A familiar voice booms within the light, its tone thunderous and powerful. "Pride is the greatest motivator."
Another voice follows, soft and teasing-like. "And humility is its greatest gift."
'They sound like someone I've met before, but who?'
He contemplates for a while, scouring through his mind.
The booming voice shouts ever so proudly. "Together, we create the greatest philosophy in history."
Together, they shout: "Religion!"
As the room materializes, everyone appears in chibi form.
'As predicted, it's an archangel. Cockiness and Archangels go hand-in-hand like an unbreakable couple. You can tell if a person is friends with one by their continuous praise of themselves or their constant demeaning of others to maintain a sense of superiority. It's quite amusing for the first few times, but it gets annoying very quickly.'
The students glance around the room: everything has been drastically altered, except their desks. Instead of a spherical glass-rooftop, it's a flat, space-like room. Instead of the casual brown concrete walls, it's grey, having the same bookshelf layout. The room has six large carpets unevenly placed on the floor.
The archangels look bewildered, their expressions confused. The male archangel lectures. "Ah, so kids—why are you shocked? Are you wondering how you got here? It's the numbers, dummytins. We teleport you by the numbers on the floor."
Shalius folds her wings and scoffs. "I assume it would've been used for emergencies."
She sighs. "My eyes need to adjust to this irritating light and perhaps a warning can help with that."
'Well, that explains the numbers.'
Akiro scrutinizes her desk. "Whoa! That's so cool!"
Alanze yells at the teacher. "Do you count us as ignorant buffoons? It was the light! The awfully blinding light! What a rude awakening amongst our peers! Do you not have any idea how blinding that was? At least give us a warning whenever you're about to teleport us—it almost blinded the poor o' me."
One of the teachers responds to his claim: "You were supposed to be warned beforehand by Mr. Galfal. Certainly, you've enraged him for such a blinding predicament to fall upon you. What have you done?"
Alanze and a couple of students yell their side of the story: many complained about the laughter, some ridiculed their classmates' inattentive behavior, yet all averted their blame onto others.
A student puts a finger to his chin. "Maybe he simply forgot the school's system? You know he's old and stuff. Why would he leave the room? He could've just turned around?"
One of the teachers smirks idly at his assumption. "Uh-ah! Remember a time elf keeps 100% of their memories from a fetus to an old man, regardless of any illness. They won't forget something that crucial."
A slime student, Rhychill, asks. "Wait, so it was a fake-out? Oh, that Jackass! Why did I deserve that? I was listening the whole time!"
Another teacher holds his hand up for attendance. "Well, no swelling in the past, as the future awaits your input. Anyways, let's restart our welcome song without Reinhard's and Pymei's early emission."
The teachers were about to speak, but the archangels intervened, speaking in unison: "Welcome to morality class! Select a teacher you deem worthy of your attention!"
The female archangel butts in with a pouty expression. "But I know, it'll always be us."
The male archangel daps her hand. "Ey-hey, we did the unison!"
They proudly grin and flex their muscles. The female archangel's muscles were toned, but not as bulky as her male counterpart. The male archangel's muscles are massive and sculpted, yet not large enough to be brutish.
The other teachers react to their performance:
A sugar-rush Kitsuné wags her tail feverishly. "Ahahaha, prideful people I'll never get tired of. Ahahaha!!"
A haunting Druid holds his forehead. "Such behavior is doomed to have a fallout."
A night nymph quietly mutters with a tone of defiance. "Arrogant, prideful archangels. Always ignoring your past, yet humility never bested them. But I will, and no mercy shall be granted, for I the great Mau—."
Amongst the chaos, an ice elf faintly gestures towards a teacher. "Can we get a handle on this situation before we humiliate ourselves in front of the newcomers?"
A magician bunny-folk clears his throat loudly, speaking in a bold, almost musical tone: "He-heh, well, back to the subject at hand, my friends."
He claps three times. "Welcome to morality class! A place where you'll always belong. Morality, as you know, is subjective—shaped by our surroundings, views, death, and experiences. The terms we create to define it will never come close to describing it like a Phylx in a bloodstream."
The haunted Druid takes over: "This class exists to get as close to your ideology and harshly criticize it to the max. There are six paths you can choose from. I, Damish, have inner peace and Discipline. I am here to ease your regrets and to let your anger go. Forgive all, as it does no good for you, and avoid conflict as much as possible."
The night nymph speaks in an assertive voice. "MY NAME IS MAUMUS AND I SET THE BOUNDARIES AND ENFORCEMENTS OF MORAL JUSTICE! There are levels at which you cannot forgive someone, and I know the limit! Become another me if you wish to walk the path of consequences!"
The male archangel said, "I, Reinhard—"
The female cut him off. "And I, Pymei."
Together, they say: "Embody religion and humility. We derive all of our stories from the one above. If you ever feel insecure—visit us—and we'll straighten that back right up!"
Pymei winked at Kailus specifically, causing him to shudder in disgust.
The magician bunny-folk spoke gently. "I, Buford, teach Social Order and Duty within the hierarchy. I'm here to question what you know—"
Ulrus cut him off. "By asking more questions, even about simple things, until the person gets confused and/or gives up."
Buford shot her a glare, yet the icy elf remains unbothered.
"You know the old saying 'Opposites attract one another'. You two will get along soon enough, even if it's been thirty years of aggression," Damish responds naively.
Their eyes twitch ever so slightly at his quote.
The sugar-rush Kitsuné pats Damish on the back, laughing aloud. "Oh, Damion, you always know how to say the right thing at the right time."
Tension simmered between the opposing teachers as the students watched, amused by this rivalry.
Reinhard thinks quickly. "Uhhh… CHIRO, explain yourself less than me."
The sugar-rush Kitsuné's tails curl as she flushes red. "What? Are you talking about the cheese incident? That's inappropriate for the matter."
He plants a hand on his face, sighing: "No, your morality, idiot."
Chiro stares star-gated. "OHHH."
She faces the class and shouts in pure excitement, her voice bouncy and childish. "Heya, I, Chiro have Survival and Self-Interest. Nothing but me, myself, and I—because I value my dignity above all. Pick me if you love yourself. The others all hate you." She teases the last part.
Damish chuckles a bit at her speech. She pouts at his direction. "What's the laughter for? I thought you were all peaceful and accepting, Damion."
Damish replies quietly: "No, I'm just seeing the hypocrisy in your words. Just giving some thoughtful criticism of your previous situations. Also, it's 'Damish', not 'Damion'."
Ulrus cuts their conversation short without any warning, her voice emotionless: "I, Ulrus, have Reason and Independent Thought, garnering my sources from studies, rather than religious engravings. Unlike what everyone says, it's not 'depressed and stupid'. It's only to live—"
Buford cuts her off. "By killing yourself, since 'everything is meaningless'."
They resume their stare-off as Reinhard and Pymei move them far from each other.
Damish sighs at their childish behavior, quickly finishing up the remaining script. "Instructions will be given after you've chosen your teacher. Thank you for listening, you may rise."
As soon as he bows, some students begin to roam around, pondering the many options before them.
Akiro smirks. "I know where I'm going!"
She waltzes over to Reinhard and Pymei.
'Of course you'll go there, pride is the only thing holding you from a nervous breakdown.' Shalius mutters.
Kailus remains silent along with the rest of the class, still in thought about the last lesson. 'It's unfair to assume the demon's torture as a good thing. That isn't enough to repay for the thousands of years of conflict we have endured at their hands.'
Shalius stares at him, deeply in thought. 'Kailus isn't taking the information quite well. I, too, am struggling to comprehend the tragedy that befalls our kind, but why stress over it if your heritage hasn't suffered through it? Were his ancestors in such a predicament?'
Suddenly, Reinhard calls them out. "Hey Natives, especially you angel boy, come over here and we'll teach you how to handle that anger of yours."
Damish says politely, "Hey! You can't persuade them. They have to choose for themselves. Pressuring their choices is manipulation. It's their choice to—"
Pymei cuts him off, teasingly, "Aww, but I think I'm a bit better off than just being all peaceful. Plus, two of the rarest races in our class? Who wouldn't want that?"
Damish squeezes his hand. "They're children and you'll treat them as such. The principal will handle any objectification of this matter if you continue this."
The two archangels groan at the mention of them.
Ulrus replies with a surprise expression. "I'm quite surprised that you manage to irritate him."
"I'll be as direct as I can. That's honestly an achievement." Buford responds.
Kailus stops daydreaming and looks at the options. 'I really wish to join Akiro but many of my old classmates chose him as well. I want to avoid them as much as possible. Damish's peace and acceptance really tempt me; I long for my guilt to erode and become an extrovert. But Maumus is just as tempting~. Ugh, I guess I'll go with Damish.'
Kailus goes toward Damish.
'As much as I value Kailus. I cannot follow him like a love-sick puppy.' She looks over the selective routes. 'There are many who collide with my personality; that being Ulrus, Chiro, and Buford. I long since practiced my religion, merely using it as a holiday rather than its intended purpose. From my standpoint, I'm more of an agnostic leaning towards atheism—a centrist to say. It's a difficult decision, but I'll see what Ulrus has to offer.'
After the class is split into six groups, the teacher ensures their choice.
Amongst them, Reinhard whispers to Pymei. "I really wanted that chap to follow us."
Pymei whispers back solemnly. "Yeah, he reminds me of him."
Reinhard's smile turns into neutrality. "Stop talking about him. He died a savior. He wouldn't want to be an afterthought of pain in your mind."
Akiro tilts her head. 'Ooo~, teacher lore.'
He turns back to his class with an open grin. "DECISION IS UP. COME ON, STUDENTS TO OUR CARPET: NUMBER 44."
Damish smiles softly. "Carpet 23 for us."
Ulrus says in a blunt, sophisticated tone, "Carpet 1."
Chiro's light voice shouts, "Carpet 67!"
Buford says with a bit of jazz, "Carpet 96!"
They go to the designated carpets. Once everyone's in place, the teachers activate the magic, as the room turns bright once more.
Damish's group:
The students are in a meadow.
'Oh, this is the Druid's land. I've always heard great things about its beauty.'
Damish's voice breaks the peace with his calm and gentle demeanor. "We're in Quiet Meadows, Springford—the angel portion given to Druids. We persevered and even went to great lengths to perfect it. Since we're in silence, let's relax our minds and soften our senses. Find an area to sit or stand—it wouldn't matter either way. If bugs are bothering you, I'll cast a warding spell."
Everyone goes to find their spot among the pulsing vibrant ground,
Reinhard and Pymei's groups:
They're in an empty room with only one door.
Reinhard speaks softly with a little excitement. "Now, I know that this isn't a part of religious studies, but I came here to…" he searches for an answer.
Pymei saves Reinhard. "To show the miracles God has provided over the course of history."
He smiles at her. "Thank you." He turns toward the class. "Pride's greatest motivator is your ancestors' history. That feeling when you realize your people used to conquer the world with God's will. It gives a sense of national pride and drives races like us with great energy."
They exit the teleporting room and enter the public library. The class follows them as they talk along the way.
Pymei smirks smugly. "Oh, we archangels are full of history. We used to run the omegas for three straight centuries—"
Reinhard quickly shuts her off in a low tone. "And then they beat and forced our ancestors to become citizens here."
Reinhard coughs and declares aloud. "Well, they needed a lotta beings to best 'the great race of tomor—" The library assistant, a Druid-Kitsuné lets out a loud shush.
Reinhard whispers, "Sorry."
The assistant nods before going back to indulge in her book.
He continues in a whisper. "So let's take a look at your ancestors, and what impossible feats they've accomplished."
They stop at the history section.
Akiro smirks to herself. 'I like this man: he's strong, buff, has a handsome face, prideful but keeps it low, and his sweet body~. He's my type.'
Reinhard points to Akiro. "Let's check on yours, powerhouse Kitsuné, since it barely compares to our history."
Akiro wonders, 'He even pronounced my name correctly, unlike the 'zealot'. What a curse to be born later and be his student!'
Ulrus' Group:
Everyone is wondering where they're at and why she chose this specific place. The walls are run-down, and the floor is covered with debris and insects crawling around.
Ulrus hasn't uttered a single word since they stepped in here. The rooms are covered with moss and mold and some of the walls are infested with termites, termoids, and genopedes.
Shalius studies the surroundings. 'Given the sheer amount of rooms and the many slash and burn marks; this is most likely a castle after it was raided by the townspeople—possibly a revolution.'
After a while of silence, Ulrus begins, "From what you stand was once the Ghana Family's estate. The richest human family in their respective era. Known for their virtue and vast sums of money, the people doubted their goodness, as they could not, for the better, believe a good man could be successful in a world such as Elrus. So they tried their best to find any wrongdoing."
Shalius's eyes widen when Ulrus mentions "human". She looks around, spotting rotting paintings of human portraits and ancient human inventions.
She blurts out: "Wait, s-so we're in human terri—"
Ulrus cuts her off, blade-like. "Shhh, we're currently outside the Golden Gates. We cannot be caught lest we become prisoners by the Omegas. Shall we proceed?"
Her expression is emotionless, yet her words radiate danger. They continue to walk through this ruined palace in tense silence, unaware of the future that awaits them. The females were very cautious and fearful of being in the hands of humans due to past conflicts.
Shalius shutters. 'If we're caught, we'll probably be used as sex dolls by the humans.'
Damish's Group:
Damish goes one-by-one, casting a soundproof barrier, and taking his time with each student—spreading joyful tears, slight smiles, and relief faces across all.
Though Kailus couldn't hear him, he could certainly see how effective he was.
'Everyone who talks with him, always comes back with a smile. Will he be able to ease my regrets?'
Damish turns his eyes toward Kailus and puts a barrier around them. He studies his face for a moment before starting the conversation. "I can sense you have embarrassment within your soul. Is it lifelong or short-term?"
Kailus stutters at the immediate grasp of his life: "U-uh, I have embarrassment for everything. I um—"
Danish cuts him off, "Take your time, I'm not here to be problematic or judge you. I'm here to help, not prolong it. Speak thoroughly."
Kailus breathes slowly and answers, "I can't live down the embarrassment, sir. Everyone says to let it go, but I cannot, even if my life depends on it. My issues always come back no matter what. I've embarrassed myself so many times, thinking of something I should've said back then, but came too late to say."
Damish ponders his conviction. "Well Kailus, do you have any good and trustworthy friends to share with? Ones that will take you seriously?"
Kailus' eyes start to water as he sighs: "No, I've been a kid who was weird and awkward. I was the one who whined about everything. I had no friends, was always arrogant, and spread false accusations daily amongst others."
He gets flashbacks of being a crybaby. No one wanted to associate out of fear of being disciplined.
Kailus starts to cry. "And how I was made to carry others' items, thinking they were friends. But, they only treated me as a storage unit. But I changed, and I want to leave that behind, but it always comes back no matter what. I was spoiled for twelve years, right until my thirteenth birthday—when I grew up and realized why I was hated, and how much I was used. And it crushed me when I realized that I had already ruined my reputation. I never told my parents out of fear, and I want to erase the MEMORY!"
Damish sighs at his pitiful state, "You've been coddled in your zone for so long that you've forgotten the outside world. You need someone to share this guilt with. Without one, you'll be looked upon as a fool by all for wanting to rewrite history into a perfect story, but you'll never achieve that. Will you embarrass yourself one more time to get out of this guilt trip? The fact that you realized your mistakes shows your growth. All you have to do is learn from your past."
Kailus thinks all the time: he had none to share with, none to cater to, none to laugh with, except for Damish. Kailus speaks in a soft voice. "Yeah, maybe I do."
Damish, still not satisfied, asks him. "Can you love yourself, Kailus? Regardless of what you do, you will have enemies targeting you. Do not be a people pleaser, be a person with standards, as soon enough, you will have to pick a side and take a leap of faith—to indulge in ostracism. Why worry about past mistakes? It's already done and written. What you can do now is make your present self greater. Dance in embarrassment as evil masks itself in mass to give fear, while good masks itself in strength to show power. You'll be best suited with Maumus or Chiro. But fret not, you can change your morals at any time and come back here, client."
Kailus, for once, felt full—a refreshed spirit that had broken the chains he once placed on himself.
He genuinely smiles for the first time. Damish stares for a moment before leaving for another student. Kailus wipes his tears and calms himself.
Reinhard and Pymei's group:
Mikel and Pymei pull a book about the strife and war of kitsunes. Pymei grins. "Heh, I thought we didn't have it. It took a long time to find in this legendary place! Thanks, Deliah~."
The library assistant bows and returns to her desk. Reinhard says: "Now that we finally have it, let's read your history, Akiro."
He flips to a page: "Powerhouse kitsunés were known as 'the immortal' for their ability to grow an infinite amount of tails. The greatest war they've ever fought was one powerhouse kitsuné versus three thousand soldiers, and she won with minimal damage. Talk about power."
Akiro smiles, 'Kitsuné history will always be surprising to an outsider at how much we've fallen.'
Reinhard smirks at Akiro. "The immortals~, I like it—I like it. For now, you must wear it with pride. And with such, you must show why you have it! For the fun part, you must train to earn that title, for that's what gives true pride!"
'Yeah, I might've overestimated my opinion about him. Ugh, I haven't trained since I was 5. The only thing I've trained were my legs, which gave me this sweet fat ass. I hope he's joking though.'
Ulrus's team:
No one dares to speak, every breath and footstep sounds louder than it should have, bringing unease to their location. They walk through the various rooms in this labyrinth of a house: coming across a kitchen, hallway, and multiple bedrooms.
Ulrus continues. "When they couldn't find any evidence on them, they decided to lie. A woman falsely accused Ghana of rape and threw accusations at Ghana's two wives of being hidden lesbians. For context, they allow gay marriages but draw the line at lesbian. It shows how… stupid the citizens were. Anyways, they took her lie, even though they had a system that values a woman's word half of a man's, so he should've won—but they hated him and rigged it. They did their best plea, yet it was not enough. Thus, they were executed."
A dwarf asks, "You said they were a family. Did they have kids? If so, did the kids get executed as well?"
Ulrus answers bluntly. "Yes, they had kids, and yes, they were executed. They argued that the 'kids will someday become like their father' aka intergenerational trauma. The people didn't even believe in that theory, but they couldn't accept anyone with such wealth being that kind, so the three and seven-year-olds' heads fell. This created a massive hole that led other competitors to exploit."
They listen to Ulrus' morbid lesson. "The lady gets half of Ghana's money and uses it to start a makeup business that thrives to this day. The humans still assume getting rid of the Ghana Family was the correct choice, yet they're paying one hundred times the amount they wouldn't have under them. To end on an ironic note: historians later discovered secret accounts of Canapy—the lady who accused them—of having a secret business partner named Yureis. It's theorized that her wife needed competition gone for a new business which she'll use her 'boy husband' to create it."
Shalius concludes. 'So, the humans were stupid and got rid of a monopoly that favored them. Typical humane behavior.'
"The lesson here is that sometimes good is just good. But people won't believe it, even if you put it in their face and say it with proof. Evil will always win because there's always someone who assumes something DEEPER when there's nothing at all."
Ulrus kicks a wall piece on the floor. "Ignorant, stupid, useless, wannabe, smug, arrogant, dumbass people are always making excuses to ruin a paradise they could've had by their skepticism, just like the dumbass Buford—but I digress from such idiots."
Ulrus calms her voice, "Though it was sad, the market was freer by their deaths, as someone down their line would possibly stop good businesses from prospering. At least they died as a great legacy and a show of good monopoly."
Everyone looks around at the paintings on the walls. Ghana smiles with his firstborn child in his arms. Another is Ghana with his wives with one holding a baby.
"Everything is meaningless, as evil always wins. Sometimes, some evil is good for the betterment of the future. But it'll always die, whether by justice or age, and it's our job to give the next generation a sense of hope for a better future. They've already won and the best thing we can do is to lead people out of such illusions. For when impossibility stands in your way, life can flourish with meaning, for now you have absurdism—fighting the impossibility to show there's hope!"
Ulrus stops as they stand in front of a huge living room with two curving stairs. In front of them stands a molding, torn painting of the family, consisting of Ghana, his two wives, and children.
Reinhard and Pymei's group:
Akiro is sweating like a slime during the summer.
She gasps toward Reinhard. "Hey, this is too much."
Reinhard retorts. "Eh, 'too much'? You only did twelve, there's eighty-eight more pushups left!"
Akiro whines. 'If the bell doesn't ring anytime soon, the nymph behind me will sadly endure my flatulence.'
As Akiro was about to give up, Reinhard and Pymei's watches rang, signaling the end of their class. Reinhard and Pymei shed tears. "Our torture program has ended, I was hoping you didn't last this long."
Akiro falls to the floor, panting. 'What the hell type of morality is this? A preparation for hell?'
Reinhard and Pymei cry on the floor as the librarian hits him with a staff. "Get up and stop causing a scene in the library."
He whines playfully at her attacks and gets up. "Everyone back to the Carpet."
In Morality Class:
The teachers all came back around the same second.
Chiro's cheery voice rings out: "Now back to your desks to be teleported into the next class~!"
Chiro's students look oddly traumatized and dull.
One angelic student says breathless: "You left us when we were calling for you."
Chiro squints her eyes. "Did you think when I said I practice self-interest that I'll save you? I literally teach survival of the fittest."
The student responds: "You're right…"
Buford's students came back with excited faces.
Alanze says. "You're very impressive Buford with how you're easily able to impress an elf such as me. I find your guides quite useful, rather than just sourcing bland information in the library."
Buford smiles. "I appreciate it, my dear student. Toodles."
Maumus' students had an odd aura within them.
Rhychill says. "I didn't realize that I was just accepted because of my body and not for myself."
Kailus sits back at his desk, feeling amazing, yet lonely. It crept back slowly and steadily. He wonders. "Is this what a friend is like?"
Akiro sits back in her seat, panting heavily. "Kailus darling, thank God you didn't come with me. We were doing push-ups nonstop. I almost gave a nymph a piece of my food, so to say."
Shalius sits between them. "Don't bother going into Ulrus' class. She'll put you in danger and give a bland quote at the end of it. I was expecting a nihilistic perspective with how the story was going, but it was merely absurdism. How's your class, Kailus?"
He felt their eyes on him and their need for his attention. No, their connection is more than classmates, maybe an actual friendship? He feels their connection, but it's not close to Damish's warmth.
Akiro was about to comment on his quietness, but the teachers raised their hands for silence.
Reinhard says. "Ok, the teleportation magic will begin in. Everyone close your eyes."
All the teachers, except Ulrus, yell in unison: "3, 2, 1, GO!"
The students are engulfed by the blinding light yet again. The light fades, revealing an empty classroom. Shortly thereafter, a playhouse kitsune enters the room, wearing only a tank top and sweats. She has a basketball spinning on her finger. "Ready for PE?"
Akiro and the other students with the two archangels whined when she said those very words.
The gym teacher orders them. "Get out of the classroom! I see a lot of fat people here."
They follow her outside into a huge gymnasium. It includes sections of physical training: sports, weights, yoga pads, and other exercise equipment. The students look around, amazed at the variety of activities.
The Kitsune teacher, Akumazi, says: "Now, class, it seems that some of you were trained by my great friends. But because I'm such a GOOD~ teacher, I'll let you slack off. Normally, I'm supposed to torture you with thousands of exercises or dodgeball, as I do love pain—but I need to win Teacher of the Year."
Akumazi shudders at the memories of Chiro laughing in her face. "Haha, look who won?" "It's all about me, me, me!" "I'm the most loved Yokai in this college~." "Pack it up, you'll never beat me."
Akumazi grins. "Last time it didn't happen, and let's say I raised some mutants. I heard one of them is actually a famous soldier. Have you heard of Haraum? I trained that class clown with every fiber of my being. But he'll always shrug it off. I did everything: give him the worst teammates, separate him from his friends, anything! I gave him no mercy at all. I can be petty if you wish to be on my bad side."
Meanwhile, the drained students lay happily on the cold, hard floor. Akiro wraps Kailus' wings around her. "I need your wings, darling. Would you mind cooling them for me?"
Kailus brings his wings to freezing temperatures to accommodate her.
Other exhausted students notice him: "Hey can I take cover, too?" "You got a spare wing?" "I need to cool off. I'm tired." "Room for more?"
Kailus is stunned by the various pleas as he musters the courage from Damish's lesson. "Sorry, bu-but I only do it-t for my friend."
Akiro snuggles with a smug look. "Heard the angel, go cuddle with someone else."
They sigh irritably and leave for a cold spot. Kailus felt free for the first time, not serving under anyone.
He looks down at Akiro. 'As much as I value her, does she really need to know about my past?'
He remembers all of his embarrassing moments flooding him, trying to chain him, but Damish's voice penetrates his mind. "Don't run away from the past. Dance with it."
Kailus asks. 'Dance with them? D-dance?'
He looks at all of his past embarrassments. 'In all of my life, I've been the loser, a poser, a draft dodger, a carrier, and a liar. But now, I can finally get rid of these emotions… these regrets.'
He starts to hum as he imagines walking through his most embarrassing moments and accepting them, rather than running away. He hugs one as the accountability hurts him, but that's not him anymore—he's grown.
After a while, he opens his eyes. "This feels amazing. How long until you'll be done?"
Akiro mutters: "When I feel like it. Your wings are so soft—."
He doesn't pay attention to her rambling. He felt free for once. He felt somewhat free. His old classmates look at him, whispering if he's still the same as he once was, but they couldn't see that kid anymore. Something has changed and they don't want that.