Over the years, Calyx had developed heightened senses—his reflexes, sense of smell, and even taste were all more sensitive and accurate. His overall physicality had significantly improved.
However, Calyx's senses still didn't seem as sharp as Haze's, who maintained a significant advantage in understanding his surroundings and had an incredibly keen intuition, enough to surpass a Quasar like Calyx.
"What do you think it is this time?" Calyx inquired of Haze, subtly turning his head to check the position of their followers without alerting them.
"Seems they're still trying to gather information about you," Haze replied.
"Well, I don't see how they'll achieve that by just following me around," Calyx responded, letting out a sigh of exhaustion.
"No, this time, I have a feeling they might actually try something," Haze warned.
"And the Quasar?" Calyx questioned.
"They're here to prevent that," Haze explained as Calyx pulled out his phone and dialed a number.
"Calling Rogan?" Haze probed as Calyx put the phone to his ear.
"Yeah, we can't deal with this crap on a school day," Calyx responded, his voice dripping with frustration.
"I know," came Rogan's voice from the phone before Calyx could even speak to him.
"So... what now?" Calyx queried.
"Ignore it. We have someone on them," Rogan instructed.
"And then what? What about tomorrow and the day after that?" Calyx pressed, his voice laced with impatience.
"We'll be done with it soon. This isn't just a small group; it's not as easy as you think," Rogan clarified.
"What if it's not just me? What if they go after my friends or my aunt? I'm starting to want to handle this myself," Calyx declared, determination etched in his voice.
"No, you using force will do nothing but worsen the situation. Right now, it's only a few lackeys going after you based on their speculation. But if you give the important members a reason to target you, that'll be really problematic," Rogan emphasized.
With a sigh, Calyx acknowledged, "It's getting frustrating."
"Just bear with it until you go off to Astra. They won't be able to come close to you then," Rogan advised.
"Alright," Calyx agreed before ending the call.
"So, you're stuck doing nothing again?" Haze questioned as the bullet train came to a stop.
"Yeah," Calyx affirmed as they both unstrapped from their seats and walked over to the train exit, sparing one last glance at their followers.
The train doors opened with a beep as all the passengers making the stop exited. With hurried steps, Calyx and Haze left the subway, starting the short walk to their school.
Though not as grand a metropolis as where they lived, Yang High was situated in the uptown part of the city.
With each step, Calyx and Haze got closer to the school's gate, and it seemed that their pursuers had suddenly disappeared. They concluded that the Quasar had taken care of them.
They walked into Yang High, and no matter how many times Calyx came to the school, it always took his breath away—an architectural masterpiece and a school for the elite.
Calyx's school in his former neighborhood was quite mediocre and more similar to traditional schools, but Yang High was far more advanced. Its students were children of very powerful individuals, so friendships and rivalries formed here always seemed more significant than usual.
"So, what did you guys come up with for the project?" A voice sounded behind Haze and Calyx, startling them a bit.
"Ah, morning Hal," Haze greeted.
"Yeah, morning," Calyx chimed in, turning to look at Halaine.
She donned a chic jacket over a crisp white shirt, paired with a whimsical skirt that gently danced around her knees. Her dark hair cascaded gracefully down her back, harmoniously framing her hazel eyes, which were delicately highlighted by her prescription glasses. She was a really captivating girl.
"Forget about the morning, what are your project ideas?" Halaine pressed on.
"Uh, well, you see," Haze stammered, scratching the back of his head.
"We kind of don't have any ideas," Calyx admitted, coming to Haze's aid.
"You both truly are useless, aren't you?" Halaine teased, giving them both a slap on the back.
"We really are," Haze concurred.
"Can't argue with that," Calyx seconded, nodding his head repeatedly.
"Well, knowing that, I not only came up with an idea, but I also already started on the project," Halaine announced, her pride evident in her voice.
"We'd really have to drop out of school without you," Haze said as Halaine walked backward, facing them.
"Yes, that is true. I ought—" Halaine's words were cut off as she bumped into someone.
"What the hell? Watch where you're going!" The person she bumped into exclaimed. She turned around to see a muscular dude looking down at her.
"I'm sorry," Halaine attempted to apologize.
"Or you can just not be bloody blind?" Calyx retorted to the boy Halaine bumped into.
"What did you say?" The boy challenged, anger in his tone.
"Oh, so you aren't just blind but deaf," Haze chimed in.
As the boy was about to snap, the girl that walked with him grabbed his arm and pulled him away.
"Forget it," the girl said as she walked away with the boy.
"I told you guys to stop bullying people," Halaine said as she picked up her glasses from the floor.
"The Starborns are watching you, Calyx," the girl that passed with the boy whispered, causing Calyx to stop in his tracks.
"What... the hell did you just say to me?" Calyx demanded.