Mr. London crossed his arms over his chest, walking around as he stared slowly at each of us.
"Failure can be ranked in many ways. Missing your time frame, talking to the wrong client, stealing an object that isn't the one you need, the list can go on and on. Failure doesn't have to center on the task or item you've been charged with obtaining." His eyes landed on me for a few seconds.
"Failure could be losing something valuable, like an item of your own that holds importance." He glanced down to my hand, and I tried not to follow his gaze; the golden ring on my finger felt a tad heavier in my mind.
"Or." He moved his gaze from me and looked at Ryuu, staring into his eyes with curiosity. "A loved one. An acquaintance, friend, lover, or maybe even a family member."
He held Ryuu's gaze for five seconds before he moved on to the set of students on the wall to our left.
I noticed Ryuu had grown tense, and without much thought, I slipped my hand into his, moving them so they hid behind me as we stood close.
Ryuu noticed my gaze, but I returned to looking forward, not wanting to appear as though I wasn't listening. I did catch a glimpse of his smile, and he gently squeezed my hand back.
Who could say whether Mr. London knew something about Ryuu's life that I didn't. I just wanted to ease Ryuu's tension. I could always ask later on, or he could bring it up when he was ready to.
I tuned back in to Mr. London's lecture as he began to walk between the middle column of desks.
"Being a spy will give you skills and knowledge that you will never be able to obtain elsewhere. You will be able to change someone's life for good...or for bad. Your decisions won't affect just you, or your grade, rank, or score. It will affect other people, their families, their friends, or maybe their own team. Morals will be tested, and you may not agree with every mission or test that comes your way. There are rules, but always remember that some rules are meant to be broken."
He stopped in front of our desks, looking down at Star, who was hugging my pencil case like it was for dear life. He smirked and patted her head.
"Also remember that no matter your decision, you or your team will have to bear the consequences."
Taking a final look around the room, he nodded and snapped his fingers.
A few of the students gasped when large orange wings that reminded me of a dragonfly sprouted from his back, their fluid flapping lifting Mr. London up in the air above us.
"Today, we'll be doing a trial run of what may be expected of you." He moved higher up in the room. "Your task for today's class is to be able to analyze the room in a given amount of time. All of you should be wearing your watches."
A few students swore under their breaths, checking their pockets, while another few ran to their bags to retrieve the devices.
I let go of Ryuu's hand and both of us lifted our left hands to look at our wrists.
We exchanged a look and nodded, returning our attention to Mr. London, who didn't wait for those who were looking for their watches to continue with his instructions.
"Those watches will always show the allotted time you have during a mission or task. Whether it’s during classes like these or when you're in the field or similar, like your final exam, for example. When you have passed, a green light will appear on the screen. If you fail, it will be red. If it is white, that means your mark will be determined by the professor or group of professors. Sometimes you will have to report back to base, which is the school, to receive your score. Very rarely do you get the opportunity to have a one-on-one with the Dean. If you do, it can either be good or bad. For this trial, the same rules apply. Green for pass, red for fail, white for your score to be determined. Understood?"
The majority of us nodded, while a few were already raising their hands up to ask questions. Mr. London completely ignored them and clapped his hands once.
"Begin." His body disappeared, fading into nothing but little glowing sparkles that rained down to the desks.
Star let go of my pencil case, looking up in awe before she began jumping up to try to catch the stars.
I looked to Ryuu and he frowned, the two of us moving back to our desk. I scooped Star up, and took a few breaths, tugging at my magic, which came to my aid and tingled my fingertips with energy.
Opening my eyes, I noticed Ryuu staring at me.
"You really do get anxious a lot." His voice was low enough for the conversation to stay between the two of us, while the rest of the students began chattering and trying to figure out what we were supposed to look for.
"It's a habit," I admitted. "Taking deep breaths helps me level my magic and keep me calm. It's why we meditate a lot."
"Interesting." He nodded, looking around the room.
"This could be like one of those movies where the room is all sealed and starts to fill with water." I grinned with excitement.
Ryuu gave me a look, his face showing his disgust. "Please no."
“Dragons hate water?"
"Kinda. I mean, it won't stop me, and I know how to swim, but it isn't something I take pleasure in."
"Does that mean you hate baths?"
"They're fun with bubbles," he mumbled.
I grinned, and he arched an eyebrow at me. "What?"
"I'm trying to imagine a little Ryuu playing with bubbles in the bath and breathing fire everywhere." I giggled at the thought.
Ryuu blushed slightly before he mumbled. "I actually would freeze the water and bubbles because I didn't want them to keep popping."
"That's adorable," I practically squealed, having to lower my voice so people didn't realize we weren't focused on the current task. "How about showers?"
"What about them?"
"You don't like them?" I inquired.
He gave me a smirk and moved to lean into my ear. "They're meh, but a steamy shower with company is always fun."
My face grew hot, and Ryuu leaned back, looking as proud as ever with his smug smile. "You also look hot when you're embarrassed.”
"I hate you," I huffed.
"I know you don't mean that." He chuckled. "But seriously. The whole flood thing only happens in movies."
A group of girls who looked like cat shifters shrieked so loudly, it caught all of our attention.
"What the hell are you cats shrieking for?" a dude on the far left snapped. He looked like a dog shifter from his floppy ears.
"WATER!" The four girls ran across the room and hopped on their desks, staring daggers at the spot where they had been standing.
"Water?" I repeated and followed their gaze.
Star wiggled from my hold, jumping to the floor and running to the spot where there was indeed water leaking into the room.
Ryuu looked at me and sighed. "You have a powerful lip."
"What does that mean?" I questioned with a pout.
"It means your words are powerful. Or Mr. London just loved your idea and decided it would be fun to see us all drown," Ryuu replied.
The other students moved back as more water began to pour into the room out of nowhere.
I scanned the walls, trying to see if there was some type of hole or even a magic circle that could be overwritten to stop the flow of water, but the simple dark wood room was as normal as a human classroom.
"This is bad," I mumbled as students began to scramble and fight to get on top of the desks. Ryuu moved to stand next to me, slipping an arm around my waist.
"Star," Ryuu called out.
I looked back to see Star was hopping around in the water and I stared at her in confusion. "Aren't cats supposed to hate water?"
"Maybe it's her unicorn side that likes it." Ryuu shrugged. Star finally responded to Ryuu's call, running back to me and hopping onto our desk. She fluttered her wet fur and sat down patiently.
"Mewr?"
I reached out and petted her head, casting a spell at the same time. A tiny bubble wrapped around her, and she began to drift up toward the high ceiling.
"Huh? No spell?" Ryuu questioned, followin
g my gaze as we watched Star float upward.
"Some spells don't need words. If it's small enough, I don't need it,” I explained, my voice but a whisper. I didn't want people knowing just how powerful I was.
Shifters wouldn't know too much about the difference in power a witch could demonstrate with such a simple task, but one knowledgeable about the ranks of magic would know the stronger the mage, the shorter the spell.
Or in my case, some spells I could cast immediately with no words.
"Intriguing," Ryuu muttered, his eyes darting back and forth. "Time to move up and figure this out."
I couldn't respond right away because I was more intrigued by the large red dragon wings that sprouted from his back and spread out.
From the few gasps and sighs from around the room, I wasn't the only one who was more focused on Ryuu then our current drowning situation.
The inner lining of his wings was gold with hints of orange and red which was what really caught my focus. With a light slap, we were up in the air, reaching the ceiling in three seconds flat.
"Mewr, mewr." Star was air paddling in her little bubble. It was extremely cute in this otherwise anxious situation.
"So. What's the plan?" Ryuu questioned, following my gaze to Star. "This whole room is going to be submerged in about three minutes, give or take."
I shook my head to focus on our current situation, noticing that some of the students had grouped up and were inspecting the room while others quivered on the desks.
The water had already reached desk level so we really didn't have a lot of time.
Remembering what Mr. London had mentioned, I looked at my watch, noticing how the display lit up when my eyes landed on the glass surface, revealing the countdown numbers.
"Less than ten minutes," I announced to Ryuu, who was staring at my wrist.
At this point, those students who had wings were up in the sky while those who couldn't fly were doing their best to withstand the water and float in place.
"Star will remain in that bubble, right?" Ryuu asked.
"Yup. When the room submerges, she'll be fine. I'd do it for us as well, but we won't be able to move, which is a problem,” I admitted.
"Hmm. We need to take a better look," he grumbled. "Can't do it with this many people though."
"Fuck this!"
We turned to the group of girls who were doing their best to stay afloat. They were huddled together, their teeth clattering while their lips were beginning to tinge purple.
Is the water that cold?
One of the cat shifter students shook her head. "I forfeit! Retreat!"
We gawked in shock when her body vanished in pixel bursts. The three other cat shifters looked at one another and nodded.
"We forfeit! Retreat!" They disappeared in seconds, leaving the rest of us in bewilderment.
"Are you allowed to do that?" I wondered.
"It's just a class, so I assume so," Ryuu admitted. "Remember, we can die in these trials. Even if this is a class session, if you run out of air, that's it. You'll actually drown, and the professors aren't obligated to save you unless they feel like it."
If they feel like it. Damn...that's harsh.
"Makes sense. This will be our daily life when we graduate," I admitted.
We watched as students began to retreat. One by one, they would fade away while the water continued to rise. By the time it reached our shoes, there were only four of us left.
Glancing over to the pair in the opposite corner, they both cursed, staring back at us. "There's no way out," the male announced.
"Maybe we have to look underwater?" I suggested.
"I can't hold my breath that long," the female admitted, tightening her hold on the guy who lowered his eyes to her. "Let's go. It's just a trial. There's no reward or anything."
The guy looked hesitant, but he glanced around the almost-filled classroom and sighed.
"Good luck," he said to us. "We retreat."
"We forfeit," the girl said, and the two of them disappeared seconds later, leaving Ryuu and me alone in the flood madness.
I bit my lip in annoyance, not wanting to give up so soon. Ryuu moved his arm so his hands were on my waist. I flinched for a second, and he noticed, lifting an eyebrow at me.
"I'm fine. Sorry. The water is just beginning to soak my shoes." It was an excuse, but it seemed to work as he nodded in understanding.
"Want to give it a try?" Ryuu questioned.
"What do you wanna do?" I countered.
"I hate water, but I have a large lung capacity." Ryuu grimaced when the water reached our thighs.
His wings disappeared, but we didn't drop too far as he gripped one of the pipes along the wall we were against while slipping an arm back around my waist once again.
I could see why the cat shifters had retreated so quickly. The water was frigid.
"How long can you hold your breath for?" I asked, trying to fight my body’s urge to tremble.
"Five minutes. Maybe six. I'd be able to do better if the water wasn't so cold," he admitted, his teeth already beginning to clatter.
"Cold," I repeated, a thought coming to my mind. "Ryuu? Can you warm the temperature of the water?"
"I could, but how hot are we talking?"
"Hot, hot," I stressed. "Like, boiling, if possible."
"You realize that will burn you." He looked apprehensive to follow my request, and his eyes showed hints of worry.
"I'll be fine. My magic can protect me from a drastic temperature change. I'm simply not using it now because I'm going to need it just in case we run out of air."
"You have a plan, don't you?" Ryuu concluded.
My grin was short-lived due to my trembling lips.
"Yes, but I need you to make this water as hot as possible while holding your breath. I think the item we're looking for may respond to the temperature of the water. That's why it's absolutely freezing,” I explained.
Taking a deep breath, I moved his arm from around my waist and submerged myself in the water.
Looking around quickly, I noticed the desks were now floating around, but the bookshelf at the back of the classroom looked perfectly fine.
Ryuu's hand somehow found mine, and he tapped it as if to check if I was okay. I moved back up to the surface, needing a few seconds to breathe while I used my other hand to wipe my face.
"Nothing, but I think once the water warms up, we'll find what we're supposed to look for."
"Is there a Plan B?" Ryuu asked. Both of our heads reached the ceiling of the room, giving us less than a minute before the room would be completely submerged.
"Mewr." Star was now next to our heads, looking between the two of us.
"Plan B will be giving us bubbles to breathe and figuring this out. It may cost more magic on my end, but it'll give us a second and maybe even third attempt at figuring this out."
"Time?" Ryuu reminded.
I lifted my wrist. The display that showed six minutes. "Guess we only got one shot," Ryuu concluded.
"Five minutes to hold your breath. I should be able to go down and review the entire room in four. If we can't figure it out, we'll use the last minute to forfeit."
"Deal," Ryuu replied. "But I believe you'll figure it out." He winked and unexpectedly kissed my forehead.
If I wasn't freezing my ass off, I'm sure my cheeks would have at least felt warm from his affection.
I gave him the best smile I could under these circumstances. We both nodded before taking huge inhales and dunking into the water, after checking to make sure Star was still in her bubble.
Ryuu’s mismatched eyes began to glow while his body was emitting heat. His left eye began to shift colors until it completely matched his right one.
Now that the water temperature had increased, it was making my body tingle. I moved away and began to swim downward.
Stopping in front of the blackboard, I spread my hands out and closed my eyes. There was no way for me to take a breath and calm my hyp
er magic that was ready to be used for whatever I had planned.
In this case, it wouldn't matter the amount of magic I let out, for it would be protecting me from the rapid increase in temperature around me.
Landoso Warmala Descendo La Free!
With the thought of the spell, my body grew hot and then cooled, normalizing my temperature to match with the water.
I was sure if the room wasn't completely filled, we'd see it boiling from the surface, but now that it wasn't affecting me, I could pay attention to the problem at hand.
Doing a quick inspection of the blackboard and rest of the front of the class, I knew immediately that the bookcase was what was going to contain our exit strategy.
Something light bumped into my cheek, and I noticed Star was next to me in her little bubble.
"Mewr!"
I really shouldn't be able to hear you.
Star just looked at me in response. Right. Totally can't hear me when I'm thinking.
"Mewr?" Star seemed to reply, air paddling herself behind me and toward the other side of the room. I didn't know how her movements were even helping her move, but I gave up trying to think of a reason, especially given all the can and can't do's in this world filled with magic and supernatural beings.
Lifting my feet so they landed on the blackboard, I squatted down and quickly glanced to my watch. Three minutes...
Using the board as leverage, I pushed off it to give me momentum as I swam forward. Using my left hand, I waved away the floating desks that were approaching me.
It didn't take me long to reach the bookshelf, and I began scanning it. I noticed a red book that was flickering on and off like a red light that was on its last bit of energy.
Gripping the shelf, I reached out for the next, using it to help me reach the very bottom shelf. Taking a better look at the book, I hesitantly reached out to it but glanced up to check on Ryuu, who was still in the same spot.
He gave me a nod of encouragement and I used it to motivate me to be more confident. Swiftly pulling out the book, I noticed how hot it was, and quickly let go.
My hand stung, but the energy running through me quickly traveled to my right hand, and the stinging dulled.
SSS: Year One (Supernatural Spy School Book 1) Page 23