Chapter 234: The Final Hours

The meeting with Vice Principal Elena Garnet had ended, but nobody at Valecrest Academy was leaving.

The academy’s corridors were busier than they had been in weeks.

Students moved from room to room carrying equipment. Teachers hurried between offices. Support staff checked supplies. Communication devices constantly buzzed with messages from the tournament committee.

The entire academy had changed in less than an hour, because there was no longer any uncertainty. The Regional Selection was happening... today, and Valecrest had less than three hours to prepare.

Silas walked through the corridor with his hands behind his head.

"Three hours."

Chloe walked beside him.

"You’re counting?"

"No."

"You literally just said the number."

"I was making an observation."

Chloe gave him a suspicious look, but Silas just smiled.

"Three hours."

She sighed.

"You really are counting."

They passed several students carrying boxes of equipment. One of them nearly collided with Silas before quickly stepping aside.

"Sorry!"

"No problem, bro."

Silas continued walking. He looked toward the academy windows.

Outside, the city was behaving almost normally. Cars moved along the roads, people walked along the sidewalks, advertisements played on enormous screens, and children were probably still going to school.

People were still working. Restaurants were still serving food. Yet somewhere beneath all that normality was the knowledge that hundreds of awakened students were preparing for something that could potentially last for more than a month.

Silas scratched his cheek.

"Do you think they’re going to give us somewhere to sleep?"

Chloe stared at him.

"You’ve been thinking about food and sleeping arrangements for the past thirty minutes."

"They’re important."

"We’re entering a regional tournament."

"Exactly. That’s why they’re important."

Chloe shook her head.

***

Valecrest Preparation Hall...

The main team and substitutes eventually gathered inside one of the academy’s preparation halls. There were tables covered with equipment, medical supplies, communication devices, water, food, emergency equipment, maps, weapons, and portable power cells- everything the academy was legally permitted to provide had been laid out.

Elena stood at the front, looking at the fifteen students. This time, however, she wasn’t giving a speech. She was observing them.

The nine members of the main team stood together, and behind them stood the six substitutes.

Elena tapped her tablet, and a holographic display appeared.

[VALECREST ACADEMY - REGIONAL TEAM]

[ACTIVE MEMBERS: 9]

[SUBSTITUTES: 6]

[TOTAL REGISTERED: 15]

"Listen carefully."

Everyone quieted down.

"The tournament committee has already confirmed your registration."

She looked toward the substitutes.

"That means all fifteen of you are officially part of Valecrest’s Regional Selection team."

Then she looked at the main team.

"But remember the distinction. You nine are the initial active lineup. The six substitutes are reserve members. That distinction can change." Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Do not become complacent."

Damien nodded. Peter and the others did the same.

Elena continued.

"The Regional Selection may last considerably longer than the City Qualifiers." She gestured toward the equipment. "Therefore, we’re preparing for endurance rather than a single battle."

She pointed toward the supplies.

"Everything has been calculated."

Silas raised his hand.

Elena looked at him.

"What?"

"How much food?"

Elena stared at him.

"Enough."

Silas lowered his hand.

"Good."

Chloe covered her mouth to hide a laugh. Damien approached one of the tables and picked up the regional map.

"So this is everything we know?"

"Everything you’re currently allowed to know," Elena answered.

Damien unfolded the map. The Northern Region covered eight cities: City A through City H.

"We don’t know the other academy starting positions."

"No."

"How many teams will be near us?"

"We don’t know yet."

"The exact environmental conditions?"

"No."

Damien slowly looked at her.

"The tournament committee really doesn’t like giving information."

Elena smiled faintly.

"Information is a resource."

Silas suddenly spoke, causing Damien’s eyes to twitch. Some people never really change.

"And if everyone had the same information, it wouldn’t be very useful."

Elena looked toward him.

"Exactly."

Damien glanced at Silas calmly. For once, they seemed to agree... on the surface, but Silas could feel his emotions from the bond very clearly. If Damien could kill him, he would have. It still made him wonder just what he did to garner such hate from the blond guy. It was confusing and even tiring.

’Is he also a masochist?’

[You realize you are a sadist...]

’...’

[I expected that reaction.]

’Get the fuck out!’

[Hehe...]

The preparation continued with everyone unaware of Silas’s battle with his system.

Neil gathered the group around a table.

"We should establish a basic formation."

Damien nodded.

"Agreed."

Neil pointed at the map.

"We don’t know what the environment will look like, so we shouldn’t create something too rigid."

"Flexible formations." Rihanna nodded. "Different roles depending on the situation."

Emma added, "And we need someone responsible for communications."

Alicia raised her hand.

"I can handle that."

Godfrey looked at her.

"You sure?"

"Yes." She looked toward the equipment. "I’ve already checked most of it."

Godfrey nodded. "Then that’s settled."

Silas watched them organize themselves. It was different from the City Qualifiers. Back then, everyone had been focused on surviving individual battles. This time, they were thinking about something much larger- a month, or possibly longer.

They couldn’t afford to burn themselves out during the first few days. Across the room, Chloe was speaking quietly with Alpha.

"We should keep an eye on Silas."

Alpha glanced toward him.

"Why?"

"Because he’s Silas."

Alpha considered that.

"..."

Silas suddenly turned.

"I can hear you."

Chloe smiled innocently.

"We know."

"You’re both terrible."

Alpha smiled. "Thank you."

Then Elena’s tablet beeped. Everyone stopped while she looked down at the device. A new message had arrived.

She opened it, and her expression changed enough for the students to notice that something had happened.

Damien immediately asked, "What happened?"

Elena looked up.

"The tournament committee has released an update."

Silas straightened.

"What kind?"

Elena projected the message.

[REGIONAL SELECTION UPDATE]

[ALL PARTICIPATING ACADEMIES ARE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE FINAL PREPARATIONS WITHIN THE DESIGNATED PERIOD.]

[STARTING INFORMATION WILL BE DELIVERED SHORTLY BEFORE THE COMMENCEMENT OF STAGE ONE.]

[ACADEMIES ARE ADVISED TO REMAIN TOGETHER UNTIL THE SELECTION BEGINS.]

Then came the final line.

[NO FURTHER INFORMATION WILL BE PROVIDED BEFORE COMMENCEMENT.]

The hologram disappeared.

Damien sighed.

"Of course."

Silas grinned.

"I like them."

Chloe looked at him.

"Why?"

"They’re mysterious."

"They’re annoying."

"Same thing."

***

One Hour Later...

The preparation hall had become quieter. Most of the equipment had been checked. Supplies had been distributed. Strategies had been discussed.

Everyone knew their basic responsibilities. Now there was nothing left to do except wait. The fifteen students sat around the hall.

Some talked, some rested, and some checked their equipment again despite already checking it several times.

Damien sat with the regional map- at least he wasn’t looking for trouble with Silas. He had been very, very quiet lately. The arrogant bully was nowhere to be found in the current Damien.

If only they knew what he was scribbling on the small tab in his hand...

Neil and Godfrey discussed formations, while Rihanna and Emma reviewed their supplies. Alicia checked the communication devices, stealing glances at Alpha from time to time. If she didn’t know that Chloe was with Silas, she might’ve done something...

The substitutes remained nearby. They weren’t treated like spectators. They were part of the group, and that alone made the atmosphere different.

Silas sat near a window where Chloe joined him after planning with Alpha on how to keep an eye on the pink-haired menace.

For a while, neither spoke. Then Silas’s communication device vibrated. He looked down and saw a message from Anna.

He opened it.

[Good luck- ~love emoji with a peach and eggplant emoji~]

Silas smiled. A second message arrived.

[Don’t get yourself killed.]

His smile widened. Then a third.

[And don’t do anything stupid.]

Silas stared at it.

"She’s starting to understand me."

Chloe looked over.

"What did she say?"

"She knows me too well."

"That’s not an answer."

Silas handed her the device. Chloe read the messages and laughed.

"She’s absolutely right."

Silas took the device back.

"I won’t do anything stupid."

Chloe stared at him.

"You’ve said that before."

"And?"

"And you usually do something stupid immediately afterward."

Silas smiled.

"That’s a coincidence."

The clock continued ticking.

[00:31:42]

The academy grew quieter.

Outside, the sun had begun to lower.

Students who weren’t participating had gathered around televisions and screens throughout the academy. The entire country was waiting. The Regional Selection was about to begin.

***

Inside the preparation hall, Elena entered one final time.

"Thirty minutes." That’s all she said, and the students nodded.

She then turned toward the door and stopped.

"One more thing."

Everyone looked at her. She smiled.

"Come back."

For a moment, nobody said anything. Then Silas grinned.

"We will."

Elena nodded and left. The door closed, and silence returned.

The clock was ticking, and they had their own objective. Everyone was prepared to win, and Silas was in for something that would change him further and for good. Something that would make him closer to Cupid than ever.

Silas slowly stood.

"Well..." Everyone looked at him.

He smiled. "Who’s ready?"