A ripple of stifled snickers ran through the trainees.

Zaeryn didn't flinch. Instead, a slow, challenging smirk spread across his face as his gaze drifted from the sea of curious and hostile faces to the instructor.

He met Zelda's gaze head-on, his voice carried just enough to be heard over the dying laughter.

"Crying? I try to reserve my tears for truly tragic events, Instructor. Like running out of synth-coffee."

The faintest flicker of amusement sparked in Zelda's steel-colored eyes, gone as quickly as it appeared. "Confidence," she noted, her tone dangerously neutral. "A rare trait in your gender. We'll see if it's earned." She gave a curt nod, a silent acknowledgment of his nerve.

"I am Zelda. And I'll be your teacher in this class. In this chamber, your feelings, your titles, and your gender are irrelevant. All that matters is whether you can fight. If you can't, you're just a target."

Stepping back, her boots clicking against the polished floor she murmured. "Classes will begin soon. In the meantime, familiarize yourself with your new classmates."

"Familiarize myself with him?" a voice scoffed, sharp and dripping with disdain.

Zaeryn's gaze moved from the instructor and snapped to the source of the voice. He saw a girl with fiery red hair pulled back in a tight, practical braid.

Leia, one of the top prospects in their year, twitched her full lips in a sneer. Seeing that he was looking at her she stood with her arms crossed, her stance wide and confident, every line of her body screaming 'competitor'. "What? Have a problem with what I said?"

Zaeryn simply shook his head peacefully. And right now it was the wiser choice. What else would he do in this situation? Try to show his dominance? That would be the same as painting a target on his back.

And no! This wasn't weakness; it was strategy.

They expected a male to be one of two things: a coward who'd flinch, or an idiot who'd bite back with mindless aggression. He was neither.

He could feel it, the challenge radiating from her. Leia was baiting him, practically begging for a reaction. And that was a game he had no intention of playing.

Getting into a brawl on his first day, would only prove their biases correct, that men were little more than unruly animals, incapable of control. He was playing a different game, one of observation and patience.

He let his gaze travel leisurely over her athletic frame, lingering a bit long on her thighs. It didn't need to be said that she was hot, given that everyone in this room was, but she stood out in a way.

"A problem? Not really," he said, his tone infuriatingly calm.

"Of course, it's not like you could do anything about it anyway." Leia's full lips curled into a sneer, her confidence absolute.

So much for de-escalation.

Zaeryn's initial plan to keep the peace evaporated under her taunt. His gaze, which had been passive, sharpened and locked onto hers.

He let out a low hum, pretending to be in deep thought. "You know, you're right. You're simply better than me….. for now." His eyes swept over her for a beat before he met her stare again, a slow, roguish grin spreading across his face. "But I have to ask: is that your natural resting face, or are you just thrilled to see me?"

A few nearby students gasped, a mix of shock and delight. Leia's eyes narrowed, a dangerous glint sparking in them. The crimson aura around her flared hotter. "You've got a mouth on you, anomaly. Let's see if you can back it up when you're flat on your back."

"Is that an invitation?" Zaeryn shot back, his grin widening as he leaned forward slightly.

"Because I'm flattered, but I make it a rule never to spar with a woman on the first date. It's bad form."

The room erupted in a mix of laughter and scandalized whispers. Jyn, standing nearby, smiled proudly to see him stand up to Leia.

For her, this was pure entertainment. The academy was a place of rigid rules and predictable hierarchies; Zaeryn, with his sharp tongue and complete disregard for the established order, was a glorious, walking disruption.

She wasn't just amused; she was proud. He was proving he wasn't the weak, submissive male they all expected, but someone who could hold his own, and she was already rooting for him.

Yuna, however, looked a little concerned for him, because what he was doing was not safe. Treating Leia, a top-tier combatant, like a potential conquest was suicide.

She saw the practical reality of the situation. Leia wasn't just any student; she was one of the academy's top prospects, known for her fiery temper and powerful Vitae abilities.

Zaeryn was an anomaly, an outsider with no allies and a massive target on his back. His witty comeback wasn't a victory; it was an escalation. In Yuna's kind and pragmatic mind, he wasn't just poking the beast he was practically climbing into its mouth.

Leia's face flushed a deep, furious red. His flirtation was a dismissal, a reframing of her challenge from a warrior's duel to a romantic pursuit. It infuriated her.

"That's IT!" she snarled, her hands clenching into fists as her Vitae pulsed visibly. "Lady Zelda! I challenge him. A simple spar. Let's see what our 'special one' is really made of."

The crowd buzzed, a palpable, bloodthirsty excitement filling the air.

Zaeryn's grin didn't stutter, but he held up his hands in a gesture of placation. "As tempting as that sounds, I'm afraid I have to decline. It wouldn't be a fair fight."

Leia's smirk was pure predator. "Oh? Scared I'll break you?"

"No," Zaeryn said, his expression turning serious. "It wouldn't be fair for me. You're radiating enough Vitae to power a small cruiser, and my own powers are, shall we say, still in the beta testing phase. You'd probably wipe the floor with me in seconds." He shrugged. "I'm untrained and my Vitae abilities are still nascent. Where's the sport in that?"

His honest, tactical assessment was so unexpected it momentarily silenced the room. He wasn't being a coward; he was being a strategist.

Before Leia could retort, Zelda stepped up beside him, her presence commanding silence once more. A slow, dangerous smile touched her lips.

"A wise assessment, Noctis," she said, her tone carrying an edge of amusement. "Which is exactly why you'll accept the challenge."

Zaeryn's stomach dropped. 'Great. Just what I needed.' He opened his mouth to protest, but Zelda's steel gaze pinned him in place.

"Consider this the beginning of your lessons.

You must know when to fight and when to withdraw. You've demonstrated the latter," she said, turning her gaze to Leia. "And you, Leia, need to learn that overwhelming power without control is just noise. This spar will be a lesson for you both." Her eyes flicked back to Zaeryn.

"Are you really going to make me fight? I just got enrolled today, I have no fighting experience." Zaeryn complained.

Although why was he even bothering? His words were going to fall on deaf ears anyways.

"Don't even think about backing out, Noctis.

You wanted to play the bold anomaly? Now you get to prove you can survive it."

Leia's smirk returned, triumphant and vicious, her crimson aura flaring brighter as she cracked her knuckles. "Hope you're ready to eat the floor, anomaly."

Zaeryn didn't even have the energy to answer her, as he looked away.

The chamber erupted in a fresh wave of whispers, a mix of shock and morbid excitement.

"Leia against him?"

"This is gonna be a bloodbath."

"She's gonna tear him apart. Leia is one of the strongest in our class, no one wants to go up against her."

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