Chapter 6 — Lunch
Lunch is supposed to be relaxing.It isn't.
The cafeteria—if you can call it that—looks like something out of a fantasy novel. Glass walls stretch up three stories high, overlooking terraces filled with hovering trays and students in pristine uniforms. Even the sunlight seems enchanted, filtering through the ceiling in patterns that pulse to the rhythm of ambient mana.
And every time I take a step, I feel eyes on me.
[Note: Your anxiety is affecting your resonance levels.]"No kidding."
Luna walks beside me, quiet as always. She moves with a kind of unconscious grace, every step perfectly measured, every breath in sync with her aura. The space around her feels colder—controlled. People part when she walks through the crowd, some in respect, others in quiet fear.
And then there's me—barely keeping my tray balanced, wearing a uniform that still itches, trying to pretend I belong here.
We sit near the far window, overlooking the floating gardens below. Neither of us speaks at first. The silence stretches long enough for the hum of other conversations to blur together.
I finally break it."So… that guy from earlier. Rheon Vale."
Luna's eyes flick toward me. Calm. Unreadable. "You noticed."
"Hard not to. He looked at me like he already had my obituary drafted."
She exhales, the faintest ghost of amusement crossing her face. "He's ambitious. The Vale family prides itself on being… precise."
"Precise?""Emotionally stable. Disciplined. Resonance purity is everything to them."
"And I'm… what? Impure?"
Her gaze lingers on me for a heartbeat too long. "Unpredictable."
[Note: Statistically accurate.]"Not helping."
She looks away first, eyes tracking the floating sigils above the courtyard. "You drew attention during the trial. That's not something people forget easily."
"I didn't exactly plan on glowing like a broken lightbulb."
"No one ever does."
There's a pause. Her tone softens, barely. "You should be careful. Rheon doesn't like losing."
"Good thing I'm not competing."
She gives a quiet hum that sounds a lot like disbelief.
When the crowd thins, I finally let myself relax. The food's actually decent—some kind of mana-infused rice with roasted synth-fish and herbs. I don't taste much of it; my system's still buzzing.
[Processing new sensory calibration.]"Yeah, I get it, I'm a mess."
Luna glances at me again, the faintest crease forming between her brows. "You talk to it a lot."
"What, the system?"
"Yes."
"Well, it talks first. And it's not exactly the quiet type."
"Most systems don't behave like that."
"Lucky me."
She studies me longer than feels comfortable. There's something behind her eyes—curiosity, maybe. Or wariness.Finally, she says, "When we resonated during the trial… what did you feel?"
I almost choke on my drink. "That's a personal question."
"It's a necessary one."
I stare at her, trying to read the tone—flat, clinical, but with something under it. Worry? Doubt?
"I felt… everything," I admit. "Like someone took every emotion I've ever tried to bury and turned the volume to eleven. It wasn't just power. It was connection."
She doesn't look surprised, but she doesn't meet my eyes either. "You shouldn't have felt that much. Resonance is supposed to be filtered through alignment. Controlled."
"Guess I missed that memo."
"Or," she says quietly, "you weren't supposed to have one."
The words hang in the air like frost.
Before I can respond, a shadow falls over the table.
Rheon Vale.
Perfect posture, perfect smile. His tray hovers beside him without any visible effort. "Room for one more?"
Luna straightens, her expression tightening just enough to be noticeable. I feel my own pulse spike.
Rheon's eyes flick between us, that polite smile never fading. "Headmistress wants us all to attend the upper division spar orientation tomorrow morning. Partner trials."
He lets the words linger. Partner trials.
"Just thought I'd give you a friendly warning," he adds. "Wouldn't want you to walk in unprepared."
There's a pulse of mana beneath his words—a faint golden shimmer around his fingertips. Not an attack. Just… pressure. A reminder.
"Thanks," I say flatly.
He inclines his head. "Of course."
Then, softer—so only I hear—"Let's see if the unaligned can keep up."
When he leaves, Luna exhales through her nose. "He's baiting you."
"Yeah," I mutter, "and it's working."
Her gaze sharpens. "Don't."
"I wasn't planning on starting anything."
"Good." She stands, tray vanishing in a shimmer of blue light. "Because tomorrow, it won't be words."
She walks away, leaving me sitting there with my system humming and my thoughts spiraling.
[Note: Emotional instability rising.]"No kidding."
I lean back, staring up at the glowing ceiling.
"Guess class wasn't the real lesson after all."