text: I was starting my second year at The Academy. I had narrowly survived the first year after the minotaur stampede that the Dark Mage Halloran unleashed. Gods only know why he is after Johan. He isn’t that good a mage, to begin with. Always seems to be up to some kind of mischief. I make my way down the hallway and pass Johan and his friends. They are speaking in whispers. Clearly, they think Haloran is going to return this year. I really hope he doesn’t. I’m here for a simple course to research and get my degree in herbology with a minor in Artificing. I do not need mad mages ruining my experiments and burning the dorm where my thesis is kept. It is by the Gods mercy I used flame magic proof paper and ink. Giving a friendly wave to a pair of first-years who are gaping around the building. Oh, how I miss those days. So naive. So clueless to the hell they are about to step into. I finally reach my goal of the Professor's meeting room. I, along with a few other exemplary students, have been called for a meeting. Stepping into the room, I can see every professor lined up. There is even Lord Sloth, for once not in his research building. This must be an important meeting if he is here. “Thank you, Alan, for joining us”, Professor Alex says, gesturing for me to stand alongside five other students standing stock still. “Sir, why have we been called here?” Alora asks, flicking her hair in the haughty way she usually does. “That is...” Lord Sloth begins before trailing off. “Before we begin, we will need you to sign a blood contract that what we tell you will not leave your lips after you walk out this room”, Professor Yuu says, rolling out a parchment covered in ancient runes. “A blood contract?” I exclaim. Using such a thing on students means this is beyond anything a normal mage will be handling. Hesitantly I sign along the bottom along with each of the other students. Finally, we each prick our finger and allow a single drop of blood to fall on the page. The blood is absorbed and vanishes. “Good with that; we can continue,” Lord Sloth says with a smile. “We wish for you boys and girls and quex to become School Prefects”, Sloth explains. “Why the shecreshy shir?” Quexly asks, their tongue flickering. “Simple, while you’ll have your normal duties, you will have additional ones on top of what your fellows will do”, Sloth explains, resting his elbows on the table and steepling his fingers. “What would that be, sir?” I ask. “Simple, you are aware of Johan, I take it?” Sloth asks. The group of students all nod. “Perfect, your first task will be to harass him and his group of friends at every single turn. Every minor infraction you see must be punished with the maximum sentence”, Sloth explained. I and the others all had perplexed looks. While it would be enjoyable to exact some revenge on Johan, this seems unbelievably petty. “Why?” Alora asks, dropping her haughty act. “Simple, you will be ‘Under the Control’ of good sir Halloran”, Sloth explains, gesturing to a door that was opened. In stepped the Dark Mage Halloran, who gave a sheepish wave. I and the others instantly readied our wands and equipment. Prepared to fight this mad mage. Had he taken control of the teachers? This really was a worst-case scenario. A loud finger snap echoed from behind us, and I could feel my mana being suppressed by an overbearing level of mana. Turning around, I saw Professor Alex wag his finger at us. Before pointing back to sloth. “You see, you lot are the most exceptional students of the second years. So we will let you in on a little secret. We have a program where an old retired professor will return to menace some of the....” Sloth trailed off as if looking for the right words. “More problematic students. The simpletons. The legacies. The ones who think they have grand destinies”, Sloth explained. “So all the chaos?” I begin. “Completely staged. These brats who think they are the best are going to leave school realising they peaked and fall to the obscurity they so rightly deserve”, Sloth said with venom dripping from his voice. “I am aware how this will sound coming from me. But we do not like nor tolerate slothful students”, Sloth said sardonically. I, along with the others, was stunned and confused. “But yoush are meant to teash shtudentsh”, Quexly shouted. “And we do, but some students will never learn. We identify them in the first month and set loose a Dark Mage on them”, Professor Yuu explained. “But this is disruptive to other students”, Alora protested. “Is it though? Our attacking mages never harm other students. They ensure no work is destroyed. Professors even make sure any experiments that may be ruined are protected”, Professor Alex explained. “If anything, many students feel motivated to improve all the more to stand above this outside threat”, Grund, the combat teacher, added finally speaking up. “Indeed, we see an upswing in grades whilst doing these things”, Sloth nodded. “So we are to be Halloran’s cronies as it were?” I asked. Halloran nodded. “Bully them, punish them at every turn. Make their lives as difficult as possible if you are ever confronted, act ignorant. Worse case, they follow you, and we can pretend you were mind-controlled. Works every time”, Halloran said. So much for a quiet year was all I could think as I accepted the prefect's badge. At least I would get a bunch of extra credit points for this.