Ethan and Astron continued walking, their steps echoing in the long, empty corridor. The silence between them was comfortable, the kind that ca with familiarity, though Ethan's mind was far from quiet. He glanced at Astron again, studying the faint tension in his stride, the sharper edge to his presence. Finally, he broke the silence.
"You look like you've changed," Ethan said, his tone casual but probing.
Astron didn't turn his head, his sharp purple eyes fixed straight ahead. "What do you an?"
"I don't know." Ethan shrugged, a small grin tugging at his lips. "Just a feeling. Nothing concrete."
Astron's reply ca without hesitation, his voice calm but clipped. "Then you're just spitting nonsense."
Ethan chuckled, undeterred. "I wouldn't call it nonsense. I trust my senses, you know?"
"Is that so?" Astron replied dryly, finally glancing at him. "The senses you're so confident in—do they give you the correct answers in exams as well?"
Ethan's grin faltered, and he groaned. "...We both know that doesn't work like that."
Astron raised an eyebrow, his tone unbothered. "I don't know what works like what."
"Now you're just being difficult," Ethan said, shaking his head, though his grin returned quickly. "But seriously, you do seem different. Maybe it's the way you carry yourself or how people look at you now, but it's there. You've changed."
Astron was silent for a mont, his expression unreadable. "People look at because they think they know sothing. That doesn't an I've changed."
Ethan frowned, his brow furrowing slightly. "You don't believe people can see sothing real about you?"
Astron glanced at him again, a faint flicker of sothing in his sharp gaze. "I believe people see what they want to see. That doesn't an it's real."
Ethan thought about that for a mont, his hazel eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Maybe. But sotis, people notice things even we don't realize about ourselves."
"Like you?" Astron asked, his tone almost teasing, though it carried his usual bluntness.
Ethan laughed lightly. "Exactly. Who better to call you out on things than ?"
Astron didn't respond imdiately, his gaze returning to the hallway ahead. "If you're so sure of your senses, then tell —what is it you think has changed?"
Ethan paused, considering his words carefully. "You seem… sharper. Not just in how you fight or how you carry yourself, but in how you hold your ground. Like you've settled into sothing."
Astron tilted his head slightly, his expression thoughtful but still guarded. "And what makes you think that?"
Ethan shrugged again, his grin softening. "
Ethan's grin widened as he continued, leaning slightly toward Astron as they walked. "Like how you act with Irina, for example. If this were before, you wouldn't let her—or anyone—get close to you. But now? You even play along with Julia's teasing sotis."
Astron didn't respond imdiately, his expression remaining stoic, but the faintest shift in his gaze hinted at a flicker of annoyance—or perhaps sothing else.
Ethan smirked, taking the silence as permission to push a little further. "I still rember the 'Don't talk to ' tis, you know?" His tone was teasing, though there was genuine warmth behind it.
"...Tch," Astron clicked his tongue, the sound soft but sharp enough to cut through Ethan's words. "Just be quiet. You're being annoying."
Ethan laughed outright, clearly enjoying himself. "Ooooh… Even you can get embarrassed sotis, huh?"
Astron's sharp purple eyes cut to him briefly, his tone steady but tinged with irritation. "I am not embarrassed. You're just making pointless noise."
"That is—"
"That is not what an embarrassed person would say," Astron interrupted, his calm tone now carrying the faintest edge of exasperation. "Now, just shut up. We've arrived."
Ethan blinked and looked ahead, realizing they were standing in front of Eleanor's office. The door lood before them, its polished wood gleaming faintly under the corridor lights. He hadn't even noticed how close they'd gotten, too caught up in his banter with Astron.
"Well," Ethan said, still grinning as he reached for the door. "This should be fun."
Astron said nothing, his expression returning to its usual calm as he waited for Ethan to open the door. But as they stepped inside together, Ethan couldn't help but notice the faintest hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of Astron's lips. It was subtle—barely there—but it was enough to tell him that, despite his protests, Astron wasn't entirely immune to their back-and-forth.
And that, Ethan decided, was a victory in itself.
******
Eleanor leaned back in her chair, the soft glow of her desk lamp illuminating the stack of docunts before her. Each page detailed finalized deals, payouts, and the carefully crafted ntorship program schedules. These were the agreents with hunters from across the Human Domain, individuals of notable skill and prestige who would ntor the academy's most promising students.
Her sharp eyes skimd the details with practiced efficiency, her mind already calculating potential adjustnts. This was a delicate balance, ensuring the academy's brightest were paired with ntors who could challenge and elevate them without overwhelming their developnt.
Just as she set the final docunt aside, a knock echoed through the room. Eleanor didn't look up; her senses had already registered the presence of the two waiting beyond the door. Their distinct mana signatures were unmistakable.
"Co in," she said, her tone as calm and authoritative as ever.
The door opened, and Ethan stepped in first, his easy grin already in place. Astron followed a step behind, his sharp purple eyes scanning the room with his usual composed deanor. As the door clicked shut behind them, Eleanor's gaze shifted, seizing them both with a single, calculated sweep.
These two cadets stood out in their own ways, though for vastly different reasons. Ethan Hartley—the prodigy who had stunned the Human Domain with his recent victory against a far more experienced opponent. It wasn't just the win that had drawn attention, but the manner of it: intuitive, adaptable, and undeniably brilliant. That kind of performance, combined with his Hartley lineage, made him a beacon in the academy. He thrived in the spotlight, and for him, that was almost second nature.
Then there was Astron Natusalune, standing in stark contrast. Where Ethan was a roaring fire, Astron was a shadow—quiet, deliberate, and almost invisible. His skills, while undeniable to those with the insight to see them, were so well-hidden that anyone without her access as an instructor of HA25 would likely have overlooked him entirely. Even other instructors might have missed the subtle brilliance of his growth.
Eleanor let the silence stretch for a mont, her sharp gaze locking onto Astron first, then shifting to Ethan. Neither cadet seed fazed, though Ethan's easy grin widened slightly under the scrutiny.
"You called for us, Professor," Ethan said, his tone light but respectful.
Eleanor set down her pen and folded her hands neatly on the desk. "Take a seat."
Ethan took the chair closest to the desk, leaning back slightly, his relaxed posture a stark contrast to Astron, who sat with asured precision, his expression calm and unreadable.
Eleanor's gaze lingered on them both for a mont longer before she spoke. "You've both been performing exceptionally this sester. Each of you has shown growth that places you ahead of your peers, though in very different ways."
Ethan's grin softened into sothing more genuine, and he nodded slightly. Astron, predictably, didn't react, though his sharp gaze remained fixed on Eleanor, silently absorbing every word.
Eleanor's piercing gaze remained fixed on the two cadets seated before her. The quiet hum of mana-infused lighting filled the silence as she weighed her words carefully. Her sharp eyes scanned Ethan's relaxed posture and Astron's composed precision, noting the stark contrast between the two. Finally, she spoke, her tone crisp and firm.
"At this point," she began, "you must have so idea why I called you here."
Ethan's hazel eyes flicked to her, curiosity sparking in their depths, while Astron remained as still as stone, his sharp purple gaze locked onto hers.
"And you would be correct," she continued. "Different from the other cadets, you will not have the right to choose your ntors."
Ethan's brow furrowed slightly, and Astron's expression remained unreadable, though Eleanor didn't miss the subtle shift in his focus.
"You will be working under ," she stated, her voice calm but carrying an undeniable authority.
For a mont, neither cadet spoke, the weight of her declaration hanging in the air. It was Ethan who finally broke the silence, his grin gone and replaced by a thoughtful expression.
"We could see that," he said slowly, his voice careful. "But..."
Eleanor raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to finish. "But why? Is that right?"
"Yes," Ethan admitted, leaning forward slightly, his tone tinged with curiosity. "Why us?"
Eleanor's lips curved into the faintest smile, a rare and fleeting expression. "For no reason," she replied smoothly. "I just want to."
Ethan blinked, clearly caught off guard. "You just want to?"
"Yes," Eleanor said simply, leaning back slightly as her sharp gaze pinned them both in place. "I wanted the most brilliant students in this academy to be my ntees."
Her words lingered in the air, striking a chord of pride in Ethan, who leaned back in his chair with a faintly satisfied grin. But it was Astron who spoke next, his tone as calm and asured as always.
"Most brilliant..." he echoed quietly, his sharp gaze eting Eleanor's directly. "Professor, are you sure you're not making a mistake?"
It was a question that she was expecting from the start.
'Heh…As expected..'
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