Chapter 21 Hero

Words : 1204 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

The evening sun painted the academy grounds in warm hues as Noah made his way across campus. Despite being a military installation, life flourished here – students lounged on benches, civilians and soldiers mingled, all carrying on with their lives as if alien invasions and beast threats were distant concerns. He'd never done this before – meeting up with a girl. Sure, he had his fair share of... appreciative glances at women, but this was different. 'A shy pervert with standards,' he mused. 'That's me.' The east wing emerged ahead, bustling with activity as usual. Each wing of the academy had its specialty, but the east wing was commercial central. Shops, cafes, and vendors lined the streets, creating an almost civilian atmosphere within the military compound. Noah knew exactly where Lila meant – Starlight Scoops. The ice cream parlor had been his birthday tradition, back when Mrs. Harper would bring him here every year after his parents' messages from the ark above Earth grew less frequent. 'At least some things don't change.' He spotted the familiar storefront, its retro neon sign glowing softly in the early evening light. The outdoor seating area was packed with people enjoying their treats, and then— Noah froze. There was Lila, but she wasn't alone. Standing next to her bench, wearing that irritatingly perfect smile, was Adrian Albright – the vice headmaster's son. Commander Albright's golden boy, specially introduced to their class just a week ago. 'You've got to be kidding me.' Noah considered turning around, but his feet seemed rooted to the spot. He must have been staring too intensely because Adrian suddenly looked his way, causing Lila to turn as well. Her face lit up with a smile that made Noah's stomach do an unexpected flip. She shot up from her seat and practically bounded over to him. "You came!" she beamed. "I was starting to worry. Though I guess an almost-dead guy deserves some leeway on punctuality, right?" She gestured back toward Adrian. "He offered to keep me company, but I had faith you'd show." Noah barely registered the death joke, too busy taking in her appearance. Gone was the combat gear and academy uniform, replaced by a flowing sundress that caught the evening breeze. She'd done something with her makeup too – subtle changes that somehow made a world of difference. 'Stop staring, you idiot.' Adrian walked past them, maintaining tense eye contact with Noah, who met his gaze with practiced indifference. Some battles weren't worth fighting. Yet. "Shall we?" Lila asked, already heading toward the parlor's entrance. "I've been craving their quantum swirl all day." As they waited in line, Lila chatted about everything and nothing – classes, training, the latest academy gossip. Noah found himself studying her animated expressions, wondering how this was the same person who was an ice queen in that cave. 'People are complicated,' he reminded himself. 'Even the ones who seem simple at first glance.' Kind of like a certain dragon currently napping in his pocket dimension. "See this?" Lila rolled up her sleeve slightly, revealing a thin white line along her forearm. "Healing tech is amazing, but some marks stick around. Like little reminders." She smiled softly, stirring her quantum swirl ice cream. "Though I'll never forget that day anyway. How could I? It's not every day someone sacrifices themselves to save your life." Noah nearly choked on his ice cream. He stared at her, processing what she'd just said. 'Wait... what?' When they reached the entrance to the boys' dorm building, Lila stopped. She'd claimed she had "something to do" in the area and insisted they walked there together– though Noah suspected that was about as true as his story about the missing core. "Listen," she started, shifting uncomfortably. "I need to apologize. Before the trial, I was... well, I was a complete bitch. To you, to everyone really." She laughed nervously. "Must have been insufferable, right? And then to end up being rescued by someone I looked down on..." 'Ah, there it is.' Noah thought, remembering her earlier words when they were on the hunt about misfits sticking together. 'So that was just bullshit after all.' "I hope we can put it all behind us," she continued, extending her hand. "Move forward as friends?" Noah stared at her offered hand. 'Hmm...' He considered the premium ice cream they'd just shared, and his own rather depleted credit balance. 'She might invite me for more ice cream sometime...' 'Eh, screw it.' He took her hand, plastering on what he hoped was a convincing smile. 'For the ice cream. Definitely just for the ice cream.' She returned the smile – a genuine one, unlike his – before turning and walking away into the gathering dusk. 'Well,' he thought, watching her disappear around a corner, 'at least one of us believes in this friendship thing.' Kelvin was lounging against one of the decorative stone blocks near the dorm entrance, pretending to be deeply absorbed in whatever was on his tablet. But Noah saw right through the act. 'Really? Could you be any more obvious about waiting to ambush me?' The moment Noah got within earshot, Kelvin's head snapped up with almost comical speed. His eyes were practically gleaming with mischief. "A handshake?" Kelvin's voice cracked with disbelief. "Just a handshake?! What kind of date did you two go on?!" Noah pinched the bridge of his nose. "First off, it wasn't a date. Just a friendly get-together between two people who happened to almost die together in a cave thanks to a level 3 beast. Nothing more, nothing less." He could see Kelvin already twitching with barely contained glee, that particular expression that meant he wasn't going to let this go. 'Great. He's going to milk this handshake thing for all it's worth.' Noah wasn't in the mood. All he wanted was to get back to his room, activate his system domain, and check on Nyx. Something about having your own pocket dimension with a pet dragon waiting for you was addictively compelling. 'Though try explaining that to someone who thinks a handshake is prime gossip material.' "Oh wow..." Kelvin's voice suddenly dropped, taking on an odd, stunned quality. "She's here again." 'And here we go with the theatrics.' Noah ignored him, already planning his escape route to his room. "She's back," Kelvin whispered, his voice now genuinely shaken. Noah turned around, ready to tell Kelvin to give it up – what was his deal about Lila anyway? – but the words died in his throat. 'Oh damn.' She really was here. And not just here – she was walking straight toward the boys' dorm with the kind of purposeful stride that suggested she knew exactly where she was going and didn't care who saw her. A bead of cold sweat rolled down Noah's forehead. Next to him, Kelvin was practically tripping over his own tongue. "Miss... miss... miss Brooks. Good... evening..." 'Well,' Noah thought, watching their homeroom teacher with a strange sense of detachment, 'this should be interesting.'

Chapter 21 Hero

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