Mid-morning in Cruciburg City, the hotel was bustling with Ascended applicants. On one of the floors, the remaining five hundred applicants sat in a highly modern dining hall, enjoying breakfast.
A group of Ascended arrived at the dining hall via the transparent glass elevator. Standing front and center among the group was Sandro, wearing a pleasant expression. He sported a fashionable jacket over a white shirt, paired with semi-formal pants and sneakers.
Sandro began making his way to a table where Jackson, Coraline, her cat, and Lioness were seated. Jackson, clad in a hoodie, sweatpants, and sneakers, was yawning with a cup of coffee in one hand, clearly having woken up late. Coraline, on the other hand, looked slightly tired, her hair messy as she sat in her pajamas. Her cat, perched on her shoulder, was pawing at her messy hair, seemingly eager for breakfast.
As Sandro approached, he couldn't help but smile in amusement at the sight. It seems her little friend woke up a bit too early. Must have been eager for breakfast. I should sketch this scene and give it to Coraline. Maybe she'll find it funny—or maybe she'll find it embarrassing. Either way, it'll be worth a laugh.
Lioness was seated at the table, headphones on, listening to music. She occasionally took large sips from a sizable workout drink. Dressed in an unzipped black hoodie over a sports bra, track pants, and sneakers, she looked like she had been exercising earlier, with a faint sheen of sweat still on her skin.
Just as Sandro was about to reach the table, he noticed Alexander sitting off to the side, a good distance away, by himself. He signaled to the group that he'd join them shortly and made his way toward Alexander.
Alexander had an empty plate pushed off to the side of his table. He was dressed in a shirt with buttons arranged slightly off-center in a curve, paired with a fitted coat lined with fur, tailored dress pants, and boots.
Alexander's black metallic briefcase was on the table, and it seemed he was performing maintenance on his short sword.
Without asking for permission, Sandro sat across from him, a mischievous smile on his face as he rested his chin on his interlocked hands. Alexander, confused, looked up from his briefcase with a slightly annoyed expression.
Sandro spoke first, smirking. "It's a shame you didn't hang out with us last night. Lioness—the girl you dueled against—seemed rather disappointed by your absence."
"In that case, I'll have to make it up to her sometime," Alexander replied with a stoic expression, carefully concealing his thoughts on the matter. Well, I'm glad to know I was missed, though I'm also upset that I disappointed her. Although, outside of our duel, we're not particularly close in any capacity, so I don't care that strongly about it.
Sandro kept his mischievous smile as he continued. "Well, I'm glad to see you care about her somewhat. Because she seemed so disappointed, the only thing I could think to do to lift her mood... was to head back to her room for a bit of fun. Though, I stopped before things got too exciting—I figured you two would enjoy one another's company more."
Even Alexander's stoic expression betrayed a flicker of surprise at hearing that. Sandro then stood up, preparing to leave, but not before adding one final remark: "So, I suggest you don't miss another one of our group hangouts—unless you're fine with the task of having fun with Lioness falling to me."
Alexander stared at Sandro's back as he walked away, his expression contemplative. I'm unsure whether I should laugh, thank him, or draw my sword and cut him down. Though, that last thought does sound rather appealing.
Sandro returned to the others and took a seat, giving Lioness a knowing look. She responded with a smirk and a chuckle, glancing briefly at Alexander.
Not long afterward, Curie approached the table where Sandro and the other Ascended were seated. She was wearing an ink-blue short-sleeve shirt with wavy sleeves, paired with fitted denim pants that flared at the ends and a spiky belt. A pair of red boots with black soles completed her outfit. Sandro looked up at her with a pleasant expression.
While casually using her communicator, Lioness pulled out a chair for Curie. She joined the group seamlessly and without a word, her presence blending naturally with the others.
...
As breakfast began to wind down, the atmosphere shifted.
Before any of the Ascended applicants could leave, Gaia—who had been eating in a separate area of the dining hall reserved for administrators—walked out to address the applicants.
Her voice resonated throughout the entire dining hall, pleasant yet commanding. "I'm glad to see that you applicants have enjoyed your breakfast." Her tone then shifted, becoming more serious. "Because now it is time to commence the second trial. All the food you have been eating has been poisoned via Spirit Alchemy. There are three hundred vials of the antidote scattered throughout the entire city in hidden locations. To pass, you must make it to the Colosseum without being incapacitated by the poison."
As Gaia finished her announcement, the dining hall erupted into chaos. Chairs scraped against the floor, voices rose in alarm, and applicants surged into motion.