NOVEL NEXT Chapter 70: Vaunt.
(A/N Big thanks to everyone for the Power stones and Golden tickets, they mean a lot. As usual, please don't hesitate to comment or drop a review. ENJOY)
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"Aren't you?" Orion asked back, with an excited expression, before taking his seat.
"Fair enough." The boy replied.
And so they ate their dinner while conversing, midway through, others arrived with Caelum among them, taking his seat beside Orion.
Of course, not all eventually came down, but the ones who did were happy to relate and chat; this might be their last night in Magnum 1 after all.
The next morning arrived, with the usual chirping of birds and the rolling of early morning fog. Orion woke up with a stretch, one way or the other, he'd managed to find some period of shut eye, no matter how short it was. He checked the time to find it at 5 AM.
His body had refused to fall asleep no matter how many times he counted sheep last night; the prospect of this trial had him as excited and nervous as a teenager preparing to confess.
Still, he did his best to temper that feeling, for all its worth; the trial might not even manage to entertain him.
He got up from his oversized bed and headed into the bathroom, washing his face and cleaning his mouth before heading out for his morning jog and exercise. He'd decided to take it as a ritual.
On his way out, he was surprised to encounter other faces; it seemed he wasn't the only one with the idea to stretch. Some were familiar, others not, but they didn't stop him from greeting them with a smile.
By the time he got back to his room, two hours later, his body was fully warmed up and his eyes were clear of drowsiness.
Those clear eyes managed to spot something unusual in his room, something he hadn't left there unless his memory was failing him.
He approached his bed to find a single envelope on it. It was cream coloured with designs on it that indicated it wasn't from a nobody.
He opened it to find a well-folded letter. Orion's guard was up the whole time; he'd never been attacked through a letter before, and he wasn't planning on having such an experience.
He unfurled the letter and read.
{Dear Esteemed Entrant,
It is with great honour that we extend our warmest congratulations to you for earning the right to participate in this year's Chronos Academy Elimination Trial — the first step in your journey toward mastery and recognition within the esteemed halls of the Academy.
All participating students are hereby instructed to report to the base of the Main Spire, no later than 9 AM.
Upon arrival, you will be guided to your designated holding areas by the Trial Wardens, where preliminary instructions and any required procedures will take place prior to deployment. Participants who fail to report by the allotted time will be immediately disqualified from this year's trial.
We look forward to witnessing your display of skill and potential.
May your discipline, foresight, and determination guide you through the trials ahead.
On behalf of the Academy Council,
— Head Administrator, Chronos Academy
Jessica Vaunt Chronos}
Orion's eyes scanned through the information on the letter. It was a standard formal letter with all the pleasantries and the like, but he managed to single out the important parts of the information.
He had two hours left to arrive at the base of the main spire, most likely the large building at the centre of magnum 1, unless he wanted to be automatically disqualified.
His mind unknowingly went to how someone could be sabotaged by missing this time, and he was sure it'd happen to many; they were ten thousand after all.
But that aside, his eyes dropped to the name on the letter, the Head Administrator.
The presence of a middle name there was surprising and was sure to catch many people's attention, but the fact that they had deliberately boldened it meant that it was most likely their intention.
"Vaunt", Orion muttered, the name rolling off his tongue weirdly.
There was something inherently wrong about this, but now wasn't the time.
He dropped the letter before entering his closet and picking out an outfit for the day. The one he came with the day prior to yesterday had been washed and delivered back to his closet; the maids were efficient.
He picked out something that would make him stand out and proud if he came out on top in this trial, and he was planning to.
After picking one, he headed to the bathroom and freshened up.
Within the next hour, Orion was done and ready. He stood in front of his mirror, smoothing his long hair out and making sure everything was in order.
Knock..knock..
'Right on time, ' Orion thought, sensing the person behind the door.
He opened it to find Caelum, his posture straight and his outfit equally eye-catching.
"Do you need any help, young master?" Caelum asked.
"You really can't help but ask, can you?" Orion said with a chuckle.
"But no, I'm done and ready to leave," Orion said, walking out of the room.
Orion stopped for a second, his mind cataloguing everything and making sure he hadn't forgotten anything.
He shifted the ring on his finger before giving a nod to Caelum.
"Let's go", Orion said.
Right on schedule, the bell for breakfast rang loud and clear for those who would indulge before their departure.
But Orion was far from hungry; he'd made sure to have his fill yesterday night, and after using the toilet this morning, he felt light as a feather and full of energy.
They got to the main hall to find students seated and chatting amongst each other, some excited, some nervous, but most calm.
The boy who had spoken to Orion yesterday, whose name he'd later gotten to know as Erevan, his father's namesake, which he doubted was coincidental, was seated cross-legged, eyes closed in a meditating posture.
Orion approached him with a mischievous grin.
"What's this, don't tell me the great Erevan is getting nervous," Orion teased.
Erevan junior simply opened his eyes, his gaze unbothered.