After weapons class ended, Jelo made his way to the common room. The space was one of the more relaxed areas in the academy—couches arranged in clusters, soft lighting, screens mounted on walls displaying various feeds, and tables scattered throughout where students could gather.
Mira was already there, sitting in one of the corner areas away from the main crowd. She'd chosen a spot that offered some privacy while still being public enough not to draw suspicion. When she saw Jelo approaching, she gave a small nod and gestured for him to sit.
Jelo dropped into the seat across from her, feeling the exhaustion from the day settling into his bones. Between the field trip, fighting the Dabba, the confrontation with Mira, the embarrassing return to class, and now the incident with Garin, he was completely drained.
But this conversation couldn't wait.
"So," Mira said quietly, leaning forward slightly so her voice wouldn't carry. "We need to plan how and when we're going to break into the teachers' quarters."
Jelo nodded, matching her low tone. "When were you thinking?"
"It has to be evening," Mira said immediately. "After regular classes are done but before curfew. Most teachers leave the building once their obligations are finished for the day. They have their own lives, their own apartments off-campus. By six or seven in the evening, maybe seventy percent of them are gone."
"What about the other thirty percent?" Jelo asked.
"That's the problem," Mira admitted, her brow furrowing as she thought it through. "There are always some teachers who stay late—either working on research, grading assignments, or just choosing to spend their free time in their offices. Plus, there's security. The academy has personnel who patrol the corridors at all hours, and the teachers' quarters are in a restricted section. They'll have guards posted."
Jelo processed this. "So we need a distraction."
"Exactly," Mira said, her eyes meeting his. "Something big enough to draw the attention of both the remaining teachers and the security personnel, but not so catastrophic that it triggers a full lockdown or emergency response that would actually make things harder."
"And I'm guessing I'm the one creating this distraction?" Jelo asked, though he already knew the answer.
Mira gave him an apologetic smile. "You're faster than me. More mobile. If something goes wrong and you need to run, you have a better chance of getting away. Plus, your abilities are more… flashy. Better suited for causing a scene."
Jelo couldn't really argue with that logic, even if he didn't particularly like being volunteered for the more dangerous role.
"While you're creating the distraction," Mira continued, "I'll slip into the teachers' quarters and find the restricted files. I'm good at moving quietly, at not being noticed. I'll find the information on dragons, get what we need, and get out. The whole thing shouldn't take more than fifteen or twenty minutes if we time it right."
"What kind of distraction are we talking about?" Jelo asked.
"Something in the training halls, maybe," Mira suggested. "Set off some equipment, trigger an alarm system, start a small fire that activates the sprinklers. Anything that makes security think there's an immediate problem they need to address. Just make sure it's contained enough that you don't actually hurt anyone or cause serious damage. We want to bend the rules, not destroy the academy."
Jelo nodded slowly, his mind already working through possibilities. "When do we do this?"
"Tomorrow evening," Mira said decisively. "That gives us enough time to scout the area, figure out the patrol patterns, and prepare. Plus, if we wait too long, we might lose our nerve or someone might catch on that we're planning something."
"Tomorrow," Jelo repeated, feeling a mix of anxiety and determination settling in his stomach.
They continued discussing the details—which corridor would be best for the distraction, how they'd communicate if something went wrong, what Mira should do if she couldn't find the files quickly enough, escape routes if they got caught.
They were so absorbed in their planning that neither of them noticed Ken approaching until he was standing right beside their table.
"Hey," Ken said, his voice carrying a strange tone that Jelo couldn't quite identify.
Jelo looked up, slightly startled. "Oh, hey Ken."
Ken's eyes were fixed on Mira, studying her with an intensity that was unusual for his normally easygoing demeanor. "What are you two talking about?" he asked, the question casual but his expression anything but.
"Just… stuff," Jelo said vaguely, not wanting to explain their illegal plans to break into restricted areas.
Mira glanced up at Ken and mumbled a greeting. "Hey."
"Hi," Ken responded, his tone noticeably cold.
Mira didn't seem to register the coldness in his voice, or if she did, she didn't care. She just turned her attention back to Jelo.
After a moment of awkward silence, Mira stood up. "I should get going," she said to Jelo. "We'll talk more later about… everything. I have somewhere I need to be."
"Alright," Jelo agreed.
Mira gave him a small nod, completely ignored Ken, and walked away toward the exit.
Ken watched her go, his jaw tight, before finally sitting down in the seat she'd just vacated.
A few moments later, Atlas appeared as well, joining them at the table. He'd changed out of his training uniform, and the bandages on his arms were visible beneath his sleeves.
Both Atlas and Ken turned to look at Jelo with expressions that clearly said they had questions.
"So," Ken said, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms. "What's really going on between you and Mira?"
"Yeah," Atlas added, his tone more concerned than accusatory. "You two have been getting close recently. Really close. Everyone's noticed."
Jelo sighed, having expected this conversation but still not looking forward to it. "It's nothing," he insisted. "We're just helping each other out. That's all."
"Helping each other with what?" Ken pressed.
"Just… stuff," Jelo repeated, knowing how weak it sounded. "Personal stuff. It's not a big deal."
Atlas and Ken exchanged a look that suggested they didn't believe him, but neither pushed further.
Privately, Jelo thought about Mira and their arrangement. He honestly didn't really know what her intentions were with him. He didn't know why she wanted to hunt Dabba with him or what she wanted with the Dabba creatures. She'd been frustratingly vague about her motivations, deflecting every time he tried to ask.
But he shrugged it off mentally, deciding not to dwell on it. He didn't really have a choice anyway. She knew his secret. The deal was made. Whether he fully understood her motives or not, they were stuck working together now.
The three of them sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the noise of the common room filling the space around them—other students talking, laughing, the soft hum of screens displaying news feeds.
Then Jelo saw him.
Garin.
The lanky boy was walking past the common room entrance, heading down the corridor with his friend—the stocky one who'd tried to jump into the fight earlier. Garin's arm was in a sling, and he was walking a bit stiffly, clearly still feeling the effects of being thrown into a wall.
The moment Jelo's eyes landed on him, something ignited in his chest.
The revenge quest flashed in his mind, the system's notification still sitting there, accepted and waiting to be completed. The burning obsession he'd felt earlier came roaring back, that overwhelming fixation that demanded action.
Garin had hurt Atlas. Had humiliated him. Had continued attacking even after he'd surrendered.
And Jelo had accepted the quest to make him pay for it.
Jelo stood up abruptly, the movement sudden enough to startle both Ken and Atlas.
"I have to go," Jelo said, his voice tight. "I have some things I need to do. I'll see you guys back at the dorms."
He turned to leave, already tracking Garin's path down the corridor in his mind, already planning how he'd approach this.
But before he could take more than a step, Atlas's voice stopped him.
"Jelo."
Jelo paused and looked back.
Atlas was staring at him with an unnervingly perceptive expression, his dark eyes seeing far more than Jelo was comfortable with. "Are you going to take revenge on Garin?" he asked.