This chapter contains mild language and psychological themes.

For the first time since arriving at Taliba Academy, I woke up without feeling like I had to fight for my life.
That was, of course, until Sym decided to ruin it.

"Wake up, wake up!" Sym banged on my door like a maniac. "This is an emergency!"

I shot up, heart racing. "Huh?! What emergency?!"

The door burst open, and Sym dramatically pointed at the clock. "We're gonna be late for breakfast!"

I grabbed the nearest pillow and hurled it at his face. "Get out!"

"Love you too, Sue!" he cackled before dodging the pillow and sprinting away.

Rue passed by my room, already dressed, sipping from a cup of coffee like the most unbothered human alive. "Does our morning always have to be like this?"

"Apparently, yes," I muttered, dragging myself out of bed.

Breakfast at the cafeteria was always an event. Students fought over the last pieces of ube pandesal like their lives depended on it.

"Hey, Sym," I said through a mouthful of food. "Why do you act like you're scared of Selena? Just yesterday, she almost buried you alive. And you still won’t use that skill you showed us the other day."

"I told you, I like to keep a low profile."  he said, grinning.

Rue raised an eyebrow. "Or maybe you just have no survival instinct."

Sym gasped. "Wow, the betrayal."

Selena walked past us, tray in hand. She didn’t say a word but shot Sym a look that sent visible shivers down his spine.

"Okay, fine, maybe I’m a little scared," he admitted, taking a hurried bite of his food.

Our first class for the day was Advanced Combat Strategy, and from the moment Mr. Navarro walked in, I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy lesson.

"Good news," he announced, hands behind his back. "Today, we’ll be simulating real combat scenarios."

Sym grinned. "Now that’s what I’m talking about!"

"Bad news," Mr. Navarro continued. "You’ll be placed in randomized teams."

Sym’s grin faded. "Lame."

Names flashed on the digital board.

Sue – Rue, Sym, and… Selena.

Other teams? Who cared? We had Selena.

Tammy smirked from the next team. "Try to keep up."

Rue just sighed. "Let’s just get this over with."

The training facility’s walls flickered as the holographic battlefield materialized around us. The white-walled room transformed into an urban warzone, complete with abandoned buildings, shattered pavement, and towering debris. Smoke drifted through the simulated air, creating an eerie sense of realism.

"Objective: Survive and eliminate threats," Mr. Navarro’s voice echoed from the speakers above. "Your opponents: High-speed assault drones and automated sentries. Work as a unit, and remember—strategy over strength. Good luck."

A loud buzzer sounded.

The second the countdown hit zero, chaos erupted.

Metallic drones whirred to life, moving at inhuman speeds as they fired concentrated stun blasts. Red lights locked onto their targets. The ground shook as heavy-duty turrets emerged from the rubble, aiming down at us.

"Move!" Rue barked, already scanning the field for cover points.

I barely dodged an incoming energy shot, rolling behind a crumbling wall. "Damn, they’re fast! Time out, Sir!"

Sym redirected an energy blast midair with a swipe of his hand, sending it ricocheting into an enemy turret. "Sue, focus!"

Selena, unfazed, moved with brutal efficiency. In the time it took me to blink, she had already disabled three drones—her movements sharp, calculated. She barely exerted effort, yet the results were devastating.

"I thought you guys were strong," she taunted, sidestepping an attack before kicking a drone straight into a turret’s line of fire. "Try proving it."

Rue’s mind was already five steps ahead. "Sym, suppressing fire! Sue, follow my lead!"

I took a deep breath.

We moved as a unit—Rue calling the shots, Sym handling defense, and Selena cutting down threats like a predator among prey.

At one point, I hesitated—too many possible futures flashed in my mind, each showing different outcomes. If I moved left, I’d get hit. If I attacked now, I’d leave Rue exposed. My ability wasn’t meant for battle strategy—I saw too many options, too many risks.

And in that split second, I froze.

A drone locked onto me.

A deafening blast.

But before it could hit, Rue grabbed my wrist and yanked me away. The shot exploded against the pavement, leaving a smoking crater where I had stood.

"Sue! Stay present!" His voice was sharp, but there was concern beneath it.

I nodded, forcing myself to focus. This wasn’t just about my ability. This was about my team.

We pushed forward, dismantling threats one by one.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Selena murmur something under her breath. A nearby turret stuttered, its sensors flickering.

And then—strangely—it powered down.

A nearby opponent suddenly faltered, confusion flashing across their face before they dropped their weapon, looking utterly lost.

I narrowed my eyes. That wasn’t a coincidence.

Rue noticed too. "Selena?"

"Mind manipulation," Sym muttered. "She implants suggestions into people’s minds. The more she repeats it, the stronger it gets."

Selena smirked. "Weaker minds fall easily. But don’t worry…" She glanced at Rue, then at me. "I doubt I can make either of you bow that easily."

Rue’s jaw clenched slightly. "So you control people?"

Selena shrugged. "I suggest things. Push them in certain directions. It’s not mind control." Her smirk deepened. "Just… influence."

A strange feeling settled in my stomach.