Surprising Encounter

Sebastian climbed the stairs, duffel bag slung over his shoulder. The Academy's layout was fresh in his mind, but actually walking these halls—seeing them in real life instead of through a screen—felt surreal.

He found his assigned room at the end of the hall and pushed the door open.

And froze.

Lying across his bed, completely naked, was Harper. But now that he was actually looking at her, her body type closely resembled ItsLunarLiv—especially her ass and thighs—which only made his brain stall even more.

She was on her stomach, back turned to him, lazily stretching as she read what appeared to be a cheesy romance novel.

"Chrys, for the last time, I don't have any more black nail polish!" Harper groaned, as if scolding an invisible roommate.

Before he could stammer a greeting, she glanced over her shoulder and blinked in surprise.

"Wait, you're that guy from the other day!"

She gave a wry smile. "I know this might be a little late, but, for having my back—saving me during that battle. Even if you did break the law, I still appreciate it,So… thank you."

A sudden shift in the atmosphere made the air feel heavier, like an invisible pressure wrapping around Sebastian's limbs. Before he could react, Harper's telekinetic force surged.

"What the fuck are you doing in my room?!" she snapped.

Sebastian, caught completely off guard, stammered, "I—I thought this was my room!"

"It's supposed to be empty!" she retorted, her tone rising as she hurriedly gathered her clothes. "Just get out until I get changed!"

As if commanded by invisible fingers, Sebastian felt a tight, titan grip yank him off his feet and throw him out of the room. He landed with an undignified thump on the hallway floor.

"Sorry! Sorry! Sorry!" Harper called, her bare feet pattering past his head as she darted toward the door.

Lying there for a moment, Sebastian pushed himself up, dusting himself off with a grumble.

"Nice seeing you again… I guess?"

At least his room was decent. Small, but functional. Bed, closet, desk, and a window overlooking the beautiful forest below. He decided to return to his unpacking—there would be time later to return Harper's scattered belongings, which she'd left on his desk.

Once his things were put away, he stretched, rolled his shoulders, and made his way downstairs for his first class.

The classroom was small and intimate, consisting entirely of female students—only four others were present: Harper, Chrys, Riley, Valentina, and the teacher, Missus Powell. Even though they hadn't introduced themselves yet, Sebastian already knew their names from the game.

Missus Powell stood at the front, arms crossed, and gestured toward him.

"Oh! Sebastian, I'm glad you could join us. Don't worry—you're not late. I was just going over the results of last week's test questions. Some responses were… creative," she added with a wry smile.

"But before you grab a seat, let's have everyone introduce themselves," she announced. "Let's start with you, Riley."

A redhead with freckles and an easy smile spoke up.

"Hello, my name is Riley Bohannon. This is my second year here. I have a Fine Arts degree—even though we don't really have majors—and I married right out of college. I live with my husband back in the city, which makes the commute a real pain!" She giggled nervously, then added, "I like movies and, well, I tend to ramble. Please, just call me Riley."

Missus Powell nodded approvingly. "Thank you, Riley. How about you, Chrys?"

"Ugh, I don't wanna."

"Chrys."

"Fine… Hi, I'm Chrys. Actually, wait… Holy shit! Finally, some sausage in this taco party!"

Riley burst into giggles, covering her mouth.

"Chrys!"

Chrys, recovering, added, "Sorry—call me Chrys with a Y. And I like… everything I see."

Missus Powell sighed before moving on.

"Thank you, Chrys. How about you, Valentina?"

Valentina's tone was cold and precise. "My name is Valentina Evanko. I've been attending Queen Unbreakable's Academy for two years now and live on campus. I don't care for movies or art; I prefer exercise and practical skill sets. Were my answers satisfactory, Missus Powell?"

Missus Powell nodded. "Yes, perfectly so."

Finally, she turned to Harper. "And you, Harper? You're last to go."

Harper hesitated. "Umm… we've already met," she mumbled, casting a sidelong glance at Sebastian.

Chrys piped up. "Wait! Is this the guy that jumped into the Metal Mage fight?"

Riley gasped. "How heroic!"

Valentina scoffed. "How moronic."

Harper muttered, "How embarrassing."

And Chrys? She smirked. "How fucking hot. Can you imagine the size of his—"

"Ahem!." Missus Powell quickly restored order.

"Now, now that you're one of my students, I will go over what I like to call Academy Law.

Number one: I will prepare you, to the best of my abilities, for the unusual situations you may confront while defending the city as a superhero.

Number two: We'll review past incidents—like the encounter with Metal Mage—discuss how they were handled, how they could be handled, and how they should be handled. We'll also examine the differences between us and vigilantes.

Number three: Most physical tests will occur outside of this room, so you don't need to wear gear in here. I'm not here to slap a 'You Did It' sticker on you after four years. There is no pass or fail—only the understanding that leaving you without proper training is downright negligent. You're here because you have a gift that goes beyond what you could cultivate on your own.

And number four: Yes, there will be exams—mostly multiple choice—but I'll ask questions during class to ensure you're thinking on your feet. You won't always have the luxury of a last-minute cram session when facing down a big bad in the city subway."

She glanced at Sebastian. "Now, please take your seat."

Sebastian sat down, trying to process everything.

A teasing whisper drifted from the seat in front of him—Chrys, her hands slowly lifting her skirt, tempting him to glance her way.

"Right here?! In the middle of—"

Before he could even get a glimpse, Missus Powell's sharp tone cut through.

"Sebastian!"

"Crap," he muttered.

"Would you mind answering the question?"

…He obviously didn't hear the question.

"Uhhhhh… 21?"

The room went dead silent.

Missus Powell sighed. "Perhaps you should keep your eyes on the board and away from your classmate's seat."

"Oh, and Chrys?"

"Chrys!"

"Y—oh! Sorry, Missus P!"

Missus Powell exhaled through her nose.

"I'll hold you responsible if you distract him from his studies, Chrys. This is not Hormone High School. I know how the game is played."

"Anyway, the question was what is the difference between a superhero and a vigilante."

Valentina swiftly raises her hand

"Valentina"

"A vigilante is someone who takes the law into their own hands, meanwhile a superhero is someone with enhanced abilities that has been sanctioned by the government to act on their behalf for the service of the citizenry."

"Thank you, Valentina."

"Service."

"Service is the keyword."

"We are here to use our abilities to better both ourselves and the community at large."

"Everyone in this room is here because they know they can do more and they want to do more."

"And that service does not mean an easy way into book deals and action figure modeling. You'll have to get your hands dirty, which can range from running into a burning building to helping an over confident Prius out of a ditch."

"For your sakes, I hope there are more ditches than burning buildings."

The sound of light buzzing emanated from Missus Powell's bracelet, the steady pulse betraying a shift in her mood.

"Sorry, class. It looks like today will be another self-study session. Try to review before the next quiz."

She turned toward Harper. "And… Harper, I'm going to need you to help the new student catch up."

"Wh—what?! Me?"

"Yeah! Why does she get to do it?" Chrys whined. "I wanna cozy up with him in the library too!"

Riley yelped, "Chrys!"

"Ladies!" Missus Powell said.

Silence. Absolute silence.