Meanwhile, on the roof, Vincent felt his heart thump, his blood pump, and sweat build on his forehead. He gulped as he met Max’s eyes, as it was just the two of them left.

Max nodded, sensing Vincent’s fear as he peered over the ledge, gulping himself. He stepped backward as he shook his arms and hands about, trying to get rid of his fright. Even though he was scared, her certainly wouldn’t let that anxiety lead to him going last. Going last was always the worst. He knew not only about going last, but being last. And that feeling, that place in life – whether it was with his family, friends, social circle – sucked.

“That’s my cue,” he said with a weak smile, wiping sweat from his forehead.

He took a few steps backward, cracking his neck this way and that and jumping in place, then took a quick breath before bursting forward into a run. He jumped off the ledge and let out a battle cry as he legs and arms flailed about. “Kazaaaam!”

Two white, feathery wings appeared on his back in a magical puff of smoke. The wings, now attached to his back, pumped vigorously, totally out of sync and unpracticed but with enough effort to slow his descent. His body tilted to the side as one wing was pumping harder than the other, and he landed hard, rolling into a tumble and falling head over heal against the grass, kicking up dirt.

As the dirt settled, he lay sprawled and twitching in an awkward manner. A moment later, he groaned as he pushed himself up and shook his hair about, spitting out a clod of dirt and grass from his mouth, the wings vanishing in another poof of smoke.

“Totally nailed it,” he said, giving a shaky and weak thumbs up, smiling like an idiot.

Mizuki tackled him to the ground, rubbing his hair about and smiling like a proud older sister. “Nice job, Max.”

Max blushed as she pinned him to the ground, her chest rubbing against his face. Most people would probably want the girl to get off them from suffocation or being pinned awkwardly, but Max looked like he was in another realm with his silly smile and bloody nose as she wrestled him about.

“Smooth sailing or not,” Chikaze said. “You accomplished the goal that was given to you.”

Vincent gulped, licking his dry lips as he stared forward in wide-eyed terror. He was next. Him! He had to get from the roof to the ground… He inched toward the ledge, shaking his head and falling backward. He yelled down to the others. “I-I can’t do this.”

While most of them looked as if they understood dealing with something new and unreal, Alacard simply shook his head and chuckled.

“Man, I knew the kid was a chump, but he’s also a freaking wuss.”

“Don’t act like you’ve never been terrified before, Alacard,” Isabella said with a glare.

Alacard snorted, but didn’t say anything in return, until he thought of a clever retort, and he smiled. “Oh, I’ve been scared of bloodsuckers my entire life.” He didn’t say it in a way of being frozen with fear like Vincent was, but more as a mockery.

Mizuki, back on her feet now, leaving Max on the ground in a discombobulated and elated state, shoved Alacard. “Shut up, Alacard.”

He turned and growled at her. “Touch me again, woman, and I’ll rip your arm off.”

She stood to him, pushing her chest out, frowning. “Try me.”

“Will you two be quiet and focus on helping your classmate,” Isabella said in frustration. She then turned up to Vincent and yelled, “You can do it, Vincent. We all believe in you!” Then, as she realized what she was doing, and how everyone had stopped and stared at her, she went as red as a strawberry. “What? I’m trying to encourage him,” she said, stomping her foot.

“By yelling at him?” Mizuki teased.

Isabella puffed her cheeks out and folded her arms. “I was just trying to help.”

“I’m teasing, girl. Sheesh, learn to take a joke.”

Isabella let out a little huff.

Alexander stepped forward, as a gesture to let Isabella know what she was doing was fine, and as a support to his brother in arms. “Dude,” he yelled, his voice clear and compelling. “You’re a freaking werewolf. You got this!”

Everyone went from looking at Isabella to staring at Alexander, even Mizuki looking mildly impressed.

“And remember, if Alacard can do it,” Alexander continued. “Then so can you. I mean, he’s a punk, after all.” Alexander gave Alacard a sly smile… but he wasn’t there, or anywhere. Alexander spun in a circle, thinking perhaps Alacard was on the other side of them. But he was gone. Alexander surmised Alacard got bored of class or didn’t have any comeback, so he had run with his tail between his legs or something. Or perhaps he had eyed a pretty girl and ducked out of class to go flirt with her, even though that wasn’t his style, but Alexander would definitely commend that kind of action. He shrugged it off, and turned back to watching Vincent.

While Alexander wasn’t usually the type to give words of encouragement, he felt for the kid, so he thought it natural to just be… a little giving. Plus, he knew all about pressure, expectations, and the feeling of loss.

Chikaze folded her arms, giving a small but pleased smile at the outcome of her students so far. She stepped forward, watching Vincent with curious eyes. “Like a flower blooming in the rising sunbeams,” she said. “Vincent will learn to blossom.”

“Pretty and smart,” Max said with a dreamy voice as if fantasizing about things he shouldn’t be since she was their teacher, or perhaps he was still in a daze from being bombarded by Mizuk’s chest. “I’m liking her more and more.”

“I know what you like,” Mizuki said with a shove of her elbow into him stomach, which made him keel over and assume the fetal position as he fell to the ground with a groan. A moment later he looked up with pain.

“You didn’t have to hit me so hard, Mizuki,” he said in a raspy and weak voice.

“You’re such a wimp, Max,” she said with a frown.

Vincent wasn’t about to just give in and give up, especially now that he seemed to have friends, so he slowly stood, trying his best to keep his legs from shaking. And Alexander was right, logically speaking, in that if Alacard could do it, so could he. At least he told himself that to reassure his nerves.

Letting out a shuddering breath, Vincent clenched his body and nodded as he got ready to do what he really didn’t want to do. He licked his lips and inched toward the edge, his heartbeat thudding rapidly.

All he had to do… was just jump off. Land like Isabella had. He didn’t have to leapt, or spin or twirl and flip or do anything fancy like the others had. Just inch forward and fall. His body was strong enough to take it, right? It had to be. The others were fine, totally fine, right? So he would be, too. So why couldn’t he move? Move… Move! He screamed to himself.

He blinked warm tears from his eyes, and nodded, clenching his fists as he found his strength. “O-okay,” he said with a shaky breath. “I’m ready.”

He nodded and took another deep, shuddering breath, flexing and extending his fingers in an encouraging motion. He took in a deep inhalation, then closed his eyes. “I can do it, I can do it, I can do it,” he said in quick succession. “Okay,” he said, opening his eyes, determined so step off. “I’m going to count to three, and then go.”

He nodded, positioning one of his toes outward, sliding it forward, teetering on the edge. “One.”

He adjusted his body slightly, sliding the other foot forward, feeling his body shake with anticipation, but willing himself forward. “Two.”

He got ready to just fall forward, come what may, his body and fists tensing, even though that would probably make the fall worse. –

“Three,” came the hushed whisper of Alacard as he pushed Vincent off the edge.

– “What?!” was all Vincent could manage before he was shoved.

Vincent tumbled head over heel, a terrified scream escaping his lips as the ground rushed toward him.

He hit with a resounding thud and thump and cracking noise, followed by…

Darkness.