3

They told us we could leave our trays on the table, and the staff would clean them later. I was craving soda badly, though I doubted I could find any here. Still, there was no harm in asking.

"Can I get soda here?"

"Yes. Do you have any change? There's a vending machine outside."

Seriously? A vending machine in a place like this? It seemed out of place amidst all the natural beauty. Still, I was glad I could get some soda.

"No, I don't."

"I do," Hope said. I looked at her. I wouldn't have asked, but if she wanted to give it, I wouldn't refuse.

"Alright, I'll buy it for you."

As we walked, I noticed a foot being stuck out in front of me. My reflexes were sharp, so I stopped before tripping. I looked at the foot, then at the person it belonged to. The table full of students burst into laughter, but I didn't care. Instead, I did what I did best. I stepped down on the person's ankle with all my weight before taking a step forward.

"Oops, I think I stepped on something," I said, turning around. The boy screamed and pulled his foot back. I was pretty sure I had sprained his ankle.

"Why would you put your foot in my way? I didn't see it," I scolded.

"Liar!" he hissed.

"Then why was your foot exactly in my path?"

The boy and his friends went silent. Other students in the cafeteria were watching. Hope and Jessie stared at me in astonishment. I shrugged and kept walking.

As soon as we stepped outside, I waited for the girls to show me the way to the vending machine. I had no idea where it was.

"We finally found the third person!" Hope exclaimed excitedly.

"The third person for what?"

"The third person worthy of sharing our room," Hope explained.

"Like I said, I'm doing my best to get myself expelled, so don't get your hopes up."

"You won't be expelled so easily. Even if you break the rules, the worst they'll do is lock you in the basement or punish you. They wouldn't just throw you out," Jessie said.

"So, I'm untouchable?"

"Sort of."

"Well, at least now I won't have to think twice about killing someone," I said, stretching my arms behind my head as I walked.

"If you want to learn more about your powers, I can take you to the library. There might be records about people like you," Jessie offered.

"Leader," I said.

"What?"

"The woman in charge called me the Leader."

"Are you sure Liz used that word?"

"Yes."

"My god, you really are special. The last Leader this country had died 268 years ago. This makes sense now. You have the power of control and can use all elements. No one could do that, not even those with special abilities. That makes you superior to everyone. Even the royal family. Even the king and queen!" Jessie exclaimed loudly.

I clamped a hand over her mouth. The last thing I needed was the entire country dumping its expectations on me.

"Be quiet," I warned, then released her.

"I'm not superior to anyone right now. I can't even use the elements, and the only power I have is control, which I don't even fully understand."

"One thing I remember about the Leaders is that they don't need the elements to be physically present in order to use them. For example, I can use earth magic, but if there's no soil around, I'm powerless. Hope, as a descendant of a Princess lineage, doesn't have that limitation. She can use fire magic even if there's no fire nearby. You, on the other hand, can use all elements that way. That's what makes you superior to everyone else."

As Jessie continued explaining, I spotted the vending machine. My excitement grew when I saw strawberry soda.

"I want strawberry soda, Hope," I said, sitting on the ground next to the vending machine.

"I want cola," Jessie added, sitting beside me.

"I said I'd buy one for Rachel, not you!" Hope protested.

"You just said you'd buy one. You never specified it was only for Rachel. So, you're getting me one too."

"Not happening. Buy your own."

"I don't have any money on me, Hope. If you're getting one, fine. If not, don't make me beg. I won't drink anything."

"Beg a little more," Hope teased.

"Jerk," Jessie muttered, smacking Hope's leg.

Eventually, Hope bought Jessie a cola. If I hadn't realized that this was part of their friendship dynamic, I would have called them ridiculous.

"What classes are you taking?" Hope asked.

"Horseback Riding, Ancient Language, Magic, Basic Elements, History, Warfare, and Martial Arts," I listed from memory.

"You're only taking one class different from us—Magic. Barely anyone takes that class. There are only three first-year classes, with 54 students in total. You make 55. I don't know which class you'll be in, but do you remember what your first lesson is tomorrow?" Jessie asked.

"Ancient Language."

"You're in our class!" Hope cheered.

"And with Stevon, Mina, and Daisy," Jessie added.

"Mina?"

"Fourth in ranking, from the Earth Princess lineage."

"Stevon is first, and Daisy is fifth, right?"

"Yes. Daisy is shy due to her age, but she's a good girl. Mina has built an invisible wall around herself, keeping everyone at a distance. Stevon barely speaks; he's obsessed with studying. He probably believes he'll be the one to save the country, so he dedicates himself fully to training. No one knows much about him beyond his age and name."

"Let him think that."

"In Warfare class, all students are combined. More than two students from the top 10 rankings can't be on the same team—it wouldn't be fair. But everyone wants to team up with someone from the top 10, so teams change constantly. Hope and I always end up on different teams because people want her; she's ranked ninth. They need her, or they'd lose immediately."

"Got it."

"In Martial Arts, we learn karate. Second-year students train with weapons—swords, guns, bows, anything you can think of. After graduation, you can join the army, rise through the ranks, work at the palace, or become a guard. Since magic has weakened, most graduates join the army."

They're actually preparing everyone here for a war, and no one has a clue. Hah, perfect.

"Our powers usually awaken at seventeen. But it can vary, like with Daisy. Those from the Princess Bloodlines sometimes awaken much earlier. For example, Hope's power awoke when she was thirteen. But since she didn't use it, no one noticed, so they brought her here very late. This lunatic actually saw the Fire Princess in her dream and asked, 'Sister, you're so beautiful, what do I have to do to be like you?' The Princess told her about her fire abilities, but Hope forgot her dream when she woke up. So, for five years, she lived without realizing she had fire powers. The Princess must have been so fed up with her that she entered her dream again. This time, Hope remembered everything. She tried to use her fire ability to test it, almost burned her house down, and then ended up here."

"How was I supposed to know it was the Fire Princess? She was so beautiful, her eyes were practically blazing. Princesses only appear to those of their own lineage when it's time for their awakening," Hope explained.

"How did you realize yours?" I asked Jessie.

"I dreamed of an earthquake. The next day, someone at school really pissed me off, and suddenly, the whole school started shaking. I was too scared to even consider that I had done it. When the recruiters came and explained everything, I finally understood. Usually, powers awaken around October or November, which is when school starts. But I'm surprised they found and brought you here in the middle of the year, even before your powers awakened."

"Where's the Water Princess Bloodline?"

"By some coincidence, all the current Princess Bloodlines gathered in the same school year. The Water Princess is a second-year student. She was brought here a year before us. Normally, Princess Bloodlines don't appear in every generation. For example, the last Fire Princess was born 120 years ago, Earth 54 years ago, Air 216 years ago, and Water 139 years ago. The gaps between them are usually huge; they've never all appeared at the same time before. I think it has something to do with your arrival." Jessie spoke with certainty. Her memory had to be incredibly sharp.

"Anyway, my awakening happened at eighteen, just like Hope's. How old are you?"

"Nineteen."

"Mina is also nineteen. She had a late awakening too. The current top second-year student is Allison, from the Water Princess Bloodline. She's seventeen. The second-ranked student can use two different elements. Altogether, in the school, we have one Leader," she gestured to me, "Four Princess Bloodlines," she pointed at Hope, "And four students who can use multiple elements."

"Your powers will awaken soon," Hope said confidently.

I shot her a look as I took the last sip of my strawberry soda. Tossing the bottle into the trash can beside the vending machine, I turned back to her.

"I hope they don't."

"Don't you want to be powerful?"

"No, I do. That way, I can protect the people I care about. But if these powers come with responsibility, then I don't want them. Keep the Leader thing between us. I don't want people challenging me to ridiculous duels."

"I'm sleepy," Hope yawned.

"Of course, you are. You always get sleepy after eating," Jessie rolled her eyes.

"What can I do? A full stomach makes me tired."

Leaving a sulking Hope behind, Jessie and I started walking.

"Traitors!" Hope shouted behind us. "You're lucky I like Rachel, or I would've burned both of you to ashes already!"

"Shut up and come here!" Jessie yelled. I kept walking while Hope ran to catch up, linking arms with Jessie. When she tried to do the same to me, I pulled away.

"Hope, I can't walk like this."

We almost tripped twice before making it back to our room. The moment we arrived, I threw myself onto my bed. Jessie grabbed a book and sprawled out on the couch, while Hope changed and immediately went to sleep.

In the middle of the night, I woke up clutching my stomach. I needed to throw up. Covering my mouth, I ran to the bathroom but couldn't open the door.

"Wait," Hope called from inside.

The moment she stepped out, I dropped to my knees and vomited into the toilet. The smell made my dizziness worse, and I was on the verge of passing out.

Jessie arrived behind me, looking equally sick. I wasn't the only one feeling strange. The three of us were practically fighting over the toilet, taking turns being sick. Once I had emptied my stomach, I washed my face and staggered out. Holding my nose, I retreated to the farthest corner of the room, trying to escape the lingering stench.

Jessie and Hope clutched their stomachs as they returned to the room.

"I feel awful," Hope groaned.

"I think I need to throw up again," Jessie mumbled before rushing back to the bathroom.

"We need to go to the infirmary," she said upon returning.

I nodded. I needed to get out of here, away from the stench. We walked down the hallway, all of us clutching our stomachs.

When we arrived at the infirmary, we realized the situation was much worse. Nearly the entire school was there.

"Do your stomachs hurt too?" a woman asked as she approached us.

We nodded, unable to answer as another wave of nausea hit all three of us simultaneously.

"It's food poisoning. We need to pump your stomachs, but you'll have to wait your turn."

"I…" Hope gasped. "I'm in the top ten."

"Come forward, then," the woman said, leading Hope away.

"Traitor," Jessie hissed. "She abandoned us so quickly."

"Rachel!" Liz's voice rang out. Since the girls called her Liz, I decided to do the same. She quickly walked up to us.

"Oh God, this is bad! Get to the front!" She grabbed my arm and dragged me along. I grabbed Jessie's arm and pulled her with me.

As Liz ushered us into a room, we ran into Hope.

"Take care of these two first. Especially her," Liz pointed at me.

The nurses and doctors sprang into action. There were six other students in the room, likely other special students.

"Wow, you really sold us out," Jessie teased Hope.

"I felt like I was dying!"

After injecting us with something, they pumped our stomachs. My nose felt clogged—I couldn't smell anything anymore. If I had, I wouldn't have lasted long in that room. They hooked us up to IVs and sent us back to the hallway. As we left, they brought in more students.

"I'm going to cry," Hope said, staring at her arm. "It's going to leave a mark."

I didn't even have the energy to respond, so I just nodded.

"That bastard Jonathan is here," Hope muttered, looking toward the door. Jonathan was clutching his stomach, trying to get inside, but the room was already full.

"Wait a bit. As soon as a spot opens up, we'll take you in," the woman at the door said tiredly.

"I'm ranked seventh! Someone get out and take me in!" he bellowed, making the whole corridor ring with his voice. Of course, my sensitive ears couldn't take it.

"Ugh, shut up, my head hurts," I snapped.

"You again?" he growled, stepping toward me. "Whatever you did to me in the cafeteria, because of you, I had to move to the very end of the line!"

"I really don't care. Now stop shouting, you're not the only one who's sick."

"And why did they take you and your friend first?" he kept yelling.

"None of your business," Jessie shot back.

"Enough! Let me in now!" Everyone in the corridor grimaced at his tantrum. Even though I didn't have the strength to be angry, I was furious. His yelling was making my head pound.

"Be quiet," I said firmly.

His voice cut off immediately. He looked like he wanted to say something but couldn't. Clearly, I had used my power again.

"Sit down quietly and wait your turn." He clutched his stomach and slumped to the floor by the door.

Liz was watching me now. She walked over and stood in front of us.

"Rachel, you're getting a separate punishment for this."

"I don't care. I did the same thing in the cafeteria, so add another mark to your tally," I said, turning my head away. A few people were staring at me in surprise.

"You were sent to us by the gods," Hope said, laughing.

"Exactly," Jessie agreed, joining in her laughter.

Jonathan finally managed to get inside. I could almost hear the curses he was throwing at me in his head. I was sure he'd try to kill me at the first chance he got, and honestly, I wouldn't mind.

"Tomorrow, you're all attending classes, so as soon as your IVs are finished, go straight to bed!" Liz's voice rang through the corridor.

I opened my mouth to protest, but Liz wagged her finger at me before I could speak. "Don't. Not a word. You're going too."

"Fine," I grumbled.

As the IVs emptied, the number of people in the corridor dwindled. After about half an hour, ours were done too. When the nurses removed our IVs, we headed back to our room. There were still people waiting in pain.

"I knew it, it's already bruising!" Hope whined, collapsing onto her bed. Every two minutes, she checked her arm and kept complaining.

"Hope, I want to sleep," I mumbled through a yawn.

"I'm not sleepy anymore," she replied in a childish tone, making it clear she was about to cause trouble.

Her eyes drifted toward Jessie, who was lying on her bed with her eyes closed, unaware of the incoming chaos. Hope slowly got out of her bed, creeping toward Jessie's. She walked on her toes, barely holding back giggles behind her hand.

Just before reaching the bed, she stretched—and then pounced on Jessie. The mattress bounced as Jessie let out a groan of pain. Hope's suppressed giggles erupted into full-blown laughter. Jessie opened her eyes, glaring at her attacker, but Hope had already started tickling her. Jessie couldn't help but laugh as well, their giggles mixing together.

It was only then that they seemed to remember I was in the room. They both turned to look at me. I wasn't sure what expression I had, but they visibly relaxed when they saw it. I think I was smiling.

"Sorry," Jessie said. "We're just used to having only the two of us in the room."

"It's fine. You just ruined my sleep, that's all," I teased.

"Oh no, Rachel, I'm so sorry!" Hope said, getting up from Jessie's bed and walking toward mine.

"Don't you dare," I warned, raising my voice. She had used the same childish tone again, and if I didn't stop her, I knew I'd share Jessie's fate.

"Stay back," I said, scooting closer to the wall. But Hope's lips curled into a mischievous smile. My powers weren't working—she had already reached my bed.

"Listen, I've taken combat classes. I will hurt you," I threatened.

She didn't care. She jumped onto my bed and pulled me down with her.

"How are you this strong?!" I yelled. Her slim frame didn't match the surprising strength in her arms.

"Hope is really strong," my unfortunate ally Jessie commented.

Then, Hope started tickling me. Despite my protests, laughter escaped my lips. But as I gasped for breath, I suddenly started coughing. Hope immediately backed away, looking at me in panic.

"Rachel, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?" she asked, full of worry.

Jessie and I made eye contact. In that moment, we seemed to have the same idea. Jessie's eyes gleamed mischievously. The second she stood up, I knew what she was about to do.

Together, we tackled Hope onto my bed, tickling her relentlessly. Hope burst into laughter, and soon, all three of us were laughing uncontrollably.

By the time exhaustion overtook us, we were still on my bed. Three people squished into a single mattress.

"No power on earth can move me from here," Hope mumbled, turning to face the wall and closing her eyes.

With the IV still affecting me, I didn't have the energy to move either. I stayed where I was and shut my eyes. Jessie, equally tired, made no effort to get up either.