Master Anng waited until the final sparring match concluded, then raised his hand for silence. The dojo, already quiet, sohow beca even more still.
"Your techniques are..." he paused, stroking his beard thoughtfully, "enthusiastic." A few students shifted uncomfortably. "But they lack sothing essential. Peace."
Several eyes glazed over at the word. Noah caught at least three students fighting back yawns.
'Great,' he thought, 'here cos the fortune cookie wisdom.'
"In my many years," Master Anng continued, either oblivious to or ignoring their waning attention, "I've found that true strength cos not from aggression, but from tranquility." He smiled at their blank expressions. "Though I see this concept excites you as much as watching paint dry."
That earned a few surprised chuckles. Apparently, the old master had a sense of humor.
"But rember this – if trouble finds you, then..." his eyes twinkled, "no trouble."
The cryptic statent hung in the air like an unfinished joke.
'What's that supposed to an?' Noah wondered, seeing his confusion mirrored on other faces.
"During your three years here," Master Anng continued, "you will master three elents: body, mind, and soul." He looked around the room. "Which do you believe is strongest?"
"Body!" ca the imdiate chorus. A few students flexed dramatically, drawing scattered laughter.
Master Anng's smile deepened. "Ah, youth. So predictable." He shook his head. "It is the soul that holds true power. Though intangible, it is humanity's greatest weapon – the one advantage we hold over beasts and Harbingers alike."
'Right,' Noah thought skeptically, 'try telling that to a Level 5 beast when it's trying to eat your face.'
"However," Master Anng's voice sharpened, "you are all currently weak."
The temperature in the room seed to drop several degrees.
"Your souls may be strong, but they reside in vessels of glass." He gestured to their bodies. "For now, we focus on building your foundation. Your core." His eyes swept the room. "For the next few months, you will learn to transform your bodies into weapons."
Without warning, Master Anng shifted into a stance so smooth it looked like he was made of flowing water. His leg snapped out in a kick that seed... ordinary.
Nothing happened.
Then, with a whisper of tearing paper, the wallpaper on the far wall split cleanly in two, the cut so precise it looked like it had been done with a laser.
"Holy sh—" soone started before quickly clamping their mouth shut.
Noah's jaw dropped. He blinked hard, but the perfectly bisected wallpaper remained stubbornly real.
'Okay, definitely not like the movies,' he thought, his mind spinning with possibilities.
Master Anng lowered his leg with the sa fluid grace. "I look forward to seeing you all next class." His eyes crinkled with amusent at their shocked expressions. "Perhaps contemplate what you've witnessed today. Though I suspect the wallpaper will occupy your thoughts regardless."
A girl near Noah whispered, "Did anyone else just see an elderly man slice paper with air?"
"Nope," her neighbor replied faintly. "I'm clearly hallucinating. Probably had so bad cafeteria food."
'Well,' Noah thought as they filed out of the dojo, still stealing glances at the bisected wallpaper, 'at least no one's talking about my impossible dodge anymore.'
Though he couldn't help but notice Raven's glare hadn't lessened one bit. If anything, the other student seed even more determined to figure out Noah's secret.
'Great. Between the white lines, Micah's weird warning, and now this kung-fu wizard's paper-cutting tricks,' Noah sighed internally, 'this day just keeps getting better and better.'
As he changed back into his regular clothes, Noah found himself wondering if the academy offered any classes on how to beco invisible. Right now, that seed like the most useful skill he could possibly learn.
—
Noah trudged toward the cafeteria, hands stuffed in his pockets as he mulled over Master Anng's lesson. 'Body, mind, and soul. Here I was thinking martial arts was just about trying not to get punched in the face. Shows what I know.'
The lunch rush was approaching its critical mass – that sweet spot between the overzealous lunch ladies guarding portions like dragons protecting gold, and the late-cors fighting over mysteriously colored leftovers.
'Timing is everything,' Noah thought, eyeing the growing line. 'Too early and they act like every grain of rice is coming out of their personal savings. Too late and... well, I'm pretty sure yesterday's "mystery at" winked at soone.'
Over the past month, especially during entrance exams, he'd perfected this delicate art of timing. When Kelvin was around, he'd usually suggest buying food anywhere else in campus except for the cafeteria, casually dropping phrases like "my treat" that now seed to belong to a different lifeti. 'Yeah, I miss those days now. Now I'm counting credits like a banker with OCD.'
He didn't want to head to the staff quarters as well. Mrs Harper would surely cook for him but he sotis felt all he did was leach from her. She had been catering for him for as long as he could rember. He wanted to give her so reprieve so the cafeteria food was his best option.
As he shuffled forward in line, a tap on his shoulder made him turn. Lila stood there, grinning like she'd just discovered sothing hilarious.
"What are you doing?" she asked, eyes sparkling with mischief.
'No, I'm standing in the cafeteria line because I'm looking for the library.' Noah bit back the sarcastic thought and instead replied, "Don't tell you eat here?"
"Actually, I was going to ask you the sa thing," Lila countered.
"Oh no, I just use the restroom here," Noah deadpanned, keeping one eye on the moving line.
Lila burst out laughing – the kind of genuine laugh that made Noah wonder if she'd actually found that funny or was suffering from a mild concussion. 'Her sense of humor must've been assembled from spare parts.'
"Want to ditch this and grab sothing better at East Wing?" she offered casually.
Noah glanced longingly at the exit, then at his nearly empty wallet. 'Dignity, my old friend, we et again.' "I'll have to pass this ti."
"I'll pay," Lila added quickly. "Since I'm asking and all."
"No, it's not that at all," Noah lied through his teeth, while his stomach scread 'YES IT IS!' He squared his shoulders. "I actually prefer the cafeteria food."
'And I also prefer getting punched in the face and enjoy long walks on beds of hot coals.'
Lila gave him a long look, nodded once, and walked away. Noah returned to his vigil in line, grabbed a tray, and eventually secured his portion of what he hoped was food and not so failed science experint.
Finding an empty table, he sat down and took his first bite. 'Oh god. I've made a terrible mistake. Pride definitely tastes like overcooked vegetables and regret. They serve us like we are out on deploynt. Even soldiers fighting Harbingers get better als,"
However, mid chew, a flash of blonde caught his eye as Lila dropped into the seat across from him, her own tray landing with a cheerful clatter.
'She... went back through the entire line just to sit here?' Noah blinked at her, the realization not quite computing. 'Who voluntarily stands in that line twice?'
"Couldn't find anywhere else to sit?" he asked, gesturing at the half-empty cafeteria.
"Oh, plenty of places," Lila replied breezily, poking at what appeared to be significantly better food than his. 'Of course they gave her the good stuff,' Noah thought sullenly.
"So," Lila chirped, pushing her food around her plate, "I joined Crafting as my subclass." She wrinkled her nose. "Terrible decision, by the way. It's mostly guys who stare like they've never seen a girl before. And don't get started on the sll of raw materials."
Noah nodded absently, focused on his al. 'At least the potatoes are mostly potato-shaped today. Progress.'
"What about you?" she asked. "What's your subclass?"
"Martial arts," Noah replied between bites.
Lila's fork clattered against her plate. "Why?"
"Sa reason you chose Crafting, I guess." Noah shrugged.
"You an for the extra credits and because that's what they wanted?" Her eyebrows rose.
Noah paused mid-chew. "They?"
A smile flickered across Lila's face as she smoothly changed subjects. "This isn't so bad, actually. But my spot? Way better. You should see it."
Noah's fork dropped to his empty plate with a final clink. Before he could move, Lila pushed her tray toward him. "Here. I'm done."
'Done?' Noah stared at her barely touched food. 'Has she even looked at it?'
"Since I tried your cafeteria experience," Lila said, her voice light but careful, "maybe tomorrow we could try my spot?"
Noah stood slowly, understanding dawning like a cold shower. 'Is this... pity? So kind of survivor's guilt thing?'
"Look," he said, keeping his voice level, "that ice cream yesterday? We're even. It covered the whole 'being a terrible teammate and kind of a bitch' thing." He grabbed the last bite from her plate. "But that's it. No need for... whatever this is. No need to prove anything."
As he walked away, leftover in hand, he could feel her eyes following him. 'Great. Now I feel like a jerk. A jerk with extra food, but still.'
Behind him, Lila watched his retreating form, a small smile playing on her lips. "Noah Eclipse," she murmured, testing the na like a new flavor. "Interesting guy."
'Too interesting,' she thought, her smile widening. 'Way too interesting to let go that easily.'
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