chapter 8: the school, the boy from the bus?

The urgent ringing of a bell snapped Eria back to reality. Ding!! Ding!! Ding!! Her eyes fluttered open to find Lilly, perched in a chair, her gaze fixed intently on Eria. "Ahhh!" Eria yelped, tumbling out of bed in a tangle of sheets. "Lilly! What the hell?!"

Lilly's voice was calm but concerned. "You were squirming and screaming 'mom' so loudly, I thought something was wrong. You're a sleep talker." She paused, her eyes reflecting a shared understanding. "So, what happened in the war? I have dreams about it too, you know."

Eria rubbed her temples, the weight of her dreams still pressing on her mind. "Ugh, too much to talk about," she muttered, just as the **chime** of synchronized watches filled the room. Ding!! Ding!!

The stern yet encouraging voice of General Ruthgart boomed from the tiny speakers. "Welcome, all first-year students! This is your first day of class, and I am happy to be the first to welcome you on this fine, beautiful morning! Please take your time going to your homerooms today! Look in your tab on your watch for your homeroom building and number!" His voice softened slightly, "Have an amazing first day!"

Eria's fingers danced over the **holographic display** that sprang from her watch, revealing her class in **Building 1, Section 2-C**, while Lilly's was **Section 2-D**. Eria's brow furrowed in thought. "So, I'm guessing Building One is for first years?" she ventured.

Lilly, who had been quietly observing the exchange, shrugged nonchalantly. "I don't know, but let's freshen up and go."

After freshening up, Eria strolled down the academy's hallway, the air alive with the electric hum of advanced AI technology. The mundane lockers stood like silent sentinels, their metal surfaces cool to the touch, hinting at a hundred students' secrets. The walls, infused with history and innovation, seemed to whisper tales of the past and promises of the future. The symphony of progress and admiration in the chatter around her was a mirror to her own thoughts.

Student 1: "The new holographic projectors are incredible! They make the lessons leap out at you."

Student 2: "And the AI tutors—they're so intuitive, like they can taste your confusion and offer the perfect morsel of knowledge."

Student 3: "I'm excited for the next upgrade. Can you imagine the scent of ancient Rome wafting through the corridors?"

Student 4: "Every day here is a step into a future so vivid, you can almost touch it."

Eria's heart swelled with pride as she absorbed the sights and sounds of the academy. It was more than an institution; it was a gateway to a world brimming with possibilities.

Suddenly, a familiar voice cut through the buzz. "ERIA!! Eria!!" It was Jake, his voice a warm caress in the cool hallway. "Oh, hey Jake?" she replied, turning to face him.  "Hey, you're nice and orange today. Do you always wear orange contacts?" he asked, his perfume a mix of citrus and cedarwood enveloping her.

She chuckled, feeling a blush warm her cheeks. "Well, you smell nice today, Jake. And no, this is my natural eye color."

"Wow, they're pretty! Say, have you seen Lilly? Is she okay?" Jake's concern was palpable, his eyes searching hers.

Eria smiled reassuringly. "She's at her homeroom class," she informed him. As quickly as he had appeared, Jake was gone, leaving a trail of his scent behind.

Eria stood before the classroom door, anticipation mingling with the morning air. The AI technology, a seamless integration of the academy's advanced capabilities, recognized her wristwatch and greeted her with a chime as smooth as silk. "Welcome, Eria Sunshield, to homeroom B."

With a sigh and a small smile, Eria corrected the AI under her breath. "It's Sunheart," she murmured, making a mental note to get the name fixed. She stepped into the class, her gaze immediately finding Officer Janet.

"Come and sit, Sunshield," Officer Janet beckoned, her voice firm yet kind.

"It's Sunheart, ma'am," Eria laughed softly, correcting her with a gentle tone.

"Right," Officer Janet replied with a nod. "Please have a seat. I'll correct the name later. The announcement will make its way soon."

The chime rang out, clear and bright, heralding General Ruthgart's voice. "Welcome, all students. I am General Ruthgart! You are now in your homeroom class. Please, no need for discussion as we will cut right to the case. For those of you without an ability, feel free to choose any class you like. I recommend the combat class, so you all can learn hand-to-hand combat. In four weeks, we will have our first outing field test, where we go to a 'Marked A' planet to face your first Beast. Everyone is required to take a beast class, so you can learn about beasts and their tiers. The teacher will explain your classes and how to register. Thank you!"

"And go, Station B!"

"Okay!" Officer Janet exclaimed, turning to her desk where an array of aromatherapy hats exuded the calming scent of lavender. "We have four class sections: Beast Class, Martial Art Class, Weapons Class, and Elemental Class! As mentioned, you must take the Beast Class, and then you can choose either Martial Arts, Weapons, or Elemental. If you have an elemental ability, you are required to take the corresponding class. If you don't have an ability, you are free to create your own schedule! Now, open your watch and click on the classroom icon, navigate to Military Base 3, Group B, and then find the class you'd like to take!"

All the students followed the instructions, some needing assistance. Eria pondered which class she should take but knew she wanted to learn how to fight. "Okay," Eria whispered to herself, "I will take the Martial Arts class."

"Heh," a random voice scoffed behind her. Eria turned around and said, "Please leave me alone." The student scoffed again. "You shouldn't talk to me like that, level 1," he said, flaunting his Band displaying a light blue color signifying that he is a Mist user. "You see, I have two abilities, water and wind, so I can create mist."

Eria retorted, "Good for you, now leave me alone." The student walked up to Eria. "Hey, address me by name, level one. I'm Tova." Eria smelled Tova, and he reeked of strong perfume. "You know, Tova, you're rude," Eria raised her voice, "Officer Janet, I'm being harassed by a student here."

Officer Janet teleported to the desk. "Is there a problem here?" she calmly inquired, gazing into Tova's eyes.

Tova pursed his lips and replied, "No, ma'am. I was just telling Eria that I'll be joining the Martial Arts class as well, and I would love to have her there to train with me."

"Very well then," Officer Janet finished off. Eria rolled her eyes and walked out of the classroom. Then the bell rang—ding! ding! ding! General Ruthgart's face popped up on the watch.

"Okay, class! Traditionally, you have five minutes to get to class, but here you have three minutes, so there's no wasted time in between to keep fighting to a minimum," he announced. "It's time for your first class!"

As the previous class dispersed, the students swiftly made their way to their next lessons. Eria caught a glimpse of Lilly in the distance, walking alongside Jake. Opting not to interrupt their conversation, she quickened her steps, heading three doors down to her next class. Ding! Welcome ERIA Sunshield.*

"Ugh, again? Why can't they just get my name right?" Eria muttered under her breath, frustration evident in her tone.

*Ding! Welcome Tova Hault!*

The door chimed its greeting just as Eria glanced back to see Tova, a smug grin plastered across his face as he held out his watch.

"Level one, give me your credits… now," Tova demanded.

Eria rolled her eyes and darted into the classroom, which was sparsely populated with only six students, including herself and Tova. The classroom resembled a dojo, with training mats, boxes to jump on, a wall full of weapons, and a row of punching bags. Combat machines and wooden swords were neatly arranged, and a giant room freshener filtered the air from the ceiling, creating a vivid and immersive training environment.

"Welcome!! Young grasshopper," a loud voice boomed, inviting them in with a grand gesture to sit down on the mat, each accompanied by a punching bag. "Nice to meet you all! This is our whole class! I am Master Lee," he announced with pride, "martial arts master."

Tova scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "You don't even have an ability."

"Tova!" Master Lee boomed with a huge grin, "You're a special kid, aren't you, one of the few ones?" Tova looked around the room, his gaze landing on the pictures of Master Lee, each showcasing his prowess in fighting dragon warriors, his eyes glowing with a menacing aura enveloping his body. "Yes," he replied, a hint of pride in his voice.

"Good, use that to your advantage. We will start immediately! Everyone, to your punching bags! I'm just too excited to wait!" Master Lee's large frame, standing at 6'7" and weighing 429 pounds with no body fat, he was brown-skinned in complexion, light brown eyes, and light brown hair that was neatly shaped into cornrows that eventually hung down to his shoulder. His intense yet jolly personality was a stark contrast to his formidable appearance. No one, except Tova, took him lightly.

"Tova!" Master Lee called out again, "You and Eria are partners."

Tova turned to Eria with a smirk, his confidence unshaken. "Well, Eria, just make sure you can keep up. I hate to waste my time trying to give a level one loser like yourself tips, but I guess I have no choice. Now keep up!"

"Now, first round! Basic punches! Jabs! Five minutes, ready, set, go!"

Caught off guard by the sudden start of the workout, the students scrambled to their positions as Master Lee's voice filled the room. Aida, Eria's AI, chimed in with a prompt.

"Training environment detected. Please select difficulty. Beginner gives no percentage gain in stat boost, intermediate mode gives 10% in stat boost, advanced mode gives 20% in stat boost, and Master mode grants the most stat boost to 50%. Each stat boost is a percentage gain."

As Eria delivered jabs to the punching bag, she selected the master settings. Instantly, a timer appeared in her vision, and she felt the gravity increase by 30%. Her movements became sluggish, her punches losing speed.

Tova, watching her struggle, couldn't resist a jab of his own. "What's the matter, Eria? Your punches are as slow as a level one!"