April sat on the edge of a metal bench in the main hall, her hands clasped together as she replayed the fight in her mind. The rush of energy, the way her body reacted before she could even think—it all felt too natural.
Jax stood in front of her, arms crossed.
The others were scattered around the room, listening but letting him take the lead.
"You're at the first threshold," Jax said, his voice calm but firm. "You've felt it—the power shifting inside you, the way your Gear reacts without hesitation."
April nodded. "Yeah, but what now? I felt like I could go further."
"You can," Jax confirmed. "But before that happens, your Gear has to do one thing."
April rose an eyebrow. "And that is?"
Jax's gaze sharpened. "It has to tell you its name."
Silence.
April's lips parted in a strange smile . "Its name?"
Saya leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
"He's not talking about some random label. Every Gear has a true name—one that defines what it is at its core. That name marks it, makes it what it is."
Dante nodded. "Until you hear it, until your Gear speaks to you, you're still in the first phase. You might be strong now, but you haven't fully awakened it yet. If you had you'll be able to turn into your TakeOver Mode by now."
April exhaled, leaning back. "And how am I supposed to make it talk? It's not like I can just ask it?"
Jax smirked slightly. "That's the point. You don't make it talk. You listen."
April's hands tightened into fists. "Listen to what? I've been using this thing for weeks now, and it's never said a damn thing."
Jax tilted his head. "Hasn't it?"
April opened her mouth to argue but hesitated.
Her Gear had reacted on its own before. It had protected her. It had moved before she could think. That sigil that burned at the back of her head—it wasn't just a symbol.
It was something else.
Something alive.
Kai finally spoke up. "Once you learn the name, you own it. It becomes part of you, and you become part of it." He shrugged. "From that point on, you're not just using your Gear—you are your Gear."
April exhaled slowly.
A name.
That's what she needed to break past the threshold.
She pressed her fingers to her sigil, eyebrows narrowing in thought.
Somewhere, deep inside, she knew the answer was there.
Waiting.
Watching.
And when the time was right—
It would speak.
April looked up at the ceiling of her bunk, arms folded behind her head. Her body still buzzed from the training, but her mind was stuck on what Jax had told her.
A name.
That's what she needed.
She sighed and tried to meditate, but before she could lose herself in thought, a sharp knock echoed from the doorway.
"April," Jax's voice called. "Get up. We need to talk."
She sat up immediately. "What now?"
Jax stepped inside, tossing a folder onto the bed beside her. "Change of plans. You're going to high school."
April rose an eyebrow. "What?"
Kai, who had been lingering in the hallway, chuckled. "Man, your face right now."
April snapped her head towards his direction with a stern expression before turning back to Jax.
"Explain."
Jax sighed, rubbing his temples. "Our last move stirred things up more than expected. Ragnörak's looking for us, and we can't afford to draw more attention. Staying underground all the time isn't an option."
"So your solution is high school?"
Saya suddenly appeared out of no where leaning against the doorway. "It's the perfect cover. No one expects a blind girl in a uniform to be involved in anything dangerous. And with this we're giving a message to ragnarök."
"What message would that be?"
"We're right here infront of you, but you still can't do a thing," Saya declared a playful smile on her face.
April scoffed. "You do realize I've never been to school? Yet highschool? You all know my past," She said the last part in a whisper. But Jax, Kai and Saya all easily heard her.
Saya smiled hopelessly to herself as she spoke. "We all know. But we truly have no other choice, please forgive us for this."
April didn't say anything, but the next second she only nodded her head. Accepting the plan.
Just like Saya did Dante suddenly appeared smirking. "Good. Oh yeah I almost forgot you have to attend highschool regularly."
April's lips twitched. "You have to be kidding me."
Jax shook his head slowly, his expression stern. "We need to keep things stable. If you suddenly disappear, people start asking questions. And I already know what's running through that head of yours—something like 'No one knows me, so what's the big deal?' right?"
April froze, her mouth half open. How did he—?
But before she could voice her shock, Jax continued.
"In case you haven't heard, your case has been going viral all across social media. Everyone knows who you are now. So tell me, what do you think would happen if a girl—one who was abused by her own father—suddenly vanished after just a few weeks?"
The words hit her like a wave of ice water. Her stomach twisted. Her mind went blank.
April froze, trying to process what she'd just heard. Then, with trembling hands, she fished her phone out of her pocket and started searching. Her fingers moved faster and faster—clicks, swipes, scrolls—until she saw it.
Her name. Her photo. Her story.
Every word Jax said was true. Her case was everywhere—feeds, news outlets, forums. Faces she'd never met were talking about her.
She just looked at the screen, stunned to her core.
A minute of silence passed. No one in the room spoke. The air felt heavy, pressing down on her chest.
Finally, April's voice broke through the quiet, soft and fragile. "How… how did this happen?" Her tone cracked at the end, the words trembling.
To her surprise, it was Dante who answered. His usual calm voice carried a cold edge.
"After some digging, we found out that an officer—one who was about to be expelled for connections with the local mafia—decided to get revenge. He went through the department's closed case files and found yours. Then he leaked everything online."
April's hand slowly lowered the phone. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest.
Dante continued, his gaze steady. "But don't worry. We've already handled it. Someone's been sent to silence the officer permanently."
Kai then stepped forward, his usual playful tone completely gone, replaced by quiet concern. "Juno and Kuro are scrubbing your case from every platform as we speak. Within twelve hours, it'll be gone—every trace of it."
The room went still again.
April could feel the concern in their voices—real, heavy, genuine. She swallowed hard, forcing herself to steady her breathing. Slowly, she pulled herself together.
The tears that had begun to form along the threads of her stitched eyelids shimmered briefly… then vanished—absorbed back into her skin as she reined in her emotions, piece by piece.
April exhaled sharply. "How long do i have to attend?"
"...Until we say otherwise," Jax said. "Take this as a chance to lay low, at least for a while. So you have to act well."
April muttered something under her breath but grabbed the folder anyway.
Inside were school documents—attendance records, schedules, even a reminder about some upcoming school event.
She traced the folder around the highschool's name: WestGate High.
She groaned. "Great."
Kai grinned. "Look on the bright side. Maybe you'll actually make some friends for the first time."
April threw a pillow at his face.