The weekend had ended, and people were returning to their routines of work and school. Tension still lingered among the civilians, prompting tighter security across the city starting today. Armed forces patrolled the streets actively, keeping watch over every corner.

The day seemed calm and beautiful, for now. But weather reports from last night had warned of a small storm passing by the island, bringing the possibility of heavy rain.

8:55 A.M.

At the East-Wing Warriors Academy, students were arriving for their classes after early morning training.

Cassie walked through the corridors and finally reached her classroom, 1-S2. More than half of the seats were already occupied, and the chatter of students filled the room.

She ignored the noise and quietly stepped in. The moment she did, almost everyone went silent. As always, her presence drew attention.

She didn’t speak to anyone without a proper reason, and no one dared approach her without one. Even her fans knew to keep their distance.

Unlike Cassie, Viara was friendly despite her status—kind, cheerful, and always ready to help others. But today, she was nowhere to be seen, her absence known only to a few.

As Cassie approached her desk, her eyes fell on the last seat in the row, where Zen was sound asleep. Finn sat at the desk ahead, absorbed in his notes.

Cassie slid into her seat and set her bag on the desk, already unzipping it to take out her notebooks.

Her gaze drifted to Zen’s sleeping form now and then, and for once, she understood his exhaustion.
She knew that his presence that night—saving her and the others—was no coincidence.
“Does he deal with trouble every night?” she thought, staring at a blank page in her notebook.

Just then, the instructor entered, breaking her thoughts. Everyone stood to greet them. Finn gave Zen a small nudge, and Zen slowly opened his eyes, yawning as he rose.

The instructor greeted the class and signaled them to sit. Cassie glanced at Zen once more, but he didn’t look back. After a few moments, she let out a quiet sigh and returned her attention to the teacher. For now, she decided to focus on class.

After a chaotic night, settling back into the normalcy of school life would take some time.

After four periods, the bell finally rang, signaling the start of lunchtime. Some students pulled out their lunchboxes, while others organized their books.

Finn stretched lazily as he got up from his desk.

Zen looked up. “Toilet break before lunch?”

“Yep,” Finn replied.

Zen smirked. “Every single day. What do you even have for breakfast?”

Finn laughed. “Nothing special, bro. A trip to the restroom is just part of the routine.”

Zen pushed his chair back, the legs scraping lightly against the floor. “Meet you at the cafeteria.”

Finn nodded and headed out of the classroom toward the restroom.

Cassie watched the exchange from her desk as she packed her bag. Once done, she stood and walked over to Zen, who was leaning against his desk, scrolling through his phone.

She approached confidently, keeping her tone casual. “Hey, Zen. You’re going to the cafeteria, right?”

Zen looked up. “Yeah?”

Cassie smiled. “Great! Me too. Let’s have lunch together.”

The class froze mid-motion, pin-drop silence. No one could believe their eyes—or their ears. The quiet, intimidating princess of the class… had just asked someone to join her for lunch?

Since the start of the semester, no one had even seen her speak to anyone besides Viara, let alone invite someone to sit with her.

Zen put his phone in his pocket. “Ok. Finn will join us later as well.”

Cassie nodded, and both casually walked out of the classroom, heading towards the cafeteria.

Everyone in the class remained stunned—until someone finally broke the silence.
“Didn’t she hate his guts just a few days ago? What changed?”

Sighs and groans came from a few students—the same pranksters who had swapped the restroom gender signs that day.

“And he’s the one she’s friends with…?”

“He was supposed to be dead!”

“Yep. Totally our fault.”

Cassie and Zen walked toward the cafeteria together, side by side, drawing attention from some. But it didn’t bother either of them.

Cassie stared at the floor as she walked, a hint of worry on her face. Zen glanced at her and quickly understood what was bothering her.

“So, how’s Elysia doing?” he asked quietly.

The worry on Cassie’s face deepened. “She’s... traumatized. Even had a fever yesterday. Our maid is taking care of her.”

Zen’s expression remained stoic. “Understandable.”

“But it gets worse in this line of work,” he added. “The path of a warrior is never easy.”

Cassie only nodded.

“I hope she recovers quickly,” Zen said simply.

Cassie’s tension eased a little. “Thank you. She did say she plans to attend classes again very soon.”
“Good to hear,” Zen replied.

His gaze shifted to the school field, crowded with passing students, but his mind lingered elsewhere.
If only I’d gotten there sooner… she wouldn’t have suffered so much.

Amidst their conversation, the two arrived in front of the cafeteria. The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by the smell of various cuisines, the chatter of students ordering lunch, and the clatter of trays as staff moved busily behind the counters.

Students from other classes were still arriving, so no line had formed yet. After a few students finished ordering, Zen and Cassie stepped forward. Cassie scanned the menu, weighing her options, while Zen ordered what he had already decided on.

“Pasta and a chocolate milkshake, please.”

A simple, functional dish paired with a drink he could safely enjoy. Cassie chose fried chicken and a small cup of ice cream for dessert.

“Follow me,” Zen said, leading the way once they had their orders. Cassie trailed behind him to the table he usually sat at. She was a little surprised at what she saw—but maybe she shouldn’t have been.

Madoka was already at the table, enjoying the ramen she had prepared herself, waiting for Zen and Finn. Cassie now had to navigate the tricky task of making friends with yet another rival.

Madoka’s eyes landed on Zen, then flicked to Cassie behind him.

She studied them for a moment before giving Zen a teasing grin. “Didn’t know your girlfriend was joining us today.”

Cassie’s face turned bright red. “What?!”

Madoka laughed. “Relax. I’m joking.”

Zen sighed as he took a seat. “We’re friends. Which means she’s also your friend.”

Madoka smirked. “What if I don’t want to be friends with her?”

“Deal with it,” he replied, picking up a plastic fork.

Cassie silently sat beside Zen.

Madoka glanced at Cassie’s tray. “Fried chicken? I don’t mean to be rude, but that’s the worst food you can get here.”

Cassie raised an eyebrow. “Is it?”

“Try it,” Madoka said.

Cassie took a bite, chewing slowly to test the flavor. Her eyes narrowed in disappointment. “It’s so... bland.”

“Told you,” Madoka said, returning her attention to her meal.

Zen looked at Cassie. “You can return it if you don’t like it.”

Madoka teased, “I’m sure they’ll immediately compensate if you’re the one complaining.”

Cassie paused, then shook her head. “No… I’ll just finish it. I don’t want to cause trouble. It’s edible, at least.”

Madoka smirked, amused. “Since when did you become so considerate?”

She glanced at Zen. He just shrugged, chewing.

Cassie said nothing, focusing on finishing the bland fried chicken as quickly as possible.

Just two tables away, three students from class 1-S1 watched them while eating lunch.

“She dueled him, and now she’s having lunch with him?” Max asked, a mix of confusion and jealousy in his voice.
“I don’t even dare to talk to her.”

Edric, the quiet, sharp one, adjusted his glasses. “He was also seen with President Marcevelle just a few days ago.”

“Really?” Max leaned closer.

Alex, the girl sitting with them, studied Zen for a moment.
“He doesn’t strike me as the type to chase attention,” she said bluntly.

“He isn’t,” Edric replied. “He’s Madoka Fuyukawa’s brother, a recent transfer, and… pretty reserved, if anything.”

Alex took a bite of her food. “So that’s why. Being the brother of an S-rank sure has its perks.”

“How do you know all this, Ed?” Max asked.

Edric’s face remained expressionless. “I’m just more aware of things happening in the academy.”

Zen was quietly eating—until he wasn’t. He gulped, took a sip of his milkshake, but when he was about to pick up pasta with his fork again, his hand froze. His mind got lost, and his vision subtly blurred.

His left arm stiffened, and his right eye twitched just a little. Everyone but Madoka missed it. She was too sharp to miss even the tiniest detail, especially when it involved Zen.

“You, okay?” she asked.

Zen blinked, then continued eating. “I’m fine. Just... tired.”

Madoka’s eyes narrowed. “Right…”

But she decided not to press further, for now.

Cassie looked at Zen. “Did something happen?”

“No,” Zen replied and went back to chewing.

Just then, Finn arrived at the table, balancing his tray carefully as he scanned the seats.

He stopped short when he noticed Cassie sitting beside Zen.
“Huh,” he muttered. “That’s new.”

Zen glanced up. “You’re late.”

“Bathroom line,” Finn replied, sliding into the chair beside Madoka and setting his tray down—a grilled cheese sandwich with a generous portion of fries on the side.

Zen looked at the fries. “Can’t live without them, huh?”

Finn smirked. “Just like you can’t without milkshakes.”

Zen smirked back. “Fair.”

Finn leaned back slightly. “So… didn’t expect Princess Lysandra to join us for lunch today.”

Cassie hesitated for a fraction of a second. “Is that a problem?”

“No, no,” Finn said quickly. “Just… surprising. Zen doesn’t usually bring people here.”

“I didn’t bring her. She asked,” Zen said, chewing.

Cassie frowned slightly. “I did. And just call me Cassie. No need for formalities.”

Finn raised both hands. “Alright. Formalities out the window. Call me Finn.”

Madoka chuckled. “Look at that. Progress.”

Cassie glanced at Zen, then back at the others. “Do you always sit here?”

“Yeah,” Finn replied. “Same table, same time.”

Madoka added, “Less trouble.”

Cassie considered that, then nodded slightly, as if committing the information to memory.

The four continued eating. The tension that had once hovered over the table was gone, replaced by something unfamiliar—but not unwelcome.

But throughout the entirety of lunchtime, Madoka’s eyes never stopped monitoring Zen.