Chapter 393:Rest

Chapter 393: 393:Rest

Antony learned there was one final surprise waiting for the remaining five hundred and three candidates approximately thirty seconds after deciding that the only thing he wanted from the Academy was a shower, food and enough sleep to forget the words Soul Pressure Examination had ever existed.

They weren’t going home.

The announcement came while the exhausted candidates were still standing beneath the lights of the assembly yard, some nursing bruises from the combat course while others looked as though they might simply lie down on the concrete if the officers kept them there much longer.

He had spent the last several minutes mentally calculating how quickly he could get back to the house Mallory had arranged, how much food he could eat before collapsing and whether Ravenna would still be there when he arrived.

An officer stepped onto the platform.

"Candidates qualified for Day Two will remain inside the academy examination compound overnight."

His eyes widened. Around him, several hundred people had almost the exact same reaction.

A boy somewhere behind him raised his voice. "We’re staying here?"

The officer looked toward the crowd.

"That is what I said."

Antony slowly turned toward Rebecca.

She looked exhausted enough that the spear case hanging from her shoulder appeared to be the only thing keeping her upright.

"Did your brother mention this part?"

She rubbed her forehead.

"No."

"Excellent. I’ve found something he didn’t warn you about."

"That doesn’t make me feel better."

The officer continued before the crowd could become louder.

"Candidate accommodation has already been prepared. You will receive meals, access to showers, basic medical treatment and designated sleeping quarters. Personal communication devices will remain restricted until the completion of tomorrow’s examination."

That caused considerably more reaction.

Antony’s expression changed, since he had been expecting to contact Ravenna.

He didn’t know whether she’d completed her special admission yet, whether she’d heard anything more from Silver or whether Shawn had managed to push the Association into doing something about Death Row Valley.

He raised his hand.

The officer eventually pointed toward him.

"Candidate."

"Are we completely prohibited from contacting people outside?"

"Personal calls and messages are suspended."

He frowned.

"What if someone is expecting to know whether we passed today?"

"Your candidate account can issue one automated qualification notice to a registered contact. No additional message can be attached."

He considered that. It was not ideal but better than nothing.

"Understood."

The officer’s eyes remained on him.

"Any other question?"

He was tempted to ask whether breakfast would at least be good but decided against it.

"No, sir."

"Good."

The officer looked across the remaining candidates.

"Your communication restriction exists because Day Two instructions are not to leave the examination compound before tomorrow’s evaluation begins. You will not receive additional examination details tonight. Attempts to obtain them from academy students, personnel or outside contacts will be treated as examination misconduct."

Antony glanced toward Rebecca.

"They really don’t trust us."

She whispered, "They don’t trust two thousand competitive eighteen-year-olds fighting for fewer than two hundred places. I’m so shocked."

"Five hundred now."

"That doesn’t improve it."

Antony couldn’t argue with that.

The officer dismissed them by candidate blocks.

When his group reached the communication terminal, he entered Ravenna’s contact information and watched the system generate the only message he was permitted to send.

[ALPHA THREE ACADEMY GENERAL ENTRY EXAMINATION]

[Candidate Antony Braille has qualified for Day Two.]

[Candidate remains within the examination compound until completion of the next evaluation phase.]

Antony stared at the message.

"That’s incredibly impersonal."

The academy assistant beside the terminal pointed toward the confirmation button.

"Send or cancel."

"Can I add one sentence?"

"No."

"Three words?"

"No."

"A smile?"

"No."

He sighed.

"You’re strict."

"Candidate."

"I’m sending it."

He pressed the button.

[NOTICE DELIVERED.]

He stepped away his thoughts taking over. That was it, he had no idea what was happening outside. No idea whether Ravenna was still waiting for Silver.

As far as Antony knew, Silver was still somewhere beneath a mountain. All he could do was trust the last message Silver had managed to send.

I’m almost out.

Antony rubbed his face.

"That idiot better actually be almost out."

Rebecca, walking beside him, glanced over.

"Friend?"

He nodded.

"Something like that."

"Something like that sounds convincing."

"It’s complicated."

"You use that word a lot."

"My life has become very complicated."

They were directed into a residential building that looked nothing like the polished student dormitories visible elsewhere on academy grounds.

The candidate barracks were very functional. It had long corridors, plain walls, numbered rooms, metal-framed beds, lockers, shared washrooms, and bright overhead lighting that made the idea of relaxation almost offensive.

Antony entered his assigned room and found eleven other male candidates already claiming beds.

He looked around.

"This is definitely not the accommodation they show in academy advertisements."

A boy removing his boots looked over.

"You expected a private room?"

"I expected them to pretend they atleast liked us."

Someone laughed.

He chose an empty bed. His equipment went into the locker, his candidate card unlocking it. A notice had been placed above every bed.

LIGHTS OUT: 2200

WAKE-UP: 0430

ASSEMBLY: 0500

Antony stared at it, then checked the current time and then stared again.

"That’s criminal."

The boy across from him laughed.

"What?"

"We’re barely getting six hours."

"Assuming you fall asleep immediately."

He looked toward the showers.

"Which I won’t."

"Then you’d better move."

That started the fastest shower he had taken in months. By the time he reached the cafeteria, most of the candidates were eating with the kind of concentration usually reserved for combat. Nobody wanted to waste sleeping time on conversation.

The academy provided plenty of food. He loaded his tray. Rebecca appeared across the cafeteria carrying her own. He pointed toward an empty table. She hesitated, then followed.

For almost two minutes neither spoke. Antony eventually looked up.

"This feels wrong."

Rebecca kept eating.

"What?"

"We’ve spoken too much today to suddenly eat in silence. Don’t you something to say to me, it’s really weird to just sit somewhere quietly."

"I’m tired."

"So am I."

"Then stop talking."

He smiled.

"You’re going to miss me when we get eliminated tomorrow."

She finally looked at him.

"We?"

"Statistically, most of us are going home."

"That’s true."

"You could at least pretend to be optimistic. Do you really think you’re going home?"

"No... I survived pressure above my Soul Capacity and an artificial combat district full of beasts. I’m optimistic enough."

Antony lifted his drink.

"To surviving tomorrow."

Rebecca touched her bottle against his.

"To sleeping first."

That was even better.