As Willow made her way across the grounds toward her dorm, she spotted a small group of enforcers gathered together, talking and laughing. One of them suddenly noticed her. His gaze stayed before he tapped the shoulder of his friend and muttered something that sounded like, "That's her."
That single phrase was enough to turn all eyes onto Willow. Her stomach tightened, and without thinking twice, she dashed away.
Her lungs burned as she ran, but she forced herself to push harder. In her head, she could almost hear Hector barking at her to keep going.
Her brother had always been the stronger one. He was discipline and muscle wrapped in skin dragging her into workouts whenever she wasn't buried in hacking or experiments. She had hated it then, but those sessions were saving her now.
By the time she reached her dorm, her chest was heaving, but relief washed over her when she found it empty. She tossed her bag onto the bed and hurried straight into the bathroom.
The hot shower rinsed the tension from her body, leaving her weak but clean. After drying her hair, she slipped into fresh, casual clothes.
A bandaid now covered the bruise on her forehead. Feeling slightly better, Willow sat on her bed and pulled her personal laptop onto her lap.
"Now," she muttered, cracking her knuckles before powering it on.
Her fingers flew across the keys, bypassing the school's firewalls with ease. One by one, the layers of security unfolded for her, until she was buried deep within the system's veins.
Finally, she found what she was looking for. The schedules of the second and third-year enforcers. For hours, she traced their routines, memorizing when they would be in class, when they would be training, and when the halls and grounds would be safest.
She wanted to leave as early as possible, and seeing that some classes began as early as 4 a.m. reassured her that choosing this route was the right call.
Once finished, she shut down her laptop, tucked it back into its hiding place, and collapsed onto her bed. Her body felt impossibly heavy, and the hard-soft comfort of the mattress seemed like heaven.
Thankfully, sleep came fast.
*** ***
When Willow opened her eyes, she was met by a pair of narrowed ones. Her heart jumped straight to her throat, and she released a startled yelp as she shot up, stumbling to the corner of the bed.
"What the actual fuck?! What are you doing? Why are... oh my god!" she gasped, pressing a hand against her hammering chest.
It was Sage. She was literally sitting on the edge of Willow's bed, staring at her for who knows how long?
Sage blinked, then rose to her feet, taking a step back. "Sorry… I got lost in my thoughts."
"You got… lo—" Willow scoffed, still breathing hard. "You got lost in your thoughts?"
Sage nodded slowly, retreating back to her own bed. "I wasn't exactly staring at you."
Willow couldn't believe her ears. Insane. Absolutely insane. She breathed in and out to calm herself. She was surrounded by lunatics, and she just had to accept that as part of life.
"It's fine," she muttered, finally tearing her gaze away. Out the window, the sky was already pitch-dark, and Korra and Zira were nowhere in sight.
She bit her lip, pressing a hand to her stomach when it growled in protest. The time glowing boldly on the clock read 9 p.m. She was officially late for dinner.
"Damned karma," she grumbled under her breath.
"You know… Korra and Zira went to the bonfire. Do you want to go?" Sage asked suddenly.
Willow blinked, stunned. She even pointed at herself. "You're inviting me?"
Sage laughed, shaking her head. "It's not an invitation. It's a public event. I'm just asking if you'd like to go."
Willow shook her head immediately. A public event and fire? Not interested. Not in the least.
But Sage, noticing her disinterest, added softly, "This one's different. It's special. The Ascendants are allowed to use their abilities."
Willow's hazel eyes sparkled with curiosity. The thought of actually watching mutants use their abilities was thrilling.
She pursed her lips, thoughtful, while Sage absentmindedly fluffed her pillow and placed it on her lap, her focus staying there.
"Oh, and if you're worried about the enforcers," Sage muttered, "no one's going to bother with Dregs when they're watching the challenges."
That caught Willow's attention instantly. "Challenges?" she leaned forward.
Sage's eyes widened. "Where have you been? The challenges. Other top grades can challenge the Ascendant ranking list. If they win, they take the Ascendant's title and if the Ascendant loses, they fall lower. Though… it rarely happens."
"Interesting." Willow's laugh was sharp. The idea of watching the mutants beating each other down was far more satisfying than watching them beat her.
Still, she hesitated. This room was the safest place for her right now.
But then she shoved herself up from the bed anyway. "I want to see."
Sage smiled knowingly. Willow tugged a large red hoodie over her pajama pants, and together, they walked out of the room.
When they reached the main grounds, the campus was alive with color. Fireworks exploding across the night sky, their sparks raining down over a sea of shouting voices.
Willow and Sage followed the trail of sparks and shouts until they reached the bonfire. A massive crowd of students sat around it, the flames roaring high, and just beyond the fire stood a stage set up like a small stadium.
Sage kept sneaking glances at Willow, but Willow was too captivated by everything around her to notice. Her hazel eyes reflected the flames, hungry with anticipation. She couldn't wait to see Ascendants beating each other senseless.
Suddenly, a student approached them. It was another first-year, though clearly an enforcer. His dull expression and heavy dark circles under his eyes made him look like he hadn't slept in weeks.
"Willow Sterling?" he called.
Willow blinked. "Yeah?"
"Navian Grimm called for you. Come." He turned on his heel without waiting for her reply.
Willow followed without question, leaving Sage behind. She figured there was no need to stick together anymore.
At the very front, where the bonfire's light fell brightest, a few Ascendants sat in a neat row. Willow recognized several from the orientation hall, but her eyes landed on Navian instantly.
He lounged with that same detached air, a few empty seats behind him as if no one dared occupy his space.
His cold eyes found hers immediately. He tapped the empty space beside him.
Forcing a small smile, Willow slipped into the seat next to him.
"There's no need for the hood, pretty thief." Navian reached over and tugged her hood down.
Willow scoffed. "I'm just to avoid—"
"Nothing's going to happen," Navian interrupted, his tone calm.
Willow blew out a breath. "Fine. But it's not like I don't trust your strength. I got beaten earlier, so—"
Navian's lips curved into the faintest smile. "That won't happen again."
Willow studied him in the firelight. He wasn't wearing his glasses tonight. His dark hair was tied into a loose man-bun, his sharp features softened only slightly by the casual look. Oversized black sweatshirt, loose trousers, and heavy combat boots.
Her lips pressed together. Was he planning to fight tonight?
Her thought was cut short when a figure strode onto the stage. Silver hair glinted under the fire's glow, styled neatly above beautiful features. He wore a crisp white shirt layered with a deep crimson drape, paired with sleek black trousers and polished shoes.
"I challenge you, Navian Grimm!" His disarming voice rang out, drawing every eye in the crowd.
Willow's chest tightened when he pointed at her, a devious smile curling his lips.
"If I win," he declared, savoring each word, "you will hand over your Fodder to me."