Chapter 05

  A Persistent Gnaw

  “Where is he?” Atlas asked. He looked at his watch. It was 15 past 9. Practice should’ve started at the hour, but Rigel was nowhere to be seen.

  Stephen had taken the opportunity to spin circles in the air. “Maybe he slept in,” Stephen said. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”

  “I know, it's just weird timing, I guess,” Atlas replied.

  Just then he heard the whoosh of the doors left of him. In stepped Rigel. He adjusted his gray teacher’s sash before looking to his left and then to his right, spotting them. He waved to them.

  Atlas exchanged a glance with Yue before waving back. As he drew closer, Atlas could notice the droops under his eye. They were bags that could’ve only formed from a severe lack of sleep.

  “Morning, are we all doing well today?” He questioned approaching them.

  “Never better,” Stephen replied.

  “Rigel, did you sleep in?” Atlas questioned. Rigel looked at him and gave a short nod. The smile he had manifested to greet them dissipated.

  Atlas raised an eyebrow but neglected to say anything. Atlas could sense Yue glancing at him subtly.

  “So I think we should try some new things today,” he said, breaking the tension. “I was doing some research last night. I figured maybe we could try something new.” It seemed unprompted to Atlas as to why he just suddenly had a change of core. They had consistently practiced without change for years, since Rigel was a new instructor.

  “So what’s the play then?” Yue questioned.

  “Ok, so, Yue, I want you in the pit with Stephen,” he started. He gritted his teeth. “Actually, wait, scratch that, let’s start with some exercises, yeah?” He seemed on edge, jolty.

  It persisted throughout practice. Continually he seemed to be trying new techniques, fights, and exercises in a format that Atlas could only call jumbled. When Rigel said he was trying something new, he didn’t think it would be a 180° flip from regular practice. He seemed frustrated too, biting his lip and pacing around the arena. Something was bothering him. There was apprehensiveness written all over him.

  The three of them approached him after practice after having been whispering about it the whole time. “Rigel, are you ok?” Yue was the first to speak.

  He sighed, seemingly embarrassed. “I just wanted to try to be a better teacher for you guys,” he said. They all looked at each other and then back at him.

  “Why?” Stephen asked. “I like training with you.”

  “I’ve been setting you guys up for failure,” he said. “Ophiuchus thinks so too.”

  “Is this about Castor?” Atlas blurted.

  Rigel looked at him. “He’s the capital’s best. I don’t like him, but he has a point.”

  “I don’t think you should listen to him,” Atlas said. “We’ve been happy with the way you've trained us.”

  Yue raised her finger as if to add, “Well, maybe a little bit of refinement would be good. I’m not opposed to trying new things.”

  Rigel nodded. “I think you’re right, but I shouldn’t have let his comments get to my head.”

  “What did he say exactly?” Atlas asked.

  “I don’t think I should share. It was rather vulgar,” he hesitated. There was an awkwardness in his demeanor.

  They all looked at each other. “How vulgar?” Atlas questioned.

  Rigel sighed. “I’m not going to let this start anything. I’ll see you guys tomorrow at the same time. I’ll be awake this time.” With that, he went to leave the room. They watched him until the sliding doors finally shut behind him.

  “Huh,” Atlas started. “What do you think he said?”

  “I think if Castor scolded me, I'd piss myself, so I don’t blame him,” Stephen replied.

  “Castor, if anything, seems very direct. He means whatever he said,” Yue added.

  “Was it too much, though?” Atlas replied, scratching his head. “I'm really trying not to hate this guy 'cause he’s training my sister now, but it's just so hard.”

  “We're just gonna have to get used to him,” Yue said. “I don’t think he’s leaving anytime soon.”

  Atlas sighed.

  **BREAK**

  Mira floated down the hallways of the complex. She had a lecture to attend. It was part of her regimen at Helyx. Even though Castor was taking over the bulk of her mentorship, she still needed to be in attendance at her previously scheduled classes. Most focused on aspects of stellar life that would be beneficial on and off the battlefield.

  Mira pulled on the left sleeve seam of her uniform. Class was the only time she was required to wear it, and she always made sure it looked clean. It was a constant she expected later in her life, wearing a uniform to represent the Greater Blue Forces.

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  On her passage to class, she couldn’t help but shake the feeling of eyes on the back of her neck. She turned as she entered the long corridor that the classroom was in. Behind her were two stars, one with a dark blue and one with a light blue emblem on their uniforms. Both were classmates she recognized but hadn’t ever spoken to. They were talking among themselves in silent whispers. The sound didn’t reach her earpiece.

  Mira made an assumption. The tension of the last couple of days was getting to her. She was tired of people staring, of people whispering. She stopped and faced them. “What are you talking about?”

  The boys looked at her confused. “Nothing that concerns you,” one replied curiously.

  “Yeah, right,” she huffed.

  The boys looked at each other and paused in the hallway, their flames dissipating. “Yeah, we’re just headed to class,” the other one said.

  Mira shook her head and waved them on.

  They continued down the hall after passing back a couple of dirty glances at her.

  It didn’t make Mira feel any less on edge.

  She continued to class and took her spot in the large lecture hall nearer the center left, 2nd row, as she always did. She took out her notepad, turned a new page, and waited for the instructor to arrive. Still she felt eyes drilling into her neck. She glared around the room, swearing she could see people turning away.

  It persisted throughout the lecture, which was something about nebular purity, but she didn’t catch most of it. She couldn’t relax long enough to take her notes. She continued to glance around the room to catch any onlookers. She could see eyes turn away, and she continued to tense up. The anger and embarrassment building up in her chest. She could barely hold it in.

  Eventually, class was over, and she quickly got up to storm out of the classroom. Now eyes were definitely on her. She waited in the hallway, back against the wall, trying to collect herself. People began to leave the room. Most were diving from the dock, but she saw a good few of them turn eyes to her as they left, then turn to whisper to each other.

  “What?! What are you looking at?” She snapped.

  The students were taken aback. “No—nothing,” one of them said.

  “Bullshit!” she yelled.

  The stars quickly tried to flee, looking at her like she was crazed.

  “Hey!” Mira yelled, but they had no plans on stopping. Mira groaned.

  Now everyone was looking at her, not just whispering but full-on talking to each other as they left.

  “I didn’t mean to!” she yelled in one final outburst. In frustration and embarrassment, she left, zooming down the hallways past everyone, straight towards Castor’s office.

  She banged on his door. It flung open, and Mira saw Castor sitting at his desk, studying a message log.

  Castor looked her up and down. “You seem cheery,” he said.

  “Do they know?” Mira questioned. “Do they know what I did?”

  Castor placed the message log down on his desk. “I told you it was handled, Mira,” Castor replied. “Besides, don't be ashamed of being strong.” Mira shook her head.

  “Why do they keep staring at me?” Mira questioned. “Everyone keeps looking at me like I did something.”

  Castor tilted his head back and forth before he spoke. “Let’s go do some training to clear your mind,” Castor suggested.

  Mira nodded, content with the idea, clenching her fists.

  **BREAK**

  Castor watched Mira studiously as she let her rage out against a training dummy hung from the ceiling. Its body was already scorched and scarred with black dents and scratches. Castor stepped up to her and held the dummy still with his arm. Mira broke her strike just as it was about to connect with the dummy’s body.

  “Say, word did get out, Mira,” Castor proposed.

  “What?!” Mira scowled.

  “If it did, how would that make you feel?” He dropped the dummy and motioned for her to look towards him. “And I told them.”

  Mira shook her head. Not striking just yet.

  “Hit me, Mira,” Castor commanded. “I told them what you did.”

  She launched a strike at his chest.

  He barely had time to deflect it and bounced a few meters back in the air.

  Mira kept her flames alight. “Wh–,” she started as if to argue.

  “Keep that anger in your fists,” Castor replied. He flew back up to her. “Show me more.”

  **BREAK**

  Atlas floated up to the bedroom door. His yellow light flickering behind him. He docked and pulled the door open, noticing the presence of both Stephen and Yue as he did. “Hey guys,” Atlas greeted, entering the room.

  “You got a letter,” Stephen replied, holding up an inscription tablet. There was a look of disappointment on Stephen’s face, and he shook his head.

  “Wait, what’s it say?” he asked, running up to Stephen. He grabbed it from him, frantically looking up and down the blue holographic screen presented. He read the address. It was a letter from the Helyx directors. His heart dropped.

  “Shit, does this say what I think it does?” he questioned, disappointment already strewn on his face. He saw Stephen turn to Yue with a subtle grin on his face.

  “Don’t mess with me,” Atlas replied.

  “Just read the letter, Atlas,” Yue said.

  Atlas took a deep breath and scrolled down the tablet. “Congratulations… after thorough consideration, you’ve been accepted to the Helyx Core Energy program! Your—” He stopped there. “I'm in! Guys, I'm in!”

  “We’re happy for you,” Yue smiled.

  “Yeah, congrats, man,” Stephen said.

  “Do you know what this means?” Atlas questioned. “I don’t have to fight,”

  Stephen got up and grabbed him in for a hug, squeezing him tight. “We knew you could do it,” he grinned.

  Atlas’s eyes grew watery.

  **BREAK**

  Mira had left the unscheduled practice with Castor. It was late now. The lights had been dimmed in the building and the skylights tinted.

  Admittedly, she felt much better after her clash with Castor, even if he had informed her afterwards that he had not told anyone anything about the incident.

  She floated through the halls, back towards her dorm room, before her eyes fell on the infirmary. She stopped for a moment. The guilt held onto her, and she drifted towards the door. She motioned her hand to open the door, and it happened to be unlocked. Cracking the door open, she slipped herself inside.

  It was dark except for a few dim blue lights in the back of the room. Several curtained rooms were against the walls.

  Mira lit a finger, illuminating the infirmary in a purple glow. Most of the curtains were open, revealing empty hospital beds. She approached one of the few closed ones and lifted the sign that hung from the curtain rod. Sola, the plastic card read.

  Mira wrapped her fingers around the fabric and began to inch it to the side. Peeking in, she could see Sola. She was strapped to the hospital bed so as not to float away, bandages wrapped around her stomach and upper arms.

  Mira felt her heart flutter, a pit building in her chest. She did this to her; she hurt her. She clenched her fists and let the flame on her finger die, shrouding the room in darkness again.

  “No,” she whispered to herself. "You have to be strong.” She closed the curtain and left the room.