As the red light from the cube pulsed, a distorted, robotic voice filled the small, shadowed corner of the campus. "Keep a close eye on the boy. If he truly isn't a Null, find the source of his power at any cost."
"Understood," Evy replied, her posture snapping into a sharp, military-style attention.
"And keep your eyes on the Academy," the voice added. "We require regular status reports on A.H.A. faculty movements."
Evy didn't speak; she simply nodded. A moment later, the crimson glow from the cube began to fade until the device went cold and dark. Evy scooped the cube off the ground and slipped it into her pocket, her face a mask of cold indifference worlds away from the cheerful girl who teased Aren in class.
She navigated back to her dorm, slipping past the whirring sensors of the inspection bots with the ease of a shadow. When she entered her room, she found it empty.
She flicked on the lights and pulled a heavy suitcase from beneath her bed. Clicking it open, she revealed a hidden compartment filled with strange, high-tech devices. She tucked the cube inside and snapped the latches shut.
The sound of the bathroom door opening made her pulse jump. She kicked the suitcase back under the bed just as Faith stepped out, steam clinging to her hair.
Faith stopped, looking at Evy with a hint of surprise. "I thought you'd be asleep by now."
Evy's mask slid back into place instantly. She flashed a bright, tired smile. "I couldn't sleep. My mind was just racing, I guess."
Faith nodded, though her expression shifted into one of disappointment as she sat on her own bed. "Honestly, Evy, why do you spend so much time with that Null? You know if you keep hanging around him, the rest of the students are going to start treating you like a joke too."
Evy stayed silent, watching her. Faith continued, her voice softening with what she clearly thought was helpful sympathy. "You have talent, Evy. If you stopped wasting your time on a lost cause and focused on your own training, you could easily become a Tier 2 soldier for The Order. Don't throw your future away."
Evy shook her head slightly, a small laugh escaping her lips. "Don't worry, Faith. It's not what you think."
With that, Evy pulled her bedsheet over her head and closed her eyes. Faith let out a long, frustrated sigh, as if mourning a friend who refused to be saved, and turned off the lights.
The next morning, unaware of the secrets hidden in his own circle, Aren walked into the classroom alongside Theo and Duke. They were greeted not by the hum of study, but by the cruel sound of laughter.
In the center of the room, a group of students stood over a boy who was sprawled on the floor, frantically groping for something. One of the bullies delivered a sharp kick to the boy's ribs.
"I guess you don't learn until we break something, do you?" the bully sneered.
Aren watched in horror as the class looked on, some laughing, others simply indifferent. How can they do this right in the middle of the class? he wondered. Do they have no fear of the teachers?
"Hey! Stop it!"
Theo's voice boomed through the room. The bullies froze, turning to look at him with annoyed expressions. One of them stepped forward, his eyes narrowing. "Back off, Theo. This isn't your business. Keep your nose out of it."
Theo didn't flinch. He walked right up to the leader, his jaw set in a hard line. "I won't say it again. Why are you hitting him?"
Seeing the genuine fury in Theo's eyes, the bullies grumbled and stepped back, giving the victim some space. Aren rushed forward to help the boy up. He found a pair of cracked glasses on the floor and handed them to the student, who was trembling. His name was Pete.
Before the tension could boil over into a fight, Professor Linwood marched into the room. "What is all this noise?" he barked.
The bullies instantly smoothed their expressions into masks of innocence. "Nothing, sir! We were just joking around and Pete tripped. He's a bit clumsy."
Linwood looked at Pete, then at Aren, his face twisted in his usual irritation. "You. Take him to the infirmary. He's making the floor messy."
"Sir, I think I've been injured too," Duke added, his voice uncharacteristically sluggish. "Can I go as well?"
Theo looked at Duke, worried. "Duke? When did you get hurt?"
Duke leaned in and whispered into Theo's ear, "Relax. I just want to skip this lecture."
Theo's eyes widened in disbelief as Linwood, without even looking at them, waved them all away. Aren and Duke led Pete out of the room, leaving Theo behind to scratch his head. If he was going to skip, he should have told me! Theo thought gloomily as he took his seat.
In the infirmary, Aren helped Pete onto a bed. The boy was in bad shape; blood was smeared across his cheek and his breathing was shallow.
A woman in a crisp white doctor's coat approached them. She glanced at the trio, her eyes lingering on Pete's injuries. Aren noticed the badge pinned to her lapel: Dr. Hitomi Healer.
Dr. Hitomi placed her hand over Pete's bruised chest. A soft, warm green light began to emit from her palm, flowing into Pete's skin.
Aren watched in fascination as the purple bruises faded and the cuts on the boy's face sealed themselves shut in seconds.
"The external wounds are healed," Dr. Hitomi said, her voice clinical and detached. "But your body will remain weak for a few days. Don't overexert yourself."
"How did this happen?" she asked, though she sounded like she already knew the answer.
"Some students were... beating him," Aren said hesitantly.
Dr. Hitomi offered no reaction. She didn't look shocked or angry; she simply turned and walked back to her desk. Aren felt a cold knot of anger in his stomach. Is this just normal to them?
He turned to see Duke, who was ignoring the drama entirely and staring at the advanced medical machinery as if they were priceless works of art. Pete sat up slowly, his voice a mere whisper. "Thank you."
Aren walked over to him. "It's okay. Just rest." He started to turn away, but then he paused, his expression turning serious. "Pete... why were they doing that to you?"
Pete's shoulders slumped. He let out a weary, defeated sigh. "They wanted my Units." He looked down at his hands. "They've been shaking me down for weeks. This time, I told them I didn't have any left. So they decided to take it out of my skin instead."
"Doesn't the faculty do anything?" Aren asked, his voice rising in disbelief.
Pete gave him a small, bitter smile. "Did anyone do anything today?"
Aren fell silent, the weight of the Academy's corruption feeling heavier than ever. He was about to speak when a familiar, chilling voice drifted from the doorway.
"So, here you are, Null."