"You're not your father."
My hand tightened on the door handle.
"No shit."
"Do you really know that?"
I didn't answer. Pushed the door open. The morning air was warmer than I expected. The academy's climate control system working overtime to make the campus comfortable for the children of people who paid enough that comfort was a reasonable expectation.
I grabbed my bag from the back seat. Light. Most of my shit had been shipped ahead. This was just the essentials. Change of clothes. The box. Some protein bars that I'd probably eat before I found the cafeteria.
Reika appeared next to the car. She'd gotten out without me noticing. Probably said something about my awareness that I should examine later.
She looked at me. Really looked. The way she did when she was deciding whether to say something or let it sit.
"Three semesters."
"I'm aware."
"The probation isn't a suggestion."
"I know."
"Then make them regret putting you in Class Z."
She turned. Walked back to the driver's side. Got in. The engine hummed to life.
The car lifted and disappeared into the morning traffic before I could think of something clever to say back.
I looked down at my jacket. Civilian clothes. Dark. Comfortable. The kind of thing I could move in if I needed to.
The box pressed against my ribs through the inner pocket. Warm. Always warm. Like it was running a low fever that never broke.
My hand moved to touch it. Stopped halfway.
The dream sat in my head. The table. The chairs. The throne. The card burning white and the silhouette that felt like it was looking at me even though it didn't have eyes.
The water.
Always the damn water at the end.
The main path split into three directions. Left went toward the administrative building. Right curved around toward what looked like dormitories. Center pushed straight through to a plaza with benches and trees and students who'd clearly been here longer than two weeks.
I went center. Figured I'd need to find someone eventually.
The plaza was bigger than it looked from the entrance. Open space with actual grass that someone maintained way too carefully. Stone pathways cutting through it in patterns that probably meant something to the architect. Students clustered in groups. Some in uniform already. Others still in civilian clothes like me.
Nobody looked my way. Good. I could work with invisible.
Then someone waved.
Girl. My age maybe. Short. Black hair past her shoulders. Round glasses catching the morning light. She was walking toward me with the kind of energy that said she either knew me or was about to try.
Shit.
I kept walking. Maybe she was waving at someone behind me.
"Max, right?"
Nope. That was definitely aimed at me.
I stopped. Turned. She was closer now. Maybe five foot four. Big smile. Amber eyes that looked genuinely happy to see me even though we'd never met.
"Yeah. That's me."
"Awesome!" She bounced once. Actual bounce. Who had this much energy before nine in the morning. "I'm Nami Haname. Student council president. I volunteered to show you around since you're starting late."
Student council president. Of course. The academy sent their PR face to handle the Zero kid who showed up two weeks behind schedule.
"You didn't have to do that."
"I wanted to!" She adjusted her glasses. "Your file was really interesting. The awakening ceremony report got flagged so hard it became classified but the public version said you generated a catalyst and then couldn't contract anything and that's never happened before so obviously I had questions."
I blinked. She'd said that entire sentence without breathing.
"Questions."
"So many questions." She pulled out her phone. Scrolled. "Okay first one. Do you really have a scar you hide under that headwrap?"
God damn already?
"That was fast."
"I did research!" She looked up from her phone. Still smiling. "There were photos from when you were younger without the wrap and then suddenly you started wearing it two years ago right around the time of the awakening ceremony incident so people online think you have a scar and you're hiding it because of your dad's whole situation and I wanted to ask directly instead of assuming."
My hand moved toward the gauze. Stopped halfway. I dropped it back to my side.
"Yeah. I've got a scar."
"Can I see it?"
"No."
"Fair." She put her phone away. "Second question. What's actually in the box? The report said you generated a rectangular catalyst but it didn't describe what was inside and the assessment boards couldn't classify it which means it's either really weird or really dangerous or both."
This girl had done her homework. Too much homework.
"It's personal."
"That's not an answer."
"It's the one you're getting."
She laughed. Actual laugh. Like I'd said something funny instead of shutting her down.
"Okay. I can work with mysterious. Third question."
"There's a third question?"
"There are fourteen questions but I'm pacing myself." She started walking. Gestured for me to follow. "Come on. I'll show you where Class Z is and we can talk on the way."
I looked at her. Then at the plaza. Then back at her.
This girl was either the most genuine person I'd met in two years or the best actor the academy had.
Either way I needed to find Class Z eventually.
I followed.
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A/N: Thanks for reading this chapter! Support by adding to your library and giving a power stone or two. Comment for a cookie!