[CONGRATULATIONS ON STARTING YOUR NEW JOURNEY AT ERGOS!]


    [AIM FOR THE STARS AND WE WILL GIVE YOU THE SKY!]


    The beautiful banners pulled my gaze to their bright colors and bold messages.


    All around me, I could see smiles and relieved faces. Eyes that shone with awe and pride.


    My hands were sweaty, my heart kept beating faster, and the parchment that had my schedule felt like it weighed more than iron in my grasp.


    <Have a great first day, Vex. I will treat you to something nice when classes are over.>


    <I caught a glimpse of the schedule for the ‘special class’. Aren’t you embarrassed? I only taught you for a month and I feel like dying.>


    While I ignored Angus’ message, Emrys’ made me flinch. I could almost hear the sharpness in his words, and see the coldness in his eyes.


    If we cross ways in the halls, he will punch me. He will punch me for sure.


    And I was not in the mood of getting beaten up by a fourteen-year-old on my first day.


    …I had had my fill in the previous months.


    Yet I could more or less understand Emrys frustration.


    Classes for our class started at 6 am and ended at 5 pm.


    There was one twenty-minute lunch break. After the normal classes, we were “highly encouraged” to enroll in at least two elective courses.


    These were all information that was relayed to me, one week ago, when I was informed I had been accepted into Ergos. They sent me both a message and a letter and were quite thorough regarding the training I could get for Styx.


    Orientation for normal students and my class was different, as well. Including the cafeterias we could use, common places, training rooms, restrooms, and dormitories.


    Honestly—


    As long as I had a spot at Ergos, I could watch their lessons from the janitor’s closet for all I cared.


    It was still Ergos.


    Since I didn’t know how the classes would go, or which electives I would be able to register for, I left Styx at the estate. The Reinforcement class’s orientation was going to happen at a random classroom, almost as if they had forgotten we might need an orientation as well.


    As I entered the classroom, I barely spared a glance at the few people already seated. I sat in the last row, near one of the corners, glancing at the clock and hoping the orientation would start soon.


    Oh! You are here!”


    And I really don’t care.


    I noticed something had changed before even raising my gaze.


    The room, filled with whispers and murmurs before, suddenly became quiet. The air colder and heavier.


    When I raised my eyes the door was banged shut, startling some. A man dropped a book on the table, the only thing he appeared to carry with him.


    If not for the fact that I knew him, I would think Ergos was in desperate need of improving their internal security—the professor was dressed like a ruffian in fancy clothes. The eye patch didn’t help.


    “Listen here, let us set some things straight.” He sat at the desk, his long, navy blue hair tied and falling from his shoulder. “You are all trash. And our Ergos has no place for your stinking skills.”


    I heard some taking sharp breaths, saw others freezing in their spots. Beside me, Ceres clenched her fists.


    “You should be thanking all your lucky stars and gods for being in this class. Because for the next three months, you will all wish you were dead—as the one charged to take care of this class, I can promise you this. This is how difficult it will be to remove this pitiful stench out of you lot.”


    The waiting list had originally a hundred applicants, we were down to 23. And though I couldn’t know how they had chosen us, I knew for a fact that one of the main reasons there wasn’t more of those hundred was that man.


    Professor Belenus Kairon.


    One of the most famous flight instructors in the entire nation. A Diamond Wing, before he retired due to an injury, and once a contender for the SilverWing race of his generation. And had he not suffered an injury a few months before the race, he probably would’ve won.


    I knew he was one of Ergos professors, yet I would’ve never imagined he would be one of the responsible for the reinforcement class.


    Suddenly, I could feel the sweat in my hands.


    The man sighed, grabbing the book with bored eyes.


    “Let me get this over with…congratulations for making it into our prestigious academy, we want to welcome you all with open arms, hah! Ridiculous. Who wrote this shit?”


    Professor Belenus started to run through the pages, scoffing every now and then as he mumbled the words to himself. Then, he closed the book shut and threw it in the trash bin behind him.


    “Here is the deal. If you are not here when I arrive, you are out. If you are not serious enough to be on time, forget making it to the end. If you ask any stupid question, you are out—save those questions to your trashy classmates. Every two weeks there will be a practical and written exam. Fail three of those, and you are out. On the last day, there will be a final race. If I think you still stink, you are out. Questions?”


    If silence could kill, that would be soaking in blood.


    I knew he had a bad temper, but this…


    It had to see Emrys in this guy’s class.


    “Great, you all know how to pay attention, at least. I will start with ‘Anatomy’—you better take notes or have a fucking good memory. I hate repeating myself.”


    At that moment I realized how I missed Emrys as my teacher.


    And how fucked I really was.


    <hr>


    Professor Bel cut our lunch break by half.


    When I realized it would take me more than five minutes to get to the canteen, I decided to stay where I was. Yet I soon came to regret my decision.


    “Want some?”


    I glanced over to the little basket filled with cookies and some pastries, my mind somehow too tired to tell me if I was feeling hungry or not.


    “I’m good.”


    That girl was apparently deaf, for she put some on top of my notes anyway.


    “No need to feel shy, I brought a lot. And after these first lessons, you will need some food.” Ceres took a full bit of one of the cookies, crumbs falling from her lips. I put mine aside, finishing what I was writing. “Honestly, my mind is still ringing…did you get everything from what he taught?”


    Though her voice maintained a somewhat cheerful tone, I noticed as dark shadows crossed her eyes, trembling with an unspoken fear.


    “Most of it.”


    For the first half of the day, we went over dragon and human anatomy, basic technical terms, and basic rules for traditional races.


    And Professor Bel talked with us as if we were infants learning how to talk.


    I had to admit that my experience as a ring leader did help me with some of the content. Yet when it came to anatomy, I completely lost my edge.


    Emrys had explained some things to me during our training, however it was nowhere near enough to cover the gaps from what Ergos—and Belenus Kairon—was demanding of us.


    “Wow, you must be a genius or something.” To my surprise there was actual awe in her voice, her gaze fixed on me with some kind of admiration. “I must have lost, like, more than half of what he was saying. I’m not good with technical terms and…all that other stuff. I learn better by doing it, you know?”


    My quill stopped mid-sentence.


    “Do you know the very first thing about races?”


    “Not really?”


    “Then why should I take you two under my wing? I only accept the best.”


    “Me and Ranger, we learn better by doing it. If you show us how to aim, we will give you the best shot.”


    When I first met King, she said something similar.


    Funny, how only a few words could trigger a memory long buried and forgotten.


    I pushed back all my days as Jackal aside, not letting myself miss those days or try to reminisce about them. After all, no matter how much I missed it, my time as Jackal was over.


    So I had to do my best to make sure my time as Vex was well spent.


    Right at that moment, I received a message. To my surprise, Emrys had sent me a list with the current open electives and the professors responsible for them. Yet before I could get a better read at them, the door was banged shut again.


    “Hopefully, you all enjoyed your break. I don’t want to hear anyone whining about being too tired or hungry to pay attention.”


    As the man started writing the next topic on the blackboard, the door cracked open.


    It was four students who were just returning from the break.


    Before they could fully enter the classroom, the professor stopped them.


    “What, don’t tell me you forgot what I told you before? I was here, and you were not. Out.”


    Their faces became as pale as snow, sheer horror in their eyes.


    “Wait, you can’t be serious…”


    “You cut our break by half! The canteen was on the other side of the building, so how could we possibly—”


    Professor Belenus took two steps toward them, forcing them to backtrack and cross the door once more.


    “I didn’t ask. And I don’t care.”


    And then he shut the door in their faces.


    When they started banging on the door, begging and crying to be let in, Professor Bel called security and removed their names from the attendance list.


    And just like that, we became 19.