By my fourth visit to Healer Roy, my blisters were gone.

And so was the excitement surrounding me being Victor Fox’s daughter. Students stopped whispering when I walked by, and before long everyone had become more interested in mastering their own abilities than wondering the hell about mine.

Bambi and I were becoming inseparable. We only didn’t share two classes, so the other four we spent sitting together. She was insanely smart… and far stronger than she looked. During a strength training class with Rg. Ramona, she kicked a Brown EyE straight across a one-hundred-foot room…

…and she did it delicately.

The whole class roared after that match, and everyone in our section knew she was a force to be reckoned with. It made me want to be her friend even more, and it motivated me to keep training.

I was expecting a lesson for my ability today so I could finally take off these gloves, but Ondrea didn’t even let us go to our cubicles. Instead, she had us reading about the fundamentals of our individual abilities and different ways to use them.

It was informative…

But I was disappointed.

I must’ve looked irritated because Bambi laughed.

“Just be patient. Some of the strongest EyEs in history didn’t awaken their abilities until later.”

I smiled. I knew everyone was right, but after being cooped up for so long, I was ready to show everyone who I was…

And that I wasn’t just Victor Fox’s daughter.

“You’re right,” I said. “I’ll try to stop dwelling on it.”

Our last class of the day was with Dice. She always gave interesting lectures and ability demonstrations. She’d even let students come up and demonstrate their own abilities, showing different ways they could be used outside of combat.

…Except for me, of course.

I shared this class with Bambi and Lion.

Bambi and I walked to class together but stopped in our tracks.

The room was completely different.

Our desks were gone.

No other students were around.

A section of the floor had been pulled back, revealing a staircase leading down to a heavy metal door.

“I guess class is in a creepy cellar today,” Bambi said before starting down the stairs.

I followed behind her.

Once we opened the door…

There were more stairs.

“Yeah… one more flight and I’m turning around.”

Bambi laughed.

But I could tell she wasn’t joking.

I laughed with her.

As we descended, distant chatter echoed upward.

The stairs emptied into a winding hallway that led to a massive room lined with monitors.

The rest of the class was already there.

They looked just as confused as we were.

Rg. Dice was nowhere in sight.

“Hmph… that’s weird. Where’s Rg. Dice?” I asked, looking around.

Suddenly…

The walls around us began to glow.

Everyone looked around.

Then…

Thin blue lines raced across the floor before climbing into the air.

At first…

They looked like beams of light.

Then…

Bones.

Muscles.

Armor.

Faces.

Within seconds, dozens of EyE Phantoms stood throughout the room.

One beside every student.

“What the hell?!” someone shouted.

Every Phantom stood perfectly still, staring straight ahead.

“Tuh! What the hell is this? Some kind of test?” Hezron asked.

He was a Brown EyE who usually hung around Lion.

He reached over and poked the Phantom standing beside him.

Without warning the Phantom grabbed his wrist.

Hezron jerked his hand away.

“Yeah… you’re gonna wish you didn’t do that, buddy.”

He pulled his arm back, ready to swing.

“Hezron, for Pete’s sake, have some restraint.”

Dice entered through a side door.

She looked between Hezron and the Phantom.

“Honestly…

Would you want to be poked?”

Hezron immediately looked embarrassed.

“Uh… no, Rg. Dice.”

“Look…

You done pissed off Seventy-Eight.”

She motioned toward the Phantom beside him.

Hezron slowly looked over.

Seventy-Eight was still staring directly at him.

“Uh…

Sorry, Seventy-Eight.”

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

The Phantom continued staring for another few seconds…

Then calmly looked forward again.

Bambi giggled.

“Rg. Dice… are they real? Like… alive?”

Dice smiled.

“Well… they’re not alive.

That doesn’t mean they aren’t real.”

She stepped in front of the class.

“From now on, the Phantom standing beside you will be your nemesis.

Every time you enter my class, you’ll face your nemesis in battle.”

Excited murmurs spread through the room.

Each day it will use a new combat technique, so don’t think you’ll win through memorization alone. 

To complete my class, you’ll have to defeat your Phantom using all seven fighting techniques.”

“Easy,” Hezron said with a smirk.

“Mmhmm…

You think so?” Dice smiled.

“I do, Rg. Dice.

I’m very confident in my strength.”

Dice nodded, still smiling.

“These EyE Phantoms were designed by Victor Fox.”

I felt everyone’s eyes shift toward me.

I kept looking forward…

But I smiled to myself.

Leave it to my father.

“Each one is a programmable projection capable of physical interaction.

Their purpose isn’t to overpower you.

It’s to expose your mistakes.”

“So…

Am I stronger than Seventy-Eight?” Hezron asked, pointing beside him.

“Possibly…”

Dice smiled.

“…Depends on your definition of strength.”

Hezron looked confused…

But decided not to ask.

“So do we get to use our abilities against these things?” another student shouted.

“Absolutely.

This is one of the best opportunities you’ll have to develop your fighting style while learning how to use your abilities on your own.

You’re all welcome to use them.”

Her eyes lingered on me just a little longer when she said all.

That was all I needed to hear.

I couldn’t stop myself from smiling.

“Through that door is another training hall filled with individual combat rooms.

Each of you has your own designated room where you’ll battle your Phantom.

You’re welcome to train against your nemesis outside of class as often as you’d like, as long as you check in first.”

The class erupted into cheers.

Dice waited for everyone to settle down.

“Your rooms are monitored, so we’ll know when you’ve successfully defeated a technique.”

If a yellow light appears after your session, stay where you are. That means I have critiques.

These sessions are meant to be completed alone, but I’ll offer guidance whenever it’s needed.

Train to the best of your ability…

And don’t underestimate your nemesis.

They’re very smart…

And very capable.”

She shot Hezron a look.

“Alright!

Let’s get you all to your rooms.”

Everyone cheered again.

I looked over at my EyE Phantom.

His eyes were multicolored.

He was tall…

Almost unnaturally lean.

Yet somehow still muscular.

He wore a black combat suit reinforced with chest armor and heavy steel boots with the number twenty-four stamped across them.

“I guess he’s Twenty-Four,” I muttered.

He looked at me.

Gave a small nod.

Then turned and began walking toward the training rooms.

“I hope I don’t get my ass whipped today,” Bambi said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

I laughed as we walked through the doorway.

Beyond it was another enormous room lined with individual doors, just like Dice had said.

Each one had our names glowing above it in bright lettering.

As we stepped farther inside…

Lion and Hezron walked over.

“Y’all wanna make this even more fun?” Lion asked with a grin.

Bambi and I exchanged suspicious looks.

“Alright, so look,” Hezron began.

“Me and Lion did a sweep of the class, and my guy here thinks that besides us, you two are the strongest.”

He shrugged.

“I mean…

Personally, I think y’all bad and all, but—”

Lion nudged him.

“We wanna make a bet.”

Hezron smirked.

“Let’s see which team beats their nemesis first.”

“Ooooh…

What do we get if we win?” Bambi asked excitedly.

Hezron shot her a flirtatious look.

“A date with me.”

Bambi stared at him.

Silence.

Then Hezron laughed.

“Nah, we don’t know yet.

We’re just tryna see who’s strongest.”

Lion looked directly at me before glancing back at Hezron.

“If we win…

Euphoria has to convince her dad to throw a party at the tower.”

“Aww, fuck yeah!”

Hezron slapped hands with Lion.

“Why my place?” I asked.

“Uhhh…

Girl…”

Bambi lowered her voice.

“Everyone’s wanted to see inside that tower since the beginning of time.”

I laughed.

“Fine.

But if we win, you two have to personally make our lunches and snacks for thirty days.”

Bambi clasped her hands together.

“That would be heavenly.”

Lion laughed.

“PERSONALLY? Thirty days?” Hezron yelled.

“Uh oh…

Someone’s doubting himself,” I said with a sneer.

“Shiiit, no.

That tower party’s happening,” Hezron laughed.

We all shook on it before separating for our first training session.

Lion’s room happened to be right beside mine.

“Good luck,” he said with a grin before disappearing inside.

I looked up at my own door.

“Shit…”

I laughed to myself.