Losing hope.

It was evening, and lots of people in the Lotus sage academy were hungry, their stomachs were rumbling. The cooks were almost done cooking, and it was just like it was gonna take forever. Breakfast was small, and there was no lunch, that's why there were lots of rumbling stomachs.

The day's activity was over with, the teachers were done training the students, it was your choice now if you'll choose to engage in personal training. When the cooks announced that food was ready and it was time for everyone to come to the cafeteria, see how people were trooping into it...it's time to reduce their hunger.

Ryder and Hugo made use of the same table along with some other students, they were sitting close to each other. They were served their food, and as they were eating, Ryder decided to voice out what had been in his heart for some days now. He glanced at Hugo and inquired in a bit of low tone of voice,

"Do you think those F class students are still alive?".

Hugo swallowed the food in his mouth, glanced at Ryder, and uttered,

"This isn't the right place to talk about that, let's finish our food first".

Ryder just nodded his head as the both of them focused on their food once again. They ate and ate until they were done eating, then the both of them drank water and began strolling out of the cafeteria. Other people were strolling out of the cafeteria also, both students and adults.

By the time both of them got outside, Ryder inquired of Hugo,

"So is this the right time for us to discuss that topic? That question I threw at you minutes ago?".

Pretending not to remember the question, Hugo inquired, "What question was that? Can you repeat it?".

"Do you think those F class students are still alive?". Ryder repeated the question.

"Everything I'm about to tell you now is based on probability. It's been three days since they left this academy to go get Monk Talon's scroll. Now, three days isn't enough to decide if they are still alive or not. According to what I've heard, Monk Talon's house isn't close to this academy,

And it wouldn't be a straight and easy journey to Monk Talon's house, they'll come across zombies and all that. Five or six more days, and we can start deciding if they are dead or not. But as for me, I'm just having the feeling that they are dead...they've been bitten by zombies". Hugo expressed.

"What! Why do you say so?".

"As I said, I'm just having the feeling, am not sure".

Ryder said nothing more, them being dead wasn't making him happy at all though it was based on a probability. He and Hugo just continued sauntering heading straight to their compartment.

*******

It's been six days now, and nothing has still been heard from the F class students. Lots of people had already lost hope that they'll make it back to this academy, their mindset was, they'd been bitten by zombies. Normally, they should have been back within six days, or were they encountering too many zombies that they were having problems getting back to this academy?

Should they be given more time before they'll start deciding if they were dead or not? But this mindset couldn't still stop them from losing hope. Their fellow F class students were really worried. Some were still believing that the four of them would make it back to this academy with Monk Talon's scroll, while some have lost hope.

The ones that were holding on to the belief that they were still alive kept trying to tell the ones that had lost hope that the four young soldiers would come back safely. They kept trying to encourage them, each time, they'll say to them, 'Those two males and two females would come back safely, give them more time', but it wasn't working out.

Many people had stopped praying, they just took it like they were dead, so what's the need for praying? They didn't want to hold on to that hope that they were alive so they wouldn't be disappointed. But Monk Talon was still praying though. He didn't know if they were alive or not, but he was still praying.

Who knows? Maybe if he was with his scroll, he could easily tell if they were still humans or if they had turned to zombies...all was still based on probability though. Captain Wayne was more distressed than ever, as known, he was the most distressed one in this academy.

So another group of students' lives would go to waste just like that? They'll stay in the dark once again without knowing the cause of this apocalypse? What if the students got to Monk Talon's house safely, took the scroll, and got bitten on their way back to this academy? That would be another problem on its own.

Within these six days, Hugo had already concluded that the four students were dead, somehow, he was sure about it. He doesn't seem to be doubting his feeling, but he wasn't happy about it. Just like how everyone was gloomy, so he was.

First of all, those students' lives would just go to waste like that? It was happening again? And secondly, everyone in this academy would be in the dark again? The cause of the apocalypse would still be unknown? But the day-to-day activities would still have to take place in the academy. Just 'cause they were worried about the students doesn't mean they wouldn't eat and engage in other activities.

So within that three days, the normal activities were still taking place in the academy. Students training, learning new things, the strong ones were getting stronger. On the sixth day of the students' departure from the academy, part of the day's events had taken place, and the current happening was everyone eating lunch in the cafeteria.

Today was a lucky day for everyone in the academy, there was gonna be breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and lunch was being eaten currently. The only person that was absent from the cafeteria was, Captain Wayne. He wasn't feeling that hungry for certain reasons, some pertaining to the students that hadn't returned to the academy.

Even Monk Talon that does have body pains sometimes was present at the cafeteria. As usual, some people were done eating and were strolling out of the cafeteria. And this was the discussion between two A class students that had strolled out of the cafeteria and were sauntering along the compound,

"Do you think those F class students are dead?". One of the students inquired, they were both males.

"Yeah, they've been bitten by zombies". The other one retorted.

"Why do you say so?".

"What type of question is that? Today is making it the sixth day since they departed from this academy, if they are alive, they should have arrived by now. There was still hope after the passing of three days, but now that six days have passed, there is no hope, they've been bitten by zombies".

"But who knows, they could still make it back to this academy, maybe they are still alive, all they need is time. Maybe there are too many dangers out there, and they are encountering all of them, that's why they haven't made it back to this academy".

Unknown to the two A class students, an F class student was behind them listening to their conversation. And he didn't like how the A class student was concluding that the four F class students were dead, his fellow F class students? He was among the students that were still holding on to the belief that the F class students were alive.

And he hated it when people concluded that they were dead. And look, it was an A class student that was concluding that they were dead? Someone in the lowest class in this academy? Someone whose power level wasn't that high? They did this for you and everyone in this academy, and you are concluding that they are dead?

The F class student was already angry, and he was waiting for the A class student to say something that would boost his anger. The A class student answered the other A class student.

"They are dead, take it, or leave it".

And at that moment, the F class student behind them pushed the A class student with so much force. The A class student lost balance as he staggered and fell to the ground. Without wasting time, the F class student ran to the A class student and punched him twice in the face while shouting,

"How dare you, an A class student like you has already decided that F class students that went out of this academy for the sake of everyone are dead? Haven't you got no shame? Like, they did that for the sake of everyone in this academy".

This had already caught the attention of everyone outside the cafeteria, all students, no adults.