A/N: Whoa, this is late. Last update was over four months ago. I have no excuse. Life's been rough, but that's how it is everywhere.
So, without any further ado, please enjoy.
The train was a lot quieter than Delthea had anticipated. Trains back home made a terrible racket when they bounded down the beaten tracks across the countryside, rattling her brains out. She was afraid that this train would've been the same. She didn't want to be stuck on another vehicle that lurched and bounced unsteadily; her stomach had only barely recovered. But she was pleasantly surprised.
Large, sleek, silver, streaked with blue, and emblazoned with the school's strange looking sigil, the Heroes Academy Express had a futuristic look straight out of a science fiction novel. It made the trains she frequented with her brother look like outdated junk… which they pretty much were at this point.
Luckily, the old trainmaster back home wasn't here to hear her say that. He would have given her a good ol' smack across the back of her head if he caught Delthea badmouthing his beloved Betsy like that. She'd apologize mentally later.
Stretching her arms upwards, Delthea stood up from her seat. Unlike the cars of trains she had been on before, this train divided seats into sectioned booths, designed to fit a group of four to six per room. It was like having a lounge in the place of regular rowed seats.
Two rows of seating lined the room's walls, facing each other, with a small coffee table-esque table resting between them. Delthea had no idea what sort of fabric or material the seats were made out of, but they were incredibly comfy and so, so soft. She felt like her body was melting into them as she sat down. Get too comfortable, and she'd definitely drift to sleep.
That's what happened to Hilda. She was so talkative at the start of the ride, it was almost unbelievable that she was sleeping so soundly now. It was almost as unbelievable as how photogenic Hilda looked while asleep. It was criminal.
Dimitri on the other hand was wide awake.
He had no choice really. Hilda made his shoulder her personal pillow, her beret lying askew on the cabin seat. Any sudden movements would probably wake her up. Delthea didn't see anything wrong with giving the girl a little jostle to wake her up but Dimitri warily shook his head.
"Hilda…" he muttered, his voice barely a whisper and dead serious, "can get monstrous if woken up."
At that very moment, Hilda stirred just a tad, smacking her lips and turning to get slightly more comfortable, but that was enough to make Dimitri flinch ever so slightly.
Delthea wanted to ask why on earth Dimitri would know such a thing but she held her tongue when seeing the seriousness in the boy's eyes. The golden haired boy seemed to know Hilda well enough and on top of that, Delthea remembered running into him at nearly full speed earlier at the train station and how he barely budged. If someone like that was warning her, Delthea wasn't brave enough to put his claim to the test.
She didn't forget the congratulatory slap on the back Hilda had given her, and that was a mere slap.
In the meantime, Hilda snored away peacefully, never knowing the plight befalling her fellow cabinmates. Her sleeping visage was so picturesque, Delthea nearly forgot about the current situation, unable to take her eyes off of Sleeping Beauty.
There was something oddly blissful about her expression as she slept. A relaxed smile danced around the edges of the sleeping girl's mouth. Whatever dreams or thoughts she was having bubbling up to the surface. Delthea recognized that expression immediately.
Hilda wore the exact same face when talking a bunch earlier.
Correction: when talking to Dimitri earlier.
That wasn't to say Hilda excluded Byleth and Delthea from the conversation. In fact, she tried to get everyone to talk at least once, to liven up the cabin. She seemed genuinely curious about everyone, and wasn't looking to just make lip service smalltalk.
And in the face of all that moodmaking, Hilda exuded a certain vibe whenever her attention turned to Dimitri.
She was way too familiar, way too unreserved. The way she would playfully punch Dimitri after cracking a joke or hang to his shoulder when listening to him talk, such levels of skinship immediately set off alarms in Delthea's head.
Were these two…?
Delthea glanced back at the two again. The way they sat, it wouldn't be anyone's fault if they mistook it for something more.
The two did make for quite a pretty couple. Hilda was THE beauty icon many girls would dream of being and Dimitri was a textbook gentleman, looks and all. Delthea noticed all the little gestures he did, from carrying Hilda's behemoth bag, lending his arm to her as they waded through the station, and so forth.
It totally wasn't because she was a teensy bit envious.
Her companion on the other hand was ever the stoic.
Byleth barely participated in the conversation, just simple nods or curt, dry answers. He wasn't being rude but he seemed more interested in what was going on outside the train, his eyes directed towards the window, than inside. To his credit, the passing scenery was quite pretty, Delthea admitted, but she was a bit disappointed that she didn't get to hear anything from Byleth. She wanted to know more about him. Hilda had picked up on Byleth's preference to staying quiet early on and stopped extending questions to him.
So, instead, the questions were thrown to Delthea and Dimitri instead; HUGE emphasis on Dimitri.
From their conversation, Delthea found out that Hilda was traveling around the world to learn about fashion trends and ideas before being called back home by her brother to attend Heroes Academy. She had thrown a big fit because what was essentially her vacation was cut short, but relented to her elder brother's demands. It seemed regardless of social class, big brothers were always a pain in the butt.
Dimitri on the other hand was a little less grand. He had been attending some faraway private school Delthea never heard of when he suddenly decided to transfer to Heroes Academy. The spurn of the moment decision shocked his entire campus and school body and they seemed reluctant to let him go. Delthea would have been too, had she been a student there. Hilda asked him why he decided something so drastic and all he did was give a vague answer.
"I… just wanted to, I guess."
It reminded her of Byleth and his non-answers.
Delthea was so absorbed into listening to the others and asking questions, she forgot to share her own story. By the time she realized, the conversation had winded down because Hilda had gotten sleepy and started to doze off. She didn't blame her. The seats were ridiculously comfy and Delthea's story was… well, kind of boring compared to theirs. There was one time she got really sick as a child but that was a hardly a fun story to share with people you've hardly just gotten to know.
Just as Dimitri finally seemed to get comfortable with the fact that Hilda was leaning on him as she slept, she suddenly burrowed her head even deeper into him, nestling her cheeks firmly between his arms and chest. A part of Delthea wondered if Hilda truly was asleep or perhaps just messing with Dimitri under the guise of sleeping. There was no way sleeping like that was comfortable, right?
Delthea—or rather her nose—remembered the feeling of Dimitri quite well. It was like embracing a brick wall. It was as if the boy were made of steel rather than flesh. That seemed to be the theme with all these Channeling boys. Dimitri couldn't possibly be the comfortable pillow that Hilda seemed to be so happily enjoying.
Either that, or maybe Hilda was made of tougher stuff than she was letting on.
Feeling not jealous in the slightest, Delthea decided that a change of scenery would be nice. Dimitri was still very much awake, so staring too long would seem really weird and potentially lead to an awkward conversation. Dimitri too seemed to have realized that any further discussion would be impossible without awaking Hilda. Instead, the boy reached ever so carefully reached into his blazer's left pocket and pulled out a small pamphlet.
Printed in bright bold letters, the words "Welcome" and "Academy" were visible. It was one of the welcoming brochures that were handed out to students as they boarded. Delthea forgot to grab one for herself. Her attention was elsewhere earlier.
She kind of regretted not getting one now. She had nothing to do.
Delthea's eyes wandered to the luggage rack that rested above the seats. Eying her bag next to Byleth's, she stood up, wanting to take a look at her things before arriving at the academy, but Dimitri's warning still rang in her brain.
Monstrous…
She gulped and sighed with resignation. So, she settled with looking out the window instead. Might as well get acquainted with the environment.
It was about a three hour journey from the Port City docks to Heroes Academy by train without breaks. If the tracks had been a straight shot from the port to the school, it would've been faster. But the tracks were designed to give incoming students a glimpse into the world they were about to enter.
The train had pulled away from the docks a while ago and bolted through quite a bit of scenery. Port City as it turned out was actually an island that connected to a smaller neighboring island by bridge.
That said, Port City island was bigger than she thought. The train had given Delthea a glimpse to just about everything the renowned island held within. Bustling city districts, smaller quaint rural towns, and wide open plains where she saw rows of farm stock beneath the brilliant sun.
The sun was much lower once the train got to the bridge that connected Port City to its northeastern neighbor. Hilda said it was named Sunset Bridge, earning the title after being the best place to gaze at the setting sun during the evening—a wonderful place to visit with a significant other. The prospect was distracting enough for Delthea to not think about how the only thing separating the train from the thundering waves below was a gigantic, five mile long concrete-and-metal fused slab raised on gigantic stilts.
Once they cleared the bridge, the train passed a small outer town and entered a lush forest absolutely filled to the brim with dense, green trees as far as the eye could see. There was the occasional hill and river to refresh her eyes, but the forest had dominated the window for much of the trip, and would so for the remainder.
There was about an hour, maybe less, left, giving Delthea a bit of time to do…
Something, I guess…
Unable to take any more trees, Delthea stepped away from the window. She was about to sit down when she noticed something peculiar about her seat.
When everyone boarded earlier, they had paired off into twos for the seating: Hilda with Dimitri and Byleth with Delthea. Hilda and Dimitri were snug in their seats, Hilda still dozing away without a care in the world. Delthea's seat on the other hand…
Well, it was empty.
Byleth was gone.
Delthea looked around the room in disbelief.
"When did he…" she thought out loud.
Byleth was next to her when she stood by the window. She had been gazing for a while. She must have not noticed him slip by.
Delthea turned to Dimitri, who was still reading his pamphlet, none the wiser. Asking him wouldn't help.
"Did he go to the restroom…?" Delthea muttered to herself. There was nothing weird about that. Even the most stoic of men had to go when nature calls. Can't argue against basic human biology and all that.
"Was it 'cause he's embarrassed…?"
She tried picturing an embarrassed Byleth.
…
Yeah, no.
Delthea remembered Byleth's bag was still in the rack, resting against hers, meaning he was definitely coming back. But that didn't explain why he had to be all sneaky and ninja his way out without telling anyone.
Her eyes glanced at the empty seat next to her and the door, which she noticed was slightly ajar.
She sighed, shrugging her shoulders.
Nothing better to do anyway.
The hallways were incredibly quiet, as expected of the luxury class car.
Oh, that's right. Right before they boarded, Dimitri pulled some strings and got their small group first-class seating arrangements on the train. He explained that nobody else would be in his room besides himself and he would be more than happy to share the available space.
Hilda didn't waste any time and immediately jumped at the opportunity, much to Delthea's surprise.
It only fueled her curiosity about the two's relationship. In case you haven't noticed, Delthea was kinda nosy. It was also the reason why she even bothered venturing out into the hall in search of Byleth.
It was a bad habit, one she picked up while working at the inn back home.
It was a problem earlier too, when Delthea was so absorbed in her own thoughts, she almost didn't hear Dimitri extending the same offer to her and Byleth as well.
Her excitement at accepting was only matched by the sudden realization that she had no ticket. She needed one to qualify for boarding and prove that she was a student.
Before she lost her mind, Byleth of all people assured her that she had a ticket. And before she could ask how the boy knew, he began to rummage through her bag. Delthea was thankful that what she had slung on her back was a day bag, and not filled something more… personal.
She had quickly turned around and smacked Byleth's hand, but not before he had retrieved a manila folder from her bag. In between Delthea's scolding, he explained that all students received complimentary train passes as part of their welcome package to cut transportation costs for students.
Gee, if only Lu had actually TOLD me, she silently fumed.
Pushing the thoughts of giving her brother an earful for later, she and Byleth both excitedly boarded the end car of the train.
Correction: Delthea excitedly boarded.
She couldn't tell what the boy had been feeling behind those steely eyes. He, of course, courteously thanked Dimitri before boarding but mainly kept to himself throughout the ride. Both Hilda and Delthea's attempts at pulling him into the conversation proved ineffective. The two gave up after a while but it was only Delthea who would shift her eyes back and forth between the conversation and the quiet boy.
All Byleth did was keep his gaze affixed to the window, glued to the passing sights. Had he enjoyed it like Delthea had? Did he think the same thoughts as they passed by the city and those wide, countryside fields? Was he even seeing beyond the glass at all? All Delthea could do was wonder as looked out the window with him.
Occasionally, their eyes had met in the reflection of the glass, and every time they did, Delthea instinctively averted her gaze and pretended she was engaged in the conversation. It was a blessing that the sun was a beautiful shade of red at the time.
She thought back on how Byleth's eyes never wavered like hers. His gaze simply stood in place, in time, as if they were waiting for her own, as if they were inviting her. Like a moth drawn to flame, she constantly skirted those lines, just enough to feel its heat but distant enough to not get burned—except in this case, the flames were two pools of cobalt ice, ones Delthea could find herself drowning in if drawn too deep.
She felt a tingling warmth in her ears just thinking about it.
Delthea quietly strode down the lengthy hallway, careful not to draw any unwanted attention. Part of her was afraid some of them would recognize her from the ruckus she caused at the train station but judging how fast everyone's attention shifted from one big thing to the next, all onlookers probably all forgot about her. She hoped so, and hoped that nobles and elites had better things to do than think about some commoner girl.
She remembered seeing just what kind of students boarded together with her and by God were they all picture perfect images of private school elites. Each and every single one of them was all sharply dressed and well-mannered. There was a unique dignity and elegance in their poise and demeanor, but all of them bore a confidence that Delthea found herself sorely lacking. Like Dimitri and White Uniform, these particular students truly were a cut above standard. She even saw the handsome redhead from earlier on the boat among them, in a room she just passed. Delthea privately wondered if the boy would remember her at all.
Everyone stuck to their rooms, not going out of their way to wander about, as expected of such well-mannered young ladies and gentlemen. It only made Delthea stick out more. But, she also noticed that very few rooms had people talking to one another. The ones that did talk all spoke without any of the spiritedness or color of Hilda or the knowing smiles and acknowledgements of Dimitri or the wide-eyed wonder of Delthea.
It was pretty disheartening to see. Just what did these people do for fun?
… Not bully commoners, I hope, she muttered wordlessly to herself.
Those who didn't partake in conversation were either looking through books, most likely about Channeling or Heroes Academy, or doing some personal studying. The pens and papers out told her as much. All of this further drove home the sheer caliber of Delthea's peers.
How boring.
Delthea should probably have been doing the same things, prepping herself for the school, studying about what Channeling was. It would've been the logical thing to do, especially given her unique circumstances of being here. She knew near nothing about Channeling or Channelers. And she was going to a school full of them.
But people aren't always dictated by logic. The fickle beast that is the human heart often trumps over the brain. A dozen synapses could fire off, sending key signals to the brain to tell the body to act within reason. But all those warnings would be for naught in the face of one supreme emotion.
Eh, I don't really care.
For someone who touted herself as being clever, Delthea sure had a one track mind. She and trains were similar in that way, being able to go down one way, her way, after having started.
After passing several rooms—and seeing virtually nobody in the hall—Delthea reached the end of the train car cabin, and essentially the train itself.
The cart that Delthea boarded possessed a unique feature over any other cabins on the express—or trains Delthea had seen for that matter: a bar.
It was a small thing that rested in the back corner of the car, complete with a counter, stools, and windows for a pleasant outside view. Many colorful bottles of liquor dotted the shelves behind the bar counter, resting below dully humming neon signs that advertised the refreshments. Some brands Delthea didn't even recognize or know how to pronounce.
It gave off a surprisingly "adult" vibe despite being a train full of teenage students. It was similar to the bars that Delthea frequented. No, she didn't drink; Luthier would skin her and more if she did. Among her chores back home, several had her deliver foodstuffs, ingredients, and other things to local establishments, and that included bars and pubs. Businesses back home were all closely knit together and looked out for one another. It was good for work relations, at least according to Luthier.
Besides, she wasn't particularly fond of the taste. Don't tell Luthier.
But what was something like this, clearly designed for adults, doing back here? Surely, the well-to-do kids of the first class would never engage in such frivolous activities.
"Well now, who do we have here?"
Well, her expectations of the upper class just shattered.
A playful voice rang out from the counter, startling her. Delthea didn't expect anyone to call out to her, least of all any of these upper class kids. She raised her head to see who it was.
There were two people leaning against the bar counter, a boy and a girl, both of their eyes pointed in her direction. One of them, the girl, was much less enthusiastic than the other at her presence. In fact, her very being just seemed unenthusiastic as a whole. Delthea didn't take it personally.
She sat slumped over the counter, leaning her face against her palm, her long, black-manicured fingers spread like tendrils along her face. Delthea estimated that the girl was probably slightly older than she was. However, she seemed… way older—not like Delthea was going to say that to her face. Her skinny frame and unusual attire didn't do any favors. She hadn't even bothered dressing anything resembling a uniform.
Who even wears a dark mesh shirt like that at this time of year? And combined with those black shorts?
...
… Well, obviously someone with something to show off.
Delthea had to concede that point to the strange girl. She wasn't losing in any department, except in being approachable.
Her skin was shockingly pale, made more prominent next to her long, raven hair that seemed to sprawl down past even her lower back. The neon lighting of the bar signs accentuated the girl's thin, almost gaunt, face, sharp cheekbones, and her narrow, piercing eyes. Delthea couldn't tell if it was the shadow cast by the strange girl's bangs or some thick eyeliner that made her eyes appear so gloomy.
Even so, Delthea had to admit the girl was, surprisingly, pretty.
"What?" the girl hissed, her tone a snarl, catching Delthea staring. Oops. Her voice may have been soft, almost frail-sounding, but it packed an icy wallop. The moody girl's words alone felt like they lowered the train car's temperature by several degrees.
Yeah. Pretty creepy.
"Ah, don't mind my friend here," the boy said, trying to disarm the tension. "She's not as scary as she looks."
The girl turned her pointed gaze toward her laidback companion.
"You sure about that?"
Her friend laughed. "You mean about you being scary?"
"You being my 'friend'."
Make that several dozen degrees.
The boy wasn't fazed in the slightest. "Baby steps."
Delthea's attention moved to the boy as he relaxedly stood from the bar counter and waved a small greeting at her, flashing an easy-going smile.
Delthea gasped.
Today was just full of surprises.
First Byleth the mystery boy, then the fashion mogul Hilda Goneril, and now—
Pearly white teeth, lush, olive skin, tousled black hair, and striking green eyes. Delthea would recognize that face anywhere. She remembered seeing his face along the various posters that lined the small movie theater back home, teasing the hottest films.
Or were, over half a year ago.
Delthea also may have bribed one of the theater workers to take one of those posters home.
"Y-you're Claude Riegan… Right? The actor?"
The boy playfully shrugged. "People all day have been saying I resemble him."
To a T.
He was wearing some semblance of a uniform, unlike the girl, but with some of his personal flair instilled. The other male students, like Dimitri, opted for the standard blazer, dress shirt, and tie combination. This boy on the other hand ditched the tie and blazer completely, along with the prim and proper appeal of the uniforms.
Instead, several of the upper buttons on his shirt were undone, giving a dangerous glimpse into what lay beneath. His shirt was also untucked and had its sleeves cleanly folded up to his elbows. It was all topped off by a simple golden necklace and silver earring combo.
It was a welcome sight after being scared half to death by the girl.
"Tell me, am I pulling off the look okay?"
"I-uh-mm—" Delthea's words became lodged inside her mouth.
"Oh, knock it off, Riegan." The gloomy girl muttered, shaking her head, "Nobody likes hearing anyone jerk themselves off out loud."
"You wound me, Tharja my dear," Claude cried out, clutching his heart in mock pain, his golden necklace jangling. "We've known each other for how long now?"
"An hour and thirteen minutes." The girl, Tharja, said flatly, rapping her fingernails against the bar counter. "And you still haven't convinced me. The people you've shown me so far are…"
"Not up to your standard?" Claude quipped.
"Boring." The girl bluntly stated, motioning towards him. "I was expecting more. I won't learn anything going to an academy when the test subjects are so bland."
… Test subjects?
"Hmm…" Claude hummed, hand rubbing his chin, deep in thought. His eyes roamed around the room until they settled on an unfortunate bystander to this whole ordeal. The boy's emerald eyes lit up.
For how charming the boy was, Delthea didn't like that look.
"How about her?" Claude suggested nonchalantly, gesturing towards the confused girl.
She got up from her stool. Standing up, she looked even more spectral than before, with her long black hair flowing behind her like a ghost's shadow. Tharja stood next to Delthea, her eyes scanning her up and down. It almost felt like Tharja was sizing her up but Delthea had no clue what Moody Girl here was doing. It must've lasted only a couple seconds but her gaze was so intense, it felt much longer.
Then, a small yet unnerving grin spread across the pallid girl's face.
"Well, well." She finally said. Tharja was standing so close, Delthea could feel her breaths tickling her cheeks. They were as chilling as her voice, like ice cubes being slid across her face. Delthea took a step back and thankfully Tharja didn't pursue. Instead, she stood there, arms crossed, with a self-satisfied look on her face.
Tharja briefly turned to look back at Claude.
"Changed my mind."
With those ominous words, the strange girl strode out of the bar and down the hallway until she was no longer in sight. Well, it was more like she glided out, as ghostly as she was.
Now, it was just the two of them.
Delthea Rivers, the girl from the middle of nowhere, and Claude Riegan, world-renowned teen actor who strangely retired at the peak of his career.
And turned out to be a Channeler as well.
What other celebrities were actually secret Channelers, Delthea wondered.
But before Delthea had any time to hash out her thoughts, warning bells sounded off in her head. Turning immediately to Claude she asked:
"Just what exactly was that all about and… why do I feel like I'd rather be not involved?"
The words "test subject" and Tharja's look had sent shivers down her spine.
He shot her a disarming grin, unaware of her little dilemma. "A work in progress." But an inquisitive look quickly took over. "But man, to impress Tharja, you must be a real piece of work, huh?"
Oh look, the pot was talking to the kettle.
"I-I have no idea what…" Delthea stammered.
He raised an eyebrow. "I'm talking about your Channeling."
Her ears perked up. It always did when talking about topics she had absolutely no clue about.
"My… Channeling." She repeated.
"Yeah," the boy nodded. "I'm tryna figure out what exactly you got that made Tharja so interested." He then flashed his most charming smile yet. "You wouldn't mind, oh, I don't know, maybe sharing a little about yourself?"
Delthea scoffed, her mind racing, "I hardly even know you."
"Mm, no. I think you know me pretty well," Claude retorted, motioning to himself with a practiced hand. "Hell, you probably know the final film I worked on."
He was right. She did know. Verdant Wind was an amazing movie. She even remembered Claude's legendary final monologue with his female co-lead and romantic interest. Even the rumors of the two dating at one point, and her shattered dreams when she found out.
Not like she was going to admit that.
Claude grinned, catching onto the swirling mess in her head. "Sounds like you know me just fine." He leaned towards her from where he was sitting. "And I'd like to get to know you."
Delthea folded her arms as calmly as she could and shut her eyes. She hoped her face wouldn't betray the mess hidden beneath.
Sure, she could have just said no and kept quiet but that would make her look like an ass, not to mention self-absorbed. Not the ideal first impression she wanted to leave someone, least of all Claude Riegan of all people.
And it wasn't because she wanted to look good in front of him. No, that was a lie because that was definitely a part of it. But it was also because of the sort of impact her actions could have for her in the future. Claude undoubtedly had a lot of… varied connections. If word got out that she was some self-centered knob, well, that wouldn't do. She needed all the good impressions she could get, especially when uppity noble kids were the prime demographic here.
BS-ing her way out of this was out of the question. She just didn't know enough surface level information about Channeling to do so. All of her knowledge subsisted off of tidbits Byleth and Dimitri told her. Helpful, sure, but Byleth's lessons about Channeler's sensitivity to the environment and Dimitri's info about Duels and the like told her zilch about her own powers.
All she had for that were her own experience and Luthier's less than assuring words.
Talented, my ass…
…
Wait a minute.
She subtly drew in a deep breath to calm her nerves. She had gotten so sidetracked, Delthea nearly forgot why she ended up at the bar in the first place. And she hadn't seen Byleth at all in the meantime. She'd have to wrap this up and get a move on.
And she had just the thing.
It was something she was developing on her own to help her get out of small jams like these. It had nearly worked on Luthier when she got caught looking through the guest book for Jerry's last name. It only earned her an extended lecture from him but that proved that it could work.
Only problem was she hadn't practiced it since then. At all.
How assuring.
"You said you're interested, right?" Delthea finally said, as measured as she could. Her voice almost wavered there for a second but she stamped out her nervousness. She couldn't afford to look like that now.
Claude's grin looked like it never left his face. "What I've been sayin' this whole time."
Here we go.
"Would you like a demonstration?"
Now it was Claude's turn to look stupefied. He hadn't expected her to say that. He composed himself as quickly as Delthea expected. Now, she just had to wait for him to take the bait.
Claude seemed to stew over Delthea's suggestion for but a second. Then, a mischievous glint shone in his eyes. His gaze then darted around the train, checking if anyone else was around. There wasn't.
"Sure," he acquiesced, giving her a slight showy bow. "The floor is yours."
Perfect.
Claude stepped back from the middle of the room, letting Delthea take center stage. It had been a while since she did this. She tried to think back to when it had happened.
Her back had been straight, her breathing was calm. Her arm was outstretched and…
Okay, I think I got it.
Delthea planted her feet firmly on the hardwood floor of the train car's bar, shoulder width apart. She straightened her back, to match the confident, concentrated posture she was going for. Confidence was key. The moment she lost that focus, this whole thing would fall apart.
Taking a deep breath, she stretched her right arm forward and pointed her finger away from her. She made sure not to point it directly toward Claude, who was standing off to the side, mesmerized.
"Make sure to keep your eyes on me," she winked. Eugh, that hurt to do.
As cringeworthy her half-hearted performance was, it worked. Claude's eyes were glued to her form.
Delthea then put all her focus along the tip of her finger. This was a crucial step. She had to direct all her concentration on a centralized point along her body, so that the dispersal would be focused and the channeled energy would know where to converge. It took more finesse than channeling a fireball.
Now, the final step, and probably the most important one. She had to envision its effect. Whether it be a mental picture or word, the final product was dependent on what she wanted and how exactly she wanted it. It was at this step she failed before, earning a well-deserved flick to the forehead by her brother dearest afterward.
But now, her heart was eerily relaxed, unlike before. It felt like she was in total control and knew exactly what she was doing. All she had to do now was top it off with a verbal command.
One more deep breath.
"Phew…"
She got this. The command was eagerly dancing along the tip of her tongue. Her arm and finger were poised. All her channeled energy was honed in and ready to go. It was going to work.
Now…
"Aurora."
Professor Saber Arvad had been enjoying a pleasant afternoon nap at his desk. As it was the opening night of school, he decided to take the day easy before the brats would arrive by train. A long semester awaited him after all. After reviewing his orientation schedule and speech one last time, he drifted off to the land of dreams.
At least, that was the plan.
"Saber. Wake up."
He was being rudely shaken awake.
Maybe if he just ignored it, then—
"I know you're awake. Up and away, now."
Ah, damn. There goes my afternoon.
Slowly blinking open his one good eye, he was met with a familiar face.
"Ah, Miss Secretary," his gravelly baritone voice said, still in the process of waking up. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Heroes Academy's stunning secretary, Miss Tiki, had a rather displeased look plastered across her face, which was unusual for the normally cheery headmaster's right hand. Was she upset with seeing him sleeping on such a big day? Saber could only guess.
"There's been an accident," Tiki replied, her voice tart, accompanied by that distinct accent of hers.
Saber raised a half-awake eyebrow. "What, the caterers mess up the food or something?"
The green-haired secretary sighed, shaking her head. "I could only wish."
She handed the groggy professor the clipboard she had been holding the whole time. Confused, Saber took it.
"What's this?" he asked.
"The details of the accident."
Saber's eye was more alert now. He quickly glanced over the document attached to the clipboard, making out the bolded keywords detailing him of the dilemma that was plaguing the sweet secretary.
Unauthorized dispersal of Channeled energy. Use of prohibited class of Channeling. Reckless endangerment of the student body. Mishandled use of on board a moving vehicle with passengers. Reckless display of… the list went on.
Saber glanced up. "That's quite the rap sheet."
"And it's only been the first day," Tiki resignedly sighed. "I can only think of one other student who got up to this much trouble the first day he arrived."
Saber snorted, "Even I didn't cause this much mayhem on opening night."
Tiki folded her arms. "I'm talking about your protégé."
He chuckled, hit with both pangs of nostalgia and slight regret. "Touché." He then got up from his comfortable seat and stretched out his limbs, feeling the blood circulate once more. Sleeping hunched over for hours always did a number on his body. He felt a slight pull in his back. Oh, that was going to stick with him for some time.
"Oogh," Saber groaned, "not as young as I used to—" Tiki flashed him a murderous glare. He cleared his throat.
"Right," he said, leaving his previous thought unfinished out of fear for his life, striding away from his desk and into the hall beyond his office, "how're we going to handle this? The usual protocol?"
Tiki followed after him and glanced at her watch. "We've already got people on it. Media people will probably want a statement as to why there was a sudden explosion on the Heroes express train."
"We going to tell them it was an exercise and there's nothing to worry about?" Saber suggested.
"Precisely," Tiki nodded, her attention now on the hologram display from her watch, swiping past lists and pages beyond Saber's expertise. "The students on board have been told the same thing. Luckily it was the last car on the train, otherwise this would have been much harder to handle."
"How fortunate," Saber tersely quipped. "We have any witnesses?"
"Only the ones involved."
The two had reached the elevator at the end of the hall. Saber wasted no time in pressing the button heading up. The crisis control room was up at the top floor next to the headmaster's office. Before long, the elevator announced its arrival with a distinct "ping" sound.
Saber quickly stepped in and stuck his hand out to hold the elevator doors from closing.
"You coming?" he asked his co-worker of nearly five years, and mentor for much longer.
Tiki glumly shook her head. "Can't. Someone must handle damage control. The train had barely arrived when the accident took place. The students will have questions why there's a large, gaping hole at the back of the train. We've got to quash misunderstandings where we can." She then flashed a more somber expression. "And stamp out anything that could leak out the truth."
Saber whistled unenthusiastically. "Tough job."
"Without a doubt."
Saber removed his hand from the elevator doors. "Good luck, we're all counting on you."
Tiki sighed as she turned away. "As always."
The doors closed, leaving Saber alone as his elevator sped up to the fifth floor. It was a short trip but it gave Saber time to think over the situation. It wasn't anything he couldn't handle but it would be a pain in the ass. Talking with reporters and media people was never fun, unless it was to gloat.
He glanced back down at the clipboard in his hands one last time, looking at the black-and-white photos and names of the students who threw this mess onto his plate. One profile, the girl, in particular stood out to him. He looked at her face and name, sandwiched between the two other students involved.
"No previous channeling history to speak of but scouted for her… Huh. Interesting." He said, as he properly scanned over her profile and name. Half of him was sincere, the other was annoyed. "So this is who the Old Man was talking about."
He pinched the bridge of his nose as the elevator arrived at his destination. He kept repeating the student's name in his mind. With the kind of power she had, she was going on his watchdog list, effective immediately. And as such, he'd have to prepare for what came next.
The doors opened but Saber took a moment to sigh. It was only the first day but deep down he knew it was going to be a long year.
Thanks for making my life a bit harder, Miss Delthea Rivers
A/N: Oh boy. Things are beginning to heat up as our heroes finally arrive at the school, but not in the way they expected. Next chapter will be here within... I don't know. Two weeks? A month? Two months? Hopefully the very former.
Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed. PMs are always open for questions, comments, concerns, rants, etc.
And as always, have yourselves a damn good one.
