A twisted creature dragged itself across the screen.
It's disjointed limbs were accompanied by the classic horror sound cue of shrieking strings. But Amara didn't seem to be paying much attention at this mont.
"I heard about Selene," she suddenly voiced out.
Alarm bells suddenly rang in Victor's head. "Oh—uh, yeah, I an, it's not like that or anything. She's just... a friend. We're not together or—"
Amara turned to him with a smile. "Victor, relax. You don't have to explain anything to ."
Halfway through another flustered explanation, he shut his mouth.
'Which one of those idiots told her?'
She looked back at the screen. "Besides... I have a boyfriend, rember?"
The words landed like a slap coated in honey. Gentle, but painful.
Victor tried to force a chuckle. "Right. Of course."
Amara smiled faintly. "You deserve to be happy, Victor, especially after all the grief you've endured. If the girl's nice and likes you... maybe give her a chance."
Victor leaned back with a distant gaze.
'Does this an she knows I have a crush on her? Oh well. I guess I can stop trying to pursue her now... not like I've done any of that in months anyway…'
He didn't say anything else. He just turned his attention to the screen, pretending to be invested in the monster currently crawling through a child's bedroom.
The last thing he wanted to think about right now was romance.
The movie continued with the eerie music building up again. Though Amara was typically the cool and composed type, she jolted at a few well-tid in fear due to so of the horrific scenes.
Once, without thinking, she grabbed onto Victor's hand with a startled gasp.
He turned to her while grinning. "You literally knocked a guy out with a single punch last month. And now you're scared of fiction?"
Her cheeks turned red as she laughed. "Shut up. That thing had four heads."
She reached to pinch him in retaliation, but Victor caught her wrist midair.
"Too slow."
"Showoff."
Then... in their tug-of-war, Victor gave her hand a playful pull.
She stumbled forward.
Right onto him.
Victor froze as Amara landed fully on top of him with her large bouncy chest pressed against his. Her soft hair brushed his cheek and her face was inches away—close enough for him to count the individual brown lashes that frad her striking eyes.
Neither of them moved.
Then, all of a sudden, Amara leaned down and—without a word—kissed him.
Victor's eyes widened as her lips pressed against his.
Her lips were so soft that it felt like they were lting into his. It wasn't a deep kiss, but it was full of confused emotion, intensity, and sothing else that made Victor's heart pound.
This was his first kiss.
And it was with her.
But just as quickly as it had happened, Amara pulled away with widened eyes.
She sat up fast, nearly stumbling.
"I shouldn't have done that," she mumbled. "I... I have a boyfriend."
"Amara, wait—"
But she was already at the door, grabbing her things with reddened face and a clearly racing heart.
"I'll talk to you later. Sorry, Victor."
And just like that, she was gone.
Victor remained on the couch, staring at the empty doorway.
"…What just happened?"
---
The next morning ca too fast.
Victor moved through the apartnt like a man on autopilot. Supplies were delivered one by one with packages lining the entryway.
With his Academy departure imminent, Victor had thrown himself into prepping everything his mom would need during the months he'd be away.
Using part of his credits, he'd spent over 300,000 credits revamping the apartnt—upgrading the stabilizer, installing dical-assist furniture, voice-activated ergency beacons, and an automated nursery system.
Additionally, he transferred 1,500,000 credits to his mom's personal account without fanfare. Just peace of mind.
By mid-afternoon, a soft knock ca at the door. Victor opened it to find a young woman dressed in a modest uniform and holding a compact suitcase.
"Mr. Victor? I'm Calla. I'm here for the housekeeping position."
Victor nodded and ushered her in.
He gave her a full rundown of the apartnt, pointing out where everything was stored and explaining how often his mother needed rest, food, and prenatal care. He emphasized kindness. Patience. Routine.
Calla nodded attentively. "Understood. I've taken care of pregnant won before. You don't need to worry."
Victor smiled slightly. "Thank you."
By evening, the apartnt had settled. Calla had already proven efficient, prepping als and organizing the nursery supplies. Victor stood in his room now, alone again.
A dull dronning sound drew his attention.
He headed towards the door and opened a new package that had arrived earlier and lifted out a tallic case stamped with the Awakened Academy seal.
Inside: a stylish, combat-ready uniform laced with flexible mana-fiber panels, and a small silver identification chip.
> This chip grants access to the transit hub for all incoming Academy initiates. Transport departs 0800. Mandatory.
Victor stared at it in silence.
So this is it.
The Academy wasn't even located within the city. Everyone knew that. It was sowhere beyond the walls, deep in an unknown zone hidden behind high-security mana barriers.
Victor placed the chip on his desk, then looked around his room.
He still hadn't packed.
He got to work, folding clothes neatly and stacking them into a black duffel bag. Chargers, hygiene kits, spare shoes, and a few books went in next. But then, his eyes fell on one object he hadn't touched all day.
His VR helt—the gateway to Ascendant Realms.
The most important piece of his growth.
Victor picked it up and sat on the bed while holding it in both hands like a relic.
Private devices weren't allowed at the Academy. No phones, no comm-bands, no off-grid tech. But this? This wasn't luxury. It was necessity.
Without Ascendant Realms, he wouldn't be able to cultivate.
Without cultivation, he wouldn't survive.
"I'll find a way to smuggle you in," he whispered to the helt.
He placed it carefully in a foam-padded compartnt and zipped it closed.
Then, after a pause, he grabbed his cara and added it too.
Later that night, Victor sat on the edge of his bed with his eyes locked on the duffel like it was the doorway to a new life.
"Awakened Academy... here I co..."
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