Frieda: “Where Should we stay?”

Saphy: “I like the high view, so I want to choose the 3rd floor!”

Frieda: “Works for me.”

Saphy: “Yay! What about you Cass? Do you also want to live on the third floor with us?”

Cass: “Hmmm, I don’t mind either way, but it isn’t ME who needs convincing. *Looks at other students* Try talking to THEM.”

Reggie: "Say. That. AGAIN.”

Eren: “I said...does it matter which floor we choose? Why not go in whatever room we each want to sleep in? There’s no need to fight.”

Reggie: “Say. That. AGAIN.”

Eren: “...I … again, I said, maybe we shouldn’t argue over floors and rooms and just sleep in whichever unoccupied room that we want!”

Reggie: “Say. That. AGAIN.”

Eren: “…Are you feeling okay? Should… Should I go get Mrs. Haldeen or-?”

Reggie: “Say. That. AGAIN.”

Eren: “I – I said… I...what’s going on...?”

Reggie: “Say. That. AGAIN.”

Eren: “...What...I…”

Elijah: “Ignore her. She looks like she means business, but most likely she’s only teasing you.”

Reggie: “Pffft! Ahahaha~ I’m so sorry Eren, but your serious and thoughtful face is just so adorable that I kinda wanted to bother you a bit…besides – there’s no real way of convincing everyone to choose when they’re not even listening to you. See? Look *Points to a group of students arguing*”

Everyone except for Elijah and Alyandrea remained behind inside of the dormitory’s lobby. It was very spacious, there was enough room for almost 50 children of varying heights and weights to freely move about and mingle – or in this case – argue. The reasoning behind the building’s excess space is because originally: the trusted confidants of this school’s Principal designed each of the three Dormitories to be large enough to house 10 classrooms full of 20 – that would translate to 200 students total as a finalized expected number. For now, it was only 3 classrooms full of anywhere between 10 – 15 kids each. A small, but very acceptable number nonetheless.

There were couches decorating the walls with lamp stands in between. A circular table was close by each of the couches, allowing for ease of access if a massive study session was ever about to occur. The couches were long, but capable of splitting apart after every three cushions. This transformed 3 couches of 9 cushions into 9 couches of 3. By looking up, the students could tell the ceiling was at least 20 feet in the air. Different light fixtures adorned their modernized replacement for the sky’. Many of these lights were of unknown use to the non – combatants. At the moment, they focused on preserving what little shreds of sanity they all still clung to like safeguarded treasures. Classes 2 – B and 1 – A were more or less adjusting their nerves, due to having not really seen nor encountered anything past the heart attack-inducing scene of Elijah carrying a headless Leos. Their faces showed varying degrees of worry – different shades of fear and pain.

But they registered their teacher’s presence as safety. This BUILDING – their brand new dormitory reassured them; filling each and every one of their minds with hope.

...And this small semblance of safety began devouring their fears, one by one.

As for Class 3 – C?

They weren’t worried. Nope. They weren’t in the LEAST bit worried.

At least, they didn’t let it show on their faces. They all donned a poker face and released an almost tasteful air of maturity about their ordeal. Acting like it no longer bothers them, or that they don’t even have such things in their sights anymore. This helped release much of the tension plaguing the whole non – combatant student body, as both uninvolved classes felt like they were walking on pins and needles with these victims. Seeing them throw the topic away and seemingly ‘move on’ made everyone at the very least, unanimously agree on one single train of thought:

‘Screw the first day. I just want to go to bed.’

Elijah decided to give Noel the first bedroom closest to the entrance...before he remembered how much the forest means to Rise. Figuring neither would care much about the room switch, he chose to give Rise the Room closest to the entrance and Noel the second!

…

That is, until he remembered how much the two bickered nonstop against one another. After some brooding over the matter, he opted to once again, change Noel’s room.

He gave him the third room closest to the entrance. Even though Elijah promised to give the missing boys each the rooms they themselves chose…

…

...

…

Rise, Leos and Noel never actually CHOSE any!

They all headed straight into the forest where they encountered…

well, they CLEARLY came across a villain – there’s no doubt about that. The only problem was how nobody was actually AWARE regarding what those two went through. They were both in terrible shape. Noel especially worse physically than Rise. Elijah barely heard Mr. Abrams use the words ‘Poisoned’ and ‘Rise’ together in the same sentence, so he knows Rise’s little physical wound wasn’t all there was to his condition.

But even then, Noel was basically dead. His entire shirt was stained with blood and that shoulder…

*Elijah shudders*

Elijah: “If I had met up with them on time, could I have helped? Could I have possibly...DONE anything useful to aid everybody’s escape?

…

...Probably not. Hahah.”

It was a cynical laugh. One filled with resignation to fate.

...and one that abhorred it furiously.

*BAM!*

Elijah: “This … stupid condition! I… I came here completely planning on giving up my powers – on resigning myself to the civilian lifestyle like the others I’ve met today. But!

But…!”

His fist released its tightened grip, facing his palm against the wall now.

It hurt. Oh Gods above did it hurt! To suddenly have everything you worked your whole life developing taken from you for absolutely zero reason...To be attacked by some random...GIRL in an unjustifiable manner, LOSE to her after suffering her sneak attack and have THAT serve as catalyst to your entire life plunging down the drain…! It isn’t right!

Furthermore, there was another problem gnawing away at the very core of his being.

.

.

.

The INJUSTICE of it all! He had everything RIPPED AWAY from him...ALL BECAUSE OF HER!

Yet SHE became popular for it?! Where was her punishment?! She somehow got off with a warning...and after having rendered him in this state?! There was zero punishment! She practically replaced him! IF it weren’t for her...if she had never bothered him…!

He wouldn’t have been so useless today. He wouldn’t have felt so terrified, so vulnerable...

Elijah: “But then…! Fate just HAS to remind me how pathetic I am. How “powerless” I’ve become. I hate this! I hate...being this way!”

But life still continues moving forward.

Time doesn’t stop. And unfortunately, no matter what sort of rut we may be facing at any given point in our lives...People around the world will not wait for us. Just as our life continues moving, always, so too must our desire to take that next step forward persevere.

Our willpower for a better change must conquer our fears. And then; we must use that newfound strength to find our true place of happiness.

But for some, the change won’t come easy.

Elijah is one person struggling to find his ‘place’ after that which he cherishes most has been taken from him. And for now…

He will continue to struggle.

Elijah: “Where should I choose for Leos? He seemed mad at Noel...maybe he has some history with him…? Or it could even be possible that his whole ‘murderer’ thing from before was about –- no, no, NO! I won’t go down that rabbit hole again! I won’t!”

Noticing his own outburst made him grow embarrassed. He wasn’t fond of the empty hallway earlier, but now he couldn’t be more thankful. This was one of the few rare times he had trouble keeping his emotions in check, forcing his poker face to break.

It was understandable, considering the ordeal throughout today alone from his earlier confrontation with Rage Queen and Gravity Queen, to the literal forest of death moment in the day.

Back to back scenarios served to remind him just how powerless he is, and it nearly broke him.

Yes, it nearly did.

Elijah: “I just need to… need to breathe. *Sniff* Haah. I must calm myself now, more-so than ever before. They are … just classmates. Ordinary normal classmates. Rise is an exception. Ophelia is an exception. Alyandrea is the standard I should use, when communicating with everyone here. I must remember that I am no longer a ‘hero’ in training. My mindset can no longer be to ‘protect and serve’. Just…to be protected…

‘To be served’…

I need to give up these… unhelpful feelings. This power thing that I keep clinging to in such an unhealthy manner is absolutely nauseating. I will…

...I will just forget her.

Yes...let’s see...Oh! That could be the case! Yes, perhaps Noel’s outburst at the assembly earned him some Ire from Leos, no. Maybe not just from Leos. There could very well be others mad at him for gaining even worse reputation for us non-combatants...saying that feels weird. But I must move on!”

…

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