The next morning, the academy felt noticeably livelier than usual. Leya's name had become the topic of conversation in several corners of the campus. Even in the briefing room, people couldn't stop talking about her.
"She actually handled two simultaneous system failures," someone said.
"I heard the instructor deliberately made the simulation harder," another added.
"Six years out and she still pulled that off? That's insane!"
Some of the trainees were beginning to show genuine admiration. Others still didn't like her.
Meanwhile, Leya had just returned from the family court, where she had filed her divorce papers with the help of her lawyer. From now on, she was determined to focus on the academy and her future. Everything related to the divorce from Arkana would be handled entirely by her attorney.
That day, Leya walked down the long corridor with measured steps. She wore a plain white training blouse with her trainee badge pinned neatly to her chest. Starting that morning, she had also begun a strict diet to bring her body back to the standard expected of a pilot. Light makeup gave her a fresh, professional look. Leya understood well that in the aviation world, it wasn't just skill that mattered — appearance had to be sharp and commanding too.
Several people who had been gossiping fell silent the moment she passed. Leya didn't care. She headed straight for the morning briefing room. When she opened the door, almost every seat was taken. A few trainees turned to look, others whispered. But Leya simply walked to an empty chair in the middle row and sat down.
Before long, the instructor entered. "Good morning."
"Morning, sir!" the trainees answered in unison.
The instructor set his tablet on the front desk. "Today, we start phase two of training."
"What kind of training, sir?" Several trainees looked eager.
The instructor surveyed them one by one. "Cockpit coordination drills."
A few people nodded in understanding — that meant they would be tested as a team. Pilot and co-pilot would need to work together.
"You'll be divided into pairs," the instructor continued.
Trainees immediately began exchanging glances. Some hoped for a strong partner; others looked nervous.
The instructor started reading names.
"Randy with Olivia."
"Sandra with Dimas."
"Ready!"
Several more pairs formed, then the instructor checked his tablet again. "Next — Kataleya..."
Several trainees turned toward Leya. The instructor continued.
"You'll be paired with... Kaisar."
The room went dead quiet. Several faces showed shock.
"Seriously?"
"She's paired with Kaisar?"
Leya didn't react dramatically. She simply turned slowly to look behind her. In the very last row, Kaisar sat with one arm draped casually over the back of his chair. He was five years younger than Leya — twenty-nine to her thirty-four.
Their eyes met. Kaisar gave a thin smile and raised one eyebrow.
I'm the owner's son, even if my identity is kept secret... that doesn't mean I can't pull a few strings. Including making sure this new woman ends up on my team. Kaisar thought to himself.
"You two will be the first pair into the simulator," the instructor said firmly.
More whispering.
"They're going first?"
"This is going to be good!"
"Let's begin," the instructor continued.
Leya rose from her seat, followed by Kaisar. They walked to the front of the room in silence. Once outside, Kaisar fell into step beside her.
He glanced at Leya. "What a coincidence that we're on the same team."
Leya didn't look at him, but her reply came sharp. "If you get in the way of my flying, I'll take over the cockpit."
Kaisar just laughed. He looked ahead. "Relax. I don't like working with slow people either."
Leya stopped walking and turned to face him. "Good. Let's hope we can work together. And let's agree on one thing..."
"What's that?" Kaisar raised an eyebrow.
"Don't get in each other's way." Leya's voice cut like a blade.
For a few seconds they simply stared at each other in silence. Then Kaisar smiled again. "Deal."
They resumed walking toward the simulator building. Neither of them noticed that someone was watching from the second-floor balcony above — a well-dressed middle-aged man. The Academy Director.
He stood beside the senior instructor. "You've paired them?"
"Yes, as you instructed." The instructor nodded.
Inside the simulator building, Leya and Kaisar stood before the training cockpit.
Kaisar opened the simulator door. "Ladies first."
"I'll be the captain." Leya's tone left no room for debate.
Kaisar raised his eyebrow once more. "Wow, jumping right in with the confidence?"
"If you think you're better than me, prove it." Leya met his gaze with open challenge.
Kaisar just grinned. He gestured to the captain's seat. "No need. That seat is yours."
Leya narrowed her eyes slightly, but she climbed into the cockpit and took the pilot's chair. Kaisar settled into the co-pilot's seat.
The instructor powered on the simulator system and spoke through the intercom. "All right, we're not playing around today."
The indicator lights began winking on, one by one.
"Emergency simulation at thirty thousand feet," the instructor continued. "And you've just lost two navigation systems."
Kaisar leaned back slightly in his seat, but his eyes stayed locked on the panel.
"Hmm. Interesting."
Leya already had her hands on the controls. "Focus."
The instructor hit the final button and the alarms began to wail. The cockpit screens transformed into a night sky, a massive storm raging with lightning flickering in the distance.
"Welcome to the real test," the instructor said.
The simulated aircraft bucked violently. Leya and Kaisar would have to control one plane — together.
Could they work as a team and pull through?
***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***
Updated 86 Episodes
Download
Like this story? Download the app to keep your reading history.
Comments