That morning, they returned to class.
The hall still carried the dull ache of yesterday's challenge. Some students walked stiffly, their muscles sore from climbing. Others wore bandages around wrists and ankles. A few empty seats reminded everyone that not all injuries had been light.
Newton sat quietly near the middle row. Samuel dropped beside him with a slow groan.
"I think my ribs hate me," Samuel muttered.
Stella slid into the chair on Newton's other side. She stretched her arms forward, wincing slightly.
"Next time," she said, "remind me not to jump from walls."
Newton gave a small smile but said nothing.
At the front of the room, the metal doors slid open.
The robot walked in.
Its movements were precise, mechanical, each step producing a soft metallic click against the floor. In its hands was a large basket.
The students straightened almost immediately.
The room went quiet.
The robot stopped in front of the class and placed the basket on the desk. Its metallic fingers opened slowly, then it tipped the basket forward.
Objects spilled across the table.
Small glass vials.
Metal syringes.
Packets of white tablets.
Tiny capsules sealed in clear plastic.
A faint chemical scent spread through the room.
The students leaned forward.
Newton watched silently.
The robot raised its head. Its blue optical lens flickered once.
"MEDICAL TRAINING," it announced.
Its voice echoed across the hall, flat and emotionless.
It picked up a thin silver syringe.
"This," it said, holding it up for everyone to see, "is a rapid clot injection."
The robot turned the syringe slightly so the students could observe the needle.
"In the event of heavy bleeding," it continued, "this injection slows blood loss and stabilizes the body for up to fifteen minutes."
Samuel whispered under his breath.
"Fifteen minutes to run."
Stella elbowed him lightly.
The robot picked up a small black capsule.
"Pain suppressor."
It dropped the capsule back onto the table with a faint click.
"This drug temporarily blocks pain receptors in the nervous system. Side effects include dizziness, delayed reflexes, and temporary vision distortion."
It paused.
"As Ninjas," the robot continued, "you may be injured in the enemy zone."
The room grew still.
"You must administer first aid to yourself."
The robot began picking up the items one after another.
"Blood stabilizer."
"Muscle recovery compound."
"Nerve shock suppressant."
Each item landed back onto the table with a quiet sound.
The students watched carefully.
The robot lifted a packet containing three tiny blue tablets.
"Pain suppressors must not be abused."
It turned its mechanical head slowly across the class.
"Excessive intake may cause internal organ damage."
Samuel leaned slightly toward Newton.
"So," he whispered, "use only when dying."
Newton didn't respond.
The robot continued its demonstration.
It showed them how to open the vials.
How to inject into the arm.
How to seal wounds with emergency foam.
One by one, the students nodded as the robot explained the advantages and disadvantages of each drug.
Newton watched everything.
He memorized the movements.
The robot finished by returning the items into the basket.
"LECTURE COMPLETE."
The room released a quiet breath.
Chairs scraped the floor as students began standing.
The doors slid open.
Lunch time.
The restaurant hall buzzed with voices.
Students crowded around food stations, grabbing trays, bowls, and cups. The smell of hot soup and grilled meat filled the air.
Newton sat with Stella and Samuel at a small table near the window.
Samuel was already halfway through his meal.
"I swear," he said between bites, "food tastes better when you almost die first."
Stella laughed softly.
Newton pushed his food around the tray.
His mind was elsewhere.
The restaurant doors opened again.
The noise shifted.
Maxwell walked in.
A few students glanced up.
Then they looked away.
Nobody stood.
Nobody bowed.
The difference was sharp.
Yesterday, the entire hall would have risen to their feet the moment he stepped inside.
Now, chairs remained planted.
Voices continued.
Forks scraped plates.
Maxwell stopped at the entrance for a moment.
His eyes moved across the room.
He saw everything.
The silence.
The indifference.
The lack of fear.
A few boys and girls still walked behind him, though fewer than before. They stayed close, trying to keep the old image alive.
Maxwell began walking.
Slowly.
His boots tapped against the floor.
He scanned the faces.
Some students looked down quickly.
Others didn't bother.
His jaw tightened slightly.
But he said nothing.
He moved past several tables and continued toward the back of the hall.
Newton noticed him for only a moment.
Then he returned his attention to his tray.
The restaurant noise continued.
Evening began creeping across the academy grounds.
The sky dimmed slowly beyond the tall academy walls.
Students drifted through the corridors, heading toward dormitories, study halls, and training rooms.
Brian stood near the edge of one corridor.
His arms were folded.
He watched the hallway.
Students passed him occasionally, but his attention remained fixed ahead.
Then Maxwell appeared.
He walked calmly through the corridor.
Their eyes met.
No words.
Maxwell simply nodded his head once.
A small movement.
But the message was clear.
Brian's stomach tightened.
He nodded back.
Maxwell continued walking without slowing down.
Brian exhaled slowly.
"It is time," he breathed.
His hands felt cold.
He rubbed them together briefly.
Then he began walking.
The evening crowd had gathered near the female dormitory wing. Groups of girls stood chatting near the corridor entrance.
Stella stood among them.
She was speaking with two girls while leaning lightly against the wall.
Brian slowed his steps.
His heartbeat began to rise.
He swallowed.
This was easy, he told himself.
Just words.
Nothing more.
Still, something twisted in his chest.
He walked closer.
His palms felt damp.
Then he spoke.
"Hey Stella, there is trouble."
Stella turned immediately.
Her expression shifted the moment she saw his face.
"What is it?"
Brian forced urgency into his voice.
"Your friend, Newton, is in trouble. He has been cornered by some boy."
Stella's eyes widened.
"What?"
Her body straightened instantly.
"Where are they?" she asked.
Panic had already crept into her voice.
Brian pointed down the corridor.
"Come."
Then he started running.
Footsteps echoed behind him almost immediately.
Stella followed.
They moved quickly through the academy halls.
Past empty classrooms.
Past silent training rooms.
Their footsteps echoed loudly now.
Brian's breathing grew heavier.
Stella stayed close behind him.
They turned a corner.
Then another.
The corridors grew darker.
The lights here were dimmer.
The air felt colder.
They kept running.
Finally, they reached the shadowed passage near the old training wing.
Brian slowed.
Then he stopped.
His chest rose and fell rapidly.
Stella stepped beside him, looking around.
"Where are they?" she asked.
Her voice bounced faintly off the walls.
Brian didn't answer.
Stella turned again.
But Brian was no longer there.
The corridor stretched behind her.
Empty.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Brian?" she called.
Her voice echoed through the dark hallway.
Nothing answered.
A faint chill crept across her skin.
"Brain!" she called again.
Still nothing.
She looked around slowly.
The silence pressed closer.
"But he was just at my back a minute ago."
She was returning when a blade cut through her back.
"Aaahhhsshh!" She screamed. But she turned there was no one. Just darkness.