. “I see. Then would you like to prove it?”
Fredrick stepped back but stepped forward once more. “Give me a fair test and I will pass it.”
“Since the girl already has an orb, she is out of your league. So you have to beat the person in second place, whoever that person is. If you make it to the top of the freshman competition in the tournament, then I’ll personally reward you with your skill orb. If you fail, I get to kick you out. Do you agree?”
Fredrick blanched, looked around at all the people and faced the principal once more. “I accept your challenge principal. Be ready for my reward.” Fredrick quickly moved back, bumping into Lyle and sneering at him as he passed. The crowd parted for him and Fredrick quickened his pace, He reached the closed and opened the door but couldn’t
A new person came up to the stage while the principal left with Erin. Lyle recognized Greg from the entrance exam, his face still carrying his friendly expression. He walked with grace, the grace of a cultivator, floating as he moved into the center stage. He coughed to gain the attention of all the students.
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Greg nodded towards the curtains on the right side of the stage, where principal Taniel left to take care of the unconscious Erin. “Let us thank the principal for the opening speech of the opening ceremony. A few announcements before we proceed to the award ceremony.
“The Annual sports and crafts tournament will be held seven days before the noone of March. If anyone forgets, today is ten days before the mid of January so better prepare yourself and I expect everyone to participate. Go to the administration office if you want more information on the tournament
“Now, we will give the awards for the top-performing students for the year.”
Lyle became excited. His placing in the sixteenth must be good, right? While Lyle thought of his rewards, Greg called out the older years’ rewards. The seniors, the oldest group with ages ranging from as young as 20 years old and as old as 100 years old. They all looked like 20-year-olds so it was hard to differentiate their true ages but the teachers knew them, and the time they spent here. The top new student of this list was given a prize, their skill orbs, given that the top new student did not have an orb.
The next one was juniors. Their ages did not vary as much as the older group. The youngest being a 19-year-old girl and the oldest being 35 years old. The top new students were given a mediocre prize compared to a skill orb, but still a good prize. The sophomores were next. This class always had new students each year and was by far the most populated class. The freshmen had 342 new incoming students and 500 recurring ones. While the sophomore students had 161 new students to their already massive 1500 sophomores that didn’t join the junior class. For this level of class, Mr. Greg called 15 names. The new students all made their way and formed a line and the teacher gave them each a scroll.
Lyle was only vaguely aware of what happened, too stunned at the sheer amount of the students and the power his seniors looked like. He noticed that the seniors had more colorful features, be it their hair, eyes, skin or something else. Lyle saw a senior with a pink horn coming out of the back of her head curving upwards.
Greg said the words Lyle had been waiting for this whole time. “Since there are 342 new students, we would award the top 34 students of the new freshmen class.” Greg named the students one by one starting from the 34th best new freshman. Lyle watched as the boxes got bigger as the numbers decreased. From something that could hold an inkpot to something that could hold a couple of scrolls, each gift got progressively bigger. Lyl finally heard his name, he stood up and walked towards Mr. Greg. all eyes looked at Lyle at that moment, and his legs felt like he was moving lead. Lyle could feel all the eyes on him but as his father told him, Lyle took a deep breath and started walking. His almost impossibly heavy feet began to rise and he stumbled as he walked and he heard a few chuckles. Lyle swallowed back his shame and continued his trek towards the short journey from his position in the freshman line to the stage.
Lyle made it to the stage where his prize and Mr. Greg were. The kind man’s grey eyes looked at him, the green flecks moving slowly in an invisible wind. “Ahh, young Lyle, how has the academy been treating you?”
Lyle let out a grimace. “The training has been hell, Mr. Greg. The running around the courtyard especially. The last day coach made us run 10 laps! I could barely do one when I got here,”
Mr. Greg nodded, his eyes spoke of understanding coming from experience. “Ah, the famous training. When I was just starting here, I too couldn’t finish the laps. The pills were few then and we had to ration it very carefully. Enough reminiscing, you have an award to open and I still have to give more awards.” Mr. Greg pulled out a box that could carry a pair of boots
He accepted the gift, excited to know what was in it. “Thank you for the gift, Mr. Greg. I’ll be sure to use it wisely.”
“Of that, I have no doubt. Go back to your line and await further instructions.” Lyle nodded and made his way back to the line, this time not caring for the stares that he got.
Mr. Greg went to all of the students until the second placer. “Now that the announcements and the award ceremony are finished, the freshmen are allowed to leave, all others need to stay.”
A teacher, Lyle recognized him by his book, stepped towards the new and old freshmen. “You’re to be in the cultivation building Meditation Hall 1 before the ninth bell. That’s all, you’re free to go.”
With that Lyle and his classmates left the building.
Lyle walked towards the direction of the cultivation building, going together with his friends, old and new, talking while going there slowly. A simple question made sure that they were in front of the right room. They talked about the orb and the issuing drama. The time passed this way and before Lyle knew it, the ninth bell had rung. Ten teachers stepped out of the door of the cultivation hall.
One of them stepped forward. “The first fifty students come with me. According to rankings.” Lyle, Irnel, Chris and surprisingly Henry and Taylor all went into the room.
He entered the room and the students all followed. Lyle saw that the place was just a big open space, with a lot of light coming in from big windows and rugs evenly placed on the ground.
The teacher waved her students in. “Good morning class. From today on you will come here every morning except the seventh day at the ninth bell. We will be sensing the ki in your body and guide it. My name is Diana Morton, you may call me teacher Diana. Any questions? Raise your hands”
Her black hair was tied into a neat bun and her dark eyes stared into each of her students. When no one did, she nodded. “Sit anywhere you like and we’ll start once your all seated.”
They did as they were told, Lyle and his friends sitting close together. When they were all seated, teacher Diana stepped looked around and placed herself at the front of the room. “Does anyone know what meditation is?”
A few hands shot up. The teacher chose one. “Meditation is when one clears the mind and opens himself up to sense the world.”
“A very textbook answer but still correct. Meditation is a way to connect with our bodies and our minds. Through this method, one's mind and body are connected more than ever and as a result, you can control more of both of them and more importantly, sense the ki residing inside. I will teach you how to meditate for the next week, those that fail to sense their ki in seven days will be put into a slower class and be replaced with someone who can keep up. Let’s start.”
Teacher Diana began again. Lyle realized how fast the lessons were going to be, he was worried he would be unable to keep up. “Let’s start with the way you sit. Look at me and copy my position. Cross your legs, like so.” Ms. Diana sat down at the frontmost mat and did as she instructed. The other students followed. “Then your hands should be on top of your knees with any hand signs you are comfortable. For today let’s just place it palm down.”
Teacher Diana taught the breathing techniques to her students, Lyle struggling to breathe the way he was instructed while the position did help. For the next thirty minutes, teacher Diana corrected each end every student and observed for ten minutes. Once they were breathing in accordance to her specifications, Ms. Diana spoke through them the various processes in which they could achieve a state of mind appropriate for meditation.
At the end of the class, one person was able to do it. Ms. Diana asked everyone what they experienced while they were meditating, and approved that one of her students was able to sense it.