Chapter 31: A Sudden Shift

It was supposed to be just another lunch in the Academy’s mess hall. The usual noise of clattering trays, students chatting, and the low hum of the common area had been unremarkable—at least until the doors opened and those two unfamiliar figures walked in.

Rory Blake had froze mid-bite, his attention instantly pulled toward the entrance. The room fell into a stunned silence, all eyes locking onto the two boys who had just entered. Jake Foster and Levi Blackwell. It didn’t take long for Rory to recognize them. Everyone had seen the footage of their capture after Galewood. Everyone had heard the rumors.

And now they were here.

Rory exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Dana Wright, who sat across from him, her own lunch forgotten as she stared at the pair. No one moved. No one spoke. It felt as if the entire mess hall was holding its breath.

“Holy shit, I can’t believe they’re… actually here,” Dana whispered, her voice barely audible.

Rory could only nod. The two boys stood at the far end of the room, and while they hadn’t said a word, their presence was undeniable. Jake was tall, his dark eyes scanning the room with a cold, serious intensity. There was something about the way he held himself—serious, like he was carved out of stone. His expression didn’t change as he looked around the room, not acknowledging the dozens of eyes staring at him.

Next to him, Levi was a stark contrast. His white hair and glowing red eyes made him stand out even more, but it was the faint smirk on his face that drew attention. He didn’t seem to care about the whispers or the stares. If anything, he seemed somewhat amused by them. Where Jake looked immovable, Levi looked like he was almost enjoying the tension in the room.

The two of them walked deeper into the mess hall, making their way toward an empty table. The whispers started as soon as they moved, hushed conversations breaking out among the students.

“That’s them,” someone muttered.

“They survived Galewood.”

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“How did they…?”

Rory couldn’t take his eyes off them. The stories and videos of the destruction had been circulating for weeks—how Jake and Levi had survived an explosion that leveled an entire city, how no one knew the full details of what they were capable of. The rumors painted them as something more than just metahumans, something dangerous.

“They look… different in person from what I imagined,” Dana said, leaning in, her eyes never leaving them.

Rory nodded, still watching as the two boys sat down at the far end of the room. Jake took his seat quietly, his movements calm and controlled, while Levi leaned back in his chair with an air of casual arrogance. It was hard to ignore the way the room reacted to them—the silence, the tension, the way everyone was pretending not to stare but couldn’t stop glancing in their direction.

“They’re not saying anything,” Rory muttered, more to himself than to Dana.

“Do they have to?” Dana replied, her tone sharp with unease.

While Jake and Levi didn’t know. The footage of their capture after the Galewood explosion had been broadcast everywhere. The sight of them being taken down by the Academy’s forces was burned into everyone’s minds. But this—seeing them in person, walking into the mess hall like it was just another day—felt surreal.

“What do you think they’re going to do?” Rory asked, glancing at Dana.

She shook her head, her brow furrowed. “No idea, honestly.”

The room remained unnaturally quiet, the usual mess hall noise replaced by the low murmur of speculation. No one had the courage to approach Jake or Levi, and even the older students seemed content to keep their distance for now. There was something about their presence that made everyone uneasy, it felt like a storm waiting to break.

Jake sat with his hands resting on the table, his expression unreadable. There was no sign of emotion on his face, just that same cold, serious demeanor. He didn’t look at anyone directly, but there was a weight to his presence that made him feel dangerous without saying a word.

Levi, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the attention. His eyes moved lazily across the room, taking in the stares and whispers with that same faint smirk. It was as if he found the entire situation amusing.

“They’re not like the other students,” Rory whispered, feeling a chill run down his spine.

“Obviously,” Dana muttered, keeping her voice low. “No one really knows what they can do.”

The students sitting closest to Jake and Levi exchanged nervous glances, clearly uncomfortable with their proximity. Rory could feel the tension rising, like everyone was waiting for something to happen. But Jake and Levi remained still, seemingly indifferent to the effect they were having on the room.

Rory swallowed hard, his mind racing. The rumors had painted them as unstoppable, as survivors of something no one else could have walked away from. But seeing them here, in the flesh, made it all feel much more real. And much more frightening.

“They don’t look scared,having everyone stare at them” Rory said quietly.

Dana shook her head. “Why would they be? They even survived something we can’t even imagine.”

The mess hall stayed frozen in place, no one daring to break the fragile silence. Jake’s presence felt heavy, like a weight pressing down on the room, while Levi’s unnerving calm only made the tension worse.

Rory leaned closer to Dana. “Do you think the Academy is testing us?”

Dana raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Letting them in here like this,” Rory whispered. “It feels… intentional.”

Dana’s eyes flicked back to Jake and Levi. “Maybe. But whatever the Academy’s doing, they’re not telling us.”

Rory nodded slowly, his gaze still locked on the two boys. They weren’t even talking. They weren’t interacting with anyone.