THE VALKYRION HEADQUARTERS WAS ALWAYS ALIVE—HUNTERS LAUGHING IN THE LOUNGE, TRAINING NOISES ECHOING FROM THE ARENA, AND THE SMELL OF FOOD WAFTING FROM THE CAFETERIA.
RYUJIN WALKED THROUGH THE HALLS SILENTLY, HANDS IN HIS POCKETS.
PEOPLE STILL TURNED TO STARE.
"THAT'S THE NEW GUY… THE ONE WHO TOOK DOWN AN A-RANKER IN ONE MOVE."
"HE LOOKS DANGEROUS… AND COLD."
RYUJIN IGNORED THEM, AS ALWAYS.
MESS HALL MOMENT
KAI WAVED FROM A TABLE IN THE CAFETERIA.
"HEY! RYUJIN! OVER HERE!"
RYUJIN SAT DOWN RELUCTANTLY, GLANCING AT THE TRAY OF FOOD.
"DON'T TELL ME YOU WERE GONNA SKIP LUNCH AGAIN," KAI SAID, FROWNING.
"YOU'LL NEVER GET STRONGER IF YOU STARVE YOURSELF."
RYUJIN ROLLED HIS EYES BUT TOOK A BITE ANYWAY.
A FEW OTHER HUNTERS JOINED THE TABLE.
ONE OF THEM, A YOUNG HEALER NAMED ELEN, SMILED NERVOUSLY.
"SO, UH… RYUJIN, HOW DO YOU TRAIN TO BE THAT FAST?"
"…I DON'T," HE REPLIED FLATLY.
AWKWARD SILENCE.
KAI SIGHED.
"DON'T MIND HIM. HE'S LIKE THIS WITH EVERYONE."
TRAINING DRILLS
LATER THAT DAY, THE TEAM MOVED TO THE TRAINING ARENA.
THE DRILLS WERE EXHAUSTING: OBSTACLE COURSES, DODGE TRAINING, COMBAT ROTATIONS.
RYUJIN FINISHED EACH TASK WITH UNNATURAL PRECISION, BARELY BREAKING A SWEAT.
"DOES HE EVER GET TIRED?" ELEN WHISPERED TO KAI.
"NO IDEA. MAYBE HE'S A MACHINE," KAI LAUGHED.
ARIANA'S FOCUS
ARIANA WAS WATCHING FROM THE OBSERVATION DECK, ARMS CROSSED.
HER EYES FOLLOWED RYUJIN CLOSELY AS HE DISARMED AN ELITE HUNTER WITH A SINGLE MOVE.
SHE DESCENDED TO THE ARENA FLOOR.
"RYUJIN. WITH ME."
IN HER OFFICE, SHE LEANED AGAINST HER DESK.
"YOU'RE STRONG… BUT YOU'RE HOLDING BACK AGAIN. WHY?"
"I DON'T NEED TO PROVE ANYTHING," RYUJIN SAID COLDLY.
ARIANA SMILED SLIGHTLY.
"I'LL FIGURE YOU OUT SOON ENOUGH."
A SMALL CHANGE
THAT EVENING, RYUJIN STOOD OUTSIDE ON THE BALCONY, STARING AT THE CITY LIGHTS.
KAI JOINED HIM, HOLDING TWO CUPS OF COFFEE.
"YOU'RE STARTING TO FIT IN, YOU KNOW," KAI SAID, HANDING HIM ONE.
"…I DON'T CARE," RYUJIN MURMURED, BUT HIS VOICE WAS LESS COLD THAN USUAL.
"SURE YOU DON'T," KAI SMILED.
"ONE DAY, YOU'LL THANK ME FOR DRAGGING YOU HERE."
RYUJIN SAID NOTHING, BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME…
HE DIDN'T FEEL ALONE.