[81] No Peeking, Valentine

The week passed quickly between classes and training. His daily workouts with Aurora at the gym became a fixed point in his schedule, though he made sure to never show his full capabilities. He'd let her win occasionally—just enough to keep her ego intact while learning her fighting style.

Monday morning brought Professor Valdez's class on gate monster classification. The temperature in the room hovered just above uncomfortable as she paced before the class, her light blue hair pulled back in a ponytail.

"Gates produce monsters," Valdez said. "This isn't news to any of you. What you might not understand is the hierarchy within these entities."

She tapped the crystal display, bringing up a holographic classification system.