NOVEL ONLINE FREE Chapter 24: Let's Do It
The nearby mermer of voices rising in volume alerted the greenhorn instructor that students were starting to trickle into the building. They would be, no doubt, scouring the halls for most of the available time after breakfast, and during passing periods between courses. The squeaking of rubber souls reverberated through the vast hallways of the instruction buildings accompanied the excited chatter of students. The symphony of adolescence would more than likely be the mood music of the week, as students try to get their bearings and find the locations of all of their scheduled classes.
After a brief moment of reorienting himself amongst his new surroundings, Vorden let his instincts kick in. He pushed his sense of hearing out into the hallway, focusing on each sound and tried to isolate them. He was able to differentiate several different types of shoes from the high pitched sneaker to the repetitive click-clack of high heels and a myriad of others in between. Vorden could make out one or two voices that had a deeper register and were most likely fellow staff. He could also pick up on some feminine words that held the rasp of an individual more advanced in age. He took in all of the auditory stimuli his young, new ears could pick out and committed them to his memory. It was a habit. After a lifetime of fighting and as a child born into one of the strongest families of ability users in history, with some of the most harrowing enemies of any family, some habits just weren't so easy to forget. As an adult having lived for over a thousand years, there wasn't much he hadn't seen or mastered. Still, this was different. Teaching—or rather, instructing—teenagers, undergoing mandatory conscription, was a world far removed from the high-stakes battles he had faced in the past. Then why was he so much more nervous now?
Teenagers... Scare the living shit out of me, who could've guessed?
Absurdly young-looking for a sergeant—as if he was still in his early twenties, while being technically over a thousand years old—Vorden was acutely aware of the oddity of his situation. As he paced the room, a faint tremor of nerves tingled in his gut. He was here to teach the refined art of elemental control, not just stew about how he might very well feel like an overqualified babysitter.
Suddenly the classroom door swooshed inward and when Vorden's eyelids shot open, standing there in front of the door he recognized the older affable woman from the instructor's lounge gathering, smiling wide. As his gaze met her figure she blushed slightly at the sight of his vibrant blue green eyes as the prominent color within them shifted back and forth. "First day jitters?" Her strained voice asked, her words sounded as if they were enveloped in wool. Slightly softened as if to round out each letter, while still being firm and heavy enough to carry. Without warning she vanished. However a voice floated over from somewhere between where the woman stood just a moment ago and Vorden.
Vorden searched to find Sargent Keira Flood, one of his elder colleagues, her form flickering in and out of reality. The master of invisibility had a penchant for making her presence felt without being seen, and she burst into sight when she realized Vorden had already noticed her, steeped in a warm smile. "How's it going, Vorden? Like I said, first day's jitters?"
"Jitters? Me? Never!" he replied, a tad too enthusiastically. "I mean, what could go wrong?" He fiend a chuckle. Her eyes sparkled like polished diamonds. Glinting as she let her eyes linger, drinking in his frame. She composed herself quickly and shifted her weight to the other foot.
"Just remember: if they give you grief, let it go. They're at that stage where they want to test the limits. But honestly, you'll do great. Just don't forget to keep the distinction between you and them. You may look like you're not much older than them, but you are not their friend. They will try taking advantage otherwise."
" Thank you for the advice, I'll be sure to keep it in mind. As for the jitters... nah, I don't have jitters per se. More like first day terror," he replied reluctantly, an easy grin spreading across his features. "Maybe also a dash of nausea," he grimaced as his hand landed on his stomach. Sargent Flood brought a finger to her chin and tapped against it a few times pensively. She looked at Vorden with a thoughtful look.
"Want to copy my invisibility and pull a little prank before class starts?" she finally asked, with the excitement of her devilish epiphany shamelessly showing on her mischievous face. Intrigued Vorden looked around his empty classroom, thought about it for a second and wondered, would there be repercussions for this? Could there be?
Not much one for theatrics, he was about to decline, but another wave of memories washed over him. Recalling the way that Peter got relentlessly picked on and how people like Duke were able to keep it under wraps, a new thought ignited in Vorden's chest and with it Vorden nodded eagerly.
"Let's do it."
He approached her, extending his hand, their fingers brushing just briefly—just enough for Vorden to feel a spark of energy zipping through his body. In that instant, he felt his own aura shift as he gained the invisibility ability. Almost immediately, his surroundings swallowed him as he faded away, he slipped into the fabric of the unseen. With a smirk, he settled into a seat at the front of the classroom, invisible and utterly concealed.
With that Sargent Flood gave him a wink in his general direction and as she turned to exit the room she lingered for a brief moment at the door and turned back to say "Have fun Sargent Blade" her words came out in a mischievous sing-song way that was very playful. Then she was gone.
"She is going to be trouble, I think," he muttered in a wry tone, glancing at the classroom's clock.