Five Hargreeves: Timeless Temptation

Chapter 15: 365 Days of 2003

January:

With the new year came a new Academy with the same foundations. Dad had decided that some of us had been slacking with our training, which only meant increased training hours, more missions, and more teamwork exercises.

This seemed to work initially, but the pressure we were all under affected us differently. Luther had taken being Number 1 a bit too seriously; it was almost impossible to be around him. He had always enjoyed being the one in charge, but this seemed to have ramped up recently, even going as far as to tell Dad every little detail about what went on when he wasn't around.

Diego seemed to have a bit of a chip on his shoulder, desperately wanting to prove to Dad that he was more deserving of being Number 1. He constantly trained and tried to be one step ahead of Luther, but this didn't always work out. Due to his new dedication, we slowly stopped hanging out, which was slightly upsetting at first. Still, with Dad's increased training, I had little free time.

For Allison, even though she wasn't happy with how Luther acted at times, they were still close. She would often be on the defending side if there was a dispute between Luther and the others. Other than that, we would do a lot of training together; once a week, we would try to have a sister night where we would listen to music and watch movies. Mum would often make us snacks, which for a short moment, made us feel like a real and normal family.

Unfortunately for Klaus, the first month of 2003 was not the best for him. He would be taken away for days at a time, and every time he would come back, he seemed to be less like himself. We didn't have much time to sneak out but would always find time to talk to each other. The horrors that Dad would put him through were really hard to digest. But both Ben and I tried to help him as much as we could. I eventually gave him his Secret Santa gift. I made him a bracelet, something he could keep when he was locked in crypts, to know he was never alone.

Other than looking after Klaus, Ben was still his quiet self. Every time I saw him, he would be reading a different book. Truthfully, I was a little jealous of Ben; he wasn't like the others, he was calm, and he had never been involved in any drama. He would sometimes be a little defiant but wouldn't be told to do something twice.

I hardly saw or spoke to Vanya, but when I did, she would play her violin. Even though we weren't close, I couldn't praise enough how good she was; she was a natural. It took her a few days to learn new pieces, and it was nice to see her find something she was passionate about, which made her stand out.

And lastly, Five. He was still a pain. He had found a new source of confidence. Instead of walking anywhere, he would blink, and I'm not just talking to different rooms; I'm talking from opposite sides of the room. Ever since our time together on the balcony, I tried to stay away from him as much as possible. One or two pleasant moments with him didn't change how I felt for him overall.

For me? Well, just like Klaus, I had been put under harsher training, if that was even possible. I could tell Dad's training to see the full lengths of my power was coming to an end, which made me happy, but that left me scared of the unknown. His last experiment was leaving me in the dark until I produced light. Now, this doesn't sound scary until it's been three days.

February, March & April:

By February, the Academy was gaining more and more attraction. The media wanted to know more about the 7 gifted children who were able to protect the city from danger so easily. Dad had taken the opportunity to allow more media coverage, even going as far as doing interviews and photoshoots.

When in front of the cameras, we needed to act on our best behaviour, but as soon as the doors were closed and we were in the comfort (well, I say comfort) of our own home that's when the bickering would start.