We interrupted the class. Miss Miura moved ahead to whisper something to a young woman who, if not for the ridiculous pant-suit, could easily have been mistaken for a student. Is she really a teacher? Probably in her mid-twenties, like some of the Evolved adults who age slower.
I turned to face the room. About twenty kids sat in uniforms identical to mine. Their faces were a mirror of conflicting emotions—nervous curiosity, blatant envy, and calculated politeness. One thing was immediately certain: the mystery girl from the balcony was not here.
A sudden wave of disappointment hit me, immediately followed by the dark thought: Could she be too old?
"Please welcome your classmate. I believe some of you may already know of him." Both Miss Miura and the actual teacher were smiling at me, their faces radiating an unsettling deference.
Right. I remembered the drill.
"My name is Stivastin Avesta," I said, keeping my tone short and professional. "Though I was born in Japan, I'm fairly new to the area. Let's get along."
I scanned the room, meeting their gaze confidently, and spotted the one empty desk near the back, by the window, beside a kid with spiky hair. That kid was already staring, a slight smirk playing on his lips. He seemed different.
"Thank you, Lord Avesta. When you're ready, please take your seat," the teacher said politely.
As I walked to the back, I realized the 'Lord Avesta' nonsense wasn't going to stop with the faculty. They were terrified of offending my grandfather, the First Hand of the Emperor, who was a mere three hundred miles away, responsible for all of Japan and the Empire's southern vassals. I was due to visit him next weekend.
I took my seat by the window. The spiky-haired guy was still staring, and frankly, so was the entire class, but his proximity made him the immediate annoyance. Rude, little ant.
I turned to him and slowly blinked. The Omega symbol in my pupils flared into existence—a blinding, momentary flash visible only to him. He practically fell off his chair.
The class laughed, assuming the sudden movement was entirely random. They were too far away to see the colour in my eyes change.
He looked terrified. I offered him my most charming, predatory smile, then turned to face the front.
I needed these people to understand the dynamic immediately. My desire to "get along" did not preclude me from atomizing anyone who overstepped. Better to nip any perceived challenge in the bud right now than have someone force my hand later. I was, frankly, saving this fool's life.
Our homeroom teacher, Ms. Chizu Inoue, a young-looking woman despite the ridiculous pant-suit, began to detail the curriculum.
"All students at Kingsom attend three core classes, five times a week: Portal History, Evolved Training, and Imperial Studies." She paced the front of the room. "Portal History, or P.H., will help you understand what you are fighting against. Evolved Training will help you all hone what you are fighting with. And Imperial Studies is to ensure you understand who you are fighting for."
Standard, mandated imperial curriculum.
"On May 9th, 2113, our class, joined by 1-B and 1-C, will visit Casey Station, a research outpost in Antarctica, tasked with monitoring old Australia. Our flight will take around twelve hours, and we will stay for two days." She paused to allow the murmurs to build. "On our way back, we will spend a day on each of the five observation posts created around the island. More information will follow in the coming weeks."
A field trip to the coldest, most boringly safe military base in the world. I knew all about Casey Station. My brother, Finton, was in charge there and couldn't stand the job. Grandfather put him there because it was hundreds of miles from the nearest Portal.
"Also," she concluded, with a warm smile, "after this class, you have your first Evolved Training session. Until then, please use the time to get to know each other better."
The class dissolved into conversation. Girls huddled, giggling occasionally, and several students went to question Ms. Inoue.
Just then, the spiky-haired guy stood in front of me. His face, framed by dramatic eyebrows, looked either perpetually pissed off or just incredibly stressed. He took a deep breath.
"I'm sorry about angering you earlier," he mumbled, bowing his head slightly. "I shouldn't have stared a hole in you like that. That was uncool."
I was so surprised by this guy stringing together a legible, self-aware sentence, I just stared.
"Anyways, I'm Tetsuya Mugino. Let's be close friends." He offered his hand with a nervous smile.
I shook it immediately. "Call me Stivastin."
He sighed with patent relief, pulled up a chair in front of me, and leaned in. "My family actually owes yours a lot."
"How's that?" I asked.
"Your grandfather, Numa Avesta himself, gave us our lands. My grandfather used to serve in his guard. He tells crazy stories about him. I mean, your grandfather is him, man!" he explained, a goofy, genuine smile finally replacing the fear.
I laughed—a real, honest laugh, the first since I arrived in Japan. Tetsuya was genuinely refreshing. No one ever just approached me. My ability and my family name made them cautious, if not outright terrified. After I'd just spooked him, the last thing I expected was normal conversation.
"Thanks. I'll make sure to tell him. He pretends he doesn't, but he eats that stuff up. What's your grandfather's name?"
"Hoichy Mugino! He was the first chain manipulator in Japan."
"Chain manipulator?"
"Oh, it's this..." He lifted his hand, and a long, sleek black chain materialized, twisting and turning like something alive. "...and I can make various shapes." He fluidly contorted it into a perfect circle and a square. "I can only create a few feet of it now, but my grandfather can do over a hundred."
It was awesome—versatile and visually impressive. "Looks awesome, very versatile. I'm impressed."
He laughed in embarrassment, clearly not used to the praise. I was constantly surprised by his actions and how normal the interaction felt. The class around us grew quiet, starting to stare at us now.
"Mugino, you understand that using your ability without permission is a serious offense, right?"
A guy with large-framed glasses cut through the silence, walking over and looking down at Tetsuya. His face was vaguely familiar, dripping with entitlement, and a smug expression I instantly despised.
"As the grandson of the Headmaster, I feel like it's my obligation to report you."
I'd had enough of this cringe-inducing ant ruining my mood.
"Oyy, Mr. Grandson," I said, my voice dropping into the cold, flat tone of Saint Lucia's. "Fuck off. Do it now."
My eyes were burning—a familiar, hot warning. If not for the relentless training under my parents and grandfather, this little shit would already be a burst of particles. He avoided my gaze, as if that would save him, and backed up a few steps before turning and retreating to his table without a sound.
I swept my gaze over the rest of the class. Everyone immediately returned to politely chatting, their faces pale.
"Who the hell was that potato?" I asked Tetsuya once the tension eased.
He looked both relieved and scared. "That's Aviv Isherwell. We went to the same middle school. He grew up rich thanks to the Headmaster and never failed to make life miserable for people like me..." He looked at me, seemingly ashamed. "We don't have a lot of money. Not starving, or anything."
"I thought you said my grandfather gave you land?" I prompted, confused.
"When I was five, a Black Portal ripped ten miles from our land. We were evacuated, but the hundreds of Subiton trampled the property, destroying and poisoning everything—the house, the crops. No civilians were lost, thank God. It's been ten years, but we've never gotten back to where we were."
His sadness was palpable, yet he was grateful for survival. He might actually be a decent guy. We'd see.
The bell rang, signaling a short break before Evolved Training.
"Wanna grab some food before E.T.? I'm starving," he added, scratching his head, clearly trying to change the subject.
"Let's go. I could eat."
We navigated the students, their stunned expressions making way for us. Tetsuya, however, was clearly a character. People he knew from childhood kept greeting him, but never stopped us. On the way, I learned he had three sisters, a non-Evolved father in the police force, and a mother with Grade 4 Water Manipulation. He was, to put it mildly, chatty.
"Heey Mugino!" someone shouted for the twentieth time, waving at him. He waved back, completely at ease.
"I swear, I've never met that person before. Just being around you will make me more friends."
I resisted the urge to burst his bubble. Those trying so hard to get on his good side were not friends, but snakes waiting to strike. I only knew the guy twenty minutes; it wasn't my business. "Hmm."
Getting in line for food proved chaotic. Our presence caused a commotion. The kind lady making cheesy bread insisted we take it for free, and I almost made her cry when I forced the money on her. Even though I could eat anything I wanted, I only ate twice a day with a light snack. My mother's rigorous sword training, my father's daily demands on my eyes, and my sisters' chaos ensured food was never top of my mind.
"So tell me, your eyes... how do they work?" Tetsuya asked, taking a huge bite of the bread.
"What do you mean? Like how it feels when I'm using it?" The cheesy bread, by the way, was excellent.
"That too, but what's the biggest thing you ever used it on?"
"A TT45 Armoured Truck," I answered without thinking.
He choked on his bread. The TT series was designed to carry fifty soldiers. What I didn't tell him was that it had put me in a two-week coma and rendered my eyes useless for two more. The bigger the target, the more it drained me. The truck had almost killed me.
"That's incredible! That means you can easily deal with the Lupin next year, huh?" he asked, excited.
"I'm not participating in the games," I answered immediately.
"What?! Dude, your power would be perfect for it! And seeing an Avesta on stage would be awesome! I'm definitely signing up come winter."
I despised the Anniversary Games.
Every year, thousands of Evolved faced off against the Lupin pouring out of the fifteen hundred Light Blue Portals in a televised team deathmatch. The deaths were graphic, yet the event was the most popular and profitable broadcast on the planet.
I understood Tetsuya's reasoning: one major sponsorship could earn him more than his police officer father would make in fifty years. The public sentiment on the Lupin had devolved from terrifying monster to predictable house pet.
"I don't know what to tell you. Not a fan," I shrugged.
"I bet you get a lot of sponsors, though. Not that you need them..."
"Hmm." We ate in silence for a moment.
"You mind if I ask something a bit personal? You don't have to answer if you don't want to."
"Shoot."
"Is it true you were adopted? I heard someone talking about you receiving your Proof at like five or something."
I was amazed this wasn't common knowledge. "Yes, I was adopted. And I received my Proof a few months after my ninth birthday."
"That's wild, man. Since nine, huh? Must've been scary."
"Oh yeah, scary stuff." I certainly wasn't going to tell him I was obsessed with the ability, using it to clean my room, systematically annihilate my sister Sisi's doll collection, terrorize my elder brothers, and once, vaporize a vicious dog that had taken a chunk out of my second sister Cily's leg—giving her a lifetime fear of even the cutest puppies.
Heartbreaking, yet hilarious.
"Girlfriend?"
"Nope. You?"
"Unfortunately, no. But I do have someone I like... well, someones," he admitted, turning slightly red.
The love-sick fool type. "More than one, huh? Didn't waste any time. Tell me."
"They're twins: Luna and Mya Monroe. They both have Ice Manipulation and come from a well-established merchant family. Their stepsister, Amie, is also in our class. I think her ability is fire, but I'm not sure. I've known them since we were kids."
Going for twins took serious stones. I filed the names away. "Childhood friends angle. Respect. Absolute classic."
Before he could elaborate, something blue wrapped in fabric hit him on the left side with such force it knocked him over. He was attacked.
The culprit was a very attractive girl with black, shoulder-length hair and piercing eyes. She wore our uniform, but her right arm bore a small silver patch: the mark of the Games. Given to those who survived an Anniversary Game, the patches increased your chances of getting a First Grade license upon graduation.
I was instantly enchanted by her beauty and the clearly visible madness in her eyes.
"DUMBASS! That's lunch for later!" she yelled, a wide, fierce smile on her face.
This girl was completely unhinged.
"I just ate, but thanks for looking after me, Mikeyla." He sounded well-trained.
She looked pleased.
"Stivastin, meet my elder sister, Mikeyla Mugino, ranked sixth in our school, a third-year Chain Manipulator. Sis, meet Stivastin Avesta, my new classmate."
She looked mildly surprised and a little embarrassed by her recent assault, though it appeared to be a common occurrence. I waved at her from my seat with an amused smile. She looked incredibly cute as she tentatively waved back.
"M-My pleasure, I'm sure." She handled the surprise better than most. She was definitely battle-tested.
"That was a hell of a throw," I said. "I'm impressed."
It was the first time all day I actively wanted someone to blush. One for one.
She quickly pulled herself together and grabbed Tetsuya by his jacket. "Is it true you used your ability without permission? Are you trying to get expelled on your first day!?"
That explained why she didn't just hand him the pastry like a normal person.
"Yeah, that was my bad. I got excited to show off to Stivastin and got carried away. Are you and Aviv that close?"
"I overheard him talking to the Headmaster, demanding your punishment. You'll be lucky if all you get is suspension."
Just then, the Headmaster strode in with that muppet of a grandson in tow. I could tell the little shit hadn't told his grandfather the full story, judging by his expression when he saw me. This was annoying—every time I found a slice of fun, it got ruined.
"My Lord, I hope you are enjoying yourself?" the Headmaster asked, a smile pasted on his face.
"Indeed. Your school has the most... unique students. I'm well entertained. Come, meet my friend and new classmate." I gestured toward the Mugino siblings. "His name is Tetsuya Mugino. I'm sure his sister needs no introduction. His family has old ties with the Avesta clan, and he's a very talented Chain Manipulator. I was so intrigued, I just had to see his ability. Hope that's okay."
You plant seeds, then you wait.
"Of course it is! Please, it's only natural to be curious. It's a sign of an inquisitive mind."
Then a syrupy fruit will grow.
"Your words are too kind. Unfortunately, we have Evolved Training now, so I'm afraid we have to depart. Thank you for going out of your way to make sure of my well-being. Truly, my grandfather will be delighted to know I'm in such caring hands."
I shook the man's sweaty hand, nodded to Tetsuya, allowed myself one last glance at Mikeyla, and had a sudden, certain feeling.
I was going to become very close friends with her brother.