15 The Nyomin trainees’ decision

The train finally stopped about two hours and a half later. I looked at the merfolk as she was brightening up after a short nap. She nodded.

“We’ve arrived.”

I had carefully put my violin back in its case. Cynsea gave my hoodie back.

“Thanks a bunch. I really should buy one of those one day.”

From her tone of voice, it wasn’t a priority at all. I smiled. Apparently, Cynsea had spent all her childhood underwater, in Tampa City, in the Wood Sea, and had since then grown used to wearing bathing suits everywhere she went.

I saw her take out a key and snorted.

“You had the key?”

She grinned.

“But of course. I’m in charge of taking care of you young trainees, after all, since I was selected as the IHA representative. Thanks for this wonderful evening, by the way.”

“You are most welcomed.”

“You’re totally sucking up at her now,” Zeeta sneered at me.

“I’m not! That’s rude, Zeeta!”

Cynsea laughed, stepped into the corridor, and turned around.

“You two sure are good friends. But I’m wondering, is Zeeta a nickname?”

I grimaced. I had accidentally called him by his real name a bunch of times in the evening. It wasn’t surprising that Cynsea had noticed. Zeeta didn’t seem to get nervous, though.

“It’s my name too,” he answered. “Zeeta O’Bell was the name my father gave me. The name Leonardo Sakamoto was given by my mother. I’m from a ‘di-namic’ family.”

“Oh! A di-namic family, I’ve heard of it!” Cynsea nodded, enthusiastic. “It is a common custom in Starland for each parent to give their child a different name and surname, it’s how it works, isn’t it?”

“Yep. That’s right.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I stared at Zeeta as if I was seeing a ghost.

“But then… who are you?”

Zeeta paused, then patted my head.

“It’s not amnesia, Armen, don’t worry—”

“I’m serious!” I complained. “Which one? Leonardo and Zeeta at once?”

“Actually, I’m neither of those. My real name is…” Zeeta averted his eyes, suddenly troubled. “Hilda Rocket.”

Cynsea burst out laughing. I rolled my eyes.

“Hilda Rocket? Stop kidding, man. Who’s that?”

“She’s a famous idol!” Cynsea said, laughing. “Anyway, stop fooling around. We’ll get off with the others. You don’t forget anything in your seats, right? Then let’s go.”

As we followed her through the corridor, I muttered:

“A dynamic family, huh? I thought ‘dynamic’ meant busy. I learned something today.”

“No. Di-namic is spelled with an ‘i’, and the ‘a’ is pronounced like in ‘name’,” Cynsea explained.

“Oh. I see. Guess that my family is free-namic, then. Actually, I’m Armen Moon, but my sister is Azritz Rizvi, and my dad is Jack Chen, and my mom’s Mirae Dewala, my granddad’s—”

Zeeta laughed, cutting me off.

“If you try to fool me, then find better names! Jack Chen? Isn’t that a famous actor?”

I raised an eyebrow.

“I’m not lying. My dad is really called Jack Chen.”

“Mm, now that I think about it, I’ve heard of such a naming system,” Cynsea said thoughtfully. “It’s a widespread custom in the Starwest… Belgrade, Qingdao… You’re from Bird Island, right? Then… could it be one of your ancestors was a slave from the Fisher Wars?”

“Whoa… How could you guess?”

Cynsea winked.

“Knowledge’s power, my dear.”

She reached one of the exit doors and opened it. Zeeta was growing more and more stunned.

“Your ancestors were slaves?!”

“Yep. My grandpa’s grandpa was a slave. Seems that his great-great-grandpa was a fisherman from Belgrade, he was caught by a corsair in the open sea with his dad and was sold on Bird Island to work in the field.”

“Oh… I thought your ancestors were all lighthouse keepers.”

“Not at all. Actually, my dad only thought of becoming a lighthouse keeper when he met my mom and they saw a notice in Taipei about the job. Actually, the only one to have passed the exam to be a lighthouse keeper is my mom. I never told you? Well, now you know,” I grinned.

Zeeta was lost in thought. Cynsea cleared her throat.

“How about we hurry up to join the others? The train is long, and we’re a bit far.”

I only then completely realized we had gotten off the train. Several doors away, the other Independent trainees were getting off as well. Some of them were carrying up to four suitcases or bags. Just for two months… Heh. They were so pumped up.

I looked around. It was pitch black almost in every direction. The ocean was complete darkness, the platform wasn’t lighted everywhere, and beyond, I could only see the distant lights of a road climbing the high hill.

I had read that Phoenix Island was like a turtle with long legs migrating around the Big Triangle Stream, pushed by the energy of its orange Crystal. The city was on the main island, in the middle, while the Phoenix Academy was on the head. So far, I couldn’t guess which island we were on.

“Oh, Armen, Zeeta,” Cynsea said halfway to the group. “About what we discussed earlier, about those CI’s students… Don’t tell anyone, okay? If the other trainees knew about that, some could have ill intentions and take advantage of their weaknesses. Those two kids… I know they are strong, but given their circumstances, they might need more psychological support than anything else.”

Zeeta and I looked at each other and nodded firmly.

“We understand.”

We finally reached the group. I was looking for Arkifa, when my eyes bumped into Noah and Andrea, not far away from Mr. Huang. I stiffened. Andrea had recovered her sharp gaze, while Noah, with his arms crossed, was making eyes at a group of girls. No one would have guessed that they had been flying higher than a kite five hours ago.

“Oh, stupidstar,” Noah said on seeing me. “I heard you had been punished for being late. You’re not much of a star anymore, are you?”

His hazy eyes, his expressionless face back then… I tried to forget all of it and managed a smile.

“That’s because I’m a moon, not a star.”

“So lame.”

“Haha.”

“Oh. I heard you play the guitar when I was walking through a corridor.” When he was going back from that dark room, that is…

“The violin, you mean,” I corrected him. “I’m the violin, Zeeta’s the guitar.”

“Zeeta? The one who punched me?”

I grimaced at his surly tone.

“Ah… No, forget that. I meant Leon.”

Behind his mask, Zeeta stayed silent. He didn’t want to interact much with the other trainees, did he?

“Everyone’s here?” a loud voice asked. “Then, follow me! We’re going to the training grounds.”

“That’s the Soft Queen! The Soft Queen!” were the whispers saying around me.

We were following the ones in charge, getting off the platform, when I saw Arkifa surrounded by four girls. I came up happily.

“Arkifa! Good evening! How are you doing?”

She was going to answer, when one girl of her entourage barked:

“Get off her back, you guys! You’ve been ogling her for so long already! You’re disgusting!”

I blinked.

“Eh?”

The other girls agreed with grumbles. Noah chimed in:

“What’s your name?”

“… Skylar Zhang. Why?”

“Actually, I was looking at you, since you’re the prettiest in the group.”

The girl gasped in shock. Noah guffawed.

“Hahaha, you fell for it!”

Skylar’s eyes suddenly gleamed with a red light.

“I’m gonna kill you!”

“Wow, what are those, laser eyes? You look like a lighthouse…” He jerked up, snorting. “Hey, that hurt! Relax!” I looked at him, intrigued. Did Skylar’s eyes just do something to him? He protested: “How can I look at anyone in this darkness, anyway? Now the only girl I can see is you.”

“Shashasha, Noah-kun, you’re a romantic, aren’t you,” Ilija commented cheerfully. The tall black guy with white afro hair was walking behind us.

“Oh, big bro,” I greeted him, while Noah was replying:

“What romantic, I was just stating the truth—”

“Cut the crap!”

Skylar’s scream was loud. The Soft Queen at the front spun around and shouted:

“Be quiet, trainees! Fights are forbidden for now!”

Silence fell on us. I had asked Cynsea the Hypnotist why the ‘Soft’ Queen. It seemed that that Crowned Fairy’s power was to transform temporarily almost any metallic solid or rock into aerogel. So it had nothing to do with her character.

We walked on a long dyke for a long moment. To our left, there was a field enshrouded in darkness and a high cliff; to our right, the waves were foaming against the wall.

Arkifa finally managed to reach me.

“Hello, latecomer.”

“Hello, goddess.”

“I’m no goddess.”

“Then why are they worshipping you so faithfully? Those girls over there.”

I made out Arkifa’s grimace in the dark.

“That’s… I think they just realized I’m strong and want me to protect them.”

She said that in a whisper. I smiled.

“I wonder how strong you are.” I paused. “How unbalanced is this world, isn’t it? You’re smart and strong. I’m stupid and weak.”

Arkifa snorted in laughter.

“That’s too pessimistic! It’s not like you.”

“Right,” I grinned. “But because I’m stupid and weak, challenges are more fun too. I promised Ashooka I’d protect you. So I’ll try my best.”

“… Thanks. I’ll try to protect you too.”

“Thanks. But no need, I’m immortal.”

“You wish!”

We arrived at a large beach next to a low building, a pontoon and a big boat. The organizers told us to form a line. We were all given flashlights attached to a headband. The Soft Queen started explaining with her curt voice:

“Let me introduce myself again: I am Angela Lasri, nicknamed the Soft Queen. I was charged with leading you to the training grounds and will be one of your instructors for this Experimental Program for the Heroes of Tomorrow organized by the Nyomin, and sponsored by the WHO. In case some of you do not know yet, we are in Phoenix, on the main island. In front of you, beyond the waters, you can distinguish the lights of the Phoenix Academy. That’s Yuutow Island. It will become your home for those two months of training. We were planning on making you cross to the island by boat, but the Nyomin trainees decided otherwise. Their first task was to choose the best way to welcome you, and they agreed on your first challenge.”

Her sharp eyes embraced us.

“You will have to cross to Yuutow Island and reach the Academy’s gates on your own.” That caused a bit of a commotion. “Be quiet!”

The silence came back almost immediately. The Crowned Fairy’s blue hair looked even spikier, her eyes even more piercing.

“All the luggage you won’t carry will be taken care of by the team. Once you reach the island, don’t try to relax, for you will have to deal with the Nyomin trainees. Their mission is to get your badges.”

Badges? I took out mine from my pocket. It was orange, with a ‘42’ written on it. So that’s why they had insisted on the bus for us to take our badges to the training…

“If a Nyomin trainee gets your badge and makes it to the gates with it, that will mean you will live in their house and will have to be loyal to them. They will become the leader of your party. So, consider this badge as if it was your heart, protect it, and give it only to the person you think you will be willing to work for. This will improve your teamwork and your appraisal capacities. This will also give you a chance to be integrated into the elites’ world and make contacts.”

Her talking made me frown. That gap she was drawing between Independent trainees and Nyomin trainees… I wasn’t expecting her to show it so blatantly. I felt uneasy.

“The training starts from this point onward. If you lose your badge in the sea or the woods, you won’t be able to get into the Academy, so don’t lose it. Also, if you cross the gates with your badge, you won’t need to swear loyalty to any Nyomin trainee, but you will also suffer the consequences of that choice. You choose your path. And remember: we, as instructors, will obviously use this first challenge to assess your capabilities and behavior, but this is also a way for you to meet the other trainees and get to know them. Keep in mind that you all will be living on the same island for two months. Everyone! I wish you an edifying training on Yuutow Phoenix Island.”

There was a tense silence, then Cynsea let out:

“Now please put away everything you think you won’t need during this first challenge, devices that are not water-proof, and the like. Please, this way! You may change into your swimsuits inside the building.”

“No need,” a black-haired guy just said as he headed toward the waters wearing clothes and carrying a small bag. “Just take care of my suitcase.”

I tilted my head. Wasn’t his face a bit familiar? In the darkness, we all saw him put a foot on the small waves. He didn’t sink. He kept walking some centimeters above the water. Was he a master telekinetic?

“Oh? Is that a hydrophobic power?” Ilija said with interest. I looked at him, curious.

“Hydrophobic?”

“It’s a dangerous power, because one can die from thirst, but I know of a person who can control it quite well and even use it to command streams of water. I’m talking about the Yokohama’s governor. I once saw him drive back an emperor seaworm from the shore. It was impressive to see.”

I widened my eyes. Seaworms were long, big marine creatures I would commonly see during my childhood, forming arcs in the deep sea. My mom called them blue dragons. As for emperor seaworms… I had only seen one once, and it had marked me for life. It was, like, ten times bigger than a normal seaworm.

“Your governor’s so cool,” I gasped.

“Shashasha, he is powerful, you can be sure of it, Armen-kun.”

“And who’s that guy?” I asked, pointing at the hydrophobic trainee with my chin.

“Ryu Buckbee,” someone answered behind me. I turned my eyes to the voice.

“Jing!”

The bald martial artist added:

“He’s sixteen despite his looks. He told me he was studying martial arts just like me.”

I looked back at Ryu Buckbee. He was walking on the dark waters without any fear. Where had I seen him again? Ryu Buckbee. Ryu…

Then it dawned on me.

“No way…” I snorted. Ryu, that teenager friend of the merfolk that I had traumatized last spring with my previous power… Ryu from the Black-Hearts. What was he doing here?

I frowned, lost in thought. Could it be the Sunclaw family had sent not only Lei, Axel, and Linah as Nyomin trainees, but also people from their gang as Independent trainees?

While I was daydreaming, the trainees were going one by one into the ocean as soon as they had checked everything they needed. I saw Andrea nod to something Mr. Huang was saying then head to the water. She was wearing her wetsuit, as usual, so she didn’t have to change clothes. As for me, I took off my hoodie, kept my shirt on, and put on my swimsuit. If I hadn’t known we were going to an island, I wouldn’t have brought it. With his flashlight, Noah lit my red, flowered boardshorts and said:

“Indianapolis.”

I rolled my eyes. Indianapolis was a famous and expensive island in the middle of the Frolic Ocean, where surf lovers from all over the world came to take the best waves.

I looked at his old-fashioned underpants and said:

“Perv.”

“I don’t have a swimsuit. By the way, if you get caught by a stupid elite, I’ll laugh at you, stupidstar. Well, I’m off!”

The crimson guy shamelessly headed to the water with nothing more than his badge fastened on his headband next to his flashlight.

“Sean Bensaïd.” The Soft Queen called out to the fifteen-year-old freckled boy. “As a Nyomin trainee, you will get on the boat and start the hunt with your peers at the same time.”

“Ah, can’t I start collecting badges now?” Sean asked, fiddling with a badge.

“You can once you put a foot on the island. Give that badge back.”

“Too bad,” he said, and he handed it back to Azwyne. Since the brown-haired guy didn’t look surprised, I guessed he had made a deal with Sean. Well, he most certainly wasn’t the only one to have already chosen his leader. Things weren’t as simple as they seemed. As such, it was to be expected that Ryu Buckbee would end up working under Lei or Axel, since he was a Black-Heart. As for me, I was obviously aiming for Ray.

Zeeta and I left our belongings beside Cynsea; the merfolk gave us a thumbs up.

“I will take care of your luggage and instruments. Don’t worry, and good luck.”

“Thanks!”

Without further delay, we walked on the sand and soon reached the waves. Water was already covering Ilija to his waist, and he turned to me, beaming.

“Armen-kun! It’s warmer than I thought! Shashasha!”

He began to back crawl leisurely like he was in a pool. When Nina passed by me, I asked:

“Nina! Will you be all right? Since you’re from the mountains…”

“Well…” The silver-haired girl smiled slightly. “I’m lucky, so if I’m going ahead, that means I won’t drown. I wish you good luck too!”

“Coming from you, that means a lot!” I smiled.

Almost everyone was already swimming toward Yuutow Island. Judging by the lights of the flashlights, some trainees were already halfway, and one of them had even caught up with Ryu. That must be the merfolk of the group. What was her name again? I remembered she had come after Zeeta when the Lightning Veil had given us our badges, and she had been scolded for being a bit too reckless during the practical test, but still passed and got twelfth ranked. Salazar. Yeah, I remembered: she was called Sasha Salazar.

The silence of the night was only interrupted by the ocean waves, the splashing of the swimmers, and a soft breeze.

As the water was slowly covering me, I thought about two things. First, I was a bit worried about the possibility that the patch the Lord had put on my injury would break in the water. Not only salt was bad for an undead, but if water were to fill my body, I would sink. And also… I noticed Zeeta wasn’t following. He had stopped a few meters behind.

“Zeeta? What’s wrong?”

“… Agh. Islands are such a pain.”

He paused, we looked at each other, and he finally confessed bluntly:

“Straw Head, I can’t swim. I never tried.”

I was astonished. He splashed the surface with a casual kick.

“It’s not like I’m afraid of water, it’s just that I’ve never tried. Oh well, but now I guess I don’t have much of a choice, I’ve got to learn. I’ll try to swim the doggy paddle. You go first. Sorry, your stalker won’t be able to follow you.”

I came back to him.

“No, no, no! Don’t try anything stupid. You could drown. As my dad says, the ocean is no joke. Can you even float?”

“… No idea.”

“Then don’t try. Also, Zeeta… I’ve heard stories about good swimmers who drowned because they tried to help others who couldn’t swim. So, if you want me to help, you will have to do as I say.”

“Er… Okay, but I didn’t ask for your help. And you can’t die from drowning, anyway,” he added in a whisper.

I widened my eyes then chuckled. So true. How could I forget I was dead? I clapped his shoulder.

“Come with me. I have a plan.”

We began to run along the water, toward the pontoon where the Soft Queen was embarking with her team, Sean Bensaïd, and all the luggage. I called her out:

“Soft Queen! My friend can’t swim. Can he get on board? Pretty please?”

The look she threw at me gave me goosebumps, at least internally.

“He can try to get on, but I won’t let him,” the Soft Queen said.

Cynsea had turned a bit pale. Zeeta snorted behind me.

“Straw Head… That was your plan?!”

I complained:

“Couldn’t you give him at least some floaties?”

“Floaties?”

“He means inflatable armbands, ma’am,” Sean said.

“I know what ‘floaties’ means.” The Soft Queen’s eyes scorned at him, then pierced me. “Then again, I won’t let any Independent trainee get on board. I’d advise you to think it over and find another way to help your friend. Is everything ready?” she added to the sailors. “Then, get going!”

My gentle approach didn’t work, huh. The boat soon drew away from the shore. It must be a crystal fuel ship, to go that fast… Zeeta laid a hand on my shoulder.

“Thanks for trying, man.”

I swallowed my disappointment, then smiled defiantly at the dark ocean and the lights.

“Find another way, huh, Your Majesty?” I turned to my friend, chortling. “Zeeta, I have a plan.”

“Again?! Give me a break!”

“No, no, this time…” I drew closer to him and breathed in his wasted lifeforce. “It will definitely work out.”

“…”

“By the way, your lifeforce is getting more delicious by the day. Did you change your diet?”

“… S-S-Straw Head. You will drive me crazy one day.”

His heart was racing, pounding against his chest. I smiled happily. Zeeta was living his life to the max, huh?