Chp 10

Pearl

I began to walk towards my room, thinking about how we were going to compete with the other dorms. The ones in my room seemed totally useless—they had no idea what they were doing, and they didn’t even accompany me. Why did I get such helpless dorm mates? And I have no idea where the fourth one is. What was his name again? Yes—Demyan. He’s missing, and I don’t even know if he’ll return. I have no idea how we’re going to prepare, especially since this competition is all about teamwork.

I was so lost in thought that I didn’t feel like returning to the dorm. I sat down at a corner bench under a tree.

I had to jump twice just to get on this stupid bench. The tree was nice, but the bench? It had no business being this tall. My legs were dangling like a toddler at the grown-up table

The seat was too high, and my legs dangled as I swung them gently. I stared at the ground, trying to think of what I should do next. I didn’t even have a plan for defeating the other dorms. If I fail in this, they’ll ask me to leave, and I can’t let that happen. This place means everything to me—I have to survive here.

I sighed. I couldn’t even cry right now, because men don’t cry. Only the weak do, and I’ve trained myself to stop. I looked up at the moon.

“Oh, Moon Goddess, please do something. Don’t you love your daughter? Why are you putting her in such a difficult situation? Please help me,” I whispered, closing my eyes.

Suddenly, a man wearing black clothes and a black mask came walking toward me. He must be one of the workers here. He stopped in front of me.

“Everything okay, sir?” I asked softly.

“Please get back to your dorm. Loitering late at night is against the rules,” he said in a stern voice like he was auditioning for the villain in a bedtime story.

I sighed and nodded, not wanting to cause trouble. Arguing would only make things worse.

I walked back to the room and noticed the lights were off. Great. Lights off. Either they're asleep, or they’ve decided to ignore the world and start a secret meditation cult.

Please, Don’t tell me they’re sleeping! How are we supposed to win if we don’t even plan what to do next? I get that they didn’t attend the announcement, but at the very least, they could’ve stayed up to hear what happened. Ugh, why is everyone getting on my nerves?, I opened the door quietly and noticed four beddings on the ground. One was still empty—mine—and the other three were occupied. That meant the missing guy had finally joined us. They all looked like they were fast asleep. Now how am I supposed to wake them up and explain what we need to do?.

Wow. Look at them—dreaming their way to victory. Maybe the competition is about snoring in sync. If that’s the case, we’re definitely winning gold.

I sighed again. I was too tired, and overthinking would just stress me out. That’s not good for my health. Let’s see what tomorrow brings. For now, I just need some sleep.So much for team bonding. I guess tomorrow I’ll wake up and lead this band of misfits to victory… or to lunch. Whichever comes first, I walked over to my bedding and slowly drifted off into slumber.

*---*---*--*

Pearl

I was running. The forest was dense, and the moonlight barely filtered through the thick trees above. My breath came out in sharp gasps, my feet stumbling over roots and stones. Behind me, I heard voices—sharp, accusing, getting closer. “You’re not supposed to be here,” one of them echoed. “You’re a lie. A girl pretending.”

I ran faster. I didn’t want to be caught. I couldn’t. If they found out, everything would be over. Suddenly, the ground disappeared beneath me. I fell into darkness.And then……I was home.

I saw her. My mother. Standing in the garden, humming softly while picking herbs. Her back was to me. I tried to call out, but no words came out. I ran to her, reached out to touch her shoulder—

She turned around, and her face was gone. Just light. Blinding, glowing, silvery light. “Pearl,” she whispered. “You must endure. You were never meant to have it easy.”

“But why?” I asked. “Why am I alone in this?”

She smiled—or maybe the light just shifted. “You're not. But you have to survive long enough to see who’s truly with you.” I woke up with a sharp gasp.

My body was drenched in sweat, my hands gripping the thin blanket tightly. My heart was pounding like I had just run a mile. I sat up and looked around. The room was dim, barely lit by the pale light of dawn slipping through the windows. The morning sun had already replaced the moon, but her absence still lingered in the sky, like she had turned her back on me too.

I then noticed that I was the only one sleeping here, whereas the others had already left. What is happening here? Where did they go? And now, where am I supposed to search for them? I placed my hand on my face, overwhelmed with stress. I had such a bad dream, and now my roommates—who were supposed to be my support—have just disappeared.

I think I need to keep my stuff packed, as we are definitely going to lose.

Suddenly, I heard a bell ring. It sounded like someone was banging something heavy against a metal vessel. Ahhh, this must be for us—they’re trying to wake us up so we can get ready for the competition. What am I going to do now?

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and got up from the bed. Then I walked toward the well, threw the bucket in using the rope, and began to draw water. As I pulled the bucket back up, I splashed some on my neck to cool off from the heat and the lingering tension from my dream. I then washed my face and wiped both my face and neck with a towel.

That’s when I noticed two workers approaching. They were dressed in the same black clothing and masks as the others. At first, they looked at me, then around the area—as if searching for someone. Instinctively, I looked around too, trying to figure out who they might be looking for.

Then they turned their attention back to me.

“Where are your roommates?” one of them asked, his tone stern and cold.

I cleared my throat nervously, feeling my palms begin to sweat. How do I even explain this?

“We’re waiting for your answer,” the other one added sharply.

Lowering my head, unable to meet their eyes, I replied softly, “I have no idea where they are. When I woke up, they had already disappeared.”

They stood there silently for a moment, exchanged glances, then looked back at me.

“Shame that you’ll need to complete this examination alone,” one of them finally said.

My eyes widened. “Alone? How am I supposed to do this alone? This is a team challenge—I need others with me. I can’t do this by myself. Can’t you put me in another team?” I asked, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

But again, they exchanged a silent look and turned back to me.

“If your roommates aren’t back, you’ll need to do it alone,” one of them said before they walked away.

I stood there, frozen, not knowing what to do or how I was going to get through this, "If only Cecil were here,” I almost whispered—but stopped myself. No, I couldn’t be weak now. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

It’s okay, Pearl. You don’t need to worry. You can do this. I tried to encourage myself. You’re smart enough. You’ve come this far on your own—you didn’t rely on anyone. You don’t need help.

I rushed back to my room, locked the door securely, closed the windows tightly, and began changing my clothes. I put on the uniform that had been given to me and pulled on the boots. The uniform was blue—my favorite color. Blue suits me. It’s my color.

After getting dressed, I unlocked the door and walked toward the main hall where the competition was to be held.

The entire place was buzzing with students, all grouped together—except me. I stood out. The bullies were there too, and the moment they saw me standing alone, they burst into laughter. Their leader walked toward me with a smirk on his face. I knew he was here just to mock me.

As I walked into the hall, their laughter hit me like a slap. Loud. Mocking. Cruel. The group of bullies—led by that arrogant, broad-shouldered idiot whose name I didn’t even care to remember—stood like roosters in the middle of the room.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the lone warrior of Dorm 20,” he called out, loud enough for everyone to hear. His followers chuckled behind him like trained hyenas.

I kept walking. Head high. Shoulders back. I could feel dozens of eyes on me, but I didn’t flinch.

“Aww, don’t be shy, little Perin,” he grinned, stepping into my path. “Where’s your army? Or did they abandon ship the moment they saw who their captain was?”

“Maybe they just couldn’t handle my brilliance,” I said, forcing a smirk onto my face. “I tend to outshine people.”

A few students nearby chuckled. His grin faded just a little.

“Oho, a smart mouth too. Let’s see if your tongue can save you in the challenge. You do know it’s a physical round today, right?” He tapped his biceps and leaned in. “You’ll break like a twig.”

I stepped closer. My voice calm, sharp. “Then I guess I’ll make sure to fall on you when I break.”

That shut him up. His face twitched, but he stepped aside, and I walked past him, my heart thundering like a drum.

In truth, I had no idea what kind of challenge was waiting. But one thing was clear—if I was going to fall, I’d fall fighting.

The instructor stepped up onto a raised platform in the center of the training field. His sharp eyes scanned the sea of students before him, all dressed in identical blue uniforms, some with arms crossed, others whispering among their teammates. I stood near the back, clutching my own uniform, trying to blend into the crowd—though I knew very well I was alone.

He lifted a large scroll and began to speak, his voice loud and crisp.

“Welcome to your first official dorm challenge. From this point forward, each of you will be tested not only for individual skill, but for your ability to function as a team. Today’s challenge is called…”

He paused.

“…Capture the Banner.”

Whispers erupted around the field. I blinked, trying to make sense of what that meant.

The instructor raised a hand to silence everyone before continuing.

“Each dorm will begin with one flag. It will be stationed near your camp zone, where you are responsible for guarding it. Your goal: to capture one additional flag from any other dorm. The round will last for thirty minutes. By the end of the challenge, the dorms that successfully secure two flags—their own and one from another—will pass to the next round.”

He let that settle before walking to a chalkboard that had been set up beside the platform. With a piece of white chalk, he drew a circle and marked four points around it.

“These are your dorm zones,” he said. “One on each side of the field. You must guard your flag while attempting to steal one from an opponent. But remember—if your flag is taken while you're hunting another, you lose.”

Some students groaned. Others seemed more fired up.

I felt a chill down my spine.

“But what if someone’s dorm is incomplete?” a boy from the far side shouted.

All heads turned toward me.

The instructor didn’t flinch.

“Then they compete alone.”

The words hit me like a slap. I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat growing.

“There will be no replacements, no excuses. If your dormmates abandoned you, you’ll have to carry the weight. That is what this academy is about—adaptation under pressure.”

He rolled up the scroll.

“The moment the horn blows, the challenge begins. Stealth, strategy, and courage will be your allies. Choose wisely who you attack. Choose wisely who you trust. Because not everyone plays fair.”

He was about to step down from the platform, but then he stopped suddenly. His gaze swept over the crowd and landed directly on me. A knowing smile curled on his lips.

“It looks like Dorm 20 has all its players ready to play,” he said with a light chuckle. “What a sight.”

I froze. What did he just say?, Did I hear that correctly?

My heart skipped a beat. My head turned almost on its own, and as I looked behind me, the next thing I saw left me utterly speechless.

My mouth fell open.

How… How can this even happen?