An Evening of Echoes

As the sun dipped low, casting warm orange streaks across the academy's outer walls, Jimmy returned to his dorm. His limbs were stiff, not from fatigue but from a sense of restlessness, an itch that had built up since the match. Luna hovered quietly at his side, her blue glow soft in the dim hallway lights.

Inside his room, he undressed, cleaned up, and took a long shower. Steam filled the small bathroom, a rare comfort. Afterward, he carefully washed Luna as well. She floated still in the water basin, tail flicking with quiet joy as he gently scrubbed her with a soft brush and rinsed the suds away.

Dinner was a quiet affair—some preserved rice cakes and a pouch of nutrition paste for himself, and berries and Shui sui fruits for Luna. She ate happily, curling her tail in gratitude.

As the room settled into evening quiet, Jimmy tied his scarf and headed out toward the training grounds for some private practice. Luna floated beside him, looking eager, her fur shimmering under the corridor lights.

But as he reached the grounds, his face fell.

Too many people.

Clusters of students gathered in circles—chatting, sparring, laughing, shouting commands to their Whisps. The hum of voices and energy filled the air. Eyes turned as Jimmy stepped near the edge of the field.

"…That's the mute kid, right?"

"Look at those rags. Did he get dressed in the dark?"

"Is that supposed to be a scarf or a curtain?"

He stood still for a moment. Then, quietly, without reacting, Jimmy turned around. Even Luna dimmed her light slightly, as if sensing his mood.

He sighed, low and inward, and walked back the way he came.

But just before reaching the gate entrance, he found himself blocked.

A girl stood there—blue ponytail, calm posture, same height as him. Beside her was a pale-haired boy, eyes sharp and analysing.

"You're the one who beat Raelson earlier today, right?" the girl asked.

Jimmy tilted his head slightly. He didn't respond at first—then, remembering the name, nodded once. Yes.

The boy grinned. "Impressive. Seriously. Most can't even scratch him."

The girl stepped forward, her expression neutral but curious. "Can we do a friendly match with you sometime?"

Jimmy raised a hand, beginning to sign, What would I…? But before he could finish, the boy waved quickly. "Ah—sorry. We don't know sign."

Jimmy lowered his hands. Luna, still floating beside him, flicked her ears. But something felt… off. Not about them—just the air. Something unsteady. His instincts held him still.

The boy seemed to notice. "We didn't mean to startle you. Hey, maybe we could talk instead? Grab something from the cafeteria?"

Jimmy glanced between them, then past them. Quietly, he stepped sideways and walked past without a word, lifting his hand with a simple motion: Stop.

The two watched him go, confused but not offended.

Seconds later, he returned—this time holding a small notebook and pen.

They were still waiting.

This time, the conversation went smoother. Jimmy jotted brief responses, and they adapted, speaking calmly, slowly. They introduced themselves—Aaro (the boy) and Velka (the girl), both Class A students with Whisps of their own.

They didn't mock him.

They didn't ask about his voice.

They only talked about battle—about skills, potential, teamwork.

As they wrapped up, Velka smiled faintly. "Good luck in the next match, Jimmy. Just be careful. I heard your opponent's Whisp is… ghost-type."

Jimmy raised a brow and quickly scribbled, Ghost? Who is it?

They only chuckled.

"You'll see," Aaro said. "Let's just say—keep your Whisp close."

And then they left, waving.

Back in his room, night had fully taken over. Luna hovered quietly behind him. The conversation lingered in Jimmy's mind—but now he had work to do.

He summoned a training dummy from his supply drawer, rigged it with a suction line and stuck it firmly on the tiled bathroom wall. His command was brief, fingers flicking: "Hit that—but not a single drop on the ground."

Luna locked onto the target, formed a small shimmering orb in her mouth, and released a narrow, precise Water Bullet. It struck the center of the dummy with a neat thwap, and not a drop escaped to the floor.

Jimmy allowed a small smile.

But after 5 min — knock knock knock.

His eyes snapped to the door.

A quick flicker through Luna's awareness—someone outside. Uniform. Authority.

"Security," he whispered to himself.

In a burst of speed, Jimmy twirled around. Luna vanished into the garden of his mind with a silent shimmer. The bed he had rotated to make space was swiftly dragged back into place. He folded his towel, hid the dummy, shut the window.

28 seconds.

Then, he opened the door.

A tall security officer stood there, arms crossed. He had seen students try worse.

"You been training in your room?" he asked bluntly.

Jimmy didn't move.

The guard stepped inside without permission, scanning the space.

Everything was pristine.

"No damage… no water… no sign of illegal Whisp activity," the man muttered. He turned to Jimmy again. "But someone complained. Loud noises. So, I'll say this once."

His eyes narrowed.

"This is your first warning. Next time, if I get another report, you're out. No dorm, no leniency. We clear?"

Jimmy didn't nod—but didn't argue.

As the man turned to leave, he paused, almost awkwardly.

"If you can't find a place to train… the Nexus is open. Look into it."

Then, as if something strange touched his conscience, he added, more softly, "Ah. I'm… sorry. Though I'm not sure what for."

And with that, he was gone.

Jimmy closed the door. Slowly. Softly.

He sat on the bed.

Luna returned to his side.

The quiet settled in again.

.................................

Jimmy then scrolled through a local map on his device, searching for quiet places to practice with Luna. Gardens, a nearby forest trail, even an artificial beach on the academy's outskirts—all looked promising, though most were around 5 kilometres away. He tapped the forest area and whispered in thought, "Long roads give better results." His plan was set.

suddenly a soft chime from his desk console stopped him mid-step. A message had arrived—an official system alert.

"You've not joined the B-Class communication group. Join within 1 minute."

Jimmy didn't trust links blindly. Quietly, he knocked on a few neighbouring doors. Sleepy students peeked out. When he showed them the message, one of them nodded. "Yeah, it's real. Hurry—teacher gets strict about this stuff."

Reassured, Jimmy returned and tapped the link. The group chat opened instantly.

Teacher: "Why the delay?"

Jimmy calmly typed:

Jimmy: "Checking if it's genuine."

There was a pause. Then the reply came:

Teacher: "Good. We need more students who think before they act."

Moments later, the preliminary B-Class Rankings were posted.

Jimmy scanned the list.

He blinked. Quietly turned toward Luna, who wagged her tail lazily in her sleep.

Then came another announcement.

Teacher: "All matches held during official mock battles now reward class points. Points will affect ranking, privileges, and eligibility for the upcoming First-Year Inter-School Tournament. The top 5 from each class will be shortlisted."

Whispers broke out in the chat. Emojis flooded in. Excitement and panic stirred the digital space.

Then came the team assignments for the upcoming cross-class battle:Team 3 – Jimmy | Velka | Aaro

Jimmy's eyes narrowed slightly. The two who approached him last night—how did they know? Or… had they just sensed it coming?