"Wow. Congratulations, all of you." Mrs Horton appeared in the air, hovering above the initiates. "I never expected you all to work together like this. Then again, I'm sure the message from the last test is still fresh in your brains. However, if you thought that this test was a test of teamwork and would gain you more points by working together, then you're mistaken."
Murmurs and protests rose from the initiates. They couldn't understand why this test didn't count toward teamwork—after all, they'd just faced a dragon that could've killed any one of them alone.
"Come on, Mrs H, we risked our lives taking that beast down!"
"Yeah! We banded together like how a unit would on the field!"
"So why wont we get points for working together?"
"All of you are fucking idiots!" Mrs Horton didn't hold back with the insults. "Jin, I heard your reaction and knew that you didn't wish to help out. May I ask why?"
'Ugh, why is she calling on me?'
"Why are you calling on him?" Addison asked, "We did the heavy lifting."
'Right!'
"Is he not the one who came up with the plan to deal with the Dragon? Even with your strength, you could not have beaten the dragon alone. Your superiority complex will not save you on the battlefield."
That shut Addison up real quick.
"So, Jin. Your answer?"
"The test wasn't about cooperation—not in the grand scheme of things. It was about survival, testing how we'd endure. Working together helps, sure—assigning roles like cooking, trapping, hunting, and scouting—but unless the monster posed no threat, our priority should've been staying alive. Attacking a powerful deviant like a dragon was never the goal."
"Exactly! Jin, just for your explanation, I won't be removing any points from your score, same with you, Angela."
'Yes!' Angela wanted to give Jin a load of kisses, but she just thanked Mrs Horton with respect.
"Addison, gathering people to work together was a very smart thing to do. However, your quickness to attack the dragon put everyone who was with you in jeopardy. How many of the people under you were injured? Over a hundred. If this weren't a test, they could have lost their lives. Do you know how long you were battling the dragon before Jin arrived?"
Addison stayed silent. She didn't know how long it had been—she hadn't cared. All that mattered to her was defeating the dragon and raising her status. If others were hurt, that was their weakness, not her fault or responsibility.
"ANSWER ME WHEN I SPEAK TO YOU!"
"I-I don't...I don't know." Fear crept up her body as Mrs Horton shouted at her. The woman was a powerhouse, someone who stood at the top of the rankings. Addison felt littler than little compared to her.
"Two hours. That's how long you were fighting the dragon. Do you know how long the battle lasted when Jin arrived? Ten fucking minutes! But your leadership, or I guess your ability to lead, was commendable, so that's worth something."
"T-Thank you, Mrs Horton."
"Whatever. Anyway, since this dragon is dead, this test is over. I know there was one more day left, but it doesn't matter at this point." She clapped her hands, and every initiate was transferred back to the institute.
"You have the day to rest. Tomorrow, you all will take your final test. If you have been wondering what these tests are for, allow me to tell you."
A holographic screen shimmered into light in front of everyone, showing a graph of stats for a person.
"These tests help us determine what we need to teach you and what you'll need to learn through your own practice. They also show us where to place you for extracurricular activities. In case you didn't know, initiates don't just train and study—they work in the field."
"The field? L-Like Vanguard work?" Someone asked, clearly not ready for field work.
"Yes and no. You might be assigned to work with the police or even the military. Sometimes we send initiates to assist a Vanguard to learn what the job's really like. There are plenty of other placements, but I'm sure you get the idea."
A boy raised their hand.
"Yes, young man."
"W-What if we don't perform well during those extracurricular activities?"
"Well, that's half your grade down the drain."
You could feel the stiffness in everyone's bodies when Mrs. Horton announced that half of their grade was tied to their extracurricular activities. You're only at this institute for two years, and if you don't graduate, you'll be held back. Fail to graduate a second time, and you'll lose your chance to become an Aegis Corps member. Sure, you could still join the military—but you wouldn't get all the benefits and privileges that came with the Corps.
Being kicked out of the Aegis Corps program was a huge shame and dishonor. Everyone would look at you as if you were a failure.
Even if you joined the military and became the highest-ranking member, people would still see you as a person who could have been great instead of praising your current accomplishments.
"That will be all. You are dismissed." Mrs Horton vanished, and an invisible pressure was removed from the initiate's shoulders
"Jin!" Addison shouted in anger. "Follow me!"
"Need help?" Angela asked in a low tone so no one could hear her.
"I'll be fine, I think. You can follow me, though, if it makes you feel any better."
Angela nodded and did what he suggested.
Jin followed Addison to an empty part of the school where no eyes would be watching them. When they were completely out of view, she grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall.
"Do we have a fucking problem?"
Jin expected Addison to be upset, but he didn't expect her to slam him against the wall. Sure, it didn't hurt, nor did she slam him hard, but it was still unexpected.
His first instinct was to show Addison her place, but he pushed that thought to the side.
Even if her pride would allow her to inform others that Jin had powers, she still belonged to a super-influential family, and his secret could come out.
Even with Angela, his secret was at risk, but he couldn't do anything about it.