Z was standing in front of the full-length mirror, wearing a magnificent pleated skirt embroidered with red threads in the corner. It was paired with long dress trousers, a sleeveless shirt with a collar underneath it. In her left wrist rested a crimson vest and a black tie, completing the Noble’s prescribed uniform. “Not bad.”Brushing the ash-gray strands of her hair, she looked around, making sure it was deserted and that the other Skipper’s weren’t looking. In the opposite room, Reigna was busy rummaging the box given to them, while in the room beside Z, Hail was reading on his bed, still not wearing a uniform. Assured she’d never be seen, she stared at her hair, the crystals of her orbs dilating. Her heart was drumming loudly as she willed each strand to overlap the other until she was able to braid it. When she’s already satisfied with the way she looked, she wore the vests but was never aware of how she’d wear the tie. She’d never use

For a single week, Z’s life changed drastically. Apparently, a Noble wasn’t a class she could just pass by with; her teachers made sure of that. It was, perhaps, due to what she went through that her system learned to redeem consciousness even before Mister Porche could beat her to it. She got her share of praise from the other teachers she kept forgetting the names but never did she hear it from him. Waking up early didn’t only except her from the punishment, she’s also able to witness what happened to those who slept through their alarm. As early as five in the morning, their Quarter would be filled with the Shadowest’s screams as Mister Porche, with the help of other staff, would splash water after water to those who were still asleep. Somehow, her stay there was bearable; though no one tried to befriend her, she’d been used to such treatment to ever wonder why. She did notice something from the class. For one, they like hovering around, gossip

On the last night of June, Z was sitting in the far corner of the Noble's Quarter's second floor. Her ash gray hair was disheveled, her hands pulling its strand every now and then. Lines were creasing her forehead as she stared down at the pile of parchment messily placed on the study table. Yawning, she rubbed her stinging eyes and cursed her teachers for giving too many tasks. Apparently, her one-week rest did not guarantee a sound preceding days, because the moment she’s been back, she was asked about her health. Knowing full well Granny’s capability, she told everyone who cared to ask that she’s perfectly fine, which she regretted afterward. The teachers thought it unwise to have a Noble left behind, so she’d been given the tasks she’s unable to accomplish while fighting death's rotting hand. She glared at Mr. Porche's back-to-back essay, as though by doing so, it’d finish itself. It’s about the importance of training. It’s been over an hour,

“This is the second time she collapsed, correct?” said Hail absently, his arms crossed.Granny sighed, scanning her notes. “You appear to be right. The last time she lost consciousness, her brain locked itself to prevent any damage. Right now, however, her heart protected itself. Any more collapse and she’ll actually die.” Though her voice broke, she tried to ignore it by writing more data in her notes.“How does it work? This Shraine, I mean.”It took her a whole minute of silence, translating some of her ideas into words, before looking up. “It is the body’s defense mechanism. Once a Wielder release some of her energy, the system moves in itself to protect what must be protected, which is why whenever there’s an overlap or draining of energy, the mind and the heart itself creates a wall to turn down any possible deterioration. But even this so-called protective system also requires energy.”“So does this mean, Blame’s just weak? Or this has some

Mr. Porche gave the team a good beating after knowing how much they’re thinking only of themselves. The point of the exercise was to see whether they’d help each other to get some more flags, but that wasn’t the case. Everyone made their own move, resulting for all of them getting nothing. Z, though closer to snatching one of the flags, was intercepted by Sloane who pushed her and tried to grab the flag for herself. They have a moment of fight, which allowed Mr. Porche to knock both of them. Just like that, they were disqualified, because whoever was beaten would be out. But there’s no one more wounded than Jake who ended up arousing a battle between him and Mr. Porche’s shadow. His brute strength and inferior speed did not affect whatsoever the shadow. In the end, he’s been left curling on the ground with the shadow’s simultaneous punch. Seeing what had become of them, the twins and Anastasia did not dare try to get anything. Though initially, the twins were