Blue Skies Academy

Chapter 7

   I take my seat next to April and Sarah. My sleep wasn't exactly a resting one, but at least I can now sleep. Which has also picked my interest. Ever since I came here, the random bursts of energy have dissipated immensely. I don't even have to take my pills anymore! Sure, I still feel the energy coursing through my veins every time the clock strikes midnight, but when I go into the garden, it all just... fades away. I groan. The sun hasn't been up long enough to think about all that. I rest my head on my hands.

   "I swear, this woman always gives too much homework." April complains.

   "You just always wait until the last minute to do it, April." Sarah retorts.

   But before April has a chance to defend herself, an elderly woman enters the classroom. Mrs. Henrig. She's one of, if not the oldest, out of the teachers at the academy.

   "Please, take your seats!" She shouts. Everyone complies. A deep silence falls among the students. "I'll request your homework on my desk at the end of the class." She adjusts her glasses on her small, crooked nose. She gets out a small notebook, which she then opens with sharp movements. Her eyes pierce through each of the pupils as she takes out and opens an engraved fountain pen. Her eyes narrow, her calculations not exact. Her voice is hoarse. "Where is..."

   Just before Mrs. Henrig can finish her question, the door opens. There stands, bag hanging over one shoulder, tie loosened, hair ruffled, Dominic. And right behind them is another girl, her hair even messier, the first two buttons of her shirt undone, lips swollen and tie nowhere to be seen. Everyone's eyes are on the two.

   "... Mr. De LaRoche." The elder woman ends her previous sentence. She eyes the pair up and down, inspecting every little thing that's out of order. "I see you had... previous engagements before my class."

   Dominic smirks nonchalantly. "Duty called."

   Mrs. Henrig looks about to burst. Her face has gotten red, but I've been told that it's not unusual. "Why don't you and Miss Hermina take a short trip to the principal's office? Let him know of your extracurricular activities." There is venom in her voice. But Dominic doesn't seem any less destabilized.

   "Are you sure you want to do that, Mrs. Henrig? It would be a pity to have to bother my father with such matters."

   The woman almost scoffs with anger. I think she might pop a vein. "Do not pull that trick with me, Mr. De LaRoche."

   "Not to worry, I'll go to detention. But let's at least enjoy the fact that I showed up. I promise I'll be nice and won't interfere." Dominic adds in a mocking tone, walking over to a seat and plops down on the chair. The girl, Ms. Hermina, scurries over to her own place, next to some other students.

   Mrs. Henrig looks ready to cast some dark spells and curses over the two, especially at Dominic. "We'll need to talk at the end of the class." She says before taking a deep breath and looking back at the rest of us. It seems like those words follow him throughout every class.

   I observe the whole scene intently. I spent the whole morning watching Dominic, trying to be as discreet as I could with April's and Sarah's eyes on me. But I lost track of him as we were headed to class. I found that despite his popular persona, he's easy to lose sight of. I'm surprised by his daring attitude towards his teachers. But I suppose that this snobbishness comes with the power and money his family holds.

   "Today, I have decided to talk about something more abstract, but that is still connected to the topic from our earlier lectures." She paces around the front of her desk. "During wars, while soldiers and artillery were used for combat, there was also a different way that our battles were fought." Her glasses catch the light from the table lamp. "At the beginning of the last century, scientist Alfred Rodof discovered that his brother had abilities like no other. The first discovery was when his brother had fallen out of a tree and broken an arm. He had been rushed to the hospital in the family's car, Rodof insisting on the seriousness of the injury. And yet, when they made it to the hospital, there was but a mere bruise on the young boy's arm. From that moment on, Rodof became fascinated. He would run tests on his brother, and he managed to uncover his abilities. His bones and light or moderate injuries could heal ten times faster than a normal human's. His stamina would last more than thirty-six days before tiring, and he would respond instantly to any stimulus, making him have overdeveloped reflexes. Not only that, but he also had superhuman strength, being able to punch through titanium and other materials. Rodof figured that his brother wasn't the only one of his kind. That's why he seeked out more people like him." Mrs. Henrig takes a small break. "But this whole documentation and research became an obsession. And turned into envy. Envy towards his brother and towards all that possessed the same abilities. His tests on his brother became more and more wicked, trying to see just how much he could push the limits. Until one day, he went too far. Alfred Rodof ended up killing his own brother. He gathered his research and ran away but came back to dispose of the body. However, his brother was nowhere to be found. He assumed that it had already been discovered by his family, so he decided to flee. It is said that he partnered up with special forces services from other countries, selling his information under a different name and making a living out of it. Berserkers, as they were called, were trapped. Every name that Rodof gave ended up captured and used in battle, providing a significant advantage and aiding the evolvement and ending of the conflicts. But even after being robbed of their freedom and sacrificed on the front or used as secret agents, Berserkers were viewed as dangerous beings. They became something to fear, a terror that was haunting the population. And so, they have been executed. These days, there is no known existence of Berserkers, but we doubt they're extinct." Mrs. Henrig, having finished her speech, takes a sip of water from her mug.