21. After the Lull

Wednesday, April 13, 2349. 7:46 a.m. First Day of Classes…

Chloe clutched at her course catalogue, the pages wrinkled from hours of anxious flipping when she felt a nudge on her shoulder.

“You’re supposed to be gentle with paper. They’re not tablets,” Aoife said with a laugh.

Chloe had a wry smile on her face as she looked at her files. She agreed with Aoife. Apparently, they’re trying to use technology very minimally because it can fail when out in the field. So, they’re teaching students early on how to document things by hand rather than relying on their phones or tablets.

“Hey, Chloe. You can tell me, you know?” Aoife said.

Chloe heaved a long sigh. “Just the nerves,” she replied as they made their way from the House of Winter to the Cameron Building. That’s where the freshmen hold their classes. But apparently, they just call it the A Building.

“Yeah, well. Not that I blame you,” Aoife said as she took a deep breath. “I mean, I’m a bit nervous too,” she added as she looked around, to the hundreds of uniformed students also making their way to the A Building. Not one of them looked excited. “Man, way to start the academy year.”

“Right? But I guess it’s great that we were at least able to choose the classes we want. It would really suck it it were all randomized,” said Chloe. She had little to no idea why she even had to mention that, but she guessed it must have been because she didn’t want to be separated from her new friends.

That’s not something to be embarrassed about, right?

“I know!” Aoife said.

Not too long after, they reached the A Building’s second floor. “There it is. A-10, right?” asked Chloe as she stared at the hallway. There were five rooms here, but judging by the signs beside the rooms, room A-10 is that one at the end of the hallway.

After flipping her paper here and there, Aoife nodded her confirmation. “Yep, we’re A-10,” she said before leading the way to the room.

Inside, it looked… old. Not like in a bad way, though.

It’s just that in a typical classroom, you would usually see some walls of smart, interactive glasses; holo-boards; or smart desks.

Here, however, there were none of those. The black chairs and the polished white desks were made of wood. And instead of a holo board, it was–– Well, Chloe didn’t really know how to describe that. But she was sure it was a board. A green board. On the bottom of the board is a protruding steel frame. There were two thumb-sized white materials sitting on them.

Meanwhile, the rest of the students were doing their own thing. Some were chatting. Others were reading from their tablets. And Chloe noticed some were using… VR gaming headsets.

When she looked back to Aoife, her friend was glaring at a couple of students who stood before her.

“Why weren’t you guys picking up your phone? Where were you?” asked Aoife.

Bear scratched the back of his neck. “Sorry… we kinda…”

“What?” Aoife urged, moving closer to Bear, who meekly took a step back . It was funny, how such a big guy could be so docile before someone much smaller than him. It made Chloe giggle.

Mark yawned and answered for Bear. “Overslept,” he said. “Sorry.”

“We waited for like half an hour for you guys! And you didn’t even let us know you were already here?” Aoife said with a huff. They were supposed to get breakfast together and go to the classroom together.

Mark took a step back and pointed at Bear. “Blame him. He turned off my alarm.”

“…It was loud,” Bear clicked his tongue.

“Alarms are supposed to be loud!” Aoife said. “Ugh. Just don’t do it again.”

Chloe tilted her head. “Oh. Where’s Cale and Lucas?”

Mark pointed to the back of the classroom. “They got here first.”

When she followed Mark’s finger, Chloe smiled at the sleeping Lucas, washed by the sunlight filtering through the window. He looked so peaceful. He must have been very tired.

Beside him was Cale reading an actual physical book! That’s a rarity.

All of a sudden, she felt a touch on her shoulder. “Make way.”

Looking back, a pale boy a head taller stood over her. It was Niall. He was accompanied by two students she wasn’t very familiar with.

She saw him during the orientation, but did not get the chance to speak to him. Well, actually, no. It seemed like he was evading her. But why?

“Nia––”

“Pretend like you don’t know me,” Niall whispered with a glare as he passed through with his friends.. “We’ll have to talk later.”

Chloe just absent-mindedly nodded.

But after that moment of shock, she fumed. Why did he have to act like he didn’t know her? She was about to grab his collar and maybe slam him on the ground when Aoife touched her wrist.

“That’s Niall Locksmith. His father is the military’s chief of staff,” whispered Aoife.

Chloe was surprised. The chief of staff is apparently the strongest Framer in the League, but Niall never told her about that.

Aoife whispered, “I know! It’s crazy. They’re the only Awakened family with connections to the military.”

“What do you mean?”

“They produce both Awakened and Framers. But on the Awakened side, it’s been a while since the Locksmiths had a Bloodliner. If Niall grows up, people say he’ll raise the status of the family.”

Before Chloe could answer, a handsome figure entered the room. A man with silver eyes and a long, black hair. He looked so young as if he was still in his mid-20s–– or maybe early 30s.

He wore a striking suit. Black pants, black vest, black tie, white shirt, and a striking crimson jacket.

This was Professor Owen Bell. A Class III Awakened with the rare Aspect of Wind!

“Why are you guys just standing there?” said Professor Owen when he gazed at Chloe and Aoife.

After a quick glance of the room, Chloe noticed everyone was already sitting, even Bear and Mark who Aoife was yelling at just a moment ago. That was fast!

Chloe blushed for a moment and looked away–– toward the direction of Lucas for some reason, who was also already awake. He even smirked as he stifled his laugh.

While Lucas hid his lips, Chloe knew, he was mocking her!

I’ll get you later! Chloe mouthed to Lucas.

“Sorry, sir!” Aoife said as she dragged Chloe away. The duo found two empty chairs literally right before the teacher’s table!

“Urghh. This is so embarrassing! Now we have to sit here too,” Chloe lowered her voice almost to a whisper. This is why they were hoping to come earlier, so they can choose and claim a spot before everyone else.

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But it looked like everyone had the same idea.

Some of the class laughed and Aoife blushed. “Chloe… you know we’re all Awakened now, right? They can hear you,” Aoife said as she also lowered her voice, to an even quieter whisper.

“Shoot!” Chloe said as she covered her lips.

Thankfully, Professor Owen broke this brutally embarrassing atmosphere as he cleared his throat. “I’m Professor Owen Bell and this is…,” he said as he raised one of those white cylinders with his fingers. “…a chalk.”

He then tapped the green board behind him with this chalk. “And this is a chalkboard,” he said.

Chloe couldn’t help but feel as if the professor were treating them like small kids, which was quite honestly, a bit infuriating.

Professor Owen continued, dragging the chalk against the chalk board in cursive to write his name. “This is how you spell my name.”

Yeah. It’s literally in the syllabus, Chloe thought as she lazily leaned forward, resting her cheek on her palm.

“I’m your survival teacher, but also your homeroom teacher,” said Professor Owen. “That means I need to make sure your class beats the other nine.”

One of their classmates raised her voice. “Beats the other nine?”

“Yeah. The Four Champions Tournament, First Year Category.”

“How do we beat the other classes?” asked another student excitedly. It was Bear. His booming voice was easily distinguishable.

“By performing the best,” Professor Owen smiled.

But isn’t the FCT an individual tournament? If I recall correctly, isn't it also an individual tournament? Chloe thought. Thankfully, another student asked the same question she had in mind.

Professor Owen nodded. “Well, that’s true. But to encourage students to participate and work together, classes are given points based on how they perform on the tournament. You'll also be given points based on the amount of students who sign up from your class. Then the top class with the highest point will receive a prize and an advantage when they become second years.”

Bear replied. “Oh! I think I get it. What’s the prize?”

“A trip abroad.”

“Seriously? That’s crazy! Where at?”

Professor Owen pulled out his tablet.“Let me see… Oh… this year… Looks like the winner will go to Asari.”

“Asari?” Bear asked.

“The Empire of Asari in Asya. The top class will go there for the exchange student program,” said Professor Owen.

"And the advantage?"

Professor Owen just responded with an inscrutable smile.

***

Later that night back in the City of Noah. 6:35 p.m.

Fia and her three friends revelled in the lively chaos of the Square of Hope, wandering from one busy street to another.

She met up with her friends to go shopping, because they wouldn’t be able to do that when classes begin next week for sophomores.

Liam lagged behind, his face scrunched in concentration. He wasn’t wearing his earmuffs, which Fia found odd, because Liam always struggled with controlling his enhanced hearing. So, he always had to use earmuffs.

“What’s up with you?” Fia asked, nudging him. “You’re being weird.” It was also Liam who suggested the idea to go for a night’s out.

“Shh!” Liam hissed, holding up a hand. “I’m trying to listen.”

Abby, the class princess of the House of Spring (the sophomore House), tilted her head as she moved an arm over her right ear. “Listen? To what?” Abby asked.

“Some guys... They’re talking about something weird. I think… they kidnapped Awakened children, I think,” Liam said.

The group fell silent.

“Kidnapped?” Fia repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. Her heart skipped a beat.

Nate Warren, the second-strongest of the House of Spring, looked annoyed. “You think? Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Like where did you hear that?” asked Fia.

Liam closed his eyes, his brow furrowing as he tried to focus some more. “Over there, by the bar,” he said, pointing towards a dingy-looking establishment. “They said they’ll be rich once they sell… the little magic kids… to some… people?”

Nate frowned. “By little magic kids… do you mean?”

“You know what I mean,” said Liam. “Not kids like us. Kids… like Legacies."

The group exchanged uneasy glances.

Fia controlled her sense of hearing too, and she noticed the others do the same. But all of them, including Fia, cringed as they stopped listening. It was too loud. Too noisy. This is why the Awakened tunes out the background noise to preserve their sanity.

Abby rubbed her temples. “Liam, we can’t all just turn our hearing on and off like you. It’s giving me a headache.”

“Just tell us what they’re saying,” Fia said, her playful demeanour turning serious.

“Alright,” said Liam.

***

Gregory cackled as he chugged his beer.

“Shh… someone’s going to hear us. You don’t know if there are any Awakened nearby,” said Joseph with a slurred voice, clearly drunk.

Gregory scoffed. His friend needed to grow a pair. “In a bar? Yeah, right.”

Joseph giggled, satisfied with Gregory’s answer. “I wonder how much they would fetch.”

“A lot!” Gregory said before letting out another bout of laughter, only stopping with loud coughs when something got caught in his throat.

***

Fia noticed Liam take a deep breath. “What?”

“They’re serious, and they think no one can hear them.”

Fia felt a cold knot form in her stomach. “What should we do? Stand here and do nothing?"

“I’ll call the cops,” Abby said, pulling out her phone.

“No, wait!” Nate interrupted, his eyes beginning to shine. Was it excitement? Fia couldn’t tell. But they looked dangerous. Crazy, almost. “We can handle this ourselves.”

“Are you crazy?!” Fia snapped. “These guys are fucking dangerous. We have to call the cops.”

Nate tipped his chin to Liam. “Hey, Liam. Do you think they’re Awakened?”

Liam hesitated when he looked back to Nate. “No, I don’t think so.”

Nate smiled at Fia. “Abby and Liam are both Level 10. And we’re 11s. Think about it. If we save those kids, what do you think will happen?”

Fia frowned, but she wasn’t too against the idea. When she didn’t answer, Nate smiled.

“We’ll be heroes,” Nate insisted, his voice filled with confidence. “Like, come on guys. We've been training forever for this! And how long do you think would it take before the cops shows up?”

Fia wanted to insist that it would still be faster to call the cops. But for some reason, she remained quiet. Was it because she also wanted to be a hero?

“But they’re probably armed,” Abby said, her voice tight with fear. “We’re just students.”

“Students with magic,” Nate countered. “And dude, what do you mean armed? Trust me, my mom works for the government. There's no way criminals can get their hands on guns.”

"But––" Abby said when she got interrupted by Liam.

Liam raised one arm, gesturing for them to keep quiet. “Listen, guys. I heard them say they’re taking the kids to a warehouse at the city outskirts. We can, maybe, at least check it out.”

Fia felt torn. They were clearly out of their depth, but he couldn't fathom the image of kids suffering. “Fine,” she said finally. “But if things go south, we call for help immediately. Yeah?”

“Agreed,” Nate said, a grin spreading across his face. “Let’s go.”

***

How fucking ominous. That warehouse looming before them, with cars and even some trucks moving in and out, looked so fucking ominous.

Fuck, fuck, fuck! What are we doing, Fia thought. Even if they all activated their Auras, she didn’t feel that safe.

“Stay close,” Liam whispered, his ears still straining to pick up any sounds.

They crept forward, their steps careful. They managed to sneak through the guards and entered a window from the side of the warehouse.

It was dimly lit, but the Awakened Eyes can adjust to the dark. They all also decided to activate their Auras just in case.

Soon, as they explored the halls and avoided the guards by sticking to the shadows, they finally heard voices echo from a nearby room.

“That’s them,” Liam said, nodding towards a half-open door.

Fia peeked through the gap, her heart pounding. Four men were gathered around a table, a laptop open in front of them displaying a list of names and pictures–– Legacies.

Legacies born in the slum areas.

Rage bubbled up within, but she forced herself to stay calm. “What's the plan,” she whispered to everyone.

But before she could say more, the floorboard under Nate's foot creaked loudly. The men looked up, their eyes narrowing.

“Who’s there?” one of them barked, reaching for a gun.

“Run!” Liam shouted, but it was too late. About a dozen men were on them in an instant, guns drawn and aimed.

Guns!? Fia thought. Those are very highly regulated. Only law enforcement should have them! This means these thugs are sponsored by someone. Someone with an influence in the government.

Chaos erupted. The deafening crack of gunfire, the rush of bullets, they shot through Fia’s torso.

Abby also fell down with a pained cry as bullets pierced through her.

Nate went down with a cry, clutching his leg.

Liam was shot multiple times in the chest before losing consciousness. But it couldn’t have been because he exhausted his Shield. No. It must have been from the shock. They missed his heart.

The kidnappers grabbed them, rough hands shoving them to the ground.

They all lay in a pool of their own blood. But thankfully, because of their Shield, they healed their wounds in an instant.

Fia noticed that she only had 40% Shield left after that barrage. She could still fight!

But when she was about to cast a spell, one of the kidnappers laughed. Gah! He’s so ugly and his breath stank!

“Move or you die. This isn’t the first time we killed the Awakened,” said Ugly, who kicked the head of the still-crying Nate.

“Thought you could play hero, huh?” one of the men sneered, pressing a gun to Fia’s temple. He had an ugly goatee. “Man, you guys are stupid. The guards already noticed you before you even sneaked in. Did you really think we’re that stupid?!”

Fear surged through Fia, but she met Goatee’s eyes with a glare of defiance. “You're fucked.”

Goatee laughed. “We’ll see about that," he said as he slammed the butt of his pistol on Fia's head.

Fia cried out in pain as her mind raced with questions. How did this happen? This wasn't how it was supposed to go.

But does that even matter? With their fates now uncertain?

She noticed Abby’s hand in her pocket, and Fia was immediately filled with hope. Abby, who managed to keep her phone hidden, was calling for help.

Goatee yelled at Ugly. “Jo! Go grab her phone!” he said with a grin.

Ugly once more kicked Nate's head, knocking him out this time, before looming over Abby, cackling as he did so. “You know why we’re laughing, bitch? Because here, you can only get a call. But you can’t call someone.”

Abby paled as her figure shook.

Fia felt equally alarmed–– when her own phone suddenly buzzed in her pocket. Fuck. No, she thought.

Ugly grabbed her phone too and raised a brow. “Uwi… fe? Fa?”

Goatee snarled at Ugly. “Ee-fuh! That’s fucking Ee-fuh you fucking idiot! Give it to me!”

“No… No! Not Aoife!” yelled Fia as tears began to form in her eyes.

“Oh? You know her?” said Ugly, grinning with his broken tooth.

When Fia heard Aoife’s voice over the phone, her vision blurred and she prayed. Please… Oh God. Not Aoife, please… Please… Someone. Find us.

***

Coming up next week on the Ring of Avernus...

Lucas widened his eyes at Cale. “What should we do?”

“Suit up. We’re heading into combat,” Cale said.