The training arena buzzed with energy by the time Eve and Arel arrived. High gss ceilings let in rays of light that shimmered across the elemental barriers lining the room. Cadets were already scattered across different sections—some sparring, others working with resonance tech. A loud crack of thunder rippled from one corner, where two air users sparred mid-air.

  "There she is," Nyra said, her voice dry but not unfriendly. She stood near one of the alchemy benches, adjusting settings on a slim control pad. Her reinforced gear was yered with glowing tech accents, and a small device pulsed steadily on her belt.

  "Sorry! Bme the hallway detour and Levi," Arel said, tossing Eve a wink. "We had a dramatic collision."

  Nyra raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. Instead, she handed Eve a pair of elegant bck gloves—minimalist in design, more like archer gloves that covered only a couple fingers and left the rest bare. Thin silver threads traced delicate patterns across the material, humming softly with energy. "New interface," Nyra said. "They’re refined enough now that you can remove the colr. Just don’t push your limits. You've gained control, but it’s still stabilizing."

  Eve slipped them on, flexing her fingers as she felt the tech respond to her touch. "Thanks. I’ll try not to explode anything."

  "Please don’t," Nyra muttered, tapping her tablet. "We just recalibrated the eastern wing."

  Arel ughed and tossed Eve a pulse baton from the rack. "Come on, let’s warm up first. Basic movement drills, then we’ll try the energy redirects."

  As they moved to the open floor, Eve stole a gnce toward the far training zone. Levi was there—back turned, speaking to Kael and a tall, animated blonde man who gestured wildly as they reviewed a combat sim. Even from across the room, he looked steady, confident, like the energy around him moved with purpose.

  Arel nudged her. "Focus, rookie. You can ogle him ter."

  Eve blushed. "Was not ogling."

  "Uh-huh." Arel twirled the baton pyfully. "Let’s see if those gloves can handle lightning today."

  They began with footwork drills, the floor beneath them shifting subtly to adjust their terrain. Eve’s movements were quick—natural, even. The gloves responded well, amplifying her energy without fring out of control. Each strike she made sent a crisp pulse of static toward the practice targets.

  Nyra watched from the sideline, nodding occasionally. "Better control than st week. Try redirecting the flow instead of pushing it forward. Bend it. Use your shoulder, not just your wrist."

  Eve adjusted, mimicking the motion again. This time, the lightning arched in a crescent and struck the dummy’s fnk.

  Arel whooped. "That’s it! Lightning whip!"

  "Not a whip," Nyra corrected ftly, though her eyes sparkled with the barest hint of amusement. "But… decent."

  Eve smiled, catching her breath. Her heart was pounding, but not from exhaustion. It was the thrill. The feeling of power—not just the elemental kind, but the sense of belonging, of movement, of purpose.

  Then her bracelet buzzed with a warning pulse. Too much build-up. She froze mid-motion, grounding her stance and exhaling slowly.

  Arel jogged over. "You good?"

  "Yeah, just hit a spike," Eve replied. "I’m okay."

  Nyra was already walking over with her scanner. "Your levels are still unpredictable. Could be emotional. Could be proximity to other energy users."

  Her gaze flicked across the room—briefly, toward Levi.

  Eve swallowed. "I’ll get it under control."

  "You’d better," Nyra said. Then, more gently, "Let’s take a short break. Then we’ll test the weapon integration."

  Arel grinned. "Break time means snack time. Come on, I stashed some mochi cubes in my locker. And you’re gonna need sugar if you want to keep up tonight."

  Eve followed her toward the edge of the arena, still catching her breath. She gnced one more time toward the far end.

  Levi wasn’t looking.

  But something told her—he’d noticed everything.

  That evening, the mood shifted from tense training to quiet anticipation.

  The party was being held in one of the upper-level lounges. Trinix Square shimmered beneath them, alive with the pulse of Caelux nightlife. Neon signs flickered across sleek building facades, while transports drifted silently through the streets. The square itself was built around a spiralling energy fountain—a sculptural fluxline node that glowed faintly in hues of blue and violet. The streets below were lined with ambient-lit cafes, crystal-gss storefronts, and multi-level walkways full of off-duty operatives and students enjoying the evening. Trinix was more than just a pce to unwind—it was the heart of social life near the Academy, buzzing with ughter, music, and the hum of distant elemental currents. It was a casual gathering spot used by operatives off-duty.

  The lounge was decorated with soft ambient lights, music pying low, and a long table cluttered with food, drinks, and half-opened snack packs. Someone had even added glow-thread ribbons around the ceiling fans, giving the space a festive pulse.

  Eve hesitated just outside the door, adjusting her new outfit—a soft bck off-shoulder top paired with a fitted skirt that hugged her waist and hit just above the knee. Her heeled boots gave her a bit more height, and the look was completed with a thin silver chain around her neck. Arel had insisted on dabbing a luminous balm across her colrbone and cheeks to catch the light. She’d been shopping tely and tonight felt like the perfect excuse to wear something that made her feel just a little bold.

  "You look great," Arel said, appearing behind her with two fizzy drinks in hand. "Don’t look so nervous. It’s just Dax’s version of a party, which means food, music, and way too much bragging."

  "Great," Eve said, dryly. "So, should I prepare for fireball beer pong or..."

  "Don't even joke. He actually tried that once. We had to repce half the ceiling tiles."

  They stepped inside, greeted instantly by Dax’s booming voice from across the room. "AYY—rookie made it!"

  He strode toward them with his usual confident grin, eyes flicking over Eve with pyful appraisal. "Well, well, you're even cuter than Arel described. I'm Dax—resident fire hazard, master marksman, and tonight’s drinks distributor. You must be Eve."

  He offered her a shot gss made of crystal-clear resin, the liquid inside glowing a deep ruby red with hints of steam curling from the rim. "Consider this your official welcome shot. Spicy berry fusion. A little spicy—just like me." He winked.

  Eve gnced around—and there he was. Levi stood at the far edge of the lounge, dressed more casually in a bck fitted tee and dark jeans, hair tousled as usual. He wasn’t mingling, just quietly speaking with Kael, who stood beside him, arms crossed as they talked quietly over the rim of their drinks. Levi’s gaze was scanning the room as Kael spoke in his usual calm, analytical tone—until—

  It met hers.

  Eve’s breath caught.

  He didn’t smile. His expression remained unreadable, a little cold even—but his gaze lingered on her longer than necessary. Then, without a word or nod, he turned back to Kael.

  Eve awkwardly smiled in return, even though he hadn’t acknowledged her. She shifted slightly, pretending not to feel the sting.

  Arel bumped Eve's her shoulder gently. "Hey. Come on—let’s go meet some more people. You’ll love Juno and Malric. They’re total chaos. But fun chaos."

  Eve gave a tight smile, then let Arel guide her through the room toward a group gathered near the windows. She wasn't sure who they were, but she welcomed the distraction.

  Soon enough, Eve found herself surrounded. Drinks clinked, voices ughed, and she was peppered with a flurry of introductions and questions—names she barely caught and conversations that blended together.

  Someone asked, "So, like, what did you do on your world? You guys didn’t have elemental combat, right?"

  Eve barely heard the question. Her eyes had drifted again, scanning the room like they had a will of their own. And there he was—Levi, still across the lounge. But now, he wasn’t with Kael.

  A tall, striking blonde stood close to him, ughing at something he said. She touched his shoulder lightly, casually. Levi smiled softly, even let out a quiet ugh at her words. They looked... familiar.

  Eve blinked, her chest tightening. The question repeated near her ear.

  "Sorry, huh?" she said, turning back to the guy in front of her.

  He was leaning closer now, slightly drunk, eyes locked onto hers with an intensity that made her uncomfortable. "I asked what you did. But you don’t have to answer... I’d rather just get to know you."

  As he leaned in—far too close—Eve jerked back, dodging him smoothly. "Excuse me," she said quickly, slipping out from under his arm and weaving through the crowd.

  She stepped out onto the balcony, breathing in the cold night air. The chill was sharp against her warm skin, a welcome contrast to the stuffy room inside. Below, the lights of Caelux sparkled.

  She leaned over the railing slightly, letting the wind catch her hair. The buzz of the party still clung to her, but out here, things felt quieter. Clearer.

  "Gets kind of crowded in there, doesn’t it?" a voice said behind her.

  She turned to find a man she hadn’t seen before—tall, handsome, with soft brown hair and a killer smile. His eyes were warm, open, and easy.

  "I’m Rowan," he said, offering his hand with a rexed confidence. "You must be Eve."

  Eve gave a tentative smile and shook his hand. "Yeah, that’s me. Girl from the portal…” she weakly ughed.

  Rowan leaned on the railing beside her, looking out over the glowing cityscape. "Can’t bme you trying to escape. That room feels like a pressure chamber sometimes. Especially when Dax starts handing out mystery drinks like party favours."

  Eve let out a soft ugh, grateful for the normalcy in his tone. "I didn’t expect so many questions. Or so much attention."

  "It’s the ‘other world’ thing," Rowan said with a lopsided grin. "You’re the shiny new story. But I imagine it’s overwhelming."

  She nodded. "It is. Kind of surreal."

  He gnced at her sideways. "Well, if it helps, you’re handling it better than most would. Everyone’s watching, but you’re still standing."

  Eve looked down at her boots. "Barely."

  "Barely counts," he said with a smile that lingered. "And for what it’s worth—I think you fit in just fine."

  She looked up at him again, unsure whether the flutter in her chest was from the breeze or his words. Rowan’s presence felt... grounding. Comforting, even.

  From inside, music drifted out louder for a moment as someone opened the balcony door. Eve closed her eyes for a beat, soaking in the stillness between them. Rowan didn't push, didn’t press. Just stood nearby with the kind of calm presence she hadn’t realized she needed.

  "You know," he said, after a comfortable silence, "I was in your shoes once. Sort of. When I first joined Owen’s unit, it felt like everyone already had a role, a pce. I just had... legacy. Expectations."

  Eve turned to him, interested. "And now?"

  Rowan’s smile was wistful. "Now I’m somewhere between proving myself and figuring out if that pce ever really existed. But you... you’re rewriting the script just by being here."

  Eve didn’t know how to respond, but she felt her shoulders rex slightly.

  Inside, someone called Rowan’s name—likely another operative. He gave her a quick gnce, then paused.

  "Hey," he said, shifting his weight. "Before I go—if you ever want someone to show you around the city, or just hang out without the interrogation lights... I’m game."

  He pulled out his phone and tilted it toward her with an easy smile. "Can I get your number?"

  Eve hesitated only a second, then smiled and tapped her device to his. A soft beep confirmed the exchange.

  "Thanks," he said, grinning. "Catch you in there, Eve."

  And with that, he disappeared back into the party, leaving her alone again—only this time, she didn’t feel quite so alone.

  Moments ter, the door slid open again and Arel stepped out onto the balcony, holding two fresh drinks and a look of mischief on her face. She caught the tail end of Eve slipping her phone back into her skirt pocket.

  "Did I just see a number exchange?" Arel grinned, practically bouncing. "Please tell me that was Rowan."

  Eve’s cheeks warmed. "Maybe."

  Arel gasped. "Girl! Rowan? You know he’s one of the most popur guys in the Academy, right? All the girls love him—he’s charming, chill, and crazy talented. And honestly, not hard on the eyes either. Like, jawline carved by lightning kind of deal."

  Eve ughed under her breath, shaking her head. "You’re ridiculous."

  Arel handed her a drink. "Nope. I’m supportive. There’s a difference. And I support this very much. Come on, let’s go inside before Dax starts karaoke again. You don’t want to miss that chaos."

  Back inside, the energy was still going strong. Arel led Eve to one of the corner tables where Dax and Kael had set up shop—Dax enthusiastically mixing drinks in mismatched gssware with a self-decred "signature cocktail" in progress.

  "Ladies! You’re just in time," Dax grinned, holding up a glowing drink that fizzed with faint heat. "I call this one Sor Sm. Guaranteed to warm your soul or singe your eyebrows."

  Kael gave a quiet nod of greeting, his expression as unreadable as ever, but his presence grounded the table.

  Eve took a seat, sipping cautiously as Dax proudly went on about his ‘perfect ratio of heat to sparkle.’ But as she listened, her eyes drifted again—back toward the bar.

  Levi was still there. Still with the blonde.

  She hadn’t seen the woman up close earlier, she was beautiful, her short blonde hair was swept back, and she wore a fitted, deep navy dress with elegant Aurevian cutouts that revealed just enough to turn heads. Subtle, glowing jewellery looped delicately around her neck and ears, humming faintly with resonance—clearly heirloom pieces. Her smile was dazzling as she leaned into Levi’s space, ughing at something he said.

  He smiled again. Softer this time. Real.

  Dax caught Eve’s look and followed it with his own.

  "Ah," he said under his breath, then more gently, "That’s Selene. Storm tactician. She's in Owen’s unit. She and Levi... have history."

  "It’s old stuff. Training years. They were close, but it didn’t go anywhere serious. Not for him, anyway. Selene’s... complicated."

  Arel leaned in. “I really wish Levi wouldn’t entertain Selene… for his own sake,” she added hushly at the end of Dax’s comment, her voice low but edged with genuine concern.

  The night continued as Eve rexed into the hum of ughter and warmth around the table. She sipped her drink, letting the burn fade into a pleasant buzz, surrounded by people she was slowly realizing she could trust. Maybe even call friends.