Hunter Academy: Revenge of the Weakest

Irina froze for a split second, Jasmine’s question hanging in the air like a spark threatening to ignite. Her fiery yellow eyes flickered with a mixture of surprise and something more as the words settled in her mind.

‘Are we a couple?’

The question was deceptively simple, but it sent her thoughts spiraling. She stood straighter, her earlier posture of relaxed confidence shifting subtly as her mind raced. It wasn’t the first time this question had crossed her mind—far from it. In fact, it had been haunting her recently more than she cared to admit.

She glanced at Jasmine, her sharp eyes wide with curiosity, and then at Sylvie, who sat still but whose gaze flicked nervously toward her. The room felt heavier, the unspoken tension pressing against her chest as she considered her answer.

‘Are we?’ Irina thought, her lips parting slightly before closing again. The memories flooded in, vivid and sharp. The confession she’d made to Astron, her kiss that had lingered longer than it should have. At the time, she’d thought that was it. ‘I’ve got him,’ she’d told herself, her usual confidence carrying her through the moment.

But then Maya had entered the picture.

Astron’s connection with Maya—whatever it was—had introduced a new layer of doubt. She remembered the way he interacted with Maya, the quiet familiarity between them. The way he didn’t push her away or avoid her, even when Irina was present. It wasn’t jealousy, exactly, but it unsettled her.

‘If we’re a couple,’ Irina thought, her fiery gaze hardening slightly, ‘then why does it feel like there’s still a line I haven’t crossed?’

She had planned to address it, to confront Astron and define things clearly between them. She was never one to shy away from her feelings, much less leave important matters unresolved. And yet, every time she’d found herself alone with him, the words wouldn’t come. Opportunities had presented themselves—more than once—but she had let them slip away.

‘Why didn’t I say it?’ she wondered, her frustration simmering beneath the surface. ‘I’m not the type to hold back, so why couldn’t I just ask him?’

The silence stretched for a beat too long, and Irina realized Jasmine was still waiting for her answer. She forced a smirk, her fiery eyes narrowing slightly as she leaned against the locker once more.

“What do you think?” she asked smoothly, her voice carrying her usual edge of confidence.

Jasmine blinked, clearly caught off guard by the deflection. “Uh, I mean… it kind of seems like you are?” she ventured cautiously.

Irina’s smirk widened, though the sharpness in her eyes remained. “Then go with that,” she said simply, brushing a strand of fiery hair over her shoulder. “It’s not like it’s any of your business anyway.”

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Jasmine frowned, her curiosity clearly unsatisfied, but Irina didn’t give her the chance to press further. She straightened, her posture commanding as she turned toward Sylvie, who quickly averted her gaze.

“Well?” Irina asked, her tone deceptively casual. “Do you have something to add, Sylvie?”

Sylvie shook her head quickly, her hands tightening slightly on the hem of her sleeve. “No, nothing,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Irina’s smirk softened slightly, though her fiery gaze remained sharp. “Good,” she said, turning back toward the center of the room. “Then let’s focus on what matters. We’ve got more important things to deal with than gossip.”

But even as she dismissed the question aloud, it lingered in her mind, a stubborn spark refusing to be extinguished. ‘Are we a couple?’ she thought again, the words echoing in the back of her mind.

‘If we are really a couple….If Astron really thinks so, then why is he still letting Senior Maya get close to him?’

Irina’s smirk faltered for just a fraction of a second as the thought lingered in her mind, gnawing at the edges of her fiery confidence. ‘If we are really a couple… if Astron really thinks so, then why is he still letting Senior Maya get so close to him?’

Her fingers tapped lightly against her crossed arms as the question buzzed in her mind, persistent and relentless. Knowing Astron, she couldn’t imagine him being careless.

He wasn’t the type to play games, much less entertain something as ridiculous as two-timing.

Or was he?

‘He wouldn’t… would he?’ The doubt crept in uninvited, a faint but unwelcome whisper at the back of her mind. ‘No way. There’s no way. He’s too straightforward for that. Too principled.’

But the possibility, no matter how remote, gnawed at her. Irina’s fiery yellow eyes narrowed slightly as she pushed the thought aside. ‘If he’s even considering something that stupid, I’d be…’ Her thoughts trailed off, her jaw tightening.

‘Greatly disappointed.’ The words carried a weight that surprised even her. Disappointment wasn’t something Irina handled well, and the idea of feeling it toward Astron was unsettling. She didn’t know what she would do if that were the case, and the uncertainty frustrated her more than she cared to admit.

She let out a soft huff, brushing a strand of fiery hair out of her face as she turned her thoughts to a more immediate concern. Her gaze slid to Sylvie, catching the girl fidgeting slightly in her seat. Sylvie’s hands were still clutching at her sleeves, her green eyes darting nervously to the floor.

Irina’s smirk returned, sharper this time, though her fiery eyes remained narrowed as she studied Sylvie. ‘This should stop some vixens at least,’ she thought, the edge of triumph flickering in her expression.

Sylvie must have sensed the shift, her gaze flickering up just briefly enough to meet Irina’s. The contact was fleeting, but it was enough to make Sylvie straighten slightly, her fidgeting stopping as she tried to compose herself.

‘Good,’ Irina thought, her smirk softening but remaining firmly in place. ‘Let’s make sure everyone knows their place.’

The silence stretched between them for a moment before Irina turned her attention back to the center of the room, her fiery presence commanding as always. But even as she exuded confidence, the question lingered at the back of her mind, refusing to be ignored.

‘I’ll find out,’ she promised herself, her fiery eyes gleaming with determination. ‘One way or another, I’ll figure out exactly what he’s thinking. And if I don’t like the answer… well, we’ll deal with that when we get there.’

*******

The class buzzed with a subdued energy as Professor Darius Kain concluded his lecture, the glowing diagrams of battlefield formations on the classroom’s main screen fading into the background. His commanding presence had kept the students focused throughout the session, and now, as he reached the end, the air was tinged with a mixture of relief and anticipation.

Kain’s sharp gray eyes swept over the room, his tall frame exuding authority. He tapped his sleek tablet once, and the screen flickered to display a summary of the key points discussed. “That concludes today’s lecture on formation adaptability,” he said, his deep voice resonating across the room.

The students began gathering their notes, but Kain’s next words stilled their movements.

“Before you leave, there’s one final matter to address,” he said, his tone calm but firm. He gestured toward the class with a deliberate motion. “This pertains to your practical session with Kalthor’s Method.”

The murmurs started immediately, students exchanging curious and nervous glances. Jasmine, seated near the middle of the class, leaned toward Sylvie. “What do you think he’s about to drop on us now?” she whispered, her green eyes glinting with curiosity.

Sylvie shook her head slightly, her green eyes focused on Kain. “I’m not sure,” she replied softly, her voice steady but tinged with unease.

Kain raised a hand, silencing the room. “During the practical session, you were required to adhere strictly to Kalthor’s Method, no matter how tempting it was to deviate. This was deliberate, as the exercise was designed to test more than just your ability to clear the dungeon.”

A hand shot up near the front of the class. “Sir, are you saying there’s something we missed?” a student asked, their tone hesitant but curious.

Kain’s expression didn’t waver. “Perhaps,” he said cryptically. “Understanding the nuances of any method requires more than just execution. It requires reflection.”

The murmurs grew louder, until Kain’s sharp gaze silenced them again. “To aid in this reflection, you will write reports on your experiences with Kalthor’s Method during the practical session.”

“Reports?” Jasmine asked, her voice carrying over the quiet hum of the room.

“Yes,” Kain confirmed, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Each of you will submit a report detailing your observations during the exercise. You will comment on the strengths and weaknesses of Kalthor’s Method, as well as your team’s ability to operate within its structure. This exercise is not simply about what you did, but about what you learned.”

Another hand went up, this time from a student in the back. “But Professor, wasn’t the point just to stick to the formation? What else are we supposed to analyze?”

Kain’s lips curved into a faint, almost imperceptible smile. “If you believe the point was merely to ‘stick to the formation,’ you’ve already missed the lesson,” he said, his voice carrying a subtle edge. “The true purpose of this exercise was to understand the principles behind Kalthor’s Method—the balance between simplicity and efficiency, the trade-offs of excluding a tactician, and the strengths and limitations of your own team.”

The room fell silent, the weight of Kain’s words settling over the students. Irina, seated near the back, leaned back in her chair, her fiery yellow eyes narrowing thoughtfully. ‘Balance and trade-offs, huh?’ she thought, her mind drifting back to the dungeon and the cracks in their formation.

Kain continued, his tone steady but firm. “Reports are due by the end of the week. They will be graded not on how flawless your performance was, but on your ability to reflect critically on the experience. A good hunter does not simply act—they learn and adapt.”

As he finished, Kain’s sharp gray eyes scanned the room one last time. “Any further questions?”

The students exchanged glances, but no one spoke up. The gravity of the assignment seemed to have settled in.

“Very well,” Kain said, tapping his tablet once more. The screen behind him powered down, leaving the room bathed in the soft glow of overhead lights. “You’re dismissed.”