The hivemind is conquering for me?

Hailey looked around her classroom and sighed, she couldn’t even linger her gaze upon Apollo too long as she became distracted by everyone talking about her.

She understood of course. Despite the fact she despised being related to her birth giver, she ultimately was. Being a princess held a certain quality that most just fanned over upon finding out. It made her connection to Apollo feel even more special; Him not caring about her title just proved to her they were meant to be.

A warmth permeated through her chest thinking about that as she continued to set up her desk. While doing so, she also took a brief glance at Gabrielle and shook her head.

Gabrielle had squeezed herself right next to Apollo. ’She really just needs to come out and tell him, this is getting ridiculous.’ She thought, being hypocritical, due to the fact she herself had not told Apollo her own feelings...

She then took a deep breath. Now really wasn’t the time to get into her own head. Sure she took the job to get close to Apollo, but she would not neglect her duty as a teacher.

”Alright everyone, simmer down. Now.” She said, her words seemingly absolute, as silence draped its cloak over the lecture hall. The seats going towards the back were elevated so she was not obstructed, nor needed to position herself as she walked.

”My name is Hailey Athena and yes, as most of you just failed at whispering to one another, yes I am a princess. But that now is irrelevant. For now I am simply Hailey, your teacher for Psionic basics.”

The room remained mostly silent after hearing this, but a great deal began murmuring again. ”Now, while I would like to jump straight into today’s lecture, I feel if I do, a lot of you will remain distracted and I don’t want to be giving out disciplinary actions on day one. So if you have any questions about myself, my teacher’s assistant Gabrielle who is sitting here at the front or any questions about the class going forward, raise your hand and I shall answer now.”

More than a fair share of hands suddenly raised. Hailey’s cold disposition almost broke at the thought of answering them all, she seriously hoped a lot of the questions were the same so the overwhelming numbers depleted with each question answered.

Hailey started with a woman in the fifth row. ”You”

The woman in question suppressed a squeak of glee before composing herself. ”P-Princess, after your announcement at the welcoming ceremony, I had a look around. What have you been doing the last decade? I couldn’t find anything about you after the former queen’s passing.”

Hailey narrowed her eyes, suppressing a wince at the mention of her mother, but replied formally. ”As a teen I received special permission to attend this college. I spent my time between here and my home learning all I could about Psionics till I was eighteen. I then joined the military as I felt I needed to do my part.

I then spent the last five years up to very recently working in various locations and have recently made tribune through hard work and determination. That brings us up to now.”

”T-Thank you!” The woman exclaimed jubilantly before Hailey swiftly moved on to the next individual, grateful that a great deal of hands went down ’Nosey fuckers...’

”You, man with the cybernetic eye. Sixth row.” Hailey pointed. The man then yelled very animated and a bit too keen. ” Are you in a relationship!?!”

Hailey then unconsciously looked towards Apollo, her cheeks were burning, but she resisted the urge to blush. ”Student, that is none of your business and incredibly rude to ask. You best watch that behaviour around me going forward, but since it’s the first class and I am feeling generous. No, I am not currently in any engagements. As a princess things in that regard are much more complicated than a relationship you would enter. Now, any other questions?”

A great deal of hands then went down prompting Hailey to once again think. ’Nosey fuckers...’ She even saw people begin to take notes as she said that. One said individual in the front row wrote.

[Princess = single!!!]

She had to admire the boldness of the woman who wrote that very clearly in front of her, but moved on to another man at the back who thankfully had a genuinely good question.

”Hi, Princess Hailey. What makes you qualified to be a teacher here at the college? I am twenty six, only a couple years older than you and considering you yourself just said that you have been in the military for the last five years,I feel like you just don’t have the life experience nor the right amount of training to be here teaching us. So what makes you qualified?”

”Good, question, I-” ”-Don’t you slander the Princess in front of me chucklefuck! I will fucking pull your spine out of your pathetic excuse of a body!!!” Someone loud interjected. The man who asked the question was then bombarded by a series of insults along with crinkled up papers.

”Enough!”

A voice exclaimed, causing everyone present to suddenly feel incredibly ill. Gabrielle looked around the room after projecting her aura into her voice, severely dampening the effect, but it was still enough to send the great majority to the edge of consciousness.

As she looked back to give Hailey a smile, after checking her baby was right as rain of course, she suddenly realised she affected everyone in the room. Everyone.

Hailey frowned at Gabrielle, this tactic had not been discussed and now she had to suffer a mild psionic disruption. Not the best way to start the first lesson for sure.

She then ignored the sorrowful look of Gabrielle and replied to the man. ” An excellent question. You are right, I am young, but I am also a recognised psionic genius who has awakened twice and is close to a third with already multiple psionic powers. While it may be true, for more advanced subjects I am not a suitable teacher. For the classes I have chosen to teach, I have confidence and the confidence of every other teacher here to do a good job. Any more questions? Yes, you.”

Another hand, another question. ”Yeah, so. What is the deal with the praetorian? I keep seeing her around from a distance. Is she your bodyguard or something?”

Nerissa, who thought she was doing an excellent job at standing completely still and blending into the background, was suddenly surprised at being spotted and simply declared.

”My business here is my own students, do your best to ignore my presence. Also be good for your teachers”

”Yeah! I’ve seen the praetorian with that guy with the purple hair up front! What’s the deal with that? Who is that guy!”

...

I didn’t feel like giving everyone my life story at this moment in time so I ignored the gazes and simply raised my hand.

Hailey gave me the side eye for a moment before the corner of her lips creased slightly. ”Yes Apo- I mean, you there.” Naturally, being the centre of attention thanks to that loud guy, the room went silent once more as I asked.

”So having been here before and now coming back as a teacher, is there anything you are excited about moving forward? What are your plans outside the classroom?” It felt weird asking my friend this question so formally, but I didn’t want Gabrielle doing that nasty yell again to make everyone silent.

”Excellent question. I am definitely excited about teaching. I like to take challenges and expand my repertoire. I am quite malleable in this regard and I am adept at picking up new things. Outside of the classroom though, I am excited to expand my knowledge. As while being a teacher, I have a few classes I do plan on attending and I have also signed up for a dispensation.”

She then smiled again before addressing the class as a whole. ”Because that is the most important thing you are receiving at this academy. Knowledge. Sure, your space magic is cool and all, from the mundane to the cataclysmic. Psionic strength to Telekinesis. You are going to be learning about all that stuff here, learning how to improve your own Psionics, but. That is not where Psionics end. Psionics is endless. In your time here, you won’t even learn a fraction of what is to learn about Spartari’s Psionics because, for hundreds of thousands of years, all the way back to the founders, like minded individuals like us, have been gathering together like this, teaching each other these gifts freely. And why? To strengthen our empire and drive back the traitor and the alien and all foul abominations that are a threat to our empire.

The knowledge you receive here In this college will be your greatest power, And that power will only benefit your Psionics. Just like training your Psionics will only enhance your knowledge.”

She then took a breath and looked around the room and nodded her head at the transfixed faces.

”Everyone, I welcome you to your first lesson of Psionic basics and the start of the great journey you are now taking.”