Red Hourglass : Dark Coming Of Age Romance Thriller

The Academy

On Monday morning, all the students gathered in the round auditorium after breakfast. The White Queen was standing at a clear acrylic podium on the stage wearing her full-length white mink. There was a woman sitting in a chair behind her.

"My dear children of the future," said the White Queen as she spread her snowy owl wings. A big ring on her right index finger caught the light and sparkled as she moved her hands. "You are all sisters, and you're here for a reason. When you graduate from the Academy, you will be agents ready to take on the world. We are part of something much bigger than ourselves. Our duty is to serve the greater good. We protect the weak. We shine the light of hope into this dark world. We bring salvation and succor to the hopeless, and recourse to those forgotten by justice."

The girls stood up and started chanting in unison:

"Rid the world of evils, we must.

Uphold the legacies of the past, we do.

To serve and worship, we vow.

The children of the future, we are."

After three rounds of the verse, the White Queen smiled and held up a hand. The girls stopped chanting and sat down.

"Excellent my dears, excellent," said the White Queen. "Now, as it's the start of a new semester, I'll hand the stage over to our Subject Coordinator, Ms. Ellen."

"Thank you," said Ms. Ellen as she walked to the podium. "Ladies, as most of you know, we have very high academic standards at the Academy, but you are also free to pursue nonacademic courses of interest. You must choose at least four classes each semester, and no more than eight. There are also a few modules outside the normal coursework that you're expected to undertake. If you haven't already completed Attire and Social Etiquette, Business Studies, and The Art of War, please leave time in your schedule for at least one mandatory module.

"Classes will start tomorrow, and my team is in the foyer to help guide you in your choices. After the usual head count next Monday, we can discuss any proposed changes to your schedule, should the need arise. Please line up at the table labeled with the letter of your first name ... not your code name."

A few hundred students filed into the lobby. There were girls of every race. I heard conversations in foreign languages and realized that we had students from many countries. It was obvious that the girls shared close bonds and a sense of destiny. They all seemed to be preparing themselves for something great.

I got in line at the table labeled "I-J." I chose six classes: French, European History, the Art of Negotiation, Yoga, Martial Arts, and Knife Combat. I opted for The Art of War as my mandatory module. I was informed that I would study The Art of War by Sun Tzu, and the exam would be reciting the whole thing from memory. I also found out that we had classes for eight months of the year, but we got summer and winter breaks. We could go to exotic places during the breaks and do things like scuba diving and snow skiing. If we didn't feel like travelling, we could stay at the Academy and take fun classes like baking and painting.

Our teachers were from around the world, and we had experts in every discipline. Most of them lived at the Academy, as room and board were provided. I suspected that they were paid handsomely and had to sign non-disclosure agreements.

* * *

I was happy to see Mimi in my martial arts class. She was of Chinese descent, and about my size with long black hair. Her black eyes reminded me of the eyes of a pygmy killer whale. Her code name was the Orca. We sparred on the first day and she became my regular sparring partner.

Our saseong was Mr. Soo Onn. He was a Korean grandmaster and very strict. We were learning the basics of Taekwondo, a Korean martial art that focused mostly on using our legs to kick our targets. Mr. Soo Onn had short black hair and a barrel chest, and he moved with incredible speed.