Xavier headed back to the space chamber with the same steady pace, slipping into the next session before half the third-years even realized a first-year was walking among them. The room was different this time—lights dimmed, more holo-grids hanging in the air, the gravity pads tuned tighter to simulate real orbital strain. The instructor didn't bother with introductions. He simply started the class with a stack of equations and navigational patterns that looked like they were meant to scare off anyone who wasn't supposed to be there.
Xavier didn't flinch. He read through each projection as if someone were handing him puzzle pieces he'd already seen before. The third-years around him kept glancing over whenever the instructor asked a question, waiting to see which idiot would embarrass themselves. Xavier answered two of them before anyone else raised a hand, and the third time, one of the seniors hissed under his breath about "first-year freaks" while shifting in his seat.
