FF Chapter 25

Winter sets in, as an ill wind passes through Yanus Academy.

Chapter 25

      Winter arrived at Yanus Academy slowly, like a stalking predator. It had been a few weeks since the events in Sanel, but it was still fresh in everyone’s mind, especially since many students now had no place to live since the buildings they were staying at were being repaired. The school took them in, as there were enough dorms available. Many left as winter set in, either because they didn’t get into the class they wanted, or their parents pulled them from the school after hearing about what happened.

      Alex awoke slowly in one such dorm. A thread of light peeked around the curtains, as he rose at the crack of dawn. A light snoring reached his ear, and he turned to see his roommate, Jack, still sleeping soundly in his bed. Their private dorm was at the southern end of the island, near the arena.

      Rising from the warm bed, he silently started his morning routine. Thirty push-ups, thirty squats, and a thirty-minute game of “five-second rule” and/or sparring, every single day! Although with the arena closed for winter, and no one willing to ‘play’ with him, he had to substitute an hour or longer run, which was easy on the large island.

      The first time Jack witnessed such a workout he was speechless. Today he woke up halfway through the onehanded push-ups. “I can’t believe you’re still doing that.” He grumbled drowsily.

      “I was too weak during the fight in Sanel. I have to get stronger!” He grunted, as he rolled into a handstand and continued his push-ups. When he first started out he was only doing twenty of each workout, now he was up to thirty and rising.

      “Hm.” Jack grunted, exhausted from just watching. He dragged himself out of bed and went into another room to change for work. The arena might have been closed, but he always managed to keep busy, or at least out of sight.

      After washing up, Alex got changed too. He wore a long-sleeved shirt, though not for the cold, which honestly didn’t bother him. He’d actually been forbidden from using his beast marks at all since the incident. Especially since now, with three beast marks, he was capable of unlocking a potentially deadly beast gift. The red chains on his arms seemed to burn under his skin as he sheathed them into sleeves, before pulling the warm hood over his head and leaving for his daily duties.

 

      No one talked to him as he walked to the shed and got a shovel, just as no one spoke to him as he began clearing off the pathways around the school. Despite the silence, he could feel eyes on him, glaring, judging. He looked around, and the students didn’t even flinch. They looked him straight in the eye and sneered before turning away in disgust.

      He felt something hit the back of his jacket, and turned around to see a group of nobles readying snowballs.

      “Weapons aren’t allowed on the island!” One of them yelled. The others joined in, hurling snowballs with each insult. “Go away!” “You don’t belong here!’ “Go back with Indol and ruin someone else’s lives!”

      Despite trying to shut them out, the last one stung a bit as Alex continued to shovel. Indol’s entire lab had been quarantined, as no one, not even Jack or Alex, knew what all the buttons and levers did, let alone what machines and prototype were safe to move.

      Alex was jolted from his thoughts and work by another snowball. He caught it midair and broke it open; there was a large stone inside. He crushed the rock with his bare hands and turned to the bullies. His piercing glare froze a few of them in place, causing some to drop their snowballs. Crushing the stone had tapped into his beast mark strength, and he could feel the heat in his arms boiling, begging to be free.

      He waited a moment, and considered giving them a small demonstration so they would leave him alone, but he took a deep breath and calmed himself. Dropping the pebbles left in his hand, he dusted himself off and went back to work, chased by jeers of “Coward!”

 

      At lunch he ate alone, but still had to go to the cafeteria to pick up his food. There he saw Malent, surrounded by noble admirers like Drong Blenk, Kindol of Pyros, and Mariel of Taryous, all of whom were eager to cozy up to the hero of Sanel, who helped repair the city and rescue civilians after the fight.

       On the plus side, Malent was too busy basking in praise to tease Alex or pick fights. Even Gordian seemed to be oddly quiet and private recently. That didn’t stop many others from jeering Alex, stopping just short of spitting on him, as he left the cafeteria to eat alone outside, in the cold.

 

      The cool air didn’t bother Alex much; in fact, he was fine as long as the wind didn’t pick up. Even Jack didn’t seem to mind the weather. They even opened their apartment window sometimes.

      Alex, having finished his work for the day, stared out the window. He saw a few birds flying around in the cold and mused. If I had wings, I’d fly back to the library. Even if Uncle Bor was still mad, I don’t care…I just want to see them again. He howled forlornly at the moon, wondering if there was anything nearby that could howl back.

      His cries were disrupted by a knock on the door. Alex wondered who it could be. They were on the far end of the island, and Jack would’ve just come right in. He opened the door to find Anastazia shivering outside. He invited her in.

      She had a package in her hand. It was a bag of cookies. “Sorry about not talking to you during class.” She said meekly.

      “It’s okay.” Alex said, smiling at the gift. “If you did, you’d probably get picked on too.”

      Ana nodded sadly, before admitting “Ever since Sanel, I, and a few others, have noticed that we’re getting teased less. I don’t know if Malent is just bored of it, or if they’re all distracted with you, but…it is nice.” She couldn’t help but smile a bit, and hope Alex would forgive her selfishness; he did.

      “Well, I’m glad something good came from all this.” He tried to smile.

      They stood alone for a second, before Ana broke the nervous silence. “I-I should probably go…before Jack comes back, or anyone notices I’m not in my room.”

      “Okay.” Alex smiled as she left, but the instant she was gone his smile melted back into a frown.

 

      Alex was moping on his bed, snacking on the cookies, when Jack walked in. He immediately sat up and put on a big smile. “Hi Jack, how was your day?”

      “Not bad.” He mumbled, before noticing the cookies. “Who are those from? They smell homemade” He asked, knowing Alex couldn’t bake.

      “They’re from Ana.” He smiled brightly, taking a bite.

      Jack levelled his eyes at Alex and cut to the chase. “You’re creeping me out with that stupid smile. I see enough liars all day; I don’t need any in my own room.”

      Alex dropped the act and slumped back on his bed. “I just don’t know what to do!” He wailed. “I’ve been kicked out of my home, my friends probably hate me for getting them kicked out of the academy, one of the only friends I still have here is too scared to talk to me, and I forgot to dry my back when I showered so now my shirt’s stuck to me!”

      Jack tossed him a spare towel and Alex peeled his shirt off, giving Jack a good view of his scared back and enflamed arms. “Those marks are getting really bright.” He commented.

      “Yeah” Alex rubbed them through his long-sleeved shirt. “but the heat off them helps keep me warm.” He joked.

      With nothing else to really do inside during winter, the two of them played cards every night, and Alex lost every time. It didn’t matter which deck they used, Alex lost. Tonight they played a game of ‘Kings Court’, where each player was dealt five cards and given one opportunity to trade cards in; the one with the best hand won.

      Alex got dealt nothing, and traded in four cards, keeping a king of clubs. Of the four replacement cards he drew, one was a king of spades. Alex showed this to Jack, who revealed he had three tens. Three of a kind beats a pair; Jack won.

      Alex leaned back and sighed while Jack shuffled cards.

      “Wanna play something else?” he asked.

      “Doesn’t matter, you always win at cards.” Alex frowned.

      “Nothing up my sleeve.” He pointed to his short-sleeved shirt while trying to hide a smirk behind a shrug. “Nothing personal, but I’ve played a lot more than you.”

      Alex looked at his roommate. “So you like cards, but that’s all I know about you.”

      “Yeah, so?” Jack shrugged, still shuffling.

      “Well…What’s your favourite colour? I don’t even know that. Mine’s blue.”

      Jack had to think for a minute. No one had ever asked that before. “Don’t know…maybe green? Although, why should I have to pick, it’s not like I wouldn’t want to see any other colour. Green would be boring without red or blue-” Jack stopped suddenly. He turned away from Alex and climbed into bed, before turning his back to the kid.

      Alex wouldn’t be shut out so easily. He’d befriended Indol, he could handle Jack. “You know, you remind me a bit of my Uncle Bor.” He smiled.

      “You mean Future?” Jack asked, not turning around.

      “Yeah. You’re both hard workers who usually say little, but when you do say anything it means something. He once told me ‘just because I’m not speaking doesn't mean I’m not thinking or listening, usually quite the opposite.’ I think it’s the same with you. Not only that but…you both feel like my older brothers.”

      A silence hung in the air, as he waited for a reply.

      “G-Goodnight Alex. Put out the light when you’re done.” Was all Jack said, before pulling the covers up and willing himself asleep.

      Alex tossed and turned in his own bed, he couldn’t fall asleep; he could find no rest. How could he, knowing he’d face the exact same day tomorrow.