This wasn't your normal class—where one of the students would get up to the front and do whatever they were called to do and receive some kind of applause. Maybe if this was one of those lower-grade first-year classes, they might have gotten that kind of cheer.
But they knew better. Even though the team was still new to this whole military academy thing and still trying to get the hang of it, one thing was for sure: this class meant business. And that wasn't just because of Sgt. Damascus and Lt. Grey.
Both Alexis and Celine stepped forward and presented themselves in front of the others. They didn't know exactly what to do, but it was clear they were supposed to spar against one another. At the same time, they knew they had to follow instructions.
So they just stared at each other—not in a hostile way, and not because they didn't like one another or didn't want to prove themselves to their new teachers. Even the way they interacted with each other wasn't like the way the boys behaved. Take Flash and Mikeal, for example—even though they hadn't actually clashed yet, their feud was obvious and heavy.
Luckily, Hector was sitting between Mikeal and Flash, so the two couldn't touch each other even if they wanted to.
"So who do you guys think will best the other one?" Hector asked, glancing at both girls.
Flash just sighed. "Isn't it obvious?"
He didn't need to finish his statement—the others already knew who his first pick was.
"As much as I'd hate to agree with bad breath over here, I think the best candidate is Alexis," Mikeal added.
"May I ask why? If you don't mind me asking?" Hector was now genuinely curious.
"I'm glad you asked." Flash adjusted himself in his seat. "Not to play favorites, of course, but look at Alexis and look at Celine. In a school battleground, Alexis would mop the floor with Celine—just like I'll mop the floor with you when it's our turn to spar." Flash folded his arms.
Hector just gulped and sank deeper into his seat. Mikeal looked at him and gave a smirk.
"Well, I beg to differ. I think Celine is the one that's going to best Alexis," Hector stated.
The reason both Mikeal and Flash had agreed on this—something they hadn't done since arriving—was because they saw the difference between Alexis and Celine. And being guys, despite everything, they judged based on appearance. In all honesty, though both girls were beautiful, if their minds were clouded and influenced by foolishness, Alexis would be the obvious choice.
The girls could obviously tell that the guys were talking about them. After all, they'd been with these guys for a couple of days—long enough to know what they were thinking.
"So who do you think they bet on to win?" Alexis asked, looking directly at none other than Mikeal.
"Isn't it obvious? You, of course," Celine replied, taking a deep breath.
The girls faced each other. Alexis was the first to take a stance, while Celine, on the other hand, was clearly nervous.
The whole class went silent for a few moments, as if giving space for the tension to build. Even the boys stopped talking and playing favorites. Now, they were focused.
"Uh, girls… what do you think you're doing?" Lt. Grey asked.
"We're sparring like you guys asked us to. Isn't it obvious?" Alexis replied.
"And you think you're going to spar in this tiny space and without your weapons?" Lt. Grey smiled.
Both girls immediately felt like idiots—embarrassed and ashamed. They fixed their postures and just glanced back at the boys, who were now completely focused.
All they wanted was to see the girls go head-to-head—even Hector was sitting in anticipation.
Lt. Grey stood by the large desk near the girls. She picked up what seemed to be an artificial smart tablet and looked at Sgt. Damascus, who was still puffing on his cigar. He gave her a nod.
She began tapping on the tablet. A few presses later, a red button appeared on the screen, blinking.
"Okay, girls—this is where I'd advise you to buckle up. And same goes for you too, boys," Lt. Grey said as she pressed the button.
Then something started to happen in the room.
Everything shifted. The desk and everything else began moving, and the classroom itself began to spin—not too fast, not too slow, but just the right pace.
It started slowly, spinning and spinning, and everyone began to feel the nauseous effect. Alexis and Celine struggled to find something to use for balance.
The speed picked up—and unfortunately for the team, there was no countdown, no warning, no alert. Nothing.
"What is happening?!" Hector asked, now clearly dizzy.
"I don't know, but I'd advise you to buckle up!" Mikeal shouted, his voice rising with the noise.
"Whoo!" Flash was now getting excited.
Both Sgt. Damascus and Lt. Grey stood perfectly still, as if nothing unusual was happening—like this was routine.
Mikeal couldn't help but glance at Alexis, who was struggling to balance herself. Just then, the room dropped—either like an elevator in full freefall or like it was about to crash. No one could be sure.
Apart from Damascus and Grey, no one knew how long the drop lasted. But when the ride ended and the room stopped, Hector leaped from his seat at such speed he didn't even ask where the toilet was. Whatever was wrong with him, he clearly couldn't hold it in any longer. He covered his mouth and ran.
He returned soon after, still burping and nauseous. He sat back down, trying to regain his composure.
Flash, who'd smartly buckled up like advised, couldn't help but laugh at Hector's state.
Hector looked at him in frustration and then tried to check on Mikeal—only to realize Mikeal was no longer in his seat. Instead, Celine was now buckled into the chair Mikeal had been sitting in.
"Oh hey, Celine… when did you get there?" Hector asked, still feeling unwell.
To everyone's surprise, Mikeal had somehow managed to switch places with Celine. He was now standing where she'd been—and he was holding on tightly to Alexis, like he had protected her during the fall.
"Are you okay?" Mikeal asked Alexis.
She was clearly shaken. "Yeah… thanks," she replied, looking at him.
Mikeal's hand was around her waist, and his other hand was behind her head.
Alexis quickly created some distance between them.
Things between them had already been awkward since arriving at the academy. Alexis had a feeling Mikeal was hiding something, and she'd also felt like he was avoiding her.
Despite the confusion about how everything happened, Mikeal walked away from Alexis and went to check on Celine, who was clearly still in shock.
"Are you alright too?" Mikeal asked, helping her unbuckle.
Celine just looked at him. "Uhm… yeah," she replied, not sure what to say.
She returned to join Alexis, who was now standing and trying not to make eye contact with anyone. Truthfully, Mikeal had never touched her like that before. She was a little pissed—and also shy.
Sgt. Damascus couldn't believe his eyes.
"What just happened?" Lt. Grey asked, also in awe.
"How the hell did you do that?" Flash finally voiced the question that was on everyone's mind.