The mess hall erupted.
Cadets jumped on tables. Fists pumped in the air. Voices merged into one roaring beast. The noise bounced off metal walls and came back louder. Someone's tray clattered to the floor. No one noticed.
The cafeteria lady stood behind the serving counter. She crossed her arms. "Stupid brats." She wiped down the same spot on the counter for the third time. "Urgh. I hate this job."
Juli stood in the center of it all.
Six of them surrounded him. Six bodies forming a loose circle. Rikan stood at the front. The others flanked behind him like shadows. They thought they looked tough. They looked like jackals.
For weeks now, they'd played their games. Tripping Juli in hallways. Dumping food on his bunk. Words that cut and stung. Juli never flinched. Never responded. He walked past them like they were ghosts.
That was the problem, really.
Today was different. Today they'd found new prey. Some kid from the lower decks. Scrawny. Quiet. The type who kept his head down and hoped no one would see. They saw. They always saw. Rikan had the kid's collar in his fist when Juli stepped in.
Now here they were.
"You made a mistake, Outer Rim peasant." Rikan rolled his shoulders. Cracked his knuckles. The sound was loud in the brief pocket of quiet. "When this is over, you're gonna wish you stayed in your lane. Wished you never messed with seniors."
Juli said nothing.
His red eyes stayed neutral. Calm as deep water. He looked at each of them in turn. No fear registered in his face. No anger either. Just observation.
Then he grinned.
The grin was slight. Just the corner of his mouth lifting. But it was there. A taunt without words.
"What's so fucking funny, blondie?" Rikan's face flushed. His fists clenched tighter.
Juli's grin widened.
Rikan roared. He charged forward. His right fist cocked back. The punch came fast and hard. All his weight behind it.
Juli lifted his leg.
The front kick caught Rikan square in the face. The impact was brutal. Wet. Final. Rikan's head snapped back. His body followed. He hit the floor like a bag of wet sand.
A tooth skittered across the tiles.
Blood poured from his nose.
The mess hall went dead silent.
Then it exploded.
The roar was deafening. Cadets lost their minds. Some jumped on tables. Others pounded the walls. The noise was pure chaos. Pure electricity.
Rikan's cronies stared. Their leader was down. One kick. That's all it took. Their faces went pale. Then red. Then pale again.
Someone stood at the edge of the crowd. A girl. Her silhouette sharp against the bright lights. She watched everything. Her expression was hard to read. Impossible, maybe.
The five remaining bullies exchanged glances.
Then they charged.
All at once. From different angles. A coordinated attack. They thought numbers would win.
The first one came from the left. Juli saw it coming. The telegraph was obvious. Amateur hour. He ducked under the wild swing. His elbow shot up. Connected with the jaw. Bone met bone. The bully spun like a top. His legs gave out. Dropped.
Two more rushed from the right. Brothers in stupidity. Juli stepped back. One measured step. Let them collide with each other. Their momentum carried them into a stumbling heap. Arms tangled. Legs crossed. His foot lashed out. Caught one in the ribs. The crack was audible. The other took a knee to the temple. His eyes rolled back.
The fourth tried to grab him from behind. Thought he was clever. Juli twisted. His body flowed like water. Every movement precise. Calculated. He slipped the grip. Made it look easy. His shin cracked against the bully's thigh. Dead leg. Then his knee drove up into the gut. The air left the bully's lungs in one harsh gasp. He folded like paper.
The last one hesitated. Reality had set in. His eyes were wide. His hands shook. Sweat dripped down his face.
He charged anyway. Stupid. Brave. Both.
Juli sidestepped. Textbook evasion. His foot swept low. Caught both ankles. The bully went airborne for half a second. Arms pinwheeling. Then gravity remembered him. He landed flat on his back. Hard enough to rattle teeth. The wind left him in a whoosh.
Juli stood in the center again.
Not a scratch on him. Not even breathing hard. Six bodies lay scattered around his feet. Some groaned. Others didn't move. One was curled up like a shrimp. Another spread out like a starfish.
The mess hall was pure madness now.
Cadets chanted. Screamed. Celebrated. Someone started a rhythm. Others joined. The building itself seemed to shake. This was the story they'd tell for weeks. Months. Maybe years.
Juli smiled. A real one this time. Other cadets rushed forward. Fists bumped against his. Hands slapped his shoulders. Congratulations came in waves. He'd become a legend in under two minutes.
The silhouetted girl moved through the crowd.
Her steps were quiet. Deliberate. She got closer. Closer still. Her face came into the light gradually. But the chaos hid her approach. Juli was too busy celebrating. Too busy being the hero of the moment.
Then something moved in his peripheral vision.
Fast. Too fast.
The fist came from nowhere. From someone else entirely. Not the girl. The punch connected with Juli's jaw. His head snapped to the side. His body staggered. His knee buckled for just a second.
The mess hall held its breath.
Juli's hand went to his face. His eyes widened. Not from pain. From surprise.
The celebration stopped.
Everyone turned to see who'd thrown the punch.
A boy stood there. Taller than Juli by a head. Bulkier too. Built like a tank. Muscles stacked on muscles. Juli looked lean in comparison. Wiry. This boy was pure mass.
But it was his face that drew the stares.
Tiger stripes ran across golden skin. Orange and black. Natural. Beautiful in a dangerous way. His eyes were amber. Slitted pupils that caught the light. Fangs peeked out from his upper lip. Not threatening. Just there. His ears sat higher on his head. Pointed. Tufted with white fur at the tips.
He wore the same white uniform as Juli. The academy standard. But it stretched tight across his frame. His shoulders were twice as wide.
A Felinari. From the Claw Sector. Everyone knew what that meant. Predator species. Warriors by blood. By culture.
The tiger boy looked down at Juli. His expression was neutral. Maybe bored.
"You done beating trash yet?" His voice was deep. Indicating he was closer to adolescence.
Juli stared up at him. His jaw still tingled from the punch. His surprise was obvious. Written all over his face.
The girl stood nearby now. Close enough to touch. But Juli wasn't looking at her. He was looking at the Felinari. At those amber eyes.
The fight was over.
But something new had just begun.