Ria and Zain (5)

"Alright then, let's go." The students, together with the teacher, stepped outside and made their way to the training grounds. They headed toward the dense rainforest.

"Like I said earlier, your job is to survive the forest. You are all to search for a memory chip—they are spread around the ruins. I have sent the map of the rainforest to your comms. Immediately after finding the chip, come back to me. Remember, the forest is infested with monsters, and your deadline is three hours," the teacher instructed.

The students, fully suited up and eager, ventured into the forest. Ria stood at the forest entrance, staring at the map. She took five minutes to study it before darting into the woods. Her speed was unmatched—faster than any ordinary human could ever achieve, a testament to her training as a ranker.

She came to an abrupt stop, pulled out three grenades, and threw them at a random tree. Many of the students laughed at her odd choice of action as they scattered to search for the memory chip.

When the smoke cleared, the targeted tree revealed a chunk of stone embedded within it. Ria approached calmly and carefully brushed off the dust. Inside the rock was a memory chip. She extracted it with precision and headed back to the teacher, who preferred to be called "Commander" while in the field.

The commander's expression shifted from astonishment to delight as Ria handed him the chip. "This is wonderful! Finally, someone took the time to study the map!" he exclaimed.

Ria completed the task in just eight minutes, while it took the rest of the students the full three hours to navigate the vast and confusing rainforest.

On her way back to class, Ria noticed a girl being bullied by a group of other girls. Without hesitation, she walked over. Her mere presence was enough to send the bullies scattering.

The girl, left behind, was petite with short, curly red hair that matched her fiery eyes. Freckles dotted the bridge of her nose, and despite her distressed expression, there was an undeniable adorableness to her. Her observant eyes studied Ria intently.

Ria offered a rare smile. It was the first time anyone had seen her smile in public, and those who noticed were visibly startled. Extending her hand, she asked, "Do you want to be my friend?"

The girl blinked in surprise, glancing between Ria's face and outstretched hand. "Why be friends with me?" she asked cautiously.

Ria shrugged. "Because I am lonely."

The girl's eyes widened. "You? Lonely? Aren't you supposed to have lots of friends?"

Ria maintained her gaze. "So, you know who I am."

"Yes," the girl replied softly. "And so does everyone in the school. You were our year's representative."

Ria's usually cold demeanor faltered briefly, but she quickly composed herself. "What is your name?"

"You really want to be my friend?" the girl asked again, unsure.

"That's what I said," Ria replied, her tone firm yet calm.

"It's Kelsey," the girl finally said. "That is my name."

Ria extended her hand once more, and this time, Kelsey shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Kelsey. What class are you in?" Ria asked.

"I'm in Class C Rank," Kelsey answered.

"Ah, pardon me. I could've just checked your badge," Ria said, slightly amused. "Anyway, I'll be seeing you around. We could grab a drink later."

"Alright then," Kelsey said, a small smile forming on her face.

---

Once classes were over for the day, Ria quietly made her way to the Ascension Department. She slipped into the janitor's office, which concealed a hidden entrance to a secret room.

Inside, the familiar sight of Zain floating unconscious in the capsule greeted her. She had discovered a motion sensor switch a few days ago, which automatically illuminated the room whenever she entered.

Ria stood there, staring at Zain as had become her habit. "A guy asked me out," she said aloud to the silent room.

She waited, but there was no response. "What? You're not going to ask me what I said?" she added, her voice carrying a mix of frustration and longing.

Still silence.

Ria sighed heavily and sat on a nearby box. "I told him I'd think about it. Hey, Zain, tell me—should I go with him?"

Silence hung thick in the room.

"You know what, Zain? I can't keep doing this with you. Sometimes, I feel like breaking you out of that thing, but I know it would kill you," Ria admitted, her voice breaking slightly.

Her frustration spilled over as she stood up. "Zain, I can't keep coming down here. It's getting strange. Plus, I have another friend now. Zain, say something! How can you be asleep for an entire year and not wake up?" she yelled, her voice echoing in the empty room.

Finally, she exhaled and lingered by the capsule. "Fine, I'm leaving," she said softly, hesitating before adding, "I'll introduce you to Kelsey one of these days... You should really wake up."