Zaeryn pushed himself up and sat up, his left shoulder blade grinding against the floor as he rolled.

A sharp hiss escaped between his teeth. Even with ninety percent of her power Vitae, neutralized by the resonance dampeners the girl kicked like she was trying to punt him into next week.

If her strikes hit that hard when dampened, he didn't want to imagine her at full throttle—and yet, a twisted part of him was already curious. Pain aside, there was something intoxicating about going toe-to-toe with a woman like her: fierce, unyielding, and built like a goddess of war. Her power called to something primal in him, stirring the nascent Vitae in his veins like a promise of more.

He flexed his fingers, testing for breaks, and couldn't help the bitter laugh that bubbled up. "Well, that was fun. Remind me to sign up for the masochist club next time."

Across from him, outside the now-dissolved transparent chamber, Leia stood with her back to him, shoulders rigid as she spoke in low tones to two girls—probably her lackeys, Zaeryn assumed. Her fiery red braid had come loose during their match, wild strands framing her face in damp spirals that clung to her sweat-glistened skin. The way her uniform hugged her curves, accentuating the swell of her hips and the taut lines of her thighs, was a distraction he didn't need right now. But damn if it wasn't effective.

When his comment reached her, she turned just enough to pin him with a look over her shoulder. Not the ice-cold glare from earlier, but something sharper, laced with a flicker of heat that wasn't just anger. Respect? Intrigue? Whatever it was, it made her even hotter, and Zaeryn's brain took a brief, ill-timed detour, imagining those same curves pressed against him under different circumstances—ones involving far less clothing and a lot more mutual exploration.

'Focus, idiot,' he chided himself. 'She just tried to barbecue you. Though... bonding with her could unlock some serious power boosts. The system's been hinting at that synergy crap.

"Beginner's luck," she said, but her voice lacked its usual razor edge. "You won, by luck and because I was holding back."

Zaeryn hauled himself to his feet, making a show of dusting off his training uniform. "What's that Leia? Sounds like the words of a loser."

The blonde to Leia's left, immediately bristled, stepping forward with her chin jutted out. "Delusional much? We all saw it. Leia won. You never stood a chance."

Her companion, a brunette whose name he'd never bothered learning, nodded so vigorously her ponytail bounced. "You're pathetic for trying to claim victory after you clearly lost."

Zaeryn didn't even spare them a glance, keeping his eyes locked on Leia. The way she'd gone perfectly still told him she was listening, weighing every word. "Who asked you?"

"Sure, you got the pin. But I walked in here with zero training and stopped your best shot cold. If you ask me, that's the bigger loss." He declared.

"Laugh it up, anomaly," Leia snapped, her voice low and venomous, but the edge was softer now, like a blade dulled by hesitation. "Next time, I won't hold back."

Zaeryn grinned. "Next time huh? By then I'll be strong, so I think you won't be able to handle me."

"Tch, how arrogant," the blonde finally managed, her voice shrill. "She'll wipe the floor with you next time. You're nothing but a freak who got lucky once."

"You shouldn't be so quick to dismiss me," Zaeryn shot back, his grin unwavering as he addressed Leia directly, ignoring the sidekicks.

The blonde scoffed, stepping forward like she could intimidate him with her glare alone. "Delusional much? What, you got a kink for getting beat up? That why you're begging for Leia to kick your ass again?"

Before either Zaeryn or anyone else could say anything, Leia gave him a nod. "Done. When you get stronger, we'll spar, and I'll teach you a lesson then." With that, she turned on her heel, storming toward the chamber's exit, but not before throwing a glance over her shoulder, a challenge, maybe, or an invitation he wasn't dumb enough to misread.

After class wrapped up, the Aegis Chamber cleared out faster than a free buffet at a cadet mixer. Whispers trailed behind the girls like exhaust fumes—some shooting Zaeryn sidelong glances full of curiosity, others with that classic mix of disdain and intrigue.

Zaeryn sank to the floor, rolling onto his back to nurse his throbbing arm and the aching ribs that had taken the impact through his forearm. He internally groaned, cursing himself for stupidly blocking her attack instead of relying on his untested Kinetic Acceleration.

He lingered on the floor for a sec, catching his breath, the cool hum of the panels vibrating under his back. Losing to Leia stung a bit, sure, but damn if it didn't feel like a win in the vibes department. He'd held his own, thrown some chaos her way, and even got a nod from Zelda. Not bad for day one.

Zaeryn pushed himself up, brushing off his uniform like it was no big deal.

"Hey, Noctis," Jyn called out, sauntering over with that easy grin of hers.

She was all effortlessly cool—short, messy black hair tucked behind one ear, her uniform sleeves rolled up to show off those subtle tattoos that looked like Vitae runes.

Supportive type, but with an edge; she'd been the one smiling during his banter earlier, like she got a kick out of watching the hierarchy glitch. "That was wild. You almost had her with that kinetic slip-up. It looked like you were teleporting or something."

Zaeryn chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah, 'almost' being the key word. Felt more like slamming into a wall at full speed. My control's still crap—kinda like trying to drive a hoverbike with no brakes."

Jyn laughed, a light, genuine sound that cut through the lingering tension. "Better than most newbies. Leia's been training since she could walk; girl's a beast. But you? You surprised everyone. Even Zelda didn't roast you too hard at the end."

Yuna joined them then, her steps quieter, more measured. She had this soft, caring vibe—long wavy hair the color of fresh honey, eyes that always seemed to scan for trouble like a built-in radar.

Pragmatic to the core, she'd been the one looking worried during the spar, probably calculating the odds of him ending up in the med bay. "You okay? That fall looked rough. And Leia's not one to hold back, even in a dampened chamber."

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