[Aran]
Another day of class. I leaned on my hand, barely keeping my head up as Professor Stein continued his lecture.
After the weird biker encounter yesterday, it seemed like things had been… mostly resolved.
The bikers, thanks to Lilia, were forced to apologize through a video where they did one thousand push-ups as penance.
Nolan, their leader, got it especially bad. Not only did he do the full thousand push ups, but he also had to hold a horse stance over a lit candle and while carrying weights on his shoulders for hours.
Well, I guess that's the quality of a good leader. Taking responsibility for your crew.
Kristina, though… I still had no clue what was going on between her and Jena. She hadn't brought it up, and I wasn't brave enough to ask. I wouldn't blame her if she just cut ties completely.
All in all, things seemed to be moving forward without any major consequences—
[Attention]
A loud voice buzzed from the speakers across campus.
[Will the following students please report to the Headmaster's Office immediately]
[Elio Tonitru from First Year Class D. Kristina Glacia and Aran Aranea from First Year Class B]
—I spoke too soon.
"Uh… You heard 'em," Professor Stein said with a shrug, setting his book down.
I turned to Kristina. She turned to me at the same time. No words were exchanged, but we both understood. It was definitely about that.
Before we could even stand, the classroom door slid open with a sharp shhk.
A familiar face appeared—Phoebe, the reliable class rep—waving softly at us.
The class instantly erupted into cheers.
It wasn't because of Phoebe, though she was popular enough to command attention.
It was because of him.
Standing behind her, silver hair glinting under the ceiling lights, was someone who's easily recognized on sight.
Stoic expression. Calm, distant gaze. Blue eyes like a winter sky.
Luke Seleneh.
The one prophesied to become a world-saving hero.
The strongest student in Lucida Academy.
And for some reason…
"!!!"
"..."
He was looking straight at me.
________________________________________
Kristina, Elio and I were sitting down on a couch just outside the headmaster's office as Pheobe and Luke stand close.
"So uh... What're ya in for?"
Elio asked me.
"Dude, we're not in prison. And you already know why we're here!"
"Ah yeah…" Elio scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Just trying to lighten the mood, man."
Kristina sat on the far side of the couch, arms crossed, eyes on the floor. She hadn't said a word since we got here. I wasn't sure if it was nerves, or something else.
Phoebe stood nearby, tapping her tablet while occasionally glancing at the office door. Luke, meanwhile, remained perfectly still. He hadn't moved or spoken since we arrived—just stood like a statue with that same unreadable expression.
He's not looking at me anymore, but his aura is intense. I feel nervous just by being in the same room as him.
Not much is known about his perk, but there are forum discussions online saying he can destroy a large city with a single attack...
In other words, I'm sitting next to a bomb that I need to be careful not to tick off.
Then I suddenly felt something tap my shoulder.
It was Pheobe.
She looked at me with her usual calm, unreadable expression. Thankfully, hers was a comforting kind of stoic—not the "I can erase you" kind like Luke's.
"Are you okay, Aran? You seem nervous."
"Ah, class rep..." I looked down, trying to steady my voice. "Y-yeah. A little..."
If it were any other day, I probably would've been squealing like a fanboy just from her talking to me. But this situation wasn't anything to scoff at.
The door to the Headmaster's office opened and a woman with silver hair welcomed us.
The door to the Headmaster's office opened, and a woman with silver hair stepped out to greet us. She wore a black blazer with the academy's golden emblem stitched over her chest, and her heels made a deliberate clack on the floor with every step. Sharp eyes, composed demeanor—she had the aura of someone who didn't waste time.
"Headmaster Valen is ready to see you now," she said, giving us a small nod.
Kristina, Elio, and I exchanged looks. No words—just a shared gulp of tension.
"Aran...!"
Before we stepped inside, Pheobe called out to me and pumped her fists.
"Good... Good luck!"
That was a small form of comfort as a Pheobe fanboy...
________________________________________
We stepped inside.
The Headmaster's office was bigger than I expected.
High, arching ceilings loomed above us, supported by curved beams carved with old runes. The walls were lined with towering shelves filled with thick, leather-bound books and strange artifacts—some glowing faintly, others pulsing like they were breathing.
There was a fireplace too, though it wasn't lit. Instead, the room was bathed in warm sunlight spilling through tall, stained-glass windows depicting Lucida's founding heroes. The air smelled like polished wood and a hint of something old—maybe ink or dust.
Guess they had to splurge a bit on the budget for the headmaster, huh?
Speaking of which—At the center of it all sat a man behind a large, orderly desk.
Headmaster Valen.
He had silver glasses, a white mustache, and the kind of posture that said he'd been in this position for decades and could retire anytime… but chose not to. His eyes were sharp—so sharp they felt like they could cut through excuses and see the core of your soul.
And despite his age, he seems well, physically speaking.
"Take a seat," he said.
We sat without question.
Valen glanced at each of us.
"What you three did..." he began, voice even but edged with something stern, "was anything but ordinary."
The female staff member each handed us a tablet with a video of the fight from yesterday, confirming my suspicions...
I knew it... It was about this
Oh boy. Here it comes.
"You engaged a hostile group off-campus. You acted without permission. You escalated a confrontation that could have easily turned deadly."
Elio scratched the back of his neck. Kristina stayed straight-backed and calm, but I noticed her hand shaking.
I… tried not to sink into my chair.
"Might I ask the reason why this happened?"
Valen's question hung in the air like a blade suspended over our heads.
I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. My brain scrambled to organize the chaos from yesterday into something that didn't sound like 'I kicked a biker where the sun don't shine and ran for it.'
Kristina was the first to speak.
"They approached us first," she said clearly.
"Oh?" Valen raised a brow.
"Aran tried to reason with them, but they were getting aggressive, so we decided to defend ourselves."
Valen leaned back slightly in his chair, hands beneath his chin.
"I see," he said, voice calm, but his eyes sharp. "So, Aran initiated the negotiation?"
I straightened up. "Y-yeah. I just tried to talk them down, but they didn't really care."
"They were looking for a fight," Kristina added. "We tried running, but they ended up finding us anyway... After the fight, we did settle things with a little talk. We're in no form of danger anymore."
"How so?"
Getting an idea, I took out my new phone.
"Yes, it's true!"
It showed the apology video of the same bikers from yesterday doing push ups.
Valen's eyes widened, the faintest flicker of surprise breaking through his expression. The grunts and strained apologies of Nolan and his crew filled the otherwise silent office.
"—one hundred and forty-two... we're sorry... one hundred and forty-three..."
Kristina leaned slightly to peek at my phone, her expression unreadable. Elio tried—and failed—to stifle a snort.
Breaking his stoic expression, a smirk formed on Headmaster Valen's face.
"I see. Considering that there's proper evidence, and things seem to be resolved, I will not push on further."
The three of us raised a brow.
"It was that easy?" Elio asked.
"Oh, would you rather I punish you three?" Valen jokingly suggested, making me jump up and cover Elio's mouth with my hand.
"No no... That won't be necessary! Seeing as we're now free to go, we'll be on our way then, haha!"
"Mhm! I agree!"
Kristina nodded quickly as we dragged a confused Elio out of the room.
"Wait." Valen said.
I froze up.
"Y-yes?"
"Kristina and Elio can go. I have something to talk about with you in private, Aran."
NOOOOOOO!!!!
Kristina glanced at me—a bit of concern in her eyes—before she bowed politely and turned to leave with Elio, who looked like he wanted to argue but followed after one last look my way.
The door clicked shut.
________________________________________
Silence.
I sat there, spine straight, heart hammering like a marching band during a parade.
Valen stared at me for a good five seconds.
"I know about the incident with Veda Corp."
Those few words made me jump a bit as I gripped the chair's armrest.
The air suddenly became thick with tension.
"How do you..."
"Of course I'd know. You are a student of Potentia. Any incident involving one is privately reported to the headmaster. An agent from the bureau of security told me about your involvement in taking down the corporation."
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
I don't like recalling that event. It makes my body start to shake just thinking about it...
"...Could that agent be Mr. Isaac?"
"Yes."
"But why are we talking about this now? It happened a month ago..."
"That's because I've never had a good opportunity to. I was busy handling things for the hero..."
"Then... What about Elio? He's in the same boat as me."
"It's because you are a special case. I've read your records, Aran. You don't have a Perk ability."
I held my tongue for a moment.
"What's that have to do with anything?"
"There's something that does not make any sense..."
"What do you mean?"
"You don't have a Perk… and yet you survived a high-level infiltration operation against one of the most corrupt and well-defended corporations in Lucida."
I stayed silent.
"I've also been told that you held your ground long enough against a highly aggressive experimental bio weapon until help arrived."
"..."
"Of course," he went on, voice calm but insistent, "it could've been a mix of luck, raw skill, and with the help of Elio and Isaac by your side… but...
Valen looked straight into my soul.
"My instincts tell me there's something more going on."
"I...."
I don't know what to say. Even if I tried explaining how I survived that incident, nothing intelligible would come out. Writing is useless too...
I couldn't answer him.
Not because I didn't want to.
But because I physically couldn't.
Valen didn't press. He just watched. Studied me like a puzzle that was starting to solve itself.
"…I won't force it out of you," he finally said, straightening his coat. "But I will find the answer eventually."
I looked up, my lips parting just slightly—but again, no words came.
"What you and Elio did may not be public knowledge, but you've made enough ripples, Aran. People are watching."
"...Thank you."
It came out quieter than I meant it to, almost like an echo of my own breath.
Valen didn't respond right away. He studied me a moment longer—then gave the smallest nod.
"Get some rest," he said, turning back to his desk.
I gave one last bow of my head, then stepped out.
The door closed behind me with a click that sounded louder than it should've.
________________________________________
Kristina and Elio were still there, lounging against the wall. Kristina's arms were crossed, but her eyes flicked up the second she saw me. Elio straightened, like he'd been holding his breath.
"What happened?" Kristina asked, voice low.
I shook my head. "Just… talked."
"Are you in trouble?" Elio added.
"…No. I don't think so."
Elio scratched the back of his head.
"That so..."
I looked around and saw that Pheobe and Luke were gone.
Elio scratched the back of his head.
"That so…"
I glanced around, scanning the hallway.
Pheobe and Luke were gone.
Kristina noticed too. "They probably went back to class."
"Yeah…" I muttered.
Elio crossed his arms and chimed in.
"Well anyway, now that that's over and that all of us are here, Big Sis called me earlier to tell you guys something!"
"Lilia did?" Kristina asked.
"Yep! She wanted to invite you guys for dinner!"
Kristina perked up. "Ooh, free food?"
Elio smirked. "That's the only reason you're excited?"
"Yep!"
How honest...
"She wanted to properly thank you guys for... well, everything. Said yesterday was a mess and she didn't get the chance to show her gratitude. Whatever that means..."
"Oh," I said, a bit surprised. "She really doesn't have to—"
"Too late," Elio cut in. "She already made food. I tried telling her you might say no and she said, and I quote: 'Then I'll just cry and pack it in Tupperware."
"Aw... C'mon Aran, it'll be fun!"
I rubbed the back of my neck. "I mean... I guess I'm free tonight."
Kristina gave a small smile and nodded.
"Great," Elio said. "We'll go together! No need for fancy stuff, just come hungry."
We all started walking back to our classrooms, and for a brief moment, the tension from earlier felt far away.
Still, Valen's voice continued to echo in the back of my mind like a whisper.
"People are watching."
________________________________________