"That... was freaky cool," Kaylee said with a grin as she held Paige's feet.

"I'll say," the Evaran agreed as she did a sit-up. "Weirdly enough, we have numbered terms."

"There are only three terms!" Dean piped up from nearby as he dodged a swing from Byron, "but I guess it's different for us since we're not really normal teenagers!"

"Oh, lay off it, will ya?" Drew huffed from his spot on the bleachers. He was leaning back against the bleacher behind him.

Tyrell, Jairo, Nakita, and Blodwen were sitting beside him, all four of them looking either bored or mildly entertained.

Paige rolled her eyes at the Oboran. There was a sharp thud, and she turned to see Marcellus and Xaden wrestling each other on the mat.

Paige's breath hitched.

They were both shirtless.

Marcellus was moving like a coiled spring, muscles shifting and eyes sharpening with focus. Xaden copied the Dosyrian's movements, his chest rising and falling with each slow and controlled breath. Sweat ran down his back and chest, glowing like molten silver.

"...well," Ulysses piped up, his eyebrows slowly rising.

Daisy let out a long, appreciative wolf whistle. "Okay, this is suddenly my favorite class," she chuckled.

"Same here," Kaylee smirked.

"Hopefully, they'll tear something," Florence piped up, and Ephraim swallowed thickly.

Paige blinked, suddenly very aware of her own heartbeat. Her ears twitched involuntarily, picking up every sound—their breathing, the impact of muscle against muscle, the faint scrape of skin against the mat.

Violet suddenly leaned closer to her, voice dropping conspiratorially. "So," she whispered, eyes still fixed on the fight, "hypothetically speaking."

The Evaran felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise, and she knew she was in danger.

"Yes?" she asked carefully.

"Which one."

Paige choked.

"What?" she croaked.

Violet smirked faintly. "Which one would win."

The Evaran narrowed her eyes. "That's not what you meant."

The Forwythian's smile widened just enough to be incriminating.

They both looked back at Marcellus and Xaden.

Marcellus lunged at Xaden, but the Forwythian immediately caught him by his wrist and tripped him, shoving him to the floor.

Paige swallowed thickly as she stared at Xaden's back.

"Xaden," she murmured.

Violet smiled and let out an approving hum.

Xaden let go of Marcellus, and the Dosyrian rolled onto his hands and knees with a huff.

The bell rang, and Paige looked up at the ceiling.

When did they have a bell installed? She wondered, furrowing her eyebrows. Everyone got up and walked out of the gym.

Outside, the thirteen-year-old students were outside, tending to the food crops.

Melody was counting some eggs.

"Hey, Erinne," Ohanna said, jogging up to the Etheran.

"Yeah?" They said curiously and yelped when Ohanna suddenly sprayed them in the face with a water hose.

Erinne smirked and picked up a bucket of water. "You want a water war, I'll give you one, you Drovaan!"

Ohanna laughed.

"Hey, stop that!" Lady Petrina interrupted sternly, "we've got twenty yards and ten coops to empty, or you're not eating tonight."

"Sorry, ma'am," Ohanna and Erinne grumbled.

Melody carefully set down some eggs, and she looked at the clouds as they rolled across the sky.

Siffrin put some eggs in the pail.

After a while, the thirteen-year-olds and Lady Petrina went inside, holding and levitating everything with them as they made their way to the kitchen.

In the gym, Ivan was sitting on the bottom bleacher, drawing in his journal.

"Ivan?" A familiar voice called out, and he looked over at Sammie.

"Hey, Sammie," he greeted with a soft smile.

Sammie smiled back as he walked over to him. "What are you doing here by yourself?"

"Just drawing," the Irifloran answered, then he noticed that the Zaherian was carrying a guitar case. He tilted his head curiously.

"What's that?" he asked.

Sammie's smile widened as he set down the case. "It's an acoustic guitar," he said as he opened it. He picked up the guitar and started playing.

A smile formed on Ivan's face as he listened.

"Travelin'," the Zaherian sang, "I don't know where in the world I've been. 'Cause the woman that I'm lovin', she sure don't feel like that!"

Ivan giggled as he clapped his hands. Sammie's smile widened as he continued playing.

A seventeen-year-old boy poked his head into the gym, a curious expression on his face. He had porcelain skin, raven-black hair, and light blue eyes. There was a red four-star marking on the center of his forehead.

Some of the other kids walked up beside him, all looking curious.

Ivan noticed the other students and smiled.
"Looks like you've got an audience, Sammie," he chuckled.

Sammie looked over at the others and laughed softly.

The seventeen-year-old boy walked over to them. "That's a pretty good guitar you got there," he complimented. "I'm Bricio Faran."

"Nice to meet you," Sammie chuckled. "And thanks."

"Do you usually walk around with that thing?" Ryker asked curiously, leaning against Farley.

"Well... I actually brought it with me when I came to the Academy," Sammie answered with a soft chuckle. "My cousins won it off Charley Patton in a card game."

"Charley Patton? The blues musician?" Billie said curiously, tilting his head.

Sammie nodded, smiling softly.

"I'm kinda surprised you actually snuck that in," Kit piped up, raising an eyebrow.

Sammie almost rolled his eyes. "I didn't sneak it in. I brought it with me on the first day."

Ivan tilted his head curiously. "Do your cousins know that you have it?"

"Elias does," Sammie answered, rubbing the back of his neck. "But Elijah doesn't."

Bricio's eyebrows narrowed back, frowning in confusion.

"Okay, what happens if he finds out and tells the Headmaster?" Nash asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Shush, man! Don't ruin the fun!" Ryker nearly hissed, swatting at the Iceclitian.

He leaned back, "Sorry! Just saying! It's possible though."

"Elijah won't find out," Pino huffed nonchalantly, crossing his arms over his chest, "because we won't tell him."

"Who's we?" Ivan asked, startled.

Before the Nodorian could answer, Flamino poked his head into the gym.

"Hey, you guys. Dinner's ready. Come on," he announced.

"Awesome!" Farley cheered before he ran past the Satanian. He shouted over his shoulder, "Bet I can beat you to the cafeteria, Ryker!"

"Hey!" Ryker protested before he ran after his brother.

Ivan chuckled before he looked at Sammie, then at his guitar. "You should put that back. I'll meet up with you by the cafeteria."

The Zaherian nodded before he put his guitar back in its case, closed it, picked it up, and walked out of the gym with Ivan following.

Flamino walked after them.

All of the students were in the cafeteria, eating.

Kaitlin looked around, furrowing her eyebrows. "Where's Ivan?"

"I think he went to help Sammie with something," Zethus answered, taking a bite out of his fish.

"There they are," Shiloh piped up, gesturing to the Irifloran and the Zaherian as they walked into the cafeteria.

Ivan patted Sammie's shoulder, smiling before he hurried over to his friends.

"What have you two been up to?" Paige playfully asked as the Irifloran sat between her and Demetrius.

He pulled his plate closer to him. "Me and Sammie were in the gym. He has an acoustic guitar."

Gregory blinked in surprise. "Is that allowed?"

"Nash said the same thing," Ivan sighed, an amused smile on his face, "but it's fine so long as Elijah doesn't find out."

"Well, we can keep secrets," Xavier chuckled, smiling innocently.

Natalia rolled her eyes at that.

Paige chuckled softly. "Most of the other students are talking about the Hollow Sphere," she said. "Do you think we'll be in the Celestial Gauntlet before the end of our first term?"

"Probably," Yalonda nodded. "After all, aren't we only in our first term?"

"Fair enough," Harry hummed. He glanced at Paige, who picked at her fish.

"You okay?" the Dosyrian asked her, furrowing his eyebrows.

She looked at him, "Yeah. Just thinking."

Kaitlin gently nudged her shoulder with her own. "We'll do good," she assured her.

Paige smiled softly and nodded.