First rule: All students are equal.
Second rule: Academy conflicts stay in the academy.
Third rule: Power usage is regulated.
Fourth rule: Respect the facilities.
Fifth rule: What happens in Cresthaven stays in Cresthaven.
Sixth rule: Outside interference is forbidden.
Seventh rule: Attendance at classes and ceremonies is mandatory.
Eighth rule: Firearms are banned.
Ninth rule: Self-defense is allowed but must be reported.
Tenth rule: Cooperate with staff.
Rian nodded slowly, processing everything Kaelin had laid out, his face thoughtful.
"So that's why you went to the infirmary to report what happened."
Kaelin chuckled, peeling herself off the doorframe.
"Yeah, but did you catch all that?" she asked, her tone light with a spark of amusement in her red eyes.
"Yeah," Rian replied, short and sharp. Then he frowned a bit, recalling the fight. "You reported that one of them used his powers, right?"
Kaelin laughed nervously, waving a hand like it was no big deal.
"Yeah, well, about that…" She scratched her neck—mimicking Rian's tic without noticing—and her grin twisted slightly. "They already chewed out the shadow-melter guy. But I fessed up to using my powers too—for self-defense."
She paused, sighing.
"They won't punish me since it was justified, but they still slapped me on the 'troublemaker' list."
Rian tilted his head again, squinting.
"Did they put me on there too?"
Kaelin shook her head fast, hands up in defense.
"No, no, chill!" she yelped, voice spiking. "You didn't use any powers… did you?"
She froze, eyeing Rian with a flicker of suspicion before cracking a laugh.
"Unless martial arts count as a power. Do they? Nah, wait, I don't think so… or do they?"
She started rambling, fidgeting with Rian's phone as her brow furrowed, lost in her own head.
Rian watched her babble in silence, noting how the room's light faded bit by bit.
Night had rolled in, and a cool breeze slipped through the open window, nudging the curtain.
He yawned quietly, scratching his cheek, and settled onto the floor by the shelf. Stretching his legs, he leaned back against the wood, hunting for a comfy spot.
Kaelin snapped out of her tangent, whipping her head toward him with wide eyes.
"What're you doing?" she asked, voice pitching up in confusion. She darted over, bending to get a better look. "Why not sit on your bed?"
Rian glanced up, frowning.
"That thing looks awkward," he mumbled, waving vaguely at the bed.
To him, the blue contraption with legs and thick fabric was still a space-hogging nuisance.
"I'd rather the floor."
Kaelin blinked, digesting that, then let out an incredulous laugh.
"How's a bed gonna be awkward?" she exclaimed, dripping with disbelief.
For a sec, she pictured Rian hailing from some posh clan, full of giant feather beds and silk sheets, where a plain one like this would feel like a downgrade.
But then she frowned, watching him settle on the floor like it was second nature.
"He's seriously crashing there?" she muttered, baffled.
Rian didn't answer right away, adjusting his back against the shelf.
Kaelin tilted her head, piecing it together.
"Hey," she said, voice spiking with curiosity again, "when I barged into your room in the dark to dodge those jerks… were you sleeping on the floor?"
"Yeah," Rian said, blunt as ever, giving her a puzzled look. "Why?"
Kaelin froze, red eyes going wide. She opened her mouth, but nothing came out.
She just… stared, wrestling with the image of this guy with a pricey phone and a raggedy tunic snoozing on the floor like it was no big deal.
'This… makes zero sense!' she screamed internally.
Finally, she let out a long sigh, shaking her head.
"I don't even know what to say," she mumbled, equal parts stunned and resigned.
Then, with a quick move, she plopped onto Rian's bed, crossing her legs and still clutching his phone.
"If you're really sleeping on the floor…" she said, voice lifting with a playful edge, "can I claim your bed while I mess with this?" She waved the phone, fingers dancing on the screen with a sly grin.
Rian shrugged, leaning further into the shelf.
"Sure," he murmured, no hint of annoyance. "If that weird furniture or the phone works for you, go for it."
He shut his eyes for a moment, like he was already set to doze off.
Kaelin blinked, her grin fading into a confused grimace.
"What?" she yelped, leaning forward on the bed. "What do you mean 'works for you'? What kind of whacked-out clan did you come from where you're cool lending out your bed and phone like it's nothing?" Her voice brimmed with disbelief as she flailed the phone like evidence. "This is a Nexlify! And it's not even locked! Who are you, Rian?"
He cracked one eye open, looking at her calmly.
"Just Rian," he said, plain and simple, before shutting it again.
He didn't seem to get why she was so worked up.
Kaelin huffed, flopping back on the bed with an exaggerated sigh.
"You're… you're weird," she muttered, twirling the phone in her hands. Then she shot upright again, frowning. "Hey, wait," she said, tone shifting to serious. "Aren't you hitting the cafeteria for dinner? It's late."
Rian opened his eyes, scratching his cheek.
"That cost money?"
Kaelin chuckled, shaking her head.
"Nope, it's free," she explained, straightening up. "Students gather stuff from the mountain or garden, so it's all covered."
Rian didn't waste a second, hopping up from the floor in a flash.
If this place was dishing out free food…
No way he was passing that up!
"So, what're you waiting for? Lead the way," he said, a rare spark of excitement in his voice.
Kaelin laughed again, bouncing off the bed with his phone still in hand.
'So he's a foodie, huh? Guess I've got a payback plan…'