CHAPTER TWELVE - RESCUE SIMULATION 001
896 Words
The next morning, the students gathered at the academy's largest training arena.
Instead of the usual obstacle course, an enormous stone structure now stood in the middle of the field.
It looked exactly like a four-story building.
Broken pillars leaned dangerously against cracked walls. Artificial smoke poured from shattered windows while magical flames consumed sections of the building.
Several students exchanged nervous glances.
"...Are we fighting inside that?"
Professor Kael stepped forward.
"No."
His deep voice immediately silenced the arena.
"Today..."
"...you will save lives."
He raised one hand.
A loud metallic alarm echoed throughout the academy.
WARNING! BUILDING COLLAPSE IMMINENT!
Suddenly—
BOOM!
Part of the structure exploded.
Students instinctively stepped backward.
Wooden beams crashed onto the ground.
Dust filled the air.
From somewhere inside came desperate cries.
"HELP!"
"SOMEBODY HELP US!"
Olivia's heart skipped.
"...Are those real people?"
Professor Kael shook his head.
"Training dummies."
"They cry."
"They bleed."
"They break."
"But they cannot die."
He slowly looked around the arena.
"In the real world..."
"...those cries belong to innocent people."
He folded his arms.
"A warrior who only knows how to destroy is nothing more than a weapon."
His eyes became colder.
"A leader..."
"...knows how to protect."
He pointed toward the burning structure.
"There are two rescue dummies hidden inside."
"Each of you has ten minutes."
"Save them."
"Bring them back alive."
"Fail..."
"...and the mission ends."
Silence.
Nobody moved.
Then Professor Kael looked toward the front row.
"Asher."
*ASHER*
Asher cracked his knuckles before grinning.
"My kind of challenge."
The whistle blew.
In a flash—
He disappeared.
The crowd gasped.
Only streaks of electricity marked where he'd been.
Inside the collapsing building, Asher zigzagged through falling debris faster than anyone could follow.
A massive beam crashed toward a trapped dummy.
He caught it milliseconds before impact.
"You're safe."
Without slowing down, he lifted the dummy onto his back and raced toward the exit.
Halfway there—
A second cry echoed from upstairs.
Asher stopped.
"Damn..."
He looked at the exit.
Then back upstairs.
Without hesitation...
He turned around.
Three minutes later...
He emerged carrying both rescue dummies.
The students erupted into applause.
Professor Kael nodded.
"Excellent."
Then he added—
"You completed the objective."
"But you forgot something."
Asher frowned.
"What?"
Professor Kael pointed downward.
The first dummy's arm hung unnaturally.
"You ran too fast."
"You saved its life..."
"...but broke its arm."
The applause immediately became awkward.
Asher scratched the back of his head.
"...Oops."
Even he laughed.
*BECCA*
"Becca."
She inhaled deeply before stepping into the burning building.
Unlike Asher...
She didn't rush.
Water formed around her hands in graceful ribbons, wrapping around burning beams and extinguishing flames one section at a time.
Steam hissed through the building.
Instead of forcing her way through...
She created a safe path.
When she reached the first dummy, a burning ceiling threatened to collapse.
With a swift motion, a powerful stream of water pushed the debris aside before it could fall.
She gently lifted the dummy onto her shoulder.
As she made her way toward the exit, she heard another cry deeper inside the building.
Without hesitation, she turned back.
By the time she emerged carrying both dummies, she was soaked from head to toe.
The crowd applauded warmly.
Professor Kael gave a rare approving nod.
"Excellent rescue."
He looked at the class.
"Notice her priorities."
"Safety."
"Calmness."
"Control."
He smiled slightly.
"That..."
"...is what heroes look like."
Becca blushed as the students clapped.
Liam
Liam entered confidently.
He slammed both palms against the ground.
Stone walls erupted around the trapped civilians, shielding them from falling rubble.
Every collapsing beam struck solid earth instead.
Instead of rushing...
He slowly built a tunnel leading outside.
When Liam finally emerged with both rescue dummies...
Not a single scratch covered them.
Professor Kael smiled.
"Protection before speed."
"Very good."
Olivia
Professor Kael looked up.
"Olivia."
Every eye turned toward her.
She swallowed hard.
The flames...
The smoke...
The screams...
Her breathing became uneven.
Becca noticed immediately.
"You've got this," she whispered.
Olivia forced herself forward.
The whistle sounded.
She entered.
Heat surrounded her.
Burning beams crashed around her.
She found the first rescue dummy pinned beneath a wooden support.
"I'll get you out..."
She reached out.
Flames appeared in her hands.
Small.
Controlled.
Then—
A loud explosion shook the building.
Olivia flinched.
Instantly—
The fire exploded.
WHOOSH!
- Writer
