Richelle ended as both fists descended on the boys' heads simultaneously—driving them down on their knees.
They both groaned, clutching the growing lumps on their heads.
"So..." Richelle's voice rang as she cracked her knuckles, making them flinch.
"We're... We're sorry." They stated in unison, not even waiting for her to add;
'What do you two have to say?'
Richelle sighed, bringing her hands to her waist. "Boys... Honestly."
Father turned around to leave. "Richelle. We'll leave their punishment to you." He said and walked away as Jean followed.
Richelle nodded, waving at them. "Don't worry."
A calm smile crept up her lips as she stared down at Desmond and Emmanuel. "Just leave it to me." She said, her voice low.
The boys stumbled back, landing on their butts as their legs shook.
They could clearly sense the menace behind Richelle's smile and voice.
Richelle went down, resting her chin in her palms and tilted her head with an almost playful smile.
But somehow, that smile made her look even more terrifying.
"You two are getting an earful when we get back before your punishment. Is that clear?"
"Yes ma'am." They answered quickly.
Almost too quickly.
Richelle nodded again with a "good" before she got up, schooling her expression again.
"Now, get seated. We're nearing the North Sea."
"Ye—yes ma'am." They scrambled up, Desmond slipping into his seat near the window while Emmanuel sat beside him.
Richelle glared at them one more time.
But this time they had their gazes on their laps, lacking the courage to catch her gaze.
Richelle turned, shaking her head before walking away.
The moment she exited to the fourth car, they released breaths they didn't even know they were holding.
Everyone in the car turned to the two boys.
Myla still held that worried expression from earlier.
Rexford sat back, grinning from ear to ear. "Poor Desmond. Getting dragged into a mess that he didn't start."
Augustus clicked his tongue, putting his ear buds away as he stared outside through the window.
Neither of them was thinking about who had started the fight anymore.
Only one thought occupied their minds, as they looked up at the ceiling.
Shivers ran down their spines at the thought.
'What sort of punishment will she be giving us later?'
— —
Far up front in the train's direction, the vast expanse of the sea came into view.
At a point, it started gliding down where the railway sloped down from high above the ground to ground level.
Then it continued its descent smoothly until it was at ground level.
In the driver's cab—Maxwell stood, one hand on a lever.
He started pouring out pure energy from his hands into the lever as he slowly pulled it backwards.
Far ahead, the railway bent into a long descending slope. The surrounding earth dipped with it, drawing the tracks beneath the surface.
It seemed to lead into some sort of underground tunnel.
Seconds later, the train got there and made a second descent, entering into the tunnel.
Everyone in the passenger cars gasped as they noticed the place through the windows—
Some probably from shock or surprise.
Others from amazement.
The tunnel walls were lined with glowing blue rectangular panels.
Excited and surprised whispers spread through the carriage.
As the train went on at full throttle, a deep blue light came from ahead...
And the train was heading right into it.
The kids' attentions were immediately caught by it.
"Hey, is that?"
Several students pressed against the windows while others pointed excitedly toward the glowing blue ahead.
The train emerged into the blue light and right there, almost everyone had their jaws dropped.
They were now in a tunnel in the sea.
The walls of the tunnel were so transparent that they could see undersea life.
Fishes of different kinds under blue waters.
One girl yelped from fright as a shark crashed into the outer walls of the tunnel so close to her.
But when she remembered the train was inside a 'transparent tunnel' she chuckled with relief alongside another girl sitting beside her.
At that moment, it seemed less like young warriors heading to a warrior academy and more like ordinary teenagers taking a tour through an aquarium.
Even the 'always so composed' ones like Miranda and Augustus had their interests piqued by the sight—
And even though Miranda had a mask on, one could tell by how her lips parted slightly and how she rested one hand on the window as if trying to touch the ocean.
"I've heard so many people talking about undersea travels in a train but..."
"... No one ever talked of a transparent tunnel."
Augustus's brows twitched. "They must have invested a lot into this. The walls must be near impossible to break."
Desmond knocked on the window at his side. "I just remembered those doors from the entrance exam."
Augustine grinned where he sat, sliding his hand down the window. "Back then, he said it would require three Divine Ranked Warriors to break a single one of those doors."
"These walls must be as hard those doors." Royal said to Lawrence but then... his smirk widened. "No..."
Miranda took her hand off from the window. "These transparent walls must be harder than that."
Myla nodded beside Miranda. "Of course. If they had to ensure our safety."
For the moment, everyone seemed to be enjoying the scene.
For a while, no one spoke.
Beyond the transparent walls, schools of fish drifted silently through the endless blue, and the tension that had followed the candidates since the island seemed to melt away.
— —
In a staff cab—between the driver's cab and the passengers' car.
Farouque, Maxwell and Susanna sat in the seat lined on the left side while Jean and Father sat on the right.
"Why does every generation seem more troublesome than the last?" Richelle sighed as she entered, rubbing her temples.
"What are you mumbling on about?" Maxwell asked, looking at her.
Richelle stopped, turning to him.
Then glanced at Farouque.
'That's right. These two were also very troublesome back then.'
She let out a small laugh and shook her head. "Just remembering something annoying."
Maxwell and Farouque quirked their brows, giving each other confused glances.
Maxwell shrugged, turning back to her. "Anyway. I felt a little chill earlier. What happened?"
Richelle leaned against the door, resting her chin in her palms and sighing.
"Just some brats causing trouble." She said, taking her seat between Father and Jean.
"Must have been pretty rough." Susanna said with a warm smile.
Richelle glared at Maxwell and Farouque from the corner of her eye. "Those two gave me just as much trouble back when I was their class rep."
Maxwell grinned as he leaned back in his seat. "I guess there's trouble in every generation, huh?"
Farouque gave a small smile. "But those types are always the most interesting, don't you think?"
The others nodded in response.
The conductor entered from the driver's cab.
"Hey um... We'll be reaching the academy soon."
They all turned to him and nodded.
Ahead, the ocean floor rose into a colossal wall of stone that completely sealed the train's path.