Just then, a voice got his attention. "Hey!!" Someone whispered.

He looked over to his side to see a woman, beaming at him and waving her hands. She was

"Uh, hey?" He returned the gesture, though he was unsure what she wanted.

The girl on his other side leaned in, cupping her hand to whisper. She was the complete opposite of his other seatmate; with bright, honey-blonde hair pulled into a high, energetic tail and wide, curious blue eyes that were practically sparkling with excitement.

"I'm Jyn," she whispered, her voice bubbling. "Don't mind Dusk." She nodded almost imperceptibly toward the girl in black. "That's my best friend. But she's... intense. She pretty much hates everyone, not just... you know."

"Good to know it's not just my charming personality," Zaeryn whispered back, his grin returning. "I'm Zaeryn."

"We know," Jyn giggled, her eyes dancing. "You're all anyone's been talking about. The 'special one,' right?"

"Special one? That's one of the nicer things I've heard today," he admitted.

"Your vital signs are... loud," a new voice cut in, cold and monotone.

Zaeryn froze. He looked at who spoke. It was the girl next to him, Dusk.

Dusk hadn't moved. She was still staring intently at her terminal, her pale face illuminated by its glow. She continued, not looking at either of them, her voice barely above a whisper but cutting through the air like ice.

"Jyn, your whispering is irritating. Silence yourselves."

Jyn grimaced sheepishly.

"Sorry, Dusk," she whispered, then fell silent.

Just before Zaeryn could focus back, someone else addressed him in a whisper voice.

"Hi, I'm Yuna," a girl with warm, brown eyes and a kind expression greeted from the row behind him.

"And I am Morticia," added the girl seated next to Yuna. She had short, practical-cut hair and a calm, steady gaze that watched him with open, analytical curiosity.

Zaeryn pivoted to look at them. He nodded warmly. It seems like not everyone was looking at him indifferently or as if he was some disgusting specimen and that was relieving for him. It was more than relieving actually it was... validating.

"Nice to meet you both," he whispered back.

"Thanks for the warm welcome."

Yuna giggled softly, her cheeks flushing. "Of course! We've never had a male here before, so…"

Zaeryn's grin widened. "So you're curious?" he finished, his voice low. "I'm flattered."

Yuna's blush deepened, and she nodded shyly. "You're very handsome," she murmured, ducking her head.

"Noctis!"

The Professor's voice was like ice. Zaeryn and the girls he was engaged in conversation with both snapped their heads forward. The tall woman was glaring down at him from the lectern, her face a mask of pure, cold fury.

"Is my lecture on Vitae Core Stability interrupting your social hour?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Jyn shrank in her seat, her face pale and her eyes wide with fear.

Zaeryn, however, met the Professor's glare, his charming demeanor firmly in place. "Not at all, Professor. Just getting the class notes from my colleague."

"Detention," the Professor snapped, not missing a beat. "My office, after this lecture. Do not be a disruption again."

Zaeryn fell back against the seat, resting his head over the head rest, internally he sighed. 'Great. First day, first class... and I've already got detention with a man-hater. Off to a fantastic start.'

At that moment, the ones who didn't like him, were giggling at the fact that he was in trouble.

He focused his attention on the holographic display, pointedly ignoring the quiet snickers from the hostile students and the sympathetic wince Jyn shot him. On his other side, the girl in black, Dusk, hadn't moved a muscle, her gaze still fixed on her terminal.

"Today," the professor began, her voice booming through the amphitheater as a massive holographic display of stellar energy patterns materialized above her, "we will be analyzing the destabilization of Vitae signatures when exposed to Vorthak energy frequencies."

The students quieted, their attention shifting. Zaeryn was the most interested one, as he was here solely to learn. So was everyone, but still he was the only one who seemed to be taking notes.

'Well, except for Dusk,' he thought, 'She appears to actually be listening.'

"A Warlady's power," the professor continued, "is not just about raw output. It is about control. Failure to insulate your core against a Vorthak's disruptive aura will result in catastrophic energy bleed, core burnout, or," she fixed the class with a grim stare, "a very quick death."

Zaeryn leaned forward. He watched the shimmering diagram, recognizing fragments of terminology he'd heard from Daphne and Mireille. This wasn't combat. This was the science behind it. And he needed to learn it, fast.

Zaeryn easily absorbed the complex theories. The professor's lecture on energy bleed and core burnout wasn't just noise; it was a blueprint. He found himself connecting dots, understanding concepts he had no business grasping on day one.

The lecture finally ended. The main holo-display vanished, and the tiered lights in the amphitheater brightened.

"Class dismissed," the professor announced, her cold gaze sweeping the room before landing squarely on Zaeryn. "Mr. Noctis. My office. Now."

The students began to file out, the buzz of conversation instantly resuming.

"Oof. Bad luck," Jyn whispered, giving him a sympathetic wince as she gathered her data-slate. "Professor Jade is notoriously strict. Try not to make her angrier?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Zaeryn whispered back with a half-grin.

Jyn giggled, her cheeks flushing. "Good luck."

He watched her go, then observed his other seatmate. Dusk rose from her chair with a fluid, silent elegance. She didn't acknowledge him, didn't recognize his existence. She simply swept past.

His gaze automatically followed the sway of her hips and the alluring line of her garter belt strap.

'Definitely a challenge,' he thought, a smirk touching his lips.

He stood and made his way down the steps to the front, ignoring the continued stares.

Professor Jade's office was a sterile, gray cubicle just off the main hall. It was impersonal and meticulously organized. It appeared nothing like Director Sorina's warm, chaotic sanctuary.

"Close the door," she commanded without raising her head from her console.

Zaeryn complied, the soft hiss sealing them inside. Just the two of them.

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