Hunter needed a minute to take in the main building of the Academy. The campus itself was huge, but it reminded Hunter of any other town he'd ever been to. But the main building was something else. Its architecture made it feel like a living historical artifact. The Illaic peoples had left behind a legacy of epic architecture which Hunter had always enjoyed. Grand pillars, open spaces, rounded angles had defined that most mythical period of human history.
The empire's fall happened more than two thousand years prior. However, Barnum, recently celebrating its 180th anniversary, championed the Illiac taste.
The grounds that surrounded the main building, and the campus meant to support it, were all modernized. But they felt muted compared to the historical marvel that Hunter found himself excited to step foot in — a marvel inspired by similar marvels built all those millennia ago.
Great granite pillars supported intricate stone carvings. Symbolic stories, mythical figures, heroes, gods, and cosmic villains coiled together. They fought, embraced, and worshipped together across the building's grand entrance and its walls.
What surprised him most about the building was that a spacious park occupied most of its area. The three-storied building surrounding it had windows looking over the large space, culminating in what must have been the world's biggest open-sky atrium. Peppered across the park were statues, walkways, fountains, and benches.
The main building functioned as a central hub, and the rooms overlooking the park served the various student and faculty clubs. Hunter and Aera arrived shortly after the school opened for the day. A guide, likely a student working to support themselves, met them and led them to a small office for official registration. Hunter and Aera both presented their IDs, Hunter showing his updated ID from his time at the mansion. Then he presented his proof of sponsorship from the Oberon family, and Aera presented the invitation the academy had sent her.
Hunter felt a moment of dread when they informed him they would require him to take an AR Test. On the bright side, the test was private. The construct they were using to measure their AR was something new to Hunter. He assumed it functioned like other AR-measuring constructs, but it was much smaller, easily held in one hand, and light enough for him to carry. He'd never seen something like it before. How had they made it so compact?
The secretary taking the test seemed surprised by both of their scores — and for different reasons. He ignored the shame to the best of his ability, not willing to let Aera see any form of weakness.
Lately, he felt frustrated by his relationship with Aera. His sudden insecurity around her was an unwelcome disparity to the indifference he wished to mirror back towards her. If she were David Nettle, Hunter would just focus on what he needed to do, doing his best to ignore the scorn.
After the test, they were both shown to their individual accommodations. They would both live in the same apartment building. The building dedicated the first 7 floors to shared student dorms, and the top 4 floors to single-occupancy accommodations. Hunter's room was on the 10th floor, and Aera's was on the 11th.
His apartment was the third suite down the hall, and he assumed that there were a half dozen more apartments on his floor. They gave him his key and left him alone to unpack and settle in. Hunter opened the door and found that the apartment was lacking after having stayed in the epitome of opulence for the last month, but it was his own space. It was nicer than his house in Seckina, and more spacious than the hotel he'd stayed in during the competition. The apartment boasted a full-sized kitchen and living room, and he appreciated the bedroom's ample space for the belongings he expected to gather in the years to come.
The room also had a decent view. Mountains were visible in the distance. Greenery was scattered throughout the view from his livingroom window, mitigating the feeling of floating above a sea of grey. He could see himself liking it there. The living room came complete with a small table, a couch, and a television. The table held a list of all his courses, their days, and their times.
All of his mandatory academic courses would take up the first few days of the week. Intermediate Construct Artisanship, Foundations of Martial Arts, and the History elective he'd signed up for would take up his Thursdays and Fridays. He had weekends free, but he knew that he'd be spending every available minute of freedom studying or training.
Hunter would try to get by on the allowance that Trey was affording him. He wondered if it would be enough to buy one of those testing devices they used to measure his AR. It wasn't like he needed much money for food. All the campus housing buildings came complete with a large cafeteria that provided food that was supposed to be pretty cheap. There were also plenty of small businesses catering to other needs the students might have, and many of them offered discounts subsidized by the academy.
Hunter's expenses would be covered by Trey. He planned to save a little each month to invest in his interests.
He found all of his luggage in his room. Hunter started organizing the luggage and cussed when he saw that the estate staff had packed his father's briefcase in with the rest of his stuff. He hadn't touched it after pushing off his bed the night that he'd considered reading through the journals. A small note was taped to the briefcase. It was signed by Stewart.
Given your limited packing time, I wasn't sure if you'd forgotten to pack this for the academy. So, I packed it myself to be safe. Please forgive any potential inconvenience.
Hunter sighed after reading the note. He understood Stewart was only doing his job, and it wasn't like there wasn't like there was nothing he could do about it. Hunter took the briefcase, still completely motivated to never delve into its contents, and placed it in the corner of his new closet. He placed the rest of the suitcases and flattened boxes in front of it so that he would never have to see it for the next three years. If he couldn't leave it behind, then at least he wouldn't have to think about it.
Out of sight, out of mind.
He had a full day before classes started, and he spent the following day finding his classrooms. He'd heard tales of students arriving at incorrect classrooms and lecture halls, or becoming lost. Besides, making a good impression on the faculty might go a long way to helping him achieve his goals here.
---
Aera tapped her finger on the table and winced. Every time Jason Chan opened his mouth, she would feel a wave of annoyance which threatened to burn this bridge she'd been cultivating for years.
"So, have you put any more thought into my offer?" the young man said. Jason had always been shady, but having friends in low places could be useful. She'd learned from her father that there was a neceesary evil in nurturing relationships with people in society's moral gray areas; his advice had proven invaluable.
That he was useful was the only reason she was taking his call. But Jason Chan had amassed some very unfortunate rumours about himself. The kind of rumours that Aera would typically consider enough of an excuse to cut all ties with him. Unfortunately, she was dealing with the reality that she wouldn't be able to avoid him while she was at Barnum. She found him and his lot a stain on society, but lacked the power to remove the stain herself. So, if she couldn't get rid of them, she might as well take advantage of them.
There were aspects to Academy life that weren't advertised, aspects that could spell many ruined careers and lawsuits. Lots of cash was changing hands to ensure continued silence. Jason's family, and his associates, had found their niche in organizing and facilitating the unseen currents in Barnum's shadow. The Council, its companies, and families expected their members attending Barnum to adhere to a specific code of conduct. This expectation contributed to the academy's allure among the world's elite. People viewed Barnum as the premier institution for cultivating future leaders, a reputation predating the Council. Its Excellence degrees were only part of its appeal.
The degrees were trappings. A company had many ways to scout and foster talent. It was hard work and devotion which built a company's foundation. She recognized the value of more Excellence degrees for the company's reputation. But for Aera and her peers, such degrees were simply a way to enhance their social standing. It was a secondary consideration for their enrollment, as far as their parents or sponsors were concerned. The primary reason was that the world's powers had fostered within the boundaries of the academy's campus a microcosm of the world stage. It was here that their aspiring and ambitious youths would have their first taste of competition against rival interests.
Every year, there was a struggle for dominance and prestige among the upper class attending the academy. However, this came with a condition. The moment you entered the campus, you were no longer allowed the luxury of a personal security force. This meant that you had to face the consequences of your actions yourself. However, given the Chan family's unique position, they had both financial and emotion influence over much of the campuses businesses — and Aera suspected the faculty as well. Unfortunately, she couldn't avoid them and refusing to do so would make her appear weak. She wouldn't be able to bully her way to dominance on campus, and with Jason, this was especially so.
His influence while he was at Barnum made him a hard man to refuse. That wouldn't stop her from stalling for as long as she could, however. Her father had warned her that dealing with such people was like walking a tightrope, but sometimes it was unavoidable. Not just for the sake of reputation, but for securing her position in society as well. Turning her back on the nefarious dimension of her culture would only create a blind spot she couldn't defend herself, or her family, from.
Family, which now included one Hunter Oberon Koar. She sneered.
"Aera, you there?" Jason asked.
"Yes," she said, unable to stop the annoyance from bleeding through into her voice, "and my answer is the same. If I change my mind, I'll let you know."
"That's all I can ask," Jason said, attempting a smooth and reassuring tone. Instead, it oozed ill intent like pus from a festering wound behind a mask of familiarity and friendship.
There was the flavour of intuition in her judgement of his tone. She'd have to remember to keep her guard up around Jason Chan.
"I've got a lot on my schedule, Jason. Our talks are always a pleasure, but if there's nothing else?" She said, knowing he'd take the hint to hang up.
"Of course, of course. I'll be seeing you," Jason said. She sighed after she heard the line shut with a click.
Aera shivered, feeling like she needed a very long shower. That kid got worse by the year, and more dangerous, if the rumours were to be believed. And it was easy to believe them. Jason didn't hide the fact that he had no consideration for right and wrong. He was a sociopath, a smart sociopath. Opportunistic, but fair enough for the sake of his business reputation. His behaviour at Barnum would reflect upon his family — so if he committed too grievous a crime, he would make sure that there was very little in the way of evidence to prove his involvement.
He would treat you fairly, at first. But if he sensed an ounce of weakness from you, he wouldn't hesitate to milk it for all it was worth. It had happened before. Jason respected her status and the considerable resources she and her father could use against his family if he ever crossed the line with her. It was enough to make him think twice about treating her like any other mark, and so she assumed that he'd be more straight with her when they did business.
But her father had drilled the value of verifying facts for as long as she could remember. And since she had little in the way of resources with which to verify or debunk the rumours surrounding Jason, she decided she would go with her gut and take a cautious approach.
Which, she had to remind herself, was not a weak approach. In all ways, she would project her power and status. She would be the leader of the Oberon family in the future, and by her hand, the council seat would remain theirs, as it had for generations. So there was no room for weakness, both in image or action. Which brought her back to her new brother.
The newest Oberon heir. Not that she took the title seriously. Hunter was as weak as Jason was mercurial.
But he wasn't totally weak, she reminded herself. He had a strong will, and that had surprised her. She had expected him to fold after the first session. But he'd continued, and he had shown some progress, though not nearly enough to convince her he was worth anything remotely close to the privilege that her father had given him.
Integrity, her father had said. In-teg-rit-y, enunciating every syllable. She'd done her best not to flinch during his lecture. And she'd be lying if she said that his words — and the dramatic flair he was prone to deliver them with — hadn't given her something to think about.
What would she have done if she'd been one of the workers who he'd tried to screw over? Would she have stepped in to help, or to hurt the man who was trying to take away her livelihood, her means to support herself and the people she cherished?
The more she thought about it, the less she liked the answer.
Ruminating on the lecture over the weekend, she concluded she couldn't relate to Gideon Koar's actions when he saved her father.
Of course she would have saved her father. But if she wasn't Aera Oberon? That was a different story.
She wouldn't have stopped them. It wasn't what she wanted to believe about herself, but it was true. If she wasn't an Oberon, and the person who was compensating her for her hard work decided that her labour was worth less than an already-meager sum?
She could see herself being indifferent to what happened to the man, and that was the best-case scenario.
If she was mad? Desperate?
She stared out the window of her 11th floor apartment. It was a downgrade from what she was used to, but it had its charms. The view wasn't bad. And it was spacious.
She leaned back on her couch and stared at the ceiling.
Her father wanted her to give Hunter a chance. His lecture highlighted a blind spot. Although her heart was in the right place, there was something she wasn't seeing clearly.
She held her father in high regard. She didn't always like him, and that was probably a good thing. He'd taught her a lot about commitment.
What if he'd spoiled her more? What if she'd gotten her way when she shouldn't have?
Now that lesson she could see. She was grateful that he'd shown her how to stay true to her vision, focusing on her goals, encouraging her to persist no matter what obstacle appeared in the way. It had gotten her as far as she had. Sure, she had her advantages, but advantages were only a multiplier for the effort you put in. In order to run a Council Corporation, advantages would only get you so far. But without advantages, effort just meant running against the stream.
If Hunter was going to be a part of the family, he would need to understand that. And he'd already shown an ability to commit and persist, even when things got difficult.
She could respect that. It's not like her distaste for him was personal. Her problem with him wasn't about him, it was about the family. As he was, he was a blight on the Oberon's name. He was a ticking time bomb, and she would have to clean up whatever mess he made of their reputation. She worried it would distract her too much from her own goals.
She had her own Excellence to achieve, her own vision for her future, and she needed the currency for leverage. It was one of her father's lessons for her.
She decided she would give Hunter Koar a chance, but she would not relent in her standards. He would either grow from the pressure and turn into someone worthy of her family's name, or he would quit. If he quit, then at the very least he would be out of the way.
Either way, the family wins.
---
"Is the queen bitch gonna come?" pipsqueak asked, using the term that Jason reserved for the Oberon princess. Sometimes Jason could grow sick of the puppy's transparent attempts to ingratiate himself, but he was very obedient.
So Jason laughed. It was like a little treat. Good boy.
He'd been stoking the pup's hatred for the Oberon's for a while. Of course he knew that playing with fire could be dangerous, but Aera had been an obsession of his for a few years now. The higher she rose, the more arrogant she grew, and the more he wanted to tear her down. The Oberon's were so sure of themselves, but he'd heard whispers — rumours of discontent. Some say they've been overplaying their hand, that Trey had overextended himself.
The Council Seat's guard was slipping.
Oberon; the family and the company were vulnerable. At least, that was his impression. And some of the more influential people in his family seemed to agree, given some of the plays' they'd been making.
So Jason has been biding his time with Aera. He knew what she thought of him. It was as clear as day. It pissed him off, but he didn't mind the fury.
The fury was intoxicating, and he cultivated it quietly. It motivated him like nothing else. The idea of taking down not only Aera, but the entire fucking family? It turned him on.
Pippen Visgold—hell, all the bloody Visgolds—had a bone to pick with Oberon. Pippen himself was like an animal, one who was easy to manipulate for someone like Jason. He'd poked and prodded at the young man's psyche for years, causing Pippen to convince himself that Jason was his only real friend. The only person who he could trust.
It was a risky play, but all that effort for his own little weapon? A guided missile he could point at the Oberon's at just the right time? It was too good a deal to pass up.
The Chan's had weaved their web throughout Barnum for generations. Aera's protection prevented anyone from opposing her outside this place. Even here, he would need to be careful. The daughter of a Council Seat was no ordinary prey. But his family's hard work had paid off. Barnum belonged to the Chans. Not on paper, but if you know, you know.
Jason's web, unlike most spiders', wove his web with people who responded to rewards and punishment. Simple self preservation could encourage people to do things they wouldn't. Even if that meant setting them against a future 'monarch'.
The Queen Bitch.
And whatever this Hunter Oberon Koar was supposed to be.
Jason had his dominos in hand, and they were just about ready to be put into place. He would just need to set them up and find the right hand to give them just the slightest nudge.
It occurred to him that such a hand was sitting beside him, just then. A hand with an itch to pick a bone or two with any Oberon he could find. Before, there was only two. Now there were three, and the third was shrouded in mystery. Jason didn't like mysteries.
He made a quick calculation involving a dozen social variables. He rejected the conclusion and approached it from a new angle, and nodded at the result.
"She'll come," he said. "What have you learned about the other one?"
"Hunter?" pipsqueak asked. Jason had fetched pipsqueak to gather information, and just as ever, pipsqueak was all too eager to play. "An artisan, with an embarrassingly low AR. He seems emaciated and frail, like he could shatter at the lightest touch. You never know with Oberon's, though. They're a treacherous bunch."
Jason hummed in thought. He knew a few artisans enrolling in Barnum this year. His family's investigation into the Oberon corporations' sponsored students had revealed that one of them was in some desperate financial straits. The Chans had already extended a generous offer to ease their burden. The poor whelp did not know what they were about to sign themselves up for.
That wasn't his problem, though, only his profit.
Regarding the newest heir, he made a mental note to introduce himself in person at some point. Another Oberon would mean another potential avenue of business. Or another variable to leverage at just the right moment.
The spider had a web to weave. He always welcomed the addition of another thread in his web.
"I want you to find out what he's made of," Jason said. Even at his best, Pipsqueak was nearly feral. Jason's excitement as he sent the boy away was a reminder to keep him under control.
"Pippen," Jason said, and the pup looked at its master with questioning eyes. "I must emphasize the importance of discretion. Nothing can lead back to us, alright?"
Pippen nodded, and Jason waved him off to have his fun.
He doubted whether this was the right choice. But the opportunity was too tempting to pass up. Pippen had done a good job so far, and had enough experience by now to know just how far to push the Oberon lad.
He understood that acting against the Oberon's was a risky play, but Jason needed more information. No one would be so bold, he thought, so early on. But they were unaware of his and the Chans' knowledge of what was to come.
Pippen was smart, and Jason trusted him to do the job right, even with the barely contained rage he'd helped the puppy foster over the years.
There would always be another loyal dog. You just had to know how to train them. Using Pippen as a sacrifice would, at the very least, satisfy the itch Jason had been feeling for years. Pricking at Aera's ego was worth it.
Jason lit a joint, inhaled, and blew a large cloud out the window. He imagined his smile reaching both of his ears.
The academy would have its challenges. Aera was a difficult prey. But that just meant he would be all the more motivated to see her on her knees.
Before him, a grand campus stretched onwards. Others would see a glorious institution — historied, prestigious, and excellent.
To Jason, it was the world's biggest playground.