Teacher carves a portal and takes me in. I fall out onto hard gravely floor and slowly get up.

The room is pure white. There are pictures of bodies with their skin torn off and various torture devices on a metal table.

Am I going to punished?

Teacher sets StarBorne’s body on the table. “Stay with me. The nurse will be here any moment.”

The curtain behind me opens up.

A woman with long flowing purple hair, and a white face mask, walks past me. “I told you before, KillStreak. Only come to me if you are on your death bed. I’m not here to coddle you.”

“StarBorne is dying.”

She rushes to my target and examines the wound carefully.

I step up to teacher. “You wanted me to be an assassin. Why are you trying to ruin my first kill?”

KillStreak sinks down to my level. “StarBorne is your classmate. I never meant for this to happen.”

The nurse spits on the wound. Her saliva glows with a magical energy. “It may already be too late.” She closes her eyes, forming wings of energy.

“You must be an angel,” I say with eyes of wonder.

“How can such a sweet boy be capable of such cruelty?” she closes off each individual cut I gave him with her wet fingers.

“I did it for love,” I say with a warm smile.

Teacher shivers and steps away from me.

The nurse smiles. “I’m starting to wonder if saving this child is the right thing to do after all.”

“You must.” Teacher carves a portal and leaves.

I climb up onto the chair. “I’m Weech. What is your name?”

“Tempera. And this child is?” she asks, continuing to seal the wounds.

“StarBorne.”

A portal appears and teacher enters, alongside another RiftRipper.

It looks identical to teacher, but it has no presence.

This was where we first met. I had forgotten. And now we meet again for the final time.

The new RiftRipper spreads out its form around Tempera. “That child is the grandson of the king. You must heal them.”

“He was attacked for the sake of love. I won’t go against my nature out of fear.”

The RiftRipper glares at me with bright eyes. “Love is a poison. It will ruin you.” He turns to teacher. “How did you allow this to happen?”

“I’m sorry, Sir. I knew about them. I just couldn’t break them apart.”

“You’re attachment has put this child in mortal danger. Let me tell you something, outcast. StarBorne is the most important student of this generation. Could be the weapon we need to overthrow the tyrant king. Your failure would tarnish your entire family line. Do you understand.”

Teacher’s body bends forward and bows repeatedly at weird angles.

I look up at the RiftRipper. “Someone like me could have destroyed our best chance at victory?” I hold myself in my embrace.

The RiftRipper encases me in an orb of its body. “You’re the one who did this?” Blades come out all around me. “Either convince the nurse to save that student or you will be killed along with him.” The black goop around me pulls back into the RiftRipper.

“Tempera, StarBorne deserves to live. Please save him.”

“Why the sudden change of heart? What did the Department Head tell you?” she asks, eyeing the RiftRipper.

I swallow my nerves down. “I made a mistake. StarBorne is my friend.”

The Department Head looks at me with a single eye. “The child of intuition was unable to sense your intent. KillStreak!”

“Yes, Sir?”

“You never mentioned anything about him in your reports.”

“There was nothing to mention before this.”

“Who are his parents?”

“LunarMoth and ToxiCroak.”

“If Weech survives the first exam, we will discuss his future.”

“How should I punish him for attacking his fellow student?”

“Teach him where the heart is. The dagger missed the vitals.” The Department Head swirls out of existence.

Tempera comes to me. “If you had pierced the child’s heart, then there would be nothing I could do. Your classmate should be back in action in a few days.”

Teacher grabs onto me and brings me back to the obstacle course. “If you try to kill another of my students, I will end you myself.”

I stare at him with no fear. “What would your boss do to you if I was harmed?”

Teacher starts cackling as he tears his body to pieces. “Clever boy! So rebellious! Let’s see if that fire can survive the coming storm.”

The class rush up to us.

“Is StarBorne okay?” asks BunBun.

Teacher pats her. “Yes, just needs a week to recover. WarWolf, you’ll be team leader until he returns.”

I grab WarWolf’s hands. “I messed it up. I didn’t hit the heart. But now everyone is going to see what a great leader you are. So it still kinda worked out.”

She pulls her hand out from my grip. “You’re insane.”

“I did it for you. Don’t you remember?”

“I thought you were joking back then. And we barely knew StarBorne. She has helped us all grow and you selfishly tried to kill her.”

“I just wanted you to be the best.”

“Then you should help me surpass StarBorne. This is a hollow victory.”

“Assassins are hollow, aren’t we?”

“Yeah. That’s the problem.” She walks off.

WarWolf doesn’t follow me home and she won’t allow me to come along either. We still work together in class when doing group training but she barely speaks to me. Everyone feels that her leadership skills are lacking, but it’s not her fault. What I did took away her drive. I’m to blame.

A week later StarBorne comes back to us.

BunBun hops onto his back and nuzzles his cheek. “I practiced every day. Are you impressed?”

StarBorne rubs her head. “You’ve taken my breath away.”

Goopy waves at StarBorne. “I researched the exam. Let’s discuss it later.”

“I’d love to,” says StarBorne.

“That hook kick technique…I can’t quite figure it out. Can you train me some more?” asks WarWolf.

“Your strength is the strength of our team.”

BladEagle was the last to approach him. “I made up some new moves with the sai and tonfas. Wanna see later?”

StarBorne breaks out into tears. “Thank you all for being so welcoming to me.”

Teacher fans away StarBorne’s tears. “I’m blessed to have the honor of teaching you.”

I swallow and then stand on my desk. “Why are you all praising him? I beat him! I’m a better assassin. I could have killed him.”

StarBorne looks at me and shakes her long locks of hair. “You have a silent madness. It’s not something you’ve cultivated; it’s merely a talent. An unfair perk like my foresight.”

“My talent overcame yours. Why does nobody care? My parents were proud of me, but you all…avoid me now. We’re supposed to be assassins. I’m ahead of the curve!”

Why are they being so unfair?

“You tried to kill me just to stand out? And you think that makes you a great assassin.” StarBorne places her hand to my cheek. “How have I failed you so completely?”

“We don’t need you! All you do is make us feel good about ourselves. As assassin’s power is his misery. That’s what father told me.”

“Polluted by your parent’s lies. How can I undo your upbringing?”

My mind goes blank and I suddenly lunge at StarBorne.

I’m torn off him and my nose is punched in.

“We’re done, Weech. Don’t ever talk to me again.” WarWolf spits on me.

I glare daggers at StarBorne.

Everything ruined. Why is my life falling to pieces?

Not even my parents could comfort me that night.

The determination that WarWolf had cultivated in me was gone. I didn’t care to focus in class and would always hide in the morning from teacher to avoid going to school. Seeing WarWolf and the way she looked at me…that apathetic look…it was a poison that bore into me deep and cast my resolve into a void. There was no point in trying anymore. Days went past, the lessons meaningless. Teacher eventually stopped punishing me for not answering when asked. I became like a ghost in the class. I learned nothing and couldn’t will myself to beat anyone in the physical lessons, not even Goopy. Before I realized it, the year was coming to a close. Our first-year graduation exam was coming up.

BunBun flicks her eraser at my head. “Please, focus. Teacher said if we don’t all pass, then we all fail. I’ve worked super duper hard to get this far.”

“Why should I care if any of you fail? Just kill me.” I cough until blood comes out.

BunBun looks at me. “That looks bad. How long have you been sick?”

“Who knows? Does it matter?”

“Of course it matters. You’re my friend.”

“Then why didn’t you try to help me? Why did no one try to help me?” I bury my face in my hands.

“We were scared of you. And I did try…lots and lotsa times.”

I look up at her. “I’ve really let everyone down, haven’t I?”

“Will you study with me?”

“What ever happened with you and teacher?”

“Teacher…killed his first relationship. I don’t know what that means, but…I don’t think he’ll ever love me.” BunBun starts crying.

I suddenly find myself holding her in a warm embrace.

She cries and cries…finally I cry too.

“Why did you really try to kill StarBorne?”

“WarWolf hated him. Felt like she would always be second best. I made a promise to her.”

BunBun’s eyes shimmer and she nuzzles my cheek. “That’s super romantic.”

“Back then, I’d do anything to make her smile. But now, her smile hurts me. I saw BladEagle and her kissing. What does he have that I don’t?”

BunBun pets me. “You gotta love yourself. If you look for others to love you, it will destroy you. I’ve thought of ending it all…lotsa times. But I kept hugging myself till the bad thoughts went woosh!”

“I’m not as strong as you.” I grip her tightly.

BunBun blushes. “You think I’m strong?”

“Yeah. I always have.”

She leans forward and kisses my lips. “I love you too!”

We fall to the ground as she kisses me over and over.

By the seventieth kiss, I start to feel something. I look at her and notice just how lovely her little hair tuffs are.

All the sudden I realize we’re rolling on the classroom floor and kissing.

I feel love again.

After she takes a breath to cool down, she grabs my hands. “So, ready to study?”

I snuggle into her lap. “Yeah.”

We spend all night in the classroom.

Teacher taps me awake. “If you break BunBun’s heart, I’ll carve yours out.”

I smile at him. “You had your chance.” I stick out my tongue.

BunBun rolls in my arms and yawns as she wakes up. She notices teacher and leans into a kiss with me. “Please don’t tell anyone about us.”

Teacher smiles. “I’m happy for you. Just be careful around him.”

BunBun salutes.

“Shouldn’t you get the other students?” I ask.

“They’re already at the exam center. Oh, by the way your team name is the Assailants.”

“That’s my favorite story!” I perk up.

“That’s what StarBorne said. Now go out there and make teacher proud. You will be competing against three other classes in your division. Remember, they have worked hard to be great assassins too. Slice their dreams into bits! Kehehehahaha!”

BunBun and I both hug Teacher.

It’s time for all we’ve learned this year to come together.

I wonder what would have happened if things turned out differently.