As soon as I got home, exhaustion consumed me. I was able to take care of my basic needs - washing my clothes and eating - but as soon as I felt the familiar shift coming on, I knew I was in for a rough night.

My muscles would be overexerted, leaving my body feeling heavy and drained. Despite my best efforts to fight off the berserk state, it always overpowered me, leaving my body feeling like it had been through a battle.

After cooking myself a simple meal, I collapsed onto my bed and immediately sank into a deep sleep. My mother was working late again, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the physical toll that followed the berserk state.

The next morning was no better. I woke up groggy and weighed down by the exhaustion that had clung to me since the night before.

My muscles felt like they had been put through a wringer, and I knew that anything I did that day would only make it worse.

Dwayne arrived to take me to school, and I tried my best to keep up with him, but my energy levels were at an all-time low.

"Damn, I'm feeling really tired today," I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper. Each step felt like I was dragging my feet through quicksand.

I tried my best to control the berserk state, but it was a force that couldn't be tamed easily.

No matter how hard I tried, it always left me feeling drained and exhausted.

It was like a wild animal that had been let loose inside me, wreaking havoc on my body and mind. As we walked to school, I could feel the weight of the day ahead looming over me.

I didn't know how I was going to get through it feeling like this, but I knew I had no choice. It was a burden that I had to carry, even if it made my body feel like it was going to break.

As we walked into school, I could feel the weight of the day ahead continuing to bear down on me. Dwayne and I trudged through the halls, our footsteps echoing, until we finally reached our classroom.

Josh - our teacher - was waiting for us, his cold smile radiating as soon as we walked in.

"Good morning class," he greeted us. "Today we will be having a test on the past two weeks of math.

" My heart sank at the thought of another test. I struggled with math on a good day, but with the exhaustion weighing me down, it seemed almost insurmountable.

Ashylene was already in the classroom when we arrived. I had noticed her before - the girl who seemed to have it all, with her fancy clothes and confident demeanor.

She had recently exchanged seats with a guy who used to sit beside me and Dwayne. As we settled into our seats, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy towards Ashylene.

Why did everything seem to come so easily to her? Even her switch to our class seemed to be effortless - just another benefit of her privilege. And yet here I was, struggling to keep up with the most basic of tasks.

Josh began the test with a ruthless efficiency that seemed to amplify my exhaustion. As I struggled to concentrate, I wondered if there would ever be a day when the berserk state didn't control my life. In that moment, it seemed like an impossible dream.

Dwayne's annoyance was palpable as he vented his frustrations about Josh's unexpected math test. Ashylene couldn't help but find the situation comical since she had, as always, been diligently studying while Dwayne and I had not. I tried my best to hide my weariness, but it was no use.

My haggard expression gave Ashylene and Dwayne even more reason to tease me. "I really don't want to take this test right now," I groaned, hoping to shut down the teasing. But naturally, that only made things worse.

Dwayne let out a hearty chuckle, which was odd considering he hadn't studied either.

"What were you doing yesterday instead of studying?" he prodded, clearly aiming to deflect from his own lack of preparation.

The teasing didn't end there. "Are you dying or something?" Dwayne jested.

"Did yesterday's snub from the girls really get to you that much?" His teasing grin only made me feel more annoyed and self-conscious.

Ashylene offered her own brand of teasing speculation. "He must have been up all night training," she quipped, stifling a laugh.

"As if that will ever happen," she added, seemingly unable to stop herself from giggling. But the laughing stopped once the test was over.

We finished all of our classes for the day, aware that we still had the training room to contend with.

I felt my stomach churn with unease, knowing that the training room would only exacerbate my fatigue.

Nevertheless, I braced myself and followed Ashylene and Dwayne into the training room, ready to tackle whatever challenges lay ahead.

The sound of a sudden "ping" caught us off guard as we approached the training room we had used the day before. I let out a low groan, already anticipating the worst.

"Great. Someone's already here," I grumbled, turning on my heel to head back home. But Ashylene wasn't ready to give up that easily. "Hold on," she insisted, "we can't just go home.

Let's at least see how many people are in there. Maybe we can work around them." Dwayne, always quick to take an opportunity to tease me, chimed in with a chuckle.

"Looks like you failed successfully, my brother," he taunted playfully, patting me on the shoulder before following Ashylene into the room.

I reluctantly trailed behind them, grumbling under my breath. "I seriously hate you guys today," I muttered, already feeling defeated.

As I walked into the training room, Ashylene was greeting someone I couldn't see. It wasn't until I stepped further inside that I spotted her - a brown-haired girl with a long, thin sword.

She regarded us with a wary expression, as if unsure whether we could be trusted. Dwayne wasted no time trying to woo her, stepping forward with a charming smile.

"Hey there," he said, taking her hand in his. "The name's Dwayne. What's yours?" The girl cut him off before he could even finish his sentence, her tone as cool as the steel of her sword.

"Your name is Dwayne, and you're ranked fifth in this school." Ashylene and I exchanged surprised glances. How did this stranger know so much about Dwayne? But he didn't seem to mind, flashing her a crooked grin.

"Well, I guess I'm famous then," he chuckled

As we stood in stunned silence, the girl with the sword continued to stare at us with an unwavering gaze. Dwayne, always quick to charm his way out of awkward situations, tried to make light of the situation.

.

"Would you look at that, I'm famous now, Tinashe-" he began, but was interrupted again.

"You are the number five defeated by the newcomer, Ashylene," she said bluntly.

Dwayne's shoulders slumped as if all the air had been let out of him. It was clear that the words had hit their mark.

I struggled to contain my laughter at his expense, but then the girl turned to me.

"You're the weakest in the school, Tinashe Danai, right?" she said, her tone almost bored.

As Ashylene and I stood before the mysterious girl with the sword, an awkward silence settled over us. Dwayne tried to make light of the situation, but his words fell flat. That's when Ashylene spoke up.

"I take it you already know me," she said, scratching her head. The girl regarded us with a cool detachment. "Yes, I do," she replied. Ashylene wasn't one to give up easily.

"Do you mind if we train in here with you? We won't bother you," she asked. The girl paused for a moment, considering her options. "I can't," she finally said. "I don't want people to observe my abilities as I train.

It will be disadvantageous for me." Ashylene nodded, understanding her concerns.

"You don't want us to disclose your abilities, right? Don't worry, we won't do that," she said, trying to convince the girl to let us train with her.

But the girl remained firm in her decision.

"I prefer to train alone," she said in a cold voice

The mysterious girl with the sword stared at us with suspicion. "I don't trust you," she said coldly. Ashylene wasn't one to give up easily.

"On my family's honor, I won't share what we see here," she said, pleading with the girl to let us train with her. After a moment's hesitation, the girl relented - but with a condition.

"You two must leave," she said, indicating me and Dwayne. I could see the disappointment written on Dwayne's face, but I knew it was for the best.

This girl was clearly dangerous, and I didn't want to get caught up in whatever she was doing. As we turned to leave, Ashylene spoke up.

"There must be something you want. We'll give you something in exchange for letting us train here." The girl paused, considering her options.

"Today we'll see. Let some money rain," Dwayne said, his eyes lighting up with anticipation. After a bit of back and forth, the girl finally relented.

"I'll share this room if you allow me to fight him - the number five," she said, looking directly at Dwayne. Ashylene grinned, clearly enjoying the challenge. Meanwhile, I couldn't help but laugh at Dwayne's eagerness to prove himself.

As Ashylene and I walked away from them, I couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. Dwayne was clearly in over his head, and I wasn't sure how this was going to end. But Dwayne seemed undeterred.

"Ok, let's go already," he said, stepping forward to face the girl. "My name is Sandra of the Terylin family of martial arts and swordplay.

I hereby challenge you to a duel," she said, unsheathing her sword and assuming a fighting stance.

Ashylene and I exchanged a bewildered glance.

"What the hell is that?" we asked in unison. But Dwayne seemed unfazed. Coating his body with armor, he braced himself for what was to come.

As the two of them squared off, I could feel the tension mounting. It was clear that this was no ordinary training session - there was something more at stake here and that was Dwayne reputation.