How To Survive A Calamity

"Is there something I'm missing?" I stared at the red haired young man and scratched my head.

Wasn't it the same suspicious looking man i ran into last night?

"That's the vice-head master of the Academy, Crimson Emperor, Awakened Arslan D. Blank.

"Eh? Wait, what? D-did you just say Vice-head master??" I flinched at Deandra's sudden words that struck me like bolts of lightning and stuttered.

"Indeed, i am more than certain that that's him standing before us. Of course I've only seen him a few times. Just like the Head master of the Academy, the Vice-head is always very often busy and rarely makes appearances. Neither the head master or Vice head even showed up for the freshmen orientation, remember?"

At the same time, Don nodded in agreement next to her.

"Parts of being some of the leading strongest Awakened in the human domain. They're at realms we can't still fathom. Yet."

No, no, no...i didn't give three fucks about all that!

'Are you saying the man from yesterday is...'

"Oh my world! I've only ever heard stories about him, even despite finally becoming a cadet. Eeek! He's as handsome as the rumours say!!"

"Right??"

"Shhh, quiet you too! The Vice head is about to begin!" Don hisssed back sharply at the squealing voices of Chelsea and Trise.

And overlooking from the platform, the red haired man addressed everyone.

"Ah, hello, everyone. I apologise for being unable to be present during the Freshmen orientation the other time. Ah, this will be my first appearance before you first year. And as many of you probably already know, i am Arslan D. Blank, the vice headmaster of this here great institution of Aegis."

A round of applause and cheers quickly thundered through the hall as soon as the vice head master introduced himself. For better or worse, everyone around me seemed to more or less know who he was, other than me.

The vice headmaster gave a pleasant smile and gazed towards a certain direction.

"Eeep! Crazy, did he just smile at me right now?" Chelsea yelped and squealed like a fan girl next to me as she took a step back and shyly shrunk.

"Y-you idiot, you wish. H-he obviously was smiling at me just now!" The short haired Trise rebuked with an embarrassingly red face as she twirled her hair round her finger and shyly danced her eyes all over.

Don groaned and shook his head in exasperation at the two.

"Ugh, you both are delusional."

I agreed.

Because the person who the vice head master was clearly looking at...

'Ah, fuck me...'

Was me.

He glanced at me with an elongated smile that mockingly curved at the edges. There was a hint of amusement and mischief in those bright orange eyes of his as he stared at me.

"Huhuhu..."

The bastard...

He was clearly enjoying my reaction.

It was then i realised i had been toyed with.

I recalled my nonchalant and rude behaviour before the vice headmaster last night and felt my face heat up in embarrassment.

'This fucker...!'n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

He clearly had no reason to hide his real identity away from me the other night, and yet he did just so he could toy with me like this.

That explained his nonchalant and suspicious behaviour to an extent.

But what was the high and mighty rarely seen vice headmaster doing loitering around the walkway that late after curfew.

Was he really lost...

Somehow, that no longer seemed as plausible as before.

Then.

Was he waiting for someone?

Who?

'...me?'

"Today we have all gathered here to begin the start of the first Practical Field Experience Exercise. Hmmm, i understand many of you here may be anxious and afraid, but this is a necessary and massive step in your life, growth, and career. You all are students of Aegis, stand tall and stand proud. I am confident you will do well in this Exercise, there is no need to worry. But that does not mean to say loose your fear. In fact, here's a rare professional tip coming from someone like me." Arslan walked closer to the edge of the platform with graceful steps.

His falling red hair swaying gently over his neck. There was a magnetising pull to his movements and his eyes seemed to endlessly suck in people too deeply if they carelessly stared for too long.

Arslan was wearing a coat hung over his shoulders that swayed behind his back.

He began to say.

"As an Awakened, never lose your fear. In fact, embrace it. Fear is one of our greatest weapons, not only as Awakened warriors, but also as human beings of mankind and the human race." Arslan's steps along the edge of the platform paced.

His voice was steady.

"If you discard your fear, with nothing to be afraid of, there will no longer be anything to strive to get stronger for. Do you understand, my cadets?"

Each words uttered slowly. Deeply.

"Always keep hold tightly of your fears. Anything can be a deadly weapon in the hands of a true master; wield your fears like blades wisely."

Resonantly.

"The only thing to discard instead, is hope. In our world today, the world of Aethoria, hope kills. Fear is what keeps you alive. The greatest delusion of all is the belief that all shall be well. The greatest fraud is the belief that it'll all be okay in the end. The truth is, my treasured cadets..."

Arslan's smile turned flat.

"It won't."

"Do not hope for a better day — fear a worse night. The distinction is clear: hope kills, fear is what makes us survive." He stood over us.

"All will never be well."

His eyes narrowed.

"It'll never be okay."

Arslan gazed. His voice layered.

"Nothing will ever be fine."

And layered still.

"On the other hand, we tend to avoid what we fear, or face it to change them."

Arslan's gaze darkened and his eyes pulled, until...

"A-ahem. Uh, Vice-head..." One of the instructors from behind coughed.

"Oops, i seem to have gotten too carried away again." The vibe shifted around Arslan as if he broke from a different immersive state with a light chuckle.

The vice headmaster shifted slightly on his feet with a gentle smile.

"I didn't come here to scare you kids, i apologize. I wish you extraordinary good luck as you embark on the first of this exercise, and i hope to continue to personally watch you grow and develop into fine warriors and mankind's greatest heroes."

Arslan gave what i assumed were his words of encouragement, regardless of how twisted and dark, and made his exit just as easily as he appeared.

Then Wrenna stepped up again.

"We will now begin the descent."

***

The Descent was a term referring to the deployment of Awakened into a Dungeon gate.

There were almost countless numbers of first year cadets grouped up together, so this particular process took some time to be completed.

During that time, there were a few who opted to drop out of the exercise just before it began at the last minute, even before they could go through the gate.

And at the same time, there were certain groups who were particularly quick to use the emergency function of the bracelets to forcefully teleport themselves back outside after going in after a few hours or so.

I remember watching them oddly and grimly.

The cadets were shuddering, battered and even covered in blood.

Went without saying, when such groups appeared back at the terminal like that, the other cadets who were still waiting their turn felt even more unease.

And to be honest, i did to an extent.

But i had various ideas consoling me from inside so i was able to maintain a more calm and measured composure while i sat and waited.

'It's expected for there to be a few who will forfeit the exercise immediately due to one reason or another.'

[They're all still young and weak hearted.] Meta coldly spat emotionless words. Explore more at empire

'You know, sometimes i really wonder if you truly can't feel a thing in your motherboard...or whatever functions as a heart for a system. I don't know!'

"Vic, it's time." Chelsea called out to me as I bantered internally with Meta's voice.

"It's our turn."

Finally.

I breathed a small sigh and rose from my seat. The massive blue gate continued to swirl and pour out massive amounts of pressure into the terminal.

As we approached closer to the gate, Deandra, i, and the rest of our group as a whole were stopped ahead by a few instructors who gave us final warnings and instructions.

"The environment behind the gate is vastly different from outside of it. Once you step into the dungeon, it'll take some effort to effectively adapt to the atmosphere and changes youre body may or may not experience." One of them sternly said.

"It will be your best wisdom to be on guard right now for as soon as you step through the gate, you may immediately be under ambush. The creatures you may see on the other side may seem unfamiliar to you, but rest assured, the academy has made certain of the level of the dungeon. Everything on the other side is within your ability — everything on the other side is killable." Another said.

We nodded attentively at the warnings and last minute advices before we continued forward for the gate.

I silenced a nagging premonition i had at the back of my mind and reached my hand to touch the area around my chest.

Hidden smoothly underneath my blazer was Hamlet.

Hamlet responded to my touch as if to affirm it was still with me by transmitting its intent directly into me.

I restrained my emotion and drowned my mind without thoughts.

With this...

'All my preparations are complete.'

And so we arrived at the other world behind the gate.