Samantha Love

The next day, Travis was awoken by the loud sound of someone shouting his name outside. He got up, looked out the window, and saw Coach David in a blue and red tracksuit. His classmates, some half asleep, stood beside him.

"Travis, get down here this instant. Gym class has already started!" he shouted.

"It's 4 in the morning!" Travis shouted back.

"Oh, really? To me, it seemed like the day has already started. Now stop complaining and come down here or I'll get you myself!" Coach David shouted.

Travis frowned, went to the bathroom to wash his face and brush his teeth, put on some gym clothes, and jumped out of the window.

*Boom*

Travis landed in front of David like a superhero. The earth cracking sound woke the others up.

"Oh, Travis, you're here," Chris said while yawning.

"I hope you're all ready for a four-hour jog around campus. You'll stop when school starts at eight o'clock. Now, let's get to it."

They ran for four hours straight, from the dark sky until the bright morning. Travis wasn't fazed, having run longer during the past two years.

"Good job! Now get to the showers," David said before leaving.

Travis thought, 'When are we gonna test our limits?' He ran back to his room, bathed, and put on his uniform and hoodie. Feeling refreshed, he walked out.

"Hey Vena! Wait up!" Travis called out to Vena walking alone outside.

"Travis, how was the workout?" she asked blankly.

"It was alright. I'm not complaining since we're the hope of the world and stuff," he replied.

Vena nodded, saying, "Yeah, I guess you're right. I'm somehow scared, which is not common for me."

"We're all people at the end of the day. It's normal to feel scared, but we'll have your back, mostly you since you use a bow and arrow," he said.

Vena smiled briefly, surprising him. "You should smile more; it really suits you," he remarked.

"I've heard that line a thousand times. Normally, I would have walked away, but somehow I wasn't annoyed when you said it," she said.

Travis smiled, "That's cool. Now let's hurry before we're late."

They started jogging lightly, unaware that Grace was watching them.

When Travis entered class, he received a message from the system: [Yo bro, that Yandere chick was behind you the whole time].

'For real? She must have masked herself since I didn't feel her stare. Wow, she's kinda creepy, and I like it.'

[Bro, you must be on some drugs cause personally, I wouldn't like a girl spying on me].

'Yeah, but think about it. If you get her to like you, she'll never go after somebody else.'

[Hmm, that does sound like something straight out of a fairy tale.]

'In a way, it does.'

He greeted the class, sat down with the boys, and Chris shared his exhaustion.

"Nothing really. Just a tired mind. I felt like I was gonna die today," Chris said.

"This was normal for me, so I'm not complaining. Chris, you gotta step up if you don't want to burden us in the future," Kevin said seriously.

Chris agreed, "Yeah, you're right. I should get some extra classes."

"Nah, bro, just work a bit harder, and you'll be fine. Overworking yourself brings you back to where you were. So, do stuff at your own pace. It's not like we'll be fighting the Dark King tomorrow."

Chris smiled and nodded, "Yeah, you're right, Travis."

Travis knew Chris's strengths and flaws well, thinking, 'I mean, he is the protagonist.'

Abruptly, a fearsome pressure enveloped the room, the air thickening with an almost tangible tension. Startled, everyone instinctively dropped to the ground as a woman entered, her commanding presence turning the atmosphere suffocating. With a disdainful tone, she declared, "You're all a bunch of weaklings," casting a shadow that lingered long after her words had settled.

TO BE CONTINUED