The First Step Forward

Harry walked on the right side of the Vice President, his hands casually clasped behind his neck, his steps relaxed and almost comically exaggerated. A wide grin stretched across his face as he glanced down at her, his expression brimming with mischief.

To her left, Max moved in silence, his posture straight and his eyes scanning their surroundings with the quiet intensity of a bodyguard.

The Vice President, shorter than both of them, walked between the two, her presence dignified yet oddly resembling a princess being escorted by her knights.

The rest of the students were already far ahead, their figures distant blurs some 40 or 50 meters away. The hallway was eerily quiet, save for the soft echo of their footsteps.

"Hah," Harry chuckled, breaking the silence. His eyes sparkled with amusement as he leaned slightly toward the Vice President.

"So, Princess Caroline," he began, his tone playful, "are you satisfied with your escort? Or should we have brought a carriage too?"

The Vice President, Caroline didn't turn her head, but her eyes flicked toward him from the corner of her vision. "Didn't I tell you not to call me by my name on formal occasions?"

Harry feigned surprise, placing a hand over his heart as if wounded. "Ah, right, my bad. Sorry about that, Class President."

"I'm the Vice President of the Student Council right now," she corrected.

Harry clicked his tongue, his grin widening. "Tch, should I sue you for abusing your authority?"

She sighed, finally turning her head to look at him fully. "I'm not abusing anything. I'm maintaining order. If I let you call me whatever you want in front of everyone, do you know how many others would start doing the same? It's about setting an example."

Harry raised an eyebrow, his playful demeanor shifting slightly. "...Tsk, you're no fun when you're like this," he said, dropping his hands to his sides.

He adopted a more serious expression, though the glint of mischief never fully left his eyes. "Anyway, what are you gonna talk to us about? Is it about the program thing?"

The Vice President nodded, her gaze returning to the path ahead. "...Yes. And you'll know the rest soon."

Harry's face twisted into an exaggerated look of hurt. He clutched his chest dramatically. "Why so cold? Don't you remember who's the best in this kind of situation? The one and only—"

"We've arrived," she interrupted, her voice cutting through his theatrics.

They came to a stop in front of a large, metal door.

Caroline turned to them. "Stand beside our class. I need to join the Council members."

Harry gave her a mock salute, his grin returning for a brief moment. "Yes, ma'am. We can't join the nobles after all."

Caroline shot him a sharp look but said nothing more. She walked toward the front of the room, her steps measured and confident, joining the other Council members who stood in a line facing the students.

Harry glanced at Max, who had been silent the entire time. "Come on, buddy. Let's find our class."

Max nodded, his expression unreadable as usual, and followed Harry to the side of the room where Class 11-C was gathered. The students were murmuring among themselves, their voices a mix of anxiety and curiosity.

As Harry and Max took their places beside Tim who was waiting for them, the Student Council President stepped forward. She raised her right hand, and the room fell silent almost instantly.

"Dear fellow students," she began, her voice clear and steady. "As you witnessed in the dining hall, we have received an important task from the Director. But before we proceed, we need to take attendance."

She gestured to the Class Representatives, who quickly moved into action. Each rep carried a sheet of paper and a pen-like writing tool, moving through their respective classes to mark down who was present and who was absent and the reasons.

Harry scanned his own class, 11-C, his eyes darting from face to face. Out of the 20 students, only 15 were present. His grin faded as he mentally noted the absences. 

The Class Representatives finished their task and handed the lists to the President. She took them without a word, her eyes scanning the papers quickly. Her secretary, a tall girl with glasses, stepped forward and began reading the results aloud.

"Our academy has a total of 12 classes," the secretary announced, her voice carrying through the room. "All of the classes are present. Class 11-A and all 12th-grade students are accounted for. However, there are a few students missing from other classes. Some of them... are confirmed dead. The others haven't been seen since the incident and are considered missing."

A heavy silence fell over the room. Students who had experienced the terrors of the End trembled, their faces pale. Some of them had seen their classmates die in front of their eyes. The memories were fresh, the pain raw.

Harry stood still, his expression uncharacteristically serious. He glanced at Max, who remained stoic, but even he seemed to feel the weight of the moment.

Five of their classmates were missing.

Three of them were confirmed dead.

The other two... their fates were unknown.

His hands clenched into fists at his sides, his usual playful demeanor replaced by a strange calm. He knew those students. They were his classmates, his friends. Especially him—the one who had always been by his side during the worst of times.

Harry muttered under his breath, his voice barely audible, "Please be safe, buddy..."

"I need to repay my debt to you..."

One the front, the President stepped forward again, her presence commanding attention. She held the attendance lists in her hands, her gaze sweeping over the students. When she spoke, her voice was softer, tinged with regret.

"First," she began, "I want to express my deepest condolences to those who have lost friends, classmates, or loved ones. The pain you feel is shared by all of us. To those who have passed, may they find peace. And to those who are still missing... we can only hope they are safe and that they will return to us soon."

The room was silent, the weight of her words sinking in. Even Harry, who was usually quick with a joke, remained quiet, his usual bravado replaced by a somber respect. While Max didn't seem that much affected - either it was because of his amnesia or...

The President took a deep breath, her tone shifting to one of resolve. "But we cannot afford to dwell on our losses. The End is merciless, and it will not wait for us to grieve. That is why we are here today—to prepare for what is to come."

She paused, letting her words sink in before continuing. "The Special Training Program will begin immediately. This is not just for your survival, but for the survival of everyone in Nightfall City, and our world. The event is called Awakening and it is the first task we need to complete. You will be introduced to details later."

The students exchanged glances, a mix of fear and determination in their eyes. The President's voice grew firmer, her words cutting through the tension like a blade.

"Class Representatives, ensure your groups are ready. It will begin in 30 minutes."