Chapter 3 #3
But I held back. Because I did get it —he was in a position I wasn’t, with access to things I didn’t have. And as much as I ached to press him, I also wanted to show I trusted him. Even if it took everything I had not to pry it out of him right then and there.
Still, something in me bristled. Holding back didn’t mean staying silent.
“I’m not entirely sure your reaction here is proportional,” I said as calmly as I could, though I couldn’t resist letting a little edge sneak in.
“And hey, if I interrupted something more important, my sincerest apologies. I’ll try not to be inconveniently human next time. ”
I took a step closer. “But you forget that I don’t have access to all the secrets you do, which means I’m working with half the picture, if that. So if I occasionally misjudge what matters, maybe that’s less on me and more on the whole ‘need-to-know’ policy you keep clinging to.”
I didn’t raise my voice. I didn’t lash out. I just stood there, waiting—giving him the chance to meet me halfway. But instead of leveling with me, he shut down like a door slamming in my face.
“Bullshit, Emma,” he snapped, too fast, too sharp—like he needed to wound before he caved in himself. “I told you exactly what you needed to know to make the right call, this morning.”
He shook his head in disappointment. “I don’t have time for this. You should’ve known not to interrupt my meeting for this.”
I wanted to punch him. I wanted to punch him out cold, but instead I took a deep breath and reminded myself I was now talking to my boyfriend, whom I loved. And who was under extreme pressure.
So I channeled Jackson’s measured demeanor as much as I could, and apologized. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize—”
“Just forget it,” he muttered, cutting off my attempt at mature conversation. Then he stared at me, his jaw tight, his eyes tired, like he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. He gave another slow shake of his head—less angry now, more...tired. Worn down.
Then, without another word, he opened a portal. His eyes didn’t meet mine again. He simply stepped through and vanished, leaving only silence behind.
I waited for him to come back. For a breath, a glance, anything.
But the silence stayed.
So I swallowed the lump in my throat and quietly left the room and made my way back to my dorm, trying to shake off the confusion and the sting of his reaction.
Later that evening, as I sat in my dorm replaying the tense exchange with James, a knock sounded at my door. I opened it to find Nino standing there, her expression calm. “You mind if I come in?” she asked, her tone firm but kind.
I shook my head, unsure of where this was going. “Of course not.”
She sat down at my desk, as I took my bed. “I heard about your accomplishments in the Academy today,” she said, before her smile widened slightly.
My eyebrows shot up in surprise. “Oh?”
Nino nodded. “Grayson—your teacher—told me you’re far beyond what the Entry and even Moderates usually see. He recommended you for my Superior team.” She paused, then locked her stare with mine. “I’ve got one more spot available if you’re interested.”
My jaw nearly hit the floor. “Wait—skip the Moderates completely?”
Nino shrugged, casual as ever. “It’s not going to do you any favors if you’re not being challenged. I need students who push themselves, who want to grow—and from what I’ve been told, you fit that mold.”
A huge grin spread across my face before I could stop it. “I’m in. Definitely in.”
Nino gave me a curt nod, with a spark of approval in her eyes. “Good. We start tomorrow. Don’t be late.”
After Nino left, I felt an overwhelming urge to tell James the news. I grabbed my Nexus, ready to share the excitement, but as my fingers hovered over the drops, I hesitated.
James was busy—extremely busy. He was preventing the failure of a project the whole world had been working on for almost two decades.
He was preparing for an oncoming war. He’d made it clear this morning his time was scarce, and I didn’t want to add to his stress.
Maybe it was better to wait until he reached out to me.
With a sigh, I translated my Nexus away, the uncertainty settling in. I convinced myself it was the right decision to wait for him to contact me.
But he never reached out.
And I had no one else to tell.
The next morning, I practically bounced down the hall toward my new class.
The excitement was bubbling up inside me—I was finally going to meet other people my age, real peers, not the wide-eyed sixteen-year-olds who stared at me like I was some kind of diseased alien.
Maybe I’d find my way into a new group of friends.
Or even a “found family” like I read about in those fantasy books I was devouring lately.
I entered the training room and immediately noticed the shift in energy. The other students were older, sharper, focused. I could sense it in the air as they stretched and prepared.
It felt right.
Finding a spot to settle in, I quietly took in my new social group. This was it—finally. A group of people who would challenge me, who would push me to grow.
But as I stood there, stretching my arms and getting ready for the warm-up, I overheard a conversation behind me, a little too loud to be a coincidence.
“Isn’t she the one who got in by sleeping with James Walker?”
“Yeah, that’s what I heard. Guess being good at something paid off for her.”
My cheeks flushed with a mix of anger and humiliation.
Hope of finding new friends crashed and burned in an instant, but before I could turn around and confront the whispering students, Nino strode into the classroom, her mere presence commanding instant silence.
The room shifted, every gaze snapping forward as if her authority alone forced them into attention.
Nino had an aura—calm, controlled, and respected. It was clear no one dared challenge her, at least not to her face.
"All right," she said, her voice steady, cutting through the tension, “before we begin, I have a few announcements to make.”
Everyone sat up straighter, all attention firmly on Nino. My pulse quickened, and a knot formed in my stomach. What’s going on?
“First off, we have a change in the class structure,” she continued, scanning the room before settling briefly on me. “As of today, Emma Thompson will be joining our Superior team. Her skills have proven to be far beyond Entry or Moderate level.”
“Yeah, we know what skills she’s talking about.” A girl behind me giggled. There was a ripple of murmurs, barely hushed whispers behind me, and I could sense their stares, scrutinizing, questioning, and, undoubtedly, judging.
Nino’s expression hardened. “I expect every one of you to treat her with the same respect you give each other. No exceptions. Am I clear?”
The room fell silent again. Nino gave a single nod, clearly satisfied. Which was nowhere close to my own state of mind.
“Next order of business,” Nino continued, her tone firm. “In light of the Great Exposure and the recent attack by the Radicals on Cyclos, the Council has decided to exceptionally reward Superior Offensives with a Skindo, as soon as their interface hits below the second.”
A collective gasp rippled through the room. A Skindo? Those personal weapons, designed to amplify energy and precision, were typically reserved for those who had already completed Advanced training or even graduated as Professionals. This was huge.
My heart started pounding in my chest. I knew how important this was—I'd already trained with James, using a Skindo in secret. He'd warned me not to breathe a word of it, or we’d face serious consequences. But now, the chance to earn one officially… This was bigger than I’d anticipated.
This was the validation I’d been striving for—the proof I was where I belonged.
I would get below the second before the rest of my fellow students, even if it was the last thing I ever did. I would die trying if I had to.
Nino scanned the room, her expression the epitome of "I’ve seen it all and it’s rarely impressive.
" Her eyes briefly locked with mine before moving on, like she’d already dismissed me as unremarkable.
"Your progress will be closely monitored, and an envoy from the Council will determine when you're ready. "
Right on cue, a man I once fought beside entered the room. His presence screamed important guy energy, the kind which practically demanded a dramatic soundtrack. The air shifted like we were all supposed to register his arrival on some deeper level.
“For those of you who don’t know,” Nino announced, “this is Maurice. He’ll be auditing a class every now and then. So, let’s begin.”
The gravity of the day’s announcements seemed to settle in deeper—or maybe it was Maurice’s overwhelming I’m-better-than-you energy, radiating like an invisible force field of authority. Honestly, it was hard to tell.
A grin tugged at the corner of my mouth, one probably toeing the line between confident and obnoxious. Time to show everyone what I was made of—and make it crystal clear I wasn’t here to take up space like a decorative potted plant.