A sharp knock on the door stirred Adam awake. He opened his eyes and, for a moment, did not recognise his surroundings. ’Ah, right. I’m in the academy now.’
Sighing loudly, he sat up and looked around. He glanced at the window and noticed it was already dark. He had slept through the day. He grabbed his phone and checked the time.
’6:54 pm.’
The knock echoed once more. "Just a sec!"
Adam quickly stood and rushed to the door. He opened it and saw a man he recognised in the uniform the workers here wore.
"Sorry about that..." Adam said as he cleared the remnant sleep off his face. "I was sleeping."
"No worries." The man replied and gestured to the case beside him. "This is yours. It contains your uniforms and other essentials you will need."
"Ah, thank you."
Adam nodded and stepped out to pick up the case. The case felt lighter than he expected, momentarily forgetting that he was awakened. Written in bold font was his name.
"Dinner is from 7 pm to 8 pm. Do well to be there if you want to eat." The man added before turning away, not bothering to receive a reply.
Adam nodded and watched the man disappear before returning to his room. He placed the case in the middle of the room and quickly opened it.
Inside was the uniform and a large envelope with his name on it. He put the envelope aside and took out the uniform.
"Three pairs, huh."
Adam muttered as he spotted two more in the case. Without delay, he unwrapped it and took out the uniform. The uniform was a four-piece suit. There were blue-black trousers and a matching waistcoat, a light blue shirt and a blue-black jacket. And, of course, the academy crest boldly stitched to the breast pocket of the jacket.
"And it’s my size, too."
He marvelled at the efficiency of the academy. They wasted no time in getting everything ready. Putting the uniform aside, he picked up the envelope and opened it.
Inside was a card with his picture, name and student ID, as well as his specialisation. Putting it aside, he picked up the booklet that contained the details of his classes, schedule and other important information he needed to know about the academy structure.
The booklet explained the nature of his class type in detail. As he read, Adam’s expression lit up.
"I see..." he smiled, pleased. "Aside from the compulsory classes, I am not obligated to take the other classes. And as long as I do the assignments, I am free to do as I please."
This was a surprise. But as he thought about it, it made sense. Taking almost all the sciences required a lot of dedication and time. But he had proven his intellect through the written exams, demonstrating he could tackle those subjects all by himself with little to no guidance.
"I am at liberty to visit those departments and learn through observation and practice. Hehe, this is perfect!"
He looked at the compulsory classes next. These classes were taken once every two weeks, as it was required of all students to attend. Missing a class could result in a penalty or reduction in points.
Classes like principles and theories of Spark, exploration and beast evolution, combat classes and geography. These classes covered what every student was expected to know without the specialisation.
Reading further, he found information pertaining to their orientation and about some of the available facilities within the academy. There was a massive library, training halls and a mission hall that catered for the academy’s population. At the end was a QR code he was required to scan.
Swiftly picking up his phone, he scanned and was welcomed to the academy’s online portal. Once he entered his ID, his profile was registered and confirmed.
Adam scrolled through the portal, finding useful features like a map of the academy and where the various departments, student council and sections were located. He spent a few more minutes getting used to the portal before closing it.
"I should probably look at the other one too." Adam sighed and lay back on the floor. He looked over to the side table, where the other document lay, knowing it contained the rules and regulations of the dormitory and academy overall.
"It will take some time to finish that." He muttered, his mind going back to what the worker mentioned about dinner. "Food first."
He put the documents and uniform back into the case and went to change, or rather, change the sweatpants, picking blue jeans in their place. Rushing into the bathroom, he watched his face, checked his appearance and stepped out.
He hadn’t had a proper meal since he stepped inside the academy.
***
Arriving at the cafeteria on the ground floor of the dormitory, Adam took in the scene. First-years, some he recognised from the trial, moved around as they socialised.
Some sat in groups while dining; others sat alone, looking out of place. The cafeteria was massive, like everything else. However, the place was not crowded, as most had chosen to arrive later.
The commotion around him continued as Adam made his way towards the food stalls.
"Hey, look who’s here."
It didn’t take long for him to get recognised. Adam looked in their direction and gave a subtle nod, not bothered by their hushed whispers.
"Hi, Adam!"
Some of the girls giggled as they waved at him. Adam casually waved back and continued towards the stalls. But a few confident ones followed after him, eager to know who he was. As he picked a tray and went around selecting what he wanted, four girls circled him.
"Hey, Adam."
Adam glanced at the four girls and nodded, "Hello."
The girls giggled coquettishly, batting their lashes at him. He swallowed, already imagining the headache that would come with their behaviour.
"Who knew you packed quite a punch?" One of the girls asked as she poked at his arm.
"Mhm." Another chipped in, standing on her tiptoes to look Adam in the eyes. "You sure showed those three who’s boss, hehe."
Adam pulled back, his smile stiff. He didn’t know how to deal with girls when they behaved this way. And the way they circled him gave him almost no room to manoeuvre.
"Eh, ye- it was a tough fight."
Adam stuttered, unsure of how to respond to their questions. The girls giggled at his actions, finding a new side they didn’t know he had.
"Why are you so shy, Adam?" Another asked with a knowing smile. "You should be more confident in yourself."
"Yeah~ girls love their guys domineering, you know?"
Adam broke out a quiet sweat, swallowing another lump in his throat. These girls were stirring a side of him he didn’t want to venture into.
"Em, ladies. Why don’t we find a place to sit first?" Adam found an opening and swiftly broke his encirclement, his tray already full.
"Hehe, whatever you say, Adam~"
Adam turned on his heel, rushing away from the girls as he found an empty area to sit. The girls followed him, a few more joining the group as they realised Adam was approachable.
’Th-This is going to be a nightmare.’
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