FIRST DAY AT ACADEMY

Stare, who had been immersed in the comforting embrace of slumber, was abruptly jolted awake by an incessant, irritating noise, causing him to bolt upright in alarm.

It resembled a warning signal signaling an impending apocalyptic event.

Stare's weary eyes blinked red, but he still remained alert, scanning his surroundings with caution. He found himself still in the dorm room.

Turns out he wasn't the only one alerted by the odd noise as both Joel and Bobby had also alarmingly sprinted off their beds scanning the whole room with a mixture of fear and caution on their faces.

Their tension was however eased a little when the sound abruptly disappeared and then a holographic figure of the Rector suddenly appeared in the middle of the room.

Despite the odd, confused looks on the three faces, the hologram had already begun speaking.

"Happy you're awake. If you're wondering about the sound earlier, that was your wake-up alarm."

The expressions on the three faces instantly soured upon hearing this, but the hologram continued.

"One of the best traits of a good Hero is punctuality."

"You'll be starting your first lecture today, so I expect most of you to be nervous, excited, or both. This is just a reminder to adhere to the Academy's rules. For context or clarification, you can always ask Paraclete for the rules or any other questions you have in mind."

"In your wardrobes, you'll find sets of the Academy's uniforms. They are made of the best Neo-tech materials, with comfortable and innovative features."

"And lastly, your first meal of the day is in about ten minutes at the Academy's Cafeteria. Lateness won't be appreciated, as defaulters will be locked out and denied access to the first serving. As I mentioned earlier, punctuality is a crucial trait of a Hero, and our job here at the Academy is to make you the best."

"Good luck and have a productive learning day," the hologram concluded before disappearing as abruptly as it had appeared.

All three dorm mates continued to stare at the spot where the hologram had been just moments ago with lost expressions.

""Did he just say we only have ten minutes to get to the Cafeteria?" Stare exclaimed suddenly, snapping both Joel and Bobby out of their frozen state and into a frenzy.

Fortunately, the bathroom was divided into three spaces, allowing each of them to quickly wash up.

In no time, they had cleaned up and selected one of the Academy's uniforms for themselves.

It was a white bodysuit adorned with the emblem of a Phoenix on its chest.

Donning the bodysuit, they all exited the room, relying on their AI, Paraclete, to swiftly navigate to the cafeteria.

They weren't alone in their haste; they encountered other students, all clad in the same uniforms as Stare and his dorm mates, rushing towards the cafeteria.

Fortunately, the cafeteria building wasn't far from their dorm, facilitating timely arrival for students from both the male and female dormitories. Thus, they all managed to reach the building on time.

Similar to the other buildings Stare had encountered in the Academy so far, the hall boasted majestic and intricate designs.

It featured a spacious layout with dining tables and chairs neatly arranged, resembling a banquet hall. The interior was adorned with exquisite furniture, likely crafted from carbon fiber, and large holographic images of esteemed heroes and heroines adorned the walls.

Stare could hear admiring whispers from some students as their eyes took in the surroundings.

Before long, the hall filled up with numerous students, with more continuing to stream in.

Drones hovered around, serving a variety of foods to students as soon as they took their seats at the tables.

Stare and his dorm mates arrived a little late, resulting in them only being able to find a table in the middle row.

Their table was soon served with a variety of food by hovering drones. Joel eagerly began munching on the served food, followed by Bobby. However, Stare, more interested in something else, initially refrained from touching his food.

His eyes scanned the hall carefully, searching for any sign of Y-204, but he hadn't made any progress yet.

'He wasn't going to miss this as well right?' Stare was starting to get anxious.

While he was deep in thought about the odd absence of Y-204 up until now, his attention was abruptly diverted by a chaotic disturbance in the hall.

Screams echoed, and everyone appeared to either stand up from their seats or push forward, eager to catch a glimpse of something or someone.

The source of the commotion seemed to be the hall's doors.

"Who could it be?" he wondered aloud.