Math finally ended.
And so did Blaze's brain capacity.
The bell rang; a soft, melodic chime that echoed through the classroom like a divine intervention. Instantly, the atmosphere shifted. Students straightened in their seats, relief washing over faces that had been locked in various states of confusion, boredom, or quiet suffering for the past three-quarters of an hour.
Chairs scraped. Notebooks snapped shut. Bags were hastily zipped.
The Math Teacher stood at the front, raising one hand to get their attention before the exodus began.
"Students, remember to not use your powers in hallways."
A random student near the middle row raised their hand tentatively. "Uh, I'm a Teleporter."
The teacher's expression didn't change. Their voice remained calm, measured, absolute.
"I said, remember to not use your powers in hallways. Dismissed."
The finality in that tone left no room for argument.
Students rose and began filtering out, a steady stream of bodies moving toward the door. The hallway outside filled quickly, voices overlapping, footsteps echoing, the hum of conversation rising like a wave.
The corridor was wide, designed to accommodate the flow of hundreds of students between classes. Bioluminescent strips ran along the ceiling, casting soft white light that mixed with the natural sunlight streaming through the windows. The walls were lined with lockers, achievement boards, and digital displays showing class schedules and campus announcements.
The group moved together as a loose cluster, weaving through the crowd.
Vento stretched his arms overhead, rolling his shoulders. "Guess I'll fly to the Chemistry Building."
Terra glanced at him, tone flat. "Girls will be irritated by your shadow."
Vento froze mid-stretch. "Oh, dammit."
Blaze tilted his head thoughtfully. "Well, can't I propel gently to there?"
Volt adjusted the strap of his bag, shaking his head slightly. "Gently propelling wouldn't lift your body."
"Oh."
Vento turned toward Blaze, smirking. "You're so dumb."
Blaze shot him a look. "At least I'm not chasing girls."
"Why do y'all keep saying I chase girls?!" Vento's voice rose in exasperation. "I don't chase girls! They chase me! "
Terra didn't even look at him. "Uh-huh, sure."
Volt stepped in, voice calm and diplomatic. "C'mon, guys, maybe he's feeling bad now. We should stop."
Vento's expression brightened immediately. "See? My Slow-Guy gets it."
Volt smiled faintly. "Thanks, I try to understand people."
Terra glanced at him, a small grin tugging at his lips. "You haven't changed, huh, Volty?"
"Not really."
Blaze nodded. "None of us has. Not even Aqua. Or Oscuro."
Vento jabbed a finger toward Aqua, who was walking beside them with his usual half-asleep expression. "Aqua has. Aqua is even more immature now!"
"Sure I am."
Vento gestured wildly. "See? He's trying to use sarcasm like a kid!"
Terra stopped walking for a second, staring at Vento. "…You're a guy."
Vento blinked. "Ooooh really? I thought I was a Mech."
Aqua's voice cut through, still flat. "Who's the one using sarcasm now?"
Vento opened his mouth. Closed it. His eyes widened slightly as realization dawned.
"I—!… Oh…"
Blaze grinned, "Realization hits different, doesn't it?"
Vento said nothing. He just walked ahead, grumbling under his breath.
Behind them, Oscuro remained silent, gaze forward, but the faintest hint of amusement flickered in his eyes.
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They reached the elevator bank. The middle door was already open, students filing in. The group slipped inside, filling the space alongside others: some from their class, some from different grades.
A student near the panel pressed 1.
The doors slid shut with a soft hiss, and the elevator began its descent. The same faint hum filled the air, accompanied by the gentle glow of the bioluminescent strips overhead.
Most of the students were quiet now—post-class exhaustion settling in. A few scrolled through their tablets. Others stared blankly at the walls, lost in thought.
Then Blaze heard it.
Two voices in the back, low and conversational—male students, probably around their age.
"Oh, come on. We're in Solarpunk. Corruption is, like, nonexistent here. You're dumb, man."
"Still. Like, in the movies, the world is better than even Solarpunk, but the government and stuff still have corruption."
"Yeah, but it's fiction. It's not like we live in a story in a kid's mind, bro."
A quiet laugh. "Heh, real."
Blaze blinked.
It was just a normal, goofy conversation; the kind friends had when they were killing time between classes. Nothing serious. Nothing worth overthinking.
He chose to ignore it.
The elevator reached the first floor. The doors opened smoothly, and students began filtering out into the lobby, voices rising again as they headed toward their next destinations.
Blaze stepped out with the others, adjusting his bag. Then he glanced at Volt.
"Hey, Speedster."
Volt looked over. "Yeah?"
"Can corruption exist in here?"
Volt slowed slightly, his expression thoughtful. He considered the question carefully before answering.
"Hmm… I mean, corruption is inevitable. But if it does exist in Solarpunk's government, the ratio might be so low that it barely affects us." He paused, tilting his head. "Why, if I may ask?"
Blaze shrugged. "Nothing. Just curious."
Volt smiled faintly. "Okay. It's normal to be curious."
They continued walking.
The sunlight outside was brighter now, the campus alive with movement; students heading toward different buildings, some sitting on benches, others gathered near the fountain. The Cherry Blossom Park glowed faintly in the distance, petals drifting lazily through the air.
Ahead, the Chemistry Building rose into view: another sleek structure of solar-glass and bio-composite material, its entrance marked by a holographic sign that shimmered softly.
The group moved forward together.
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Physics Building Sec-B – First Floor
The lobby of the Physics Building was similar in design to the Mathematics Building; spacious, well-lit, lined with achievement boards and interactive displays showing diagrams of energy flows, elemental mechanics, and gravitational theory. Students moved through in steady streams, heading toward elevators or staircases, voices blending into a low murmur of conversation.
Blaze, Aqua, Vento, Terra, Volt, and Oscuro walked together toward the elevator bank, their pace unhurried. The morning's fatigue was starting to settle in—three classes down, several more to go.
Then—
BOOM.
A loud, thunderous crash echoed through the lobby.
Every head turned.
Near the third elevator, a jagged hole had been punched into the floor—chunks of synthetic tile scattered around the edges, revealing the glowing nodes beneath. A student stood beside it, eyes wide, body trembling, face pale with the sudden realization of what had just happened. His hands were still raised defensively, as if he'd tried to stop himself mid-fall but failed.
He looked terrified.
A Physics Teacher stood a few meters away, arms crossed, expression caught somewhere between exasperation and resignation. She sighed deeply, the kind of sigh that came from years of dealing with teenage mistakes.
"Okay. Now who misused their Gravity Boots?"
A nearby student; clearly the Gravity Boots user's friend; raised his hand awkwardly, pointing. "Uh, this guy."
The Gravity Boots user whipped around, betrayal written all over his face. "Hey! How could you betray me?!"
The teacher's voice remained calm, firm, unwavering. "Mister. To the Principal's office in the Faculty Building."
The student gulped audibly. His shoulders slumped. Head hanging low, he started walking toward the exit, each step heavy with dread.
The teacher watched him go for a moment, then turned and stepped into an elevator herself. She knew the drill—Cleaning Staff would call Maintenance. The hole would be repaired by the end of the day. This wasn't the first time, and it wouldn't be the last.
The crowd began to disperse, conversations resuming, attention drifting away from the broken floor.
Vento waited a beat, glancing around to make sure no one was watching. Then he casually approached the hole, leaning over slightly to get a better look.
Inside the gap, beneath the shattered tiles, tiny nodes glowed softly. Warm light emanating from each one, pulsing gently like embers.
Vento frowned. "Is this Light Magic?"
Volt stepped up beside him, polite as usual, gaze calm and observant. "No, Vento, they're not Light Magic. They're Temperature Sensors. Notice how it's warm inside now but cool inside during summer? Temperature Sensors emanate heat or chill depending on the seasons."
Vento tilted his head. "How?"
"They're powered by the Building's Solar Panels."
"I mean, how do they emanate heat or chill?"
Volt paused. His expression shifted slightly, just a flicker of uncertainty. He blinked, then smiled apologetically.
"Oh… I don't know that. I'm so sorry."
Terra stepped closer, patting Volt lightly on the shoulder. "It's okay, Volty. Vento himself isn't that smart anyway."
Vento's head snapped toward him. "Watch who you're talking about!"
Terra didn't flinch. "Calm down. Your brain will fry."
Vento opened his mouth to retort—then closed it, scowling.
Behind them, Aqua's quiet voice drifted over. "You aren't talking much, Blaze."
Blaze glanced at him, expression unreadable. "I'm trying to mimic you."
Aqua stared at him for a long moment.
"…You can't."
Blaze shrugged.
Oscuro remained silent, standing slightly apart from the group, gaze fixed on the hole in the floor. His expression was unreadable, but there was something thoughtful in the way he watched, like he was cataloging details, filing them away for later.
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Physics Class – Classroom B-11
The atmosphere inside the classroom was quiet. Calm.
As if the incident downstairs had never happened at all.
Students sat in their usual spots—some reviewing notes, others chatting softly, a few staring blankly out the windows. The digital board at the front displayed a soft blue glow, waiting to be activated.
The door opened.
The Physics Teacher walked in—a different one from downstairs. She was younger, with sharp eyes and a warm smile that seemed permanently attached to her face. She carried a tablet under one arm and a small case of demonstration tools in the other.
She set everything down on her desk with practiced ease, then turned to face the class, hands resting lightly on the desk's edge.
"So," she began, her voice clear and engaging. "Does anyone know how Gravity Boots broke the floor?"
Silence.
No hands raised. A few students exchanged glances. Most just stared blankly.
The teacher's smile widened slightly, as if she'd expected exactly this response.
"Expected."
She tapped her tablet, and the board behind her lit up—diagrams appearing in smooth transitions: cross-sections of boots, glowing micro-cores, gravitational field lines curving around soles.
"Well, you know how Gravity Boots work, right?"
She paused, giving them a moment. Then she continued, her tone shifting into lecture mode.
"Gravity Boots use localized gravitational fields generated by micro-cores embedded in their soles. Each core projects what we call a micro-gravity bubble, acontrolled area just a few centimeters thick around the boot."
She gestured at the diagram, highlighting the glowing spheres beneath the boot soles.
"That bubble can do three things."
She counted on her fingers.
"One: Increase gravity, to stick to walls or ground firmly. Useful for climbing, stability, or resisting knockback."
A new diagram appeared, a figure clinging to a vertical wall.
"Two: Decrease gravity, to reduce weight or jump higher. This is what most people use recreationally."
Another image: a figure leaping impossibly high, arcing through the air.
"Three: Redirect gravity, for short mid-air stabilization or flips. Advanced users can adjust their orientation without touching the ground."
A final image: a figure rotating mid-air, landing smoothly.
The teacher tapped the board again, zooming in on the micro-cores.
"Now. The problem occurs when someone overloads the gravity output. If you increase the field strength beyond safe parameters, especially while standing still, you don't just stick to the floor, you crush it."
She gestured toward the floor beneath them.
"The tiles in this building can handle standard gravitational stress. But if someone cranks their boots to maximum output without moving? The concentrated force punches straight through."
She let that sink in for a moment.
"This is why misuse of Gravity Boots is a violation. Not because they're dangerous to the use, but because they're dangerous to infrastructure."
A few students nodded slowly, understanding dawning.
The teacher straightened, clasping her hands together.
"With that," she said, her warm smile returning, "let the class begin."
The board shifted again—new equations appearing, accompanied by diagrams of elemental interactions and gravitational theory.
Blaze stared at the board.
Then sighed quietly.
Eh, let's just check the list of what I did right today so I don't mess up.
Aqua was already half-asleep.
Vento was doodling.
Terra was attentive, taking notes.
Volt's stylus was poised, ready.
Oscuro watched in silence.