I made it through the entire practical session without feeling a hint of discomfort—and for that alone, I was damn grateful. The wounds no longer hurt, but the ugly scars still decorated my body and face.
I frowned, trying to decide what to wear.
Not once since waking up in the Holivan estate had I felt this kind of anticipation. Today was a real date. With a guy.
Yeah, not that guy—the one I kept falling asleep thinking about—but Nick… Nick would do just fine.
Until recently, I'd been convinced I'd end up alone forever. It was still hard to wrap my head around the fact that, despite the kind of judgment that would've crushed you outside, same-sex relationships here at the academy were completely normal.
More than that—they flourished.
Though "relationships" was a generous word when special-class students were literally bought by elites to blow off steam. Still… it worked. For both sides.
I'd noticed a long time ago that there were far fewer girls here than guys. When I asked Andrew about it, he'd said:
"Yeah, you're right—there are fewer women among the Specials. Not sure why exactly, but their abilities tend to develop weaker. Most of them just don't reach the minimum threshold. And even among those who do, a lot choose higher control instead."
"Speaking of that—what's it like for them? And if they're not earning badges, how do they even graduate?"
"They don't. Anyone who chooses higher control gets pulled out of the general class—or sent straight to a separate facility. They don't interact with the other Specials. Or the elites."
"But they're still inside the academy?"
"Yeah."
"That's… weird. The grounds are huge, sure, but we should at least run into them somewhere. Dining hall, maybe?"
"Remember when we went to the Black Cemetery?" I nodded. "There's another building past it. Fenced off. That group doesn't leave it at all until they fully master higher control. They're completely isolated from everything."
"And they agree to that?" I asked, trying to imagine being locked away like that for years.
"They do. Different rules, no competition, great treatment. Honestly? Probably calmer than the outside world. And that part of the academy?" He smirked. "Almost all women."
I figured the shortage of women was one of the reasons same-sex relationships were so common here. And since most of the ones "buying services" were elites… curiosity definitely played a role. Along with the urge to experiment—something their status in the outside world usually kept on a tight leash.
Nick once told me there weren't that many people who genuinely preferred men.
He also showed me a list.
"What's this?" I asked, scanning the names. None of them meant anything to me—except Alma, who was fourth, Matthew dead last, and me…
Right at the top.
"It's the top ten people everyone would most like to… well. You get it. Survey included both elites and Specials," he said with a grin.
"Seriously? I thought I'd top the list of people no one wants to touch," I snorted.
"Just because some people hate you for obvious reasons doesn't mean they're blind. You're attractive. Yeah, you're a guy—but you beat even the prettiest girls. Want to know why?"
"Why?"
"Because you're ridiculously good-looking," Nick said, smiling just enough to make heat creep up my neck. "And you're not very tall—you look… fragile."
"Wow. Thanks. You just described me like a girl."
"But I've always been into men," he shot back, raising an eyebrow. "It's your looks and your presence that pull people in. Not that. And for the record—you don't look like a girl at all."
That conversation had happened a few days ago.
Now I was standing in my room, swapping one pair of jeans for another, trying to figure out what the hell to wear on my first date in this new life.
I ran my fingers over the raised scar on my cheek, pale skin pulling tight around it, and grimaced.
"Well, Alan… not quite the heartthrob you used to be. Guess you'll be sliding down that list soon enough," I muttered with a crooked smirk and stepped out the door.
Nick had some errands in the city, so we agreed to meet at a cheap little place known for its braised beef.
The moment I stepped beyond the academy grounds, my body tensed on instinct. My senses sharpened, scanning for trouble.
I'd really rather not die before my date.
But I knew better than to assume I was safe.
I wondered if Mr. Holivan had actually decided to leave me alone. I didn't feel anything off.
More likely, he'd just changed tactics.
I remembered that conversation between Silius and Goward.
Either way, I wasn't about to let that crap ruin today.
"That's it, Torrent—you're not getting away this time."
The voice came from a narrow alley I'd just passed.
I stopped.
Turned.
Pressed myself against the wall and carefully leaned in to peek around the corner.
At the dead end—cut off from the back door of some establishment, probably a brothel or a gambling den—stood Robert.
Surrounded.
Too dark to count how many.
"Guys, seriously—aren't you tired of chasing me by now?" Torrent said, his voice light, almost playful.
But I knew him well enough to hear it.
The strain. The tension.
He was buying time.
Looking for a way out.
Something clicked.
A faint glint—folding knife.
"The boss changed his mind," one of them said. "We don't need you alive anymore. A sack with your head will do just fine."
"Oooh, so he's not interested in getting his money back anymore? In that case, we really shouldn't be fighting, guys."
"Grab him," the one with the knife ordered.
More clicks answered him.
Shit.
This is bad.
The thought flashed through my mind—
—but my body was already moving.
"Hey. What's going on here?" I called out.
Heads turned. Almost all of them.
"Kid, keep walking," the one who was clearly in charge said. "This is grown men talking."
"Robert!" I called. "Looks like you've got a problem."
"More like a swarm of annoying gnats ruining my evening."
"Need help?"
"So you know him? Take him too!" the leader barked, and two of them broke off toward me.
"Well, since you're already in it, I won't say no," Robert said.
"They're blind," he added quietly—a warning.
Because using force on non-initiates could get us expelled from the academy.