Chapter 79| Rehearsing In The Dark

Chapter 79: Chapter 79| Rehearsing In The Dark

Zane arrived at Room 714 at exactly 5:00 PM.

He pushed through the door.

Dex was awake for once. Sitting at his desk with his laptop open and a cup of something hot and Torre was on the bed eating from a container with no confirmed origin. The specific Saturday evening energy of people who had nowhere to be and had made peace with that.

Gerald wheezed.

Zane dropped his bag and sat on his bed.

Dex looked over.

"You actually left campus," Dex said.

"Yeah, I used a weekend pass," Zane replied.

"I know about the pass," Dex said. "I didn’t think you’d actually use it." He looked at Zane’s face. "You went with someone."

Zane looked at the ceiling wondering if he should respond to that or not.

"How’s my Observation skills," Dex said. Not a question. Just noting it.

Torre looked up from his container briefly. Then back down. Filing it under not his business with the efficiency of someone who had been doing that his entire life.

"How was the city," Dex said.

"Good," Zane replied. "First time out since arriving."

Dex stared at him.

"That’s like six weeks," Dex said.

"Yeah," Zane confirmed.

Dex shook his head slowly in the specific way of someone who found something both predictable and slightly concerning.

Dex looked at him for a long moment.

"I know you went out with a girl," Dex said. "Hope she has nice boobs and ass."

"Shush," Zane said. "It’s definitely none of your business."

"But you were the one who asked me about privacy options at 2:45 AM," Dex added." If I remember correctly".

Zane stared at him.

Dex raised both hands slightly.

"Don’t worry," he said. "I won’t tell Torre."

"Dex," Torre said from the bed without looking up from his container. "Shut up for once."

Dex looked at Torre.

Then back at his laptop.

"Glad you got out," he said simply.

Gerald wheezed.

Zane lay back on his bed.

’None of their business,’ he thought.

The system surfaced.

『 Dex is not wrong about the question he raised at 2:45 AM. Cross referencing all known locations within academy premises. The guest room remains the highest probability privacy location at approximately 80%. Located Third floor. East wing. The system has done the research. 』

’Nobody asked you to do that research,’ Zane thought.

『 The system anticipated the need. You’re welcome. 』

’I genuinely cannot stand you,’ Zane thought.

『 And yet here we are. Your timer is ticking.. 』

’Not the time,’ Zane replied mentally.

『 It will be the time soon. 』

Gerald wheezed.

Zane lay on his bed at 7:00 PM staring at the ceiling.

Dex had moved from laptop to whatever Torre’s container situation was. The room running its Saturday night rhythm. Comfortable, low stakes, the specific energy of people with no Monday urgency yet.

The timer was running in the corner of his vision.

『 BOUND TARGET QUEST — Time Remaining: 1 day 05 hours 44 minutes 』

’29 hours and some minutes,’ he thought.

He stared at it.

’Tomorrow morning is cutting it close,’ he thought. ’But it’s still within the window.’

’Tomorrow morning,’ he thought. ’During the training session. After she finishes her last burst sequence and picks up her water bottle and the session moves toward its natural end.’ ℴℴ𝘮

’That’s the window,’ he thought. ’That’s where the dynamics change.’

He thought about today.

The gate. The sundress. The bucket hat and the glasses and the lipstick he hadn’t been expecting. The bookshop and the stationery store and the sports supplier where she’d pointed at the right sleeve without being asked. Ember & Co and the window table and someone. She’d said someone, specifically, not somewhere, not something, someone.

And the smirk she’d been giving him all morning.

’She said she wanted to spend time with someone,’ he thought. ’And she came to the gate at 9:00 AM in a sundress.’

’That’s not nothing,’ he thought.

The system surfaced.

『 That is correct. It is not nothing. 』

’I know,’ Zane thought.

『 You have been saying I know a lot lately. The system notes that knowing and doing are different actions. 』

’I’m aware,’ Zane thought.

『 The system is going to stop responding to that phrase. 』

Zane looked at the ceiling.

’What do I say,’ he thought. ’When she finishes the session and picks up the water bottle and I stop her before she heads back. What do I actually say.’

He ran it.

’Maren I’ve been paying attention,’ he thought. ’Not just to the training. Not just to the Sigil timing and the chain activation and the burst sequences. To you.’

He stopped.

’That sounds rehearsed,’ he thought.

He ran it again differently.

’Six weeks,’ he thought. ’Six weeks in the same corner and I never said anything real. And now I have one morning left on a timer that I didn’t tell you about and can’t explain and I need to say something real before it expires.’

He stopped again.

’That’s worse,’ he thought. ’The timer makes it worse.’

The system surfaced.

『 Do not mention the timer. Under any circumstances. 』

’I know, shush your interrupting,’ Zane said mentally.

『 The system is going to start charging for responses to that phrase. 』

Dex laughed at something on his screen.

Torre said something that didn’t need a response.

Gerald wheezed.

The room ran its Saturday night around him and Zane stared at the ceiling.

’What do you say to someone who has been in the same corner every morning for six weeks,’ he thought. ’Someone who probably likes you back.’

’Women and their mixed signals,’ he thought. ’Not that I have a choice at this point. Timer says I don’t.’

He almost laughed at the ceiling.

’I’ll figure it out,’ he thought. ’Tomorrow. When I’m standing there.’

『 The system recommends against improvising. 』

’The system can mind its business,’ Zane thought.

『 The system’s business is exactly this. 』

’Then help me,’ Zane thought.

The system stayed quiet for a moment.

’Actually no,’ Zane said mentally . ’That’s what you’d want me to say. Don’t worry system, I have everything under control.’

『 The system will hold you to that. 』

’Gladly,’ Zane replied mentally.

He closed his eyes.

’Until tomorrow,’ he thought.

The timer ticked.

『 BOUND TARGET QUEST — Time Remaining: 1 day 02 hours 44 minutes 』

Gerald wheezed.

Dex’s laptop clicked.

Torre’s container made a sound.

Zane opened his eyelids a bit and glanced at Torre.

Torre had apparently decided at some point during the evening that going back to his own room was optional. He was now fully horizontal on Dex’s bed with a pillow pulled over his face and the container balanced on his chest still making occasional sounds.

’Tomorrow,’ he thought.

He fell asleep before Gerald’s next wheeze.