"Don't butt in," the beefy guy growled, his voice deep and sharp. "You do, and you'll pay the price with her."
She whipped her head toward Rian.
"If you help me out of this…" she said, voice low but steady, "I'll pay you back with interest. Swear it."
Before Rian could answer, the buzzcut musclehead cursed under his breath.
"Damn it, shut up already!" he spat, throwing a punch straight at her face, his arm swinging with raw force.
But Rian was faster.
His eyes caught the move in a flash, and with a sidestep, he grabbed the guy's wrist. Effortlessly, he twisted his body and yanked downward, flipping the thug's momentum into a lock that slammed him face-first into the floor with a dull thud.
'Thought he'd weigh more,' Rian mused as he pulled it off.
The musclehead groaned in pain, face mashed against the boards, struggling to turn over but getting nowhere.
The other three froze for a beat, eyes popping wide.
The skinny one with glasses fumbled with his lenses, muttering:
"What the heck…? Does this guy know martial arts or something?" His voice was hushed, staring at Rian in shock.
The leader in the blue jacket clicked his tongue, annoyed, crossing his arms.
"Martial arts, huh?" he said, mockingly but with a flicker of anger. "Won't help you if we rush you three-on-one. Let's go!" He jerked his head, and the other two—the piercing guy and glasses—charged Rian alongside him.
Rian watched them coolly, eyes tracking every twitch.
Piercing came from the right, swinging a sloppy but quick fist. Rian leaned aside, letting it graze his cheek, then shoved the guy's shoulder with a smooth push, sending him stumbling to his knees with a choked yelp.
At the same time, Glasses lunged from the left, stiff and wide open. Rian pivoted on one foot, dodging the punch, and planted an open palm on his chest with pinpoint force.
The lanky kid staggered back, crashing into the wall with a whimper and sliding down.
The leader, seeing his crew drop so fast, snarled and barreled at Rian, fists up.
But before he could close in, Piercing—who'd scrambled up—let out a nasal snicker and melted into the floor's shadow like his body dissolved into black ink.
"Here, I'm untouchable, moron!" he crowed, voice echoing from the dark as he popped up behind Rian, poised to strike.
'That power…' Rian thought, dodging another clumsy haymaker from the leader, when he sensed the shift behind him. No time to fully turn, but right then, the girl flicked her hand up quick.
A shimmering, see-through bubble snapped around Piercing's head, trapping him like a helmet.
He froze mid-step, hands flailing at nothing as panic twisted his face.
"What!" he yelled, voice muffled inside the bubble.
The girl smirked, crossing her arms as she eyed him.
"What, forgot about me?" she taunted, voice sharp and smug. "I know how your little shadow trick works. Takes focus, right? Good luck with that now." Her red eyes glinted with glee as he flailed wildly, tripping over himself trying to break free.
The leader seized the distraction to swing at Rian again, but Rian twisted his torso, dodging, and drove a swift elbow into the guy's gut.
The tall kid doubled over with a gasp, dropping to his knees, clutching his stomach.
Rian glanced at Piercing—now looking like a fool slapping at air—then at the girl.
The other three were down, groaning or panting, so only he remained.
"Want me to knock him out?"
She raised a hand, breathing hard from holding the bubble.
"Hang on a sec," she said, softer now. Piercing's flailing slowed, movements turning sluggish, until he finally crumpled to the floor with a thud, out cold.
The bubble popped with a faint snap, and the girl slumped her shoulders, taking a deep breath.
"Done," she muttered, wiping sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand.
Rian looked at her, nodding slow.
"Thanks for watching my back."
She let out a tired chuckle, resting a hand on her hip.
"Nah, I should be saying that," she shot back, red eyes flickering with relief and a hint of awe. "You took down those three like it was nothing. That was wild."
She paused, frowning a bit.
"My power's still weak. If they'd all come at me, I'd have been toast for sure."
Rian scratched his neck, eyeing the four sprawled guys.
Musclehead was still face-down, moaning low; Glasses slumped against the wall, rubbing his chest; the leader cradled his gut, cursing through gritted teeth; and Piercing snored like it was nap time.
"No honor," Rian muttered, disdain dripping. "Four guys on one girl ain't fair."
She tilted her head, sizing up Rian's ratty gray tunic with curiosity.
"You from some clan or something?" she asked, voice easing up though still a bit winded. "You talk like it."
Rian nodded slow, scratching his cheek.
"Was," he said, short and sharp, leaving it there.
She opened her mouth to reply, but a loud groan from the leader cut her off.
She spun toward the downed guys, scowling.
"We'll need to call medics to haul this trash out," she said, jabbing a finger at them. "Wouldn't want you stuck with the garbage."
Rian frowned, recalling the rule sheet he'd gotten.
"Wait," he said, puzzled. "One rule said no fighting outside class. Won't this get us in hot water?"
She blinked at him, thrown, then let out a dry laugh.
"Well, yeah, that's true," she said, crossing her arms. "But classes have technically started." Her tone was breezy, like it was obvious, but Rian's face—what little she could see in the dark—twisted in confusion.
"What do you mean 'started'?" he mumbled, tilting his head. "Isn't the ceremony tomorrow?"
Her grin widened, hand back on her hip.
"Ceremony's just for show," she explained, voice lifting with amusement. "The dorms, the garden, even the mountain we'll train on soon—it's all part of class. This counts as 'inside,' kinda."
She paused, eyeing Rian with more interest.
"You're taller than me, huh?"
Rian processed her words, nodding slowly.
"Isn't that normal?" he murmured, scratching his cheek.
She glanced around the dark room.
"Hey, can you do me one more favor?"
"What's up?"
"Could you flip on the light? I think I dropped an earring when I tripped earlier…"