"The girl everyone's been whispering about. One time national spelling bee champion at ten years old. Two-time winner of the American Grappling Federation's sixty and seventy pound weight division's annual tournament. Three-time winner of the World Karate Association pre-teen seventy-five and eighty-five pound divisions. Paraded around publicly as The Sovereign's pride and joy before she disappeared from the public eye entirely due to her health," Al rattled off as we departed the dining hall.

Stella sighed, putting a hand to her forehead. "Albert, please."

Al gave her a sympathetic grin as we continued across the courtyard, his eyes darting around suspiciously as he kept his voice low.

"Everyone knows who you are, Stella. I mean, I didn't at first. I just saw you scatter your painting supplies all over the place and went over to help," He shrugged, putting his hands behind his head.

Then, he snickered.

"And who would've thought. Miss mysterious and untouchable Stella Matsudaira. A hardcore manga and figurine collector who saw my 'Raging Angels' necklace and keychain and went absolutely ballistic," He chuckled. "It's fate, Stella! Can't deny it. We were meant to be friends."

She shook her head, a playful smirk on her face as she rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I'm a geek. A mega nerd. Get over it."

"Is letting that get out such a big deal? You're amazing, Stella. Way better than the whole perfect princess act," I offered, flashing her a slight smile.

"Oh trust me. It's not that. I mean, sure, some people might have a few snarky comments about it. But that's not what I'm worried about. It's..." She trailed off, trailing her fingers over her heart as she frowned, lost in her thoughts.

She suddenly seemed a lot more vulnerable and uncertain than before.

"I was raised to be, well, this. I mean, my mother always told me I represented some long legacies and tradition. That it was my duty to carry them on. That getting to follow my dreams and do what I love was a privilege that came with a cost," She smiled sadly, clasping her hands in front of her.

I felt a flash of sympathy for her.

It sounded like a pressure that was hard to escape. Like she couldn't just exist and be herself.

I didn't want to assume anything, though.

"What kind of traditions and legacies are we talking about, Stella?" I asked softly.

Stella smiled, folding her arms behind her back as we crossed the grassy quad.

"Well, everyone knows The Sovereign was one of the heroes who fought in the final battle and 'survived' the Nightmare of Nox right? But she knew better than anyone she was living on borrowed time," She responded, tilting her head back as she studied the sky. "Her husband — my father I guess, still carries on her torch, but he was just a regular albeit brilliant guy who built a small empire in Silicon Valley."

She shrugged, eyeing me carefully as she let me absorb what she was saying.

Albert stroked his chin. "Come to think of it, the timing does seem a bit odd. The Sovereign's son died in battle against Osmium Titan. And then while everyone was mourning, she came public with an infant daughter in the days after the final battle."

Stella flinched, pursing her lips as she tensed up.

"She was already running out of time, and she knew she'd never have another chance to do what she felt was right. She decided she wanted me to fulfill her final duty," She replied, looking off into the distance with a determined stare.

"And what was that?" I asked, feeling a bit confused.

She didn't seem like she was a fighter. Well, she obviously was given her accolades, but not the multigenerational master her mother was.

She was poised and graceful, but not in a fighting sort of way.

"I see. You're adopted." Al suddenly interjected, studying her carefully. "And you are well aware of it it."

She nodded with a proud smile, lifting her chin up as she gave him a satisfied look.

"Bingo. Read between the lines, did you?" she said with a smile. "Heh. You're a sharp one."

Then, she lowered her eyes as we kept walking.

"I remember the day she told me. I was... overwhelmed. I was mad, I think. Disillusioned and hurt. But there was nothing I could do. She'd already handed me off to some of the best protectors, tutors and bodyguards in the business. She always assumed the worst, and she didn't trust anything except a small, tight inner circle. Their son died in the battle, and she had no one else to leave the mantle to. And with so much at stake, she decided to expand her family... the only way she could," She explained, shaking her head wistfully.

"Wow," Al whispered, his eyes wide with awe. "Jesus, Stella. That sounds like a lot to handle."

She laughed, her tone turning cold and distant.

"I've always been a quick study. I was used to it. I adapted. That's what I do." She smiled, her eyes seeming to darken as her eyes settled on a group of students nearby. "I was always in their shadow. Their legacy. It's a gift and a burden. Part of me resents it sometimes, and I really don't like being lied to or used."

She smirked, shaking her head. "It was clear my mother grew to love me as her own and raised me as such, but it was a lonely upbringing since my status as their heir was known. Plus, she was always out on secret missions or disappearing for weeks at a time. My adoptive parents were my support, but they never told me where I came from. She only did when she knew she was dying and didn't have much longer left."

Albert gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, and she shrugged.

"Anyways, she made it crystal clear she wanted me to make good use of the clout she'd leave me, my resources and my advantages. But in her own way, she loved me and just wanted me to be happy. She believed in hard work and initiative. And that I had the right to use her name and heritage however I saw fit. She wanted me to take up her mantle. Instead, I ran away from the Matsudaira Conglomerate into a smaller city for the last two or three years under an alias. It was a nice vacation. Got to see some new sights. Nobody knew who I was. Made a couple of real friends for the first time in my life as me and not 'Lady Matsudaira' or whatever the heck her servants called me."

Stella giggled. "Really, all I ever wanted was to just be my own person. Enjoy a bit of freedom and peace and quiet, you know? I had a lot of stuff to figure out. Not a lot of people to talk to this about, either."

She sighed, looking up at the sky again as we walked through the campus grounds.

Albert eyed her, listening with interest and compassion.

It was a raw, emotional admission, and I wasn't exactly sure how to respond.

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"That sounds so lonely and isolating, Stella. I'm sorry," I whispered. "How are you handling it? Are you able to step away from everything and focus on school? Is that something you want?"

She nodded, her eyes flashing with purpose as she clasped her hands in front of her.

"People live and die for their cause. They give up everything, fighting for a chance to make a difference. I have to show the world I have what it takes to be a part of it too," She replied, with a sort of steel in her voice that caught me by surprise.

"Sure, I got to figure myself out. Messed around anonymously on the internet. Got sucked into a few fandoms without Mother breathing down my neck all the time. Caused a bit of trouble here and there. But at the end of the day, I want to prove myself. I can't let myself just bum around. Not with the kind of authority I've been gifted and entrusted with."

I could feel my eyes widening as I watched her, both entranced and a little taken back by the sudden emotion and intensity in her voice.

"So, that's why you wanted to stay at the academy? You don't just want to be on your own, but to find a cause and make a difference?" Albert offered, giving her a knowing smile.

She nodded, her eyes glinting with a wry smirk. "You could say that, in a sense! I did a lot of soul-searching in the last two or three years and found something that motivated me to enroll here. Just a little idea that kept me going when I felt like everything was pointless."

Then she laughed, her shoulders sagging a little. "In short, I really don't care about my image or being a lady at a tea ceremony or whatever mother used to care about. I don't want to fight for the sake of fighting. But I do represent her. So, I'm not just going to sit back and relax and let her legacy just crumble. She had a lot of unfinished business that she left behind."

My heart felt like it was melting a little, and I couldn't help but giggle in admiration.

There was a conviction and an earnestness in her voice that couldn't be faked or manufactured. She was driven, and I wasn't sure if I'd ever seen anyone like her.

She was... an enigma. A blend of innocence and curiosity and a sharp determination and drive that left me a little speechless.

Albert nodded. "But enough about that, it's the last weekend we have before classes start up again. And I did tell Stella I'd show her my own haul of geeky paraphernalia. Which is totally not as cool, but whatever. We can geek out together and not worry about all the serious stuff."

She snorted, slugging him in the shoulder. "Whatever, Albert. Just don't start posing like a Mystery Ranger Z Cosplayer or anything."

I looked between them, smiling to myself.

Albert hadn't been lying when he said he'd made a new friend.

She wasn't exactly my usual type of friend, and I couldn't relate to her her upbringing in the slightest.

But she was a good person. Someone with a strong sense of purpose and a deep, hidden warmth that showed in her smile and her gaze.

She'd been through a lot, it seemed. And I could understand a little bit of what that was like.

I knew what it was like to be isolated, to feel alone in a crowd.

And I also knew what it was like to struggle with trying to find out who you were or who you wanted to be.

Maybe that was what drew me to her. The brokenness. The vulnerability.

I could sympathize with that.

Or maybe, I was just looking for people to latch on to after everything I'd lost.

But one thing was certain.

Al had found a kindred spirit in her.

They had a lot in common, from their love of comics and their enthusiasm for all things cute and geeky.

And strangely, as they talked and joked and laughed their way back to the dorms, I was happy for him.

I was happy for them both.

And just like that, I felt the warmth of a new friendship blossoming.

The three of us ascended Al's dorm building, and I couldn't help but grin to myself.

As we stepped into his dorm and Albert closed the door behind us, I could feel a bubbling, swirling sensation in my chest.

It wasn't adrenaline. It wasn't even excitement.

It was something warmer, more comforting.

"Oh geeze, what happened here?" Stella asked, raising an eyebrow as we passed over the shoe rack that held the grisly, stained remains of my ruined sneakers.

"Heh. You know how Dark Princess Eris came crashing onto campus a couple of days ago, right? We were actually caught outside, and she drenched us in a bunch of that gunk. She ended up getting chased off campus though," Al chuckled. "This stuff smells and looks like barbecue sauce, but I have no idea what it really is."

I frowned, picking it up for a second.

"No matter how much I'd try to wash it, I couldn't get the stains out..." I trailed off, giving Stella an awkward smile. "I was pretty mad about it in the moment, but now It's just one of those crazy things you experience from living in this city, I guess. It'll make for a nice story one day."

Stella tilted her head, blinking at the sneakers as she studied them. She pressed her lips together, furrowing her brows as she stood next to them, and I gave her a curious look.

Then, she sighed. "Sheesh. People these days..."

She snorted, shaking her head dusting her knees off.

Then, following along with Albert, we took our shoes off and walked down the hall to his room.

"Sorry for the mess," He mumbled, as we stepped into the small, well-organized space.

It was a cozy little room, with a neatly made bed, a shelf of comic books, and a desk with a monitor, and a mouse mat with a stylized drawing of Arcadia Vox grinning on it.

"A mess? It looks really clean in here. Well-kept. Frankly, I expected worse from a teenage boy's room," Stella commented, crossing her arms with a smirk.

Albert chuckled nervously, giving me a sheepish grin. "Well, as second gen as my mom was, she was still a bit of a drill sergeant like my grandma was. You could say she rubbed off on me in some ways. She always went out of the way to make sure I learned to keep things organized."

I noticed Stella staring at the pair of small, framed photos on Al's desk. One of him and his parents on his seventh birthday. I was next to him, looking awkward, anxious, and uneasy as he grinned at the camera.

Another was of us laughing and posing when his parents took us out to the amusement park for the day when we were in middle school. We were just kids then, too young to really appreciate how precious that time was.

But now, the memory still brought a smile to my face, and I knew that Al had to be thinking about the same thing.

We hadn't changed much, except that we had a better grasp on what was important and what we could lose.

Then, Stella walked over to the end of the room, walking out to the balcony I'd jumped out of when I confronted Dark Princess Eris cloaked under my luminary mirage. She tapped her chin, taking in the view of the campus in the midday sun.

"It's a nice view," She mused, squinting as she leaned over the railing. "Much better than the one out of my suite."

I tilted my head. It was easy to forget with her in front of me that Stella wasn't exactly living in poverty. She'd been raised well, with her mother's power and prestige to lean on, and all the perks that came with it.

But we were 'mostly' on equal ground here. Each student had solo dorms due to presence of the young knights, but we didn't exactly have penthouse apartments or anything.

I folded my arms as Stella paced around the balcony for a second, looking curiously down below. Then she chuckled to herself and walked back inside, and Albert gestured at the chairs in his room.

Stella stared at him quizzically as he winked at her, holding his index finger to his lips in a shushing motion.

He reached down under his bed, heaving out a large, clunky console that looked like it was from an antique store.

It whirred and blinked to life as he hooked it up to the monitor, and soon, we were all gathered around it.

"Woah, that's retro," Stella commented, as Al set up a stack of cartridges. "WOW, is that a copy of Legend of Ninja Toma?"

"We may or may not have gone diving garage sales for treasure a couple of times," I giggled, nudging Al. "Just one of many in this stash."

Stella shook her head in disbelief. "Geeky paraphernalia not as cool. Are you kidding? Everyone's been trying to replicate the mechanics and artistic fidelity of the first rumble brawler, but no one's managed to recapture the same goofy style the first series did."

Al quirked an eyebrow, surprised by the sudden intensity in her voice. Then, she sighed, shaking her head.

"Not like I really have the time to find out for myself, unfortunately," She shrugged, taking a seat on his bed.

"You're full of surprises, Stella. A secret meganerd! Well, come on! We've got a few hours before dinner. I insist," Albert smiled, handing her a controller.

"I can get behind that," She replied, smiling as she took a deep breath.

She seemed relaxed and content, and her earlier seriousness and intensity seemed to melt away as she smiled back at him.

It was like she wasn't just able to put her walls up around him. She didn't have to hide or put on an act or fake her emotions.

Al was just like that. He was the most approachable and compassionate friend anyone could ask for.

He would've been ideal as a Knight, and he did go for it, but he hadn't been chosen.

I did wonder if there was something more to it — given the weird paradox we ran into during the Cataclysm. Plus, the creature I'd fought until my last drop of mana seemed to go out of the way to try and hunt him down at all costs.

Shaking my head, I pulled up a chair to join them.

"Hey, tag me in!" I spoke with a grin.

"You're on, Sienna!" Albert replied.

As we settled in to play, trading quips and friendly insults back and forth, I couldn't help but feel a little grateful for being here.

It was only the opening week, but I'd made friends. Good friends.

And despite everything, despite the chaos and the noise and the darkness of the world around us, I couldn't be more thankful.

Soon, we would have to face whatever the future would bring.

Our worlds would unfold and morph into new shapes and sizes.

Little did I know just how much.

But for right now, the weight of the world was lifted off my shoulders, and it was just us.

And it was fun.

It was enough.