"You are slow." Vina opened her eyes, shifting her head toward Yushi.
"Am I?" Yushi asked without opening her eyes, though she didn't seem to mind Vina's statement.
"You are." Vina turned her neck forward, closing her eyes again.
"I just did a lot of walking today, that's why." Yushi was gasping heavily, unable to endure it anymore. She stopped, opened her eyes, and placed her palm on her chest as it rose and fell.
"You can rest now." The instructor said to the other children who were doing various squats and jumping lunges.
The children paused, straightening themselves. They stretched their sore muscles.
"Oh my god." A boy from them lay on the green grass, panting.
Then the instructor turned to Yushi, who was still standing there puffing, while Vina was doing high knees.
"You got tired quickly." The instructor said to Yushi.
"No, I just walked too much today." Yushi swallowed the saliva in her empty throat.
"That's understandable. You might have reached the Gifted Grounds first." The instructor folded her arms over her chest.
Yushi nodded in return.
"You can go and rest too with the other children." The instructor advised.
Upon the suggestion, Yushi stepped toward the children and sat away from them on the grassy ground.
After Yushi had gone, the instructor stepped toward Vina, who was doing high knees, fully motivated.
"What's your name?"
Vina stopped and opened her eyes.
"Keep doing that." The instructor instructed.
At the order, Vina once again closed her eyes to do high knees.
"Vina Soven." She answered the instructor's earlier question.
Before the instructor could ask more questions, the children's gossip from behind started to irritate her, so she turned around.
Denu and Belly were coming there. The instructor stiffened slightly.
"Stop." The instructor said to Vina. Vina did as the instructor told her.
"What brings you here, my Ruler?" The instructor bowed her head, her palm coming to rest on her chest.
The children there were whispering into each other's ears, making assumptions about why the Ruler had come.
Belly's eyes darted around the environment. She had never seen the inside of the academy.
"They used Divine Scar to build this naturally even inside." Belly said without hesitation, more to herself than to anyone around.
"Send all the Darkens' children back to Secondary Heaven after the academy closes." Denu commanded the instructor. "Also, tell the others this too. Devils may be coming soon. We don't want to risk the children's lives."
"As you wish, my Ruler."
"Security should be tight here until tomorrow."
To the children, he seemed like a borderline between two rows, looking completely separated not because of his looks but because of the authority he held.
Afterward, Denu and Belly came outside the academy. Belly's mind was still picturing the Training Grounds and Gifted Grounds. Then they began heading toward the General Center.
"If the snake is dangerous, then why is it there?" Belly asked, moving alongside him.
"Because... it couldn't be destroyed or moved from there. It's been there since the White Spirit spawned it at that place." He answered calmly. "If we try destroying it, instead of flesh, it will release white sparks. Though it's not alive."
"That's surprising." She remarked.
"Also, I forgot and you didn't even remind me." Belly said, her voice's casual tone replaced by an offended tone.
"What didn't I remind you of?" They reached the General Center. As soon as she realised it, she went quiet. They stepped inside. Laixo was there, sitting on a chair correcting something in the documents.
"What brings you here, my Ruler?" He stood abruptly, bowing his head. His palm came to rest on his chest before falling.
"The time is near. You do know that. Why aren't the Lights present here? You should have gone to the uTara Center." Denu said precisely without sounding loud.
For a second, Laixo wasn't able to understand what the Light's Ruler was saying. Then his thoughts connected the threads.
"My apologies." He lowered his head. "I will do it today for sure, and I will inform every center about this." He lifted his head up, meeting Denu's gaze, though his eyes flicked momentarily.
Afterward, Denu and Belly headed back to the Light's Mansion. The sun was already setting.
The Lights' children started moving outside the academy, and Vina was one of them. The academy's gates seemed crowded, even so no sound of gossiping erupted between the children. The guards were making them leave in a row, in discipline.
In the atrium, Darkens' children were present. Some of them were being taken by the instructors who had Cosmic outline on their Divine Scar through teleportation.
"Stay quiet." Kiyo instructed, standing between them, though the children were already quiet.
Yushi was being squeezed aside.
"Stay away from me. Move aside." Her voice was barely above a whisper. She pushed a few children away, making space for herself to stand comfortably.
"Mrs. Kiyo, why are we going home all of a sudden?" Virion asked, who was just standing beside Kiyo while the other instructors with Cosmic outline moved fast, teleporting the children to their houses.
"Because if any Devil appears around the academy, that would be dangerous." Kiyo faced toward him. As Kiyo explained to Virion, the other children also got attracted toward her, listening attentively now.
"Devil? How do they look?"
"They are scary and have wings, and they appear once every few years." Kiyo pointed to her back as if telling them the position of the wings.
The children who were listening attentively tried to imagine the devils with their own unique touches.
Finally, the instructors held the remaining children's hands. Some rode on their backs, and they teleported to Secondary Heaven. Now only Yushi remained there. The atrium, which had been crowded, now became empty.
"Why am I the last person?"
Yushi muttered to herself, feeling weird around the instructors alone.
As the instructors returned, Yushi felt relieved.
An instructor stepped forward. "Now it's your turn to go home."
"Okay."
He held her hand, and they teleported to Secondary Heaven.
"Which one is your house?" The instructor asked, his eyes scanning the coloured walls of the houses and doors.
"I will go alone." Yushi stated.
"No, I need to leave you at your house."
Yushi's grip tightened on his hand, not from fear but because she didn't like his statement. She doesn't like being told.
After wandering with her as she guided the instructor to her house, they eventually found it.
"This is my house." She pointed at the door, leaving the instructor's hand.
Without warning, she went inside, leaving the instructor standing there.
Upon her action, the instructor teleported back to the atrium too.