fifth floor

Zero flopped onto his bed, glancing at the slow rotations of his ceiling fan. A quick 'ping' from his phone distracted him. It was a message from the group chat labeled 5th floor.

"Hey y'all, anyone up for the new game Terrorist Attack?" Liam Fortis asked.

Isabella Crane was quick to reply. "Oh, is that the popular one from MAETS?"

Liam answered, "Yeah, that's the one. It's a 5v5 multiplayer. If you're joining, drop your MAETS ID. I've already teamed up with Carl and Mike."

Seraphina Aulius added, "I haven't downloaded it yet, but I'll do that now."

His mind wandered to two months ago. It was shortly after the unexpected KnifePoint incident.

To lighten the mood and get to know each other better, the students from the fifth floor - the top-tier first-year students - had decided to have a casual get-together. It was a simple meet and greet: everyone introduced themselves and chatted about common interests, breaking the initial awkwardness and making friends in the process.

***

Two months ago, Zero's day had started bathed in the soft, early morning light that gently filtered through the curtains in his room.

The digital clock resting on his desk dutifully read 8 AM, a time that, under normal circumstances, might have seemed early for a student's awakening.

But on this particular day, Zero was roused from his slumber by a persistent and enthusiastic knock on his door.

With a groan, he peeled himself from his warm cocoon of blankets and stumbled toward the source of the commotion.

As he opened the door, he was met with the sight of Mike, his floormate, and a perpetual ball of energy, standing there with a wide grin that seemed to defy the early hour.

"Yoo, good morning, sleepyhead," Mike greeted him, his voice brimming with enthusiasm.

Zero squinted at Mike, still trying to shake off the remnants of sleep that clung to his senses. "Why so early?" he muttered, his voice laced with a hint of fatigue.

Mike, however, was undeterred by Zero's grogginess. With his characteristic exuberance, he flashed his brightest smile. "You should read your texts, dude. The folks on the fifth floor are having a gathering to introduce ourselves."

He paused dramatically before continuing, "This time, you have to join! It'll be good for us to get to know them too."

Zero's initial resistance crumbled beneath Mike's infectious energy. With a resigned sigh, he conceded, "Fine, fine. I'll take a shower first. Give me five minutes."

Mike responded with an enthusiastic thumbs-up, his excitement undiminished. "Okay, I'll see you downstairs."

As Zero prepared himself for the day ahead, his thoughts drifted back to the past few weeks' events.

It had been a whirlwind of activity, from the intricate world of tax management to the bustling realm of overseeing his gaming company, MAETS.

He glanced at his desk and spotted an envelope, its significance now apparent.

It was Aurelia Storm who had initiated this meeting, thoughtfully ensuring that every student on the fifth floor received an invitation in the form of a letter placed in their respective rooms.

The letter detailed the gathering scheduled for today.

The letter, a simple yet inviting note, had the details for today's gathering. It was straightforward, but it felt friendly and exciting.

Zero headed down to the first floor. The corridor leading to room 1 was quiet, with morning light making the polished floor look inviting.

When he reached the door of room 1, it looked bigger than he expected. It was all white and clean, giving off a fancy vibe. A long table stood in the middle, surrounded by fifteen chairs. Everything looked shiny and well taken care of.

In one corner, there was a TV hanging on the wall with a sofa nearby. A fancy coffee machine was ready for action, and a gaming console with controllers scattered around suggested they had some fun here.

Inside, it was a lively scene. Mike and Max were deeply into a video game, facing off against Carl and Liam. Laughter and friendly banter filled the air.

Carl complained, "Blondie, what are you doing?"

Liam chuckled, "My bad, my bad."

On the other side, Zero spotted Aurelia Storm, surrounded by a group of students. They all looked ready to get down to business.

Aurelia clapped her hands together, getting everyone's attention. "Alright, guys, now that we're all here, let's get this meeting started."

With that, the room shifted from gaming fun to a more focused atmosphere, and Zero took his seat, while carl, max, Liam, and mike followed.

Aurelia Storm, her smile warm and welcoming, continued, "Okay, since we're all here and seated, the purpose of this gathering is to get to know each other better. Considering we'll be competing with each other this year, wouldn't it be nice to understand our opponents as well?"

Clara Asher, nodding in agreement, chimed in, "That sounds like a great idea. Why don't we start by introducing ourselves? We can state our name, class, and room number. Let's begin with room number 512."

The introductions flowed smoothly, each student taking their turn to share their details:

Carl Reiven (Class 1): "I'm Carl Reiven, from Class 1, room 512."

Mike Rodriguez (Class 1): "I'm Mike Rodriguez, also from Class 1, and I'm in room 511."

Aurelia Storm (Class 4): "Aurelia Storm, Class 4, and my room is 510."

Maxwell Thorn (Class 3): "I'm Maxwell Thorn, Class 3, and I reside in room 509."

Liam Fortis (Class 2): "Liam Fortis here, Class 2, and you can spot me in room 508."

Zero Elsher (Class 1): "Zero Elsher, Class 1, 507."

Seraphina Auelius (Class 2): "I'm Seraphina Auelius, in Class 2, and you'll find me in room 506."

Orion Hale (Class 4): "Orion Hale, representing Class 4, and my room number is 505."

Isabella Crane (Class 3): "I'm Isabella Crane, from Class 3, and I'm staying in room 504."

Ethan Turner (Class 4): "Ethan Turner, in Class 4, and my room is 503."

Maya Collins (Class 3): "I'm Maya Collins, from Class 3, and you'll find me in room 502."

Clara Asher (Class 2): "I'm Clara Asher, representing Class 2, and my room is 501."

Clara, looking around the room, began, "Alright, since we've all introduced ourselves, how about we set up a group chat? It would make communication a lot easier."

Orion Hale nodded, "Sounds good to me."

Isabella Crane smiled, "That's a great idea. It'll be a good place to chat and share information."

Clara continued, "Also, as top-ranking students in our first year, it's our responsibility to keep you updated. Both Zero and I, as representatives of the student council, will bring you any news first hand. There's an upcoming academy festival. We, as first-year students, will be competing against first years from other academies. We're looking for five representatives from our batch. In two months, there will be a test to determine the selection. If any of you are interested, please let Zero or me know. We'll handle the registration."

"Thanks for letting us know," Liam commented, gratitude evident in his voice.

Eager to understand more, Orion Hale asked, "What do we stand to gain if we participate in this competition?"

Zero leaned forward, catching everyone's attention, "Two main things: NSE points, which can be vital for many aspects in our academy life. And, perhaps more enticingly, recognition. The competition will be streamed live online for the entire country to witness."

Liam grinned, revealing a hint of mischief in his eyes, "Well, if that's on the table, count me in."

Mike chimed in enthusiastically, "Same here, same here! I can't pass up an opportunity like this."

Aurelia raised an eyebrow, considering for a moment before smirking, "Sounds like a fun challenge. I'm in."

Seraphina, twirling a strand of her hair thoughtfully, said, "Why not? It could be a great experience. I'm joining."

Orion Hale, the one who initiated the inquiry, nodded, "Well, I did ask for a reason. I'm in."

and the rest also nodded in agreement.

Clara, smiling at the overwhelming positive response, commented, "Seems like we'll have a strong lineup from our floor. This will be exciting!"