Week 1

CYRUS

I arose from bed, rubbing my eyes before squinting at the clock mounted on the wall. Serenity, one of my new roommates, sat on her bunk across from me as she blankly gazed out the window and into the bright and blinding morning.

"Morning." I said, giving a fatigued wave before letting my arms hang over the railing of my bed. Her pallid lilac eyes moved to me, her long and black hair swaying as she gave me a nod. She hasn't said a word since we've met, but she had to know our language to be able to respond. Before her sat her long, smooth, black katana shining under the indirect light of the sun, radiating concealed power that I have yet to see.

"Morning!" Lexie loudly cheered as she sprung out of bed. Scars covered her lean arms and legs, calluses covered her fingers, white bandages wrapped her knuckles and heels. "Wow! This is so exciting!" Toni stirred in response to the volume of her voice: She slowly pulled the sheet further over her head while mumbling something under her breath. "I've never slept in such an amazingly sturdy room before!" Lexie continued, energy overflowing from her grin. "In Xarrendhale, we went to bed hoping the walls wouldn't collapse as we slept." Her bandaged hand casually slapped the wall twice, the muscles in her arm lightly flexing as she unintentionally delivered powerful knocks to the wall that, at a minimum, woke our neighbor. She had a great amount of raw strength.

"Morning." Toni reluctantly rasped as her amber eyes threatened Lexie.

"Woah!" Lexie's orange hair trailed behind her as she rushed to Toni's bedside, and Toni recoiled. "You look like you didn't sleep at all even though you went to bed the earliest!"

"That's because someone wouldn't stop moving in their sleep." Toni retorted with an edge to her voice.

"We have roughly an hour before class, so let's aim to leave here in fifty minutes." I said before hopping from my bunk. Serenity was already dressed in our school's uniform, but Lexie, Toni, and I were still in our pajamas.

"Sure thing, Leader Cyrus!" Lexie said as she poorly saluted, but nonetheless, it made me smile. It was the first time I was appointed leader of a team, even if it was a ragtag group of students instead of a group of privates like I wanted. Nonetheless, I was fond of the title. Ms. Venus Lynn, our school's headmaster, made the right choice in appointing me leader.

"Your upper arm should be parallel to the ground and your forearm bent a forty-five degree angle when you salute." I said while showing Lexie a proper salute. "Straighten your wrist."

SERENITY

Lexie hasn't stopped fidgeting from the moment she put on her clothes. She let out a hum while rapidly tapping her foot.

"I can't do this." The thread of her shirt started to pop once her hands roughly seized its delicate fabric and aggressively tugged. Cyrus our leader, with a swift and concise step forward, stopped her. "How can you all wear this so easily? I feel like I'm choking." She whined, tugging at the collar of her shirt while kicking off her pristine, polished, black shoes. The uniform definitely was stifling, very different from the loose, breathable clothing we wore in Sirius, but I was in no place to complain when I had the opportunity to attend the best combat school in the world. Even so, I sympathized with Lexie. Coming from such a natural, forested, isolated continent like Xarrendhale would make adjusting to the rest of the world quite difficult. Sirius was nowhere near as primitive as Xarrendhale, yet I was also struggling to adjust.

"It's not the easiest thing in the world to wear." Cyrus stated. "The uniform is too pristine and crisp. Although I came from a pristine prep school in Cadbury-- the best one in the country, actually -- this uniform feels extra suffocating." Her voice was friendly, yet there was an underlying air of arrogance in what she said.

"I wish I could loosen a few buttons." Lexie grumbled, and Cyrus laughed.

"Sorry, but I can't let that happen. You'll get dress-coded."

"That wouldn't be so bad, would it?" Toni casually asked as she approached us.

"It would be pretty bad since we would be breaking rules." Cyrus responded as her hand rummaged through the pocket of her backpack before her fingers started tapping the screen of her cellphone.

"Woah! What's that?" Lexie asked with astonishment.

"It's called a phone. It has quite a few functions, the main one being communication." Cyrus's phone was one from the past: The fact that I could hear her fingers clicking physical buttons was enough for me to make that conclusion. "Anyway," Cyrus continued, "now that we're all ready, let's head to class." We left our room, walked down the large hallway filled with warm beams of sun, descended a few flights of clean and carpeted red stairs, and finally, reached the grand and spacious lecture room on the ground floor of the building.

"Wow!" Lexie exclaimed, and I placed my hand against the wooden wall as I entered the classroom. The room was different from those in Sirius: everything had a strong spruce smell. Once the bell rang, a man paced into the front of the room.

TONI

"Good morning students. My name is Dr. Wells, and I will be your homeroom teacher." A man with silver hair, a large mustache neatly trimmed, and a monocle before his left eye walked into the pit of the room. His sharp, blue eyes scanned the classroom as our few other classmates trickled in. He gave the class a long, rich introduction which included the history of the school, then he delivered an in-depth outline of the course. "In this program, our mission is to shape you lot of potential into capable young chaps with enough qualification to successfully apply for the SSS and earn your Gold Card." Our redheaded leader's naturally intimidating blue eyes and serious face instantly brightened once the words "SSS" and "Gold Card" passed our teacher's lips. Her excitement was collective: A buzz filled the classroom as everyone expressed eagerness to finish their studies and foolhardily endanger themselves, both physically and mentally, for the so-called "the good of the world." Lexie's golden hand shot into the air, and Dr. Wells allowed her question. She hopped to her feet.

"What's the SSS, and what's a gold card?"

"Specialized Society Security Unit, and the Gold Card is proof that you are part of the SSS." The level of excitement coursing through the room rose, but Lexie cocked her head to the side, clueless.

"What does the SSS do?" Dr. Wells stared at Lexie for a moment before leaning onto his desk.

"If you took the time to read your school manual, you would know that they are an exclusive, elite organization of world-wide members who work on thwarting crime in a confidential and discreet manner. Safe and Secure, Research and Intelligence, Crime Diffusion are the three specialized units." He then explained what each of the sectors focused on: Safe and Secure is the police force, Research and Intelligence is information gathering, and Crime Diffusion, the most pretentious strand of them all, apprehends publicly unknown crime groups which allows the military to prioritize territory expansion. How? Through war.

"Crime Diffusion is basically heroes in the shadows who ensure public safety." Cyrus added with a huge grin on her mole-covered face. Obviously, she wanted to join the Crime Diffusion unit. That was predictable considering that she's from Cadbury, the most arrogant region of them all.

"Wow!" Lexie said, bouncing on the spot with shining turquoise eyes. "Did you hear that, Serenity?" She asked, turning to the pale girl and grabbing her hands.

"Yes." Serenity simply replied.

"We also offer a Technology and Innovation program for people not interested in combat— in case you failed to read that part in the manual as well. Now sit down, Ms. Bain." Lexie sat. "This course has two focuses: lectures, and physical training." Dr. Wells said, moving on. "They alternate on a weekly basis. For the most part, that is." He then went over expectation and academic honestly before moving to a more interesting topic: Combat assessments. "I'm hoping these assessments don't exceed more than a week. Any volunteers?" Surprisingly, not one person raised their hand. "Whoever volunteers gets to choose their sparring partner. Mr. Berceuse?" He gestured towards a redhead whose black boots were kicked onto the desk.

LEXIE

His short and unkempt hair was an intense shade of red resembling the color of blood; his pair of eyes— well, his eye— matched his blood red hair, and a black cloth sat in the place of his right eye. A wide and intimidating smirk spread across his face as he pulled his feet off the table and slowly rose from his seat, showcasing his muscular body and tall stature. He didn't look like anyone I've never seen before: His appearance alone was enough to make my hair stand on edge. I couldn't take my eyes off him. His hand grabbed the long and silver handle of a beautiful scarlet axe before he slung it over his shoulder in a way that nearly decapitated one of our classmates.

"What a beautiful axe!" I whispered to Serenity. He stopped in the pit and cocked a hip, stabbing the bottom of the axe into the wooden floor as he surveyed the class with menacing eyes far worse than Cyrus's.

"I'm not interested in fighting anyone here." He brazenly declared.

"Mr. Berceuse, we do not have all day." The teacher said as he impatiently tapped his foot, and the redhead rolled his eye. He scanned over the room with disinterest before meeting my eyes, and a smile pricked the corner of his lips.

"Alright, then." He pointed straight at me.

"I volunteer." Serenity rose from her seat in a swift motion.

"No. I chose to fight the female Tarzan." Serenity stepped into the aisle and moved to the pit with quick and quiet strides.

"I volunteered." She reiterated with pure tranquility. The redhead's face wrinkled with disgust as his eyes stalked her movements.

"Did I ask?" He barked.

"Mr. Berceuse. We do not have all day." Violence that saturated the redhead's glare directed to the teacher, and his hand gripped the handle tighter as if he would chop down the man at any moment. It reminded me of school back in Xarrendhale. It made me bounce with anticipation. Instead of swinging his weapon at the man, he gave him an arrogant scoff.

"Whatever." He said.

TONI

I couldn't take my eyes off the redhead. A chill covered my body, and I blew fire into my hands to rid myself of this cold. An eyepatch hid one of his bloodthirsty crimson eyes, giving him a disadvantage, and scars of all sizes and shapes, both prominent and faded, covered the few parts of his exposed skin. His body was a testimony to his love of fighting; It complimented his abrasively vicious personality. It made me curious to see what he could do, curious to see why the headmaster let a barbarian into such an elite school.

"Take him down!" Lexie shouted, and Serenity nodded in response as she locked her eyes, something unusual for someone to do in the beginning of a fight. Dr. Wells removed himself from the pit before clicking a button, and a strong gust of wind ripped through the large room as a clear film of enhanced glass lowered from the ceiling, encasing the pit.

"Let's sit closer." Cyrus said after she was already in the aisle, and we moved to the seats right at the front of the barrier. Serenity maintained her calm composure under the gaze of the overconfident and intimidating redhead.

"Alright, you two." The teacher said as he sat beside me, pulling on a pair of sleek, Atlas-designed Combat-Level Analyzing-Glasses. "Begin."

The redhead didn't hesitate to charge at Serenity, tightly gripping the handle of his axe before delivering a heavy swing, and she somehow managed to block his powerful blow without shattering her thin sword or her thin arms. Even so, it wasn't long until her sword began to violently shake under the pressure.

"Woah." Lexie marveled with astonishment once Serenity shifted to the side at a speed that rivaled teleportation, leaving the redhead to stumble forward. "Did she teleport?"

"No. She just moved really quickly." Cyrus stated as her blue eyes closely followed the match. Serenity thrusted her sword at his torso, but he redirected her strike and knocked her off balance, but she used the momentum to quickly follow up with another slash of her sword, but he completely avoided it. She was skilled with the sword, but her linear motions and sword-reliant techniques showed her inexperience against such wild, unorthodox combat. The attacks she landed were surface level at best: They only managed to rip small holes into his clothes and shallowly scathe his skin. Serenity, on the other hand, couldn't let any of the boy's heavy attacks connect or she would lose her life. Fire unintentionally seeped from him, flaring through the air with every swing of his axe.

I have to admit that the headmaster has a good eye for talent: The students here truly were at a level much higher than students in other academies I've seen. The boy knew how to manage an opponent who had more speed than himself, and Serenity knew how to manage opponents much stronger than herself.

The temperature in the classroom resembled an uncomfortably hot summer day as the silver inscriptions on his axe glowed golden, and the air combusted as blazing fire danced through the pit, rapidly consolidating into a large ball of blinding fire. The fire burst into a flock of phoenix circling above Serenity. Her lilac eyes were cloudy as she emptily gazed before her, and she gripped her sword tighter when her opponent pointed his axe at her.

"Enflammer." He said, causing the phoenixes to simultaneously dive into Serenity. I didn't blink, yet I missed it: The birds were vanishing one after another, and Serenity's sword began emitting a familiar dark, ominous aura.

"How'd she get that sword?" I muttered to myself. The pairing of this match was the reason the redhead was going to lose, not because Serenity was stronger or better than him, but because of her weapon.

"You recognize it?" Dr. Wells asked.

"I think it's Burakkuenerugī, but it might be Kokushibyō." I bit my tongue, remembering how those names are taboo in Atlas which was the region I was currently in. Our Atlan teacher, stared at me with justified suspicion in his eyes.

"What?" Cyrus said with a dismissive laugh. "Aren't those swords just some urban legend?" Like Atlas, those names were taboo in Cadbury.

"Yes, those swords are just a fable." Dr. Wells confirmed.

"A fable?" Lexie's turquoise eyes shone as she excitedly looked to me. "Ooh! Tell me the story!"

"It's a banned story." Dr. Wells snapped before turning to me. "Don't let me hear you say those names again."

"Sure thing." I said with a shrug.

Streams of fire began to fly towards Serenity, and she nimbly maneuvered around all of them, her sword absorbing a few flames before she slid it into its black case. She then locked her eyes, gripping the handle as she exhaled, and Dr. Wells sprung from his seat. She was going to use the release.

"Ichibu kaihō suru." She quietly muttered as her eyes opened. Like all other users of the sword, her sclera turned black, and her lilac irises began to glow. A mix of undefined black and white energy surged around the sheath, a sign of incomplete mastery, and slowly, with hesitation, she started to slide the sword from the case, a common mistake that many amateurs made when using the release. Indecisiveness led to deaths, and a sword like this in her hands could result in both hers and the boy's death. The boy seemed to finally recognize the sword: A wall of fire began to form before him, but at the rate he was going, it wouldn't be enough to match the sword's energy.

"Ok Serenity. That's enough." Dr. Wells said, but the magic from the sword continued to strengthen rather than weaken. I placed my hand on the desk, and the ground beneath her feet changed to mud. Her feet sunk which momentarily hindered her concentration and provided enough time for me to greatly amplify the fire wall that the boy started to make. Serenity stumbled, swinging the sword up as she fell, and a large, black wave of energy howled as it shot out from the sword, hungrily racing towards the boy as it ripped a trail of destruction into the wooden floor. The vicious black energy met the fire, causing a flash of light to flood the room and blind me from seeing what the outcome was. A loud, violent burst of wind ripped through the classroom, shattering the barrier with a deafening roar while forcefully slamming the classroom doors against the corridor walls.

"Woah!" Lexie exclaimed as I slowly opened my eyes: the boy was on the ground, looking at the sword with shock, and Serenity panted from where she was. They both survived with minimal injuries.

"That's a dangerous sword, Ms. Kobayashi." Dr. Wells gave me another skeptical look before moving his gaze to Serenity.

"What happened?" A growing group of students stood by the opened classroom doors, murmuring with curiosity and surprise before a teacher pushed through the crowd.

"Dr. Wells," The woman said as she straightened her glasses, "is everything alright?" She eyed the shards of barrier littering the class.

"Yes. Everything is under control now." It took twenty minutes to disperse the crowd at our classroom doors, and once they were gone, Dr. Wells pulled off the glasses and pinched his nose bridge.

SERENITY

"Wow! You're so strong, Serenity!" Lexie shouted as she pulled my arm around her shoulder, but I couldn't agree with her. I couldn't consider myself strong until I mastered the release of this sword. "That's such a cool sword you have. What did you say it was called? A cantata? I've never seen one before."

"It's a katana." I corrected, and she laughed.

"Oh. Oops." My head started to heavily pound. "Woah!" Lexie called as she easily supported my body before I collapsed to the ground. "Are you tired?"

"That's a nice sword." Toni commented, reminding me to sheath it. The tone of her voice told me that she recognized it, but I didn't think it would take her long considering that she wasn't from Atlas or Cadbury. "You almost died using it. You sure you wanna keep it?" I was already aware of the dangers this sword brought as well as the dangers of using it in Atlas, but I had no other choice.

"Alright class, that was our first diagnostic match." Dr. Wells began, slapping the blackboard repeatedly to get the buzzing class's attention. "Hopefully no other matches will be this," He sighed, "chaotic. Don't forget to bring your weapons tomorrow as we will be continuing this for the remainder of the week. We'll try to do two per day from tomorrow onwards." The bell rang, and everyone in the room rose from their seat. "And try not to break any more Atlas technology. Please." We quickly grabbed our belongings and scrambled out of the classroom as Lexie talked our ears off like she did last night.

TONI

"Hey." The blonde boy from our class called out before approaching us, and three other students, who I assumed was the rest of his team, followed. He then turned to Serenity. "That was a good match. You're really fast, and that sword of yours is really cool."

"Thank you."

"You good though?" The freckled girl inquired as her green eyes curiously scanned Serenity's small, heaving frame. Serenity nodded, and the conversation dried up quick. I nudged Cyrus.

"Oh, right. I'm Cyrus, and this is Toni." She said as she gestured to me. I gave a smile. "And that's Lexie." At her introduction, Lexie moved beside the freckled girl and touched her dreaded hair.

"Your hair is so unique!" Before the girl could say anything, Lexie grabbed her hand and rubbed her caramel skin.

"This's how people from Velder look." Lexie was the first person I met with such energy. It was exhausting.

"I'm from Xarrendhale, and I know nothing about the world. You're tall, and you have a cool accent." Lexie stated while sizing up the 5'6" girl, but 5'6" would seem tall to Lexie who was only 5'3".

"You're small." The girl retorted, and they dove into conversation as Lexie spat out questions about Velder and the people of Velder. Cyrus continued.

"And that's Serenity," she then muttered, "but you all probably know that." Spencer laughed warmly, then he introduced himself and the rest of his team. The girl with doe green eyes, brown freckles, and friendly vibes who Lexie was pestering was Ronnie. The small girl with white hair, sharp brown eyes, and an air of sternness as she held the handle of a white umbrella was Paris. She clearly came from Atlas.

"And this one's Kyle." Kyle nodded slightly, his messy silver hair shifting from the motion. "Xarrendhale?" Spencer continued. "I've never met anyone from Xarrendhale."

"This is so cool!" Lexie beamed, quickly appearing at Spencer's side. "You smell like the ocean." He laughed.

"I come from Orphillius, which is on the ocean." Two others from our class were approaching us, and the pale boy with red eyes dropped his hand on Kyle's shoulder before scanning the group.

"Hey classmates! Is this the meet-n-greet circle?" The boy who was dragged to the circle pulled away from us as much as he could.

"Basic'lly." Ronnie answered, and Lexie's eyes sprung to Kyle and the boy with red eyes. She gasped when she saw them, and it didn't take long for her to appear between them.

"I'm Silver." The boy said with a friendly smile.

"Woah." She marveled after grabbing their arms and touching their porcelain skin. "You're both so pale." Her eyes studied their appearance. "Paler than Cyrus."

"Yeah well, melanin's low where we come from," Silver said, displaying his sharp canine teeth as he grinned at Kyle, "right, Kylie boy?"

"Don't call me that." Kyle retorted, and Silver laughed. They were from Vermillion.

"Kylie," Ronnie started, which earned her a hard stare from Kyle, "I never knew you had a friend here." Silver laughed harder at her statement before collecting himself enough to respond.

"We did grow up together, but I don't know if I'd call us friends. Kyle would get rid of me in a heartbeat if he could." There was silence as everyone waited for Kyle to correct Silver, but all Kyle did was cough and stick his hands into his pockets.

"Now that's cold." Ronnie mumbled.

"Anyway," Silver continued as he pulled the dark boy into the circle, "This is my friend Taj. He acts shy, but he's really not." Taj's eyes peeked out through his long bangs, and he gave a quick wave to the group.

"Hi." He practically whispered.

"Hey, let's eat lunch together." Silver suggested, and unanimous agreement floated around the circle.

CYRUS

"Lexie," Paris said as she watched the tribal girl tailing Serenity, "I think you should stop chasing Serenity with the soup. You might spill it."

"But she has to try it." Paris pinched the bridge of her nose before picking up her fork, but she couldn't bring herself to eat as she periodically glanced at the primitive girl chasing Serenity.

"Toni," I said, turning to the Salem witch, "Is Serenity's sword really the one from the legend?" My question was absolutely ridiculous, but the aftermath of the sword was unbelievable. That forcefield was made to withstand the strongest magic.

"Legend? Burakkuenerugī?" Silver asked, and I nodded.

"Of course it is not that sword." Paris said with a laugh, and I laughed with her. Of course it's not.

"What do you mean? Burakkuenerugī isn't a legend." Silver casually stated which evoked murmurs of agreement from Spencer, Kyle, and Taj.

"Huh," Ronnie started, "I didn't believe in the legend, but clearly it's true."

"All of you truly believe in such a foolish urban legend?" Paris asked with derision as she looked at the lot of gullible people around the table.

"Is it Burakkuenerugī or Kokushibyō?" Silver asked the table, ignoring Paris' scornful remark.

"Kokushibyō absorbs kinetic energy, but Serenity's sword didn't." Toni stated.

"How'd she even get that sword?" Silver thoughtfully asked, and all the believers' eyes, with an air of seriousness, followed the sword strapped to Serenity's hip as she continued to run from Lexie and the foul tasting soup.

"Refrain from uttering those names unless you want to be arrested." Paris was right. This conversation shouldn't be happening. I shouldn't have brought it up.

"Why's that legend banned here, anyway?" Toni asked.

"Let's drop it." I said before returning to my meal.

"Oh, hey." Silver beckoned to the redheaded boy and our other classmate, and they both began approaching the table with trays in their hands.

"This can't end well." Ronnie said as her vibrant green eyes followed Lexie around the cafeteria, and Paris gasped when her copper eyes returned to Lexie. Serenity turned the corner and slipped before the two boys approaching the table, but Lexie, unaware of her surroundings, didn't.

"Lexie!" Paris called, but she was too late. Lexie crashed into the boy with black hair, drenching him in orange soup. A hush fell over the room as the bowl rolled across the floor, but conversations soon resurfaced through the cafeteria. "This is why I told you to stop!" Paris exclaimed, her hip cocked as she shook her head, and Toni snickered as her amber eyes absorbed the chaos before her.

"Oops! That was an accident." Lexie said while grabbing napkins off the table and patting his soaked uniform. The redhead looked between Lexie and the drenched boy before placing a hand on her shoulder and heinously grinning.

"You just assaulted my teammate, Tarzan." He said in a raspy voice as he looked down at her. Lexie laughed, displaying all her sharp teeth.

"A little water won't hurt him. He'll be okay." They both started laughing together, but the boy covered in soup didn't seem to find it funny. He threw his tray of food at her, but she bent out of the way. "Wow. I said it was an accident." The food tray spilled onto Kyle, and I watched as he stood up, rice tumbling out of his hair and onto his shoulders decorated with broccoli.

"That's a good look on you, Kylie." Silver snickered, and Toni snickered with him.

"At least he ain't wet." Ronnie added while holding in her laugh.

"Kyle," Spencer started, slowly approaching him. "Don't do anything rash—" Kyle did something rash. He threw his sandwich at the drenched boy, and it wasn't long until they started throwing fists.

"Woah— hey!" Lexie held the redhead's large fist between her hands. "Why're you attacking me?" From the way they were laughing a moment ago, I thought they were friends.

"I've been wanting to fight you since this morning, orange." His voice was hostile, and his crimson eyes held bloodlust, but Lexie laughed brightly as if he told her a joke. He pulled his fist from her hand before proceeding to attack her, and she casually pranced around his fists, visibly frustrating him. I didn't know why they were fighting in the cafeteria when it was against the school rules.

"I might kill you if you don't have a weapon." Lexie lightly stated as she displayed her fighting skill: Her hand easily ran through his crimson hair as she weaved around the strong jabs of his limbs.

"What the fuck, orange?" He spat, narrowing his eye.

"I've never seen hair so red, so I had to check if it was real. Did you dye it?"

"I don't give a fuck about that." He said dismissively. "You think you can kill me?" He scornfully laughed, and Lexie slammed her heel onto the ground beside his foot, shattering the concrete floor of the cafeteria and damaging more Atlas property. Another rule broken.

"Yes. Easily, actually." She replied.

"Don't let her show you up, Allen." Silver said, spurring him on.

"Shut it, snowflake." Allen hissed. A stray tray from Kyle and the other kid's fight flew by my head as I thought of my brother who always lectured me about not being so uptight. It was proving to be harder than I thought.

"What's his name?" I asked Silver while gesturing to the boy Kyle swung his foot at.

"Oh him? He's Roko." I had to do a double take when I saw Roko disappear and reappear a few steps away. His ability was teleportation. He whipped another metal tray at Kyle which almost slapped Paris in the back of her head, but Kyle made sure to catch it.

"Is your team always this aggressive?"

"Surprisingly, no. Roko keeps to himself, and Allen becomes quite mellow once night falls." Silver responded through a mouthful of food before continuing to shout instigating phrases. Toni casually sipped her water as she happily analyzed the two fights happening before her, Serenity was nowhere to be found, Ronnie excitedly spoke with Paris and Spencer about which sector of the Triple S they wanted to join, Spencer didn't seem to even know a fight was happening, Taj was placing bets with Silver, but no one was concerned about the rules being broken.

"Fighting's against the rule." I mumbled. Allen managed to grab Lexie's wrist which made her orange eyebrows jump in surprise.

"Wow! You're better than I thought—" The air crackled with bright flames as they engulfed his hand, and she yanked her burnt arm out of his grip. Surprise and pain stained her face as she tentatively touched the bloody and peeling skin that revealed bright pink flesh.

"Still think you can kill me?" He taunted with a merciless smile, clearly forgetting about how easily she shattered the concrete. She slid past his hands and roughly grabbed his hair, making him grimace as she slammed his torso onto the table. She may have failed to dent the table's solid surface, but she successfully made my plate, as well as other dishes, fly off its surface. Shock made me unable to react to the water that drenched my uniform.

"You were right." Taj said in a hushed tone as he slipped Silver ten dollars.

"She can probably beat some of the people in the Triple S." Toni stated, making me momentarily stare in shock at the anomaly before me with orange hair, sharp teeth, and bright blue eyes.

LEXIE

"Let go of me." He barked, but I wouldn't listen. He groaned while trying to squirm free which made me grin with excitement and satisfaction: Excitement because it reminded me of the games Pan and I used to play back in Xarrendhale; satisfaction because he underestimated me. Every fiber in my body told me to break his back for scorching my hand, but I was hesitant. I've never felt fire like his before, and it fascinated me. I never knew people could create fire out of air before I saw his fight with Serenity, and it was scary to imagine what someone was capable of doing with such destructive power.

"I'll kill you." He roared, and I squeezed his wrist, fracturing the bone and making him grunt in pain.

"I will break your back." I roared back, throwing my foot onto his back and slowly adding pressure.

"Do it." He said which made me hesitate. He was crazy. He should be begging for mercy. Ronnie grabbed my foot.

"Woah, Lexie. Chill out." She pulled me off him and Taj helped him off the table. The redhead winced when Taj's thin brown fingers touched his wrist.

"Hey! At least I didn't break his back like he told me to, ok?" I said in defense when Taj gave me an uneasy glance.

"He was kidding." Spencer hesitantly added before his green eyes moved to Kyle and the other guy who stopped fighting. "How about we all calm down?"

"I'll burn you to a crisp, orange." I laughed scornfully at the redhead's threat.

"I'll break you before you have the chance." His threat scared me though. If it hurt so much for him to burn a small part of my arm, then it would be excruciatingly painful for my whole body to be set on fire. But he would have to catch me for that to happen. And I would never let him catch me.

A gunshot echoed through the cafeteria, and my body tried running on impulse. I landed on my hands, my heart in my throat and heartbeat in my ears as I watched majority of the students flee from the cafeteria. Ronnie let go of my ankle, and I followed her gaze to Cyrus who held a gun in both hands: A revolver was pointed at Allen, and a handgun was pointed at Kyle.

Taj quickly fled from Allen's side, and a hush fell over the cafeteria. She was crazy. She had to be crazy to point a gun at her classmates. Her blue eyes were sharp as she looked between Allen and Kyle, and she placed her hand on the trigger when Allen started walking towards her.

"Don't move." She commanded, and he laughed while continuing to step forward. Both the redheads were crazy. Maybe their hair color had something to do with it?

Her finger slowly pulled back on the trigger, and I held my breath.

"Dude, stop," Ronnie started, "Unless you want to end up six feet under."

"She wouldn't shoot her classmate." He retorted. "People here are too spineless to—" Cyrus pulled the trigger. The bullet barely missed his head, and he froze.

"You underestimate me." She said with the gun still pointed at the boy's head. His face slowly started to darken as he stared at her.

"You're a military rat." He bitterly spat, and Cyrus didn't respond.

"What's a military rat?" I asked, but my question was promptly ignored. Everyone looked so serious as they watched the altercation between Cyrus and the other redhead.

"How's your brother?" He sneered. Cyrus' red eyebrows furrowed at his question, adding to the intimidating look that her short red hair and multiple piercings gave her.

"He's dead. Thanks for asking."

"This is stupid." Toni mumbled as she touched my arm. I winced as a black plaster covered the burn and painfully attached to my skin. Before I could react, it cracked and fell off, taking the injury with it. I ran my hands over my smooth and healed skin, amazed at what my eyes just witnessed.

"How did you do that?" I said with awe. Magic was truly scary. It almost hurt as much as Allen's fire, yet it restored my skin rather than damaged it. "And what's a military rat?" Toni gave me a silent smile.

"Let's behave." Cyrus said. "We've already done enough damage for one day. Rules aren't supposed to be broken." I could feel the room begin to breathe once she lowered her guns.

"Are you insane?!" Paris exclaimed while gripping her white umbrella tighter. Her copper eyes were intense as she stared at Cyrus. "If you were off by a centimeter, you would have shot off his ear." Cyrus laughed, and I was shocked when the guns suddenly disappeared.

"I'm far too skilled to make such a rookie mistake, Ms. Hill." Cyrus responded.

"I'm pretty sure pulling out a weapon in the cafeteria is also against the rules." Spencer said, and I voiced my agreement even though I haven't peeked at any of the school rules.

"Chapter three section five of the rule book states that in unprecedented situations that can lead to damage, i.e. fights, weapons are permitted as a tool to manage the situation."

"I can't believe you actually took the time to read through that rule book." Ronnie said with a laugh.

"Of course." Cyrus responded promptly. "As students, it is expected of us." She then cocked an eyebrow. "Did you not read the rule book?"

"Typical military rat." The redhead said with distaste in his crimson eye.

"What's a military rat?" I asked again.

"Cyrus." Taj simply responded, and I looked to our leader before looking back to the skinny boy. I was beyond confused.

"I don't get it."

"Basically anyone who can fight that comes from Cadbury." Silver added.

"Let's stop using that term?" Spencer suggested. "It's offensive."

"Watch your back, Chaudry." The redheaded boy barked. Silver wrapped his arm around his neck and placed him in a headlock.

"Allen, have you learn nothing? You almost got shot point blank."

"My wrist, my wrist." Allen called out. Silver released him, and Allen groaned while carefully exercising his hand.

"What happened to your wrist?" Taj asked while approaching them.

"Nothing." Allen snapped, pulling his wrist from Taj, but Ronnie shook her head in disagreement.

"No point tryna hide it. Lexie broke it." He gave her a glare which made Ronnie smile. "Stupidity hurts, doesn't it."

"Shut it, dot face." He quickly retorted.

"It's actually a fracture," I corrected while grabbing Toni's arm, "but she can heal it."

"What? I actually can't—" Her attempt to leave made me grab her hand tighter as I dragged her with me.

"Nonsense!" I exclaimed while stretching forward my completely healed wrist. "Toni healed my wrist perfectly." I stiffened at the malicious look she gave me while reluctantly approaching Allen.

"Lexie, can I see your wrist?" Silver asked, and I held up my arm.

"Sure." Xarrendhale had no one who was white as sand. Everyone had sun-kissed skin and bright orange hair.

"Wow. No scar at all." His cold fingers grazed my skin, making a shudder involuntarily climb my spine and goosebumps cover my arm.

"You're cold!" I exclaimed while yanking my arm from his hand, and he laughed.

"It's a common trait where I'm from."

"Done." Toni cut her eyes at me, and I nervously laughed before looking to Allen's wrist. There was no sign of any injury like when she healed me. Magic was cool!

The cafeteria doors swung open with a loud bang which drained the room of all noise. The headmaster of the school walked in and cocked a hip as she surveyed our group of chaos.

"My office. Now."

SERENITY

Lexie's vibrant voice grew louder as footsteps approached our room door, and a burst of excitement flooded the room once the door opened.

"Why'd you leave so early?" With three hops, she reached the bunk bed and ascended the ladder with a smooth leap. The mattress shook when she sprawled out on my mattress.

"I finished eating, so I didn't need to stay there any longer." I replied.

"Hey Serenity." Cyrus said while opening the closet door and hanging up articles of clothing. I nodded in response.

"We got in trouble!" Lexie began with enthusiasm. "Kyle and Roko were fighting, then Allen attacked me out of nowhere and burned my wrist here—hey, you're not looking!" I turned my head towards her voice, and she continued to spit twenty words per second. "Then I fractured his wrist, then Cyrus shot a gun in the cafeteria,"

"That's against the rules." I commented.

"Chapter three section five of the rule book states that—" Cyrus began, but Lexie wouldn't let her finish.

"And then the headmaster walked in, so we had to go to her office."

"I still can't believe you shot a gun in the cafeteria though." Toni commented which elicited a simple response from Cyrus:

"They were breaking the rules." Toni forced an amical laugh as Lexie's recap branched into a network of other topics before returning to the incident at the cafeteria.

"So the headmaster said that we wouldn't be able to sit together at lunch anymore with Spencer's and Allen's team, but I somehow managed to change her mind." Cyrus laughed.

"You wouldn't stop apologizing, so she couldn't refuse." Hours passed as Lexie continued to talk, and it almost surprised me how much she could talk without getting tired. The lack of participation from Toni made me suspect that she fell asleep hours ago, and dwindling participation from Cyrus showed her fatigue as well. A knock on the door made Lexie abruptly stop, and she flew down the ladder.

"I'll get it!" With quick steps, she opened the door and engaged the person on the other side before the door closed.

"They said lights out."