Danzel glanced around their dining table. While Elio was clearly tempted by the food—things he rarely ever got to taste—it was only Danzel who seemed to be observing their surroundings. Lano and Chloe were busy chatting among themselves. Danzel rested his arm on the table, propping his face against it.
A large, old building stood around them, supported by tall pillars. Each gap between the pillars was wide open, without walls. The ceiling was adorned with ceramic tiles that told stories, along with hanging crystals. Every five wooden tables stretched fifteen meters long and one meter wide. Chairs lined both sides of the tables. Crystal chandeliers decorated every meter along their length. A rather simple cafeteria—yet undeniably authentic.
"Danzel, you're not going to eat?" Chloe asked.
Danzel finally turned to her. "It's not that… Like Professor A said, those who believe they've been granted greater blessings tend to separate themselves from those they see as different."
"Eh—eh? What do you mean?" Lano looked confused.
Meanwhile, Chloe touched her chin, clearly thinking.
"No." Danzel shook his head, then finally reached for his food.
"Come on, Danzel! We rarely ever get to eat these meatballs. You have to try them!" Elio said proudly.
"Don't talk. You're going to make a mess while eating," Danzel cut in, not even looking at Elio.
"I'm not like you, obsessed with meat," Danzel added as he placed a napkin over his chest.
"Who's obsessed with meat?! I only said RARE," Elio protested.
"Lower your voice while eating," Danzel said again.
In the end, Elio turned his face away from Danzel, continuing to eat with a sulky expression.
Chloe glanced at Elio. Even with that kind of behavior while eating… his table manners were flawless. Noble-born, perhaps?
"Sorry, but—" Chloe interjected. Elio lifted his head.
"What?"
"Elio, where did you learn dining etiquette?"
Elio glanced at Chloe briefly. "Someone… Someone whose way of speaking can be cruel at times, but gentle at others. That person taught me," Elio replied casually, continuing to eat.
"That's impressive… You can even eat calmly while people keep staring and whispering about you," Lano admitted. Honestly, he had been bothered for a while now by all the gazes directed toward their table.
"What are they whispering about?" Elio asked curiously.
Danzel lightly smacked the head of the blond-haired boy beside him.
"That's exactly why I find it strange. You already know what situation we're in, yet you still invited us to eat together," Danzel said, his tone unfriendly.
"Curiosity," Lano answered with a grin. "Not pity. I mean, who would dare cause trouble on a sacred day like this?" He chuckled softly. "They're fools for letting rumors satisfy their curiosity."
Elio listened while eating. "I still can't believe some kid managed to get lost and ruin the inauguration."
Lano laughed, downing his tea in one gulp.
"Hah… You guys know? At the peak of its sacred moment, Miss Halena was pouring out her ether magnificently in the hall. And then suddenly someone came yelling that there was an intruder."
"And on top of that, you guys were awesome! We're all new students, but you actually stood up to those arrogant senior security members. They looked totally overwhelmed."
"Right, Chloe?" Lano turned to her.
Ah… Honestly, Chloe wasn't fond of talking about past incidents.
"NEA has a protective barrier that's extremely difficult to breach. I was genuinely surprised when I heard those seniors screaming."
"I have a mission to befriend anyone, no matter who they are. So don't be suspicious of me, Danzel. Besides, Lano's curiosity has already been satisfied. We're in the same class, so I hope we can cooperate." Chloe smiled.
Elio nodded enthusiastically. It seemed the sluggish energy he had earlier had fully returned after finishing the mountain of food on his plates.
"By the way, during introductions earlier, it was strange. Professor asked Elio to demonstrate his eether. No one else was asked," Chloe said.
"Right?! Maybe because he managed to hold his own against the security members, Chloe," Lano laughed.
Lano wiped his lips with a handkerchief.
"Oh yeah, what kind of ether do you have, Elio? Water-type like Miss Halena? You're both water elements. Want to spar sometime?"
"Sure. But I don't think I'm that great… I lose to my father or mother all the time," Elio replied casually.
"He's never beaten his parents even once," Danzel said flatly.
"Heh! At least I almost won once!" Elio snapped, his face turning red.
"But that was almost, not a win," Danzel replied, resigned as Elio tugged at his collar.
"You two are like siblings, you know," Chloe laughed, covering her lips with the tips of her fingers.
"Siblings?! No way I'm siblings with him!" Elio protested loudly, crossing his arms and turning away.
"Being near him every day already feels like a mental trial. I don't think I could handle being his brother," Danzel argued.
"Mental trial …" Lano burst out laughing.
"What do you mean, mental trial?" Elio asked, turning to him.
"Try some self-reflection," Danzel said.
"What's self-reflection?" Elio tilted his head instantly.
"That's enough, you two," Chloe tried to stop the commotion, giggling softly. No matter how much they denied it, she knew they'd been extremely close since childhood.
"Oh, right—earlier on the stairs," Elio turned to Danzel.
Danzel looked back at him.
"You said you could explode. How do you do that?" Elio asked, puzzled.
"You believed that?" Danzel raised an eyebrow.
"Explode?" Lano cut in.
"Yeah, explode. Danzel said he could explode earlier."
"Eh, really?" Chloe gasped.
"You guys actually believed that? Come on, I just said it randomly. It was a metaphor," Danzel said, smacking his forehead.
Lano scratched the back of his head. What was going on, exactly? Chloe nodded, finally understanding.
"And you—why do you even want to know how to explode?" Danzel frowned at Elio.
"What else? I want to try exploding myself," Elio replied enthusiastically.
Chloe tilted her head. "H-HUH? Explode… yourself?"
Lano snapped his head toward him. "Crazy."
"Idiot, are you trying to die?!" Danzel glared at Elio, furious.
Bang!
Elio slammed the table.
Silence.
Until the dark blue obsidian—eyes always dominated by a lake-like darkness—were now overtaken by a bright blue glow.
"I won't die," Elio said firmly.
No one knew what exactly happened, but Chloe lowered her gaze the moment her eyes met Elio's. So did Lano. Danzel turned his face away.
"Sorry," Danzel said softly.
Silence again. At least, until—
"Hey—hey! Those eyes earlier… They were glowing! I swear they were glowing! You saw it too, right, Chloe?" Lano exclaimed excitedly.
"Huh? Glowing?" Elio looked confused.
"Really?" Elio turned to Danzel.
"His eyes are sensitive to sunlight," Danzel replied.
Lano nodded in understanding.
Not long after, Lano's gaze shifted toward a boy with ash-gray hair walking through the open cafeteria. His features were striking. The moment he sat down with a few friends, he became the center of attention among the girls nearby.
"Tch, golden boy," Lano scoffed.
"Lano, don't say that," Chloe warned.
"It's true, isn't it? Golden boy. He's clearly making himself a spectacle on purpose."
"I'm sure he's not like that. I spoke to him briefly in the hall. He's actually gentle," Chloe said.
"Who is he, anyway?" Elio asked, turning to Chloe.
"He's in our class. His name is Savion," Chloe replied.
Danzel glanced toward the distant table across from theirs.
"I'm certain he's deliberately using his looks to become famous," Lano crossed his arms.
"How many times have I told you not to think negatively?" Chloe shook her head.
Lano clicked his tongue in annoyance.