How To Survive A Calamity

As expected, Ceres had to go.

She wasn't a leader, or a role model. She didn't deserve her position.

After a while, Deandra took a deep breath and restrained her emotions. A silent chill permeated into her mind and reflected coldly against her red eyes.

In any case, she would have to challenge Ceres position one more time in the future. For now she had to focus on the incoming exercise in a few days.

Actually, that too was a way for her to get closer to challenging Ceres' rank. As it was explained in the orientation, there were various ways to rise through the ranks aside from outright dueling. One such way was performing extraordinarily well in practical, written or theoretical exams.

The incoming exercise certainly counted as one of such exams. Although the criteria haven't yet been made clear, if she performed extraordinarily well she would undoubtedly be able to slowly close the gap.

But that's on the premise she does better than Ceres at least.

Deandra was highly confident in her academic abilities, but since the upcoming exercise was the first ever test or exam like event they would be expecting during the first semester, she had no basis or proper judgement just how well and good Ceres was at studies.

But her ranking certainly gave her an edge in most practicals or field experience.

So Deandra had to work more than two times harder than she usually would. To beat Ceres, her best wasn't enough.

She knew all these when she went to challenge her to a duel during those times. But her sense of confidence wasn't confounded and came for a good reason.

Deandra fluidly uncrossed her legs and softly rose to her feet she swept her hands through her bright locks of red hair, sweeping it over her shoulders as she slowly stepped forward.

Deandra walked up to a desk neatly arranged by a wall off to one side of her room. There was a thick dark covered book sitting on the table staring right at her.

The surface of the cover was covered in strange and mystic symbols like runes carved across it, and the book looked sealed.

It was a high grade Grimoire Deandra got before she went to challenge Ceres to a duel for the first time. Ceres was higher ranked than her so she planned on executing everything in her arsenal during the duel.

But since she was rejected, Deandra had left the Grimoire sealed as she was saving it for another day.

A Dungeon was a dangerous placement crawling with monsters and traps, and even on occasions...Demons.

Although she doubted Aegis wouldn't be thoroughly sure about the level of the dungeon they would be sending theor first years into. Certain measures will also be taken to prevent unforeseen circumstances.

But to what extent, Deandra didn't know.

In the end, she could only wait for the criteria and details of the dungeon to be announced before she could get a better perspective at what to expect.

Just like many of her classmates, Deandra had never once been in a dungeon. But as a royal princess, she had heard stories.

Deandra knew well enough about the risks of Dungeons and Gates.

Passage ways to parallel words.

Which meant, you never know what one may find on the other side.

Or what may come out.

Deandra glanced at the sealed Grimoire and looked away.

What better opportunity and place was there than to use it?

'But only as a last result.' she reminded herself.

She trusted in the Academy's measures, but Deandra liked to believe she was cautious. It was never a bad idea to have a last card.

There was a mantra she always used to hear from Travellers and Adventurers, veterans who explored various dungeons over time.

In a Dungeon, anything can happen.

Expect the most unexpected and twisted.

Aegis was great, but it wasn't omniscient.

As much as Deandra wished to win over Ceres in the upcoming exercise, she also hoped she wouldn't have to unseal the Grimoire when it was time.

Plus, she also wished to beat Ceres evenly with her abilities, even though the Grimoire technically would count as her ability once she's fully absorbed it.

Deandra turned around with a sigh. She began to take off her school uniform for the day, and used the bathroom to freshen up.

There were various things and feelings in her mind that she needed to cool off, and the water from the pouring shower helped.

By the time she was gone, the sun had fully set and the night sky had taken over.

The moon was already out.

-Fsssshh

Deandra lightly stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. her soft rosy skin glistening with the warm water of the bath. Her long beautiful red hair was wet and fell over her slender shoulders.

As she wiped her hair, she gently made her way half way across the room to a desk arranged before a mirror.

The curtains to the door of the veranda were pushed open. Moonlight poured through and into the room like ethereal silver.

Bright gold lamps mixed in their radiance.

Deandra was thinking, halfway lost in thought. She took a seat by the desk featuring various cosmetics and products. She glanced at her beautiful aloof face in the mirror once, and began her final routine for the day.

With Deandra being chosen as the new class representative as her class, she knew she had her work cut out for her in the future.

Aegis didn't tolerate insubordination and carelessness, so only the best was expected from her.

And the best she would give.

In addition, now she would have even more attention than before placed on her actions now that every of her classmate....most of them at least.... would be looking up to her.

Before she came into the academy Deandra was the princess. Then she was Number two of the first years.

The unspoken expectation placed against her was unimaginable from all directions.

She couldn't have the leisure of relaxation. Deandra couldn't be weak or let her gaurd down.

Not one bit. At all.

-Tap.

Deandra tapped her cheeks with both hands and stared into the mirror. Her bright red eyes deepened and pulled. Deandra's expression became straight and hollow .

Her lips parted.

"Excellence." And nothing less.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

Just then, Deandra heard a small familiar chime and snapped out of her reverie.

She blinked her eyes once and glanced down at her bracelets. There were two small beeping lights on it.

She had received a broadcast notification from the academy.

The bracelets were worn by all students and staffs of the Academy and were used for various things. One of which was to simultaneously share announcements and informations across the whole academy at once.

As Deandra raised her bracelet, a holographic screen appeared before her eyes from her wrist.

There was a message written in the air now for her see.

Her red eyes swept through the screen as she read through it all.

And immediately she realised.

It was a message about the upcoming exercise, and finally her group had been decided.

On the list, there were five names and images displayed, aside from her's.

As diligent as Deandra was, she had made it a point to memories the faces, names and characteristics of each of her classmates, so the list was filled with names she was familiar with.

But at the same time, she frowned a little.

Her group... There didn't seem to be much about the members. Putting it nicely, they were all barely average at best. They were low ranking, far below what she would have appreciated despite her high standards.

Deandra sighed.

As expected, she would have to rely most on herself for the exercise.

Well, that was initially the plan anyway, but Deandra had been avoiding to think like that.

"Sigh. It's too early to make conclusions. We'll have to arrange a meeting for us to see each other and discuss from there. And then I'll see exactly they're made of. We'll compare and contrast weakness too, and strengths. And after that, we'll..." Without realising it, Deandra began to earnestly troll on as she began scribbling something on a blank piece of paper quickly.

Her expression was filled with concentration as her hand holding the pen kept dancing over the sheet.

She was writing down what she already knew and could remember about the classmates who were part of her group, as a start.

But then she stopped.

Deandra looked up at the holographic screen with a frown. There was one name on the list she barely had any information on.

Calling in every details she knew about him, there was nothing.

"Number 1499...?"

Wasn't that last place?

Deandra's frown deepened in contemplation.

Then her eyes slowly widened.

"Wait. Hold on...

How could she forget?

"Ahh!"

Deandra slammed her palms on the desk and sharply rose to up. The towel wrapped around her body fluttered and ruffled to her feet, leaving her naked.

"Eeek!" Deandra gasped with a pale red face as she saw her...

She sharply caught the towel and raised it over her chest.

Her right eyes was twitching and her cheeks were as red as her hair.

Regardless, she pretended like nothing happened and glared murderously at the screen.

Number 1499, there was no way she could forget him

Wasn't he the fool that lost to Ceres disgracefully?

Faint sparks like flames ignited in the depths of Deandra's eyes at the name.

Victor Bright.

****

"Achoo!"

Ah, fuck me sideways.

Did i catch a cold, i wondered as i suddenly rubbed the back of my arms while shivering.

"What's with this really nice ominous sensation. Is someone planning my death."

I'm probably imagining it.

It might just be the weather.

I looked up at the night sky and the big moon above.

"It's huge." Aethoria's moon always hsd a way of making me exclaim each time i saw it.

Step- step.

I was currently walking back to my dorm from the training hall when i stopped and glanced down at my bracelet.

At the same time, i let out a deep sigh.

"Finally. Looks like the groups have been assigned."

The bracelet given to me by the academy was beeping with lights after a notification came in. I've been expecting this ever since Wrenna informed us that we'll be getting to know our groups by today or tomorrow.

I wasn't that eager, but without further delay, i tapped my bracelet and summoned a holographic screen with the names and informations about my groups members on it.

Then my expression became serious.

Solemnly i took a seat on a nearby bench by the side and coldy glanced at the screen.

Fuck.

"As expected, i have no idea who these extras are."

I had no idea who the people on the list were despite them supposedly being classmates with me.

Embarrassingly, i scratched the back of my head and mummured quietly.

"Maybe i really should try to remember a few of those kids names...?"

This was sad.

I looked up.

Even their faces don't register in my memory.

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"Ah!"

But there was one.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om