An Unplanned Strategy

[Location: Nova Academy – Team 9 Briefing Room, One Hour After the Simulation]

The briefing room had never felt like an interrogation chamber... until today. Cold white lights hung overhead, reflecting off the too-clean metal table. A tense atmosphere crept between the cadets who had just completed the most chaotic simulation of the semester.

I sat in the middle chair, surrounded by glowing monitors and transparent screens endlessly looping Team 9's movements. The sound of footsteps outside the room echoed now and then, adding to the feeling that this space was more than just a debriefing room. It felt like a small stage for judgment.

In front of me, the data panel displayed our team's performance and tactics during the simulation. The graphs were steady—but one thing stood out: our performance spiked during the chaos. Not due to clean strategy… but mostly because of accidental improvisation.

Kael was still trying to sit upright in his seat, wiping off sweat—whether from the simulation or the psychological pressure in the room, it was hard to tell. "Man, why does it feel like we just leaked national secrets?" he whispered toward me.

Ryn sat calmly at the end of the table, both hands resting on his datapad, eyes scanning the graphs silently. His gaze was serious, like he was solving a grand puzzle—and maybe, he was.

And then there was Nayra. She stood at the far end of the room, silent. Her hands clasped behind her back, eyes fixed on the main screen. She was replaying the exact moment I accessed the western sector gate... and when the heavy drone path abruptly changed.

"Your strategy... is interesting," Nayra finally spoke. Her voice was flat, but unable to hide the curiosity beneath it.

Kael immediately let out a small laugh, more nervous than proud. "That was all Deren! He's the one who gave the signal to open that trap door. Genius move, right?"

I squinted and exhaled quietly. "That code was supposed to fail. The door should've jammed. I wasn't sure it would even activate."

Nayra turned to me, her expression unreadable. "But it didn't fail. And because of that, the enemy team was stalled long enough for you to regroup. Planned or not, the result is real."

Ryn added, calm as ever. "Unintentional functions can sometimes yield the most brilliant outcomes."

I rolled my eyes. "Or the most troublesome. Depends on who writes the final report."

[Location: Instructor Tessan's Office – 20 Minutes Later]

I had just stepped out of the briefing room when my comm buzzed. Not from the academy notification system. It was a direct message on a private channel.

"Room 3-1. Now."

I frowned. Room 3-1 wasn't a classroom. It wasn't a rest area. It was one of the reserve evaluation rooms used only for... unusual matters.

When I opened the door, the room felt cold. Nearly empty, save for one table and one chair. Tessan sat there, his expression calm and a slight smile too neutral to be called friendly.

"Deren. Do you know why you're here?" he asked.

I raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm too amazing for this system?"

He just sighed and slid a panel toward me. "Because the system is starting to log anomalies. And most of them... are tied to you."

I sat down slowly, not denying it, but not confirming anything either.

"If the system's broken, that's not my fault," I said, half-defensive.

Tessan studied my reaction, then offered a thin smile. "Not broken. Just... too compatible. Too familiar with protocols no one in this academy should have access to."

He opened a file on the holographic screen. A simulation signal map appeared. Among the other blue dots, one glowed brighter—marking an unusual connection. An unauthorized connection.

"This isn't a coincidence. And you know that," he said again, more quietly—but full of meaning.

I didn't answer. In my head, I was already calculating how fast I could run if the door locked behind me.

[Location: Eterna City – Eidolon Headquarters, Hours Later]

Meanwhile, far from the academy, Clarice stood in front of a large screen displaying internal data flow from Nova. Tessan's report had already reached her—thanks to the silent data-gathering nodes embedded in the academy's central servers.

"Information about Deren is spreading faster than we anticipated," said one of the Eidolon agents, standing at her right. "They don't have direct evidence yet... but they're starting to suspect."

Clarice crossed her arms. "If this pressure escalates, we'll need to activate escape protocols."

The agent nodded. "Diversion units are on standby. Emergency routes can be used within three minutes."

Clarice stayed silent for a few seconds. Then shook her head. "Not yet. But begin construction. Prepare contingencies in case Nova... gets too clever."

Her eyes locked onto the screen, focused on one name blinking every five seconds: DEREN ARKWRIGHT.

She let out a long sigh, and for the first time, looked visibly frustrated.

"All of this... because he just wanted a nap."