CHAPTER SIX

It was a day to the trial, I and Mr Gregory were sharing a snack on his cushion, something we usually did every day after training. 

I had stopped going to school about the same time I and Mr Gregory became a team, we decided that it would be better if I utilise my time for training, both mental and physical. 

And it had been worth it, my mind was as versatile as ever and my body was perfectly formed, every muscle tightened and perfected to give a hundred percent.

We said nothing for a long time, just sat and listened to the loud radio while eating.

"Are you ready yet?" He finally broke the silence

"No" replied simply. And it was the

truth

"How did you feel when you received the invitation?" He asked again

I didn't understand the twenty questions, but I figured there was a reason behind it, there always was.

"Cassie come to the kitchen" Mr. Gregory called out.

I was on the ground floor of his apartment building, one of the rooms being the general gym everyone in the building used.

"I'll be right up" I had replied. I had doused up two bottled water and walked swiftly up the stairs to his apartment, trying to keep warm

"This came in the mail," he said pointing at a folder on the kitchen table.

I walked swiftly towards where he stopped and stared down at the folder, it had the stamp of the Alpha Royal Academy.

 It was the result of my application for joining the competition, the reason why I had gone to Bloomsville High School.

 The High School selected extremely brilliant students every year to represent them at the trials. 

And then the Academy would then decide how many and which students they wanted in the screening

I stood looking at the folder for a while, I guess it was a while too long for Mr. Gregory because he tapped my shoulder

"Go on," he said

I took the folder and noticed that my hands were steady, I thought I would be more nervous than this about the fact that I had wanted this my whole life.

 I tore through the folder and pulled the letter out, several other papers fell out. I took the letter out of the bunch and stared at it.

 It would either be acceptance or rejection.

"I felt… Ready. I still do" I finally replied to his question.

"My work here is done then" he replied

We stayed that way for a while longer. I didn't know if it was because we both knew would either make it or wouldn't, live or die. 

The trials were the most mind-blowing competition any beta would ever go through, and I was no typical wolf, so my chances were even slimmer than normal. 

So we sat there and shared what might be our last drink together, just mentor and student. And the loud radio disturbed me.

"Have a nice time during your stay here at the Academy," the receptionist said.

It was evening and I had finally reached shanty. My flight had taken nine hours from Bloomsville but I was finally here at the Academy.

Everything from the first class tickets that had come together with the letter, to the driver waiting with my name in the waiting room at the airport had screamed so much money. 

I had wondered briefly on the drive to the Academy if every player had been given this kind of treatment.

It had been three hours driving through shanty before we finally got to the Academy. Golden iron gates 

automatically opened on our arrival. The drive from the gate to the inner campus was about an hour. 

The place was absolutely beautiful with many towering buildings and sections. 

We passed by so many eateries and shopping malls I almost asked if we were in another city. 

The car then finally stopped in front of the building.

The driver had helped me unload my small bag, it contained all the things I needed for my stay here.

 I was finally escorted to the reception before the driver bowed in farewell before leaving.

I now had my keys to the room I would be staying in. And I was shown to my room.

 It all just felt different, this wasn't how I thought the whole thing would happen. I had thought the competition would start as soon as I got there, hence why I was dressed in my new training outfit, but I didn't mind.

I finally walked into my room for the next three weeks and let myself fall back on the Queen bed. The room itself was a luxury.

There was a door I knew led to the bathroom.

I took the flyer from one of the cupboards by the bed. It had numbers to dial for room service.

 I was famished and decided to quickly order. Food then sleep, in that order.

An alarm woke me up instantly, and I sat straight up from the bed. I looked around me in shock 

what was that noise?

"Attention! Attention! All players should be dressed appropriately and at Hall Gamma in thirty minutes"

Hall Gamma? Where was that?

I swiftly came down from the bed and looked down at myself. I was dressed in a white vest and white pajamas.

When had I worn these?

I was sure I hadn't gone to bed in these clothes. I went to the closet and opened it. There was a uniform with my name on it.

I quickly put it on, trying to understand what went where. It was at least ten minutes before I finished dressing up.

 I was dressed in a black bodysuit, something that held tight to my skin, but at the same time felt so light it was almost as if I was wearing nothing.

I stood in front of the mirror, trying to see what I looked like. I looked ridiculous.

The person that came to my mind when I looked at myself was the black widow. The uniform looked exactly like hers, only mine was pure black. 

I didn't know what to do to cover my head. There had been no protective cover for it.

 It had been a while since I went to the salon to get it reshaven so there was a mat of white hair on my head. 

Body fat and things I had always hidden were all there in the open to be seen.

 I knew there was going to be a problem if I let my head out like that, but I knew there would be a bigger one if I covered it up. So I let it be.

"Why is your hair shaven? Don't think I don't notice despite the hoody" said Mr. Gregory one afternoon.

"I just like it that way" I replied, nodding 

"Are you sure? Because I thought at first it was because you were ill or something, but I have seen you leaving the saloon where you get it cut often. Why?" He asked again

Damn he was persistent

"I just like it that way," I replied.

To be honest, I didn't like the attention the color of my hair brought, something I had realised I had always preferred since I was young. My hair has always been shaven, that was it.

"You do know you look weird bald right?" He asked again, munching on chips

"I didn't realise you were such a talker" I replied, teasing...

"Wait till you...."

I couldn't help but remember my conversation with Mr. Gregory, Well, it couldn't be helped.

I walked out of my room and watched as several other players dressed like me walked out of their respective rooms toward the corridor

I joined them and looked around. They all looked so different, something I was expecting but still took me by surprise

There was a guy with dreads, and a woman who was naked except for the bra and panties she was wearing. People of different ages and colors all dressed up. 

I was beginning to think this wasn't what I might have signed up for. 

We all slowly walked into a huge hall, and conversations were so loud and crowded that the hall hummed with vibration. 

I was sure we were more than a thousand wolves playing, we were that many.

"You are all welcome to this year's Alpha Royal Academy Competition. I would like to congratulate all those in attendance, you were all specifically selected individuals and we are happy to have you here this year". 

This year's competition will be a two-stage trial. And today, you will be facing your first trial. These are the rules.

The guy I had met during my breakdown, was the one with the forest eyes. 

He was standing on a huge podium, wearing a get-up suit like mine, only his had stripes of red in it. 

And an array of equally dressed-up commanders stood behind him at attention.