When I stopped in front of my classroom, a familiar voice echoed in my head.
"Allen! You should make a grand entrance!" Runa had said earlier that morning, practically bouncing in her seat. "You know — open the door, smile, say something cool like, 'Sorry I'm late, the world just slowed down on me.'"
Luis sighed so hard it might've been a warning. He didn't even look up from his cereal. "Yeah, do that, and everyone'll think you hit your head again."
I didn't say anything back then. I just kept eating.
I stood in front of the classroom door, took a short breath, and turned the knob.
The room fell slightly quieter as I stepped inside.
Without saying a word, I closed the door behind me, then moonwalked my way to the front like Michael Jackson, face completely straight the whole time.
A few students laughed. Some just stared. Others didn't even bother looking up.
From the back, I heard someone whisper, "Is that the amnesiac kid? The one who skipped a grade?"
I turned slightly, still expressionless. "Yeah. That's me."
Silence for a second. Then I continued, tone flat but polite.
"My name's Allen Carolen. I'll be joining this class starting today. Please take care of me."
I could still feel a few eyes on me. Half were entertained, half were confused.
Just then, the door slid open again.
The teacher walked in, carrying a stack of papers.
She stopped mid-step, looking at me like she wasn't sure if she'd walked into a comedy routine or a transfer announcement.
"...You must be Allen," she said finally.
I nodded. "Yes, ma'am."
She blinked once, sighed quietly, and gestured toward an empty seat.
"All right, Allen. Seems like you already introduced yourself. Then, you can sit at the empty seat in the back."
"Understood," I said, walking to my desk. Normally, this time.
The bell rang, and the classroom instantly came alive with chatter and the sound of chairs scraping across the floor. The teacher gave the usual reminder about not running in the halls, then dismissed everyone for recess.
I stayed at my seat. No reason to rush.
I opened the lunchbox Ms. Carolen packed.
Inside, there's rice, a small piece of grilled fish, and some vegetables on the side.
I was just about to take my first bite when the guy sitting in front of me turned around.
He had dark brown hair, a calm expression, and the kind of easy voice that people listen to without thinking.
"Hey, mind if I eat here?" he asked.
"Sure," I said.
He pulled his chair back a little to face me and started unpacking his own lunch.
Before long, two girls came over to join him.
One with dark blue hair tied in a neat braid, the other with light pink hair that looked like it caught every bit of sunlight in the room.
They both greeted him casually, and I figured they are his close friends.
Then the pink-haired one looked at me. "Can we join too? There's more space if we merge the tables."
"Go ahead," I said.
They pushed the tables together, forming a small square.
Introductions followed.
"I'm Caleb," the brown-haired boy said.
"Selene," the dark-blue-haired girl added with a polite nod.
"And I'm Maria!" the pink-haired one said, waving slightly as if I hadn't heard her the first time.
"Allen," I replied simply.
Conversation drifted naturally while we ate.
They talked about teachers, rumors, and who forgot to submit their reports again.
Eventually, Caleb glanced up from his meal.
"So… how'd you manage to skip a grade even though you've got memory loss?"
I chewed, swallowed, and said, "Knowledge and memories are different things. I don't remember people or events. But I know it is, just not on a personal level."
Selene tilted her head. "So you didn't forget everything, just yourself?"
"Something like that, I guess."
Maria leaned forward, curiosity written all over her face. "Have you ever been to the Capital before? It sounds like something out of a storybook!"
"Not that I remember," I said, "but I want to. I'm going to school hoping I'll get scouted as an Agent someday. If that happens, I can travel. Maybe I'll find something about who I was."
"That's actually really cool," Maria said, eyes lighting up.
Selene smiled faintly. "Then you should join the Rondon Annual Championship."
"Rondon what?" I asked.
Caleb laughed.
"It's a big tournament that happens once a year during the school festival. Students from the Outskirts, like us, can show our combat prowess. Sometimes, Agents or talent scouts from the Capital come to watch. It's rare, but a few students got recruited that way."
"I see," I said. "So it's a gamble with better odds than most."
Caleb smirked. "Correct. Win, and you might just catch someone's attention."
Maria leaned on the table, her smile bright. "You should totally join, Allen! You'd make a good mystery contender."
I gave a small shrug. "Well, it's definitely worth a try. When's the school festival?"
"In about two weeks," Caleb said.
"Yeah," Maria added, already sounding excited.
"It's not just the tournament. There'll be booths, performances, all kinds of stuff. But everyone's already talking about the fights."
Two weeks. That wasn't far off. "That's good," I said, half to myself. "Didn't think I'd get a shot at heading to the Capital this soon."
Selene looked up from her food. "You're really serious about going there, huh?"
"Yeah," I said, calmly. "I might find clues about my origin there."
Maria nodded enthusiastically. "You can register at the Student Council office! They'll be handling everything for the festival. But, uh—" she paused, glancing at Caleb, "you might want to be careful."
"Careful?" I asked.
Caleb smirked a little. "There's no year classification in the tournament. You could end up matched with Third Years. Some of them are monsters."
"In that case," I said simply. "I'll just not lose."
Selene gave a small, amused smile. "Easier said than done."
"Oh, it actually is!" I replied, nonchalant, and took another bite.
The three of them giggled lightly, probably unsure if I was joking or serious.
Of course I'm serious. About winning, that is.
"I'm joining the tournament," I said flatly.
Runa rolled over like a cat. "Wait—what? The Rondon Annual Championship?!"
Luis, slouched on his bed, peeked from under the towel. "You? You don't even have an ability, dude."
"I'll manage," I replied.
He snorted. "You've never even touched a sword before. You're gonna march up there with your bare hands and good intentions?"
"I'll learn," I said, tone unchanging. "If I train hard enough, I'll win."
Runa blinked at me, half-concerned, half-impressed. "That's… super reckless. But it's just like you!"
Luis sighed.
He looked back at me. "Fine. Whatever. You can borrow my sword. Just don't chip it, lose it, or injure yourself with it."
And so, for the next two weeks, I trained.
Every morning before breakfast, every night after closing the restaurant.
Luis's sword felt light, but the handle's too worn out. The blade is not the sharpest, but it should be good enough.
During my whole time training, my hands never blistered. My shoulders never ached, and my body is somehow naturally flexible.
Every single move Luis did, I did. Except, my moves were alot faster, smoother, and sharper than his.
He was flabbergasted. The moves he learned his whole life is getting replicated even better by his younger brother.
Runa, on the other hand, acted as if she had raised a prodigy.
And honesly, I don't know either. I might be a prodigy after losing my memory, or I already were, prior to that event.
Even if I were, that doesn't explain how irregular my body is.
Runa tried pulling a prank on me once. She tried to change the color of my skin by touch.
That time, she put her hand on my shoulder. Nothing happened.
She was confused, thinking her ability has faded. But she grabbed Luis on his shoulder and he suddenly became dark-skinned.
The sight almost made me screamed "Ninja" at the top of my lung.
Her ability doesn't work on me. It might just be a fluke. Or it might be due to some unknown reason that we don't know yet.
But that's the least of my concern. The answer definitely lies in the memory I've lost. Two birds, one stone, they say.
For now though, I keep on training, until the day I've been waiting for present itself.