The Sevpons

They went to their rooms after a long day of training and exploration. Exhausted from the day's events, Ryu fell asleep by 9 pm. However, Tony wasn't so easily tired. His curiosity about the restricted area continued to nag at him, and at 10:30 pm, he quietly slipped out of the room.

"So it's a cave, just like Wei said," Tony whispered to himself as he snuck through the darkened corridors, carefully making his way toward the mysterious cave he'd heard so much about. His heart raced with excitement, but also with caution, as the rumors surrounding this place were unsettling.

Just as he approached the cave entrance, he heard the faint sound of footsteps behind him. Startled, he quickly ducked behind a bush and held his breath.

"Hi," a voice greeted him from behind.

Tony jumped, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest. "OOOH, you scared me!" he gasped.

Kai, grinned mischievously as he stepped out from the shadows. "What are you doing here, Tony? You know the rules, right? Ryu and Jin both told you not to come here."

Tony blinked, trying to regain his composure. "What are you doing here, Kai? This place is off-limits."

"They're not my brother and cousin, so why would I listen to them?" Kai shrugged casually, completely unconcerned.

Before Tony could respond, a chilling scream echoed from deep within the cave, sending a shiver down both of their spines.

"AHH!" they shouted simultaneously, startled by the eerie sound that seemed to come from nowhere.

"What was that?!" Tony asked, his voice trembling with fear.

"A zombie? A witch?" Kai suggested, his usual calm demeanor now replaced with anxiety.

"I think we should go back to our rooms," Tony said, his face pale.

Kai hesitated but then nodded. "I think you're right. Maybe Ryu and Jin were right after all. We shouldn't be here."

"Let's go together," Tony said, relieved that Kai had agreed.

Without another word, the two of them sprinted back to their rooms, both of them unnerved by the events of the night. The fear of the unknown was a powerful force that lingered in their minds.

The following morning, Tony and Ryu woke up early. Tony immediately noticed a piece of paper on the floor in front of the door. He picked it up and began reading aloud.

"Hey, look! It's a schedule for our class," Tony said. "Normal sword guys are in room 5C, and Katana sword guys are in room 2B."

Ryu nodded, rubbing his eyes as he tried to wake up. "I'm in the higher class, huh? By the way, what about our secondary weapons?"

Tony grinned. "Secondary weapon training starts in the next three days. Three days for primary weapons, three days for secondary, and one day for rest."

"Sounds like a solid plan," Ryu said, feeling a bit more awake now. "What's the timing for all this?"

"Classes start at 9 am and go until 12 pm," Tony replied.

"Alright, then. Let's get ready," Ryu said as he grabbed his training gear.

After getting dressed, they headed to their respective classes. As they left the room, they met Kai in the hallway.

"Hey, Kai!" Ryu greeted his friend.

"Hey, Ryu! How's it going? And where's Tony?" Kai asked, glancing around.

"He's right here," Ryu said, smiling. "He'll be joining us soon."

Tony walked over, wiping his hands on his pants. "Hey, Kai. How are you? How was your class?"

"It was good. How about you?" Kai asked, his usual carefree smile on his face.

"Same here. It wasn't too bad," Tony replied.

"Hey, where's Jin?" Ryu asked, looking around.

"He'll be here soon," Kai said, his voice calm as ever. "He probably got held up."

"Well, there he is!" Tony said, spotting Jin walking down the hallway toward them.

Jin smiled as he approached. "Hey, guys. Sorry, I'm late."

After a quick catch-up, the four of them headed to the canteen for lunch. As they walked, Tony suddenly asked, "So, did you guys hear about the rumors from Wei?"

"I went to the library to see if I could find anything," Jin said, looking somewhat disappointed. "But I didn't find any clues."

Tony scoffed. "What did you think you'd find in the library? The rumors are just that—rumors."

"You're wrong," a voice suddenly interrupted.

Startled, Tony and Kai turned around to find Wei standing behind them, smirking.

"Whoa, you scared us!" Tony exclaimed.

"I've got some clues," Wei said mysteriously, his eyes glinting with a secret he wasn't ready to share. "But I'll only tell you if you pass the monthly course test."

"The test?" Kai asked, raising an eyebrow. "What test?"

"At the end of the month, there's a test for the first course," Wei explained. "Each month, there will be a new course, but if you don't pass, you'll be expelled."

"What? Expelled?" Tony blurted out.

"Yes," Wei confirmed, his voice dead serious. "If you fail, you're out. So, good luck."

"Is the test really that hard?" Ryu asked, his face serious now.

"I don't know," Wei shrugged. "I'm still new here too."

"Well, we'll just have to practice hard," Ryu said confidently. "Let's make sure we all pass this test."

"Good luck, guys," Wei said, nodding before turning to leave. "I'll see you next month."

As Wei walked away, Kai turned to Ryu. "I guess we better get ready. We've got a lot to do before that test."

The next month came quickly, and the four friends were busy preparing for the big test. Tony and Ryu were up early, mentally preparing for what was to come.

"Hey, you ready for this?" Ryu asked, adjusting his gear.

"Yeah, I'm ready," Tony replied confidently, though his nerves were starting to show.

"Let's head to the test site," Ryu said, motioning toward the door. "We don't want to be late."

They quickly made their way toward the testing area, only to find that they were the only ones there.

"Why is no one here?" Ryu asked, looking around.

"I think we might be late," Tony said, glancing at his watch. "What time is it?"

"7:58 am," Ryu replied.

"We're not late, we're just early. The test doesn't start until 10," Tony said with a sigh of relief. "Let's head to the canteen for breakfast, then we can come back with Jin and Kai."

"Good idea," Ryu agreed. "Let's go."

After breakfast, they met up with Jin and Kai and headed back to the test site.

"What time is it now?" Kai asked, looking concerned.

"9:37 am," Ryu answered.

"We've got some time. Let's warm up before the test," Jin suggested.

The four friends went through their stretches and drills, preparing for the grueling test ahead. The Master overseeing the test soon called them all to gather.

"Welcome, students, to your first course test," the Master announced. "This test will be done in pairs, and your teammates' names are written on that wall."

"Wait, why is Wei alone?" Jin asked, noticing that Wei wasn't paired with anyone.

"There were 95 students, and the only way to make duos was for one person to go solo," the Master explained. "Wei volunteered to go alone."

"Alright, let's get started," the Master continued. "First, choose your wooden versions of your primary and secondary weapons, then select your route. You'll need to get to the finish line within the time limit."

"Hey, Kai, we're paired up!" Tony said, grinning.

"Let's do this," Kai said, his eyes gleaming with determination.

Ryu and Jin quickly selected their route, number 17, and prepared for the test. "Let's go," Ryu said.

On the Master's signal, they all took off running, eager to prove themselves.

"If we want to finish in first place, we need to pick up the pace," Kai said, grinning as he ran alongside Tony.

"Then let's go!" Tony said, picking up speed.

The first obstacle they encountered was a pair of shielded guards who stood in their way.

"You need to defeat us if you want to pass," one of the guards announced.

"Alright, get ready," Kai said, drawing his sword.

Tony quickly threw his chained blade at the first guard, ensnaring him before Kai leaped forward, landing a kick to the guard's face. The first guard fell, unconscious. The second guard threw his weapon at Tony, but he dodged it, using his blade's chain to deflect it. Kai took advantage of the opening, slashing at the guard's leg. Then Tony used his chained blade to pull the guard toward him and delivered a powerful punch, knocking him out.

Meanwhile, Ryu and Jin encountered their own set of armored guards. Jin expertly threw his bo staff at one guard while Ryu took aim with his bow and arrow, hitting the other guard's helmet. With a coordinated effort, they took down the guards, moving forward toward the finish line.

When they crossed the finish line, they were surprised to find Wei already there, with a time of 31.9 seconds.

"That's impossible!" Tony exclaimed. "He finished way too fast."

"But we're still second," Ryu said, smiling despite the setback.

"Let's check the time graph," Kai suggested.

"2 minutes, 58 seconds," Ryu read aloud, confirming their second-place finish.

The Master arrived shortly after, congratulating everyone on completing the test.