The end of the induction week was finally upon them. The last day was set to culminate in some kind of pointless awards ceremony, celebrating a bunch of categories no one cared about.
Jay and Leo had been up since before dawn, not out of excitement, but pure, anxious energy. After a quick breakfast in their shared kitchen with two of their housemates, Finn and Sam, they prepared themselves for the final ordeal.
On their way to campus, they ran into Lina. She looked surprisingly out of place, almost comically formal in an oversized white button-down shirt and a long black skirt. She looked less like a student and more like someone on their first day of a dreary office internship.
"Morning," Jay called out, a smile touching his lips.
"Hey, Jay. Ready for this?" she replied, her voice steady.
"As I'll ever be. You got all your supplies sorted?"
"Everything's packed. Just ready for the battle to be over," she said with a small laugh. Jay found it incredibly cute.
"I'm Finn," one of his housemates suddenly interjected, stepping between them.
"Lina," she said, shaking his offered hand.
"Group 19," Finn announced proudly. "So you're stuck in a group with these two reprobates, are you? Unlucky," he said, grinning and jerking a thumb towards Jay and Leo.
"Haha, yeah, you're right," Lina shot back without missing a beat. "But at least it means there are two half-decent looking guys in my group. Keeps things from getting too boring."
Jay and Leo froze. Half-decent looking? What on earth did she consider "decent"?
"Who exactly are you referring to when you say 'half-decent'?" Jay asked, his curiosity piqued.
Leo jumped in. "Yeah, who? It's just me and Jay here right now, so it must be us, right? Hahaha!"
"Obviously, you idiot. Who else?" Lina replied casually, not even glancing in their direction.
Jay and Leo exchanged a look of pure, unadulterated triumph, grinning smugly at Finn. The guy was a certified genius from the Isle of Wight, but he was also completely absurd. He was short, almost the same height as Lina, with curly hair that defied any attempt at being combed. But Jay knew that beneath the awkward exterior was a brilliant mind.
His other housemate, Sam, walked silently beside them. He was a natural comedian, but today he seemed lost in thought. Hailing from a small fishing town in Cornwall, Sam was tall with a strong, sturdy build and tanned skin from a life spent by the sea. He was on a full academic scholarship, another quiet genius in Jay's orbit.
Jay had never considered himself stupid, he'd gotten into one of the country's top universities, after all. But being here, surrounded by people like this, made him feel like a complete moron. At this university, just being smart wasn't enough. It was a gathering of the nation's brightest, a collection of young, talented minds all vying to make something of themselves. It was a place where your background didn't matter as much as your brain, and Jay was constantly humbled by the sheer determination of his new friends.
When they arrived on the main campus green, they found their designated meeting spot. A small sign with "Group 8" stuck into the grass marked their territory. As they gathered, a few of the senior students assigned to them milled about. Some were normal, some had a permanent scowl plastered on their face like they were about to go to war, and others were shamelessly ogling Lina and, to Jay's surprise, Vira.
Looking at her properly, Jay could see the appeal. Vira was cute. She wasn't tall, with a round face and big, expressive eyes behind her glasses. She was also a chatterbox. It was a shame she already had a long-distance boyfriend back home.
Once everyone was assembled, the final trial began. It was a long, gruelling 'team-building' exercise that involved trekking across the entire faculty campus, stopping at various checkpoints, or "posts," along the way. They were all mentally prepared for the worst, to be bossed around, yelled at for no reason, and pushed to their limits.
And pushed they were. The physical exertion took its toll, and during one particularly strenuous leg of the journey, Vira collapsed.
She had fainted from exhaustion.
As group leader, Jay felt a surge of responsibility. "I've got her," he announced, moving to lift her. "You guys carry on. Daia, you're in charge now."
He scooped Vira up into his arms, surprised at her weight. She was a small girl, he'd assumed it would be easy. Lifting her wasn't the hard part. Carrying her was going to be hell. The medical post was a good ten-minute walk away.
Halfway there, Vira started to stir.
"You fainted," Jay told her, adjusting his grip. "I'm taking you to the med post."
"Where are we, Jay?" she mumbled, her accent thick and drowsy. "My head is spinning."
"Just relax. You can ask all the questions you want when we get there."
"Thanks, Jay," she whispered. "But... why are you alone? Didn't anyone else help?"
"I sent them on ahead. Figured I could handle it," he grunted. "Thought you'd be lighter, to be honest. You're surprisingly heavy."
She managed a weak laugh. "Sorry. I look small, but I've been meaning to go on a diet."
"Good plan," Jay joked. "Might reduce the burden on my life. Hahaha."
Vira just smiled. Then, her right arm, which had been dangling limply, suddenly reached up and draped itself around his neck. Jay was startled for a second, but the new position actually made her easier to carry, distributing the weight more evenly.
When he finally stumbled into the med post, he was surprised to see Lina already there.
Jay ignored her for the moment, focusing on carefully setting Vira down on a cot and explaining what had happened to the student medic on duty. Through it all, Lina just stood silently in the corner, her arms crossed, watching his every move.
Once Vira was being tended to, Jay turned to Lina.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, confused. "You should be with the group."
"I was making sure you were actually bringing her here," she said, her voice sharp. "And not to some bushes somewhere."
Jay's jaw dropped. "Why would you even think that? What the hell is your problem with me?" he snapped, his frustration boiling over.
"You haven't done anything wrong. I was just worried," she said, though it sounded more like an accusation.
"I'm not some creep looking for an opportunity, Lina. I did this because it's my responsibility as the group leader!" he said, his voice rising with emotion.
"I KNOW!" Lina suddenly shouted, her expression a confusing mix of anger and something else he couldn't decipher. Then, without another word, she spun around and stormed out.
Just then, a figure emerged from the shadows of the med post tent. He was a senior, probably two years older than Jay. He was skinny and short, with tired, bloodshot eyes that looked like he'd just woken up from a week-long bender. A lit cigarette dangled from his fingers. He looked less like a student and more like a homeless man who had wandered onto campus.
"What was all that shouting about?" the senior asked, his voice raspy.
"Nothing, man. Just a misunderstanding," Jay replied, trying to calm himself down.
"What group are you?"
"Group 8."
The senior took a long drag from his cigarette, his bleary eyes fixed on Jay. "Be careful," he said cryptically.
"Uh... okay, I will," Jay said.
And with that, the strange senior simply turned and walked away, disappearing as mysteriously as he had appeared.
Jay stood there, bewildered. What the hell was that about? Who was that guy, and what on earth did he mean by "be careful"?