[The Dormitory: Val and Soda's Room—]
"I swear, if Stephanie rolls her eyes at me one more time, I'm throwing my mashed potatoes at her tomorrow," Soda muttered, tugging at her blanket like it was Stephanie's hair.
Valkyrie tilted her head, fighting back a slight smirk. "You won't do it."
"Val... don't test me," Soda shot back, already half-sitting up in bed. "I once sneezed on purpose just to scatter all her notebooks and papers on the floor. You needed to see her face and the embarrassment on it."
"What the—?...are you serious?...But that's not even heroic." Valkyrie's dry tone only made Soda puff out her cheeks.
"Excuse you? That was revolutionary sabotage," Soda huffed, tossing her pillow across the bed. "Anyway, I swear, if she does anything stupid during the stance trial tomorrow, she's going down."
"You?" Valkyrie arched an eyebrow, amused. "Beating Stephanie? Please. I'd pay good money to see that."
"Oh, don't underestimate me." Soda jumped off her bed and pointed a dramatic finger at Val. "I've got speed, wit, and the sheer force of spite. But if it's you against her— oh boy, I'm buying popcorn. Front row."
That earned a laugh from Valkyrie, who leaned back against the wall. "Trust me. I can't wait to shut her up tomorrow. She walks around like she owns the whole academy."
The two of them shared a mischievous grin before the creak of the dorm door interrupted. Both turned their heads to see who it was.
A girl stood hesitantly at the doorway, holding a stack of odd-looking gadgets—wires, small gears, even a glowing cube that hummed softly in her hands. Her eyes were sharp, curious, as though she were already analyzing the entire room.
Soda gasped, her mood flipping instantly. "Oh! A new roommate!" She bounded forward, nearly tripping over her own shoes. "Hi! Welcome! Don't just stand there like a lost ghost— come in!"
The girl blinked, then stepped carefully inside, balancing her gadgets. "Um… hello. I hope I'm not intruding."
"Nope! You're right on time," Soda chirped, grabbing the cube out of her hands without asking. "Oooh, what's this? It's buzzing like a beehive!"
The girl's calm voice cut through Soda's excitement. "That's a prototype energy cell. Please don't shake it unless you'd like the room permanently glowing pink."
Soda froze mid-jiggle. "Oh. Right. Got it." She carefully placed it back in the girl's hands.
Valkyrie pushed herself up from her bed, studying her with interest. "So… who are you?"
The girl set her gadgets neatly on the desk before answering. "I'm Tekna. Angel of Technology." She straightened, and though she looked young, her posture carried quiet confidence. "I was reassigned here after the assembly. Looks like we're roommates now." She said with a silly grin.
"Tekna," Valkyrie repeated, testing the name. "Technology, huh? That's… cute and slick..."
Tekna shrugged, a faint smile tugging her lips. "Some people call it boring. I call it useful."
Soda practically bounced in place. "Useful? Girl, that sounds amazing! Do you, like, build flying hairdryers? Or laser toothbrushes?"
"Not exactly," Tekna replied dryly, though her eyes twinkled. "But I could."
Valkyrie chuckled softly, leaning her chin on her hand. "What exactly can you do?"
Tekna tapped one of the spots on the air, and relaxed her mind, and instantly a series of holographic blueprints flickered into the air— tiny, floating designs of gears, circuits, and glowing symbols. "Anything mechanical bends to me. I can create, upgrade, or control technology."
Soda's jaw dropped. "You're like… a walking, talking invention fair."
"Something like that." Tekna allowed herself a small nod of pride.
"Okay, okay, new roommate!" Soda clapped her hands together. "There are only three rules in this room. Rule one: do not touch my diary. Rule two: if Valkyrie looks grumpy, don't wake her unless the academy is literally on fire. And rule three…" She leaned in, eyes narrowing dramatically. "Do. Not. Touch. My Comb."
Tekna blinked. "Your... c—Comb?"
"Yes!" Soda said with full seriousness. "It is sacred. A gift from my grandmother to my mother and then to me. If you so much as look at it funny, I will wage war..."
Valkyrie covered her face with her hand, stifling laughter. "She's not joking, by the way."
"I gathered that," Tekna said, though the corners of her lips twitched.
"You can build a robot army?" Soda continued, wagging her finger, "you can make the walls glow purple, you can even hack into the principal's email?."
Tekna raised an eyebrow and a laugh "Yeah..."
"But isn't that like... illegal or something?"
Valkyrie finally let her laughter out, shaking her head. "Soda, you're impossible."
"Val, there's gonna be soo much fun" Soda said with a grin, then flopping back onto her bed. "And this is how we keep peace in the multiverse. I can't wait to see the last rommie"
[Morning Time—]
The night passed quickly, and morning light spilled through the tall windows of the dormitory. Valkyrie, still half-asleep, rubbed her eyes when the door creaked open again.
A soft fragrance drifted into the room— it was fresh, earthy— like roses after rain. A girl stepped inside with a bag balanced in one hand and a basket of small potted plants tucked under the other. Her green cloak shimmered faintly as though it was woven from leaves. Vines coiled gently around her arm, and tiny blossoms seemed to bloom wherever her feet touched the floor.
"Whoa…" Soda shot upright, her messy hair springing in all directions. "Is that— are you carrying an actual garden with you?"
The girl smiled warmly. "Sort of. I'm Lily. Angel of Plants and Flowers. I guess I'm your new roommate." She gave a shy wave before carefully setting her basket down on the desk.
"Plants and flowers?" Valkyrie repeated, now fully awake. "That explains the smell. The good smell, I mean."
"Yeah, like a perfume commercial," Soda chimed in, bouncing over to peek into Lily's basket. "Oh my gosh, are those daisies? Can I touch them? Actually, wait— do they bite?"
Lily laughed softly. "They don't bite. But they listen."
Soda gasped dramatically. "You mean, like, if I tell them my secrets, they'll keep them?"
"More like if I tell them to move, they'll move," Lily corrected gently. She held out her hand, and the vines around her wrist uncurled, stretching toward the floor. In a smooth, fluid motion, they grew longer, snaking across the room until they reached Soda's feet. The vines gently tapped her ankle before retreating back to Lily.
Soda jumped, half in awe and half in playful fear. "Okay, wow! That is both amazing and terrifying. You're like… a garden witch!"
"I prefer gardener," Lily replied with a smile. She knelt beside her basket and whispered something softly. One of the daisies tilted its head toward her as if answering. A moment later, the flower bloomed twice its size, petals opening wider to release an even sweeter scent.
Valkyrie leaned forward, impressed despite herself. "That's… beautiful."
"Thanks." Lily brushed her hands on her cloak. "I can command plants, flowers, soil, even roots deep underground. The earth listens to me."
Soda threw her hands up. "Okay, I'm calling it— our squad is officially unstoppable. We've got technology, flowers, light, and air, wisdom and water. That covers literally everything except maybe cooking." She turned to Valkyrie. "Can you cook?"
"Not really," Valkyrie admitted.
"Perfect, we'll starve together," Soda declared.
The room erupted in laughter, Lily's soft chuckle joining Soda's loud one. For a moment, it felt like the four of them had known each other far longer than just a few days.
Before the laughter faded, a deep chime echoed through the academy halls. The sound was heavier than the usual bell, resonating like thunder rolling across the sky.
Valkyrie froze. "What was that?"
Tekna, already fiddling with one of her gadgets, looked up. "That's the stance trial bell."
"The what now?" Soda asked, her grin faltering.
"The stance trial," Lily explained, her tone suddenly serious. "Every student has to attend. It's where they test us— our powers, our reflexes, our discipline. And…" She hesitated, her eyes glinting with something heavier. "It's the first step toward assignments in the human world."
Soda groaned, flopping onto her bed again. "Of course the bell of doom had to interrupt our bonding session."
Valkyrie tightened her boots and stood tall. "Well, no running now. Guess we're about to see what this academy really wants from us."
"Yeah," Lily said quietly, brushing her hand across her plants one last time. The flowers seemed to bow in response. "Let's go."
Together, the four girls dressed up and wore their usual angel attires, grabbed their things and headed out, with the echo of the trial bell still vibrating in the hallway.