Lucas led them to one of the upper-floor study rooms—the kind reserved for senior students. The place was empty, afternoon sunlight streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows that offered a view of the academy grounds below. Training fields stretched out in the distance, where students moved through combat drills like clockwork.
He took a seat at one of the tables, gesturing for Noah to do the sa. For a mont, he just stared out the window, as if gathering his thoughts.
"You weren't there last night," Lucas finally said, his voice carrying none of its usual casual tone. "When Jayden made his move."
Noah settled into the chair across from him. "No, I wasn't."
Lucas nodded slowly, still watching the training fields below. "Then you need to understand sothing first. About how things work here." He turned to face Noah fully. "What do you know about the cardinal system?"
"Just the basics," Noah admitted. "Four cardinal directions, each with their own military jurisdiction."
"Right." Lucas leaned forward slightly. "But it's more than that. Each cardinal—North, South, East, West—they're not just territories. They're competing powers. And in each cardinal, there are twelve academies." A ghost of a smile touched his lips. "We're the twelfth. Edge of civilization, last line before the wild zones."
Noah absorbed this, watching his friend's expression. "And the competition you ntioned before?"
"The Inter-Academy War," Lucas said, the words carrying weight. "It's not just about bragging rights. The winning academy from each cardinal proceeds to the globals." He paused, letting that sink in. "That ans facing off against the best from other cardinals. North's warriors, South's fighters, West's troops—the elite of the elite."
Sunlight shifted across the room as clouds passed overhead, casting moving shadows across their faces.
"And Jayden?" Noah prompted.
Lucas's jaw tightened. "He walked into our territory like he owned it. Broadcast it on our own forum. Left his mark on our walls." His fingers drumd against the table once. "But that's not even the worst part."
"What is?"
"He tid it perfectly." Lucas's voice dropped lower. "You were there on Cannadah, Noah. You saw what happened."
The mory hit like a physical force—the screams, the chaos, the desperate fight for survival. Noah's hand unconsciously clenched into a fist.
"Eight," Lucas continued, his tone heavy. "Eight out of our top twenty-five made it back. Eight." He shook his head slowly. "And not just seniors. We lost dozens of first-years too. The ones we were supposed to protect."
The weight of responsibility in those last words made Noah look up sharply. He rembered now—third-years acted as chaperones for first-year expedition teams. It was ant to be a learning experience, a controlled introduction to off-world operations.
Instead, it had beco a massacre.
"Jayden knows this," Lucas said, his voice tight with controlled anger. "He knows we're vulnerable. That's why he made his move now. That's why—" He cut himself off, taking a deep breath. "That's why I need to ask you sothing."
Noah waited, watching as Lucas seed to wrestle with whatever he was about to say.
Finally, Lucas t his gaze directly. "You fought beside on Cannadah. When everything went to hell, you didn't break. Didn't run. Didn't freeze." His eyes narrowed slightly. "That's rare, Noah. Especially for a first-year."
The complint hung in the air between them, unexpected and heavy with aning.
"I've been watching you since then," Lucas continued. "In combat class, in training. You're different from the others. You think differently. Fight differently." He leaned forward, his voice dropping to near a whisper. "So I'm asking you now, Noah Eclipse. Not ordering, not demanding. Asking."
The afternoon light caught Lucas's eyes, making them almost glow as he spoke his next words:
"Beco one of our top twenty-five."
The request landed like a stone in still water, ripples of implications spreading outward. Noah sat perfectly still, processing not just the words but everything they ant.
Being in the top twenty-five wasn't just about rank. It ant being on the front lines of every conflict, every expedition, every war. It ant carrying the weight of the academy's reputation—and its survival.
It ant being visible.
The exact opposite of what he'd been planning.
Seeing the shock register on Noah's face, Lucas pressed forward, his voice taking on an urgency Noah had rarely heard from him. "Think about it. On Cannadah, when everything went to hell, who was left standing? You and ." His eyes burned with intensity. "Just us, back to back against a Harbinger. That mont—that wasn't just luck or desperation. That was sothing else."
Lucas leaned back slightly, his expression knowing. "Besides, I'm the only one in this entire academy who knows what you're really capable of. The only one who's seen what you can do when pushed to the edge." A slight smile crossed his face. "You're not so weak nobody from 1B, Noah. We both know that."
"And that's exactly why I need your strength now. The academy needs it."
Noah exhaled slowly, asuring his next words. "Top 25? As a first-year?" He shook his head, forcing a dry laugh. "That's quite a leap, Lucas. You know I'm already dealing with enough scrutiny about my abilities." His voice dropped lower. "Commander Albright's been watching since Cannadah. Why would I suddenly jump into the spotlight like that?"
More attention was the last thing he needed right now.
"It doesn't have to be official," Lucas countered, leaning forward. "We can keep it off the books. You'd represent one of our missing numbers, fight for School 12's pride without the formal recognition." His eyes t Noah's, steady and determined. "The strength is what matters, not the paperwork."
A small smile tugged at Noah's lips, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "That's a lot of responsibility to dump on soone's head." He studied Lucas's face. "Kind of unfair, don't you think? What if I say no right now—would that make a coward in your eyes?"
Lucas's response was imdiate, almost indignant. "The kid who took down a one-crown Harbinger, a coward?" He scoffed, shaking his head. "Never."
Noah nodded slowly, pushing his chair back. "I need to think about it." He stood, adjusting his uniform. "Being an unofficial top 25... the upcoming third-years from second year would have plenty to say about that." His lips quirked in a humorless smile. "I've got enough enemies as it is."
He turned to leave, but Lucas's hand shot out, gripping his wrist. The touch was firm, urgent—the kind of grip that conveyed more than words could say.
"I'm counting on you, Eclipse."
Noah stared at the hand on his wrist, feeling the weight of everything unsaid in that grip. Lucas wasn't just asking as the academy's number one, or even as a friend. This was sothing deeper—a echo of that mont on Cannadah when they'd stood together against impossible odds.
But that had been different. That had been survival.
This? This was choice.
And choices, Noah knew all too well, had consequences that stretched far beyond the mont they were made.
Noah glanced down at Lucas's grip on his wrist, then back up at his friend's face. The urgency hadn't faded, but there was sothing else now—sothing just shy of amusent.
Lucas exhaled through his nose, then released him, leaning back in his chair. "Look, I'm not saying you have to decide right now." He rubbed a hand over his jaw, then tapped the table once. "But if you are thinking about it… try to reach out before midnight."
Noah arched an eyebrow. "And why's that?"
Lucas's lips twitched. "Because we're taking a little road trip to School 8." He stretched his arms behind his head, the picture of nonchalance. "Gotta say hi to Jayden. You know, return the favor."
A slow, wary smile spread across Noah's face. "That sounds an awful lot like preditated retaliation."
Lucas grinned back, but there was steel beneath it. "What, ? No. I'd never do sothing like that." He rolled his shoulders, standing up. "Just a friendly visit. Little et-and-greet."
Noah let out a quiet breath, shaking his head. "And if I don't call before midnight?"
Lucas gave him a long, considering look. Then he clapped him once on the shoulder as he passed. "Then you miss out on the fun."
With that, he strode toward the door, leaving Noah standing there, still processing.
A trip to School 8. To face Jayden.
And an unspoken invitation to war.
---
Later that day, he found himself at Sophie's apartnt off campus.
Noah had been here a handful of tis before, but never like this—never with his mind this tangled.
The activities that coincided with them being together alone surely did happen. But sothing felt off and Sophie could sense it even as they lay together in the aftermath.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Then, Sophie shifted, turning on her side to face him. "You've been off since we left campus."
Noah exhaled through his nose. "Yeah?"
"Yeah." Her voice was soft, but certain. "Sothing's on your mind."
He stared up at the ceiling, weighing his words. "Let's say you had a choice," he started, keeping his tone even. "A big one. One that could change everything for you."
Sophie humd, her fingers brushing lightly against the fabric of her pillow. "Go on."
"You're not sure if it's the right move," Noah continued. "It cos with… risks. Visibility. Pressure." His jaw tensed. "But it also ans sothing. To other people. And maybe, if you're being honest, to you too."
She studied him for a mont. "And if you say no?"
Noah turned his head slightly, eting her gaze. "Then I stay where I am. No new risks, no extra pressure." A dry smile touched his lips. "No expectations."
Sophie was quiet for a beat, then rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling like he had been. "You know, I think a lot of people assu the hardest choices are the ones with the highest stakes." Her voice was thoughtful. "Life or death, success or failure." She tilted her head slightly. "But sotis, it's the choices about who you want to be that really get you."
Noah's fingers drumd idly against the blanket. "And what if I don't know who I want to be?"
"Then you ask yourself what matters more," she said simply. "The safety of staying the sa, or the possibility of sothing more."
Her words settled between them, soft but weighty.
Noah let out a slow breath. "You make it sound so straightforward."
Sophie huffed a quiet laugh. "It never is." She shifted onto her side again, propping her head up on her hand. "But I do know this—you're not the type to sit back and let the world move around you."
His eyes flickered to hers.
"So if you're already thinking about it this much?" She gave him a small, knowing smile. "You've probably already made up your mind."
Noah let Sophie's words settle, their weight pressing into the silence between them. She wasn't wrong.
He turned his head, eting her gaze again. "Can I see your phone?"
Sophie blinked but didn't question it. She reached over to her nightstand, grabbed it, and handed it to him.
Noah took it, his fingers moving swiftly over the screen as he pulled up Lucas's number. He hit dial and brought the phone to his ear.
The line rang twice before Lucas picked up. "Sophie?"
Noah exhaled through his nose. "No. ."
A pause. Then, amusent laced Lucas's voice. "Well, well. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Noah didn't bother with preamble. "When does the bus leave for 8?"
***Author's note***
Who has been y'all favorite character so far?
I'd say Lila for . I just like crazy chicks lol
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