Zev was still paused mid-gulp, the banana milk bottle hovering awkwardly near his lips.
The incoming group of boys had flooded the corridor with noise so loud and careless it set off every alarm in his chest.
He'd always been sensitive to sudden appearances, voices pitched too high, laughter that sounded like blunt knives scraping. His anxiety flared.
Slowly, he lowered the drink, deciding it was safer to wait until they passed before continuing. No sense risking a choking death in public.
The pack came striding down the hall, five loud first-years orbiting around a single green-haired giant who made the space feel smaller just by existing.
Rin Paragon.
Zev recognized him in an instant. The ridiculously tall one with perfectly styled hair and dark green eyes behind square glasses.
Zev's mother had mentioned him once, with a hopeful smile that had felt more like an order:
"I heard the Paragon family's third son is also enrolled at the academy. You should befriend him. And before you refuse... your father and his are quite acquainted. It wouldn't hurt to have a familiar face around."
Not that Zev had ever believed that would happen.
Rin wasn't alone. He was flanked by a bunch of thug-looking guys: Seth Ban, Ugo Ingwe, Nooriel Qadim, and two other faceless followers the plot had yet to deem relevant.
Seth led the noise.
The Ossafex boy had short green hair with a scar slashing through one eyebrow. His pale skin was mottled with near-transparent patches that made him look half-unfinished. His black eyes gleamed with mischief as he spoke far too loudly, clearly trying to impress Rin.
His uniform was a disaster: shirt untucked, buttons undone, a black tee flashing underneath, no tie in sight.
Ugo was all contrast. Smooth ebony skin, cream-dyed buzz cut that matched the pattern of a leopard, thick brows, black feline eyes with vertical slits.
His tie hung loose around his neck like an afterthought. He carried himself like laughter was a permanent accessory.
Nooriel walked a step behind, sleeveless cardigan over a neatly buttoned shirt, tie fastened, black-copper hair catching the light.
His half-lidded eyes radiated disdain, as if the whole world was a tedious lecture he'd already heard.
Rin, towering above the group in his pristine uniform, hadn't asked to be part of their circus.
He was already on his way to the snack store when he ran into Seth, who suggested they all walk together since they were heading the same way. He'd agreed with a nod.
Seth had taken that single nod as divine validation and was now talking like they were childhood friends reunited.
Rin thought he was insufferable. He sighed inwardly, tuning out Seth's desperate chatter.
And yet, he couldn't tune out the aura. Ossafex always carried an uncomfortable undertone; the smell of damp soil, the press of buried weight, the pain of cramped muscles.
Rin's senses picked it up immediately, pricking at his patience. Another reason to regret coming along.
Seth's yapping was endless.
"I'm telling you, Ossafex legacies are unmatched," he said, flexing his jaw like the scar over his brow was a medal.
"My uncle manifested his legendary Imprint 'Flesh Crucible' before he hit 20. They still study his dive catalogues in Nightmarecraft."
Ugo barked a laugh, his tie swinging loose. "Ya uncle just lucky he never explode like a melon. Ossafex bodies too fragile, ah. One wrong pull, ya guts scatter on da floor."
Nooriel smirked faintly. "Charming image. No wonder nobody sits with you at lunch."
Seth waved them off, pressing forward, voice pitching higher as he glanced at Rin.
"But Paragons though… that's the gold standard, isn't it? Everybody knows their Imprints manifest early. Top-tier stuff. I've even heard people say a Paragon's nightmare can't be replicated. Like it's basically impossible. Lit as fuck, man."
Rin didn't reply, adjusting his glasses like he hadn't even heard.
Seth chuckled awkwardly, doubling down. "No, r–really, I mean... it's impressive. Families like yours set the bar. Most of us? We're clawing for scraps. But a Paragon? You're born lucky. Born perfect."
Rin's jaw tightened almost imperceptibly. 'He keeps saying unnecessary things. Should I just ask to leave first?'
Ugo tilted his head, teeth flashing in amusement. "Easy, Seth. Ya tongue gonna get stuck so far up Paragon's shoes, he trip on it."
That earned a snort from Nooriel.
"Pretty sure it's too late to reason with him. He's currently down with terminal Rinpickmecitis."
Seth ignored them, too busy watching Rin, desperate for even the smallest sign of acknowledgement.
Rin gave none.
Zev, meanwhile, kept pretending his sneakers were the most fascinating artifacts in Dreamsdale.
But then Seth, in his overeager name-dropping, said Rin again. And Zev's eyes flicked up on instinct.
At the same moment, Rin's gaze landed on him. For a breath, their eyes locked; amethyst meeting dark green.
Zev immediately flinched, dropping his gaze back to his shoes. His fingers squeezed the banana milk tighter. He forced himself to act natural and take a sip, but each swallow felt like drinking tiny needles.
Rin didn't look away. Something about the boy nagged at him. Familiar yet strange.
'Where have I seen that face before…?'
That attention did not go unnoticed. Seth, already insecure about Rin's indifference, followed his gaze and saw the scrawny kid with the milk bottle.
Rage bloomed in his chest, ugly and sour. Rin hadn't given him so much as a real glance, but suddenly he was staring at some pipsqueak who looked fresh out of kindergarten?
Zev felt the glare before he saw it, prickling across his skin. His body wanted to move, but his feet were concrete.
Then came the chuckle, low and mocking; the kind of laugh you give when the joke is standing right there.
"Wow," Seth drawled. "Didn't know the academy opened its doors to twelve-year-olds. Look at that little guy."
Laughter erupted from his friends, fuelling his ego.
Zev's stomach twisted.
'Of course. Height. It's always my height.'
He was five-four, which wasn't that short, but people loved acting like it was a cosmic sin. He hadn't asked for this body. He hadn't asked to be someone's entertainment piece.
Still, instead of shrinking, he lifted his head and glared.
A ripple passed through the small crowd of onlookers. It was a bold move. Everyone had expected him to cower.
Seth's grin faltered for a second, then re-shaped into something hungrier.
'Oh, you want to play tough? Then I'll enjoy breaking you.'
"Aww, look at that feisty glare." He smirked, looming forward slowly. "This midget actually thinks he's something. Isn't he cute?"
Ugo burst out laughing, accent thick. "Ya betta not hit him, Seth! He look like he pass out from one jab, hahaha!"
Nooriel, yawning, added dryly, "Seth, you absolute idiot. Can you not act like a hooligan for one minute? Your true colors are showing again."
"Not the desert bitch giving me a lecture," Seth shot back with mockery. They always traded insults as if it was bonding.
Around them, disgust stirred. Whispers spread: First day of the term and they're already causing trouble… thugs… lowlifes.
But none stepped in.
Up close, Seth finally saw Zev's eyes. Amethyst, luminous, almost gemlike. Eyes like that usually marked specific bloodlines. Could this shrimp really belong to one?
He opened his mouth to ask, but Rin's voice cut through the air before he could, colder than stone.
"Are you done?"
It wasn't loud, but the entire hallway froze. Literally froze. Like every vein had turned to ice water. Even Zev's bottle slipped from his fingers.
Seth felt his heart stop. He'd forgotten Rin was even there.
He turned with excuses ready, but they shriveled on his tongue when he saw those dark eyes get even darker behind the glasses.
Rin's aura was suffocating. His posture was calm, but every inch radiated fury restrained by razor-thin control.
"Ban," Rin said flatly, using Seth's surname like a curse. "Did I miss something here? You asked to walk with me to the café. I agreed. So tell me, what exactly are you doing right now?"
Seth swallowed hard, forcing his mouth into a grin. "Ah, Rin... It's not what you think, I swear. I was just messing with the little guy. A harmless joke."
"A harmless joke?" Rin repeated, voice dropping lower, sharper.
What Seth didn't understand was that Rin rarely hated anything. But he despised cruelty. Those who preyed on weakness, who built their pride on another's pain.
'I should have refused his invitation. Just as I thought… I'm better off alone. What a waste of time.'
He exhaled, disappointment heavy, and turned to leave before his fury snapped loose. His reputation mattered; he wouldn't stain it for someone like Seth.