"The heck!" he blurted, his voice betraying a mix of shock and frustration.
The tall redhead leaned down, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "You'll be staying down, got it?" His tone was firm, as if his words were the final say.
Desmond's shock melted away, quickly replaced by a flare of anger.
He wasn't about to let some oversized roommate call the shots before they'd even unpacked.
He felt his Celestial Fluid stir, fueling his frustration as he activated his gift.
Focusing, he imagined an M134 Mini-gun, its massive power coursing into existence at the cost of twenty percent of his Celestial Fluid.
He could feel the weight of it in his hands, the barrels spinning as he conjured up ten bullets with an extra one percent of his reserves.
With a cold glare, he aimed the weapon squarely at his roommate.
"Say that one more time," he challenged, his voice low and controlled. "I dare you. If you want your legs to stay intact, I'd reconsider."
The tall boy's face went from smug to alarmed in an instant.
"Whoa, whoa—hold up!" he yelled, his voice jumping an octave.
And then, just as quickly as Desmond's anger had flared, his roommate's height seemed to deflate, dropping down until he was an almost unremarkable 5'8".
He held his hands up in surrender, his eyes wide with alarm.
"See?" he stammered, forcing a shaky smile. "It was just a prank, okay? No harm meant. I didn't plan on roughing you up, I swear!"
Desmond kept the mini-gun leveled, his intense gaze fixed on the now shorter boy in front of him.
"You're kidding me. You've got an elongated gift?" Desmond asked, his voice tinged with both disbelief and frustration as he looked over the boy's suddenly reduced frame.
"That's right," the boy admitted, forcing a nervous laugh. "Name's Felix. Now, can you… maybe… move that gun away from me?"
He swallowed hard, glancing at the mini-gun, his face pale.
Desmond's expression faltered slightly, but he kept the weapon manifested, its weight solid in his grip.
"I could," he said, giving Felix a hard stare.
"But your little 'prank' just drained over eighty percent of my Celestial Fluid." He lied, seeking to extort Felix.
Felix's eyes widened. He seemed to shrink back, not physically this time, but with a sense of genuine regret.
"Look, I didn't mean to push you that far. It was a joke—I didn't know you'd take it seriously."
Desmond raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Well, jokes have consequences."
For a tense moment, silence hung between them, broken only by the faint hum of the mini-gun.
Then, with a long sigh, Desmond finally dissipated the weapon, feeling the last of its energy fade as he released his hold on the Celestial Fluid.
He massaged his right shoulder, the effort leaving his shoulder visibly sore.
He would bank on Felix's action later.
Felix, noticing Desmond's state, straightened up, his nervous smile turning into something closer to relief.
"Guess I owe you a favor," he said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Didn't think anyone with a low rank like mine would actually stand up to me, let alone with a mini-gun."
Desmond shot him a tired glare. "Maybe keep that in mind before trying to throw your weight around."
Felix nodded, his demeanor shifting from cocky to respectful. "Noted. But I gotta say, anyone who can pull off a mini-gun like that? Respect."
He extended his hand, a grin slowly forming on his face. "Truce?"
Desmond hesitated for a moment, then shook Felix's hand, his own expression softening. "Truce."
As they let go, Felix gave a low chuckle. "Well, I guess bunkmates it is. And… I'll take the bottom bunk. Promise."
Desmond smirked, rolling his eyes. "Good call."
After establishing a tentative truce, he turned his attention to the closet on his side of the room.
He unlocked it using the same key he'd used for the door and pulled it open, curious to see what the academy had provided for him.
Inside, he found two neatly pressed academy uniforms, each bearing the insignia of the rank of his gift and his class, along with two sets of casual clothes, a sportswear outfit, a gym suit, and a formal suit.
Each item was carefully hung up, giving a sense of military-like precision to the setup.
A small metal tag labeled "291" hung from the closet rod, adding an official touch to his new possessions.
"Nice," he murmured, running his fingers over the crisp edges of his uniform. The academy certainly didn't skimp on first impressions.
A thought crossed his mind, and he chuckled softly.
In Crown of Glory, Mason, one of the more vocal students, had famously complained to the school management about students not having personal locks on their closets, only to learn later that the academy's security measures were far beyond his understanding.
Remembering the scene made him grin, seeing how real this world had become.
But as he looked over at Felix, he noticed his roommate's gaze fixed intently on him, curiosity evident in his eyes.
Desmond quickly caught on.
Closing his closet, he locked it with his key, then turned back to Felix.
"Go ahead—try opening it with your key," he said, wanting to clarify any unspoken questions Felix might have about trust and boundaries.
Felix's face immediately flushed as he waved his hands in protest.
"I swear, I'm not that kind of guy! I wouldn't open your closet if you weren't around or asleep or anything," he stammered, as if terrified by the mere suggestion.
"Just do it," Desmond insisted, ignoring Felix's flustered expression.
Felix swallowed, looking apprehensive.
Please, don't let this get me shot, he thought nervously as he slowly inserted his key into Desmond's closet lock and tried to turn it.
Nothing happened.
He twisted it again, this time with more force, but the lock held firm. He tried a few more times, but it wouldn't budge.
"How… how is this possible?" he muttered, pulling out his key and inspecting it, baffled.
Desmond smirked.
"The academy's pretty meticulous," he explained. "The keys are intricately molded to work only with specific locks."
He demonstrated by sliding his own key into the closet lock, which clicked open smoothly with a twist of his wrist.
"See? Our keys look nearly identical, but they're crafted with minor, precise differences so that neither of us can open the other's closet."
Felix stared, visibly relieved.
"That's… actually really thoughtful," he said, exhaling.
At least now he wouldn't have to worry about his stuff randomly going missing—or worse, Desmond thinking he'd swipe something.
The second part, especially, was a huge relief.