When Raze bumped into someone, his first thought was that it was just another student rushing back before curfew but he hadn't expected it to be Felix.
He especially hadn't expected Felix to ask where he'd been.
Raze stumbled back half a step, his body reacting slower than usual. The fatigue hit him all at once, dull and heavy.
"…Felix?" he said, genuinely caught off guard.
Felix was already looking at him closely.
"Yeah," Felix replied. "Me."
His eyes swept over Raze in a quick scan.
"Where were you?" Felix asked.
Raze hesitated for half a second.
"I went out for a walk," he said. It wasn't a lie but it was part of the full truth.
Felix frowned. "A walk. Right before curfew."
Raze shrugged lightly, trying to keep his posture steady. His legs felt tight, like they'd give out if he relaxed too much.
"I needed air."
Felix studied him in silence. Raze could feel it. The suspicion. The concern he wasn't saying out loud.
Then Felix sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
"Next time, tell someone," he said. "You scared us."
Us.
The word hit harder than Raze expected.
"…Sorry," Raze muttered.
Felix nodded once, then turned toward the dorms. "Come on. Let's get back."
As they walked side by side, Raze kept his hands in his pockets.
His body was exhausted. His energy reserves were low. And the cost of using Piercing Slash still lingered deep in his muscles.
They didn't say much on the walk back.
By the time they reached the dorm, most of the noise had already died down. The halls were quieter now, students settling in before lights-out.
Beatrix and Liam were already inside when they entered.
Beatrix looked up first. The moment she saw Raze, her shoulders relaxed slightly.
"There you are," she said. "Felix was looking for you."
Felix closed the door behind them. "Found him down near the entrance of the academy."
Beatrix nodded her head and then her eyes flicked to Raze. "You okay?"
Raze nodded. "Yeah. Just tired."
Liam studied him for a moment, then shrugged. "Long day."
No one pushed further.
Raze changed quickly, then climbed into bed. The moment his back hit the mattress, exhaustion washed over him.
The next day, Raze woke up energetic as usual. Ever since he became a half-ling, his body needed far less sleep.
He got up and went through his routine, getting ready for the day ahead.
Once everyone was awake and ready, they headed toward the canteen. While walking, Raze noticed someone ahead.
Jason.
Their eyes locked for a brief moment.
Then Jason started walking toward him.
This didn't go unnoticed.
"Raze… who's that guy?" Beatrix asked quietly. "Do you know him?"
Raze shrugged. "I've only met him in Beast Combat class. I don't really know him."
Felix's gaze narrowed slightly as he looked at Jason, like he was trying to read his intentions.
Liam noticed and leaned closer. "Felix… are you alright?"
Almost immediately, Felix's expression shifted back to normal. He scratched the back of his head and gave an awkward grin.
"Yeah. I'm fine."
Jason stopped in front of Raze.
"Hey," he said. "Is it okay if I talk to you… in private?"
Raze didn't answer right away.
He glanced around without making it obvious. No one was standing close to Jason. No friends waiting nearby.
'Does he know?' Raze thought.
'About last night?'
After a moment, Raze nodded. "Sure."
Jason gestured for him to follow.
Beatrix looked back and mouthed, Be careful.
The rest of the group continued toward the canteen, but Felix slowed for a moment, glancing back once before forcing himself to keep walking.
Jason led Raze to a nearby stairwell. Once they were underneath the stairs leading to the second floor, Jason stopped and turned around.
"I'm sorry about what happened yesterday," Jason said, staring at the floor.
Raze stayed quiet.
Jason's mind drifted back to the night before.
He remembered waking up in the nurse's room.
The lights were too bright. His head hurt. His body felt heavy.
Michael wasn't there.
Jason had gotten up, found him later in another bed, still unconscious.
Then the nurse had called his name.
She looked young, maybe mid-twenties, blonde hair neatly tied up. Her amber eyes looked him over carefully.
"Jason," she said. "That's your name, correct?"
He nodded.
She asked him what happened in the forest. How the guards found him and his friend.
Jason lied.
He said they were sparring. Testing their awakenings. That things got out of hand.
It sounded believable enough.
But when he asked how the guards even knew where they were, the nurse answered calmly.
"The wristwatch you're wearing can detect prolonged unconsciousness. If it stops receiving signals for too long, it sends an alert."
That answer stuck with him.
Now, standing under the stairwell, Jason finally looked up at Raze.
"I shouldn't have done that," he said.
"Throwing the dagger like that. I crossed a line."
Raze watched him closely.
Jason swallowed. "I won't bother you again."
He took a step back. Then another.
"…I mean it."
Jason turned and walked away.
Raze stayed there for a few seconds after Jason was gone.
'That was… unexpected,' he thought.
He honestly hadn't expected Jason to say something like that. He had suspected Jason might confront him, maybe threaten him, but not apologize. After what he said, Raze realized Jason's reaction came from fear more than anything else. From what happened that night.
It was clear Jason didn't know it was him.
"Looks like what he said back then was all bark and no bite," Raze muttered.
He turned and headed toward the canteen.
Once inside, he grabbed his food quickly and sat down with his roommates.
"Welcome back, Raze!" Felix said with a grin, like nothing was wrong.
Liam leaned forward. "Raze, what happened back there?" he asked, curiosity written all over his face.
"Ah, nothing much," Raze replied. "He was just talking to me about—"
He paused.
For half a second, his mind went blank.
"About what?" Felix asked, raising an eyebrow.
Raze could feel all of their eyes on him now. Even Beatrix was watching him closely.
If he hesitated any longer, they'd know something was off.
'Half truth… half lie,' Raze thought.
Felix's voice softened. "Raze… if someone's targeting you, you don't have to deal with it alone."
Raze looked down at his food.
'If only you knew what I'm becoming…'
He exhaled and finally spoke.
"It was about Beast Weapon class," he said. "Jason just wanted to tell me there might be some changes coming soon."
Felix stared at him for a moment longer, then leaned back.
"…That's it?"
Raze nodded. "Yeah."
Beatrix didn't say anything, but she didn't look fully convinced either.
The conversation slowly moved on, but Raze knew one thing for sure.
They hadn't bought it completely.
And the more things piled up—
The harder it would be to keep everything hidden.