Merva and Minerva got ready and went down to find matron Nadine to get the computer hall keys.
The approval letter was always sent by the third watch, and all those who failed to accept it were bypassed.
Matron Nadine was about to seal of the hostel when they found her.
"Matron Nadine." Merva called to get her attention.
Nadine turned around and found Merva standing by the steps.
"Yes." She answered walking towards Merva. "Any problem?"
Merva looked at the keys in her key ring, her eyes on the golden key with an ash head.
"I need the key to the computer hall." Merva answered looking away from the key to Matron Nadine's face.
"What for?" Nadine asked as she tightened her hold on the key. "What do you need it for?" She asked, going on without letting Merva speak. "This is a disciplinary institute that prohibits the use of devices. Do you want to chat with Lord Zeus? Is that why?" She said chastising Merva, her chest heaving as it got her worked up.
"Matron Nadine it is not for anything like that, I just want..." Merva tried to explain.
"You just want to what? Don't think you can fool me. Isn't that what the other ladies said and then did the opposite." Nadine clicked her tongue in disappointment. "Even if the other ladies are doing such, I did not expect you to copy them." She said dismissively, turning to leave. "Go back to bed." She ordered.
Minerva scoffed and walked up to Nadine angrily ready to knock her out, but Merva intercepted by pulling Nadine away from Minerva's reach.
She quickly got to her knees to complete the act. "Ma'am I need it for something more important. I will be receiving a message by the first hour of the third watch, and if I don't accept it then it will cost me a lot." Merva pleaded, glaring at Minerva before she continued her act.
'Why do you always resort to violence?' She shouted in her head.
Matron Nadine was so shocked that she too fell to her knees. "W...why are you kneeling?" Nadine asked fearfully. "You should have just explained clearly, and I would have understood."
A tear fell down matron Nadine's face leaving Merva shocked.
"What is wrong with her? Is she sick?" Minerva asked, looking at her complexion. "She looks fine to me, then what is with all this fuss?"
"What is wrong Miss Nadine? Are you hurt anywhere?" Merva asked in worry, holding her hands to help her up.
She insisted on staying on the floor until Merva got up.
Merva did so immediately and helped Nadine up, wondering why she would react in such a extreme way just because she knelt down before her.
"Please don't tell anyone about this, and I will pay you back in anyway I can in the future." She promised as she wiped away her tear, another coming in its place.
Minerva stepped towards Nadine, she had just remembered why Matron Nadine reacted that way. "Its the order law act." Minerva reminded Merva. "We are of higher hierarchy, and you knelt before her. She could die because of it."
Merva moved back in shock, she had forgotten that such laws existed because of how she had grown up among her equals.
Nadine rushed and held Merva's hand on realizing that Merva had remembered. "Please. I did not mean to disrespect you." She pleaded.
Merva placated Nadine, assuring her that she did not see such as disrespect and would never have her face any problem because of it.
Matron Nadine took them up the building once Merva had assured her that she was safe.
Nadine exhaled as she inserted the key into the hole. The sound of systems clicking filled the air, the power shield in place going down when all the systems were done clicking into place.
Nadine pushed the double doors open and pointed inside for Merva to get in. "This is the key, bring it to me once you are done." She said Sniffling.
Merva accepted the key and walked in, closing the doors behind her.
Minerva turned on a light bulb to slightly illuminate the place, but still keep it dark.
Merva touched a switch, and a virtual computer appeared. She waited for it to boot and then she unlocked it.
"Did you bring the details for your profile." Minerva asked, standing beside her.
'Yes.' Merva replied as she searched up the site and entered it.
A logo of the military department of Volataire filled the screen, a button in the down middle indicating that they should enter.
Merva did, and logged into her own profile. Now they just had to wait until it was midnight.
Merva and Minerva sat, watching the clock tik slowly as they waited.
"Do you think we will get in?" Merva asked, her fear and vulnerability showing. "What if we don't?" She whispered like that was a curse she did not want the walls to hear.
"We both did so well that it would be their own loss." Minerva said. She glared at the space in front like it was the institute leaders and turned her head in disgust. "Don't they know what talent is?"
Merva scoffed, a laugh escaping her lips. "Has there ever been anytime when you believed you were the one at fault?" She asked racking her brain.
"Yes." Minerva answered righteously. "On several occasions with you, you made me admit it because you are the younger one." Minerva added grudgingly, her grievances fresh in her mind.
Merva scoffed and folded her hands, both of them glaring at each other and then looking away.
They both began laughing. "When are you going to grow up." Minerva asked as she laughed.
"Tch. See who is talking." Merva replied.
They leaned against their chairs, rotating them to kill time.
"I just want it to work out well, I don't want to see grandfather's face for at least the next eight years." Merva said hopefully.
"And then I will kick that old man's ass freely." Minerva said, smiling as she savored the thought. "By then he won't be able to harm us anymore." She added, her expression sobering up.
They both nodded, watching the little stars glowing in the milky way ceiling painting.
Merva stretched out her fingers. She had always wanted to be like one of those on the ceiling. The greatest of them all.
She retracted her hand and folded both her hands together.
She went through the entire day in her head, a smile on her lips as she remembered what Zeus had said.
"Tch." Merva said out loud, covering her face in her hands.
"You really should stop thinking about Zeus." Minerva said as she yawned. "He hasn't even asked you to date him, and boom an engagement?" She sat up suddenly, looking at Merva.
Merva shook her head, smiling like she had a secret Minerva didn't know of.
"What?" Minerva asked, her expression changing slowly. "He asked you to date him?" Minerva asked, unsure of what the answer would be.
"Yes." Merva replied, spinning her seat in delight.
Minerva stopped Merva's chair with her powers. "Since when? How did I not know about it?"
Merva laughed like she had done something major, and looked at Minerva. "We fought that day, and then I blocked you out. When he asked, I said no.
"Why?" Minerva asked.
"I didn't want to do that to you." Merva replied.
Merva dozed off after that while Minerva watched both the time and the ceiling.
She grinned because of what Merva said. It made her chest feel warm knowing Merva also considered her in her actions.
She cleared her throat, hoping no one had seen through her thought. 'Jeez, when did I become like this.' Minerva thought as she grimaced. But she had always been like this.
The time was near finally, and so Minerva woke Merva up.
Merva had reboot the systems as it had been idle for too long. She searched for the site quickly, and then entered, filling her details to log into her own profile.
They waited patiently, counting down the seconds and Merva refreshed it.
A file appeared stating that they had been accepted.
They both looked at each other in a daze, and then simultaneously stifled their screams.
Merva wanted to embrace Minerva, but Minerva stopped her. "Accept it first."
"Oh. Yes, I should do that." Merva said. She accepted it quickly, the file showing "Congratulations."
They began hi fiving each other with both their hands, their happiness overflowing.
They had finally gotten in.
"We have to go to the institute tomorrow." Minerva reminded Merva, and she nodded.
"If we had a large amount of money with us apart from our allowance, I would have suggested that we go out." Merva said jumping. "I am so happy."
They logged out and shut the system down, locking the computer hall before they went out and Merva handed the key back to Matron Nadine.
"You seem happy." Nadine commented.
"I am." Merva told her.
She went off to her chambers after bidding Nadine good night, neither of them noticing Nadine's blood shot eyes.
There was nothing else to do to celebrate, and so they played devotional songs, dancing off key in celebration.