Kelsey's phone suddenly rang, breaking the tense silence. Her hand emerged from beneath the blanket, fumbling to grab it from the nightstand. She answered lazily, her voice tinged with sleep. "You're where?" she asked, voice suddenly sharp with alarm.
She sat upright, slipping on her glasses and squinting at me, who was ducked behind the bed. Her eyes widened as she took in my crouched form.
"No, Hudson. I have a roommate now. You can't just hang out whenever you want," she said, her tone firm but wary, glancing towards the window where Hudson was standing outside.
Without waiting, Kelsey stood, walked over to the window, and opened it, dropping the call mid-sentence.
"Tell me what you need, fast," she demanded, voice edged with impatience.
"Can't you let me in first?" Hudson's voice was shivering, almost pleading.
"I'm sorry, I can't," Kelsey replied sharply. "She might report me to the headmaster. You're not allowed here, remember?"
Hudson raised his hands in surrender, a look of frustration flickering across his face. "Okay. Can you help me out? I need to know if a student named Margaret Anderson enrolled here."
Kelsey subtly turned her head, her eyes flickering in my direction. Her voice lowered slightly, teasing. "Oh, isn't she your fiancée back in Montero?"
"Unfortunately, yes," Hudson shot back, annoyance clear in his voice.
Kelsey hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I'll find out in the morning. For now, you have to go."
As Hudson finally turned and disappeared into the shadows, I slowly sat up on the bed, watching the window close with a soft thud. Kelsey sighed, rubbing her forehead.
"I'm so sorry about that," she said, her voice gentle now. "Since I've been here alone since last year, Hudson's been coming around a lot. But I swear, that's it. I hope you're not thinking anything else," she added defensively.
I shook my head, waving my hands dismissively. "No, you have nothing to worry about. I was just confused why he'd be looking for me. He told me not to tell anyone I knew him. So, what are you going to tell him?"
Kelsey shrugged, a small smile playing on her lips. "I'll tell him the truth—there's no Margaret Anderson in the school system. You're Margaret del Valle here."
A wave of relief washed over me. I exhaled deeply, feeling a bit more confident.
"Thanks," I said softly, grateful.
-----
I looked down at my new school uniform, still feeling somewhat out of place. As Kelsey and I prepared to head out, she paused and eyed me curiously.
"Uh-uh, what are you wearing?" she asked, frowning slightly.
I glanced down at myself and noticed her outfit—white shirt with maroon edges, the academy's insignia stitched proudly on the chest, paired with maroon jogging pants.
"It's Combat Strategy and Fieldcraft today," she explained, smiling a little. "It's like gym class for ordinary people."
I raised an eyebrow, amused. "A 'gym class'? Really?"
I nodded, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement. I quickly changed into our "gym" uniform, pulling my hair into a neat ponytail, trying to look ready for whatever was coming.
We headed out to the stadium—an impressive, well-maintained football field, albeit with no lines. Nearly fifty students gathered in the middle, some warming up, others chatting quietly. Another fifty filled the bleachers, where Kelsey and I sat. Only Kelsey and I wore pants; most of the girls wore shorts or skirts, their uniforms a little more casual than ours.
Suddenly, Tasha arrived, plopping down beside us.
"Why aren't we on the field?" I asked, glancing at the others.
Back at my old school, I was a swimmer and a track athlete—so I was used to the field being where the action was.
"Oh, this isn't your regular PE," Tasha explained with a smirk. "It's class division. The ones on the field are royals—people with actual powers. Here in the bleachers, that's us—the normal ones."
My eyes widened. "What do they do? Fight?"
Tasha nodded. "Exactly. They're practicing combat. The goal is to protect your stake while trying to steal the others'. The stakes are chosen from one of us—the normal students. So the royals have to keep their stakes safe, and try to grab others'."
I squinted at the scene below, where the royals had already divided into three groups. One led by Hunter, another by Hudson, and a third by another guy I didn't recognize.
"So… we're just watching them hurt each other?" I joked, trying to keep my voice light.
Tasha chuckled. "No, not really. Usually, we help them strategize. During smaller fights, they wear in-ear monitors so we can tell them what to do—like in car racing, you know?"
I leaned toward Kelsey, lowering my voice. "I don't wanna sound stupid, but… what kind of powers do these royals have?"
Before Kelsey could answer, a shout rang out from the bleachers. Tasha was called over—Hudson's team needed her to be their stake.
Kelsey cheered loudly, clapping her hands. The other teams had already started choosing their stakes, and cheers erupted around us.
Kelsey's voice softened, but her eyes remained fixed on the chaos below. "It depends. Powers can range from strength, healing, telekinesis… Even mind-reading. Back in the old kingdoms, people were divided into houses based on their powers. But with intermarriage and modernization, many powers have been lost or diluted. So, only a few royals here are considered pure-blooded."
She paused, her voice tinged with respect. "In the field, only half of them are pure-blooded. Hudson and Hunter—Krygan, the other guy—they're among the strongest. Hudson and Hunter have combative skills and strength as powers. Krygan has telekinesis and stealth, so he's a deadly combination. Charlie, on the other hand, can speak to your mind—originally, they could read minds. During combat, they channel their powers into energy bursts to attack."
A loud whistle shattered the air, signaling the start.
The battle erupted with a fury. Hudson's team instantly created a shimmering shield—glowing with a faint, pulsating light—to protect their stakes. The members are taking cover behind the shield, others rushing forward.
Hunter's team split up with everyone scattered across the field, while Krygan's team formed into a tight platoon. The first line of Krygan's team raised their palms, and suddenly, bursts of energy erupted—flames of different colors streaking across the field, sizzling through the air with deafening crackles.
Krygan's team launched coordinated attacks—energy bursts aimed at Hunter's team one after another. Some struck true, knocking opponents to the ground, their bodies flickering with residual energy before falling silent. Krygan himself was caught in a burst, stumbling but still standing, eyes blazing with focus.
Then, almost in a whisper, Krygan's team regrouped into two groups. One surged forward, attacking the Hudson's team's shield with relentless energy, while the other moved stealthily behind the defenders, striking from the shadows.
Suddenly, chaos erupted. Nearly half of Hudson's team collapsed—fallen in quick succession—caught off guard by the surprise flank. The energy bursts shimmered and faded, leaving a stunned silence for a moment as the dust settled.
Kelsey and I shot to our feet, clutching each other tightly, eyes glued to the field. We held our breath, hoping Tasha was still okay.
Then, from behind Hudson's shield, Tasha re-emerged—unscathed, eyes sharp, energy crackling around her. She signaled to her team, and her presence reinvigorated the spectators. Cheers erupted around us, a mixture of awe and adrenaline.
The energy bursts didn't leave the field; they stayed contained within the arena, so we, the spectators, remained safe—watching a battle that felt almost like a real war.
My heart pounded in my chest, torn between fear and fascination. Whatever this was—this power, this fight—it was unlike anything I'd ever seen.