Kabanata 3: Class Copper-E

Cassy's Point of View

It's been two weeks since that evaluation, at ngayon ang simula ng second semester ng klase. I happened to be lucky at nagkataong malapit na palang matapos ng first semester nang gumawa ako ng kalokohan. My mother also came here, but for a short period of time. She just came here to give the academy all the documents needed for my enrollment.

Huminga ako nang malalim bago muling sinulyapan ang aking sarili sa salamin. I really love the uniform. It suits the power I possess. I also love the cloak. Nang makontento ay hinila ko na ang maleta ko palabas sa apartment na pansamantala kong tinuluyan.

Sa wakas. Makakaalis na rin ako rito. I'm so sick of my loud neighbours. Kamuntik ko na ngang pasabugin ang buong apartment na ito, mabuti na lang at napigilan ko ang sarili ko. Sana naman ay hindi na maingay ang dormitory ng academy.

Sakay ng karwaheng hila-hila ng isang argoe ay tinungo ko ang academy. On my way, I saw a lot of students heading to the academy, too, with their baggages. Everyone seems to be so excited. While me? Nah, I feel nothing. I just hope there's a tournament inside the academy that will let students fight each other. That would be fun. Certainly.

Pagkababa ko sa harap ng academy ay nakihalo na ako sa mga estudyanteng naghihintay sa pagbubukas ng tatlong main gates. Those we used during enrollment are temporarily disabled, dahil tapos na ang enrollment period.

I can't help but to curse these loud creatures around me. Huminga na lang ako nang malalim, to calm myself. I don't want to cause any troubles yet. Maya-maya pa ay biglang natahimik ang lahat nang lumitaw ang malaking hologram, featuring a man in his fifty's with long white hair, wearing a wood-brown cloak and holding a wooden staff.

"Headmaster Hioner!" sambit ng isang estudyante sa likuran ko.

So this is Hioner Lionheart now, ey? He's gotten old, but it doesn't disregard the fact that he's the strongest Caster in the history. Leader of the Circle of Mages that sealed Colossus, the God of Havoc, a century ago.

"Greetings, my dear students! Start your second semester with a smile on your face. And remember to obey the rules! And lastly, if you got into a fight, do not dare to cause any damage to the academy's properties. Remember, the arena is always open for a battle!" he said and the hologram disappeared. It was followed by the sounds of chains and a slight shaking of the ground.

Nag-obserba ako sa kung ano ang nangyayari, and I found out that it was just the gate opening. The sounds of chains are those chains pulling the brick-made gates upwards. Nagsimula nang pumasok ang mga estudyante, and I chose to step aside hanggang sa makapasok silang lahat.

Nang ako na lang ang natira ay pumasok na rin ako. At habang naglalakad ako, I can't help but to wonder about what the headmaster said. Remember, the arena is always open for a batle! I get his point. He wants to tell us all to settle our fights in the arena rather than causing any damages to the academy. Then that means brawls are not forbidden. This is so exciting. So exciting.

Nang tuluyan akong makapasok ay bumungad sa akin ang isang silver na pintuan. Sa gitna nito ay isang galaxy-colored portal.

"Good day! As you enter this portal, you will be directed to your dormitory's room number. Start the semester with a smile!" the hologram-projected Mary, said.

Pagkapasok ko sa portal ay napunta ako sa harap ng isang wooden door na may number na 42. I was about to destroy it because I remembered that they did not give me any keys, when a red light came out from the keyhole and expanded. It moved from my head down to my feet. It was like it's scanning me. Biglang nawala ang liwanag at bumukas nang kusa ang pinto. Hinila ko ang maleta ko papasok at mabuti na lang at wala akong nadatnang kahit na sino. Totoo ngang binayaran ni Mama ang buong room. Technically, there are five subrooms per room, meaning five students can stay here, and since I hate socializing with others, I pushed my mother to pay all the rooms. Kinda rich, right?

Inilagay ko ang maleta ko sa harap ng isang pinto. Mamaya na lang siguro ako mag-a-arrange ng gamit. I still have a class, tho.

Tiningnan ko ang prospectus ko kung saan nakalagay ang subjects and schedule ko.

•Advance Alchemy-Mon (8:30 A.M.-10:00 A.M.)

•Physical Education I (Basic Hand-to-hand Combat Skills)- Mon (1:00 P.M. - 4:00 PM)

•Logic and Reasoning-Tue (8:30 A.M.-10:00 A.M.)

•Fliology-Tue (1:00 P.M.-3:00 P.M.)

•Physical Education II (Weapon Handling)-Wed (9:00 A.M.-3:00 P.M.)

•Exploriat-Thu (8:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M.)

Napangiwi ako dahil sa subjects ko. I barely know any of these, dahil hindi ako rito kailanman nakapag-aral. And guess what? I have to learn all those subjects I skipped all by myself in order to cope up with my current subjects. The academy even suggested na bumalik ako ng elementary, but seeing the results of my exam persuaded them that I can cope up in no time. But as an exchange, I have to enter the class of the weakest of the weakest students-intellectually and physically.

I talked to my mom regarding this matter, and guess what she did? She thanked the academy for coming up into such decision. What a supportive mother. Really.

'That would probably be best for my daughter. I know she can learn from her classmates and so as her classmates from her.'

Hindi ko talaga maiwasang mairita sa tuwing naalala ko ang mga linyang iyon mula kay Mama. She even laughed at me and told me that I deserved it. That it was the punishment of Dhivus-the Divine God that protects this kingdom-to me. I heaved a sigh to calm myself. Mahirap na. Tiningnan ko na lang ang prospectus ko.

At the back of my prospectus is a mini map that tells me the direction of the classrooms I should go. From a separated building where I am standing, there is a five hundred-meter distance from this building to the academy itself. Maglalakad lang ba talaga ako? Napailing na lang ako bago muling tiningnan ang mapa. Malamang, maglalakad ka lang, Cassy.

I just followed the map, but dude, hindi ko alam na sobrang layo pala ng Class Copper-E. It was located at the lowest part of the academy. Akala ko sa basement na ako pupunta. That walk really made me feel so exhausted. Idagdag mo pa ang distansyang nilakad ko mula dormitory papunta mismo sa academy.

I looked around. The place isn't that bad, pero I can really feel and see that this place is quietly deprived. Compared to the structures I saw, this one lacks maintenance. The silvery paint on the whole is not even anymore. May mga natanggal ng pintura. I wonder bakit hindi ito ni-repair ng academy.

Tumigil ako sa harap isang wooden double door na halos umabot na sa kisame. Sa gitna nito ay naka-engrave ang 'Copper-E'. Huminga ako nang malalim at inihanda ang sarili ko. Sa tingin ko kasi ay marami akong magiging kaklase. And I don't mean to stereotype, but most last sections are the worst. Maiingay. Pasaway. Hindi katalinuhan. And any other negative traits a student could have is in the last section.

Dahan-dahan kong itinulak ang pinto. At nang tuluyan ko na itong mabuksan ay bumungad sa akin ang napakatahimik na silid. I scanned the whole place and my jaw literally dropped when I saw only four student. Two girls and two boys. All really look so coward, clumsy, and weak.

Hindi makapaniwala akong napatingin sa kanila. Hindi ko alam kung ano ang ginawa ko to deserve this. Yes, I hate so much crowd, lalo na kung lahat ay bobo at mangmang. Pero hindi ibig sabihin no'n na okay lang sa akin na mapabilang sa klase na apat lang ang kaklase at puro mahihina pa. 

This is too much for me to handle. Fate seems to be playing with me and testing my patience. 

This has to be a divine punishment!