Hastin awoke to the regular morning routine he was always used to.

A flurry of movement, multiple doors opening and closing outside of his room, the rustling of sheets and quiet, overly feminine voices arguing over who got to use the showers first.

He stretched out over his bed, taking a sniff as he did so and wrinkling his nose.

Laundry hadn't been done yet.

Ever since reaching Class Four, he could smell the odor of sweat-stained sheets from the other rooms, even from his own. What he wouldn't have given to return to the bliss of class three senses.

Taking his time, he languidly sat up and yawned, tossing the blanket off of his body and swinging his feet over the side of the bed. He opened the drawer of his night stand and plucked out a box of cigarettes, tapping one out and grabbing the baby blue lighter next to it.

Putting it to his mouth, he struck the flint of his lighter. Once, twice and a third time, but all he got in return for his efforts were sparks.

"Guess today's an unlucky day." He grumbled, then jumped. Just as the words had left his mouth, he heard a small thud bounce off of the glass of his window. He hurriedly turned and heard further cursing from the street below. He stood up and strode up to his window, throwing open the curtains.

"Didn't I tell you we were done the next time I caught you smoking that shit?" The muffled voice of a woman filtered through his window, and he glanced down from his second story view to see a nuan girl cursing at a human man, who was looking down at his hand with a frown on his face.

"Did you really have to fucking smack the lighter out of my hand though?" He snapped, and Hastin glanced at his window sill, spotting a cheap black lighter resting there. Grinning, he opened up his window and snatched up the lighter, sparking it and lighting his cigarette as he leaned out to enjoy the show.

Today's a lucky day after all.

"You promised you would quit! You're lucky all I did was smack it away." The nuan girl snapped, crossing her arms over her chest and spinning around. The man sighed, tossing away his unlit cigarette and walking up to her.

"I'm sorry, baby girl. I was just stressed from yesterday's job. Give me another chance." He murmured, wrapping his arms around her. She looked reluctant, but eventually turned around in his embrace. Hastin grinned, bringing his cigarette to his mouth. A drama this early in the morning?

He took a drag of his cig, breathing out smoke just as he heard small footsteps approaching his door. He turned his head as the person outside of it knocked.

"Has, you up yet?" His mom called, and he took another drag.

"Yeah mom, I'm up." He called back, flicking his cigarette out of the window and closing it, but not before seeing it bounce off of the human man's shoulder. He grinned as the girl jumped, drawing his curtains closed.

"Remember, you've got a busy day today! You're supposed to meet with your Academy Liason." His mom reminded him through his door. "Make sure you wear something nice. I reserved one of the showers for you, and Marie said she'd be making a special breakfast."

"Thanks mom." He replied, walking over to his closet, snagging a towel and his shower bucket. He waited until her footsteps faded away before opening his door, stepping out of his room and closing the door behind him. He saw a small line outside of the bathroom, women of differing races, sizes, and figures shifting on their feet. He smirked as he walked straight past the line, their boos and jeers music to his ears as he paused in the doorway of the bathroom.

"Sorry everyone, I'm super important now." He hummed, then yelped as one of them threw a shampoo bottle at his head.

"Shut the fuck up Has!" She snapped, earning cheers and laughs as he ducked into the bathroom to escape the bombardment of shower essentials coming his way. The steam curling into the changing room was thick, the heat enveloping him pleasantly even before he fully entered it.

Changing out of his clothes, he walked past a row of closed shower curtains before claiming the only empty one. He hung up his towel on a hook, and one of the curtains opened, a young woman with wet brown hair poking her head out of it to look at him.

"Hastin, can I borrow your conditioner?" She whispered loudly over the hiss of hot water, and he sighed exaggeratedly.

"It was fifteen stills…" He trailed off, mockingly mournful, and she rolled her eyes.

"Oh whatever, I let you use my deodorant last week when you ran out, remember?." She huffed, and he clicked his tongue, hooking his conditioner out of his bucket and passing it over. "Thanks!"

"Yeah yeah, just pass it back over when you're done."

She gave him a thumbs up, slipping back into her stall, and he turned on his water.

Freshly showered and in comfortable but nice clothing, he walked out of the changing room. The line outside of the shower was smaller now, but that earned him no fewer glares than before. He stuck out his tongue at them and they did the same, before giggling as he walked past them back to his room.

Tossing his towel and bucket in a corner, he opened up his small jewelry box and put in a dagger earring, slipping a few rings onto his fingers and checking himself in the mirror. Slicking back his pale white hair, he nodded to himself.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

Perfectly presentable.

He slipped his lucky coin from his drawer into his pocket and walked back out of his room, clambering down the stairs. The tantalizing scent of eggs, sausage, and bagels called to him from the kitchen, nearly irresistible. He walked in and saw his mom and Marie cooking at the stove, fresh plates of breakfast already laying on the counter behind them. His mom, always somehow able to sense when he walked in, turned her head and gave him a smile.

"Well don't you look nice." She hummed as he walked up, pecking him on the cheek and scraping out a fresh set of eggs and sausages onto a plate, passing it over to him. "For my handsome boy. There's some bagels and cream cheese too, if you want it."

He grinned, sitting down at the counter and grabbing one of the communal forks. "Thanks mom." He said, digging in. Marie slid over a plate of cream cheese ladened bagels, her blonde curls bouncing slightly as she looked him over with a smile.

"Did your mom tell you the news?" She asked, and he shook his head, taking a bite of his bagel. "You're getting assigned as a temporary team lead!"

"Marie, that was supposed to be a surprise." His mom chided, clicking her tongue. Her pointed ears flicked in annoyance, while he perked up.

"Really?" He asked, and though his mom looked cross with Marie, she couldn't stop the proud smile from creeping onto her face.

"Really. I talked with your new team's parents over a call. They were absolutely lovely, but they're in Sacison, so you'll have to go down there for a week." She hummed, and he paused.

"I have to leave Niminir?" He asked hesitantly. His mom, seeming to sense his unease, paused her cooking to turn around and look at him.

"I know, I know. But the Liason stated that he'd accompany you there, and the trip is entirely Academy funded." She said, and he nodded. He still seemed remarkably unenthused though, and his mom ruffled his hair.

"Mom!" He grumbled, swatting her hand away, and she giggled.

"It'll be fun, you'll see." She promised, and he sighed.

"But I had a date planned later this week…" He grumbled, and immediately regretted it as soon as his mom perked up.

"Oh? And who's the girl? Do I know her? Oh, is she from your school? Is it that Trixie you were talking about last week?" She began her barrage of questions, and he coughed slightly, hurriedly standing up and cramming the rest of his bagel into his mouth.

"Gotta go! Love you!" He called, escaping from the kitchen as his mom called for him to come back. He could see the other girls of the house replacing the scented candles in the hall and side rooms, pulling off old sheets and replacing them with new ones. A few looked up to give him a wave and a smile, a few who knew about his meeting giving him a farewell thumbs up.

Stepping out of the townhouse into the busy city streets of Niminir, he was immediately blanketed by the deafening noise of rumbling car engines and cascading footsteps. Tapping on his circlet, he pulled up his Liason's contact info and gave him a call. He was immediately met with an overly cheerful voice.

"Mr. Naurin!" The Liason greeted. "I was just about to call you. I'm sure your mother informed you of our meeting today, but I wanted to confirm the time. Does 1100 still work for you?"

Hastin checked the time, still only 0943, but he nodded. "That time works perfectly." He answered, already planning ways to fill out the remaining time.

"And can I expect that the coffee shop is still a good meeting spot?" The Liason asked, to which Hastin grinned.

"As long as you're still paying." He got a chuckle in response.

"Of course. I'll see you there."

-

Hastin took a sip of his latte, savoring the white mocha flavor he'd ordered. The Liason, a human man with light blue hair, was sitting across from him while taking a sip of his own black coffee.

"I hope no one has spoiled the surprise." He hummed, and Hastin chuckled awkwardly, scratching his cheek. The Liason blinked, before shaking his head ruefully. "Well, I suppose they have. Still, to make it official…"

The Liason dug around in his pocket before pulling out a small ribbon, placing it onto the table and sliding it over to Hastin. "Congratulations! You have been assigned as a temporary team lead for two other Academy Selectees. We're working on filling out the third position, the Rift Expert, but for now we're already planning a training exercise before you start your semester at the Academy."

Hastin took the ribbon graciously, a proud smile on his face. "I don't know what made you decide to pick me as team lead, but thank you." He said, and the Liason waved a hand in the air.

"No no, thank you. It's not often that the Academy has the opportunity to study an Origin Core ability, so we are truly gratefulthat you have given us the chance to study it in the field." The Liason said, to which Hastin nodded slowly. That had always been the conditions of his scholarship, that and the fact he had reached Class Four.

"So, who will I be taking the lead of?" He asked, and the Liason paused slightly. Hastin wasn't sure if he quite liked that pause.

"Erm… well, I'll be the first to admit that your team will be a bit… unique, to say the least." He admitted, tapping his circlet and sending the relevant information to Hastin, who looked it over curiously.

"Let's see here…" He murmured, scrolling through the file. "Aurora Furliah. Nuan, mutated, class two, core ability is Hyper Reflex." He didn't quite know the specifics of the ability, but knew it was a cat one and affected the nervous and muscle system. "Mutated as of Maura 3rd, immediately enrolled into the Academy Selectee training program. And…" He paused, frowning as he looked at the Liason. "Why is her previous team's status classified?"

The Liason's smile broke for just a moment, but he shook his head. "I'm unable to elaborate on that, I'm afraid. But her experience is exemplary, as is her ability, that I have received much assurance about."

Hastin nodded hesitantly, scrolling past her information to the other's. "Joey Wa-... Waffles?" He again paused, a disbelieving laugh bubbling out as he looked at the Liason as if it was some sort of joke. But the smile on the Liason's face was ever present, making Hastin realize that it wasn't a joke. "Ooookay. Joey Waffles. Human, Gifted, class four- class four!?"

The Liason nodded. "He is the second class four that will be attending this semester, besides you." He elaborated, to Hastin's confusion.

"Why was he not made a team lead then?"

The Liason hesitated, then shrugged. "I'm… not too sure, actually. From what the Liason in Sacison has told me, his circumstances are unordinary. He had been living in a border settlement until fairly recently, so his judgment and education are still under review."

Hastin pursed his lips, rubbing his temples, but eventually shrugged and continued on. "Class four, category six. Cat one capabilities, other categories not verified." He read, tilting his head slightly. "A cat six huh?"

The Liason nodded. "You see now why we needed you specifically to become a team lead. From what I've been told, his combat capabilities are extraordinary, so another Class Four is needed to ensure he remains in control."

Hastin let out a slow breath, but eventually seemed to accept his strange new responsibilities. "You mentioned a training exercise. How soon would I leave?" He asked, and the Liason smiled. Though there was something in his smile that he wasn't sure he liked.

"Well… in about two hours, if you're alright with it?" He suggested, and Hastin nodded before the words could fully register. When they did, he slammed his hand onto the table.

"Two hours!?"