Sapphire

The room was bathed in an ethereal blue light, casting long shadows that danced along the walls. I could make out only her piercing blue eyes amidst the dimness, even with my enhanced eyesight honed through countless hours of training. The atmosphere crackled with unspoken tension.

"So, you want to join us, huh?" she asked, her voice smooth yet laced with a hint of curiosity.

"Yes, I do. Am I in? I brought you Vessper of the Zeus Clan," I replied, trying to keep my composure. She nodded slowly, her expression unreadable. "Indeed, you did." With that, she began to fiddle with a blue ring that adorned her finger. The design sparked a flicker of recognition in my mind, but I dismissed it before I could ponder further.

We exchanged silent stares, the kind that seemed to stretch time itself until she finally broke the stillness. "Okay, you're in. For this service you provided, I will allow you one request." I shrugged nonchalantly, an attempt to mask the whirlwind of thoughts in my head. "I'll get back to you on that request." I heard her sigh, almost as if she had expected my response. "Well, Levi, I'll be seeing you then." 

How did she know my name? I hadn't mentioned it, and for a fleeting moment, I considered the possibility that the trial might have been broadcast live, with them monitoring us from the shadows. Shaking off the thought, I exited the room the way I had come in, my mind still grappling with the encounter.

My focus shifted back to Vessper. Her escape depended on her aura; it was a rare entity, one that could rarely be contained. I was banking on the fact that the sleep gas they had combined with a strength potion would be ineffective against her. She should be able to break through the bars with ease, given the right circumstances.

As I stepped into the bustling daylight outside, I glanced at my smartwatch, which had gathered a fine coat of dust. It was a little over an hour's journey to the academy's front gates.

The weekend was our brief taste of freedom, allowing us to explore the capital, but a strict rule forbade leaving the city; to do so would mean certain expulsion. And under no circumstances did I want to face that dire consequence. I quickly shot a text to my friend Zayne.

**Levi:** Hey, you free right now? 

**Zayne:** Yep, what's up? 

**Levi:** Want to grab a bite to eat outside the academy? 

**Zayne:** Sure, where are we meeting up? 

I took a moment to check my location. 

**Levi:** 3rd Street Northwest 

**Zayne:** On my way. 

It took him about thirty minutes to reach me, his presence a welcome distraction from the questions swirling in my head.

"So, where are we eating?" he asked as he approached, clearly excited.

I shrugged at his question. "Not a clue; I'm not from this city." He frowned at my vague response. "Don't you have a mansion here?" 

"I'm pretty sure the Crow family does," I replied, shaking my head, the weight of family drama echoing behind my words. 

Zayne looked at me with a mix of sympathy and confusion. "Oh, right. Iva disowned you during that whole incident..." 

I waved my hand dismissively. "It doesn't mean much to me, being disowned."

Feeling a slight tension dissolve between us, he said, "Well, come on. Let's find you something to eat." He flagged down a taxi, and we clambered into it, heading towards a big red-brick structure that stood proudly on the corner.

"So, what is this place exactly, Zayne?" I asked, a hint of skepticism in my tone.

He glanced at his phone before pocketing it, giving me a confident smile. "It's a burger place. For some reason, I have this feeling you love burgers." 

I chuckled, nodding in agreement. He always surprised me with his instincts.

As we settled at a table, his phone vibrated, and I couldn't resist teasing him. "You've got a girl texting you." 

His face flushed crimson. I facepalmed, unable to hold back a laugh. "I was right, wasn't I?" He nodded slowly, the color still staining his cheeks. 

"Who?" I pressed as we browsed the menu, trying to keep my curiosity at bay.

"Her name's Addison," he shared, scratching the back of his head, visibly sheepish. 

"Never met her," I said, shrugging as I placed my order for a classic burger and lightly salted fries.

We made our selections, and once the waitress hurried off to put in our orders, Zayne probed further. "So, how'd you two meet?" 

He took a sip of his drink before explaining, "We're in advanced weapons training together, and during one of our sparring matches, neither of us would back down. It sort of turned into this ongoing conversation afterward." 

I raised an eyebrow. "Sounds promising, man. You should totally ask her out." 

"Yeah, I might," he replied, his tone thoughtful. "But… where do I take her?" 

I shrugged again, leaning back in my chair. "Somewhere nice. I'm not exactly a romantic, but just go for it." 

He nodded, appreciative of the encouragement. Changing the topic, I could feel the conversation shifting. "Are you talking to anyone right now, Levi?" he inquired, a hint of concern in his eyes.

I shook my head, the weight of responsibility clear in my voice. "I've got too much on my plate. Rebuilding my name and ensuring I can pay for next year's tuition—it's a lot." 

He sighed, shaking his head. "Why don't you take a break? Go to a club or a bar or something to unwind." 

"I need to maintain my strength, position, and grades," I insisted, the determination in my voice clear. 

"See? This is why you won't get any girls," he joked lightly, but I detected a slight edge of truth in his words.

I chuckled, rolling my eyes. "What's so funny?" 

"Nothing, nothing," I replied, though it reminded me of a light-hearted joke I shared with Veryix back in the day.

"Seriously, man, if you weren't so focused on strength and training, girls would be lining up to get a chance with you," he said, his tone shifting to earnestness. 

I looked around the bustling restaurant, feeling oddly self-conscious. "Did it ever occur to you that maybe girls stay away from me after the trial? I'm innocent, of course, but the rumors spiraled out of control." 

He nodded, a look of understanding crossing his face. "I never fully thought about that."

We lapsed into an awkward silence, both lost in our thoughts until Zayne broke it. "You know, I am interested in someone, but we don't talk." 

He laughed, clearly enjoying the irony. "Didn't think the legendary Levi Crown would have an interest in someone and not be speaking to them." 

I frowned, feeling the seriousness of my confession. "I'm serious."

"Who?" he pressed, genuinely curious.

I shook my head. "Not saying."

"Why not, man? I'm curious." His persistence only made me more stubborn.

"It's a stupid reason—a reason you'll laugh at," I warned, knowing I must look like a pouting toddler refusing to budge.

"I promise I won't laugh," he insisted, his face sincere.The room was illuminated by a blue light. "So, you want to join us, huh?" I could see only her blue eyes in the dimly lit room, even with my enhanced eyesight.

"Yes, I do. Am I in? I brought you Vessper of the Zeus Clan." She nodded. "Indeed, you did." She fiddled with a blue ring, something that reminded me of something, but I didn't dwell on it for long.

We exchanged silent stares until she finally spoke. "Okay, you're in. For this service you provided, I will allow you one request." I shrugged. "I'll get back to you on that request." I heard her sigh. "Well, Levi, I'll be seeing you then." How did she know my name?

I left the room, still puzzled about how she knew my name. I hadn't mentioned it, but perhaps the trial was live and they were keeping tabs on us. I exited the way I had come in.

Vessper's escape depended on her aura; very few things could contain her, and I was banking on that since the sleep gas was combined with a strength potion. She should be able to break through the bars with ease.

As I left, I glanced at my smartwatch, which had a bit of dust on it. I was about an hour away from the academy's front gates.

Since it was the weekend, we were allowed to leave the academy to explore the capital, but we weren't permitted to leave the city, or we would face expulsion.

And I definitely didn't want to get expelled. I shot a text to Zayne.

**Levi:** Hey, you free right now? 

**Zayne:** Yep, what's up? 

**Levi:** Want to grab a bite to eat outside the academy? 

**Zayne:** Sure, where are we meeting up? 

I checked my location. 

**Levi:** 3rd Street Northwest 

**Zayne:** On my way. 

It took him about 30 minutes to reach me. 

"So, where are we eating?" I shrugged at his question. "Not a clue; I'm not from this city." He frowned. "Don't you have a mansion in this city?" I shook my head. "The Crow family does." He looked at me, confused. "Oh, right. Iva disowned me during the whole rape incident." He nodded. "Sorry once again." 

I shrugged. "It doesn't mean much to me, being disowned." He frowned. "Well, come on. I have a place I think you'll like." He stopped a taxi and got us a ride to a big red-brick building. 

"So, what is this place exactly, Zayne?" He looked up from his phone and pocketed it. "Burger place. For some reason, I have a feeling you love burgers." I nodded, because I did love burgers.

His phone vibrated. "You've got a girl texting you," I teased him, causing his face to turn red. I facepalmed. "I was right, wasn't I?" He nodded slowly. "Who?" I asked as we were getting seated. His face seemed to calm down. "Well, I met her about two weeks ago." He paused. "I didn't ask how you met her; who is she? I need answers, man." He scratched the back of his head. "Addison." I shrugged. "Never met her."

We ordered our drinks. "So, now tell me how you met her?" He moved his drink to the left of himself. "Well, we're both in advanced weapons training and were sparring partners. Needless to say, neither of us would give up." He took a sip of his drink. "We kept talking after that, and I'm really thinking I should just ask her out." I shrugged. "Go for it. I'm not a romantic person, but take her somewhere nice."

He nodded, and the waitress came over. "Are you two ready to order?" I nodded. "Yep, I'll take the classic burger with a side of lightly salted fries." She looked over at Zayne. "I'll take the bacon deluxe with a side of mac and cheese." 

She hurried off to have our food prepared. "Are you talking to anyone, Levi?" I shook my head. "I've got too much to focus on. I need to rebuild my own name and make sure I can pay for next year's tuition." Why did there have to be tuition in this world too? Leon got lucky since the President took an interest in him and paid for his four years. I'm paying year by year. 

"Why don't you have a little fun, man? Like go to a club or a bar or something." I shrugged. "I need to maintain my strength, position, and grades." He sighed. "See, this is why you won't get any girls." I chuckled. "What's funny?" I waved him off. "Nothing, nothing." 

It reminded me of the joke with Veryix. 

"Seriously, man, if you weren't so focused on strength, girls would fawn over you." I looked around awkwardly. "Did it ever occur to you that girls stay away from me after the trial? I'm innocent of that crime, but the rumors got out of hand without being addressed." 

He nodded. "Never fully thought about that." We sat in a strange silence. 

"I am interested in someone, but we don't talk." He laughed. "Didn't think the legendary Levi Crown would have an interest in someone and not talk to them." I frowned. "I'm serious." He nodded. "I know. Who?" I shook my head. "Not saying." 

He sighed. "Why not, man? I'm curious." I continued to shake my head. "It's a stupid reason—one you'll laugh at." I'm pretty sure I looked like a pouting toddler. "I promise I won't laugh."