Noah shook the offered hand, imdiately regretting it as the minister's grip tightened to just shy of painful. "Minister Reign. It's an honor."
"I understand my daughter delivered a ssage to you so ti ago," the minister said, his tone conversational despite the vice-like grip he maintained on Noah's hand. "About dinner. I don't believe I received a response."
Noah felt heat rise to his face. Sophie had indeed ntioned her father's invitation—multiple tis—and he'd found increasingly creative ways to postpone accepting. It wasn't that he didn't want to et Sophie's family properly. It was more that he'd hoped to achieve sothing significant first, sothing that would make him worthy of sitting at their table even when Sophie explicitly told him he didn't need to.
Call it stubbornness or ego, he just couldn't let it go.
"I, uh—" Noah began eloquently.
"He's been focused on preparing for the tournant, Dad," Sophie interjected, coming to his rescue. "We discussed having dinner after he finishes competing."
Minister Reign finally released Noah's hand, though his gaze remained steady. "Ah yes, the classic 'after the tournant' deferral. A ti-honored tradition among young n eting their girlfriend's fathers."
Noah wasn't sure if he was being mocked or not. The minister's expression revealed nothing.
"I apologize for not responding properly, sir," Noah managed. "I wanted to make sure I had sothing worth discussing at dinner."
A ghost of a smile touched the minister's lips. "And now you do. Impressive performance today."
"Thank you, sir."
Minister Reign glanced around at the students gathered nearby, his gaze pausing briefly on Kelvin before returning to Noah. "You know, among the twelve academies in our eastern sector, Academy Twelve has always been my favorite."
"Really?" Noah couldn't help but ask.
"Indeed." The minister's eyes flicked toward his daughter. "For obvious reasons."
The implication hung in the air, unmistakable.
"The Academy Twelve students are performing admirably this year," Minister Reign continued, his tone shifting to sothing more official. "Keep up the good work. I'll be watching with interest."
With that, he nodded to the group and turned to leave. "Sophie, walk with a mont."
Sophie cast an apologetic glance at Noah before following her father. As they moved away, Noah caught the beginning of their conversation—sothing about their earloer discussions regarding her future.
The mont the minister was out of earshot, Kelvin exploded.
"DID THAT JUST HAPPEN?" he practically shrieked, grabbing Noah's shoulders. "Did you just shake hands with Minister Alexander Reign like he was so... so ordinary person?"
"He is an ordinary person," Noah said, flexing his fingers to restore circulation.
"An ordinary person who controls the entire eastern defense grid and sits on the Global Security Council!" Kelvin countered. "Do you have any idea—"
"Yes, I know who he is," Noah interrupted. "He's also Sophie's dad, who caught half-naked in his daughter's apartnt months ago."
Kelvin's eyes widened comically. "Wait, THAT'S how you first t him? You never told that part!"
Lucas, who had remained nearby, let out a low chuckle. "No wonder you've been avoiding dinner." He glanced in the direction Minister Reign had departed. "Good luck with that, Eclipse. You're going to need it." With a final wink, he turned and strode away.
Lila had grown strangely quiet during the minister's appearance. Now, she stepped closer to Noah, her expression unreadable. "Impressive friends you have these days, Noah."
"Sophie isn't my friend because of her father," Noah said firmly.
"Of course not," Lila replied, but her tone suggested otherwise. "Well, I should go. Congratulations again on your victory." She turned to leave, then paused. "Be careful, Noah. Success attracts all sorts of attention—not all of it good."
With that cryptic remark, she lted into the crowd, leaving Noah to wonder what exactly she'd ant.
Kelvin, oblivious to the exchange, was still processing the fact that Noah had t Minister Reign in a state of undress. "So wait, he walked in while you two were—"
"No!" Noah cut him off. "Nothing was happening. I was just... minimally clothed. Can we drop it?"
"Fine, fine," Kelvin sighed dramatically. "But only because I'm still processing the fact that you shook his hand like it was nothing. My father would be appalled at my lack of networking skills."
Noah snorted. "Your father is Webb Pithon. The man who supplies arms to half the global defense forces. I think you're doing fine."
"That's my father, not ," Kelvin said with a shrug. "Besides, what's the point of being a global arms tycoon's son if you can't just be a normal student?"
It was a sentint Noah had heard from Kelvin many tis before. Despite his family's imnse wealth and influence, Kelvin had always preferred to be judged on his own rits rather than his last na. It was one of the things Noah admired most about his friend.
"Co on," Noah said, clapping Kelvin on the shoulder. "Let's head back to the dorm. I need a shower and about twelve hours of sleep before tomorrow."
* * *
The dorm assigned to them within the Nexus Arena complex was utilitarian but comfortable—two beds, two desks, a small bathroom, and a window overlooking the training grounds. Noah had just erged from a much-needed shower when Kelvin, who had been sprawled on his bed scrolling through his comm-pad, suddenly jumped up.
"I almost forgot! I'm supposed to et Cora in ten minutes."
Noah raised an eyebrow. "Cora? I thought you were seeing Vee?"
Kelvin waved his hand dismissively. "That was last week. Vee and I realized we're better as friends. Cora, on the other hand..." He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
"Cora as in our Cora? The one who threatened to, and I quote, 'disassemble your limbs' after you had us tracking a stone on Cannadah?"
"The very sa!" Kelvin confird cheerfully. "Turns out, passionate anger can turn into passionate... other things." He grabbed his jacket from the back of his chair. "Don't wait up!"
"Wouldn't dream of it," Noah replied dryly.
"Oh, and Noah?" Kelvin paused at the door, his expression suddenly serious. "You really were incredible today. Not just the fighting—the way you read the situation, adapted to each opponent. It was..." he seed to search for the right word, "...masterful."
Coming from Kelvin, without any of his usual hyperbole, the complint ant more than all the cheers from the crowd. "Thanks, Kelvin."
"Just don't let it go to your head," Kelvin added with a grin before slipping out the door.
Alone in the quiet of the room, Noah lay back on his bed and closed his eyes. The day's events played through his mind—the matches, the strategies, the feeling of his chi responding perfectly to his will. Then ca the aftermath: Lucas's approval, Sophie's pride, Minister Reign's scrutiny.
Tomorrow would bring the arena battles—the main event, where students would use their full range of abilities, not just chi manipulation. It would be an entirely different challenge, requiring different strategies, different strengths.
Noah ran through ntal preparations, considering potential opponents and approaches. His thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock at the door.
Frowning slightly—Kelvin wouldn't knock, and few others knew which room was theirs—Noah got up and crossed to the door. When he opened it, he found Lila standing in the hallway.
The Lila at his door looked markedly different from the one he'd seen earlier. Her blonde hair had been freed from its ponytail and now fell in soft waves around her shoulders. She'd changed out of her uniform into a short miniskirt that showed off her long legs and a top tied at her midriff, revealing a glimpse of her flat stomach. And once more, the overwhelming amount of weight she had on her chest didn't fail to have itself noticed.
The overall effect was striking, and deliberately so.
"Lila," Noah said, surprise evident in his voice. "What are you doing here?"
"Can I co in?" she asked, her voice softer than usual.
Noah hesitated. "I'm not sure that's a good idea. Pretty sure there are rules about—"
"Only at the academy," she interrupted. "We're not there right now. Different jurisdiction." She offered a small smile. "Please, Noah? I need to talk to you."
Sothing in her expression gave him pause. Behind the carefully constructed allure was sothing else—uncertainty, perhaps even fear. It was so unlike the confident, sotis abrasive Lila he knew that curiosity overrode his better judgnt.
"Alright," he said, stepping aside to let her in.
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