Fifty-four students went to the changing rooms and then gathered in the training hall, lining up in front of the instructor. The instructor sat relaxed in a comfortable chair with his eyes half-closed, reading the latest news from the capital. He didn't seem to notice the arrival of fifty more people in the hall, so the most enterprising students hurried to announce their presence.
"Comrade instructor, the class has arrived in full force," reported a broad-shouldered guy in his twenties evenly.
"Mmm... Good," said the man with slightly graying dark hair. He closed his newspaper and looked at the gathered crowd. Opening his eyes a little wider, he addressed them.
"You are divided into five groups with your teachers, including me. They will be fairly well-known figures from the current Seekers squad. You probably won't recognize me or them, but that doesn't matter. Each group will focus on developing your strongest skills. I have already selected the groups, so listen carefully to where you are going."
He began calling out the students' names and telling them which room to go to. Then it was the turn of the third group.
"So, the third group..." He called out three male names and three female names, including Noel and her former rival, Sarah.
"And Elion Efistion... You can go to the third training room."
"Yay! I told you we'd be on the same team because of our similar hairstyles!" Noel shouted cheerfully and patted her neighbor on the shoulder.
Elion silently tried to come to terms with his fate.
The group of seven—consisting of three tall, relatively thin 18-year-olds, two refined 18-year-olds, and two short 14-year-olds—set off in search of the third room.
After wandering around the building for a while, they found it and entered with anticipation.
—Wow!
"Wow!
Looks pretty good.
Can you jump on them?"
The room was one-third the size of the previous large hall. It included an area with trampolines; a small area with strange, spinning wooden figures; an area surrounded by walls with holes from which blunt arrowheads protruded; and many other interesting exercise machines.
The students began to look around with interest and study the strange mechanisms.
While the others examined the exercise equipment, Elion stared at the open window directly opposite the entrance. He found it strange that no one else had noticed the oddest part of the room.
"Ha..." The woman smiled slightly, flicked the remains of her cigarette into the window, and met the young man's gaze.
He waited for the others to finally notice the woman and decided to take a closer look at her because she was very interesting.
She was about thirty years old and, even considering her age, looked impressive. Her tall figure was outstanding. With her slender body and large curves, she would undoubtedly catch the eye of any healthy man. Her blonde hair played with the light strangely, seeming to shimmer with a silvery hue, and her bright blue eyes complemented her painted beauty. But Elion didn't care about that. What caught his attention was her skin, which, like her hair, seemed to change with the light or surroundings, creating an otherworldly impression. She wore a tight-fitting suit similar in texture to her skin.
Elion had heard about creatures that could change color somewhere, but he couldn't remember their name.
"Don't you think it's rude to stare so openly?" the woman asked, staring at him.
The young man's expression did not change at the inappropriate question.
"So serious," she muttered with a small smile.
Meanwhile, the students finally noticed the new figure at the window when they heard an unfamiliar voice. They stared at her in slight shock. She must have attracted attention often because she no longer reacted to the excessive attention she received.
"Hi, everyone. My name is Donna. No one cares about my last name, so never mind. You can call me Teacher or whatever you like. We'll get to know each other as we go along. But first, line up neatly. I need to ask you something," she said. Her voice didn't sound tired; rather, it had its own languid and relaxed tone. Like the woman herself, it definitely had its own charm.
Elion silently took a couple of steps to the side and stopped.
The other students stood still, still staring at her unusual appearance.
"Hmmm," she said and waited silently for everyone to come to their senses.
After a while, the students lined up in the order the instructor had called them.
"So, I have the same question for all of you: Why did you decide to become a Seeker?" she asked, approaching the first student.
"Um... I—I would like to become a hero and protect people from danger," he replied, feeling nervous in front of the woman.
"Okay, next."
"Because it's the most prestigious thing a man can do," replied another guy who was slightly more muscular.
"Okay, next."
"To become famous, strong, and respected!" the third guy exclaimed.
"Okay, girls next."
"Well... It seems interesting," the first guy replied a little timidly.
"Okay, next."
"To follow in my father's footsteps and preserve his legacy," said the brown-haired girl proudly.
"Hmmm... Okay, next."
"Just because!" Noel replied cheerfully.
The woman was a little taken aback.
"What's wrong, Auntie?"
"Um... Did you really want to become a Seeker just because?"
Goodness, what's wrong with you, Auntie? It's obvious that they're not telling the truth! Old age really is no joy. The young, cheeky girl tried to joke around with the teacher.
"I see. Well, that's your right." And... Last one," the woman continued, not taking offense.
The young man hadn't changed his expression since he arrived and didn't want to talk.
"If you tell me, then maybe I'll share a secret with you later," she said, smiling slightly.
Elion thought for a moment, then said coldly,
"Revenge."