Professor Wakefield's office was large enough to host a small conference.
Sunlight filtered through the glass walls overlooking the academy grounds.
Miss Heaven, Mr Dandre, Mr Ryco and several other instructors stood before the desk.
Professor Wakefield leaned in.
"How is Miss Kaelitha progressing?"
Silence lingered briefly.
Then Miss Heaven spoke.
"As expected, poorly."
As always, her voice was cold and direct.
"She falls asleep during lessons. Frequently. Class participation remains at zero."
Professor Wakefield nodded.
"Any assessnts?"
"A quiz."
"And?"
"She scored none."
The room fell quiet.
Professor Wakefield looked toward Mr Dandre.
"And ability training?"
Mr Dandre scratched his chin.
"Better."
Several heads turned.
"She perford surprisingly well in practical exercises. What I still don't understand is how she countered Soraya."
His brow furrowed.
"Soraya is an Advanced Class Rank Three. The difference should have been overwhelming."
Professor Wakefield looked interested.
"Any signs of bodily enhancent?"
Mr Dandre considered it.
"Not really. She's agile enough, but most of her movents seem instinctive."
A snort ca from the swimming instructor.
"Instinct my foot."
The man folded his arms.
"That girl watched an entire swimming lesson, nodded to herself, dived into the pool and sat at the bottom."
Several instructors blinked.
"...Sat?" Professor Wakefield repeated.
"Sat."
The swimming instructor looked offended just rembering it.
"She thought swimming was staying underwater."
A few chuckles spread around the room.
The fencing instructor imdiately jumped in.
"That's nothing. She stabbed a student who wasn't even participating in her match."
"It was the buttocks," another instructor corrected.
"That doesn't make it better."
The archery instructor sighed heavily.
"My class almost beca a cri scene."
Professor Wakefield raised an eyebrow.
"Explain."
"She fired an arrow backwards."
The room beca quiet.
"Backwards?" asked Mr Ryco.
"Backwards."
"How does soone even do that?" Mr Dandre asked, incredulous.
The instructor stared into space.
"I still don't know."
The discussion continued. Every report sounded different. Yet sohow all of them reached the sa conclusion.
Yesu Kaelitha was a problem.
Not malicious.
Not rebellious.
Just completely unpredictable.
Professor Wakefield listened without interrupting.
Eventually his gaze shifted.
"Mr Ryco."
The Level two Prep instructor straightened.
"I haven't had enough ti to study her. She attended only one lesson."
"No disturbances?"
Mr Ryco sighed.
"She asked a question."
Several instructors imdiately looked interested.
Professor Wakefield nodded.
"What question?"
"'If the North and South are both spending resources fighting the war, who profits the most from the war continuing?'"
The room beca noticeably quieter.
Mr Ryco shook his head.
"We were discussing military supply routes."
"That's what she asked?"
Most of the instructors looked puzzled.
Miss Heaven didn't.
Professor Wakefield leaned back thoughtfully.
"Interesting."
Miss Heaven spoke.
"Regardless, her behavior remains inconsistent. If the academy is expected to properly assess and develop her, our current observations are insufficient."
Professor Wakefield nodded slowly.
Before he could respond, Mr Dandre spoke.
"The Mid-Sester Trials begin next week."
That caught everyone's attention.
Mr Dandre continued.
"We'll see her under pressure. Competition reveals things ordinary classes don't."
Professor Wakefield seed pleased.
"Good."
Miss Heaven adjusted her glasses.
"If we truly want to understand what Kaelitha is, ordinary observation won't be enough."
The way she said it caused Mr Ryco to glance at her.
Professor Wakefield remained thoughtful for several seconds.
Then he nodded.
"Very well."
His eyes swept across the room.
"Inform all participating instructors beforehand."
A pause.
"Kaelitha is now an academy priority."
Several instructors exchanged looks.
Miss Heaven caught Mr Ryco's gaze. And for the first ti that morning, she smirked.
***
Miss Heaven walked down the hall, hands behind her back, away from the huge double door of Professor Wakefield's office.
The other instructors were far ahead.
Mr Ryco ca out of Professor Wakefield's office, shut the door and approached Miss Heaven.
"You are quite sothing." He said, walking beside her.
Miss Heaven ignored him.
"Care to explain what your real intentions are?" He asked.
"I was simply stating facts. The girl is obviously going to beco a big issue. So why not tackle it head on?" She glanced at him briefly. "And even if I had other intentions, why would I tell you?"
Mr Ryco nodded.
"Fair point. But the Heaven I know doesn't just take interest in student affairs."
Miss Heaven stopped and narrowed her eyes at him.
"I am the girl's horoom instructor, if her situation gets out of hand I will be the one who takes the brunt." Her face hardened. "And it will be 'Miss Heaven' to you."
Then she walked away.
***
The dining hall was packed. Rows of dining tables stretched across the hall.
At the serving line, students lined up with trays, moving past different stations while the kitchen staff plated the food.
Yesu walked into the hall and halted. The cafeteria in her previous school couldn't even compare. The gathering was huge.
She had never had lunch in the dining hall before. She preferred buying pizza and takeout from the café with the pocket money Arrow had been so generous with.
But Ava had invited her for lunch.
Yesu walked between tables, looking for any sign of her roommate's two neat buns or bright accessories.
"Yesu, over here!"
She turned.
Ava was rapidly waving at her from a table at the far end.
"Did you have to invite her?" the girl sitting next to Ava asked.
Ava was still waving at Yesu, giggling.
"Of course. She's my roomie."
The girl groaned and rolled her eyes.
Yesu got to their table and sat next to Ava.
"Glad you ca." Ava said cheerfully.
The other girl stabbed her fork into a piece of at.
"You're famous, you know."
Ava imdiately kicked her under the table.
"What?" the girl complained.
"You can't just say things like that."
"Everyone else is saying it."
Yesu looked between them.
The girl sighed dramatically.
"My na is Quinn."
"Ava's friend?" Yesu guessed.
"Unfortunately."
Ava gasped. "Rude."
Quinn ignored her.
"You've been here, what, two weeks?" she asked Yesu.
"Almost."
"And you've already shot sobody, stabbed sobody, nearly drowned and started a hearing involving the Student Council."
Yesu blinked.
"What hearing?"
Quinn's eyes widened. "What do you an by that?"
Yesu looked blank.
"I don't know anything about a hearing."
Ava placed a hand on her shoulder.
"I thought you already knew so I didn't talk about it to not upset you."
Quinn snorted. "So the rumours are true."
"What rumours?" Yesu asked.
Quinn stared at her for a mont.
"You really don't know anything, do you?"
Ava burst out laughing.
"I keep telling people that."
A few students at nearby tables glanced toward them. One of them whispered sothing. Another laughed.
Yesu noticed.
"They've been doing that all week."
Quinn followed her gaze. "Of course they have. Most people expected you to get kicked out after the hearing."
"But I wasn't."
"Exactly." Quinn pointed her fork at Yesu. "Now everybody wants to know why."
Yesu thought for a mont. Then shrugged.
"Seems valid. A hearing does sound like a big deal."
Ava imdiately buried her face in her hands.
Quinn looked annoyed.
Then a shadow fell across the table.
The three girls looked up.
A tall boy stood with a tray in hand. His eyes settled directly on Yesu.
"Kaelitha."
The entire table beca quiet.
Ava imdiately recognized him. So did Quinn.
Almost everyone in the dining hall probably would.
Because standing before them was Garrett. Student Council Public Relations Officer.
And judging by the look on his face, he hadn't co for lunch.
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