The lunch courtyard buzzed with chatter, clattering trays, and laughter. Kael sat down with Lusia, who immediately dove into her usual energy-filled talk.
"Oi, Kael, did you fill up that participation form yet?" she asked, poking her fork into a slice of fruit. "It's compulsory for the physical training selection. If you miss it, you'll be branded as the lazy guy of the batch."
Kael nodded casually. "Yeah, I did. Some guy named Finn brought it around with a girl… Serin, I think?"
Lusia's eyes lit up in recognition. "Ah, Finn! Of course it was him. That guy's everywhere—always helping out, always cracking jokes, you name it. Kinda like the unofficial face of our year. Serin's the brains between them, though. She keeps Finn from doing something too stupid."
Kael chuckled lightly, though his attention wasn't fully on Lusia. His eyes kept shifting, almost unconsciously, to the side. A group of girls from his section sat together under the shade of a tree. Among them was Lyra.
It struck him as odd. In class, Lyra always sat alone, tucked away in a corner like she wanted to disappear. But here, during lunch, she was with her group. Not exactly lively—she spoke softly, occasionally nodded, or offered a small smile. But still, she was with them.
So… she isn't really friendless. She just prefers to stay quiet. Still… why isolate herself during classes if she has friends? Kael wondered.
"…And then guess what?" Lusia's voice cut back into his thoughts. "He actually tripped on his own shoelaces during assembly and dragged the entire front row down with him! The teachers were so mad, but I swear, the way Finn looked, half-crying and half-grinning, it was priceless." She laughed so hard she had to put her tray down.
Kael smiled faintly, nodding, but again his gaze drifted toward Lyra. He wasn't staring nonstop, just glancing between breaks in the conversation, observing. She laughs with them… but it's small. Reserved. Like she's holding herself back.
Lusia, mid-story, caught the shift in his eyes. Her smile froze, and she followed his gaze. A group of girls. Her expression soured instantly.
Without warning, she jabbed her finger into Kael's shoulder.
"Oi!"
Kael jerked, confused. "Eh? What happened?"
Lusia puffed her cheeks slightly, crossing her arms. "Nothing. Absolutely nothing. I guess you enjoy your thingi…"
She looked away with an exaggerated pout, as if sulking.
"Thingi?" Kael repeated, baffled. What did I do?
Before he could ask more, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch. Lusia stood, tray in hand. "I'll… take your class later tonight. Don't be late." Her tone carried disappointment, but she walked off quickly, not giving Kael a chance to reply.
Kael scratched the back of his head, utterly lost. First Lyra acts like she wants nothing to do with anyone, then I see her with friends… and now Lusia's mad at me for some reason? What am I missing here?
He returned to his classroom, still turning the puzzle over in his mind. Only then did he notice something was different. Lyra's seat was empty.
Yesterday, she had been one of the few already in class after lunch, sitting quietly with her books. But today… she was nowhere in sight.
Kael waited, drumming his fingers lightly against the desk. Ten minutes to class. Five. Just as he started wondering if she'd even show up, the door slid open.
Lyra walked in, slightly hurried. Her usually tidy hair was a little mussed, strands falling into her face. She quickly brushed them back into place, then settled into her seat.
For a moment, she turned her head, her eyes finding Kael's. And then—something unusual happened.
A small smile. Direct eye contact.
"…Thank you," she said softly.
It lasted a heartbeat. The next second, her face flushed, and she quickly looked away, burying herself in her books.
Kael froze. Huh? Thank me? For what?
Leaning slightly toward her, he whispered, "I don't know how I've helped you… but if you say so, I'll accept your thanks."
Her shoulders twitched, and she sank further into her book, almost as if trying to disappear.
The teacher entered then, starting the final lecture of the day. But Kael barely heard a word. His mind was tangled in unanswered questions—about Lyra's strange mix of isolation and quiet belonging, about her sudden thanks… and about Lusia's sharp reaction at lunch.
This place keeps giving me more riddles than answers, he thought.
The final lecture dragged on far longer than Kael's patience could manage. The teacher's chalk scraped endlessly across the board, yet his words barely reached Kael's ears. His mind was still tangled in a dozen unanswered questions—Lyra's sudden thanks, Lusia's strange sulk during lunch, and the faint sense that everyone around him carried layers of meaning he couldn't yet see through.
When the last sentence of the lecture finally trailed off, the class dissolved into the familiar clamor of closing books, scraping chairs, and laughter spilling into the corridors. The ringing of the final bell was more like liberation than routine.
Kael exhaled softly and gathered his belongings. He slung his satchel over his shoulder and stepped out into the corridor, where students were already pouring toward the exit like a river of restless energy. The air carried the faint smell of chalk dust mixed with warm evening sunlight streaming through the wide windows.
Leaning casually against the wall ahead was Lusia, her arms crossed, clearly waiting. She noticed him instantly and smirked.
"Took you long enough," she said. "I was starting to think you'd fallen asleep in there."
Kael shrugged, giving her a tired smile. "Couldn't sleep even if I wanted to. My head's… loud today."
Before Lusia could reply, a familiar pair of voices interrupted them from down the hallway.
"Finn, for the last time, you can't just snatch bread from the cafeteria like that!"
A girl with sharp eyes and a perpetually serious expression stormed up the corridor, her voice cutting through the noise. Serin's hands were full of papers, yet she still found the energy to jab Finn in the side with her elbow.
"Oi, oi! Calm down, Serin, it's not like I stole it—I was just making sure the loaf didn't go to waste. Sharing is caring, right?" Finn defended himself with his usual carefree grin, holding the half-eaten bread like it was proof of his innocence.
Serin's glare could have melted stone. "Sharing does not mean stuffing your face with three extra pieces before anyone else even sits down!"
Kael and Lusia both paused, watching the scene unfold. Finn noticed them first and raised a hand enthusiastically, crumbs still clinging to his mouth.
"Kael! Lusia! Perfect timing—back me up here. Tell Serin it's not a crime to enjoy free carbs while they're still warm."
Lusia arched an eyebrow, unimpressed. "You're hopeless. She's right, you know. That's just gluttony."
Finn clutched his chest as though struck. "Et tu, Lusia? Betrayal!"
Kael chuckled, unable to hold it back. "To be fair, Finn, you do look guilty with that bread sticking out of your mouth like a squirrel."
Serin gave an approving nod, her ponytail swishing with sharp satisfaction. "Exactly. Finally, someone reasonable."
Finn groaned dramatically, slumping forward as though the whole world had conspired against him. "I see how it is. Abandoned. Condemned. Alone." He crouched on the floor, pretending to sob.
Students passing by laughed at the sight, some shaking their heads. Serin sighed but a small smile tugged at her lips despite herself. She reached down, grabbing Finn by the collar, and pulled him upright.
"Come on, idiot. If you're late again, you'll lose your prefect slot."
"Eh? They wouldn't dare replace this face!" Finn shot back with mock pride, flexing his nonexistent muscles.
"Keep dreaming," Serin muttered, but she was smiling for real now.
The small group shared a laugh before parting ways. Finn gave a playful salute toward Kael and Lusia, while Serin shook her head as though she were babysitting a child.
When the hallway finally thinned, Lusia nudged Kael lightly with her elbow. "Come on. Let's get home before Finn drags us into his mess too."
They stepped out into the fading daylight together, the campus glowing gold with sunset.
---
Their shared home wasn't far, but by the time they reached it, Kael felt the exhaustion of the day settle into his shoulders. He set his bag down with a sigh, stretching his arms.
"Alright," Lusia said, plopping onto the couch with her usual carefree confidence. "Let's get some rest first. Then we'll talk. You especially need it."
Kael tilted his head, confused. "Need it? Why?"
Her expression darkened slightly, though her voice was teasing. "Because you've still got a beating left for what you did during lunch."
"…Huh?" Kael blinked.
Lusia crossed her arms, pouting with exaggerated offense. "Don't play dumb. You were staring at the girls' table like some statue. Not even a sorry. Do you know how it looked?"
Kael rubbed his temples, genuinely trying to recall. His memory of lunch was clear—his attention kept drifting toward Lyra. But to Lusia's eyes, it probably had seemed like he was fixated on the group as a whole.
"I… really don't remember it that way," he said honestly.
"Of course you don't," Lusia muttered, lying down and turning her back to him. "Sleep. I'll forgive you when you've earned it."
Kael sighed again but didn't argue. He lay down too, the quiet hum of the evening filling the space.
---
When they woke later, the room was darker, the outside world hushed except for the faint chirping of crickets. Kael sat up, stretching, while Lusia rubbed her eyes and grabbed two cups of water.
"Alright," she said, settling back down. "You wanted to know about the training, right?"
Kael nodded eagerly. "Yeah. What exactly are we supposed to do? I get that it's important, but you keep calling it preparation for something bigger."
Lusia leaned back, her voice taking on a more serious tone than usual. "The training isn't just about muscles or stamina. It's about aligning the body and mind until they can act as one. You'll run drills, push your limits, force your reflexes into sharpness… but that's only the surface."
Kael listened intently, her words pulling him in.
"It's about breaking the wall between thought and action," she continued. "Most people hesitate. They think before moving. Out there"—her eyes hardened—"that hesitation is death. Training teaches you to move without doubt, to endure when your body screams, to focus when your mind wants to scatter."
He frowned slightly. "And all this… leads to what?"
"The Final Test," she said simply. "Six months from now. That's why the preparation is strict. If your body isn't honed, your mind isn't disciplined, you won't even survive the starting phase."
Kael swallowed. The weight in her tone made it sound less like a challenge and more like a warning.
"Sounds intense," he muttered.
"It is," she replied. "But it also shapes you. Makes you someone who can stand their ground when everything else falls apart. Without it, you'd crumble before even touching the edge of that world."
They sat in silence for a moment, the heaviness of her words settling between them.
Finally, Kael exhaled, forcing a crooked smile. "Well, better start small, then. Can't exactly run headfirst into all that without tripping first."
Lusia chuckled, the mood easing slightly. "Exactly. We'll take it step by step. Don't worry, I'll whip you into shape."
They continued chatting about little things—the students they'd seen today, Finn's antics, and even a small debate over whose cooking was worse. Slowly, the earlier tension faded, replaced by the comfort of routine.
But just as Kael started to relax fully, Lusia's tone shifted again.
She turned toward him, her eyes sharp, her smile gone. "By the way…"
Kael blinked, uneasy at the sudden seriousness.
"I guess you've rested enough," she said softly, almost too calm. "Mind if I ask you something? About your fun little hobby of staring during lunch—" her voice dropped, her words like a blade "—with lustful eyes."
Kael froze, his breath catching. Her expression was unreadable, a mix of hurt and accusation.
"…Eh?" was all he managed, his heart pounding with confusion and fear.
The room felt heavier, silence pressing down on him.
Kael's thoughts spun in panic. What did she think she saw? How could he even explain?
For the first time that day, he realized the riddles weren't just outside. Some of them sat right in front of him—wrapped in Lusia's sharp gaze, demanding answers he didn't have.