All of us surged forward.
I settled in the middle of the pack. I planned to make it far enough not to look weak but not outright win.
The white-haired boy from earlier settled beside me. He didn't say anything for the first two laps.
We ran through the courtyard and the massive stone archways that connected the outer towers to the central one.
Students were watching us from the windows in the central tower. Some of them smiled fondly while others looked relieved.
After about the second lap, the white-haired boy spoke up. "I remember you."
I glanced over at him. "I don't remember you."
"You were at my grandfather's funeral. Your mom assaulted the princess for linking arms with you."
I nodded. "Yeah, that happened. So what?"
The boy shrugged. "Not really sure what I expected. I guess I hoped you'd be shocked."
"The only thing that could shock me these days is someone with an electric affinity," I replied.
The boy chuckled as he pressed his elbow into my arm. "Name's Reinhardt, by the way. You?"
"Lafayette."
Reinhardt and I continue our run at a decent pace. We must've jogged for an hour before the first student gave up.
"It's… It's the shoes!" She cried.
After her, students started dropping like flies. The ones in the front gassed out and tripped over themselves. The students in the back were left behind and pulled aside by Tectus.
By the third hour, there were five of us. The sun passed its morning peak and the afternoon chill rolled in.
Yet we kept on.
Another hour passed and one more student was gone.
It was the boys with whom I sat on the bench earlier, Reinhardt, and me.
The sun dipped lower, my stomach began to growl, my feet ached and I was drenched in sweat.
It was then that a question popped into my head.
Why the fuck was I trying to win this?
What do I gain? First round pick to become a page? Lilith said I only needed to be one of them, not the best of them.
I glanced to my right and saw Reinhardt mirroring my eye movements and expression.
He met my gaze and sighed. "Same time?"
I nodded and both of us slowed to a stop.
We watched as the boys ahead of us seemed to gain steam from our throwing in the towel. They picked up their pace as they slammed their feet into the ground.
Reinhardt and I joined the other "losers" and took our seats. We gathered together in the grass, while the pages handed out cups of water.
Reinhardt and I just drank from waterballs as we watched the boys continue their race.
"You're not beating me, not now, not ever!" One of them taunted.
"Keep talking, I'll run until I'm dead!" The other replied.
And to their credit, they went another thirty minutes before Tectus finally stepped in.
"Alright boys, we still need to get you assigned to a room. Come on." He grabbed both of them at the same time and dragged them towards the group.
"We weren't finished!"
"I had another six hours, honest!" He looked like he was about five seconds from a three-year nap.
Tectus forced both of them to sit in the grass with the rest of us and personally gave them the water.
He waited for them to finish.
Tectus then clapped his hands together as he looked over the group. "I'm sure you're all wondering the point of that race. Allow me to inform you that it was pointless."
Every non-fire user, me included, looked like we'd just been slapped. "What do you mean it was pointless?" One brave soul asked. "If I knew that I wouldn't have wasted my time."
Tectus smirked as he crossed his arms.
"That's exactly why I didn't tell you. I wanted to know how far you'd go to win when the reward was unknown."
He extended a finger. "In life, you'll come across situations that demand your all and give you nothing in return. You have to determine whether you are willing to give your 100% every time, or if you'll only work for an immediate and viable reward."
He lowered his finger. "But remember, the greatest gifts often arrive unannounced."
He let us sit in a moment of silence.
After another moment a sigh escaped him. "You, get their names and then escort them to their respective dormitories." He pointed out the elite scholars.
"And you lot, return to your elite scholars." The pages saluted with a hand over their chest before leaving. Tectus turned to us first-years one last time.
"One more thing, these elite scholars have a week before they choose one of you to become their page. So do your best to impress them, because they'll be watching."
With that, he retreated into the central tower.
We were left alone with the elite scholars.
The twelve of them exchanged glances. "Uhm, I guess I'll take the girls." One of the elite scholars, a female wind user, raised her hand.
She was in a black uniform.
Most of the fire users, with the exception of Lance and another girl, raised their hands. "
We'll take our kin."
With five girls and thirty fire users gone, that just left five of us and four elite scholars.
Two earth users, male and female.
Two fire users, male and female.
Among the first-years, it was Reinhardt, me, and three earth users.
The two elite scholars who were earth users looked at each other, then at us. "We'll take the earth users."
And then there were four.
Lance placed his hands on his hips and let out a long sigh. "I guess I'll take…"
"I want the white-haired boy."
The other fire user spoke with a deep authority as she snatched Reinhardt by the wrist.
Lance and I watched as Reinhardt was dragged away. He didn't seem too concerned.
Lance I mean, Reinhardt paled the moment he was snatched up.
Anyway, with them gone it was just Lance and me.
He awkwardly scratched his cheek.
"I'm gonna be honest with you, I have no intention of explaining anything or taking you to your dorm."
He extended his hands with a shrug. "Mostly because I don't understand any of it myself. I'm only an elite scholar because no one could find me and offer a challenge, ya know?"
Oh, that's just… that's just great.
"You don't say?"
I turned to leave. Lance fell in step beside me. Eventually, he tapped my shoulder. "We could just go to my dorm for the night. If you like toys I should have a few."
He looked down at me sideways. "I mean, you still play with toys right? I'm not making fun of you or anything, I played with my toy soldiers until I was like… 13. "
I yawned. "Lance, you're not as cool as I thought you were. You sound like a total nerd."
"Harsh." He replied.
"Where's your dorm?" I asked. "I'm getting tired of walking in circles."
Lance looked up, then slowly his eyes widened as they jumped from tower to tower.
"I think… I think it's that one."
He pointed out a random tower.
Slowly, I looked up at him. "You think? You mean you don't know where you live?"
Lance sighed.
"My elite scholar usually just lets me stay with her. But she graduated, so… it's just me now."
I stared at him in disbelief.
He's an idiot.
If this guy picks me as his page, I don't know what I'd do. But it wouldn't be pleasant.
"Come on." He took the lead.
— — —
I don't know if it was a miracle or the universe finally decided to stop making me the butt of jokes.
But somehow Lance found his room.
We stepped inside and were greeted with a few cloth bags and an empty bed in the center of the room.
Lance grinned as he approached one of the cloth bags and pulled out a large quilt. "This is what I used when I slept with my master. You want it?"
I stared at the faded thing.
"Can't I just sleep in the bed?"
Lance shook his head as he lay out the quilt. "Nope. If I can sleep on the floor for three years, so can you." He pulled out two pillows and looked at me. "Besides, how are you gonna set up your toy soldiers?"
I blinked. "I don't have any?"
Lance grinned. "Not yet you don't." He tossed the pillows onto the quilt and grabbed a brass tin from his shelf. "Come here."