After Xavier woke up, he was dazed and could barely remember what had happened. He tried to get up, but he immediately fell to his knees. The clan doctors rushed in and quickly helped him back onto the bed.
They began examining him for any irregularities but found none. They concluded that the long period of sleep had caused stiffness in his body, which made it difficult for him to stand. They suggested a few light exercises to help him regain his strength, and after a few days he was discharged.
After his discharge, Xavier went to the house that had been assigned to him. Upon arrival, he found Stork and the clan head standing at his doorstep. He politely greeted them, and they responded warmly. They said they wanted to have a chat with him.
"Are you really a member of the Thunder Clan?" the clan head asked.
"I am, sir. I am sorry for the trouble I have caused," Xavier apologized sincerely.
The clan head and Stork smiled.
"We are not here to reprimand you or anything," Stork said. "On the contrary, you have given us hope."
Xavier did not understand what that meant at the time, but he would soon find out.
Before leaving, the clan head suggested that Xavier should attend school so he could form bonds and make friends. Xavier declined, but the clan head asked him for a favour.
"Fine. Go for the first day. If you don't like it, you can quit."
Xavier agreed.
From Xavier's perspective…
I was enrolled in the Clover Clan's most prestigious school - Clover Academy. This academy had the honour of training the clan's greatest, strongest, and most powerful warriors. Although I wasn't from the Clover Clan, I figured a little peek couldn't hurt, right?
And so my first day arrived.
The school required us to wear a ninja-style uniform, similar to the ones used during training. Mine, however, was custom-made. It wasn't very different just a slightly different colour layout, probably because I was from the Thunder Clan.
With my uniform ready, I set out.
The clan head had assured me that all my needs would be provided for, so I had nothing to worry about. As I sat near the school administration office waiting for the headmaster to show me to my class, I could feel my heart pounding out of my chest. I had never felt like this before.
At last, we arrived at the classroom door. The headmaster told me to wait while he spoke with the teacher. After a moment, the teacher called me in.
For some reason, I had hidden my face behind my mask, but I was told to remove it. When I did, the entire class stared at me.
Amidst those stares, I saw Vanessa.
The teacher then allowed me to take my seat.
BREAK TIME!!!
Vanessa approached me to see how I was doing. It seemed like we were becoming good friends. Then it suddenly hit me if Vanessa was in my class, didn't that mean Zachy was too?
She laughed and explained that Zachy was a year ahead of us, so we weren't in the same class.
After Vanessa spoke with me, more and more students began approaching me. They all asked questions about my clan and what it felt like fighting Zachy.
Amidst all that noise, a single set of footsteps made everyone fall silent. The students quietly moved away as someone approached me.
We stared at each other intensely, as if we were about to fight. The atmosphere suddenly turned cold. Trying to ease the tension, I made a goofy face.
It didn't seem to work at first. But then he smiled and laughed.
"I will be seeing you," Zachy said.
The entire class burst into chatter again, and just like that, our break was over.
The classes we had that day included mathematics, some sciences, and the history of the clans and their conflicts. To be honest, it was rather interesting. Many details that my master had left out were actually included in the lessons.
Finally, it was time for training.
However, an announcement was suddenly made that training had been postponed due to the immense damage to the training grounds during last night's fight.
A small feeling of guilt washed over me, and with that, we were dismissed earlier than usual.
After classes, many of my classmates gathered around me, asking questions about my clan. It was probably because of today's lecture about how the Light, Dark, and Thunder Clans had all been wiped out. Being one of the last members made me seem like some sort of living legend.
It quickly became overwhelming—until Vanessa grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the crowd. We managed to escape and walked home together.
When I arrived home, I found the clan head waiting.
"How was your first day of school?" he asked.
"It was alright," I replied.
He then asked if I wanted to continue attending school.
As ashamed as I was to admit it, I agreed.
And with that, I began my classes.