I was walking back from the Armour Hall, thinking over the changes the new suit brought with it. This wasn't my old plastic shell anymore, but real armour — something I could easily wear for several days outdoors in the thin atmosphere of Verdis. And one particular joy: no sand down my back or in other, more delicate areas! Though, I'd still need a shower — Kate had made sure I'd break a sweat.

There were no formations on it yet, but I wasn't in a rush. I was thinking of going with a Palm Qi defence — it was the most common choice. Nobody liked coughing up blood, and iron or composites didn't do much to stop it.

Alan had done an amazing job — nothing pinched, everything fit like a second skin, and the protection was exactly what it needed to be. Possibly even too good. Good enough to make me wonder just how much effort it would take to knock someone like Сinar out of his armour. With that giant pick, he'd dig me out first!

I just hoped not everyone had gear this good. Otherwise, my Chain Punch was going to start looking pretty underwhelming. Then again, who was I kidding — someone like Dubois would definitely have the best armour money could buy. Probably better than mine, with platinum inlay to match.

All of this filled my thoughts on the way home. I wasn't paying much attention as I made my way underground and boarded the metro — at least, not until I saw it.

The ring.

It was lying on the seat to my right — black, inscribed with golden symbols. Very familiar, inhuman symbols.

I froze.

My heart skipped a beat, then picked up speed. My eyes locked onto the seat as if pulled by a magnet. The ring lay perfectly in the centre, as if someone had placed it there just for me.

What am I saying? Of course it was placed there for me!

I looked around, trying to figure out who'd done it. The carriage was nearly empty. Across from me sat a thinhorn with his eyes closed. To the left, across one empty seat, was a pair of second-years. To the right, the nearest people were on the next bench, separated from mine by the doorway. At one end of the carriage stood a group of cadets in full armour, unarmed. At the other, a girl with a jetboard. None of them seemed to be paying any attention.

But someone had brought it here.

Had someone been sitting next to me? Had someone walked past?

The way it had appeared sent a chill down my spine. Someone with the ability to do this could've easily sent me to the afterlife instead. And yet, whoever it was, they'd chosen instead to send a very clear message — they knew what I was doing.

Or maybe not?

Novak had warned me about poisons, about a strike to the back...

I had a strong urge to move to a different seat — or just get off at the next stop. I definitely wasn't planning to touch the ring. Still, leaving it here, just like that, would be completely irresponsible.

"Shit," I muttered, loudly enough to make the thinhorn across from me open his eyes. He gave me a lazy glance, found nothing interesting, and shut them again.

I suddenly realised that whoever had left this here was doing exactly what Novak had tried to do — only doing it better. I couldn't pick up the ring because it could, theoretically, kill me. I couldn't leave it, because it could, theoretically, kill someone else. And whoever I brought in to deal with it would end up on the enemy's radar.

In total, there were only two people I could turn to — Novak or Johanson. Both worked on demons, but independently. Either way, I'd be putting either the Hall of Order or the Hall of Diplomacy at risk.

Bloody demons. Bloody Trizet. Bloody Vr... Vr… Bloody names they have!

A storm of thoughts and memories rushed through my head. I remembered our last encounter. I remembered Novak catching the Nur's hitchhiker — and couldn't help but smile.

My fingers tapped out a sequence of holographic buttons in the interface. Sure, I could trigger them with thought now — but I was in a rush.

Outgoing call: L. S. Kavesh

"I'm a bit busy," she answered.

"Make time," I insisted, quietly but firmly enough not to trigger the thinhorn. "Remember when you last reminded me about... L.P.?"

"L.P.? Lesbian porn?" Her tone shifted. "You can't speak, you're in trouble, and this is about 'migraines'?"

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Yes, yes, yes!" I kept my voice low, though in that moment I could've jumped with joy. Novak hadn't picked her as his student for nothing. She knew how to think fast.

"Are you in immediate danger?" she asked.

"I don't know. I'm on the metro. I found another ring — it's on the seat next to me."

"I take it you were smart enough not to touch it? But why call me?"

"I liked your look last time... when you reminded me about L.P."

"You mean the tan and the curls?"

"Exactly..."

"I get it. But I'll need time. Which line are you on, and where are you heading?" Her voice changed — she was running.

"Green line. From the Armour Hall to the dorms."

"Ugh! That's impossible. Ride it to the end," she ordered, then hung up.

So I rode. What else was I supposed to do?

The thinhorn got off four stops later. The second-years and the people on the right left even earlier. The armoured cadets exited later, and by then, the only one left from the original group was the girl with the jetboard. Other passengers had boarded since. When the carriage filled past half its seats, one of the cadets finally noticed the ring.

She looked at it, then at me because I looked at her. She asked:

"Yours?"

"Sort of," I said. I'd been preparing for this moment since Lina ended the call. "An acquaintance left it for me. There's some nasty shit attached to it, so I'm just... letting it sit there."

"Your acquaintance doesn't like you much?" she smiled and sat down on the opposite side of the ring.

She had threes on her collar, so I figured the ring wouldn't kill her. But I didn't want to take the risk. Then again, I was risking Lina. And if something happened to her, Adam would turn me into a steak. But Lina knew what she was walking into.

"She literally wants me dead," I admitted.

"What did you do? Cheat on her with her best friend?"

"She and her boyfriend stopped seeing each other because of me. Not that I did anything — they're just crazy and vindictive."

"Wow. Now that's a story. I'll pick up the ring if you tell me the details."

I glanced at her and pulled up her name through the interface. E. M. Kruger. Ninety percent chance this was a coincidence — but you never stop staying sharp. I'd have to report her name later.

"Noooope," I declined. "I already asked a friend to handle it. She's supposed to meet me at the final stop."

"Ha!" the girl said. "I've got to see this."

We didn't speak after that, but she didn't move. The carriage wasn't crowded — plenty of seats available — but her presence was enough to keep others from taking interest in the ring. A few people glanced at it, but that was it.

Watching the train's progress on the map, and with the final stop approaching, I started to get nervous. The stop on the platform wouldn't last long. How was Lina going to find me? Maybe I should move closer to the door?

The girl started eyeing me with growing interest. By the time we rolled into the final station, only the two of us were left. In the last few seconds, I got a call.

Incoming call: B. Bat-Erdene

Accept/Decline

Hesitating cost me a few precious seconds, but I hit Accept.

"Lesbian porn! What's your carriage number?" demanded a deep male voice.

"How the hell should I know?"

"Look around, idiot! It has to be somewhere!"

I looked. It was written above the doors.

"B164," I answered.

The stranger ended the call, and a second later, the tunnel's black walls gave way to the flicker of electric light from the platform outside. The doors slid open. E. M. Kruger stood up and walked to the exit, pausing in the doorway.

I stood too, unsure of what to do — until the far right rear door of the carriage burst open. A man rushed in, clearly using some kind of movement technique. A Fist movement technique. I could feel the familiar qi.

He had broad shoulders, a wide round face, and Asian features, though I couldn't be sure if that was his real face. I wasn't even certain whether the threes on his collar were legitimate.

He saw me, the third-year girl in the doorway, and the ring on the bench… In a blink, he was at my side.

"Out," he ordered. "You too," he waved Kruger off.

"Says who?" she shot back. "I want to see what all the fuss is about. It's just a prank, isn't it?"

I didn't argue — I followed the order immediately. Kruger stood her ground, and the man frowned, but didn't waste time on her. He struck the bench with his palm, making the cushion bounce and toss the ring a few centimetres into the air. Before it could land, he slipped a pen-like scanner through its centre — the same kind I'd seen Doc and Alan use in their work. He turned the scanner, and the ring hung on it.

He exited the train a split second before the doors shut.

Kruger got off as well. Her object of interest now in the hands of... Nakamura, according to my interface, though the voice was unmistakably Bat-Erdene's, the one who'd called me earlier.

Without saying a word to anyone, Nakamura-Bat-Erdene headed for the stairs.

"That's it?" Kruger protested. "No show? What does it even do? Come on, mate, I'm curious! Let me touch it!"

He ignored her completely, so she caught up and tried to grab the ring. I didn't see the move — not hers, not his — but she failed. The man now held the scanner vertically, letting the ring spin around it, never falling onto his fingers.

"Who the hell are you?" he asked.

"I'm Kruger, top 300! Winner of last year's August tournament! And who the hell are you?" she shot back. "Don't remember any 'Nakamura' ranked ahead of me."

I could practically see the gears turning in his head. My new acquaintance gave her a long, assessing look, then responded — calm and confident.

"I'm Nakamura, Hall of Order. And this," he pointed to the ring, "is an Order matter. The ring poses a potential threat to cadets safety. Are you trying to interfere with my assignment?"

Kruger backed off, jaw clenched, then tried a softer approach.

"Oh, don't be like that! I'm just curious, all right? Nothing interesting ever happens around here! Just let me touch it with one finger — my pinkie!"

She reached out with the very pinkie in question, but Nakamura flicked it away with a burst of Fist qi.

"Ow!" she pulled her hand back, surprised and hurt.

Just then, a train pulled up on the opposite side of the platform. Nakamura pointed to it.

"Time to go," he said to me.

I didn't ask questions — I jumped into the nearest carriage and rode off. Nakamura-Bat-Erdene stayed behind with Kruger. I figured he could've shut her down entirely if he wanted, but he'd chosen to give me the space to get away clean. Probably so she wouldn't squeeze anything extra out of me.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.