"I am not okay!" Valerie's voice resounded for what felt like the millionth time already as she bounced forward, her face sullen.
"I don't even have a proper weapon for the tournament of the year. All I have now is a damn toy! Showing up at the arena with a runic artifact is going to be so… so embarrassing! My reputation is so going to be sent backwards by a thousand shots after this!"
Elias rolled his eyes, ignoring her while he followed behind, looking around him curiously. Elyndra sat on his shoulders, looking very much like she was going to start pulling her hair out.
"Ugh! Can this bitch just shut up!"
Elias shook his head tiredly. It wasn't like Elyndra was wrong anyway. For the past five minutes they had been walking, Valerie simply hadn't stopped talking every step of the way, and what was particularly scary was the fact that she looked like she could go at it… forever.
Elias had never seen such a blabbermouth. And hey, Elias had enough self-awareness to admit that he was just the same, but…
It definitely wasn't to such a ridiculous extent, right?
"Gina and her teammates are not going to let this slide, dammit. I can almost imagine those assholes flashing those stupid grins on their punchable faces while getting ready to wipe the floor with me!"
"I am too pretty to go through so much, isn't that right, Junior Brother? Stuff like this only happens to ugly people!"
"I… I… mfffff! I think I need a tissue, the tears are falling again!"
Elias coughed, letting his eyes drift across the passage. His eyebrows couldn't help but squint now.
At first he wasn't exactly sure, but now it wasn't something he could ignore anymore. Around the halls, barely lit up by the monitor-like walls, a few teenagers, most of them his age, walked fluidly or stood in corners, talking in cliques or just moving silently.
They were dressed in clothes that looked highly advanced, like every part of them was a weapon in and of itself. Their bodies flashed with numerous pieces of equipment and artillery, to such a ridiculous extent that only Super Soldiers working directly under the Harmonic Council and high Duke Houses could even come close.
And the ripples around them…
Elias felt his heart tighten slightly.
It was heavy and oppressive, weighing down on him and making simple movements like walking take a bit more effort than they were supposed to.
While Elias knew that he had gotten strong, why the hell did it feel like every part of his instincts was warning him against picking a fight with anyone here?
He turned to Valerie, who was still blabbing incessantly, cutting her off.
"Where the hell is this, Valerie? And who are these guys?"
Elias could feel some eyes turn to look at him curiously. Three girls who were talking behind a pillar stopped to stare, the blonde one among them narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously before they went back to talking again.
A green-haired boy sat leisurely atop a ledge protruding above one of the massive doors in the passage, with headphones hung over his neck, his eyes closed with a smile as he leaned his head against the wall.
Elias felt uncomfortable, like so many unseen eyes were sweeping over him at once. Thankfully, Valerie answered right then, distracting him from his discomfort.
"Oh? You know, every year the Concordia Labs send in their Nominees to participate in the entry trials. And these are the candidates for this generation, I guess?"
She sighed now, mumbling incessantly. "You will be joining them soon anyway. What Master did was book you a spot together with them so you guys can participate in the trials as a team. So holla! You will be meeting these faces every day, so you better get used to it, Junior Brother."
Elias opened his mouth, then shut it again, not knowing what to say. For some reason, their stupid stares were starting to make him annoyed.
Damn him for being so attractive.
He shook his head, brushing past a guy with two drones following right above his head, feeling his hair ruffle from the wind currents generated by the rotating fans.
"What I don't get is how exactly Lizzy is supposed to be in such a place," he said, narrowing his eyes. "You are not tricking me, are you?"
Valerie only smiled, sticking out her tongue at him.
"We are here already," she said, walking towards a door fixed so smoothly into the monitor-like walls that you couldn't even tell it was there, its surface flashing with the light of numerous tabs.
Then she twisted the doorknob open, stepping inside.
Elias followed her in, his mouth hanging open before he could stop it.
He was in some kind of cafeteria. Or a version of it far more advanced than the kind he was familiar with.
Numerous teenagers, just like the ones outside, sat around marble tables, talking and laughing while Humanoid Constructs moved around and between tables, serving meals and clearing the dishes.
A boy was roaring uproariously to his friends, sitting with a glass of liquor in his other hand.
"I am serious! Dammit! I beat that showoff Dutchlord at the VR!"
His friends looked at him skeptically.
The one with a mole beneath his eye coughed. "But hey, it's quite possible you hit your head somewhere, you know? Did Mr. Gurnivan hit you too hard in the face during combat training?"
His face reddened.
"I am serious… dammit! Why does no one believe me!"
Elias felt his legs begin to move before he even realized it himself, his eyes looking over at a particular table while he ignored the noisy room around him.
He… he could see Lizzy now.
She sat together with a group of three teenagers. There was a red-haired girl and a boy who had every part of his body shining with the light of artifacts, talking with a familiarity only found among friends.
She was curled up in the arms of the other girl with cerulean-colored and mesmerizing eyes who sat at the table, her chubby face looking at everything curiously.
She felt… comfortable.
Elias could feel his body trembling slightly beneath him, his heart beating out of his chest as he walked so fast he might as well have been running. The moment he reached the table, the group of three turned their faces to look at him curiously, Lizzy lifting her eyes to him too.
Then her eyes widened.
"Biggy!" she yelled, jumping towards him just as he stretched out his hands and lifted her up to his face.
His lips curled. "Hahaha… did you miss me, little rascal?" he said, tickling her as she giggled against his chest.
"No, not the tickles!" she shouted, laughing on his shoulders.
"You are her brother?" a melodious voice asked, ringing from the table.
Elias turned to find the three of them looking at him curiously. Well, some of them, at least.
The only guy there barely glanced at him, his hands covered with metallic gauntlets as he raised the glass on the table and took a light sip.
The girl with cerulean eyes looked like she was pouting, her face barely showing much expression save for the faint curve of her eyebrows.
The one who had spoken was the red-haired girl, a tiny humanoid robot standing on her shoulders with its two screen-like eyes blinking rapidly.
Elias coughed, clutching Lizzy protectively. "Well, it's a little obvious," he replied, trying not to sound annoyed. "Thanks for taking care of Lizzy, by the way. I am Elias. Care to introduce yourselves?"
It was Lizzy who replied now, clapping her hands excitedly.
"Biggy, this is Chloe," she said, pointing to the red-haired girl. The robot on her shoulder waved at him.
"And this is Ethan, and… and this is Sophia," she said, pointing to the last girl.
The two of them had their eyes brushing over him, Sophia nodding in acknowledgment while Ethan merely clicked his tongue.
"They are really nice. Ethan lets me play with his robot dog, and Chloe and Sophia let me eat all the sweets I want."
Elias nearly rolled his eyes at the little rascal. What was she doing eating so many sweet things? She definitely made the most of his absence to be a little rebellious.
Elias turned to them. "Uhh… you guys didn't stuff her with too much sugar, did you-"
He froze, his head throbbing like countless needles were piercing his skull. He took a deep breath in, cursing in his mind.
Why the hell did this have to happen right now, dammit!
The two girls blushed, Chloe laughing awkwardly.
"Lizzy has been dying to meet you, and I am sure you guys would want to be alone. I mean, you guys have a lot to talk about, right, Lizzy?!"
Lizzy nodded, her eyes brightening up.
"Un! Biggy, where's Mama? Papa?"
Elias felt his mouth hang open speechlessly, then he sighed, nodding towards the three of them before turning towards the doorway where Valerie stood waiting.
However, just as he was about to leave…
He felt someone tug at the sleeve of his shirt, turning to find Ethan take another sip from his glass without looking at him.
Then the boy spoke for the first time.
"Strength is everything, and to be weak is pitiful," he said, his piercing blue eyes turning to him.
"So do everything to be strong, so that you can protect your sister when it counts."
He took a second sip, sighing and standing on his feet.
Sophia had already stood up, her face now a cold mask. The red-haired girl turned to follow her, her eyes looking over at him one more time as she giggled, the robot on her shoulder waving at him for the second time.
The boy followed too, his voice brushing against him like a whisper.
"I don't exactly like your face, so make yourself scarce around me, will you?"
Elias clicked his tongue. Who the hell was this idiot?
On his shoulders, Elyndra seemed to smile, her voice pleased.
"Finally, someone I can agree with. If only I could get rid of that smug face of yours too!"
Elias rolled his eyes, his voice returning as he spoke out loud, turning to walk towards the doorway.
"Tiny gremlin, are you sure you don't by any chance have a crush on me?" He coughed, adding in a dry voice, "I am not into tiny fairy girls. Maybe add a little height and I might consider it."
"Yo… you bastard!"
"Uh?" Lizzy raised her confused face from his shoulders. "Biggy, who has a crush on you? Did you finally get a girlfriend?"
Elias smiled with a grin. "Your big brother is a very attractive guy. With so many attractive girls swooning over me, it's really difficult to find a genuine girlfriend, you know?"
Elyndra rolled her eyes. "You wish!"
Lizzy giggled. "Hehehehe… I am gonna tell Mummy!"
Elias coughed, feeling his heart tighten at the same time. By now he had reached Valerie, who was looking at him uneasily.
Hmm, what's up with her?
"Thinking about it, why are you standing here like-"
His head began to throb again, making him sigh. Seems like he would have to wait for his mental strength to recover to full capacity before he could talk freely again.
"Do you know who you just casually met like it was nothing, Junior Brother? That's Sophia Veil," she said the name in a whisper, and Elias noticed more glances brush over him from the teenagers eating in the cafeteria, like they shared the peculiarity.
"She has battle power rivaling the three apexes of your generation and is almost a Flux Artisan at her age. And those two, Ethan Scott and Chloe Burnshade, are almost as powerful-"
Elias rolled his eyes.
"So what would you want me to do? Tremble and whimper in fright as I talk to them?"
She seemed to be taken aback by his bluntness.
"But-"
"Valerie, while I appreciate your input, I would really like to talk alone with my sister," he said, adding to show the urgency.
"And I mean right now."