Arcane Academia

Chapter 9

"SON OF A BITCH!" I say slamming my fist . The punching bag creaks on its edges as rage consumes me. I don't stop my fists from pulverising the punching bag till eventually its hinges shriek and it rips to the ground.
Tightening my fists I try to catch my breath staring at the fallen bag as sand slowly leaks out of it.
Focus Rei. What the shit was that? What the hell are they hiding from me?? 
The match was fake, WHAT ELSE IS??? Those two face mother-
Purple floods my eyes and I kick the fallen bag violently with my foot and sand explodes across the floor.
My breathing has no brakes. I collapse on the gym floor leaning on the wall. Breathe Rei. Focus.
Slowly my senses calm down. I'll get to the bottom of this. My game now.
For minutes I just sit there looking out the big windows, catching my breath. Ok get up.
Slowly I get up on my feet, loosening my stiff legs. I grab a broom, to clean my divine crime scene when the carcass of the punching bag catches my eye. Bending, I pick it up and...
"Damn..." I whisper. Where I kicked it, there's a hole, the edges," Ow" I say my hand dropping the bag at the scalding heat. Its burnt. Where my foot stuck.
Whoopsie daisy.
---
" Well you're up early, is it world peace aldready," Fiore says walking into the common room yawning.
"Never slept," I say not looking up from my book.
" Oh the day came," Fiore says, " Holy shit, is that .."
I look up, she's staring at my sword, Vipress my love, glinting from the sun.
I still haven't gotten a sheath, I'll have to first cleanse off that jackass's fingerprints.
" Can't believe he gave it up," she says holding it.
I don't reply. Flashes of last night fizzle mind.
Exhaustion consumes me...uuuuGH.
I drop my face into my hands.
" You good Rei?" She asks.
I wanna tell her so bad...," ya ecstatic."
"Cut the bs, what's up?" She asks sitting on the table with me.
Sighing, I look up.
" Has your brother ever spoken to you about Arcane?" I manage finally.
"Not really,  why?" She asks putting my sword down.
" No reason," I say. I don't push it, they're still siblings.
" Well the guy's always had some obsession with magic, but adopted siblings are always wierd," she says. Eh?
" Adopted?" I ask glad for the change in topic.
" I could've sworn I told you this," she says," yea abandoned on grandma's doorsteps,  gurl he's white, I'm not," she says. Touche.
" When you say step brother, do look up  its definition, " I say ," besides I've never met your daddy."
" As much as I like to brag about it, do keep the adoption thing quiet," she says and after a moment, " and the magic thing."
She slides my sword to me.
I catch it," sure Fi."
This shits the last thing on my mind.
" Chop chop we going to be late for practice," Lyra says walking out in practice gear. I drop my face on the table. Uugh, dammit I'm tired.
---
I race downstairs pulling my black training belt now with my sword on it, tight as I race to the training grounds.
Every other weekend we practice outdoor with the more flammable types of weaponry.
I enter the grounds. There's mats placed in rows of five across the grass. And on my left-
" Ooh, look at that hot stuff,"I whistle. An array of weapons all lined up on boards.
" Today students, training will be brutal. With the maze in just a week, I think it's safe to say, you lot should grow the hell up," Zandar says standing on a mat as the rest of us gather around," each of you get wear armour and grab a staff. Commence your drills , I want no slackers from any of you. There's different levels of drills and obstacles, finish one, only then can you reach the other. This all adds to credit scores. Go train. Oh and Reia, do get a sheath."
I grab a staff off the rack and head to put on the armour. Unlike most armour, Arcane armour's quite different, their created off of thick, enchanted fabric that withstand bullets but more importantly, jets of Arcane magic.
I tighten the black stuff it round my chest and waist and for a second, I feel choked. I drop to my knees. Wth. Breathe Rei, I lean on the rack for a second. Then like nothing happened,  my oxygen returns, ever so kindly.
I breathe in and get up feeling sick.
" You good?" Marke asks concerned.
" Love the fashion piece, did it strangle you too?" I ask using my staff to steady myself.
" No?" he says.
" Damn you claustrophobia, " I say heading to the nearest dummy.
It's a dummy that's trained to attack and guess every move in Combat class.
" Bring it on ugly," I say positioning myself. Always wanted to beat its plastic ass. It wastes no second. In a flash it charges with its stick, I block it with mine, it aims for my feet. Then
out of nowhere, this thing throws a jet of magic from its palms that, after years of training I manage to dodge.
" WOAH, that's illegal ugly," I say feeling my face.
" It's fake," my classmate Kevin says in the mat next to mine.
I use my staff to launch me off the ground and using my legs, I give it a chokehold and wham it to the ground.
The buzzer goes off, I win, as always.
I grin and jump to my feet kicking the ugly mannequin away and adjusting my hair.
Next.
I hear slow claps behind me, I turn around and see Ethane. Rage seeps in me.I effing hate this guy.
Yesterday's events flash my mind.
" Dropped this," he says giving me the sheath. I snatch it and go to my next drill.
A buzzing sound goes off and I see Lyra's dummy turn red and fall down.
" Again! Get hit by their new faux, magic features, you lose a ton of credit score," Zandar says walking by.
" Kick its ass Lyra," I yell and head to the next obstacle.
Fiore joins me. " What was that?" she asks.
" What?" I ask sheathing my sword.
"You and my brother," she says
"Ew, do elaborate, " I say.
"I get you two have beef but what the hell was that?" She asks ," what happened yesterday?"
Oh boy.
" Drop it Fi," I say and then hurry to the obstacle course.
I climb the net, this was a pain in the ass before, now I haul my ass over with grace. I stick my landing easily and walk a pole, hands stretched out.
"No, pick it up, what are you hiding?" Fiore says.
Ooh not today.
I suck all the air in the atmosphere  and I turn around to find her standing behind me hands crossed.
"Do you need an autograph or something bestie?" I ask.
" Why don't you start with the truth," she says walking towards me.
In our 4 years of friendship,  this is the first time I wanted to shove the child.
"There a problem Fi?" I ask.
She says,
"Ethane looked confused when I asked about yesterday."
"Your jackass brother, not mine," I say shrugging, a wave of irritation rising.
" Ok that's IT, I have had it with your patethic beef with him-
" Oh my bad, I couldn't save my effing brother cus of yours, go shove it nepo baby," I say triggered. I'm so not in the mood for whatever shit she's trying to confront.
" Boo hoo," she says walking towards me. Ok that's it.
In a flash, we're throwing hands.
Two highly trained seniors in combat tearing each other's hair. Cus classics.
She pulls mine, I tear at hers.
In the distance I hear Zandar's," Oh PREPOSTEROUS!" And Lyra go," GROW UP GUYS!"
A crowd gathers.
I don't care. I'm about to beat this beech up.
" Go to hell," I say dragging her down and we both fall to the net, my feet entangled in the ropes. The crowd oohs as we both hang on the net shoving.
Then it hits me.
This is SO lame, I push her face and untangle myself and fall on my knees.
"Screw you ," Fiore yells still dangling.
I flip her off with both fingers and walk  away only to come face to face with a pissed Candor.
--

" Preposterous! Repulsively preposterous!" Zandar says pacing the principal's office.
Fiore and I stand on either sides of the office. I lean against the pillar. Dammit I'm exhausted.
" My best pupils , in a bloody cat fight!" Zandar says, " did gossip girls need a casting call?? This is war! not bloody reality TV! And what were those moves?? haven't I coached you kids better. "
" Care to explain who started this ?" Candor asks crossing his fingers.
We're both silent.
"Well, as this is not a regular occurrence, you 'children' are excused, but any more of this crap and instant suspension. Do be ashamed . "
As I leave I catch Candor staring at me and last night's events zip back to me. Foul shit.
My heart speeds, I'll destroy this sick game of theirs.
The door shuts.
" Well I hope that's the last of this blasphemy," Zandar says glaring at us then sighs," well, you two are friends, go on, patch this shit up."
With that she walks off.
"Hey Rei, I dont know what got over me," Fiore says," to patching shit up?"
She extends her arm.
I walk past her. I'm too EXHAUSTED for this shit.

Dearest fanbase,
Yes there's gossip girl in Aria...stay atuned.
Tournament coming in hot...
Xoxo, moi