The Echoes of Rivalry & Ruin (The Acamancy Series I)

Chapter 37: The Echoes of Regret

I cannot remember the moment I left AEEs last Thursday. It's all a blur, one that feels like a distant dream. The journey back to my dorm is clouded in a fog of confusion, did I even have dinner that night? Day after day slips past and the memories that show tag along evade me. Of course, I recall Thursday afternoon, when Professor Swift triumphantly revealed the Specials AEE category, I unknowingly signed up for, is Sparring. How naive I was to think it was in my best interest to enter them all, almost as naive as I was to be so certain finding a substitute for my presence would be a simple task. Yet, here I am now, a week later, enveloped in the hushed atmosphere of the library, the weight of silence in takers for my proposition is startling.

I just emerged from my Water Training Slot, following the Second, now foreboding, AEE Rotation since that fateful announcement. My last glimpse of Professor Swift was in Defense Against Danger a week ago, he was still buzzing with the excitement of his announcement, a moment that has etched itself in my mind as I cling to any thread of hope. I've pushed myself to attend each and every course this week, at least I think I have, but even that joy I once felt from my studies has turned cold and dreaded. Desperation drives me to reach out to every single person I can conjure in my thoughts, pleading for someone, anyone, to step into the ring in my place for Sparring. The stakes feel higher than ever, and I'm losing my grip on reality in my relentless pursuit to find a way out.

Professor Swift set a deadline of Defense Against Danger on Friday the 7th of November. I had just over a week, and now I have 45 minutes and no one else to turn to. Mitchell took Baylee's spot, of course. Theo convinced EJ to sub for Bee since he's all nobel and protective of his girlfriend now, apparently Mitchell is as well. Paxxon doesn't have any Year One connections that aren't already signed up. Mal, Summer, Lylah, Winona and every other Year One I have a connection to had signed up already and haven't been able to find their own replacement let alone suggest one for me.

I am out of ideas, and I am out of time. All that's left to do is sign away my shot at securing the top of my class, and head into the embarrassment that is sure to follow. I'm not only out of time to attend to find a substitute for myself, but I wasted all my time looking, and moping... mainly moping, so I didn't train. I had planned to use a chunk of the week to train in sparring as a back-up plan. In what I thought would be an unlikely event I could not find someone to take my place, I wanted to be ready. I spent far too long imagining what this day would be like. Me standing on that field, surrounded by 79 other Year One Mani's, each one brimming with skill and confidence. The fear of humiliation clawing at me, the anxiety of my inexperience and weakness looming over me like a dark cloud. And yet, here I stand, forced to face my fears head-on.

Paxxon holds my hand the entire time we are in Defense Against Danger. He does not have Sparring today, or at all because he did not sign up. The year of his class will begin their Sparring today as well, but we are not training with them. No Year Two or Year Three students are allowed to stay and watch, whether they are entering the category or not. Even Paxxon Philips, son of the Dean of Acamancy, was denied. Mitchell has volunteered to help me, but he'll have his hands full with Mal and all of our friends as well. EJ is helping too, after Callie threatened harm to his most prized body parts if he denied us support. Neither Mitchell or EJ are technically trained or anything, yeah they did some MMA classes when they were kids, but that's better than the background Mal or I have.

Following Defense, and after several minutes of ripping Paxxon off of me. I get in line to sign my life away and receive my new schedule.

Monday: 8:30am-9:30am- History of Acamancy (building H, room 101) Hyde

10:00am-11:00am- Understanding Manifestation (building H, room 307) Beams

1:00pm-2:30pm- Manipulation for beginners (M/W building S, room 200) Sweasy