Street Conflicts, Inner Tensions

[Location: Nova Academy – Back Garden, Morning]

The morning sky above Nova Academy looked... ordinary. Clear, a few clouds, and way too peaceful for a world supposedly under the threat of the Metavore. But everyone here—especially me—knew that kind of calm was like a balloon: pretty, floating, but easy to pop.

I was sitting under an Ether tree, trying to focus on finishing my chicken-and-cheese sandwich while monitoring my softly blinking comm device. Clarice had just sent the latest activity logs from the west zone. No new disturbances. But Nayra was still actively scanning the area.

Kael showed up like he always did, laughing loud with two cans of soda in his hands."Brooo! Did you see this morning's news?""Unless it's about banning surprise inspections, I'm not interested.""No, no!

Astrelis faction just canceled their military cooperation with Thalros! Rumor is... an illegal Core transaction leaked a prototype weapon!"

I raised an eyebrow halfway. "Isn't that... a big-shot political problem?""Yeah, but now it's starting to involve Nova too! There's a cadet petition demanding transparency in tech distribution!"

I nearly choked on my sandwich.Ryn arrived with his usual calm demeanor, but his eyes looked like he'd already read three newspapers and two classified reports."The central government is under pressure," he said. "Some major cities are accusing each other of hiding Core tech. If this keeps up, it could turn into a civil conflict between factions. And remember... Nova is the symbol of their unity."

"And I just want a nap," I muttered.

[Location: Hallway to the Equipment Room – Midday]

After yesterday's encounter with Nayra, I thought I could lay low for a while—mask my presence behind extra naps and irrelevant class schedules. But apparently, the academy had other plans. Or maybe the universe just hates seeing me at peace.

Today's class was a prototype re-inspection—a mini tech expo to reevaluate the tools we used during the last simulation exam. And somehow, one of the items up for review... looked a lot like my old prototype. Not just in shape, but also the port layout, cooling system, even the casing material I once used in a late-night experiment.

As I walked down the hallway toward the inspection room, the air felt heavier than usual. Whispers flowed like an underwater current. Some cadets glanced at me, then pretended to be busy when I looked back.Their stares weren't casual. They held curiosity, suspicion—and worst of all, expectation.

Rumors move fast. Much faster than any comm signal or satellite transmission.And today, I was the eye of that rumor storm.

One Rank B cadet—I was pretty sure his name was Rhoe, the guy who practically lives on local gossip forums—whispered as I passed by, loud enough for me to hear."That's him... the one on the observation list. Word is, his gear has weird encryption. Not academy-standard, but... underground design."

I didn't react. Just lowered my head a little and kept walking.

On one hand, this could blow up into a full disaster at any moment.On the other hand... some part of me felt like all this was a not-so-subtle push.A push toward something bigger. Darker. More important.

And usually, "something bigger" meant only one thing: A more exhausting problem, harder to dodge than military-protocol science homework.

[Location: Administrative Tower – Nayra Alveen's Office]

At the top floor, Nayra stood before a massive projected map covering nearly the entire wall. Blue and red lights from the digital display cast sharp shadows across her face.The map showed major cities and human power centers—some pulsing red, signaling escalating tensions that could no longer be ignored.

"Astrelis... Thalros... even Loxen is starting to move," she whispered, almost talking to herself. "And Nova... is beginning to crack from within."

Each faction had a long history and distinct identity.Hyra Sanctum—disciplined, tech-conservative.Vireal Dominion—aggressive, expansionist.Loxen—neutral and passive... until now.Their movement was a signal: humanity was heading toward internal crisis.

Nova Academy, once the symbol of inter-faction cooperation, was slowly turning into a political pressure point.And Nayra, as the central government's representative on campus, could feel the pressure building like storm clouds.

She glanced at the latest report on her private screen.A name that appeared too often, with too many similarities, and too few explanations.

DEREN ARKWRIGHT – Status: Special Observation

Involvement in unregistered tech designs.Potential links to high-level underground networks.Unauthorized access to restricted protocols.

Her fingers tapped lightly on the metal console next to the projector.Once. Twice. Then silence.

Nayra narrowed her eyes."Are you a pawn... or a king still hiding your crown?" she muttered. "And if you're the king... who are your pieces?"

[End of Chapter – Movement Begins]

Back in the garden, I sat once more under the Ether tree.The evening breeze rolled in, carrying the damp scent of soil and the soft rustle of leaves.The sunlight slanted westward, casting long silhouettes from the academy buildings in the distance.

I tried to melt into the earth, hoping it would swallow me for a while—or at least grant me temporary permission to not give a damn.

But then my comm device buzzed again, shattering the illusion of peace like a rock thrown into still water.

[Clarice]: "Faction conflict is moving. Reports of foreign infiltration are starting to surface. Some names are appearing in diplomatic notes—and one of them... isn't you, but your design."

I closed my eyes.Of course. Of course. Because the world wasn't messy enough already.

"I just want a peaceful life, not to become some blueprint for global politics," I muttered, half-bitter.

My device blinked once more.A network diagram appeared—a new web of interconnections I didn't recognize.

And somehow... one of the main nodes was blinking in a very familiar color.That soft blue I once chose—just for my private experimental system.

I stared at the sky turning orange-red.Looks like... nap time needs to be rescheduled. Again.