Chapter Three – Her Eyes Were Silver
The cafeteria buzzed with the usual hum of energy. Von sat at the far end, earphones half-in, chewing on a flavorless protein bar. His jacket, black and gold, hung loosely off one shoulder. He didn't speak unless spoken to, and even then, his words were as precise and sparse as a blade's edge.
Most people left him alone.
Except Kai, who walked over now, mechanical grease smudged on his cheek, holding what looked like a hover-drone shaped like a hawk.
"You're skipping lunch again?" Kai raised an eyebrow.
Von glanced at the tray. "Does it count if the food tastes like regret?"
Kai chuckled, sliding into the seat across from him. "You're weird. You're lucky you're strong."
Von shrugged. "Luck fades."
Just then, the cafeteria doors swung open. Students fell into a hush, one by one, like a ripple of tension across the room. Boots clicked against the floor with a strange elegance. Someone new had arrived.
Von glanced up casually.
The girl who stepped in looked… wrong for this place.
She wasn't glowing, or beautiful in the obvious way. But there was something magnetic about her presence. Her hair was silver-white, braided in loops that shimmered faintly in the cafeteria lights. Her uniform was the same as theirs, but tailored perfectly, black trim over blue. And her eyes—
Her eyes were silver.
Not pale. Not light grey. Not contact lenses.
Actual silver. Like polished moonlight. They locked on Von like she had been expecting him.
For a second, Von didn't move.
Then she blinked, smiled faintly, and turned to the school registrar.
Kai whistled. "New transfer. That's rare."
Von didn't respond.
He'd seen those eyes before.
But not on Earth.
---
Later That Day – Training Field 9
Students gathered around, excited chatter filling the air. The new transfer had requested to spar — a common way to introduce oneself at Hero Academy. But unlike most new kids, she had asked to spar against two opponents at once.
Elite opponents.
One of them was Class-3 striker Raul Denton — known for crushing training dummies with a single blow. The other was a short-range psychic named Meria, who fought like she danced — unpredictable and fast.
Von stood with the others, arms folded.
"She's gonna get wrecked," someone whispered behind him.
"I heard she was scouted by the Northern Division."
"No way. That's just rumor."
A countdown blinked on the screen above the arena.
3… 2… 1… BEGIN.
And then — movement.
Except no one saw her move.
She wasn't in front of Raul anymore. She was behind him, her palm pressed lightly between his shoulders. A pulse of energy sent him flying forward into Meria.
Gasps echoed across the training field.
Von narrowed his eyes.
Silver traces sparked at the edges of her boots — not energy exactly, but something older, something techless. She was controlling force and weight like she'd trained on low-gravity planets.
Two seconds later, Meria tried to phase away, but the girl snapped her fingers — and Meria's psychic wave dispersed like smoke in the wind.
The match ended in ten seconds.
---
After School – Rooftop
Von stood on the rooftop alone, watching the sunset paint the buildings with blood-orange light. He thought about the way she'd looked at him. Not surprised. Not curious.
But like someone meeting an old friend again for the first time in centuries.
The door creaked open.
He didn't turn.
"You don't remember me, do you?"
Her voice was soft, but steady. No nervousness.
Von glanced over his shoulder. "Should I?"
She smiled — sad, like someone remembering a song that once saved her life.
"Not yet."
He turned to face her fully. "You're not from Earth."
"Neither are you."
The wind shifted between them.
"I'm called Sirei," she said.
Von frowned. "That name means something."
Sirei nodded. "It should. I knew your father."
Von's eyes hardened. "Bon Aoe is dead."
"Not to me."
She stepped forward. "You're not ready yet. But when the seal breaks... you'll remember everything."
Von didn't respond.
Because deep down, a part of him did remember.
And that part was starting to wake up.
---