The stone corridor of the Fourth-Year Pentagon stretched long and silent, lit by narrow windows that cut blades of light across the floor. His guide, Instructor Naga, squared his shoulder when they neared the classroom wing. He walked three steps ahead, hands clasped behind his back.
"Classrooms run in a ring," Naga said without looking at him. "Combat theory, advanced tactics, command logic, formation reading. Galka academy only teaches the ten compulsory subjects for all high schools in year one and two. Some subjects like weaponry and fitness are still taught in the fourth year together with combat. You will get to do all the subjects all together however due to your delayed entry. You'll rotate through all of them. Quickly. The school will not show favourism, "Sagiri nodded, clutching the heavy curriculum folder to his chest. It felt like the weight of three years of work compressed into paper.
They turned the corner and the corridor suddenly wasn't empty. A cluster of fourth-years lounged near Classroom 4-E, boots hooked on benches, shoulders pressed to the walls. As sagiri and Naga approached, voices dipped, eyes sharpened.
"There he is," someone muttered.
"So that's the late one? The aged student"
"No way he's sixteen. He looks thirteen or fourteen." another said.
"I hear he survived the suffocation chamber," another whispered. "King Bami is not going to be happy."
The students didn't move aside. They simply watched him, a wall of bodies and distrust. Sagiri's steps faltered for half a second before he forced himself forward. He was not wearing his oru-shell he could not only hear their word but feel their hostility. Naga didn't pause.
"Make way, cadets." He raised his voice and the wall of bodies moved reluctantly, the students shifted just enough to let them pass, shoulders brushing Sagiri's arms deliberately. A tall boy with a shaved stripe down his head whispered loudly. "Hope he doesn't slow the unit. We're months from the semi final and finals." another sneered. "If he is put on my team I'll lose it.
"He won't survive that long." Another sneered with more hatred than the last,
Sagiri kept walking, jaw tight. He had expected all this but not this sharp hostility. It clung to the air like static. Naga stopped at a glass-fronted door. Inside, rows of desks faced a board covered in clean lines of battle geometry.
"This will be your main theory class," Naga said. "Instructor Merena doesn't tolerate wasted time. You will sit at the back for now, until she evaluates you."
"I understand." Sagiri nodded. A group of students passed behind him, slowing deliberately to stare. One boy with a full head of braided hair gave him a long, assessing look, half challenge, half warning.
"So you're the one taking a fourth-year slot without earning it," she said quietly. "Good luck." Sagiri could understand the hate because they all worked hard to reach the apex with sweat and tears and he didn't but the power inside of him didn't understand and it stirred.
"He doesn't belong here." Another said right behind him. Naga was probably the only reason hell had not broken loose. sagiri turned to face them slowly, they didn't flinch and stared right back. They were not cowards, just as expected of galka academy fourth year students, they turned around and walked away only because Naga reminded them it was time for dinner. Their voices faded down the corridor as they went.
"Ignore them," Naga said and kept walking, his tone however agreed with them, his feelings were the same as those of the students, it's just he masked his face better, they all wished Sagiri could fail. Looking at the heavy curriculum in his hands however he did not know if he was going to make it a week in the stone cold pentagon.
They continued down the ring, passing door after door. Students peered out of classrooms, some openly curious, others flat-eyed and cold. A few didn't bother to hide their scorn. By the time they reached the next junction, Kai felt as though every pair of eyes in the building had weighed him and found him lacking.
"It seems I am not a welcomed arrival?" Sagiri finally asked.
"No," Naga replied. "Only when the Academy brings in someone who breaks the pattern. This place values order. You represent disorder."
"We'll see." Naga's voice was unreadable. "Your performance will decide whether the fourth-year accepts you. You need to prove yourself. Ninety percent who go to Galka are from northern tribes and they value strength. You need to prove that you deserve the position they worked hard to achieve. Respect is earned.."
"I see," Sagiri said, feeling even more beat down. He had not met one friendly situation since he left home.
"You also have to learn the Korun tongue, we were told you don't speak it and it's insulting to northerners to stay in the north without learning the language." Naga continued in the Tagayia national dialect. He wanted to tell him that the school wasn't his choice but that could have been too insulting.
The next wing was the Fourth-Year dorms, they were arranged like disciplined barracks. No personal clutter. No posters. Only a uniform-issue trunk at the end of each bed.
"You'll take Room 256," the instructor said, showing the empty square room with a bed, a uniform trunk, a desk and a bathroom. The room was not made for comfort just for rest and functionality. "You will be allowed to rest today and go through the whole curriculum after dinner. I will escort you to the dining wing and back but you will have to do the rest by yourself. You need to move around by yourself starting tomorrow." Naga said giving him a key to his room. The environment was not welcoming at all but he had been an outsider since he could remember and it didn't bother him much. It was the hostility and killing intent that unnerved him, most northerns were vicious and he did not want to get into a fight yet, especially after watching salka in action and feeling senrakis powerful aura. The power inside of him could come in handy but he still did not understand it and he had only gone along with his benefactor's plan to get a better understanding. He had seen it in action at twelve and he understood it could grow out of control especially if his feelings got out of control.
'I will get a better understanding of my power and my markings and unlock the barrier in my mind. But till then I will keep a low profile and try to be as invisible as possible.' Avoiding trouble or creating allies was his best options but he was not good at the second and so staying invisible was his only option.
The dining wing was already half empty when they arrived and sagiri was thankful for that. Students ate the same food for each meal. The only difference was the amount and sagiri asked only for a small portion. He was not feeling quite hungry after the exhausting day. The remaining students at the dining wing still gave him hostile looks and their hostility was so thick it caressed his skin like whispers. They were even more disappointed at the small portion he served himself.
"Thlaka!" one cursed loudly. Galka war academy was only a boy school. The north was still deep in tradition and their women did not go to war. However Thlaka is a term used to refer to a young girl. The portion he had served made him look like a woman considering even the first years served at least two if they were sick. Only a woman could eat such a small serving in the north. After seeing Salka and his mean eat a whole wild beast in one seating and how most were huge he could understand the disappointment.
"Make the servings two," Naga said, with pity. Sagiri could almost hear his thoughts, he also thought he was not going to last a week. Lotaga and Captain Salka had also asked him to eat more. It seemed he needed to up his servings to avoid gathering attention to himself. Looking at his slender form he really did not belong in the north. If his benefactor wanted him dead it was a good plan. But Sagiri was not going to roll over and take it.