After I've changed into my school's jersey, Allison began speaking, "Sorry, I didn't get a chance to explain how the curriculum changed because of them."
"None taken." I dismissed it, smiling at her before asking, "What about it anyway?"
"About that, have you read the manual before we head here?" I nodded before she proceeded. "Good, because it will be easy to brief your classes today."
"Okay, shoot," I responded as we walked down the quiet hall and greeted a few teachers who headed to their respective classes.
"Alright, first, the academy is known as a school of gifted people in the empire. Though it doesn't mean the others who weren't studying weren't gifted too. What the academy meant about gifted people meant excellence, potential, and indeed gifted by the moon, which is also you." Almira started briefing me about the academy. As we reached the end of the locker area hall, we turned left, passing the cafeteria. Then she continued, "The academy has four majors. The Council's Major focuses mostly on academics. The Healers' Major covers science, medicine, and chemistry. The Knights Major trains students in combat and platoon tactics. Although the classes are mostly the same, each major specializes in its own profession."
"What about the Special Classes?" I wondered.
Allison and Almira looked at each other, grinning mischievously. It made my heart unsettled. Then Allison answered. "Special Major is the fourth major, the rare one." I frowned, but was curious about its classes. Allison smiled and continued. "It's the same with the rest, but difficult enough to make some quit before receiving their diploma."
I shivered a little before skeptically chuckling. "Should I be scared of that?"
Allison shook her head as she answered. "No, because your case is different."
"Different how?" I wondered.
Before Allison could answer me, Almira spoke. "Aside from being a Knightrose, you desire a change. You wanted to change into a better version of you, am I right?" With her steady voice, her questions linger, catching me off guard. "Or have you changed your mind after hearing it?"
I wanted to say yes, but the words caught in my throat. A heavy doubt settled over me, making me question everything once more. Not until Allison noticed my sudden silence and gently said, "Lady Almira, you've made her doubt herself."
Almira's eyes widened in surprise and looked apologetically at me before reasoning, "Oh, I didn't mean to make you doubt. It's a possibility that you had a change of heart."
I faintly smiled, understanding her reason before sighing heavily. "Yes, it made me doubt, but I still want to change. It's just that I don't know what to expect at this new school." I stopped walking as I admitted. They looked worried as I took my time digesting my first day in the new school and my expectations for it. "I'm worried, scared of facing the same terror like in my past, and...what if I won't be able to meet your family's expectation of me? What if -!"
Almira quickly stopped my rant by placing her gentle hands on my shoulders, saying, "What we're expecting for you is to get better than you used to be. You don't wish you to be perfect. Just be who you were meant to be." I didn't realize that my shoulders were tensed until they slumped and I sighed heavily, nodding. Then she continued. "Besides, the special major only became more difficult than the others because the classes were more advanced and had a tricky ranking system."
"The special major ranking system has two types, the Standard and the Elite Ranks." Allison began informing me about the ranking system that made the Special Major Classes different from the others. Then she continued."The Standard Ranks start from the least; the Fledglings were the beginner rank, mostly new students, including transfers. Followed by the A+, which is easy to obtain but tricky to maintain. The next one is called Rare. It's hard to obtain without failing the A+ rank, and it gets trickier when advancing to the SSS rank. The SSS rank is the highest in the standard ranking system that could only be obtained by mastering all classes."
I was awed by the Standard Ranking System, and I curiously wondered about the Elite Ranks. "And what about the other one?"
We continued our walk toward our first class as Almira briefed me about it. "The Elite Ranks are the exceeding part of the Standard Ranks. S Elite is the first step and a bridge for obtaining the Elite Rank. But it's not only about mastering all classes but staying in the top five in all classes." I frowned at how advanced it sounded. "The next rank is the Elite SSS rank, which is tricky and difficult as it is not based on mastering classes but more on balancing tactics, skills, and powers." Almira's smile turned smug when she continued briefing me about the last stage of the elite rank. "The last and the rarest rank of the Elite Ranks is the EI, or the Extra Infinite rank. This rank is not only rare but hard to obtain. It means all knowledge must be put in motion in every different type of situation with a clever mindset. But this rank could only be noticeable by the Instructors' Intuition, whether they were gifted by the moon, blessed by the highest heaven, aside from having unpredictable skills."
I was astonished by the last elite rank. It was indeed rare and hard to obtain, but it got me excited and challenged to claim the rarest rank. But, noticing where my head was leaning, I internally slapped myself because I knew I wouldn't be able to reach it.
I was snapped out of my thoughts when we stopped in front of a door, and Almira spoke, grinning mischievously. "Now you're briefed, we're on our way to our first class."
I knew it. I could sense that behind this closed door, it confirmed what my guts were telling me when they made me wear this jersey and dragged me excitedly here. As I froze on my ground, Allison and Almira scooped both my arms, trying to stop me if ever I plan on running away.
I was dumbfounded, horrified. They knew I was no fan of it, despite how I was turning out to be good at it. "You've got to be kidding me."
They opened the door after a knock and entered the first special major class. I was welcomed with an enormous space with a huge window and a floor mat for any physical training. I gulped as I was dragged by them to our bench, where our other classmates were already doing their stretching.
"Welcome to Special Physical Combat class." Almira warmly welcomed me as she stretched before reminding me, "You've got this. You've been training with us. You'll be fine."
"I know, but this is different." I rolled my eyes, disbelieving until I felt tension around me. I don't like to be seen, but it's hard when I'm new and with these two. I leaned closer to Allison, whispering, "Everyone is watching like a hawk, preying on their prey."
"You're new, that's why." Allison encouragingly patted my back, giggling.
I frowned, almost whining. "That didn't make me feel good."
Almira chuckled and stopped, and went closer to me, lifting my chin, and with a steady gaze, she reminded me. "Bernila, keep in mind that you defeated us before you got here when you only taught you some basics."
"Basics that almost kill me." I sighed whiny. They chuckled at my childish expression.
"That's the thing, isn't it?" Allison teased before she reminded me, "Your potential is always shown when you're cornered."
I gave them my scrutinizing gaze, but their knowing grin made me sigh, defeated. "You two were unsufferable."
I hate this class, but I hope I'll survive it.
***
"I'm done. Seriously, I'm so done with this." Internally, I whined while the two were doing great against their opponent, while I had been failing for the fifth time already. It's frustrating because I had no idea how to adjust to this kind of class. It was an early battle, and my mind wasn't ready for it. And the smugness of my opponent was not making it easy.
"This is the problem with the newbies, they were all easy." My opponent mocked as if he grown tired of fighting me.
"As if you didn't experience being one." I refuted calmly as I stood up, dusting myself.
"Well, I hadn't been training before entering here." He retorted smugly. Then he looked at me from head to toe, grinning. I shivered disgustedly because I knew that look, and he was just reminding me of those kinds of men. And on my first day, he became one of them. "I think you're better off learning how to be a housewife than being here."
My ears twitched, annoyed, but I held myself and controlled my temper. Not until our instructor's voice boomed in the training room. "AGAIN!" He shouted with firmness, making me tremble, and my opponent chuckled. But our instructor noticed it, "What's funny?" He jolted, shaking his head before the instructor continued. "Don't idle and train."
My opponent began attacking me, as I kept my defensive stunts. Then he mocked. "Drop the class and be my wife."
Then that was it. Something had shifted in me without a warning. I stopped moving as he landed a punch on my face. He was smug about it, laughing in mockery, catching everyone in the class, even our instructor, who got worried about receiving a fatal blow from a man. But I was not hurt. I just cracked my stiffness, dusting my jersey until I heard Almira and Allison's side comment from the side.
"Oh boy, you're doomed."
"Of course, who wouldn't? I hit her straight on the face."
"No, idiot. You're doomed."
Before he could respond to them, I was gone from my spot. I heard gasping voices around us as my hand entirely gripped his face before slamming him to the ground. The power from my counter left an impact, vibrating the room. But his hand didn't only land on the ground, he bounced like a ball before hitting the wall, leaving deep cracks.
"Why you -!" He couldn't manage to finish his words when I reappeared in front of him, grabbing his collar and throwing him back to the aisle.
He has no time to recover when I give him deadly combos from punches to kicks. He stumbled and became defenseless as my precise attacks left numbing blows. I was about to give him a last blow when his knees buckled, and he became nauseated.
I gripped his face tightly. Through clenched teeth, I hissed, "You don't get to own me as your wife—not when you're nowhere near the queen's league." His eyes went wide, horrified, and he peed on his pants before I added, "Bullied me or anyone like that again, I'll torment you." I let him go, and Almira poked my cheeks, earning a furious glare from me. "What?"
"You're like my sister on punishing someone." Almira amusingly responded, teasing.
I groaned, resisting the truth in their teasing—my wife's antics were clearly rubbing off on me, whether I liked it or not. "I'm not." But Almira and Allison didn't believe me and just snickered. I groaned whiny, "I said I am not."
Their laughter stopped when our instructor came and addressed me. "Bernila Daquila Knightrose, come with me."
I was taken aback, worried because even they didn't know what made our instructor call for me. But I obeyed, even though I felt like I was doomed.
***
The silence made me nervous as we walked toward the second floor in the Special Major department. I couldn't take it anymore and asked politely, "Ahm, Sir, can you tell me where we're heading?"
"Ah, we're going to Weaponry & Combat class." Sir Athan, my physical combat instructor, replied steadily. But he noticed my puzzlement, and he continued, "Actually, all instructors at Special Major will be giving you a personal assessment because Lady Alysia suddenly gave a firm recommendation to transfer to Special Major." Then he grinned as he added, "We're curious about the sudden change in your major. From what I could see, you're already in the advanced classes. I mean, elite classes."
I was surprised by the news and taken aback by his assessment. "In what?"