"I'm good," Zaeryn said, rolling his shoulder to test it. He regretted it instantly as it pained.

But still, it was not too much of damage, just a bruise or two. Vitae perks, he guessed—his body healed faster now, post-Fade. "Thanks for the backup earlier, both of you. Feels nice not to be the total outcast on day one."

Yuna smiled faintly, but there was that concern again, like a mom friend who couldn't help it. "Just... be careful to not upset anyone. Leia's got a rep for holding grudges. And not everyone's as open-minded as us."

Jyn waved her off playfully. "Pfft, let him stir the pot. This class needs it. Academy life's too stuffy otherwise—drills, lectures, repeat. Speaking of, you got lunch plans Zaeryn? Cafeteria's has got synth-noodles today. Not gourmet, but it's better than starving."

Zaeryn's stomach growled on cue, reminding him he hadn't eaten since that rushed breakfast at home. He'd been too excited—and in too much of a rush—on his first day at the academy to waste time on food. Ysmeine, of course, had slipped into over-caring mommy mode and made him eat anyway.

Still, it was not enough.

"Synth-noodles sound perfect. Lead the way."

The three of them headed out, the chamber's doors hissing shut behind them. The academy halls were a maze of sleek alloy and glowing Vitae conduits, humming with that low-energy buzz that always made Zaeryn feel like he was in some sci-fi sim.

Girls streamed past in clusters, chatting about classes or the latest monster sightings beyond the Sector barriers. As expected, eyes lingered on him. The anomaly. The guy who shouldn't be here.

As they walked, Zaeryn kept it casual, soaking in the slice-of-life rhythm. No epic quests popping up yet, no glowing system interface like in those old Earth novels. Just... this.

Banter, bruises, and building connections. "So, what's the deal with Zelda? She seems intense, but fair. Kinda like a drill sergeant who secretly roots for the underdogs."

Yuna nodded thoughtfully. "She's one of the best. Fought in the Frontier Skirmishes a few years back—took down a whole pack of Starbeasts solo. Doesn't play favorites, but if you prove yourself, she'll push you harder. Just don't slack; she can smell laziness from a mile away."

Jyn smirked. "And Leia's her star pupil. They'll probably team up to 'toughen you up' now. Fun times."

Zaeryn grinned back. "Bring it. Worse comes to worst, I'll just dazzle 'em with my charm."

They hit the cafeteria—a wide, open space with floating holo-menus and tables that adjusted height on command.

The air smelled like spiced synth-meat and fresh-baked carb-subs. Zaeryn grabbed a tray, loading up on noodles and some glowing blue fruit that tasted like electric pineapple. Simple pleasures in a world that kept throwing curveballs.

He dug in while Yuna and Jyn chatted about upcoming drills. It was chill, normal even, like hanging with friends after school.

___

High Commander Lysara's office absorbed the light, black walls gleaming like some ancient beast's hide. Holographic emitters threw off a cold blue glow that chilled the feed. Three women's projections flickered in the room, each a powerhouse, crackling with unspoken tension.

Lysara stood rigid, hands behind her back, her crimson uniform sharp but worn at the edges from years of battle. Her steel-gray eyes sized up everything, cold and unyielding as the Citadel itself. Ysmeine's hologram glowed softer, her silk robes catching the light, a faint whiff of jasmine and herbs sneaking through the feed.

Then there was Princess Athea, perched in a white marble and gold chamber, her poise so perfect it screamed divine. Her blue eyes glinted like a dying star, hiding everything but hinting at trouble.

"It's done. He is successfully in the Lyceum's Vitae Attunement program," Lysara began, her voice a blade, sharp and devoid of warmth. "Sorina put him there herself. His first day, though, was… chaotic." The word hung in the air, heavy with implication, daring the others to bite.

Ysmeine's projection snapped forward, her serene facade cracking like thin ice. The maternal fire in her hazel eyes flared, and her voice trembled with barely restrained fury. "Chaotic? Lysara, what the hell does that mean? They were supposed to train him, not throw him to the wolves!"

Lysara's lips twitched, the ghost of a smirk that didn't quite reach her eyes. "He stirred things up, like we expected. Got detention within hours for 'disrupting' the lecture hall." She paused, letting the weight settle. "Apparently, his just being there is an insult to the 'sanctity of the Warlady institution.'"

"Who did it?" Ysmeine's voice was a whip, her hands clenching into fists as if she could reach through the hologram and throttle the offender. "What's the professor's name?"

"Jade," Lysara replied, her tone flat but laced with a faint, mocking edge. ". "A traditionalist, through and through. She labeled it 'Severe Behavioral Disruption.' Claims he's a walking threat to order."

"Sanctity?!" Ysmeine's voice erupted, a raw, visceral explosion that seemed to shake the very air. She whirled toward Athea's hologram, "He is just a boy surrounded by enemies, and they're making him out to be the problem? Athea, this is exactly what I warned you about! You have to do something—get rid of that woman, move her somewhere else, burn down her whole damn department if you have to!"

Athea let out a quiet, familiar sigh. There it was the protective fire she knew so well, the storm only Ysmeine would unleash for him.

"Enough." Athea's voice didn't rise, but it sliced through the room. "Fire a tenured professor on his first day? Tell every one in the kingdom that this boy has my protection?" Her smile was a blade, thin and lethal, her tone dripping with icy disdain. "Why not paint 'PRINCESS'S BASTARD' across his chest and parade him through the capital? It'd be subtler."

Lysara's gaze flicked between them, her silence a canvas for their clash. "The princess is right," she said, her voice a low rumble, like distant artillery. "It'd be a political disaster. Forget about the Lumina family, the Matriarch tribunal will get involved and if they decide that his fate is that he shouldn't exist, not even Queen Athena can save him."

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