The rise of the unorthodox

The man began his speech. "Welcome to Base 99 Military Academy. I am Sergeant Fredin. I oversee and manage all operations at this academy. As you know, you will train and study here for the next three years, majoring in areas that align with your future ambitions. I expect good behavior from all of you and hope to see great things. Now, kindly look to your left. You will see military personnel who will guide you to the dorm registration tables. Make sure you get a good rest tonight and prepare for tomorrow's lessons. Goodbye."

Like the wind, he swiftly walked off the stage, an entourage of military guards following behind him.

Daniel nudged me. "C'mon, let's get going."

We quickly made our way to the military personnel at the corner.

"Kindly follow me. I will take you to the dorm registration tables where you will be assigned your dorm rooms," she said.

We followed her instructions, forming a line when we arrived at the tables and patiently waiting to be attended to.

After what felt like an eternity, it was finally my turn. The attendant handed me a form to fill out, and once completed, I was given a blue translucent card with the number 223 engraved on it.

After I was done, I met up with Daniel, who had finished before me. Since girls and boys couldn't stay in the same dorms, we knew we would have to part ways soon.

"So, what dorm are you in?" he asked as we walked toward the dorm buildings.

"I'm in Dorm Beta. What about you?" I replied.

"Dorm Alpha," he said.

Before parting ways, Daniel and I agreed to meet at the same spot the next day.

After about fifteen minutes of walking, I finally arrived at my dorm building. The school campus was incredibly large, and I wondered if there was any mode of transportation. It seemed like walking everywhere would be the norm from now on.

The dorm building looked like an apartment complex with pristine white walls. It was well-maintained and seemed newly renovated.

As I stepped inside, I saw students walking about, chatting, and socializing. I knew I would probably have to do the same since I would be sharing a room with someone.

I made my way up a flight of stairs and felt relieved when I finally found Room 223. Taking out my room card, I tapped it against the black panel on the metal door, and it slid open smoothly.

I stepped inside and looked around. The room was small but functional, with two beds, two study tables, two cupboards, a mini-fridge, and a bathroom stocked with essential hygiene supplies.

It was clear someone had already moved in. The bed on the right side of the room had bags on it, though the owner was nowhere in sight.

I walked to the vacant bed and placed my bag down. Sitting on the bed, I took a moment to rest after all the walking I had done.

Reaching into my bag, I pulled out my phone and tuned into the live news. I was curious to see if there were any reports of monster attacks.

I was in luck. There was a monster attack occurring at that very moment.

"Attention, citizens," the news reporter said with a stern face. "We urge you to remain indoors as military agents are currently working to neutralize the threat."

The screen displayed a horrifying monster with four grotesque heads and a humanoid body. It was covered in black fur and rippling with muscle.

The agents were already battling the monster with incredible force. Most of them seemed to have fire-based abilities, hurling attacks at the beast.

One agent, armed with a bow and arrow, dashed toward the monster. She leaped into the air with astounding force—her army suit, designed to enhance physical capabilities, clearly aiding her. While airborne, she set an arrow ablaze with intense blue flames and aimed it at the monster's eye.

The arrow struck true, piercing the eye, and the monster let out a blood-curdling screech as black blood gushed from the wound.

In retaliation, the monster grabbed the agent and swallowed her whole, ending her life instantly.

It lifted its heads and let out a thunderous roar, and glowing blue orbs manifested in each of its four mouths. The orbs launched toward a group of agents, killing them all in a fiery explosion.

Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared on the screen. Commander Drake.

He was renowned for his ability, Exploding Bullets. Raising his sniper rifle, he aimed at the monster and fired. Each bullet exploded on impact, obliterating the monster's heads and shaking the entire area.

The livestream feed was cut off, the camera lens smeared with the monster's blood.

I got off the bed and walked toward the bathroom. As I touched the door handle, I heard the sound of something running behind me.

Swiftly, I turned around, but there was nothing there.

Cautiously, I moved toward the source of the sound. Suddenly, I heard it again. This time, I commanded my hair to investigate, stretching it toward the noise.

My hair caught something. I reeled it back, bringing the culprit toward me.

"A flying rat?!" I screamed, dropping it and scrambling onto my bed.

I hated rats, and this one with wings was an abomination.

The creature stared at me, its beady eyes fixed on mine. I was sure it was plotting something.

The door swung open suddenly, and a girl with light skin and messy ginger hair stepped in. Her blue eyes sparkled as she spotted the creature.

"There you are, Sora," she said with relief.

The flying rat flapped its wings and landed gently on her shoulder. She smiled warmly at me. "You must be my roommate. I'm Delight."

"Beatrix," I replied, waving awkwardly. "Nice to meet you."

She grinned. "You're probably freaked out by Sora, huh?"

Walking to her bed, she placed the creature down and touched its forehead. A bright light illuminated the room.

When the light faded, there were now two creatures in its place.

"This is Jojo, my rat," she said, pointing to the rat. Then she pointed to the pigeon. "And this is Lovely. Together, they form Sora, the flying rat."

"That's… pretty cool," I admitted. "So, your ability is animal merging?"

She laughed. "It's called Chimera Creation."

The pigeon flew toward me, landing on my head. I didn't mind birds, so I let it stay there, using my hair to pat its head.

"Oh, you can control your hair? That's awesome!" Delight gasped.

We spent the rest of the evening talking. Delight was fun to be around and even painted my nails, something I'd never done before.

Eventually, she fell asleep, asking me to wake her up in the morning.

I climbed into bed, my thoughts racing with excitement. Tomorrow marked the beginning of the rest of my life, and I couldn't wait.