At this point, it was always Jason trying to get her attention, constantly worrying about her not being okay when she clearly was fine. Perhaps he couldn't accept the truth—that she no longer fancied him the way she used to.

...

..

.

"This will be your last term in this academy," the representative announced from the stage, his voice carrying across the assembled students. "After this, you will be sent out into the world. Some of you will further your education at Trinity Nevas. Others may enlist with the Guardians. Still others will pursue various opportunities where you will shine bright in your own unique ways. It has been a wonderful experience having you all here. You have made us proud, and I hope to see you all become pillars of this empire in the near future. Thank you."

With that, the representative of the principal stepped down from the podium, and another man walked up to take his place.

"There will be no lessons as of today. Get settled in," he announced simply.

The moment those words left his mouth, the whole assembly hall erupted into chaos as long-awaited reunions took place alongside equally long-awaited clashes and confrontations.

….

…

..

.

"Adrian Estellia, and Miss Sheila," a woman seated behind an imposing desk regarded them both with a serious expression, scrutinizing the two students sitting across from her. "You're not supposed to be admitted into the final year. Unlike everyone else who proved themselves worthy of this position, you have done nothing to earn it. However, we cannot simply turn you away since we haven't seen what you're truly capable of yet."

She leaned forward slightly, her gaze sharpening. "So for now, you are trainees, and will only become full students after the first C.A.—that is, if you perform excellently. If not, you will be INSTANTLY expelled. Do you have a problem with that?"

Adrian glanced at Sheila briefly before turning back to the principal with a calm smile. "Of course not. That won't be a problem."

She nodded curtly. "Good."

"...Can we go?" Adrian asked.

The principal paused, studying him for a moment. "Wait. What is your relationship with Annabelle?"

Adrian knew damn well why she was asking. Annabelle must have called in a favor directly to make this whole arrangement work—and that was something deeply unusual. Annabelle was someone who hated asking others for help, especially her aunt. Which meant she was desperate.

"She's just a friend," Adrian responded calmly, his expression giving nothing away.

"I hope so… for your sake," the principal said coldly before waving them off with a dismissive gesture.

The two students walked out of the office, but the moment they opened the door, they were met by a woman dressed in a sharp black suit who appeared to have been waiting for them.

"Come. I'll take you to administration to finish up your registration," the young lady said professionally.

Adrian shrugged. "Sure."

….

…

..

.

The administrator led them through the corridors as she began explaining the academy's schedule in meticulous detail.

"On Mondays, classes start at 8 AM sharp and end at noon. After that, there will be a one-hour break. Classes then resume from 1 PM to 3 PM sharp. Club activities commence from then until 4 PM. After that, you're free to do as you please—but mind you, there will be a roll call at 6 PM sharp. Make sure you're on time, or you'll lose Academic Points, which will affect you negatively during C.A.s."

She continued without pause, her tone crisp and efficient. "For Tuesday, the day begins with combat classes and drills from 9 AM sharp until high noon. After that, you get the rest of the day to yourselves. Wednesday follows the same schedule as Monday. As for Thursday, there will be fitness drills for three hours—from 8 AM to 11 AM sharp. After that, there's a two-hour break, then classes resume for two more hours before the day ends. Friday has classes from 8 AM to noon sharp, and club activities from 1 PM to 3 PM."

She glanced at them to make sure they were following. "The weekends have no scheduled activities most of the time, though most students use them for private training sessions."

"Also," she added, "breakfast is served from 7 AM to 7:30 AM. Any later than that and you'll have to wait until lunch break, which is from 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM. Dinner is served from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM." She paused. "You both will be sharing an Elite dorm for now. There could be changes in the near future depending on your performance."

"No thanks," Sheila said flatly.

"You don't get to decide," the administrator replied without missing a beat. "Anyway, your ID cards will be ready by tomorrow. The IDs contain your personal information and also function as ATM cards. Every student has a personal account that gets credited on a monthly basis based on their rank." Her expression grew stern. "Also, if you are caught using external cards for purchases, you will be instantly expelled. So keep your money in your pockets until you graduate."

"Not even on weekends?" Adrian asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not even on weekends. You may think we don't know, but we do. As long as you purchase from any merchant in the academic city, we will know," she finished her explanation and closed the booklet she'd been referencing.

"Any questions?" she asked, her gaze lingering oddly on Adrian.

"Nah, I'm good. So where's the dorm?" he asked casually.

She picked up two keycards from her desk and handed them over. "You'll use these temporarily. Once your ID cards are ready, these will lose their function. Also, try not to lose them."

Adrian smiled as he took the keycard from her. "I'll try my best."

"...I know you will," she said, her tone softening slightly as she held his gaze a moment too long.

"Sigh. Just point us to the damn building," Sheila interrupted with a blank look, clearly unimpressed by the exchange.

"I'll lead you there personally—"

"No need." Sheila grabbed Adrian firmly by the arm and pulled him toward the exit, cutting off any further conversation.

The administrator watched them leave, her expression unreadable.

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