Even though he was unconscious, Drew could feel his body being lifted from the ground. Once the Exam ended Drew and the others had passed out on the arena floor due to Otrio depletion but he couldn't care less. The Exam was over and they had defeated 21 robots but he couldn't say that they passed for sure. They may have passed the Practical Exam but the results from the Written Exam would dictate whether they enter the Academy or not.

A few hours later, Drew awoke in the Academy's infirmary, a two-story building located adjacent to the Stadium. To be more accurate, the 'infirmary' was more like a large hospital that was available for all students, staff, and examinees of Star to use for free. Drew's heavy eyelids opened with the first thing he saw was the white tiled ceiling. Moving his head around, Drew examined his surroundings. He was currently in a room with three hospital beds with a green curtain between each bed to create privacy. Besides each bed was a wooden nightstand with three drawers for storage and a vase on top for flowers. He was resting on the bed farthest from the door but closest to the window, allowing him to have a good view of the suns setting in the distance. Removing the sheets, he noticed that he was no longer wearing the silver combat suit given to him by Star but his civilian outfit from before the Exam while his bag and other possessions leaned against the side of the nightstand. 

"Hey, your finally up!" Elias, who was sitting on the edge of the middle bed, greeted holding up a peace sign. He was wrapped with bandages from head to toe like a mummy with only his eyes and mouth visible. Luckily his injuries weren't too bad as most of them were caused by the recoil of his shots. It would take him a few days to recover fully but for now, he had recovered enough strength to get up and walk. 

"How long was I out for?" Drew asked trying not to laugh at Elias. 

"Four hours," Wan replied from the bed closest to the door as she fixed her layered hair with a clip. "It's almost seven so four hours. Elias told me what happened after I fainted. He was the first to wake up." 

"And..." Drew trailed on trying to predict what either Wan or Elias was about to say. 

Their faces grew dark for a moment. Their eyes turned towards the ground as if they were hesitating. Then the looked up at Drew and large smiles that went from one cheek to the other formed on their faces in an instant.

"We did it," Elias said. 

Drew's eyes doubled in size wondering if what he heard was real or not. 

"You're not lying..." He stuttered trying to grasp what Elias just said. "We actually passed?!" 

"Yeah," Elias responded showing Drew his holographic screen. "Take a look."

Drew squinted his eyes a couple of times looking at the screen to ensure that he wasn't being messed with. It was true. Fiercely dragging Elias's wrist, Drew tried to get a better glance at the message. 

"Dude!" Elias yelled, "I think you pulled a muscle." 

Ignoring Elias's screams, Drew skimmed the message. 

Congratulations Elias Ryhard, Drew Li, and Wan Louis, 

You have been selected to enter Star Military Academy. Below are the results from your Exam. You have been assigned to Winter Semester Low-Class A Room 589. Orientation will occur on January 5th and classes will begin on January 12th. We hope to see you next month for the new semester. 

Yours Truly, 

Dean Milford Schnee

Team Exam: 

Written Exam: Pass = 600 Points; Full Score = 800 Points  

Elias Ryhard: 650 Points  

Drew Li: 680 Points  

Wan Louis: 610 Points 

Practical Exam: Pass = 20 Robots; Full Score = 40 Robots 

Defeated: 21 Robots 

Result: Pass

Releasing his grip off of Elias's wrist, Drew heaved a sigh of relief before slumping down on his bed laughing like a maniac. They had done it, they had passed the grueling Entrance Exam. 

"It was a close call though," Wan interjected brushing one of her pigtails over her shoulder. "I barely passed the Written Exam. If I didn't, we would've all failed." 

"That's irrelevant now," Elias said rubbing his wrist that was pulled by Drew slightly wincing in pain. "We made it and that's all that matters. The past few months of death training and studying have paid off." 

"We should tell everyone the good news once we get back." Drew supposed, picking up his hat on top of his bag. "We should get going."

Elias moaned before stuffing his face into a pillow. 

"Let this captain rest here a few more minutes. You're in too much of a rush."

>>>

It was almost eight PM. The trio had arrived back at Glass Road embracing each other, laughing to their hearts' content while elbowing and nudging at each other playfully. Walking from the station, the dimly lit road welcomed the trio's arrival as well as a group of people. Uncle and Auntie Ryhard, the Louis's, Price and his thugs, and Old man Frey and his wife. They were all standing under the only street lamp that illuminated the dusty road looking at the trio with eager eyes that asked: What were the results? 

Looking at each other, they grinned before announcing on the top of their lungs. 

"WE PASSED!" 

Silence. For one second, there was dead silence before everyone erupted into cheers. Dust picked up off the ground forming small tornadoes as the crowd waiting for the trio charged at them at full speed. In the blink of an eye, the trio was swarmed by a sea of arms waiting to be embraced. The voices of praises overlapped on one another that they were basically indistinguishable but all of them conveyed the same message. Congrats on passing the Star Military Academy Team Exam! Everyone knew that the trio had worked tirelessly to prepare for the exam and it would have been tragic to see the fruits of their labor go to was but seeing that they were successfully brought great joy to everyone. The trio had carried on their backs the hopes and dreams of the residents of Glass Road, no, they were Glass Road themselves. They were the embodiment of their pasts which have stranded them in this purgatory, they were the representation of the shattered goals they had abandoned, they were their lights to a new future. This was only the beginning. The beginning of the trio's path which would change the Orion Alliance forever. 

As the trio was whisked away from the station to where a celebration would be held at Old man Frey's dojo, Drew saw from the corner of his eye something, someone. He could only catch a quick glimpse of the person but the darkness of the night masked most of the person's details but what stood out to him was the figure's chin-length crimson hair which stood out like a burning flame in the darkness. In his five months at Glass Road, where everyone knew each other, Drew had never seen a person with such bright crimson hair. Maybe they just moved in but why would they come here, to this shantytown? Drew dwelled on the matter a little longer as the crimson-haired figure disappeared from his sight into a run-down building across the street, leaving a lasting imprint in his mind. 

The group had arrived at Old man Frey's dojo which has been renovated during the last five months since the trio had started using it. The cracked cement walls had been fixed with metal panels and the flickering yellow lights above had been replaced with white lights. The broken equipment from the dojo had been fixed a polished to their former splendor despite being over forty years old and the shattered windows had been fixed as well, one could finally see the stars in the night sky instead of dust coated-bird poop. In the middle of the dojo, long tables had been joined together with tins of food to bowls of punch and some alcoholic beverages for the adults while chairs lined the walls to provide seating and socializing. 

Drew had taken a little bit of everything before sitting down in the far corner of the dojo along with Elias, who had stacked his plate full high of fried chicken, and Wan who had taken a bit of everything like Drew. Taking a swig of punch, Drew smiled and looked at Elias and Wan. 

"It's unbelievable isn't it?" Elias mumbled with a mouthful of chicken. "To think that us kids from Glass Road could make it into a prestigious Academy on the first try. We didn't have all those resources that those in the upper echelons were privileged with but we ended up in the same place they did through our own efforts. Our blood, sweat, and tears had pulled us to this point and we shall continue...to become stronger." 

Elias clenched his fist, Drew and Wan understanding his resolve. Even though they both had their own, Elias's seemed to be stronger and that's why they made him leader. Drew admired Elias. He had crawled out of his own despair caused by his past which he dwelled on for so long before he crawled out of it, realizing that he shouldn't wallow in his own sorrows but push on forward to better future. A future where he could carry on the wishes of his friend who had passed on. A future where he could make his friend's wishes not in vain. A future where he could make him 'proud'. 

'Proud' Drew thought nearly crushing his cup full of punch. That one word resounded in his head like a bell as he replayed his analysis of Elias. What was he trying to achieve? Unlike Elias or Wan, both his parents and his guardian, Uncle Winter, were dead so how could he make them proud? He'd never truly thought about until now but then he remembered their words. They may no longer be there in person but they would also rest in his heart and in the heavens if heaven existed. Then he recalled, both his parents and Uncle Winter had sacrificed their lives for his survival so couldn't he make them proud by living? The gift of life was an irreplaceable treasure and Drew, at that moment, figured that he would honor those who had fought for his survival by 'living', becoming stronger so that the efforts they had made would not go to waste. A smile formed on his face, one of enlightenment.

"Yeah," Drew began placing down his plate, "we should. Our efforts have brought us here and it shall continue." 

"Mmh," Wan nodded in agreement, "let's prove to all people out there that we shouldn't be underestimated." 

Elias snickered holding out his fist. "That was cheesy but it deserves a celebratory fist bump." 

"Agreed." Drew chuckled putting his fist next to Elias's. 

"Of course," Wan said clicking her teeth before holding her fist out. 

The trio did their fist bump feeling their bond growing stronger as the night progressed.

"By the way," Drew interrupted. "Do you know if anyone moved into Glass Road today?" 

"Hm," Price who was eavesdropping spun his chair around, startling the trio. Flicking his cup of punch, Price gave Drew an answer. "Oh, you didn't hear? Apparently, the Princesses of Kraus were assigned their districts and the one assigned to ours had moved in today." 

>>>

Kraus is one of the many planets in the Orion Alliance ruled by a monarchy. The monarchy consists of your typical King, Queen, Princes, and Princess, however, Kraus's monarchy was different. The King, Queen, Princes, and Princess weren't related by blood. The King is just another title for a Prime Minister or President on Earth who controls the government or Parliament in this case. The Queen is a figurehead, usually some super pretty Genetic Warrior or rich heiress, but usually, they were proficient in the ways of politics. As for the Princes and Princesses, they are the daughters and sons of prominent families of Kraus who are selected for their talents, whether it's music, art, combat, or strategy, they were all special in their own ways. The age at which these Princes and Princesses are selected ranges from 15-20 and in total, there are forty Princes and forty Princesses. Each Prince is assigned a city to rule over while each Princess is assigned a district in Ozwarth to 'manage'. The lower the number the Prince or Princess is, the better treatment they receive, and the better the city or district they are assigned to is. For instance, a Prince who is number 1, will get Ozwarth to rule while a Prince who is number 40 will receive a small town to rule. The same logic applies to the Princesses. Once these cities and districts are assigned, the fight for the title of King and Queen will begin and it will not end until a King's term has finished which is ten years meaning that new Princes and Princesses are selected every ten years for this competition. This competition is title, War of Royals. The winners of these titles are determined by the accomplishments they made and the type of accomplishment dictates the number of points assigned to them. The Prince and Princess with the most points will become the next King and Queen. It's a pretty strange way to select the next rulers of Kraus. 

>>>

"Really, a new War of Royals has already started?!" Drew exclaimed.

"It's already begun?" Elias shouted spitting out a mouthful of punch. 

"Which Princess did we get?" Wan asked shooting up from her chair. 

"Calm down," Price said tipping his cup of punch once more. "It's always the same. The Princess who ranks 39th." 

"Okay, but who is the 39th Princess this time?" Elias asked impatiently.   

Price pulled up a screen on his communication device and scrolled down to the bottom. 

"Found her. Sylvia Burnstone, age eighteen, from the Burnstone Family of Eridith, the smallest town on Kraus. She is the only daughter of the Burnstone family, a family known for mining coal, not a very profitable business and thus was automatically selected as a Princess. She is what the Royals call an exception and most of them are estranged from her. She has no notable talents in particular and seems mostly average. She is currently enrolled at a first-year Star but was held back a semester due to the Princess selections so she will be in your guy's class, the Winter Semester." 

"So her life isn't as glorious as all those other Princesses from previous years," Drew commented. 

"No," Price replied before continuing, "Her older brother was in the Prince selections ten years ago but he came in last place. Thus, the Burnstone Family became the laughing stock of the Royals and were almost never to be seen in public since then. With Sylvia, I believe the family's hopes are resting on her shoulders, not something an eighteen-year-old girl should be carrying on her own. They are expecting her to revive their family's nonexistent prestige and make them 'proud'."

It came again, that word 'proud' but this was a different kind of 'proud'. It wasn't exactly the kind of 'proud' Drew, Elias, and Wan were trying to accomplish. It was one which carried the weight of the world, though it seemed like it. Drew couldn't imagine the burden that she was carrying on her shoulders. It was something that no one could understand.