Chapter 141| Been A While

Chapter 141: Chapter 141| Been A While

12:41 PM.

Zane checked the time on his communicator and exhaled. Arena Two had ran longer than it felt. Somewhere between the third target and Ryan’s "luck," his stomach had started filing complaints.

He’d walked out of the practical with the drill still ringing in his hands. Six targets, six hits, and the only reaction he’d gotten was Ryan muttering like it was a personal insult.

’Afternoon already,’ he thought. ’Might as well eat.’

He pocketed the communicator and turned the corner without looking.

Something soft hit his chest.

"Sorry, I..."

The first thing he registered was an oversized purple hoodie. Cuffs swallowing the hands, hem sitting somewhere near the thighs. He knew that kind of hoodie. He’d seen it across a cafeteria table more times than he could count.

He didn’t look up right away. He just stood there, staring at it.

’I already know who this is,’ he thought.

He looked up anyway.

Sera. Hair down, olive eyes half-lidded, a protein bar wrapper still crumpled in one hand. Right on the money.

"Zane."

"Sera."

They said it at the exact same time, like they’d rehearsed it.

"Been a while," they both said.

A beat. She almost smiled. He almost laughed.

『 Sera Dunne — Familiarity +1% 』

『 Current: 37% — Acquaintance tier 』

’Even the system counts our run-ins,’ he thought.

『 The system counts everything. 』

"You’re coming from the drill," Sera said, nodding at the bag on his shoulder.

"Obviously. It was a joint session. You were on the floor."

"I noticed." She tilted her head. "Want to grab lunch? You only show up at intervals. I never know what you actually eat."

Zane scratched the back of his head. "Honestly? I don’t even know." He laughed. "Wherever there’s food."

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Torre’s mystery supply chain surfaced. The unmarked containers. The food that appeared like magic on Dex’s bed.

’Better keep that one secret,’ he thought.

"Lead the way, then," Sera said.

_ _

The cafeteria at 1 PM was running at its slowest. A few tables occupied, trays clinking somewhere near the back, the smell of grilled meat drifting from the counter.

They took the corner table. The same one they always ended up at, even though neither of them had ever agreed to it.

Sera dropped her bag, flagged the server, and held up two fingers. "Two coffees."

Then she looked at Zane. "So what are you ordering today?"

"Hmm." He studied the menu board. "Grilled chicken rice bowl. Extra sauce."

"Boring."

"Reliable."

"Boring." She turned to the server. "Same for me. Add fries."

"You’re stealing mine anyway," Zane said.

"I’m prepared this time."

The food came fast. Steam, glossy sauce, rice stacked high, and a pile of crisp fries parked between them like a treaty. The coffee arrived in thick white mugs that were slightly too hot to hold.

They ate without talking for a while. It was the easy kind of quiet they’d built over the weeks. No performance, no assessment, no Heatwave. Just a girl in a purple hoodie and a boy trying to remember the last time he’d eaten a proper meal.

"Your friends were loud, by the way," Sera said eventually. "Nil’s laugh carried across the whole floor."

"That’s Nil."

"And the one who kept glaring at her?"

"Maren."

"She’s good." Sera dipped a fry in his sauce. "Her sigil trail was clean. She just doesn’t trust it enough yet."

Zane turned that over. It was a sharper read than he’d managed in six weeks of training beside her.

Halfway through the bowl, Sera set her fork down.

"By the way. I haven’t told you congrats." The smirk crept across her face, the real one. "For clicking B-rank. That’s quite impressive."

"Thanks."

"Six weeks ago you were sigilless. Don’t let it go to your head."

"Six weeks ago I was a lot of things."

She laughed, short and quiet, the kind she let out when something landed right. Then her eyes drifted past him toward the window. Back to him.

"Also. During the drill, the girl on the observation rail. Blue hair."

Zane’s fork paused.

"Her heat signature didn’t move for forty seconds. Not a shift, not a breath out of rhythm." Sera picked a fry off his plate and studied it. "Whatever she was watching, she was watching it very carefully."

"Nyx," Zane said.

"Mm." She chewed. "Didn’t feel hostile. Just curious. Thought you should know."

He held her gaze for a moment.

’Everyone keeps handing me things,’ he thought. ’Nyx. Vael. Kael. Now Sera. Everybody in this building has something for me and nobody’s explaining why.’

『 System Note: The host is collecting warnings from every direction. The system recommends keeping a list. 』

’I’m keeping a list,’ he thought.

"Thanks," he said out loud. "I’ll keep it in mind."

Sera nodded and went back to the fries like she’d told him the weather.

They finished a little before two. She stood first and shouldered her bag.

"I have class. Don’t be a stranger."

"I’ll try."

"You’ll try." One eyebrow went up. "Right."

She left, the purple hoodie disappearing through the door.

Zane stayed a few more seconds, finishing his coffee. Then he stood and headed for the dorm.

_ _

Zane skipped the afternoon lectures and went straight back to his dorm. Lectures after a drill were never that serious anyway, and he had an event to prepare for.

Room 714 was quiet. Dex was out. Gerald wheezed from the corner vent, steady as a metronome nobody had asked for.

Zane dropped his bag and checked his communicator.

Maren: 7 PM. West gate. Don’t be late.

He read it twice.

West gate. He ran through every map of Aldren he had in his head. East wing, practical complex, dormitory block, cafeteria, guest rooms, training grounds. He’d walked most of this campus by now.

’I don’t even remember this school having a restaurant on the west side,’ he thought.

He looked at the message again, then thought of his account balance. He didn’t even know how much was in it.

’Nil’s going to get her dinner, and Maren’s going to get her revenge through my wallet.’

『 System Note: The host is correct on all counts. 』

’All counts?’

『 The restaurant exists. The bill will be large. The host does not know much about this school. 』

He sighed and headed for the shower.

When he came back he stood in front of his clothes longer than he wanted to admit. Hoodie? Jacket? It was a dinner, not a mission. Still, Nil would notice, and Maren would notice Nil noticing.

’This is ridiculous,’ he thought.

He settled on a black shirt and dark jeans, then caught himself in the mirror and stopped.

Tonight was dinner. Tomorrow, 8 AM, Arena 3, was Nyx and a Sigil he still didn’t know how to use. A lot was lining up behind a plate of food.

’There’s a lot I don’t know about this place,’ he thought. ’Might as well start with the west gate.’