"Did you hear?" A student exiting out of his mathematics period to go to his lesio in elements class, asked his friend as they met mid way in front of a mess hall-cum-cafeteria.
"About what?" The female student was readjusting and straightening her Sanctuary aspiring Proficiency and Wisdom issued uniform's pleats of her skirt.
Glancing left and right, the first student continued. "I heard that the Emperor Stelart Keyriftrian is leaving for the Irka continent." His hands hiding his lips from the side.
Shaking her head, the other student just said. "Pretty sure he already did. What of it?"
"They are saying he left to curb an insurgency there fr-!" The boy whipped his head to gaze at the rushing boy who came and shoulder pushed him from behind.
"Uh!" The boy wanted to confront the other one, but didn't simply because that one is currently a stand-in host.
It was none other than Vance Verticia rushing into the cafeteria.
Vance found Neva jumping down from the gallery of the first floor of the same cafeteria.
"Hey! No jumping down from the gallery in the café." Screamed a worker moving about leftover plates.
Neva bowing and running off to Naph and Dren called back to the worker, "I am so sorry!"
Both reached Naph and Dren within the first two minutes since the bells were rung. Heaving, Neva glanced at Vance while Vance wiped his sweat off.
"We need to see your schedule." All three spoke together. "What?" Naph was confused.
"Schedule!" Neva urged.
"Fine, fine." He brought out a folded page from within one of his uniform jacket's pockets. Dren facepalmed his forehead.
"We forgot…," he realized not telling another crucial detail to Anaphol. "Yes, yes. We need to make sure we cover it all within the day."
Naph's brows furrowed slightly. "What did you forget?"
"Not much." Vance pointed to the cuffs of the shirt Naph was wearing. "That's for storing things."
Glancing down at the cuffs, Naph uttered. "Oh!"
Dren took the schedule page from Naph and opened it flat upon the table. "Ok, so I can be with him today from fourth to sixth period." He scanned it then looked at Vance and Neva.
Neva looked at the page too. "I can take the next period, but run to the top as fast as you could. I need to get to the third period because it is of Professor Kilton."
"Vance?" Dren inquired.
Looking at the name of Naph's seventh and eight period for the day, he exhaled, "I have the same as him for eighth but the seventh will be a problem."
"What are you guys talking about? Why do you need to be with me?" Naph queried.
"Neva?"
"Dren," Neva nodded, "I'll explain as we go." She grabbed on Naph's upper right arm and his schedule folding it with one hand. "Put it back inside."
Naph's brow had a slight furrow as he gazed down at her hand then at her. "Ok."
While Dren and Vance stayed behind in the café, Naph and Neva were skipping across through the corridors to the ground floor of the campus building.
Vance whispered, "Dad didn't account for this, did he?"
"No." Dren shook his head, "I don't think so." 'We maybe should not have burned the letter after making a copy and sending it back as the reply.'
Neva meanwhile, asked Naph one simple thing. "How was Orientation?"
His eyes were murky yet firm and his gaze on Neva's back. She asked again. He didn't reply. She asked once again. He did not answer. Both walked away from the building then cross a path, then another.
Neva asked again, "How was Orientation?"
"If I answer that, will you tell me everything that's happening." Naph pushed as he pulled his arm free. "Otherwise I have a problem."
Stopping right there, she turned to face him. Glaring deep into his eyes, the eyes of a child that certainly was admonished for actions and beliefs of their parents, her lips parted.
"I don't know what you originally did on Tarna. I did not even see the meeting when it was sent all across the empire." Gritting her teeth, "But if because of your history my father's beliefs are questioned, we have a problem."
'Sent?' Naph put it aside for later questioning. Right now, he knew what was being asked. Can he be different from the one he was?
"In orientation, the professor Hudenro only kept talking." Naph didn't see it but there was a slight twitch in Neva's eyebrows. "Except at the end when I was," he hand quoted, "guided," then proceeded to follow it up with, "out of the class, he began a new class of Orientation. At least that's what I heard through the door."
Inhaling, Neva answered. "That confirms it." Grabbing her own chin with her right palm, "I didn't think Professor Hudenro will also be one of those who silently oppose you or the proposal by Ennet."
Anaphol about to ask further but Neva simply shook her head before his lips parted. "We are getting late for next class." She turned around, "We need to get to a teleport lift." Neva began walking and as she did not hear any footsteps behind her, she turned around.
"The next class is the first lesio that was ever learned by Rian no Tera. And I'll suggest you pay attention." Her eyes locking its gaze with Naph's.
Staying silent a bit more, he wasn't considering much except one single thought. 'She has not answered fully.'
"So, who is this Rian no Tera?" Naph asked. "I kept hearing about it in the palace too."
"He is the same one who killed this caestre this academy is built upon." Looking straight up into the clouds, "Our Hirto."
'Again that word.' He knows what Inri had told, even then she too had said I'll learn of it at the Sanctuary.
Walking along the path for couple more minutes, he asked. "So, what is the next class? And why are you three discussing about staying with me in each?"
"The first is easy to answer," Neva stepped ahead of Naph adjusting her loose hair strands, "the other shouldn't be yet."