Heat in the Dark

Chapter 5

Morning came with the cleaning duty.

Erix, Shota, Kael, Lira, Ren, and the others who fought stood in a line outside the dining hall. A junior instructor handed them buckets, brushes, and soap.

“Scrub every table and floor until they shine,” the instructor said. “No talking. No breaks until I say so.”

Ren stood three places away from Erix. His face was calm, but his eyes kept sliding over with quiet anger. The two older students from last night looked bored, like this was nothing new to them.

Erix’s ribs still hurt when he bent down. Every time he scrubbed, the bruise reminded him of Ren’s punch. The strange hunger was worse today. His stomach felt empty even though he had eaten a small piece of bread that morning. Five points left on his card. Not enough for a real meal.

They worked for two hours.

When the instructor finally released them, Ren walked past Erix and spoke in a low voice.

“Enjoy your five points. They won’t last the week.”

Erix did not answer. He just watched Ren leave with his group.

Shota waited until they were alone. “We need to get you more points. Five is dangerous.”

Kael nodded. “There’s a notice board near the main hall. Small jobs for first-years. Most pay ten to thirty points. Dirty work, but it’s something.”

Lira adjusted the strap of her bag. “I can show you which ones are real and which ones are traps. Some jobs are posted by students like Ren’s friends just to mess with low ranks.”

Erix looked at the three of them. “Why are you all still helping me?”

Shota shrugged. “Because you didn’t run last night.”

Kael gave a small smile. “And because watching you get crushed would be boring.”

Lira was quieter. “I already told you. I’ve been where you are. It’s easier when someone doesn’t leave you alone.”

They walked to the notice board together.

Most of the papers were already taken. The ones left looked hard: carrying heavy boxes across the whole campus, cleaning the old training weapons, night watch at the storage sheds.

One paper near the bottom caught Erix’s eye.

Need help moving training equipment to the east field. 

Pay: 25 points. 

Must be done before evening classes.  

Ask for Instructor Hale.

Lira read it over his shoulder. “Hale is strict but fair. That one is real.”

Erix pulled the paper down. “I’ll take it.”

Shota frowned. “Your ribs are still bruised.”

“I don’t have a choice,” Erix said. “Five points won’t buy food for more than a day.”

---

Instructor Hale was a short woman with sharp eyes and grey hair tied back. She looked Erix up and down when he showed her the paper.

“F-rank,” she said. “You sure you can lift?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

She pointed to a stack of heavy wooden training posts and metal weights. “Move all of these to the east field. No dropping. No damage. You have three hours.”

Erix started right away.

Each post was heavier than it looked. His ribs screamed every time he lifted. Sweat ran down his back. The hunger grew until his hands shook. Halfway through the job he had to stop and lean against a wall, breathing hard.

The ache in his chest came back stronger than before. For a moment he felt something shift deep inside, like a locked door pushing against its frame. His arms suddenly felt a little less weak. He picked up the next post and kept walking.

By the time he finished, his shirt was stuck to his skin and his legs felt like water. Instructor Hale checked every item, then nodded once.

“Acceptable. Twenty-five points transferred.”

Erix checked his card. Thirty points now. It felt like a fortune.

He walked back toward the dorms slowly. The sun was starting to go down. His body hurt everywhere, but the thirty points made the pain easier to carry.

Near the east wall, he saw Ren talking to the same two older students from last night. They were looking at something on a small tablet. When Ren noticed Erix, he smiled the same cold smile.

Erix did not stop. He kept walking.

Inside room 214, Shota and Kael were waiting.

“You got the points?” Shota asked.

Erix showed them the card. “Thirty.”

Kael whistled. “Not bad for a broken rib.”

Erix sat on his bed and pressed a hand to his side. “Ren is planning something again. I saw him with those two older guys.”

Shota’s face grew serious. “Then we stay together after dark. No walking alone.”

Later that night, after the others were asleep, Erix lay awake and stared at the ceiling. The thirty points were safe for now. His ribs still ached. The hunger never fully left.

But the thing inside his chest felt closer to the surface than ever.

He closed his eyes and whispered to himself.

“Just a little longer. I need to be ready.”

Outside the window, the academy lights stayed bright.

Somewhere in the dark, Ren was not sleeping either.