(A/N Big thanks to everyone for the Power stones and Golden tickets, they mean a lot. As usual, please don't hesitate to comment or drop a review. ENJOY)

Power stones people, Gimme it.

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Assignment Submission Portal — Landon Chronos

Deadline: Tonight

Length: One paragraph

He wrote without hesitation:

Space is the structured fabric that holds the world together, defined not by emptiness but by the relationships between all forms of mass, energy, and time. It bends under influence, expands by nature, and provides the coordinate framework through which existence expresses movement, form, and meaning. Space is not passive—it reacts, shapes, and carries every phenomenon we perceive.

He read it once.

Satisfied.

He tapped SUBMIT.

A soft chime confirmed delivery.

He checked his bracelet.

5:27 p.m.

Orion leaned back slightly.

"What next…?"

He wasn't tired enough to sleep.

Not restless enough to train.

Not busy enough to start reviewing all the day's material again.

Yet something—

a quiet pull

a subtle instinct—

told him the day wasn't finished.

Not yet.

He turned toward his door just as—

BANG—BANG—BANG.

Three sharp knocks.

The knocks came again, steady and expectant. Orion crossed the room and opened the door.

Three familiar faces greeted him.

Erevan stood front and center, arms folded, grin already in place like he'd been born with it. To his left was Galen, small-framed, glasses slightly crooked, wearing the expression of someone who suspected they had been dragged into a crime. And leaning casually against the doorframe was Arlen—bright-eyed, energetic, the sort who would walk into danger with both hands up and still smile about it. He'd come in ninth for A1, and his enthusiasm had probably powered that entire climb.

The trio together looked… suspicious. In a mildly entertaining way.

Orion's lips tugged upward. "This should be good."

"Sup, Onion boy, wanna hang out?" Erevan asked immediately, zero hesitation.

Orion paused.

"…Onion boy?"

"Galen came up with it," Arlen said without remorse.

"I did not!" Galen yelped, horrified. "I—no. No. I did not." He turned to Orion, panicked. "I swear I did not."

Arlen burst out laughing. Erevan smirked. Orion simply chuckled once, leaning against the side of the doorway.

"Come in."

They filed inside—Arlen heading straight for the balcony like he owned it, Erevan sprawling onto the bed, Galen standing in the middle of the room stiff as a fence post.

"Wow, you have a better view than me!" Arlen shouted from the balcony.

Orion ignored him. He pushed open the door to his closet.

"So," he said, pulling on a clean tunic and boots, "where are we going?"

"Magnum Three," Erevan replied, voice full of mischief.

Orion lifted a brow. "And what's in Magnum Three?"

"Outside the lounge today," Erevan began, now stretched diagonally across Orion's bed like it was his own, "some guys from Magnum Three were bragging about how the outer Magnums are more fun than Magnum One."

Orion snorted softly. "Are you sure they weren't just saying that out of spite?"

"I considered that," Erevan said, rolling onto his side, "but honestly, they might have a point. The outer Magnums are bigger. Less exclusive. And with less exclusivity comes—"

"Less vigilance," Orion finished, stepping out in his outdoor wear.

Erevan's grin widened. "Exactly."

"And less vigilance translates to more fun," Orion added with a faint smirk.

Arlen perked up. Galen finally blinked. Erevan practically looked proud.

"Alright," Orion said, closing his closet door. "Let's go. We'll pick Caelum on the way."

"Of course," Erevan teased, clapping him on the shoulder as they walked into the hallway. "You two and your unbreakable bond."

"I noticed that too," Arlen chimed in. "Did you guys know each other before the academy?"

"No," Orion replied calmly. "We're just close. And stop making it sound weird."

He didn't say the rest—not that he needed to. He knew Caelum well enough to know the boy would feel… off if Orion went adventuring without calling him. A strange instinct, but an accurate one. Their connection had been immediate, quiet, and firm.

The group walked through the hallway of Magnum One, earning glances from curious onlookers. Orion's presence alone always drew attention, but paired with Erevan, Arlen, and Galen, the group's energy was a blend of talent, confidence, and youthful unpredictability that seemed magnetic.

Whispers followed them.

"That's the patriarch's son, right?"

"Who are the others?"

"Should we… go with them?"

"…No, don't be ridiculous."

Not a single one of them dared approach. Not even the bold ones.

When they reached Caelum's door, Orion knocked only once.

Caelum opened it instantly, like he'd been waiting behind it the whole time.

His eyes scanned the group. "Where are we going?"

"Magnum Three," Erevan said, hands already behind his head.

Caelum blinked. Then nodded. "Give me five minutes."

It took him three.

He stepped out, straightened his collar, and closed the door behind him.

The group now five strong made their way down the long stairs, out of Magnum One, and into the open campus walkways. Evening lights cast a soft blue glow along the stone paths, and the air buzzed lightly with conversations from passing students.

A few older kids glanced at them, amused or curious. A first-day group of five determined ten-year-olds heading toward the outer dorms was… entertaining at best, suspicious at worst.

They didn't care.

Or rather, Erevan and Arlen didn't care. Galen cared very much. Caelum cared in the sense of calculating caution. And Orion cared only in the sense that he expected something interesting to happen.

Their footsteps echoed lightly as they crossed into the wider area where the Outer Magnums began. The buildings here were taller, louder, and busier. Music hummed faintly through some of the windows. Laughter echoed from the balconies. Students moved in and out freely, some still wearing uniforms, others already in casual wear.

It had an undeniable energy.

Orion understood immediately why Erevan wanted to come.

"This place is alive," Arlen whispered, looking around like he'd discovered a hidden kingdom.

"Which means fun," Erevan said.

"Which means trouble," Galen muttered under his breath.

They were halfway across the entrance into Magnum Two when it happened.

A voice called from behind them.

A voice that caused a tiny tick mark to appear on Orion's forehead.

It wasn't loud.

It wasn't dramatic.

It wasn't even hostile.

It was just… inherently irritating.

"Where are you guys going? Mind if I come?"

The five boys stopped at once.

Orion closed his eyes for half a second and exhaled slowly.

He turned around.

And—

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