The sunlight piercing the window illuminated the empty dorm with only a single bed, equipped with a wooden frame and a new white matress, embedded with springs inside.
Tre stood motionless at the window for a moment, grasping his chest, waiting for the piercing feeling to go away. He's experienced enough pain for it to not be expressed on his face.
A knock rattled the door of the room, cutting through the peaceful silence of the early morning, causing Tre to shift his focus to the intrusion.
'That must be Typhlos. Or maybe Eirini, actually. Making a mess on campus, bringing her along, then sleeping through the whole day, leaving her alone.. maybe that wasn't the wisest decision, thinking back on it.'
Tre grabbed the steel handle, the screaming of the hinges announcing the door's opening.
Stood in front of Tre was a young man with short dirty blond hair, the tips barely reaching his eyes and eyes. The individual looked rather dishevelled, with their white suit which functioned as the school uniform in a slight mess, torn at the hems.
"Uh.. it's you. Voliner, right..?"
'This is is the kid I beat in that duel, I wasn't expecting to see him here.. how did he even find out my dorm room..?'
The young man scrunched his face.
"Valnar. My name is Valnar Ghariss. Don't insult my family like that. I came here because, Tre.."
The young man swallowed down a bit of dignity, loudly exclaiming;
"I wish to become your disciple! Please!"
...
"Uh.. what..?"
Tre froze momentarily, utterly dumbfounded by this situation.
"No. Actually, first, why?"
The young man closed his eyes, recounting his thoughts.
"That duel we had. I kept on playing it over and over in my head, yet I can't seem to find a way to beat you. Your moves were precise, fast, and strong. Incredibly strong. Each blow felt like I was getting hit by an incredible amount of ki. Your ki is incredibly fine-tuned, correct? I didn't even notice I was unconscious until I was concious."
Tre left out a small sigh.
'This kid.. he thinks because I hit him in his chin, that I'm some incredible ki user. Hitting someone's chin is the easiest way to knock someone out. Hitting him in the solar plexus, winding him, would have made it much easier as well. I didn't intend on breaking his ribs, though. I could use him..'
"Valnar. I suppose I could be your master. You're nobility, so I can conclude that you understand the weight of this. I have a few rules you have to follow, got it?"
"Yes!"
'He's eager. Not a bad trait, I suppose.'
"Firstly, don't go fighting or antagonising people like you did to me before. What were you even thinking? Secondly, you are to join the science club. Leave whatever club you're in at the moment. I'll add more rules later, but these are the important ones."
The young man had a puzzled expression on his face, his beige skin reflecting the sunlight coming from the window like a mirror.
"Why the science club? I want to be strong, not smart. Ah, wait, no- I want to focus on becoming stronger, not with learning about machinations and things like that.
Tre's eyes widened at this response.
'Science and smart are never said in the same sentence by any nobles. This guy.. maybe there's more to him?'
"What do you think of science, Valnar?"
The man perched his hand on his cheek for a moment, pondering about the question presented.
'This might be a lesson..! I have to give a good answer!'
..
Valnar straightened his posture, trying to look as distinguished as possible.
"It's a broad area. It's hard to discern science from engineering. I think science could be useful, but due to the stigma everyone has for it, it doesn't have the ability to truly flourish. Engineering, and specifically ki engineering, seems to be overall better."
A silence grew among the two individuals.
'Did I give a good answer..?'
Tre's lips curled upward.
'An objective view on it. That's rare to see. He put aside any personal opinions, and spoke on what he knew.'
"Not a bad answer. Though, not perfect. I understand what you mean with engineering, but science and engineering are one in the same. Think of it like this. Science is knowledge you gain, whether it be about the human body, how it works, and how the world works fundamentally. Engineering is how you apply that knowledge to be useful. There's a reason I want you to join the science club."
The young man looked at Tre as if he had just been enlightened.
"I see! So, if you learnt how ki works, you could engineer a way to optimise how it works! Wait, science is actually incredible.. I was slightly hesitant to be your disciple, but not anymore."
Tre moved outside the dorm, shutting the wooden door firmly.
"I don't think you should be saying you had doubts when asking for someone to teach you, but anyway, come with me. We're going to the science club, but we're picking someone up along the way."
As Tre began moving, Valnar followed behind slowly. A silence lingered between them as they walked up the stairs at the end of the hallway, going through the floors, before Valnar cut in.
"So, who are we picking up? The science club leader? If I'm being completely honest, she's kind of scary."
Tre raised his eyebrows, walking up a flight of stairs, seemingly unperturbed, but curious.
"We're getting Typh- Guac. We're grabbing that green haired kid before heading off."
Tre knew what he meant by Eirini seeming 'scary'. Her azure eyes were cold and calculating. He knew when he first met her that she was looking him over, thinking over the easiest way to kill him.
'I suppose that's needed when you're getting assassins sent after you every so often.'
"Guac?! We're getting him in the science club? That's a hard no from me. That's going to have dire consequences. The best ki user within the school going into th-"
As something rang through Tre's mind, cutting Valnar off, Tre asked;
"What is Guac's ki technique? Surely it's widely known?"
...
"Yeah, sure, cut me off and ask a question unrelated, see if I care."
He crossed his arms, as if he was a child pouting that he didn't get bought a toy he wanted.
..
"It's the transferring of energy. Kinetic energy. He never really uses it, opting instead to use swordplay enhanced with ki. It's a shame, really. He got such a terrible technique even though his control is so precise. An unfair world, I tell you."
Tre raised an eyebrow at the young man, stopping at one of the upper floors.
"Transferring of kinetic energy? Explain."
"Like, for example, if he were to punch a frog, and that frog was standing on a rock, he could transfer all the energy from the punch through the frog, into the rock, and leave the frog unharmed. Pretty useless, especially since sharp weapons are designed to cause as much damage as possible without putting much energy behind it. Every person you ask will have something different to say about it of course. What do you think about it?
Tre continued walking, his back facing Valnar as he scrambled behind, keeping up at a slow pace.
"..That's an utterly ridiculous ability. Maybe in the top three strongest abilities I've witnessed, if it's as you told me."
Valnar reeled back slightly.
"For real..?"
Tre stopped next to the door with the numbers "94" etched into the wood. The corners ofhis lips curled upward, slightly, then enough to reveal his front teeth. He knocked loudly on the door. It creaked slightly, as if it wasn't made for this kind of force pounding on it.
"For real. Let's see, shall we?"