One man stood among his classmates, who lay scattered across the floor, groaning in pain.
"These guys…"
A blue-eyed kid glanced at him from the side and tilted his head.
"Forcing yourself to stay standing doesn't mean you weren't hit."
His gaze dropped to the man's legs.
"And judging by that, you can barely stand."
His legs finally gave out.
"These guys… are monsters,"
he muttered as he fell forward.
"And that makes seven," Neto said, turning to Neo with a grin. "I win—"
"NOT," Neo interrupted with a sly smile, dropping the unconscious body in his hands.
"Also seven."
"Tch. And you guys?" Neto asked.
"Four," Zuri said.
"Four," Danso echoed, breathing a little heavier — he'd barely kept up.
"Three," Aniyah shrugged, raising her hands in surrender.
Neto and Neo looked at each other.
Neto spoke first.
"Was there a penalty for last place?"
"I don't think we set one," Neo replied.
"Then how about she buys us dinner?" Zuri chuckled.
"Seems basic.
How's that a penalty?"
"Well, free food is a reward on its own, and I know paying will sting."
Her smile was directed straight at Aniyah.
It wasn't binding —
but it felt like refusal wasn't really an option.
With a quiet huff, Aniyah stepped to the side.
Leo walked toward them with interest.
"We will talk about ways you four can improve next class. On the other hand, the rest of you need a lot of training," he said, staring at the rest of the class still sprawled on the floor.
The two classes had lasted three and four hours respectively, so by the time they left, it was already five.
Aniyah chose a comfortable, modest restaurant for the "punishment." A table of five awaited them, and each ordered what they liked. Neto had no particular preferences — or at least he didn't remember them — so he randomly selected fried rice and salad, with a drink on the side.
The total came to about a thousand credits. Mildly affordable.
"Ah… sweet, sweet free food," Zuri said after taking a spoonful of her bobotie.
She held her cheeks with both hands in ecstasy.
"Seems like you enjoy free food… a lot," Neto said with a half-laugh.
"Who wouldn't? I mean, it's free — zero charge. What more could you want?"
"I can't argue with that logic, but sleep is better," Danso said after swallowing a spoonful of his porridge.
"Sleep? Better than food?" Neo said slowly.
He then turned toward Danso. "Do you want to die?"
"You couldn't kill me even if you tried."
"May I remind you who tied for first position? I'd smack your ass without even using my ability."
"As if! I'd use my ability to smack you across the face," Danso shot back defensively.
Neo squinted slightly.
"It sounds like your ability is some kind of long staff."
"Uh… no," Danso tried to dodge.
"Is it a staff?" Zuri asked, laughing.
"No… well, it's not just a normal staff, okay?"
"So it is a staff?" Neto laughed.
"Prove it," Neo said, unconvinced.
"Tch."
Danso stretched out his hand. Glowing energy flowed from his palm, solidifying into a three-foot staff that pulsed faintly.
It had golden rims and a black shaft.
"So it was a staff. A short one at that," Zuri muttered.
"Unimpressed," Neo said flatly.
Suddenly, the staff was inches from Neo's face.
It had extended from its original size — now nearly six feet long.
"Ooo," Zuri said, running her hand along it.
"Seems familiar."
"Yeah, if myths were accurate," Aniyah snorted.
Sweat trickled down Neo's neck.
"Uh… my bad, man."
"See? Not a normal staff."
Danso waved his hand, and the energy dissipated.
"Holy shit — you guys can do stuff like that? All of you?" Neto exclaimed.
"Every enerion has an ability, though. You should have one," Danso explained.
Was that what the abilities section meant?
"Neto, it sounds like you don't know anything," Zuri began.
"Yet somehow, you seem like the most dangerous and powerful among all of us."
"He's not stronger than me, though," Neo interrupted.
"Well, I actually don't know anything… or maybe I just can't remember," Neto said.
"I only remember waking up in that place."
"So you have amnesia?" Neo said.
"That explains your uncontrolled reflexes," Zuri realized.
"Forgetting everything… while it's not good, it's not necessarily bad," Neo continued.
"You seem like a dangerous individual for that lady to have such a safety precaution."
There was sadness in his eyes as he stared at the spoon in his hand.
"Not everyone is that lucky."
The table fell silent.
"Don't dwell on the past. Be happy you can change your future," Zuri said, forcing a bright smile.
Liar.
No matter how much you smiled, you couldn't cover the sadness deep in the soul.
Even Neto could see it in her eyes.
Everyone chewed quietly, the silence oppressive.
The silence lingered longer than it should have.
Cutlery scraped against plates. No one looked up.
Murmurs in the background only deepened the quiet.
Neto shifted in his seat, eyes drifting to Aniyah.
She sat slightly apart — not physically, but in the way her shoulders angled away from the table.
"…Aniyah," he said slowly.
"You don't really like us, do you?"
She paused, then swallowed what was in her mouth.
"I never said that." She took another bite.
"But you act like you're just… waiting for this to be over."
"I am."
Her eyes lifted — calm, measuring.
"I'm here to train," she replied. "Not to socialize."
"That wasn't the question," Zuri said gently.
Aniyah exhaled through her nose, looking down at her food and stirring it with her spoon.
"I… don't hate you guys," she said. "I just don't see the point in pretending we're close."
"Why?" Neto asked. "We're meant to be a team, no?"
"That doesn't make us the same."
She glanced around the table.
"Our goals don't align."
Neo scoffed. "That's it?"
"Yes," she said firmly.
"Because when things go wrong — and they always do — mismatched goals get people killed."
Neto frowned.
"I don't even remember my goal," he admitted. "But does it really matter that much?"
Aniyah hesitated.
"…It does if you expect to rely on someone.
Things fall apart if it doesn't."
Neto stared at her.
It wasn't something he could personally feel — his memories were gone — but he could understand it.
"And what is your goal?" he asked.
Her body stiffened slightly.
She tightened her grip on the spoon and stared downward.
"I want to live in a world where uncertainty doesn't exist."