The clamor of the hallway faded behind Drake and Alexis as they left Jackson behind. The tension in Drake's shoulders eased slightly.
Alexis chuckled. "You seem relieved."
"I am," Drake admitted. A flicker of amusement crossed his face. "That guy doesn't know when to quit."
"You should thank me, your noble savior." Alexis grinned as he matched Drake's pace.
"Hilarious." Drake quickened his steps, forcing Alexis to jog slightly to keep up.
"You won't make any friends acting like this," Alexis said, nudging Drake's shoulder.
"I don't need any."
Alexis arched an eyebrow. "Really."
Drake ignored the comment as they turned toward the bustling cafeteria. The scent of roasted meat and fresh bread filled the air as they joined the line. Across the room, Xian sat surrounded by her usual crowd, her pink hair visible above the din of clattering trays and overlapping conversations.
Alexis leaned in with mock seriousness. "So tell me, Mr. Jagger, what exactly am I to you?"
Drake grimaced. "Do you hear how ridiculous that sounds?" He grabbed a tray from the counter. "You nobles need to think before you speak."
Alexis laughed quietly. "You know what I meant. Best friend."
Drake grabbed a tray. "I didn't take you for a comedian. I pegged you as the calculating type - all warrior's honor and noble bearing."
"Well, I am," Alexis admitted. "But even knights need to relax sometimes. All work and no play..." He trailed off.
"It's 'all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.'" Drake rolled his eyes as they found an empty table.
Alexis snapped his fingers. "That's the one."
Drake exhaled sharply. "Enough of the terrible jokes. You and Xian were missing this morning, along with half the class."
Alexis took a bite of his sandwich, grinning. "Missed us already?"
"Just answer the question."
"Club activities," Alexis said between bites. "First training session for the semester."
Drake nodded. "Right."
Alexis studied him. "Come to think of it, you haven't joined any club."
"Didn't apply."
Alexis simply nodded. "Makes sense."
Drake paused, his fork hovering over his plate. "You're not going to ask why?"
"Already figured it out," Alexis said. "You're still unawakened. No affinity means no obvious role to fill."
Drake's silence confirmed the observation. Without an awakened affinity, Drake had no obvious place in Arachis' specialized clubs - Vanguard for frontline combat, Tank for defense, Scout for reconnaissance, Sniper for ranged attacks, or Support for healing. And then there was the Commander role, reserved for those who could lead and adapt to any situation.
Alexis's tone turned serious. "You'll need to join eventually. Clubs earn grade points for next semester."
"Grade points?"
Alexis gave him a look. "Please tell me you at least learned how this place works before coming here."
Drake's silence spoke volumes. Commoners received no orientation about elite academies - that privilege belonged solely to nobles.
Alexis lowered his voice. "Arachis runs on three semesters. This first one is probationary - we earn grade points to survive the next two. Second semester brings eliminations."
"Eliminations?"
"Based on rankings," Alexis confirmed. "How else do you think they weed out all those spoiled nobles they admit?"
A cold realization settled in Drake's gut. Dead last in the rankings. Without intervention, his expulsion was inevitable.
Alexis continued, "Next semester gets intense. They'll form us into units and send us beyond the Safe Zones to hunt mutant beasts. Then comes third semester - the Ascension Gauntlet."
The Ascension Gauntlet - the global tournament where first-years from every academy competed for supremacy. The idea of Drake participating seemed absurd.
Alexis suddenly waved. "There she is."
Xian sauntered over and dropped into the empty seat. "Hey, ugly," she greeted Drake with her usual smirk, stealing a fry from his plate.
Drake exhaled through his nose, another damn nuisance.
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