The first night passed without any further incident. All the first-year students slept peacefully in the auditorium until morning. The large, double doors to the room swung open and entered Lilith, one of the instructors at Haven Academy. She walked through the room with a confident stride, mentally noting the condition of the students. Only a small number of them were already awake and prepared for the day, while others remained comfortably in their sleep bags and apparel. When the woman reached the center of the room, she deeply inhaled and then exhaled. Afterward, she shouted at the top of her lungs, alarming the entire school.
Eardrums as well as glass shattered from the frequency of her piercing screech. Lilith settled down and smirked at the sight of the first-year students standing before her, less than pleased with her awakening tactics. Fortunately for them, the instructor held back her voice output, so their hearing wasn't affected too much.
"Good morning, students. Time to wake up," Lilith shared a warm smile with the students. None of them appeared too thrilled about their rude awakening. Groans and whispers of contempt spread across the room. However, the instructor remained oblivious and continued, "You all have two hours to prepare yourselves for a special activity the Headmaster has planned for you later. Get washed up and eat well. We will all meet up in the courtyard later."
Lilith waved the students goodbye and wandered off with nothing else on her agenda. Begrudgingly, the students gathered their things and headed for the locker rooms.
Schwartz leisurely lagged behind the other students, making sure not to draw attention to himself. That was one of the leading orders given to him by Bruna. He had to remain inconspicuous throughout his school year unless an event that required him to fight was concerned. A well-known trait of his was that he loved to show off all the time. It didn't matter the situation. If Schwartz felt he was better at something than others, he'd go to great lengths to prove it.
He believed that as long as he stayed patient, an opportunity to fight would present itself. That moment nearly came when Wei Tian appeared last night. Schwartz couldn't put his finger on it, but something about the Tiger Faunus didn't sit well with him. The way he carried himself with such feigned ignorance and limitless arrogance irked him beyond belief. If anyone needed a reality check, it was Wei.
When the students reached the locker rooms, Schwartz kept an eye out for the Faunus. It was a small window of opportunity, but he wanted to knock the bastard down a peg. His wicked thoughts faded when he felt a hand on his shoulder. The black-haired man whipped around like a tornado and immediately reached for his swords. But, he stopped when he spotted a familiar face.
"Hello. Nice to meet you again," Watchet flashed his fellow student a warm smile. Schwartz believed the young man's eyes would've been just as bright if not for his shades.
"Huh? Oh, yeah..." Schwartz's eyes wandered around the locker room for any sign of Wei.
"So, are you excited about our activity today?" Watchet stepped closer and brought his face concerningly close to Schwartz's.
"Activity?" Schwartz immediately took a step back.
"Yes, today is the day where the first-year students will get placed into four-person teams," Watchet revealed, raising his hand and showing four fingers for emphasis. "I'm excited. I wonder what kind of people my teammates will be."
"I'm sure they'll be lovely," Schwartz half-heartedly replied. As Watchet continued to ramble on, Schwartz's mind wandered elsewhere. Working with a team was one of his most difficult setbacks. He never worked well with others and preferred to be the lone wolf. That's why he lamented teaming up with nobodies from the school. By the time he snapped back into reality, he had found that Watchet had yet to leave. "Hey, buddy, I'm in a hurry right now. So, could we take a raincheck on this conversation?"
"Hm? Sure. I will see you later." Watchet nodded and wandered off. Schwartz sighed and continued his search throughout the locker room for Wei.
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Meanwhile, Rowan sat alone on a bench, eating breakfast prepared by the school staff in the courtyard. The fresh, refreshing breeze combined with the sweet taste of her food brought a smile of satisfaction to her often stoic face. She'd only been at Haven Academy for a single day, and at that moment, she felt any peace. Her psychological need to look over her shoulder every five seconds diminished in that short period.
Outside of the kingdoms, that kind of behavior would kill her instantly. Life was cruel, and she was used to it. However, that didn't mean she wouldn't stop and try to enjoy leisure moments whenever she found the chance. After all, she didn't know how long her times of peace would last. Eventually, she'd have to leave Haven Academy and move on with her life.
"Enjoying yourself?" Mari Gould's voice emitted from the earbud in Rowan's ear. And like that, Rowan's moment of peace shattered.
The young woman sighed and lowered her plate of breakfast to her lap. "I was..." She complained.
Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.
"It's rare for you to eat out in the open like that," Mari mentioned.
"Haven Academy is safe. You said that yourself. I don't need to worry about anything right now." Rowan defended her actions. "Any news on Duncan?"
"Nothing as of yet. According to my info, Duncan's still locked up and preparing to get shipped off to a nice, cold prison in Atlas." Mari revealed.
Rowan smiled and ate another piece of her breakfast. She loved it when a plan came together. Her ex-partner in crime would freeze his ass off and rot in prison while she leisurely spent her days at school. It was odd how the turn of events transpired, but she wasn't complaining.
"That's fine by me. I'll make sure to keep my head down until then." Rowan said.
"This wouldn't have been a problem if you had killed him back in Vacuo," Mari said. Rowan's eye twitched at the thought of the memory.
"For the last time, Mari, I'm a con artist, not a murderer," Rowan reiterated.
"Alright, alright," Mari sighed, knowing Rowan wouldn't budge on her ideals and convictions. "So, how are you enjoying your school days so far? Find any cute girls?"
Rowan set her empty plate in the trashcan next to her. "Quit screwing around. I'm not here looking for dates."
"I'll take that as a no," Mari laughed. "Anyway, make sure to keep a low profile and try to have some fun."
Rowan brushed her bangs behind her ear and stealthily removed the earbud in a well-practiced motion. She doubted that anyone was watching her. But, it never hurt to be careful, especially in her line of business. The young woman sat on the bench in complete silence, taking in the moments of peace.
That was until she heard rustling in the tree above her. She quickly opened her eyes and raised her head. Out from the tree fell a familiar figure in black. The figure hit the ground with a hard thud. Against her better judgment, Rowan turned and checked on the person. She stared at the motionless person with wide eyes.
Beautiful face, accessorized with an eye patch, long, silver hair, all black clothing--those very features spread dread through Rowan's body. She remembered all too well who that person was and how much trouble they caused her the other day along with that black-haired, bell-carrying fellow.
The thought of merely ditching the downed girl crossed her mind numerous times. She didn't see anyone else in the area. Rowan thought she could leave and let the girl become someone else's problem.
"Are...are you okay?" Rowan reluctantly asked, knowing she'd come to regret her decision. She moved around the bench and grabbed a nearby twig. She extended her arm out and poked the motionless girl.
The girl's eyes snapped open as she sat up. "That was far too close! I, the Empress of Darkness, Zorina, nearly got lost in the unforgiving realm of darkness itself!" Her golden eye soon focused on Rowan, much to the woman's chagrin. "You! You are the fortunate one that brought the Empress of Darkness to the realm of healing the other day!"
"Realm of healing? The infirmary?" Rowan assumed, having more than enough trouble deciphering the strange girl's cryptic manner of speech.
"Indeed," Zorina got to her feet and dusted herself off from the leaves and branches. "If not for you, the great me would have unleashed a veil of darkness over the entire school."
"All because your eye patch came off?"
The dreadful memory rushed back to Rowan's mind. Zorina caused a vast scene, screaming and crying about how her power was overflowing. Rowan brought the deluded girl to the infirmary and left her for the nurses to deal with. She hoped that she'd never have to come across her again. But, of course, her luck wasn't all that great.
"Correct! This eye patch of mine seals a great force within me! Without it, all of Remnant would face a power far more fearsome than the Grimm!" Zorina proclaimed.
Offering no further words toward the maniac, Rowan turned and walked off in the opposite direction as fast as she could. There was only so much foolishness her tolerance would allow. If she didn't escape soon, she feared she'd do something drastic.
Unfortunately, Zorina followed her.
"So, are you prepared for today's rigorous trial?" The silver-haired woman asked.
"Trial?" Rowan asked and followed up with a roll of her eyes. The more time passed, the more she questioned why she even bothered responding. This girl was a total nutcase.
"The great me has discovered that today, we shall form binding contracts with three other souls throughout our confinement here."
"I don't know what you're saying to me!" Rowan exclaimed.
"Fear not! The Empress of Darkness has enough influence to form the contract with you! You should be honored!" Zorina pointed at Rowan.
Before she could say any more, an announcement rang throughout the school from the intercoms. It ordered all first-year students to the courtyard. Rowan bolted toward the yard as fast as she could, ignoring the cries of Zorina as her voice disappeared into the distance.
About a half-hour passed.
A massive crowd of first-year students gathered in the courtyard as instructed. Many airships landed nearby, with the school staff guiding the students to embark. Without complaint, the students complied with their instructions. The airships took off and flew out over the mountains.
At the head of the leading ship stood Lilith. She grabbed a microphone and spoke, "Listen up, students!"
Immediately, all the students aboard that particular airship covered their ears, not wanting to suffer another blow to their delicate eardrums.
"I'm sure you've all heard rumors about forming teams today. Well, you're correct. You kids will have to learn to play nice with the others." The instructor flashed a taunting smile to the students. Her eyes soon rested on Schwartz, who kept himself at the back of the room. "I'll now explain the process of team formation. You'll all get dropped off in the forest within the mountains. Soon, I'll hand over one of two scrolls that you'll all need to complete the trial."
Lilith propped open a giant chest next to her. Inside were numerous scrolls of two colors, blue and red.
"The goal is to scavenge the forest, collect both scrolls, and find an extraction point."
"Excuse me," Watchet raised his hand. "How do we determine who our partners are?"
"The first person you encounter in the forest will be your partner. Afterward, you'll find out who your other partners are at the end of the trial." Lilith answered. "Are there any more questions?"
Numerous students raised their hands. However, Lilith ignored them all. She pressed a button next to her and watched the magic happen. The floor beneath the students opened up, sending all of them plummeting into the thick forest below. Lilith also kicked the chest and knocked all the scrolls into the woods.
"Good luck," The instructor smiled.