Cora's lips barely moved.
A single word. Quiet. Almost gentle.
The air shifted. A translucent veil dropped around them, curving into a dome. The outside world blurred. Voices faded. Footsteps disappeared. They were alone in a bubble of silence.
Lucian looked around. Then back at her.
"Neat trick."
Cora didn't answer.
She moved.
Fast. Not superhuman fast, but trained. Her left foot slid forward. Her right hand came up in a palm strike aimed at his throat.
Lucian tilted his head. The palm passed within an inch of his skin.
She followed with a hook punch to his liver. He turned his hip. The punch grazed his shirt.
She kicked at his knee. He lifted his leg. The kick hit air.
Cora reset her stance. Her breathing was controlled.
"You're fast," she said.
"I'm not even trying."
She attacked again. A combination this time. Jab, cross, elbow, knee. Each strike aimed at a different target. Throat. Solar plexus. Ribs. Thigh.
Lucian moved like water.
He slipped the jab. Leaned away from the cross. Caught her elbow on his forearm. Redirected her knee with a palm.
She spun into a backfist. He ducked.
She followed with a sweep. He hopped over it.
She lunged with a straight punch to his face.
He caught her fist.
Not hard. Not fast. Just there. His fingers wrapped around her knuckles like they had been waiting for her.
Cora's eyes widened.
"You're not a normal Prime Human."
"No," Lucian said. "I'm not."
She tried to pull her hand back. He didn't tighten his grip. He just didn't let go.
Cora's other hand moved to her belt. She whispered something else.
A weapon materialized in her free hand. A short sword. Silver blade. Black hilt. It gleamed under the veil's dim light.
Lucian released her fist and stepped back.
"A summoned weapon. That's new."
Cora didn't answer. She swung.
The blade came at his neck. He leaned back. The edge passed under his chin.
She reversed the swing. Horizontal. Toward his ribs. He twisted. The blade cut air.
She stabbed forward. He sidestepped. The point stopped an inch from his shoulder.
She spun into a diagonal slash. He ducked under it.
She brought the sword down in an overhead chop. He stepped to the side and let it fall past him.
Again and again she swung. Each strike faster than the last. Each one missing by less.
Lucian didn't block. Didn't parry. He just moved. A little lean here. A small step there. His hands stayed in his pockets.
Cora's breathing grew heavier.
"Stand still."
"No."
She screamed and lunged with both hands on the sword.
Lucian moved inside her guard. His left hand came out of his pocket. His fingers wrapped around her wrists. His right hand caught the blade just below the hilt.
He twisted.
The sword came out of her grip.
She stumbled forward. He caught her by the shoulder and steadied her.
Then he held the sword up.
He turned it in his hand. Felt the balance. The weight. The edge.
"Nice craftsmanship."
He looked at her. She was frozen. Watching him hold her weapon like it belonged to him.
He pointed the blade at the ground. Then he released a pulse of something.
Cora felt it before she understood it.
Her knees buckled. Her heart stuttered. Every instinct in her body screamed at her to run. To hide. To beg.
Killing intent.
Pure. Absolute. Overwhelming.
She had faced death before. In her past life. On battlefields. Against monsters. But this was different. This wasn't the fear of losing a fight. This was the fear of being erased. Of never having existed at all.
It lasted one second.
Then it was gone.
Lucian lowered the sword.
"Just as I thought." His voice was quiet. "I am broken."
He turned the sword around and offered it to her, hilt first.
Cora stared at the weapon. Then at his face.
"Take it," he said.
Her hand trembled as she reached out. Her fingers closed around the hilt. The sword dissolved into light and vanished.
Lucian stepped back.
"We're not enemies."
Cora didn't move.
"I don't care that you're a reincarnator. Or a transmigrator. Or whatever you want to call it." He shrugged. "It's not a problem for me. And I'm not going to rat you out."
She blinked.
"Why?"
"Because everyone has secrets." He looked at her. "Including me."
Cora's system screen flickered in her vision. She pulled it up without thinking.
TARGET: LUCIAN
STATS:
STRENGTH: ???
AGILITY: ???
ENDURANCE: ???
INTELLIGENCE: ???
WISDOM: ???
PERCEPTION: ???
WILLPOWER: ???
MANA SENSITIVITY: ???
AURA CONTROL: ???
LUCK: ???
CHARISMA: ???
GRADE: ERROR - DATA CORRUPTED
PATTERN: ERROR - DATA CORRUPTED
AFFINITY: ERROR - DATA CORRUPTED
STATUS: ERROR - DATA CORRUPTED
IRREGULARITY: ERROR - DATA CORRUPTED
NIGHT MARK: ACCESS DENIED
WARNING: TARGET EXCEEDS SYSTEM LIMITS. RECOMMEND AVOIDANCE.
Cora's mouth opened. Then closed.
Her own stats floated next to the error messages.
HOST: CORA VANCE
LEVEL: 34
STRENGTH: 41
AGILITY: 53
ENDURANCE: 38
INTELLIGENCE: 62
WISDOM: 44
PERCEPTION: 47
WILLPOWER: 58
MANA SENSITIVITY: 71
AURA CONTROL: 29
LUCK: 33
CHARISMA: 51
GRADE: B-RANK (GROWING)
CLASS: REINCARNATOR (SYSTEM-BOUND)
She looked at his stats again. Question marks. Every single one.
Her system couldn't read him.
He wasn't just stronger. He was outside her system's ability to measure.
Lucian noticed her staring at nothing. He knew what she was seeing.
"You done?"
Cora swallowed.
"Who are you?"
He smiled. Not a mean smile. Just tired.
"I'm just a guy who wants to get through this year without dying. Same as you."
He held out his hand.
Cora looked at it.
Then at his face.
Then back at his hand.
She took it.
He pulled her to her feet.
The veil around them dissolved. Sound returned. The distant chatter of students. The rustle of leaves. The hum of the campus.
Cora brushed off her clothes. Avoided his eyes.
"We never talk about this," she said.
"About what?"
She looked up. He was already walking away.
She watched him go.
Then she whispered to herself.
"What the hell did I get teamed up with?"