TBATE - Fated To Rule Together

(Amber Helstea POV)

The Student Council Office was empty, devoid of life. The only sounds that could be heard were the soft hum of the fluorescent lights and the gentle tick-tock of the bell on the wall. Of course, no one was present. Being unusually early and arriving before the other members was expected of me as president!

Walking up to my desk, the sound of my boots meeting ground broke the natural, light morning melody. Sitting down, my eyes wandered over to a note with the list of events the Director had given me yesterday.

The first ever combined meeting of the Student Council and the Disciplinary Committee was scheduled for later today in the DC room, with the topic of discussion being how to safeguard students and reduce racial inequities. It would take place one bell chime, an hour, before school began, and would run the full hour.

The academic year had only just begun, but prejudice was already evident on academy premises, and the task for rectifying it had landed on me. A normal person would have been overwhelmed by such obligations, yet the Director nonetheless assigned me this responsibility. I don't think I could handle such pressure if I hadn't been Queen in my previous life.

*Sigh*

Letting out a soft, exasperated sigh, I went over the rest of the note. After my first class, I was supposed to monitor a class with a new teacher. Though, a little side note at the end made me raise my eyebrows in confusion.

It read:

Due to a shortage of qualified candidates for this teaching post, we had to unwillingly grant Professor Geist the job despite the fact that he was formerly an AA-Class adventurer and at the Light-Yellow core level. There have been a handful of unpleasant incidents in which he was suspected of being the offender, but no proof was found, and no judgement was rendered against him. I would like you to monitor him and confine him with me if you believe he is qualified for the role. Until then, I have exempt you from attending classes that interfere with your monitoring sessions!

A lack of qualified candidates? I get that Xyrus was a prestigious academy and only hired the best of the best teachers, yet were they really out of choices that they were forced to hire someone as shady as this guy? Was there really no one else, or did she just not have time to look for anyone better?

"Good morning, President!" As I was about to delve deeper into why the director had no other choices of professors, a male voice greeted me. I already knew who it was before lifting my head up.

"Good morning, Clive." I returned his greeting without glancing at him and returned to my thoughts.

"I thought I was early, but it seems like you were even earlier. As expected of some as talented as you!" He approached my desk and attempted to strike up light conversations with me in order to learn about my likes and dislikes. An obvious attempt to try and court me. I forgot how hormonal teenage boys get when it comes to girls. In the end, I just brushed off his attempted interrogation, using the pretence of work. Soon after the rest of the council members arrived, with Tessia being the last. Concerningly, she had dark bags under her eyes, clearly indicating lack of sleep.

When I asked her about it, she momentarily gave me a blank and far off look, as if remembering something, then proceeded to say that she was fine. In the end I decided to drop it. If she wasn't going to tell me, then I had no right to pry any further. Since everyone had arrived, I led them all to the DC room, where the first actions would be made to ensure the students' safety.

The DC room was rather spacious. Larger than the Student Council's! It was on the second level on the other side of the Academy. The chamber itself was ornamented with beautiful, dark wood panelling and ornate mouldings that gave it a feeling of grandeur and significance.