She blinked, staring up at the white ceiling of her dorm room. Where am I? She thought, reaching for the hunting knife that was usually tucked beneath her pillow.
Then, she felt the mattress. It was soft.
She hadn’t slept this comfortably in five years. In the apocalypse, sleep could get you killed. You slept with one eye open, listening for the snapping of twigs or footsteps.
"Vivian. Vivian, wake up."
A hand shook her shoulder. Vivian groaned and pulled the blanket over her head. "Five more minutes."
"Vivian! It’s already seven forty-five!"
Vivian’s eyes flew open. "What?!"
She shot upright so quickly that her hair flew over her face.
Rosa stood beside her bed, already dressed in her academy uniform. "It’s fifteen minutes to eight."
Vivian grabbed her phone.
7:45 AM.
She stared at the time. Then at Rosa. Then back at the phone.
"Oh, shit."
"You’re supposed to be in class at eight."
Rosa burst out laughing. Vivian threw the blanket aside and jumped out of bed.
"Do you have toothpaste?"
Rosa pointed toward the bathroom. "There’s some there."
Vivian sprinted inside.
Rosa laughed louder. "Welcome to the Academy!"
Vivian showered as quickly as possible. She struggled with the buttons of her uniform, and nearly tripped while putting on her shoes.
Finally, she stood in front of the mirror.
Her hair was a mess. There was no time to find a comb. She quickly tied it back to keep it out of her face. It wasn’t neat, but it would have to do.
Vivian grabbed her ID and file. Rosa was waiting by the door.
"Good luck," Rosa smiled.
Vivian opened the door. "Thanks."
"Your classroom is Building Two, third floor, room 304. I have to head to the second-year wing, so I’ll see you later!"
Vivian repeated the numbers in her head.
"Building Two. Third floor. Room 304." She rushed down the corridor.
"Vivian!" Rosa called out. "Don’t get lost!"
Vivian gave her a quick thumbs-up without turning around.
She made it to Building Two, racing up the stairs.
She reached the third floor and stopped outside Room 304. Five minutes late. She could already hear a woman talking inside.
Vivian took a deep breath, braced herself, and pushed the door open.
The entire classroom went silent . Every head turned toward her.
The lecturer looked at Vivian, then at the wall clock, then back at Vivian. "You’re late."
"Yes, ma’am. It won’t happen again."
A few students in the front rows snickered. Vivian ignored them. The lecturer studied her messy bun and flushed cheeks for another moment before letting out a soft sigh.
"Come in. Class, we have a new student." She gestured toward Vivian. "Introduce yourself."
Vivian turned toward the room. Over thirty students were staring directly at her.
"I’m Vivian Rubio."
Another voice followed right after. "Her hair is gorgeous."
"She’s late on her first day."
Vivian pretended she couldn’t hear a single word. The lecturer pointed toward an empty desk near the back row. "Sit."
Vivian hurried up the stairs and took her seat. The moment she sat down, she exhaled. That could have gone worse.
The lecturer turned back to the board. "Now that we’re all here, welcome to the National Sentinel and Guide Academy. You’re not ordinary students anymore." She tapped the screen, and a massive digital diagram appeared in blue light. "You’re Awakened."
AWAKENED HUMANS
"When humans reach eighteen, some will awaken abilities. Not everyone does. Those who do are generally classified as either Sentinels or Guides."
A student in the front row raised his hand. "Ma’am, are there people who awaken abilities but aren’t either?"
"Yes." The lecturer nodded. "Those cases exist, but they are rare and usually require special assessment. For this course, however, we’re focusing on Sentinels and Guides."
She changed the slide on the board.
SENTINELS
"Sentinels possess enhanced physical and sensory abilities. Their strength, speed, reflexes, senses are far beyond normal human limits."
A boy near the back raised his hand. "That’s why Sentinels can fight monsters without weapons?"
"Exactly." The lecturer adjusted her glasses. "However, increased sensory ability comes with a cost."
Vivian leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand.
"A Sentinel’s senses can easily become overloaded. Loud noise, Intense pain, emotional pain, or even prolonged exposure to certain environments can push a Sentinel into what we call a sensoryoverload."
She paused. "And if an awakened Sentinel loses controlcompletely, they can enter a dangerous state known as a berserk episode."
Several students murmured nervously.
The lecturer changed the slide again.
GUIDES
"Guides exist for one reason." She looked around the classroom. "To stabilize Sentinels."
Vivian frowned silently.
"Guides possess unique abilities that can interact with the energy of other Awakened individuals," the lecturer continued.
"Depending on their abilities, they can calm sensory overload, repair physical damage, and stabilize mental disturbances."
A girl in the second row raised his hand. "So all Guides are just to stabilize Sentinels?"
"No." The lecturer smiled. "That’s a common misconception."
Another diagram appeared on the board. "There are several known Guide ability. Mental Guides are more effective at stabilizing psychological disturbances and sensory overload. Enhancement Guides can temporarily amplify a Sentinel’s abilities. Healing Guides however specialize in physical recovery. There are also rare specialized Guides whose abilities don’t fit into one category."
Vivian’s fingers tightened around her pen.
Healing. That was what Compass called her ability.
"Guides are also classified from F-Class through S-Class," the instructor explained.
A student beside Vivian whispered to his friend, "S-Class Guides are so strong."
Another whispered back, "So are S-Class Sentinels. They’re like gods."
Someone directly behind Vivian let out a dramatic sigh. "Have you seen the S-Class Sentinels at this academy? They are on a completely different level."
"I saw one yesterday near the administrative building."
"Which one?"
"I don’t know his name, but he was huge with silver hair."
Vivian’s pen stopped moving on her notebook.
Huge? Her mind immediately went to the tall, stoneface, silver hair Sentinel. Wyatt.
A strange image of him flashed in her mind, and her heart gave a small flutter.
Stop it, she scolded herself, rolling her eyes. Of course they can talk about him, why should she care? He’s just another arrogant coward.
"Tomorrow," the lecturer announced, "you will all undergo your official ability assessment. You’ll be tested for energy capacity, ability strength, compatibility, control, and potential."
The lecture hall instantly grew louder as students began talking excitedly over one another.
"Your temporary classification may change after the assessment," the teacher finished.
Suddenly, a boy in the middle row raised his hand. He looked curious about something. "Ma’am, what actually happens to a Sentinel if he has a beserk episode? What would happen to him? Would he die? Has it happened before?"
The excited murmurs cut off immediately.
The lecturer’s smile vanished from her face. It was as if the student had just asked a forbidden question.
She opened her mouth, cleared her throat, and refused to even look at the boy who asked the question.
"The class is over," the lecturer said, placing her tablet into her bag without another word, completely ignoring the question. "Make sure you are on time tomorrow for your assessments. 9AM."
She turned on her heel and fled the classroom, leaving the doors swinging behind her.
Vivian stared at the empty doorway. That was weird. They are hiding something.
What happens when a Sentinel goes beserk? Has it happened before?