Trouble Wearing a Sleepy Face

[Location: Nova Academy – Dorm Room F-309 | 07:41 AM]

The morning felt heavier than usual.The sky outside had a greenish-gray hue, and the artificial atmosphere above Nova Academy seemed as tense as the evaluation reports being circulated across campus.Cadets moved quickly through the corridors—some checking their tablets, some whispering in low tones, and as always... some pretending they knew what was going on.

And in the middle of it all?

I—Deren Arkwright—was yanked out of sleep because my tea thermos fell off the desk.

A pillow still clung to my face.I rubbed my eyes, squinting at the glowing terminal.

[New Notification: Immediate Attendance Required – Technical Inspection by Academy Equipment Division. Location: Sub-Test Chamber 12. Time: Now.]

I stared at the screen for a long moment.

"...Who pulls this kind of stunt this early?"

But it wasn't a joke.

Notifications like this didn't just disappear. And if I ignored it, I'd end up in administrative hell.

And I really hated administrative hell.

[Location: Sub-Test Chamber 12 – Maintenance Level | 08:02 AM]

The sub-test chamber was usually dark.Today, the lights were blazing.

I stepped inside and immediately regretted everything.

A group of Nova technicians stood beside a sleek table covered in equipment.And standing beside them was someone who made my stomach twist with dread:

Reiner.

Tall, black coat, and a holographic tablet that looked like it could judge your soul based on how you exhaled.

"Ah, Cadet Arkwright. Finally," he said without emotion.

My eyes scanned the room.A lot of the devices here… looked awfully familiar.As in "Hey, I think I built a version of that once in a back alley lab" familiar.

Reiner activated a hologram.

"We'd like your opinion."

A sleek device floated midair.Its design was clean—too clean.And on its surface, faintly etched, was a familiar insignia.

An old Eidolon logo.

I kept my face flat.

"Looks expensive."

"And not registered under any official Academy inventory," Reiner replied calmly.

One of the technicians chimed in.

"This tool has appeared in four separate incidents. Two of which... were within five meters of your last known location."

I shrugged.

"If I was making money off that thing... I wouldn't still be living in the dorms with a two-layer pillow system."

Reiner typed something.Somehow, I felt like every snarky comment I made added a whole paragraph to his report.

[Cutaway – Location: Two-Way Observation Room | Same Time]

Behind the glass, Tessan and Nayra watched in silence.

"He's deflecting—like always," Nayra noted."But his tone... more cautious than usual."

"That's not ignorance," Tessan replied. "That's restraint.Someone holding back the fact that he knows too much."

"And that," Nayra said slowly, "is exactly what makes him dangerous."

[Location: Dorm Corridor – Just After Inspection]

After the interrogation-lite session wrapped up, I bolted.Or tried to.But before I could escape the corridor—

Tap.

Ryn.

"Deren. You need to see this."

He handed me his analysis file.

Displayed on it: the Core device from yesterday's simulation… cross-compared with an Eidolon prototype.

"These schematics match. Waveform signature is 98% identical."

I stretched. Yawned.

"Cool. Tech these days is wild."

"Deren—"

I looked at him—just a little more seriously this time.

"If someone's selling tech without permission... that's criminal, right?"

Ryn nodded slowly.

I exhaled.

"Then I guess I've got a personal reason to start cleaning up.Not because I care about justice or the world or whatever.But because…"

My eyes narrowed.

"...They're selling my tech without a profit-sharing agreement."

[Cutaway – Location: Nova Academy – Hidden Intel Room]

Sarka stood in front of a full-spectrum data projection.Her fingers swiped across the panel—highlighting recent illegal tech sightings.

Beside her, a suspect list.

And among them: one name highlighted in red.

Deren Arkwright.

Her eyes narrowed.

"If you're an unaware pawn… then someone's using you.""But if you're not…"

She tapped the screen.

"Then you're a bigger threat than we ever calculated."

[Monologue – Deren's Thoughts | End of Day]

I lay on the dorm balcony, watching the fake sky darken.

I just wanted a nap.

Now, I was surrounded by politics, suspicion, and a mountain of stolen ideas.

"I hate working...But I really hate losing money."

My eyes lingered on the stars above—fabricated, perfect, and utterly indifferent.

"Looks like it's time for... a business-flavored revenge."