Thesis shakily raised his hand to his chest, expecting to find the spike still there. "You... you can't just do that!" he burst out, his voice cracking. "You made us think—feel—that we were dead!"
"And?" Ms. Athena raised an eyebrow, her tone casual as if they were discussing the weather. "That's what you get for interrupting class. I don't care what background you come from, nor how prestigious your lineage may be. You are all students here, and I expect you to behave accordingly."
Her gaze swept across the room, silencing the murmurs that had begun to rise. "If you're eager to discuss your heritage, save it for after class. Right now, we're focused on aetheric theory."
The class continued without further interruptions, the tension from earlier fading into the background. In all honesty, it was relatively uneventful, mostly covering aetheric history and foundational knowledge—trivial things I had learned from a young age. I couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment. I'd hoped we'd explore our new aetheric abilities, but it seemed Ms. Athena had other plans.
Easing us into our studies made sense. After all, the first trial had taken its toll on everyone, and perhaps she wanted to give us time to adjust before throwing us into the deep end. Still, I couldn't shake the feeling of impatience creeping in. My mind wandered, drifting to thoughts of my newfound powers and the possibilities that awaited.
Exiting the class, I stretched my arms and rubbed the back of my neck. "What a class," I muttered, letting out a small sigh.
Noel, walking casually to my right, smirked. "I know, right? The only remotely exciting thing today was Thesis and your cousin's little outburst."
I glanced at her, a faint grin tugging at the corner of my lips. "Yeah, Argon never fails to stir things up. Honestly, though, I'm impressed he managed to make a snarky remark while impaled by a spike. Took a second one to quiet him finally."
Natalia shuffled to my left, her expression twisted with discomfort. "Well, I'm glad the both of you had fun, but I was drenched in Argon's blood," she said with a shiver. "Ugh, I can still taste it."
I glanced down at her, eyebrows raised. "Taste it?"
"Yes, you heard me correctly," she huffed, crossing her arms. "It tasted so real. I can't explain it. It was metallic, thick like my senses were completely hijacked."
Noel chuckled lightly, trying to stifle her amusement. "Well, at least now we know Ms. Athena's illusions are nothing to mess with. You're probably not the only one who got a bit too close and personal with the experience."
Natalia shot her a glare. "Oh, laugh it up. I'll be the one having nightmares about this later while you two joke about it."
I smirked, shaking my head. "Okay, fair enough. But still, it's impressive how vivid her illusions are. It makes me wonder, though—how do her illusions even work? Is she projecting those feelings onto you, or is it your brain imagining it? Like some kind of phantom pain?"
Natalia looked up at me, her expression caught somewhere between thoughtfulness and frustration. "Honestly, I have no idea. But if my brain fills in the gaps, it's way too good at making things feel real. I swear, I could feel the warmth of his blood running down my skin. It wasn't just sight or sound—it was everything."
Noel tilted her head, clearly intrigued. "If that's the case, then maybe her illusions mess with your perception on a deeper level—like tapping directly into your nervous system or something. Either way, it's terrifyingly effective."
Natalia shuddered, wrapping her arms around herself. "Great, now I feel even worse. Next time, I'm volunteering to watch from the sidelines."
I chuckled. "Yeah, good luck with that. Something tells me Ms. Athena isn't going to let anyone off the hook that easily."
"Wonderful," Natalia muttered sarcastically. "Guess I'd better get used to the taste of blood."
I looked at both of them and asked, "Do you two want to grab some food and head toward the main city?"
I'd only caught a glimpse of it after the trial, and I wanted to see more of what the academy had to offer. Sure, I could access most of the essentials here—after all, the Class 1-A section was filled with vendors and facilities designed to meet our needs—but there was something exciting about exploring beyond the immediate area. The main city promised a broader range of experiences, not to mention a chance to step out of the constant classroom tension.
Noel raised an eyebrow, smirking. "You're already thinking about exploring, huh? The city's massive—you're going to need more than one trip to take it all in."
Natalia shrugged. "I'm in. I could use a change of scenery. And food sounds good right about now."
"Great," I said with a grin. "Let's make it a plan. Who knows? Maybe we'll find something interesting—or at least edible."
Noel chuckled, falling into step beside me. "Lead the way, fearless leader."
After eating our fill at the Starlight Express, we began descending the mountain toward the main city. The sun was beginning to dip lower in the sky, casting the landscape in hues of gold and crimson, while the cool mountain air carried a faint hum of life from below.
The city sprawled before us like a glimmering tapestry, its towering spires and bustling streets alive with movement even from this distance. The closer we got, the more the faint chatter of countless voices and the hum of machinery filled the air, blending into an energetic symphony.
Natalia glanced at me, adjusting the strap of her bag. "So, any idea where we're headed first? Or are we just winging it?"
"I was thinking we explore a bit and see what catches our eye," I replied, scanning the massive cityscape below. "There's got to be something interesting waiting for us down there."
We explored the city one street at a time, taking in the vibrant sights and sounds of the bustling metropolis. Students from all classes mingled about, their chatter and laughter filling the air, but beneath the surface, an unspoken hierarchy lingered like a heavy mist.