"Wait… you're really going? Bro?!"
Hannah and the others watched as Riley calmly walked away from the raised platform that suddenly emerged from the ground. Hannah was about to step off and follow him—
Until she heard something that made her blood boil.
"I just found out from someone that your brother's a retard. Guess it runs in the family, huh?"
Bella, Pauline, and Gary stiffened at Steph's words. Their eyes slowly turned toward Hannah, and without needing to say a word, they all started backing away. The air around her had started to sizzle, shimmering with heat and distorting the space just above her skin. Her clenched fists trembled, and even the platform beneath her feet seemed to groan.
She didn't say anything. Not a word. She just raised her ID, tapped the holographic display, and officially accepted the duel.
Gary, who had no clue what Hannah was fully capable of, still followed Bella and Pauline's lead and stepped down the platform. Steph's friends, however, remained at the edge of the platform—smirking, completely oblivious to what they'd just unleashed.
"...And I thought those webnovel scenes were exaggerated," Gary mumbled as he eyed Steph's group, "Wait—what if we're actually in one right now… and I'm the main character?!"
"Brother," Bella sighed, not even looking at him, "You're not the one up there."
"I could be," Gary replied confidently, pointing at one of Steph's friends—who didn't even bother giving him a single glance. Still, he grinned, undeterred.
"After Hannah Banana beats the crap out of Common Thug number 1, it'll be the Dragon Monarch's turn to—"
Meanwhile, away from the rising commotion on the platform, Riley had truly walked off, exiting the extravagant, oversized Academy mall without so much as a glance with what was happening. And he wasn't alone.
"Riley, wait up!" Victoria's voice called out from behind.
"Oh?" Riley slightly tilted his head at the sound but didn't slow down. He just continued walking, letting Victoria catch up on her own. She hurried after him, her breath gasping when she finally reached his side.
Unfortunately for her, Riley still didn't stop. Her only option was to quicken her pace to match his stride.
"Where… where are you going?" She asked, panting lightly. Sparks danced in her green eyes as she peered at him.
"Are you seriously going to the girls' dorm?"
"Yes, Victoria," Riley nodded, pulling out his ID card and navigating through the digital map, "I need to find someone."
"Who are you t—"
Before she could finish her words, Victoria saw his ID card lift from his hand and begin to hover in the air. It spun slowly, orbiting around his finger before rising and floating just above his forearm—then suddenly froze midair.
It started to vibrate—violently, erratically, like it was glitching or resisting something.
Riley finally stopped walking and stared at the quivering card. With a simple tilt of his head, it shot forward, streaking through the air toward his face at a speed too fast to follow.
Victoria nearly gasped aloud, her body clenching at the sight—only to exhale sharply when she saw the card stop just an inch from hitting Riley's forehead.
"Are… are you okay?" She asked carefully, stepping in front of him. She kept her eyes on the card, still suspended there in front of his face.
"I-if that had hit you, you would've… Riley, you could've died."
"I know, Victoria," Riley whispered, catching the floating ID card before it could fall. He inspected it for damage, and when he was sure there wasn't any, he nodded to himself, seemingly satisfied. He tapped it again to reopen the campus map.
"What… were you even trying to do?" Victoria asked as they resumed walking.
"Training," Riley replied with a nod, his eyes forward. "I've been practicing my telekinesis whenever possible. I read online that I should start with objects I value, to force myself to be more careful. But it also said I should use random objects within reach. I am doing that now."
"Right… now?" Victoria blinked, glancing at the card. But it was still in his hand. "Wait, how—?"
"The dust, Victoria." Riley raised his finger.
Victoria squinted, and sure enough, she saw tiny particles of dust gathering above his fingertip, forming into a neat little minuscule ball that hovered and spun in the air. She was about to say something, but then she noticed something else.
Riley's hair, his baggy clothes—they weren't moving naturally as they walked. In fact, she realized now that they hadn't been moving properly at all since they left the mall.
"Wait... are you also controlling your hair and clothes?"
"Yes, Victoria," he nodded. "I have also been practicing creating a telekinetic barrier to protect my body from harm. I would have died from the card if I were not practicing it at the same time."
"You're doing all of that at the same time?" Wait… you don't seem scared by the fact that you almost died, Riley."
"I do not feel fear, Victoria." Riley shook his head. "Sister says that is the worst part of my condition."
"I… can see why she would think that," Victoria muttered with an awkward chuckle.
They walked in silence after that, crossing the academy grounds until they reached the entrance to the girls' dormitory—a surprisingly short distance from the mall.
The moment they entered, all heads turned. But not because Riley was a boy and entered the ladies' dorm—no.
"It's him! I saw him here last week!"
"Is he… albino? He looks like an elf."
"So cute. What class is he in?"
"That girl next to him... that's V, right?"
"They look good together."
"What are you saying? They're kids."
"We're all minors, dumbass."
"My eyes… the glow. It's like… ugh."
Yes. They were glowing.
Victoria's green hair and eyes shimmered faintly with light, literally, while Riley's pale silhouette reflected and bounced it like a mirror. It made them stand out, unmistakably so.
But neither of them paid it any mind. Victoria was used to attention. And Riley simply didn't care.
They were a strange pair—but strangely perfect.
Rather than taking the elevator, Riley turned toward the stairs.
"We're… not taking the elevator?" She asked as he started climbing.
"We will get lost if we do," Riley replied. "I am retracing my steps, Victoria."
"Wait… do you even know what floor we're going to?"
"No," he said flatly, "But I should remember soon."
"O…kay?"
Victoria didn't push further, but after several flights of stairs, she began to regret it. Her breath grew heavy. Her steps slowed.
"W-wait… are you sure we can't just take the elevator?" She panted, dragging herself up with the railing. Her legs felt like bricks.
Riley stopped and glanced back. Then, without a word, he turned and walked down to stand beside her. He didn't say anything. He just stood there.
Victoria, confused and still trying to catch her breath, narrowed her eyes at him.
"W-what…?" Victoria whispered. "Why are you staring at me?"
"I am not staring at you, Victoria," Riley replied plainly. "You seem tired. Would you like me to carry you with my telekinesis?"
"You can do that?"
"Yes," Riley nodded. "I have already carried someone heavier than you. Although I accidentally slammed him into a wall and scraped his back hard enough that the wall shattered."
Victoria stared at him, her eyes turning wide—then suddenly snorted before bursting into laughter.
"T-that's terrible—but kind of funny." She breathed out and straightened up. "I'm fine. I just needed a moment."
"Okay," Riley shrugged. "The room should be on the next floor, Victoria."
"Oh. You should have—let's… let's just go." Victoria braced herself and started climbing again, sparks flickering from her eyes, crackling with every step.
A few more grueling moments later, they reached the hallway. Riley walked forward calmly, stopping in front of a door. Without any hesitation, he turned the knob.
"Ah—! You should knock first!" Victoria gasped, reaching out to stop him, but fortunately, the door was locked and didn't budge.
"Hmm." Riley stepped back. "Wrong room. Ms. Katherine's room should be unlocked and open for everyone to—"
Before he could finish his words, a loud crash erupted from inside, and the door swung open violently.
"Who the fuck is trying to open my door?!"
A familiar face greeted them—but not the one Riley expected.
"You are not Ms. Katherine," Riley said calmly, pointing at her. "You are Ms. Hera."
It was indeed Hera. And very much like how Riley first met Katherine, Hera was also half-naked, dressed in a loose shirt and underwear, clearly just woken up.
"Eeeh—!" Victoria squeaked, frantically trying to cover Riley's eyes. But he swiftly dodged her hands and continued to point at their upperclassman. Hera, meanwhile, didn't seem to care at all. She blinked at them, then raised an eyebrow.
"Whitey?" she muttered. "What are you doing here? And why are you looking for Kath?"
"Do you know Ms. Katherine, Ms. Hera?"
"Please don't call me Ms., it makes me sound… fucking old," Hera groaned. "We're only like five years apart or something. And yeah, Kath's my roommate."
She leaned against the doorframe, unabashedly casual despite her lack of pants. "Wait—how do you know Kath?"
"She told me to find her if anyone ever causes me trouble, Ms. Hera. And so, I am finding her right now."
"She what now?" Hera paused, eyes narrowing. Then she glanced off to the side, lips slowly curling into a smile as she thought of something.
"She's in class right now… but I can take you to her if you want."
***
"Good afternoon, everyone. I am here to find Ms. Katherine Reed."
"What the—Who is that?! Someone get him out of there!"
A few minutes later, Riley stood calmly in the middle of Katherine's class.
And everyone was staring at him. How could they not, when he'd walked straight into the center of a live hostage simulation, where rubber bullets were currently flying in every direction?