Word that a first-year newbie, Rian, had sent Professor Gavren flying out of the arena had spread like wildfire through the academy.
"Did he really take him down with one kick?"
"Yeah, but the other S-Ranks barely did anything worth noting. Do they really deserve that rank like he does?"
Glances darted across hallways, and names like Zevrin, Lyra, Toren, Siora, and Kain buzzed around, only to get overshadowed by the one guy who'd actually beaten a professor.
Rian, though, was clueless to the storm brewing, holed up in his room with his phone in hand.
He sat on the bed, back against the wall, legs crossed, staring at the glowing screen and his chat with Lena Blaze.
The blue light bounced off his eyes, and his fingers clumsily gripped the device's edge as he read her latest message:
[Hey, how'd your first day go? Survive it?]
The corner of Rian's mouth twitched up, almost a smile, before he started typing a reply.
[All normal,] he pecked out, slow but steady.
He hit send and scratched his cheek, waiting.
Lena's response zipped back fast, the phone buzzing in his grip.
[Normal? You sure?]
Rian frowned, tilting his head.
Before he could type back, another message popped up:
[By the way, you started those new meds and supplements I gave you yet? They're important—know how to take 'em?]
Then another, with details:
[Supplements in the morning, with food. Meds you can take alone or with water, before or after eating.]
Rian blinked, reading it carefully as his fingers hovered over the touchscreen.
[Thanks for the rundown,] he wrote, pausing to scratch his neck.
Truth was, those instructions—way more detailed—were already on the paper the doctors had given him.
The phone buzzed again.
[So, how's it going? Notice anything different with all that stuff you're on now?]
Lena sounded curious, and Rian could picture her tilting her head, golden eyes gleaming.
He frowned, thinking back to the fight with Gavren.
[Liked 'em,] he typed, short and sharp. [No dizziness or feeling off. Think they work.]
Lena's reply flashed onscreen, but it wasn't text this time—just a little image: a cartoon of a buff guy with a smug grin, flexing his arms like he'd just won big.
Rian blinked, tilting his head at it.
The figure oozed pride—over-the-top pride—and something about that goofy face pulled a low chuckle out of him.
[What's that?] he typed.
Lena shot back quick:
[It's a sticker, genius. To make you laugh. Like it?]
Rian read it, nodding to himself like she could see.
[Yeah,] he tapped out, then added, curious: [How'd you send it?]
Her reply buzzed in:
[Easy, but I'm not teaching you here. I'll show you in person next time we meet. Deal?]
Rian froze, staring at those words with a furrowed brow.
Meet in person again?
Part of him figured Lena was just messaging out of politeness, a duty after handing him the meds.
But… wanting to see him again?
His lips curved into a tiny, barely-there smile as he thought of his clan siblings who'd rather see him gone for good.
[Deal,] he typed finally, hitting send.
Then he eyed the phone a sec longer and sighed.
[Gotta check what classes I'm taking,] he typed, scratching his neck as he recalled the paper Alina had handed out.
[Heading out. See ya.]
He sent it and dropped the phone on the bed, its screen still glowing with Lena's reply:
[Huh? You get to pick your classes?]
…
The trek to the cafeteria was a mess—Rian took a couple wrong turns, frowning as he tried to piece together the directions Kaelin had given him yesterday when she'd led him there.
Students passing by shot him side-glances, some whispering.
"That's the guy who floored Gavren?" a short-haired girl said, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
"Seriously? Doesn't look like much," a skinny guy replied, crossing his arms.
Rian ignored them, scratching his cheek as he kept walking.
When he finally found the cafeteria, it was alive with noise—laughter, chatter, the clink of forks on plates.
The air smelled of fresh-baked bread and fried goodies. Rian shuffled to the line, grabbing a tray with awkward hands. He ordered veggie soup—a thick broth with steaming chunks of carrot and potato—a round, crispy roll, and a glass of water.
To his shock, they handed him all that food without a peep again.
'Holy crap… no way I'm getting used to this,' he thought, settling at a lone table near a window overlooking the courtyard.
The place was packed, but no one drifted near his spot.
As Rian tore the roll with his fingers and dunked it in the soup, his blue eyes drifted to the steam curling off the bowl.
The broth was hot, salty enough to warm his chest, and the bread crunched between his teeth.
'This looks tasty!' he thought, until heavy footsteps thudded close.
He glanced up just as a shadow fell over his table. A tall, broad guy with his blue uniform unbuttoned at the chest and short, messy hair loomed over him.
His arms were crossed, a crooked smirk twisting his mouth.
"Hey," he said, voice deep and laced with something far from friendly. "You're Rian, right?"
Rian blinked, the roll hovering halfway to his mouth.
"Yeah," he said, plain and simple.