Clo waited outside the public pool. Did she bail? He had to wonder if she chickened out. He didn’t think Maya was the kind of person to run from something, but some people had irrational fears, and swimming was a pretty common one. He stood just outside the building and was looking around for Maya. He was tall enough to look over most people, and her pink hair would be quite obvious. He realized that he should just message her and prepared to do just that. A notification appeared at the edge of his vision. It took him a second to even remember how to open the message.

One of the first things he had purchased with the points from the trial, was a hyper-efficient visual implant. It wasn’t just contact, but a thin screen that was embedded into one eye. It was actually a trial item and had some convenient features for trials like Sabrina’s glasses did. The benefit of being a crafted item was the integration of modern tech into the item, allowing him to use it as a substitute for the contacts that other people had. It was an expensive item, although Clo had read that a lot of the higher-ranked people had one, so he felt like it was a safe purchase. It only left him with enough to get one other item, but he was satisfied with his choices.

Focusing on the message alert, he managed to pull up Maya’s text. It was essentially just an excuse for why she was late and said that she would still need a few more minutes. Clo let out a sigh but was glad to see that she was actually coming. It was weird, but he felt his heartbeat jump after reading the message. He didn’t have any time to consider what that was about as someone called out to him.

“Hey-y, you’re Clo, right?”

The voice was high pitched, and they stretched the end of the hey in a way that annoyed him. Clo turned his head slightly, to spot two girls posing beside him. One had short blonde hair while the other was a brunette with weirdly green eyes. And they were obviously trying to show off their curves. He had seen that kind of thing from prostitutes back in his home world and could recognize it almost immediately. Despite the admittedly chilly weather, the two girls were wearing large, unzipped hoodies with nothing but a bikini top underneath. Their sweatshirts were black with some cat characters on the sleeves. He glanced at them but didn’t say anything, instead, he glanced at the people behind them.

More girls and some guys stood a few feet away and were looking in his direction. Some of them had handheld phones out, but he bet that more of them were recording with more subtle devices too. Clo let out a sigh, shaking his head slightly and turning away from them.

“I’m busy.”

He replied crudely. He was already annoyed today. This wasn’t the first group to approach him today. Several people had tried to stop him. A few of them had probably been recruiters, but they never followed him if he turned into a public space. He had read up on some rules and knew that organizations were banned from trying to recruit students until the end of their first year. Some groups still tried, but the academies wouldn’t let it pass if they found out. With that in mind, the public areas were proving to be more relaxing even if students were watching and taking pictures of him.

“Oh, come on. Don’t be like that, I’m sure we can find something fun to do.”

One of the girls, a blonde leaned toward him and tried to latch onto his arm. He shifted slightly to avoid her and gave them the most annoying expression he could manage. They were blind to it though and continued to try and cling to him.

“Look, I’m waiting for someone far better than you. So, politely, fuck off.”

They could only pretend to ignore him for so much, and that comment was enough to get them to back off. The two girls flinched away from him as if he had smacked them. Their faces flared with a reddish hue as they managed to look both offended and ashamed all at the same time. While the two girls attempted to formulate a response, one of the guys who had been spectating behind them stepped up.

The guy had dirty blonde hair that was cut short all around, giving his head a squarish shape. With a pronounced jaw and low-hanging nose, he somewhat resembled a bird. The still unnamed boy didn’t quite get loud enough to shout, but his voice shook with unhidden anger.

“Don’t be such a dick man. You aren’t any better than the rest of us.”

Clo didn’t so much as take a step toward the man. Instead, he just tilted his head down ever so slightly to meet the man’s eyes directly. Clo was not deaf to words people said about him. He knew what his performance had meant. And above all of that, he knew that he was tall and imposing. One of the many things he had learned from both his home and the trial was how to stand. In a world where looking scared often meant getting beaten or robbed, Clo had learned the value of an intimidating gaze. His time spent in the trial taught him how to change that gaze into something more profound. Something that very much expressed his accomplishment.

Clo straightened his back a tiny bit. he didn’t puff out his chest or dramatically till his chin up. That was the kind of posturing someone with fake power would do. No, all Clo had to do was meet the man’s eyes; and show him and those around him that they were nothing but trash when compared to him. It was one of many looks he had learned from the emperor, and it was more than enough to silence the boy. The guy, who so desperately wanted to appear tough in front of some girls froze. His legs didn’t exactly shake, but the boy had unconsciously taken a step back.

The boy seemed shocked by the gesture, but it was enough to scare him off. He was quick to turn and pull the girls away too, retreating the rest of his group who continued to record the whole thing. They weren’t the only ones though. The boy’s half-shout had drawn cameras like a light for moths. Clo turned back toward the street, letting his gaze pass over the many onlookers. With his chin straight, and his natural height, that meant that he was looking down upon them. It fits with how he felt, and for the first time since his first trial, he thought he could understand the emperor.

He lingered on that feeling for only a moment, as another message made him look down the road. Maya, it seemed, had finally arrived. Clo could instantly spot the dazzling pink hair as Maya ran down the side of the road. She didn’t weave around students but ran forward with her armor up. The semi-translucent purple armor was enough to get people to move out of her way.

She must have noticed him too, since she ran straight up to him, only stopping once she got close. Immediately, she dipped forward, resting her hands on her knees. She slowed her breathing, filling her lungs with a series of deep breaths. Clo was about to say something, but Maya held up a finger to stop him. Clo sighed and waited for her to catch her breath. She had probably chosen to run rather than wait for the buses. One of the school’s rules prevented students from owning private vehicles. Clo didn’t understand what the point of such a policy was.

“Sorry, for. Being late.”

Maya spoke between breaths, her words sounded strained as she tried to relax. Clo shook his head a little.

“Don’t worry about it. Are you good to walk and talk?”

Clo pointed toward the indoor pool behind him. They were already behind schedule, and this pool would close in a couple of hours. He wanted to get in as much practice as possible. At the very least, he wanted to get her through the basics so that she could continue to practice on her own. She snapped up, straightening her back and smiling at him.

“Yup, let’s go. I’ve been looking forward to this.”

Maya’s eagerness surprised Clo. It seemed like his earlier assumptions had been wrong. Maya didn’t seem afraid at all, and he had to wonder why she hadn’t learned how to swim before. He hesitated for a brief moment, but then just decided to ask.

“Why didn’t you learn before?”

He started walking toward the pool, slowing slightly to match Maya’s stride. Her expression stiffened a little, and a pinkish hue touched her cheeks. She looked away from him, but her blush reached her ears, letting him see it despite her attempt to hide it.

“I kind of forgot.”

“You forgot how to swim?”

Clo didn’t think swimming was a skill that people just forgot. He had only had a few opportunities to learn himself, but he didn’t think he would ever lose the ability to do it. A subtle shake of her head was followed by an answer.

“No, what? I don’t think people can forget that. I just mean, I forgot that it was something to learn at all. My parents did too, so it just kind of got ignored. There isn’t really much water around where I live, and pools weren’t popular either.”

Clo still couldn’t believe that explanation.

“You forgot that people could swim?”

“I was just busy with other things.”

Maya rubbed her arm as she replied, and Clo noticed that she was feeling uncomfortable. It wasn’t like it mattered so long as she was willing to learn now. Brushing aside the topic, he changed subjects abruptly.

“I’m guessing you saw our placements and started getting emails too. Oh, I messaged the teacher about them, and he told me not to sign anything until the end of the year. He even said he would get me something if my offers got worse by then.”

Clo reached for the door of the building, pushing it open while talking. Maya’s eyes widened, and she looked up at him with genuine shock. He raised one eyebrow at her, asking the question silently.

“Sabrina and I were talking about going to talk to the teacher. We never even thought about just messaging him. Also, I’m surprised that you asked him for help.”

Clo shrugged.

“I’m not so arrogant as to think I could do more than the teacher.”

“I didn’t mean it like that…”

Maya’s voice trailed as they turned a corner and stepped into the pool proper. Clo stared at the pool. The place was big and fancy. Diving boards nearly reached the ceiling and had to be over a hundred feet up. And the pool seemed to stretch an equal distance downward, far past what should be considered safe. Rather than markings along the side indicating the depth of the pool. I took him a second to understand what the markings along the inner wall were showing him. It was the physical grade needed to swim that far.

“Maybe we stay away from the deep end for now.”

Maya spoke first, drawing his attention from the vast pool. His gaze moved toward the shallower end of the pool, and he took notice of the many people there. The place was surprisingly crowded despite the enormous size of the building. Not many people were swimming though. Most people were just standing waist-deep in the water and socializing.

As he stared over the crowds, he followed Maya as she started to head to the edge of the pool. He was about to point out the changing room to her, but she didn’t give him the chance. She grabbed the bottom of her hoodie and pulled it over her head, revealing a tight-fitting athletic swimsuit. Rather than the typical design that many of the girls wore, her swimsuit clung tightly to her skin and ran all the way up to her neck.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Clo’s gaze crawled up from her bare stomach to meet Maya’s own stare. He shifted slightly, turning away when he realized that he had been staring. At that moment, he couldn’t deny the rush of heat that spread from his chest.

“Sorry, that was rude.”

He couldn’t face her and kept his eyes forward as his heart calmed down. She didn’t let his emotions settle though, grabbing his arm and pulling him down to the pool. She threw her stuff onto a nearby beach chair.

“No, it wasn’t. Now, come and teach me how to swim.”

Maya sounded weirdly pleased, and she seemed unable to restrain a wide smile from splitting her lips. Clo followed, using one hand to pull off his shirt. His shirt brushed against his hair as he pulled it off. He balled up the shirt and threw it back toward her stuff. A quick intake of breath followed by a choking sound came from his side, and he glanced toward Maya who was openly staring at him. He took another step forward, only to stop once he realized that Maya wasn’t following him.

He turned back to see her flushed expression. Her cheeks, ears, and nose had flared a bright red. The blush was so deep that it made even her hair seem dull by comparison.

“What’s wrong?”

His question made her jump, and she shook her head so rapidly that her words vibrated with the motion.

“Nothing!”

Her squeak of a response was followed by her storming forward. Clo knew what a response like that probably meant, but he just couldn’t be certain. Finding someone attractive and actually doing something about that attraction were drastically different things, and he was clueless when it came to that department. However, he couldn’t stop staring at Maya’s slender exposed back as she practically ran down to the pool.

Clo followed her, running to catch up. The slick white tiles nearly caused him to slip, but the grooves in between the tiles were enough to stop him from slipping. He remembered in that moment to take off his shoes, and he slipped out of them before entering the water after Maya. She had stopped doing the same at the edge of the pool, leaving her sandals in a pile beside someone’s chair. She sat down at the edge of the pool before slowly lowering herself into the water. Clo couldn’t help but chuckle at how careful she was being. Rather than the slow approach, Clo stepped from the edge of the pool and leaped into the water. With his attributes, he was easily able to clear the shallow end of the pool.

The water of the pool rushed around him as he dove several feet beneath the water’s surface. The first thing he noticed was the temperature. The water was surprisingly warm, and it sent a small shiver up his spine as the heat ran up his body. It was by no means hot, but compared to the chilly winds outside, it was like a cozy fire. He came up quickly, floating in the water for a few moments. He slowly made his way over to Maya.

The pool was only three feet deep at the edge she was at. That fact made the way that Maya was gripping the edge of the pool even more ridiculous.

“You don’t need to grab that.”

Clo pointed at her hand. Her knuckles had gone a little white as her grip tightened around the grey stone edge. She spoke quickly, fear leaking into her voice.

“I’m-m good here.”

She must have been acting tough earlier because she was nervous now. Though he couldn’t blame her. He glanced toward the deeper end of the pool and couldn’t help but imagine drowning in those depths. He shook off those thoughts and turned back toward Maya. He waded through the water getting close enough to lay a hand on her arm. He pried her arm away slowly, talking to her in hopes of soothing her growing fear.

“Let go, I’ve got you. We can start by getting you used to floating.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Abigail P.O.V

Abigail followed Sarah, hiding slightly behind the taller girl’s back as she pushed open a set of wide double doors. Her family, or at least a member of her family, was coming to check in on her. She just hoped it wasn’t her parents. That was a confrontation she could do without. Even if her parents didn’t care about her performance, Abigail knew that her performance at the trial would seriously affect their reputation. Seeing her parents up close would bring those worries and failures out of the hole she was trying to bury them in.

She reluctantly peeked out around Sarah’s side to look inside the room. Abigail kind of knew what to expect from the luxurious apartment her family had chosen, but she wasn’t ready to see her aunt. Her aunt sat on a white plush couch while watching the recent trial on the ridiculously large wall-sized screen at the opposite end of the room. She sat cross-legged looking at the screen with a slightly bored expression.

As soon as Abigail stepped into the room the woman jumped to her feet, spinning on her heels so quickly that her shoes dug a small hole into the floor. She dashed across the room in a literal blink of an eye and swept Abigail up into a swinging hug. For her part, Abigail could do nothing but ragdoll in her aunt’s firm grip.

“Put me down. I’m going to puke.”

Her voice vibrated as she was spun at speeds that would probably be considered dangerous to anyone normal. Her aunt spun her twice more before obliging her wails and setting her down. Abigail had to take a second to gather her thoughts and looked over her aunt carefully as she did so. As usual, her aunt looked flawless. She was one of the top trial-goers in the space sector which let her maintain her youth, while her natural beauty took her to the next level. She was a model among models, with perfectly placed dimples that revealed themselves only when she smiled.

Abigail loved her aunt, but she had no idea why the woman was there. Aunt Jennifer was one of the main members of her family and was definitely too important to be going around on errands. Even if she was her favorite niece.

“Why are you here?”

The question just had to be asked, and it was far better than ruminating on it on her own. Her imagination would definitely take that in the wrong direction. Already a part of her mind was telling her that she would be punished for her performance, not that her family had ever done that. Well, nobody in her close family did. Some of her aunts and uncles would certainly punish and beat their kids for failing. And she had witnessed some of her cousins humiliating their siblings over less important things.

Her aunt raised one eyebrow and put on a mock frown.

“You wound me! Am I not allowed to visit my favorite niece.”

Her aunt laid a hand on top of her chest while leaning back like she was about to faint. Only when she did that did Abigail realize what her aunt was wearing. She was wearing an extraordinarily tight dress that was very clearly meant to show off.

“Ok, that’s not high praise. And who are you trying so hard for?”

Abigail didn’t think there was anyone on this planet that warranted that level slutty-ness from her aunt. Her aunt awkwardly coughed into her hand before responding, a little bit of blush rising to her cheeks.

“Um, I heard there was a rather impressive teacher here this year. And I’m not exactly…”

Her aunt, for all that she was powerful, was surprisingly innocent when it came to love. She was the type that came on so strongly that she scared off most men. Seeing the woman squirm, Abigail wrapped her arms around the much taller woman before responding.

“I think modesty would work better here. After all, he is a teacher.”

Her aunt glanced down at her dress, and her blush deepened. It was weird considering it was something she had chosen to wear. Not to mention that she had worn far more revealing clothing on runways and advertisements.

“Right. Want to help me pick something while we talk.”

“Sure.”

Abigail smiled as she followed her aunt into her bedroom. It was as messy as she expected it to be. A ridiculous amount of clothing was splayed on every inch of the room. The bed was hidden by a series of coats and dresses, while the ground was covered in pants and shorts. Seeing all of this, she had to wonder why her aunt was going so far. This seemed a little excessive.

“Is my teacher really that important? You know who he is?”

Abigail’s aunt opened her mouth but closed it after a second and shook her head. She began speaking while unzipping her dress.

“Sorry, I can’t really tell you much. But, yes, he is that important. And more than that, he’s strong, stronger even than me.”

Her aunt’s admission was something that Abigail had already known. The teacher had explained just where he ranked, and she knew that no one in her family was that powerful. Even still, seeing her aunt, the prodigy of her family, admitting to being outclassed was jarring. Her curiosity about their mysterious teacher only rose. It was definitely something worth looking into later.

Abigail picked out a nicer sweater and held it up to her aunt while changing the subject to something else since her aunt didn’t seem like she was willing to talk much on the matter.

“Try this, and why are you here? Don’t tell me it’s just to visit my teacher.”

Her aunt obliged, putting on the proffered sweater while responding.

“I am here to visit you. Your teacher is just a benefit, though I’m not really sure he’ll accept to even go on a date with me.”

Sarah was already holding a matching skirt. It was a long skirt that ran all the way down to her ankles, ending in a cute pattern of frills at the bottom. Her aunt’s head popped out of the collar, and she continued after getting the sweater in place.

“Also, I’m here to see this Clo kid. Your being here gave the family a justifiable excuse to visit. And we decided he was worth approaching. Do you know him? Like him? He’s quite popular now, and for good reason from what I saw.”

Her aunt’s voice took on the same tone her mother did when she showed her potential marriage partners. That was annoying especially because Abigai was most definitely not interested. She scoffed, responding by giving her aunt the most disgusted look she could.

“No, absolutely not. All those people that like him are insane. He’s insane. I saw him try to kill other students! Like he has issues.”

Abigail shuddered as she remembered Clo’s cold unflinching gaze as he tried to decapitate that kid back on the first day.

“Everyone who gets strong is crazy. And not just a little. It takes a crazy person to want to live as long as we do.”

Abigail saw the way her aunt’s face drooped, as she was clearly lost in some memory. Abigail knew better than to interrupt and wait for her aunt to come back to the world. It took her a second, and when she did, she adopted her casual smile and posed in the new outfit.

“Well, I won’t force you. Anyways, what do you think? Modest, enough?”

Abigail smiled, giving her aunt a thumbs up. She could’ve let that be the end of it. Could’ve just let her aunt handle her business. Yet, something made her speak.

“Don’t invite Clo. He’s unstable and dangerous.”

Abigail had to repress another shudder as she remembered what he had done in the simulated trial. The very idea of having someone like that even tangentially placed in her family was disturbing. Her aunt’s smile stiffened a bit, and Abigail expected the refusal before the woman even said anything.

“I would, and you’re right. But that is all the more reason to try and recruit him. Keep this to yourself, but we’re fairly certain he has one or two recognitions already. And personally, I would bet on an extra gift or two too.”

The words made Abigail choke and cough, as she sucked in a breath too quickly. It took her a second to calm down, and another one to organize her thoughts. her response was barely a sentence.

“No way…”

Abigail’s voice shook and died, as she contemplated what her aunt just said. There was no doubt in her mind that her aunt was being honest and likely knew more than she said. Rather than try to argue, she tried to understand how that was even possible.

“How?”

Still reeling from the new information, Abigail could only muster a single word for her question. Aunt Jennifer smiled in that same knowing way as before.

“So, you are interested. Well, I guess can’t blame you, he is very handsome for a kid.”

Abigail gave her aunt a look. The kind of look that said that if she kept going, Abigail would find some way to make her life hell. Her aunt sighed, before continuing on the drastically more important matter.

“You’re no fun. I was really looking forward to talking about love with you, but fine. I don’t really have an answer though. It was probably just his first trial. Everyone knows they aren’t equal, although you can be certain that he earned it. You always get what you deserve from those trials, never anything else.”

Those words were especially ominous coming from her aunt. She was among the few as far as trial-goers were concerned. Her first gift had been a grade-A gift. It was the sole reason why she was slated to become the next head, and no one in the family could even come close to contesting her for the position. It also explained why her aunt was here.

“So, you plan on recruiting him?”

Her aunt nodded slowly.

“That or wed him into the family. Members of the family have shown interest in that already. Don’t give me that look. Sarah offered herself.”

Abigail turned her disgusted look to Sarah who was cleaning the room. Sarah only nodded.

“I merely said that I would not be opposed to it, if that was what the family required it of me.”

Sarah said it as though it meant nothing to her, but each word struck Abigail like a slap. She couldn’t help but rise and shout at her friend.

“I told you to stop doing that! You are family Not a servant.”

Abigail hated, hated it when her friend, no, her sister, acted like this. They had grown up together, and despite how much she had tried to change her, Sarah kept sacrificing things for her. It was an argument they’d had before, and she had no doubt it would come up again. Before either of them could continue along that line, her Aunt butted into her conversation.

“Let’s stop there girls. I’ve got a teacher to meet, and you both should go hang out with friends. Let’s meet up for lunch tomorrow though.”