I trailed behind Natalia and Emi as we left the boba shop, watching the rigid set of Natalia's
shoulders with quiet satisfaction. The cool evening air carried the scent of rain, though the
sky remained clear. Perfect walking weather—and perfect conditions to let Natalia stew in
her own emotional turmoil.
"That was so fun!" Emi chirped, skipping ahead and turning to walk backward, facing us.
Her blue hair bounced with each step, antennae-like strands bobbing enthusiastically. "We
should do this more often."
"Mm," Natalia replied, her lips barely moving.
One syllable. That was all she could manage. I had to suppress a grin.
"The entrance exam is only a few weeks away," Emi continued, undeterred by Natalia's
frigid response. "We could form a study group! I'm terrible at the written portions about
Gate classifications."
"That sounds useful," I said, making sure to sound just enthusiastic enough. "I've been
cramming the standard protocols, but there's a lot to catch up on."
Natalia's jaw tightened. She'd told me once, when we first moved in together, that she knew
every classification by heart. Her father had drilled her on them since she was ten.
"What do you think, Nat?" Emi asked, clearly trying to include her sulking friend.
"Whatever," Natalia muttered, adjusting her bag strap unnecessarily. "Do what you want."
Emi's smile faltered. She shot me a quick, concerned glance. I returned it with a subtle
shrug—what can you do?—and watched her bright expression dim a bit.
We walked through the West District plaza, passing the central fountain where water
danced and shimmered under colored lights. Students from nearby academies lounged on
benches, laughing and talking, their voices creating a backdrop of youthful energy. Some of
them had visible Aspects—a boy with glowing fingertips, a girl whose hair shifted colors
with her emotions.
"Oh! Did you guys hear about the new Hunter reality show?" Emi asked, clearly grasping for
conversation topics. "They're following a rookie team through their first year of missions."
"I saw the trailer," I replied. "Looks interesting. The girl with the sonic Aspect seems
promising."
"Yes! Aurora! She's amazing. Her battle cry can shatter concrete at fifty paces!" Emi's eyes
lit up. "And the team leader, Stone, has this incredible earth manipulation ability where
he—"
"It's propaganda," Natalia cut in sharply. "My father says those shows edit out all the real
danger and make the Hunter life look like a glamorous adventure. Real Hunters don't pose
for cameras while fighting monsters."
Silence fell after her outburst. Emi's animated expression wilted.
"I was just saying it looked fun," she said quietly.
"Sorry," I offered to Emi. "I'm sure there's entertainment value, even if it's sanitized for
viewers."
Natalia shot me a venomous glare, which I pretended not to notice.
We continued walking, the conversation sputtering and dying several more times despite
Emi's valiant efforts. I could practically hear Natalia's thoughts grinding against each other,
a millstone of jealousy and confusion. The System hadn't chimed in since the boba shop, but
I didn't need its analysis to know I was making progress.
I had to suppress another grin. This was working far better than I'd anticipated. I thought it
would take weeks to grind down her walls. Instead, one afternoon of kindness to her friend
had sent a fault line straight through her composure.
As we approached Emi's street, she slowed her pace.
"This is me," she said, pointing to a modest apartment complex with a small garden out
front. "Thanks again for the boba, Satori. It was really sweet of you."
"Anytime," I replied. "I learned a lot about healing formations. Next time, you'll have to tell
me about battlefield triage."
Emi beamed. "Definitely! I have all these diagrams from my advanced courses. Maybe I
could show you..."
She trailed off, glancing at Natalia, who stood slightly apart from us, examining a nearby
tree with sudden, intense interest.
"Anyway," Emi continued awkwardly, "I should go. Early training tomorrow."
.
She stepped forward and gave me a quick hug, which I returned with just the right amount
of friendly pressure. Then she moved to Natalia, who accepted the embrace stiffly.
"Text me later?" Emi asked her.
"Sure," Natalia replied.
We watched Emi bounce up the steps to her building, turning once to wave before
disappearing inside. Then it was just Natalia and me, standing in the gathering dusk.
"Ready to head back?" I asked, knowing the question would irritate her.
Natalia didn't answer. She simply turned and started walking in the direction of our condo.
I fell into step beside her, not rushing to fill the silence. The evening streets were busy with
people returning from work, the sidewalks crowded enough that we occasionally had to
walk closer together to avoid others. Each time our shoulders nearly brushed, Natalia
would jerk away as if scalded.
"Your friend seems nice," I said finally.
Natalia's lips thinned. "She is nice. Too nice for her own good sometimes."
"She mentioned wanting to pair up for the entrance exam," I continued, "but said the teams
are randomly assigned. Is that true for all academies, or just New Vein?"
"All of them," Natalia replied curtly. "It tests your adaptability."
"Makes sense. In real missions, you can't always just be with your guild if it's small."
Natalia quickened her pace. I matched it easily.
We turned onto Maple Avenue, lined with upscale condos and small boutique shops. Our
building was at the far end, a sleek high-rise with a doorman and floor-to-ceiling windows.
Home sweet home—at least for now.
"The new ring looked effective," I said, trying another angle. "The ice properties
complemented your telekinesis well."
She couldn't ignore a direct comment about her powers. Her pride wouldn't let her.
"It's still calibrating," she replied, a hint of enthusiasm breaking through her frosty
demeanor. "The attunement process takes about a week for full synchronization."
"And then what? Double the power output?"
"Hardly," she scoffed. "It's about control, not raw power. The ring regulates mana flow to
prevent Overload. But it also allows for more focused applications."
I nodded thoughtfully. "Like the ice spikes you were forming."
"That was nothing. When it's fully attuned, I'll be able to create complex structures and
maintain them without constant concentration."
We'd reached the steps of our building. The doorman nodded to us as we passed, used to
our comings and goings.
"Still," I said, pressing the elevator button, "it's impressive. You handled the power surge
well today."
The doors slid open, and we stepped inside. Natalia punched our floor number with
unnecessary force.
"Don't patronize me," she said, her voice low.
"I wasn't."
"Whatever.