Noah and Lucas walked side by side, their footsteps in sync as they left the Year 3 training area. The air was thick with the faint sll of sweat and burnt energy from previous training sessions, but Noah barely noticed. His mind was locked on one thing—what ca next.
Lucas, hands in his pockets, glanced at him. "You sure about this? If it's just money, I can give you whatever you need."
Noah shook his head imdiately. "No. I appreciate it, but I want to earn it. For once, I'd like to work for my own money instead of getting handouts."
Lucas exhaled sharply, tilting his head like he was debating whether to argue. Then he gave a small nod. "Alright. I'll set things up. Just make sure you hold up your end of the bargain."
Noah breathed out slowly, feeling so of the tension in his chest ease. 'That's one thing taken care of.'
Now, he was ready.
All that was left on his agenda for the day was the combat area—where the tournant selection process was being held.
It was ti to prove himself.
Noah made his way to the combat area along with Lucas and a few others. Oba and Bailey were with them, ranked 15 and 13, respectively, from the Cannadah trip. They were part of the remaining eight ranked students who had survived that mission.
No sign of Micah Reeds, the rank 5.
Noah was thankful for that.
The other ranked students were particularly quiet, which didn't surprise him. Lucas murmured sothing about them "not being fully over the Cannadah experience," that they "felt they didn't deserve to show their faces in public."
That was one way to look at it.
But to Noah, it just felt like self-pity.
Yes, a lot of students died. It was tragic. But nobody was to bla for that. They were soldiers, in training. They weren't obligated to protect each other.
That much he'd learned over the past few weeks.
But it was still the right thing to do. It was expected of them.
While Noah wasn't exactly a fan of those who ran away, leaving just him and Lucas to defend against a one-horn—and then, later, a two-horn—he also knew he couldn't judge them. Fear made people act differently.
Right now, though, his focus was elsewhere.
There was a long-ass line of students ahead.
Machines were set up, scanning students as they stepped forward. Each person's na, year, and awakening level were entered into the system. Once recognized in the school records, they were officially signed up.
This wasn't the real tournant—just the selection process. It was an opportunity to declare your interest in representing the school.
Lucas, however, had other ideas.
He wasn't about to stand in line with everyone else.
Protocol was protocol, sure. But sotis, rules could be bent. And in this case, flexing your rank wasn't exactly frowned upon.
Without hesitation, Lucas walked straight past the line, taking the other ranked students with him.
Noah didn't follow.
Lucas only realized it once he was already at the front.
He turned and saw Noah still standing in line.
Frowning, Lucas walked all the way back to him.
"What the hell are you doing?" he asked, voice low but firm. "Co on, let's go sign in."
Noah hesitated.
It didn't seem fair to him.
Lucas, however, didn't look like he was in the mood for a debate.
With a sigh, Noah stepped out of the line.
But not without noticing the glares sent his way.
Year 1 students like himself.
Even so Year 2s and 3s.
His upperclassn.
He could already tell—they weren't happy about it.
As they walked, Lucas shot Noah a look and shook his head.
"You do realize you're unofficially officially a ranked student, right?" he muttered.
Noah arched a brow.
"Well, as far as I know, you're the only one who ordained that," he replied, hands in his pockets. "And no disrespect, but I'm pretty sure rankings don't co from just one person."
Lucas sighed, clearly not in the mood to argue. He simply ignored Noah and stepped into the scanning machine, which looked a lot like a tal detector.
A soft beep echoed as the machine processed his information.
Na: Lucas Grey
Year: 3
Awakening Level: S-ranked
The data flashed on the screen.
Oba and Bailey stepped up next. Both were third-generation awakened, their abilities having unique variations in their applications.
They scanned in quickly.
Then ca Noah's turn.
He stepped forward, feeling the soft hum of the machine as it processed him.
Na: Noah Eclipse
Year: 1
Awakening Level: First Generation
The mont the words "First Generation" appeared on the screen, he could hear the murmurs.
A First Gen?
The weakest level of awakenings.
Yet sohow, he stood among Year 3s.
And not just any Year 3s.
The last of the remaining Top 25.
Inside the massive arena, the setup was nearly complete.
Circular rings—large, reinforced, and buzzing with energy—were being calibrated. Each one was being tested for containnt barriers, ensuring that whatever happened inside stayed inside, no matter what.
Lucas crossed his arms, surveying the scene. "This is pretty much what we'll see at the tournant," he comnted.
Noah nodded, eyes flickering to the technicians working tirelessly to set everything up. The energy required to power these barriers would take a ridiculous amount of beast cores.
More students arrived, filling the space. Noah's gaze wandered over the crowd until a familiar na popped up on the registration board.
Adrian Albright.
He exhaled sharply. 'Of course he signed up.'
Looking around, he spotted Cora and Lila from his class, deep in conversation at the far end of the arena. Seeing Lila in a calm, almost normal state rather than the usual obsessive crazed psycho mode was... oddly comforting.
She'd helped him against the Albright boys yesterday.
A part of him hated what he was about to do, but it still felt like the right thing.
So, he walked over.
"Hey."
Cora, always straightforward, greeted him in her usual boyish tone. "Yo. Where's Kelvin?"
Noah shrugged. "Not sure if he's coming. He had so things to do."
Lila smiled softly.
Noah, feeling awkward as hell, rubbed the back of his neck and muttered, "Uh... thanks. For yesterday."
Lila's smile widened, understanding exactly what he ant. "What are friends for?"
Noah nodded and turned to leave, but he could feel her gaze following him.
When he returned to Lucas, he noticed Lucas was still staring at Lila.
Then, without looking away, he asked, "Isn't that the crazy chick you told about?"
Noah sighed. "Yeah... but she's a friend regardless."
Deep down, he felt indebted to her. He had no reason to be cruel.
She felt how she felt about him. He had made his stance clear, and if she chose to keep acting unhinged, that was her decision.
He was simply going to move past that orbit.
Noah then turned to Lucas, changing the subject. Lowering his voice, he asked, "So... your girlfriend not signing up?"
Lucas smirked. "Who?"
Noah arched a brow. "Amanda, of course." Discover hidden tales at My Virtual Library Empire
Lucas laughed.
Oba and Bailey, who had been chatting nearby, also burst out laughing. They'd clearly been listening the whole ti and now turned toward Lucas, waiting for an answer.
Lucas, however, dodged the bullet entirely. "Amanda, my friend, didn't say if she was signing up or not."
Everyone gave him a look.
It was obvious to everyone that sothing was going on, but Lucas would never admit it.
Before anyone could push further, Lucas smoothly changed the subject.
"So where's Sophie? Your girlfriend?"
Noah stiffened slightly, about to answer—
But a familiar voice behind them cut in.
"I'm here."
Sophie walked up to Noah, their eyes eting as tension spaeked in the air.
For a brief mont, their hands brushed against each other—a fleeting touch—before separating just as quickly.
Neither of them spoke.
Neither of them knew what to say.
Lucas, of course, had no such hesitation.
"Look at you two—so smitten." He chuckled, shaking his head.
Then, turning to Sophie, he asked, "Did you sign up?"
Sophie sighed, then glanced at Noah before answering. "Yeah... I'm just trying my luck. So, I did."
Noah blinked in surprise but didn't dwell on it.
If she had changed her mind, that was her choice.
He had bigger concerns at the mont—naly, the crowd of students now gathering in a single spot.
At the front, Mr. Rourke, the horoom teacher for Class 1C, held a microphone. Clearing his throat, he began:
"Errr... ehm. All students willing to try out, please take your places. The event is about to start."
The murmurs in the crowd died down.
He went on to explain that an algorithm would randomly generate matchups, and once paired, students would enter the ring to begin their qualification journey.
"For efficiency's sake, we have three rings available. This ans multiple fights will take place simultaneously."
The line outside was almost finished.
It was ti.
Noah exhaled, feeling a strange sensation creep over him—the feeling of being watched.
His gaze subtly shifted to the side.
And there she was.
Miss Brooks.
Standing at a distance, watching him with a knowing smirk.
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