Several students nearby snickered. Cael's face darkened.
"You think this is a joke?" he snarled. "People die in gates. Real runners lose party members because someone wasn't strong enough, wasn't fast enough. Your presence here is an insult to everyone who actually earned their place."
"And yet," I said calmly, "here I am."
"Not for long," he promised. "Three semesters on probation, right? I'll be there for your exit interview."
He turned and walked away, his entourage following like well-trained puppies.
Seraphine stayed behind. "I apologize for him. Cael's... intense."
"Is that what we're calling it?"
She almost smiled. Almost. "He's actually incredibly talented. His Storm Wolf is B-rank trending A, with nearly sixty percent compatibility."
"Good for him."
"I just mean there's a reason he's confident."
I set my tray down at the nearest empty table and sat. "There's confident, and then there's being an ass. He's firmly in the second category."
This time she did smile, briefly. "Fair point." She glanced around, clearly uncomfortable with the dozens of eyes still watching us. "Well, I should get back to my table. If he bothers you again, let me know."
"I can handle myself."
"I'm sure you can. But as Class Rep, it's my job to maintain order."
With that, she walked away, leaving me to my now lukewarm food and the continuing stares of half the cafeteria.
I dug into my meal, ignoring the whispers around me. Cael's words echoed in my head.
If the orb said zero, believe the orb.
The same thing every assessment technician had told me for two years.
Except now I had a box that burned against my ribs and a card that was slowly waking up.
The orb might have said zero, but something else was saying otherwise.
My phone buzzed with a notification. A message from an unknown number:
"Roof access door in your building stays unlocked. View's amazing. Bring the cards."
No signature, but it had to be Reva. How she got my number, I had no idea. Then again, she came from the kind of family that probably had people's social security numbers before they were born.
I finished eating quickly and headed back to the dorm, considering my options. I could ignore the message. Go to afternoon classes. Be a normal student.
Or I could meet a mysterious rich girl on the roof and maybe figure out why she seemed so interested in something she shouldn't know about.
The second option was clearly the worse choice.
So naturally, that's the one I took.
The elevator in our building only went to the sixth floor. From there, a narrow staircase led up to a door marked "Roof Access - Authorized Personnel Only." Just as Reva had said, the door was unlocked.
I pushed it open to find myself on a flat roof surrounded by safety railings. The view was indeed spectacular—the mountains rose to the north, the sprawling city of Kasumira spread out to the south. The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the campus below.
Reva was already there, leaning against the railing. She'd changed out of her uniform into black leggings and an oversized sweater that hung off one shoulder. Her hair blew freely in the mountain breeze.
"You came," she said, not turning around. "I wasn't sure you would."
"Yet you sent the message anyway."
"I like to give people the opportunity to surprise me." Now she turned, those green eyes finding mine. "Most don't take it."
I walked over to stand beside her at the railing. "How'd you get my number?"
"School directory." She waved a hand dismissively. "Did you bring them?"
"Bring what?"
She tilted her head, expression amused. "Are we really doing this? The cards, Max. The ones in the black box."
I sighed. "Why are you so interested in them?"
"Because they're part of you, and you're interesting."
"You don't know me."
"I know enough." She turned to face the view again. "I know you're the son of Kaius Sterling, the Mad Hero. I know you generated a catalyst at your awakening ceremony but tested incompatible with every Anima afterwards. I know you're the first person in recorded history to produce a zero reading across six facilities."
"Been doing your homework."
"I also know," she continued, "that something happened during Hask's class today. Something that scared Brasa enough to tell Rafi you smell 'old' and 'different.'"
I kept my face neutral. "Fire salamanders aren't known for their descriptive abilities."
"True." She nodded. "But they are known for their instincts. And Brasa's instincts are excellent."
The box felt warm against my ribs. Not burning, but present. Like it was listening.
"What's your angle here, Reva? Why do you care?"
"Because I think we're similar." She turned to face me fully now. "The system doesn't know what to do with us."
"You're a Calloway. The system was built for people like you."
"Was it?" Something flashed behind her eyes. "Then why am I in Class Z wearing a blazer with no trim instead of Class A with gold?"
That was a good question.
"You contracted the wrong Anima," I guessed, remembering what she'd said earlier.
"Wrong is such a limiting word." She stepped closer. "I contracted exactly the Anima I was meant to. The reflection principle doesn't make mistakes, Max. Our Anima reflect who we truly are, not who our families want us to be."
"I don't have an Anima."
"Don't you?" Her gaze dropped to my jacket, where the box sat in the inner pocket.
"Show me."